《Parallel Memory》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    Chapter 1 Prologue


    *


    The world we see can be changed based on the perspective of the viewer. This statement is something that I realized after getting the skill Parallel Memory.


    *


    The world here is called Eds which is constantly being invaded by demons and monsters. There is also the presence of mana due to which humans are more strong and live longer. The average life span of a human is around 150 and for the high ranking human, it is 300 years.


    I, Zero Elea am just an average human of rank F who is going to enroll in Ace academy which is the N.o 1 high school in the world.


    The school is headed by a Rank SS human who is one of the strongest in the human domain. The strength of humans is divided into different ranks; SSS being the strongest and F being the weakest.


    The Academy has lots of Rank-A teachers and lots of them have experience of conquering dungeons and fighting monsters.


    For the entrance exam of Ace Academy, we had to fight golem of rank F and the number of golems defeated in 1 hour was the points that we get.


    I defeated 7 golems using my sword Art LVL 3 Shadow Style with Practitioner proficiency. With this Art, I can coat the sword with mana and sh the sword at high speed.


    In this world, there is something called skill which is something that is in perfect stage the moment you acquire it from skill scroll or other means and there is also something called Art which can be acquired by instruction books from which we learn and try to increase our proficiency.


    There are 9 levels of Art with level 9 being the highest. However, even if the Art is of LVL 1, if the proficiency is perfect then it can be more powerful than the LVL 9 Art with only beginner proficiency.


    The proficiency is also divided into Beginner, Practitioner, Proficient, Expert, Master, and Perfect.


    When I reach the proficient level in my Sword Art I can shoot shadow sh to an enemy at distance.


    Anyway, I passed the test with one of the lowest points. I was ranked 970 among 1000 students who have passed.


    I was going home after the announcement of the result. It was already great for me to get a chance to attend the number 1 school in the world.


    While leaving, I could see lots of reporters interviewing the students, especially the rank 1 student. He is a total monster that has destroyed 34 golems within an hour which makes his score the highest point in the history of the Ace Academy entrance exam.


    Though other top students were also beast with rank 2 and 3 getting 27 and 25 points respectively. The scores are also higher than other top-ranked students of previous years which was 22 points.


    -SIGH!


    [ "Looks like my ssmate is going to be all monsters." ]


    I was dejected thinking about the geniuses that I have to meet in ss.


    I went to meet my parents who were working in the guild called Shadow Genesis which is just silver grade.


    The guild grade is divided into tinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron, and grade-less.


    The new guild will start as grade-less and Iron grade is given to the guild which has some achievement and for a guild to be graded as Bronze, their requirement was for the guild to have at least 10 rank C members or 1 rank B member and for a Silver grade, there should be at least 10 rank B member or 1 rank A member.<sub></sub>


    Though my parents'' guild doesn''t have a rank A member, there was at least 13 rank B guild member.


    My Dad is the guild master with a rank being B+ and mom is the Vice guild master with rank B, one sub-rank below Dad.


    [ "Good Afternoon, H. Is Guildmaster here?" ]


    I asked the guild receptionist.


    [ "Ah... Yes. Guildmaster is in his office." ]


    [ "Thanks" ]


    I thanked the receptionist and went to my father''s office. I reached the guildmaster''s office and knocked on the door.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    [ "Come in" ]


    I heard my Dad''s voice. I opened the door and I could see my Dad sitting on a chair with lots of paper in front of him.


    [ "Father. What are you doing?" ]


    [ "Just looking at some recruitment list for the guild. Anyway Zero, how was the entrance exam." ]


    [ "Well... I passed albeit just barely" ]


    [ "Ha Ha that''s my boy. Passing is passing even if it is the lowest rank. I believe that with the teaching in number 1 academy, you will get lots of new experience. This calls for celebration." ]


    [ "Thanks, Dad. So where''s Mom" ]


    [ "He He... I knew you would pass so to celebrate we have prepared something special for you." ]


    As soon Dad said that the door was pushed open and mom came in with a box in her hand.


    [ "Zero. Are you okay?" ]


    Mom ran towards me and hugged me tight, and asked me the question right after seeing me. Well, it is obvious why Mom ask me this question as the entrance exam was generally fighting monsters though the types of monsters were different each time.


    [ "I am fine, just some scratch. So that box is the gift that was prepared for me." ]


    [ "Yes. I and your Mom have gotten you a random skill box though it is of low-rank."]


    [ " Huh?" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    I was baffled, Random Skill Box was very rare even if it was of low rank. Random Skill Box could give you skills from every rank. It means that from this box there is a possibility of getting rank SSS skill.


    Though getting high-level skills from low-level Random Skill Box was low but there was a possibility. Even if rank S and above were impossible for me, there was a high chance of getting a rank B skill which was the highest skill that was present in our guild.


    This random skill box must have cost millions of Ethan coins which is enough to buy a rank B skill. Though it could also generate and most of the time give rank D and E skills. But because of its possibility to give higher rank skill, the value of this box was quite high.


    [ "This..." ]


    I couldn''t say a word. How could I? With the money used to buy this, we could have purchased a rank-A level-up potion which could increase the chance of Dad bing rank-A. Instead, they are investing this chance for my future.


    [ "Son. Though chances are slim, these boxes may give you the skill of rank A and above. Dad and Mom can''t afford them. So we have decided to give you this box. This is the best we can do for you." ]


    [ "Dad, how can I ept something so valuable. I think Dad should use this item." ]


    [ "Son you are going to attend the Number 1 academy of the World with the student being son and daughter of gold and diamond guild. They must have given them rank A and above skill to them andpetition in the academy without at least rank C skill is going to be very tough. Though getting rank A and above might be impossible but it can give you at least rank C or B skill" ]


    [ "...."]


    [ "Zero. Don''t worry about it. Just use it as Mom and Dad have prepared this specifically for you. This thing is worthlesspared to your future." ]


    Mom assured me to use it.


    [ "Thank you, Mom. Thank you, father. I will gratefully use it" ]


    I held the box in my hand and pour mana into the box. The box shined and slowly disappeared. The skill got integrated with me. I got a Skill. I wanted to know what skill I got so I checked my status screen.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: F +


    Strength: F


    Speed: F+


    Stamina: E


    Mana: F


    Luck: B<sub> </sub>


    Charm: C


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Practitioner ]


    = = = = = = = =


    ( Parallel Memory? )


    I was stunned. My parents sacrifice so much money for me to be stronger by giving me a random box but what I got from it was Parallel Memory. What the hell.


    Even rank C or D Skill was eptable. However, what I got was parallel memory, a skill that just increases your memory. It was just a useless rank F Skill that could be purchased in the market for a couple of thousand Ethan coins. Its value was not even one-tenth of the value of the Random Skill Box.


    [ "So, What Skill did you get?" ]


    My parents asked me excitedly. They were staring at me so happily that I was starting to feel guilty.


    [ "....." ]


    I was silent for a moment before answering.


    [ "Parallel Memory" ]


    [ "....." ]


    [ "....." ]


    Silence prevailed in the room. It was like the happy emotion we felt had all vanished from the room.


    After a few minutes, my father broke the silence.


    [ "Don''t worry son. Though you got rank-F skill,  Dad will promise you that I will get you a rank-B Skill ." ]


    [ "Fath... Father no needs to spend more resources on me. Even if Dad is the guildmaster, other executives of the Guild will not be happy for spending this much resource on me. I will definitely work hard in the academy and be powerful even without Skill." ]


    I tried to persuade my Dad into not spending any more Ethan coins on me. It was already hard for my parent to get me Random Skill Box, if they decide to take a rank B Skill from Guild then my parents'' position in Guild could be jeopardized.


    Even though I didn''t get a powerful Skill, I could still get strong from the teaching of Ace academy. I also have the option of making money from working part-time and buying a rank B Skill when I get enough money.


    Dad tried to insist that he could still try to get a skill for me but I refuse by saying that Skill is not everything and we should work hard without relying on external things. Though unconvinced, Dad dropped the matter after seeing my resolute face.


    We went home together and there was a small family party for my sessful enrollment in Ace Academy. We ate and talked happily until it was time for bed.


    In bed, I was thinking about what happened in the Guild. Honestly, I was depressed and disappointed. It was my chance to get a good skill and get to the level of other top students but I ruined my chance and got a Skill that only increases your memory.


    Though the Skill may sound incredible, the increased memory is only when you use the skill which uses mana. So it was a pretty useless skill even among other rank F Skill.


    *Sigh*


    Before going to bed I wanted to check my status again. Though I know the Skill will not change but I wanted to make sure whether what I got was really a rank-F Skill.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: F +


    Strength: F


    Speed: F+


    Stamina: E


    Mana: F


    Luck: B


    Charm: C


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Practitioner ]


    = = = = = = = =


    * Sigh *


    I got really shitty luck today. Getting rank-F Skill from Random Skill Box was as rare as getting an A-Rank Skill.


    As I continued staring at the status screen, I noticed that the rank of my Parallel Memory is SS.


    ( What the.... )


    I rubbed my eye and looked carefully to confirm whether what I was seeing was correct.


    Yes, indeed the rank is SS.


    ( ..... )


    I thought for a moment but I don''t remember Skill Parallel Memory being rank-SS. I thought it may be a new Skill but Parallel Memory was already a known skill, just that the rank is not SS.


    [ "Parallel Memory" ]


    No use thinking about something you don''t know, instead I can see what it does by using it. I used the Skill to see what was the effect of rank SS Parallel Memory.


    After a few minutes. I waited for something to happen.


    ...


    Nothing happened. Not even my memory was being affected.


    [ "Is this Skill wed? Or Is it that I am not capable of using it?" ]


    I thought for a moment before deciding that the first option was ridiculous. There was never an incident of a Skill being wed but there was a situation where skill cannot be executed by the user.


    The reason could be ack of mana or doesn''t have the appropriate tool for execution. How can you use sword skills without a sword. So, maybe my mana capacity does not reach its requirement.


    I wanted to know why it was not working but I kept it for tomorrow. I am already tired from the entrance exam. Tomorrow I can discuss it with my parents.


    [ "Hehe..." ]


    Honestly, I was a little happy since the rank is SS. Even if the Skill increases the memory, the effect will be much better than a rank F Skill. Though I would have preferred if the Skill was forbat.


    Rank SS Skill means that you have a chance of bing one of the strongest humans. Not even tinum guild would have a Rank SS skill.


    It was extremely rare and it is only those Rank S and Rank-SS humans that could have one or two Rank-SS Skills.


    ( Strongest.... )


    I slept as I thought about being strongest not knowing that I, Zero Elea would wake up tomorrow as apletely different person.

 Chapter 2 Me And I

    Chapter 2 Me and I


    While sleeping, I was dreaming about a world where there was no mana and I was living a life of a boy who was simr to me in the dream, I was reading a novel that is simr to my current world.


    In other words that novel was about this world. Why I think that novel is simr to my world is because the name of the Academy that the MC attends is the same one that I am going to join and I also know the MC of the novel, Hiro Ernest who is the rank 1 of the entrance exam.


    He had be famous after the entrance exam and you could see him on every media.


    Hiro Ernest has achieved the highest grade to date in the Ace academy entrance exam. Additionally, with his handsome looks, he has be very popr among girls and boys.


    Right now, multiple media are covering his potential and how he can be the strongest human. Some media even talked about Hiro by saying that Hiro Ernest will be the hero of humanity.


    Well ording to the novel, he became so strong because of the help of a cheat power called a system that allowed him to power up faster than other people.


    The system also provides the main character with all sorts of resources such as stamina potion, mana recovery potion which is very expensive in the market.


    The novel state that he got the power of the system when he was on verge of dying on rank E dungeon.


    The reason he was attempting the rank E dungeon alone despite only being rank F at that time was that he wanted legendary Elixir.


    The Elixir he wants is an S-Rank item that can heal any injury or disease and the peculiar thing about this item is that it doesn''t always appear in a high-ranking dungeon-like other items.


    Normally, items rank will be simr to dungeon rank but this Elixir would randomly appear in any rank of the dungeon though the chance of getting this item is very slim.


    Last time this Elixir was discovered from rank C dungeon.


    Anyway, the reason for finding the Elixir was to cure his parents who are in aa. He also wanted to be strong to take revenge for his parent, the demon who had attacked his family and sent his parents to aa. A very strong demon at Earl rank which is as strong as rank A human.


    So in the novel, it says that while he was exploring the dungeon he encounters a dungeon boss of rank-E Ogre and several of his goblin army. Though he manage to survive the ordeal and defeat the boss orge, he was fatally wounded.


    There he got a treasure chest for defeating the boss and inside was a potion. He didn''t know what the potion did because it was transparent and there was no transparent potion avable in the market but since he was dying, he took the chance and drank it anyway.


    It was then that the system named level up system was integrated with the MC Hiro Ernest. As a reward for conquering the dungeon, the system healed him and exined the power of the system.


    From then on System gave lots of missions to Hiro Ernest with all kinds of rewards that made MC powerful. So when he took the entrance exam he had reached rank E +, which is way too powerful for a 15-year boy. The average student will still be ranked F- without taking any potion.


    I was ranked F + because I trained hard and took some potion for leveling up. But even though I ranked 970, it doesn''t mean I am weak. No, in fact, who so ever got admitted to Ace Academy can be considered high-level human among other humans.


    Generally, only the top student would have rank E - or in rare cases rank E student as the highest rank in the entrance exam. But Hiro got to rank E + while still being a middle schooler, which is super rare or maybe it is the first case since the establishment of Ace Academy.


    I continue to see many things besides the novel, a world divided into sevenndmasses instead of one like Eds.


    A normal life without fighting and enjoying the youth without worry. It was a life without war, a future we could have without demons. The memories of the boy continued until he was 15 years old.


    [ Gasp...Gasp...Gasp ]


    I opened my eyes. I felt like I had a really really long dream. No, not a dream but I feel like I have lived those 15 years myself in that world called Earth. Or is it that I am transmigrated in this world.


    No no no. I know I have lived in this world, I remember my childhood to my middle school days. I know it was me that lived here but I also feel like I have lived on Earth. Earth, a world without mana or monster. There I was just a regr student who goes to school and dreams of working after graduating from college.


    I dreamed of going to a Techpany and working there, So I really studied hard and my only hobby was reading web novels.


    I feel like I have transmigrated from Earth to Eds like in some web novel but I know that I have lived in Eds. So confusing, feels like two of me had be one. Is it the effects of Parallel Memory or just a nightmare?


    I sat on the bed thinking about what I was doingst night, I think I was contemting about the new Skill Parallel Memory before sleeping. So, is it really the effect of this new Skill. I don''t really know but I knew the method for knowing.


    I stood up and washed my face before going for breakfast. As we were eating, I asked my Dad.


    [ "Father, Can I get a Skill identification Scroll." ]


    [ "mmmm!" ]


    My father chewed the bread before replying.


    [ "What for?" ]


    [ "I want to find the effect of Parallel Memory Skill. Even if I know some things about it, I want to know all the details about it." ]


    Skill Identification scroll, an item made by Dwarf for identifying the detail of a Skill. I want to use that to find out the effect of my Parallel Memory Skill.


    Whether the dream or the life that I lived has a connection with the Skill or not can be confirmed by checking the detail of the skill.


    [ "Okay. It''s always good to know about your skill. It cane in handy at certain times even if it is rank F." ]


    I didn''t reveal that the skill was rank SS, even I am not sure whether it was SS rank or some w in the status screen. I wanted to make sure I understand what my skill was before revealing it to my parents.


    I continued eating my breakfast. We went to the guild together after breakfast and I was given the Skill Identification scroll from the guild storage. I came back home to use the scroll.


    I imbued the scroll with my mana and then the description of my skill can be seen on my status screen.


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: F +


    Strength: F


    Speed: F+


    Stamina: E


    Mana: F


    Luck: B


    Charm: C


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get the memories from their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Practitioner ]


    = = = = = = = =


    ( What the ..... )


    So this Parallel Memory Skill was indeed not for increasing memory instead it lets the user have the memory of his alternative world self.


    No wonder I feel like I am who I was as well as someone else at the same time. It was the side effect of the Skill, though I don''t feel overwhelmed by the emotion of my alternative self right now I feel some change in my thinking.


    Now that I got the memory of my Earth self, I feel insignificant or like some mob character. After recalling the novel from my memory, I know that the world revolves around Hiro Ernest and his group as Main Character and me and others are just there to make them shine.


    Though I recalled the name Zero Elea in the novel his part was very insignificant or rather he only appears twice or thrice in the novel.


    You may think it''s obvious as the novel MC is Hiro Ernest but considering the novel it was not. The novel was not your typical novel, it was very very popr and the novel had reached 10,000 plus chapters.


    The word may have reached tens of million words and the novel doesn''t always show the MC part but covers all the significant characters from his rival life story to some of his enemy life stories.


    The novel also shows the life of a side character who was just Hiro''s ssmate and insignificant to MC''s growth. It also exins the location of various skills and Art which are acquired by a viin and some other side character.


    The world in the novel was described very well and even if it was just describing some insignificant character, it was done so well giving more depth to the world and character of the novel.


    The novel was also covering lots of side characters, so for my name to be mentioned twice or thrice was pretty umon. This could mean that my existence in the novel was as insignificant as it can get.


    I sat down on my bed, recalling the memories of my alternate self. The biggest thing about the memories was not the presence of an alternative world but knowing that this world is simr to the novel in the alternate world.


    I am not 100 percent sure whether what was written in the novel is true or not but what happened in the entrance exam was very simr to what is written in the novel.


    So to speak if the novel is the same as my world then the prologue has just started. The MC will be in the same ss as me, apletely average student and an insignificant character with rank F power without any special power, and the perk of MC are that they are trouble mas.


    Whenever they are involved things will go down and viins and demons will attack MC as well as other students who are with him.


    I don''t think I have the power to constantly fight with demons and viins of higher rank. And due to MC being the MC, every viin and demon will target and attack our ss. So to summarize I am F**KED UP!

 Chapter 3 Me And I [2]

    Chapter 3 Me And I [2]


    For other people, the main character may be someone that they want to get close to and is proud to be his friend due to MC being brilliant.


    The people saved by MC may be grateful to MC for saving them but from the reader''s point of view, there is nothing good about being with MC.


    The main character is always a trouble ma, he will be targeted by the various viin and other people near him will get dragged into his mess.


    ( Grateful for saving, my ass )


    The reason you all are in danger is due to the presence of MC. All in all, Hiro Ernest is someone I should avoid at all costs.


    However, it''s not that I am ming him for attracting the viin''s attention. It just means he is just that much of a threat to viins. That''s why they openly attack him and other people around him.


    Who knows without MC, viins may have caused a bigger problem for other people in the future and we may have to deal with a bigger problem. Although I would like to not be around MC and his group however I appreciate them for standing up to injustice and helping others.


    Anyways, I am not really sure whether the world is the same as what is written in the novel or it is just some simrities. I would eventually know the answer if I observe the MC for a long time.


    I couldpare what is happening to Hiro Ernest to the events of the novel but the problem is I don''t have that much time. If the world is really the same as the novel then the problem will start brewing as soon as school starts and I don''t really know whether I will survive if I don''t be stronger.


    So my first problem is to confirm whether the world really is the same as the novel or not and the second problem is to get stronger, at least I need to reach rank E- by the end of this month before starting school.


    I thought of an idea that could solve both problems. The idea is to go to the location of some Art or Skill mentioned in the novel and get it.


    If there is an Art or Skill there then it will confirm that the world is the same as the novel and at the same time the Skill and Art can make me powerful.


    I decided that looking for Art and Skill will solve both the problem and I started to n for getting the Skill or an Art.<sub></sub>


    Firstly, I had to choose which Skill and Art to look for. I could just look for the most powerful Skill rank SSS but the location of the Skill is in a very dangerous zone and even if I could get it, I don''t have the capability to use the skill. Therefore, I decided to look for Art that can be learned as long as you get it and stronger Art can make you rank up faster.


    The location should also be taken into consideration as I live in the Star City of Humalia Domain. I can''t go to other domains which are far too dangerous and time-consuming.


    It is not hard to find the Art as the novel has extensively described the location of some of the Art. It''s just that I don''t have the capability to enter all those ces.


    I thought of some Art and eventually decided on magic Art: Cryomancy. The reason for this is because the location of the Art is nearby, just 120 km from Star City and that ce is rtively safe.


    Another reason is that the magic Art will be discovered by the viin, not the MC. I don''t really want to take the Art of MC and make him less powerful.


    Hiro Ernest will be soon regarded as the savior of humans and I as a human don''t wish to destroy that future. Though I don''t really mind taking the opportunity of viin to be stronger.


    The location of Art is in Sunset forest, a rank F ce that is essible to anyone with rank F power. Since I am Rank-F +, I am allowed to explore the ce.


    I decided that tomorrow I will visit the ce and decide what to do after confirming whether the Art is there or not. I spend the rest of my day preparing for tomorrow''s journey.


    Taking enough ration and having some potion is mandatory when exploring these ces. Even in a low danger zone, we may meet higher-rank monsters and may meet some mishap. I also bought an Art Identification scroll for identifying the Art if I do find it.


    During dinner, I told my parents about my n for tomorrow. I naturally didn''t tell them that I was looking for Art but gave the reason that I want to explore and train myself.


    My parents gave me their consent. Though dangerous, this world is not a peaceful one and it is normal for people to risk their lives to be stronger.


    The next day I booked my train ticket for a ce near the Sunset forest. It took the train 45 minutes before arriving at the destination and I still needed to walk 10 km before reaching the entrance of the forest. <sub>


    </sub>


    I took out the map and looked at it. ording to memory Cryomancy Art will be in the middle of the forest after 7 km from the entrance. The Art is hidden near the tree that has snowy color, maybe due to the Art mana the tree was affected and turned snowy.


    Well since the trees appearance is unique, It will be easier for me to identify the tree. In 30 minutes I reached the entrance and showed my ID to the guards.


    After that, I increase my alertness and continued walking in the forest for 10 minutes before encountering swamp money who is a Rank-F monster.


    I steadily walked near the monster before unsheathing the sword.


    -SHUA!


    Using my Shadow Style I quickly struck the monster and beheaded him. The monster was lifeless with its head separated from its body.


    It was not my first time encountering this type of monster, unlike Earth which is peaceful, here Kids in middle school are taught to kill the monster and third years of middle school are required to explore the rank F dungeon for gaining experience.


    I have additional experience as I have gone to a higher-ranked dungeon with my Dad and other guild members. So, this type of low-rank monster is easy for me to handle.


    I looked whether there is a monster core or not. Monster cores are a round object that is sometimes found in monster. It is usually located around the chest and can be exchanged for a pretty big amount of money. The monster core can be used to enhance the weapon or to generate energy from it.


    Anyway, this monster didn''t have it and I was not disappointed because only a higher rank monster who could use mana will have the core.


    I continued my journey and I didn''t encounter another monster which was lucky for me. I searched for the tree after calcting the distance that I walked, I knew it was around 7 km from the entrance.


    I looked around before noticing a tree with a unique appearance. It has the same appearance as described in the novel.<sub> </sub>


    -Thump! -Thump!


    My heartbeat loudly as I was both excited and nervous. As of now, the ce described and location of the tree is as mentioned in the novel.


    If the world is the same as a novel then I will get a pretty strong Art. I approached the tree and took a look at it. Snowy tree; same as what was in the novel.


    The Art is buried in the ground in front of the tree and the reason for the viin finding this skill in the novel was that he want to hide the rank A pill that he stole and stumbled upon the Art. So, I took out the shovel and started to dig in front of the tree.


    After I dug about 1 meter, I feel like the shovel hit on a steel box. So I continue to dig until I could see a steel box. I took the box out and ced it on the ground. I swiftly opened the box and inside was the Art which was giving a dense and cold mana aura.


    I took a deep breath and held the book in my hand. I stared at the Art that is on my hand, this proves that the world is indeed the same as what is in the novel. With the knowledge of the novel, I could predict some of the events that will happen to me.


    ( I got to be prepared for it and this Art is the first preparation. )


    I infuse the mana in the Art book and slowly the knowledge got integrated with me. It taught me the practice of Cryomancy. I slowly digested the information I got from the Art.


    [ "Art Identification" ]


    I used the scroll to know the details of the Art.


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: F +


    Strength: F


    Speed: F+


    Stamina: E


    Mana: F


    Luck: B


    Charm: C


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get the memories from their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Practitioner ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Beginner ]


    Magic Art is said to be made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    = = = = = = = =


    ( Wow. LVL 9 ..... I really got an LVL 9 Art)


    [ "Hahaha...." ]


    It was something that I didn''t dare to dream about; even LVL 5 Art was considered precious by the diamond-graded guild. Not even the current Top 3 strongest fighter has LVL 9 Art.


    Only some of the strongest in history were able to get it and it is a magic Art as well.


    Magic Art is more rare and precious than normal Art. While normal Art focuses on strengthening the body or weapon, Magic Art can be used to attack the enemy using mana. For example, I use Shadow Style to make my sword sh faster but with a fire Magic Art, I could shoot out a fireball.


    I was really excited to practice and learn Cryomancy. I would have to reach at least Practitioner proficiency in Cryomancy before it bes useful inbat.


    With Beginner proficiency, I can only shoot some Ice Shards, freeze the water and gain immunity to cold. But from practitioner proficiency, I will be able to make Ice walls for defense and freeze enemies on arge scale.


    I return to the Sunset forest entrance immediately by following the route I took. I took the train back to Star City. As I sat on the train seat, I felt like training my Cryomancy Art but managed to hold it in.


    It could cause a really big problem if my mana went haywire while training and I don''t really want to expose my Art to other people. I will wait; wait until I am strong enough before revealing anything about my Art.


    ( Hehe... Low key Low key )

 Chapter 4 Training

    Chapter 4 Training


    After returning to Star City, I was on my way to Shadow Genesis.


    I was not there to meet my parents but to train as the guild provide us with a training room. I registered for one private training room for 8 hours.


    Since I am the son of the guild master I don''t need to pay them for the room. Including me, sons and daughters of other B- rank members enjoy this privilege.


    I went to training room no.1-C, the number indicates that the room can handle rank F energy.


    Our guild has room from numbers 1-5, number 5 being the room that can handle rank B energy. Our guild only has 3 such rooms and the charges for those rooms are very high. The raw materials required to build those rooms are rare and expensive, so naturally, it is very expensive to book those ces.


    My training room was 10 meters long and 15 meters wide. It was quite spacious and had training equipment such as a dumbbell weighing 100 kg and a sword of various kinds. The training room walls are able to withstand attacks from rank F heroes and are also soundproof.


    I sat down on my mat and started to channel my mana ording to the Cryomancy Art. The mana needs to be converted to Ice energy for the Art. I need to do it until I can easily convert my mana into Ice energy.


    It took me 2 hours before I can convert my mana into Ice energy but it was not good enough. For me to use the Cryomancy Art, I need to be able to convert mana into Ice energy faster and easier;


    You don''t want to use your entire mana just to freeze a ss of water. I should practice like this until I efficiently convert mana into Ice energy without wasting much mana.


    I continue to practice like this and in between, I also tried to use Cryomancy Art: Ice Shard that is attacking using the Ice shard; It took me 10 min in the beginning to form 1 meter of Ice and use it.


    Using thest 6 hours, I have gone from basic understanding to utilizing the Ice magic more efficiently.


    In the end, I was able to form 1 meter of Ice in under 8 minutes. Though this was useless right now as it took me most of my mana to form 1 Ice shard and the time needed was 8 minutes. It will be quite useful in battle if the execution time was less like I can use it as my long-distance attack.<sub></sub>


    I continued toe to visit the guild for the following days. I informed my parents that I will be training in the guild until school starts.


    I continued practicing the Cryomancy Art and I could feel every day that my time was getting faster for converting mana into Ice energy. If the mana took 1 minute to form Ice energy that is needed to freeze a ss of water in the beginning, now I can do the same in 1 second.


    Now I can use Cryomancy Art: Ice Shard in 10 seconds and it is also possible to use it consecutively for 4 times.


    Due to my constant effort and Cryomancy being LVL 9 Art, my usage for Ice magic has reached such a stage that even the rank E Ice mage may not be able to control Ice magic as I can.


    It is also possible for me to increase the size of the Ice Shard from 1 meter to 3 meters though it takes most of my mana however the destructiveness of that attack has reached the power of rank E - attack.


    ( The Magic Art truly is worthy of being LVL 9 )


    Being able to disy the power of LVL 9 attacks when I am just a rank F + and Art being just Beginner proficiency is rare. If the Art was Expert proficiency maybe you can disy the power that is rank higher than yourself but my proficiency is just Beginner and I can disy power higher than my rank though it takes almost all my mana.


    It has almost been a month since I got Parallel Memory and my thought has been collected. I know that this world is going in the direction of the novel that I have read in another world. I thought about what I should do; Do I act as what is written in the novel or do I not give a damn about it.


    I may have naturally acted the way I have in the novel if it was before knowing that this world is simr to the novel but now... I don''t know, I want the world to go in the same direction as the novel.


    Though the novel is notpleted and I don''t know everything that is going to happen but I do know that MC help solves lots of problems and if we go in the novel direction then many evil organization will be destroyed which is a good thing for society.


    It may be a good idea to do things as stated in the novel but I don''t know if it is my another world memory that is affecting me but I don''t think I can act like what is written in the novel.<sub>


    </sub>


    Though in the novel I was an insignificant character however I was given one important thing to do and only one thing; that is making the female lead character shine.


    I don''t know if my personality is the same as stated in the novel or not. In the novel from the start, Zero Elea was a character who was just there in the novel to praise and revere the character called Lisa Kyelpas.


    She is one of the futurepanions of Hiro Ernest anduded as Gerbera Daisies; Flower that smiles. It is because she is always smiling and never angry at anyone.


    ( I know I am quite straightforward but to openly express my feelings in front of the whole school... I don''t know. In the novel not only do I pester her every day, but I would also confess to her in the ss )


    Yes, that right this was the role given to me, Zero Elea in the novel. I have to first praise her every day, confess, and in the end be rejected by her.


    I don''t know how I got the courage to do it as she is not only the most beautiful girl but her rank is E and she is the daughter of the guild master of one of the tinum guilds. She is like a noble and I, amoner; A toad wishing to eat swan meat is a perfect proverb to describe this situation.


    ( Maybe after going to school my personality changed or is it that my feeling for her was so strong that I didn''t care about anything else. )


    I don''t know. Just because I know what will happen doesn''t mean I know why it happened though thinking about it, I don''t know who gave me the courage to pursue her.


    She was described as one of the most beautiful girls in the school and has many pursuers including MC rival Zion Maxwell who is ranked 2nd in the entrance exam.


    Though in the novel, Zion was constantly being rejected by Lisa however he didn''t allow other boys to be near her. I don''t why in the novel he didn''t beat me up like the other boys.


    He would not only beat other pursuers but also use his father''s name who is a rank SS hero and guild master of one of the tinum guilds to threaten them into not approaching Lisa. <sub> </sub>


    He has started to fall for her since the age of 10 when they first met each other at a birthday party and since then he has started to court her.


    ( Nevermind )


    I decided to follow the novel, though embarrassing however I only need to follow the novel for the first year, and then ording to the novel, I was never involved with the main story of the novel after getting rejected by Lisa.


    ( I shall confess, be rejected, and then exit the main story. )


    This was my n to keep the future of this world the same as the novel. I would do things ording to what is written in the novel. I would keep my involvement with Hiro Ernest and other main characters as little as possible.


    After the decision, I continued my training. one week was left before I go to Ace Academy and live there as a student were mandatory to live in the dorm because they want the student to entirely focus on improving their strength and the environment provided by the academy was best for improving the student.


    ( I can feel that I am on the verge of breaking through the next rank. With the practice of Cryomancy Art, my mana absorption rate has increased; Higher level art means more absorption of mana, so faster they are able to rank up. I also have enough control over Ice energy and am also on the way to reach Practitioner proficiency in Cryomancy Art. )


    I have spent thest 7 days practicing intensely to breakthrough. I also practice my Sword Art Shadow Style.


    I was able to increase my strength of Shadow Style with an increase in the control of mana due to practicing Cryomancy Art. I thought I needed more control over the mana before reaching the next proficiency level but due to practice of Cryomancy Art, I feel I reached the requirement needed for reaching Proficient proficiency.


    ( Tomorrow is the day I go to school and Chapter One of the novel kicks off )


    [Status]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E -


    Strength: E +


    Speed: E


    Stamina: E +


    Mana: E +


    Luck: B


    Charm: C +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get the memories from their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Practitioner ]


    Magic Art is said to be made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    = = = = = = = =


    ( My hard work did pay off. )


    I looked at my Status screen,pletely impressed. I was able to reach rank E and Practitioner proficiency for Cryomancy Art as nned.


    Additionally, I have also broken through Proficient proficiency in Shadow Style which enabled me to shoot Shadow sh. The concept is simr to Ice Shard but it needed a sword as medium and was much faster and more deadly than Ice Shard.


    ( I have done and gone beyond what I had nned. My strength is at least in the Top 50 of the new student. I am prepared. )


    [ Destiny, HERE I COME! ]

 Chapter 5 Ace Academy

    Chapter 5 Ace Academy


    ( Beginner - Alpha )


    I stared at the door of the ssroom, making sure that this was my ssroom. I was excited and nervous at the same time; not only is this my first day at school but beyond the door are the main character of the novel.


    My ssroom was for beginners or for first years, the ss was named Alpha. This was the ssroom of the main characters and his friend in the novel.


    Not only does the main character need to deal with challenges from other students of this ss but also suffer jealousy and unfairness from some teacher. In short, this ss is nothing but trouble.


    I entered the ssroom slowly and I could see lots of students sitting in groups and chatting with each other.


    The most noticeable group was Hiro Ernest and his futurepanion group. They were surrounded by at least 15 students and they seem to be trying to have a friendly conversation with the main characters.


    Most girls in the ss were staring at Hiro Ernest and they seems to blush and giggle while ncing at him.


    ( That''s MC for sure. Stealing girls heart by just sitting. )


    The MC Hiro Ernest has a very attractive face with ck hair and a ck eye. He gives a vibe of an innocent person with his friendly smile, attracting lots of people with his approachable aura. He is also very strong, so naturally, people want to be friends with him.


    I could also see Zion Maxwell, MC rival sitting near the MC. He is mostly surrounded by hisckey who seems to be protecting him or something.


    Anyways, with his cold demeanor, I don''t think any normal student would approach him. He gives off an aura that seems to look down on other people. He has red hairbined with his red eye which makes him look wild and dangerous.


    Then we have another group which is full of girls. Right next to MC is Lisa Kyelpas and Sylvia Mavis who are both female main characters in the novel. <sub></sub>


    They seem to have a friendly conversation with other girls. Sylvia is speaking while Lisa is just listening and smiling.


    Sylvia was an extrovert character who was friendly and talkative in the novel; From the four main characters, she was the most social person and if we exclude her strength then everything about her seems like a normal student except her beauty.


    Her face seems to be radiating light and whenever she smiles, boys seem to be in a daze. With her blue hair and simrly colored eye, she looks dazzling even in a normal school uniform.


    With her is the goddess, Lisa Kyelpas who seem quite shy and is reserved with her word; Opposite of Sylvia who is talkative.


    With long ck hair and goldeneye, she truly resembles a goddess. She seems like someone you can''t help but want to protect except she doesn''t need others'' protection.


    With rank being E and ranked 3rd among the first year in the entrance exam, you don''t need to worry about her strength.


    My heart skipped a beat when I look at Lisa. She looks absolutely beautiful but from the novel I know she isn''t someone you can have, only someone you can yearn for.


    Even Hiro Ernest and Zion Maxwell were unable to earn affection from her. Zion Maxwell uses everything to impress her: be it wealth, power, or fame, she doesn''t seem to care even about his love for her.


    Though Hiro Ernest doesn''t actively pursue her, being MC it is weird that she doesn''t show affection to him like other girls in the novel.


    I walked nervously and sat on the chair which was far opposite from MC''s ce. I continue to look around. After some time, I felt sleepy until I heard some student exim loudly.


    [ "Wow! It''s the Ice Enchantress" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "I didn''t know we are going to get her as our ssroom teacher" ]


    [ "I believe in Love Again!" ]


    [ "Please don''t wake me up" ]


    I can see lots of students making noise with faces filled with excitement especially boys. Though I can understand their excitement, the ssroom teacher of Alpha ss was Mia Frostine also known as Ice Enchantress who is the youngest to reach rank A.


    Bing rank A at the age of 20, she is also believed to have rank SSS potential. Her strength in Ice magic coupled with her beauty has earned her the title of Ice Enchantress. Her hair is as white as show and her eye as ck as coal. Her cold expression is as cold as Ice Magic.


    - p! p!


    [ "Attention! I am your homeroom teacher and for the rest of the year, I will be in charge of you all. Today is the first day of your school, so let me introduce myself. I am Mia Frostine. My rank is A + and I hope you all will work hard and make a great contribution to humanity."  ]


    She said with a stern expression.


    [ "We don''t entertain ckers and everything in this academy will be based on the result. Your talent and background don''t matter, only when you show results will you be appreciated by the academy. With this, we will have attendance. Rank 1 Hiro Ernest" ]


    [ "Present" ]


    She took a look at the student info book and back at the boy, she seem to be content with the information shown in the book. She nodded and continued <sub> </sub>


    [ "Rank 2 Zion Maxwell" ]


    [ "Present" ]


    [ "Rank 3 Lisa Kyelpas" ]


    [ "Present" ]


    [ "Rank 4 Sylvia Mavis" ]


    [ "Here! Here!" ]


    [ "Rank 8 sh Ervin" ]...


    [ "Rank 970 Zero Elea" ]


    [ "Present" ]


    [ "Good. Everybody is present. Now let us proceed as scheduled; Today you be choosing weapons as well as practical ss. For practical ss, you all will be assigned with a teacher that is good at using that weapon. Having to choose apatible weapon is very important, the Skill and Art that you need to bepatible with your choice of weapon. Stat should also be taken into consideration, especially if you are thinking of taking a Magic Art ss. You need to have a high stat for mana to be able to enroll there." ]


    She took us to a venue where there was lots of weapon of a different type. Choosing a weapon is not only choosing the tool but along with it, we are choosing which practical ss to go.


    If I choose a sword then I will be assigned to sword ss for the practical period where we will teach by the teacher who learned Sword Art.


    I was honestly struggling with which weapon to use; I can use Sword Type weapon or Magic Type weapon. My sword Art proficiency is high and sword training was something I was taught from a young age. On other hand, I have is LVL 9 Magic Art Cryomancy which is high-level Art.


    After thinking, I choose to take a magic wand as a weapon. I already have received training from the guild on Sword Art and I can already use it well in battle. But Magic Art was acquired recently only and I have only trained to control the Ice magic.


    Besides having high control, I really don''t know how to efficiently fight using this Art. So, I decided to take a Magic wand instead of Sword as a weapon.


    I noticed that the weapons chosen by the main character are the same as in the novel; Hiro Ernest chooses the sword, Zion Maxwell chooses the spear, Sylvia Mavis chooses the bow and Lisa Kyelpas chooses Magic wand as a weapon.


    Most students choose swords and bow as weapons. Barely anyone has chosen Magic Weapon though it is understandable as Magic Art is very rare and expensivepared to normal Art and the mana required is also high.


    [ "Attention! If you are done choosing, go and register yourself with the respective teacher. Those who chose Magic weapon, follow me." ]


    I followed Miss Mia Frostine along with 12 other students. After 6 minute walk, we reached another venue filled with target dummies.


    [ "This venue is for Magic Department. You all will be training here during practical ss. I will teach you everything I know and make you not regret choosing this path though if you disturb my ss and ck off you are instantly expelled." ]


    She told everyone with a serious tone. Then she started writing down the name of the student and my turn came.


    [ "Name" ]


    [ "Zero Elea" ]


    She checked her student book.


    [ "You seem to practice Sword Art previously with no usage of any magic Art. Your mana is also not up to standard. Are you sure you want to join the Magic department?" ]


    [ "Yes!" ]


    [ "Okay then If you are sure about it then I shall not pursue further." ]


    She registered my name before moving to the next student. After she finished the registration, she told us to tour the school and make ourselves familiar with the ce. After saying that she went to her office.


    We, students, were left alone. Some students started chatting with one another while some started to train in the venue. However, I had done neither because I have an important mission to aplish.  I quickly approach Lisa who is talking with her friends.


    [ "Goddess Lisa" ]


    [ "yes?" ]


    She turned around to see who called her name.


    [ "I ... I" ]

 Chapter 6 Ace Academy [2]

    Chapter 6 Ace Academy [2]


    [ "Goddess, I wonder if you have some spare time to have tea with me." ]


    [ "G-Goddess? Are you talking to me?" ]


    She looked at me rather astonishingly. She seems to be embarrassed to be called Goddess in front of other students.


    Others were also paying attention to us; girls were excitedly looking at the event before them whereas boys were obviously filled with resentment.


    [ "Indeed, Your beauty which radiates like the ray of the sun. Your smile overwhelming like the embrace of the earth and your eye shines like a rare jewel. You are only the worthy to called Goddess." ]


    Endure... Zero Endure. What a cringy line. I wished I have a hole to bury my face.


    [ "Look at that. Who gave him the guts to pursue her." ]


    [ "Doesn''t he know, Zion is pursuing her." ]


    [ "Guess We will have one ssmate missing tomorrow." ]


    [ "A bottom ranker trying his luck with Top ranker. What a funny situation." ]


    All the attention was directed at me. Some of the bastards were even pointing the sharp ends of their weapons at me.


    Hey now, don''t be doing that. I don''t enjoy this at all¡­! I am just trying to do what I was meant to do like in the novel.


    [ "Umm...  Mister Elea, even if you suddenly tell me that, I am not going to¡­." ]


    [ "Just call me Zero" ]


    [ "Zero right, I would regretfully decline your invitation as I have already made a n with my friends." ]


    She declined me, although I knew the oue from the novel I was still disappointed. Even if my feeling isn''t as intense as stated in the novel, I feel regretful for getting rejected.


    [ "Meeting you is the luckiest thingthat ever happened in my life. And I''d like to share this wonderful feeling with you someday. I would be honored to speak with goddess some other time." ] <sub></sub>


    As I finished saying what I want and was about to leave, I felt two hands on my shoulder.


    [ "I admire your courage for going after our boss women." ]


    [ "Let us have some talk about life in that room." ]


    They were obviously Zion''sckey. They tried to drag me and take me to a secluded ce to teach me a lesson. An obvious pattern, where bullies beat others and threaten them. As I was waiting for them to drag me.


    [ "Wait, where are taking him." ]


    [ "Mydy, we are just trying to teach him a lesson for harassing you. You can''t associate with bottom ranker like him." ]


    One of theckeys replied to Lisa, trying to reason that they are doing this for her own good.


    [ "Whoever I associate doesn''t concern you. He was merely inviting me and didn''t harass me. Don''t think I don''t know why you are doing this. I will report to the teacher if you go further than this." ]


    [ "But our boss said to protect you." ]


    [ "Huh... Protect me, I am not his object and I don''t need his protection." ]


    She sounded quite upset.


    [ "Leave him be" ]


    A voice came from the entrance.


    [ "Boss" ]


    [ "Zion boss" ]


    A handsome male slowly approached Lisa. Lots of girls were looking at him, eyes full of heart marks. <sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Lisa, Do you wanna have dinner with me after ss. I have booked a ce at the famous five-star restaurant Ocean Prime." ]


    [ "No, I have already made a n with my friends. Anyway, tell your friend to not bother me." ]


    As she said that she left with her two friends while also bringing me with her.


    [ "Boss, why did you stop us. He didn''t put you in his eye and went for your women." ]


    [ "Yes boss, we could have taught him a lesson like other boys who went after her." ]


    [ "Huh.  Do you seriously think that he could touch her heart? Even someone like me failed after so many years, he doesn''t have the strength, wealth, fame, or looks to make her fall in love. Let him pester her for some time then Lisa will realize how much of a gentleman I ampared to disgusting men like him." ]


    [ "Wow. What a great n." ]


    [ "Boss, your thinking is really different from people like us." ]


    They were ttering him.


    ( Toad wishing to eat swan meat ), Zion thought.


    [ "Anyway, try to keep your distance from Lisa. She doesn''t like others getting in her business." ]


    * * *


    After we walked some distance, she released my hand.


    [ "My apologies mister Zero. You had to encounter such misfortune due to me." ]


    [ "No Noooo . It is my own fault. They didn''t like me for approaching you." ]


    [ "Yeah. It''s not your fault, it''s already a blessing for him that you are willing to talk to him." ]<sub> </sub>


    One of the girls said.


    [ "Well... I should warn you not to approach me. Even if Zion didn''t do anything right now, he may do so in the future. It will be in the best interest if you don''t associate with me." ]


    As she finished saying her piece, she left with her friend.


    ( "Well, that went well" )  I thought.


    I have done what Zero did in the novel. So the world right now should follow the story of the novel. I shall wait and see if there is any change in the scenario.


    ****


    I went back to the dorm assigned to me. I was surprised to see that the room was as good as the hotel room. It was clean and the room had a big bathroom and kitchen.


    It looks like Ace Academy is really rich being able to provide thousands of simr rooms. I took a shower and went to train my Cryomancy Art in the training room.


    I trained until it was midnight. I used Magic Wand to see the effect and the effect stunned me. The power of Ice Shard increased by 1.3 times and I felt my control on magic increase.


    Having finished training I went back to my room and slept.


    The next morning, after breakfast I made my way to my ss. The moment I entered the ss, all attention was on me.


    [ "Is he the one who confess to Lisa" ]


    [ "I heard he fought with Zion to im Lisa." ]


    [ "He is ranked 970 and fought with a top student." ]


    Everyone was discussing about me. Looks like yesterday''s event has been known by everyone. The truth was even changed to me confessing to Lisa and Zion and Me fighting for Lisa.


    [ "Huu.." ]


    I don''t even know what to say. From the moment I confirmed this world is the same as the novel, I wanted to change the world as little as possible. Though I took LVL 9 Art and made changes in the novel.


    However, the Art is discovered only in thetter half of the novel and It wouldn''t really matter if the world changed from that point onwards because from that point MC will be really powerful and only handful of people can kill him.


    But right now it is important to keep the world as same as the novel. MC is vulnerable right now and even a small mistake may lead to the death of MC.


    I want to keep the world as a novel but having to stand out is not something that I like. I did something that I didn''t want to do and the result is something I didn''t like.


    I think that even if I didn''t do the thing written in the novel, it would hardly affect the novel because I am just a very insignificant mob.


    I think I need to revise my n of keeping the world same as the novel. As I kept on thinking, I remember about yesterday''s event, I frown.


    ( Well what''s done is done. Let''s continue to see what happens from now on. )


    *****


    [ "Hey, Lisa is he the one who confesses to you." ]


    Slyvia asked Lisa.


    [ "He didn''t confess to me. He was just inviting me for tea." ]


    [ "Oh... Really. Hey, Zion did you really fight him." ]


    [ "No. He does not deserve to fight me. If we fought he wouldn''t be able to attend ss today." ]


    [ "So boring. But I really like his guts being able to chase after the princess of Sacred Light." ]


    [ "hmm...  Just another no-name who doesn''t understand his own ce." ]


    Zion said with disdain, looking in the direction of the one who caused thismotion.


    [ "What do think Hiro? "]


    [ "About what?" ]


    [" huh? You were not listening? We are talking about the one who is chasing our princess. What do you think about him? "]


    She asked while pointing her finger at Zero.


    [ "Him huh? Well, I don''t really know him. And it''s not really polite to interfere in others'' business. So, I would refrain from making anyment." ]


    [ "Fair point. So, Lisa how do feel about him." ]


    [ "Well it was my first time meeting such a gentleman. I don''t think he has any ulterior motive but he was exaggerating things and saying about me going...." ]


    She blushed and stopped talking.


    [ "What? What about you being? Come tell me the truth. "]


    Sylvia having been interested after seeing such a reaction from Lisa pressed on. She continued to ask until Lisa answered.


    [ "G-GODDESS! He called me goddess" ]


    Lisa blushed and her face was all red.


    ( Really. What a bold person. )


    Slyvia thought about him and then about Zion.


    ( You have been chasing her for too long and you didn''t even sincerely praise her. Now, look a person came who can honestly praise her.  )


    Zion has been arrogant since a young age being apuded as a genius by adults around him. Even while courting Lisa, he is arrogantly expecting her to love and worship him.


    He is so proud that he does not even praise her, always talking about him being great and all. What a snob...


    While Sylvia was thinking that, an interesting event was taking ce in front of them.

 Chapter 7 Attack

    Chapter 7 Attack


    I went and sat in my seat. I could feel the stare of all the students. As I was thinking about what to do today.


    -BANG!


    A loud sound woke me up from my thoughts.


    [ "Hey, ARE YOU IGNORING ME!" ]


    What... Who is this guy?


    [ "What?" ]


    [ "Huh. Did you not hear what I just said. I told you to follow me." ]


    [ "Huh. Who the hell are you? What do you want?" ]


    [ "Don''t you know sh Erwin. The 8 ranker of the first year." ], one of his friends replied.


    [ "Hmph. Just follow us outside the ss. It is not a request but an order." ]


    [ "No" ]


    I straight up rejected his order. What a rude fellow. You didn''t exin anything to me and expect me to follow you like I am one of yourckeys.<sub></sub>


    [ "You bottom feeder dare to refuse a top ranker like me. HOW DARE YOU!" ]


    [ " Are you a top ranker" ]


    [ " YES, didn''t you hear my men say I am 8th ranker in the first year." ]


    [ "Then yes, I dare to refuse a top ranker." ]


    [ "Y-YOU dare mock me. I am going to show you the power of a top ranker." ]


    He imbued his fist with mana and was about to punch me. I readied my hand to block his attack when I suddenly felt cold mana. sh Erwin was frozen on the spot.


    [ "Silence. No unauthorized fights are allowed in the school. If you break this rule next time, you will be expelled." ]


    The homeroom teacher Mia Frostine entered the ss. She unfroze sh Erwin and told him to stand in the hall.


    [ "I don''t want to see another one of you creating a disturbance in the ss again. This Academy is for nurturing future heroes who will defend humanity. I hope you all practice and improve yourself rather than chasing girls." ]


    As she said that she gave me a cold re. Looks like yesterday''s incident was heard by the teacher.


    ( What can I do. What do you expect me to do. It is the role bestowed by the god. It''s not like I like to cause disturbance okay; annoying pests were just attracted by the job that I did yesterday.)<sub>


    </sub>


    The attendance was taken and she left the ss. Today there was one hour lecture by the teacher and the rest of the day was free training.


    The professor was an old man who was introducing us to mana and its usage.


    [ " Do you know why some people Art are more powerful even when it is same Art at same proficiency. It is because of mana control, people with more mana control will exhibit more power even if the Art is same." ]


    Professor continued to exin different things about mana such as the importance of having good mana control and using mana more efficiently.


    After one hour, we were allowed to go and train on our own as the teacher had a meeting. I was about to go to the magic venue when three boys step in front of me.


    [ "Hey, Loser lets duel on the stage" ]


    It was sh again. He seems to be angry about receiving punishment. Well, not my fault. He invited me to duel on Stage; a Stage where authorized duel supervised by professors take ce. It is meant for students to fight and learn from each other.


    I ignored him.


    [ "What? Scared" ]


    [ "Hmmm. What a coward." ]


    [ "Hey, coward, get ready to have your spine broken in the uingbat exam. I''ll disable you and ... " ]<sub> </sub>


    I stopped listening and just continued walking. After Mrs. Frostine warning, it doesn''t seem like he will attack me again. He will be expelled if he attacked me this time.


    It seemed I became a target of bullying. I don''t know why they have a problem with me chasing after a girl.


    ( If you like a girl then just court her yourself. Why are messing with me if you can''t even court her yourself )


    It seems they don''t dare to go after Lisa because of their fear of Zion but when a person lower than themselves has done what they are scared of, they became angry. They vented their anger to me instead of Zion. They can''t beat him but they think they can beat me.


    (What a Chicken. They fear the strong but bullies the weak. )


    The training venue was filled with people. some people who were not of the magic ss were also there. They were practicing Magic Art; even if you have chosen different practical sses it was okay to practice in the different venues during free ss.


    Some people practice spear as the main weapon and bow as the secondary weapon. They needed a different venue while practicing Art of another type.


    There I also saw Lisa with Slyvia. Guess I should y my role.


    *****


    An arrogant blonde man stood by the side of the training venue. He was wearing an expensive dress and a golden watch, giving off the aura of an elite.


    He was looking at the student then he turned around and asked.


    [ "Anyone with good potential" ]


    Staring at the student, the cold beauty who was Mia Frostine, looked around and said,


    [ "Yes. This year is filled with students who can reach SS rank someday, especially Hiro Ernest, Zion Maxwell, Lisa Kyelpas, and Slyvia Mavis. One of them may even reach the legendary SSS rank." ]


    Hearing the name, the man nodded and arrogantly said.


    [ "Well, this is not surprising since they are from an elite background." ]


    Frostine with no change in emotion replied.


    [ "I agree. their background is impressive but that''s not what made them strong. It''s their dedication to their training and the hard work that they put in that made them this strong. Even if you have an elite background with a good bloodline and countless resources, if you don''t work hard, you will never be strong." ]


    [ "Hmm. Hard work without a noble bloodline is useless. Amoner can never surpass a noble. Anyways, I think we should check their background carefully especially since there is somemoner who took top rank by cheating." ]


    [ "William. Don''t take it too far. The exam was overseen by a 5 A rank professor. Do you want to say we can''t see through tricks used by an E-rank student? Hiro Ernest may not have an impressive background but his talent for sword and mana control is number one among the first year. I can confidently say that within 5 years he will be A rank." ]


    Frostine said with an upset tone.


    [ "Oh for Ice Enchantress to say so much for him  He must be really talented. I hope that he can learn more in my ss." ]


    He spoke with coldness in his eye.


    [ "Hmph. I just hope you teach students without discriminating them against their lineage. All students who are qualified to study in this academy are all talented and have worked very hard. They are spending most of their time training. "]


    Professor William was admitted as a professor in Ace Academy in the same year as Mia Frostine. Using his father''s connection, he was able to be a teacher at Ace Academy despite being less qualified than other candidates.


    He is a talented person though being rank B despite being only 27 years old but the rank was below most teachers in Ace Academy.


    William has been courting Mia Frostine ever since her first year of teaching with no sess. She hates him for wasting her time and also for being a blood supremacist.


    He is always pursuing her and not concentrating on improving his strength despite all the resources he got from his family. All in all, he is just a person that reached rank B with elixir in the eye of Frostine; Who has nothing but a background to show off.


    [ "Y-You" ]


    He was about to retort when he saw something.


    [ "Pfff. Spend all their time only on the training. See that. I just see his dedication in chasing a girl." ]


    Without hiding hisughter, he pointed in the direction where apparently a boy was presenting some flower and sweet-talking to a girl.


    Taking out the tablet. William quickly checked the student information of the boy.


    [ "Zero Elea. Rank 970. Son of Shadow Genesis guild master. The rank is F+. Look what did I tell you, only the people with the elite background will have strength. People like him are destined to be the bottom feeder of the strong forever." ]


    Even though Mia wanted to refute, she couldn''t. She looked in the direction of Zero who was busy singing in the praise of Lisa.


    ( What kind of person is this. At least tell her that in private. Now, you embarrassed me in front of another professor. Looks like just my warning is not enough )


    She coldly stared at the boy.

 Chapter 8 Attack [2]

    Chapter 8 Attack [2]


    I walked towards Lisa.


    [ "Hello" ]


    [ "Hello" ]


    [ "Today also your beauty shine and bless all the living being. You are like the Flower in the middle of mushrooms. Having the chance to speak with you is the luckiest thing that happened to me." ]


    [ "Hey Zero, You mean to say I am a mushroom."]


    Slyvia asked me while grinning.


    [ "Of course not. You are a colorful butterfly who makes the flower more beautiful. You two are like a pair of a beautiful paintings." ]


    [ "Hehe. Thanks for thepliments but only sweet words will not get you anywhere." ]


    I continue to praise their beauty.


    As I thought I had done enough and was about to leave when suddenly I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.


    I turned around to see Mia Frostine and I could tell she was not in the best mood.


    [ "Zero Elea looks like morning warning was not enough for you. How can you be flirting while others are training hard? This Academy is not for you to chase girls. I don''t want to see you cking off instead of training." ]


    What the hell. Not only bullies but also teachers want to bully me. Do they think I am easy to bully? My patience was already limited by all the harassment, now I get to be lectured by a teacher just because Iplimented a girl for a minute.


    [ "Heh. It doesn''t look different for you too." ]


    I nced at the other man who was with Mrs. Mia Frostine.


    ( You were also not training and talking with another teacher. Do I need to be lectured when I just took a minute to praise a girl? I am working hard, I train hard every day but here is a teacher who was criticizing me for not working hard. )<sub></sub>


    To survive, I had endured harsh training for months. I hardly took a break because I know that having to increase my strength even by a bit will increase my chance of survival in uing disasters.


    You can criticize me for going after a girl but to say I was cking is not something I will agree with even if you are THE ICE ENCHANTRESS.


    [ "Huh. Do you think I was flirting with him like you" ]


    [ "Hmph. Doesn''t look different from what I am doing. You are also just talking with a guy, while I am also talking to a girl. " ]


    [ "You dare to talk back to your teacher. Also, how dare you say I was flirting like you. You dare to ck off to chase a girl even after my warning. " ]


    [ "Hmph. It''s not like I am chasing after you. Who would chase after you, a hot-tempered woman except for an idiot like that guy." ]


    I pointed to William who seem to be just staring at Mia Frostine.


    [ "HOT-TEMPERED WOMEN" ]


    (I am a calm person. If not for you cking and pestering other girls, I wouldn''t have lost my temper.)


    [ "What happened?" ]


    Professor William came over after Mia Frostine outburst and asked.


    [ "Nothing I was just warning him to not disturb other students" ]


    She doesn''t want him to bully her student in the pretenses of helping her. William was a very narrow-minded man who would do anything to achieve his goal.


    [ "Oh... So you are themoner who is chasing a girl of elite background. Commoner should know their ce and try not to offend noble like us."]


    What the.. now another one who seems to have a problem with me. <sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Professor Mia, if you don''t have anything more to say then I will take my leave."]


    I tantly ignored the other person.


    [ "BOY. You dare ignore me. You don''t seem to know me. I will teach you a lesson on behalf of professor Mia."]


    [ "STOP! The professor we apologize for disturbing other students. Zero please apologize to the professor" ]


    Lisa interrupted. Seeing themotion getting bigger and bigger, Lisa had no other choice than to interrupt them


    I nced at Lisa. She was helping me see that professors are angry at me.


    [ "Sorry professor Mia, I let my anger get the best of me. I will train hard and not disturb others anymore." ]


    After calming down. I found that I was just venting my anger at Mrs. Mia. How can I expect a stranger to know I was working hard. She just saw me chasing a girl and not training, and as a professor she warned me.


    [ "It''s Okay. I also lost my temper. But I do hope you work hard" ]


    ( SO EMBARRASSING. I was just arguing with a student. Well, I did get angry because he said I was flirting with William. This William has been pestering me for thest three years. If not for his family I would have already beat him up. I hate him )


    [ "Still as punishment, I will be monitoring your practice for today. Now let us go and train" ]


    She dragged me in embarrassment. All the other student was looking at us, and she was just arguing with me which is embarrassing as she has always apathetic attitude.


    I went with her. I nced back and I could see Sylvia waving at me while grinning and Lisa with a worried face. Also, I could see the unhappy face of professor William.


    ( Why is Slyvia grinning and Lisa worried.)


    As I was thinking about the reason, I remembered something about professor Mia from the novel. Professor Mia Frostine has this habit of thinking that all people were like her. Which means that the training she does can be done by other people.<sub> </sub>


    Her training consists of mediating in temperature -50 degree room to increase cold resistance. She trains other students simrly, making them go through an extreme environment to hone themselves. Most student ends up in the infirmary after their training session.


    I started to sweat as I remembered her training method but I didn''tin. To be strong you need to go through harsh training. She took me to Room where the temperature was very cold.


    [ "Let''s train here today. It will let us resist against cols temperature." ]


    She took me into the room and set the temperature to -50 degrees. She started to meditate as soon as the temperature started to drop.


    ( Well, This is good for me. )


    This training was extra beneficial to me as I have Cryomancy Art. It will increase my resistance to Ice Magic and also increase my Mana Capacity.


    I also started to sit and meditate. I used my Cryomancy Art training method, converting my mana into Ice energy, and repeated.


    *****After 3 hours*****


    ( Well, the training went well. I could feel my Ice magic getting better. Looks like my rank will soon rise to S -. )


    Mia checked her watch and was shocked to find three hours has passed. She hurriedly look around to check the other student who came with her.


    ( He could be frozen to death. I was careless. In three hours even other teachers will have difficulties remaining unharmed. )


    But what she saw shocked her. She saw Zero perfectly fine, meditating seriously. She can also feel that he was practicing an Ice Magic Art that was also of high level; maybeparable to her LVL 7 Magic Art: Ice Throne.


    She was surprised by his dedication. She waited for him to finish his training which took another 2 hours. He waspletely immersed in training, converting mana to Ice magic efficiently.


    ( Such dedication. How can he be mediating straight for 5 hours? )


    It was difficult for an average person to continuously practice for hours. Even she finds it difficult to maintain her concentration for 5 hours continuously.


    ( For him to practice continuously for 5 hours effortlessly. Looks like he regrly trains this much. I made a mistake by ming him for not working hard. )


    [ "Professor. What are you doing." ]


    [ "Huh. Nothing, so you have finished meditating. Looks like we can go out now" ]


    Mia could see that he was not struggling after being in the Ice room for 5 hours which means he have high resistance to Ice Magic.


    After exiting the room, Zero went to practice his Cryomancy Art. He was in Practitioner proficiency and could use Ice Wall and Ground Freeze.


    The ice wall was making a shield of wall made of ice and Ground Freeze could freeze 10 meters of his surrounding, If he use all his mana it was also possible to freeze 25 meters of his surrounding; A truly strong crowd control skill. He could trap all his enemies surrounding him and let his teammates take care of them.


    Mia was again astonished by Zero. His Ground freeze could even stop D ranker if they have less resistance to Ice Magic. He was also efficient in converting his mana to Ice energy.


    ( His mana control is the same as Hiro Ernest. No, he is even better. Looks like we have another genius among our students and his dedication to training is clearly there. He directly went to train after exiting the mediation without resting which shows his dedication. )


    She was also not idling around. She showed an advanced way to utilize his attack and also taught a more efficient way to cast an attack.


    *****After 4 hours*****


    [ "If only you were always dedicated to training instead of chasing girls"]


    She wants him to focus on improving his strength, she found that his potential is the same as Lisa and others. He could be another SS rank hero in the future and after spending time with him, she found him to be a hard-working student.


    He was serious about training, asking a good question when he stumble upon problems in his training, not like in the morning where he was stupidly pestering Lisa.


    ( Is this the real him or the one in the morning. Well, people do say love makes a person blind. )


    [ "Well, I don''t want to end up single like you when I grow up."]


    Zero replied jokingly.


    [ "WHAT¡­ Hmph. If you have enough strength, girls will chase you not others around. You have great potential, why waste time chasing girls like William. You will be hated instead." ]


    She told him in a serious tone. Looks like she seriously detests William for pestering her.


    [ "Hehe. I was just kidding. I will decrease my time to chase girls to one hour." ]


    I jokingly said to her. Even though Mrs. Mia seems cold but after spending time with her, I found out that she cares about students more than she showed on her face.


    She was just bad at expressing herself. We became a little closer after training for almost 9 hours together. She was great at pointing out mistakes and showing me ways to fix my mistakes.


    ["Y-You. Seriously, don''t pester Lisa so much. Her background is very strong. Her father is guild master of the tinum graded guild:Sacred Light. If you want to court, you at least need to rank in the Top 5 then you may have a chance. "]


    ( You don''t want to stop pestering Lisa but I can at least turn that into something which will motivate you to be stronger. )


    I nodded. Though I could guess why she told me that. She wants to motivate me to work harder. Looks like she is very serious about teaching, finding ways to make students work harder. My respect for professor Mia increased.


    It was evening when we decide to end our training and go back to our room. We argue again jokingly not like in the morning.


    She seems to detest the idea of me chasing girls even for a minute. Guess William''s pestering has made her think that pursuing others is a bad thing.


    Well in the novel, William does get overboard with his pursuit. Having not earned her affection after trying so many times and Hiro getting her attention leads to conflict between Hiro and William.


    William already hated Hiro for being first even after being amoner, on top of that he gets the attention of the girl he likes. So, A fight between Hiro and William happens in the second semester.


    ( Well good luck Hiro. You are the main character after all. An antagonist hating you is the norm. )


    I separated from professor Mia after we exited the training hall building. I thanked her and said goodbye.


    I was happy with my progress today and slept peacefully not knowing that I have caught the attention of someone troublesome.

 Chapter 9 Attack [3]

    Chapter 9 Attack [3]


    [ "And tomorrow, first years will have a test in First Area of BloodyWolf Forest." ]


    Professor Mia Frostine announced.


    ["So make sure you are prepared, though it is not a very dangerous ce but in a forest filled with monster anything can happen so I hope you all don''t take it easy. You all will be divided into teams consisting of 5 members each. The team will be awarded points based on the total number of monsters and the rank of the monster killed. F-rank monster, the point is 1 and for rank E, it is 5 points. If the monster you killed is an Elite monster it will be 3 times the rank of monster and for a boss monster of the same rank, it will be 10 times. " ]


    ( Oh. It looks like the first incident of the novel is about to start. In the novel, the MC Hiro Ernest encounters an assassin in the BloodyWolf Forest test. The assassins sent were mostly rank E with rank D - being the highest. They almost lose their lives and are only able to survive due to the timely arrival of the professor. The assassin was a devil contractor who was there to eliminate the MC and other top students as they were wary of their overwhelming talent. )


    Devil contractors were those humans who had sold their souls to the devil for power. Many would do anything for power even selling their soul and swearing loyalty to devils who are the enemy of humans.


    They were all wanted by The Authority. The Authority is like a form of government that makes sure to maintain peace and order in Humalia Domain. The member consists of the strongest human making it the most powerful group in Humalia Domain.


    [ "Here is the list of groups, the list will be on the notice board make sure that you know who all are your teammates." ]


    All the students hurried to the notice board. I also went to check the name of my teammates. I search for my name on the list.


    [


    Group 8


    1. Kale Thompson<sub></sub>


    2. Lizbeth Mooney


    3. Daniel Smith


    4. Isabel Rivera


    5. Zero Elea


    ]


    I frowned. Two other members were from our ss and two other names were from another ss. The member was all mob in the novel having no screen time except Kale Thompson.


    ''Kale Thompson. Rank 26''


    One of theckeys of Zion Maxwell. He is the one who tried to teach me a lesson when I was going after Lisa.


    He is a typical bully who just likes to show off his power to the weak. His arrogance is probably from working under Zion. Using Zion''s name, he can pretty much do anything to other students with a weak background.


    *Sigh*<sub>


    </sub>


    I let out a deep sigh. Getting in the same team as him can''t be worse. I don''t know about his strength but with his attitude, our team may suffer from cooperation.


    Then I turned around to go back to my seat but I discovered Kale staring at me.


    [ "Humph" ]


    He turned around and went back to his seat.


    ( What an arrogant prick. Is being ackey such a grand job. Are you arrogant enough to believe nobody is better than you? )


    I can''t justprehend this type of people. They are countless people in the ss who can easily beat him up but he who is just somewhat strong is acting like he is above all students.


    I don''t have a problem with Zion acting arrogant as he has every right; being strong to rank 2nd and having a tinum grade guild as his backer. But how can even hisckey act like there is no one above him?


    Well no point in thinking, it is better to focus on the uing test. The test is not that dangerous if we exclude the assassin going after the MC and other top students.


    I went back to my seat and soon after the professor of mana theory ss came and started teaching.


    For today we had a simr schedule as yesterday, we had one hour of theory ss and for rest of the day, we were told to prepare for tomorrow''s test. Like many others, I also took this time to prepare my supplies for the uing test. <sub> </sub>


    I packed my bag with potion and rations. I also had to check my weapon for any damage, my Sword and Magic Wand were fine. I will use Magic Wand as the main weapon and Sword as my secondary weapon.


    *****


    The next day I went to the entrance of BloodyWolf Forest, which was located near our campus. BloodyWolf Forest is frequently used by Ace Academy to train students in realbat. Several teachers were apanying us; They were there to help students in case of danger.


    Looking around the ce, I could see a couple of students from my ss who also seems to be busy checking their surroundings.


    After a couple of minutes, I saw the ce where my teammates were gathered. I made my way towards my ssmate.


    There was a total of three people excluding myself in that ce. Two were from another ss and One was from my ss. As I reached near them, some students came to introduce themselves.


    [ "Hello. My name is Isabel Rivera. Rank 412. Nice to meet you." ]


    The first person to introduce was a rather short girl with brown and curly hair. She has a friendly voice and seems to be a very spirited person.


    [ "Lizbeth Mooney Rank 328" ]


    [ "Daniel Smith Rank 356" ]


    Following Isabel, was another female with midnight-ck hair which flowed over her shoulders. She gives off the impression that she has no interest in anything.


    Those two girls were from another ss. Next, is Daniel Smith from my ss. He has blonde hair with square-shaped sses and greeted me as if disgusted. Well being in the same ss, he must have heard the rumor about me.


    ( Well there is a rumor circting in the ss that I harass females including goddess Lisa and professor Mia. The rumor with Lisa was that I have kept on wooing her even when she told me to stop and that I was ckmailing professor Mia to help me train. )


    [ "Haaaa¡­" ]


    I don''t know who is spreading the rumor but don''t let me find you. Well including Daniel I have another teammate who has a problem with me.


    I turned my head side-way to check for thest member who seems to miss from the ce. Well, whatever, I should just introduce myself to the present member, he knows me anyway.


    [ "Nice to make your acquaintance everyone, I''m Zero Elea rank 970" ]


    [ "Weakling" ]


    As soon as I finished my introduction, someone interjected. I turned my back to see thest remaining person of group 8.


    [ "Don''t drag me down in the test, you weaklings especially you." ]


    Kale arrogantly pointed his finger at me.


    I really wanted to beat him up to show who really is weakling here but refrain myself. We are going to a dangerous ce as a team, to fight because of some words would be pointless. Well whatever, I will stay quiet for now and wait for the test to start.


    [ "Humph. You lot will do as I say and if you don''tply with my order then I will beat you up." ]


    Kale proimed himself as a leader of our group. Well considering he has the highest rank among us, it was natural for him to im this position. Nobody argued with that though they seems to be unhappy with his arrogant behavior.


    [ "Ehm.. Ehm.. Can you all hear me?" ]


    The tense atmosphere was disrupted by the teacher''s voice. Professor Mia''s voice resounded the area.


    [ "The official test will begin in 10 minutes. Listen carefully because I am going to exin the rule once only"]


    [ "Since this is the first time that you will be attempting this kind of test, we made sure to decrease the time of the test to 3 hours. " ]


    [ "Your goal for today is to hunt as many monsters as you can under 3 hours. Let me remind you that the rank of today''s test will affect your student ranking. "]


    [ " Best of Luck to all the students. With this, the test will officially begin in 3¡­2¡­1." ]


    [ "START"]

 Chapter 10 Attack [4]

    Chapter 10 Attack [4]


    [ "I use the bow as a weapon. I will be supporting from the rear."]


    Daniel Smith said.


    [ "Mine is rapier. I can tackle many rank F monster easily." ]


    [ "Mine is a sword. I have powerful sh attacks which can even kill rank E monsters if they are caught off guard." ]


    [ "I use Magic Wand. Well, I can use my Ice Magic to freeze monster surrounding us and also guard against their attack using Ice Wall."]


    [ "Humph. My fist is my weapon. Don''t get in my way or you will regret it." ]


    Well looking at the giant body which seems like a wall, fist suits Kale Thompson. He has full body armor and with his fist technique, he is perfect for being a tank.


    The five of us walked through the forest. The formation was perfect. There were one tank and two attackers at the front, one long-range attacker, and one support at the rear.


    [ "Which path should we take." ]


    Isabel asked us.


    [ "Kale, what do you think" ]


    Daniel Smith asked Kale as he is our leader for now. Though Daniel should be the one to choose the way as bow users usually have good eyes or skill that allows them to see clearly in long distance.


    [ "Let''s walk straight through the forest. We will encounter monsters as long as we are in the forest."]


    A simple and straightforward strategy but I also like it. What''s the use of thinking where we will go as this is the first time we are exploring this ce. If we know the ce beforehand then we could go to ces where monsters are likely to appear but since it is the first time for everyone, this strategy was best.


    [ "Let''s move deeper in the forest." ]


    With that, our team walked deeper into the forest. The forest was dark even when there should be sunlight outside. It was due to the tree being bigger than normal. The tree found in this area were all 10 meters in height.


    After ten minutes of walking in the forest¡­


    We finally encountered a monster.


    [ "In front, A monster detected. It seems to be alone." ]


    Daniel said.


    shing its bloodthirsty eyes and showing its savage teeth was a monster known as Lone Wolf. It was a rank E monster who likes to hunt alone. The monster''s specialty was its speed which can match the speed of a rank D human.


    [ "Lone Wolf!" ]


    [ "Get ready for battle." ]


    I took out my Magic Wand. A Lone Wolf should be easy to kill by five students at rank F+ and we have me as rank E - which should be more than enough to take care of Lone Wolf. The team members moved forward with their senses heightened.


    [ "Humph. It should be easy." ]


    Kale jumped and attack the Lone Wolf.


    [ "Explosive Fist" ]


    -Swoosh!


    The Lone Wolf quickly dodged the attack.


    Immediately afterward, two girls attack the Lone Wolf.


    [ "Quick Thrust" ]


    [ "me Burst" ]


    They both attack consecutively but to no avail. Lone Wolf was too fast for them, it easily dodge their attack.


    [ "Grrrr"]


    The Lone Wolf started to attack us. The Lone Wolf ignored those three at the front and wasing to attack Daniel.


    ( He must be trying to reduce the number by eliminating the weakest one first.)


    It took only a few seconds for Lone wolf to reach his target. The Lone Wolf raised its paw and was about to attack when...


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    [ "What"]


    Before Daniel could react, Iunched my attack. The attack couldn''t take Lone Wolf live but with its mobility gone, it was but a sitting duck.


    My Attack Ground Freeze could freeze any enemy who is in the attack range. The Lone Wolf was no exception. He froze in his attacking position.


    After a few seconds of astonishment, the team members came back to their senses. They attack and killed the immobile Lone Wolf easily.


    The body of the Lone Wolf was stored in the storage bag given by the Academy. Though not very rare but the price of the storage bag was in tens of thousands of Ethan coins. To acquires, hundreds of such bags show that the Ace academy''s financial power is very strong.


    This Lone Wolf will give us 5 points and we could even sell the Lone Wolf body to the school for money or school credit. School credit is like money which is valid in the Ace Academy, we could exchange it for skill, Art, and other things avable in the school. Unfortunately, Lone Wolf didn''t have a monster core, if not the price would be very high.


    [ "Wow! With your help, we have easily taken down a Lone Wolf. You could even freeze rank E monster easily." ]


    [ "I never thought you could freeze rank E monster. " ]


    Isabel and Lizbeth were both surprised to find such a strong freezing spell. The only high-level skill could freeze rank E monster given their defense.


    I was able to freeze the Lone Wolf because it has a very weak defensepared to other Rank E monsters and also because I am Rank E-.


    [ "Humph. Looks like you are not entirely useless. Let''s Go"]


    We continued to walk into the forest. We encountered a pack of White Wolf. They were only Rank F monsters but with 10 in number, even Rank E humans might face difficulties in killing them.


    Though it was no problem for us at all. Firstly, Kale attracted their attention by attacking their heads on and taunting them. Then, I used my attack Ground Freeze to freeze all the monsters. It was just killing them after that.


    After two hours of hunting in the forest, We encountered one more Lone Wolf and three-pack of White Wolf each consisting of 12 to 14 White Wolf. It was very easy to deal with them after we have grown ustomed to them.


    ( I had underestimated the power of Ground Freeze. Though only in Practitioner proficiency but Cryomancy Art is truly powerful. I just had to attack while the enemy was distracted and I could freeze the enemy. )


    [ "Haha, With this many points we could honestly be ced in Top 10. With Zero support we could face any number of monsters we encounter." ]


    Daniel eximed happily. Seems like he had changed his opinion of me. Well at first he was surprised by my skill but as I continued showing my skill, he came to regard me as a powerful teammate.


    [ "Well. I need to thank you, Zero. We could earn this many points due to your skill. I may even Rank 200 in student ranking after the test." ]


    Lizbeth said to me.


    ( Top 200! )


    After the test, the points will be added and student ranking will be modified. With my current point, I think could reach Rank 700.


    [ "I am also grateful to you. I feel like I riding on your coattail. ~Hehe " ]


    [ "Humph. Well, you did a good job for a weakling." ]


    ( Can''t you Thank me without insulting me.)


    But for you to show appreciation. Looks like you are not that bad at all. Only if you could speak politely.


    Kale Thompson was more useful than I expected. He could defend against all the monsters we encounter and even the attack of Rank E monster. He would surround himself with monsters while I freeze all the monsters surrounding him. Honestly, our teamwork was perfect.


    Kale would cooperate with us when needed and also listen to our warning well. He was a talented person but his only shoring is his insolent mouth.


    *****


    Only one hour was left. So we decided to return. We were all excited to see our result.


    After 40 minutes of walking, we encounter no monster. Just when we thought we were safe...


    [ "An Attack!"]


    Daniel shouted.


    [ "What?" ]


    The attack was aimed at Kale. We were shocked, not to find the attack but to find that the attackers were human. They shot an arrow towards Kale.


    He quickly dodges the arrow but then...


    [ "Fire Bomb" ]


    The attacker immediately fired his spell. We had no time to dodge. The range of his attack was toorge for us to dodge.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    I immediately use my skill to block his attack.


    -Boom!


    Though my Ice Wall manage to block the attack, my Ice Wall was sted to pieces. I shudder thinking that if I didn''t block that attack then it would have been us that was in pieces.


    [ "HOW?" ]


    The attacker shouted angrily.


    [ "Who is that? Why are they attacking us?" ]


    Daniel asked while trembling.


    I looked in the attacker''s direction, only to see two men wearing ck robes but one had a Silver badge. My eye twitched as I recognize the badge.


    ( WHY? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE! )

 Chapter 11 Attack [5]

    Chapter 11 Attack [5]


    I recognize the badge. The silver badge with the Knife picture indicates that they are a member of the assassin group of Devil Contractors and the silver badge is worn by the vice-leader of the group.


    In the novel, they send Rank D - Team leader and two Rank E + Vice-leader to kill MC and other top students. But in the novel, they will all be battling MC and other Top students.


    It is unimaginable that they managed to kill them. Then the only reason we encounter them should be that we returned earlier than MC and the other group and we are the first student that they encountered.


    [ "WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING US? We are students of Ace Academy, you will face consequences if you kill us." ]


    Daniel shouted at the attackers. Trying to scare the attackers.


    [ "It is no use. They are Devil Contractor sends to assassinate us." ]


    [ "What?" ]


    [ [ [ "Devil Contractor!" ] ] ]


    They seem to finally realize who the attacker is and how much of a trouble we are in. Devil Contractors can eitherplete their job or die trying. In this case, It is either we kill them or they kill us.


    [ "What should we do?" ]


    Isabel asked.


    [ "Try to contact the Academy." ]


    [ "Sh*t! There is no signal. They seem to have used some kind of skill or device to block the whole area from sending the signal." ]


    Daniel said after trying to call the Academy.


    Some skills can cover an area to make it seem like an independent space detached from the world. A skill required while trying to massacre a huge number of people. Looks like they are really prepared.


    [ "Looks like we have to handle this ourselves. I will defend against their attack while you all attack them. Don''t try to block his attack, he is likely E + Mage. If we include the Archer then those two are good at long-distance attacks but should be weak at closebat. We will take advantage of that." ]


    I said to them. ording to the novel it takes professors 30 minutes more to realize something has gone wrong after no student returned after time was finished. It is less likely we all will survive for 30 minutes just by defending. We need to take the initiative and defeat them while they are underestimating us.


    [ [ [ [ "Understood" ] ] ] ]<sub></sub>


    Seem like they understood. In this world, it is easy for one to encounter such misfortune especially if you are aiming to be an explorer.


    And it is not like we can escape from them. If we try to run, that Mage and Archer will just attack and annihte us. We will win if we let Kale and the other two girls reach the target.


    I nodded.


    [ "Let''s Start. Ice Shard" ]


    I first attack them to make their guard down.


    [ "Fire Wall" ]


    An attacker with a silver badge made a protective wall of fire.


    ( Just what I wanted )


    With this, their vision will be limited. It will give Kale and others a chance to close the distance and attack them. Right after the Firewall was gone.


    [ "Explosive Fist" ]


    [ "Quick Thrust" ]


    [ "me Burst" ]


    [ "Prating Shot" ]


    All four attacked together trying to kill them while they are distracted by Ice Shard.


    At that moment, other members of Devil Contractor stood in front of the Mage.


    [ "Mammoth Strike " ]


    Before the attack reach them, they were all blown over by the impact of his attack. The attack was so strong that Isabel and Lizbeth were blown over and fell down. Only three of us were standing, Me and Daniel who were outside his attack range, and Kale, he was able to keep standing though he took most of the damage.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Be careful! He is most likely Rank E. He is most likely a Martial Artist, not an Archer." ]


    Kale shouted. Just as he finished saying that¡­


    [ "Firebomb" ]


    The mage started attacking us.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    The attack was again stopped by my skill.


    [ "Zero, stall the Mage. We will first defeat the Martial Artist." ]


    I nodded.


    Both Isabel and Lizbeth stood up and position themselves to attack the Martial Artist. Kale roared and strike the Martial Artist. Martial Artist defended himself and counter attacked.


    While they were busy fighting the Martial Artist, I focused on my opponent.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    This time I increase my mana input to increase the attack power.


    [ "Fire Wall" ]


    But the power of Rank E + Mage was no joke. He easily defended against my attack.


    [ "Multiple Fire Ball" ]


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    This time he used a stronger spell than Fire Bomb. But his attack was neutralized by my Ice Wall.<sub> </sub>


    [ "You are pretty Skilled, boy. I will spare you if you join our group." ]


    I was surprised by his offer. The Mage wanted me to be Devil Contractor like them. Well, they do try to recruit students with good potential but anyone with a sane mind will obviously reject them.


    [ "Thanks for the offer but I don''t like weak peoplemanding me." ]


    I sneered.


    ( You were all so weak that you made a contract with the devil for power. Do you think I am an idiot like you to sell my freedom for power? )


    [ "Boy, YOU¡­ Humph. You will regret this." ]


    [ "Try to defend against my full power. Purgatory me: Maximum Cannon" ]


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    I used almost all my mana to create Ice Wall. The intensity of the fire was no joke. The power of this attack was almost like a Rank D attack. The Ice Wall melted after taking on the attack. The attack continued to make its way to me but thanks to the Ice Wall, the power of the attack was decreased considerably.


    I tried to dodge the attack but my hand was hit and my Magic Wand broke. I quickly got up and looked at the Mage.


    ( Whew... Looks like he used all mana on that attack. Otherwise, another attack, and I am dead.)


    [ "Haa. Now, you know my power." ]


    Seeing that my weapon was broken and my hand was injured. He smirked as if he has won.


    ( Now is the time. )


    While the enemy had his guard down, I quickly took out the sword from my waist and readied myself to attack him.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    I used my remaining mana to use my Shadow sh.


    [ "Huh." ]


    The Mage saw me attacking him.


    [ "Fire W¡­" ]


    Before he could react, my Attack had already reached him and cut his body in half. A mage would always have low defense, not to mention even if it was a Warrior taking on my Shadow sh head-on, they will be killed.


    -Huff... Huff...Huff!


    I was drained after killing the Mage. I killed an enemy two sub-rank higher than me.


    ( If he didn''t let down his guard then it would have been impossible for me to kill him. A fight is never truly won until your enemy is dead. )


    [ "You shouldn''t have let your guard down." ]


    I didn''t let my guard down just because I killed him because I had another enemy to worry about. I looked around and saw my teammates busy fighting with Martial artists. Kale was directly engaging with the enemy while those three were attacking the Martial Artist when they see a chance.


    I quickly took the mana potion and stamina potion from the bag and drank them. My mana was 50% full.


    The Enemy was too busy to notice that his ally has been killed. I took this chance to quietly approach him.


    [ "Mammoth Strike" ]


    Just when he thought that the attacker was knocked back.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    -Shhh!


    I beheaded him.


    Aplete silence.


    My teammates were astonished. They took a second toprehend what has just happened; an enemy which four of them took great difficulty to just fight on par with him was killed instantly. They checked to see if the enemy is really dead.


    [ "Dead!" ]


    They then looked at the person who killed the enemy.


    [ "You really hid your power well. I thought Magic Art was your specialty, turns out you were a greater swordsman than me." ]


    [ "What happened to your enemy." ]


    [ "Dead" ]


    [ [ [ [ "Dead?" ] ] ] ]


    ( We were having difficulties just fighting a Rank E Martial Artist with four of us and you have already killed a Rank E enemy by yourself. )


    Isabel thought.


    They all stared at me like I was some kind of monster.


    [ "W-well¡­ He let his guard down. " ]


    ( Let his guard down. We are talking Rank E + enemy who was stronger than our opponent and you manage to kill him just because he let his guard down. Even if his guard was down, to kill him so quickly is beyond what the first year should be capable of. )


    [ "Now that our enemies are dead, what shall we do" ]


    I asked them.


    [ "Let''s rest for ten minutes. We should recover our mana and stamina in 10 minutes with potions. After that, we should quickly go out of BloodyWolf Forest." ]


    Kale said.


    We nodded. The fight had taken most of our strength. We need to recover before going as we may encounter more enemies.


    After resting for 10 minutes.


    [ "Guys, keep your guard up. We may encounter more enemies on our way. " ]


    They nodded.


    [ "Let''s Go" ]

 Chapter 12 I Am Zero

    Chapter 12 I Am Zero


    The Sylvia Mavis team remained silent. They were waiting for the professor or another team of the student to show up. They had encountered five Devil Contractor assassins who were all Rank E.


    Sylvia''s team was going back when suddenly they got hit by a Magic Attack. Two of her teammates were knocked out and others were as bad as wounded as her. They were in no shape to fight with enemies who outnumbered and outranked them.


    At first, they thought of escaping but with their Mage attacking and two of their teammates knock out, they had no chance of escaping.


    Sylvia used a teleportation scroll, an A-Rank item to take her team out of the desperate situation but the space seem to be blocked. So, she had no choice but to teleport them to the forest.


    She wanted to run deeper in the forest to avoid the assassin but she had to stay close to see the professor or another teaming. Another team could also be ambushed by the assassin, so she had to look out for other students. And it''s not like she could run away leaving two of her teammates behind.


    [ "Dammit. When is the professor going toe? We will soon be discovered. I can''t just die here." ]


    He never thought that his first school test will lead to his death. He was scared by the power of that Magic attack. Even with his armor, he was wounded badly.


    [ "Carl, calm down. They won''t find us easily." ]


    Misha tried to calm down Carl who seem to lose his mind due to fear.


    [ "Misha, we may need to fight sooner. I don''t think the professor wille to help. Our best bet is to team up with other teams and defeat them." ]


    Sylvia said to Misha. She didn''t mention Carl as she can tell that he will be of no use, he will just get killed if he goes to fight.


    She nodded. Sylvia smiled seeing that Misha was resolute.


    At that moment¡­


    [ "Found you!" ]


    [ "Kuaaaaak!" ]


    The silence was broken by the sudden scream from Carl. Both girls turn around to see that a person came out of Carl''s body.


    ( Parasitic Art)


    Parasitic Art was mostly popr among Devil Contractors. It allowed them to attach themselves to others'' bodies and feed on their mana. It was also possible to make their host body strong by supplying them with their mana. A perfect Art for support and assassin.


    Carl''s body was like a mummy. Seems like the assassin took all his mana. He will be dead if not treated immediately.


    [ "KeKe. Let''s have fun, little kittens." ]


    [ "Misha, stall him." ]<sub></sub>


    Misha was at Rank E - and ranked 35 in student ranking. Though not as strong as Sylvia, she was also one of the best fighters in Ace Academy.


    Misha took her battle position.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    The attacker defended the attack with his w weapon. Misha continued to attack intensely. But the man was defending the attack like it was child y.


    [ "Misha, Get down" ]


    Misha quickly jumped to the side.


    [ "Phoenix me Shot" ]


    The arrow was coated with fire that was as intense as the Vice-leader Mage attack.


    [ "Fury Slice" ]


    The Assassin countered with his attack. His attack continuously hit the Arrow until the arrow was destroyed in mid-air. The remaining attack hit Sylvia.


    [ "Kya!" ]


    The already wounded body was bleeding more profusely.


    [ " Kekekee. Not bad. Not bad at all. You two are good. As Vice-Leader I invite you two to join our group or else I will kill you." ]


    [ [ "Humph" ] ]


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    They ignored him and started attacking him again.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    [ "KEKEKE! So, you decided to ignore my kindness." ]


    [ "Illusion Body" ]


    The assassin''s body was hit but it was only the image of his body. His actual body was safe.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Poison w" ]


    He immediately attack Misha who was exhausted. Misha was knocked back with her arm poisoned. She lost strength in her hand and dropped her sword.


    [ "Hah ha. Sylvia, I don''t think we can win. I will buy you some time, you need to get out of here and inform a professor." ]


    [ "NO! You will die if I leave." ]


    [ "We will both die even if you stay. It is better if at least one of us survives." ]


    [ "¡­" ]


    ( I also wanted to live and explore this vast world. Maybe be a hero and defend humanity against an external threat but looks like this is it for me. Then let me, Misha do herst duty. )


    [ "KeKeKe. Do you think you can escape? Even if you escape from me, do you think you can escape from them?" ]


    He pointed in the direction of the entrance of BloodyWolf Forest. Those five people that was wearing ck-robed were approaching the battle area.


    [ "Vice-Leader, you didn''t finish killing them. Are they strong?" ]


    [ "KeKeKe. Don''t you know me, I was just ying around." ]


    Both the girls were despairing. There was no hope for them. To run was not an option and to fight when they can''t even defeat a single enemy was more hopeless.


    [ "Haaa. Let''s kill them quickly. We have other students to hunt." ]


    [ "Fire Bomb" ]


    They both resigned to their fate. The same attack which almost annihted their whole team when they were ambushed was fired at them.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    When all hope seem lost, a wall of Ice blocked the attack.


    *****


    Our team was running toward the entrance after defeating the enemies. We were fortunate to encounter only two enemies.


    We continued running for 5 minutes when we heard the sound of an explosion.<sub> </sub>


    [ "What is that sound" ]


    Kale asked. Daniel turned around to look in the direction of the sound.


    [ "One enemy detected. He is currently fighting with Sylvia and one another girl." ]


    We stood still.


    [ "What shall we do? Help them or go bring professor." ]


    Isabel asked. We were currently near the entrance of BloodyWolf Forest. We run at full speed, we go and bring back the professor in 5 minutes. But can they survive for 5 minutes?


    [ "Let''s help them. We don''t know whether we will encounter another group of Devil Contractors or not. Surely, someone must be guarding near the entrance. If we go, they will die." ]


    I said. From what I remember, in the novel Rank D- Devil Contractor will be there before the entrance. The hope of the student is crushed by him. They couldn''t escape and even MC takes a good beating before professors appeared.


    [ "5 more enemies detected. They will soon reach the battleground. They seem to have noticed them too." ]


    (Sh*t 5 more enemies. )


    We could have handled three enemies with the help of Sylvia and others but 6 enemies are currently impossible for our group. The rank of Devil Contractor are all Rank E, one sub rank higher than us and there is no advantage in number like before.


    I gritted my teeth. What is happening, Isn''t Sylvia suppose to be with Hiro Ernest and fight with the Devil Contractor leader. Why is she about to die? I don''t think I have interfered that much. Is it my fau¡­


    [ "ZERO!" ]


    [ "Huh." ]


    Kale''s voice pulled me out of my thought.


    [ "Zero, What are you thinking?" ]


    Lizbeth asked me.


    [ "N-nothing¡­" ]


    [ " As I was saying, We have to bring the professor. We can''t defeat them by ourselves." ]


    Kale said. With the appearance of six more enemies, we couldn''t survive if we go to help them.


    [ "No. There must be someone strong preventing us from leaving. They will die if we leave." ]


    [ "¡­." ]


    [ "How about we divide the group. One can go rescue them while others go bring back the professor." ]


    Lizbeth said.


    Two groups, one to help Sylvia''s team and the other to bring back the professor.


    [ "Okay, let''s do it this way. Me and Kale will go help them. You three go bring the professor." ]


    [ [ [ "Okay" ] ] ]


    [ "Be careful. There must be a strong Devil Contractor protecting the entrance. You should avoid going from the straight path, go from other routes. Let''s Go" ]


    We went separately. Honestly, I am worried about those three encountering the leader but if they go from another path then they may not meet him at all. And I had my own things to worry about.


    Not only are we outranked but outnumbered. It is honestly a suicide mission now.


    [ "Zero, I must apologize to you." ]


    [ "Huh" ]


    That came out of nowhere.


    [ "I am sorry about before. You know when I try to fight you and also for looking down on you." ]


    Kale looks resolute like he is saying his final word. Though I can understand where hees from, we are going to encounter powerful enemies who are hell-bent on killing us.


    [ "Ohh... Heh. No need to apologize. I already forgot those things."]


    I truly meant those words. He didn''t beat me and the only reason he looked down on me was that I was always making a fool in front of Lisa. So, there was no reason to me Kale. And we wererades who fought together against Devil Contractor.


    *****


    After 2 minutes, we were close to the battle ce. But those 5 Devil Contractor has already reached the ce. One of them fired Fire Bomb at Sylvia and other girl.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    I quickly used Ice Wall to block the attack though the skill was weaker without my Magic Wand. But the enemy Mage was Rank E which was weaker than the Mage that I fought previously.


    [ [ "Zero!" ] ]


    Both girls shouted my name. I checked whether they were both okay. Sylvia was badly wounded and Misha who seems to be the other girl was also wounded with her hand swollen and purple in color.


    [ "Get back" ]


    I assumed my battle position, focusing on the enemies in front of me.


    [ "Huh. Who are you?" ]


    The Devil Contractor with w weapon asked me. He was wearing the same silver badge indicating he was vice-leader and Rank E + Devil Contractor.


    [ "DO IT!" ]


    [ " Gigantic Fist: Overflowing Power Strike" ]


    While the enemies were focused on me, Kale sneakily attacked the group of enemies.


    [ "Huh. Another person." ]


    [ "Defend." ]


    [ "Wind Swirl" ]


    Before Kale even hit the enemy, he was pushed in mid-air. But this is exactly what I needed.


    [ "Shadow Style: Peerless Strike " ]


    I beheaded the Mage who used the Wind Swirl skill. Mage is most vulnerable when they are using their skill. I took the opportunity when they had let down their guard.


    I coldly looked at the dead body.


    [ [ "What?" ] ]


    [ "How?" ]


    [ "Be careful! He is strong." ]


    [ "Just who are you." ]


    The Vice-Leader asked again.


    [ "I am Zero." ]

 Chapter 13 I Am Zero [2]

    Chapter 13 I Am Zero [2]


    [ "Zero huh. You are strong but do you think you would be able to defeat us?" ]


    The person then attacked with his w weapon. He rushes to attack me without waiting for hisrades.


    -sh! sh!


    We fought for 30 seconds. The power behind his w was strong but not unbearable for me. I could defend against his w attack with my sword.


    [ "Attack him!" ]


    Three more Devil Contractors join in the fight while the Mage Devil Contractor was preparing to fire his magic.


    I pushed the Vice-leader using the sword with all my strength. He was only pushed away 5 meters but still, I got time to use my Magic Art.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    All the Devil Contractor who was going to attack me froze on the spot.


    [ "Kale, Attack them" ]


    I can''t move while I am using my ground freeze. I needed somebody to kill them while they were still immobile. It took a huge amount of mana to just keep dozen Rank E fighters frozen. I needed him to quickly strike them while I still can keep them frozen.


    [ "Coming" ]


    Kale quickly ran towards me. It was a golden opportunity for us to defeat all of them. They were all caught in my attack because it was a surprise attack and had their guard down. We will not get another chance like this. This was the deciding moment.


    [ "Oh, no you don''t" ]


    [ "Fire Bomb" ]<sub></sub>


    The Mage was not frozen because he was outside my attack range. He seem to realize that I couldn''t finish them myself, so he interrupted Kale froming.


    -Boom!


    Kale was blown over. Thest hope was also gone with it, the Devil Contractor was freed from my attack since my mana was about to be exhausted.


    [ "Hah Hah Hah¡­ Dammit" ]


    ( I was already at my limit when I froze those Devil Contractors, I don''t think I canst much longer with my strength.)


    [ "KeKeKe I didn''t think that you could stop all of us with your power. You really are strong but you are going to die nevertheless." ]


    [ "Poison w" ]


    I tried my best to dodge but with my exhausted body, I couldn''t move my body in time. I was hit on my stomach with the poison w attack. The cut was quite deep and its poison was quickly spreading in my body.


    I quickly use Ice Magic to freeze the part where the poison attack was hit. Poison will not spread if I freeze it with my Ice Energy.


    They didn''t give me chance to rest. Another Devil Contractor used his sword to attack me from the side. I quickly dodged it by rolling to another side.


    [ "Fire Bomb" ]


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    I blocked the attack of the Mage with my Ice Wall.


    ( We will be annihted if I am defeated. )<sub>


    </sub>


    Sylvia and Misha can''t escape with their injury, three other students were knocked out in the distance. Kale was blown over, I don''t know if he is dead or not. And I have to fight them all.


    [ "Zero, we could help you."]


    [ "Zero, we will fight with you" ]


    I held out my hand to stop them froming forward. They can''t help with their injuries and what I am going to do may cause friendly fire.


    [ "Ha.huuuuuuu."]


    I didn''t want to use it because it was still iplete and it takes too much mana and damages my body but I have no choice.


    [ "Dual Art: Ice Sword" ]


    Dual Art, an Art discovered by one of the top SS heroes in ater stage of the novel. It was new Art that was introduced to humanity due to which humans could have the advantage over other species during the war. The concept of technique was tobine two art and use it. The concept was simple but very difficult to execute because you will need to control two types of mana and use them simultaneously as one.


    This Art was something that I tried to imitate before during my training in the hope to be able to use it. I always tried to use it but the Art was never shown in my Status indicating that this Art was iplete and I didn''t have enough capacity to use it.


    Even if this Art was iplete, still the power of this Art is incredible. That''s why even if I may suffer a bacsh, it was worth the shot considering the crisis I am facing.


    I injected my Ice energy into the Sword. The Sword edge was covered in ice. If the Art wasplete then the Sword would have been fully covered in ice.


    [ "cial Shadow sh" ]


    [ "What!" ]


    -Shhhh!<sub> </sub>


    The Attack hit the three Devil Contractor who was close to me. Considering the distance, they had no time to dodge. They blocked the attack with their body.


    Considering they were Rank E fighters, they had high defense and could survive against an attack of Rank E - by blocking the attack with their body. The attack hit them but the cut was too shallow. But what I needed was only the cut.


    [ [ [ "Ahhhhhhh!" ] ] ]


    Since my shadow sh contain the Ice energy even if my attack didn''t take their life directly, it could still freeze the parts which were in contact with my attack. And considering that my Ice energy made contact with their blood, their blood is being turned into Ice.


    They immediately fell down. They were dead. One attack to take three Rank E fighters. Quite a powerful attack if I say so myself.


    [ "What! How did you kill three Rank E and what was that attack" ]


    ( That Art contained Ice Energy but he was clearly using a Sword Art. How is it possible to use both Sword Art and Magic Art? This is impossible. )


    The vice-leader stared at Zero and then at the dead body as if he couldn''t believe what he had just witnessed.


    [ "This is impossible! How did you do it? Really who are you." ]


    [ "Humph. You are next." ]


    I point the edge of my sword to the vice-leader. My mana will soon be empty which could be quite life-threatening. My body can''t handle both the mana type. The conflict between the mana in my body is tearing my veins. I need to finish this soon.


    [ "Zero was it? Don''t think I am weak like them. I am more than enough to kill you." ]


    [ "Fury Slice: Maximum Strength" ]


    [ "Peerless Ice Strike" ]


    -sh!


    I was cut like a hundred times on my body. My hand, leg, chest, and face was full of cut. Even after bleeding from every part of my body, I remained standing because I know I can''t fall when my enemy is standing.


    [ "KeKeke¡­.. I will be waiting for you in hell, ZERO!" ]


    -Ssh!


    The blood was sshed out before it froze. His upper body was cut deeply and frozen my attack. The slit was so deep that his body was only in one piece thanks to his body being frozen.


    [ "I Wo¡­"]


    Just as I was about to say that I won. I felt my strength leaving my body and my whole body bing sore. My whole felt as if a thousand sharp knife was poking at me.


    -rrrgghh!


    I spurted blood from my mouth. Most of the internal injury was due to using my iplete Art. My vein feel like popping and my connection with my joint was losing with every second.


    I was kneeling with my sword supporting my body.


    [ " Hah Hah hah ha¡­"]


    [ [ "ZERO!" ] ]


    The girls came over to support me. Just when I thought that it was over.


    [ "I WILL KILL YOU" ]


    [ "Fire Bomb" ]


    ( Dammit, I forgot about the Mage. )


    [ "Ice Wa..."]


    I fell down. I had no more mana to use my Magic Art nor strength to remain standing. I looked up to see the attack making its way towards me.


    [ "Zero" ]


    [ "Miah, take him out of here. I will block the attack with my body." ]


    [ "Sylvia, it''s no use. We have no time." ]


    ( I was about to survive. With all odds against me, I had eliminated 5 Devil Contractors. Only if I had more power. )


    I was just about to resign to my fate when¡­


    [ "Gigantic Fist: Fist Barricade" ]


    Kale suddenly appeared in front of them and used his Skill to block the attack. He seems to have recovered from the earlier attack. He is quite a tough guy.


    ( You arete. Why do you have to do ate entry like some hero? I would have preferred it if you hade earlier. )


    Kale has no idea that I was cursing him foringte like some hero.


    I had no more strength to even keep my consciousness alive. My consciousness kept on fading. And I couldn''t hear properly.


    [ [ "Zero. Zer¡­..

 Chapter 14 What Happen?

    Chapter 14 What Happen?


    I open my eye albeit rather slowly. I could only see things in white color like in movies when someone dies and open their see in heaven.


    ( Am I dead? NO way)


    My eye was wide open when I thought about the prospect of me being dead but then I noticed the white ceiling. I tried to turn my face but I couldn''t.


    ( Where am I? )


    Then I tried to move my body.


    [ "Ahhhh..." ]


    The pain was like the needles that had been soaked in acid had been stabbed into every part of my body, and that acid was dripping on my veins.


    [ "Healing Magic: Soothing pain" ]


    While I was enduring the pain. A healer rushed into my ce and cast his healing skill. Though only one minute has passed since I woke up, the pain made me feel like a hundred years had passed.


    After having cast the spell over me, I felt my pain being alleviated though I still couldn''t move my body. Though with the damage that my body has sustained, it was already a miracle for me to be alive.


    The healer went outside. He seems to be talking with someone. The voice sounded was rather loud and lively but I couldn''t turn my face to see who it was.<sub></sub>


    [ "Yo. Zero Elea looks like you are up. Can you talk?" ]


    I tried to answer the man who seems to be the doctor judging by his outfit but I couldn''t even move my mouth.


    [ "It''s okay if you can''t speak. I am here to tell you to not try to move your body. Your body is in an awful state. It is already a miracle for you to be alive" ]


    He came closer to me, checking my body to see whether something is wrong or not.


    [ "HaHa. Man how did you really survive man, all your muscle was torn and some of the veins were burst open. Your body is really sturdy. ~Hehe I really want to cut open your body to see what your body is made up of." ]


    He strangely looked at me, like when you find a new toy or something. He sounded like a mad scientist which made me scared of him. I got a dangerous vibe from that man.


    [ "Anyway it will take around three days for you to recover but if you don''t recover by then don''t worry I have a new medicine developed which will make you healthy in seconds. Hehe~" ]


    He checked the health monitor before leaving.


    *****


    [ [ "Zero. Zero" ] ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "I think he has just fainted from exhaustion." ]


    [ "Misha, Go take him to the forest. I will help Kale to take care of thatst person." ]


    Misha nodded and immediately carried Zero''s body into the forest. Misha noticed Zero''s body bing colder and colder like his blood was bing ice.


    This made Misha nervous. She watched Zero fight the Devil Contractors all by himself. Even when they overwhelmed him with the number, he didn''t back down nor escaped instead he killed them one after another even when sustaining heavy injuries. She was worried when he was fighting alone, astonished and then happy when he killed three Devil Contractors, and scared when he copsed.


    She couldn''t do anything but respect and admire such a person. He was powerful, no he was immensely powerful. He had managed to defeat several Devil Contractors all by himself while she along with her teammates couldn''t even take down a single Devil Contractor.


    She felt guilt and regret when she saw Zeros'' unconscious and injured body. She knows that it was their team fault that he became like this, he came to help them when he could have easily escaped by himself.


    She wanted to beat herself up for being so powerless. She thought she was strong and would help others as a hero when in reality she was so weak that others had to help her by risking their life.


    Even though she wanted to punish herself, she couldn''t because the threat was not over. She stared at the distance where the battle was taking ce.


    [ "Multiple Fire Ball" ]


    Kale quickly dodge the attack and continued to close the distance between him and the Mage.<sub> </sub>


    He thought he could easily dodge the attack with his speed but he had forgotten about his injuries. He was heavily injured by Fire Bomb earlier. The injured led to Kale''s speed being slowed and as a result, he couldn''tpletely dodge the attack.


    -Boom!


    He was about to be hit by the Fire Ball but he reacted in time and block it with his arm.


    [ "Kale, I will cover you." ]


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    [ "Mana Shield" ]


    Sylvia attacked with multiple arrows containing destructive power but was easily blocked by the enemy shield. All the attacks failed to break the shield showing the difference between Rank E - and Rank E power.


    Sylvia being only one sub-Rank lower than the enemy had thought that she would be able to deal with her enemy easily but turns out her attack are nothing to him.


    Sylvia watched Zero fight. From the fight, she had guessed that Zero was Rank E - like herself or Rank E at maximum. Zero was able to defeat Rank E + who might have been two sub-rank higher than himself and also manage to defeat the other three Rank E at the same time.


    She thought that even she might be able to defeat others who are stronger than herself. She was the daughter of one of the executives of The Authority, the strongest group in Humalia Domain. She was given strong skills and Art to learn and many other resources to increase her strength but even that was not enough.


    Her strength and talent were far inferior to Zero. She was feeling the disparity in talent between herself and Zero. But it was no time to feel jealous or depressed, she had to defeat her opponent first.


    She continued attacking the Mage with her arrows. It was so that she could keep the enemy upied while Kale makes his way to the enemy.


    [ "Explosive Fist" ]


    [ "Mana Shield" ]


    -Bam!


    The enemy easily blocked the Kale attack. It didn''t matter whether Sylvia attacked or Kale attacked, he could easily defend against them.


    [ "Gigantic Fist: Overflowing Power Strike" ]


    -Bam!


    ( Dammit just why can''t I even defeat a single person. I messed up once, I don''t want to mess up twice. )


    Kale was feeling the pressure as he couldn''t break the enemy''s defense. Kale was regretting not defeating other Devil Contractors when Zero had them frozen. It was a golden opportunity but due to him having his guard down, he was knocked out before he could even help a little.


    When he recovered, Zero had already killed the other three Devil Contractors and was fighting with their Vice-leader. He had scars and bruises all over his body, the body was also covered in blood and it was all his fault. It was because he couldn''t do his job properly. If he had finished Devil Contractors earlier, Zero wouldn''t have been heavily injured and we would have already won.


    One mistake and all their lives were in danger. He felt pretty pathetic right now. He always called others "weakling" and "coward" because they didn''t have the talent nor trained enough to be strong. But this incident taught him, it was him who was a weakling.


    ( How can I let Zero effort be wasted. We had survived till now thanks to him. Now, it is my turn to finish the job. I had to )


    [ "Explosive Fist" ]


    -Bam!


    [ "Damiiiittt. Hah..Hah..Hah." ]


    The Mana Shield was still unbroken. Devil Contractor Mage seeing that both Kale and Sylvia were exhausted, choose to attack them.


    [ "Multiple Fire Ball" ]


    The experience of Devil Contractor was vastly more than a mere student. It was already hard for the same rank student to defeat them, not to mention students rank lower than them. Talent and strong skills could cover the gap but Devil Contractors was also not a weakling, they had their organization support. The Skill and Art granted to them was on par with the Gold and Diamond graded guild.


    So, for a student to beat them was unthinkable. Only some really powerful students could do that. Kale and Sylvia were also capable of that but only if they were in their top condition, right now they can''t even exert 50 % of their power with their injuries.


    Both Sylvia and Kale were surprised by the attack. The Mage had continued to defend against their attack and in an instant when they were tired he canceled his Mana Shield and fired his magic. It was a perfect time for the enemy to attack them.


    They had no strength to dodge the attack. They tried but the body was not responding. They could only defend using their hand and wait for the attack tond but the attack nevernded on them.


    1 second¡­2 seconds¡­3 seconds¡­


    They slowly opened their eyes to see a shield of Ice in front of them, protecting them from enemy attack. They turned around to see someone familiar protecting them.

 Chapter 15 What Happen? [2]

    Chapter 15 What Happen? [2]


    [ [ "Professor Mia!" ] ]


    The person that helped them was professor Mia. She used her Magic Art to form an Ice wall simr to Zero Ice Wall but it was more powerful and the size was twice that of Zero''s Ice Wall.


    [ "Are you okay? Where are other members of your team." ]


    [ "We are fine. Others are hiding in the forest. Professor Mia, how did you find us?" ]


    [ "Kale where is Zero? " ]


    Suddenly, Isabel interjected. She along with Daniel and Lizbeth was running towards them.


    [ "Oh. You were the one to bring professor Mia. Zero is in the forest being protected by Misha. We need to immediately him send to the hospital." ]


    Sylvia said.


    [ "WHAT? What happened? " ]


    [ "No time to exin, you three bring other students and escape while we defeat thest enemy. With professor Mia, it will be easy for us to defeat him." ]


    [ "No need. You two are seriously injured, go retreat with them." ]


    Professor Mia said to Sylvia.


    [ "Professor we can endure it." ]<sub></sub>


    Kale responded.


    [ "Just go. It will not take a minute for me to eliminate him." ]


    She then condense her mana and changed into Ice energy.


    ( SH*T, it is Ice Enchantress. Mission has failed, looks like I need to escape. )


    [ "Do you think you can run away from me after what you did to my students?" ]


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    Multiple spears appeared above professor Mia which contained destructive Ice energy. She then waved her hand and all the spear was shot at the Mage Devil Contractor.


    [ "Mana Shield" ]


    -CRACK!


    [ "T-this can''t be. I can''t be killed." ]


    All the spears pierced the Mana Shield like it was made out of thin paper, then the spears all pierced his body. The Mage had more holes in his body than Swiss cheese.


    [ "Humph. Trying to kill my students. This is what you get for acting without thinking about consequences." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    She then turned around and signaled them to follow her.


    [ "Let go. We need to move the injured as soon as possible." ]


    Sylvia led them into the forest. They quickly followed her. They soon arrived at the ce where other students were lying on the ground.


    [ "Sylvia!" ]


    [ "Misha! Are they Okay?" ]


    [ "They are all alive but Zero needs medical attention as soon as possible. I don''t know what is happening but his body is bing colder and colder." ]


    Misha said in a panicky voice. She had been treating Zero by giving him potions but his condition was not improving. His face became paler as time passed. Misha was getting more and more worried as time passed.


    [ "Please make some space. I will see what is wrong with his body." ]


    Professor Mia immediately put her down on Zero''s body and channeled her mana to his body. After some time, she had an astonished face.


    [ " What happened to him? He is already seriously injured outside and inside his mana are in conflict. "]


    [ "P-professor, can you save him?" ]


    Isabel asked in a panicked voice. <sub> </sub>


    [ "I don''t know but luckily his energy is Ice. I can at least absorb his Ice energy and solve the conflict of his mana. However, he suffered too much damage I don''t know whether he can be saved." ]


    The statement made everybody stiff. They were all thinking different things but everybody had one realization that is they weak, too weak. They were all clenching their hand so hard that it was bleeding. Zero had to fight for their life because they were too weak to help him.


    [ "So What happened to him? I don''t think that Rank E enemy is enough to injure him to such a state. I know he is at least Rank E-." ]


    Even though the student info has Zero as Rank F + student but from training with him, she was certain that he broke through and his rank is at least Rank E -.


    [ [ "Rank E-!" ] ]


    Isabel, Daniel, and Lizbeth were surprised to discover this information. Rank E - means his abilities are within the Top 50 of all first year. They thought that only Kale was Rank E - in their team but turns out Zero was also Rank E -. But they soon epted it as they know he had killed Rank E + Devil Contractor by himself.


    Kale, Sylvia, and Misha were not surprised by this as they saw him fight Devil Contractors. They would not even be surprised if the professor told them he was Rank E + because he had the ability to kill Rank E +.


    Soon Kale and Sylvia exined what happened. Kale exined how they encountered Devil Contractors and saw Sylvia''s team fighting which led to the separation of their team. Sylvia exins what happened after Kale was knocked out. How he used a strong Art that killed multiple Rank E in an instant.


    Isabel, Daniel, Lizbeth, and even professor Mia were shocked by their story. He was fighting alone with multiple Rank E and they even had Rank E + but Zero had killed most of them and almost won by himself. It would not be an exaggeration to call suchbat power Rank D or D +.


    [ "We need to get out of this ce. I will carry Zero, I need to constantly absorb his Ice energy. You three carry the other students." ]


    Isabel, Daniel, and Lizbeth nodded. They were the only students with enough energy to carry others. Sylvia, Kale, and Misha were all seriously wounded though not as bad as Zero but still bad enough to see that they had a tough battle.


    They continued running for 10 minutes until they all reached BloodyWolf Entrance where the Medical staff was all busy attending to injured students. Zeros'' and Sylvias'' teams were not the only ones that encountered Devil Contractors, at least a hundred students had a battle with Devil Contractors though the most dangerous enemy was encountered by them and Hiro''s team.


    *****


    [ "Hiro, I think we will encounter another group of enemy." ]


    Alva said to Hiro. While returning after the sessful hunt, they had encountered three Devil Contractors who seem to be dead set on killing them. They had a tough battle, Hiro fought with one Rank E Devil Contractor while others took on the other two Devil Contractors. Hiro killed his enemy after a few rounds of fighting. After that, it was easy to eliminate other Devil Contractors but during the process one of the teammates was seriously injured.


    They are now moving to the Entrance of BloodyWolf Forest where professors are stationed.


    [ "Yes, I don''t think they send just three Devil Contractors to kill the students. We are moving through the forest where it is difficult for the enemy to notice us. Even so, we should be on our toes." ]


    [ "Humph. If we encounter them, we can kill them like those Devil Contractors. What? Is the number 1 student of our grade scared of enemies?" ]


    The one who replied was Zarek. He is an arrogant young master of the Diamond guild. He was always pampered by people around him because of his status until he came to Ace Academy. He was only ranked 416 and no one paid attention to him as there was numerous student more influential than his guild. This led to his resentment toward Hiro who was just amoner but was always the center of attention.


    A frown appeared on Hiro and his teammate''s face.


    [ "We already have one teammate who is unable to join the fight. If we encounter another group of Devil Contractors we may lose another member. We should avoid unnecessary battles. " ]


    Remus said to Zarek angrily. He was already upset with Zarek''s attitude andck of cooperation. Remus was also a young master of Diamond graded guild and he was more talented than Zarek with a Rank 375. Their teammates were injured as a result of Zarek letting the enemy attack their teammates when she was preparing Magic Attack. Let alone apologizing for his mistake, Zarek med Lavinia(Mage) saying that she was useless and can''t even dodge the enemy attack, even though it was his job to keep the enemy from attacking Lavinia.


    [ "Humph. Words of a coward. You are as weak as that girl." ]


    [ "Z-zarek. You brainless fool. Don''t cross the line. You are the one dragging this team down. Don''t call others weak when you can''t even do your job properly." ]


    [ "Humph. I alone would have killed that enemy. Lavinia was the one dragging me down, it is good that she is knocked out and won''t disturb me next time." ]


    Zarek was arrogant thinking he could kill Devil Contractors since Hiro was able to kill them. He has still not epted the fact that there were others who were more powerful than him. He would always use others of cheating in the exam which resulted in him having a low rank. He would me his mistake on others thinking he was always right.


    [ "Zarek doesn''t insult Lavinia. She was helping us defeat Devil Contractors. What were you doing? Suddenly rushing to attack Devil Contractors without any strategy. Lavinia protected you from their attack and instead of thanking her, you are insulting her. Apologize to her" ]


    Hiro Ernest was one to say to the Zarek. He had endured his arrogant behavior during the hunt but he is still acting arrogant when they are facing a crisis with their life on the line. He was angry at him for insulting Lavinia and ming her for his mistake.


    [ "Apologize? Me? To her? Don''t joke with me. Who gave you the authority to order me. You are just amoner. Don''t forget your ce." ]


    [ "Zarek, Hiro is our leader. Listen to his order. If you want to do want you, get out from our team. That way you don''t have to listen to the leader but when you are in a team, listen to the team leader." ]


    [ "Humph. Do you think I need your help? You should be grateful for being on the same team as me. I should have already gone my own way." ]


    Saying that Zarek speed-up and went in front of them. Hiro tried to stop him but was stopped by Remus''s hand.


    [ "Let him go. It is better this way for him and us." ]


    Hiro wanted to say that it is dangerous for him to go alone but remembering Zarek''s attitude he knows Zarek will note back. But after a few minutes, hees to greatly regret his decision.


    After going through the forest for a few minutes, they were out of the forest. When they were out of the forest, what they saw great surprised them.


    On the ground was Zarek''s dead body.

 Chapter 16 What Happen? [3]

    Chapter 16 What Happen? [3]


    [ "Hmph! Actually asking me to apologize. They don''t know their ce. I will ask my dad to teach them a lesson." ]


    Zarek has gone out of the forest after running for 8 minutes. He was angry all the way to the exit. He never felt others will condemn him as he was a heir of diamond graded guild.


    [ "Huh?" ]


    As he was thinking of taking revenge for the injustice he faced, he saw a brawny man of about 190 cm standing in his way. He wore a golden badge on his chest. He stopped for a moment.


    [ "Devil Contractor!" ]


    He turned his head sideways to check whether he had anotherpanion or not. He was relieved to see that no other Devil Contractors were there.


    [ "Yo! You are the first student I met. Looks like others couldn''t do their job properly. They let a Rank F + student escape, what an embarrassment." ]


    [ "Devil Contractor I suggest you get out of my way if you don''t want to die. I have already killed other Devil Contractors. If you don''t go while I am being nice you will regret it." ]


    Zarek believed he could easily defeat this Devil Contractor. He thought this Devil Contractor was weak since he couldn''t sense the overwhelming aura like the other Devil Contractors he had fought previously. But the truth was quite opposite; while a butterfly thinks spiders are dangerous, they wouldn''t necessarily be scared of the tiger because the tiger is way stronger than them that they couldn''tprehend their strength.


    Simrly, a Rank F + student couldn''t possibly sense the strength of Rank D - while they could feel the strength of Rank E. Rank D was way beyond a Rank F + student. Zarek arrogantly thought that the man before him was weak.


    [ "Hehe. A man who can''t even grasp my power dare to say he will kill me. Hahaha¡­ You won''t even survive against 1 percent of my power." ]


    [ "A mere Devil Contractor tries to be arrogant in front of this young master. BEGONE!" ]


    [ "Thunder Saber: Power Strike" ]


    The man in front of him just stood without showing any movement. He was smiling at Zarek like some kid was going to punch him.


    [ "You are dead!" ]


    -BAM!


    Seeing that the man was not resisting, Zarek pressed on. He thought he had already won. But when the dust settled, he saw the man was still standing there unscathed. The man looked at Zarek happily as Zarek had a terrified expression on his face.<sub></sub>


    [ "A pretty good attack for an ant." ]


    He extended his hand forward and grabbed Zarek''s neck. Zarek at first struggled but he couldn''t move Devil Contractor hand at all.


    [ "KKGGHHHHHH!"]


    [ "Please let me go. I will give you everything you want. My dad is a guild master of the diamond guild. I can give you treasure and all the money you want. I will even join your group. Please spare me. Spare m--- KKKGGHHHH" ]


    [ "Hehe. We are not here to recruit a weakling like you. It is better to kill weakling like you." ]


    He increased the strength of his grip. He continued to increase his strength until Zarek couldn''t struggle at all.


    [ "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" ]


    -CRACK!


    Zarek''s neck was snapped. He threw Zarek''s body on the ground and waited for other students to pass through here.


    *****


    [ "Is it Zarek?" ]


    [ "He is dead?" ]


    Both Alva and Remus were scared after seeing Zarek''s body. His head was separated from his body and his whole body was covered in blood and dirt.


    [ "Hehehe. Are you his friends? Sorry I had just finished killing him. I will make sure he is not lonely, let me send you all to him." ]


    [ "Let''s defeat him and report the situation to the professor." ]


    Though terrified Alva has sensed that the man before them was not very strong. At least not more powerful than what they faced previously. <sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Be careful! He is at least Rank D -. I can''t properly sense his Rank. He is several times stronger than other Devil Contractors." ]


    Hiro said to his team worriedly. Only he could sense that the man before them is very strong. Others can''t really tell as the man before them had his strength suppressed. Both of them were tenser after Hiro told them about their opponent''s strength.


    They thought if Hiro was telling them then it must be true as he was a higher rank than them. They were both only Rank F + and Hiro was one whole Rank higher than them so they had to believe him.


    [ "Hehe. You are Hiro, aren''t you? The only Rank E + student in this test. Only you could see through my Rank but what can you do even if you know. I suggest you join our rank. We will treat you well and our superiors are also pretty interested in your talent. We could nurture you to be the strongest." ]


    The Mission of Devil Contractors send here was to either recruit Hiro or kill him. Along with him, they were also told to recruit other talented students or kill them.


    [ "ve of Devil. Do you think I will join your group? I will kill all the filthy Demon along with you all. " ]


    Hiro said to the Devil Contractor with a voice full of hate. To join Devil Contractors will be like joining the group that harmed his family. He could never forgive demons and Devil Contractors who serve under them.


    [ "Hmph. You will be begging for your life like that guy after I torment you." ]


    [ "Alva. Cover our back. Remus we are going to directly fight with him" ]


    Both his teammates nodded. Alva kept Lavinia down and prepared forbat. She took out her bow and arrow.


    [ "Shooting Wind: Airburst" ]


    Alva shoot arrow which contained Wind Energy. The speed has exceeded 200 km/h but the Devil Contractor casually blocked it with his ax.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Star Fracture" ]


    [ "Piercing Spear Style: Maximum power" ]


    The Leader (Devil Contractor) easily caught their attack with his ax and pushed them. He then began attacking Hiro with his ax though Hiro parried it with his sword. Remus tried to attack him while the Leader was upied with Hiro but his attack was caught by his bare hand.


    -CLANG!<sub> </sub>


    They were in stalemate but the Leader was slowly putting more strength making Hiro bend a little. The leader then turned around and kicked Remus with his right leg.


    -BAM!


    -SPURT!


    Remusnded several meters back. He ends up throwing up a handful of blood from his mouth.


    [ "REMUS! You will pay for it." ]


    [ "You can''t win. Just give up and join us. This is yourst offer." ]


    [ "In your dreams!"]


    [ "Then DIE!" ]


    The Leader hacked his ax at Hiro. Hiro rolled to his side to dodge the Leaders attack.


    [ "Shooting Wind: Prating Arrow" ]


    Alva took this chance to help Hiro create distance between them. The attack was once again blocked by the Leader.


    [ "Axe Hew Style: Strong Lacerate" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    -BOOOM!


    They both used powerful skills. The air seems to be vibrating after their sh.


    Hiro was pushed back 5 meters while the Leader was pushed back just one meter. The Leader didn''t give Hiro a chance to catch his breath. He started attacking him.


    Just as Hiro was about to block Leader''s ax attack, the power in his ax increased drastically. Hiro was barely able to block Leader''s attack. Leader continuously attacked Hiro giving him zero chance to counterattack.


    [ "Axe Hew Style: Killing Strike" ]


    -CLANK!


    Hiro quickly used his sword to block Leader''s attack. Hiro barely manage to stop the leader''s attack from stabbing his heart but arge gash appeared on the lower right side of his stomach.


    Taking a couple of steps back, Hiro manages to create some distance between him and Leader.


    [ "HIRO! Retreat, I don''t think we can defeat him." ]


    Alva shouted. She was giving a health potion to Remus when she saw Hiro getting attacked but she couldn''t interrupt as they were too fast for her to aim properly. If she attacked and mistakenly hit Hiro then he would have been seriously injured while even if she hit the Leader, he would be fine.


    [ "Alva! We can''t retreat. Not with him blocking our way. You take Lavinia and retreat and find other students to help us." ]


    Remus who regained his strength told Alva. Just by getting hit by Leader''s kick, he had broken some rib which told him that his strength was several times higher than him or Hiro. They needed more help.


    [ "B-But.." ]


    [ "No buts. Your attack can''t do anything to him. Even I can''t do anything other than distract him for a few seconds. Only Hiro can deal some damage to him. We need other Rank E students to help us or we are really dead." ]


    Alva thinking for some time, she nodded her head and carried Lavinia, and went back to the forest.


    After Alva retreated Remus went to where Hiro was. What they needed to do was survive until other students get here to help them.


    [ "Hiro, we need to buy some time for other students toe here. We couldn''t beat him by ourselves." ]


    Hiro nodded. Even with his system and his high-level Art and Skill, he could hardly close the difference in strength brought by their Rank. His opponent was Rank D - who seems to be on verge of breaking through Rank D. He has just reached Rank E + two months back, it was already good that he survived for so long against a higher rank opponent.


    [ "I told Alva to retreat and bring other students here. If she manages to bring Zion or Lisa we could have a chance at victory." ]


    [ "Hahaha¡­ Do you seriously think you can survive against me? Let me show you my real power." ]


    Devil Contractors Leader released his suppressed mana which formed a thick and dark aura that surrounded him. Hiro and Remus felt pressure on their body like some gravity is pulling them down especially Remus Who was two major Ranks below the Leader.


    Remus felt enormous pressure on his body that he even knelt a little.


    [ "Try to survive against this attack." ]


    [ Axe Hew Style: Malice Adrenaline Surge]


    The Devil Contractor''s body which was already big began to be even bigger ripping his shirt. He was like orge who was emitting dark mana. He then held his ax in the air and hack his sword with his full power.


    It was so fast that Hiro couldn''t dodge it. He could only try to block it but the impact of the attack was too powerful. Both Hiro and Remus were flung back.


    -WHAAAM!


    -SPURT!


    Both Hiro and Remus end up throwing up blood. Their body was no longer in any condition to fight especially Hiro who took the full brunt of that attack. Despite that Hiro stood up, if they give up here then it will truly be the end of him.


    ( In the end, I have to rely on the system. System, how many minutes will System Double Powerst. )


    ( System: Noted. With the Host current point this state willst only for 5 minutes.)


    ( Okay )


    Looking at the Leader, who was approaching them slowly, Hiro took out this time to quickly take out a couple of potions from system inventory and chug down quickly. Hiro felt better with his injury recovering slowly.


    [ "System Double Power Activate!" ]

 Chapter 17 What Happen? [4]

    Chapter 17 What Happen? [4]


    [ "System Double Power Activate!" ]


    Hiro''s vein and muscle were freed from any restrain allowing his mana to flow through more freely and allowing him to exert more power. Hiro felt like he could kill 10 Rank-E Devil Contractors in one move. Though the one he was about to face was not so weak that he could kill him instantly however he was confident about defeating him.


    [ "Hoho. What a strong aura. You are definitely a talented person. Your mana aura could rival that of a new Rank D - person. But even if so what can you do to me, a person at peak of Rank D -." ]


    -SHUA!


    Hiro didn''t waste his time talking with the Leader. This state will onlyst for about 10 minutes and every second wasted is every second he is near to his death. He quickly dashes towards the Leader and strikes at him. But the Leader had already seen through his attack and blocked his attack with the ax.


    Even so, the Leader had underestimated Hiro''s strength, Hiro after striking the Leader changed his direction midway and redirected his attack to the Leader towards his side.


    The Leader quickly reacted to his attack and manages to barely block the attack from stabbing his heart. Though he suffered a deep cut on the side of his stomach.


    [ "Grrrr¡­ You will pay for this." ]


    The Leader began swinging his ax rapidly at Hiro which Hiro dodged. Hiro continued to dodge and block his attack but the attack kept on bing more and more fierce.


    -CLANK!


    Hiro took the chance to counterattack when the Leader began to show signs of exhaustion. Hiro parried the attack with his sword and then attacked Leader''s left leg which was defenseless.


    -SHAK!


    Hiro Sessfullynded the attack on the Leader''s leg making the Leader kneel on his right leg. Hiro didn''t let this chance slip, he used his strongest attack on the Leader.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Star Annihtion" ]<sub></sub>


    A huge amount of mana envelops Hiro''s sword making the sword seemrger than before. He raised his sword and sh it towards the Leader. The Leader used his ax to block the attack.


    -SHUA!


    The Leader survived Hiro''s attack but his right hand was severed from his body and blood was surging out.


    [ "AAAAHHHHHHH... I will kill you." ]


    The leader was angry after having his arm cut off by a Rank E + student. He released his dark mana. Dark mana was the reason why Devil Contractors was more powerful than an average human of the same Rank.


    When Devil Contractorsplete their mission, they are rewarded with Dark Ore. Dark Ore contains dark mana which is absorbed by Devil Contractors to increase the Dark mana in their blood. Higher ranked Dark Ore contains higher quality of Dark mana.


    The blood that was flowing out from his severed arm stopped and all other wounds started to heal. The Leader began swinging his left punch rapidly at Hiro which Hiro dodged.


    Hiro continued to dodge and block his attack but the attacks kept on bing stronger and stronger.


    Since the Leader''s leg was injured, the speed of the Leader was decreased considerably which allowed Hiro to easily dodge the Leader''s attack. Still, the attack which contained Dark mana was very destructive.


    -BOOOOM!


    The Leader''s attack was slow but destructive while Hiro''s attack was swift. They fought with each other, neither getting an upper hand to end others'' life. Cuts and bruises appeared on both their body.


    They both were slowly showing the sign of exhaustion. They had fought continuously for 7 minutes and Hiro couldn''t stay in that state for long. After his Skill deactivates, he will not be able to fight with the Leader.


    The Leader seem to notice that Hiro''s state will notst forever, so he bid his time and continued to attack Hiro. <sub>


    </sub>


    Every powerful Skill had either a strong side effect or a time limit. It would be unreasonable to have a skill that can increase Hiro power drastically while not having a time limit.


    As 10 minutes passed, Hiro''s Skill was deactivated and his strength was no longer able to match that of the Leader. The Leader noticed the decrease in Hiro''s strength to which he swing his arm at full power towards Hiro. Hiro was helplessly flung all the way back.


    -BAAAAM!


    Crashing against the ground, Hiro was unable to get up and copsed on the ground.


    [ "Hah¡­Hah¡­." ]


    Laying on the ground, Hiro look towards the Leader who was slowly approaching him. The Leader wore a big smile.


    [ "Hahahaha¡­ Hiro, you have entertained me well but this is the end." ]


    Arriving before Hiro, the Leader raised his leg to stomp on Hiro''s head. Staring at the feet above him, Hiro thought this was the end for him and closed his eyes.


    ( Mom, Dad I couldn''t find the cure for you. Sister, I would not be able to take care of you anymore. )


    However, just as the Leader was about to end his life, a shield appeared above his body blocking the Leader''s attack. Then an attack hit the Leader in his chest pushing him back.


    [ "Hiro!" ]


    Hiro opened his eye to see Lisa Kyelpas and Zion Maxwell in front of him. Hiro''s reinforcement has arrived.


    ***** <sub> </sub>


    Zion Maxwell''s team met Lisa''s team while they were returning from their respective hunt. Since Zion met Lisa he order his team to follow them. Though Lisa was about to reject it, they were ambushed by three Devil Contractors.


    Luckily, Lisa reacted fast enough to shield them from their attack.


    [ "WHO? How dare you attack us? You don''t know who you have attacked." ]


    Zion was angry and frustrated because he couldn''t see through their ambush. Normally, it will not make him so angry but since Lisa was there, he couldn''t show his cool and reliable side to her by noticing their ambush.


    Contrary to that, he fell victim to their attack. Though it might not do much damage to him since he has Rank-A armor, it certainly has damaged his reputation.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    Zion immediately attacked the Devil Contractors. Following him were his teammates and Lisa''s team. Devil Contractors might seem strong for other students but for them who had two Rank E that is Lisa and Zion, they were no big deal.


    They immediately eliminated all the Devil Contractors within a minute. They then decided to stick together since there might be more ambush. They quickly moved towards the exit of BloodyWolf Forest.


    After traveling for a while, they entered the forest and from there was in with a road which leads to the exit.


    While they were moving, they saw a girl carrying someone and going their opposite way. When they were closer, they noticed and confirmed it was a student.


    [ "What happened? Who are you and why are you going the wrong way?" ]


    [ "Hah.Hah. My name is Alva. We have encountered a Rank-D - Devil Contractor. Can you please help my teammates? They are fighting him right now. " ]


    [ [ [ [ [ "Rank D -" ] ] ] ] ] ]


    Both the members of Lisa''s and Zion''s team were shocked including Lisa and Zion. Rank D - was not something they could defeat even with their number. Only Lisa and Zion could help, others were just burdens when confronting such a strong enemy.


    [ "Your teammates are already dead. We need to escape from another path." ]


    Zion told Alva in a serious tone. Arrogant as he might be, he knows that he can''t defeat a Rank-D - opponent.


    Being the young master of the tinum guild, he could get Rank-D - guild members to spar with him. It was just topare the strength between them. While he could fight them for 10 minutes or so, he knows that it was because they went easy on him.


    If it was a real fight, he know he can''t survive even a minute. This was the difference in strength between Rank-E and Rank-D.


    While a person may be able to defeat E + while being only Rank E, it doesn''t mean that a Rank-E + will be able to defeat Rank-D -. The difference in Rank between a major Rank and a minor Rank was different. Not to mention that Zion was just Rank-E.


    The other teammates nodded to Zion except Lisa. Instead, she thought for a while and asked Alva.


    [ "Who are your teammates? If you were able to escape then it means your teammates are holding the enemy back. He must be high Rank to be able to hold on for so long." ]


    [ "Hiro Ernest and Remus" ]


    [ [ [ [ [ "Hiro Ernest!" ] ] ] ] ]


    Everybody was aware of Hiro Ernest and his achievement. Being the youngest to reach Rank E + and having the highest score in the entrance exam, he was a star student in Ace Academy.


    [ "If it is Hiro then he might be still alive. After all, he is the strongest among us. If I and Zion join hands with Hiro, we might be able to take him down." ]


    Lisa concluded. She was sure that if it was Hiro, he would be able to survive. Reason? One was that he was Rank E + and another was if Hiro was killed then Devil Contractor would have pursued Alva to kill her though it might also be that he was not interested in chasing her.


    [ "But Hiro might already be dead. It is better to find another way to escape." ]


    Zion said. He believed even he would be dead by now if he faced Rank-D - enemy. Though he knows that Hiro was stronger than him, he thinks that the difference in strength is not much between him and Hiro.


    [ "Even so we must do it. Hiro might be alive and we don''t know whether other routes are safe or not. We have you, me, and Hiro; the 3 strongest students present in this test. If we can''t defeat him then I am afraid we are all doomed." ]


    Zion thought for a while and nodded. After all, he could not afford to look like a coward in front of the girl he likes. Though not all his brain is filled with Lisa, he knows that with Lisa and Hiro, they might have a shot at defeating the enemy.


    [ "Okay then. Zion and I will go help Hiro while you all find another route to call the professors." ]


    [ "B-but we could help you. Our chance will increase with the number." ]


    A boy from Zion''s team spoke. He sounded confident; he had never fought with a Rank-D opponent like Zion but he fought with Rank-E. He could fight with them as equal if he exert himself. He thought Rank-D will be only twice powerful as Rank-E.


    Zion shook his head and told.


    [ "You don''t know the strength of Rank-D -. Even if we have a hundred Rank F + students, they could hardly deal any damage to Rank-D - Devil Contractor. You will only get yourself killed ." ]


    He then pointed to Alva.


    [ "The reason she escaped is because of this. A Rank-F + could hardly help when facing a Rank-D - opponent. Only I and Lisa can stand up to him. " ]


    [ "Oh¡­" ]


    The boy then understood why Alva was running. It was not that she abandoned the team but because she was of no use in the battle. He thought that she must have run away scared of Rank-D - enemy. But turns out Rank F + students were just a burden in this battle.


    [ "Okay then, it is decided. I and Lisa will check the situation on Hiro''s side. If he is alive, we will help him, if not we will retreat. You all divide into two groups, one will search for another escape path, and another group will stay and alert other students. Tell them to only Rank-E - students are allowed toe." ]


    Other students nodded.


    -WHOOSH! -WHOOSH!


    Lisa and Zion speed up and quickly ran in the direction where Hiro is.

 Chapter 18 Powerless

    Chapter 18 Powerless


    As Lisa and Zion were reaching the end of the forest they could hear the sound of battle.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    When Lisa and Zion enter the in area, they saw two figures fighting and one figure on the ground.


    It was at that moment when Hiro System Double Power has run out. When Lisa and Zion exited the forest, they saw Hiro struggling against his opponent, and then he was flung back by the Devil Contractor.


    [ "Soterai Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    When the Leader was about to kill Hiro, Lisa used her skill to make a protective shield around Hiro.


    -WHAAAM!


    Zion took this chance to attack the Leader.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    The Leader was caught off guard. Zion had a perfect hit on the Leader''s body.


    [ "Huh. More bugs. Hehehe¡­" ]


    The leader was hit in the chest but the attack of Rank-E was not enough to give him fatal injury. Adding to it, the Dark mana that the Leader released was acting as protective armor.


    Zion was surprised for a moment. He knew from Leader''s defense that the Leader was far more powerful than the sparring partner of his in the guild.


    The Leader was at the peak of Rank-D - and with Dark mana, his defense was as good as Rank-D.


    [ "I will heal Hiro right now. Can you buy me some time?." ]


    [ "Okay." ]


    Zion knows his opponent is a tough guy but he is also a young master of tinum Guild. He can''t retreat and act cowardly especially in front of the girl he likes.


    And he had Rank-A defensive artifact on his body. He was unlikely to be killed.<sub></sub>


    [ "Hmph. I will let you go if you retreat right now. Otherwise don''t me this young master for killing you." ]


    [ "Hehehe¡­ Is it the way a bug begs for his life? A Rank-E is telling me that he will kill me. Hahaha¡­" ]


    [ "You will regret uttering those words." ]


    With this Zion attacked the Leader. The Leader easily dodges his attack and counterattack with his fist.


    -BAAAM!


    The Leader''s attack was precise and deadly. After dodging the spear of Zion, he quickly punches Zion on his rib. Even though Zion is wearing protective armor but the sheer impact of his punch has been able to injure Zion.


    [ "URGGG" ]


    Zion groaned. If it was not for the protective armor, his rib would have broken.


    Zion slowly stood up. The Leader obviously doesn''t consider him a threat as he gave Zion the chance to stand up.


    He could have attacked and ended Zion''s life but the Leader wanted to y with him. Slowly killing others gives more satisfaction than just outright killing them.


    From Zion''s first attack, the Leader was able to tell that Zion was no threat to him. He was just taking this time to enjoy the battle.


    [ "Hahaha. Buge and entertain me more." ]


    [ "You are dead. This humiliation can only be washed away by your blood." ]


    Zion was the young master of a tinum Graded Guild. Wherever he goes, he will be praised as a genius and even Rank-A heroes will show him some respect. He was always protected by the guild; not having suffered until now.


    It was his second time that he felt humiliated. The first, was when he was in second ce in the entrance exam. He was not proimed as ''genius'' just because of his background, he was stronger than others of the same age and got first in every exam except the entrance exam.


    His first defeat was in the entrance exam and now even a no-name Devil Contractor was mocking him.


    Zion charged towards the Leader and attack him but just likest time, the Leader easily dodged the attack and again counterattack with his punches.<sub>


    </sub>


    But this time, Zion was prepared and blocked the Leader''s attack with his spear.


    Zion was a genius but the thing that hecked was an experience. He had experience from sparing in his guild but life and death battle was different from that.


    As he was fighting with the Leader, he could see the attack pattern of the Leader. He counterattack when chance appeared and dodge when the Leader attacked.


    [ "Hahaha. You have some potential. How about this? I spare your life and you join our rank." ]


    [ "Hahaha¡­ That is not how a bug should beg for its life. I already gave you the chance to run but you didn''t take it. Now I can only kill you." ]


    Zion was growing overconfident after having the upper hand against the Leader. He thought that the Leader was trying to talk through after being pressurized by his attack.


    [ "A foolish choice." ]


    The Leader increased the power of his punch by using his Dark mana. Zion was able to block his attack previously and thought he could block this one also. So he took his defensive stance and was thinking about how to counterattack next.


    But this time the Leader was not ying around, the Leader attacked Zion with the intent to kill.


    -BAAAAM!


    Zion was thrown a few meters back.


    -SPURT!


    Zion spat out some blood. This time his rib broke and he plummeted to the ground.


    [ [ "Zion!" ] ]


    Lisa ran towards Zion. She has finished healing Hiro and gave Hiro some potion. Hiro''s strength and mana have been recovered to 50 % with mana and stamina potion.


    [ "Hygieia Blessing: Compassionate Light" ]


    Lisa used the strongest healing spell she knows. Zion''s injuries began to heal at rapid speed.<sub> </sub>


    [ "ARG!" ]


    Zion stood up and took out his potion and drank it. He look towards the Leader who was currently not paying attention to him.


    [ "Hiro, reconsider my offer. Join our group, you will get everything you desire." ]


    [ "Zion, can you still fight?" ]


    [ "Humph! Who do you think you are talking to. I will kill him." ]


    [ "You can''t. He is not someone you can defeat by yourself. We need to work together to defeat him." ]


    Hiro after having a battle the Leader knows that even if the Leader was fighting for so long, he was not someone Zion or he can defeat.


    [ "Ohhhh. Then do you think you can defeat him? Hiro, don''t think you can order me just because you came first in student rank. I was just careless and scored less than you that time." ]


    [ "What?" ]


    Hiro was dumbfounded. They are seriously in a crisis and Zion was talking about rank and whatnot. He was enraged to see Zion acting like a brat.


    [ "Zion we are seriously in a dangerous situation. Can''t you abandon your ego for a second and listen to me. I have fought him for longer and I know what he can do." ]


    [ "Are you telling me I can''t defeat him because you can''t defeat him. Humph! Do you seriously think I am beneath you?" ]


    [ "STOP!" ]


    Lisa interjected. She decide to interrupt them after seeing that situation was getting tenser.


    [ "Zion, please cooperate with Hiro. He knows about the enemy more than us." ]


    [ "Humph!" ]


    Zion had dissatisfaction expression on his face but decided not to refuse since it was Lisa who told him to.


    [ "Okay. So, I fight him on the front. Zion will find a chance to find his weakness and attack him. Lisa will stay in the rear and support us." ]


    Lisa nodded. Zion didn''t nod but considering he was not retaliating it means he agreed.


    [ "Let''s Go!" ]


    [ "Finished your little discussion. I was getting a little bored here." ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Hiro charged at him from the front. Hiro attacked fiercely but the Leader was easily able to dodge and parry his attack.


    Hiro without System Double Power was no longer a threat to the Leader with Dark mana.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Reinforce Strength" ]


    Lisa used her skill to increase the attack power. But it was not on Hiro but on Zion who was about to attack the Leader from his back.


    Zion strength was increased at least by 1.5x. He was confident about killing the Leader after getting this buff.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    The Leader who was busy with Hiro had no time to block the Zion attack. But he also didn''t care as it was unnecessary considering his strong defense.


    -SPURT!


    Unexpectedly Zion''s attack breached his defense and pierce his back. After a second, the Leader couldn''t hold it anymore and spat a handful of blood.


    [ "AAAAHHHHH. I have greatly underestimated you all. I didn''t think that with her little buff you could breach my defense." ]


    The Leader took out a fruit that was ck and emitting a Dark mana aura from his storage ring. The storage ring is something simr to a storage bag; just in the form of a ring but the price was a hundred times more expensive than the storage bag.


    [ "I didn''t think I need to resort to this." ]


    He ate the fruit.


    -GULP!


    After consuming the fruit the Leader mana aura was increasing rapidly.


    [ "Huaaaaaaaaaa¡­" ]


    It increased until it breakthrough to Rank-D. The Leader had be a Rank-D Devil Contractor. Not only that his right arm has grown back and his teeth became sharper. His eyes became red. He truly looked like a monster.


    The Leader suddenly jumped in the air. The Leader released all his Dark mana and charged at where Hiro and others were.


    [ "QUICK! SHIELD!" ]


    Hiro shouted at Lisa. He could tell from the mana released what the Leader was nning to do. He intends to blow up this whole area by using the force of his body and Dark mana. Like atom bomb.


    [ "Soterai Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    The shield appeared in front of them.


    -BOOOOOM!


    The Leader collided with the shield. Lisa pored all her remaining mana into the shield.


    -CRACK!


    After a couple of seconds, the shield was unable to withstand the attack anymore and broke into many pieces.


    -BOOOOM!


    Arge shock wave swept the area. Hiro, Zion, and Lisa were all flung back. They were all seriously injured, no longer able to fight. They tried to move their body but they couldn''t muster any energy from their body.


    One attack from the Rank-D enemy and the three strongest students of the first year were all defeated.


    At that moment, three of them felt something they had not felt in a long time.


    POWERLESS!

 Chapter 19 Powerless [2]

    Chapter 19 Powerless [2]


    *** BloodyWolf Forest ***


    [ "Headteacher, Don''t you think that some students should be out by now? We are only left with 10 minutes before the time is up." ]


    [ "Strange, in the past most of the students would be out by now. Do you think something happened to students?" ]


    [ "Should we send some professors to check the situation?" ]


    The professor was discussing what they should do. They have never encountered such a situation in the past. Some professors suggested going in the forest while some others told them to wait till the time is up.


    -HUFF! -HUFF!


    While the professors were voting which option to choose, the Head Teacher notice some students approaching the entrance.


    [ "Ho ho, Looks like we are worried for nothing. Some students are going to reach the entrance soon." ]


    [ "Hahaha. I told you there was nothing to worry about, the students must have stayed to earn more points. After all, this batch of students is Golden Generation." ]


    ''Golden Generation'' is used to describe the first-year students in Humalia Domain. The students of this year were all stronger than other years. While it was a blessing to have a total of about 50 Rank-E - students in other years however this year the Rank-E - was numbered at more than 200 students with 10 students being in Rank-E and 1 student in Rank-E +.


    From this batch of students at least 10 students are expected to reach Rank-SS. Rank-SS humans were the cornerstone of human peace. Excluding Zion, Lisa, and Hiro from Ace Academy, at least 7 other students from different Academy had reached Rank-E which indicate that they have the potential to reach Rank-SS.


    All the professors from different academies were paying extra attention to their first years. They would eventually be the ones who will lead humans in decades toe.


    The professors were relieved to see that the students wereing out.


    However, the Head Teacher notice something odd about this group of students.<sub></sub>


    At nce, they seem to juste out of the BloodyWolf Forest, however, you will notice that they were sprinting and running as if someone was after their life. Another reason was the number of students in the group, one group consist of 5 students but he could only see 3 students in that group.


    ( Something is up. )


    Though it could also be that they were working separately. It was not that rare as some students dislike each other and some like to operate alone.


    In any case, Head Teacher found the situation strange and with no other students in sight, he thought it might be that the students are in some danger.


    [ "Professor Mia, hurry and call all the professors quickly. " ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Head Teacher didn''t waste his time, immediately after asking professor Mia to gather other professors he quickly approached the students.


    The Head Teacher appeared before the three students in seconds. The three students were indeed Zero''s teammates. They were able to avoid the Devil Contractor by going from another way instead of going straight from the forest. They luckily encountered no Devil Contractors on their way.


    They were all alerted by Head Teacher appearing before them. They all took their battle stance thinking it was Devil Contractors.


    [ "Student why are your teammates missing?" ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    After noticing that the person before them was the professor, not their enemy, they were d.


    [ "Sir, Devil Contractors has entered the BloodyWolf forest. We are ambushed by them but we killed them. However, others were also fighting with Devil Contractors so our two teammates went to help them while we are here to report the situation to the professors. Please, send the professors to help as soon as possible. " ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "WHAT? Devil Contractors. How did they pass through the guard? What is the surveince team doing? We need to rescue the students as soon as possible." ]


    *****


    [ "Hahaha. I gave you the chance but you all didn''t take it. Don''t me me for killing you." ]


    The Leader had already won the battle with one move. He would suffer a bacsh for eating the fruit but he would recover in a month.


    The reward for Hiro''s head wasparable to some of Rank-A heroes, he would be able to get enough Dark ore to reach Rank-C. He was not afraid to suffer from this little side effect in exchange for Hiro Life.


    -SWISH!


    [ "Huh?" ]


    The Leader sensed someone powerfuling in their direction. At least Rank-B, considering the ce, he concluded it was probably some professors of Ace Academy.


    [ "I got to finish the job quickly and escape." ]


    -WHOOSH!


    The Leader quickly advanced towards Hiro.


    -SHUA!


    However, before the Leader could take the life of Hiro, the Head Professor had already used his skill.<sub> </sub>


    The Leader was blown by the Head Teachers Wind attack. Even with the distance between them being more than a football field still, Head Teacher was incredibly more powerful than the Leader. Even with his attack losing power due to the distance, it had more than enough power to injure someone at Rank-D.


    -SPURT!


    The Leader spat a mouthful of blood. He looked at the Head Teacher who was quickly proceeding towards him. He knew that he had failed his task.


    He clenched his fist but he didn''t try to take Hiro''s life. This was hisst chance to escape from there.


    The Leader took out a round object from his storage ring and threw the round object on the ground. The round object burst and opened a portal.


    [ "Next time, I will definitely kill you all. Kekeke¡­." ]


    [ "Huh? Looks like he escaped. Was that the thing they used to infiltrate the test area? I need to report this to the higher-ups." ]


    The Head Teacher move near the students and checked their pulse and was at ease after finding out that they were still alive.


    At the same time, other professors were also busy helping other students. The professor had killed some Devil Contractors while others Devil Contractors escaped using a portal.


    *****


    [ [ "Zero" ] ]


    It was Misha and Sylvia trying to wake Zero at the school infirmary. It had been three days after the incident at BloodyWolf Forest. Misha and Sylvia had recovered after two days of rest at the school infirmary.


    They heard Zero had regained consciousness so they hade to take a look at him.


    [ "Looks like he is still sleeping." ]


    [ "Well, Can''t help it. We can just eat the porridge ourselves. Let him rest, after all, he had a battle with many Devil Contractors. I was practically useless there." ]


    [ "No, no. Sylvia, you have also fought hard with the Devil Contractors. You have saved mine and other team member life, we are very grateful for that." ]


    [ "Even so we would be dead if Zero didn''t show up we would have ended up dead. ]


    They were silent for a moment. Sylvia and Misha both were overpowered by one Devil Contractor. Not only that Sylvia was not even able to take care of the Mage Devil Contractor. Sylvia felt helpless at that moment.


    Misha was also thinking about that time but she was also thinking about something else. She stared at Zero''s face.


    ( Something is different. )


    [ "Anyway, Misha you seem familiar with Zero. Do you know him?" ]


    Snapping her out of her thought was Sylvia''s question.


    [ "Ah. Yes, We studied at the same school. We were in a different ss but we did interact with each other." ]


    [ "WHAT? You were his schoolmate?" ]


    After being startled, Sylvia asked.


    [ "So were he always this powerful." ]


    [ "Well, we had gone to dungeon together a couple of times. I have seen him fight but he was nowhere as strong as when he fought those Devil Contractors. He was strong but he would only be average whenpared to the students of this school." ]


    [ "Hmmm. He was average in the middle-school and suddenly became strong after entering Ace Academy. Sounds a lot like someone I know." ]


    [ "Well, he might have also hidden his power in middle school. But I don''t think he would hide his strength in the Ace Academy entrance exam after all talented students get more resources from the school." ]


    [ "Strength aside, what about his personality. Did he have a girlfriend? He seems like the guy that flirts a lot." ]


    [ "No. Though I am not sure as we are not that close however he didn''t have a girlfriend. Zero was a serious type who would spend most of his time training. He didn''t have lots of friends and let alone flirt with girls, he barely spoke with them." ]


    [ "So did he change his personality after seeing Lisa. Lisa must be his first Love." ]


    ( First Love? Impossible after all he ¡­. )


    [ "I don''t know if he loves Lisa or not but if it was previous Zero, he would not help us at the risk of his life." ]


    [ "Really? He felt heroic when he saved us." ]


    [ "Zero doesn''t like to help others because he can''t trust another human. Not anymore after that incident." ]


    [ "That incident?" ]


    [ "Ah. Nothing. It was nothing. Anyway, we shouldn''t disturb Zero anymore. Let us leave." ]


    Misha nce back at Zero for thest time before leaving.


    ( Zero seems different. He feels more human now. He seems just like before that incident. )

 Chapter 20 Power-Up

    Chapter 20 Power-Up


    [ "Take this medicine ording to prescription. Most of your wound had been healed but your veins still need more time to heal or you could take a High-rank potion. Either way, it is a shame that I don''t have the chance to use the potion I developed, or do you want to try it. Maybe it will even heal your vein." ]


    [ "Ehhh... . Thanks for your offer but I will have to decline." ]


    The doctor really gives me a dangerous vibe. He seems very eager to experiment on my body.


    ( This man is really dangerous, I just hope he didn''t give me anything strange when I was unconscious. )


    [ "What a shame. You can leave tomorrow. You have to rest here for the rest of the day. Tell me if you feel any difort." ]


    [ "Okay. Thank you." ]


    The doctor went after checking the health monitor.


    [ "Okay then. Status" ]


    [Status]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E -


    Strength: E +


    Speed: E


    Stamina: E +<sub></sub>


    Mana: D


    Luck: B


    Charm: C +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get the memories from their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Practitioner ]


    Magic Art is said to be made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Beginner ]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.<sub>


    </sub>


    = = = = = = = =


    I became happy after seeing my status screen. Not only did my mana increase but also the Dual Art was acknowledged as an Art by the Status. It means I would be able to wield this Art more easily in the future.


    After one more day of rest, I was allowed to leave the hospital. I checked the news on my phone and most of it was about the incident at BloodyWolf forest.


    '' Shocking News! Seven students were killed in Ace Academy Test. ''


    '' Devil Contractors targets Golden Generation ''


    '' Ace Academy Failure! Rank-E Devil Contractors breach security of Rank-S '' ¡­.


    And much more simr headlines were popping in my newsfeed. The public was questioning the ability of the teacher of Ace Academy, not being able to stop the Devil Contractors from taking the lives of students.


    The most popr news was the interview with the Head Teacher.


    [ "Professor Delvin, What do you make of the incident? How did the Devil Contractors manage to enter the test area?" ]


    [ "The Devil Contractors used an unknown teleportation device due to which they were able to sessfully infiltrate our test ground. I have already reported this to The Authority. They would research a solution for this problem." ]


    [ "People are saying that Ace Academy is ipetent and can''t even prevent Rank-E Devil Contractors. What do you say to those people?" ]


    [ "As a Head Teacher, I have indeed failed in my duties; allowing multiple casualties. However, I believe students are not someone that needs to be always protected by us, such things aremon when exploring the dungeon, so they need to learn to survive by themselves. As the future protector of humans, they will face many dangers in the future. Our job is to make sure that they get powerful enough to be able to survive in those dangers." ]


    [ "Sir, What do you think the objective of the Devil Contractors was?" ]


    [ "We believe they are trying to eliminate our students when they are still weak. Especially since the strongest of Golden Generation attend our school." ]<sub> </sub>


    [ "Strongest? Hiro Ernest! Are you saying that their main target is Hiro Ernest?" ]


    [ "Though it is only my assumption however a Rank-D Devil Contractor was fighting with Hiro. And considering his potential we can say that they want to eliminate him before bing their threat. However, there is no need to panic, Hiro is already able to fight with Rank-D Devil Contractor." ]


    [ "Rank-D! Have Hiro defeated that Rank-D Devil Contractor?" ]


    [ "Did Hiro reach Rank-D?" ]


    [ "Impossible, he was only at Rank-E+ one month back." ]


    [ "Sir, Can we have an interview with Hiro?" ] ¡­


    The interview with Head Teacher Delvin was intensifying with the reporter asking lots of questions about Hiro though Head Teacher refuse to disclose any more information on Hiro.


    They were a lot of discussion on the words said by the professor which is Hiro being able to fight with Rank-D Devil Contractor. This was the tactic used by the Head Teacher to divert the attention of reporters from Ace Academy failure to the strength of Hiro Ernest.


    They needed to prevent the public from questioning the Ace Academy''s ability. It was already hard for them to reassure the parent of the students especially since seven of them died under their noses.


    Lots of news also came out about Hiro Ernest.


    '' Hiro Ernest: The Next Rank-SSS.''


    ''First-Year already on par with Rank-D''


    '' Hiro trample down a Rank-D Devil Contractor.''¡­


    I also check out the other news.


    *** Inside an unknown ce ***


    [ "Hiro trample down a Rank-D Contractor? " ]


    The phone was crushed. Veins were popping on his head. The person was the Devil Contractor who fought Hiro, the Leader who lead the assassination that day.


    He failed the assassination of Hiro Ernest, the main objective of their mission. He was punished for failing the mission by his superior. He was ridiculed by other Devil Contractors and he lost his position as the leader of the assassination group.


    Not only that he suffered from the side effect of using the fruit that is he became extremely weak that he couldn''t even retaliate against the weaker Devil Contractors.


    [ "Hahaha¡­ Hiro Ernest just wait for me. I will take your head. Both the resource and fame will be mine after I kill you. I will certainly have my revenge after I recover. Hahaha¡­" ]


    ******


    I have already got the information on what happened to other students from the news. It seems like seven students were killed in this incident. Devil Contractors used teleportation orb to escape, teleportation orb is currently an unknown technology possessed by the demons though it gets invented by humans in the future.


    Hiro Ernest fought with Rank-D Devil Contractor and survived. Another news was about Sylvia and other students having killed multiple Rank-E including one Rank-E +.


    I closed my phone andy on the bed. I thought about the incident at BloodyWolf forest.


    ( I am too weak. If it was not for the other students and professor Mia saving me, right now I am probably dead.)


    I even used my ace card Dual Art, and it worked however even with that I have failed to kill all my enemies, endangering my life.


    Luckily, Kale and other students have helped me get out of the danger. Otherwise, I don''t want to think about the consequences.


    ( And the novel direction has all gone wrong. The Devil Contractor Vice-Leader fights with the MC and his friend however, in reality, I had to fight with both the Vice-Leaders. Looks like I can''t trust everything to happen as written in the novel. )


    I changed the World. I took the LVL 9 Magic Art, I must have done other things that have affected the world. But I would not me myself, if I didn''t take the LVL 9 Magic Art then I might be already killed by the Devil Contractors.


    I have tried to prevent any change in the world and made effort to keep it the same as the novel. However, even if I tried to keep the world simr to the novel, I failed.


    ( Instead of worrying about useless things such as keeping the things the same, I might as well try to improve my power. )


    One of the things I learned from this incident is no matter what I do, things are bound to be different from the novel.


    Another thing is that only after growing powerful would I survive in this chaotic world. It is just the beginning of the novel and I was on the verge of dying. In theing days, I will definitely face a stronger enemy.


    Whenever I think about it I be angry, I did all the useless things to keep the world the same as the novel. Chasing after Lisa, flirting with her, making a fool of myself; I already made lots of enemies due to that.


    I really regret doing such things. I already threw the idea of confessing to Lisa in the dustbin. The world has already gone in a different direction, and I don''t need to follow the novel.


    I have to use my knowledge to my advantage. The weapon, Art, Skill, Elixir, and every other resource that can make me strong, I need to get them before others get them.


    ( ¡­ )


    I thought about which item I should find. Weapons? but the effect will not be that great; the weapon I have is already good for my rank. Art? One of my Art is already of the highest level. Skill? only those at Rankin skill and above may help me, however, it is hard to get those even with my knowledge of the novel.


    Elixir? Though I reached the Rank-E - recently, with enough elixir, I could quickly reach Rank-E. The easiest method of getting stronger is to rank up. What I need to do is to find the elixir.


    The elixir is mostly found in the dungeon and is sold on the market at an astronomical amount. I don''t have enough money to buy even Rank-F elixir, not to mention elixir to rank up at Rank-E.


    Then the only option left is is to explore a dungeon. And from the knowledge of the novel, I already know a dungeon that has the item I want.


    The Rank-E dungeon that is under the control of The Authority. Anyone at Rank-E - and above can enter after paying a fee. This dungeon has a hidden room where many Rank-E herbs grow. It also had the exact item I need, Gnthus Nivalis flower, a rank-E item.


    I quickly wrote down everything I know about the dungeon on the notepad and also spend time researching the dungeon from the inte.


    From the type of monster and traps to the type of environment in the dungeon. I need to make thorough research ande up with a good n, after all, anything can happen in a dungeon. I have to n for every unexpected problem that may ur.


    Time to Power-Up!

 Chapter 21 Power-Up [2]

    Chapter 21 Power-Up [2]


    It had been three days since I thought of going to the dungeon. I took this time to exercise and recover from my injuries. The school was giving students time to recover, be it physically or mentally.


    The next day, the ss has resumed as normal. The n to go to the dungeon was postponed to theing weekend.


    I entered the ss where students were making lots of noises. I turned my head towards the direction of the sound to see students gathering around Hiro.


    [ "Hiro, did you really fight with Rank-D Devil Contractor." ]


    [ "I heard you killed a lot of Devil Contractors" ]


    [ "Did you reach Rank-D?" ]


    The student was bombarding Hiro with questions. Hiro was already famous, but with the BloodyWolf incident, his fame soared to another level.


    I sat down on my seat and listen to their conservation. Even I was curious about Hiro''s strength.


    ording to the novel, Hiro survived the battle against Rank-D - Devil Contractor but ording to Head Teachers'' word, he was battling with a Rank-D Devil Contractor.


    Does it mean Hiro is more powerful than described in the novel or have he gotten others'' help? If it was the first case, then it is good, a more powerful MC is more likely to prevent bad things from happening in the future.


    [ "I am just at Rank-E +. I couldn''t have survived without the help of my friends. I only manage to kill two Devil contractors, instead, it is Sylvia who is amazing. I heard your team has killed about 6 Devil Contractors." ]


    Hiro asked Sylvia. Other students also turned their attention to Sylvia. Hiro was of course the one who gained the most fame but Sylvia has also be popr after the BloodyWolf incident. After all, not every team has killed that many Devil Contractors.


    [ "Eek. No, it was not me. It was actua¡­" ]


    Suddenly, Sylvia looked at me. I was already staring at her, so our two eyes met each other.


    [ "ZERO!" ]<sub></sub>


    [ "Huh? What?" ]


    Sylvia got up and immediately came towards me. Now, what?


    [ "Did your injury heal?" ]


    [ "Ah. Yes." ]


    [ "Good! I went to visit you in the hospital but you were sleeping, so I went back. I heard you recovered but I couldn''t go out due to reporters." ]


    ( Must be hard. Poprity doese with a price. )


    [ "Anyway, I have something to say to you. Do you have time after ss? " ]


    [ "Yes?" ]


    What time. Did I do something to you? Don''t tell me she is going to beat me for harassing Lisa. This is the only reason I can think for her to meet me alone.


    [ "Zero, you are acting strange. Have your injury really healed?" ]


    [ "Strange? This is how I normally behave." ]


    [ "Really!" ]


    ( Your normal routine is to tter Lisa. How is not chasing your goddess normal? Where is your romantic line? )


    [ "Anyway, I want to talk with you alone after ss." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    After saying that she went to her seat but her action caused lots ofmotion in the ss.


    [ "What did that scumbag do now?" ]


    [ "Wasn''t this guy chasing Lisa?" ]


    [ "Did he change his target? Don''t tell me Sylvia wants to teach him a lesson for harassing her." ]


    [ "Really what a guy. He might havee to this school to chase girls." ] ¡­


    ( What the. I didn''t do anything, how can you all me me. I am innocent. )


    I really want to cry. What have I done? Why are you all using me without any evidence? I have only pestered Lisa.


    After a few minutes, professor Mia entered the ss. Like always she first took the attendance and then came the announcements.


    [ "After that incident, I know many of you must be worried about simr things happening in the future but we promise you that we will definitely protect you all. However, it is best that you train and be powerful instead of needing protection. Sooner orter, you will definitely fight with Devil Contractor and other monsters. You all should focus on improving your power." ]


    The incident had a great impact on the student. For most students that was the first time that they encountered a life-threatening situation. In the novel, due to this incident, the Ace Academy students work harder than ever.


    [ "If you are injured, you can skip the practical ss. Make sure to rest properly. That''s all for homeroom ss." ]


    Today, we have theory ss till lunch. After that, I was nning to go home and rest.


    [ "Zero, wait!" ]


    Sylvia pulled my arms when I was about to leave the ss.<sub> </sub>


    [ "You forgot what I said in the morning." ]


    [ "¡­ Ah. Yes, what did you want to say?" ]


    [ "Not here." ]


    Sylvia took me to an isted ce. This almost seems like she wants to confe¡­


    [ "Thank you for saving my life." ]


    Before I could think of why she bought me here, Sylvia bowed her head and thanked me.


    ( Whew. So this is what you wanted to say. You really made me nervous there. )


    [ "Sure. I am also grateful to you for saving my life." ]


    [ "Not at all. It was Kale who helped you when you were in danger. I was just a burden to you all." ]


    I nced at her. I could see the frustration in her eye. Actually, she did better than most students, being able to escape with others in that circumstances. I want tofort her but considering that I am not close to her, I refrained from doing it.


    Frustration can bring forth motivation, and considering it is Sylvia we are talking about; I am sure she will work harder from now on.


    [ "Zero, about that battle, do you want others to know?" ]


    [ "What?" ]


    [ "What I mean is right now, other people think I have killed those Devil Contractors. I denied those rumors but didn''t tell anyone that you are the one who killed those Devil Contractors but if you wish for it, I will no longer keep it hidden." ]


    [ "No, I prefer if you can keep it a secret." ]


    [ "Okay. Though professor Mia already knows that." ]


    After thanking me again, she left.


    Since professor Mia knows then the thing I need for entering the dungeon can easily be acquired. For entering Rank-E dungeon, you need an ID card indicating that you are Rank-E -. I was contemting whether to disclose my rank or not.


    But since professor Mia already knows then I don''t need to conceal my rank, at least in front of her.


    I went to her office to update my rank on my student card, and also thank her for saving my life. The professors'' offices were in a different block than the teaching block so it took some time to reach there.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    [ "Come in." ]


    After the voice responded to the knock, I went inside. Professor Mia was reading a newspaper while drinking a ck coffee.


    [ "Good afternoon, Mrs. Mia" ]


    [ "Good afternoon. Anything I can help you with?" ]


    [ "I would like to thank you for saving me. If it was not for your help, I would have died at the hand of Devil Contractor." ]


    [ "No need to thank me. It is my duty to protect the students. It was our mistake that led to that situation, if not for that, you all wouldn''t have suffered" ]


    [ "Regardless of circumstances it doesn''t change the fact that you saved me. I will remember this favor and pay you back." ]


    I bowed my head and thanked her. Then I took out my student card.


    [ "I would also like to update my rank on my student card. " ]


    She took the student card from my hand and looked at it.


    [ "Oh. What Rank are you in? Rank-E - or Rank-E." ]


    [ "Rank-E -" ]


    [ "Congrattion! I was surprised when I heard you killed all those Devil Contractors, I even thought you had to reach Rank-E +." ]


    [ "About that. Can you not reveal that to others." ]


    She stares at me and seems to be lost in thought. After a moment, she responded.


    [ "Okay" ]


    She updated the information on my student card and gave it back to me. Now, with it, I was eligible to enter the dungeon.


    For the next few days, the ss was normal and I was allowed to skip the practical ss.


    I went to my room after theory ss was over and meditated to speed up my recovery.


    After that came the weekend, the day I would go to the dungeon.

 Chapter 22 Power-Up [3]

    Chapter 22 Power-Up [3]


    The Labyrinth of Goblin is the name given to the dungeon that I was going to.


    The dungeon has already been conquered, so the ce has been pretty much 100% explored. Still, the dungeon needs to be raided from time to time as the monster may get overflowed ande out of the dungeon if we don''t keep the dungeon unchecked.


    However, this problem is not that serious as The Authority and other guilds who possess these dungeons always keep track of the time that the dungeon has been left untouched.


    They send their guild member to clear the dungeon after a specific time to prevent the monster froming out of the dungeon.


    They also allow the public to ess some of the dungeons that have already been conquered. It serves as practice for when people go to explore an unknown dungeon. It is also a business for some low-rank explorers as monster materials are valuable and there is less risk in the already conquered dungeon.


    The guild and The Authority earn money from the entry fee and the monster is also kept in check. Truly, two birds with one stone tactic.


    I took the bus to Agora town. It was just outside Star city, so It took only one hour by bus to reach Agora town. The town was a popr ce as multiple dungeons were near that area. There are lots of shops in that ce as Explorer needs lots of supplies while going inside the dungeon.


    Supplies such as weapons, potions, storage items, and monster material were avable at almost every shop.


    There are even auction houses where you can auction your item and rare material found inside the dungeon. Or you can directly sell them to the shop, though the money that you get might be lower than selling in the auction. <sub></sub>


    I wanted to buy a storage item to store the monster part but considering that I am very poor right now, I couldn''t even buy the cheapest storage pouch. I spend thest Ethan coins excluding my entry fee to buy some low-rank health potion and mana potion.


    I only have a sword as my weapon. The Magic Wand was broken during my fight with Devil Contractors. Though the school promised that they will provide me with a recement but right now I only have a sword to rely on.


    Right now, I am penniless and I couldn''t even afford a Rank-F weapon. However, I was not that worried, considering the difficulty of the dungeon, even without any weapon I might be able to conquer the dungeon.


    The Labyrinth of Goblin was located east of Agora town. I had to first register my information and get an ess card to enter the dungeon.


    [ "Please show me your identification card and also the entry fee of the Labyrinth of Goblin dungeon is 100 Ethan coins." ]


    I took out the Ace Academy student card and 100 Ethan coins and gave them to the person at the registration counter. After a minute, she handed me my student card and an ess card.


    I walked up to the entrance of the dungeon that is being guarded by two Rank-E -. I took out my ess card and showed it to them.


    [ "Hmmm. Everything is fine. You may enter the dungeon. Be careful. Lots of reckless young boys end up dying in the dungeon." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Okay. I will be careful. Thank you for the warning." ]


    I walked up to the dungeon entrance which is a portal that will teleport me into the dungeon.


    This Is my first time trying to solo a Rank-E dungeon. I entered the portal which seems to suck my body and when I came to my senses I was already in a different ce. The ce was covered in forest.


    The moment I enter the dungeon it was like I have gone from a Developed era to a Prehistoric era. The ce was full of huge trees.


    The goal of this exploration is to find the hidden room and take every treasure there is. In the novel, the hidden room was located in the Boss room.


    The map that I got from the Agora town has Boss room marked and also other important ces though I am only interested in the Boss room. Since I am not here to explore the dungeon, I will focus on reaching the boss room as soon as possible.


    I walked inside the forest and saw a group of explorers at Rank-E - fighting with the ever-popr monster, Goblin. Those Goblin were normal one which is only ranked at F +.


    I avoided them and took another path. There are some rules in the dungeon that needs to be followed; Like one couldn''t interfere in others'' fight unless asked by the fighting party. It is also not allowed for one to drag another team into your fight.<sub> </sub>


    30 minutes in the forest and the number of monsters I fought had already reached 10 though all of them were Rank-F + Goblin which only took one move from me to take their life.


    The Labyrinth of Goblin was small in size whenpared to the big-sized dungeon. The total size of the dungeon is estimated to be 30 square km.


    Considering my current pace, It is estimated to take another 30 minutes to reach the Boss room ording to the map. In the way, I also collected some material such as Anacamptis flower, and Cmint herb which is used for making low-rank health potions.


    Though the price of those things was not that high however something is better than nothing, right.


    I took care of another group of Goblin. There was 6 goblin led by a Rank-E - Hobgoblin. I instantly killed all the Goblins with the Ice Shard and the angry Hobgoblin who rushed towards me, I just swing my sword and beheaded him.


    I also saw a group of slime. I avoided those things, they are not aggressive monster and doesn''t attack humans unless you attack them first. If your Art is mostly physical-based then it is tricky to kill those monsters.


    They are entirely immune to physical attack and only affected by Magic Art and energy-based skill.


    The strongest monster I encountered till now was Poison Slime. Unlike normal slime, this slime was particrly aggressive. It spits poisonous gas at its target and slowly kills them.


    However, I have Ice-based Magic Art. Even if I got poisoned I could easily freeze the poison and stop it from the spread in the body.


    The battle was fairly easy, I just froze its body and shattered it with my sword. Even if a monster is ranked higher than you, if you know how to deal with it then it is fairly easy to kill them. Poison Slime is by no means weak, however, I had Ice-based Magic Art which was the weakness of Poison Slime; which allowed me to easily kill it.


    After 40 minutes, I had reached an area that seems like the boss room. I have seen the image of the Boss room on the inte and after cross-checking with my map, I was certain that this was the ce.


    However, I could see no Boss monster. Looks like someone took care of it before I arrived. It takes about 3 - 5 days for a dungeon to respawn Rank-E monster boss.


    Well, looks like the preparation I made to kill the Boss has gone to waste. Anyway, it was good news, I have saved time and potions. My goal was the hidden room not defeating the Boss.


    I search the Boss room, looking for any suspicions or strange objects. The novel says that the boss room had a trigger for opening the hidden room.


    After 7 minutes of searching, I finally found the trigger. It was a cone-shaped rock which I pulled and immediately the wall near it started opening.


    -CREEEAAAK! DUUNG!


    I found it, the entrance to the hidden room. I excitedly went inside the hidden room.


    The hidden room was indeed filled with lots of herbs. I collected all the herbs and I have also gotten the item that I came here for; Rank-E Gnthus Nivalis flower.


    Even after getting the item, I decided to explore the ce. After all, it is an unexplored area and it contained lots of resources. After a while, I seem to have reached the end of the hidden room when I saw an unbelievable flower.


    [ "Huh? Rank-D stats increasing flower; Silver Lavender" ]


    It was a rare herb that can be sold at tens of thousand Ethan coins. It can only be used by a Rank-D person and it can increase any one of the stat.


    However, there was a problem before I could acquire that flower. A monster was guarding the flower.


    It was a Rank-E + Boss monster; Giant Orge.

 Chapter 23 Power-Up [4]

    Chapter 23 Power-Up [4]


    Giant Orge; A boss monster whose main ability is his physical power. His height was about 5 meters with very bulky. In front of this giant, even Kale will be seen as a child. He had one wooden club in his hand and was wearing rag clothes.


    The Giant Orge is strong enough to defeat a group of Rank-E. His attack power is ridiculous that even if a Rank-D tank tries to block it, he would be seriously injured.


    The Giant Orge noticed me and was staring at me. However, I didn''t run away. Even with all the things I told about him, It does not change the fact that though his physical strength was as good as Rank-D, If his attack does not hit me then those strengths are useless.


    The Giant Orge w was that their speed was slowpared to other Rank-E + monsters.


    Upon seeing the Silver Lavender and the Giant Orge monster, I have again confirmed that not everything will be the same as in the novel.


    In the novel, the hidden room is only discovered after Hiro and others were going to be second years.


    By that time, the Giant Orge must have reached Rank-D - and eaten the Silver Lavender to increase his strength. And then he must have left this ce considering other things were useless to him.


    However, I havee earlier than what was mentioned in the novel, so I met with this monster.


    It is indeed a good idea to always prepare well. Just because I can get some information from the novel doesn''t mean everything will be the same. It is always good to be cautious especially when you are weak.


    The strategy to defeat the Giant Orge is that I will dodge his attack and increase our distance and then attack him using long-range skills.


    The Giant Orge stood in front of the flower and didn''t move. He just kept on staring at me.


    ( Hmph! Since you are not attacking me then just stand there. )


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    The attack hit on the Giant Ogre however, the attack only caused some cuts here and there. The attack was not able to deal any serious damage to the Giant Orge.


    [ "ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!" ]<sub></sub>


    The Giant Orge roared and dashed towards me and swung his club.


    -BOOM!


    I dodge his attack by moving to the left. The ground shook when his clubnded on the ground.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    The Giant Orge swung his club and took down all my Ice Shard. The Giant Ogre again sprinted towards me and swung his club.


    I dodged it as I have already anticipated this. Giant Orges are dumb monster who focuses on only strength, their attack pattern is quite simple.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    This time I had used ground freeze to freeze the ground, it was not to freeze the Giant Orge. Ideally, it would be great to freeze the Giant Orge however, with his high defense it would take almost all my mana to keep him frozen.


    If I fail to kill him after that, I would be too exhausted to move and the monster will be able to easily kill me.


    Instead of taking such a gamble, I prefer prolonging this battle until I find a chance to kill him. I froze my surrounding to keep the environment to my advantage.


    With the floor frozen, Giant Orge''s mobility will be decreased and I will be able to attack him without worrying about him dashing towards me. I will attack him until he is exhausted and can no longer fight anymore.


    The monster didn''t waste his time and immediately ran towards me raising his club and attacking me when in range but due to the slippery floor, the Giant Orge slipped and crashed on the wall.


    -BAM!


    [ "A chance!" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    -SHUA! -SHUA!


    The monster was not in any position to dodge or block. The attack hadnded on him sessfully.


    I waited for the dust to clear and see whether the Giant Orge survived or not. I am not stupid enough to get close to him when I was not sure whether he is dead or not.


    [ GGGGGRRRRR¡­. ]


    I didn''t need to wait for long to find out as an angry growl came from his mouth. Due to the dust, I couldn''t properly see what is happening but from the shadow of the monster, I can notice that the Giant Orge was standing up.


    The dust cleared up and I could clearly see the Giant Orge. The Giant Orge was bleeding profusely, seems like this time I have dealt some serious damage to him.


    The Giant Ogre stared at me while I also stared back. I could see that the monster was angry after being injured by someone he thought was weaker than him.


    This time he didn''t directly rush to kill me, he was clearly wary of the slippery ground. But I could not give him the luxury to rest.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    The Giant Orge crossed his arm and used the club as a shield, blocking the attack. I continue to press on using Shadow sh and Ice Shard.


    Suddenly, the Giant Orge stomped on the ground.


    -THUD! -THUD! -CRACK!


    The ground seems to be cracking.<sub> </sub>


    ( Smart )


    I thought while I looked at the monster. Despite his low intelligence, the Giant Orge seems to realize that he was in a disadvantageous position.


    He attacked the ground, to break the frozen floor. That way he will gain his mobility back.


    He again rushed to attack me and the cycle continued again. I dodge his attack and attack him when I have the chance.


    The Giant Orge trulycked intelligence, he was wounded while I was not. Then also he continued to attack me resulting in him losing blood in the process.


    I can see that he was in a bad situation as he will be exhausted faster than me.


    We continued the cycle until I saw that the Giant Orge was getting exhausted. His attack was bing less and less fierce.


    I knew the Giant Orge was on hisst leg. But I didn''t rush to attack him directly.


    I just continued to attack him from a distance until the Giant Orge finally copsed.


    -THUD!


    [ "Whew. It was a long battle. It was not a very difficult battle but it was extremely dangerous, if even one of his attacks hit me then I would have died." ]


    Now, time for my loot; I cut apart his body and checked for the monster. And Wa what do you know, there was indeed a monster core. It was a Monster core of Rank-E + Boss monster no less. Its value was not any less than the Silver Lavender.


    This trip was very fruitful, not only did I get what I wanted. I also got another two valuable things; Rank-E + Boss monster core and Rank-D Silver Lavender.


    I took out a health potion and mana potion and drank it. I waited for an hour to recover from an earlier battle, you never know what you might encounter on my way back. Like I said it is always better to be cautious.


    I exited the hidden room.


    I was on my way back when suddenly I was stopped by a team of Explorer. The team consists of four people. From the mana aura, they seem to be in Rank-E -.


    From the way they act, I can tell they are not here for anything good.


    [ "Hehehe¡­ Hand over your valuables." ]


    [ "You can make this a lot less painless if you just give us everything." ]


    What a team of trashes. This group of an idiot has no idea about the other party and started robbing them.


    How can you rob without having any information about the other party? Just because you outnumber me does not mean anything. In this world, there are strong people that even if million of you were there, you would still be no match.


    But here we are, having to deal with this group of idiots who evidently don''t have an idea about those people.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    [ [ "Ahhhhh¡­" ] ]


    [ [ "Keeeeee¡­" ] ]


    Truly an idiot. How can you just stand as if you have already won while your enemy was still standing? At least prepare yourself to defend, dumbass.


    I left them like that. After a minute or two, they will be freed naturally. I decided to spare their life.


    Considering their mana aura I found that they were not a murderer. A murderer would have a threatening aura and they would have bloodthirst if they want to kill me which I didn''t sense.


    So, I concluded that they must be Explorers who saw me as a rich kid who decided to explore the dungeon and wanted to rob me.


    They could even be just a normal Explorer who wanted to make easy money by robbing me. Even if one is not a thieve, it doesn''t stop people from stealing others'' treasure.


    For, example a Rank-F with Rank-SS item would be robbed by even Rank-SS heroes. So, it is not rare for Explorers to rob other people if they are weaker than you.


    While sprinting I paused.


    Even if they are not the murderer and just some Explorer coveting my things, so What? How can I just let them off like that? I should have killed them, if not at least torture them to show them their ce.


    How can I think that killing is bad when it is something everybody does. If you don''t kill your enemy they will kill you, if you show even a bit of mercy you could die.


    When did I be such a soft-hearted person?


    This ¡­


    If it was before, yes if it was before¡­ before what? Did I kill any humans before? No, but I feel that if it was in the past, I would not hesitate to kill those who offend me.


    ( What is the problem? )


    I shook my head. No use thinking such things. So what if I spared them? If theye for revenge, I would just defeat them again. Right now I should just focus on increasing my power.


    Thinking about the item I got, I soon forgot about those negative thoughts. I was already nning to sell the Monster Core and the Silver Lavender flower. Those things are useless for me right now.


    I should probably buy a Storage ring, it will be more convenient for me to carry things and even store monster part and sell it.


    It is quite regretful that I could not bring Giant Orge''s corpse, I could have at least earned 3000 Ethan coins.


    However, I would at least get a 30000 Ethan coin after selling all my things.


    [ "Hehehe¡­." ]

 Chapter 24 Learning A Life Lesson

    Chapter 24 Learning A Life Lesson


    I soon exited the dungeon. It had been 4 hours since I entered the dungeon. If I speed run this dungeon, I reckon it will only take 3 hours to conquer this dungeon.


    I quickly went to Agora town, it was the best ce to sell my items. Except for the Gnthus Nivalis flower, I intend to sell all the other items.


    Though it is something that might be useful to me in the future, however, what I needed right now was money. I searched for a decent shop to sell my items.


    When I got the money I couldn''t help but grin. From today onwards, I am no longer poor. In total, I got around 40000 Ethan coins. The majority of it was from Boss monster core and Silver Lavender. I sold Boss monster core at 15,000 Ethan coins and Silver Lavender flower at 17,000 Ethan coins.


    After that, I looked around the shops trying to buy the storage ring but I realize the money I had was nothing. The cheapest price of the storage ring that I came across was 20,000 Ethan coins. That was half the wealth that I currently possess.


    I had lots of things I needed to buy. I couldn''t use half of my fund on a storage ring, I just wanted to buy a storage ring for my convenience and it wouldn''t increase my strength in any way. I was about to postpone buying the storage ring when I heard a voice.


    [ "Pssst¡­ Hey, you." ]


    I turned around at the voice and pointed my finger at myself.


    [ "Me?" ]


    [ "Yes, you." ]


    I walked closer to the stranger. It was an old man who seems to have one foot in the Grave; No, what I meant to say is he looked really old.<sub></sub>


    [ "Why did you call me?" ]


    [ "Hehehe¡­ Boy, I saw you searching for something to buy. Maybe I have that thing." ]


    [ "No Thanks, I can''t afford it." ]


    [ "Boy, I am an honest seller. I sell lots of things cheaper than on the market price. I could tell you are a good boy, I would you a big discount." ]


    [ "Really?" ]


    I smiled. If the storage ring was on discount, I could buy it, if it was 15000 Ethan coins or lower I can purchase it without breaking my bank. Maybe my luck is increasing, from getting rare items in the dungeon to meeting this seller.


    [ "Sir, do you have a Storage ring?" ]


    [ "Storage ring! Boy, you are in luck I just got a storage ring and its price is very affordable. Only 10000 Ethan coins." ]


    [ "Really? I want it." ]


    Only 10,000 Ethan coins? It is half the price of the cheapest storage ring I saw in the other shops. <sub>


    </sub>


    He took out the storage ring from his bag. He showed that the storage ring was an authentic one by storing the bottle and retrieving it back.


    [ "I will take it." ]


    [ "Ho ho ho. Okay, but do you also want to purchase this?" ]


    The old man took out one piece of silver earring.


    [ "What is this?" ]


    [ "Since you are buying the storage ring, If you buy this then the total price is at 15000 Ethan coin. Though the price of the earring is higher than 5000 Ethan coins, I would give it to you at that price considering you are also buying a storage ring." ]


    [ "5,000? For an earring? It''s too expensive." ]


    [ "Boy, this is no ordinary earring. This is a D-Rank Artifact that increases the wearer''s magic attack by 20%." ]


    [ "Increase Magic attack by 20%?" ]


    What an artifact. With it, I might have easily won against that Giant Orge. This is a great deal.<sub> </sub>


    I took out my money and paid him happily.


    [ "Happy trading. Hope to see you again." ]


    The old man walked away.


    I was pretty happy to be able to buy a storage ring at such a low price. Not only that, I scored an amazing artifact that could be my strength.


    I went around the shop buying items, obviously stocking up the low-rank health potion and mana potion. Atst, the item that I bought was Exp increasing potion for Rank-E -.


    I was nowhere at the peak of Rank-E -. I need to reach that stage before I could use the Gnthus Nivalis to break through to Rank-E. The Exp potion can make the process faster. I took the potion and tried to put it inside the storage ring.


    [ "Huh? The item is not going inside the storage ring." ]


    The item would not go in at all, what''s the problem?


    I took some items from the storage ring and put them back and it was working. Once again I tried to put Exp potion but no it was not going inside the ring at all. I tried multiple times but it was not going inside the storage ring.


    After a while, I realize I have been scammed. I clenched my hand so hard that it would have broken if not for my strength.


    [ "Dammit, I got a defective storage ring. " ]


    This storage ring does store the item but its storage space was only 3 square meters. Normally, a storage ring would be of 10 square meters.


    ( Then the earring I got should be also a defective item. )


    I ran to an artifact appraisal shop and had my earring checked. It was 100 Ethan coins for appraisal.


    [ "This is a Magic strengthening item. It would be able to increase Magic attack by about 5%." ]


    [ "What about price?" ]


    [ "It would usually cost around 2000 Ethan coin." ]


    All the happiness went down the drain. I paid 3000 Ethan coins more and including the loss from the storage ring, I lost about 8000 Ethan coins. Just thinking about that makes my heart ache.


    buy


    If I see that old man again, I will definitely beat him.


    After a while, I calm down. This was a lesson I will remember for a long time. I was too naive. I didn''t expect to be scammed by an old man.


    This is my first time in the town and I don''t know about the items and their price. This is what happens when one lets their guard down.


    I was not careful and trusted a stranger, how can he sell an item for a loss. But due to me being excited to get a storage ring at such a price I was not careful and let him deceive me.


    I really want to vent my anger out. It was 8000 Ethan coins, not 800 though even 800 Ethan coin loss will be enough to pain my heart.


    I was no longer in the mood to continue my shopping. Before acquiring information about the ce and price of items here, I should not buy things.


    They may be selling an item at a higher price than the market price and I would not know.


    I should learn the price of the items and learn business skills. I don''t want to be scammed again. I thought of only increasing my strength but today I realize that there are other things that are also important.


    Another thing I learned today is that with money you can get everything you desire, including bing strong. There were lots of herbs and potions that helps in increasing the rank. If I have all that resources reaching Rank-D would also be possible within a month.


    Also with artifacts, I can increase my strength. They sold nes that increase mana capacity, gloves that can increase strength by 50 %, and also a rare sword artifact that uses less mana for attacks but increases the attack power by at least 70 %.


    With this all artifact I may even be able to defeat Hiro who has system help.


    That''s why I have realized that money was important. No hard work could make up for the strength increased by money.


    You can be talented and work very hard but without resources, you may never reach the peak.


    With enough resources, even a pig will reach Rank-S.

 Chapter 25 TwitFlick

    Chapter 25 TwitFlick


    In school, what they teach is that artifacts and external help are for weak people, and only when one relies on their own power can one be considered strong.


    This might be to discourage the students from using artifacts to increase their strength temporarily and encourage them to train more.


    But in a life and death battle, winning is everything. It is not like a battle between students where honor is everything.


    In students'' fight, even if one wins using an artifact, others will insult and mock him/her for using the artifact.


    However, in a battle to the death, winning means living, and losing means death. Who cares about honor when you are dead. Everything is meaningless before death.


    Having a high-rank artifact can drastically improve my strength, but the price of the high-rank artifact is ridiculously high. Even if I get 100 Silver Lavender, it may not be enough.


    I need to think about increasing my wallet size. I only had 10,000 Ethan coins left after only buying what I need. I want to increase my money to be able to buy what I want, not what I need.


    I thought of a possible way to make money. Actually, I had lots of ways to make money.


    For one, I can just raid the dungeon and sell my things. Due to information from the novel, I know the location of some rare treasures that I can get in the dungeon. With it, I may be able to earn lots of money.<sub></sub>


    But even with that, the money I needed cannot be acquired in a short time. Also, I could only go to the dungeon once a week.


    What I need is a constant flow of money without me doing anything. Maybe like buying shares of apany or something.


    I also had the option to use the knowledge from the alternative world to make money here. I could make apps such as Facebook and TikTok, I bet with it I will be the next Mark Zuckerberg.


    In this world, though we have mobile, however, the app we had was very limited. Especially apps for entertainment. Most of the app was for news, and the rest was about strategies in battle and the dungeon.


    The focus of this world is on power and other things were only secondary. The development of technology is mainly for increasing fighting power.


    Well, we are constantly at war with other species. It is only natural that people are more concerned about the fighting power than investing in some entertainment app. However, what is life without a bit of entertainment?


    Considering I was a Computer Science student in the other world, I have excellent knowledge of how to create these apps. I had to make something like Facebook or another interesting app for me to get money.


    With this, I had lots of things on the to-do list. First, I had to rank up but it will take some time even with the use of Exp potion and when I reach the peak of Rank-E -, I can breakthrough using Gnthus Nivalis.<sub>


    </sub>


    Second, on the to-do list was to learn about markets and other life skills. If you want to survive in a world filled with scheming people, you need the knowledge to deal with them.


    Third on the to-do list is to make an app. For now, I am thinking of introducing something like Facebook. It would take some time to make the app, but I bet it will be popr.


    In this world, the ones who learn technical stuff are those people who had no talent for fighting or don''t want to be Explorer.


    But the majority want to be Explorers. Why? Simple, Power. For example, you are a sessful businessman and be rich but if you care for your safety, then you have to go under a guild or else someone will annex your business.


    The world is ruled by powerful fist.


    That''s why bing an Explorer is always more profitable than other professions. No matter what business you do, you have to have a guild as a backer.


    Well, that is the situation for business right now. But in the future, I will show this world how much power big techpanies have over people.


    I went home to think of the n. The n had a big chance of sess. Who won''t use Facebook when this is the only app for entertainment? <sub> </sub>


    I spent my whole Sunday thinking about how to develop the app. I had to write the code and set up a server and buy some other essentials for developing the app. It cost me around 3000 Ethan coins to buy all those.


    The next day was a normal ss.


    I had to attend the practical ss. This time almost all the students were present. I went to the Magic Art training ss. This time, professor Mia was there to teach the ss.


    [ "What is the method to increase the power of your Magic Art? Does anyone know?" ]


    One student raised her hand. She was wearing sses and seemed like typically more theory type of student, though I know she is good at fighting considering we are in The Ace Academy.


    We can consider everyone in the Ace Academy as an elite fighterpare to other school students.


    [ "T-to increase a Magic attack, we need to supply the attack with more mana." ]


    [ "Yes, you are correct. We can increase the Magic attack by consuming more mana. However, this type of method is inefficient and only wastes more mana. The art you have teaches you the optimal mana needed to use the art. If you use more mana it will increase your attack but the mana consumed is not directly proportional to increased power. For example, a fireball of size 1 meter consumes 10% of your mana, so you might need 30% of your mana to increase it to 2 meters. You can see it is pretty inefficient." ]


    Oh¡­ This is also the case for my Ice Shard. Increasing the size definitely increased the power but my mana consumed was much more than when I just use it at an optimal level. Not only that, to increase the power of my ground freeze, I needed much more mana.


    For example, when I normally use Ground freeze I could use it continuously for 10 minutes keeping Rank-F frozen but that power is not enough to freeze the Rank-E. I increased my mana to increase the power, and I could only keep the Ground Freeze for 1 minute. Thinking about it again, it was really inefficient, a waste of mana.


    [ "Does anyone know another method?" ]


    [ "Artifact?" ]


    Someone said that in the loud sound though I don''t think he was answering. More like he was thinking out loud.


    [ "Artifact can also be used to increase the power of your skill but have you ever considered why artifact can make your attacks more powerful?" ]


    This time no one made a sound. I was also listening seriously. How could we know how they strengthen it? We just know how to use them.


    [ "The answer is by making your mana more condensed. The attack of the same skill can be different based on who can condense more mana. Though not all but most artifact uses this logic, the artifact helps your mana condense more, resulting in more powerful attacks. If you can do it by yourself then you will be more powerful than those who don''t know how to condense the mana." ]


    Yes, condensing. Such a simple yet effective method. It is like we have a limited amount of iron. One can make paper out of it and use it to attack but it will have a low attack power, however, if you can make itpact like a  needle then it could even pierce the flesh.


    [ "This is the concept you all are unconsciously using. All the Art in some form condenses the mana, just that you are doing without realizing how you do it. But that is just beginner level, you should learn to condense the mana while using the skills. However, condensing mana is harder than you might think, it differs from learning an Art and you need precise mana control or else mana will be out of control. If you try to condense a huge amount of mana when you can''t properly control the mana then it could lead to serious injury. First, try to condense a small amount of mana." ]


    This lesson has opened a new door to bing strong. If I can condense my mana more, then my Ice Shard could even pierce Rank-E defense skill.


    Professor Mia showed us a demonstration of the difference between the attack with mana condense and without mana condensing. To say her power is strong is an understatement.


    Just a casual attack of hers could kill all of the students present here. Doesn''t matter whether you are Rank-E or have artifacts on your body.


    After that, we were free to train. Everyone was eager, and some had even started trying to condense the mana. I also tried to condense the Ice energy.


    When I master this, I will be on a whole new level.

 Chapter 26 TwitFlick [2]

    Chapter 26 TwitFlick [2]


    -BAM!


    Good thing, I only tried to condense Ice energy 5% more. If I had condensed more Ice energy then my hand would have blown up.


    The timing and control of the mana are very important when condensing the mana.


    I tried to condense mana again and again but ended up failing every time.


    It is not something that I can learn in a matter of a day. I trained my Sword Art and after that, I went back to my room. I wrote codes for making the app.


    The training the next day was also on condensing mana. And the professor was present during our training, she would individually help students.


    My turn came after a few minutes.


    I tried to condense mana and attack using the Ice Shard but it failed.


    [ "You need more control on your Ice energy. How about you train in the Ice room." ]


    Professor Mia suggested.<sub></sub>


    The training room that professor Mia mentioned was the training room that we used when she first took me to train with her. That training room is beneficial for someone like me who uses Ice Magic Art.


    [ "Again that punishment. I didn''t even do anything wrong this time." ]


    I tried to act like I was wrongly used of something. Last time, because of an argument with professor Mia, she took me to train in that Ice room.


    [ "What punishment? That Ice room is a great training room for Ice Magic wielders like us. You should be thankful that I allowed you to use it."]


    [ " Yes, yes. I know. Training in that room was not the punishment." ]


    Yes, training in that room is not the punishment. Training with you is the punishment. Though I didn''t directly say to her.


    Professor Mia is someone who overdoes training, and her training is extremely difficult. Several students would cry after they went to train with her.


    [ "It is okay if you understand. You should go train there for a few days." ]


    Looks like she didn''t get the hidden meaning behind my answer. If not, she wouldn''t have let me go so easily.<sub>


    </sub>


    Whatever, I left the Magic ssroom and went to the Ice room.


    The Ice-room was empty as expected. It is rare for people to train with this type of method. I set the temperature to -50 degrees and circted my mana.


    This type of routine continued for a week. In the practical ss, I would train in the Ice room and after that, I would build the app.


    Creating something that was already built is nothing too hard.


    In other world, I have built simr apps so it was nothing too difficult to remake it. The only thing different was programmingnguage though after learning the syntax it was fairly a smooth ride.


    The app was called TwitFlick, I don''t want to have a copyright strike on my app. Just kidding there is no Facebook is in this world.


    I haveunched TwitFlick the next day which is on Monday. I also advertise my app through the newspaper. The advertisement fee was 5000 Ethan coins. Ah¡­ My heart, I am only left with 2000 Ethan coins.


    If I don''t make some money off this app then I would be back to the start line. I would be poor and I would need to spend more time going to the dungeon to earn money.


    I had created a website forunching the app. There is no google y store in this world. <sub> </sub>


    I have checked the app website on the first day afterunching the app and only 100 people had downloaded it.


    After that, I waited for three days and many people have reviewed my app.


    [ ''There is nothing in this app. Where are the information and news? I deleted this app after a minute. Guys don''t download. Waste of money.'' ]


    [ `SCAM. BE CAREFUL!!!'' ]


    [ ''I tried this app but it is just a messaging app. No need to waste money by downloading this app, we already have SMS. I just thought it will be different after seeing it on Eds Time.'' ] ¡­


    Theck of content discouraged most of the people who used the app first. They were mostly users who thought this was news or information-giving app.


    [ ''I don''t know about other features in the app but I am enjoying this Flying Slime.'' ]


    [ ''Flying Slime is a frustrating game. I have only scored 20 points at most.'' ]


    [ ''Haha¡­ 20 points? I got 30 points in the first try.'' ]


    [ ''Who is this NoobMaster64 that is first in the leaderboard? He must have cheated, how can he get 115 points? I only have 40 points.'' ] ¡­


    Oh, I remember I had also added a game in the app as an extra feature. I wanted to add something to keep the user engaged and games are a great way to do it.


    [ "It was a copy. Ahem¡­ I mean it is a game inspired by ppy Bird game." ]


    The game was simple to make but it was really fun. This world has little things to do to pass the time and ying Flying Slime is a great way to pass the time.


    It is also because at the start, without some user posting the video and other content, there will be nothing to do in this app. So, I added this game to TwitFlick to keep the user engage.


    [ ''Hello I am an expert in reviewing the apps. I had low expectations for this app, thinking it was your typical everyday app. The reason I install it was just because I saw this in the newspaper. But I couldn''t be more wrong. This app is unlike every other app I have used. Not only can you message your friends but you can also post your video and news. Iughed for an hour after watching a video of some people. One video was also about some Explorer fighting the Wolf-type monster. It is an innovative app, not your nd app. Not to mention I am in 8th ce on the leaderboard of Flying Slime. Low key bragging¡­'' ]


    [ ''I used this app and added my old ssmate. I am fricking jealous of his house. He posted about his career and posted a photo of his mansion. Anyway, I had chatted with my friend for hours using this app. Thrilled to chat with him.'' ]


    In a matter of a week, the app became popr. I had expected it to make some money for me but I didn''t expect it to make this much.


    This world doesn''t have the concept of ads in-app, so I can only put a price on my app. The price was 5 Ethan coins for the first thousand downloads and afterward; it was 10 Ethan coins. I earned around 50,000 Ethan coins in the first week.


    It was much more than what I earned going through the dungeon. Not to mention that time I was lucky to get two rare items, if not I would have only gotten 8,000 Ethan coins.


    I now understand why many billionaires on the Earth were from Techpanies. You just need to make one sessful software to be fricking rich.


    Anyway, with the increasing user, My 2000 Ethan coins server will not be able to take the load. I need to create apany with professional software engineers and have them keep things intact.


    I also had the option of selling the software to a bigpany. These past few days, manypanies have given me an offer to buy TwitFlick. The highest offer was 1 million Ethan coins.


    F**K IT! One million for TwitFlick? With this app, I am going to be a multi-Billionaire and you want it for one million. I would have been more tempted if it was one billion Ethan coin, however, one million? NO WAY.


    Though I wouldn''t necessarily me those guys. Who can expect this app to generate billions of Ethan coins? It is only out for the first week and they don''t know what is in store for the future of the app. It could very well be unpopr after some weeks.


    But I know the potential of this app, so selling this app to anotherpany was a no-go. I decided to create apany. I needed to do it now or in the future. I will not stop at TwitFlick.


    I had to use the full potential of the Rank-SS Skill. There are lots of things I could introduce this in the world. Windows, Apple, Amazon, KFC, McDonald''s, and Te.


    Wait, wait, wait ¡­ let us not go in too deep. Having money is good but my priority should be increasing my strength. The apps are only for assisting that purpose.


    But I also feel like I should continue developing technologies. Maybe because of my love of technology and dream of joining a Techpany in the other world. I was someone who is always immersed in tech stuff in the other world.


    Maybe here, my alternative self dream would be fulfilled.

 Chapter 27 The Second Incident

    Chapter 27 The Second Incident


    Thepany registration took about a week. I had to rent an office and hire employees. The work I had to put in was very high.


    At that time I was so busy that I forgot about the events in the novel.


    The second incident in the novel began.


    [ "You think you are a big deal now that you''re famous."]


    [ "You don''t have respect for the senior. When seniors are speaking to you, you should stand up." ]


    [ "Why don''t you prove yourself in a duel? Let''s see whether you really deserve your fame or not" ] ...


    The reason for this incident is, first the seniors'' jealousy of Hiro due to the fame that Hiro got and second, professor William.


    It was Professor William who initiated the incident to maintain the supremacy of the nobles. He used the students of second years which he is the homeroom teacher, to make trouble with Hiro.


    The attention that amon boy got had gotten to the professor''s Williams nerve and instructs them to harass Hiro.


    Following their warning and some trash-talk with Hiro, Slyvia spoke.


    [ "Why don''t you senior leave? Our ss is about to start." ]


    [ "Why the heck do I leave. Who are yo..." ]<sub></sub>


    -SLAP!


    The one who was the leader of the group pped the one who responded to Sylvia.


    [ "Haha. This guy doesn''t know about you, Mrs. Sylvia. please don''t mind him. We will listen to miss and leave. Hiro, I didn''t think the one in the rumor who fought Rank-D Devil Contractor was someone who hide behind a girl." ]


    Looks like the leader knows Sylvia and her background. The group left Hiro alone.


    As I was watching them make an incident and leave, I thought it had nothing to do with me.


    One of the seniors turned towards me and tapped on the shoulder of the senior in the middle who was the leader of the group.


    [ "Oh. Who do we have here? The Romeo of our school. I heard you have no respect for the seniors and teachers. I heard you quarreled with our teacher." ]


    [ "I heard you are also a capable person. Why don''t we exchange some moves on the duel ring." ]


    I was stunned by their approach. I thought they only came to make trouble with Hiro like in the novel.


    However, looks like professor William has kept the grudge from before. I had ignored him, denying him the opportunity to act cool in front of professor Miast time.


    They were provoking me into fighting them but I ignored them. They were at least E+ ranked, and I don''t want to draw any more attention. And it is not like they can just start a fight. If they did attack me, they will be expelled.<sub>


    </sub>


    This is the reason why they insulted Hiro and forced Hiro to ept their challenge. They can''t beat me until I agree to their duel.


    [ "Why don''t youe out and fight us in the ring or is it that the student of this ss is all cowards like Hiro." ]


    Along with Hiro, William appears to have told these students to cause trouble for me. Not only that since I and Hiro are not epting their challenges, they choose to mock everyone out here.


    This is not only to create tension between the ss and me & Hiro but also to create pressure on us topel us to ept the challenge.


    Their n was indeed sessful.


    I remember that the students in our ssroom would look at me with disdain in their eyes and whisper to each other, bute on, you know as well as I do that for us, this much noise can be heard with our ears.


    [ "Dare to anger professor but doesn''t dare to ept the challenge." ]


    [ "Hmph. He has nothing but a pleasant mouth. Only knows how to pick up girls and fight but doesn''t dare to ept the consequences." ]


    They even went so far as to block my way and tell me I should ept the challenge and not shame our ss. It was primarily sh and his friend.


    [ "One''s a coward, always a coward. I heard he fought with Devil Contractors but guess that''s just a rumor. He doesn''t even have guts to ept the challenge from others." ]


    [ "We were called cowards because of two chickens of our ss. Even if you lose, you should have epted the challenge." ]<sub> </sub>


    The students can''t vent their anger at the seniors. So they choose to condemn us for making our ss look like cowards.


    This happened daily from then onwards, the senior boys woulde in groups and harass Hiro and me.


    Afterward, they will insult the ss and leave, but our ssmates instead of helping us will me us for the trouble seniors make.


    It made my and Hiro''s position in ss lower. However, I don''t care what they think and I was already pretty close to being the lowest person in our ss hierarchy so it doesn''t matter if my reputation bes less favorable.


    However, it was a different story for Hiro. He used to be flocked by other students but now no onees close to him except Sylvia, Lisa, and Zion.


    They are either afraid to offend the other party (professor William and senior student) or they don''t want to be involved in his mess.


    Sylvia and Lisa had the option to intervene in this matter but chose not to do so. This is because they know that these people are simply following orders from above, and intervening will only make matters moreplicated.


    The bullying continued but I didn''t give a damn at all. I was busy purchasing more level-up potions and managing mypany.


    After drinking all those level-up potions, I feel I will reach Rank-E by the end of the week.


    On thepany side, I had one of the employees manage the worker and told him to report to me only when a problem arises.


    The supervisor of the employees I appointed is a middle-aged man of 46 years old who used to be employed by one of the Diamond graded guilds.


    Aiden always dreamed of creating something like my app TwitFlick, but his proposal was always rejected by the guild, which told him to focus on the software for attacking and defending the guild.


    So, when Iunched my app, he was very excited and was astonished at the features of my app. So, when he saw the ads saying that the TwitFlick founder was looking for an employee, he immediately joined thepany.


    I saw his n and was impressed by his innovative mind. It was only through the memory of other worlds that I built TwitFlick. If not, I wouldn''t have been able toe up with such an impressive app.


    However, Aiden who doesn''t have such a memory was able to think of such things is absolutely impressive. Not only did he help me in establishing thepany office, but he also helped me to set up a bigger server, so I had no problem keeping him in charge of thispany.


    Not to mention he was the oldest among my employee. Others were all new graduates from the software engineer school.


    Most senior developer won''t leave their previous job for apletely newpany. Aiden was a rare case and a lucky one at that for me.


    After deducting the cost of hiring a new employee and setting up thepany office, I still got 60,000 Ethan coins. Around 40,000 were kept as operating costs, and the rest to buy level-up potions.


    Anyway, the incident is escting day by day and Hiro could no longer hold himself back. Well, the reason he refused such challenges was that they were too weak to serve as challenges for Hiro.


    However, since they were constantly disturbing him and the entire ss, he epted the challenge to stop them from disturbing him. The challenge was officially scheduled for next week.


    The duel needed professor supervision and permission from the school. So, it takes time for it to be approved.


    [ "Hehe so you finally epted the duel. We will have a two on two fight. I and Rowan will fight you and Zero.]


    He pointed his finger at me.


    [ "What???" ]


    Me? When did I agree to join in your little fight?


    [ "I didn''t agree on that duel." ]


    [ "Hehe. No need for your permission. Professor told us to let you experience fighting with your friend. Cooperation is effective when fighting a stronger enemy." ]


    In other words, professor William agreed to give permission and also told you to beat me in the duel. Can you guys be any more reasonable?


    [ "I alone have agreed on your challenge, why are you dragging another student into this?" ]


    [ "We are doing this for junior''s benefit. In the winter tournament, cooperation is vital in the battle and we want to teach you those skills earlier on." ]


    Basically, you want to beat us both, and since we''re just first-years, we can''t really cooperate well with each other while you and your teammates can, which increases your chances of winning.


    [ "But..." ]


    Before Hiro could reply, I told them.


    [ "No problem, I will participate. " ]


    It would be difficult for one of them to even beat us in one on one battle, and it will be impossible for them to defeat us in team battles since it is where my skills truly shine.


    I should beat them so hard that they don''t mess with the other people in the future.

 Chapter 28 Two-On-Two

    Chapter 28 Two-On-Two


    I was unintentionally dragged into the second incident of the novel.


    The match was scheduled for Monday, so I had a weekend to prepare myself.


    It was fortunate for me because I am expecting to break through to Rank-E on the weekend. Nevertheless, Hiro and I would likely be able to beat them even without my rank-up.


    The second-year would have an average rank of Rank-E and if someone is extremely talented then they would have achieved Rank-D. So, Lucas and Rowan are probably Rank-E+, which can be described as being more talented than most students.


    Lucas fights against Hiro in the novel and ends up humiliated as a result. Even if you add in Rowan, I don''t see them winning against Hiro who is also at Rank-E +.


    Anyway, I need to raise my rank, and I prefer to do it sooner rather thanter. And it is always a wiser choice to get stronger earlier thanter.


    I was already at the peak stage of Rank-E - and I only needed the opportunity to breakthrough. I had the Gnthus Nivalis flower, which increased my chance of breaking through to Rank-D.


    I took out my Gnthus Nivalis flower and ced it inside my mouth. I slowly chewed the flower and felt refreshed.


    It was like diving into a waterpark on a hot day and swimming as deep into the coolness as I could. The vors burst through Iris''s tongue and spread through My body.


    The air tingled with them and I let out a slow, contented breath. My fingers found the sudden energy in my body and twitched with it.


    The mana was surging like crazy and it was getting hot in my abdominal area. Burning heat radiated from my pelvis and swelled up my back and shoulders. An urge rose in me, a desire to release the heat that was building up toward my heart.


    I circted all the energy of the Gnthus Nivalis flower into the heart and veins. This process continued until I broke through Rank-E.


    The hour-long process was very painful. However, I could easily endure this level of pain. The pain of using Dual Art was on another level, inparison to eating the Gnthus Nivalis flower, which was a bit ufortable for my body.


    Though a normal person might have passed out from this level of pain.<sub></sub>


    After that, I could feel my body absorbing mana more than before and my mana quality feels sharper and stronger.


    My muscture became more defined and my body was more powerful.


    [ "Okay then let me check how much my stats have grown. Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E


    Strength: D -


    Speed: E +


    Stamina: E +


    Mana: D


    Luck: B


    Charm: C +


    - - > Skill:<sub>


    </sub>


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Practitioner ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Beginner ]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    Pretty Good. Strength and Mana are already rank-D, and all other stats are also rank-E+. My stats are certainly on par with rank-E + normal humans.


    Therefore, I''m pretty confident that I might be able to take care of both seniors even if I were alone. With Hiro as a teammate, there is no way we could lose that stupid fight.<sub> </sub>


    I spent the rest of the weekend consolidating my new strength.


    *****


    On Monday 8:00 am.


    It was arranged that the fight would take ce in the morning, and even the students were invited to watch. Professor definitely wants to humiliate me and Hiro in front of the students.


    I first met up with Hiro. I want to hear what n he has to win in this battle.


    [ "Good Morning!" ]


    [ "Oh, Good Morning, Zero." ]


    With a nonchnt expression on his face, he stood at the dueling ce. He was not nervous at all, I think he is confident about winning.


    [ "How do you n to beat them? Any strategy?" ]


    [ "I n to fight them alone. I also apologize for dragging you into this mess. I don''t know why they are dragging another student just to fight me." ]


    He doesn''t know that professor William instructed those students to harass him and the reason they targeted me is not because of you but because professor William told them to.


    [ "Hm, I understand." ]


    I couldn''t be happier if you could beat them by yourself. Considering Hiro''s strength, it will be an easy fight for him unless Lucas and Rowan have a viable strategy to deal with Hiro.


    [ "How about you? Have you any ns for the fight? Maybe you want to show your cool side to Lisa by fighting them." ]


    [ "Huh? That-" ]


    I was taken aback by his question. He didn''t seem to be teasing me considering this situation, or perhaps he is taking this question seriously. Anyway, I have no interest in showing off anything to anyone.


    [ "Well, I will leave all that cool stuff to you. But I will intervene if you are losing." ]


    [ "Fair point. I will try my best to defeat them myself though." ]


    We waited for the seniors and the professor who will serve as judges to arrive.


    I could see that quite a lot of students hade to see the fight.


    Everyone was curious about how the freshmen would perform in a duel with two second-year students. Although there were some doubts about the freshmen''s fighting abilities, everyone was excited to see Hiro fight.


    He is, after all, the most popr student in this school.


    [ "Hey, I heard Hiro of First-year is going to fight Lucas and Rowan. What do you think about this fight?" ]


    [ "A First-year letting his fame get to his head. He may be strong for a first-year but don''t forget Lucas and Rowan are both Top-10 students of the second year. They will easily win against him." ]


    [ "You are right but I am still interested in seeing the strength of Hiro. They say he has the potential to reach rank-SSS. Maybe he might win against them." ] ¡­


    Nobody was interested in me. They were just here to watch Hiro fight the seniors. They already consider this fight to be Two vs One.


    [ "Well, I do think the freshmen are at a disadvantage. If the two seniors actually decide to fight together then the freshmen will lose for sure." ]


    [ "Yeah, that''s right. The neers'' strength is not enough to deal with two second-year students." ] ¡­


    Even our ssmates and other first-year students have epted the result. They have seen the power of Hiro but they still believe that since seniors are both Rank-E +, they would easily win over Hiro who is Rank-E + and I who they think is Rank-F +.


    Anyway, nobody believes we will win.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Lucas and Rowan came. With them was -


    PROFESSOR WILLIAM!


    So, he came as the referee. Looks like the fight will not be as simple as it seems. Professor William will definitely help the seniors.


    While I was thinking about such things, Professor William red at me with anger. I could see lots of killing intent in his eyes. It seems he wants to take his anger out on me.


    The Professor calls the two of us toe forward.


    [ "Well, now that everyone is here. The fight will begin now. I will serve as the referee in this fight. Hiro and Zero of the First-year will be fighting against Lucas and Rowan of the Second year. It only counts as a win if your opponent is tossed out of the ring. Did you understand the rule? " ]


    [ [ [ [ "Understood!" ] ] ] ]


    [ "Okay then let''s start!" ]

 Chapter 29 Two-On-Two [2]

    <h2>29 Two-On-Two [2]</h2>


    [ "Okay then let''s start!" ]


    Professor William shouted and the match began.


    Lucas and Rowan were both Rank-E +, so they had pretty much the same skill sets with Lucas being a little stronger in terms of strength.


    I can see that Lucas and Rowan both smirk at me. They already think that they will emerge victorious. They weren''t even worried about the fight.


    On the other hand, Hiro was very calm and didn''t show much of his emotion.


    After Professor William announced the beginning of the duel, Lucas charged at Hiro with his sword like a zing lightning strike. Lucas''s cuts have been fast and fierce.


    His sword shed right into Hiro''s chest and would have caused critical damage had it hit the target. However, Hiro didn''t move and Lucas''s sword only scrapped Hiro''s clothes.


    Then Rowan sprang into action. He used the Art, [Quick Step], to move quickly forward and sh Hiro from behind. His sword shed the ce where Hiro''s throat was.


    [ "Hm." ]


    Hiro swiftly moved backward and dodged the attack. Hiro decided to move forward to close the distance between them. Thus, Hiro used his movement Art.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    His movement speed elerated at an incredible rate. It was almost impossible for the average person to see his movement.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Hiro''s speed is incredible. If I am fighting Hiro, it may be impossible for me to block all those attacks. Even when fighting with two opponents, Hiro was in no way disadvantaged.


    Lucas and Rowan were shocked by Hiro''s speed. Their skills couldn''t keep up with Hiro''s speed, they were at a loss on how to fight him.


    [ "Damn. That''s some impressive speed." ]


    Lucas was the first to recover and parried the attack. Lucas rushed towards Hiro with his sword. Lucas wanted to end the fight quickly, he wanted to get all the attention. Lucas didn''t want to drag this out.


    [ "Double Dash" ]


    Lucas''s speed increased, and he was able to respond to Hiro''s attack. Rowan, on the other hand, was using his quickstep.


    [ "You are still too slow." ]


    Hiro''s movement speed was faster than Lucas''s. Lucas could not match Hiro''s speed and the attack was easily deflected. Hiro''s movement speed was way faster than Lucas and Rowan''s.


    [ "Damn. What is his movement speed?" ]


    [ "I-I don''t know." ]


    Lucas and Rowan were shocked at this observation. They were easily overpowered by Hiro. Their sword skills are great and they are both Rank-E + fighters. How could they be defeated so easily by Hiro?


    [ "You little shit." ]


    Lucas fully released his fury and attacked furiously. He unleashed all his mana and attacked Hiro with various Sword skills.


    [ "Is that all you got?" ]


    Lucas''s sword skill and speed increased dramatically. He was trying to end this fight quickly. Lucas used his full-powered attack to strike Hiro down.


    He used all his might to attack Hiro with his sword.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The sword strike was blocked by Hiro''s sword. The attack wasn''t strong enough to hurt Hiro. Hiro''s sword moved to counter-attack Lucas.


    -CLANK!


    Hiro''s attack was blocked by Rowan. Rowan used his sword to counter-attack.


    [ "Damn. This is not looking good." ]


    As expected of a senior but even the two of them could not keep up with Hiro. Even though they were both Second-Year students, they were both weaker than Hiro. The power gap was too vast between them.


    -CLANG! ZZZZT!


    [ "Ugh." ]


    Rowan couldn''t dodge the attack and he received a light wound on his arm. Lucas and Rowan were at a loss of what to do.


    There was no way they could defeat him. Their strength was not enough to beat him. They would have to work together to defeat him.


    Otherwise, Hiro would defeat them one by one.


    They both decided to attack at the same time. They wanted to take Hiro out as soon as possible. Lucas and Rowan used their Movement Art to increase their speed and attacked using their attack skill.


    [ "Fortunate Sword Style: Dividing Stab" ]


    [ "Crimson Sword Style: Crimson Sword Strike" ]


    They both released their mana and used their strength and speed to attack Hiro.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Their attack was parried easily by Hiro. Hiro was able to see the attacks and could easily counter them.


    [ "I can''t believe he can dodge all these attacks." ]


    Lucas and Rowan''s attacks were blocked. Lucas and Rowan thought their attacks were easy to block because they went easy on him. They didn''t expect him to easily dodge their attacks and a look of fear appeared on their faces.


    [ "Damn. His movement speed is too fast." ]


    [ "Damn. His reaction speed is fast too." ]


    They couldn''t see Hiro''s movements and his defense was too strong.


    [ "His attacks are strong too." ]


    They had to understand how strong his attacks were. They wanted to avoid unnecessary injury. Lucas and Rowan were shocked by his strength. Hiro''s strength was way above their league.


    *****


    ( Oh. Just as I predicted, Hiro is way beyond them. Although two seniors are at the same rank as Hiro however, Hiro''s stats were simr to a Rank-D human. )


    Though Hiro''s strength didn''t surprise me. I didn''t think Hiro would be able to overpower two Top-10 seniors by just using his Movement Art.


    I was just standing on the stage like the fight in front of me had nothing to do with me. I thought they might have a n since they were harassing Hiro for this duel.


    But turns out they simply overestimated their own strength. Professor William must have thought it will be easy for experienced seniors to exploit our weakness in team cooperation but Hiro didn''t even need my help to beat them.


    The other students watched the battle with shock in their eyes. Especially second-year students who have never seen Hiro fight.


    [ "Damn. This First-Year student is too powerful." ]


    [ "We can''t even defeat one of them and he is able to easily suppress both of them. He is too much of a monster." ]


    [ "I think only Dreyar can match his strength."]


    While Second-year students gossiped and were terrified of Hiro''s strength, First-year students were delighted. As one of the strongest First-year students, Hiro was somehow like a representative for all First-year students.


    So seeing him win was good news for us. However, not everyone was overjoyed.


    [ "Dammit. His strength has increased again." ]


    Zion clenched his hand. He thought his strength was catching up to Hiro especially after he had reached Rank-E +.


    When he saw the battle, he knew he was not powerful enough. He trained twice as hard as in the past after the incident at BloodyWolf Forest but he was still far from being able to defeat Hiro.


    While he was feeling frustrated, the girls beside him were overjoyed.


    Lisa and Sylvia were delighted watching Hiro win. They know how senior students always annoy Hiro since they spend most of the time with him.


    [ "I didn''t think Hiro was this strong." ]


    Sylvia said to Lisa.


    [ "Hiro was always strong but I think he became stronger than before." ]


    Lisa, who saw Hiro''s strength, analyzed Hiro''s growth. He was able to fight Rank-D - Devil Contractor in the past, but his strength and speed were lower than what is disyed right now.


    [ "Still what is Zero doing? They would have already won if he had helped." ]


    With a disgruntled tone, Lisa asked Sylvia. She remembered Zero who used to chase after her, though for almost a month, he didn''t talk to her at all.


    Lisa thought something might have happened at the BloodyWolf Forest for him to change his attitude. She didn''t ask Zero as she was not close to him and it was great that Zero was focusing on training instead of courting her.


    [ "Did something happen to him in the Bloody Wolf Forest? I heard you were with him at that time. Was he traumatized by what happened in the forest?" ]


    [ "H-He¡­ I don''t know why he is not helping Hiro. Maybe he is waiting for a chance." ]


    ( Traumatized? Ha. It would be his enemy who would be traumatized by Zero though all of them are dead now. )


    [ "Sylvia, don''t you think Zero is acting weird." ]


    [ "Weird? How?" ]


    [ "W-well, he has not talked to me after that incident." ]


    [ "Not talked? Hehe, ~Are you lonely that Zero is not talking to you?" ]


    Sylvia teased her by saying ''lonely''. Lisa didn''t let this pass, she elbowed Sylvia, telling her to answer her seriously.


    [ "It''s okay. Nothing dangerous happened to him. Though I am curious why he won''t approach you anymore." ]


    [ "I am curious too. I think he was really traumatized." ]


    [ "Maybe, I don''t know. I also want to know why Zero is not helping Hiro." ]


    The girls looked carefully and saw Zero was not helping. He was standing on the ground as if he was just watching the battle. Lucas and Rowan were already tired from deflecting Hiro''s attack.


    Lucas and Rowan were on the verge of losing. Lisa who didn''t know the situation thought Zero wasn''t helping because he was scared of the seniors. She thought Zero was a scaredy-cat.

 Chapter 30 Rules?

    Chapter 30 Rules?


    [ "Damn. Is he really a First-Year student?" ]


    [ "We can''t defeat him." ]


    Lucas and Rowan had no choice but to give up on their attack. They decided to retreat but Lucas couldn''t afford to lose all his dignity in front of everyone, so he decided to challenge Hiro.


    -CLANG!¡­CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Lucas and Rowan attacked him again and again. They were trying to prove that they could defeat him. However, Lucas and Rowan were just wasting mana and time. Their attacks were easily dodged by Hiro and he counter-attacked.


    [ "Damn. Useless attacks." ]


    [ "Useless." ]


    Lucas and Rowan couldn''t understand why their attacks were not effective. As soon as their attack was blocked by Hiro, they immediately dodged his counter-attack. They couldn''t understand how he could avoid their attacks so easily. They couldn''t think of a way to defeat him.


    [ "Lucas, Rowan. Just give up." ]


    Hiro didn''t want to hurt them too badly so he told them to give up. Hiro who saw the seniors were too exhausted to fight told them to surrender.


    But Lucas and Rowan didn''t want to give up that easily. They didn''t duel just to lose to First-year students.


    [ "Damn you. We won''t lose to First-year." ]


    [ "Let''s show him our power and make him surrender." ]


    [ "We have to take the berserk pill." ]


    [ "Damn. I don''t want to do that." ]


    Rowan was against taking the pill. They were able to boost their power with the pill for a short period of time, but it was forbidden in the duel ring to take the potion or other substances.


    The professor may have promised them he would make sure they would not be affected by their actions, but Rowan knew that was just talk. If the problem arises, Professor William will not help them.<sub></sub>


    However, if he didn''t seed, then Professor William will definitely punish him. So, no matter the method, they had to win.


    [ "It''s the only choice we got. We both have to give our best." ]


    [ "I guess so." ]


    Lucas and Rowan each took one of the berserk pills.


    The pill increased the strength of its users. It was normally used by adventurers when fighting monsters that were stronger than them.


    The only side effect was that the user would lose their rationality. Once the effect of the pill wore off, the increase in strength would gradually decline.


    But for Lucas and Rowan, the pill was the only way for them to win the fight.


    [ ''Let''s go!'' ]


    [ "Crimson Sword Style: Crimson Sword Strike" ]


    Lucas and Rowan took the berserk pill and fought Hiro again. Hiro thought their speed and power were on par with him, no, they were even faster than him.


    Lucas and Rowan were no longer thinking and only attempting to defeat Hiro. Lucas and Rowan were at their limit before they took the pill but now they were bursting with power.


    *****


    [ "Lucas and Rowan are taking pills?" ]


    [ "Damn. Are they trying to break the rule?" ]


    The crowd was shocked when they saw Lucas and Rowan taking their pill. Everyone knew how the Berserk pill affected the body. It would make the user more powerful, but it would also make them more irrational. They would be vulnerable for a few days after the pill''s effect has ended.


    The biggest problem was that they could be expelled for using such pills. After all, the duel stage is primarily forparing strength and learning from each other.<sub>


    </sub>


    If participants used the potion and pills, what is the point? Rich guys can just bring the most expensive strength-increasing pill to beat their opponents.


    The winner would not win with his skill but with wealth.


    [ "I didn''t think seniors would use the pill in this fight. They can''t even afford to lose. What is the point of this duel?" ]


    [ "Hmph. The seniors are really shameless. Always calling us cowards but look at them now. They are clearly cheating." ]


    [ "Come on. We better go back. This really is unbelievable. They are using a pill to win." ]


    Everyone in the crowd was shocked by what they were seeing. Some were disgusted by what the seniors were doing. Others were criticizing how dirty seniors were.


    Those second-year students were shocked to see Lucas and Rowan throwing away their pride and honor just to win against some First-year.


    They wereining about them but the seniors didn''t care about their words and continued the fight. Lucas and Rowan approached Hiro.


    Lucas and Rowan who was already out of control started attacking.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Lucas and Rowan, in their berserk state were a force to be reckoned with.


    [ "Damn it." ]


    Hiro who already sensed Lucas and Rowan''s power couldn''t help but be worried. He knew the side effect of Berserk pills was losing rationality. They would not care about their life and would just focus on killing their enemy.


    However, Hiro needed to be more careful now, since he could kill them identally. But he would lose if he didn''t use his full power.


    Lucas and Rowan used their berserk strength to fight Hiro. But from the outside, they just look like two crazy guys trying to attack Hiro. When Hiro dodged their attacks, they just kept attacking at him.


    [ "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"]<sub> </sub>


    *****


    Wow. Lucas and Rowan, who were losing, are now overwhelming Hiro. But they clearly used the pill and the referee is not saying anything. Clearly, Professor William is biased towards the seniors.


    Some students were confused. Maybe professor William didn''t see them taking the pills but it was impossible as everyone present saw them. They were clearly cheating.


    The students were unsatisfied with the situation. They expected professor William to stop this. He was the one overseeing this duel. If he doesn''t stand up for the rules now, then he would be just like the seniors, and lose his honor.


    But Professor William didn''t do anything. He was just watching the two crazy guys attacking Hiro. They didn''t know what he was thinking. As they watched William calmly sitting, they thought maybe he wouldn''t do anything until Hiro lost.


    [ "Damn it. What a dirty move. If I were in Lucas'' ce, I would''ve never done such a thing. That''s just cheating." ]


    [ "We should go back, I don''t want to see what will happen next." ]


    But even though Lucas and Rowan were beating Hiro, not a single soul in the stadium was ready to leave. They wanted to know how Hiro would fight back.


    *****


    Hiro could hear the noise of the students. He knew he had to win no matter what. He needed to show everybody that these kinds of dirty moves would not be enough to win against him even if they used the berserk pill.


    [ "It''s just a matter of time. I will win." ]


    Hiro used his skill again and let out a little bit of his strength but the moment he did that, Lucas and Rowan were knocked out.


    -CRASSHHHHHH!-


    The energy was released and Lucas and Rowan were knocked out. They were covered in blood. Lucas and Rowan still had a lot of strength left but it was not enough to knock out Hiro.


    [ "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah. I won!" ]


    Hiro held his sword against Lucas''s neck.


    However, Lucas and Rowan who were not in a state to think rationally didn''t think about surrendering or dying. Rowan ignored the fact that Hiro could behead him easily and attacked Hiro''s abdomen.


    Hiro was caught off guard. He didn''t expect them to attack him while they were vulnerable to him right now.


    Hiro suffered a big cut on his abdomen and blood was oozing out of his abdomen.


    The two got up and continued to attack Hiro fiercely. Hiro was trying to defend but they were both attacking recklessly and Hiro got cut here and there.


    His strength and speed were decreased due to the loss of blood.


    *****


    [ "What?" ]


    [ "Hasn''t Hiro won? Then why is the duel not over?" ]


    The students got confused. They clearly saw Hiro holding his sword against Lucas''s neck.


    [ "Hey, Professor Hiro has already won the duel." ]


    Sylvia was the one who told the professor. She was already upset at the professor for not disqualifying Lucas and Rowan for taking the pill. Now, he is not stopping them even after Hiro defeated them.


    [ "Won? I already told them that they would win only when their opponents were out of the stage. Clearly, Lucas and Rowan are still in the duel stage." ]


    [ "W-what non¡­" ]


    Before Sylvia shouted angrily at professor William, Lisa covered her mouth and dragged her back.


    [ "Lisa, why did you stop me? Professor is clearly disregarding the rules." ]


    [ "Calm down!" ]


    [ "Hiro clearly won the match." ]


    Sylvia said to Lisa, voice full of dissatisfaction.


    [ "It is no use arguing with professor William. He is clearly siding with the seniors and nothing we say would matter to him." ]


    [ "Dammit!" ]


    *****


    Lucas and Rowan continued to attack him. They attacked viciously and Hiro got more and more injured.


    [ "Damn it!" ]


    Hiro was getting tired of fighting. He kept on defending himself against both of them. But Lucas and Rowan did not stop. They would not stop until their enemy was dead.


    They were getting more and more injured but they didn''t even notice it. Their body was aching but they didn''t care about it. They just wanted to kill Hiro.


    [ "Ah." ]


    Hiro was starting to lose his strength. His body was covered in blood and he is almost out of mana. He would lose if this continued. He needed to finish them off right now. However, Hiro was still holding back his strength.


    Lucas and Rowan didn''t care whether Hiro dies or not, each attack was at full power with killing intent behind the attacks. On the other hand, even while losing, Hiro was holding back, making sure he don''t kill them.


    Unlike Lucas and Rowan, Hiro didn''t attack their vital areas and when attacking their body, he was not using his full strength.


    If this continues, Hiro will lose.


    I thought I didn''t need to participate in this fight but looks like I need to help Hiro.


    [ "Time to show him how it is done." ]

 Chapter 31 Result Of Your Action

    Chapter 31 Result Of Your Action


    Hiro was getting beaten by Lucas and Rowan. Hiro tried to attack them with his sword but Lucas and Rowan were able to block his attacks. If it kept on like this, Hiro would lose.


    [ "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­" ]


    He was almost out of mana and he was in so much pain that his body was trembling. It was a miracle that he hadn''t lost consciousness yet.


    Suddenly, a huge ice wall came between him and Lucas & Rowan. They were shocked to see a giant wall appear.


    [ "Ugh! What is this?" ]


    As a result of the Ice Wall, the two fell to the ground.


    *****


    I saw Hiro get attacked by Lucas and Rowan.


    [ "Ice Wall!" ]


    I created an Ice Wall between Hiro and the seniors. I could have chosen to sneak attack but against them, there was no need.


    You might think I am underestimating them but I am not.


    The only reason why these two weaklings are winning is that Hiro doesn''t want to identally kill them.


    However, I will not be as lenient as Hiro. They were the ones looking for trouble. I won''t show mercy.


    I approached Hiro to help him, and I watched his trembling, exhausted body taking in deep breaths. His eyes were half-closed, and he was panting heavily.


    [ "Hah¡­ Hah. Sorry, I messed up." ]


    [ "No, you did well. I show you how to deal with this trashes. The only way to sober up these guys is to beat them to death." ]


    I red at Lucas and Rowan who were rushing towards us. They were still in a berserk state, they were hell-bent on killing Hiro.


    Lucas who was faster than Rowan was the one who reached first. I parried his attack and when he was pushed back, I used the sword hilt to strike on his head.


    Lucas''s body was blown away by my full-strike attack and his head was knocked to the ground. While Lucas was down, Rowan came to attack me with his sword. <sub></sub>


    I used my sword to block his attack and pushed him to the ground. I didn''t have time to wait for Rowan to get up. I merely kicked him to the ground. It took just three hits to deal with them. They were not moving at all.


    I know they were strong but they stood no chance against me. They were too exhausted from fighting with Hiro.


    There was no way they could defeat someone who had full stamina. Their berserk state was also declining. Even if I stand here for a minute or two, they will still fall down on their own.


    [ "Now, shall we continue our fun." ]


    *****


    Just when everyone thought that Hiro was going to lose, a giant Ice wall appeared between them. The one who appeared was someone they ignored for the entire match.


    Hiro''s duel partner from the first year, Zero. They were surprised by his appearance and some who thought it was Two vs One was confused. They thought Zero was interfering with the duel.


    [ "Who is he?" ]


    [ "He is the other participant in this duel. I thought he was too scared to fight, but he has proved me wrong. The first-year students are too strong." ]


    [ "How could Lucas and Rowan both have been knocked out by him. It''s unbelievable." ]


    [ "That''s unexpected. I thought he was a weakling." ]


    [ "Maybe. I think that he is top 3 in the first year." ]


    [ "First year''s strength is no joke! How can a first-year beat two second-years?! It''s ridiculous!" ]


    [ "You guys should not underestimate the first year. They are already as strong as us. They are after all The Golden Generation." ]¡­


    There was an uproar among the crowd. They were surprised by the power of the first-year students. At first, Hiro overpowered two seniors and now, even a no-name first-year can instantly knock out two powerful second-year students.


    Their views on first-year students changed. They have to give them proper respect. They thought the Golden Generation thing was overrated until they saw this match. The sense of superiority that they had when they looked at the first-year students has changed.


    But it was not only second-year students who were surprised but also first-year students. Especially Lisa who is in the same ss as Zero.


    She knows that Zero is in Rank-F + or E -. She didn''t think he would be this strong. Even if the seniors were tired of fighting with Hiro, the strength and speed of Lucas and Rowan when attacking Zero suggest that they still had Rank E+ peak power. <sub>


    </sub>


    However, Zero still easily knocked down Lucas and Rowan. It means that Zero is at least at Rank-E + or above.


    It was difficult to believe, but the scene in front of her eyes was undeniable.


    [ "Zero! Go for it!" ]


    One of the students yelled at Zero. Suddenly, the ssmates who have been watching the duel started to root for Zero.


    [ "Yeah! Zero! Show your strength!" ]


    [ "Ahh! He is Rank-E+ !" ]


    They had no idea who Zero was, but the first-years cheered for him. They were astonished and excited by the fact that a first-year student could beat two seniors who used berserk pills.


    Earlier, Lucas and Rowan used the berserk pill to increase their power and beat Hiro. They were frustrated by the fact that the seniors were winning using unfair means. Zero knocking down Lucas and Rowan has appeased their frustration.


    *****


    Hiro was still breathing heavily but he started to calm down. He was almost out of breath but when he saw Lucas and Rowan lying on the ground, he was surprised. Hiro turned around and looked at me.


    [ "I see." ]


    It was like he was talking to himself. He seemed to have realized something.


    I was about to approach Lucas and Rowan to continue my "torture" when I felt a gaze on me.


    Lucas and Rowan, who are lying on the ground, are watching me with nk eyes. This is no longer the gaze of an enemy. They were looking at me with pure fear and despair.


    Looks like the effect of the berserk pill has worn off. The fact that they did not attack me as soon as they saw me and that they exhibited fear indicates that the effect has worn off.


    I smiled at them. I was happy that they were regaining their rationality. It is more satisfying to beat a conscious individual than a mindless idiot.


    [ "Seniors, let''s have some fun!" ]


    I walked towards them. Lucas and Rowan quickly got up and positioned themselves in fighting stances.<sub> </sub>


    [ "If you tell me who incited you all to make trouble with me, I might forgive you." ]


    Lucas or Rowan can''t bring together so many second-years just to harass Hiro and me. It must be someone influential. I suspect professor William but it could also be another person.


    I don''t trust every piece of information in the novel. I should ask them to verify the information.


    [ "Humph! Just because younded a lucky punch, don''t think you have already won." ]


    [ "You should apologize to us and we may forgive you. Or else my father will not spare you." ]


    [ "Oh. Not the answer I want." ]


    I need to teach them a lesson they won''t forget. During this time, they will feel the pain of getting killed. They need to know the fear of death. That way, they will think thrice before doing something stupid again.


    I shed towards Lucas and punched him in the abdomen. I knee strike him on the face. Then I elbowed him on the back.


    Lucas fell to the ground and started to cry, holding his face as if he had a toothache. He held his face and continued to squirm.


    [ "Ugh!" ]


    Rowan stopped for a second but I didn''t give him the chance to attack. I kicked the back of his knee, making him kneel on the ground. He couldn''t move anymore.


    [ "Hahhh¡­ Hah¡­ F-Ferk¡­" ]


    Rowan was in pain, but I didn''t give him a chance to rest. I struck him repeatedly with my sword hilt. He was shouting in agony.


    [ "Noooo¡­." ]


    I used my other hand to grab his hair and I lifted his head up. I pounded his face on my knee. And I kicked his head too. I kept pounding his face. Lucas was watching whileying on the floor.


    Lucas was injured and could not move easily. I grabbed Lucas'' cor and picked him up. I kicked Lucas'' stomach and sent him flying.


    Lucas flew a few meters away andnded on the ground. Lucas screamed and was holding his stomach. I ignored Lucas and turned my attention to Rowan.


    [ "I will ask again who sent you to harass me." ]


    *****


    The students were shocked and scared after watching Zero brutalize Lucas and Rowan. Lucas & Rowan''s friends and admirers were angry at Zero.


    [ "He beat Lucas and Rowan using unfair means." ]


    [ "He is a coward! He attacked them when they were tired after fighting Hiro." ]


    [ "Look what he did to Lucas''s handsome face. I will never forgive him." ]


    Those students started to yell at Zero.


    [ "What unfair means? Eating a berserk pill? Only shameless seniors do that." ]


    [ "Why don''t you open your eyes and see who is cheating?" ] ¡­


    Their shouts were met with the voice of other students. They were criticizing the seniors. Both sides were busy yelling at each other.


    *****


    [ "Why did youe to harass us?" ]


    [ "I-I came with my own will." ]


    I grabbed Rowan''s head by his hair and pounded it at the ground.


    [ "And you want me to believe it?" ]


    [ "I-It''s the truth." ]


    It''s not like I can''t believe him. It''s just that I don''t believe him.


    [ "I repeat, why did youe to harass me?" ]


    [ "B-because you are a first-year. You shouldn''t have messed with our professor." ]


    [ "Such a petty reason. You really pissed me off." ]


    I lifted Rowan''s chin and looked at him straight in the eye. Rowan was shaking his head frantically.


    [ "I beg you. Please don''t kill me¡­ I-I will do anything¡­ Please don''t kill me¡­" ]


    [ "Humph" ]


    I kicked him off the stage. I don''t think he is going to give me any information. I still have to deal with another person.


    Lucas is still moaning on the ground. I grabbed Lucas and lifted him up.


    [ "Now, time for some question-answer session." ]


    I smiled and said this in a friendly manner. Lucas''s face turned pale. He was being tortured but he still doesn''t want to die. Lucas was terrified.


    I felt sorry for him. It''s not like I am going to kill him. He should be grateful.


    I beat him in the same manner as Rowan and asked the question again.


    [ "It is because Hiro was acting too arrogant." ]


    [ "I don''t believe you." ]


    [ "I-I''m telling the truth. Please let me go. I''ll do anything." ]


    [ "I''ll show you the truth." ]


    I grabbed Rowan''s wrist and swung him like a piece of cloth while also banging him on the ground.


    [ "Ah¡­ Ah¡­" ]


    [ "Ah! Ah! Ah!" ]


    [ "Ah! Ah! Ah!" ]


    Finally, I swung him out of the ring.


    -CRASHHHHH!


    I coldly red at Lucas and Rowan and said in a loud voice.


    [ "This is the result of your action!" ]

 Chapter 32 Result Of Your Action [2]

    Chapter 32 Result Of Your Action [2]


    [ "This is the result of your action!" ]


    Lucas and Rowan were both tossed out of the ring. Rowan and Lucas'' bodies were bruised. I didn''t kill them so they should be grateful. Rowan started to crawl towards the exit.


    The students were shocked when Lucas and Rowan fell. They stared at me like I was some kind of freak.


    The students who were there to watch the battle, including the first-years, were confused. Based on their estimations, Zero couldn''t harm Lucas and Rowan since they were two of the strongest students in the entire school. How could thetter fail so quickly and brutally, ending up half-dead?


    In the crowd, Lisa''s eyes widened. She was so shocked that she forgot to close her mouth. In her eyes, Zero was somewhat cowardly and always avoids getting into a fight no matter how much he is humiliated.


    She thought it was already strange for him to ept the challenge, not to mention the power and the brutality he showed. Zero was almost treating Lucas and Rowan as objects.


    He didn''t care about their lives and even when they were unable to fight back, he beat them ruthlessly.


    He would always goof off and spend time flirting with her, so she didn''t expect this kind of power and viciousness from Zero.


    Besides her, Sylvia was also stunned. Zero has again shocked her this time. He seems even stronger than Hiro.


    The healer who was stationed nearby came to Lucas and Rowan and began healing them. Lucas came back to his senses, then realized he has lost, he was out of the ring.


    His heart was filled with difort and confusion.


    [ "Why?" ]


    He could not understand why he lost against someone who he deemed inferior to him. He only thought that Hiro could put up a good fight since only he was Rank-E+ but they ended up losing due to some no-name first year that he didn''t take seriously.


    A few secondster, people started toe around. Still, they were in astonishment and overwhelmed by disbelief but someone with faster reactions had begun to shout out in joy.<sub></sub>


    Gradually, more and more people joined in the cheering. Their voices, raised in delight, were loud and clear and could be heard for miles.


    The splendid and violent battle had amazed everyone! Initially, they were surprised by Hiro''s strength, which was greater than Lucas and Rowan''s, and then Lucas and Rowan took a berserk pill to reverse the fight.


    When it appeared that Hiro''s team would lose, his teammate Zero appeared and mercilessly defeated Lucas and Rowan.


    Glory and cheers always belong to the winner!


    On the other hand, the two seniors looked like they had been through hell. They were Rank-E + and had taken the Berserk pill. They were disyed power simr to Rank-D - humans.


    So what?


    They failed anyway. The fact that they were powerful and used the pills was yet another proof of how powerful Hiro and Zero were.


    Professor William looked at me, appalled.


    Not only did he fail to beat Hiro and Zero but also faced criticism from students due to him ignoring Lucas and Rowan breaking the rules. In the end, he did not aplish his goal and even got implicated in the process.


    Professor William announced the winner with a bitter expression.


    [ "The winner of the duel is Zero and Hiro of the first-years." ]


    Everybody started to seethe.


    [ "They are too strong." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "I don''t think I can survive even one minute fighting them." ]


    [ "I didn''t know that there was another monster apart from Hiro in the first year." ] ¡­


    Many students had mixed feelings. Some were happy to have powerful humans, some were jealous and Lucas and Rowan''s fans were angry.


    [ "Hurry up and gather all the information about this Zero. We should recruit him to our guild."]


    [ "Which ss does he belong to?" ]


    Many people who had guild behind them made note of the name while some took action. Zero was offered deals by some while others gave them their guild cards.


    From that day forth, Zero''s name was bound to be spread throughout the entire school, all thanks to this duel.


    *****


    I walked out of the ring. I didn''t agree to join the guilds which some students offered but I did ept their guild cards.


    [ "You have incredible potential. Join our guild, we will provide you with every resource you would need." ]


    [ "We will give you Rank-A artifact if you join our guild." ]


    [ "Zero, you are too strong. You have easily defeated two of the most powerful students." ] ...


    I know that they are overestimating me. It wouldn''t have been such an easy fight if Hiro didn''t wear out Lucas and Rowan. However, it doesn''t feel bad to receive praise.<sub> </sub>


    [ "Zero, I owe you one." ]


    Hiro caught up to me and said.


    [ "Don''t mention it." ]


    I said as I walked away. When I was a step outside of the ring, I turned to look at the instructor. Professor William stared at me with a scowl on his face.


    ( Looks like this incident will not be thest time he messes with me. )


    I know Professor William will not stop rather I think he will make more trouble for me in the future. However, there was nothing I could do.


    Even the school would not help me because I don''t have evidence that Professor William was the one who instigated the second-years to harass me.


    This wouldn''t be a problem if I was stronger than him. It is only because Ick the strength that I need to worry about Professor William.


    I tightened my fists. I was unsatisfied with the present situation. I was not strong enough.


    ( I need more power. )


    I balled my fists tight. It was like you know who caused the dog to shit on yourwn, but you didn''t have any way of making him stop.


    I took another look at Professor William, then shook my head and left the ring. After the duel, Professor William wasn''t in a happy mood. He didn''t say a word as he dismissed the crowd with a sullen face.


    It is time to head home.


    I took a shower and looked at the report from Tech Genesis. As I read the report sent by Aiden, I frowned.


    [ "Looks like other guilds just could no longer keep their hands off mypany." ]


    Other guilds have offered protection to mypany if we be part of their guild, ording to the report. Most of them were bronze and some were silver-graded guilds.


    Mypany is newly established, so only low-grade guilds are interested in it.


    Personally, I think it''s wise to join a powerful guild to avoid trouble, provided the terms and conditions are reasonable.


    However, the nerve of these guilds,  to ask for 50 percent of mypany''s revenue just for their protection. Shadow Genesis, my parents'' guild which is also silver graded, would only charge 20% of profits, not revenue for protection.


    Rather than going under their protection, we are literally asked to work for their guild. I sent a message to Aiden to ignore all the proposals sent by the guilds. I already have a n on how to deal with the protection issue.


    I took out my phone, opened my Eds bank ount, and checked how much money I have.


    ==========================


    Name: Zero Elea


    ount No: 19****7894


    Bnce: 4,546,200 E


    ==========================


    [ "Whoa!" ]


    I didn''t expect to generate this much money in only one month. This money was excluding the amount that I set aside for thepany.


    I grew from having 10,000 users in the first week to almost a million users in a month. The app is growing popr at an insane rate.


    These days, most of the reviews left by users are positive.


    [ ''Love the app, easy to keep in contact with family and friends that are far away. It is easy to use for anyone. My grandpa is even on here.'' ]


    [ ''I have been using this app since its firstunch. It reconnected me with my friends from middle school, family members I wasn''t able to talk to for years. I can send messages or do video calls. TwitFlick has been the only thing connecting the city, and I''m truly grateful.'' ]


    [ ''Whenever I have free time nowadays, I would spend it on ying Flying Slime. This game has kept me busy for the past few days. Truly frustrating to lose when you are about to set a new high score.'' ] ¡­


    The game was extremely popr among users. The game was even more popr than TwitFlick''s other features like sharing videos and photos.


    This is mainly because weck content creators right now. And we don''t pay the content creator. However, I will hire some people to create content, and I will also pay the people who haverge views, much like Facebook.


    I needed to do lots of work to expand mypany. I have to hire people to manage money and other legal stuff.


    I had also decided to create another game for TwitFlick since it is the most popr feature on TwitFlick.


    I also had to deal with the protection issue but with the money that I have, I already know how to deal with it.


    There was plenty of stuff that I needed to do.


    Looks like there will be no rest for me.

 Chapter 33 Invitation

    Chapter 33 Invitation


    I groaned at the thought of all that I needed to do. However, I sucked it up and started working.


    I sat down at my desk and started to work. I had already made a task n of what to do over the next few days and nned to hire people to do it. After finishing all my work, it was already 3:00 am and I retired to bed.


    *****


    I got up in the morning and opened the curtains. The bright sun shone in. I have been sleeping lesstely. It was all thanks to thepany and training.


    I was so busy with work that I had no time left to sleep. But I don''t regret that. All of this was to ensure survival in the future. There is an enormous joy thates from working hard and seeing the fruit of yourbor.


    I finished showering, got dressed, and then had breakfast. Then I headed for ss.


    As I walked into the ssroom, the students started talking to each other about me.


    [ "It''s Zero." ]


    [ "Did he really defeat Lucas and Rowan. Isn''t it due to Hiro that he won?" ]


    [ "You were not there during the match. I saw with my own eyes when Zero viciously thrash Lucas and Rowan." ]


    [ "Really? Then Zero is Rank-E+?" ]


    [ "Idiot, what do you know? Lucas and Rowan were already on the verge of falling when Zero joined the fight. He was only able to beat them because they were exhausted from fighting Hiro." ]<sub></sub>


    [ "Totally. If he was so powerful, he would have joined the fight earlier." ] ¡­


    My reputation had spread throughout the school. Some were  upset that I was riding on the coattail of Hiro; it was mostly students who were not there to watch the fight.


    While many of my ssmates were shocked that Romeo of their ss whom they thought was a coward was able to disy such impressive strength.


    I walked towards the back of the ss. As I did, the students stopped talking and stared at me.


    I walked to my seat and sat down. My seat was at the back of the ss. No one came over to talk to me.


    I nced in the direction of Hiro. Unlike me, Hiro had lots of friends who always chatting with him. Hiro, who was talking to his friends, turned around and looked at me. Then he offered me a smile.


    I smiled back at Hiro. He smiled wider and went back to his conversation.


    *****


    [Hiro''s POV]


    The following day, I entered the ssroom and sat down on my seat. I was fairly early and most students hadn''t arrived yet.


    I was instantly surrounded by people. Even more than before the second year began harassing me.<sub>


    </sub>


    During that time, fewer people wille to talk to me due to the fear of offending the seniors.


    Actually, I enjoy that kind of calm morning, but I could not stand seniors making trouble and causing disturbance to my fellow students.


    ["Hiro, has your wound healed?"]


    One of Hiro''s fangirls asked Hiro.


    [ "All healed up. The Academy healer is really proficient at healing." ]


    Hiro replied while swinging his arm.


    [ "Hmph! You even got beaten up by two weaklings. Look like you need to train harder." ]


    Zion said with a condescending sneer.


    For others, Lucas and Rowan might be strong but for Zion, they were not much different from other students. Just a tad stronger than other weaklings.


    Zion didn''t watch the fight until the end. He decided to leave the arena before finishing the match.


    Zion was annoyed when heter learned that Hiro, who he considered his rival, had been defeated by Lucas and Rowan. Then, wouldn''t it mean Zion was weaker than them since Zion was second to Hiro?<sub> </sub>


    On top of that, Zero who was chasing after his girl had defeated them. Now that Zero was finally getting some recognition, the rumors that Zero was a coward who couldn''t fight were falling apart.


    This means that the impression of Zero might improve in Lisa''s eyes. This all would have been avoided if Hiro had properly defeated Lucas and Rowan.


    [ "Don''t listen to him. Hiro, you did great in the battle." ]


    Sylvia told him. She and Lisa came to ss together.


    [ "Yes, Hiro you were really cool." ]


    [ "Being able to fight two seniors is an incredible feat." ]


    [ "If it was not for Lucas and Rowan breaking the rule, you would have won." ]


    [ "Exactly. Professor William didn''t even disqualify them for eating the pills. It was clear he was helping the seniors." ] ¡­


    Hiro fans started to cheer for Hiro. They started to insult the seniors.


    There was a sudden drop in sound in the surrounding area. It was because Zero has entered the ss. It was then that one of the girls said angrily.


    [ "If he had helped earlier, Hiro wouldn''t have been injured." ]


    [ "It''s all thanks to Hiro that he won. He wouldn''t have won if he was the one fighting them at the beginning." ]


    [ "It was Two vs Two but he was just standing on the stage without doing anything." ]


    Zero nced in my direction. I smiled at him and he smiled back at me.


    [ "I am grateful for his help. I was the one who told him I wanted to fight alone." ]


    [ "Ohhh. I thought about why Zero was not helping you. This exins it all." ]


    Sylvia said to me.


    [ "Why did you want to fight alone?" ]


    Lisa asked with a puzzled expression.


    [ "I wanted topare my current strength with the seniors. Though I ended up getting defeated." ]


    I was embarrassed to say that. Like others have said if I had fought with Zero from the beginning we would have won easily.


    However, I felt responsible for dragging Zero into that fight. He didn''t even agree to ept their challenge, they just included him because I had epted to fight.


    No matter what others say, Zero had saved me. I would have been humiliated and harassed if we had lost that fight.


    Though I didn''t expect that kind of power from him. Others were saying, he had won because Lucas and Rowan were exhausted from fighting me.


    Although their mana and stamina may have been depleted by fighting me, they still had the power of a Rank-E+ peak. I know how strong they were and I had to admit that I would have lost if Zero had not interfered.


    From what I know about Zero, he was Rank-F+ during the start of school. He was pretty famous because Zero would always pester Lisa.


    While others thought he was a coward for refusing to fight when challenged. I thought it was incredible for him to endure being provoked.


    He knows that most of his ssmates are arrogant and would be provoked at slight provocation.


    There can be two reasons why Zero ignores those insults from other students. One, he really is a coward. However, it was unlikely because you wouldn''t see any trace of fear on his face when other students bother him


    The second reason could be, he is more powerful than them. Powerful people don''t like to waste their time fighting weak people. If they did, the people that would challenge them would never end.


    And the fight proved that the second reason was true. However, to grow from Rank-F+ to Rank-E+ in two months is an insane speed. Even with the help of the system, it takes more than a month to Rank up.


    [ "What are you thinking?" ]


    Snapping me out of my thoughts was Sylvia''s voice. All the students near me were staring at me.


    [ "Ah! I-It was nothing." ]


    I chatted with my friends until the teacher came.


    The students returned to their seats after Professor Mia entered the ss.

 Chapter 34 Invitation [2]

    Chapter 34 Invitation [2]


    Professor Mia soon entered the ss and as usual, took attendance. She started saying something but I couldn''t focus because of sleepiness.


    I leaned back, closed my eyes, and rxed. I put my hands behind my head and crossed my legs. I was rxed. Soon I dozed off.


    I was so tired from skipping sleep the night before so I took a nap in ss. I wasforted as if I were in heaven before a voice disturbed me.


    The voice was beautiful and seemed like the call of heaven until it grew loud and dangerous.


    [ "Zero. ZERO ELEA!" ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    I slowly opened my eyes to see that Professor Mia was standing in front of my eyes. She was smiling but I could feel the ck aura surrounding that smile.


    I realized I had identally dozed off after Professor Mia finished taking attendance.


    [ "You sure are rxed to be sleeping in my presence. After ss, Immediatelye to my office." ]


    As she said, she left the ss.


    As she did, everyone got back to their own business. The lesson started and the teacher droned on about the lesson like always.


    I focused on the lecture about the history of Eds and the conflict between humans and other species. I found the lecture boring so I started to doze off again.


    Unlike Professor Mia, Professor Emma would focus on delivering the lecture without caring whether students were paying attention.


    The ss finished in the afternoon.


    -Sigh!


    To be sleeping when Professor Mia was there, what a blunder.


    I gathered my belongings and left the ssroom. I walked out of the ssroom and headed to Professor Mia''s office.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    [ "Come in!" ]<sub></sub>


    The office was a tidy one. When I walked into the room, it felt so empty that it seemed like no one was there. The desks and chairs had been arranged neatly. The book box on the wall was filled with books and papers.


    As I walked in, I saw Professor Mia reading a book.


    [ "Good afternoon, miss" ]


    She looked at me. She dropped her book on the table.


    [ "Do you know why I brought you here?" ]


    [ "Because I was sleeping in the ss. I do apologize for that." ]


    [ "It is good that you are aware of your mistake. Anyway, that''s not why I called you here. Do you listen to what I said in the morning?" ]


    [ "T-that ¡­" ]


    I scratched my head. I started to fall asleep before hearing what she was saying.


    [ "Hah. Seriously. I was telling the ss about the uing mid-term exam that is going to be held in one month." ]


    [ "Ohh. So what do you want me to do?" ]


    [ "I know Professor William is making trouble for you. He had been arguing to be a referee of the duel even though it is always selected randomly. I realize why he wanted to be referee when he ignored the rule in that duel." ]


    She paused and sighed.


    [ "He doesn''t like people without background to outdo his students. Hiro, I can understand but I don''t know why he is making trouble for you too." ]


    ( Isn''t it because of you. )


    [ "Anyway, unlike Hiro, you don''t have much recognition from the school. If you could get into the top 10 in the mid-term, you will be more valued by the school and William can''t mess with you." ]


    [ "Oh¡­" ]


    I started thinking. It was an efficient way to keep Professor William away from me. He was already in trouble due to him ignoring the rules during the duel. <sub>


    </sub>


    And if he makes trouble for me again, the school will not let him get away with it even if his father is an executive of The Authority.


    But Top-10. It would have been impossible if it was two months ago but now I do think I have a chance at getting it. Heck, I might even be in Top-3 if I used all my trump cards.


    [ "I will try my best. Whether I get into Top-10 will depend on my strength." ]


    Professor Mia looked at me like she had seen through my intention.


    If I downright said I would get into Top-10, then it would be like I am admitting that I am strong enough to get it. I don''t want others to know my strength.


    However, she already knows what happened at BloodyWolf forest and the duel. She knows I was at Rank-E - during the BloodyWolf incident.


    She must be thinking that I am still trying to hide my strength. One part of the reason is that and the other part is I am not sure I could get into Top-10.


    Power-wise I have a pretty decent chance of getting into Top-10 but I am not sure about the theory part. We need high marks in both to make it into high ranks. I don''t want to be embarrassed by saying I will get into the Top-10 only to not achieve itter.


    She smiled.


    [ "Good. I will be expecting a good result from you." ]


    [ "Yes!" ]


    Just when I was about to go back, I heard a sounding from the door.


    [ "Professor Mia, I bought you some flo¡­" ]


    It was professor William. He dropped the flowers and stared at me with a stupefied expression. Then he became angry.


    [ "Y-You brat. What are you doing here alone with Mia Frostine?"]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    I tilted my head. What am I doing? I am a student and Professor Mia is my teacher. Of course, I would sometime meet her.


    In any case, what are you doing here with a bouquet of flowers? It is still ss time you know. Though I should be thest person to say that.<sub> </sub>


    [ "Professor William, how dare you toe in without my permission" ]


    Professor Mia said with total contempt.


    Professor William kept ring at me. I also returned his re.


    ( You think I am afraid of you. )


    [ "Hmph!" ]


    Professor William started releasing his mana with the intent of pressurizing me.


    I started to feel the pressure of the Rank-B aura. If youpare the strength of Rank-E and Rank-B, they will be like a pebble and a boulder.


    The pressure started to increase and my legs were wobbling but I refused to kneel.


    Professor Mia stood up and formed a shield around me. She looked at William and started releasing her aura.


    Her mana aura was even stronger than William''s. William''s aura started to weaken. He was still ring at me.


    [ "Professor William, what do you think you are doing. Do you think school will let you off for attacking a student?" ]


    [ "Hmph! I was just trying to teach a rude person a lesson. Don''t take it seriously." ]


    [ "Humph! You don''t have any shame, attacking a student. GET OUT of my office." ]


    Professor Mia angrily shouted. She pointed her finger at the door, indicating Professor William to leave.


    [ "Now, Now. Don''t be so angry. I will not do it again. I have my reason toe here." ]


    [ "Humph! I don''t have free time like you. Tell me your reason quickly and leave." ]


    [ "I want you to be my partner in the uing Sophia''s Birthday party. I know you have no partner to go with." ]


    [ "I decline. I already have a partner to go with." ]


    [ "Huh? Hehe¡­ Don''t lie. Everybody knows you are not close with any men." ]


    ( Or more like I have threatened every man who pursued you. )


    [ "I am not lying. I already have a partner." ]


    [ "Huh? I don''t believe you. If you really have a partner why don''t you bring him here?"


    [ "I am not obliged to do what you say. He will there at the party." ]


    [ "Hahaha... Okay. Then let''s have a bet. If you really have a partner then I will not pester you anymore. But if you don''t have a partner then you will have to go out with me." ]


    [ "..." ]


    [ "What? If you really have a partner then it is no problem for you" ]


    [ "Sure, I ept your bet." ]


    [ "Then it''s a deal. Don''t forget to keep your promise." ]


    Then Professor William left the office whileughing. He red at me before he left.


    [ "Arghhh¡­" ]


    Professor Mia''s grunt startled me. Does she not remember I am still here.


    [ "Professor Mia, what happened?" ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    She quickly corrects her posture. She changed into her teacher mode.


    [ "Why are you still here?" ]


    [ "I was waiting for Professor William to leave. Anyway, why are you so aggravated?" ]


    [ "Didn''t you listen to our conversation? I have to go out with him if I lose the bet." ]


    [ "What''s the problem?" ]


    [ "I don''t have a partner." ]


    She said in a sulky mood.


    [ "Huh? Didn''t you say you have a partner?" ]


    [ "I lied." ]


    [ "Why? If you want to refuse you could have just said you don''t want to go with him. Why lie?" ]


    [ "Humph! What do you know? I will be embarrassed If I admit I don''t have any partner to go with." ]


    [ "Embarrassed?" ]


    I don''t understand what is embarrassing about that. Is going to a party alone embarrassing or having no boyfriend at that age.


    [ "Anyway, how are you going to deal with this problem?" ]


    [ "I don''t know." ]


    [ "Don''t you have any male friends?" ]


    [ "¡­.."]


    I guess not. She is named Ice Enchantress because she has an indifferent attitude towards everyone especially men.


    I have not even seen her be friendly with other female teachers, much less seeing her with a male teacher.


    -CLAP!


    Suddenly, she pped her hands with a smile on her face.


    [ "Don''t we have this option." ]


    As she said that, she held my hands. Her grip was firm, but the pressure of her fingers was so delicate that it felt like she wanted to tickle me. She stared at me with glistering eyes.


    [ "EH?" ]


    ( I have a bad feeling about this! )

 Chapter 35 Invitation [3]

    Chapter 35 Invitation [3]


    [ "That''s right! I shouldn''t have any problem going with you." ]


    [ "Ahhh...." ]


    [ "You are already my student. If we go out together, then there will be no problem." ]


    ( That''s exactly the problem. How can a student and teacher go to a party as partners? )


    [ "I respectfully decline. A teacher and student attending a party while pretending to be a couple are not appropriate." ]


    [ "How about you help me this time? You said that you owe me." ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    Oh. I owe her for saving me. I nearly forgot that. She wants me to help her with this problem? I guess I have to. Compare to her saving my life, posing as her partner is no problem.


    [ "Though if you don''t really want to then it''s okay." ]


    [ "It''s okay. I will be your partner." ]


    [ "Really? Then I don''t have to worry anymore. The party is next Friday, I will pick you up." ]


    I walked to the door. When I reached the door, Professor Mia said to my back.


    [ "Thank you!" ]


    I ate my lunch in the cafeteria and then proceeded to train in the training field. My goal this time was to train my Shadow Style.


    The training ground was more packed than the Magic Art training ground. Most students have sword art.<sub></sub>


    The training turned out well and I had improved my condensing mana in Shadow Style.


    I returned to my dorm and checked my phone for any news. I was specifically looking for the auction that is going to be held. I was searching for any auction that had Malus Fruit as auction items.


    Malus Fruit usage was unknown until theter part of the novel and it became one of the most sought-after fruits.


    If you consume the Malus alone, it will only increase your mana. However, this is not the reason why it is sought after.


    You have to mix Malus fruit with another Rank-A item Lilium flower at the ratio of 3:4.


    If the mixture is taken by Rank-A+ peak then he/she will break through to Rank-S.


    Due to the limited avability of Malus fruit, only a few rich people could rank up this way.


    Currently, the method has not been discovered. Therefore, the price of Malus is a lot cheaper than it will be in the future.


    Though I don''t need it right now, it will be useful in the future. Whether for money or to break through the Rank-S.


    Despite the only known use for the item right now being to increase mana. It was still expensive as it was a Rank-A item and quite rare. It would cost more than 100,000 Ethan coins right now.


    While searching for any auction news, I came across a piece of hot news. It was about a Gold graded guild attempting to clear floor 30 in the Obelisk.


    The Obelisk is a tower with an unknown number of floors. The higher you climb, the higher rank monster you encounter.


    Obelisk allows only 10 people in a team. If an extra person enters then they will be treated as a different team and they will be teleported to a different ce.


    While raiding the Obelisk Tower, it would take months before a raid isplete. So, preparing for rations and potions is a huge expense. However, the reward is also high and many people do it.<sub>


    </sub>


    If you beat the boss stationed on every 10th floor, there is a high probability of an artifact appearing.


    It was reported the Rank-A team had been inside the Obelisk for over a month with the intention of conquering the 30th floor.


    The name of the guild was NightShade. It was a fairly strong guild with three Rank-A+ peak members.


    Anyway, after reading the news I jumped back to searching for items. Atst, I saw the Malus fruit which is the item that is going to be auctioned this Friday.


    I noted down the auction ce and time. It is to be held in the auction house of a gold-graded guild.


    After that, I casually looked at the status of the app and I was stunned. The app had lots of negative reviews and sales have droppedpared to yesterday.


    There were lots ofments, telling others not to download the app.


    [ ''Scam! Waste of money.'' ]


    [ ''Contain Virus. My phone was destroyed after downloading this app.'' ]


    [ ''Malicious content! Don''t Download'' ] ¡­


    [ "What the hell! What happened?" ]


    There were at least a thousand negative reviews. Did something go wrong? I called Aiden.


    [ "Hello boss!" ]


    [ "Aiden, what happened? Is the app malfunctioning? We are losing lots of users." ]<sub> </sub>


    [ "Sir, about that¡­ The app is working fine. My guess is some guild hired people to write negative things about the app. It could be the guild that we have rejected to work with before." ]


    [ "Hmmm¡­ Can you find out who is behind this?" ]


    [ "Sir, I know someone who might have this information¡­ I-It will cost some money." ]


    [ "Don''t worry about money. Usepany funds for now and find out who is behind this." ]


    [ "Ok" ]


    I ended the call. Looks like someone is looking for trouble. Perhaps they have found out that thepany is not associated with any guild, so they are messing with us.


    [ "Good! Good!" ]


    I don''t understand why trouble ising looking for me. From Devil Contractor in BloodyWolf Forest to Professor William, everyone seems to be targeting me.


    What? If a tiger doesn''t roar, you mistake it for Hello Kitty? I will make you all regret it sooner orter.


    The next day, I showed up to ss and as always the students were giving me weird looks. After two months, I got used to these stares.


    Though initially, their stares were more of looking at some clown. Now, they seem to be staring at me due to their curiosity.


    I would usually ignore those stares but it is difficult for me to ignore them while I am training. Therefore, I headed to the Ice room where I could train in peace.


    I decided to visit thepany before going to the dorm. Since a month ago, Tech Genesis has grown significantly. Now, with Software Engineers, thepany had a management team and a Legal team.


    With this, I don''t have to handle everything. The recruitment of more employees is easier since ourpany has been running for a while and also because I pay my employees more than others.


    Since most people who don''t be fighters are generally low-rank, their pay is also low. They would usually get around 5000 - 7000 Ethan coins.


    However, I pay them at least 10,000 Ethan coins, and Aiden who is the senior is paid 20,000 Ethan coins excluding bonus. Since ourpany generates quite a bit of revenue, you can guess how much bonus they get.


    Therefore, employees would invite their friends toe to work there. Since I am still short-handed, I appreciate others bringing talent to thepany.


    As the boss of thepany, I had to visit thepany from time to time. I treat my employees to dinner sometimes. My employees work hard to make money for me, so I need to treat them well.


    Well, you could say I am treating them better than most. Talent other than fighting is not really appreciated by society in this world. They are generally looked down upon.


    But whichpany made up of low-rank humans can earn more than 5 million just after one month of establishing?


    The explorer and high-ranked humans are popr because of the money they earn but I don''t think even the Gold graded guild generates as much profit as mypany.


    I entered thepany and the receptionist greeted me hurriedly.


    [ "Good Evening, Sir!" ]


    She bowed gracefully.


    [ "Good Evening, call Aiden to my office." ]


    [ "Right away!" ]


    I nodded and went to my office.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    [ "Come in!" ]


    [ "Sir, sorry. I have not handled the matter properly. Looks like the other 5 silver graded guilds are targeting us. " ]


    [ "5 Silver guild. How can that be?" ]


    [ "From the information I got, It looks like someone from the Gold graded guild has instructed them. Otherwise, there is no way they will team up to take a smallpany like ours." ]


    [ "Gold-graded guild?" ]


    [ "The informant also said that they suspect the Gold graded guild to be a Dark guild." ]


    ( Dark Guild )


    Dark Guilds are guilds made up of people who like to murder, rob, andmit other uwful things. Despite not being contracted with Devil, they are not any better than them.


    [ "Dark Guild ¡­ " ]


    Still, it doesn''t exin why they would target us. If the Silver-graded Dark guild targets us, I can get it.


    However, the Gold graded guild has no reason to invest so many resources into acquiring mypany.


    [ "Do you know what the name of the guild is?" ]


    [ "It is CunningSkull." ]


    What a sinister name!

 Chapter 36 NightShade

    Chapter 36 NightShade


    [ "CunningSkull¡­" ]


    CunningSkull. I had heard this name before. I think it was a guild that has been growing steadily in the past few years. They were average in terms of strength but it is more influential than other Gold-graded guilds.


    [ "Sir, they are trying to create trouble by hiring people to spread bad rumors about the app. Shall we also hire people to counterattack ?" ]


    [ "No need. How much money does it take to hire thousands of people to write a negative review. They can''t keep this up for too long." ]


    It would take between 10,000 and 30,000 Ethan coins to hire thousands of people. Even a Gold-graded guild can''t keep hiring them. And for the damage that they might inflict on us, I can handle it.


    I have enough money to keep thepany running for a year even without earning more money. Anyways, I am aiming to implement ads on the app.


    [ "How is the implementation of ad features proceeding?" ]


    [ "We are in the testing phase. All the previous tests showed a positive result. We can soon implement it into TwitFlick." ]


    [ "Good! Implement the feature as soon as possible. We are also going to build another game. Have a graphics designer and some programmer toe to my office." ]


    [ "Yes, Sir!" ]


    [ "Ah! And also have someone find a Gold-graded Guild whose financial status is poor." ]


    Aiden paused for a moment before answering.


    [ "Sir, I think I know just the guild who is on the verge of going bankrupt."]


    [ "Oh! Which guild?"]


    [ "Do you know the guild that attempted to clear floor 30th in Obelisk Tower recently?" ]<sub></sub>


    [ "NightShade,?" ]


    I saw some news concerning this guild while I was looking for Malus fruit.


    [ "Exactly, Sir! They failed to clear the 30th floor of Obelisk Tower and owe quite a bit of money to the bank. The guild took a considerable amount of money as a loan to purchase resources for conquering floor 30th. Now, the guild is about to dere bankruptcy." ]


    [ "Nice!" ]


    I gave a thumbs-up to Aiden. Though it was a pity for the NightShade guild, but this type of guild was exactly what I was looking for.


    [ "Aiden, contact their guild. Tell them we will provide them with all the money they need, on the condition that they will work under us." ]


    Aiden was dumbfounded.


    ( Have a gold-graded guild work under us? Have you been driven insane! )


    He looked as if he had just heard me say that the earth was t. Nopany would dare ask a gold-graded guild to work under them. At most, they would ask to work as a partner.


    [ "Sir! I don''t think they will agree." ]


    [ "Just ask them once." ]


    [ "OK!" ]


    Aiden left the office.


    After a while, the employee who was a specialist in graphic design and programming came to my office. They were about 10 in total.<sub>


    </sub>


    I wanted to make a game for PC. Ideally, something like Fortnite and Dota 2 would be great but the graphic designer in this world was not at that level to build that kind of game.


    So, I chose something that was fun and didn''t need high-quality graphics. The answer that I came up with was Minecraft.


    The graphics of Minecraft are not that great but the game itself is fun. Minecraft is called one of the "greatest games" on Earth and there are 140 million active users. With such statistics, you don''t need to worry about whether it will be popr or not.


    Then I exined ''MY'' idea to them. I called the game "WorldCraft" which is absolutely my original idea.


    ( Sorry Markus Persson )


    The people in the meeting took note of what I said and asked a few questions when they didn''t understand.


    The meeting took 3 hours and I was left exhausted. But with this, thepany will have another source of ie.


    Even if CunningSkull doesn''t stop hindering the TwitFlick sales, I will still have another source of ie.


    The game was fairly easy to make and with this many employees, I reckon it will take 3 - 5 days to make the prototype.


    Anyway, right now TwitFlick is suffering from sales due to negative reviews. I might as well focus on developing other things and using this time to fix issues in thepany.


    To start with, the biggest problem in mypany is that we do not have a guild to protect us from other guilds.


    [ "Aiden, have you contacted the NightShade guild." ]


    [ "Yes, but before agreeing, they want to meet you." ]


    [ "Okay!" ]<sub> </sub>


    I have guessed that this may happen. No guild will readily agree to work under apany.


    Just money was not enough to convince a Gold-graded guild to work under us. However, I still have another thing to entice the guild master.


    The meeting with the NightShade guild master was scheduled for tomorrow.


    After returning to the dorm, I retired to bed.


    The next morning, I practiced my sword technique. I have no choice but to rent a training ce to train my sword Art. Since the students at the school constantly stare at me, which makes me ufortable to practice.


    I decided it was more efficient for me to rent a training facility outside of the dorms. I headed to practice Shadow style that morning. My body was still sore and tired from yesterday''s work but I still trained.


    At 7:30, I came back to my dorm and took a shower. I ate breakfast sitting at my tiny desk. My breakfast was a bowl of cereal and yogurt.


    I decided to skip school and go to Tech Genesis. The damage done by the CunningSkull was more than I had expected. The downloads of TwitFlick had almost reached zero the following day.


    It was not good news but I was that concerned about it. It was only temporary and I knew that it will be popr again.


    I walked to thepany office. The meeting with the guild master of NightShade was in the morning.


    At 9:00 am, Aiden led the NightShade men into my office.


    The one which I presume is the guild master held out his left hand for a handshake.


    [ "Nice to meet you. My name is Glenn Gruth. I am guild master of NightShade" ]


    I also extended my hand to greet him.


    [ "Thank you foring. I am Zero Elea, Tech Genesis owner. How may I help you?" ]


    The guild master of the NightShade guild was a brawny man. He is tall and his muscles look as hard as steel.


    A steel mask covers his face, with only narrow slits for his eyes. He had a shaggy beard and sunken eyes like they''d been pecked by a bird. He greeted me with a broad smile, which exposed snaggled teeth that looked like they were filled with nails.


    He was as tall as a normal person - tall, muscr, and had a dark tan, covered in tattoos.


    [ "I want to see who had the guts to tell a Gold-graded guild to work under somepany. I didn''t expect to see a brat here." ]


    Though his remarks were harsh, I didn''t feel any hostility directed towards me. He was a straightforward person, the type that doesn''t hide their intent or beat around the bush.


    [ "Are you disappointed?" ]


    I asked them with a smirk on my face.


    [ "No, rather I like your courage. So, what benefits can you give us for working under you? If you can convince me then our guild will be willing to be your guard dogs." ]


    [ "OK. First, I know your guild is not in a good financial condition to continue operating. I heard your debt is almost 3 million Ethan coins. We will settle the bank debt, and we will provide resources for the future exploration like raiding the Obelisk Tower and dungeons." ]


    [ "It seems to be a fine proposition but for working under you, it falls short. We can get this kind of contract from otherpanies without working under them." ]


    I held up my hand to signal him to stop speaking.


    [ "First of all, I know otherpanies are not willing to invest in your guild right now. Second, listen to my proposal first." ]


    I looked at him seriously.


    [ "I will help you reach Rank-S." ]


    ["¡­"]


    [ "W-What? Don''t speak nonsense." ]


    The one who responded was the Vice-guild master who came with Glenn.


    The guild master held out his hand to signal him to stop and looked at me seriously.


    [ "I know you will not believe me right now. I am, however, willing to sign a Mana contract with you. The condition is I will make you rank-up and your guild wille under me." ]


    Mana Contract! You are required toply with the conditions signed by both parties in this contract. If you don''t keep your promise, you will die.


    [ "Zero Elea, are you speaking the truth. If you can really guarantee my ascension to Rank-S then the NightShade will be at your beck and call." ]


    What is the difference between Rank-S and Rank-A? There are lots of Rank-A humans but a very limited number of Rank-S.


    Rank-S are treatedpletely different from Rank-A. Rank-S name will be known by most people.


    Those who reach Rank-S are addressed as heroes by other people. It is to signify that those who have reached rank-S are the protectors of human peace and prosperity.


    [ "But before that, I need to know what type of person you are. Let''s fight." ]


    [ "¡­" ]


    What fight? Do you want to kill me? You are Rank-A+ and I am merely at Rank-E.


    [ "Haha¡­ Don''t show me that face. I will limit my power to Rank-E and if one of your attack hits my body, I lose." ]


    If he seals his power to Rank-E then I might have a chance. I believe there are not many people at same rank who can beat me.


    [ "Deal!" ]

 Chapter 37 Fight With A Rank-A

    Chapter 37 Fight With A Rank-A


    [ "Sir, are you serious? Even with his power sealed, his experience and mastery of mana are iparable to yours." ]


    [ "No worries. It''s not like we are fighting to the death." ]


    Because of Aiden''s concerns, I reassured him. I also need to see my full capabilities of Rank-E. And NightShade''s guild master was the perfect opponent.


    [ "Let''s change the ce. Aiden, find a suitable ce." ]


    Prior to Aiden''s reply, Glenn spoke up.


    [ "Let''s go to our guild fighting arena." ]


    We went in the car of NightShade guildmaster. The guild was nearby and only took 2 minutes to reach.


    What a perfect guild for ourpany, I thought. The NightShade headquarters was near thepany which makes it easy for them to help us in case something happens to thepany.


    [ "This is our guild headquarter." ]


    What an ugly ce. It was arge square with a squarish building in the center. Aging chipped walls and uneven ground. I was really disappointed to see the condition of the building.


    However, I was wrong to judge the guild by its cover. We entered the building and I was really impressed. The interior of the building was clean and well-maintained. The interior had a very high ceiling and a modern elevator.


    It was a stark contrast to the exterior of the building. I can say that the interior of the building is worth 100 times more than the exterior.


    The elevator stopped on the third floor of the building. The ce was quite spacious. I was surprised by the view on the third floor. <sub></sub>


    The fighting stage was at the center of the third floor. The stage was arge circr area, the edges were elevated seats for the audience. It was an enclosed area but it had a ceiling that was very high in the center.


    [ "Wow! This is amazing!" ]


    [ "I am not surprised. It is a Gold-graded guild. It must be less amazingpared to your former workce." ]


    Aiden was formerly an employee of a Diamond-graded guild. Surely that had to be more impressive than this.


    [ "Boss! You might not know but we nonbatants are not allowed to visit ces such as this. It is a privilege given only to high-ranked members." ]


    Aiden spoke to me with a tone that was full of envy. If a person is not abatant and not a member of the guild, then he or she is not allowed to visit this kind of ce in the guild.


    It is a rule in every guild. If a person is not part of the guild, he or she is not allowed to enter most rooms that are kept for Explorers.


    [ "This is my first time seeing this kind of arena. I could only visit the public arena and it was not this big." ]


    [ "This is also my first time visiting a Gold-graded guild. It''s impressive indeed." ]


    I looked at the arena. Two people fought in the arena. One was using a sword and the other was using a spear. They both were in Rank-C.


    The dancing des and spear thrusts looked very beautiful. The sword user had the upper hand on the spear user.


    [ "Wee!" ] <sub>


    </sub>


    A big guy came to us. He had a tall and huge build. He was in charge of training NightShade newbies. Glenn introduced us to each other.


    [ "So, why are you here guild master? I thought you went to negotiate with apany." ]


    [ "He is thatpany''s boss. We are here to borrow the arena." ]


    [ "Oh¡­ Understood Guildmaster!" ]


    He bowed to Glenn and left. He exined the situation to the fighters and halt the fight. Everybody''s eyes were focused on us.


    [ "It''s the Guildmaster. I wonder whether that kid is the new recruit." ]


    [ "Is Guildmaster going to fight?" ]


    [ "Let''s take a video." ] ¡­


    Guildmaster Glenn seems to be highly respected by them. They step aside to make way for us.


    I stepped onto the center of the stage and then Glenn followed up. We stood in the arena, opposite to each other.


    [ "In this match, I will limit my power to Rank-E. Let''s begin.''" ]


    Putting his hand out, he smiled. Probably he is a Fist user, or maybe he is being lenient. Regardless, I will use my full power. I pulled out my sword.<sub> </sub>


    There were some whispers among the crowd.


    [ "Is Guildmaster nning to fight with that kid?" ]


    [ "Don''t tell me he is also a Rank-A." ]


    [ "Psssh! Don''t talk nonsense. Don''t you see Guildmaster emitting Rank-E aura? Guildmaster is obviously being easy on him." ]


    [ "The difference of power between Rank-A and Rank-E is 10000 times. Even with his power limited to Rank-E, Guildmaster is still more powerful than a Rank-E. How much longer do you think the fight willst?" ]


    [ "I think 10 seconds." ]


    [ "Nah! I say 3 seconds." ]


    [ "What a shame. I wanted to watch Guildmaster fight longer." ] ¡­


    I stand still at the center of the stage, waiting for Glenn. I need to be wary of his attack.


    Contrary to my expectation, the attack never came. I thought that to avoid being hit, he would relentlessly attack me.


    Apparently, he is underestimating me. However, I will not hold back.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    Glenn stood still. There was no way he could dodge my attack now. I am disappointed that the fight will be ending in such a way.


    However, the next thing that happened was the attack never hit Glenn. The attack was shattered before it reached his body.


    [ "This is our guild''s defensive Art. Battle Barrier. Your attack can never prate this unless you use an extremely strong attack." ]


    Glenn proudly said with his hand on his waist. There was a yellow glow surrounding Glenn''s body.


    I was stunned. I didn''t expect my attack to be blocked like that. Till now, I didn''t encounter any opponent who had blocked my Shadow shpletely.


    Even with Battle Barrier, it would have been near impossible to destroy my attack like that. However, I know Glenn has just used Rank-E power.


    I wanted to know how he had blocked my attack. So, I used my attack again.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    This time I carefully observed Glenn. He was still nonchntly standing like a statue.


    [ "Battle Barrier: Golden Bell" ]


    -BAM!


    [ "Oh!" ]


    I understood how Glenn was able to block my attack easily. He used the skill with mana condensed on where my attack would hit, making the barrier many times stronger.


    The fact that Glenn could condense the mana to that degree shows his great mana control. And also his vast fighting experience as he could do it right before my attack hit him.


    [ "Kid, I aming!" ]


    Glenn came near me and threw his fist. His hand was wrapped in a green aura. He is a fist user. It won''t be easy to block the blow.


    I can only rely on my speed to avoid the attacks. I avoided his blow and tried to hit his body but he was quicker than me. He moved to the side of me and delivered another blow.


    I must admit that he has a great deal of fighting experience. He can easily dodge my attacks like he knew where I would attack.


    I had no choice but to back off. Glenn showed no mercy. He threw many punches at a fast pace. I have to use my sword to defend most of the time.


    Glenn''s fierce attacks forced me to retreat. I can feel the damage every time I am hit. I have no choice but to focus on defense.


    [ "This is the end kid!" ]


    Glenn raised his fist to deliver a final blow. I can''t block it. I could feel that this time he was exerting his maximum strength.


    I would lose if I tried to defend the attack with my sword.


    [ "Hah! And here I thought I could win just by relying on my Sword Art. I seriously underestimated a Rank-A+ fighter. In the end, I have to rely on my Cryomancy Art." ]


    I lifted my hand and gathered my Ice energy.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]

 Chapter 38 Fight With Rank-A+ [2]

    Chapter 38 Fight With Rank-A+ [2]


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    The Ice Wall started to shatter until a thinyer of Ice was all that was left. Even that seems to break.


    -CRACK!


    And it did break. However, I was at least able to defend myself from his attack with Ice Wall.


    Glenn didn''t stop there, he attacked me fiercely, though not as powerful as the previous attack.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    I continued defending against his attack with my sword.  His attacks were heavy and precise. I got hit here and there while trying to defend but it was not enough to make me fall.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I tried to counterattack and give myself some time to breathe. However, Glenn easily dodged the attack and gathered his mana on his fist.


    He was preparing tounch the strong attack that he had done previously.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    The attack was once again stopped by the Ice Wall.


    [ "I didn''t think you would have a powerful Magic Art. Powerful Sword Art and Ice Magic, you are surely a talented person. However," ]


    The battle barrier was activated once again.  The yellow glow shrouded Glenn''s body.


    [ "You still don''t have enough power to beat me." ]


    Glenn said with a smirk on his face.


    [ "You will see!" ]


    Though I said that, I know I can''t break his battle barrier with my Ice Magic. Shadow sh was already my strongest attack and even that failed to break his defense.


    However, I still had a trump card.


    [ "Dual Art" ]


    I continued training the Dual Art after I had recovered from my injuries. Now, I was quite proficient in using it. Though I can still only use it for one or two attacks without suffering from any bacshes.<sub></sub>


    More than that will make my mana unstable resulting in internal injuries.


    [ "cial Shadow sh" ]


    This was currently the strongest attack I had in my arsenal. If this didn''t work then I can only ept my defeat.


    -BAM! -BAM! -CRACK!


    The attack hit his barrier and froze it.


    [ "Huh?" ]


    The barrier was frozenpletely. I punched the barrier with all my strength shattering the frozen barrier into pieces. I had managed tond a punch on his abdomen.


    [ "Hah... Hah... Hah!" ]


    I was exhausted after having tounch the cial Shadow sh. Adding to it, I still had to run and attack him. It was very taxing on my body.


    I raised my fist in the air and shouted.


    [ "I won!" ]


    The whole arena fell into silence. They were still processing what just happened.


    A Rank-E broke the defense of the strongest man in their entire guild. It was unbelievable even when you actually saw it with your own eyes.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    After a while, the sound of apuse resounded the area.


    [ "Did you see that? He managed to get past the guildmasters defense."]


    [ "Even with guildmaster using only Rank-E power, I didn''t think he could break it."]


    [ "The power at the end manages to exceed Rank-E. I have never thought a Rank-E kid could disy such immense strength."]  ...


    *****


    On the Arena.


    [ "I won!"]<sub>


    </sub>


    It was truly a difficult fight. I was too arrogant to think that I could easily win against Rank-A+ if he limit his power to Rank-E. If this was a serious fight, I would have been dead.


    I realize that in a fight; Power, Skill, Stats, and Art are not the only things that matter. Lots of things like experience, reaction speed, and luck also contribute to one''s victory.


    This time I won because I only had to hit his body with my attack to win and also because he was caught off guard by myst attack.


    It is good to be confident in your power but always refrain from bing overconfident. I was too arrogant in underestimating my opponent due to my insane growth in recent days.


    I, now know why many talented young masters are always defeated by MC. It is because they are too overconfident in their abilities. They are not cautious while fighting others.


    I feel that this fight has taught me too many things. Being modest, knowing my limit, and advantages of having experience.


    ( Looks like I need to battle others for the experience. They do say experience is the teacher of all things. )


    [ "Winner of this duel, Zero Elea."]


    The referee announced the result with aplicated expression.


    [ "Haha... I didn''t expect you could break my defense. Yourst attack was the strongest that I have seen among Rank-E."]


    Glenn said with augh. Looking at his face, you won''t think he had lost. Instead, he seems happy after being defeated.


    Maybe he is happy to find that thepany owner who wants to invest in them is talented or maybe that the young generation who would lead humanity is strong. Either way, he doesn''t seem a tad bit depressed from losing the duel.


    [ "Thanks for yourpliment. I still have many things to learn from you. This fight was truly an eye-opener."]


    [ "Haha... As per the agreement, I am willing to let the guild work under you."]


    [ "I will have Aiden send the contract to you. I hope for happy cooperation."]


    Yes! I got one of thepany problems solved. Now, I can leave thepany alone without worrying about other guilds annexing it.


    NightShade is one of the strongest Gold-graded guilds in the area after all. You don''t want to mess with them just to get a smallpany like ours. Hopefully, those Silver-graded guilds will stay away from now on.


    After going back to thepany, we made a contract and signed it. Other than the mana contract, we also had to write a contract which states lots of conditions like helping thepany when dealing with others and protection and other stuff which was all handled by Aiden.


    After that stuff was done, I was busy preparing to go to the auction house. I still had to get Malus fruit to promote Glenn to S-Rank.


    With Glenn''s ascension in rank, even other Gold-graded guilds have to be careful before messing with them.


    *****<sub> </sub>


    The auction was held the next day. I took Aiden as my assistant and went to the auction. The auction waspleted after 4 hours.


    My objective of going to auction was fulfilled, though I had to spend quite an enormous amount of Ethans coins.


    [ "First on the items that I got was Malus Fruit. It cost me 1.4 million Ethan coins."]


    **************


    Name: Malus Fruit


    Rank: A


    Description: Consume to increase the mana capacity of the user. The increased amount depends on the user''s rank.


    Requirement: Rank-A


    Mana Capacity: +5%


    **************


    [ "The second item was the Magic bracelet. It was around 200 thousand Ethan coins."]


    **************


    Name: Enchanted Frost Bracelet


    Rank: C +


    Description: The weapon for Ice user created by Enthir. It increases the Ice energy control and increases the power of Ice rted attacks.


    Magic Attack: +20%


    ****************


    The Magic Bracelet is a rare and unconventional weapon to use. Many Mage prefers staff and wand as they are better than a bracelet.


    However, this was exactly the type of weapon that I need.  Though it was not popr among the buyer as Magic Art was already rare, not to mention it was for Ice Magic.


    Adding to that, Magic Bracelet was a good weapon but not the best. You could get better items at the same price. Like magic wand has better statspared to the magic bracelet of the same rank.


    However, why I bought this was because I could use the bracelet while also wielding my sword. That means I don''t have to switch weapons while using different Art.


    It was perfect for me. And it was more powerful than the Magic wand I got from school.


    [ "Next item that I bought was a spatial ring. It cost me around 250 thousand Ethan coins. Though more expensive than normal storage ring but it has also more space." ]


    ************************


    Name: Spatial ring


    Rank: B


    Description: The items can store lots of things unless it is a living being. The store in here will also not rot since it is enchanted with magic


    Capacity: 100 square meters


    ************************


    Looking at the description of the item, I felt satisfied but when I looked at the storage ring, I frowned.


    Whenever I see a storage ring I can''t help but remember being scammed.


    ( That old man, I will remember to take my revenge. )


    [ "And thest item is an earring. The artifact was really good for increasing mana capacity. It cost me around 380 thousand Ethan coins, almost double the price of Enchanted Frost Bracelet." ]


    ************************


    Name: Amethyst Earring


    Rank: C


    Description: There is an increase in the mana capacity of the user. There is also the chance of increasing the charm of the wearer.


    Mana Capacity: +15%


    ************************


    Though the Amethyst Earring was the same rank as the Enchanted Frost Bracelet, however, many bidders bid against me for this item.


    Unlike Enchanted Frost Bracelet which had limited users, the Amethyst Earring can be used by every person. I finally got it after spending 380 thousand Ethan coins.


    The items have all good effects that could drastically boost my strength. The items were all worth every penny.


    I went to the training ce of NightShade to test the effect of my artifact. Not only is it close to mypany, but the training room I can ess is also better than what I can get in other ces.


    I equipped the earring and the bracelet and tried to attack the dummy which could withstand a Rank-D attack.


    [ "Dual Art: Ice Sword" ]


    I want to know the current strength of me with artifacts equipped.


    -SLASH!


    The head of the dummy was chopped off like a hot knife cutting through butter.


    [ "..." ]


    I didn''t expect my attack power to increase by this much. The artifact was truly amazing, with it my attack power has reached that of typical Rank-D.


    I was happy with the effect of the artifacts. With the Enchanted Frost Bracelet, my Ice Magic attacks were on another level and with Amethyst Earring, I could exert more mana.


    I practice till midnight. The joy of increasing the power was incredible. However, I remind myself not to be conceit. I still had a long way to go before I can say that I am strong.


    The next day, it was the weekend and I nned to help Glenn reach Rank-S. Aiden was able to procure Lilium Flower. Though expensive it was not that rare and is often found in Rank-A dungeons.


    I just had to mix Malus fruit with Lilium flower at a ratio of 3:4. I put the mixture into a ss.


    I went to see Glenn in NightShade Guild. The guildmaster''s office was on the top floor and the receptionist led me the way.


    [ "Hello guildmaster Glenn." ]


    [ "Hello Zero. What brings you here?" ]


    [ "I am here to fulfill my contract condition." ]


    -BAM!


    [ "Contract condition? You mean promoting me RANK-S?" ]


    Glenn stood up banging the table. He looked at me with astonishment and also with a little bit of excitement.


    [ "Yes! " ]

 Chapter 39 Ascension To S-Rank

    Chapter 39 Ascension to S-Rank


    [ "Yes!" ]


    Glenn stared at me for a while. I waited for his response. I am well aware of his feeling. Nobody can confidently say that they can make someone rank up to S- Rank.


    There are some rare potions developed to help promote Rank-B to Rank-A but no method was developed for helping Rank-A ascend to the higher rank.


    [ "A-are you sure you can help me?" ]


    [ "Well, I did promise you that I will ensure you will ascend to S-Rank, didn''t I?" ]


    [ "Well, I ..." ]


    ( Can you help people promote to Rank-S just because you said you can? )


    [ "So, what do I have to do in order for me to Rank-up?" ]


    I took out the mixture from the spatial ring and gave it to Glenn.


    [ "Drink this." ]


    Glenn took the ss from my hand and stared at it for a while and asked.


    [ "T-this is ... This is ..." ]


    Glenn looked at it with a serious expression like he have seen gold.


    ( Wow! Did he feel the power of this mixture? Humph! he must have felt this mixture is his ticket to Rank-S)


    [ "This is What?" ]


    -PTUI!


    I almost ended up falling down listening to what Glenn said. Earlier he was looking at the mixture seriously like he knew what it was.


    I had to regain my posture. I strengthen my back.


    [ "Ahem! This is the potion that will help you ascend to Rank-S." ]


    [ "This drink?" ]


    [ "Yes! Now, hurry up and go to a room and take this potion. You just need to wait for its effect." ]


    He stared at the potion before leaving the office. I along with Vice-guildmaster went with Glenn.


    We waited for Glenn outside the room.


    After 2 hours.


    [ "Will the guildmaster really seed?" ]


    [ "Trust me. He will be a new person when hees out of this room." ]


    -BOOM!


    [ "Huh?" ]


    There was a sudden burst of mana from the room where Glenn was. The mana aura went from Rank-A to Rank-S.


    [ "Looks like he did it." ]


    Coming out of the room was the shirtless Glenn. His aura was unstable but it was definitely of Rank-S.


    [ "Thank you! I didn''t think I could ever reach this rank in my lifetime." ]


    Glenn bowed before me. I could feel his sincerity in his word.


    [ "That''s what I promised." ]


    I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.


    [ "Now that you have just been promoted to Rank-S. You need to consolidate your power. I will leave for now." ]


    [ "Thank you for your help. Our guild will work hard to pay for this grace." ]


    The Vice-guildmaster said to me. I nodded to him and left the guild.


    Instead of going to the dorm, I went back to mypany. The status of TwitFlick was still the same. Unexpectedly, the CunningSkull guild didn''t give up, instead, they increased the way to disrupt our business.


    Frommenting negatively to ndering our app online and also posting it in news. I didn''t expect them to be so persistent.


    Though I was running at the loss, I didn''t take serious action against them as I had WorldCraft. The WorldCraft prototype was ready and I went to check whether everything was working okay.


    [ "I, Is the chat system working correctly." ]


    I asked the team leader of the WorldCraft developer. She was one of the best programmers in Tech Genesis. Though she was Rank-F like many of my employees, however, she had Rank-E analytical skills which helps her be better at coding than other programmers.


    [ "We have tested multiple times and it is working perfectly." ]


    [ "Great!" ]


    I yed the game for an hour and it felt like I was ying the earliest version of Minecraft.


    [ "Good! Everything is working perfectly!" ]


    We discussed the deployment of the game to the developers. We decided Monday as theunch day of WorldCraft.


    After that, I spend the rest of the day on training. I also used all my time on Sunday doing some intensive training.


    On Monday.


    The WorldCraft was to beunched at noon. We had advertised a lot on TwitFlick and made a wishlist for those who decided to buy the game in advance.


    The users on TwitFlick had crossed millions and about 5 % of them had already decided to buy it. The price was only 10 Ethan coins.


    I have already made about 500,000 Ethan coins even before releasing the game. This was the power of advertisement in social media.


    [ "Hehe..." ]


    Just thinking about all the money that I could earn, I can''t help but grin. I already experienced the power boosted by having a good artifact. I need more money if I wished to purchase stronger artifacts in the future.


    *****


    I woke up at 5:00 am and went to Nightshade training room to train and came back to the house at 7:00 am. I took a shower before having breakfast.


    I left the room at 7:30 and went to the ssroom. The day went by as usual.


    I went home at 6:00 pm. I opened myptop and checked how the sales of WorldCraft were going on. The WorldCraft was downloaded 200,000 times.


    I was happy. The sales of WorldCraft were going well. I called Aiden.


    [ "Hello! " ]


    [ "Hello, Aiden. The sales of WorldCraft are going well. You can add bonuses to the WorldCraft developer and let them rest tomorrow.


    [ "Okay, I understand." ]


    [ " And also, I can see that CunningSkull has not stopped messing with TwitFlick." ]


    [ "Sir, do we ask for assistance from NightShade. We might be able to stop them from disturbing us using NightShade''s name." ]


    [ "No need to fight back, just keep your focus on WorldCraft right now. Also right now, Guildmaster of NightShade is in the middle of consolidating his new power. We will wait for him to consolidate his power before confronting CunningSkull." ]


    [ "Understood!" ]


    I thought that CunningSkull would stop their attempt to disrupt our business after we had NightShade as our backer.


    If the goal of CunningSkull is to make money, they would have stopped a long ago since they are losing money trying to nder ourpany.


    They were also showing their intent to buy ourpany. They send some people to negotiate with us though I had declined all of the people.


    ( Looks like their goal is not money but to obtain mypany. Though I still don''t understand why they would want to. )


    Most of the guild would rather focus on getting the right to dungeons and artifacts than getting apany. The profit generated from the dungeon far surpasses what a typical business can earn.


    That is why I don''t understand why they would spend so many resources on acquiring mypany.


    Thankfully, they didn''t physicallye to make trouble with thepany. However, now we have the protection of NightShade. So I don''t think they will try to attack mypany.


    Anyway, the WorldCraftunch was a great sess. Even more than TwitFlick which is understandable as TwitFlick was entirely developed and released by me whereas WorldCraft was backed by the entirepany.


    Now that I have people who had to spend their time dealing with bugs, make more refinement and also have a team who were specialized in the advertisement.


    I didn''t advertise only on TwitFlick. We had newspaper and even TV ads to announce the release of WorldCraft. The cost has easily crossed 100,000 Ethan coins.


    However, the greatest news that day was not about theunch of our game though. The hottest news was about NightShade''s guildmaster breaking through S-Rank, making him enter the ranks of Heroes.


    I clicked on the news of Eds Newstime which is my preferred news channel.


    [ ''Last night, we heard a piece of incredible news from our source stating that we have a new S-Rank. The person who had broken through is Glenn, the guildmaster of NightShade. Their guild was on copse since their failure in Obelisk Tower but now looks like they will be rising. Let us ask the expert of his opinion on this sudden ascension of Glenn.'' ]


    [ ''Good evening! The ascension of Glenn was too sudden. Glenn is a talented individual but his potential was only limited to Rank-A. I didn''t expect him to make a breakthrough. He must have gotten an opportunity in Obelisk Tower.'' ] ...


    The people who are in S- Rank are less than 200 in the entire Humalia Domain. Ascension of S-Rank was great news as it means that humans are bing more powerful.


    Looks like NightShade is going to be in limelight for quite a time. There must be many guilds andpanies who would want to work with NightShade now that Glenn is in Rank-S.


    Can you believe that the guild which was on the verge of bankruptcy a few days ago is rising? This was the charm of S-Rank. The fame of guilds with S-Rank heroes waspletely different than those guilds that didn''t have S-Rank heroes.


    NightShade is currently working under me. I can use them to advertise my apps. Glenn could say a few words about TwitFlick and all the attempts of CunningSkull to defame TwitFlick will all wash away.


    While I was thinking about using the fame of Glenn, suddenly the doorbell rang.


    -DING-DONG!


    I went to see who was at the door. I opened the door and it was an envelope with the sender as Aiden. I took the envelope and went back to the room.


    I called Aiden.


    [ "Hello, Aiden!" ]


    [ "Hello, Sir!" ]


    [ "Aiden, what is the envelope that you send me?" ]


    [ "Ah! Ipletely forgot to inform you. Sir, do you know the about Silverde guild." ]


    [ "Silverde?" ]


    I pondered for a moment. I felt like I have heard this name but I can''t remember it.


    [ " Nothing rings a bell." ]


    [ "It is a Diamond-graded guild who is headed by Crazy Sword, a Rank-S + who is ranked 34th in heroes ranking." ]


    [ "Oh! What about it?" ]


    [ "Apparently, the birthday of Sophia, the child of Crazy Sword is on Friday. They sent us their invitation card." ]


    ( Ah! The party that I need to attend. I didn''t think they will send an invitation to mypany. )


    [ "Any reason that they sent this invitation to ourpany? I don''t think Diamond-graded guild will be interested in our littlepany." ]


    [ "Sir, about that, I don''t know. They just send their invitation card." ]


    [ "Hmmm" ]


    It was strange for them to send us an invitation card. We don''t have any rtion between us.


    I opened up the envelope which had a ck card. evidently the invitation card.


    Even without Professor Mia, looks like I needed to attend this party inevitably. I can''t exactly reject when a Diamond-graded guild has sent in their invitation.


    I tried to remember the major events in the novel. But there was no mention of anything special happening on the birthday of Sophia.


    Obviously, MC and others are also invited. Sylvia, Zion, and Lisa are all sons and daughters of important figures. Hiro Ernest was obviously invited because their guild is interested in recruiting him.


    Even if recruitment fails, they still would like to form a friendship with Hiro because of his potential. Though in the novel, only them attending the party was mentioned.


    No description about any ident or events happening. I can rx if it was like that. The less the novel mentions something, the less dangerous it is.


    Since the novel only had MC and his friends attending the party. It means nothing happened there.


    -SIGH!


    ( Still, I would have liked to avoid attending the party. I don''t like being with a huge crowd. )


    [ "Aiden, order a suit for me." ]

 Chapter 40 The Birthday Party

    Chapter 40 The Birthday Party


    The next few days were the same as usual. I spend most of my time on training.


    The WorldCraft game has been expanding rapidly. The user for WorldCraft has almost caught up to TwitFlick. Even though the game was out for only 4 days.


    The users were mostly children. Themunity continued to grow bigger and bigger. We also had an official TwitFlick page for WorldCraft, already having 100,000 members.


    WorldCraft doing well means that my wallet is also doing well. However,pared to truly rich people, I stillcked money. You should know that it takes billions of Ethan coins to buy a Rank-SS artifact if it ever got auctioned.


    Rank-SS artifacts are extremely rare and only some individuals possess them. Thest time it was auctioned was 3 years before.


    If I wanted to be strong then I will need a Rank-SS artifact. I need to build sources for my money.


    Setting aside thepany matters, today was the day when I have to attend Sophia''s birthday party as Professor Mia''s partner.


    Before going to the party, I needed to go to the beauty salon. Aiden said I need to go to the best beauty salon. The party will include a lot of people of high status. So he told me that I need to maintain my image.


    Cappiello Salon is the name of the beauty parlor that was rmended by Aiden. He said that it was often visited by his former guildmaster. I had to have an appointment with them if I wanted to avail their service. I asked Glenn to make a reservation for me.


    Glenn has been promoted to Rank-S and his reputation is at an all-time high right now. His word was more powerful than mine even though I was technically his boss.


    [ "Wee! Sir, Did you make a reservation for today?" ]


    [ "Ah! Yes, the name should be Zero Elea." ]


    The clerk checked the list.


    [ "Sir, Let me show me take you to the room." ]


    Glenn''s word was indeed effective. Normally, people had to wait for days after their reservation but I was able to get their service even though Glenn has asked them right now.


    The building was already had great decoration, however, the interior room was especially luxurious. They said what I would like to do. They rmended doing cosmetic treatments, hair cut and others things that I don''t understand.


    [ "Just make me presentable for the Party." ]


    I don''t understand what I needed to do anyway. I would rather have experts do their job than me suggesting something wrong.


    They started by cutting my hair. And then doing facials and manicures and a lot of other things.


    After hours of beauty treatment, it was finally done. I put on my suit and went to look at the mirror.


    [ "Wo!" ]


    I can''t help but exim. They gave me a total makeover.


    The green eyes which seems childish looked strangely mature now. The hair was changed from long and messy hair into short and trim hair. The Amethyst earring and Enchanted Frost Bracelet which is a weapon also looked like an ornament right now.


    The slick ck hair with the ck suit was a greatbination. If I took my picture right now and showed it to my yesterday self, he will be probably questioning who this handsome man is.


    [ "Status" ].


    With all those treatments that went to my beauty, my charm stats must have definitely increased.


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E


    Strength: D -


    Speed: E +


    Stamina: E +


    Mana: D


    Luck: B


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Practitioner ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Beginner ]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    Woah! I didn''t expect my charm stat to increase by 2 Rank. The Cappiello Salon does deserve to be one of the best beauty parlors.


    -RING! RING! RING!


    While I continued appreciating my beauty, suddenly, my phone rang. The name on the number was Professor Mia.


    [ "Hello, Professor Mia!" ]


    [ "Where are you right now? I wille to pick you up." ]


    [ "Cappiello Salon" ]


    [ "Wait there! I will be in a minute." ]


    After a few minutes, a car which is simr to Lamborghini Aventador stopped before me. This was an Explorer car; while having a simr function to a normal car, however, the material used to make these cars were very strong.


    Even Rank-B monsters may find it is hard to destroy this car. You can already guess how high the price of this car is. It was already on par with Rank-A artifacts.


    Professor Mia came out of the car.


    I stared at her totally stupefied. Professor Mia''s clothes were elegant and blue in color. Her exquisite small face which was already pretty was further enhanced by her red lipstick, disying an image of Ice beauty. Her white hair was held in ce by an attractive flower essory.


    She looked absolutely dazzling. If my charm was A+, hers were definitely SS or maybe SSS. I was utterly mesmerized by her beauty.


    [ "Zero are you here?" ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    When I came to my sense, I realize that Professor Mia was staring at me.


    [ "Sorry! I was just lost in thought!" ]


    [ "Phew! I thought something happened to you. You were not responding when I was calling you earlier. Get in the car, we will go to the party straight away." ].


    I got inside the car and Professor drove the car. I can''t help but give some nce to Professor Mia.


    [ "Professor Mia, What is your rtionship with Sophia? I don''t think you are attending the party for fun." ]


    [ "Of course not. Sophia was my best friend at Ace Academy. Also, don''t call me Professor when you are with me at the party. It will sound weird." ]


    (It will sound weird. Who would go to a party with a student as her partner? )


    It took around 15 minutes to reach the birthday venue. There were lots of people going inside the hall.


    When Professor Mia came out of the car, everybody''s attention was drawn towards jer.


    The white-colored hair matched her blue-colored dress, causing her entire body to release a faint, cold disposition that repelled people such that they were thousands of meters away from her.


    Everyone''s gazes swept across us. The once noisy crowd fell into silence. Their eyes initially shed with adoration that a man would have for a woman. However, there was also fear mixed in with that adoration.


    Lots of guests were also from influential backgrounds, however, even they were a little afraid of thisdy beside me. This showed how much fame and strength Professor Mia possessed.


    Being the greatest talent of her time, many know her face. Before Hiro, she was the one who was assessed as possessing the potential to reach Rank-SSS.


    She didn''t disappoint them as she quickly rose in rank and became the youngest to reach Rank-A.


    Being with this woman, the attention ma, it was inevitable that they also got curious about me, her partner for the night.


    -HUUUUFFFFF! -PUUFFFF!


    I took a deep breath and prepared myself for whatever I might face at the party.


    Nervousness Begone!

 Chapter 41 The Birthday Party [2]

    Chapter 41 The Birthday Party [2]


    ( Hiro''s POV )


    Hiro was invited to the birthday party of the heir of Crazy Sword, guildmaster of Silverde. The birthday girl is Mrs. Sophia who had reached Rank-A - which was really rare for her age.


    Sophia would have been considered the most talented among her age group if not for Mia Frostine. Sophia''s talent was second only to her.


    Not only that but She is also known for her beauty which isparable to Professor Mia. Some also called her the Most Beautiful person.


    Hiro hade with Lisa, Zion, and Slyvia. They were chatting when suddenly the crowd started getting loud.


    The whole crowd was looking at the entrance. Hiro was curious too and looked at what got their attention.


    All the people invited here are influential and powerful. To get their attention was not as easy as normal people.


    [ "Huh?" ]


    Hiro could not believe what he saw. There he saw two people who seem like a beautiful couple.


    However, it was impossible for them to be a couple. Hiro knows that fact better than anyone because the boy was his ssmate and the other was his teacher.


    He looked at hispanion to see that they too were stunned by what they saw. Not to mention Slyvia who is always expressive, even Lisa who rarely shows different expressions has an astonished face.


    Hiro again looked at the couple. He particrly looked at the man with Professor Mia. He had his hair cut and looked more handsome than usual.


    But the green eyes and the aura he excluded all were the same as Zero. Hiro at first doubted that he might be a person that just looked like Zero but when that man came to them, Hiro confirmed it was indeed Zero.


    *****<sub></sub>


    Currently, the sky had already turned dark. However, the Emerald Banquet hall remained brightly lit. The hall yed loud music and a lot of people were entering and exiting the ce.


    [ "Isn''t it etiquette for man to lead their partner?" ]


    Professor Mia asked Zero while turning around and elegantly making her way to Zero''s side. She held out her hand.


    Zero could only bitterly smile and sigh. He could only take her hand and lead the way.


    They walked through the main door. The crowd and noisiness inside once again caused Zero to frown slightly.


    With Mia Frostine''s appearance, it was natural that she would easily catch people''s eyes, especially men.


    Immediately, numerous gazes were shot over. When these gazes saw that Mia''s and Zero''s hands were being held together, they became momentarily nk.


    They immediately stared at the Zero with strange gazes. Some gazes were of curiosity while others were filled with sourness and fury.


    Holding hands and going out with Mia Frostine might be the dream of many young men of Star City. However, Mia''s strength and her cold personality shattered most of their hopes.


    Although Professor does not necessarily disdain others getting close to her, however, people who were familiar with her know that this enchanting and beautiful woman does not like people pursuing her.


    She does not hide her disdain for people who flirt with her. If the men do not stop courting her, she does not mind showing her powers to scare them off.


    It was already extremely hard for men to be ordinary friends with her, not to mention going out with her.


    The men with strength were rejected, men with appearance didn''t even get a nce from her and even men with good fame were ignored by her.<sub>


    </sub>


    No matter the background, wealth, or power a person held, they were all rejected by her.


    Therefore, when they saw that Mia Frostine was actually holding hands with a man whose appearance was not great, whose rank was E, and when his fame was nonexistent, they couldn''t help but be angry at him.


    Of course, with Mia''s appearance and aura, there was no shortage of admirers at the party. The previous men who courted Mia wereparing Zero with themselves. They all thought that they were all better than him in every way.


    The only thing he was superior to was his youth. The men were younger or at least looked younger than them. They thought Mia preferred younger boys.


    [ "Who is that boy with Mia Frostine? Don''t tell me he is her boyfriend." ]


    [ "I have never seen him before. He looks young, his age is probably lower than 20." ]


    [ "Who would have thought the Ice Enchantress who didn''t give nces to men is into a little boy." ]


    [ "I didn''t know what men like about that vixen. She even managed to seduce my boyfriend before." ]


    [ "Why? Is being strong good for women? I am as pretty as her but all men are ensnared by her." ] ...


    The various different kinds of gazes around him cause Zero''s face to twitch a little. He pulled Mia''s hand and entered the party as his expression calmly endured those intense gazes.


    As they passed through the crowd, Mia''s footsteps suddenly came to a stop. Zero''s gaze leaped over her and eyed the group in front of her. At that spot, a pretty girl was smiling as she happily conversed with those around him.


    The beauty that was at the center of the group was naturally the most important person at this party, Sophia Flores.


    She was currently standing prettily with a group of people around her. Her exquisite and peerless face contained a gentle smile. The pink-colored dress embedded with a precious gem that only the rich could wear would asionally reveal the graceful curves underneath. <sub> </sub>


    Whenparing her figure, she did not appear to be any worse than Mia Frostine. However, their auras werepletely different.


    Mia had a cold aura which makes one feel distant while Sophia''s aura was warm making people open up to her.


    Sophia turned around to see what caused themotion among the people and saw Mia. She quickly hugged Mia when we reached near them.


    [ "~Mia, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you." ]


    A littleter, Sophia raised her head and looked carefully at me. She smiled and turned her face towards Mia.


    [ "I can''t believe the cold beauty of the Ace Academy managed to snatch a man before me. I thought you were going to die single." ]


    She then turned her head toward me and grinned.


    [ "Young man, how did you steal her heart. She was always indifferent to any kind of pursue." ]


    [ "It is not like that." ]


    Professor Mia interrupted Sophia.


    [ "Anyway, let me introduce you to her. She is the birthday girl, the daughter of Crazy Sword, Sophia Flores." ]


    Professor Mia introduced her.


    [ "Happy Birthday, Ms. Sophia. I am Zero Elea, partner of Mia for tonight''s party." ]


    [ "I will go and greet my other ssmate. You can also go chat with your friends over there." ]


    Professor Mia pointed in the direction of Hiro and others. She went with Sophia to their group of friends.


    I didn''t know anyone except Hiro. So, I went to greet him.


    Hiro and Zion were wearing what men would typically wear at parties. ck suit and ck ties.


    Sylvia was wearing an absolutely stunning red dress which really suits her. It made her look more mature.


    Lisa was wearing a white dress which made her look innocent and elegant.


    If not for the fact that I was just with a more stunning woman than them, I would have been captivated by their beauty.


    Lisa and Sylvia were also beautiful having many men drooling at them, however, Professor Mia was even more so. Lisa and Sylvia have not fully matured leaving them to be more cute than pretty.


    [ "Good Evening! I didn''t expect you all to be here already." ]


    I greeted Hiro and others. Though I don''t understand why they are making faces like that.


    Their eyes widen with mouths open slightly. It was a little amusing to watch their faces right now.


    There was no response for a while. I thought I was not loud enough, So I thought I needed to repeat myself. However, before I repeated myself, Sylvia replied.


    [ "Y-eah!... Emm. W-why were youing with Professor Mia?" ]


    Sylvia asked while stuttering.


    [ "Obviously because I am Professor Mia''s partner." ]


    I told her calmly. Rather than giving an excuse and making it like I ammitting some kind of crime, it is better to straight away tell the truth.


    This will make some things less awkward and less mortifying, like when you take other things without permission and the owner asked you whether you had taken their things. You have to admit right away without finding some excuse.


    This indirectly means I have taken your things, I didn''t steal them and I will return them.


    Simrly, I am trying to tell her, I am Mia''s partner, so what? It is not like I am breaking anyw. I didn''t do something I should be ashamed of.


    [ "..." ]


    There was no response. I just awkwardly stared at them, asionally, touching my hair.


    [ "Good for you! " ]


    Sylvia pped her hand and replied excitedly after a few seconds. The pause in between their replies is really making things awkward for me.


    [ "We came together an hour earlier. I didn''t think I would see you with Professor Mia. ~What happened to you chasing Lisa? Did you already forget her?" ]


    [ "Ehhh?" ]


    Just when I was thinking about what I should say, I felt a hand on my shoulder.


    Turning around I saw a man that I don''t recognize but I do recognize the person beside him.


    ( Professor William )

 Chapter 42 The Birthday Party [3]

    Chapter 42 The Birthday Party [3]


    [ "Who do we have here? Isn''t this our school belle. How have you been Mia?" ]


    A mature woman wrapped in a tight, red dress that thoroughly hugged her exquisite body asked Mia in a friendly way.


    [ "Good! How is your work going on?" ]


    Professor Mia answered. Even if she usually has an aloof expression, when meeting friends after such a long time, she can''t help but smile.


    [ "It is going in a good direction. Being in The Authority is not easy, I have to regrly fight with Devil Contractors and go on long expeditions." ]


    She thought about the hardship under The Authority and sighed.


    [ "Who was the boy with you? I have never seen him before." ]


    The one who asked her was a girl who seem toe from an aristocratic family. Waving her fan around elegantly.


    [ "Of course, he is my partner." ]


    [ [ [ "Partner?" ] ] ]


    [ "I didn''t expect the Ice Enchantress who fearless killed thousands of monsters to have this kind of taste in men. Many men must be bleeding in their heart." ]


    [ "Aren''t you worried about your partner being killed by your admirers. As I can see, he seems to be less than age 20." ]


    [ "They can try if they have the power. Don''t underestimate him just because he is young, I estimate he will reach A-Rank in less than 5 years." ]


    [ "A-Rank in 5 years? What is his age right now?" ]


    [ "15." ]


    [ "15? 5 years from now on means 20 years. You mean he is more talented than you. Is he Hiro, the one who is recognized as having more potential than you? But I remember him having ck eyes." ]


    She has seen the information about Hiro at the headquarters of The Authority. However, the physical description of Hiro doesn''t match Mia''s partner.


    [ "He is not Hiro. His name is Zero Elea, a fairly unknown student but I believe his name will shine sooner orter." ]


    Professor Mia answered calmly. She truly believed in what she said. <sub></sub>


    [ "Mmm. Seriously? I can''t believe that there is someone more talented than you. I think even that Hiro is less talented than you, not to mention this unknown boy. Well, we could always know their limit in the future." ]


    While the girls were having a happy conversation, somebody was not delighted. That somebody is Professor William.


    The moment Zero came with Professor Mia holding her hand, Professor William''s mood was filled with rage.


    He didn''t only lose the chance to be the partner of Mia but the student who he despises was holding hand with his woman.


    His friends also knows that William has been chasing Mia for years. They can see that he is not happy at the moment. So, they refrain from making anyment about Mia, in case William gets agitated by their words.


    Justin Scott, a friend of William, wanted to take this chance to suck up to William.


    Although William is not that powerful but his father was an executive of The Authority. Just having Williams owe him means that he could use William''s influence in the future.


    Justin Scott went over to William while holding a ss of wine.


    [ "Lord William, do you know the boy that came with Ice Enchantress?" ]


    Justin first inquired about the boy, to get intel about him. He wouldn''t mess with him if he had powerful backing.


    [ "Hmph! Just a nobody." ]


    Justin was reassured by William''s reply. Justin didn''t see him in any other influential party and William said he was a nobody. So, Justin proceeded with his n.


    [ "Lord William, Do you want me to chase him away from this party?" ]


    [ "Mmm" ]


    Professor William thought for a second. He had understood Justin Scott''s objective that is to gain his favor.


    He could effortlessly make Zero go away but he was already been warned for neglecting rules by Ace Academy. If there was news that he beat students then he would surely be fired from his job.


    Although his father was an executive of The Authority, however, Ace Academy principal was also of the same rank as his father.


    And Ace Academy also has the backing of The Authority, so he can''t just use the power of his father recklessly.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "All right!" ]


    ( Getting me to owe him nothingpared to him wanting to see Zero suffer. )


    He had previously failed to teach Zero a lesson but he didn''t think much of it.


    Now, Zero is taking his woman. He didn''t care much about other things, as long as Zero disappears from this party.


    *****


    [ "Who are you?" ]


    [ "I am Justin Scott. I have never seen you before. How did you get invited to this party." ]


    [ "???" ]


    Justin Scott? Who is this guy? I have never heard his name but from the way he speaks, I don''t think he came with good intention.


    [ "I came with Mia Frostine." ]


    I replied. With Mia Frostine''s power, most people wouldn''t dare to mess with her associates, or so I thought.


    [ "With Ms. Mia. Heh... Boy, I don''t think you have the qualification to be with Ms. Mia. Can you show me your Invitation card or else I will need you to leave the party." ]


    (Huh? What is this guy bbering? Do you think you own this ce? I can tell just by looking at his attitude that he is William''sckey,ing to make trouble with me. )


    Anyway, I decided to ignore this guy. Just looking at him, I know that this guy is nothing important.


    I continued drinking juice without saying anything to him. Even if I exin, he would not listen to me.


    [ "Yo-You... How dare you not take this young master seriously?" ]


    Zero has unknowingly touched the nerve of Justin Scott. Justin Scott is the son of a Gold-graded guild, however, he didn''t have the talent of his father.


    His age is 30 and he is still in rank-D. It is quite average and many of his same age is also in Rank-D. <sub> </sub>


    This would be considered normal for others but he was the son of Rank-A +. With the resources provided to him by his parents, he could have at least reached Rank-C by now.


    But sadly, his talent was below average. Without resources provided by his father, he would be just a normal human with Rank-F power.


    As a kid, when he entered school. Many people would not take him seriously, because of his weak talent. Unlike servants of his family, other students would not listen to his order which greatly upset him.


    He would use his father''s influence to invite strong fighters to break the legs of those who he didn''t like.


    However, people of strong background and good talent would still ignore him. He would be treated as insignificant by people who had a more powerful background than him.


    Therefore, fr getting ignored is the greatest humiliation to him. It means that he is seen as inferior by the other party.


    [ "You will regret this?" ]


    Justin Scott unleashed his Mana Aura trying to suppress Zero. He felt that he could easily intimidate him easily with his mana aura given Zero was only at Rank-E.


    However, no one in that group moved or felt ufortable by this aura. Sylvia, Lisa, Zion, Hiro, and Zero were all strongest among Rank-E. They would not be suppressed by merely Rank-D aura.


    Justin tried increasing the intensity of his aura but it has no effect. The biggest humiliating thing about this situation was that Zero didn''t even bother looking at him during this whole ordeal.


    He was still nonchntly drinking his drink. This made him angrier, and he even forgot why he was there.


    Previously, it was to gain the favor of Professor William but now it had turned into a personal grudge.


    [ "Good, Good! I tried to peaceful make you leave but you didn''t take the opportunity. Guards!" ]


    He knows that he can''t recklessly make trouble in the event hosted by the Diamond-graded guild. However, it will not harm him if he makes Zero leave using their guards.


    Two-man in ck suits and sunsses appeared quickly.  Every guard of Silverde at this party was Rank-C and above.


    [ "What can we do for you, young master Justin Scott." ]


    [ "This guy doesn''t have an invitation card. I want you to throw him out." ]


    [ "Th-This we can''t do. We have seen hime with Ms. Mia. We can''t offend the guest of the Ice Enchantress." ]


    Though Justin Scott is someone that their guild wants to be on good terms. However, offending Ice Enchantress was not worth the favor of Justin whose only merit was his background.


    Ice Enchantress; Not only an individual who is assessed with SSS-Rank potential but also her parent''s guild is a  Diamond-graded guild on par with Silverde.


    Offending Justin is nothing serious to Silverde. Justin is not talented and even their guild is nothing in front of Silverde.


    However, offending the Ice Enchantress may lead to them losing their life.


    [ "What? You leave the unauthorized person to stay? Did you not hear what I said? Throw him out!" ]


    Justin shouted angrily. Getting ignored by an unknown boy and getting refused by a mere guard was infuriating him.


    [ "Younger master Justin, we suggest you leave him alone. He is the guest of Ice Enchantress, you need to seriously worry about your life if you offend her partner." ]


    This time the guard seriously warned Justin. It was in their interest to have the conflict end here and now.


    [ "Ice Enchantress..." ]


    Justin though arrogant knows that he can''t offend Mia. Even his father can''t protect him if she decides to kill him.


    He forgot about her due to William saying that Zero was a nobody. Though he might not have any powerful background but he had the backing of Ice Enchantress. That was enough reason for many people to stop messing with Zero.


    [ "Argh!" ]


    Justin was panicking and thinking about withdrawing.


    [ "Even if he came with Mia, so what? This party is hosted by Silverde and he needs an Invitation card to enter." ]


    Professor William said. He thought that Justin would be able to handle Zero himself since Justin was very eager to help him.


    But turns out he is incapable of everything except being humiliated.


    [ "How can we let some unknown man stay with us. What if he had malicious intent towards us. As the guard, it is your duty to guarantee our safety." ]


    [ "Th-This..." ]


    It is easy to deal with Justin. Even if he is unsatisfied, it wouldn''t matter to them. However, Professor William was different.


    He is the son of one of the executives of The Authority. They would be med by the guildmaster if they upset William.


    [ "Young master William. Sorry, but we can''t really afford to offend Ms. Mia. Please, let the matter rest here." ]


    [ "Huh? You mere guard dare to defy my words." ]


    William started releasing his B-Rank aura. He was not afraid of offending Silverde. With his father''s position, he would not be implicated.


    [ [ "Urghh!" ] ]


    The two guards were Rank-C and were struggling to stand on their feet.


    Many sensed the mana aura released by Professor William and started looking at that ce. A crowd slowly started to form around Zero and Professor William.


    I didn''t expect William to be so imprudent. Attacking the guards of Silverde was simr to disrespecting them.


    I wanted to help the guards because it only happened to them due to them defending me. But being only at Rank-E, I can''t do anything to Rank-B.


    Professor William red at me and increase his intensity. He seems to be conveying a message to me; ''This is what happens when you cross me.''


    Though I don''t know why Professor William didn''t directly attack me. Knowing what kind of character he is in the novel and from what I have seen till now, Professor William was a shameless and petty person.


    He didn''t care who his opponent is, he will use every kind of dirty trick to make his enemy suffer.


    Suddenly, a protective barrier appeared in front of the two guards.


    [ "William, don''t treat this ce as your home. Do you think you can do anything just because of your father?" ]


    A girl wearing a pink-colored dress came out from the crowd.


    Both the guards excitedly shouted.


    [ [ "Young Lady!" ] ]

 Chapter 43 The Birthday Party [4]

    Chapter 43 The Birthday Party [4]


    Mia Frostine was talking to her friends when they felt someone releasing their aura.


    [ "Huh? Who dares to unleash their mana aura in Silverde party?" ]


    They all looked in the direction of where the aura wasing from.


    [ "Hey look, it is William. I think he is making trouble for your little lover~." ]


    In the mind of Julia, Mia''s lover should be talented enough to handle William. She didn''t know anything about Zero but she very well knows Mia Frostine.


    For the guy who could make Mia her partner would have to be extraordinary. She did hear Mia exin about the bet and how Zero ended up getting chosen as her paertner.


    However, even if she had a bet with William. She would have never considered going out with a man if she didn''t have a good opinion of him.


    Therefore, Julia was not that anxious about William going against Zero. In her eyes, William was just a man who reached Rank-B by taking many elixirs.


    He has nothing to show except his rank. He would easily be defeated by other Rank-B who has conquered dungeons and have fighting experiences.


    [ "This no good man. He shamelessly ims Mia is his. If not for his father, I would have already incarnated that man." ]


    The one to reply was Sophia. Whenever she attends a party with Mia, he will always pester her nonstop. He was arrogant and a narcissistic person.


    He believes that no one is more suitable to be Mia''s husband than him.


    Sophia didn''t like this kind of man because she too had a simr man courting her.


    she knows this kind of guy who doesn''t take into the consideration of other party''s feeling and continue pestering them. <sub></sub>


    Unlike most girls who would judge a man based on talent and background, she looks at their personality.


    Sophia is one of the most talented people and there is hardly any man who could match her talent. And her father was the guildmaster of Diamond guild, so she also had a powerful background.


    Therefore, she does not get impressed by a man who would unt his background and talent. It was just an annoyance to her.


    Like somebody boasting about getting 90 points on a test to her again and again when she had gotten 100 points.


    [ "This William really is imprudent. Attacking our guards. I let him regret this." ]


    Sophia was furious and went to help her guards immediately.


    Sophia created a mana aura around the guards to protect them from William''s aura.


    [ "William, don''t treat this ce as your home. Do you think you can do anything just because of your father''s position?" ]


    *****


    I watched the scene as Sophia came forward and helped the guards.


    [ "Ms. Sophia don''t be angry. I was just helping you by teaching these treacherous guards a lesson." ]


    William stopped releasing his aura.


    [ "Treacherous guard? William, you don''t get to decide whether our guard is treacherous or not. Keep your lie to yourself. If you don''t give me an exnation, you have to leave this ce immediately." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "If your guards are not treacherous then howe they let an unauthorized persone in. I tried to ask them to kick him out but they refused." ]


    William said as he points the finger at me.


    I found the situation funny. The reason why William is called third-rated viin was pretty clear to me.


    He is so narrow-minded that he thinks everything will go as he wished. He does not care about the consequences of his action, probably due to his father''s power.


    [ "William, he is the lover of Mia. I know you chase after Mia for many years and are trying to make things difficult for her little lover but don''t expect me to help you." ]


    Sophia said angrily. William was treating Sophia as a fool. They all know that Zero hade with Mia but William insists that he is an unauthorized person.


    When they were arguing, Professor Mia came toward me and asked.


    [ "Zero, are you okay? Why is Professor William making trouble with you?" ]


    [ "Yes, I am fine. He is trying to shame me by having me thrown out of the party by using me of not having an invitation card." ]


    I said nonchntly as this was not my problem. And indeed it was not my problem as I do have the invitation card from thepany.


    [ "Ahh. I am sorry Zero, I forgot to give you the invitation card. Sophia is my best friend and she is okay with anyone I bring. I didn''t expect Professor William to bother you for this reason." ]


    [ "No need to apologize. He would have bothered me anyway." ]


    (  How could an arrogant and impulsive man like William hold his anger when the woman he likes is holding hands with another man. )<sub> </sub>


    [ "Sophia just because Professor Mia invited him doesn''t prove anything. If it is like that can I bring barbarians to the party? We are people of high society, we cannot associate ourselves with a poor boy. If so, Aren''t we degrading ourselves? I think the guest here will agree with me." ]


    William was trying to reel in other people. By telling them that Zero is a poor boy who doesn''t deserve to be in the same ce as them.


    [ "Yes! What kind of qualification does he have to attend this party." ]


    [ "We came to your party but you let some unknown boy enter the party. If you don''t kick this boy out, I might have to leave the party." ] ...


    Many people supported William''s reason. The majority who supported him were looking to establish a good rtionship with him, while others were jealous and angry that Zero was with Mia Frostine.


    [ "This William! Zero I will go and exin the..." ]


    I caught the hand of Mia while she was about to go and intervene.


    [ "Mia,  Let me go and handle the situation. Professor William has a problem with me." ]


    The rtionship between me and William has already been established. He hates me and I know he will continue to bother me from now on.


    Rather than not responding to his taunt, I would like to get back at him. If I continue to keep quiet, he will take revenge. If I go against him, he will take revenge. If the end result is the same, I should at least do what I want.


    [ "Professor William, why are making trouble like a little brat. using me without any evidence. How do you know whether I have an invitation card or not." ]


    I asked William mockingly.


    [ "Huh? using you without any evidence? YOU? Does a son of a Silver-graded guild have an invitation card? Don''t make meugh." ]


    [ "And what if I have the invitation card." ]


    [ "Hmph! If you do have the invitation card, I will leave this ce." ]


    I showed him the Invitation card. It was in my best interest that this problem be solved as fast as possible.


    William silently looked at the card. The mocking smile from William''s face was gone and was reced with astonishment.


    [ "Th-This... How can it be?" ]


    [ "Now that you know I have the invitation card, please stop annoying me any longer with your stupid antics. You are Professor, so stop acting like some idiot." ]


    I left the area with Mia. The crowd stayed and stared at Professor William who was still standing without moving an inch.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    [ "Now that the problem has been solved, let''s continue with the party." ]


    Sophia said. The crowd soon dispersed and Professor William left the party angrily.


    [ "I didn''t know you had the invitation card. How did you get it?" ]


    Mia asked curiously. As far as she knows, only influential people were invited here except Hiro who they want to recruit to their guild.


    [ "It was sent to mypany a few days ago." ]


    [ "Company? You have apany?" ]


    [ "Yes! A smallpany that I established not long ago." ]


    [ "Small Company?" ]


    ( How can a smallpany be invited by Diamond graded guild? )


    However, she didn''t probe further since Zero seems to not want to reveal anything more.


    Soon after, Sophia and others came to them.


    [ "Hehe... Little Lover, I didn''t expect you to be so sly. Humiliating William when you could have already shown your invitation card earlier." ]


    [ "Th-This is?" ]


    [ "She is one of my ssmates, Julia Robert. She is aw enforcer of The Authority." ]


    [ "Nice to meet you. I am Zero Elea. William and his friend didn''t give me a chance to show them my invitation card. I guess he wanted to attract everyone''s attention and embarrass me in front of the crowd." ]


    [ "Ohh. Seems like something Williams would do. However, you should be careful of them. William and Justin Scott may try to take revenge on you. " ]


    [ "Justin Scott?" ]


    [ "The guy that was with William. He is nothing muchpared to William but he is still the son of the guildmaster of CunningSkull. He might try to get help from his guild." ]


    ( Huh? CunningSkull? Did I just hear he is from CunningSkull? )


    Is it a coincidence or ...

 Chapter 44 How Can Someone Be This Beautiful!

    Chapter 44 How Can Someone Be This Beautiful!


    I am pretty sure that none of my acquaintances knows I own Tech Genesis except my employees and NightShade guild.


    If Justin was helping William to take revenge on me by sabotaging mypany then it makesplete sense that they would spend so many resources.


    But I am pretty sure that is not the case since I am confident William has no idea I own thatpany.


    [ "Anyway, I heard the Fiery Fairy is addicted to some game. What was it called again, Worl-World... WorldCraft!" ]


    So, Ms. Sophia is a fan of the game that ourpany made. No wonder she sends an invitation card to ourpany.


    [ "Yep! The game made by Tech Genesis is always fun. The TwitFlick and Flying slime became my go-to app whenever I felt bored. Theirtest game WorldCraft was even more fun than those two. From building things to ying with others, I spend hours on it. You should totally install it and we can y together. You will be thoroughly fascinated by the town that I have built." ]


    Sophia responded excitedly. It sounded like she had be an obsessive gamer. I was also d to find that my game is being loved by even High-Rank people.


    [ "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I will see how good that game is. It better not disappoint me. Anyway, I heard Justin wanted to give you something special for your birthday." ]


    [ "He is honestly a conceited person. He heard I love apps made by Tech Genesis and proimed that he will gift thatpany to me." ]


    [ "Justin is a really snobbish person. Trying to impress you, only to fail. I don''t know how this type of man had the gut to chase after you." ]


    Julia blurted angrily.


    ( Sh*t! So that is the reason CunningSkull was desperately trying to get mypany. I thought some of the people who hated me had done it to get back at me but to think he bothered mypany for a woman. )


    I was truly bbergasted. I thought of many reasons why somebody would attack mypany. I had to recruit a guild to protect it from so-called my enemies but turns out that it was nothing rted to me, and Justin sabotaged mypany for Sophia.


    It was neither profit of thepany nor the grudge that led to mypany losing profit for so many days. It was because someone stupid want to impress the girl that my profit for the past few days has been gone.


    [ "I send an invitation to theirpany. Though I don''t know whether they wille or not." ]<sub></sub>


    Sophia continued. She was eager to meet the owner of Tech Genesis but the registration list showed that no one entered using the Tech Genesis invitation card.


    If only had she calmly thought and paid more attention to the Invitation card of Zero when he showed it to William. She might have been able to notice that Zero is the one with the Tech Genesis invitation card but considering the situation, she didn''t have time to pay attention to such details.


    She still thinks that thepany owner refused toe to her party which made her a little depressed.


    While Sophia was unable to see through this simple thing, Mia was able to know that Zero is the owner of Tech Genesis.


    She remembered Zero mentioning that he got the invitation card from hispany. She concluded that Zero must be the owner of Tech Genesis whom Sophia send an invitation card.


    However, unlike Sophia, she was not ted nor sad to know this information. Mia has always been someone who gives priority to training and she expects the same from Zero.


    To her, managing thepany is a waste of time and she would advise Zero to stop managing hispany if he does badly in his exam.


    For her, nothing is more important than improving one''s strength. No amount of money could save you when facing monsters.


    The Music didn''t stop until the guildmaster of Silverde, Crazy Sword made his presence.


    [ "I believe everyone knows me. Then also let me introduce myself, I am Chris Flores, also known as Crazy Sword. I am happy that you all took your precious time to attend the birthday party of my daughter, Sophia Flores. This party is not only to celebrate her birthday but alsomemorate her for reaching the A-Rank." ]


    - CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The crowd immediately became noisy. Some were too shocked that they stood still, while others were pping and cheering for Sophia.


    [ "Wow! Did I hear it right? Ms. Sophia has finally reached A-Rank. She is as talented as the Ice Enchantress." ]


    [ "The only one capable of keeping up with Ice Enchantress, The Fiery Fairy. The title is truly deserved." ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "No-no, Ice Enchantress has already broken through Rank-A long ago. She must be at the peak of Rank-A. Sophia doesn''t stand a chance against Ice Enchantress." ]


    [ "Sigh! If not for Ice Enchantress, Ms. Sophia would have surely been the most talented woman of our generation. It is pity that she has been born in the same year as Ice Enchantress." ] ...


    Being able to reach Rank-A at the age of 23 was an incredible feat. However, it was palepared to Mia Frostine who broke through A-Rank at the age of 20.


    [ "I hope you enjoy as much as you can. The party is just getting started!" ]


    Chris Flores raised his cup and the ssical music started rolling. The guest started to dance to the tune of the music.


    [ "Haha. If it isn''t the Ice Enchantress. The number 1 talented girl in the entire Humalia Domain." ]


    A sarcastic voice bellowed. The voice belonged to a girl and she slowly made her way towards us.


    I was stunned when I saw the owner of the voice.


    The women could be considered as a beauty. Her chestnut hair was bundled up in a dignified fashion, but her silky smooth forehead along with thin long eyes made her look even more enchanting.


    Her eyebrows were slightly raised, with her eyes clearly filled with evil intentions. One look would let one know that she had a fiercely scary aura around her.


    However, the reason for Zero shocks was neither her beauty nor her powerful aura. It was by fact that this woman was one of the leaders or at least the future leader of the Dark guild.


    Her name is Frey Everton, also known as ughter Witch. Right now, her identity is Professor of Arcane Academy.


    The Arcane Academy is considered the second strongest Academy after Ace Academy and thepetition between the two is fierce.


    The Arcane Academy which stood at second for decades had led it to develop a grudge against Ace Academy. To say the least, Ace Academy and Arcane Academy''s rtionship is not good.<sub> </sub>


    [ "What do you want, Professor Frey! " ]


    Mia asked Frey. Mia and Frey''s rtionship was not good, mainly due to the animosity shown by Frey.


    Before Mia became A-Rank, Frey was considered one of the most talented girls, bing Rank-A at the age of 26 but she was soon forgotten by the public due to Mia.


    The girl who was in the limelight for years has been stopped by a little girl. Mia became the new idol for the young and many wouldpare how talented Mia ispared to Frey.


    Despite Mia being at just age 23, her Rank was the same as Frey. Frey having frustrations due to being struck in Rank-A and her junior who is 10 years younger being able to catch up to her, had made her salty towards Mia.


    In the novel, she would break through the Rank-S by the time Hiro confront and go to war with the Dark guild. However, despite the support from The Authority and other guilds, they failed to eradicate the Dark guild.


    The MC party suffers a bitter defeat against Frey who was two ranks above them at that time. She is a major viin in the novel with unlimited potential.


    [ "~Eh. Come on! I came to meet you. We have not seen each other for a long time. I heard from others that you came here with your little lover. I am eager to know what type of boy he is" ]


    She turned towards me and stared at me. I felt an inconceivable pressure on my body simr to how a prey feels in the presence of their predator.


    I felt that if she wanted to, she can make me disappear before I could even blink.


    I gulped and sweat started to appear on my face. Frey didn''t use her aura or any kind of skill but I felt more pressure on me from her gaze than I felt from William''s unleashed aura.


    I tried to move my body but it wouldn''t listen to mymands. It has be paralyzed from fear.


    Her gaze contained heavy bloodthirst that one who stared at her eyes could see their death. The ughter Witch title that she achieved through killing thousands of her enemies in cold blood was indeed befitting her.


    WHOOSH!


    Mia stepped in front of me. The pressure from Frey''s stare was gone and I was able to breathe normally again.


    -HUFF! -PUFF!


    I breathed out heavily as my body was released from the restraint. The major viin in the novel is indeed in a league of its own. She even without moving an inch, was able to make me unconscious.


    I would rather face 100 William than her. She was truly strong and could be considered one of the strongest people that I have ever met in my lifetime.


    [ "Frey, what are you doing?" ]


    [ "No need to be so protective. I was just assessing your little lover. Don''t worry, I will not take him." ]


    Mia was angry. She knows that Frey had directed her bloodthirst to Zero. The bloodthirst of Rank-A+ peak could easily make a low-rank person crazy.


    [ "Anyways, I will meet you again at the Tournament of Academies. I hope your geniuses could entertain our academy students. Haha..." ]


    [ "Last year, our academy won! This year will be the same." ]


    Miamented.


    [ "Last year, Omar Noel was just second year. Now he is in his third year and even yourst year''s best student Harvey Morin has graduated. Is there anyone else besides Harvey Morin that can win against Omar? This year Arcane Academy will surely win the first ce and rece Ace Academy as the best Academy." ]


    Frey dered confidently. In the novel, The Ace Academy indeed loses to Arcane Academy, Omar is the genius of Arcane Academy who was already the strongest student while he was in his second year.


    He is being nurtured carefully by Arcane Academy and brings in the first ce with his overwhelming power.


    However, the next year after that defeat, Hiro overwhelming wins First ce, making Ace academy number 1 again.


    Frey left the ce after having said her words.


    [ "Frey is the teacher of Arcane Academy and someone with SS-Rank potential. Omar Noel must have grown strong after thest tournament. Honestly, the current best students of the third year don''t stand much chance against him." ]


    Mia whispered. Mia then got lost in her thought. Mia was pondering about the tournament and how to make their academy win. Currently, the chances were low and she needs to find a way.


    However, she alone could only do so much. She decided to discuss with other professors in the Academy.


    [ "Zero, today you came due to my selfishness and suffered. Aspensation, I will dance with you." ]


    [ "Are you sure this ispensation and not a punishment? " ]


    Zero joked. Mia red at Zero causing Zero to avert his eyes.


    [ "Haha. Just joking. It will my honor to be able to dance with the most beautiful woman." ]


    Zero bowed and took Mia''s hand.


    The music changed from one song to another, and Zero kept dancing with Mia. She was indeed the Enchantress, just that right now she was more of a Dance Enchantress than ice.


    The fields were de-green. The sound ofsoothing music filled the air. The moon waslike the phantom blue orb illuminating the ce.


    The staff of light spilled from the sky.But the brightest person was held in my hand.


    Mia''s dance instantly mesmerized all the men including me. Mia smiled while looking at my nervous face. Looking at her smiling face, I thought,


    How can someone be this beautiful!

 Chapter 45 Fan Club!

    Chapter 45 Fan Club!


    I woke upte the next morning feeling dizzy and tired. I forced myself to get up from the bed and took a shower.


    Yesterday was a long tiring night. The party continued till midnight. Professor Mia dropped me off at the house after the party.


    [ "Thank God, today is the weekend!" ]


    The time was already 11:00 am by the time I woke up. Today, I didn''t n to work or train. It was time to rest after a long period of hard work.


    The school work,pany work, recruiting Nightshade, and having to deal with other greedy guilds who were after thepany.


    I had to work day and night and finally, there is no work today. It was my long-lost rest time.


    The day went by as I lie down on the bed. I constantly checked my phone for any interesting news. The news didn''t have anything unusual happening.


    The news was allmon like some guilds conquering the dungeons, some guilds preparing to go to the Obelisk Tower, and newly discovered dungeons.


    The night was bing warmer and warmer. I opened the window to allow cool air to enter the room and fell asleep.


    Waking up in the morning I felt refreshed after having rested well. That day I went to train at NightShade guild. This time I trained with their guild members.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -BAM! -BAM!


    I lost the battle one after another.


    Even after they had gone easy on me, I was beaten easily. The members of the NightShade guild were all Rank-C and above.


    Below that rank was considered apprentice or trainee of the guild. They were not the official guild member of NightShade and weren''t allowed toe with them for raids.


    The power of Rank-C was too strong for a Rank-E. I didn''t use my Dual Art which is my trump card. However, even with that, I don''t think I would have won. The difference in Rank was too much for me to take advantage of their weakness.


    Thebat, however, did help me to gain experience with fighting people. I realized that fighting with people is moreplex than fighting monsters.


    While between the same rank of human and monster, monsters may have greater physical power but humans were more tricky to deal with.


    Monsters used power to solve everything while humans will find and attack your weakness. They would try to understand your fighting style and countered them.


    The battle was productive and I felt that this was the thing that I was missing. The experience to fight people.


    In the future, the enemy I fight would not only be monsters, but it would also most likely be humans.


    The next day was school again. While walking towards my ss I noticed some students ncing my way.


    The battle with Lucas and Rowan did make me a little famous among other sses. I would be recognized even by some seniors.


    I reached the entrance of the ss and was about to enter when a loud sound wasing from the ss.


    [ "EEEHHHH? How can that be? How can Professor Mia go out with that yboy? I refuse to believe it." ]


    [ "Believe it. I saw it with my own eyes when Professor Mia came with Zero holding hands. I was too shocked to move after looking at what was before my eyes." ]


    [ "IT CAN''T BE!" ]


    [ "You know, Professor William is chasing after Professor Mia, right." ]


    [ "Humph! Tha a**hole!" ]


    Morgans gritted his teeth. As the admirer and fanboy of Professor Mia, Professor William was not someone he or anybody of the fan member liked. They know that Professor William has been pestering her for a long time but they can''t do anything about it.


    [ "He was making trouble with Zero, only to get himself kicked out of the party by Zero" ]


    [ "Deserved!" ]


    Morgan replied delightfully.


    [ "So when amotion was taking ce I got a closer look at him. He changed his hairstyle but I am pretty sure he was Zero." ]


    -CLANK!


    [ "Look!" ]


    Francis points his finger at Zero.


    [ "He did change his hairstyle. He was indeed the partner of Professor Mia that night." ]


    Francis confirmed after seeing Zero enter the ss. If Zero had the same hairstyle as before then it could only mean Francis saw wrong but since Zero had indeed changed his hairstyle, Francis was sure it was Zero that was with Professor Mia that night.


    [ "I left him alone because he was chasing Lisa. I didn''t expect him to go after our goddess. I need to teach him a lesson." ]


    Morgan told Francis angrily.


    [ "Haha, You can''t! Don''t you remember him beating Lucas and Rowan? Are you stronger than them?" ]


    [ "..." ]


    Morgan didn''t answer. He wasn''t serious about fighting with Zero. And he did watch Zero beat the hell out of Lucas and Rowan that he doubted that he was the same person chasing after Lisa stupidly.


    The reason he thought Zero was stupid was that Morgan belongs to the Mia Frostine fan club. Girls other than Professor Mia were not considered beautiful by their members and the boys who chase other girls are considered stupid and blind by their club members.


    The fan club of Lisa, Slyvia, and Professor Mia was always at odds with each other. Their own members considered their goddess to be the number one beauty which led to the conflict with each other.


    Simr to how fans of Messi and Ronaldo dislike each other. It has nothing to do with Lisa or Professor Mia''s rtionship. Nevertheless, their fans will be at each other''s throats.


    Morgan considered Zero to be a member of Lisa''s fan club seeing that he was chasing after her like crazy.


    [ "He is... Zero?" ]


    [ "Really? He lookspletely different." ]


    [ "Oh my god! He is totally my type. Howe I didn''t see notice it before." ]


    [ "He looks cool in his new hairstyle." ]


    The girls shouted excitedly.


    The name of Zero was changed from how it was at the start of the school to now. Zero at first became famous due to him nonchntly chasing after Lisa. He was also nicknamed Romeo.


    After that, he again became the object of gossip when he mercilessly beat Lucas and Rowan. He changed from a yboy to a strong yboy.


    Previously, everything about Zero was negative, however, after the fight, some people changed their opinion of Zero. How bad a person you are doesn''t matter, if you are strong, you will be respected by others. It is this kind of society.


    To be able to beat Lucas is not an ordinary feat for First-year students. Zero gained some respect from the students after that incident.


    Now, he changed his looks which made him more likable, especially in the girl''s eyes. Previously, Zero was not ugly but definitely not someone you would consider handsome. Now, he looked handsome though not as much as Hiro and Zion.


    However, Zero appearance was of a different type than Hiro and Zion''s. Hiro has a cute and pretty face while Zion has a cold and handsome face.


    Zero looks were more charming and easy-going type than cute and handsome. While many girls preferred Hiro''s appearance, there were still some girls who were more attracted to the looks of the current Zero.


    Zero ignoring themotion sat on his seat at the back of the ss. He got used to getting attention and stares from his ssmate.


    Professor Mia entered the ss and took attendance as usual.


    [ "The exam is only one month away. I hope you all are preparing well for it. If you have any questions, please ask." ]


    [ ''Is Zero your lover?'' ]


    is something that most students wanted to ask right now. However, no one is brave or stupid enough to ask that question to Professor Mia. They just kept that question in their heart.


    It''s funny how they could have asked Zero but they couldn''t because they were not familiar with him.


    Previously, Zero in their perception was a clown who was pestering their ss goddess. He never epted challenges and refused to fight like a coward. They didn''t want to make friends with a coward.


    But from the fight between Zero and Lucas, they know that it is not that he is a coward that he refuse the fight. The brutality that he showed was contrary to their image of him being the clown.


    Morgan couldn''t take it anymore. He wanted to confirm the thing said by Francis.


    Morgan stood up and made his way to Zero. Francis tried to stop him.


    [ "Hey, where are you going? Don''t tell me you are going to fight Zero. Stop!" ]


    Francis tried to drag him back but failed. Morgan was physically stronger due to him being an ax user and Francis being a Mage.


    However, Francis didn''t leave Morgan to go on his own. Francis has toe along in case Morgan does something too stupid.


    [ "Hey!" ]


    Morgan told Zero. Morgan was standing tall and asked him in a serious tone.


    [ "Yes?" ]


    Zero was taken aback by Morgan. It was not every day that someonees to talk to Zero. Zero in a sense was a loner in this ss.


    Zero didn''t mind being a loner, rather he liked being alone. Maybe due to that, Morgan''s action surprised him.


    [ "I heard you went to a party with Professor Mia. Is it true?" ]


    Zero then figured out why Morgans was here. Zero thought Morgan had heard some rumor and came to ascertain whether the rumor was true or false.


    [ "Yes, I was with Professor Mia." ]


    The party had a lot of students and Zero knows that many have seen him with Professor Mia. Even if he is denied, the truth will be known sooner orter. And it was not like he did something wrong, so he had no problem admitting it.


    [ "Urgggh! Are you going out with her?" ]


    Morgan uttered while bending down and holding his hand to his chest. Morgan was acting like he had been stabbed in his heart and is on hisst leg.


    Zero was surprised by his sudden reaction. He almost thought something happened to his body, if not for Morgan asking a question, Zero would have called a healer.


    [ "Eek. No, no I am not going out with her. I went with her because she needed my help for something." ]


    Zero denied.


    [ "Ahh? Really? I knew it. Haha..." ]


    Morgan eximed in joy. He instantly stood up and startedughing. This action made Zero think Morgan''s brain has some problem.


    [ "Haha! How can the Ice Enchantress go out with you? She is the youngest Rank-A person in history. She had rejected many proposals till date, it will be weird for her to finally go out with somebody especially one of her students." ]


    [ "Absolutely! How can I deserve to go out with such a great person? Somebody must be spreading fake rumors." ]


    [ "Yes, you are right! I thought you were in Lisa Fan club but I can see that you are Professor Mia''s fan. I will give you this." ]


    Morgan happily took out a card from his pocket. The card was brightly colored and looked like an invitation card.


    [ "Zero, we will talk again next time." ]


    Morgan left the ce along with Francis. Zero looked down to see what was that card.


    [ "What the hell is this?" ]


    Zero shouted. He was surprised by the card given by Morgan. The card that Morgan gave was ...

 Chapter 46 Fan Club! [2]

    Chapter 46 Fan Club! [2]


    Ice Enchantress Fan Club membership card!


    That was the card given to me by Morgans. The card contained the contact number and address of Professor Mia''s Fan Club.


    I didn''t know something like this existed. Though I knew that many students admired and worshipped Professor Mia.


    I put the card into the storage ring. Even if the card is not that useful, since Morgans have given it to me with goodwill or I believe he gave it to me with good intention, I had to ept it.


    The lecture was finished and Morgan approached me once again.


    [ "Let me show you our club room." ]


    Morgan said with a smile. I wanted to refuse but seeing that he was doing something for me and it seems kind of rude to decline, I epted and went with him.


    The club room was spacious and looked normal except that poster of Professor Mia was disyed in the entire room and they even had her toy model.


    There was a banner and all the items that a typical Fan Club of an idol has. Professor Mia is really treated as an idol by these people. Though it would be an understatement to call her idol as she was even more beautiful than an idol.


    [ "How is the ce? Great right." ]


    Morgan then went and brought a book or an album, I think.


    [ "Look at the photos of Professor Mia captured by our seniors. It has all the photos of Professor Mia from when the fan club was first established. This album contains the hard work of our seniors." ]


    ( Hey, stop trying to say like our senior has done something great. It was just some seniors stalking Professor Mia. )


    Though I wanted to criticize the seniors for secretly taking photos, however, I can''t help but be interested in the photo of younger Mia.


    I looked at the younger version of Professor Mia. She still looked beautiful, however, in the photo, she still had her childlike charm. <sub></sub>


    [ "Pretty, right?" ]


    [ "Yeah!" ]


    I honestly admitted. Even if I don''t agree with them taking her photos secretly, I had to admit that they had captured a pretty good shot of Professor Mia.


    [ "Haah! If only we could recruit the people from outside the academy." ]


    [ "Huh?" ]


    [ "We want more people to side with our quest to spread the charm of our goddess." ]


    [ "Don''t you know TwitFlick?" ]


    [ "No!" ]


    [ "You know, there you can make a page for Fan Club and share your photos and video. You will be able to get many members that way." ]


    The idea I was sharing was for making pages for a fan club which is done by many on Earth. Morgan has given me an idea to increase TwitFlick users.


    With some beautiful girl and idol pages, I can entice people to download the app. Heck, I will let Glenn make a page of his guild and post it on TwitFlick.


    No one is more popr than a Hero. Glenn can be addressed as hero as he ascended to S-Rank.


    That way, the previously bad reputation due to Justin''s sabotages will be gone and many people may download the app.


    I decided to implement that thing after I go to the NightShade guild. I helped Morgans to install TwitFlick and establish a fan page with the most beautiful image of Mia( My personal opinion) kept as a cover photo.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "And done! You can let the club member join inter and recruit a new member from TwitFlick. Then you can post on the page to instantly share your photo and video with other users." ]


    The n that I got from there was pretty solid. I also decided to tell Glenn to record the video of them fighting the monster and uploading the video on TwitFlick. From there, I guess new users wille flocking.


    After training in the afternoon, I went to see Glenn at the NightShade guild. I called in to check whether Glenn was free since he was busy with interviews and new investors due to his rise in rank.


    Luckily, he was free that day. So, I went to discuss the n. As guild under my control as per the contract, he had to do what I ask but I don''t what them to do something they don''t want if it is not necessary.


    [ "So, what is the benefit?" ]


    Glenn asked confusedly. He didn''t understand why Zero want to do that. To him conquering dungeons and Obelisk Tower was the only thing worthwhile.


    [ "First of all, it is simr to attracting people to guild using powerful figures. I am using your name to attract new users to TwitFlick. Secondly, ording to the number of people that will install TwitFlick due to your guilds promotion, I will give your guild a share of the money. Of course, I will also give the money ording to the views on the video. No disadvantages and only advantages of doing this. So, will you do it?" ]


    [ "I will do it and from the looks of it, it is nothing difficult and our guild can even earn money." ]


    Glenn called upon his newly appointed secretary. Glenn needed someone who can manage paperwork due to the increased workload in the past few days.


    His name is Max and can be considered capable since he got the job here. I showed him how and what to do.


    I also went to thepany to discuss promoting TwitFlick and WorldCraft.Suppression of TwitFlick has stopped after the party.


    Since Justin''s n to gift thepany to Sophia as a birthday present has failed, he stopped wasting resources in sabotaging ourpany.


    The reputation of TwitFlick was getting worse due to Justin''s action. I nned to hire idols and advertise our apps on TV to overturn that bad image. Also advertise the pages of the idol as a feature of TwitFlick.


    And for WorldCraft, I want it to reach more users. The thing about advertisement is the more you see the product appearing, the more you trust thatpany.<sub> </sub>


    Kyle, who is responsible for marketing in ourpany epted the n.


    The next day, Morgans came running to me happily. I was freaked out by his bizarre expression.


    [ "Haha... Zero, your idea was absolutely terrifying. I got thousand people already joining our fan club. I got a message asking me to share more photos of Professor Mia." ]


    Morgan cheerfully dragged me to the fan club room. The member''s head turned towards me when I entered the room.


    Suddenly they all bowed their head and shouted,


    [ "THANK YOU! For showing us the way." ]


    [ "What? What the hell is this?" ]


    Zero yelled in surprise. He didn''t understand why they were thanking him, also in such a weird way.


    [ "Zero, it is all due to you that our fan club was able to grow. The other member wanted to thank you, so I brought you here." ]


    Zero was happy to receive their appreciation but also creep out by their entric way to say thank you.


    [ "With this, we have suppressed Lisa and Sylvia Fan Club. We will be the biggest fan club ever!" ]


    Morgan encouragingly raised his hand and the members present supported him.


    [ "Absolutely!" ]


    [ "Lisa and Sylvia Fan club has only a hundred members. We already have one thousand members on TwitFlick. They are nothing in front of us." ]


    [ "It''s the era of Ice Enchantress Fan club!" ]


    [ "Friends! We should not let our guard down. We should take this opportunity to recruit more members and give no chance to other fan clubs. Victory will be ours!" ]


    -CHEERS!


    If a normal person were to see the scene, they might think Morgan and his friends are preparing to go to war with demons.


    Good thing that I have seen far worse things on Earth. The fans on earth takes their love for idol to next level and their dedication to their idol is no less than a shopkeeper''s dedication to their profit.


    I went back to the ss after such a bizarre event in the morning. But I didn''t expect that rest of my days will also turn absurd.


    After Professor Miapleted taking attendance and her announcement, she went back to her office.


    I thought I will spend the rest of the day training alone when a girl approach me.


    [ "Hello, Zero!" ]


    Yesterday was weird enough but today also someone came to talk to me. I just hope that it doesn''t turn out like yesterday.


    [ "Hello, ... ?" ]


    Who is she again?


    [ "Audrey, Audrey Gand. That''s my name" ]


    [ "Audrey, so what is it." ]


    [ "I heard you helped Professor Mia Fan Club." ]


    Audrey said while showing her menacing smile.


    [ "Ah! Yes, I helped them to set up their Fan Club page in the TwitFlick." ]


    [ "I thought you were in with us, Lisa Goddess club. You have betrayed Goddess Lisa for an old hag." ]


    Audrey said angrily.


    [ "No, no, I didn''t join them. I just help them to establish a page in TwitFlick." ]


    It was no good arguing with a fan member. The more you say something to them, the more unreasonable they be.


    [ "Hey, can you help us to establish a page as you did with Ice Enchantress Fan Club." ]


    Someone interrupted before I got Audrey to respond.


    [ "I am president of Princess Sylvia Fan Club. I heard you were the one to make a page for Morgan." ]


    [ "I w..." ]


    [ "We also want it!" ]


    This time, it was Audrey who interrupted the conversation.


    Both girls were looking at me which gave me quite a pressure. I had no choice but to ept their request. And it was also good as it increases the poprity of TwitFlick.


    I was in a good mood seeing that TwitFlick was once again on its road to bing the greatest social media app.


    Unaware of the Danger!

 Chapter 47 Mid-Term Exam

    Chapter 47 Mid-Term Exam


    I helped both the girls to establish a page in TwitFlick. It was in my interest that users for TwitFlick were increasing.


    Lisa and Sylvia are both beautiful girls and could attract lots of people if they had a fan page. And it was not easy to decline these girls as I have already helped Morgan establish a page for his Fan Club.


    Doing so will make me look like I support Mia''s Fan Club. Which in itself is not bad if the girls in front of me were not from their rival Fan Club.


    Since then, the poprity of TwitFlick soared.  After the advertisement on the TV and NightShade guild supporting TwitFlick came to the news, the number of users installing the apps has drastically increased.


    The ie for the past few days was astronomical, earning millions of Ethan Coins. The fan page of Mia, Lisa, and Sylvia was also bing popr with tens of thousands of followers.


    They have be popr on the level of national heroes. They became so well known that there was also news debating on who is more beautiful.


    Some news imed Professor Mia is more pretty while others supported Lisa and Sylvia.


    And of course, our ssmate has also seen the page of Lisa and Sylvia. The ss was also murmuring about the poprity of Lisa and Sylvia.


    [ "Sylvia, your Fan page has tens of thousands of followers. I wish I also have this many followers." ]


    The girl had installed TwitFlick way back when it was only a few weeks after theunch. She has also uploaded photos and videos of herself but the views were not that great.


    She was truly jealous of Sylvia, her friend who had her page made by a fan and received lots of attention from people around the world. The photo of her had tens of thousands of like which is something far beyond her.


    [ "You are super popr on TwitFlick. People everywhere are talking about you." ]


    [ "Really? Ahahaha... " ]


    ( Who made that? Don''t let me find out or else you are in for a hard time. )


    Sylvia for the past few days had been receiving a lot of stares from strangers, far more than her normal days. As a gorgeous girl, many people will stare at her but in her recent days that stares have doubled.


    After a few investigations, she found out the cause of this situation. On the app called TwitFlick, her photos had gone viral and many people had seen her photo.<sub></sub>


    This caused her to have grudge against the person who had made that page. Her normal life had turned bizarre due to the page on the TwitFlick.


    Many people were congratting and talking about her poprity.


    However, not everyone was happy about her rise in fame. Sylvia and Lisae from a prominent family who can''t be offended directly.


    Though it still didn''t stop people from talking behind their back.


    [ "That b*tch. She must have used her parent''s money to bring people to like their page." ]


    [ "Rich people showing off their fame. They don''t get tired of ying dirty." ]


    [ "Lisa that s**t. She acts all innocent but sends her photos for the world to see. I can''t stand those hypocrites." ]


    [ "They must be thinking they are the most beautiful girls in the world. Always seducing men, absolutely no good girls." ] ...


    Behind their back, girls who didn''t like them and those who were jealous of them gossip about them.


    Since the poprity of Sylvia and Lisa rose, the number of girls who talked badly about them also increased. This led to Sylvia increasing her hatred towards the one who made that page.


    She couldn''t find the person right now but she was eager to teach him a lesson after finding him.


    [ "Those pages...  Lisa, did you find out who made them. " ]


    Sylvia asked Lisa. Lisa has a tinum guild backing her, which had more human resources than her. It will be easier to find the owner of the pages using her guilds member.


    [ "I don''t know. I think it is the fan clubs in our academy that made them. Most photos were of us in school uniform. It must be one of the students of the school." ]


    Lisa though not as angry as Sylvia, didn''t like the situation she was in. To gain hatred from another girl just because of some random people uploading her photo.<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero didn''t know what Lisa or Sylvia was thinking. Zero not knowing that he made an enemy with two of the most dangerous girls in the world, was delighted after seeing the number in the bank ount.


    ==========================


    Name: Zero Elea


    ount No: 19****7894


    Bnce: 13,243,450 E


    ==========================


    The NightShade announced many things during the interview revealing many things about them. One of them was that Tech Genesis, thepany behind the development of TwitFlick is under their protection.


    Tech Genesis is recognized as thepany under the protection of NightShade which not only increased the fame and reputation of TwitFlick and WorldCraft but also deterred other guilds from interrupting their business.


    Thinking that everything is going well, I didn''t expect to be confronted by Professor Mia.


    On one of the mornings, Professor Mia dragged me and took me to her office.


    [ "I want you to remove the page of me on TwitFlick." ]


    [ "Huh? Wh-What are you talking about?" ]


    I tried to pretend to not understand what she asked. I don''t know whether it is spection or she knows that I own TwitFlick which has photos of her.


    [ "Don''t try to act like you don''t know. I know you own the TwitFlick, and I want you to remove the page containing my photos." ]


    [ "This..." ]<sub> </sub>


    Professor Mia was confident that I am the owner. I don''t know when she knew it but I guess she really knows that I am the owner of Tech Genesis.


    [ "That I can''t." ]


    [ "Why?" ]


    [ "Because they are not breaking thew and I can''t just remove it." ]


    [ "Do it or else I will not let you off." ]


    [ "This... Give me a break. I will owe you one if you forget about it." ]


    ( He can ask Morgan to delete the page but it might lead to a bacsh on TwitFlick. )


    [ "Hmmm... Then I want you to participate in the Tournament of academies." ]


    [ "Tournament of Academies? Why? Isn''t it always third-year students that participate in the Tournament of academies?" ]


    [ "Usually only third years will participate but I fear they can''t win. Not against the Arcane Academy." ]


    Professor said disappointingly. The strength of third-years was not that greatpared to previous years.


    The tournament will be hopeless if only third-years participated. Professor Mia discussed this issue with other professors and came up with this solution.


    They will select some people from a second and first-year student who has great potential. They will train them until the tournament and make them ready for participation.


    [ "Neither can I." ]


    Zero answered. Third-year strongest was at Rank-D + and if he didn''t stand a chance then there is no way I stand a chance.


    Even Hiro in the novel fails to get the win. The other academies'' genius was also strong especially third-yearpared to our Ace Academy third-year.


    [ "That is true for now but I can''t be sure after 6 months. I am betting on your potential. If you promise to participate in the selection, I can consider letting you off for that page." ]


    I pondered. The tournament of Academies will be watched by millions of people. While you can be famous with it but the trouble will also follow you with fame.


    The disadvantage was too great for simply letting me off for establishing a fan page.


    [ "I ref..." ]


    Before I finished my sentence, Professor Mia interrupted me.


    [ "You know, if you win the Tournament, the Academy administration has decided to allow the winner to take any treasure from the treasurer" ]


    [ "Really?" ]


    Now, this is enticing. The treasurer of the Academy holds a lot of treasure, ranging from Rank-E to Rank-A. However, this is not why I am excited. ording to the novel, ''that'' item is also there.


    [ "I will do it." ]


    [ "Good! I know you are strong but that doesn''t mean you will be selected. There are lots of seniors that are more powerful than you. You need to be able to get in Top 10 in the entire school to qualify for the Tournament." ]


    Professor Mia showed a worried expression. Professor Mia knows that Zero is talented but from what she has seen, Zero likes to fool around too much.


    From chasing Lisa to managing apany, Zero was wasting too much time that could have been invested in training.


    From Professor Mia''s perspective, if Zero decided to focus entirely on training, he might have been even stronger.


    *****


    The next thing that I need to handle before the Tournament is the mid-term exam. Due to Parallel Memory, I do know the detail of the practical exam. The practical exam will be a 5-days survival training at a ce created by SS-Rank Artifact.


    The artifact''s name is Staff of Illusion. It is not a piece of equipment for humans, it is an artifact used for creating a 50 by 50 km artificial environment.


    It is like creating a dungeon where the owner of the artifact can set the rank of the monster and the type of environment.


    The number of monsters that we defeat will be the point of the exam. The practical exam is easy since I know most of the detail about it.


    The written test was what was worrying me. I was only an average student in theories.


    However, this time I was a little more confident that I would be able to do better than before.


    History and mana theories were not hard for me. However, mathematics was the subject that I was poor in. My alternative self is aputer science student and his math is far better than my past self.


    So, I hope that my marks in written exams will increase, as I was good at math on Earth.


    Even so, I could not let my guard down. Recently, I have been too busy withpany and training that I didn''t revise any studying material. For me to rank in the Top 10, I needed to score high in both written and practical exams.


    The mid-term will be held in less than one month, and I had to study the exam material during that period.


    The things at thepany have stabilized and thepany is doing well. I didn''t need to be present there all the time.


    From that day I focused on studying and training. I also purchased lots of herbs for increasing ranks. With tens of millions of Ethan coins in my pocket, I didn''t need to worry about the money.


    I will be exhausted every time after studying and training day and night. I always had to drag my exhausted body to bed. I also dozed off multiple times during the ss.


    I could take potions to recover my stamina but unless you desperately needed, it is always good to let your body recover naturally. The effectiveness of the potion could decrease if you use it constantly.


    Anyway, the preparation for the exam was going well and even my Rank has been increasing steadily. I was confident of making it into the top-10 in the mid-term.

 Chapter 48 Mid-Term Exam [2]

    Chapter 48 Mid-Term Exam [2]


    First was the written exam which will be conducted in the course of one week.


    The students had dark circles under their eyes, probably due to pulling an all-nighter to study before the test.


    I was no exception, to make sure that I can score as high as possible, I also stay up all night.


    After the written test, people who didn''t do well were screaming and making noises.


    [ "What is with mana theory questions? How to withstand ack of mana? What is the best way to bring a mana core to stabilize" ]


    [ "I can''t. I can''t do it anymore. I am dying from information overload." ]


    [ "I think I have failed a big time. I left the answer sheet empty." ]


    [ "Please, no more. NO MORE STUDYING! " ]


    The student who didn''t study or didn''t do well in their exam can be seenining and screaming outside the exam hall.


    In any case, the written exams ended without much trouble. I, personally think that I did well in the written exam. There were some questions that I couldn''t understand at all but overall I think that the exam went well.


    After all the written exams, including maths there were three more subjects, we had a few days off to rest before the practical exam started.


    No prior information was given before the practical exam, and the only instruction we got was to gather at 8 am in front of the training ground on Monday.


    However, I know that the practical exam is a survival test. We are asked to gather on the training ground to take us to the dungeon created by the staff of illusion.


    It was going to be 5-day survival inside the dungeon. The objective of the exam is for students to be able to cope with any unexpected situation.


    The exam will start the moment Professorpletes his instruction. No time will be given to take extra equipment or any other things that you might need.<sub></sub>


    However, I had prepared food, water, tents, and other items beforehand.


    I bought the items from the store by searching for items and buying them which was cumbersome. I miss the convenience of online shopping which was not here in Eds.


    I stored the items in the spatial ring. I spend the rest of the time doing some light exercises. I refrain from training intensively in case I get injured before the exam even began.


    *****


    [ "Now, concentrate!" ]


    Monday finally arrived. It was the day the practical exam would begin. I went to the gathering ce which was filled with students.


    [ "I''m a bit nervous." ]


    [ "I don''t think I have done well in the written exam. Thisst exam is the only hope for me to pass." ]


    [ "Will it be a duel likest year?" ]


    [ "I hope I will rank in Top-100!" ]


    The students were murmuring amongst themselves. Most appeared to be nervous and anxious. While some were showing excitement for the uing exam.


    Now that the exam is right under my nose, I also began to feel a little worried. Not that I will do bad or fail, just that seeing surroundings people nervous also makes me feel a little nervous.


    [ "Please be quiet. I will exin what you need to do in the exam." ]


    A Professor stood on the podium and started to exin the rules for the exam.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "In a few minutes, you will all be sent into a  dungeon. You will have to stay there for five days. Whether you team up with someone or be alone is up to you. You will have to hunt for your own food and find water. " ]


    At the Professor''s unanticipated words, the students began to get noisy.


    [ "A survival test? That''s new." ]


    [ "Will we get time to prepare?" ]


    [ "Stay in a dungeon for five days. Isn''t it too dangerous?" ]


    The students can''t help but be nervous at the word of the professor.


    [ "The objective of the exam is for you to survive and hunt monsters which will be counted as your points. The number of points you get will be your score for your practical exam. If you are thrown out from the dungeon which will happen when you encounter a life-threatening situation, no matter the point, you will automatically fail." ]


    The Professor''s exnation continued for a while.


    The Professor exined that students can rob each other''s things, get points for defeating other students, and also can work together to take out monsters. Basically, anything goes and the only rule is you have to survive for five days.


    [ "The Rank of monsters are F, E, and D. In addition to that, there is Five Rank-D Boss monster which is 100 points each." ]


    Once the professor''s exnation ended, heavy tension emerged between students. The student was not talking to each other. It will be likely that students will fight each other once they are teleported into the dungeon.


    However, not everyone was that paranoid about the situation. Some students found that it will be much easier to pass the test if they form a group.


    But most of the Top students decided on being alone. Being in a team means sharing points after killing the monster.


    Though it was easier to kill monsters in a team, however, it will be a waste of time to hunt a monster together. It will more efficient to find the monster separately rather than going after one monster in groups.<sub> </sub>


    [ "Students would now be teleported inside the dungeon one by one. Students,e ording to your rank." ]


    [ "Hiro Ernest, Zion Maxwell, Lisa Kyelpas, Slyvia Mavis, Tom¡­" ]


    The ce that we will spawn will be randomly in the dungeon. The Professor continued to call out names. And finally, my turn came.


    [ "Zero Elea, Alia Sharp, Morris Schofield, Shayaan Acosta, Lilian Hill, Frankie Henson..." ]


    I got in front of the portal and step into it. My body was sucked in by the force of the portal.


    -WHOOSH! -THUD!


    I opened my eyes to see different scenery from seconds ago.


    The environment inside the dungeon is the same as described in the novel. It has a forest, simr to the BloodyWolf forest. The only difference was that it was colder here than there.


    However, the cold was not ufortable for me since I practice Ice Art. My body resistance toward cold is a lot higher than other people''s.


    The scenery inside the dungeon was absolutely lovely with snowy mountains and green trees. The job I had to do after finishing the survey of the ce was to find a hunting spot.


    [ "I should find a hunting spot." ]


    It will be most efficient if you know where the most monster is found in the area. Unlike others, I didn''t have to waste my time in search of food and drinking water. As for the shelter, I have a tent and all my sleeping equipment in my spatial ring.


    Currently, I was in the middle of a jungle. There were trees surrounding all four sides. For now, the ce didn''t have any monsters.


    The priority right now was to get out of this forest and find higher ground to get a better view of the area.


    I decided to head north where it was mountainous. I needed to find a ce with a source of water, the monsters are likely to appear near rivers and ces with food.


    Before long, I encounter Basilisk, a Rank-E monster. They were swift and their attacks were poisonous. Its length was 5 meters and looked as the body was covered in stone.


    The monster would not die even if its body was chopped off. The sure way to kill Basilisk was to destroy its head.


    -HISS!


    Basilisk sprang into action. It opened its mouth wide and leap into the air and tried to bite me.


    I dodge its attack by dashing to the side and counterattacked.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    The attack was precisely hit, severing the head with its body. However, even after beheading the Basilisk, the monster was not dead.


    -HISS!


    But it was no problem since all I had to do was cut his head apart.


    -SLASH!


    [ "That went well!" ]


    I continued to walk in the north direction before the ce started to go from forest to rocky areas. I explored the area and was searching for a river or any kind of water source where the probability of encountering the monster was high.


    It was no sooner that I managed to find ake where a Lone Wolf was drinking water.


    I took advantage of the situation by attacking him first.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    The Lone Wolf died. The Lone Wolf''s specialty is speed, as long as you can restrict his speed or find a way to sneak attack, Lone Wolf was not that tough.


    I hid in the ce near theke and waited for the monsters toe.


    After a few hours, the scorching sun had set, and darkness descended on the dungeon.


    In thest few hours, I managed to kill one group of goblins consisting of 5 goblins and two more Basilisk.


    [ "Haa¡­"]


    After defeating the Last monster which was Basilisk, I decided to rest.


    I set up an rm system around the ce where I want to sleep. The rm would ring when a monster or any movement is detected within 10 meters of its radius.


    I took out my tent from my spatial ring, which was rectangr shaped. The item was a Rank-F item that could be turned into a tent when imbued with mana.


    -SWISH!


    The artifact started to expand and formed into a big tent. I entered the tent. It was spacious inside the tent and could easily fit ten people.


    I went outside to cook the food. I took out the portable grill and packaged meat from the spatial ring and started cooking it.


    [ "Ummm" ]


    Chowing down the tasty meat, I almost felt sorry for other students that must be starving right now. Finding food and water is one of the biggest difficulties of this test. However, here I am eating meat bought from the store.


    After eating, I decided to get some sleep. I jumped on the bed and started to sleep peacefully.

 Chapter 49 Mid-Term Exam [3]

    Chapter 49 Mid-Term Exam [3]


    ***Meanwhile other students***


    They had been trying to find food and drinkable water immediately after being teleported to this dungeon.


    Some students met each other on the first day and decided to team up. While others fought each other for food and water.


    While some students managed to get something to eat from the forest, other students had been starving for the whole day.


    [ "I can''t go on. We had no food and water for the whole day and I have been fighting all the time too." ]


    [ "Sh*t! Why only goblins, why not Red Bull. We could eat them but not goblins." ]


    [ "I can''t go on for long. We need to find a ce to sleep." ]


    Unlike Zero, most students were caught unprepared for the survival test.


    Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian, the three of them were lucky to meet each other who was friends on their day but also kind of unlucky because none of them possess any survival skill.


    In this test, students have to find edible vegetation but three of them don''t know what they can eat and what they cannot eat.


    They also have an option to hunt monsters for their meats. However, not every monster can be eaten; some don''t have meat while some are poisonous and some look like a human.


    So, finding monsters that can be eaten was also difficult. They traveled for the whole day and only encountered goblins.


    However, even if you have hunted edible monsters like Red Bull and Dark Bear, there was a need of butchering them.


    It will be difficult for inexperienced students like Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian to obtain meat from monsters. They had to skin the monster and also remove bones and other inedible parts.


    The test was particrly harsh on those students who always did indoor training and didn''t have much experience in dungeons.


    The three of them gave up finding food and walked in the middle of the night in search of a suitable ce to sleep.


    While searching, they were stunned by what they saw in front of them.


    Portable grill with water bottle near it and a huge tent to sleep in. There was also a tiny smell of roasted meat in the air.


    Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian couldn''tprehend what they are seeing for a moment because the scene in front of them was too frustrating for them.<sub></sub>


    The three of them have been suffering for the whole day with no food and water and here was someone who had been treating this ce as a camping ground.


    Bringing in his tent, having a grill and water bottle indicated that the person had all the equipment for surviving in wild.


    They can''t help but be angry at the owner of the tent.


    What was the point of their suffering? Is it not that all students have been suffering like them? Is it only them that have been suffering for a whole day?


    How can someone prepare all this stuff without having any prior information? How can this test be so unfair?


    All those questions were popping into their head and they felt betrayed by someone.


    It is like they had been trying their best not to waste water in a desert but someone was swimming in the pool.


    They, however, knew that the frustration and anger they felt were not important. What they wanted to do next was what was important.


    [ "I say we rob the guy." ]


    Floyd suggested to his friends.


    [ "Let us just ask him to help us. I don''t want to make enemies unnecessarily." ]


    Timothy responded, feeling that robbing was too much and getting food without trouble was much better.


    [ "Idiot! Today, he might help you but what about tomorrow and the next day. He, himself wouldn''t have that much food and water. There is also a probability that he might not help us at all." ]


    Floyd scolded Timothy. He felt Timothy was stupid for thinking that another student is going to help him.


    This was an exam for god sake, it was every student for himself. If not for Timothy still being useful to him, he might have already abandoned him.


    [ "We shouldn''t miss this perfect chance to sneak attack while he is still sleeping. Why should we ask and share when we can take all his stuff." ]


    [ "What if the person is a powerful student like Hiro and Zion. There is no way I can win against them." ]


    Hussian cautioned Floyd.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "What are the chance of that person being one of the Top students? And even if that person is Hiro, we three can probably beat him. He might be strong but we outnumber him." ]


    Floyd bragged. Floyd, Timothy, and Hussian were from a different ss than Hiro. While they do know that Hiro is powerful but they didn''t think he alone can beat them all.


    Then Floyd started to exin the n to his two teammates.


    *****


    -BRRRIIIIINNGG! -BRRRIIIIINNG!


    [ "Ahhh..." ]


    Suddenly waking me up in the night was the rm sound. I thought that some monsters might have entered the area identally.


    However, instead of a monster, I found three students. I quietly observed them. While they were not approaching me but I could see that they were nning something.


    From the mana aura that I sense, I could tell that three of them were at Rank-E -. They are probably average students of Ace Academy, that is they were neither too powerful nor a weakling who is stuck in Rank-F +.


    However, I don''t see their sneak attack working on me. Reason?


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E +


    Strength: D


    Speed: D


    Stamina: E +


    Mana: D <sub> </sub>


    Luck: B


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Beginner ]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    Yeah, I rank upst week and reached Rank-E + which was the same as Hiro. Not only that, my proficiency in Cryomancy Art has finally reached the Proficient level. The skill that Iprehended when reaching the Proficient level is called Ice Embodiment.


    Ice Embodiment skill allows users to embodyice, having a natural affinity and physiology of ice.


    They would be able to take the form of any entity or object made of ice, like Yuki-Onna (Snow Women).


    At the pinnacle, users are all-powerful in ice magic, possessing absolute and limitless control and immunity of ice, doing absolutely anything with it.


    This is a powerful skill that I can use to increase my defense and attack power. My body gets covered in ice making my defense higher and I can manipte the ice on my body to be anything I want. I can make it into a sharp object for attacking.


    While using the Ice Embodiment, the level of control on ice energy increases tremendously. The only drawback of the skill was mana consumption.


    Even when I have a higher mana capacity than other people, I can onlyst one minute using this skill.


    Another skill was called Cryo Bomb which was also incredibly useful. The user can create explosive constructs with freezing properties.


    Instead of a fiery st, the bombs raptly disperse heat, freezing liquids and coating objects in ice, including icicles to impale the target.


    I can also set up the Cryo Bomb like andmine and if the enemyes near it, either it will automatically attack the enemy or I can activate it with my mana.


    After a few seconds, they started making their move. I know that they are either here to steal or defeat me.


    If they are here for other things, they wouldn''t be so sneaky, and also I don''t think the students are that kind-hearted to spare someone who is sleeping and have all these resources.


    I already imnted the Cryo Bomb near the entrance of the tent. I was just waiting for them toe near and activate the Cryo Bomb.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    -BOOM! -BOOM! -CRACK!


    The Cryo Bomb was activated. I went out to see whether the enemies have been defeated.


    When I came in front of the tent, I found two students frozen fully but thest one was only frozen in half of his body.


    Most likely he was behind those two students or he used some kind of defensive artifact to protect himself.


    Whatever the reason may be, he lost his chance to defeat me. He can hardly defeat me at his full power, not to mention he is half-frozen right now.


    [ "Yo-You!" ]


    Floyd shouted in anger.


    [ "Yes! What is it?" ]


    [ "How dare you? You will pay for this." ]


    [ "Maybe. But not this time." ]


    I replied to his loser speech. They tried to sneak attack me and now they are ming me for attacking them. Can you be more reasonable?


    -SWISH! -SWISH!


    Suddenly, two lights shone on the two frozen students'' bodies, and the two students who werepletely frozen disappeared.


    It might have been dangerous for them if they had stayed like that for a few minutes. The students were thrown out of the dungeon.


    Now, only a half-alive enemy is left.


    [ "Time for you to join your friends." ]


    I got closer to Floyd.


    [ "Pl-please, spare me! I will do everything you say, please!" ]


    Floyd had thrown away his pride. If he is eliminated here, he will surely fail. He didn''t want to be outcasted by his ssmate, he was one of the Top-100 students in the Academy.


    [ "You should have thought that when you attacked me." ]


    It might have been me if I was caught off guard or if they were stronger than me. Would they let me off if I was the one in their position? I don''t think so.


    And it was not like they are dying for real. They will just fail the exam and might need to repeat the year or Ace academy might even conduct another exam to pass them.


    Anyway, I was not interested in knowing what will happen to them.


    [ "No, please, no. My parents work for a gold-graded guild. I will give you ten thousand Ethan coins." ]


    [ "Not interested!" ]


    -CRIIIIICK!


    I put my hand on his unfrozen shoulder and started to freeze him and soon after he also disappeared.


    ( Please let this be the end for today. )


    I don''t want to be interrupted again. I once again jumped on the bed and slept.


    Please let me have a good sleep!

 Chapter 50 Salamander

    Chapter 50 Smander


    On the second day, I hunted for quite a while in that spot but the number of monsters has started to decrease. The point that I earned was about 20 on the second day.


    It was quite a good pace if you are aiming for Top-20 but it was a little low if you are trying to get into the Top-10.


    In the novel, Hiro manages to get 163 points, Zion gets 155 points and Lisa and Sylvia get 140 points putting them in first, second, and third position respectively.


    I decided to go kill one of the Rank-D boss monsters. A point of 120 would be enough for me to be pushed into the Top-10 rank.


    Finding the Rank-D boss monsters'' location was not a problem since I had a general idea of where they could be.


    The only thing left to do was for me to go to that ce and kill the boss monster. However, killing the Rank-D boss monster alone was very difficult. Heck, even a team of 10 students would get wiped out in an instant if they are not careful.


    Even Hiro and Zion struggle a lot, only Lisa and Sylvia have an easier time because they team up to defeat the boss in the novel.


    I decided to head towards the Lava area to battle the Smander who is the Rank-D boss monster. It is a fire-type monster and its weakness is Ice and water-type attacks.


    Having the best Ice Art in the entire world, I should be able to defeat Smander.


    As far I know, Hiro and other students keep the boss monster as theirst prey.


    It is because they would not be able to hunt for more monsters if they are injured or exhausted from fighting the Boss monster. Therefore, it was a good choice to keep hunting the boss monsterst.


    It was a better option to get injured and exhausted in thest fight than on the first day. At least, you will have some points from the four days hunt.


    I will also start fighting with Smander on thest day of the exam. If I am unable to defeat it, then I will run and hide until the exam is over.


    I would still have some points to give me good rankings.


    The dungeon is divided into 5 parts; three are mountains that are rocky, snowy, andva, and there are two terrains of Forest and desert.<sub></sub>


    I started to travel to the location of Smander on the third day.


    *****


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    As I was going through the mountain areas I heard the sound of swords shing. I got closer to have a look.


    [ "B*stard! How dare you steal our foods?" ]


    [ "Your food? When did I ever." ]


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    [ "Clearly, the Red Bull was injured by our team, you took it when it ran away from us." ]


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    [ "Haha. You couldn''t handle the monster by yourself and now you are ming us for taking it. " ]


    It was a dispute over the resources. The two teams were fighting over some monster meat.


    I ignored their fight and continued to walk. I encountered another two teams fighting.


    Most people had formed a group after they met with their acquaintance. After all, staying in a group increases the chance of survival.


    Only a handful of people were alone, either they had no friend like me or they were too powerful like Hiro.<sub>


    </sub>


    I reached theva area in about 3 hours of traveling. During that period I met two Rank-D, Lava Golem, and 1 Basilisk.


    Lava Golem is a Big guy that can take a lot of damage. He spewsva from his mouth and even creates a rock wall made of obsidian. He can also melt objects he touches.


    Fighting this guy with a bare hand was a no-no. Just touching that guy would inflict damage to your body.


    However, it was not that difficult for a Cryomancy user. It would have been a piece of cake if I was in the same rank as the monster.


    The fight took some time, as I slowly damage the Lava Golem with Cryomancy Art. Simr to the fighting style I used for defeating Giant Orge in Labyrinth of Goblin.


    His speed was on the level of a Rank-E monster which made it easier to dodge his attacks.


    The only thing I needed to beware of was the Fire Ball that he spewed. It would have been difficult to handle that attack without the Ice Wall''s skill.


    The entrance to the Smander was found after one more hour of searching. Smander resides inside the cave.


    I decided to fight the boss monster on thest day of the exam. Right now, was finding a spot to sleep and hunt monsters for two more days.


    *****


    Two more days went by and the point that I collected was around 50 which was enough for me tond in Top-50.


    Today was thest day of the exam and I got ready to finally face the Rank-D boss monster, Smander. I walked up to the entrance of the Smander''s cave.


    [ "Here I go!" ]


    I entered the cave slowly, paying attention to my surroundings and heightening my senses.<sub> </sub>


    At that moment...


    "Kuaaakkkk"


    I heard a loud scream from the cave. Two-person were running away from the cave and left. They were so scared that they didn''t even notice me when running away.


    I nced at them but I didn''t know who they were.


    I continued going deeper inside the cave.


    *****


    [ "Cowards!" ]


    Misha shouted after two of her team member ran away in fear from the Smander.


    Misha was hunting alone when the four of the students has reach out to her. She wasn''t interested in teaming up since Jareth was also with them.


    Jareth like William was a snobbish person. His rank was high, probably from all the elixir that his rich parents gave him but he wascking when it came to battle.


    His Art was of Water Magic and he would never fight someone directly. He would only attack from the rear.


    But five of them were ssmates and she had a better chance of defeating the Rank-D boss monster with more people. Therefore, she decided to team up for the sake of defeating Rank-D''s boss.


    They came fully prepared to take on the Smander. The battle was tough but they could still manage to endure until Jareth and Bonnie abandoned the team.


    Bonnie was the support Mage while Jareth was a water mage responsible for attacking and defending the team. The two were supposed to stay behind and protect them from Smander''s attack.


    However, the Smander managed to prate their defense and hit the two mages behind. The Smander came near the two fallen Mages and roared.


    -GOOOOOO!


    The Smander roar was resembling an earthquake and had the effect of inducing fear in the opponent. The Smander mmed its tail on Jareth and Bonnie.


    But Misha was quick enough to defend them by blocking the attack with her sword.


    -SPURT!


    The attack was blocked but the impact of the blow had injured Misha. Misha ended up splurting some blood from her mouth.


    Not only that after hearing the roar, Jareth and Bonnie were so scared that they had fled from the battle leaving the three teammates behind.


    The two was young master having been protected by others since young. They have never encountered a life-threatening situation and when Smander got too close to them and roared.


    They could see their dead sh before their eyes and they became so scared that they couldn''t think of anything other than escaping from that ce.


    [ "Dodge!" ]


    Jade warned Misha and Jenna when Smander was about to attack with its fire breath. It was one of the terrifying attacks of Smander that covered arge area and melts even the rock upon hit.


    Though Misha and Jenna reacted quick enough to dodge the attack before toote, the Smander was just getting started.


    The Smander opened its mouth wide and started pouring out a current ofva-like torrent. Theva covered the whole ce and blocked the exit of the cave.


    The three of them were attackers with Misha having a sword, Jade using a bow and arrow, and Jenna using a spear. They couldn''t block the Smander attacks.


    If Jareth was present, he might have been able to do something about theva with his water magic but since he has fled, the current team had no choice but to dodge Smander''s attacks.


    The Smander''s first target was Misha, who was slowed down by her injuries.


    After arriving in front of her in an instant, it brandishes its tail, mming down and swinging sideways.


    Misha focusedpletely on dodging the Smander''s attacks.Jade tried to distract the Smander with her arrow but it was ignored by the Smander.


    The Smander used its fire breath on Misha. Misha quickly sprang back but the Smander was not done yet. Smander used itsva around her.


    Misha found herself trapped between theva. In front of her, the Smander opened its mouth wide and was about to breathe fire.


    ( Is this it? I thought I improved a lot after the BloodyWolf Incident. I reached Rank E and my skill proficiency had also ranked up. Still, I am too weak. I don''t want to die yet. )


    Fear had taken over her mind. Though they know that they will not die for real but when death is in front of you, you can''t help but be afraid of it.


    She watched as theva was about to be fired off from the mouth of Smander.


    [ [ "Misha!" ] ]


    Jade and Jenna shouted. They were not able toe near them due to theva surrounding Misha and Smander.


    -CRRRRR


    just when the horrifyingva was about to be shot from Smander''s mouth. With its mouth open, the Smander stopped moving.


    Smander had an enraged expression but it could not move as Ice started to appear on its body.


    Someone entered the cave and asked.


    [ "Need some help?" ]

 Chapter 51 Salamander [2]

    Chapter 51 Smander [2]


    As I got deeper and deeper, the temperature started to get higher and higher.


    As I got closer to the cave, I nted Cryo Bomb around the ce in case the Smander ran away from me. It was also in case unwanted people entered the ce.


    It would be truly annoying if all my hard work was taken away from me by someone or if the monster ran away before I could kill it.


    I could finally see something. It was red and shiny, it wasva that was surrounding the whole ce.


    I also saw Smander spewingva around. He looked like he was fighting someone, probably the teammates of the students that ran away earlier.


    There were indeed some people there. I looked carefully at the person that the Smander was fighting currently.


    [ "MISHA!" ]


    Misha was currently trapped in between thevas and Smander was about to release its skill. I darted toward Misha and gathered Ice energy in my left hand.


    [ "Cryo Bomb" ]


    I threw Cryo Bomb at the unaware Smander, freezing the Smander in its ce temporarily.


    [ "Need some help?" ]


    Misha turned around in my direction and was staring dumbfoundedly at me. Jade and Jenna also looked at me with surprise.


    Jade, Jenna, and Misha were surprised to find someone who is willing to help them. At first, they thought it might be Jareth or Bonnie but the Smander was frozen which is not the Art of either Jareth or Bonnie.


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD! -CRRRRIIK!


    The Smander seems to be enraged and trying to escape from the frozen state.


    The effect of the Cryo Bomb was about to be broken by the Smander. I looked around the ce inside the cave which was mostly covered inva.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    I used the Ground Freeze skill to freeze the area that was covered inva. It was to make fighting the Smander easier and also to make an exit path for the three of them.


    [ "Hey, Misha and two of you! Get out of here quickly! Smander is about to break away from my Ice." ] <sub></sub>


    They were still in a daze and everything that was happening seemed unreal to them. But they started to run after hearing Zero''s words.


    They still could not get over their astonishment at seeing a Rank-D boss monster be stopped by a fellow student.


    Being able to freeze a Rank-D boss monster means that he is capable of freezing almost everyone in Rank-D and below.


    Rank-D boss monsters were already the toughest monster that one could encounter in Rank-D.


    [ "Quick!" ]


    Zero shouted again seeing that Smander was almost out of the Ice.


    Jade, Jenna, and Misha quickly ran towards the exit of the cave.


    [ "Thank You!" ]


    [ "Thank you! I will repay you someday." ]


    Jade and Jenna thanked Zero. They then quickly went out of the cave.


    [ "Zero, What are you doing here?" ]


    Misha asked Zero.


    [ "Same as you guys. I came to take down this guy." ]


    I answered as I pointed my finger at Smander. Misha was stunned by what Zero said but quickly realized that Zero was powerful enough to freeze the Smander.


    It would be no surprise for her that Zero came to defeat a Rank-D boss monster alone. And also she has seen his power during the BloodyWolf incident.


    It had been three months since that incident and she know that Zero would have surely grown tremendously during that period.


    She wanted to stay and help him but seeing that she was injured, she thought she would be more of a burden than a help.


    [ "You should escape quickly from here! Here, take this health potion." ] <sub>


    </sub>


    Zero gave three potions to Misha. He didn''t see any storage ring or any other storage object with them, which means they don''t bring in any potion with them.


    [ "Uhm. Thanks!" ]


    [ "No problem!" ]


    [ "Be careful!" ]


    With that, Misha went out of the cave. Zero made his way towards the Smander.


    -HUFFF!


    [ "Let''s do it!" ]


    There was already a chance of me beating the Smander but now that he had a fight earlier with Misha''s group, the probability of me beating the Smander had increased to 100 percent.


    The Smander was also injured by the Cryo Bomb that I threw earlier.


    -PUUUAAA!


    Theva erupted from Smander''s body,pletely melting the ice in his body.


    -GUUOOOOOO!


    The Smander roared at me angrily while opening its mouth to attack.


    The Smander attack using the fire from its mouth.


    [ "Ice Wall!" ]


    I used Ice Wall to block the Smander''s attack. The fire kept on hitting the Ice Wall.


    The Ice wall started to melt slowly but before the Ice Wall waspletely melted, the fire stoppeding.


    Just when I thought Smander stopped attacking, it started spewingva around. <sub> </sub>


    ( Trying to entrap me. Nice Try! )


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    I can''t let the Smander trap me like Misha. Having the mobility and space to dodge taken from you could be detrimental to your life when fighting against monsters with high attack power.


    Unlike the Smander who could endure an attack from me, I would be killed by the Smander if he hit me a couple of times with his attack.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    I attacked Smander but the attack was negated by the protective shield around him.


    Unlike when I caught him off guard when he was attacking Misha, this time he used a protection skill on his body to defend.


    -GUOOOOO!


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    The Smander roared angrily and made its way toward me and swung his tail at me. I jumped and avoided the attack.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I fired Ice Shard in mid-air.


    The Smander blocked it with his fire. I continued to press on and attack with all my long-distance skill but the Smander defended against them with his protection barrier and his fire.


    My attack seem to work little by little but it was not dealing big damage to the Smander. If it continued like this, we would stay in a stalemate forever.


    [ "Time to test out my new skill on him. Ice Embodiment" ]


    Ice Embodiment skill increases my attack power and also increases my defense.


    I had also the option of using Dual Art but I want to first try using the Ice Embodiment skill. And my body is under extreme stress when using Dual Art.


    My whole body started to be covered in Ice. It was like wearing an amour that is made of ice but the ice could be controlled by me.


    The Smander opened its mouth to attack me. However, this time instead of dodging or blocking his attack I straight away went to attack him.


    -KHAAAAKKK


    The Smander started to attack me using its fire. I kept on sprinting towards the Smander without paying attention to the fire.


    The fire kept on hitting my body but due to the Ice armor, my body was not hurt by the fire.


    When I was two meters away from the Smander, I jumped toward his head.


    I made the Ice around my arms into sharp ice, like a spearhead but 10 times bigger. While the Smander was still breathing fire, I thrust my hand on his head.


    -GUOOOOO!


    The Smander roared in pain. Blood started gushing out of the Smander''s head. The Smander shook his head to get me off his head.


    I started thrusting more on his head before finally jumping off his head.


    The Smander''s head was fully covered in blood. It was only a matter of time before the Smander dies.


    The once ferocious Smander looked like a frightened kitten. He started trembling at the sight of me.


    The Smander stepped back and started running away from me. The Smander was heading towards the exit. However, the Smander was walking straight into the trap I set up earlier.


    I activated the Cryo Bomb that I imnted on the entrance previously.


    The Smander was caught off-guard and froze on the spot. The Smander would have been able to defend against such an attack if he had used a protective barrier on his body.


    But the Smander was so terrified that he ran without paying attention to his surrounding. Without any defensive skill, the Smander was easy for the Cryo Bomb to freeze.


    I dash towards the Smander position. Though frozen, I couldn''t tell for how long the Smander will remain frozen. I took this chance to sh and behead the frozen Smander.


    [ "Hah...Hah... " ]


    The fight was not that dangerous but it could have been impossible to kill the Smander if the Smander was not weak to Ice-type attacks.


    After confirming that the Smander died, I went outside the cave.


    When I was about to exit the cave, there was lots of noise outside.


    -THUD! -THUD! -WHOOSH!


    I came out of the cave to see students and many monsters running away. The monster didn''t even pay attention to the students and was running away.


    Even a Rank-D monster was running away with a terrified expression.


    ( How can a Rank-D monster be terrified in this ce? )


    Rank-D was the highest rank in this dungeon, to be able to frighten these monsters would mean that something terrific was chasing them.


    I looked in the opposite direction of where the monsters and students were running.


    [ "Hey, You! What are you doing?" ]


    A running student who saw me yelled at me.


    [ "Me? I just came out of the cave. What happened? Why are you all running?" ]


    [ "In a cave?" ]


    The student looked at the ce behind me.


    [ "Were you hiding in the cave all along? Anyway, that''s not important, you need to escape from this ce immediately. There is a group of terrifying monsters approaching this ce." ]


    He pointed in the direction in which the monster was running away.


    In the distance, I could see something approaching like a ck cloud or something from the sky. It was approaching at a fast speed.


    I concentrated and looked carefully at what it was. I was shocked by the revtion of what that ck cloud was.


    [ "Really, Ace Academy! Did you really need to do this?" ]

 Chapter 52 The Black Cloud

    Chapter 52 The ck Cloud


    ***At the Professor''s Office***


    There were multiple screens in the meeting hall of Professor showing various recordings of students in the dungeon.


    The professor all gathered to look at how the students were performing in the practical exam.


    Of course, the most eye-catching ones were Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia who showed overwhelming power and knowledge to survive.


    The professors were all impressed by their performance.


    There were also other students that caught their attention, especially Zero who was making the exam look like he was on a trip.


    [ "Kakakakakaaa... I can''t believe someone bought a tent and grill with them. He seems to be on a trip" ]


    [ "Who is he? I don''t think I have seen him before." ]


    [ "He is Zero Elea, a student of my ss." ]


    Professor Mia said to Professor Theo. Professor Theo is also a homeroom teacher in one of the First-year sses. He is an energetic and jolly person. He is also extremely chatty and overly friendly.


    [ "Zero, Zero... The rumor guy that went with you at Sophia''s party?" ]


    [ "Yes" ]


    [ "Hah? I thought it was only a rumor that he was a student. I can''t believe he was really a student. So, is the rumor of you being into younger boys also true." ]


    Theo teased.


    [ "Don''t you think it is a little hical to date your student." ]


    Brianna who hated Professor Miained in a disdainful voice. She had been trying to seduce Professor William for years, however, he would never give a nce at her while he would chase after Professor Mia like a dog.<sub></sub>


    There was no problem between the two but seeing him fawning over Professor Mia made Brianna jealous and salty toward Professor Mia.


    On several asions, Professor Brianna would disagree and try to obstruct Professor Mia. This led to bad blood between the two.


    ( What is it that I am inferior to her? Okay, I admit I may be a little less pretty, just a little bit than her. And I am older than her but mature women have their own charms. And I am still a gorgeous girl who is chased by many men. Why is Professor William still rejecting even when Professor Mia clearly has a lover. )


    To say that it was jealous of fellow women, toward a woman who was more beautiful would be the correct statement.


    [ "I can go with whoever I want. It is none of your business. I think the really hical thing is you favoring the Rich students." ]


    Professor Brianna would favor students with a profound background. She would treat them politely and respond kindly while students who were from poor and weak backgrounds were treated harshly by her.


    [ "Humph! I don''t discriminate against the poor. I only like to teach people who have great talent. What is the use of working hard for someone who would never achieve something." ]


    [ "By talent, you mean those students with money." ]


    [ "Aie ya. Stop it you two. You two are not a kid anymore, try to act your age. We are here to have an important discussion on the practical exam of the First-year. What do you all think about this year''s students." ]


    Head Teacher of the First-year interrupted them. Every Professor knows that Professor Mia and Professor Brianna don''t get along with each other.


    However, they can''t interfere with them because it was a personal problem between those two. But it doesn''t mean he can''t interrupt them when those two are disturbing an important meeting.


    [ "They are really good. This year we increased the difficulty of the practical exam and still plenty of them are doing great." ]


    Professor Theo said while looking at the screen showing the number of students still in the dungeon.


    Previously, Ace Academy used to limit the monster level to Rank-E + for the First-year exam but this time they included even a Rank-D boss monster. This test was on the level of second-years and the result was still better than theirs.


    [ "I think we should fail student Zero of Alpha ss. He has brought in food, water, and a tent. He must have got information about the test beforehand from somewhere. " ] <sub>


    </sub>


    Professor William said angrily. He didn''t forget about his humiliation at Sophia''s Birthday party. He wanted nothing more than to get his revenge on Zero.


    Watching Zero enjoy the exam like he is on a trip had made Professor Williams angrier. He could not wait for Zero to get eliminated.


    He thought Zero would be eliminated by the three students who were ambushing him but Zero didn''t even struggle while dealing with those three students.


    If Zero were to be valued by the Ace Academy like Hiro, it will be difficult for him to interfere with him in the future.


    [ "For What? Being extra prepared. Don''t joke with us, William." ]


    Professor Mia said with a threatening voice. Professor Mia knows that Professor William is just doing it to get back at Zero.


    Zero helped her when she was in trouble. So, she would also do everything in her power to protect Zero.


    [ "He has clearly cheated. How can he have bought those items without knowing what is on the exam?" ]


    [ "Don''t think Zero is the same as you, William. You can ignore the rule and help your students to cheat. Now, you want to bend the rule and eliminate Zero like that? Who do you think you are?" ]


    [ "Clearly you helped him. How else can he know? There must be a professor who told him before and clearly, you are the one..." ]


    -BANG!


    [ "I just said act like your age. And Professor William, we can''t fail Zero just because of you." ]


    The Head Teacher gave Professor William a re telling him to drop the matter. Head Teacher was no fool and he knows the feud between Professor William and Zero.


    But Head Teacher couldn''t help Zero because Professor William''s father was someone in a high position and Professor William didn''t interfere directly during the duel.


    [ " Vice-Principal what do you think about the test." ] <sub> </sub>


    The Head Teacher asked the vice-principal who had the highest position among the present professor.


    [ "Ummm" ]


    The vice-principal stroke his bread while watching the live feed of the dungeon.


    [ "They are truly the Golden Generation. Most of them had reached Rank-E. Especially, Hiro Ernest, he is in Rank-D - ." ]


    [ [ [ [ "Rank-D" ] ] ] ]


    The Professors were all shocked to hear the Vice-principal words. They know that Hiro was in Rank-E + when the school started but now he broke through in three months.


    [ "He is the youngest to be Rank-D in history. With him, we might be able to do well in the Tournament of Academies." ]


    One of the professors happily said. With Hiro''s potential, he might reach Rank-C in time for the tournament.


    [ "The dungeon test difficulty had been increased but with Hiro''s breakthrough to Rank-D, it might be too easy for them. HeadTeacher generates a Rank-C boss monster, Wyvern" ]


    [ "Understood, Sir!" ]


    [ "Let us see how our students can deal with this monster." ]


    Only two hours were left before the headteacher started to make a flock of Wyvern with Rank-C Wyvern leader.


    All the teachers continued to look at the screen and watch the student''s reactions to it. They were eager to see the potential of the First-years students.


    *****


    [ "Wyvern" ]


    Wyvern was a sub-species of dragon and their Rank ranged from Rank-E to Rank-C. The strongest Wyvern was their leader who would be in Rank-C.


    Rank-D was already hard for the students to defeat. Not to mention Rank-C Wyvern. And it would still be easy if it was one Wyvern but there was a group of them.


    [ "Yes, it started appearing from the sky about one hour ago. We should leave this area immediately." ]


    He ran after exining the situation to me and I also went with him. We ran like rabbits.


    [ "Thank you for your warning. What is your name?" ]


    [ "Oh. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Haris Hond, the Top-30 ranked in Ace Academy. What is your name?" ]


    Haris proudly said while mentioning Top-30. Don''t say Top-30, even Top-100 in Ace Academy is something to brag about.


    [ "Zero Elea, from Alpha ss" ]


    [ "ZERO! You mean that Zero?" ]


    Haris yelled.


    [ "I don''t know who is ''that'' Zero but yeah it is probably me." ]


    Haris looked stupified by the revtion. 89 percent of First-year had heard the name Zero. It started bing widespread when apparently he beat Lucas and Rowan like punching bags.


    But to Top-30 students like Haris, it was no big deal. They could also defeat Lucas and Rowan. They could not defeat them together but even Zero had the help of Hiro Ernest during the duel.


    However, Zero truly caught his attention when rumors started circting about Zero being the lover of Professor Mia, the Ice Enchantress.


    It was already hard to get on the good side of Professor Mia due to her stern personality. And Zero was there dating that Professor.


    It was not only difficult but downright impossible to do that. Professor Mia didn''t just reject no-name guys like Professor William but also famous heroes.


    So, it was shocking for him to know that Professor Mia was going out with Zero,  the student known as Romeo.


    The nickname that was given as an insult turned out to be apliment. Zero truly turned out to be Romeo, being able to date Professor Mia, the Unattainable Ice Enchantress.


    Some students even started idolizing Zero as the king of romance. The students were praying to him to be able to date girls like Lisa and Sylvia.


    They thought it would be impossible for them but even Zero, the Romeo had been able to go out with the Unattainable Ice Enchantress.


    It sparked a kind of hope for the poor boys who were rejected by girls before.


    [ "So, where are we going?" ]


    [ "Don''t know. But it is better to go as far as possible from those monsters. There is only an hour left before the practical exam ends. We will pass if we can survive for an hour." ]


    I nodded. It was a reasonable decision. With so many Wyvern, even Rank-C students might be dead in a matter of minutes.


    We quickly caught up with other students. We all ran until we could see other students approaching from other directions.


    [ "What are you doing? Wyverns areing, run away." ]


    [ "What? Wyverns areing from this direction." ]


    [ "No, it ising from the west." ]


    Listening to the words of the students, I realized that we had been surrounded from all directions. It was not west, not south, or east, Wyverns wasing from all directions.


    Slowly realizing the situation that we are in, the student''s faces turn pale. There was a chance that they could have passed if they kept on running but now they were surrounded.


    There was no way for them to defeat Wyverns who had the advantage of being in the air and is led by a Rank-C Wyvern.


    I looked around and saw Hiro Ernest and the other Main Characters. They were discussing something with each other.


    It didn''t take long for us to see the ck shadow approaching from four directions.


    At that moment, Hiro shouted.

 Chapter 53 Unexpected Situation

    Chapter 53 Unexpected Situation


    Releasing the Rank-D mana aura, Hiro Ernest got the attention of all the students presents there.


    [ "Th-This is the aura of Rank-D. Did Hiro reach that rank already? " ]


    [ "Even some third-years are only at Rank-D, I can''t believe that Hiro has managed to reach that rank." ]


    [ "The mana aura is more powerful than even some of our seniors." ]


    The students were shocked to know that Hiro had reached Rank-D. Even I was surprised by that.


    In the novel, Hiro breakthrough Rank-D during the summer vacation. But he had already done it one month before what is written in the novel.


    And I wonder if the Wyvern attack has something to do with Hiro''s Rank being D. In the novel, the practical exam ends without the appearance of Wyvern.


    Hiro Ernest had be Rank-D - but still, I don''t think he is powerful enough to take down a Rank-C Wyvern. We might have a chance if Hiro was at Rank-D + peak.


    However, the Students found hope in Hiro. It might be impossible to beat an opponent that is two major ranks higher than you but there are cases of people beating monsters/humans that higher than you by one major Rank.


    And Hiro was exactly that type of person. Hiro''s feat of fighting toe to toe with Rank-D Devil Contractors while still being in Rank-E + is widespread.


    Not many people can do it. The difference in strength between the major ranks was very high but they believe or they had to believe in Hiro to fight against Wyvern.


    But not everyone was feeling happy about this news. While other students only cared about passing the exam, Zion was envious of Hiro.


    Zion Maxwell tightens his fist to the point of bleeding. He thought he has finally caught up to Hiro when he has broken through Rank-E +.


    But unexpected Hiro had already left him in the dust by quickly breaking through to the next rank. Zion Maxwell was a man of pride but it didn''t let him get to his head.


    Zion Maxwell has an older brother who he had considered the greatest genius when he was a kid. From a young age, Zion Maxwell trained hard in the hope to be able to catch up to his brother.<sub></sub>


    But the difference in power only increased. Zion, however, was not discouraged as he admired his brother and was happy about his achievement.


    However, as he grew older, he found out that his brother was not a rare genius. Professor Mia broke through Rank-A at the age of 20 while his brother only broke through when he was age 25.


    Zion could only work harder in order to surpass those geniuses who were more talented than his brother but there was an even bigger monster than the Ice Enchantress in his ss, Hiro Ernest.


    Hiro Ernest, whom he considers a rival was beyond any geniuses out there. He was already at Rank-E + when they were at the entrance exam.


    Zion has already had the greatest resources avable to him at all times. However, Hiro who didn''t have any background managed to surpass him again and again.


    Though that was also not enough to discourage him. Rather it had encouraged him to work even harder because his goal was to surpass every people and be the strongest person in the world.


    However, realizing again the gap between Hiro and him, he can''t help but be frustrated for a moment.


    Lisa and Sylvia''s reaction was normal that is they were surprised like many others but they didn''t feel envious like Zion. They did have apetitive spirit like Zion but they didn''tpare their talent like Zion.


    [ "Let us work together and pushed through this hurdle together." ]


    Hiro raised his sword and raised the morale of the students.


    [ "I, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia will try to stall the Wyvern Leader while you all try to take care of other Wyvern." ]


    Hiro proposed a n. Since they were the strongest among the students, they would be the better choice to fight with the Wyvern leader as others will just be Wyvern food.


    The student agreed to Hiro''s n. It is because the risky part of the n would be carried out by Hiro and his group while we have the easier part.


    The students started forming groups as the chance of surviving is high with a group than being alone. I, of course, didn''t have any friends to form groups with.<sub>


    </sub>


    The Wyvern reached in a few minutes and the war between the students and Wyvern began.


    Hiro was the first one to charge ahead.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Cosmic Destruction" ]


    Hiro''s power was incredible, taking out most Rank-E Wyvern around the Wyvern leader.


    However, nothing happened to Wyvern''s leader and Rank-D Wyvern was still okay.


    -GRRRRRR!


    Wyverns became enraged at the action of Hiro. Wyverns pped his wings and shot Wind sh which was blocked by Lisa''s skill.


    [ "Soterai Blessing: Guardian Protection" ]


    A protectiveyer appeared around Hiro. The protective shield and the wind sh sh against each other.


    -BOOM! -BOOM! -CRACK!


    The protective barrier was cracked open easily after a few seconds. Hiro used his sword to cancel out the attack that managed to get through the barrier.


    Zion also started attacking the Wyvern. He started with Rank-D Wyvern and Sylvia also took on the Rank-D Wyvern.


    I joined the battle with other students. The Wyvern on our sides were mostly Rank-E and only one or two were at the Rank of D.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]<sub> </sub>


    Wyverns had the advantage in the battle since they were in the air. Hitting the Wyvern with a sword was very difficult. Therefore, instead of using sword art, I used Cryomancy.


    One after another Wyvern started falling from the sky. Some were hit on their spine instantly taking their life while others were still alive even after getting hit by my attack.


    However, those who got hit by my attack were unable to fly. Their body part was frozen making it difficult for them to continue flying.


    When the Wyvernsnded on the ground, Sword and Spear users would kill them.


    I focused on hitting as many Wyverns as possible. The number of Wyverns was too much. There were at least hundreds of them.


    While we took out almost 30 of them, many students were also eliminated. The power of students kept on decreasing and the burden increased for the remaining students.


    -KRRRRAAA!


    I jumped back sensing the attack from a Wyvern. The attack came from Rank-D Wyvern. Rank-D Wyvern was the real problem here. One attack from Rank-D Wyvern was able to take out multiple students.


    Rank-E Wyvern only had an advantage in number but Rank-D Wyvern was powerful. However, they were still weaker than the Boss monster like Smander.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I tried to shoot down the Rank-D Wyvern that attacked me. The Ice Shard was shattered by his wings. The Ice Shard didn''t have enough power to damage the Rank-D Wyvern.


    I tried again, only to fail. Their flying skill was really annoying. If we fought on the ground, I could have taken care of him in a minute.


    But it was rather hard to defeat him while he was in the air because I only had Ice Shard as a long-distance attack. Shadow sh was also a long-distance attack but its range was only a few meters which wouldn''t reach the Wyvern.


    The other Wyvern also joined him to attack me but they were taken out by my attack.


    The Rank-D remained unflinching and continued attacking me with its Wind sh. The students were getting taken out by the Wyverns.


    I didn''t have time to wait for the Wyvern to let down his guard. I had to take him out quickly.


    [ "Dual Art: Shadow Ice Shard" ]


    The attack had the range of the Ice Shard and the attack power of Shadow sh. The attack hit the Wyvern, cutting off its wing.


    The Wyvern fell down to the ground. After he was unable to fly, it was easier to kill him.


    The Wyvern tried to resist but a wingless Wyvern was like a sword user without its sword.


    -SLASH!


    The other students were shocked by the scene in front of them. A student alone took care of one of the Rank-D Wyverns while they were still struggling with fighting Rank-E Wyverns.


    Not only was the Wyvern tough, but they were also difficult to hit because they were flying in the air while they were on the ground.


    The students soon recovered from the initial state of shock and focused on fighting the Wyverns.


    I looked around to check the situation of the battle.


    One of the Rank-D Wyverns was killed by me and only one more Rank-D was left on our side. The other Rank-D Wyvern was being handled by another group of students.


    I took this time to drink a health and mana potion.


    -GULP! -GULP!


    Having recovered some mana, I tried clearing the Wyvern around other students.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    The Rank-E Wyvern fell one after the another and the advantage they held in numbers slowly dwindle.


    Just when I thought the situation was turning favor to our side. The Wyvern Leader started to make his move.


    Hiro and Lisa were injured and pushed back by the Wyvern leader.


    -GRRRRRRRR!


    The roar startled and startled many students. The Wyvern Leader peered at the students causing the students to tremble.


    [ "Hiro is unable to contain the Wyvern Leader." ]


    [ "Wyvern Leader is preparing tounch an attack. Move quickly." ]


    -SWWWOOOOOOSSSHH!


    Arge tornado emerged from the Wyvern wing and it became bigger and bigger. Then another two tornadoes wind also emerged.


    [ "Hey, somebody block that, or else we all will be wiped out." ]


    [ "Run away quickly!" ]


    The students were in a state of confusion and chaos. Some tried to run away from the ce while many started deploying their defensive skill.


    The power of the attack before it was used was already insane. The object near the Wyvern leader was all sucked and destroyed by the wind energy gathered at Wyvern''s wings.


    ( If the Wyvernunched the attack, then we might all die. )


    We could intercept the attack by hitting on Wyvern while it was still taking the time to charge its attack. The only problem is that we need something to reach that ce in the air.


    [ "I don''t know if I have enough mana for this but here goes." ]

 Chapter 54 Unexpected Situation [2]

    Chapter 54 Unexpected Situation [2]


    The Wyvern prepared for his strongest skill, the Wind Tornado. The skill affects a wide area and is also powerful enough to knock out Rank-C humans.


    The only downside of this attack is that it takes too much time to charge. However, it was no problem here because nobody had a powerful enough long-range attack to disturb the Wyvern leader.


    I could try to use my Dual Art: Shadow Ice Shard but there were other Wyverns standing in front of the Wyvern leader to defend against the enemy attacks.


    I still had another option, though I was not sure whether I can pull it off or not but it was better than doing nothing. I poured in the remaining mana and released the Ice energy.


    [ "Ice Embodiment: Ice Creation" ]


    I used all my mana to create something like a big stair of Ice for the students to climb and reach the Wyverns. The other Wyverns can be taken care of by other students while Hiro could go and disturb the Wyvern leader.


    -SHHHHIIIIIIIIISSSS!


    The Ice stair was created as high as 25 meters high. You might as well say that I build a building out of thin air.


    While students were in despair, suddenly an Ice Stair appeared out of nowhere in front of them. They were startled by the sudden emergence of an Ice Stair.


    [ "Go and Attack him now!" ]


    I shouted at the top of my lungs to bring the students back to reality. The students understood from my words what they had to do.


    One after another the students started climbing the stair and got engaged in battle with the Wyverns.<sub></sub>


    [ "Come on! Let''s Go!" ]


    [ "Attack the leader while he is still charging his skill." ]


    [ "It is do or die. Everyone climbs the stair." ]


    More and more students started climbing the stairs. They were moving closer to the Wyvern leader until they got stopped by other Wyverns.


    The other Wyverns came between the students and tried to stop them. The Wyvern leader was still charging his attack.


    Hiro and Lisa also went to interrupt the Wyvern Leader.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Heavenly Strengthening" ]


    Lisa used a wide area support skill that increases the attack power of people near Lisa albeit by a little percent.


    But when 10s and 20s students'' strength is increased by a small percentage, thebined power of that small increased strength would be huge.


    Hiro ran at full speed towards the Wyvern leader. The other Wyverns tried to stop him but Hiro easily killed them and quickly reached near the Wyvern Leader.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Star Annihtion" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    -GRAAAWWWW!


    Hiro was able to injure the Wyvern leader and interrupted the Wyvern leader''s skill. Now that Hiro was close to the Wyvern, he could finally use his strongest attack.


    Many students also found fighting Wyvern easier as Wyvern''s advantage of flying was not there anymore.


    -SLASH! -CLANK!


    The sound of battle filled the area. I took the opportunity to drink a mana potion. My mana has reached 20 percent.


    Hiro was engaging in closebat with the Wyvern leader. Even without the Wyvern leader''s advantage of flying, the Wyvern leader was easily overpowering Hiro.


    Hiro was even reinforced by Lisa''s Blessing but Wyvern''s leader was incredibly strong. It is extremely difficult for even the Rank-D+ peak to beat Wyvern Leader who is in Rank-C. Not to mention Hiro who has only recently attained Rank-D -.


    Hiro attacked fiercely but the Wyvern leader easily blocked his attack with his barrier. Then Wyvern''s leader counterattacked.


    Lisa used her skill to protect Hiro from Wyvern''s attack. Sometimes her barrierpletely blocked the Wyvern attacks while at other times she would just reduce the power of Wyvern attacks.


    Hiro and the Wyvern leader were both in a fierce fight with neither being able to defeat the other.


    Meanwhile, Zion was on the verge of defeating his opponent, Rank-D Wyvern.<sub> </sub>


    At first, Zion was at a disadvantage as his Imperial Spear Style was mainly for closebat. He could only defend and try to keep the monster away from others.


    After Zero''s Ice Creation, he was also able to close the distance between him and Wyvern which enable him to take a more offensive approach.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    Zion used his strongest attack topletely obliterate the Wyvern.


    [ "Hah... Hah" ]


    Zion sat down and took a rest for a while. Zion was injured earlier when he was still in his defensive position.


    While he managed to avoid any lethal wind shes but still he was asionally hit here and there.


    Blood dripped from every part of his body as multiple Wind sh had cut every part of his body.


    On Sylvia''s side, she had an easier time than other students. She is a bow user, therefore she was not at all at disadvantage due to the distance between her and the Wyvern.


    She had been attacking the Wyvern continuously and dodging the attack of the Rank-D Wyvern. She was fighting a war of attrition and it was only a matter of time before she brings down the Wyvern.


    However, Sylvia had to be cautious all time and dodge the attacks of the Wyvern. One hit from the Rank-D Wyvern was enough to knock out Sylvia.


    I looked around and saw that many students were doing well now. The only problem was the Wyvern leader who was ridiculously powerful.


    Hiro is somehow able to keep the Wyvern leader busy with the help of Lisa but in the process, Hiro is constantly being injured while Wyvern''s leader was not taking any damage.


    If this continues, Hiro will lose and then Wyvern''s leader will attack us. All the effort we put into fighting the Wyverns will be for naughts.


    I thought of the optimal way to defeat Wyvern''s leader. I can try to use the strongest attack that I can muster but I needed a little more mana to be able to execute it. And I am also not sure whether my body can handle the stress anymore.


    Both mana and my physical condition were not in great condition.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    The battle with Wyverns turned more favorable when Zion joined the fight but the situation was still not looking good for us.


    Even with the additional firepower from Zion, the Wyvern leader was too damn powerful to be taken out.


    Hiro and Zion continued striking without being able to break the Wyvern leader''s defense.


    The two of them used the most powerful skill they had simultaneously.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Star Annihtion" ]


    - GWWWWWARRRRRR!


    The Wyvern leader''s defense broke but the damage on the Wyvern leader itself was not that great. They did manage to make a small cut on the Wyvern leader''s chest.


    The Wyvern leader became annoyed by their attack. Even though it didn''t do much damage to him, still being hurt by others was not a good feeling.


    Wyvern''s leader realized that his attacks are being blocked by Lisa after his attack was constantly blocked. Wyvern''s leader ignored Zion and Hiro and attacked Lisa.


    In a single instant, multiple Wind sh was shot out to Lisa.


    [ "What?" ]


    [ "He is going after Lisa. Lisa dodge!" ]


    Hiro and Zion tried to block the attack but it has already passed through them and was approaching Lisa.


    At the same time, Wyvern Leader continued tounch his attack again. Although Lisa managed to dodge them with her nimble movements and her protection skill, the attacks became fierce and fierce until she could neither dodge nor hold her barrier.


    Eventually, the attack broke past Lisa''s barrier and hit her body, sending her flying like a football being kicked. Since she was on the Ice Stair that Zero made, if shended on the ground which is 25 meters high, she would definitely die.


    She coughed up blood and looked at the ground. She could do nothing but close her in an attempt to stop her mind from being afraid.


    [ [ "Lisa!" ] ]

 Chapter 55 Unexpected Situation [3]

    [ [ "Lisa!" ] ]


    Hiro and Zion shouted but they could do nothing but just stare at Lisa for a moment before dodging the attack of the Wyvern leader.


    They continued to fight with the Wyvern leader. They both know that Lisa will not die for real and only be teleported out.


    And it was only like they had time to worry about Lisa when they were the ones that could be eliminated next.


    Without Lisa''s support, the chance of them winning had lowered even more.


    *****


    [ "Ice Embodiment: Ice Creation" ]


    Zero used Ice Creation to make something like a slide for the falling Lisa.


    Lisa expected a big collision but nothing of that sort happened after waiting for a few seconds. She slowly opened her eyes to see someone familiar standing in front of her.


    [ "Lisa, Are you okay?" ]


    Lisa looked at the person in front of her with stupified expression. She thought she will definitely be eliminated.


    She looked around to find an Ice slide and realized that Zero made an Ice Slide to save her.


    She then looked at herself. The dress was torn a little and she had a messy appearance. Embarrassingly standing up, she thanked Zero.


    [ "Thank you for your help, Zero. If not for your help, I would have been eliminated." ]


    [ "Your wee. Take this and heal your wounds. The battle is still not over." ]


    Zero said as he threw a health and mana potion to Lisa. After waiting for a minute, Zero made his way toward the Wyvern leader.


    *****


    [ "Dammit. How dare you do that to Lisa. I am going to kill you." ]


    Zion threatened the Wyvern Leader by releasing his killing intent. But to Rank-C Wyvern it was nothing but child y to have this much killing intent.


    The Wyvern''s leader ignored Zion''s threat and started attacking again. Zion dodged the wind sh and attacked Wyvern''s leader.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    However, even if he was angry, his attack didn''t even manage to break the Wyvern leader barrier.


    Zion with the help of Lisa''s spell was not able to break Wyvern''s leader barrier, not to mention Zion who didn''t have Lisa''s support.


    Hiro also followed Zion''s charge and attacked.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Star Annihtion" ]<sub></sub>


    Even Hiro''s attack was withstood by the wyvern leader barrier. Hiro and Zion continued fighting and slowly they were getting exhausted.


    The Wyvern''s leader took the chance to strike when Hiro and Zion showed signs of exhaustion.


    The Wyvern leader first struck with his Wind sh and while Hiro and Zion''s attention was on the wind sh, the Wyvern leader flew towards Hiro and Zion at high speed and struck them with his w.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Hiro and Zion after sensing that the Wyvern leader hade down to strike at them, had the only option of using their weapon to protect themselves.


    They withstood the attack of Wyvern''s leader only for a second before Wyvern''s leader send them flying like Lisa.


    [ "Is this the power of Rank-C." ]


    Hiro muttered as he was flung back. It was his first time fighting against Rank-C. It has only been a few days since he became Rank-D - and he had to already fight with a Rank-C.


    He thought he became strong after breaking through the Rank-D but even with the increased stats, he was still weaker than the Wyvern.


    He could have taken care of the Devil Contractor leader easily even without the help of System if his rank was D. Lucas and Rowan wouldn''t even withstand his one move.


    Still, there were lots of enemies that were still stronger than him. He watched as the Wyvern leader prepared his skill to kill everyone present.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    Lisa cast her spell on Hiro and Zion. A protective shield appeared around them and it withstood the impact of them falling.


    The Wyvern leader started charging his skill for the second time.


    This was the moment Zero was waiting for. The Wyvern leader was vulnerable when he prepares this skill and other Wyverns were still busy with other students.


    It was the perfect moment to strike.


    pA????[0?)?? [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Simr to Ice Embodiment, Zero''s body was covered in Ice with the addition of shadow energy. It resembled ck obsidian and along with Ice energy, it also increases the control over Shadow.


    He quickly moved closer to the Wyvern leader and unleashed his full power attack.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    Suddenly emerging below the Wyvern leader''s body, Zero used the skill to attack.


    -SWISHHHH!


    The attack took the Wyvern leader by surprise and his left wings were cut off by Zero''s attack. The Wyvern leader failed to charge his skill and due to him losing a wing, he fell on the Ice stair.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    -GRRRRRR!


    The Wyvern leader roared due to the pain and anger. Its receptacle grew in size, then it let out an ear-splitting cry.


    The cry was one that could be heard by anyone within a radius of one kilometer.


    The Wyverns that were previously fighting on the battleground were stunned by that cry. Some Wyvern, after they came back to their senses, crouched and shivered in fear while other Wyverns began to run.


    How could they stay when their leader who is strongest among them is defeated.


    Monsters were creatures that follows their instinct; when their lives is in danger they would instantly run away not like humans who would babble about revenge and whatnot, only to be killedter.


    If they feel that they will die, they will run away not caring about loyalty and other nonsense.


    The students were also stunned by the Wyvern''s roar. When they saw Hiro and Zion flung back by the Wyvern leader, they thought they lost.


    However, even before they had the time to feel despair, Zero had cut off Wyvern''s leader''s wing and made him grovel onto the Ice.


    The students cried out in joy after they came back to their senses. Everyone was shouting in joy.


    [ "Yes, Yes! We are winning!" ]


    [ "The Wyvern''s leader had its wing cut." ]


    [ "We can win this. That person just needs to give him a finishing blow." ]


    However, Zero used up all his mana and his body was not in any shape to move. Not to say finishing off the Wyvern''s leader, it might be him who will be killed.


    On other hand, the Wyvern leader was still not dead, only that he lost one of his wings.


    -GGGGRRRRRWWW!


    Angered, the Wyvern Leader roared violently. The roar was like that of a dragon''s, but at the same time, there was a freakish feeling about it that could make people''s blood freeze.


    Even genius like Hiro felt pressurized by the Wyvern leader''s roar that was filled with strong killing intent.


    Not to mention about the normal students who were just around Rank-E, and feeling such intense killing intent, they couldn''t help but tremble.


    Some students even lost the courage to stand and fell down on their butt. They could feel the power and cruelty in the roar of the Wyvern leader.


    The angry Wyvern made its way to Zero who had made him suffer.


    Zero couldn''t do anything but watch as the Wyvern leader approached him. The Wyvern opened its mouth wide and was about to bite Zero.


    ( Haha. I put in so much effort only to be eaten in the end. Dammit! )

 Chapter 56 Summer Vacation

    Chapter 56 Summer Vacation


    The students'' expressions turned from tion to misery. They thought they would win when they saw Zero cutting off the Wyvern''s leader wing.


    But they soon realized that they were wrong. Although Wyvern''s leader''s wing was cut off but it still have enough strength to kill everyone.


    They thought Zero who was able to cut the Wyvern leader''s wings would be able to kill the Wyvern''s leader.


    But Zero was not moving a muscle and Wyvern''s leader was approaching Zero who had copsed.


    They knew something was wrong and they knew it was rted to that powerful attack of his.


    There was no way a Rank-E could release such an attack without suffering any bacshes.


    The Wyvern leader opened its mouth to bite Zero. Zero watched as the Wyvern leader opened his mouth showing its sharp teeth.


    He closed his eyes and tightened his muscles and waited for the pain that was about toe.


    But before the Wyvern leader could bite Zero to death, his body turned into light particles and started disappearing.


    -DING! -DONG!


    [ "Exam concluded! 52 students survived!" ]


    I slowly opened my eyes after hearing a sound. I thought I was eliminated and got teleported back to the training ground.


    The next moment I saw myself on the training ground of Ace Academy. But I was not the only person there.


    I looked around and saw that other students were also lying around me. They were in a daze like they had just woken up from a dream.


    I realized it is not that I died in the mouth of Wyvern''s leader but that the exam has ended just before I was killed by the Wyvern leader.


    I was astonished at my own luck. If it had been one secondter, I would have turned into food for the Wyvern leader.


    But I was lucky that the exam ended and thanks to that I was able to survive.


    Before long students came back to their senses and started to chatter.


    [ "What happened? Did we survive?" ]


    [ "Have the exam ended? I don''t think I was killed." ]


    [ "I was still fighting when I saw my body turned into light particles." ]


    [ "Sshhhh! Professors areing!" ]


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    The professor made their appearances one by one on the training ground including Professor Mia and Professor William.


    [ "The practical exam has ended. Congrattions to all the students that survived!" ]


    Professor Theo then went and weed Vice-principal to give a speech.


    The Vice-Principal stood in front of us on the podium and opened his mouth.


    [ "Ahem... You all have done a great job surviving in the dungeon for five days. We had been observing your action in the dungeon for five days and I must say we are all impressed by the level of power you all have shown." ]


    The speech went on and Vice-Principal praised us and exined the need for such an exam. He also borated on the responsibility that each one of us carries and told us to work harder.


    The Vice-principal speech ended in half an hour but this was not thest thing we need to do. Our homeroom teacher was to give us feedback on how we did on the exam.


    We had to go to the office of the respective homeroom teacher and receive our results.


    I followed Professor Mia with other students in my ss including Hiro Ernest, Zion Maxwell, Lisa Kyelpas, and Sylvia Mavis.


    The remaining students from our ss were about 10. Others might have been eliminated previously.


    The total strength of our ss is around 100 students but only 10 percent remained. Most students were eliminated during the fight with the Wyverns.


    While walking, Lisa came toward me.


    [ "Umm. Zero, I would like to thank you once again for your help with the exam. If you ever need my help, I will do my best to help you." ]


    [ "Haha... It is my honor to help the goddess." ]


    [ "Ahh. Please don''t address me as a goddess. It is embarrassing." ]


    Lisa blushed as she said. It made me want to tease her more.


    But before I replied, I felt a threatening re from Professor Mia which made me stop.


    ( Please stop ring. I was just teasing for a bit. It would not hurt anyone if I tease her a little. Would it? )


    I was silent the whole time before arriving at the office.


    The result was given to the students privately. The students went to the office one after another and finally, my turn came.


    [ "Zero Elea, your point in the practical exam is 183. You did quite well and you are among top-3 in this exam." ]


    I was shocked to hear about my scores. And even more so to hear my rank. Number 3 in the entire first year, to say number 3 among the Golden generation. It was more than I hoped for.


    [ "I must say you are going greatpared to your entrance exam. However, you could have done more. You would have gotten first ce if you had worked harder." ]


    Professor Mia praised me and also gave me feedback on how I could have done better.


    [ "Your point increased due to you killing and assisting other students in killing Wyverns. If not for that you might not have made it to Top-3 with your previous score." ]


    Professor Mia took out the result sheet and gave it to me.


    [ "Your final rank is 7. I hope you work on your schoolwork. Your written exam rank is only 26 due to which your final rank dropped quite a lot. I hope you concentrate more on ss from now on." ]


    Rank-26!!! Rather than saying it was bad, it was beyond my expectation. It would have been already a miracle for me to get into Top-50 in the written exam.


    But now I managed to get into Top-30 which is very good. And I also managed to get Rank-7 among all the first-year.


    [ "My eyes truly didn''t deceive me. With your current progress, you might reach Rank-D + before the Tournament of Academies. It will be enough for you to get in as a participant." ]


    Professor Mia reminded Zero about the promise they had. She hoped Zero could help their academy secure the trophy in the Tournament of Academies.


    [ "From tomorrow, summer vacation starts. I hope that you don''t getcent and train harder." ]


    [ "Yes, I will! Have a nice vacation Professor Mia!" ]


    I told her and left the office building. I looked at the exam result again and confirm that I was indeed in the Top-10.


    Professor Mia might have told me that it was low but from my point of view, it is truly high. Imagine a student going from 900s rank to Top-10 in one term, it is incredible progress.


    After that, I quickly went to the dorm. I sat on the bed and thought for a while.


    From tomorrow, we have one month''s holiday and I nned to go back to my home. We can stay here if we want but I nned to go back to meet my parents and also help them get stronger.


    Now that I have money, a lot of money that is, I can help my parents to be stronger and also support their guild financially.


    I have to buy my dad and mom a Rank-up potion to Rank-A which would usually cost around one million Ethan coins.


    I set the n to go home after two days. Before leaving I needed to discuss some projects with thepany.


    Since I have money, I decided to create an online shopping this time.


    [ "Hehe... It''s time to exploit my employee. Just kidding." ]

 Chapter 57 Summer Vacation [2]

    Chapter 57 Summer Vacation [2]


    I realize that not having Amazon is pretty inconvenient. Previously, to buy some items like a tent and grill, I had to waste too much time searching different shops for the items.


    This world does not have services like Amazon. I wanted to use this opportunity to not only make life easier for myself and people around the world but also earn money.


    Amazon a small bookselling eshop created by Jeff Bezos became a multi-billion dorpany on earth and it is one of the most sessfulpanies.


    Alibaba, another online shoppingpany is also a major sessfulpany established by Jack ma. This shows how profitable online shopping is.


    However, it was not only to earn money this time. I wanted to have ess to rare potions and artifacts with this tform.


    When this online shopping website bes popr, many people would also sell potions and artifacts through my website. They might even be willing to sell some of the rare potions and artifacts they possess.


    I don''t have to look for potions every time I need to buy one. And I could also buy those artifacts without spending time searching for auctions that sell them.


    This was to make buying these things easier for me. Now that I have money, I just needed artifacts and potions to make me stronger. <sub></sub>


    The more I thought, the more I became sure that I needed to create this tform. I would also be first to know if some rare treasures are being sold here and if it is something I want then I could buy it first.


    That night I had a fancy dinner and a long shower before going to bed. I was too exhausted to write down the n or discuss it with Aiden.


    I kept those things for tomorrow. I was physically fine since what I had experienced in that dungeon was not real but mentally, I was still exhausted.


    That artifact, Staff of Illusion was like an incredibly advanced virtual reality device. It could make things feel real and even transmit pain to your body. But your real body would not get damaged since the things inside the dungeon was all illusion.


    It was just your pain being transmitted to your body through your brain. You might be mentally crippled in there but physically nothing will happen.


    I jumped happily on the soft bed and went to sleep. That night I had a good sleep.


    ***** <sub>


    </sub>


    I woke up feeling refreshed and with lots of energy. I was suffering from a little sleep deprivation in the dungeon.


    It was not the best feeling to sleep in the dungeon. Though I had a bed and a tent which wasfortable and betterpared to other students who had to sleep on trees and ground.


    But it was nothingpared to sleeping on a real bed with no worries such as monsters and other people attacking you.


    I also got disturbed a couple of times by a monster entering near my tent.


    And also by some students like those three who wanted to rob my things. Though there were taken care of easily, however, they did seed to interrupt my sleep.


    I took a shower and had a huge amount of rice and potato curry for breakfast. I went to thepany afterward to discuss establishing online shopping.


    At first, Aiden and others were not sure about the idea since they were specialized in software rather than business things. They also felt that creating something like a delivery service will not in any money.<sub> </sub>


    But I assured them not to worry and just focus on making the UI of the website. Even if I lose some money, I can bear it.


    About whether this will work out or not, ask 200 million users of Amazon on earth. After finishing the discussion on what type of website I need, I had another meeting.


    This time it was with the marketing and business team. I had exined how online shopping works. I also need them to acquire some stores so that we have something to sell when we start our online shopping service.


    And I also need them to negotiate with other shops to encourage them to sell their products on my online shop. We needed to prepare everything we might need afterunching the website.


    And as for the name of the website,


    [ "Let''s call it Megaplex" ]


    My n for going home after two days got dyed as I had to stay at mypany for one more day before I can go back to my home.


    The nning took more time than I anticipated. And not many shops agreed with the idea we provided. However, I was not in a rush as I have money and time. We could just start with selling items from the store that we acquire.


    For attracting more users, I decided to buy shops that sell potions and artifacts. The price was not cheap, it cost me around 10 million Ethan coins but it was totally worth it.


    Potions are like hot selling cakes that are always in high demand. We might have spent too much on acquiring the shops even before creating the tform but it was all worth it.


    I know that the return for this expenditure will be many times more.


    Even if there are not that many buyers and we could not sell them, I could always use them myself. I also had to establish multiple branches in different cities.


    Finding Employees and finding a ce to establish the office were all kept for the management team to handle.


    I went to the dorm after all the work was done. I packed all the stuff that I had to take. It was only some clothes and I stored those things in the spatial ring.


    *****


    After one hour of sitting on the bus, I finally reached my city. I had to walk a couple of meters before I reach my house.


    After walking for 10 minutes more, I reached in front of the building which could neither be considered big nor small.


    I reached for the doorbell and rang.


    -DING! -DONG!


    As soon as the doorbell rang, I heard the sound of a footstep.


    -CLANK!


    The door opened and the one standing in front of me was my mother, Madison Elea,  who smiled brilliantly after seeing me and quickly took me into her embrace.


    [ "Wee Home, Zero!" ]

 Chapter 58 This Is My Home!

    Chapter 58 This Is My Home!


    [ "Wee Home, Zero!" ]


    Taking in the moment of warmth that I missed for four months, I hugged my mother back.


    I stayed in that position until I felt suffocated by my mothers'' hug. It was a long time before my mother stopped hugging me.


    I thought it was truly the end of me. It would be funny if I managed to survive all those events just to die in the hands of my mother.


    [ "Did you eat breakfast? I am preparing your favorite dish, Stuffed Aubergines." ]


    [ "Okay, I will eat after a bath." ]


    I entered the house having a nostalgic feeling. It was the same old house where I stayed for more than 15 years. I would asionally miss this ce when I was in the dorm.


    I entered the house but dad was not there, probably busy with the guild matter.


    Mom must have stayed at home after I have called her previously that I wasing back today.


    As the guild master and vice-guild master of Shadow Genesis, there is a need for the presence of a guild master constantly.<sub></sub>


    It might be to sign a document for cooperation with other guilds, it might be to get ess to dungeons, or to deal with other guilds that might be after the guild.


    I looked around for a minute before going to the bathroom to take a shower. Walking in the sun for 10 minutes had made my body sweaty and ufortable.


    Summer in the Eds can be really harsh. In some ces, the temperature would increase to 70 degrees which is insane if it was on Earth.


    However, since the people of this ce are much stronger than the people of Earth, humans manage to stay alive even in those ces.


    After a refreshing bath, I went to the dining hall to see a variety of dishes with my favorite Stuffed Aubergines. I sat down and started wolf down the food.


    -CHOMP! -CHOMP! -CHOMP!


    The number one thing that you will miss when you are away from your home is definitely your mother''s cooking.


    Having tasted my mother''s cooking again, I realized again the perk of staying alive. It was being able to eat your mother''s cooking. I mean if you are dead you can''t eat food.


    After eating the food Iy on the sofa and switched on the TV to watch some news.<sub>


    </sub>


    There was nothing too interesting, just some news about some heroes and a dungeon.


    Though on one of the news channels I saw the reporter talk about the WorldCraft.


    [ ''Today, we will talk about the game that has taken the world by the storm with its unique features and gamey. Thepany TechGenesis which was recently established hasunched the game called WorldCraft which is considered the greatest game in history.'' ]


    The news channel is called Eds Time Now. And it was a fairly popr channel especially for getting unusual news.


    Unlike the typical news channel of Eds, where the news is all about monsters, heroes, and all those stuff. Eds Times Now focused on the life of people, innovations, and all these things which made them popr among the audience.


    I mean if you watch a news channel and all it does is cover dungeon and monster every time and it happens on multiple news channels, you would want something new which is being provided by Eds Times Now.


    [ ''Let us hear it from James who had been called the greatest yer in WorldCraft. What are your thoughts about the game and thepany that made them.'' ]


    I looked curiously at the guy which is called the greatest yer of WorldCraft. He might be like ''Technode'' of Minecraft.


    The guy has the style of a gamer that you see on Youtube and Twitch. Wearing sses and headphones which are designed in shy colors and wearing a game character shirt. <sub> </sub>


    Simr to gamers like Pewdiepie who stream ying video games.


    WorldCraft is definitely bing popr and the member of the WorldCraft page on TwitFlick has already surpassed 2 million, bing the page with the highest follower on TwitFlick.


    I thought I should also add a feature for streaming games in TwitFlick. Previously I didn''t add that feature as I only included the basics feature of Facebook on TwitFlick. But with the creation of WorldCraft, it might be a good idea to implement game streaming features.


    [ ''WorldCraft was a fresh game that people needed. Previously other games were all about using brains and no graphics. It became boring and no new ideas were there but WorldCraft is different. It is engaging and fun where users are given freedom in the game. You could y to survive in the WorldCraft or spend building things. You could also y it with friends which is a new feature in games. Tech Genesis is truly an innovativepany, and I am  grateful to them for making this game.'' ]


    The news channel talked more about how it had impacted the people. How it is growing and its potential revenues.


    One of the reasons why WorldCraft might have turned big would be the NightShade guild which had announced Tech Genesis being under their protection.


    I continued watching the TV until it was evening and finally my dad was home.


    [ "I am home!" ]


    The one that entered the house was a man who could be said to be an older version of me, my father Warren Elea. The only difference was the color of the eyes, my father had brown color while I had my mother''s green eyes color.


    [ "Dad, wee back!" ]


    [ "Oh! Son, you have grown more handsome. Wait for a minute, I wille down after I change my clothes." ]


    Mother started to take out tes and mugs. I helped her to bring out the things for dinner.


    After a while, my father came down and we had dinner together. The family which was iplete yesterday wasplete today.


    This is what family is all about. We started to talk and I told them what I experienced in the Ace Academy.


    [ "As for the Mid-Term result, I am ranked-7." ]


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    My dad and mom dropped their spoon and looked at me with their eyes wide open and their mouth half-open.


    [ "Haha...That''s my son. You are Rank-7 in the number one Academy. You made me proud son." ]


    Fatherughed as he patted my shoulder. I was also happy that my father was proud of me.


    [ "Son, you have worked hard. We know that we can''t provide you with many resources but you could even rank Top among those who have all the resources." ]


    [ "No, No, the resource you gave was more than enough. It is because of you two that I was able to achieve this much." ]


    The conversation continued and the father and mother asked all kinds of questions including whether I got a girlfriend or not to which I can only say no.


    ( Your son doesn''t even have a proper friend in school. Not to mention a girlfriend. )


    I went back to my room after dinner and saw that the room was kept clean without a speck of dust. The room that I had to stay in for 15 years and the same old bed that I slept in were all in the same position and the same state.


    The room was filled with nostalgic feelings and I feltfortable and at peace sleeping there.


    This is My Home!

 Chapter 59 Trouble Brewing

    Chapter 59 Trouble Brewing


    Morning came and I came down to have breakfast. Today, I nned to visit the Shadow Genesis guild.


    After breakfast, I went to Shadow Genesis guild with my parents and entered the guild office.


    The first thing that I noticed when I entered the guild was how the guild employee was running back and forth with a pile of paper in their hand.


    They seem pretty busy even more so than at the busiest time of the day. You should know that in a guild, the morning is prettyx without much work.


    And even the usual happy aura in the guild was gone. They all wore a serious expressions and were working hard. I sensed something is wrong with the guild.


    [ "Mom and I have a lot of work today. You can go around and train if you like. We meet again for the lunch." ]


    With this, my parent quickly moved towards their office. I looked around and saw that the guild was really giving off an aura of seriousness.


    [ "Yo Zero, you are back from the Ace Academy. You should have given a call if you wereing." ]


    The one to call me from behind was Logan who is my cousin. He would asionallye along with his parents to our house.


    We are close in age and used to hang out together when we were kids. So we are pretty close with each other. <sub></sub>


    [ "Yes, I just came yesterday. How about you? Everything fine in Saint Helena Academy?" ]


    The Saint Helena Academy is not as good as Ace Academy but it could still be considered a Top-5 Academy.


    [ "Great! We have this guy who is really good at lightning magic. And also the ax guy with ridiculous strength. Even when they are the first year like me, they are the first choice for the Tournament of Academies. I really wish I had their talent." ]


    Logan expressed his excitement. Logan never thought he could be the best considering his background and talent and therefore is not jealous of them.


    Logan is only at Rank-F+ which can be considered good but our generation or the first year''s students was stronger than other year students and naturally, Rank-F+ is the lowest rank you can have in Academies.


    To find Rank-F + students in Ace Academy was as rare as the students who were in Rank-E+.


    It might be average in Saint Helena Academy though. Saint Helena Academy students'' talent was far below Ace Academy.


    [ "Zero, do you know Hiro Ernest? I have watched the news about him and I couldn''t believe he is in Rank-E+ peak." ]


    ( Actually, It is Rank-D - and many students of our school have also reached Rank-E+ including me. )<sub>


    </sub>


    I don''t know how he would react if I said it to him like this. The rank of Hiro had not been made public for now, though the Ace Academy might soon do that.


    You might think hiding that information is good but it is really not. There are many spies among professors and students and they will get the information sooner orter.


    And showing the progress of Hiro will generate a good image in the eyes of The Authority and public and they might allocate more resources to Ace Academy.


    The Authority''s mission is to protect and cultivate the next generation of humanity. They have many rare items and they are willing to give these resources to students with good potential.


    They might favor Hiro more after knowing that he became Rank-D and it was also good publicity for the Ace Academy.


    [ "Yeah, I know him. We are ssmates. Anyways, what is up with the guild today? Why does everyone seem so busy?" ]


    [ "Huh? You don''t know?" ]


    [ "Know what?" ]


    He was asking me like it was the most known information like the world is round. Ah... wait some people believe it''s t. <sub> </sub>


    Anyway, he was saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    [ "Ah! Aunty and uncle must have not informed you because they didn''t want you to be distracted. I also knew about it recently aftering back from Saint Helena Academy." ]


    He continued to speak as we make our way to one of the sitting areas.


    [ "Apparently IvoryBow, another silver-graded guild around this area had been shallowing other guilds. They started from the small Bronze guild and now they seem to be after our guild." ]


    [ "..." ]


    The IvoryBow guild has three A-Rank guild members which makes them more powerful than our guild. Our guild might be in the same grade as them but they were more powerful.


    We are an average Silver graded guild with only 13 Rank-B guild members. Our guild didn''t even have one Rank-A guild member. While the IvoryBow has three Rank-A members.


    I thought for a moment. I have lots of ways to solve this problem.


    For one, I can let NightShade guild destroy IvoryBow guild but it was a little difficult. They cannot just attack a guild that is stationed in another city.


    If so it might be seen as the NightShade guild invading another city and it might even get the attention of Diamond graded guild or The Authority.


    And it was not a long-term solution either. This time it might work but what about next time. If I bring in the NightShade guild this time, we might get away without any consequences but if I call NightShade again, then it might be seen as the NightShade guild invading and expanding their territory.


    The only permanent solution to this problem was to make the guild strong. Counting on mom and dad, we might have two or three more guild member who is at Rank-B and above.


    My dad is on Rank-B+ peak and only needs to take Rank-A breakthrough potion while we have to for mom and the other two to reach Rank-B+ peak before giving them Rank-A breakthrough potion.


    But even with the addition of one Rank-A, the invasion from the IvoryBow guild would be greatly slowed down.


    The only problem was exining to my parents how I got the potions.


    However, I thought I would just say I opened apany and it became bigger. It was something that I need to reveal sooner orter.


    There are chances that they might not believe me but as long as they take the potion, I didn''t care about that. I can only show them the bank ount if they refuse to take the potion.


    I spend some time chatting with Logan. He shared his experience in his first year at Saint Helena Academy.


    [ "Look at the time, it is already 10 am. Zero, we will meet again next time. Today, I have an appointment with my dad to go to a dungeon." ]


    [ "Okay, be careful" ]


    We said our goodbyes and I fell into my thoughts. The guild was in trouble but it was not that dangerous conaidering the power that I currently have.


    It might have been if I didn''t own apany and have a Gold-graded guild working under me.


    Even if the guild is taken away, I just need to help my parents establish another one.


    Or my parents don''t even need to work. We can live in luxury for another 10 years with the money that I made.


    But I had to make my parents powerful. The future will be dangerous which I know for sure.


    ording to the novel, in five years there will a small war between the demon and the human. Not only that, there are many small events in the novel that is very dangerous to those who are weak.


    I will try my best to keep my parents safe but nothing is more reassuring than making my parents powerful.


    [ "The novel''s second volume is starting!" ]

 Chapter 60 Trouble Brewing [2]

    Chapter 60 Trouble Brewing [2]


    For the first half of the second volume, most of the things that will happen is to do with Hiro''s training. In other words, it was a training arc where Hiro trains and breakthrough into the Rank-D.


    However, Hiro Ernest has already reached that rank in this world. I don''t know what led to it but it was a good change.


    MC being strong is always good. I have to worry less about him dying if he was strong. I will feel kind of bad if Hiro dies when he is not supposed to ording to the novel.


    Anyways, there are not many problems in the first half of the second volume of the novel because it was all about training.


    At least not for the MC. Though it was different for me. In my case, my parents'' guild seem to be already in some kind of trouble.


    Though the problem was not that serious or something that the current me can''t handle. However, problems nheless were annoying.


    I decided to collect some intel on IvoryBow guild and what their motivation of doing this is. It was always good to know the motives of your enemies. Previously, I assumed other guilds were sabotaging mypany because they were my enemies.


    But unexpectedly it was nothing to do with me and Justin was just messing with us for Sophia.


    I decided to go to the IvoryBow guild to see whether I can find some clues or not. Just a casual stroll to see the enemy headquarters.


    It would not necessarily change the method that I am going to use to solve the problem that is making the Shadow Genesis guild stronger but I wanted to know more about my enemies.


    Like there is a saying, ''Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster''. I will never do something half-assed when it concerns my parents.


    The IvoryBow guild headquarters is a couple of blocks away from the Shadow Genesis.


    I walked for 17 minutes and the IvoryBow guild building was in my eyesight. But before I entered the building, I heard a loud voice.


    -THUD!<sub></sub>


    [ "Please! You will see the potential of it if you just see our prototype. Just give me a chance." ]


    [ "GO AWAY! Our guild doesn''t need your stupid inventions. We are plenty busy as it is." ]


    An angry man threw a man outside the building. The angry man must be the guard of IvoryBow guild as he was wearing ck sunsses and a ck suit.


    The man fell to the ground and all the paper in his bag was flying out. The man on the ground seem to be in his thirties judging by his appearance and his rank was also low.


    I went to help the poor guy who is being ignored by passers-by.


    [ "Let me help." ]


    I helped him stand up and picked up the paper that was thrown on the street.


    [ "Thank You!" ]


    He thanked me and he also started picking up his paper.


    As I was picking up the papers, I saw something unbelievable in paper.


    I looked at the paper carefully once again before handing it to the guy. The paper contained the design of something that greatly intrigued me.


    [ "Hey friend, if you have no problem, can you talk to me about what happened." ]


    [ "... OK" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "My name is Zero Elea and you are?" ]


    [ "My name is Seth Howard. " ]


    After we finished picking up the papers, we went to a cafe near the street. Nothing fancy, just a regr cafe for your normal humans.


    Why do I say regr cafes for normal people? Well, because in this world, there are also Expensive cafes for high profile people. The ingredients used in that cafe are from dungeons and other mana fields.


    That means that herbs and those ingredients used for making tea are filled with mana which makes those things valuable. These types of food made with mana-filled nts are extremely good for health and some food also increases strength.


    But only the rich could afford those and only people with a good background can enter such cafes.


    Anyway, the cafe we entered was nothing like that. It was an everyday cafe like you see on Earth.


    [ "So, how did you end up in that situation." ]


    I asked taking a sip of hot coffee. It was on the bitter side which I prefer over sweet coffee.


    Seth Howard was quite dejected after getting kicked out of the IvoryBow guild. He shook his head to stop thinking about the negative things and answered.


    [ "The purpose of my visit to IvoryBow guild was to have our research group work under their guild. ManaElemist, my team is making a battery using the monsters mana core. We thought the demand for it will be high but..." ]


    Seth Howard showed a disappointed face and continued.


    [ "They rejected the idea immediately after knowing that we are going to use monster core to make a battery. We thought it was a good idea but I guess the price of the monster core is too much to use on a battery invention." ]<sub> </sub>


    Seth tried to smile but the sadness that he felt was not able to give him a genuine smile.


    He already spent lots of personal money and also his friends in the hope to be able toplete the product.


    However, with a limited budget, they could only procure a limited monster core to experiment with. They have no more money to experiment and hoped that other guilds can take them under their guild and provide them with resources for continuing the research.


    [ "And I begged them to give us a chance and you know the rest. I was kicked out of the building by their guards. I guess this is it for my invention. Thank you for listening, I felt better after telling this to someone." ]


    Seth stood up and was about to leave the cafe.


    [ "Wait!" ]


    I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder.


    [ "Listen to me. How about this, I own apany and I can invest in your project if you want." ]


    [ "Really!" ]


    Seth Howard became cheerful but then looked at me suspiciously. I can get why he will get suspicious of me. I am a teenager and teenagers like me could hardly have that kind of money to invest.


    [ ".... Ummm...  What is yourpany''s name?" ]


    [ "Tech Genesis" ]


    [ "TECH GENESIS!!! " ]


    Seth yelled so loud that all the other customers looked at us. I tried to calm him down and made him sit.


    [ "You have heard of Tech Genesis?" ]


    [ "Who doesn''t know about Tech Genesis nowadays. It is thepany that has been on the rise ever since they released WorldCraft. It is especially well known among us business entrepreneur who is trying to learn from Tech Genesis." ]


    Seth Howard exined excitedly. The is no businessman who does not know thepany, Tech Genesis.


    Thepany rose to the top in just a matter of months. It had a good reputation and its products were new and innovative.


    There is also a rumor of Tech Genesis employee sries being very high. It is said that the top employee of Tech Genesis receives as much as a Rank-A human in the guild.


    Therefore, thepany had be the most popr working option for non-fighting people. They didn''t need to have a high rank nor risk their life to earn a huge amount. It was a dreame true ce for them.


    [ "Anyway, I want your team to work with ourpany. Do you agree? I can promise you that I will provide you with every resource you might need." ]


    [ "Yes, Yes, Yes I agree. But I will first need some time to exin it to my other teammates. Can you wait for a few days?" ]


    For Seth, nothing is better than being an employee at Tech Genesis. He might have failed to get the support of the IvoryBow guild but unexpectedly he could get to join Tech Genesis.


    It is true that there is a fortune in every misfortune. If he was not kicked out from IvoryBow he might have never got to work with Tech Genesis.


    And if Zero parents were not troubled by IvoryBow guild, he would never be able to find Seth who could help him develop mana battery.


    [ "Okay. You can have three days before giving me the answer. This is my phone number. Call me when you are ready." ]


    Zero was genuinely interested in the project that Seth Howard have. People might not see the potential of this product just yet because monster cores are very expensive and making it into a battery is a waste of monster core.


    However, in the novel, it bes one of the greatest products in the market after theunch. Why you may ask?


    Battery made up of monster core canst up to 10 years depending on the rank of the monster core you use. Rank-F monster core cost up to 1000 Ethan coins and battery that are made up of those monster core mightst for 3 years.


    So, what is the advantage of such an expensive battery? For one, you can have a battery thatsts for years. With it, you don''t need a charger for charging your phones andptops.


    The second and the most important thing is in the dungeons. When raiding a dungeon or going to explore newnds filled with danger, drones mighte in handy.


    Right now, with a single charge, a drone might be able to fly for 30 minutes which is not very useful. Now, if we rece that battery with a mana battery, the drone wouldst for years without charge.


    With it, it is possible to first surveil the dangerous area before sending in the explorers to investigate the unexplorednd. This is also true for other technologies in the dungeon.


    The phones and other technology can be used in the dungeon or Obelisk Tower but due to limited power, they are not usually used. The technology which used to be unproductive in the dungeon can be used due to mana battery.


    This technology has lots of benefits to a guild. In the novel, when it wasunched, only a high-grade guild used to get it due to short supply and huge demand.


    Those who used technology with mana batteries could see their guilds'' failure and death going down. It was an ultra-popr product.


    With technology, you could prevent lots of unwanted death in the dungeon. Thepany that sold those batteries was very sessful with each of their product bing popr.


    I don''t know the actual person who made those in the novel. It might be Seth or it might be someone else but the fact that I met someone who is researching this could mean I am going to make a lot of money.


    ( Idiots! Kicking out the goldmine. If you don''t want it then I will take it for myself.)

 Chapter 61 Celebration!

    Chapter 61 Celebration!


    Feeling happy that I managed to get Seth Howard to mypany, I forgot to go to the IvoryBow guild.


    But who would care about a stick when you got the gold bar. The matter of Seth Howard''s was much more important than IvoryBow. Seth Howard''s invention could turn any guild into a Top guild in that grade.


    As the matter with IvoryBow guild, as mentioned before, the solution was to get the guild to be stronger.


    I went back to the guild and was lost in thoughts about the n to manufacture the mana battery. I am not an expert in this field so I decided to consult with Aiden and Seth Howard.


    Seth probably has an idea about it seeing that he is a business entrepreneur. I might hire an expert but for now, let''s not count the chicken before they hatch.


    I still need Seth to pursue his friends and join mypany formally. Then I can start thinking about acquiring the material and increasing the production.


    I arrived before the door of my father''s office and stood there for a minute. I still had no idea how to exin to them about me getting the potions.


    I just decided to say anything thates to my mind. It is not like I used anything illegal to earn the money.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    [ "Come In!" ]


    I slowly entered the room which was filled with more paper than usual. Mother was also busy browsing through papers and signing them.


    [ "What happened, son? Do you need something?" ]


    [ "Ummm... Dad, Mom I have a gift for you." ]


    I sat on the chair in front of the desk. Dad and mom stopped their work and started listening to me.


    Even with so much work, my mom and dad never forget to give me their attention when needed. They treat everything that I do as something important. I am really fortunate to have them as my parents.<sub></sub>


    [ "You know when I was at Ace Academy, I establish apany. and it has kind of grown big now. And I earned some money. So, I decided to buy you something." ]


    Taking out the two Rank-A breakthrough potions from the spatial ring, I put them on the top of the table.


    [ "I bought Rank-A breakthrough potions with the money I earned from mypany." ]


    It took some time for my parents to show a reaction.


    [ "What? What did say, son? You bought two Rank-A potions? How is this possible? It would cost at least one million Ethan coins." ]


    [ "Baby, are you okay? Did you hit your head somewhere?" ]


    My mother quickly appeared before me and gently ced her hands on my head to check. She was relieved after finding nothing unusual happened to my head.


    My mother is a healer who specialist in healing. She can check for any abnormalities in others and that is exactly what she did when she ced her hands on my head.


    [ "No, I am not joking. Take a look at the potions." ]


    I ced the potions in front of them. They can at least feel the rank of the items from their senses. The items with higher rank will have a special aura like different ranked humans have different mana aura.


    Dad took the potion in his hand and looked at the potion and after a few seconds, he had a disbelief expression on his face. He looked careful again and his hand trembled as he ced the potion back on the desk.


    [ "Th-This is... This is really Rank-A breakthrough potion?" ]


    [ "Yes, it is real." ]


    [ "Seriously? How did you get it, son?" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "As I said, I have established apany and I identally earned a few extra Ethan coins. With that money, I bought this potion." ]


    [ "Your Company? In four months, you earned millions of Ethan coins? How is this possible?" ]


    [ "I was just lucky and mypany product sold very well." ]


    [ "..." ]


    ( Son, how can you be so lucky to get millions of Ethan coins just like that. I never won a coin ying cards, and you got millions? )


    Warren Elea doesn''t know whether to cry orugh, he worked day and night and never made this much money. On other hand, his son says he was lucky and made millions.


    If luck was what is needed to be rich, then what is the use of hard work. Earning just enough even after years of hard work while other people just earn million like that.


    And It was not just one million but probably ten million Ethan coins. The potion that he received was not a low-quality Rank-A breakthrough potion but the high-quality Rank-A breakthrough potion which is more expensive and has more probability of breaking through.


    Warren Elea and Medison Elea asked more about thepany and Zero tried his best to answer. He would, however, lie during situations like,


    [ "Zero, how did you know how to code?" ]


    Zero would be like,


    [ "I studied a little bit about it and tried it. I didn''t expect it to be so popr. I was just lucky." ]


    Just let them think he is a lucky boy. Where did you get that kind of idea? Just lucky. How did you increase your rank so much? Just lucky. What a good sentence.


    Zero would try to hide the fact that he has a memory of another world. It was difficult to exin and also very difficult to believe.<sub> </sub>


    It was better for him to tell lie than say the truth. Even if they know it, it was not beneficial to either party and it was not a good idea to tell them the world is a novel.


    I mean if somebody tells someone that your fate is already written somewhere then who would want to believe that. It meant that whatever you do, whatever you achieve in the future is all written by someone.


    [ "Father, take the potion and try to break through to Rank-A. With Father''s new power, IvoryBow would not tantly try to shallow our guild." ]


    [ "You are right son. I have to get to Rank-A as soon as possible. Our guild is not in the best position to respond to their attacks right now." ]


    Dad left the office to go to the training room. My mother also went with him, probably as a guard.


    I had nothing to do, so I left the office and went to look around the guild. It has only been four months but the guild already looks different than what I remember.


    I met some of the guild members which I met previously. I talked with them for a moment and went around looking at the building and looking at the new changes.


    I waited for my father after getting bored and tired of walking around. It was also because I was worried about my father that I was unable to go to train.


    No use in training if your mind is focused on something else. Only when you concentrate and train seriously would the result be good.


    It was in the evening when there was the fluctuation of mana in the air and an outburst of mana from the training room.


    -BAM! -BOOM!


    Father came out looking sweaty and tired but the mana aura that he was emitting was of Rank-A. Dad sessfully broke through to A-Rank.


    [ "Dear, you are in Rank-A. My god, you did it! You finally did it." ]


    [ "Haha... God blessed our family. To bestow us with such a talented son. I finally broke through with our son potion." ]


    Dad took a deep breath and felt his power. He also probably opened his status screen. The status screen can only be seen by the user unless you use some different way to show your status to others.


    [ "Honey, call all the executives present in the guild. We need to inform them of my breakthrough and also we need to discuss a new n to counter IvoryBow." ]


    My mother went out and called the employee to call all the executives toe to the office for a meeting. It was to announce the dad''s new rank and to discuss the problem that the Shadow Genesis guild was facing.


    Finally, relieved to see that my father is doing okay, I went to one of the training rooms numbered 3-C. It was made to handle the power of Rank-D.


    I am currently at Rank-E + but my power has already exceeded that of Rank-E +. If I train in the number 2 training room, I might destroy the whole room in a single attack.


    I continued to train while I waited for my parents to finish their meeting.


    ******


    [ "Guildmaster, why did you call us suddenly? We are pretty busy with handling the business that is being snatched by IvoryBow." ]


    [ "Sorry for calling you all so suddenly and I am grateful for your hard work. Firstly, I am here to inform you that I have reached Rank-A." ]


    [ [ [ [ [ "Rank-A!!!" ] ] ] ] ]


    The executive all shouted so loudly that people outside the guild thought that they were having an intense debate.


    [ "Yes, Today I broke through A-Rank." ]


    Warren Elea released his mana aura, not like fully releasing all his power to suppress others but just to show that the mana aura that he is emitting is of Rank-A.


    The executive was shocked to find that their guildmaster have really broken through the Rank-A.


    [ "Congrattion!" ]


    Osian Mitchell was the first one to calm down and congratte Warren. The mana aura released by Warren was indeed that of Rank-A.


    [ [ [ [ "Congrattion to guild master!" ] ] ] ]


    The other executives soon followed and they all congratted their guild master. Amid their trouble, their guildmaster has broken through and has eased their worries.


    Previously they didn''t have A-Rank among them which let them not opt for an aggressive move against IvoryBow.


    Even when the dungeon spawn near the Shadow Genesis area, IvoryBow ims it by saying we are too weak to clear.


    Between IvoryBow and Shadow Genesis, The Authority had to give to IvoryBow because stronger guilds have more privileges.


    However, they would also have almost simr privileges, now that their guildmaster is also Rank-A.


    The executive and my parents discussed how they should proceed from now on. Now that they had a Rank-A among them, it would be difficult for IvoryBow to swallow their businesses.


    The news of my father''s breakthrough to Rank-A was quickly spread throughout the guild. The guild member celebrated and shouted happily.


    Their guild master was finally in Rank-A. Their guild will have new privileges and being in the same guild, they would also have a higher standing in society.


    They happily talked and also forgot about the IvoryBow making trouble. The problem with IvoryBow has be a thing of the past.


    The executive first decided to hold a celebration in three days for dad achievement in breaking through the Rank-A.


    This was to showcase power to other guilds and also to make new allies. When somebody bes powerful, it is in your and guilds interest to befriend that guy.


    The guild member went from trying to stop the IvoryBow guild to making preparation for their guild master. But unlike when they were busy with IvoryBow, they wore a smile when preparing for the celebration.


    They know that the rise of their guild is here!

 Chapter 62 Eleonore

    Chapter 62 Eleonore


    For three days, Shadow Genesis was busy preparing for the celebration of my father reaching Rank-A. I provided the resources since most money of the guild had been exhausted frompeting with IvoryBow.


    I put in about one million Ethan coins for the whole preparation. It was a lot for a celebration of a Silver graded guild but I had the money to spend.


    ( If we are going to show off then we should do it in the most spectacr way. )


    The guild members were pretty busy decorating the hall and also sending invitation letters to other guilds.


    I was not needed for such preparation. So, I spend most of my time training in the Training room.


    Three days passed by in a blink of an eye. Our guild was busy and most expenditure and raids were called off.


    The party hall was well decorated and all kinds of entertainment and food were prepared for the guest. Some food was even made using the ingredient from dungeons.


    People started swarming in when the time for the party arrived. Many people were from the guild that was silver graded and below.


    They would firste to my dad to congratte him before going to talk to other people at the party.


    [ "Congrattion on your rank-up!" ]


    [ "Congrattion on reaching A-Rank!" ] ...


    The guilds that were invited were those that our guild was on good terms with. The party became livelier as more and more people came in. <sub></sub>


    [ "Haha... Warren, I knew you would break through Rank-A. Congrattion!" ]


    [ "Haha, Thank you!" ]


    The one to greet my dad right now is the guild master of Shiversong, Diego Kanon. He is the best friend of my father and also an ally of our guild, Shadow Genesis.


    Uncle Diego and my father were in the same party when they were young and had gone through quite an ordeal together.


    Uncle Diego and dad were together when they first went to a dangerous dungeon, unexplored ces, and also when they were going to raid Obelisk Tower.


    I heard from my parents that they were friends from the time of school. The parents were all group friends andter decided to form a party before managing their respective parent''s guild.


    Uncle Diego managed to reach Rank-A a long time ago and has been in that Rank for years. Though my father''s talent was not inferior to Uncle Diego but my father didn''t have enough money to buy a Rank-A breakthrough potion.


    The guild Shiversong was more powerful than us and had much more resources. That is the reason why Uncle Diego was quickly able to reach A-Rank.


    Zero father would have naturally been able to ascend to Rank-A but it would have taken an additional one to two years. But with the help of the Breakthrough potion, it had decreased that time to one day.


    But the difference in Rank didn''t deteriorate the rtionship between those four. Uncle Diego would asionallye to talk to my father, sometime just to have a nice talk and sometimes to ask for advice.


    They were already in cooperation to deal with IvoryBow. Now with my father''s breakthrough to A-Rank, it will far more easy for them to deal with IvoryBow. <sub>


    </sub>


    Uncle Diego was very happy that my father had broken through the Rank. He came with his family to congratte us.


    Diego Kanon is also the father of Misha. They would asionally bring Misha to y with me since we were the same age.


    [ [ "Congrattion! Uncle Warren" ] ]


    The one to congratte this time was Misha and her sister. After they finished their greeting, the other girl looked at me and made her way toward me.


    ( Sh*t! Trouble ising this way. )


    I wanted to run away this instant but it would look kind of bad for me to run away when it was a party for my dad.


    And I have to be faster than her to actually run away. Since she saw me, it was impossible to run away now.


    [ "Hey! If it isn''t Mr. pervert Zero. How''s it going!" ]


    The girl had an arrogant voice. She had the appearance of a young girl in her early-mid teens with a slender physique, soft skin, and aqua eyes.


    She has finely textured blonde hair that seems as if sprinkled with gold dust. Her face shows some signs of being bossy and disys elegance.


    She is Eleonore Kanon, the older sister of Misha and also someone who would constantly bully me.<sub> </sub>


    Yes, you heard it right. If you ask me, who was my greatest nightmare, the answer would be Eleonore Kanon. Every time Uncle Diego and his wife visited our house, she will definitely be present there to torment me.


    Our rtionship didn''t start off like that. We were friends or at least she didn''t bully me at that time.


    It was all because of that event that changed our rtionship into what it is today.


    One time when I went with my parents to visit their family. While drinking tea, I identally spilled it on my pants. I went to their bathroom when Eleonore was bathing and identally fell on top of her.


    She had eyes filled with tears like her chastity was in danger and I understand her because that was what the situation looked like back then.


    She immediately kicked on my crotch when my head had gone nk from seeing her naked. The kick was so strong that it could have endangered my future generation, lucky it was still functional.


    That day was when I had the beating of my life. She was three years older than me and had already reached Rank-F while I was only Rank-F - and I didn''t even start training.


    I could do nothing but get beaten by her. I was only age 6 and she was age 9. I was lucky that I was saved by uncle Diego in time. Otherwise, this gori woman would have definitely killed me then.


    Uncle Diego asked for an exnation from her and she said that I was peeping on her bathing and also groped her.


    Luckily, the parents believed me when I said it was an ident. Uncle Diego apologized for Eleonore''s behavior and made her apologize to me.


    However, that event led to the hellish days with her. Every time we met she would not spare me mercy; embarrassing me in front of others, beating me if I argued with her, and taking my stuff. Even my parent was tolerant towards her.


    When Iined to my parents, they would be like it is because she likes you or how I get along with her. Get along with her my as*, she nearly killed me twice. One was with the bathroom incident and another was when I refused to go to her birthday.


    On her tenth birthday, I received an invitation to her birthday party but I refused to go to her birthday party because the previous day she had taken my favorite toy. The next day after her birthday, she barged into my room angrily and beat me.


    I was and still am weaker than her. She is at Rank-C + and I would still get beaten mercilessly by her if I try to fight her. However, I was not scared of her anymore.


    Yes, I am not scared of her anymore. I am Zero Elea, the one who will be the strongest being in the world. Yeah, I will. I am a changed man now.


    This girl is someone that I need to get my revenge on.


    All my hard work is for that moment (not really). Let me just say that I will not be tormented by her anymore.


    [ "I am doing fine! Miss Eleonore." ]


    I replied smoothly as you would to your guest. She looked at me intrigued. Probably because I didn''t keep quiet like I used to.


    (Feel my change girl, I am not scared of you anymore. )


    [ "Your hair looks like a duck. Don''t tell me you trying to attract girls now. It would be a miracle if you can get a girl with your face. Haha..." ]


    Eleonore startedughing after insulting me in a disgusted voice. Like she is disgusted with me trying to make myself look handsome.


    ( Hey, I know I am not that good looking especiallypared to you all but I am still trying to look my best. )


    Her insult angered me due to her being the bully Eleonore. I was more angered by her than her words. If this was said by some other person, I might not have been so angry but it was said by Eleonore who tormented me for years.


    [ "None of your business! The boys would not even give you a nce with your gori personality. First, look at yourself before talking about me." ]


    I finally said it. Yes, this is the new me. I will not suffer anymore in the hands of Eleonore.


    [ "Ohhhh. I wonder who gave you the guts to say something like that to me. It had been months since Ist saw you and It seems like you forgot about me during that time." ]


    Eleonore said while putting her hands on my shoulder. She was smiling but her eyes and voice showed otherwise. From distances, others might see us as good friends which is absolutely false.


    I tried to escape but I couldn''t escape from her hand. She was using her Rank-C strength to hold down my shoulder.


    Sweat trickled down my cheek and I gulped but I didn''t back down. It was my chance to end my childhood trauma.


    Zero looked down at her and sneered. Then something came out of my mouth unexpectedly.


    [ "Your breast is still the same. Do you want to get a grade A for that too? I feel that it had not grown since thest time I felt it." ]


    Hearing that, Eleonore who was smiling stopped as her face darkened. Zero words stabbed Eleonore''s biggest insecurities and reminded her of Zero''s mistake.


    Looking at the face of Eleonore, Zero had realized he had just made a big mistake. He wanted to make her a little angry and embarrassed like him but didn''t think she would be that angry.


    ( Now I have done it!)

 Chapter 63 Eleonore [2]

    Chapter 63 Eleonore [2]


    [Eleonore POV]


    ******Two days before the banquet******


    We got the news that Uncle Warren had broken through the Rank-A and they had invited us for the banquet.


    [ "Zero had be very powerful and had even defeated two seniors who were in Top-10." ]


    [ "Oh. Really!"]


    Misha was talking about how Zero had saved her and how he seems to have changed. She also told Eleonore a lot of things that Zero had done.


    ( Hmph! Changed? That guy. Impossible! He will always be the pervert and an annoying guy. As for saving Misha, I am grateful but I don''t believe that he has be that powerful. )


    I was excited to meet Zero who is said to be changed by my sister. Nobody knows him better than I do. I don''t believe that people can change their personalities in such a short period of time.


    We will see how much he has changed in two days.


    ******


    I wore the new dress that I bought from the famous designer shop weeks ago. The dress was stiff with embroidery, strewn with pearls, encrusted with gemstones, and they were brilliantly colored.


    The dress was very elegant and wearing it further increased my elegance.


    [ "Good!" ]


    Looking in the mirror she was satisfied with the dress she has bought. Itplements her style and enhanced her beauty.


    The family of four made their way to Shadow Genesis guild which is a long-time partner of their guild. <sub></sub>


    Eleonore''s father, Diego started happily talking about their time in the academy with Zero''s father and mother.


    He would also mention some of the events of when Eleonore and Misha were young.


    [ "Haha... Misha, you know, one-time Zero identally entered the bathroom when Eleonore was bathing. She beat him so hard that his face has turned into a duck. Luckily Zero''s mother was there to heal him." ]


    Diego shared the story with Misha who had no idea about that incident. Diegoughed while remembering that funny incident.


    [ "Eleonore cried for days telling us that her innocence was taken. She demanded Zero to marry her and take responsibility for making her pregnant. Haha..." ]


    [ "Wh-What? I never said that. Dad, you are lying." ]


    [ "Haha. You were young and that must be why you forgot. You told him to marry you but he refused by saying he doesn''t want to marry a gori-women." ]


    [ "Humph!" ]


    Eleonore didn''t say anything more. But her father has reminded her again of why she is allowed to bully Zero.


    Zero might have told them it was an ident but I will never believe his lies. Not only did he peep on me while bathing but also assaulted me.


    He jumped on top of me and groped my breast. It was fortunate that I was quick enough to protect myself.


    Zero took advantage of me and he refused to take responsibility for it. He also insulted me by saying I am too violent.


    ''An injury is much sooner forgotten than insult''. He insulted me, so in return, I have to bully him.


    They soon arrived at the banquet hall. Many people including the Kanon family were surprised by the decoration of the hall which was made very beautiful.<sub>


    </sub>


    It might have cost a hundred thousand Ethan coins to be decorated this much. Not only that some food was also made using mana nts.


    The first thing we did after entering the banquet was greet Uncle Warren. Father continued to talk to Uncle Warren


    After she congratted uncle Warren, she looked around the hall and saw the boy whom she was eager to meet.


    It had been about 5-6 months since shest saw Zero.


    He was standing there with his usual stupid expression. He might have changed his hairstyle, but he can''t change his stupid face.


    I went there to meet him.


    [ "Hey! If it isn''t Mr. pervert Zero. How''s it going!" ]


    To me, he is the very definition of a pervert. He is the only one who saw my naked body but also groped me and he didn''t even apologize for it.


    [ "I am doing fine! Miss Eleonore." ]


    Unlike his usual behavior, he greeted me back as he would to others. If it was before, he might have tried to run away or not answered at all.


    ( Ohhh. You did change a little. Maybe he matured a little when he was at school or did he find some girl... )


    If it was the former then it was okay but if it was thetter then it is not good at all.


    ( Do you think you can date girls now? I don''t know which innocent girl he is going to harm next.  )


    [ "Your hair looks like a duck. Don''t tell me you trying to attract girls now. It would be a miracle if you can get a girl with your face. Haha..." ]<sub> </sub>


    I tried to verify whether he got a girlfriend or not. If he gets angry then it will mean he still does not have any girlfriend.


    [ "None of your business! The boys would not even give you a nce with your gori personality. First, look at yourself before talking about me." ]


    Zero angrily replied.


    Though the answer I got was what I expected but I didn''t expect him to insult me.


    [ "Ohhhh. I wonder who gave you the guts to say something like that to me. It had been months since Ist saw you and It seems like you forgot about me during that time." ]


    I thought I have intimidated him but instead of keeping quiet, he has started to insult me again.


    [ "Your breast is still the same. Do you want to get a grade A for that too? I feel that it had not grown since thest time I felt it." ]


    (I gave you an inch and now you trying to take a mile.)


    Now, this was it. How dare he say that to me. He said my breast is not big enough. He not only has the audacity to look at my chest but also says that it is t.


    I knew that you were a pervert since you were young. And now you want to flex about it.


    What Misha said was all bullshit. He changed, yes he might have changed, changed into a bigger pervert


    I feel bad for Uncle Warren and Aunty Madison. They are such nice people but they had a pervert as their son.


    I need to teach him a lesson or else he will never be a decent person.


    *****


    [Zero''s  POV]


    The strength of her hand that was holding my shoulder increased. I bet my bones are breaking right now. Even when she is not using her full power, she made me unable to retaliate.


    Eleonore stared at me with killing intent.


    ( I am dead!)


    I thought I am going to die. This gori woman would not spare me once she starts beating me.


    [ "Haha. You two do get along well. Eleonore, you went to see Zero as soon as we arrive." ]


    Uncle Diego has once again saved me. He arrived just in time before Eleonore started beating me.


    Looks like I was not destined to die today. The conversation between Uncle Diego and my dad had finished and they had made their way to me.


    Since the parents were all present, she had no choice but to stand there without beating me. Or else I don''t want to imagine my fate.


    ( Whew! )


    I am saved today because of Uncle Diego. Looks like I need to tone down my mouth in front of Eleonore. I am still weaker than her, and I need to control my anger.


    Control and endure until I am strong enough to say what I want. I don''t really want to push my luck and anger Eleonore again.


    Today, I was saved but what about tomorrow. If she really decided to kill me, I would not even know how I died.


    From then on, for the rest of the party, I tried to stick to my dad or Uncle Diego. I can feel Eleonore looking in my direction constantly.


    If I am alone even for a second, I feel like she will assassinate me. I was safe as long as I stayed with other people.


    [ "Zero, did you do something to my Onee-chan again." ]


    Misha came to talk to me.


    [ "No-No. I didn''t do anything. What can I do to her? She will kill me I do something to her." ]


    [ "Haha. But I heard from my father that you molested my sister. She must be holding a grudge against you for that." ]


    [ "Misha, It was an ident and I don''t think she will remember such an old incident." ]


    [ "Haha... Maybe. Zero, I owe you one for saving me from Devil Contractors. If you need my help, you can just ask me." ]


    [ "Really! Then I want you to stay with me for the rest of the party." ]


    ( Eleonore will not beat me as long as I am with Misha. )


    Feeling relieved to have someone with him. Zero rxed his nerve.


    But Eleonore red at Zero more intensely. She doesn''t know what Zero said but she didn''t like the fact that Zero is with her sister.


    ( I need to deal with Zero before he harms my little sister. )


    Not knowing what Eleonore was thinking, Zero continued to stick with Misha.

 Chapter 64 IvoryBow Enters

    Chapter 64 IvoryBow Enters


    Different varieties of food were presented one after another with different types of wine. Dancer and musicians that were invited also started their performances.


    While the people at the party were enjoying themselves, I was worried and terrified of Eleonore suddenly attacking me.


    It was not like Eleonore to keep quiet after I have offended her. She would never forgive me until she have my revenge.


    Luckily, Misha has agreed to stay with me for the entire party. I don''t whether Eleonore will beat me now or not but in front of Misha, she wouldn''t try to beat me or at least I hope that was the case.


    The party continued and I talked with Misha for time being. The guest was praising the preparation of the hall and the amazing food that was being served.


    Everyone was having a good time until an uninvited guest decided to show up.


    -THUD! -THUD! -BAM!


    There was a loud noise at the entrance of the banquet hall. Then came a group of men with a big man with a bushy beard leading them.


    [ "Haha. It is so lively here. Even the guildmaster of Shiversong is here. Then why did you not invite me?" ]


    Father''s expression changed from happy to frown. The one who tantly entered the hall is the guildmaster of IvoryBow guild, Solomon Fuentes and he came with some of his guild members.


    The music stopped ying and all guests started bing tense. They all know that there is a conflict between the IvoryBow guild and Shadow Genesis guild.


    IvoryBow guildmastering here could mean nothing but trouble. They all looked at Solomon.


    -JUMP!<sub></sub>


    He instantly jumped and came near my father''s ce. Solomon Fuentes arrogantly looks down at my father''s face and sneered.


    [ "This is our turf. How dare youe here?" ]


    Farhan Nash, one of the allies of Shadow Genesis was the one to tell Solomon. He was talking to Warren before Solomon made his entrance.


    [ "Hmph! Who do you think you are?" ]


    Solomon released his mana and with a wave of his hand, he send Farhan flying to the wall. Before Farhan crashed onto the wall, a protective barrier made of wind enveloped him.


    My mother made a barrier of wind around Farhan to protect him from crashing. My mother went to heal Farhan.


    [ "It seems you are here to look for trouble." ]


    [ "Hahaha... I am joking with you. Today is a big day for you. I am here to congratte and give a good blessing." ]


    Solomon said with sinister eyes. Though he might have said all those, nobody has believed him. IvoryBow guild was nning on shallowing the Shadow Genesis guild but now their guild master has broken through which means it will be tougher for them to do so.


    They were definitely there to create a problem for the Shadow Genesis guild.


    [ "I thought the guildmaster, Solomon is here to stir up a fight?" ]


    Eleonore''s father, Diego came forward and said to Solomon. Solomon has reached Rank-A before Diego. He is more powerful than Warren and Diego but with two of them present, they would be able to deal with him.<sub>


    </sub>


    [ "Do you think I am stupid. If I wanted to stir up a fight I would have chosen the time when you were not here." ]


    [ "You came here uninvited and also injured one of my guests. I guess you are not here to talk." ]


    [ "Hahaha. Of course not. I heard there are many outstanding young generations in your guild. I brought my son to try them." ]


    Solomon said as his son made his way to them. Unlike the huge body size of Solomon, his son was small and thin. He appears to have a pale and slender body with shoulder-length ck hair that looks unkempt, cold, and a proud demeanor.


    Warren stayed silent. He finally understood why Solomon decided to show up when many people were present here.


    He wanted to make our guild lose allies by making our young guild members lose against his son.


    His son is a great talent at Knight Academy, one of the Top-5 Academy.


    He is in his third year and has reached Rank-D. In the future, he might surpass his father and reach S-Rank.


    The Shadow Genesis guild does not have such a talented young member. We have a person who is in Rank-C but that person is 7 years older than Tristan.


    Other guild members of the same age are either in Rank-E or Rank-F +. They were not a match for Tristan at all.


    If We send Rank-C to the battle, then it would be a humiliation to our guild as we are sending some older guys to fight with the young boy. But if we send in a kid who is the same age as him then they will end up losing.


    [ "..." ]<sub> </sub>


    [ "What? You are unwilling? How would your guild grow with such a coward guildmaster. Your weakling guildmaster does have the guts to ept my challenges." ]


    [ "Yes, yes, my dad is right. You scaredy cat should know your ce and surrender to our guild. No one in your younger generation is my opponent. Sooner orter, your guild will fall into our hands." ]


    [ "Ah! Looks like I was mistaken, your guild is so weak. How can your guild have someone who canpete with my son." ]


    Solomon seeing the opportunity to put down his enemy started insulting Warren. He was trying to make Warren angry and also to make their allies lose confidence in Warren.


    If Warren decides to reject, he will be seen as a coward and his authority will decrease. If he agrees and his guild loses the challenge, the guild''s reputation will be damaged. Solomon knew, either way, he was going to gain something.


    Solomon''s son, Tristan also took the opportunity to mock the guild master of Shadow Genesis.


    [ "Why do I hear two stray dogs barking?" ]


    Zero interrupted Solomon and his son. Zero voice was cold and filled with killing intent. The one thing that gets on Zero''s nerve more than anything is others insulting his parents.


    Zero lost all his cool when Solomon and his son started insulting his father. Zero would have killed the man if not for being weaker than him.


    ( This humiliation that my father has suffered, I am going to pay you back hundred times.)


    Solomon stared at the young boy who was unafraid of him. He didn''t believe his ears, no one has ever spoken to him in this way, not since he became Rank-A.


    [ "I didn''t know that we have invited over some dog to the party. Can you stop barking and disturbing others?" ]


    [ "Who are you? Don''t you know we are from IvoryBow guild? Apologize while I am giving you a chance. Or else I will kill you." ]


    Tristan threatens Zero. Tristan is short temper person and he couldn''t handle someone insulting him.


    But the threat of this level was nothing to Zero. It might even be amusing to Zero to see a Rank-D student threaten him.


    [ "I will also give you a chance to apologize to my father. Don''t be an idiot and take the chance that I gave you. " ]


    [ "Yo-You. I will kill you. I will show you who truly is an idiot. You didn''t apologize when I gave you a chance. Don''t cry when I show no mercy." ]


    [ "You can try if you want." ]


    Tristan dashed towards Zero and attacked him with his fist. Zero easily dodged his attack and kicked him from his behind making him fall down in an embarrassing state.


    [ "You!" ]


    Tristan is certainly powerful, at least for an average Rank-E. His speed which is clearly in Rank-D would be difficult to dodge by lower rank humans but Zero''s stats were high and he could easily dodge something like a straight punch.


    [ "Ah, so this is the strength of IvoryBow guild. Today, you have really opened my eyes. This is the son you want us to fight with? Isn''t the level of difficulty too low?" ]


    Zero said it in a domineering voice. The guest was shocked by this small exchange. Tristan who is not only older than Zero but also more talented was put into an embarrassing state by Zero.


    Most guest here was someone who knows Shadow Guild for many years. Naturally, they know about Zero too.


    They heard he was admitted into Ace Academy but they knew he was averagepared to other talented students.


    They also know his personality well. He was not someone who was brave enough toe forward like that. They remembered him as a kid who doesn''t show much emotion.


    That''s why they were stunned to see him argue with Solomon and his son.


    Solomon was also stunned to see his son kicked by Zero. Solomon came there to unt his sons'' talent and make Shadow Genesis lose their face. But unexpectedly it was his son and their guild who was humiliated.


    Solomon could not contain his anger. The mocking smile that he had earlier all disappeared and his face darkened.


    [ "You, who has not fully-grown hair behave so wildly. Looks like you need to be re-educated." ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Solomon disappeared and reappeared before my face. I thought he hit me but my dad blocked his attack.


    [ "How dare you tried to attack my son. Solomon, do you think you can do anything you want in our territory." ]


    [ "Humph! Cowards, do you ept our challenge or you can just admit that you are a group of cowards. " ]


    [ "Let me do it, Dad. Let us see how his son fares against me." ]


    Before dad replied, I had epted their challenge. It was easy for the current me to win against someone like Tristan.


    With that, the fight between Tristan, the heir of IvoryBow guild, and me, the son of Shadow Genesis guild began.

 Chapter 65 Tristans True Power!

    Chapter 65 Tristan''s True Power!


    [ "Haha. You said it. We will show you what power really is." ]


    Solomonughed as if he has already won. It might have been true if I was weak as before but now there is no way that they can win.


    The celebration banquet has turned into a battle. This was an important match that I can''t afford to lose.


    This match doesn''t only represent my and dad''s reputation but our whole guild. If I lose, we will lose most of the guilds that are willing to cooperate with us.


    Though it does not matter that much since I had even bigger support than this. But I would like to keep my trump card a secret.


    No use of the trump card if you always depend on it. NightShade and mypany were there if I desperately need their help.


    The match will start in 10 minutes at the arena of our guild. The main arena of our guild was big enough to amodate all our guests.


    My dad looked worried and dragged me to the side before the match.


    [ "Son, are you sure you can do this? I believe in you and you have really be strong after going to Ace Academy but Tristan is in higher rank than you. I will let Choi take your ce." ]


    .


    Choi is the one who is older than Tristan and is in Rank-C. He can definitely win the match if he fights Tristan. But he was older and winning by sending him was not advantageous to our guild.


    But If I win, the guild who are hesitant to cooperate with our guild might change their mind. Like how The Authority is investing in Hiro, they might invest in our guild after witnessing my power.


    And it was not a difficult match either. Tristan might be in rank-D but he is weaker than a Smander. Though it is more difficult to fight with humans than monsters but Tristan was not a threat.


    We already exchanged a move with each other and he was definitely not much stronger than the Smander that I encounter in the exam.


    [ "Don''t worry, dad! I know my abilities. You just watch how much I have improved. And also calm down mom after shees back." ]


    Mother has taken Farhan to rest for the moment and does not know what transpired here but when she learns of this, I don''t know how she will react.


    The guests were excited to watch this match. The battle is always more exciting than chatting with each other and they also know Tristan who is debuted as the talent of the IvoryBow guild.


    They could not be happier to watch the battle between Tristan and the son of Shadow Genesis guild. This might give them an idea of whether to cooperate with Shadow Genesis or IvoryBow guild.


    On the other hand, the ones who were allies of our guild showed concerned expressions. As far as they know, Zero has not reached Rank-D and it was likely that he will lose this match.


    If our guild goes down, their guilds and business would be the next target of IvoryBow. Our guild was a door blocking IvoryBow from devouring other guilds. As soon as we go down, several others will follow.


    [ "Zero, are you sure you can fight Tristan. He is in rank-D, we can let him fight my sister if you want." ]


    Misha suggested with a worried expression. She would have helped Zero herself but she was even weaker than Zero, so how could she help? but her sister could.


    Eleonore is Rank-C and only one year older than Tristan. Moreover, their guilds were in alliance, and challenging Shadow Genesis was the same as challenging Shiversong.


    Even if her sister enters the match it would not create many bacshes.


    Zero looked at Eleonore who was behind Misha. Eleonore gave him a re that would have made babies cry for weeks.


    ( UGGGHH! She will help me? Rather she might be the happiest person in the world to watch me get beaten up. )


    [ "It''s okay. I can beat him." ]


    [ "..." ]


    Misha looked at him. Contemting whether to believe him or not. But she remembered his performance in the exam where he injured Rank-C Wyvern Leader.


    Even Rank-C was injured by Zero. So, she thought Tristan who is just Rank-D will be easier to defeat.


    Meanwhile, Eleonore was contemting whether she should support Tristan or Zero. She will certainly be happy if Zero gets all bruised up and wounded. It can be considered his punishment for sexually harassing her.


    On other hand, she didn''t like Tristan either. They had encountered him before and he was an unpleasant person. He would look at Misha and her with his perverted eyes and also sexually harass other females.


    If Zero was a closet pervert then Tristan was an open pervert. Both were the worst kind of humans.


    Eleonore thought of the time she beat up Zero. She knows that Zero is weaker than Tristan. Misha asked her to help him if he ask for help but Zero refused their help.


    She thought Zero was sacrificing himself for the guild which she finds admirable. She decided she would forgive him for his earlier remark after the battle.


    *****


    The battle stadium was smaller than what NightShade had but it was still good enough for Rank-C and below to fight.


    Tristan was there showing off his Bow like it was the greatest weapon ever.


    Just like their guild name, Tristan carried his Ivory bow which was sparkling like sses. While I carried a sword as ck as a coal.


    Our guilds werepletely opposite to each other, one was White, and the other had ck at its name. One a long-distance attacker and the other a short-range attacker.


    [ "I thought you would run away. Imend you foring here to face me." ]


    Tristan said in a condensing manner.


    [ "So much pride for someone who got beaten down by me." ]


    [ "Y-You! Humph! I will show you my true strength. A Rank-E can never defeat a Rank-D." ]


    Tristan was confident that he can defeat Zero. He knows that Zero was admitted to Ace Academy with Rank-F+ and estimated him to be around Rank-E - at least and Rank-E if he was more talented.


    ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ??


    In any case, he thought Zero didn''t stand a chance against him because he was Rank-D. To him, this match will be his redemption for his earlier humiliation.


    He is an expert in using the bow and thought he might have lost to Zero earlier due to him being better at bow than hand-to-handbat.


    The audience was making more noise than they did at the party. Some people were in Rank-F and to them watching a fight that had a Rank-D is a rare urrence.


    [ "Who do you think will win?" ]


    [ "Though I want to support Shadow Genesis, however, I don''t think Zero can win against Tristan." ]


    [ "I will bet on Tristan that Tristan will beat Zero in 5 moves. How can Rank-E challenge Rank-D?" ]


    [ "True but you never know. Some geniuses can battle with people who rank higher than them." ] ...


    Some people even started betting though most bet on Tristan winning. In terms of poprity, Tristan was indeed more popr than Zero.


    I entered the battle ring and took out my sword. Looking at the sword in my hand, I was a little disappointed.


    The sword is just a Rank-E artifact. I wanted to buy a good sword but I could not find the sword that I wanted.


    I will need to look for auction houses that are selling good swords or I might need to have a craftsman create one for me.


    The second option was better since I could have a sword that will fit my style perfectly. However, powerful artifacts are rather found in dungeons.


    Only some craftsmen have the skill to make a good artifact. The majority can only make weapons that have a rarity rare.


    [ "You will not get out of this ring unscathed. I hope you said your final goodbye to your worthless dad." ]


    [ "Are you worthy? I will personally make sure to beat you down slowly." ]


    [ "Hmph! Power shot!" ]


    Tristan made the move first. Since the distance between us is wide, he as a bow user needs to capitalize on that.


    The arrow came at high speed and power but I quickly dodged it. As I said, straight punches are nothing difficult to dodge. Straight punch and straight-arrow are nothing different. As long as you know where they will hit you, you can dodge them.


    I continued to move closer to Tristan. He quickly shot another arrow. I dodged the arrow and moved closer.


    -SWOSH! -SWISH! -SWISH!


    After a few minutes, I realized that the distance between me and Tristan is not closing. The moment I dodge the arrow, Tristan changes his direction and moves towards another ce.


    This way he tries to keep me in the center and keep the distance between us. It was a good tactic. Even if you don''t one-shot your opponent, you can take your time to wear out your opponent slowly.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! CLANK!


    But this tactic had a serious w and that was that as long as you block it and do not give your opponent the time to relocate.


    This time instead of dodging his arrow and giving him time to move around, I blocked the arrow with my sword.


    [ "How?" ]


    Tristan panicked seeing Zero moves closer to him. At first, he was surprised that Zero had easily dodged his attack but he knew how to deal with such opponents.


    Up until minutes ago, he thought he had Zero in his trap. He just needed to slowly exhaust and kill Zero.


    But now Zero was blocking his attack and moving closer to him. He was astonished by this because even Rank-D would have a harder time blocking his attack, and here is someone in Rank-E who is nonchntly canceling all his attacks.


    Zero was just a few meters away from Tristan. Zero decided to attack him using Shadow sh.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    Tristan was surprised by the sudden attack of Zero. Tristan immediately used a mana barrier to block the iing attack.


    -CLASH! -CRACK!


    But the protective barrier that could withstand Rank-D attack was easily broken. He quickly moved to the side but he couldn''tpletely dodge the attack and ended up getting a cut on his shoulder.


    This time Tristan was really scared. He thought it would be an easy battle but unexpectedly Zero turned out to be so strong.


    The next moment when he thought of moving away was when Zero had reached his position. Zero refrained from using his sword and punched Tristan.


    Tristan fell down but Zero didn''t give Tristan a chance to run away. He picked him up and started punching in his face.


    -BAM! -BAM! -BAM!


    It was a one-sided beating. Zero didn''t end the battle easily. He needed to teach him a lesson for insulting his dad.


    [ "St-Stop it!" ]


    Tristan begged with faces all bruised up. Seeing Tristan''s face reminded Zero of the time he was beaten up by Eleonore. He had the same face as him at that time.


    But Zero did not give mercy to Tristan. Beating him continuously without giving Tristan a chance to rest.


    [ "I said stop it!" ]


    Tristan furiously shouted and released arge amount of mana. Zero was pushed back several meters away.


    [ "YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" ]


    Tristan shouted with an eerie voice. Zero stood up and looked at Tristan in shock.


    It was not because of Tristan''s sudden outburst of mana nor his increased power but because Tristan was a devil contractor.

 Chapter 66 Tristans True Power [2]

    Chapter 66 Tristan''s True Power [2]


    *****On the Audience ce*****


    When the battle begin...


    Eleonore sat with Misha and her parents. Eleonore saw Misha making a worried face as she looked at Zero intensively.


    Eleonore frowned because she didn''t want Misha to be closed with that pervert. Even her parents were worried about his safety.


    To their parents, Zero was simr to their child and they have seen him grow up from his childhood.


    They also know that Zero is not that strongpared to Tristan. But they also knew why Zero chose to fight him.


    The fight started as Tristan began to attack fiercely. At first nce, you might see Zero losing as he was only dodging and not attacking.


    But Eleonore was surprised to see Zero easily dodge those attacks. You should know that you need to have Rank-D speed to dodge attacks from a Rank-D person.


    Even then it might be difficult to dodge those arrows which were shot at a very high speed. But Zero easily dodged those but he couldn''t reach near Tristan as Tristan kept on moving to different ces while Zero was dodging.


    After a few minutes into the battle, Zero stopped dodging and instead blocked the Tristan attacks.


    Zero quickly approached Tristan as he kept on blocking Tristan''s arrow.


    And the next thing you know, Zero broke through Tristan''s defense and attacked him.


    To everyone''s surprise, Zero was beating Tristan like he was beating up some random kids.


    Eleonore couldn''t believe her eyes. She knows Zero more than anyone and he didn''t possess that kind of strength.


    When she holds him down using her half-strength, Zero tries to get himself free but Zero didn''t have enough strength to do so.


    ( Did he increase his strength to Rank-D or was he always that strong? ¡­ Don''t tell me he is a masochist. )


    Eleonore had misunderstood Zero not resisting her attack previously as Zero being a masochist.<sub></sub>


    She didn''t believe Zero had be this strong in just four months.


    Rather she believed that Zero was always this strong but didn''t resist Eleonore''s attacks because he enjoys it.


    On the stage, Zero continued to brutalize Tristan and the audience''s face changed.


    Their faces changed from surprise to sympathetic when they saw Zero showing no mercy to Tristan.


    But they understood Zero, IvoryBow guild was the one looking for trouble. They came uninvited to the party and started making a mess there.


    It was their own fault that Tristan is being beaten. They confidently thought that they will win the match and decided to provoke the Shadow Genesis guild.


    Zero was not stopping and it continued for a while.


    Suddenly a demonic aura started to emit from Tristan body and he send Zero flying back.


    " Huh? "


    Eleonore became alert and came out of her thoughts when she felt a demonic aura from the battle ring.


    " Th-This is? Demonic aura? Tristan is a Devil Contractor. "


    " What? We need to inform The Authority quickly. "


    There was a massive panic and shock among the audience. They wanted to contact The Authority and tell them about Tristan being Devil Contractor but¡­


    " Don''t waste your energy trying to contact The Authority. "


    One of the IvoryBow members said. He also started releasing his demonic aura indicating he is also a Devil Contractor.


    In fact, all the guild members of IvoryBow guild were Devil Contractors.<sub>


    </sub>


    The audience finally realized what he meant. Simr to the device used in BloodyWolf forest, they also came prepared and isted that area.


    No signal or noise can escape from that area.


    The Devil Contractors started appearing one after another.


    " Hahahah. I didn''t expect we would need to reveal ourselves so soon. I thought we will wait until the match ends before killing you all. I didn''t know your son was that capable.  "


    Solomonughed as he emitted a strong dark aura. Solomon seemed to have already made the n to kill everyone present there and Tristan only helped him to hasten his n.


    The IvoryBow guild came prepared to eliminate all their enemy in one ce. They already set up the device to iste the people and they bought in lots of Devil Contractors to help Solomon kill them all.


    The fighters started to take their defensive position and Zero''s dad and Misha''s dad was also preparing to fight with Solomon, the strongest person here.


    Eleonore also tried to protect Misha from any Devil Contractor that might be after her.


    The ce immediately turned into chaos.


    *****On the Stage*****


    "Devil Contractor!"


    " Indeed! I am a Devil Contractor. I didn''t think I would need to reveal my power so soon. "


    Tristan said as he fully showed what his real power is. He was in Rank-D+ peak.


    " You are going to pay for what you did to me earlier! "


    Tristan said angrily as he released his mana aura. He had never been as humiliated as he did earlier.


    " Really! Do it if you can. "<sub> </sub>


    " Still with your arrogant tone. I will show what happens when you truly anger me. "


    Tristan dashed towards Zero. He used his bow to shoot arrows.


    [ " Multiple Shot: Poison Arrow " ]


    Zero was already anticipating his attack and quickly dodged the attack. Tristan took this chance to go for Zero''s head with his w but Zero quickly blocked his attack.


    Tristan was definitely more powerful than before but he was still not able to produce enough strength that could knock down Zero.


    Zero went after Tristan after he had just finished blocking. Tristan was more alert this time and didn''t forget to put on the mana barrier after hended.


    First, Zero swords came in contact with Tristan''s mana barrier which eventually broke down. Zero swung his de aimed at Tristan''s neck.


    Tristan quickly caught the attack in his hand. Zero kicked him in his gut and sent Tristan flying out of the stage.


    " ARGG! "


    Tristan collide with the wall and the wall broke down, and Tristan was buried under the debris.


    Tristan quickly came out of the rubbles and his smirk had vanished.


    He didn''t expect to lose even after releasing his limit and using demonic power. Zero was easily beating him even now.


    Tristan could not ept this reality. He even hastens the n that his father made just so he can have his revenge.


    " I will kill you. "


    Tristan tried to dash towards Zero and attack him again. But he was unable to move from his position.


    He looked at his leg which was stuck in the ice. He tried to break it but it won''t budge at all.


    Ground Freeze, Zero used this skill after Tristan came out of the rubbles. Tristan was trapped in his position and Zero approached Tristan slowly.


    " Tristan, where is your kill? I thought you wanted to kill me. Don''t tell me you can''t do it. Is this the true power you were speaking of? "


    Zero took this opportunity to mock Tristan.


    Tristan could once again feel like he is in trouble but this time he had no trump card. He has already released his skill and all his power. Even that was not enough to beat Zero.


    Zero slowly approached Tristan like he didn''t care whether he was trapped in his ice or not. Even if Tristan escaped from the ice, Zero would have easily killed him before he ran away.


    Tristan tried to break the ice but his body was all frozen and he could move a muscle of his feet.


    " Looks like there will be no more genius present in IvoryBow after today. "


    " Spare me! If you do, I promise to keep you alive. My father will kill you if you kill me. "


    " Let us see whether your dad is willing to save you. "


    Zero punched him a few times before dragging him onto the battle stage again.


    *****On the audience''s ces*****


    A powerful aura enveloped the area. Solomon and Warren & Diego were fighting with each other.


    They were so powerful that their punch impact might be enough to reduce rock to dust.


    Others were also busy with their opponents. Eleonore managed to kill the Devil Contractor one after another.


    [ " Shattering Flower Style: Lotus Explosion " ]


    All three Devil Contractors ended up bing dust due to Eleonore''s powerful attack.


    Most Devil Contractors were in Rank-E + and only a handful of them was in Rank-C which made it easier for Eleonore who is in Rank-C.


    The executives of Shadow Genesis were busy protecting their weaker members from being killed by Devil Contractors.


    The most concerning battle was of course between Solomon and Warren and Diego. Solomon is in Rank-A + which made it difficult for Rank-A and Rank-A - to fight.


    Slowly Warren and Diego were losing against Solomon.


    " Hahaha. Surrender your guild to us. If you plead your loyalty to our masters, we will let you live. "


    " Hah¡­ Hah. You traitor of humans, you will not get away with this. "


    " Hahaha. As matter of fact, sure I can. When you all die here. Nobody will be there in my way to bing the overlord of this city.


    [" Cryo Bomb "]


    -BOOM!


    " Huh? "


    Suddenly an attack hit Solomon. Though he was not damage from that attack.


    " Who? Who dare interrupt me? "


    " Here, Here "


    Zero waved his hand as he indicated Solomon of his presence.


    " IvoryBow guildmaster, I suggest that you surrender, or else I will kill your son. "


    Zero said in a cold voice as he pointed his sword at Tristan''s neck. Zero wanted to use Tristan as a hostage to make Solomon surrender.

 Chapter 67 Solomons Mission

    Chapter 67 Solomon''s Mission


    " IvoryBow guildmaster, I suggest that you surrender, or else I will kill your son. "


    " Y-You! Humph! I can spare you if you let my son go. "


    " Who would believe in you? I want you to surrender if you want to see your son alive. "


    I put some force on my sword making a small cut on Tristan''s neck to show I am serious. Blood started dripping from Tristan''s neck. I guess it was not that small of a cut.


    Anyways, Demon and Devil Contractors are known for their sturdiness. He won''t die just because of some small cut, or will he? I honestly couldn''t care.


    " Dad, save me! "


    Tristan shouted at top of his lungs but he didn''t resist much because his neck would only cut deeper if he moved.


    " Little Bastard, let him go, or else you will all suffer. "


    Solomon''s negotiations failed. He couldn''t fail at this mission since he was sent by ''that'' person.


    Surrender? That is the same as forbidding his life. He had to get that item or else he would not be alive to see the sunrise.


    His son''s life was important but this mission was even more so as his life was on the line. Failure was not an option.


    Solomon released his skill that ispressing the devil''s energy and making it into a big ball.


    " Little Bastard, this is my final warning. Let my son go or I will blow up this whole ce. "


    Solomon threatened Zero.


    Zero ignored Solomon and stabbed Tristan on his shoulder.


    " AAAAHHHHHHH! "<sub></sub>


    Tristan started to cry. Zero was embedding Ice energy into his body along with each stab, slowly making his limb unfunctional.


    " STOP! Stop it, you little bastard. "


    Solomon shouted. Diego and Warren took this chance to approach Solomon and uses their skill.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow Crescent" ]


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" ]


    Two of them managed to get a direct hit at Solomon causing his attack to fail.


    " ARGHH! How dare you sneak attack on me. "


    Solomon was a little injured by their attack. His Rank-B defensive artifact was the reason why he managed to survive their attack.


    " IvoryBow Guildmaster, I guess you don''t need your son anymore. "


    Zero held Tristan by his hair in one hand and raised his sword in another hand. Tristan has lost all his energy to even scream anymore. He was only a hairbreadth away from death.


    " Nooooooooo! "


    Soloman bellowed.


    Zero didn''t show any mercy to Tristan and beheaded him. Zero did not feel any pity when kill him.


    He didn''t work as a hostage, which was his only value. If so, he was just another enemy that needed to be killed.


    " ARGGGGGHHH! "<sub>


    </sub>


    Solomon released a huge amount of mana and pushed back Warren and Diego. His eyes were full of bloodthirst.


    " Little bastard, regardless of the price I have to pay, I will rip you to shreds today! "


    Solomon''s eyes were malicious and filled with a deep hatred. He didn''t expect Zero to ignore his warnings and directly kill his son.


    Even though his son was a loser, Solomon has poured lots of resources into him to be strong.


    He didn''t expect that his son would meet his end at this little guild. There was no way that he could let Zero get away with this.


    " Listen, all of you. Attack him and whoever kills him will get three Rank-B Devil fruits from me. "


    Solomon yelled. He wanted to kill Zero personally but due to being restricted by Warren and Diego, he had to let others do it for him.


    Rank-B Devil Contractors were busy with Executives of Shadow Genesis.


    While Rank-C and below were targeting other guests of Shadow Genesis. Most guests were Rank-C and they could defend themselves though they were on the losing side.


    They were all nning to kill them when they heard Solomon''s voice.


    " Three Rank-B Devil fruits? For one kid? "


    " Kekekeke. Branch leader is indeed rich. Offering three Rank-B Devil fruits. "


    " With it, I will definitely reach Rank-B. "


    All the Devil Contractors turned their heads in Zero direction. Devil fruits were all rare and to get three Devil Fruit at the same time also for one kid was too generous.


    The Devil Contractor stopped attacking other people and went to kill Zero. Instead of wasting the opportunity by killing some random people, it was better to get benefits from killing Zero.<sub> </sub>


    The Devil Contractors were mostly Rank-D and some were in Rank-C and there was a good amount of Rank-E as well.


    Rank-B Devil Contractors were busy with Shadow Genesis Executive. One wrong move and they will be dead.


    Though they were also enticed by the reward for killing Zero. But they could not and Shadow Genesis guild members would not allow them to go to Zero.


    The Shadow Genesis Guild member want to dash towards Zero and help him but they were also preupied with other Devil Contractors.


    They can only hope that Zero survives until they can finish off their enemy ande to help him.


    " I will kill him. He is my prey. "


    " Your prey, my a**. How about you kill him but I take the Devil Fruits? "


    " You slowpokes. Go back, I am more than enough to finish him. " ¡­


    It was firste, first serve to them. Whoever gets the first kill will get all the Devil Fruits. To them, it was not Zero vs them but them vs them.


    They had never considered Zero a threat. First of all, Zero was just in Rank-E + and secondly, there were many Devil Contractors.


    However, even when encountering all those Devil Contractors, Zero didn''t panic. Instead, he weed them.


    While all of them were in approximate ranges, he activated his skill.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Icy Surface" ]


    All the Devil Contractors in the vicinity of me were caught in my skill.


    With Dark Ice Embodiment the Ice and Shadow energy that Zero released became stronger. And with Dark Icy Surface, not only was it stronger than Ground Freeze but with the spikes made of Shadow, the enemy caught in ice were injured.


    Some Devil Contractors were impaled in their head and other vital areas instantly killing them. The skill not only immobilizes the enemy but also kills them.


    While lucky ones had their shoulders and thighs pierced. Blood didn''t appear as blood was also turned into ice.


    " What? "


    Solomon was surprised to find that his subordinates all failed in their task. There were even Rank-C in the mix.


    Diego and Warren took the opportunity to strike at Solomon when he was distracted.


    -BAM! - BAM! -BOOM!


    " kuekkkk! "


    Solomon was beaten ck and blue. Solomon''s mana was running low as the battle procrastinated.


    Solomon who had the upper hand before was on the losing side now. He wasted much of his mana trying to intimidate Zero with his skill.


    Zero was still busy keeping the enemies trapped in the Ice. There were some who survived his attack.


    He looked around to see whether any allies were there to help him finish off the enemies.


    He looked around but there was no one except Eleonore. Many took the chance to run away from the ce when Devil Contractors moved towards Zero.


    They were not the guild members and they didn''t care about Zero. Also, they were losing previously but Solomon''s announcement made them go towards Zero.


    It was the opportunity for guests who were fighting them to make an escape. The alliance and cooperation can only amount to this much.


    When life is in danger, nothing bes more important than your own life. They were lucky to have Devil Contractors go away and took that chance to escape.


    They were mostly of low rank and were only able to keep their lives due to others helping them. Even if they stayed to help, they could only be a burden.


    Zero had no choice but to ask for help from Eleonore. He was not sure whether she would help or not but only she was there.


    Eleonore was there to help Zero but she was shocked by what she saw. Zero had killed almost all the low-rank Devil Contractors by himself.


    She says low ranked because high-rank Devil Contractors were Rank-B and Rank-A were present there.


    But Zero himself was the lowest of low rank whenpared to Rank-D and Rank-C. She didn''t think Zero would survive the onught of Devil Contractor''s attack but unexpectedly it was Devil Contractors who met their end in the hand of Zero.


    " Hey, Big Sis Eleonore. Can you please help me! "


    Snapping out of her thoughts was Zero''s voice. Zero tried to address Eleonore as Big sis and tried to use his cute voice to get help from Eleonore.


    Zero was trying as much as he could to get the help of Eleonore. In Zero''s eye, Eleonore was just staring at him without helping.


    He thought Eleonore was taking revenge on him for the earlier remark, not knowing she was just surprised by Zero''s strength. He thought she would not help him unless he tried to act pitiful which he splendidly failed.


    " Big Sis Eleonore, I am really in a pinch. Can you kill them while they are trapped? "


    Zero''s voice seemed like he was mocking her. She wanted to argue with Zero but considering the situation they were in, she decided to leave it forter.


    The enemies were practically all living targets for her. Most were dead or seriously injured, and only some needed to be handled by her.


    Eleonore used her sword to behead enemies one by one.


    " Phew! Thanks for your help, Big Sis Eleonore! "


    Zero said happily. Eleonore was disgusted by Zero''s voice. She felt mocked by him.


    " Stop it! You are disgusting me! "

 Chapter 68 Solomons Mission [2]

    Chapter 68 Solomon''s Mission [2]


    "Stop it! You are disgusting me."


    ( What a cruel word. I was just trying to lighten your mood. )


    If it was not life-threatening, I would have never tried to act that way. Whether it was Eleonore''s decision or my way of asking, Eleonore did help me when I was in a pinch.


    Never ever thought my worst nightmare will one day end up saving my life. Life sure is strange.


    However, it was not time to think about such things. The battle is not over until Solomon, the strongest Devil Contractor among them is not dead.


    Rank-E+ like me would not be able to help much but you never know when dad and Uncle Diego might need our help.


    I took out a health potion and mana potion and gave them to Eleonore. Eleonore was hesitant but took the potion.


    Herck of trust deeply hurts me. How can she look at me with such distrust and disgust just because of a one-time ident.


    I kept those thoughts aside and drank a mana potion. I didn''t use that much mana but whenever you get an opportunity to drink potions, you should do it.


    Eleonore and I waited for our dads to finish their fight with Solomon.


    Meanwhile Warren, Diego, and Solomon. They had continuously fought with each other using their best skills.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -BOOM!


    Warren and Diego were getting the advantage and they kept on fiercely attacking Solomon. Solomon kept on getting weaker and weaker.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -BAM!


    Solomon was thrown to the ground and he was pretty bruised up. He stood up quickly and groaned.<sub></sub>


    " AAAARRRRGGGG "


    Solomon could not take it anymore. The longer this fight drags on, the more he is likely to lose.


    The advantage of having prepared arge ambush had disappeared and most of the Devil Contractors were all taken out.


    It didn''t seem like other Rank-B Devil Contractors would also survive. They are being teamed up by other people with Shadow Genesis executives.


    Not only that, but in a moment The Authority could alsoe as some people have escaped from their area.


    They managed to run away from the area that is covered by their istion device. They must have informed The Authority and their Rank-A''s would be on their way to capture them.


    Solomon was now thinking of escaping. The mission will surely fail. But he could not. Anyone could escape but not him.


    He will surely be killed by the Lord if he returns empty-handed. This was the reason why the Lord granted so many Devil Contractors to him.


    After so many casualties and not bringing back the item that he wants. How could the Lord still keep him alive?


    He was of no use after failing his mission. He might even be tortured before killing to atone for his sin of failing such an important mission.


    It was better to be dead here than to go back to their hideout.


    ( Where did it go wrong? My n to rise through rank by showing my usefulness to the Lord. The n that took me years to execute had all gone down the drain. )


    Warren and Diego didn''t carelessly jump on Solomon. Even if Solomon was seriously injured, his one attack was more than enough to injure them.


    Solomon then saw Zero who was standing on the stage and became furious. The appearance of this boy was what made him lose today.<sub>


    </sub>


    ( If only this little bastard was not there. I would not have lost my cool andmanded others to kill him. )


    The main reason they lost their advantage in numbers was due to Zero. Zero took out most of Rank-D and Rank-E Devil Contractors.


    It was definitely his own fault formanding others to go after Zero. He has never thought Zero would be so strong.


    Zero even managed to kill Rank-C Devil Contractors. A Rank-E+ kid killing Devil Contractors? Can you imagine it?


    He was more threatening than Hiro who is said to have the highest talent. Hiro is one of the highest priorities on their kill list but Solomon thought Zero would definitely take that ce if others were also aware of his power.


    The reason why even Rank-C lost to Zero was because they were tired after fighting other people and also because they rushed to kill Zero without being cautious.


    Who would have thought Zero could kill all of them in one fell swoop. Underestimating Zero was his biggest mistake.


    He thought others would be able to handle this little kid but he turned the table and eliminated all those attackers making him lose his number advantage.


    Not only was his son killed by him, but even this whole operation was also going to fail due to him. He could not forgive Zero.


    " I may go down but I will take you with me. "


    Solomon proimed as he immediately jumped and came flying towards Zero.


    -WHOOSH!


    Solomon wanted to at least take out the man who had ruined his n. He might not be able to escape but at least he could have his revenge for his son as well as himself.


    " Son! "<sub> </sub>


    " Zero! "


    Warren and Diego were caught off guard by Solomon''s sudden change. They could not catch him.


    They quickly tried to follow and stop him but Solomon''s speed was faster than theirs.


    " What? "


    Eleonoremented. She was alerted by her dad''s voice. She didn''t expect that Solomon in hisst moment would target Zero.


    Eleonore immediately took her battle position. She could feel the pressure of air just with Solomon''s approaching them closer.


    " Zero, hide behind me. Quick! "


    Eleonore cautioned Zero.


    There was no way a Rank-E + could survive the attack of Rank-A+. Though Solomon was injured and exhausted most of his strength, even then just the mere presence of them would be enough to make Rank-C tremble in fear, not to mention Rank-E students like Zero.


    Eleonore deployed her mana barrier and concentrated mana on the front part of the mana barrier.


    " Back Off! "


    Zero said as he hurriedly threw Eleonore to the side of the arena ring. Solomon''s target was him and he would not go after Eleonore.


    ( Looks like I screwed up big time! )


    There was no way I could survive a Rank-A+ attack. Luckily he was injured and exhausted by my dad and Uncle Diego. Or else his one attack from the distance would have been enough to squash me to death.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    [ "Dual Art: Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    I poured in almost all of my mana in Icy Shadow Wall. Some mana was kept for maintaining my Dark Ice Embodiment skill. The skill not only increases my skill power but also increases my defense which I desperately need right now.


    Dark Ice of the wall kept on popping from the ground. There was multiple Dark Ice wall in front of me to block Solomon.


    -BANG! -SMASH! -BANG! -SMASH!


    Solomon effortlessly broke the Icy Shadow Wall one after the other. Though his speed and momentum have been slowed down by the barrier.


    -CRRR! -CRACK!


    Thest wall of Shadow Ice wall also broke and Solomon quickly appeared in front of me. I prepared myself for the pain that was about toe.


    "This is what you get when you mess with me, little bastard."


    -POWWWW!


    Solomon punched Zero in his guts and send him flying to the wall. The sound of his bone-cracking was heard in the whole stadium.


    -BANG!


    Zero stayed unmoving for a while.


    "SON! Solomon, you will not escape from me."


    Warren thought that his son had been killed. He furiously made his way toward Solomon who got exhausted after using too much mana.


    " Hahahaha. Even if I die, I had already taken my revenge. You can''t¡­"


    "Khoff khak khak! ARG!"


    Solomon''s happiness was short-lived. Before he could even finish his sentence, Zero coughed loudly.


    Zero was at least able to survive after taking one of Solomon''s attacks. The Dark Ice Embodiment managed to reduce the impact of Solomon''s punch and also the impact of crashing onto the wall.


    Though Zero ended up coughing up blood and breaking some bones, he was very much alive. Though he felt his stomach bursting and he could not move his body.


    Eleonore, Warren, Diego and Solomon were all surprised that Zero managed to survive Solomon''s attack.


    Warren and Diego quickly made their way to Solomon. They felt relieved to see that Zero was alive.


    They would not be able to forgive themselves if Zero died due to their mistake.


    Solomon quickly recovered from his initial state of surprise and made his way towards Zero to finish him off.


    While rushing he yelled at Zero.


    "Little Bastard, I didn''t expect you to be so tough. No wonder my son lost to you. But this is it for you. "


    Solomon was slow to approach Zero this time as he had exhausted most of his mana trying to outrun Warren and Diego.


    Zero could not move and could only watch Solomon run towards him. His Dark Ice Embodiment was also broken earlier by Solomon''s attack. There was no way that he could survive this time.


    -SHHUUSSSHHHH!

 Chapter 69 Solomons Mission [3]

    Chapter 69 Solomon''s Mission [3]


    -SHHUUSSSHHHH!


    A sword pierced and came out of Solomon''s chest.


    [ " Shattering Flower Style: Lotus Explosion " ]


    -SLASH!


    " W..h ¡­at? "


    Solomon fell down as he was pierced in his heart and then his whole chest area was cut off with an Art.


    Before Warren, Before Diego, the one tond the final blow on Solomon was no other than Eleonore.


    "Hah Hah Hah¡­"


    Eleonore panted and fell as she was nervous the whole time. She didn''t think her attack would work but considering the state Solomon was in, her attack seems to be more than enough to finish Solomon.


    Eleonore was pushed aside before Zero confronted Solomon by himself. She could only look at the frightening scene from a distance.


    First, she saw the unbelievable power of Zero. Zero showed abilities beyond her wildest imagination.


    She already considered Zero freezing multiple enemies at Rank-C, to be his best.


    But turns out he is able to churn out even more power. Even when his Ice Wall or Dark Ice wall was unable to stop the Rank-A + Solomon but it did slow him down.


    He even managed to survive the attack of Solomon. It was utterly unbelievable that the person she bullied for so long would be so strong.


    It also reinforces her misunderstanding that Zero is a perverted Masochist. she thought that he was very well capable of resisting her but chose to not do it because he loves getting beaten by her.<sub></sub>


    Anyway, the boy she knew for so long was no longer the same as she knew. It was like the person she knew had suddenly changed.


    Solomon didn''t retreat and again tried to attack Zero. Her dad and Warren were still not there.


    This time Zero was really in no condition to resist. If Solomon attacks him once more, she knew he would be killed.


    She went to do a sneak attack on him. Solomon would be likely to suffer serious injury if he was attacked right now as he was not paying attention to his environment.


    It was like Solomon became obsessed with Zero or something and couldn''t see anything else.


    She waited for Solomon to let his guard down. She knew he would have the weakest guard when he was about to attack Zero.


    When Solomon did that, She took the chance and stabbed her sword in his heart.


    After that, She used her Art to make the sword stronger and cut into his flesh deeper, and cut off his chest area.


    Solomon at that moment could not believe how his life ended. His revenge was left unfulfilled and he ended up dying at the hands of a young unknown girl.


    At thest moment, he saw Zero who was very much alive. He was one second away from taking his life.


    It was Solomon''s end.


    *****


    "Zero!"


    Warren and Diego came towards them. Warren was happy to see that his son was still alive.<sub>


    </sub>


    Diego was also relieved to see his daughter and Zero alive. They took a final look at Solomon who was dead atst.


    Who could have imagined that the local boss and a person who is feared by many and enjoyed fame would one day be dead in this little guild?


    He managed to shallow many guilds in the past few months and now all of his efforts are gone because of one stupid decision.


    Zero''s dad and Diego immediately went to other ces to help the other guests who were still fighting with other Devil Contractors.


    They took out many Rank-B Devil Contracts, making it easier for others to fight.


    The other Devil Contractors tried to betray their otherpanion and run away but they were easily caught by Warren and Diego. The massacre of Devil Contractors started from then on.


    While they were away, Eleonore was responsible for protecting Zero. Though Eleonore wanted to decline but taking Zero''s condition into consideration, she could onlyply.


    She was waiting for their moms to arrive. Since the battle ising to an end, Zero''s mom will surelye here to heal Zero.


    Though Zero took some health potions, he was severely injured to be healed in one go by a mere low-level potion.


    Zeroid there thanking his luck once again for saving him. He was one shot away from dying this time and it was not like the situation in the Exam dungeon where you won''t die even if you are killed.


    "So you became strong, huh!"


    Eleonore said to Zero.


    "Yeah, I guess so!"


    Zero answered.<sub> </sub>


    ( Looking back. It was a short but productive journey. I never expected to be this strong. )


    Zero started reminiscing about his past. From the day he got Parallel Memory, he was always busy. Training to be even a little bit stronger.


    The days became busier as he established apany but he liked it morepared to his dull and boring life before.


    He even tried to activate his Parallel Memory again but he didn''t gain new knowledge.


    Whether it was the limit of the skill or it might have been that he didn''t have the capacity to activate it again. Either way, he couldn''t get new knowledge.


    He could only know all the details of his skill if he purchased an SS-Rank identification scroll. Previously, he used a Rank-E identification scroll which is clearly not enough to know all the details of the Rank-SS skill.


    Zero could only wait until he gets a Rank-SS identification scroll to know all the details of his skill.


    "How did you do that?"


    Eleonore asked as she pointed to shattered Dark Ice. She clearly felt two different energies when Zero used his skill.


    "That? I used my Art. It is an Ice Magic."


    Zero said as he tried to pretend to not know what she was asking.


    A frown appeared on Eleonore''s eyebrow. She knows that Zero was clearly giving her the wrong answer. However, she didn''t persuade him further because everyone had a secret and it was their right whether to share it or not.


    "Ahhmmm. Sister Eleonore"


    " Yes?"


    "Thank you for your help. If it was not for your timely action, I would have surely gone to heaven. If you ever want something from me just say it, I will do my best to achieve it."


    ( Heaven? You would have gone straight to the lowest floor of hell. )


    Eleonore thought. Zero might have be strong but in Eleonore''s eyes, it was just a transition from pervert to strong pervert.


    "No nee¡­ Actually, I do want you to do something for me in the future. At that time, I hope you keep your words."


    Eleonore said as she looked at Zero with a sinister smile.


    Zero failed to notice that. He was not in a position to move too much and could only talk while lying on the ground.


    "Sister Eleonore, I promise I will keep my words. Whether it''s to hike the de mountains or to enter the sea of mes, I, Zero Elea, will not hesitate at all."


    Zero, was filled with gratitude towards Eleonore who saved his life. He said he would do everything without thinking it was Eleonore he was talking to.


    It took some time but all the Devil Contractors were taken care of. Their dads returned to them with Zero''s mother and Misha and her mother.


    "ZERO!"


    Zero''s mother, Madison, quickly rushed towards Zero. Her eyes were reddened due to her overflowing emotion. Her son was all wounded with blood sttered everywhere.


    "Starry Form: Hands of Blessing"


    Madison quickly used her spell to heal Zero. The injury was not that fatal but Zero was suffering from throbbing pain in his stomach area.


    The healing spell did ease his pain a little but it was not possible for him to recover immediately unless he drank an Epic rarity health potion.


    "Mom, I am fine!"


    Zero said as he was worried about his mom getting too worried.


    In fact, this pain was nothingpared to when he first used his Dual Art and copsed.


    At that time, he didn''t even have health potions or some healing spell, so he definitely suffered much more during that time.


    He assured his mom and told her to look at him. He tried to stand and walk, only to fail and fall down.


    "ZERO!"


    Zero was carefully taken on a stretcher to his room. Zero''s dad called the doctor to check on Zero.


    "For the most part, he is currently out of danger but it will take some time for him to recover his damaged bone. I suggest you let your wife heal him at least twice a day to speed up his recovery."


    The doctor said solemnly and then gave some prescriptions to dad and left the ce.


    "Baby, rest well! I will make a delicious soup for you."


    *****


    The fight caused quite a stir. This was the thirdrgest attack of Devil Contractors this year. The media covered the story quite extensively and also praised Zero''s dad and Misha''s dad for sessfully protecting the citizens and defeating the Devil Contractors.


    The media and the people all thought that the Devil Contractors were acting too strange this year. They never attacked this much before.


    The media concluded that they were nning something big and that The Authority should take appropriate measures to stop them.


    The Shadow Guild was once again busy with all the media trying to barge into their headquarters and asking for a meeting with Warren.


    The number of Devil Contractors found dead was so huge that even the Gold graded guild would have been in trouble if they were careless.


    Shadow Genesis being able to defeat them means that their power was not to be underestimated.


    The powerhouse of the City was changing!

 Chapter 70 See You Again!

    Chapter 70 See You Again!


    Star City was changing. Especially the area which was the former territory of IvoryBow.


    The management of the dungeon and territory was being split among other guilds but thergest area was all given to the Shadow Genesis guild.


    For one, our guild was the one to defeat the Devil Contractors. It doesn''t make sense to not give more territory to those who had actually done the work than to give more territory to those who didn''t do anything.


    Secondly, our territory is closest to the IvoryBow guild. Much of the territory of IvoryBow was next to our guild''s territory.


    Our guild ended up taking much of their territory and businesses. The IvoryBow guilds artifacts were confiscated by The Authority but they did give Shadow Genesis guild 20% of the IvoryBow treasury.


    Though Zero''s dad and Diego were not upset that IvoryBow artifacts were taken by The Authority because they had gotten the storage ring of Solomon.


    It might even contain items that are equal to or more than the value of the entire treasury in IvoryBow guild. I mean rather than keeping a strong weapon in an isted ce, you would bring it with you to use it when you need it.


    The benefit didn''t end there. The poprity that Shadow Genesis guild has received due to defeating the Devil Contractors has attracted lots of guilds andpanies that were willing to work with them.


    The Shadow Genesis employees were busy negotiating with them.Zero''s parents were also busy since they had to hold another meeting with the guest of the party.


    First to apologize andpensate for the misfortune that they faced in their guild. The guests did ept their apology.


    There was no way that they can not ept it. Firstly, Devil Contractors were trying to kill all the people present there. So in no way was it the Shadow Genesis guild''s fault.


    Secondly, the Shadow Genesis Executive and other guild members saved their life. Most of them would be powerless against Solomon and other Rank-B Devil Contractors but Shadow Genesis Executive and Warren were there to help them.


    Thirdly, Shadow Genesis power. They had be one of the strongest guilds around their area. Defeating the IvoryBow guild was the indication of that power.


    Fourthly, Shadow Genesis guild potential. The potential of a guild is mainly assessed by the children of their current guild members.


    They have seen Zero easily dominate the match between him and Tristan. Some even saw him take out many Devil Contractors. They didn''t need to talk about Shadow Genesis''s future potential when their guildmasters son''s talents were monstrous.


    They were sure that with Zero seeding the guild, Shadow Genesis would soar in the future.<sub></sub>


    Instead of criticizing about being ambushed by Devil Contractors, they were busy buttering up Zero''s parents.


    Zero''s parents were busy with all those events and they had no time to look after injured Zero. Zero did get better but they were too worried about him. They decide to call someone to look after Zero.


    *****


    Zero was not able to stand but it didn''t mean he was wasting time. No, instead he was as busy as his parents.


    ManaElemist, the group that was trying to create a mana battery has recently joined thepany.


    The group led by Seth Howard had already started to continue their research in the new factory that ourpany procured in Star City.


    Many resources were purchased and it was he costly. Especially the monster core which was the mainponent of the product.


    Fortunately, to make mana batteries, Rank-F monster core was used.


    If I was told to buy Rank-D and above-ranked monster cores, I would havepletely kept this project for when I have billions of Ethan coins.


    I had earned quite a lot of money during the past few weeks.


    Thepany was generating more and more revenue. TwitFlick and WorldCraft were bing extremely popr and many of them had good reviews about the two apps.


    Recently, one of the videos on TwitFlick had be extremely popr. It was uploaded on the NightShade page on TwitFlick.


    I had NightShade guild upload videos of them fighting with monsters. The video was about their raid team encountering a War Elephant, a Rank-B boss opponent.


    The fight was not difficult for a team that has multiple Rank-A''s. The War Elephant showed impressive strength like splitting the ground with a stomp.


    But eventually, he was killed by the NightShade raid team.<sub>


    </sub>


    This video earned millions of views on TwitFlick, making it the first to cross one million views and became the most viewed video on TwitFlick.


    This also attracted many new users. Where else can they watch Rank-B boss monsters fighting with a team of Rank-A.


    This type of video was not there on any tform. Why?


    Firstly, there was no way that an average person could film such a video. The cameraman would need to be at least Rank-B. Who would be able to hire a Rank-B to film such videos? They also need the cooperation of Rank-A Explorers. It could cost them a hundred thousand to hire a gold-graded raiding team. No one was stupid to hire them for a video.


    Secondly, why would the person want to make such a video? There were not many benefits to it, that is until now. With TwitFlick, the video was able to make money.


    TwitFlick finally integrated the system of paying the content creator ording to their views.


    We could not find that many content creators but TwitFlick was trying to have more people upload more content. With the system of paying the creators, we were able to entice more people to make more interesting content.


    Thepany was also trying to make a streaming feature for TwitFlick. So that the yer of WorldCraft could showcase their gamey to other people.


    The other project of Tech Genesis, Megaplex, was also about to beunched.


    Not many shops and brands were willing to be in partnership with unknown ideas. But it was not a major problem.


    Megaplex had the product that is potions that ourpany bought previously. We could start by selling those options.


    After knowing the benefit of selling products on our online site, other shops will eventually be willing to work with us.


    I looked through all the reports from thepany. Looking at the report I can say that mypany is heading in the right direction.


    I also have some people search for a strong sword artifact in auction houses. And also to look for a Rank-SS identification scroll, though I might not be able to afford it with my current money.


    But Rank-SS items are very rare and I don''t want to miss buying them if they did appear.<sub> </sub>


    I had also invested in my parents'' guild. There was no shortage of investors and other people who were trying to work with Shadow Genesis after the Devil Contractor incident.


    But you can never have too much money. Shadow Guild treasury was almost empty due topeting with IvoryBow previously, they needed as many resources as possible to grow bigger.


    I also gave my parents the other two Rank-A breakthrough potions. They can give it to the guild member who reaches Rank-B+ peak.


    " I feel I have spent too much money recently. "


    I took out my phone, opened my Eds bank ount, and checked how much money I currently possess.


    ==========================


    Name: Zero Elea


    ount No: 19****7894


    Bnce: 32,345,000 E


    ==========================


    Well, what can I say? My wallet suddenly increased. Even with all the expenditures that I am doing recently I still had around 32 million Ethan coins.


    That amount was more than the gold-graded guild''s worth. And I mean their worth, not their revenue.


    I mean in ten years with the same growth, I may as well be the richest person on Eds.


    But all this wealth was meaningless without being alive. Getting rich is only a secondary goal, bing strong has been my goal all along.


    And the hard work that I did sure has shown its result.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: E +


    Strength: D


    Speed: D


    Stamina: E +


    Mana: D


    Luck: B


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    The battle with Devil Contractors was not all that bad. I managed to get my Dual Art to Practitioner proficiency.


    I also feel like I am reaching the peak of Rank-E+. The rank would be D.


    I know I am working hard to get strong but I am always surprised by the speed of my own growth.


    Rank-D in First-year, that also in only half-term. That is an aplishment that only Hiro would be able to aplish.


    Now there is also a possibility that a person like me can also aplish.


    For an unknown mob to aplish this much feels unreal. I, an ordinary mob character who was mentioned only three to six times in the novel, was able to be this strong.

 Chapter 71 See You Again! [2]

    Chapter 71 See You Again! [2]


    *****Somewhere in Daemonium domain*****


    "Are you saying that Solomon failed despite all the resources we put in him?"


    A dark figure sitting on the throne said in an angry voice. He was bigger than what a human should be and had a horn that indicates he is a demon.


    "Yes, it''s the truth confirmed by one of the survivors. Solomon had been killed by Shadow Genesis and their allies."


    The demon reported solemnly.


    "Why did Solomon attack by himself? He should have taken at least you with him."


    "Lord, I have no idea. We had nned to attack Shadow Genesis and other guilds when Ostrimores back from his mission."


    ( Humph! He must have wanted to have all the achievement and honor of doing what the Lord wants. Unfortunately, he met his end. )


    Demon Report thought to himself.


    He knew that Solomon was looking for the opportunity to take the reward bypleting the Lord''s assignment himself.


    ( With me and Ostrimor, Solomon wouldn''t have been able to snatch all the achievements and with Solomon being human, the chance of him getting recognition was low.)


    The Demon reporter and Ostrimor were the other two Rank-A of IvoryBow guild. They were both demons and they are just listed in the IvoryBow guildmember list to boost their reputation.


    They were also with IvoryBow for the mission assigned by the Lord. They were to find the key and destroy the Shadow Genesis guild.


    Unexpectedly Solomon decided to attack Shadow Genesis all by himself when both Ostrimor and Demon reporter was away.


    ( He must have thought he could have easily done the job. Well, I was also surprised to find he couldn''t defeat that little guild. )


    "Humph! I wasted so many of my ves for him. I would personally go and retrieve the key but the king and their party are watching me. Xalvar, Go and investigate that guild again. We will attack once again when Demon King and his follower are engaged in war with other species."


    "Yes!"<sub></sub>


    Xalvar knew that if Lord went to get the key, it would be an easy thing. But he was currently being watched by other high-ranked demons who don''t agree with their objective.


    This was the reason why Solomon was chosen for retrieving the key. A Devil Contractor who is expanding his guild is nothing new in this world.


    If he went and exterminated that guild, it would not have been odd to the demon king fractions.


    "I don''t want failure again. Go!"


    Xalvar left the ce after bowing his head to the Lord.


    " Keke¡­ Shadow Genesis! I wonder how my little friend is doing there. I will see you again, Zero! Hahahaha¡­"


    *****


    ( See you again, my a**. )


    Zero was cursing at top of his lungs. It is because of his new caretaker that his mother and father brought.


    Zero''s mother and father were busy with all the new work that was popping up due to their guilds'' new fame.


    They have time to make food and cast a healing spell on Zero. But Zero''s father and mother were a little overprotective.


    They felt Zero need someone to care him for 24hrs. They would always worry when they left Zero alone.


    They decided to have someone to take care of him while they were away from home. Not anyone could do it, they needed someone they could trust.


    The next day, they had already chosen someone who has their trust and gets along with Zero.


    "Mr. Pervert, you seem to be recovering well."


    "E-E-ELEO-NORE! What are you doing here?"<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero gasped. He didn''t want what he was thinking to be true.


    "What do you mean what I am doing here? I am obviously here to take care of you. You idiot."


    Someone who is close to Zero. Someone who is trusted by Warren and Madison.


    Who else could perfectly fit those criteria other than Eleonore. To Zero''s parents, Eleonore is a close friend of Zero.


    I mean the kid who had spent the most time with Zero is Eleonore. Zero after ''that'' incident didn''t have any friends. Zero stopped hanging out with others and started to hole up in his room.


    But Eleonore would always be there. Zero didn''t make friends and stopped talking to others but Eleonore was not his friend in a sense.


    Even if he shut off his door, when shees, he could not do anything but let her in. I mean she was a bully, how would he have the power to do anything to her.


    This made Zero''s parents think that maybe Zero liked Eleonore as he only allowed Eleonore to be near him.


    A misunderstanding that Zero would most like to deny.


    Eleonore came there because it seems fun to take care of Zero. And also to find out more about Zero''s change.


    She finds it rare for him to change. Thest time he felt this difference was after ''that'' incident. He fell out with his group friends and suddenly became unfriendly.


    Though it didn''t matter because she was not his friend and he could not do anything to disobey her. She thought it was funny for the cheerful person to suddenly be so depressed.


    "Eleonore, you can go home. I can exin it to my parents."


    Zero didn''t find staying with Eleonore to be a good idea. It was not that he was afraid of Eleonore beating him but it was like some kind of trauma to him.


    Well, he did take a very good beating from her for the first time. Before that he didn''t know what death felt like but that moment taught him about it.


    It might be exaggerating things but since he was just 6 years old, who didn''t even got hit in his hand, getting punches and kicks was definitely a scary experience for child Zero.<sub> </sub>


    Due to Zero''s parents being a little protective, they didn''t hit him or did anything that violent in front of him. Eleonore beating him was definitely the first experience that he got.


    "You don''t want me in this room?"


    Eleonore spoke as if warning Zero.


    ( I know what you are thinking but I will not go. One of these days I will find out what prompted you to change. ), Eleonore thought.


    "No-no, I just thought you are wasting your time being here."


    "You don''t have to worry about me being busy. I am on a break anyway. I will make sure that you are taken care of."


    Eleonore emphasized.


    "Angggg¡­. Ahem! I will be in your care then."


    Zero could only politely ept. He was currently injured and could not do anything even if he wants to.


    And it was not like if he was healed he could stop Eleonore from doing what she wants.


    He was not strong enough to deal with Eleonore using violence. She would not listen to his words at all, so talking to her was also useless.


    Andining to my parents? She is always well-behaved in front of my parents and acts as if she is very close to me.


    Essentially the ones who could stop her (my parents) have specifically asked her to help me.


    My parents thought that I get along with Eleonore and trust her. She was after all the daughter of Uncle Diego and someone they know from a very young age.


    Eleonore stayed there, asionally staring at Zero and bing lost in thoughts. Zero also didn''t have anything to say to her so he continued to ignore her presence.


    He focused on looking throughpany reports and making corrections here and there.


    Eleonore has no knowledge of business or IT and would only nce at theptop sometime. She thought Zero was just ying around with theptop.


    Time passed and Lunchtime was nearing. Eleonore decided to make some soup for Zero.


    "I will make some soup for you."


    Eleonore said to Zero as she stood up.


    "Chotto Matte Kudasai!"


    Zero quickly responded to Eleonore''s statement. Sweat trickled down as if he was in a life-threatening situation.


    "Make soup? Sister Eleonore, can''t you just buy some food from the restaurant. You don''t need to trouble yourself to make soup for me."


    Zero suggested. There was no way he would allow Eleonore to make food for him.


    One time, out of nowhere Eleonore decided to cook some food and gave it to Zero for trying. Zero was food poisoned for three days and he could not go out of his bed.


    Young Zero thought it was Eleonore''s new way to torment him.


    "Why order when you can just make it. Wait for me, I will quickly make you some delicious soup."


    ( Delicious, my foot. Even poisoned food must taste better than your cooking. )


    Zero tried to dissuade Eleonore but there was no way Zero could stop Eleonore who has made up her mind.


    Zero could only stay in bed dreadful of the soup that Eleonore was making.


    Five minutes into making the soup and Zero could already smell an iprehensible scenting from downstairs.


    There was no way Eleonore could make something that is good for human consumption. Unfortunately for Zero, he could only wait for worse to happen.


    "Soup is ready!"


    Eleonore happily entered Zero room, delighted at her new invention. As amateur cook there was no way, she would taste the soup first.


    Zero looked at the soup in horror. The soup was purple in color and seemed to scream like it was alive. A whole uncut carrot was also popping up from the soup.


    ( There is no way that soup is for human consumption. It is witchcraft. )


    Eleonore kept the soup in front of Zero but Zero would not drink it at all. He just stood there looking at the soup in horror.


    Eleonore thought his hand was injured (even though he was clearly using his hands earlier) and was not drinking the soup.


    She never thought her cooking was bad and Zero was unwilling to drink it.


    She took the spoon and started to soup feed him. Zero could only open his mouth in horror.


    " Ahh!"


    Zero definitely thought Eleonore was taking revenge for his remark at the party. Zero never thought Eleonore herself didn''t know she cooked something bad.


    I mean the appearance of the soup itself tells that the soup is clearly poisoned. She would be an idiot to think it was consumable, which she was.


    "Good! I will go and clean the kitchen."


    Eleonore went back to the kitchen after making Zero drink the soup.


    Zero survived, luckily. He was no longer the weak little boy who would be bedridden after drinking her soup. This was his new power!


    Anyway, he could only take a rest after drinking that poison. Zero''s parents were back early that day.


    "Thank you for taking care of Zero, Eleonore."


    They thanked Eleonore for taking care of him. They asked her to stay for the dinner to which she refused.


    "See you again."


    ( See you again, my a**. )

 Chapter 72 Time To End My Nightmare!

    Chapter 72 Time To End My Nightmare!


    The next day, Eleonore again came to take care of me. My parents left early as Eleonore was there to take care of me.


    The same thing as yesterday, Eleonore was present there just in case something happens to me. Most of the time she would be busy with her phones.


    "Hehe¡­"


    Eleonore will sometimes giggle making Zero feel weird. He does not know what she is looking at but her giggles do weird out Zero.


    The hellish lunch continued with Eleonore inventing new inedible things every time.


    ( I don''t know how one can even mess up cooking cup ramen. )


    I mean you just literally only pour water and wait for it to be cooked. Even that somehow was made into red gooey objects.


    Eleonore asked some questions or made some random talks sometimes. Maybe to get out of this awkward silence or maybe when she feels bored.


    Though I tried to answer her with what she wanted to hear, but sometimes I would blurt out what I wanted to say.


    Like one time she asked me how she looked in her new dress. It was a pink shirt skirt which was quite girly.


    "Pffft! Girly clothes don''t suit you. You shou¡­"


    But I realized my mistake before I could say more. Eleonore just stayed there ring at me.


    Though she didn''t get physical due to my injuries maybe. But I was close many times when I thought she would beat me up.


    Thank god that she was able to restrain herself or else I might end up in a bigger bandage than the current one.


    I was starting to get better and during that time I even got some good news from thepany.<sub></sub>


    They had managed to get two sets of ingredients for the Rank-S breakthrough. That means I have the key to making two heroes.


    Five days into the recovery phase and I was able to move again. Not do any intensive training or rigorous movement but I could still move around.


    I wasted too much time recovering. I nned to spend the rest of the summer vacation gaining experience by going to the dungeon of Rank-D and doing some intensive training.


    Still, I was not recovered to do that. I took this chance to move around to check my body recovery. I was jumping around to see whether I felt any kind of pain or not.


    Eleonore stood there watching me like some kind of monkey.


    "You are disturbing the neighbors. Go and rest, you have not fully recovered yet."


    ( Seriously, let me move around for a bit, after all, I had been stuck in bed for five days. )


    But I know better than to argue with Eleonore. I could only silently curse in my heart.


    I had to spend another week fully healing all my injuries. I would exercise lightly during that time.


    The day after I fully recovered, maybe to make up for all the time that I wasted, I ran through dungeons like crazy.


    The dungeons were mainly in the territory of Shadow Genesis. They were the dungeon that I sometimes went to with my dad to know what a higher dungeon felt like.


    The main objective of going to the dungeon this time was not for some resources or anything like that. It was just to test my strength and know the power of Rank-D.


    You can say I am familiarizing myself with the Rank-D monster. I conquered most of the Rank-D dungeon within two to three days.


    The most difficult monster that I encountered was the boss monster at Rank-D +.<sub>


    </sub>


    The dungeon was formerly owned by IvoryBow guild. The environment inside the dungeon was that of the North pole.


    Mountainous Ice and Icy monsters were what I encountered constantly in the dungeon. The dungeon size was massive and it took me four days to finally find the boss monsterir.


    The boss of the dungeon was Ice Troglodyte. It looked like a lizard man with a light blue scale.


    Ice Troglodyte was a tough opponent for me as an Ice Art user. Not only was Ice Troglodyte ranked higher than me but due to its resistance toward Ice magic, I had a tough battle.


    Though it goes both ways as even Ice Troglodyte Ice skill was not that effective to me. My resistance towards Ice was as high as that of Ice Troglodyte.


    We both had to resort to our alternative skills. I fought Ice Troglodyte with my Shadow style and Ice Troglodyte fought with its deadly ws and tail.


    Eventually, though, Ice Troglodyte was killed by me. I had a clear advantage in this battle as I could resort to using my other Art but Ice Troglodyte could only use his hand and tail.


    I also spent some quality time with my parents though for only a short period of time.


    The guild was as busy as ever and my parents could only give some time to our family bonding.


    Zero however was not disappointed with that. He knows that they both love him dearly and despite their busy schedules they made it a point to spend some time with Zero.


    Honestly, it was way different for Zero on Earth. The parents were always away on the job and rarely came home.


    Despite having quite a lot of money, they would work like crazy. Due to this Zero delves into the world of IT. He found friends and entertainment in the world of IT.


    Zero was not given much time by his parents. However, it was normal for most kids on Earth as their parents were usually busy with their work and didn''t have enough time for their kids.


    Zero didn''t mind that kind of parent. His necessities and all his expenditures were funded by them and they didn''t restrict him like other kids.<sub> </sub>


    However, he can clearly see that his current parents were way better at parenting than his parents on Earth.


    *****


    The day for returning to the Ace Academy was reaching and I could feel my rank breaking through.


    Unlikest time, Zero didn''t have any potions or any herbs to help him break through. He could clearly feel that he could naturally breakthrough, so he just waited for that moment.


    I had to go to the training room of Shadow Genesis for the breakthrough. Doing it at other ces will attract attention and it is also not safe.


    I sat in a meditation position and let the mana flow through. When time seems ripped, Zero released his mana and tried to break through.


    "Ahhhhhhhhgggghhh!"


    But unlikest time it was not that painful because Zero was naturally breaking through and not using potions likest time.


    The difference was like forcing yourself to walk ten kilometers and naturally being able to walk ten kilometers.


    In about 15 minutes the process ended.


    -HUFFF! -PUUFFF!


    Zero panted hard. He then regained his normal breathing shortly.


    He looked at his body which felt like it had been refined inva. He could see that his body had be more studier and stronger than before.


    A feeling of invincibility, a feeling that he could take on anyone. He was dozen times stronger than when he was Rank-E.


    "I did it. I reached Rank-D -, a feat that only Hiro was able to achieve in the novel."


    Though Hiro was also abnormally faster than what was depicted in the novel. Even so, his own speed was only unbelievable.


    [ "Status" ]


    Checking status after breaking through was something that everyone did. After all, they want to see how much they have improved after breaking through.


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D -


    Strength: D +


    Speed: D


    Stamina: D


    Mana: D +


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    There was an increase in strength, stamina, mana, and most importantly luck. Luck was definitely the stat that was most difficult to increase.


    The luck stat is something that is predetermined during birth. It might increase once or twice but most of the time remains the same.


    Though there were special artifacts that are said to increase the luck of users. Though it was extremely rare and even in the novel, that type of item was never mentioned.


    It probably doesn''t even exist but some people believe there are some artifacts that change one''s luck.


    Only one thing left to do before going to Ace Academy.


    "Time to end my nightmares!"

 Chapter 73 Time To End My Nightmare! [2]

    Chapter 73 Time To End My Nightmare! [2]


    Zero broke through Rank-D - and was feeling like he was invincible right now. I mean with his new power he could literally kill 5 Zero before his breakthrough.


    The first thing he thought of was battling against Eleonore who is in Rank-C.


    He thought that if he could take on Rank-D while he was Rank-E then he should be able to take care of Eleonore who is Rank-C after he became Rank-D -.


    Adding to the feeling of invincibility he felt, he also needed to test his new power. Eleonore was perfect since he could defeat her and end his trauma and also because she was Rank-C.


    Battling Eleonore, he could test his new profound power and end his trauma, it was killing two birds with one stone.


    He tried to run around and move his body and noticed the difference in speed and control of his mana.


    His skill was more smoothly executed and his strength increased by a lot. He spends the rest of his day trying to figure out his new strength.


    The next day, he went to visit Eleonore at her home which was just 3 minutes away from his house if you go by car.


    I had gone to Eleonore''s house a couple of times so I knew where the house was. Their house was a little bit bigger than ours and had a look of a traditional European style house.


    -DING! -DONG!


    I rang the bell and waited for Eleonore to open the door.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Who is it?"


    A couple of seconds after I rang the bell, a sweet and pleasant voice echoed from the house. It was clear that the one who talked was not Eleonore.


    Her voice is not pleasant and it was more of a domineering voice than a sweet voice.


    "It''s Zero."


    -CLANK!


    "Zero! "<sub></sub>


    Opening the door, there was a girl with eyes simr to Eleonore but with a different demeanor. It was Misha who opened the door.


    "Come inside!"


    I went inside and looked around the house. It was simr to what I remember when Ist visited this ce.


    The same old vase that had been put near the door. It might be some kind of artifact because that same flower is what I saw when I first visited this house.


    "So? What brings you here?"


    Misha turned around and asked Zero. She was curious as it was the first time that Zero visited their house alone.


    He would onlye here when his parents visited this ce.


    "I am here to meet Eleonore."


    "Big Sis?"


    "Yes, I have some things to do with her."


    Misha fell in thought. She did think that her sister and Zero were close. Her sister also went to take care of Zero during the time when he was injured.


    ( But wait! Isn''t Zero going out with Professor Mia Frostine. Then it is a sister''s one-sided feeling. How can I tell her without hurting her? )


    Misha was diving deeper and deeper into her misunderstanding. Her misunderstanding of Zero going out with Professor Mia and then her sister being in love with Zero.


    "Can you tell me where she is?"


    Zero asked impatiently after seeing Misha silent.


    "If you are looking for my sister then you can go to her room. She had been in her room for hours."


    "Thank you!"<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero quickly made his way to Eleonore''s room. This was not his first time being in Misha''s house, so he had already visited Eleonore''s room before and knows the way.


    Zero was bing impatient as he really wanted to test out his new power and end his lifelong trauma.


    -HUUUUU!


    Standing in front of a door, Zero took a deep breath to rx his tense muscles. He was quite excited to finally end his nightmare and beat Eleonore who had made him suffer.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    "Misha! Please wait I''m¡­"


    Zero knocked just to check whether Eleonore was present or not. With him already excited and impatient, he didn''t wait to listen to Eleonore''s answer and directly opened the door.


    -CLANK!


    The door opened smoothly without any interruption. Then, the field of view to the room was now wide open, which allowed Zero to see a person standing there in the back.


    She was only wearing her ck lingerie showing off her pure white skin. There was no dullness to that perfectly smooth skin, be it the nape of her neck, her shoulders, or her legs, they were all blessed with a dazzling smoothness.


    It was captivating. Even to someone like me who is scared of her.


    -GULP!


    Only after some time did he realize the situation he was in. He clearly intruded the room when Eleonore was changing her clothes.


    Having sensed that the door had been opened, Eleonore, who had her back facing the door, turned around.


    "Oh Come on, Misha! I told you to wai¡­"


    Eleonore''s sentence came to a halt after knowing that the one who was standing there was not Misha but Zero.


    Her eyes met with Zero. Zero at that time solidified and had turned into a living statue.<sub> </sub>


    After a short pause, and having seemingly understood the situation, Eleonore''s face started to turn red, and also her neck had turned tart red in the blink of an eye.


    "E-Excuse m¡­"


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!"


    Eleonore suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs and startled Zero.


    "Y-Y-You PERVERT!"


    Eleonore yelled.


    Eleonore enhances her hand and feet strength with her mana. She quickly kicked Zero in his guts.


    -BAM!


    Before Zero could react to her punch, Eleonore was already preparing herself to beat Zero more.


    Mountain of punches and kicks werended on his body. Eleonore didn''t spare Zero or give him time to exin.


    Thest time when she was taking care of Zero, Zero made some snarkyments about her. But she didn''t beat him not because he was injured but because she thought that Zero was a masochist.


    Zero would only be d to be beaten by her, so she didn''t beat him. She thought it was his n to agitate her so that she can beat him.


    However, this time she forgot about his quirk and started to beat him. She was sure that Zero was peeping on her while she was changing.


    -WHACK! WHACK!


    Zero''s excitement and his overflowing overconfidence in his strength were instantly gone.


    He tried to defend himself from the onught of Eleonore''s attacks but he couldn''t. It was too damn powerful and fierce.


    "Zero, I have brought some tea and¡­"


    Just when Zero thought he could not get out of this situation, Misha came into the room with tea and some snacks.


    "SISTER? What are you doing to Zero."


    Misha immediately grabbed Eleonore by her shoulder and dragged her away from Zero.


    "Sister Eleonore, what are you doing. You want to kill Zero?"


    Misha asked Eleonore angrily. She doesn''t know what happened but Zero was seriously getting beaten by Eleonore. She was also surprised to see Eleonore on top of Zero in her lingerie.


    She expected to see Zero and her sister flirting or getting along but instead, she found her sister beating the crap out of Zero that also while her sister was half-naked.


    she could not process what has happened between the two but she knew needed to stop Eleonore before she hurt Zero more.


    "Humph! This pervert, if he dies, it will be a blessing for all the girls."


    Eleonore snorted.


    Misha quickly went to Zero side and helped him stand up. She noticed that while it seemed that Eleonore was seriously injuring Zero, it had not done that much damage to Zero.


    Either Eleonore held back or Zero''s defense was that strong. Either way, she was relieved to see Zero okay and not that injured.


    "What happened? Why was my sister beating you?"


    Misha asked Zero.


    "Hahaha¡­ Nothing. Just an ident."


    Zero said while awkwardlyughing. It was his own fault to have barged into her room without him listening to her answer.


    He was so excited and eager to test his new strength against Eleonore that he forgot his manners.


    "Humph! An ident? Last time also you said that was an ident. This time also was an ident? What a bullsh*t."


    Eleonoremented. She didn''t believe Zero saying it was an ident. How can he have two idents and see her naked each time? This was clearly Zero''s intention.


    "Eleonore, it is really an ident. I had no desire to see your body."


    "No desire? Y-You! After seeing my naked body twice, you say you have no desire. Zero, look me in the eye and tell me that again."


    Eleonore bellowed. Zero''s answer was kind of an insult to Eleonore. It was like saying your body is unappealing to my eyes and I don''t want to see it again though Zero didn''t mean that.


    Eleonore asked Zero to look in her eyes because eyes will always tell the truth. But Zero had his head turned to the ceiling.


    " Humph! Admitting you are guilty. You can''t even look me in the eyes and tell me the truth."


    Eleonore grunted.


    Zero pointed his finger at Eleonore and said.


    "You, You are still in lingerie. Are you offering me to look at your body again?"


    "Huh?"


    Eleonore looked down at her body to find herself in lingerie.


    She was so furious that her mind was upied with beating Zero and forgot to wear her clothes.


    She was basically showing off all her body parts to Zero the entire time she was beating him.


    "I really have no desire to see yo.."


    -SLAP!

 Chapter 74 Second Semester!

    Chapter 74 Second Semester!


    "UGH¡­"


    Waking up in the unfamiliar bed, I looked around to see where I was.


    "Oh! You are awake?"


    A gentle voice came from the door and Misha came inside the room.


    "Where am I? What happened?"


    I touched my face which was feeling a sting. Not a small sting but such that it might have been stung by a green ho.


    "Hmmm¡­ You got pped by my sister and fainted."


    "Ehhh?"


    I involuntarily made an awkward sound. I mean I am Rank-D - and being unconscious just because of a p was like a joke to me.


    I have remained conscious when I defended myself against the attack of Solomon, who is rank-A+.


    I tried to recall thest thing that I remember. Eleonore was telling something about me being guilty and I said or was about to say something.


    I don''t clearly remember after that. I might have been pped around that time. She clearly didn''t hold back and I was unprepared to boot.


    "Where is Eleonore?"


    I don''t feel safe about meeting her after this. I had understood her strength and I know that I will not be able to defeat her in my current state.


    Using all trump cards, I might have a chance but I can''t stress my body right after it has been recovered. She is not someone I should mess around with right now.<sub></sub>


    I decided to abandon my n for now and keep it forter. ''A wise man never fights the losing battle.''


    "If you''re looking for my sister then she went to guild. She said she doesn''t want to stay in the same ce as the pervert."


    ( Perfect, I also don''t want to stay in the same ce as that gori woman. She didn''t even let me exin the situation and continued to beat me. )


    It was the same when we were kids. That time also I was misunderstood and got beaten by her. Luckily, simr to today''s ident, Uncle Diego was there to save me.


    I continued to rest for a little. Since she was not here, I didn''t need to escape.


    I realize Eleonore used her full strength to p me as I was knocked unconscious. Else how could anyone easily make me faint with a p?


    After resting for a bit, I decided to leave. I don''t want to encounter Eleonore today. I don''t know what she will do to me in anger.


    "Misha, I will take my leave now."


    "Okay. Bye! I will see you again next week in the academy."


    ( Oh! Come to think of it, School will resume next week or in about 5 days. )


    I went back to my house and stayed there trying to get some more rest. I feelzy after my objective was broken.


    Not only did I not get to fight with Eleonore but the misunderstanding between us kept piling up. She has definitelybeled me as a Pervert after this situation.


    -SIGH!


    Looks like I need to learn to keep my emotions calm. When you let your power get to your head then you make a lot of bad decisions.<sub>


    </sub>


    My first bad decision was trying to fight with Eleonore, who is Rank-C. I should have first tried fighting with Rank-C - before going to confront Eleonore.


    But feeling the new profound power, I decided to seek out Eleonore of all the people that I could have found.


    The second bad decision was I should have run back quickly right after finding Eleonore in her ck lingerie.


    If I kept my lust in control and quickly left the room, Eleonore might not have even known that I entered her room.


    Though I will admit that it was truly a feast for the eyes.


    ( No, Noooo, don''t think like that. It makes me sound like I am really a pervert. )


    Anyway, going to my another bad decision, it was to not wait for an answer for Eleonore after knocking.


    Excitement and impatience had almost made me a cripple today.


    That night my parents arrivedte.


    Apparently running many dungeons was a problem and our guild wascking in number.


    After taking the dungeon of IvoryBow guild, the total number of dungeons in control of Shadow Genesis increased from 17 to 23.


    Right now, the guild was able to clean up the monster due to the kids being back home. The kids were on holiday and they had added some force to the guild.


    For example, Zero, who was clearing lots of dungeons by himself. But after they left, some forces will be gone making it much harder for the current guild to suppress the dungeon monster.


    They had started recruiting lots of more guild members. It was not a problem since the guild was currently very popr, so many applicants applied for Shadow Genesis.<sub> </sub>


    The family of three started talking and eating around the dining hall. The progress of growth of the Shadow Genesis guild was too insane.


    Zero''s father, Warren had predicted that they will be a gold-graded guild in no time. His wife, Madison, and some other executives were on the verge of reaching Rank-B +.


    During the conservation, Zero''s mother mentioned going on a trip as a family. They had spent less time together due to all the events and Zero will be returning soon, so they decided to go on a trip.


    Thest few days, Zero spent most of his time with his family, and Zero''s parents also made time for him. The guild affairs are now handled by Zero''s uncle, Fred Elea, who is the father of Logan and Warren''s brother.


    He recently came back from his dungeon raid and started helping in the office. Which made less work for Zero''s parents in the office.


    Zero also made time to visit the mana battery factory. He wanted to check on them before leaving for school and also because his item was sent to Seth Howard.


    "Seth, how is the progress?"


    "Boss! We were able to make a prototype of a mana battery. We just need to test it before we sell it on the market."


    Seth showed a red rectangr object, the size of a bottle cap.


    "This is the mana battery made from F-rank goblin. It could theoreticallyst for three years."


    This was the resource that Earth didn''t have. A monster''s core energy was equivalent to 1000 batteries. That too because it was a low-rank monster core.


    This could potentially revolutionize Eds and the usage of technology in dungeons.


    After being satisfied with the progress of the Mana battery, I left the ce.


    I also took the package that was sent by thepany. It was what I had ordered to search forst time, a sword artifact.


    Opening the package was a ck sword.


    "The sword was won in the auction of Holy Oblivion, a gold graded guild. I have Nightshade go to the auction since those ces needed an invitation from the guild."


    The Holy Oblivion guild was below Nightshade in terms of power and getting an invitation was easy for the NightShade guild.


    "Let me see the stats of one million weapons."


    That''s right. This weapon''s price shot up to one million in the auction. One reason was the rich bidders and another was because the sword is a popr weapon.


    Much of Eds'' poption uses swords as a weapon. It might be because we have a lot of Sword artpared to other weapons.


    Either way, it was an astronomical figure for a weapon.


    **************


    Name: Elucidator


    Rank: B -


    Description: The weapon for sword users was created by an elder dwarf, Barilgomli Grimsword. It increases the power of sword users and its sturdy body is said to be able to endure the attacks of dragons.


    Attack: +25%


    ****************


    Elucidator is apletely dark de with trims of dim. It has a ck hilt connected to a handguard that drops down on the right side.


    Attached to this elongated area of the hand-guard is part of the Elucidator''s de, to better aid the user in retaining their grip on the sword when it is being used.


    The de ispletely ck like the rest of the sword and the said de is outlined in a light gray.


    Zero inspected the rest of the sword. He ran his fingers across the runes filling the de''s fuller.


    The bnce of the weapon was impable. The metal of the carved guard, and leather-bound hilt, bnced the thick, heavy de efficiently.


    He gave it a few swings, adjusting his stance topensate for the weight of the sword, which seemed to be lighter as he became ustomed to it.


    "Not bad!"


    He was satisfied with the weapon he got. It was light and sturdy which was good for his Shadow Art. He put the artifact in his spatial ring.


    I walked around the ce just to look at the scenery. Tomorrow I will be leaving this ce. I don''t know whether I will survive or not.


    ording to the novel, the second term is when the most death takes ce in the academy. I don''t know the motive of the attackers as it has never been revealed in the novel.


    However, it is certainly dangerous for anyone who doesn''t possess the luck of MC. Even Hiro Ernest might have been dead if he was not saved multiple times by other people.


    I don''t know the exact date but the enemies started to attack MC after the Academies tournament.


    I still have time to prepare but who knows when they might strike. I need to get as strong as possible if I want to live.


    "The second semester begins!"

 Chapter 75 Second Semester! [2]

    Chapter 75 Second Semester! [2]


    "You have to be careful, dear"


    "I will, mom!"


    I bid my farewell to mom and dad and got on the bus. Today I will be returning to Ace Academy.


    It was a one-hour ride and I pretty much slept through the whole ride. I mean it is so boring on a bus that other than sleeping, you can only watch the scenery.


    Looking at the same old school sign, I entered the school premises. You can see a couple of students but not that many.


    Most students would arrive tomorrow and only those who stayed very far away from Star City woulde earlier.


    The reason I came back earlier is that I wanted to check on the new office and how mypany is doing.


    Looking at the growth of TwitFlick and WorldCraft, I can safely say that I don''t need to worry about money for a long time unless I need to buy a Rank-S artifact.


    They could make me bankrupt in a second with how much they cost. And there was a Rank-SS artifact that I can only dream about.


    We had to change thepany office since ourpany has be toorge to fit in the old office.


    We bought the new building withpany money and the houses near the office were also bought. so that when we need to expand the office, we can freely do that.


    We also made sure that the office location was near NightShade so that they can assist us when our employees are in danger. The current office was more near NightShadepared to our old office.


    "Good Afternoon, Boss!"


    Greeting me was my new adorable secretary, Elisa Cryste.


    Aiden had been serving me as a secretary even though he was not really suited for that. But I didn''t have anyone that I could depend on except him.


    When I was injured Aiden call me to tell me about his niece who is a professional secretary and would be able to help me much better.


    Since I wanted to have Aiden focus on TwitFlick and WorldCraft, I decided to ept the proposal.<sub></sub>


    She was currently 22 and was short for her age which made her pretty adorable. Her eyes were a purple color that was simr to amethyst, her green-colored hair that was put up into two tufts grew down to her knees.


    She might not look all that capable and had no shred of being a sexy secretary like in many offices but contrary to her appearance, all the work done by her was wless.


    In less than a month, She was able to demonstrate her talent by making my work more efficient.


    "Good Afternoon, Elisa!"


    Elisa led the way to my newly established office room.


    My current room was bigger than needed. I might be the boss of thepany but most of the time I would be in the Academy.


    So it feels like a waste to have such a big office for me who will only visit asionally.


    "How is the progress of Megaplex?"


    I asked Elisa. Megaplex was the only one that was not doing well among the three projects that I have started.


    "Sir, we have promoted it on our TwitFlick and also on various TV channels. But the poprity of the Megaplex is not increasing as our expectation."


    "Ummmm¡­"


    I thought it will be a quick sess but I guess not every project will be quick on sess like TwitFlick and WorldCraft.


    "Though the reviews we got were very positive. Praising us for making the shopping experience easier. However, they say that the item we got is only potions and some equipment. We need to increase the diversity of items that we sell through Megaplex."


    "..."


    I thought having popr items like potion will attract new users for Megaplex but it backfired.


    Most explorers would buy potions from the nearest town of dungeons before heading out. Not everyone has money like me to stockpile the potions.<sub>


    </sub>


    I guess the first thing that I need to sell in Megaplex should be something people are constantly in need of.


    I decided to take it slowly and promote Megaplex with Mana battery. Why?


    Because I will sell mana battery-powered cell phones and other items through Megaplex. If Mana battery-powered items be popr, then customers would need to use Megaplex to buy them.


    With it, Megaplex might be popr. Or in a bad scenario, Mana batteried items will not sell because of selling through Megaplex.


    Anyway, I will first sell it through a megaplex and if it does not work out, I will change the selling method of mana battery.


    After spending three to four hours in thepany, I went to the NightShade guild to train.


    I fought with their members and surprisingly I managed to win. He didn''t use his full power but neither did I.


    The Rank-C - guild member that used to easily defeat me was finally defeated by me.


    "Wow! You surprised me. You have really grown strong."


    "Never thought Rank-D - would be able to defeat Conner."


    "No wonder our guildmaster likes you."


    The other guild membermended me. They don''t know that I am the owner of Tech Genesis or that Glenn works for me.


    Anyway, I fought again only to lose this time. Previously, it seems Conner had underestimated my strength and went a little easy on me but this time he fought seriously.


    They were strong and their experience showed in every move that they made. However, their strength felt lowpared to Eleonore.


    Even at the same rank, I felt many of them were weaker than Eleonore. They showed impressive strength but not so much that I have trouble defending.


    I couldn''t really defend against her attacks while she attacked me. It seems that Eleonore''s strength stat is abnormally high. She really is a gori woman.<sub> </sub>


    After intense training, I went back to my dorm.


    When entering the school area, it felt like I was going to a post-apocalypse area with no humans in sight.


    Usually, room lights will be on and some would still be training in the training ground.But today, it was dark and gloomy.


    I took a shower, ate a light dinner and went to bed.


    *****


    The next morning waking me up was the noise of the students.


    "Hehe. I got promoted to Rank-E +. Now I will surely be in the Top-30 of Ace Academy."


    "Humph! I also got promoted. Not only that, I even defeated a Rank-D Wyvern."


    "Jessie, you have changed your hairstyle. It looks so pretty. Which beauty parlor did you visit." ¡­


    Students returned to school and were chatting with their friends. Some were happy to see their friends again while others were bragging to their friends about how they spent their vacation. Some even got promoted to a new rank.


    "I didn''t expect them toe in so early in the morning."


    ( Anyway, what''s the time? )


    I checked my phone.


    "11:00 AM?"


    I thought it was only 7 or 8''O O''clock. I thought students were making so much noise in the morning but in reality, it was me who got up sote.


    I totally overslept. I quickly washed my face and made breakfast or might as well call it lunch.


    I didn''t have any ns for today. But I thought of doing some light training before resting. I don''t want to bete for the new semester.


    Before going to train, I looked at TwitFlick. Just to look for any interesting post.


    "Puhhhhhhh!"


    I end up spitting the water that I was drinking. It was due to one of the posts that showed up.


    ''Training in this shabby room!''


    That was one of Zion Maxwell''s posts on TwitFlick. I didn''t even know that he was using TwitFlick.


    It was a photo of his sweaty bare upper body with a spear in his hand. The shabby room that he mentioned could rival the price of a 7-star hotel. It was a tinum guild training room.


    I was surprised by the contrast between his personality and his post. He would usually be serious and all but the photo of him showed like some pretty boy seeking attention which didn''t suit his image.


    Though I guess people like his picture seeing all the likes andments.


    ================================


    45k likes


    2.7kments


    n345 [Nice body.]


    Chirst2574 [I also want to train in such a room.


    :( :( :( ]


    DarkLord87 [Are you a model? ]


    Oppa? [ I love you! I love you!??? ]


    =================================


    "As expected of the MC rival."


    His face didn''t lose to any model and his body was in good shape due to all the training.Zion will be perfect for a modeling job.


    I also searched and checked other characters on TwitFlick.


    ''Last day of summer vacation!''


    There was a post of Hiro Ernest with his little sister. The post was a typical photo of the family.


    But a famous and handsome person like Hiro has many people who would look at his post and like him.


    ================================


    27k likes.


    1.8kments


    =================================


    Though the likes on his post were lower than Zion''s. I guess showing off your body is the way to earn more likes on social media.


    I don''t even need to say anything about Sylvia and Lisa. They even had their fan page which I had made. They had more than a hundred thousand followers and more than 10k likes per post.


    The appearance of MC and his friends is too high. The god made them pretty, had their stats high, and had insane growth speed. I guess nothing is fair in this world.


    After looking through some posts, I decided it was time for me to head out to train.


    I just sparred for a bit and lifted some weights. I also watched Nightshade guild members fight. Watching a good fight is also a good way to learn.


    I came back to the dorm and slept a bit early.


    Tomorrow is a big day.

 Chapter 76 Second Semester! [3]

    Chapter 76 Second Semester! [3]


    I woke early.


    I did a light exercise and went jogging.


    After returning to the dorm, as per usual I took a shower and ate my breakfast. The breakfast was simple, consisting of cereal, milk, and bread.


    I left the room around 7:40 am. I stood in front of the ss for a second.


    I looked up at the ssroom that says Beginner, Alpha. I pushed the door open and entered.


    "Hey, Hey, did you see my post on TwitFlick?"


    "The fight was epic where they slew the Ice Golem."


    "This bag is made with the skin of a Rank-B monster. It is made by a rank 4 cksmith." ¡­


    The same old noisy ssroom. The only difference between when I first entered this ss and now is that the number of students used to be higher than what it is right now.


    Some students had failed the midterm while some were leaving Ace Academy due to the BloodyWolf incident. Even then the number of students seemed quite lowpared to the beginning.


    Almost a quarter of students were missingpared to the start of school.


    The students chattered nonstop and I quietly went to sit in my ce.<sub></sub>


    I could also see the MC and their group. As always, they were surrounded by other students.


    10 minutester, at 8:00 A.M.


    Mia Frostine walked into the ssroom.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    As soon as she arrived, she pped her hands and gathered the students'' attention.


    "Today is the start of the second semester. As you know, some of the students were not able to turn up due to getting caught up by the recent increase in Gates."


    ( Gates! )


    Gates is simr to the emergence of a new dungeon but it has a rather troublesome peculiarity that is to suck in the people in a certain vicinity.


    It will appear randomly and transport the people inside the dungeon. The way to exit is either defeating the dungeon boss or waiting for gates to turn into a stable dungeon which could take months to years.


    Your luck is gone if you were sucked into a high-ranked Gate. Apart from that, what makes Gates dangerous is their unpredictable environment.


    You could be transported to a ce with a high temperature where there is no water and food. To ce so cold that no nt could be seen.<sub>


    </sub>


    It is a problem for people but only some low-ranked and easy Gates appear constantly. The truly dangerous one will only ur maybe once or twice a year. Therefore, it was not treated as a big deal.


    However, the amount increased quite exponentially this year. The Gates''s appearance rate increased drastically and the Gate ranked at A has already happened four times this year.


    Looks like Eds will soon be caught in something terrible that is not even described in the novel.


    "As you all know, the second semesteres with a big change. The main focus of the Academy will be on the Academies Tournament held in four months from now on."


    As Mia Frostine said that she looked at her students and gave a satisfied smile. Her ss students were one of the bestbatant sses in the entire school including senior sses.


    She believed many of her students would qualify for the tournament.


    "I hope you all try your best to increase your power and participate in the tournament. You will be awarded generous rewards if you can make it into the Top-10."


    Top-10 is harder than it sounds. Hundreds of schools will be participating in this tournament. The tournament was a festival like the Olympics and FIFA where all the people would watch the students participate.


    Ordinary people will watch it for entertainment.


    While the management team of the high-graded guild will look at the tournament to recruit the students with high potential.


    Students are also there to show off their talent and strength to the world. Not only can you get the attention of the whole world but also have a chance to get recruited into top guilds.<sub> </sub>


    There was no better opportunity than Tournament of Academies to get recruited into Diamond and tinum graded guilds.


    Academy will be able to showcase its strength with the help of students. The rank of students determines the rank of the academy.


    Higher the rank, the better the support from The Authority. Able to get thetest training machines, weapons, and guest lectures from The Authority.


    The high-ranking academy will also be given priority when choosing a dungeon for training students. The academy has lots to gain if they get into high ranks.


    For thest decade, Ace Academy had bagged first ce making it the number one academy in the whole Humalia Domain.


    In the novel, this year Ace Academy loses that position to Arcane Academy. Though I can''t tell for sure in this reality.


    Contrary to the novel, Hiro Ernest has already broken through Rank-D - a month ago. With this speed, it might be possible for Hiro to reach Rank-C - by the time the tournament starts.


    But I can''t underestimate Arcane Academy which has Rank-C. Not only was he as talented as Zion and Lisa but he was older and is at a higher rank.


    In the novel, even Hiro gets defeated by him. Omar Noel is one of the future antagonists in the novel. He gets recruited by the Dark guild through Professor Frey, the teacher of Arcane Academy.


    "Before you can participate in the Official tournament, our school will conduct a selection and I hope you can make it. The experience of fighting with the genius of another school doesn''te easy. You should all try to get selected as participants."


    Mia continued and told us what to expect in the selection.


    "The selection method is not chosen yet but power is whates down ultimately. As long as you grow stronger in this period of time, you have hope to qualify."


    "The selection of participants will begin one month from now on. I hope you all practice hard and get selected."


    After dictating whatever she needed to tell, she left the ss. Apparently, our school will choose participants from the school in one month.


    After that, they will focus on developing those participants for the tournament. It was a great chance since you could practically have all the potions and mana herb to help you be stronger.


    It is certain that once someone gets selected as a participant, the gap between them and other students will increase. The top ten will get all the resources while others get none.


    I also didn''t forget my promise to Professor Mia. I had to qualify as a participant and try to get the win since that item was there.


    The item that I want is an Art. A Movement Art to be specific. In the novel, MC Hiro gets the chance to take any treasure from the Academy treasurer after getting the win in the Tournament of Academies.


    He would ponder between the Movement Art and a Sword Artifact but in the end, he chooses Sword Artifact as he already has a Movement Art albeit a rank lower than the Movement Art of the treasurer.


    It is a good Movement Art which is level 6. I tried to get Movement Art from the auction and market but the highest I managed to encounter was LVL 4.


    Art was rare since it is treated as a family treasure and not many would be selling high-level Art.


    The Art that others could buy was usually a low-ranked one or those that Explorer got from their raids.


    When high-level Art is auctioned, many rich people will try to get their hands on it. The rarity of LVL 6 was enough for most Diamond guilds to be attracted to an auction.


    That day we were free to train and I decided to go to NightShade guild to train. Academy training ground is a little noisy for me to train properly.


    I could freely get ess to a good training room of the NightShade guild. It was better to train here than at the academy if professors were not present.


    When professors were present, they would give us valuable advice and show us ways to improve our training or Art.


    Most professors of Ace Academy are Rank-A and getting taught by them is very valuable.


    As always I fought with NightShade guild members and I could bag a win now and then.


    The fight was differentpared to when I was just Rank-E. The more I fought, the more obvious it became that they had gone easy on mest time.


    However, I was not sad to know these and was rather more encouraged to train. These people were also the same as me, an unknown mob in the novel.


    I will train and train until I be the strongest. I will show that even a mob like me can be strong with enough training.


    "Let''s start the training!"

 Chapter 77 Tournament Preparation

    Chapter 77 Tournament Preparation


    The school days from then onwards were a series of hellish training.


    Timetables were changed, instead of theory sses, more training schedules were added. Not only that, the training begins at 6:00 am and is kept till midnight.


    The students were given extra attention by the academy and every day an instructor came and taught us.


    "You need to rapidly deploy your skill as required. One second faster can lead to a difference between life and death."


    The Professor was currently teaching us how to decrease our attacking time. Her name is Nannie. She is said to be among the fastest professors to deploy spells.


    She didn''t really teach our ss but now the school wants us to broaden our horizons and have different professors teach different concepts to us.


    Each professor had their specialties like Nannie being in speed activation. Some professors taught us extreme training methods to increase strength, while others shared their experiences and how to deal with certain situations. They all taught us different concepts.


    It was beneficial as some concepts worked better with certain people while it was not much effective for others.


    For example, the lecture that is being delivered by Professor Nannie. Her concept of speed casting is good to know for a mage like me.


    But it is not beneficial to Archer and those who rely on a charge attack. Rather than speed, they need to have ample time to deploy their skill, so the thing about speed activation is not really useful to them.


    Simrly, the professors not only taught us their knowledge ofbat but also their beliefs.


    Like Professor Mia believes in hard work more than anything. She would also give us valuable lessons for fighting and all that stuff but she would also tell the students to never give up and work hard.<sub></sub>


    And there were also professors like William who would onlye here to waste our time. He will be preaching on how those with a profound background are always greater than those with low background.


    "Don''t let filthymoners overtake the elite like us. Our blood is noble and we should strive to be a greater noble. Talent is only granted to people with noble blood."


    Professor William will speak some iprehensible nonsense to us. It seems that he would onlye here to speak on the greatness of being from a great background.


    Professor Wiliam had also given me quite a few res that I could not count. While mentioningmoner or filthy he would always look at me.


    Like he was suggesting I am that. I don''t give a damn to such a loser. Not being able to see beyond his ego is what makes him really narrow-minded.


    Trying to chase after Mia with that kind of attitude was like going to catch fish with a piece of paper. And Professor Mia was not any fish, she was a shark. There is no way he could seed.


    But I do pity this poor guy. Being made into a small-time viin, just so that MC could shine in the future.


    Professor Willian, in the novel, could not tolerate Hiro after he had won the Tournament of Academies and was given the opportunity to take any treasure from the treasurer.


    He challenges Hiro in front of everyone. Due to his connection, even though he was a professor and Hiro a student, he would get approval from the Ace Academy.


    But he ends up getting thrashed by Hiro Ernest and gets expelled from school. The role of him as mini-boss ends there.


    But whatever happens to Professor William, I do think he deserves it. Not only would he discriminate against students but also vite rules and no one can truly do anything to him due to his dad.<sub>


    </sub>


    The only ones who really listen to Professor William''s speech are those with the same mentality as him. The one born with a silver spoon and knows only to brag about their bloodline.


    No power to back up their words but always thinking that they are superior. sh was one of those stupid students though he was talentedpared to other idiots.


    The intensive training was also for senior students and every day you could see the tired face of students.


    "Training till 12: 00 am and training again at 6:00 am, I don''t think I can survive to see the next day."


    "I have been swinging my sword 10,000 times now. I don''t think I canst any longer doing that boring stuff."


    "Today, I don''t think I can do it. I am going to skip it guys."...


    The majority of students could not handle the new regime. They were training twice hard and twice the duration which made some students feel unbearable.


    However, MC and his friends didn''t show much change in their faces. They as main characters are not only talented but also very hardworking.


    The training that we are currently going through might just be an everyday urrence to Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia.


    I, too, didn''t feel like it was anything difficult. Rather it seemed a little less tiresome than my usual training.


    The academy provided ample rest time while I would train and train until I felt exhausted. And to make someone like me exhausted is not easy, taking four to five hours of extra intensive training or 7-to 8 hours of intensive training.<sub> </sub>


    I will then rest a bit and continue to do it again. Compared to that, the training at the academy will allow resting now and then. The training was nothing difficult.


    The training was harsh to students who just relied on their talent and connection to enter this academy.


    They have never experienced that kind of hardship and felt that the academy was tormenting them.


    They went as far as toin and have their parents call the Academy administration.


    The parents would then call andin to the school administration. They would ask the academy how they could treat their child like that. They would also threaten to use their connection to cut resources to Ace Academy.


    They were indeed influential but Ace Academy was not a school that they could interfere with.


    The academy only told them to tell their kids to leave the training session if they are not able to handle it. They didn''t care whether those students would participate or not in the training.


    They have dealt with many simr students like them in the past and they know that these students would amount to nothing when they grow up.


    Talent might have been enough to get enrolled in the Ace Academy but to get far in life, hard work is what the students needed. And the school administrative team was also very much aware of that fact.


    The rich kids might be able to ascend to higher rank using potions and mana herbs but when ites to fighting on the battlefield, they would be the first to get killed.


    It just means Rank and strong Artifacts are not all that matter when ites to strength. There is a vast difference between people who are constantly risking their lives and those who are not.


    The rank might be the same but when a fight urs between the two, those without the experience in life and death situations will be the first to die.


    Those guys had nothing but wealth to show off.


    They were just riding on the coat of their parents. They would not be able to get far in life and the school administration had no reason to force them.


    After getting those students out, the training became more intense. Like professors were trying to prove that they didn''t care whether students drops or not.


    To them, the training itself was like a selection. Only those who could endure those training sessions were qualified to represent the Ace Academy.


    I was able to handle those training without much trouble. With selectioning up, I was also entirely focused on training.


    I left mypany to Elisa and Aiden. Even without me, thepany is rapidly growing. Unless for a new project, my decision was not needed in other situations.


    Training my Cryomancy Art, I was able to mold the ice into various shapes using any skill. Previously, only by using Ice embodiment and increasing my control over Ice energy did I manage to make any shape I want with Ice.


    But now I could do it even without using Ice Embodiment albeit only of small size. To make something like an Ice stair and an Ice Slide, was currently impossible.


    I could also see that the MC and others were growing rapidly. Hiro was able to consolidate his new strength of Rank-D during summer vacation and now he was able to show his real strength as a Rank-D -.


    Zion is also bing fierce with his strength. His attacks were more deadly and precise than before. He also seems too focused on training.


    Lisa and Sylvia are also doing great. They had also reached Rank-E+ peak judging from their mana aura. Not that they were intentionally releasing them but with the sense of Rank-D -, it is easier for higher ranked people to determine the rank of lower-ranked people.


    The Selection was right around the corner and today, Professor Mia was going to announce the type ofpetition to determine who will participate in the Tournament.


    " Good Afternoon Everyone, As you know that we have a selectioning up. The professors have decided that this year we are going to have a knock-out tournament to decide the participants."


    Professor Mia announced.


    "Since the number of participants is veryrge, we will first have another contest. First, will be the Mass brawl where you all will randomly spawn in the dungeon. The first one hundred students to eliminate three students will be qualified for selection."


    Since the student participating for selection has crossed 1000 students, they would first try to minimize the number of students.


    "After the first contest will be the knockout tournament where we will determine the top-20 students who will go to Helix Stadium to represent our Academy."


    ( Top-20? )


    It might have been near impossible for me before but not anymore. Top-20 while being first-year is not easy, not especially when you arepeting with students who have cultivated 2 years earlier than you.


    "I would like to wish you all the best and I hope that the students that would be selected as participants will be from this ss."


    Getting Top-20 was hard but not impossible. However, Top-20 was not even my goal.


    "I will be the Number One in the whole tournament!"

 Chapter 78 First-Round!

    Chapter 78 First-Round!


    The training continued until it was time for the selection. We were given one day of rest time before the actual contest.


    I took this chance to look at the report of thepany which I dyed for one month. Lately, though I did not feel exhausted, I had to stay till midnight to train, so I didn''t get a chance to get a look at how thepany was doing.


    Thepany was expanding at a good rate and the Mana battery will be ready to sell in a month. Megaplex was also picking up pace and starting to do better than before.


    The number of employees under Tech Genesis has reached thousands and most nonbatants are now trying to join mypany.


    Anyway, after a quick skims at the report,  I went to rest for the day. The contest was set to be held in Staff of Illusion and unlike our mid-term, there will be no monsters. Instead, we are to hunt each other.


    The number of students present for the contest was easily over one thousand. From top-ranked students to low-ranked students, almost all were present there.


    "Who do you think will qualify?"


    "Of course, it will be from third-years. Their top-10 rankers are all Rank-D. There is no way second-year and first-year students can win against them."


    "It is not certain. Second-year Ren Dreyar has also reached Rank-D - and we even have that rank from the first year. I heard Hiro Ernest had already reached Rank-D -."


    "Rank-D? In his first year? He is too much of a monster." ¡­


    The students were chatting with each other and many were predicting who would emerge as participants.


    The most popr one present there was Lisanna Lockser who is the current number one ranker of the Ace Academy. She is the strongest third year and not only is she famous for her strength but also her looks.


    Contrary to her status, Lisanna is a rather young, petite teenage girl of a slender build who stands at a rather below-average height for her age. Her shoulder-length light blue hair, which has eyebrow-length bangs, is tied up with a rather nd ribbon around her head.


    Her hair has a wavy, wild look, with more locks hanging down the sides of her face. <sub></sub>


    By appearance, I will not consider her to be the strongest, not in the no. 1 academy of Humalia Domain. She can be a pretty loli idol instead.


    But she is strong and her current rank is C - and the only student in the whole academy who has reached a rank of C.


    I heard that there is a fan club for her too. Her pretty face with a small body has indeed caused many boys to idolize her, like people liking child idols.


    Her strength, contrary to her appearance, makes it quite a gap moe.


    She had been considered a genius but her appearance always tends to deceive her opponent. Her appearance has caused many to underestimate her strength. Who would believe this petite girl to be the strongest in the whole Academy?


    The incident of her beating up a junior was quite popr when we first attended the ss. Apparently, some first-year students thought she was a first-year student like them and tried to harass her, only to get beaten up and sent to the hospital.


    I remember seniors mentioning something like that happening in their second year too. Apparently, second-years, first-years back then thought her to be first-year and tried to harass her.


    The next popr ones were Lyon and Toby who is second and third ranker of Third-year. They are both in Rank-D+ and are considered talented students. They are famous for theirbination skill. When Lyon and Toby join hands together, it is said that they can hold their ground against Lisanna.


    The top ranker of the second year is also quite popr. The Top ranker of the second year is Ren Dreyar who is in Rank-D -. Or the only second year to reach Rank-D. Others are apparently still at Rank-E+.


    The second and third rankers of the second year were not even worth mentioning. They were still in Rank-E+.


    In the first year, at least ten students are currently in Rank-E+. To be in the same rank as us,  second years students was not that big of a deal.


    Only Ren Dreyar might pose some challenge.


    The most favored to win the selection was the Top-10 of third years who were all in Rank-D and Ren Dreyar from the second year and Hiro Ernest from the First-year who is also in Rank-D-.<sub>


    </sub>


    Lisanna Lockser was sure to qualify and was allowed to not participate in the selection. Other students were also not opposed to the idea.


    There was no way anyone could win against her if they fought against her. It would be a blessing for others if she was taken off the battlefield.


    However, she refused. Reason? Fairness. Whether she was a top ranker or not, does not matter, she will do all the things with fairness.


    It was one of her principles in life. She is also the disciplinemittee head. To her, everything should be carried out in fairness.


    Since she said so, the professor had no choice but to let her participate. Therefore, it was also a matter of luck whether you spawn near her or not.


    If you are unlucky and met her then I could only say good luck. There was no way other students could beat her unless they teamed up with someone.


    "Listen here, you have exactly two hours in the dungeon to eliminate three other students. If you fail to do it under two hours, you will naturally be disqualified."


    The rules were simple, to kill three students as fast as possible. The moment you qualify, you will be taken out of the dungeon. The first hundred students to eliminate three students would qualify for the selection tournament.


    The match is also broadcasted on the training ground. Other students who are not participating and who willter be disqualified can watch and learn from other students.


    Professors were also present to evaluate the students'' performance. They were eager to see the improvement of students after going through intense training.


    The participants were gathered on the training field and transported to the dungeon generated by the Staff of Illusion.


    This was going to be a race against time.


    -WHOOSH!<sub> </sub>


    My whole body experiences traveling through time and space. Though I know my body is not actually going anywhere.


    The moment I opened my eyes, I moved my hand towards the sword.


    I then looked around and saw a figure. It was kind of small like a little kid.


    ( SH*T! )


    Startled, I quickly backed off from my current position and tried to create some distance.


    The unlucky one to encounter Lisanna was me.


    ( Indeed! Good luck to me. )


    What happened to my increased luck? Rather than increasing my luck, I think it has decreased. Howe I encountered Lisanna of all the students present here?


    The figure drew closer.


    -GULP!


    I took out my sword and prepared to engage in battle. Even with a Rank-C - opponent, I still had a chance to win or at least run away.


    "Who are you?"


    Lisanna asked. She didn''t attack directly like others. She is either cautious or confident in her abilities. But it was a good opportunity to get out of this situation with a talk. Time for ''Talk-no-Jutsu''.


    "It is my honor to meet Mrs. Lisanna Lockser, the one called Carrier of Fairness."


    ''Carrier Of Fairness'' is the title given by others to her. A title is something that is given to someone who does something remarkable or something that has benefited humanity.


    The title given in school has the chance to stay with them forever.


    Hiro also has a title, he is currently called the Rising Dragon. This is due to his remarkable feat of ranking up fast. Mrs. Mia as you know is called the Ice Enchantress due to her powerful Ice magic and her beautiful appearance.


    While it is unofficial, I have the title of ''Clown Romeo'' given to me by other students. I hope it changes when I graduate from here.


    I don''t want to have this embarrassing title attached to me forever.


    "I hope Mrs. Lisanna can let me leave."


    "I will ask again, who are you?"


    Lisanna asked while showing no damn to what I have said earlier. She has a big attitude for a small body.


    "I am Zero Elea, a first-year student."


    "First-year, Zero Elea¡­ Zero, ¡­First-year¡­"


    Lisanna mumbled as she tried to remember that name. She looked at my face again and said,


    "The one chasing after Lisa."


    ( Huh? How did she know about it? )


    "Terrorizing girls, teasing teachers, starting fights¡­"


    "Wait, wait, wait, What?"


    "These are theints that we received against you, Zero Elea."


    "How can it be? I didn''t do anything of that sort."


    "We have yet to confirm the truth of the matter but it does not seem baseless as many people have aint about it."


    "It is absolutely not true. Look at me, do I look like someone who will do that?"


    "Yes, you do!"


    Lisanna said emotionlessly like stating an obvious fact. She definitely thinks of me as a troublemaker.


    "Anyway, I will be going."


    I tried to take the chance to escape.


    -SHINGGGG!


    Suddenly, Lisanna took out her sword from her scabbard. I became alert and took my defensive position.


    "Mrs. Lisanna, what are you doing?"


    "Since fate has let us meet each other, we can only fight."


    Lisanna said as she showed no sign of letting me go. I didn''t expect to fight with the top of Ace Academy right from the start.


    The battle between Lisanna, the Carrier of Fairness, and, Me, the Clown Romeo started.

 Chapter 79 Fight The Pretty Loli!

    Chapter 79 Fight The Pretty Loli!


    "Since fate has let us meet each other, we can only fight."


    Lisanna said solemnly. She can''t let a student off just because they said so. Because it will be unfair to the next student she meets.


    "UGH¡­ This is going to end ugly."


    Zero said as he started to get into battle mode.


    No matter whether I wins or not, getting to fight with Lisanna from the start was not good. In the best-case scenario, I will win but I will be exhausted to fight others. In the worst-case scenario, I will be eliminated.


    But ''Talk-no-Jutsu failed and I can only fight. Guess ''Talk-no-Jutsu'' is only for the main protagonist. If Hiro was present, he might be able to charm Lisanna with just a smile.


    Leaving those nonsensical thoughts I prepared to receive Lisanna''s attack.


    -SWISH!


    ( She is fast! )


    -CLASH! -CLASH!<sub></sub>


    *****On The Training Field*****


    Most Professors were present there to watch the contest. Non-participants students were also there. Those students were those who could not endure the training and those who resigned early knowing they had no chance.


    "Look, the contest is starting."


    "The environment is pretty much the same as BloodyWolf Forest. Oh! People are appearing."


    There were multiple screens on the Training Field and the screen showed the ces where mana aura is highest. Where mana is high is when a battle of high caliber is likely to happen, so due to limited screens, only the top fights could be watched by those present in the Training field.


    "Oh" Look, It is Mrs. Lisanna. And there is someone nearby already. I guess his luck is out."


    The person to appear on the biggest screen is Lisanna who is the only student to possess Rank-C mana. Naturally, her battle attracted many viewers.


    On the screen were Lisanna and Zero. People slowly started to see who the man beside Lisanna was.


    "Is it not Zero from First-Year?"<sub>


    </sub>


    "Yes, It appears so."


    "Guess, he is going to be eliminated first. Let''s watch other students. There is Ren already in a fight with two students."


    The fight between Lisanna and Zero did not start immediately as expected by the audience. They all lost interest in Lisanna and Zero as they expected Lisanna to one-shot Zero.


    The Professors also thought so. And the happiest person was none other than Professor Williams.


    "Haha. Looks like the luck of Zero finally went out. He will definitely be out."


    Professor Williams turned his head and said to Professor Mia. He was happy to know that Zero will be eliminated from the start. Zero being recognized by Ace Academy was not good if he wants to take revenge on Zero.


    Heughed and looked at Professor Mia, whose eyes had been focused on Zero since the start. She was a little worried about Zero encountering Lisanna right from the start but unlike many, she didn''t think Zero would necessarily lose.


    It might be hard for other professors to know the actual rank of Zero among many other students. But she clearly watched Zero trains and felt that he was in Rank-D -. The speed of Zero has astonished even her who is known to be a genius since she was a kid.


    She has also seen his incredible feat many times. She believed that when the Tournament of Academies started, Zero would be able to surpass Lisanna.<sub> </sub>


    Professor William continuedughing and trash-talking Zero in front of Professor Mia.


    Professor Mia ferociously cut Professor William talking with her gaze. She was toozy to argue with someone like Williams. She continued to look at Zero.


    *****In the Dungeon*****


    In an instant, Lisanna reached and shed with Zero. Lisanna used her Art to increase her speed. Speed and brisk ability are what she excelled at. Those without high speed would not be able to respond to her attacks.


    In a blink of an eye, her green sword had inteced with a ck sword. Borrowing the rushing force from her speed, she tried to push on but Zero''s strength was more than enough to hold her in ce.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Lisanna was surprised to see the first-year block her attack but it did not cause her to do anything different. As a person who had always been underestimated, she knows more than anyone what happens to those who underestimate their opponent.


    She lifted her sword lightly and attacked Zero but Zero would not budge at all.


    After withstanding the continuous series of attacks from Lisanna, Zero tried to push off Lisanna and he seeded. He lifted his Elucidator in the air and with tremendous


    force smashed towards Lisanna.


    Sensing the huge amount of mana in the attack of Zero, Lisanna''s eyebrow twitched a little.


    She took her sword and tried blocking the attack with her sword.


    -CLANNNNGGGGG!


    As the two of their attacks came into contact, a huge amount of powerful mana violently burst out creating a strong air current, sweeping the area.


    Lisanna managed to block the attack but the strong tremble in her hand due to the sh made her face twitch. She was not injured but more shes like that could make her unable to hold her sword.


    Zero also noticed that. It might seem that the power of Zero and Lisanna was equal during the sh but there was less vibration in Zero''s swordpared to Lisanna. It means that the strength of Zero is higher than Lisanna.


    Zero again lifted his sword and attacked Lisanna.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The fierce sh continued.


    Lisanna''s expression was calm as she directly took on all the fierce attacks directed at her.


    The longsword in Lisanna''s hand glowed and the mana aura that Lisanna released skyrocketed. Lisanna used her sword to suddenly flicker the Elucidator. Lisanna''s face turned serious.


    She didn''t expect a first-year to push her into the corner to make use of this. After pushing Zero''s sword, she took the chance to create some distance between the two.


    [ "Wind Spirit: Astral Movement" ]


    -SWISH! -SWISH!


    Lisanna''s movement was elerated many times. She was so fast that each of her slight movements would leave an afterimage of her.


    "As expected of the Top student of Ace Academy. It does not look like the fight is going to be easier. Time to get serious!"

 Chapter 80 Fight The Pretty Loli! [2]

    Chapter 80 Fight The Pretty Loli! [2]


    *****On the Training Field*****


    The audience became quiet as all their gazes were focused on two individuals on the big screen.


    Many students have heard about Zero from the rumors. Many students and professors have been jealous of him as he was rumored to be dating Professor Mia, the most beautiful woman.


    Most students didn''t have a good impression of Zero because he didn''t deserve a girl like Professor Mia. His rank was also low before Mid-term and there were lots of negative rumors about him.


    He has been deemed as a coward as he would always try to run away from battles. He also enraged many boys by chasing Lisa who is admired by many boys. Zero is also rumored to be a yboy who would flirt with any girl hees across.


    Despite his feat of defeating Lucas and Rowan, many believed it is due to Hiro Ernest that Zero was able to defeat them. They could not believe that the previously coward Zero would stand against the Top-ranked student in the second year. They also know the Rank Zero was in and thought it was impossible for him to defeat Rank-E + who had taken a berserk pill.


    Many started calling him by the name ''Coward'' while others mocked him by calling him ''Romeo''. Later, making it a title for Zero, "Coward Romeo".


    However, as they eyed the young man who still maintained a calm and leisurely manner despite facing the strongest girl in the whole academy, some of the students felt a little awed in their hearts.  <sub></sub>


    He was not like the coward that the rumor spoke of. They reckon that they would be yelling and running away in despair if they ever faced Lisanna. They would not be in a position to fight Lisanna. She was also releasing Rank-C mana aura which would be more than enough to make them kneel.


    Therefore, they were shocked by Zero''s attitude, who seems calm when facing a strong person like Lisanna. This attitude was not of someone that is rumored to be a coward and chase after girls.


    The faces of students changed from pity and resentment to astonishment as Lisanna and Zero shed for more than 5 minutes and Zero showed no sign of losing.


    "Will Zero win?"


    Students began asking that question to their friends. If they asked them before the battle began, they would have said "absolutely not" but now they were not sure.


    On the screen, Zero forces Lisanna to back off by pushing her using his sword.


    Zero has then started to counterattack. It seems that Lisanna was having trouble blocking his fierce attack.<sub>


    </sub>


    "Mrs. Lisanna is losing. I can''t believe a first-year student is winning against the Ace Academy''s strongest student."


    "Does that not make Zero the strongest?"


    "Th-Th-This is ¡­"


    "Impossible! It is not possible for Zero to have this kind of strength"


    The young masters who were in the same ss as Zero could not believe their eyes. The same Zero that they have mocked and looked down on was disying incredible power.


    All kinds of discussions were taking ce as the most thrilling and unexpected battle was unfolding in front of them. Zero disyed unbelievable power making many people confused. They could not believe that they were unaware of such a talented student.


    Some started noting down the name as the potential recruitment for their guilds or for others, potential partners for raids.<sub> </sub>


    As the battle went on some students were teleported out due to being eliminated and they also started watching the amazing battle.


    They med their bad luck for encountering difficult opponents and being knocked out. They didn''t expect a first-year to battle with Lisanna and still be able to hold his ground. They felt ashamed for making an excuse for being defeated.


    The professor who was evaluating students also fell silent and focused on the battle between Zero and Lisanna. They thought no one would be able to fight against the one and only C Rank student of their school but unexpectedly there was one currently battling with Lisanna.


    "Your students are too strong"


    Professor Theo muttered. He was shocked enough to witness Hiro''s strength and other students of the Alpha ss. He didn''t expect another monster to be hiding in the midst of all those talented students.


    His ss was also strongpared to the previous year but the difference between his and Professor Mia''s ss was like that of First-year and Third-year.


    It was already unfair to have students like Hiro Ernest and Zion Maxwell in one ss. Now somebody who might be their equal or someone who has surpassed their talent has appeared from her ss.


    Professor William stood horrified. He thought Zero would certainly be eliminated. But seeing Zero disy such an impressive strength, he could not but doubt any student being capable enough to defeat him.


    ( This is not good! I need to get rid of him sooner. )


    To let your enemy grow is your biggest mistake. There is already a grudge between Professor William and Zero. He knows that Zero will seek revenge after he gains enough strength. He might have a strong dad but he could only use his influence to get some favor and avoid some punishment.


    When someone really wants to kill him, he can only rely on himself.


    While Professor William was feeling despair, others were shocked but happy at the same time.


    Getting another talent would mean that the chances of their Academy winning the Tournament would increase.


    "Congrattion, Professor Mia! To be able to groom another talent. He will surely make a name for himself."


    "Congrattions, Professor Mia! " ¡­.


    They were congratting Professor Mia as Zero is from her ss. But more than that, it is also because they also heard a rumor of Professor Mia going out with Zero. They are congratting her because they know Zero would grow up to be Heroes or beyond that.


    Hearing the praise, Professor Mia smiled back at her fellow colleague. She was initially stupefied to find that Zero was able to fight equally with Lisanna.


    Then she became extremely excited to see Zero winning. She had never expected Zero to be so talented that he could fight on par with Rank-C while being at just Rank-D -.


    ( Looks like I need to increase his training intensity.)


    Professor Mia happily thoughts so.


    Whatever the oue may be, the fight had made Students and professors alike to change their perception of Zero.


    They concentrated on the match as the fight was about to reach its climax.

 Chapter 81 Fight The Pretty Loli! [3]

    Chapter 81 Fight The Pretty Loli! [3]


    "Time to get serious!"


    I could barely see Lisanna''s movement. The moment Iy my eyes on her, she would already be in another ce.


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]


    I used Ice Embodiment to increase my defense so that even if I receive her attacks, I would not be eliminated in an instant.


    -SWISH! -SWISH!


    Lisanna moved around me looking for the opportunity to strike at the right moment. But I was not going to wait for her.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I thought I had hit her but it was just her afterimage.


    -CRACK!


    There was a sh between Lisanna''s longsword and my back frozen armor. Looks like she attacked me from behind.


    Fortunately, while Lisanna has great speed, her attack power was not high. However, getting hit continuously will not do any good to me.


    I tried to concentrate and follow her movements.


    -SWISH! -WHOOSH!


    I could see multiple images of Lisanna.


    "Quite a fantastic speed."


    Her Art seemed to be quite a high level as well. It is really impossible to know where she is just by using your eyes.


    -SSHHHHHH!<sub></sub>


    She suddenly attacked and took out a piece of my armor from the back part of my leg.


    Her attacks were quite impossible to see through. I tried again to defend against her attack.


    -SWISH! CLANK! -WHOOSH! - CLANK!


    I didn''t even manage to stop her once. But it was not that I couldn''t deal with her. I just preferred if I could deal with her without using my other tricks.


    -SWISH!  -SWISH! -SHHHUSSH!


    Quite a lot of time has passed since we started fighting. I had no idea how many students has already passed or how many remaining students were left.


    The fight was taking much longer than expected. Lisanna don''t seem to be giving up any time sooner and it was not like I could run away from the battle. She would be able to catch up to me with her speed in a second.


    [ "Cryo Bomb" ]


    I was just trying to know whether I could spot her real body and counterattack but since it seemed impossible that way, I just had to do it in another way.


    I just nted Cryo Bomb around me. The moment she steps on it, her legs will be frozen and I could end her.


    -SWISH! -SWISH!


    Lisanna kept moving around the area. She didn''t attack me recklessly. She seemed to have known something is wrong around me.


    But it didn''t matter. Her mana will be exhausted faster than mine. She will lose sooner orter.


    She is using a huge amount of mana while using her Art while I am just standing here though keeping Ice Embodiment is taking quite a bit of my mana.


    Even with her rank of C, I don''t think my Mana stat will be lower than her.


    After waiting for quite a bit, she started making her moves again. She moved back and forth and showed herself like she was attacking from the front but she attacked me from behind.<sub>


    </sub>


    -CRRRKKKK!


    ( Yes! )


    She is caught or so I thought. The moment I tried to approach the ce where Cryo Bomb was activated, Lisanna was already a hundred meters away from me.


    But she did get hit by Cryo Bomb and had her lower leg frozen. But before I could finish her, she was already far away from me.


    She stood calmly at a distance and looked at her leg which waspletely frozen.


    -CRACK! -CRACK!


    She used her sword to break the ice and free her leg.


    I was not just going to stand and let that happen.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I shot off multiple Ice Shards and tried to approach Lisanna. The moment she dodges the Ice Shard, I will start attacking her.


    Lisanna calmly essed the situation. She lost her speed and dodging Ice Shard was going to give an opportunity for Zero to attack her. She decided to counterattack instead of dodging.


    [ "Wind Spirit: WindStorm" ]


    A hurricane formed in front of Lisanna and stopped all my attacks. It also stopped me from advancing toward her.


    She broke the ice on her leg while I was busy dodging her attack.


    -WHOOSH! -CLANK!


    She started to attack me again. However, her speed has decreasedpared to before. I was at least able to tell her real position and know where she is attacking.<sub> </sub>


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    This time I blocked her attack with my sword. She continued to press on and I also attacked when I saw a chance. She was no longer untrackable.


    The battle continued for several minutes and we were in a stalemate. Both our mana was slowly getting exhausted and we also need to eliminate other students to qualify for selection.


    *****On The Training Field*****


    One hour has already passed and many people were getting out of the dungeon. The dungeon created by Staff of Illusion this time was small and lots of people were also there.


    It was so that there will be no problem with students not encountering another student.


    So, in less time, students were able to fulfill their task of eliminating three students as they would immediately meet other students.


    The luckier ones would encounter Rank-E - students while unlucky ones were to fight with Rank-D third years.


    Luckily, MC and his friend all encountered low-ranked students and were able to pass the test in under one hour.


    The ones who exited the dungeon all moved to the area where students were gathered.


    At first, they were confused by the quiet atmosphere. All the people were concentrated on the screen.


    After a few minutes, they also became quiet and focused on watching the spectacle fight on the screen.


    Unexpectedly, even when Lisanna went all out, Hiro was able to keep up with her using his Art. Students could not help but be in awe of the power disyed by Zero.


    He could even manage to injure Lisanna here and there while he perfectly stayed safe behind his Ice armor. Neither seems to be winning nor losing.


    Between Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and Hiro, Hiro was thest one to exit the dungeon. He was the 80th person to qualify for selection. Only 20 more slots remained.


    "What happened?"


    Hiro asked his friends who were staring at the screen. He found it odd for them to be so quiet and focused on a screen.


    "Oh, Hiro you have finally arrived."


    Sylvia said as she saw Hiro. She was the first one to qualify among her friend and the first one to see the battle between Lisanna and Zero.


    She had seen them fight for more than twenty minutes and was astonished at their strength especially Zero who was her ssmate.


    She felt envious of Zero''s progress.


    Even Hiro''s power didn''t make her feel so ipetent. Zero was in a ss of his own.


    Lisanna as expected was swift and strike at Zero vital areas. However, Zero''s defense was no joke as he could withstand her attacks without any damage.


    They were fighting at a level where one mistake could easily take their life. With no one taking an upper hand, they continued to battle each other.


    Lisa too was surprised by the level of fight that was taking ce in front of her eyes.


    She became happy to take out one second-year student and thought of herself as a talented person.


    She became stronger and stronger while training in Ace Academy and was happy with her progress.


    But looking at Zero''s strength, she felt a little frustrated. Her progress is nothingpared to Zero, from being one of the weakest students to being able to fight the strongest in just one semester.


    The same ssmate who appeared to lookzy and mocked by others was fighting one-on-one with the strongest students.


    Zion, on the other hand, could not believe what he was seeing. Another person stronger and more talented than him appeared. And he was someone who he looked down on previously.


    "What are you all watching so intently?"


    Hiro asked in surprise. They were too engrossed in watching the fight that Hiro had toe really close to get their attention.


    "Senior student Lisanna is fighting and she seems to be having difficulties ending the battle."


    "Mrs. Lisanna? Having trouble with another student? Who is her opponent?"


    Even though he didn''t care about ranks, he knows that Lisanna, the first ranker in Ace Academy is the strongest student present. There was no one who could give her any trouble.


    He could have a shot at winning if he used System Double Power but the percentage of winning was not that great.


    At most, with System Double Power he might be able to run away.


    Hiro if he has fought with Lisanna would have known that he could do everything but run away from Lisanna. But he didn''t know about Lisanna''s specialty.


    Lisanna''s speed stat was abnormally high. It was much higher than her other stat. It might have even reached Rank-B considering the speed she was disying.


    Even with System Double Power, Hiro had zero chance of escaping from Lisanna. He might be able to fight her but running away was impossible.


    He also joined them and started to watch the battle that everyone was focused on.


    *****In The Dungeon*****


    "You have really surprised me. I didn''t expect someone to push me this far."


    Lisanna for the first time since the start of battle spoke. She who is considered the strongest was pushed into a corner.


    She learned that Zero was not someone she could easily eliminate and leaving the fight will be a good decision. But she didn''t really care about participating in the Selection and Tournament. If she can''t win this battle, then she could not win the Tournament.


    It was better for her to know who is better between her and Zero than to get in as a participant. Now that her mana was getting exhausted, she had to use her most powerful attack to end this battle.


    She paused her step and raised her sword slowly as she gathered a huge amount of mana. Lisanna stared at her opponent as she readied herself tounch her strongest attack.


    "Bring It On!"

 Chapter 82 Fight The Pretty Loli! [4]

    Chapter 82 Fight The Pretty Loli! [4]


    "Bring it on!"


    I released my mana. I didn''t n on dodging her attack. Looking at the attack it will be difficult to dodge or block her attacks.


    "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh!"


    cier Shadow sh is one of my strongest attacks. Iunched the attack in Lisanna''s direction.


    "Thousand Wind de"


    Lisanna also released her attack on me.


    -BOOOOOMMMMMM!


    *****


    "Hey, Victor, do we really have to do it? We can eliminate others. Why try to fight with Lisanna?"


    Adolf asked Victor confusedly. They were Victor''sckey and were there to help Victor get qualified. But Victor insisted on eliminating Lisanna rather than trying to find other students.


    They soon came across a ce where a huge amount of mana was being released. Looking at the capacity, it was certain that Lisanna was there.


    Soon they reached the area to find Lisanna engaged in a fight with someone.


    "Stupid! If we can eliminate Lisanna, we will gain fame like never before. We outnumber her and also she seems to be having a tough fight. As soon as she finishes her fight, we will attack her."


    Victor exined to his men. Victor said that but his real reason was that he has never liked Lisanna. It is because she was a woman and was the Top ranker of Ace Academy.


    Victor was always taught that men should always be better and stronger than women.


    Previously, he had arrogantly challenged Lisanna, only to get knocked out easily. Lisanna didn''t even give a damn about who Victor was and only epted the challenges because he was annoying.<sub></sub>


    "Dammit, how can we let women dominate us? I will let her know my power."


    Victor and hisckeys hid behind the trees that were near the area of Zero and Lisanna''s fight.


    They were waiting for the moment when their fights end.


    *****


    -BOOOOOOMMMMMM!


    The two attacks collided with each other creating a huge explosion. The impact was so strong that the geographical area was changing due to it.


    The impact was felt by anyone within a radius of 500 meters. Zero used his Ice armor to withstand the explosion while Lisanna could only use her mana barrier to offset the impact of the explosion.


    -BOOOOOOOM!


    The collision continued for more than a few seconds and Zero stood in his position and continued staring at the power of their attack''s collision.


    -WHOOSH!


    Suddenly, Zero felt he was being sucked and teleported away. He found himself out of the dungeon.


    ( Huh? Did I get eliminated? No, that is impossible. I clearly remembered that I withstood the explosion. )


    "Congrattions, three students eliminated. You are the 87th student to qualify for the Selection."


    ( Huh? How? )


    Zero stood still, confused at the announcement. He didn''t remember fighting anyone else. How did he end uppleting the task?<sub>


    </sub>


    "Dammit, how did we get eliminated"


    A voice got him out of his thoughts. It was Victor and his friends.


    They were waiting for their chance when an explosion suddenly hit them and they ended up being vaporized.


    "Sir, we seemed to be caught up in their st."


    Adolf replied remembering and analyzing what he sawst. They were suddenly caught in the collision of Zero and Lisanna''s attack. They never expected that they would be eliminated by merely being near them.


    Adolf shudders at the thought of going against Lisanna. They could not even handle her unintended attack, how can they survive if Lisanna directed her attacks at them.


    Zero silently stared at the group who were making a ruckus and understood what might have happened.


    Zero theorized that they might have been identally caught in his and Lisanna''s attack and ended up being eliminated.


    Seeing that Lisanna was not there, he concluded that thest hit was counted as his kill and only he ended up being qualified.


    Zero silently went out of that ce to the spacious Training Field outside. He didn''t want to argue or quarrel with the group that got eliminated by his idental attack.


    Zero went out while the group was still busy shouting and cursing at each other.


    *****In the Dungeon*****


    -BOOOOM!


    The explosion subsided slowly andpletely went out after a moment. Lisanna was able to survive the explosion though she suffered multiple injuries.


    She looked around to check for Zero, only to find that there was no one around.<sub> </sub>


    Lisanna remained cautious and looked around. She didn''t find anyone and it was unlikely that Zero hid somewhere as the ce has turned into wastnd from their power.


    Lisanna looked around for a few minutes before confirming that Zero was no longer there.


    She thought of two possible answers. One was Zero could not block that attack and have been eliminated and the second one is that he escaped while she was defending herself from the explosion.


    -SWISH!


    She didn''t remain standing there and quickly dashed away in search of other students. While she may have been focused on fighting Zero, it didn''t mean she forgot her objective.


    She encountered two students in the first year.


    At first, she remained cautious as she reminded herself of Zero power. She could not underestimate the power of first-year students.


    However, unlike her expectation, she didn''t receive any strong resistance from them, and was easily eliminated by her.


    She went and proceeded to eliminate another student and got ready to be teleported.


    When she eliminated her second target, she knew Zero survived as she had not been teleported back after eliminating three-person if she included Zero.


    She could only wait for a chance to once again fight with Zero and see who is stronger. Thest fight was unsatisfactory for her.


    -WHOOSH!


    *****On The Training Field*****


    Zero exited the room and entered the Training Field where most students were gathered.


    The moment that I entered the room, students all turned and looked in my direction.


    Students and Professors both alike looked at me with different kinds of expressions.


    They watched the battle until the two attacks collided with each other.


    They only saw Lisanna there and concluded that Zero might have been defeated in that exchange.


    Some thought it was a pity to be eliminated. While they thought that Zero got eliminated, they saw his power. He could be easily considered one of the strongest students in Ace Academy.


    It would truly be a loss for the school if Zero didn''t get to participate in the Tournament of Academies.


    While some thought it was a pity, others who were qualified for the selection were relieved. If Zero got eliminated then they did not have to worry about encountering him in the uing selection.


    Even the most arrogant student thought so. While they were arrogant, it didn''t mean they were stupid. Even the stupidest kid can clearly see that fighting with Zero is bad news. They became a little happy to know that Zero got eliminated.


    Among the happy ones, Professor William was the one who was the happiest. While he was terrified looking at the power disyed by Zero, he became happy after knowing that Zero would not have a chance to show off the power as he got eliminated.


    When Zero entered the Training Field, they didn''t know what to say to him. Some admired his power while some wanted to console him but after being reminded of the power Zero disyed, they could not arbitrarily say something to him.


    What if they unintendedly made enemies with him? They became scared at the thought of that.


    His ssmate who used to harrass him became terrified the moment they realized who they were messing with. Luckily, Zero ignored their provocation and didn''t fight them.


    If not they could only me themselves for trying to fight with Zero.


    ( Huh? What is wrong with these guys? Did they turn dumb? )


    I don''t know what happened to them but the students were looking at me like an idiot. I didn''t know what to do since everyone was staring at me.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Amidst the quiet atmosphere, Professor Mia slowly approached me.


    She stopped and looked at me for a minute before asking.


    "Did you get eliminated or passed the contest?"


    Professor Mia was confused at Zero suddenly getting teleported. She for one knows that Zero would not get eliminated due to that st.


    While the st was certainly powerful, she thought it was not enough to get Zero eliminated. While it sounds strange, Professor Mia thought that Zero might have been qualified and got teleported.


    "Yes, I got qualified. Is there something wrong?"


    Zero answered. He asked the question because the atmosphere in that ce felt strange as well as Professor Mia asking that question. He didn''t know why Professor Mia sounded a little worried.


    "Congrattions! "


    Professor Mia said while smiling. She believed that Zero got qualified but was not sure since it was pretty strange for Zero to get selected while he was fighting and had not eliminated any students.


    Other students looked at the two of them. Some were jealous while others thought that the rumors of Professor Mia dating Zero were true.


    In the eyes of boys, Zero right now was at the pinnacle of life. Getting the attention of the most beautiful woman and being able to talk to her. They could not help but get jealous.


    If it was before, they would have criticized and insulted Zero for dating Professor Mia. But seeing the performance shown by Zero, they thought that if he was not qualified then who was? Zero was merely the first year and had plenty of time to grow.


    It might not be long before he reaches the same rank as Professor Mia. Rather than a mismatched couple that they thought previously due to the huge difference in talent between Professor Mia and Zero, they thought they were perfectly suited to each other since Zero was equally or more talented than Professor Mia.


    The people present there continued staring at them. In their eyes, Professor Mia was right now flirting with Zero.


    Even the previous pity that they felt due to their assumption of Zero being eliminated was all gone. Right now what they all felt was the burning jealousy in their heart.

 Chapter 83 Beginning Of The Selection

    Chapter 83 Beginning Of The Selection


    Amidst all the jealousy and re, Zero went with Professor Mia and watched the ongoing contest.


    The student wanted toin and make trouble for Zero but nobody dared to.


    "Zero, I will make him pay."


    Professor William said as he clenched his hand. Professor William''s hatred towards Zero was increasing.


    Professor William in a million years didn''t think that his love rival would be a student who had no background at all.


    Although Professor William was not dating Professor Mia, he was having a feeling of hatred like his wife had been snatched from him by another man.


    With Professor William''s narrow-mindedness, even when he was rejected several times by Professor Mia, he already considered Professor Mia as his.


    Without knowing about Professor William''s feelings, Zero continued to stay with Professor Mia to watch the contest.


    On the big screen was Lisanna whose clothes were tattered.


    She quickly left the area where she fought with me. Soon enough, she encountered two first-year students and quickly eliminated them.


    She went on for a few minutes before encountering another student. The student upon detecting Lisanna tried to run away but there was no way he could.


    Lisanna got qualified and was teleported back from the dungeon.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Lisanna entered the Training field, and all the attention of the students was focused on her.


    Some students quickly rushed towards her.


    "Lisanna, congrattions!"<sub></sub>


    "Mrs. Lisanna, I believed in you. Though Zero was certainly powerful, I knew you will win against him."


    "Yes, Yes! Zero showed incredible power but Mrs. Lisanna was able to win in the end. I was in awe looking at your power."


    "Lisanna, your power has increased once again. I didn''t expect your attack to blow out all the trees and change the ce into a wastnd." ¡­


    Her friends went to congratte her and other students were also there to praise her. Even while it seemed that Lisanna was equal in strength to Zero, it didn''t mean she was weak.


    They even thought that Lisanna defeating (Which they assume) Zero was proof that even while others may be talented, she could easily defeat them.


    Contrary to them belittling her for taking so much time to deal with a little first-year, the respect, and admiration that they held for her increased. The power she disyed has reminded them why she is the strongest student in Ace Academy.


    Most students, especially juniors, had no idea of how much power Lisanna wielded and only knew that she was the most powerful student in their Academy.


    But after seeing the fight of Lisanna, they were convinced of her rank. Even with a cute appearance, she was someone they needed to be wary of.


    "What? Zero lost"


    Contrary to their expectation, Lisanna asked a question confusedly. She knows that Zero was not eliminated by her and that he has escaped or that is what she thought.


    She was surprised and confused when they mentioned her defeating Zero.


    "Mrs. Lisanna, you won! Right after the st, Zero was teleported back."


    One of the students replied. They could not think of any other reason why Zero would be teleported back right after their attacks collided. The only exnation that they coulde up with is that Zero got eliminated.


    "Yes Lisanna, you have won the fight. You might not have known due to the explosion but Zero did get eliminated after that exchange."


    One of her friends reassured her.<sub>


    </sub>


    Talking about Zero, some students began to look at Zero thinking about the reason why Lisanna looked confused. While the smarter one was able to tell from the video that Lisanna had to eliminate three more students which mean that she never defeated Zero.


    Lisanna also started to look around and finally saw her opponent who seemed to be happily talking with Professor Mia. Lisanna looked at Zero before shouting.


    "HEY! Did you get eliminated?"


    Lisanna shouted and asked the question. She didn''t believe that he got eliminated after escaping from her hands.


    Zero looked at the little girl surrounded by many students. He thought for a while before answering.


    "No!"


    It was not something he can hide or needed to hide. Sooner orter it will be known, so he told her directly.


    "Good!"


    Lisanna nodded to Zero in satisfaction. She would not be able to handle it if she heard that he got eliminated right after running from their battle.


    Unknowingly, she took Zero as an opponent that she needed to defeat.


    Lisanna stared at Zero before turning around and leaving the area. The atmosphere there became noisy again.


    "What? Zero didn''t get eliminated. How is that possible?"


    "He got teleported right after that explosion. Don''t tell me he eliminated three students in that short period of time. It''s impossible."


    "Dammit, We will have to face him next if we are unlucky."


    "Getting to fight Toby or Lyon might be luckier than fighting Zero. I at least know their power." ¡­<sub> </sub>


    Students realized they had a wrong assumption about Zero being eliminated. Some students with good imaginations hade up with the answer that Zero is a second found three other students while the explosion took ce and eliminated them.


    The ones who were qualified began to worry about facing Zero next. Zero power was unknown to them. While he had shown terrifying power in a fight with Lisanna, who knows what other skill he might have.


    They thought Zero might have used some powerful or unknown skill to eliminate three students and get qualified in that split second.


    "Thank god! He is not eliminated."


    Sylvia said as she got relieved to hear Zero say he was not eliminated. Even though she thought he got eliminated.


    While she didn''t interact much with Zero, he did save her from Devil Contractor and she owed him her life. While many rumors about Zero were being brewed by others, she didn''t care and only knew he was someone who had saved her life.


    After seeing how strong Zero was, she thought it was a pity for the Academy to lose someone as strong as Zero as a participant.


    "Yeah¡­"


    Hiro answered not being able to tell whether to be happy or not. Hiro sensed that Zero was strongpared to many students right from the beginning of the school.


    He got a feeling that if he was not careful around him, he might end up getting killed. Those feelings were reinforced after Zero beat up Lucas and Rowan.


    Others might give a reason for his victory like him helping Zero to beat them. But Hiro who has faced Lucas and Rowan knows their strength the best. While he might have chipped away some of the strength of Lucas and Rowan, without adequate strength it would have been impossible to defeat them.


    He was grateful for Zero''s help even though he told him that he will handle them himself. After that incident, Hiro increased his training intensity and got promoted to the next rank quickly.


    He became a little content with his progress until he saw himself getting beaten by a Rank-C Wyvern. And there he again realized that there were students more powerful and talented than him.


    A monster that he failed to injure had his wings cut off by Zero. While it did seem he used some prohibited Art with high side effects, Hiro sensed the power behind the Zero strike.


    If the attack was aimed at him, he knew he would be dead before he knew it. While Hiro didn''t think Zero would kill him or anything, he did sense some kind of danger from him.


    He became more motivated and trained harder during summer vacation. While he spent his time with his family, he didn''t forget to train.


    He became powerful and thought he had made good progress. But upon seeing Zero and Lisanna fight, Hiro thought he still had a long way to go.


    It was not only Zero''s power that Hiro thought was great about Zero fighting. Hiro felt that every strike that Zero made was precise and deadly. Zero showed an extremely high level of fighting experience despite being the same age as him.


    Hiro felt something that he had not felt in a long time, Envy, envy of others'' talent. He had system help and even The Authority would provide some resources for him but he got left behind by someone.


    While he didn''t think he was the strongest, he thought that with System''s help he would be able to grow the fastest. Only now did he feel the feeling of being left behind.


    But Hiro didn''t despair or hate Zero for his talent because he knows behind a talent is countless hours of practice and harsh training. He was more motivated to work harder. He stared at the boy for whom he felt admiration at the moment.


    "..."


    Zion didn''t evenment. He just started hating himself a little. It happened to him from time to time when he met stronger people, more talented people. He at those times would feel his weakness, his ipetence, and how inferior he is to those people.


    He just got dragged into a world of self-pitying. He pitied himself for how weak he was. The aplishment that he made felt like a joke in front of talents like Hiro and Zero.


    "I didn''t expect him to be equal to Lisanna."


    Lisa said. Lisa''s feelings wereplicated as Zero was someone who used to chase her before. She didn''t know which Zero was real. One was flirty and funny while the other was powerful and extremely serious.


    She stared at the boy who was difficult to understand. Seeing him and Professor Miaugh, she concluded he was still the same old flirty student who could not stop flirting with girls.


    Though it didn''t give her a pleasant feeling to see the guy who used to chase after her go to another woman. It was like her feelings were yed by Zero.


    After a few minutes, thest student got qualified.


    The boy to get qualified looked really relieved and happy like he was able to aplish a major feat in his life.


    But it was still not time to be happy, the second round was still there.


    Professor gathered the students who were qualified for the selection.


    "Congrattions to all the students who got through the first test. Now, to select the 20 participants from 100 of you, we are going to hold a knockout tournament tomorrow."


    The professor went on to exin the rules and how one should go easy on their fellow students.


    Basically, the rule for the selection is that the 100 students will be grouped into 10 groups and they will fight with each other.


    The Top-2 students will be selected as participants. That means that as long as you are lucky enough, you can get selected. If the group that will be generated includes only Rank-E, then the chance of winning will go up.


    But there might even be a chance of all strong students being concentrated in one group. For example, getting into a group that consists of Lisanna, Ren Dreyar, Hiro, Toby, and Lyon could be bad.


    Even Hiro could not guarantee that he could be selected as a participant with those guys as his opponent.


    But judging by the interest of the Academy, there was no way the second assumption coulde true. I mean if the academy wants to win in the Tournament of Academies, it will need the help of the strongest students.


    There is no way they could make it apetition where only two of their best students get selected and the rest of the strong students are eliminated. I think that the students will be grouped ording to their strengths.


    Students with the highest power will be grouped separately so that they do not encounter each other.


    As the professor announced the group and its members, I knew my assumption was correct.


    All the top rankers of third years were separated and no group was filled with all-powerful people.


    For example, in the Hiro group, he was the strongest and the next strongest was one of the Top-10 third years. Other than them, no one was particrly strong as others were just in Rank-E +.


    "In group 5 will be Dexter, Brett, Lyon¡­ and Zero."


    I was ced in group 5. In my group, the only one that I need to be a little wary of was Lyon, the second ranker of Third Year.


    After finishing the announcement of groups, we were allowed to go to our room and rest.


    ''Tomorrow is when the battle truly begins''

 Chapter 84 Beginning Of The Selection [2]

    Chapter 84 Beginning Of The Selection [2]


    The selection for the tournament was to be held at the Ace Academy stadium which was equal to a football stadium.


    The academy was really rich to be able to afford a stadium such as this privately.


    The audience was seated in the upper part of the stadium while the participants had their seats near the stage.


    The fight today will be up to group 3. Though I was not going to fight today, the seat near the stage was given to us as a privilege.


    Privilege as a participant to watch the fight more closely. The fight could be counted as a learning experience, especially fights of Lisanna and other top students.


    I sat in a ce that was near the edge. The students near me started to be vignt and started paying attention to me.


    Yesterday''s battle was enough for students to know that Zero is one of the strongest students present there.


    They thought Zero was worth making friends with but they didn''t know how to approach him.


    They didn''t have enough knowledge about Zero to approach him. Without enough knowledge, you might end up enraging and making an enemy out of Zero instead of bing friends.


    They needed to know about Zero''s personality before approaching him. Though they have heard about him before, like him being flirtatious and cowardly but who would believe that after seeing yesterday''s fight.


    Lisanna was also seated quite near Zero, and the moment he came, she had begun to stare at him.


    She wanted to fight with Zero again to determine who was stronger.


    Though luck didn''t favor her and she was ced in a different group, she believed that she would get her chance to fight him again in the future.


    The boy with the long hair sitting next to Lisanna frowned as he noticed how Lisanna had paid extra attention to Zero. <sub></sub>


    He had considered Lisanna to be a rival since he was the next strongest student after Lisanna. He tried to beat Lisanna many times but he could not seed.


    He could not even get the attention of Lisanna as she deemed him too weak to make use of her full strength. Though who could make Lisanna release her full strength as she was Rank-C and they were in Rank-D+.


    Not to mention, Lisanna wielded an extremely high-level Art and has got good skills.


    So Lisanna paying attention to Zero made him jealous. He saw the fight between Lisanna and Zero but he didn''t think that he could not beat Zero.


    It was all aboutpatibility. Lisanna''s specialty is speed, so it is difficult for her to fight with people having tough defense.


    Zero ice armor was able to counter Lisanna''s speed but he thought he was different. His main stat was strength and he believed he could easily break Zero''s ice armor.


    His anger appeared but vanished in a second. He still kept a straight face, though the coldness in his eyes deepened as he stared at Zero.


    He was in the same group as Zero and was eager to beat Zero and earn Lisanna''s attention.


    Amid students'' and professors'' discussions and avid anticipation, the selection match of the first group began!


    The first group fight was between, if I am to be honest, weak. The strongest person present was one of the Rank-D -, third year.


    Other than her, another student that I know was also in the group. Misha was also in that group. Though she was not strongpared to many participants, I can say that she is pretty lucky.


    While she might not have a chance in other groups, she had a pretty decent chance ofing second in her current group.


    "Hello, Everyone. The first match for selecting the participant for the 23rd Tournament of Academies begins, now!!"<sub>


    </sub>


    With it, the first match began. When the word ''begins'' was said, everyone started to cheer for the participants.


    The first match was between the third-year student who is called Ray Chang and the only one in Rank-D - in that group and the first-year student who was in Rank-E.


    As expected the first-year student lost miserably. The first-year could not do anything while Ray Chang swiftly approached him and threw him off the stage.


    Soon the other match proceeded. The longest match was about 20 minutes between Rank-E''s second year. Due to them being familiar with each other and having equal strength, the match took longer.


    Otherwise, most matches ended in under 10 minutes. Like that, the first round of the match wasplete.


    The match continued and with the weak being eliminated, students began to see matches of high caliber in the second round. Though from my perspective, the high-caliber fight was nothing more than a childish fight.


    Their strength was notparable to mine and even their execution of technique was simple and easy to predict. I felt that even the strongest present in that group would notst more than three moves from me.


    But it was entertaining to watch the fight and to predict what they would do. It was good to know about different kinds of Art that were being shown by the students.


    Just like that, the final match of the first group began. As I have expected, It was between Misha and Ray Chang.


    The match continued longer than I expected and Misha surprised me with her strength. Even with a major gap in rank, Misha was able to deflect the attacks of a Rank-D - person.


    ( Her strength stat is also high. )


    I don''t know but guess it is in their family genes. Eleonore also had that ridiculous strength and even Misha is showing signs of having high strength stat.


    The fight continued for a while before Ray Chang used his fierce attacks to knock out Misha.<sub> </sub>


    Misha''s strength was on par with him but her other stat fell below him and she was not able to keep up with him.


    But it was a nice fight. To be able to make Rank-D - use his full power in order to win showed how powerful Misha was.


    I guess other students have also grown strongerpared to when they had enrolled in the Ace Academy.


    There was a 30 minutes break for Misha before she had to fight with the opponent that Ray Chang had previously fought.


    It was to determine which one of them was stronger.


    The other student was a second-year student who is also at Rank-E +.


    The battle began and Misha overwhelmed the second-year student with her strength.


    While in the same rank, Misha''s strength was obviously higher than him.


    The second-year student was not able to defend himself from the powerful strike of Misha and eventually went off the stage.


    "Ray Chang of the third year and Misha kanon of the first year will be participating from group one."


    -CHEERS! -CLAP! -CLAP! -CHEERS!


    The judge announced the result of group one. The audience pped and cheered for the two students who are going to represent the Ace Academy.


    While Zero thought they were weakpared to uing participants but for other students who could not even qualify to enter the match, those two were very talented.


    Being in the Top-20 in the strongest Academy can be considered as being very very talented, not to mention Misha who is just a first-year.


    "With this, we will begin the second round. Contestants, pleasee on the stage."


    The match for the second began. The most interesting participant in the second round was definitely Lisa Kyelpas and Sylvia Mavis.


    Between the two, Lisa was stronger when they had first entered the Ace Academy. But I can not tell who will win this time because both their power levels are simr.


    Those two''s fight was worth watching but before that, they had to win against one of the third-year Top-10 rankers. Her name is Velma Lowe.


    The first match was between Lisa and Velma Lowe. Lisa definitely drew the lower end of the stick to be fighting with Velma in the first round.


    Both fighters entered the stage.


    Lisa and a young girl sitting next to Lisanna stood up. Velma kept a straight face, exuding confidence.


    It never crossed her mind that she wouldn''t be able to pass the first round.


    She did not worry. Given her strength, passing was a sure thing; the Tournament of Academies was the main challenge.


    "Be careful. I heard many rumors about Lisa Kyelpas, she is powerful. Don''t underestimate her."


    One of her friends sitting next to her warned. Lisa though was not as popr as Hiro but Lisa, with her beauty and strength, made it into the conversation of third-year students.


    And seeing yesterday''s fight of Zero, her friend became wary of the strength of her juniors which seemed to exceed theirs.


    "Sure!"


    Velma nodded to her friend but she didn''t actually take her warning seriously. She was in Rank-D - while her opponent was merely in Rank-E+.


    The audience watched as the two fighters entered the stage.


    "First match of the second group will begin now!!"


    Sylvia had her eyes wide open and watched those two attentively. She had to fight one of them in one of her uing fights.


    She was feeling nervous as she knows the power of Lisa and was not sure whether she can win against her.


    Velma was also powerful with her rank being higher than her.


    "So, you are Lisa Kyelpas?"


    Velma spoke before initiating a fight.


    "Yes!"


    Lisa said solemnly without showing much emotion. While she always showed her smile while being with her friends, she would be void of emotion when fighting.


    "Hmph! I will give you a chance to walk away without getting hurt. I don''t want to face the trouble of your family going after me just because I have hurt you."


    Velma said. She didn''t like people who would have powerful backgrounds like Lisa.


    They would always rely on their background and when they lose, they will have their family interfere.


    "No need! Let''s get started!"

 Chapter 85 Lisa Vs Velma

    Chapter 85 Lisa Vs Velma


    "Mrs. Lisa, you can do it."


    "Lisa makes sure to teach her a lesson."


    "Velma shows them the power of Third-year students."


    "Velma is in the Top-10. How can she lose to a first-year student? I hope you juniors keep your hope to yourself."...


    Both sides started to support and cheer for their respective friend and argued with the other parties.


    They were mostly girls as the boy was busy staring at the two girls that entered the stage.


    Lisa instantly mesmerized many boys with her pretty face. Rather than shouting and making their mood sour, the boys were busy admiring Lisa''s beauty.


    ( Those Perverts! )


    I thought to myself as I noticed many boys paying more attention to Lisa than the battle itself.


    Well, I was also looking attentively at her but for research purposes. I swear that it is only for research purposes.


    "No need! Let''s Fight!"


    Lisa signaled the start of their battle as she took out her staff from her storage ring.


    Lisa was the one who started to make her move first. She raised her staff and started gathering mana.


    Actually, it would be my first time seeing her use an offensive move. Previously at the Mid-term exam, she only use support skills which were more useful at that time as she could buff many students at the same time.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Eight yellow balls appeared from Lisa''s staff. One after another, the balls made their way toward Velma.


    Velma was a fighter and relied on her physical power. She enchanted her body and made her way toward Lisa.


    As for the attack that Lisa just released, she didn''t care as it was nothing to her.


    -BZZZZ! -BZZZZ!<sub></sub>


    Unlike the st that was expected from Lisa''s attacks, unexpectedly it just disappeared after making contact with Velma''s body.


    "Hmph! Looks like the top students of First-year are just so-so."


    Velma mocked Lisa''s attacks which apparently didn''t do a thing to her. She charged ahead and Lisa was only a few meters from her.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Lisa didn''t panic and continued to use her earlier skill.


    As I watched the battle unfold, I realized Velma would lose.


    Why?


    Because I know the effect of the skill that Lisa just used. ''sma Discharge'', was no offensive move, it was a debuff skill.


    The one who gets hit by sma Discharge will slowly start to be numb. The more opponent gets hit by it, the more quickly would the effect bes stronger.


    At the final stage of getting hit by sma Discharge, the person is not able to feel their own limb.


    It was the skill that is learned when the lightning magic of Lisa reached proficient proficiency.


    It was one of her many skills that she would use constantly. It is not because it was ultra strong or anything but because the effect of that skill would leave many people defeated.


    "Hmph!"


    Velma didn''t know the effect of that skill and continued to underestimate her opponent. As a fighter, she just needs to be in close proximity to a Mage to overwhelm them.


    [ "Complete Body Art: Heavy Strike" ]


    With running momentum, the force of Art increased and struck Lisa.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    A golden shield appeared in front of Lisa and took the brunt of the attack.<sub>


    </sub>


    -BOOOOOM!


    The shield was tattered but still managed to withstand Velma''s attack. Velma didn''t pause her attack there and continued to strike.


    To defeat mage, one should not give them the chance to use their skill.


    [ "Complete Body Art: Pulverization" ]


    -CRACK!


    Unable to resist the attack, the shield broke down into many pieces.


    "Got you!"


    Velma happily eximed. However, Lisa''s face was calm, void of any emotion. It didn''t seem like Velma being able to break her shield would in any way affect her.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    -ZAAPPP!


    In an instant, Lisa was tens of meters away from Velma. Her movement speed was akin to teleportation.


    "Huh?"


    Velma found herself dumbfounded as all her hard work was wasted in an instant. She continued to attack fiercely in hope of ending the battle quickly.


    The moment the shield broke, she thought that victory was in her pocket. But contrary to what she believed, Lisa has already escaped from her grasp.


    Lisa''s speed has surpassed Lisanna''s speed but unlike Lisanna''s Art which she used continuously to maintain her top speed, Lisa''s speed was only for a moment.


    Though that one moment was able to secure Lisa enough space to attack.


    [ "Lightning Strike" ]


    Lisa used an attack spell for the first time. A bolt of lightning which appeared to be in the shape of a snake appeared and at high speed struck Velma.<sub> </sub>


    Velma was not quite fast enough to react to that attack.


    -PANNNG!


    The attack was a direct hit to the chest but Velma was a fighter and her body was very strong. Though she did get hurt, it was not enough to knock her out.


    Lisa didn''t seem surprised by her opponent not getting eliminated by her attack. Unlike Velma, Lisa didn''t underestimate Velma who is in the Top-10.


    She already expected her opponent to be able to withstand every attack she threw as there was a difference in rank.


    But it didn''t mean she didn''t have any strategy to win. ''sma Discharge'' may not seem powerful and useful but any opponent that gets hit by these attacks will at some time be affected by it.


    She has already hit Velma 16 times with her sma Discharge. Though it may not be noticeable to many, Lisa noticed a dy in Velma''s reaction which led to Lightning Strike hitting her.


    Lisa only had to debuff Velma enough to be able to knock her out.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Lisa continued to use her debuff skill which was entirely ignored by Velma. Velma thought those tiny sparkly balls were some kind of spell for distraction.


    The battle continued with Lisa shooting off Pulse Discharge and defending against Velma''s attack.


    As the battle dragged on, Velma''s speed and strength began to dwindle and she could not properly use her hands.


    ( Huh? What is going on? )


    Velma thought as she also noticed something was off about her body.


    Her body was bing numb and at times her body would not do what she wanted. Her speed including herputational thinking speed seemed to decrease.


    ( Is it those tiny balls? )


    Velma finally thought about the cause of her decrease in power. Lisa used those things despite not doing anything to her.


    So, it was not strange for her to reason out that sma Discharge was the cause of her slowing down.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    "You fricking conspirator!"


    Velma could not help but yell at Lisa who seemed to have made a fool out of her. She became angry at the thought of dancing in the hand of her junior who was less experienced than her.


    Velma dodge those balls which were thrown at her. She knew she didn''t have time to waste as she was feeling her body bing more numb as time went on.


    ( Oh! She finally noticed. But it is already toote. )


    Seeing Velma dodge her sma Discharge, Lisa guessed that Velma was able to know the cause of her debuff but it was already toote for Velma.


    Velma had already been debuffed to the point that her stat would be onlyparable to Rank-E right now.


    The speed and the strength that Velma disyed at the start have already disappeared from her.


    The only thing Lisa had to do was to finish off her opponent.


    [ "Thunder Baptism" ]


    Velma at the time was approaching Lisa when a ck cloud appeared in the sky covering at least half of the stage.


    -THUNDERCLAP!


    From the ck cloud, Countless lightning strikes rained down. Every lightning was locked at Velma.


    "Screw yo¡­"


    -BANGG! -BOOM!


    Velma''s speed was not fast enough to dodge those lightning strikes. She could only hope that her body can withstand the attack.


    The lightning strike continued until Lisa became a little exhausted and canceled the skill.


    The audience became quiet and looked at the scene that was unfolding in front of them.


    The fight between Lisa and Velma had be the best fight in the selection.


    The fight took a long time but the fight was worth watching. Every single move made by the fighter was witnessed and analyzed by the students.


    Some smart students showed their analysis skills by exining what was going on and why they used such skills.


    The student became quiet after seeing the horrifying thunder. This was the climax of the battle.


    Lisa had no more mana to continue the battle if Velma survived that horrifying attack.


    Students curiously looked at the ce that was currently full of dust.


    The dust soon settled and the winner will be decided based on the condition of Velma.


    -WHOOOAAA!


    Soon the sound of cheers and excitement filled the stadium.


    Velma was lying on the ground without moving a muscle.


    "I can''t believe a first-year was able to win against Velma."


    "Dammit, Velma has been eliminated."


    "Looks like Zero and Hiro are not the only ones we need to look out for."


    "First-year students are all monsters. Can''t believe a first-year student to show that kind of caliber in the fight." ¡­


    Lisa marked herself as a talent after that battle. At first, students were just excited to see a pretty girl on the stage but that changed when Lisa showed her power.


    Lisa who is in the Top-3 of First-year showed them why she deserved her rank. She was not some pretty girl who just excelled in support skills and studies.


    Though she was not able to get the attention of everyone. Specifically, Lisanna who was much more interested in Zero at the moment.


    Lisanna could not care much about Lisa when she was looking at the prey hundreds of times better than her.

 Chapter 86 Lisa Vs Sylvia

    Chapter 86 Lisa Vs Sylvia


    The first biggest upset of the selection had happened. Top-10 ranker who is expected to definitely qualify as a participant has just been knocked out in the first round of the second group.


    Nobody has seen thising. Lisa was talented but Velma was also a talented student in her third year.


    Velma was getting carried in a stretcher. Despite her kindness, Lisa didn''t show mercy to her opponent.


    And Velma was powerful and she had to give her all or risk losing. But Velma had be weaker and at her weakest point, Lisa used her powerful attack which she could not take.


    Amid all the excitement, disappointment, and astonishment, the second round has already begun.


    The match continued but nothing of that caliber had been shown. Only Sylvia was left that could give Lisa a run for her money.


    Sylvia has also equally attracted the boy''s attention. The cheers for Sylvia were so strong that I began to feel sorry for her opponent.


    He was treated as air and nobody was paying attention to him at all.


    Her opponent was a fellow first-year who seemed to be in just Rank-E.


    He was nervous about facing Sylvia as expected. Sylvia was like Velma to third-year students.


    Rather than fearing Lisanna and other top-10 students of third-year, first-year students were more scared of facing Sylvia and Lisa because they know their power.


    While they might have heard that Top-10 third years are powerful, they didn''t know how powerful they were.


    But they had certainly seen the power of Sylvia and Lisa who could defeat Rank-D - the Boss monster.


    The opponent knew how Sylvia fights and tried to close the distance immediately after the match started.


    Sylvia easily took care of her enemy without giving him the chance to close the distance between them.


    The match continued with Lisa dominating on one side and Sylvia on another until they were to face each other.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, Now for the fight that many of us have been waiting for. Two of the most dazzling, beautiful, and talented students in Ace Academy are going to face each other in this fight."<sub></sub>


    The host voice resounded in the stadium. The host seemed even more pumped up than usual.


    Simr was the case for the crowds who cheered loudly. Whether it be the excitement to watch two beauty fights or be it the fight between two of the most talented students in the Ace Academy, they were undoubtedly thrilled to watch the uing fight.


    Lisa was able to showcase her strength which made many students believe that she will easily win against Sylvia.


    Sylvia didn''t particrly meet any tough opponents and had quickly finished off all her previous opponents.


    This led to many believing that the Sylvia limit was just that. Lisa had previously exhibited the power that was simr to Rank-D - while Sylvia was only showing Rank-E+ power.


    Both fighters made their way to the stage. A battle between a Mage and an Archer, both of who are long-range attackers.


    ( Did something like this happen in the novel? )


    I thought to myself. If I remember correctly, Lisa and Sylvia would not be in the same group.


    But I could care less about that now. I had long since stopped relying on the novel to tell what will happen.


    It might have been more useful if I was Hiro as most of the thing in the novel is about him.


    I stared at Lisa and Sylvia standing on the stage. It was a good opportunity to learn about how powerful MCrades were.


    Lisa has already shown the power that has exceeded my expectations. The MC and his friend seem to be growing at a fast pace that seems to be higher than what is written in the novel.


    But like I said, MC and his growing stronger is good news for me and the world.


    "Today, our position will change. I will defeat you."


    Sylvia said to Lisa like a rival. Though she was not bitter about losing to Lisa, it didn''t mean she liked it.


    As a student, friend, and girl who is above her in rank, Sylvia considered Lisa her rival more than Zion and Hiro.<sub>


    </sub>


    She had lost in the Entrance exam and also in Mid-term but it didn''t mean she will keep on losing.


    "..."


    Lisa didn''t react to Sylvia''s provocation. She was already in her battle mode and she didn''t concentrate on anything other than beating her opponent.


    "You are seriously not cute when fighting."


    Sylvia said in a friendly manner. Even when Sylvia was her friend, Lisa seemed to give the same attention as she gave to others.


    Both of them took out their weapons and took their battle position.


    "The final match of the second group will now begin!"


    Sylvia aimed her bow at Lisa and immediately fired her arrows.


    -SHUSSHHHH!


    Her arrow flew out at lightning speed. Lisa raised her staff and quickly deployed her skill.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    Lisa''s shield blocked all her arrows.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Lisa used the skill that made Velma lose. But unlike Velma, Sylvia didn''t underestimate Lisa and she had already seen what Lisa''s skill does.


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    Rather than trying to dodge, Sylvia shot down the balls.<sub> </sub>


    [ "Phoenix me Shot" ]


    Sylvia used her skill to break Lisa''s shield. But the shield didn''t break. It was easily able to withstand her attacks.


    Facing each other, neither side had even the tiniest panic on their face. They had been friends as well as practice partners.


    Both sides knew that the fight was not going to be easy and that they needed to exert all their power in order to secure the win.


    They concealed their openings while searching for their opponent''s openings.


    Sylvia continued firing a barrage of arrows while Lisa maintained her shield and used her skill whenever she had a chance.


    The crowd continued to cheer and apud. Their respective fan club members had started to shout.


    "Goddess Lisa, you can do it."


    "Sylvia-chan, you are doing great. Beat her down."


    "Mrs. Lisa, show us your true power." ¡­


    The fight was equally bing more and more fierce as it continued.


    The fight continued and slowly Sylvia was getting hurt bit by bit.


    While Lisa has her shield protecting her from every attack, Sylvia relied on dodging and canceling out Lisa''s attack with her arrows.


    But some attacks had managed to escape from her arrows and hit her.


    "Looks like I can''t hold back anymore."


    Sylvia''s strategy was simple at the beginning. It was to exhaust Lisa''s mana and knock her out after that.


    Lisa would always rely on her shield for protection. It would constantly eat her mana.


    But Sylvia was getting hurt and Lisa showed no sign of her mana being exhausted. Even when Lisa deployed her shield, it seemed hard to exhaust her mana as she has a ridiculously high mana stat.


    Sylvia gathered a huge amount of mana and channeled it into her bow.


    [ "Moonlight Radiant Arrows" ]


    Sylvia used the strongest attack that she could muster in her current state.


    -WHOOSSSHHH!


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess Protection" ]


    Lisa still relied on her shield to stop the Sylvia attack.


    -CRACK!


    Sylvia''s attack was more powerful than what her shield can handle and a crack soon appeared on her shield.


    -CLANNNKKK!


    And finally, Sylvia managed to break her shield. Sylvia smiled as it seemed that her victory was in her hand.


    However, Lisa didn''t show any sign of nervousness and was even smiling a little while looking at the attack.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    Lisa immediately used her skill to dodge the attack or so many of the audience thought but unexpectedly Lisa appeared in front of Sylvia.


    "Huh?"


    Sylvia was surprised by Lisa''s action. Though she understands using Violet sh to escape her attack but toe closer was not a good choice.


    While Sylvia was an archer and her opponent getting closer was dangerous to her but only when her opponent was a close ranger fighter.


    Lisa was a mage and her closing distance didn''t make sense. It would not give any advantage to Lisa.


    Therefore, Sylvia didn''t panic and just focused on attacking Lisa again.


    ( Since you want to do it, then let''s do it. )


    Sylvia thought that Lisa wanted to finish this match. She didn''t understand what Lisa wanted to do but knew Lisa was going for the kill.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    Unexpectedly Lisa used her skill consecutively. It could put an extra burden on your body if you are not strong enough.


    It was not an Art that is used consecutively and heavy side-effects would be felt by Lisa.


    But Lisa was determined to finish the match with her next move.


    Catching Sylvia off guard, she used another skill.


    [ "Bolting Torpedo" ]


    Unexpectedly the Art was of closebat type. Lisa contrate her lightning energy on her palm and sted Sylvia.


    -BOOOOM!


    Lisa''s attack had enough power, not to mention she caught Sylvia off guard and was in very close proximity, to send Sylvia off the stage.


    No need to wait for the result as Sylvia has been thrown off the stage.


    There was silence in the stadium. It had only been a few seconds when Sylvia used an astronomical mana to fire off a strong attack.


    But instead of Sylvia winning, Lisa in a blink of an eye had sent Sylvia flying off the stage before the audience could even finish their excitement of seeing such a powerful attack by Sylvia.


    Amid the silence, the host announced the result.


    "Second group winner, Lisa Kyelpas of First-year."

 Chapter 87 The Selection Continues

    Chapter 87 The Selection Continues


    "Second group winner, Lisa Kyelpas of First-year."


    Students were all still unable to react to what just happened.


    After a few seconds, the students started to apud.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    They were still taking in the information about what just happened but they didn''t forget to show their appreciation for the amazing performance they just witnessed.


    "I didn''t expect such a high level of fight from the juniors."


    "Sylvia is also powerful. I didn''t expect her to give Lisa a hard time. Unfortunately, she lost to Lisa in the end."


    "Thest attack of Sylvia could have easily taken out someone like me. To be able to dodge and counterattack, Lisa''s battle sense is amazing." ¡­


    Lisa won as many had expected but they didn''t expect that kind of power from Sylvia whose earlier fight could be said to be average.


    On the stage, Lisa quickly rushed to help Sylvia who had been sent flying outside the ring.


    She quickly made her way to Sylvia who was lying on the ground. She extended her hand and pulled Sylvia up.


    Though Sylvia was sent out of the stage, it didn''t mean she was unconscious or took more damage than Velma.


    Sylvia was just caught off guard which led to Lisa sending her off the stage.


    "Keuk, I didn''t expect you to hide your trump card until thest minute."


    Sylvia smiled as she spoke. Though Sylvia smiled she was still bitter about having lost after just showing her trump card.


    "If I didn''t use it there, the fight would have turned unpredictable."


    Lisa said smiling. Unlike when in battle, she showed her smile andughed at Sylvia''sments.


    Lisa returned to her seat while Sylvia was ready to face her opponent immediately. She could have taken rest but she chose to fight now and restter.<sub></sub>


    She didn''t utilize all her power and she didn''t receive much damage from her earlier fight. Though 50% of her mana was empty, she believed she would win.


    Her next opponent is not very strong inparison to Velma and Lisa. He was at Rank-E+ in his second year and had lost easily to Lisa in the earlier fight.


    He slowly made his way to the stage.


    Knowing that his junior was underestimating him, he was very angry.


    He was a man of pride. Though many would see him as average due to monsters like Lisa and Lisanna, he was at the Top-10 of his year which seemed like nothing in front of the eyes of many students.


    He would normally be respected and feared but in this little contest, he was humiliated by a girl. He could not defend himself against Lisa''s attacks while his attacks were easily blocked.


    Now, Sylvia, another junior, wants to fight him right after she had fought with Lisa.


    It was a direct p in his face though Sylvia''s intention was not that. He still felt humiliated.


    ( I will show you the price of underestimating me! )


    *****


    "Winner, Sylvia of the First-year!"


    It didn''t matter whether he was angry or wanted to prove himself, the bottom line was he was weakpared to many presents in that selection.


    Even though he was one of the best in the second year, hecked experience whenpared to the third-year students and had less talent whenpared to the first-year students.


    It only took a few minutes before he was defeated by Sylvia''s arrows.


    "Lisa Kyelpas of the first year and Sylvia Mavis of the first year will be the participants from Group 2."


    With that, thest match of the 2nd Group has beenpleted.


    I was honestly surprised to see the power of Sylvia and Lisa which seemed too high. They were one of the MCs in the novel and naturally they were talented but they were less talented than Hiro. <sub>


    </sub>


    However, from the looks of it, it didn''t seem that they were less talented or had less power than Hiro. It was just that Hiro is able to rank up quickly due to his system.


    Other than that, Skill, battle sense, experience, and stat seem to be as powerful as Hiro.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CHEERS!


    There was a loud sound of pping and cheering for the two beauties who had shown them what talent looked like.


    They were beautiful and talented enough to be one of the Top-20 strongest students in Ace Academy. Not to mention that they were just in their first year.


    "Now, let us wee the contestants for Group 3."


    The match continued.


    It was an anti-climactic match. As many have guessed, the winner of the 3rd Group was two third-years.


    There were some talented first-years as well as second-years who were powerful but they could not win against them like Lisa.


    After Velma lost, the third-years did not underestimate the juniors and fought hard from the beginning.


    This led to the fights bing shorter as the third years would easily knock out the first and second-year students.


    This was all the match for today, and we all returned to our dorms.


    Tomorrow was the day that I would be fighting. But I was not worried at all.


    I had seen the capability of most students and calcted that there was not a single student in the Ace Academy that could make me lose.


    Lisanna had the highest chance of winning against me. Out of 10 matches, I believe I would at least win 6 or 7 times if I use my Dual Art.


    The chance decreases significantly if I don''t use that. Still, I had a good chance to win even without Dual Art.


    I went to bed early. <sub> </sub>


    Even if it was to be an easy battle tomorrow, I could not go easy on them.


    As shown by Velma who had lost just because she had underestimated Lisa.


    *****


    The next day, my seat was the same as yesterday and I watched the match as I waited for my turn.


    "Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Yesterday, we were able to witness many brilliant performances from our students. Today, let us hope that we will see equally exciting matches."


    Hyping the audience and livening up the atmosphere in the morning was the energetic host.


    "Fourth Group, please make your way to the stage."


    One student from the third year dominated one bracket while Ren Dreyar, the top student from the second year, dominated the other.


    Ren Dreyar was even able to beat the third-year student he encountered without breaking a sweat.


    Finally, the two met on the stage.


    "Hmph! I have heard of the second-year student who is said to be capable of fighting in the Third-year Top-10. I did not expect to fight you in this selection."


    Ren Dreyar was a very popr student. Though less popr than Lisanna,pared to other Top-10 third-year students, Ren Dreyar was more popr.


    This led to the Third-year having feelings of resentment towards Ren Dreyar. How can a third-year student lose to a second-year student? That was the question that they wanted to ask the other students but seeing that Velma lost yesterday, it would be useless to ask that.


    It was also because of his pretty face that Ren Dreyar earned hatred from other boys.


    I mean listen to the audience.


    "Ren Dreyar, I LOVE YOU!!!"


    "Smash that Gori into pieces. Don''t you dare hurt my prince charming."


    "Kyaaaa! I can finally witness Ren Dreyar''s brilliant moves again."


    "You are the most handsome."...


    The girls were going crazy whenever Ren Dreyar came on the stage. This seems more like an idol performing on the stage than a battle.


    Who would not feel hostility after hearing all those gibberish praises towards Ren Dreyar?


    "It is an honor for me to get a chance to fight with you. I will do my best to not disappoint others'' expectations of me."


    Ren Dreyar''s voice was respectful. Unlike fame and talent, Ren Dreyar showed extremely respectful behavior towards his opponent.


    It was kind of rare as many talented people would be arrogant and narrow-minded but Ren Dreyar was not like that.


    This behavior further added to his charm. An elegant man with good manners is what a true noble should be or so the girls thought.


    The fourth group final match began!


    *****


    After a few minutes, the Third-year was lying on the ground unconscious while Ren Dreyar was heavily panting on the stage.


    The fight was between two equally powerful men. Ren Dreyar showed the power that was on par with the Third-year.


    It was a long fight and either of them could have won the fight but luck was on Ren Dreyar''s side as hisst hit was able to seal the victory.


    The Third year was healed and made to fight with 3rd ce to determine who would qualify and as everyone has already predicted, the Third year won.


    Finally, it was our group''s turn.


    "Let us begin the match between the 5th Group students. Contestant, pleasee forward."


    The match draw was decided, and I was to fight in the first match.


    I didn''t expect to fight first but it didn''t really matter when I fought.


    I stood and was about to go to the stage when someone called my name.


    "Zero Elea! You will be eliminated by my hand."


    An angry student stood up and yelled at Zero.


    "Huh?"


    ( Who is he? Do I know him? )


    Someone whom I never met seemed to be challenging me. I didn''t know who that guy was but he had managed to attract the attention of all the students.


    "Look, Lyon is challenging Zero. How could he do that? Zero is just a first-year student."


    "STUPID! Have you not seen his fight against Lisanna. Even she failed to eliminate Zero. Zero is qualified to be challenged by Lyon. Else who could be more qualified than Zero?"


    "They are in the same group. Fight between them is inevitable unless one of them loses to others, which is not possible."


    "This Group fight will be interesting to watch. The second strongest student vs the ck horse." ¡­


    The students immediately began to engage in discussion as the second strongest student had just challenged Zero who was previously no one.


    Listening to the students, I was able to know who that man was. Lyon, the second strongest student and the one who is in the same group as me.


    However, I do not understand his anger. I don''t think I have done anything to enrage this man.


    But it might be that I am misunderstanding this guy. He might have been born with that face and that tone of voice.


    And he might not be very skilled with words, he told me he would eliminate me which is indirectly telling me to win this match.


    Maybe he is just trying to wish me good luck.


    I raised my thumb and said,


    "Thank you!"

 Chapter 88 Zero Vs Lyon

    Chapter 88 Zero Vs Lyon


    "Thank You!"


    Zero made his way to the stage leaving Lyon speechless.


    Other students near Lyon were equally stunned.


    ''Thank You? For what? For challenging you.''


    The students could notprehend what just happened.


    They expected a badass confrontation between the two of the strongest students.


    They hoped for cool lines like, ''I will be waiting for you at the finals'' or ''Your strength is merely a fraction of what I possess'' but instead they get a thank you from Zero.


    It would have been totally okay with them even if Zero got angry at Lyon''s provocation. Strong people don''t like being challenged.


    They think that the challengers are not convinced of their strength and therefore are challenging them.


    "Puah¡­ Pahahaha¡­"


    The student near Lyonughed loudly as he could not hold back hisughter anymore. He was Lyon''s friend and the third ranker, Toby.


    "Haha¡­ I didn''t expect that kind of reply from him¡­"


    Toby said as he continuedughing.


    "But he seems like a nice guy."


    Toby said as he looked at Zero.


    Many would be angry or take Lyon''s words as a provocation and insult.


    But Toby knows that Lyon didn''t mean anything bad when he challenged Zero openly.


    It was an indication of Lyon''s approval of Zero''s strength. Due to Lyon''s nature as a straightforward person, many think of him as a rude and arrogant person.


    But he was not the kind of guy that people think of him as. Lyon is cooperative, able to think about others'' safety, and follows rules like a normal person.


    Despite being the second strongest, he never showed off his strength. But his tendency to challenge the powerful has led to a lot of trouble that he as Lyon''s best friend has to deal with.


    During their first and second year, Lyon will challenge seniors leading to misunderstandings and problems with second and third-year students.


    They seem to think that Lyon is arrogant and is challenging the authority of senior students. Due to Lyon being talented, hees off as an arrogant person.


    When Lyon reached Third-year, only Lisanna was left whom he would challenge but he could not even manage to make Lisanna take him seriously.


    Someone who could even make Lisanna interested has now emerged. How could Lyon hold himself back without challenging him?


    Despite the fact that Lyon''s words may seem like a challenge, it was also a way of saying, ''you better not lose to others,'' which Zero seems to grasp.


    Therefore, Toby concluded that Zero is a nice guy because unlike many people he didn''t judge Lyon based on how he looked.


    *****


    Facing Zero, was a fellow first-year student.


    While Zero had a rxed and calm expression on his face, his opponent was the opposite.


    Trembling like he was facing an extremely vicious monster, he was scared to the max.


    The host was about to begin the match when,


    "I-I¡­ I Surrender!"


    Under the gaze of many students, the boy surrendered.


    Many students were taken aback by the unexpected situation. Even Zero was surprised by his opponent''s response.


    It was kind of embarrassing to give up in this selection as it would be seen as being a coward who runs away before even fighting.


    The boy was from another ss but he was present when Zero was fighting the two seniors, Lucas and Rowan.


    He clearly remembered the brutality that Zero showed when beating the hell out of them. Furthermore, he has also seen Zero fight Lisanna.


    He didn''t think he would be able to win but it was not the only reason for his surrender. He was quite scared of Zero whose face was smiling when he beat down Lucas and Rowan.


    He believed Zero was the kind of guy who loves to torture his opponents and he didn''t want to be tortured.


    Shameful as it might be, he chose to surrender.


    "Are you sure?"


    The host asked him.


    He nodded and left the stage.


    "Since the opponents have surrendered, the winner of the match is Zero Elea of the first year."


    Zero left the stage feeling a little awkward. His opponent was trembling like he was to be eaten.


    ( Am I that scary? )


    Zero thought to himself.


    There was some disappointment in the eyes of some students. They expected a tense battle, but it ended before it even started.


    However, some students could understand Zero''s opponent thoughts. Who would want to face Zero who could fight on par with Lisanna?


    However, whatever the reason may be, the selection continued.


    The most thrilling match was between Lyon and a fellow third-year. Lyon totally dominated his opponent with his spear.


    He continued to attack fiercely using his spear and gave no chance for his opponent to react or counterattack.


    With Lyon beating his opponent, the first round ended.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The second round began and this time my opponent didn''t run away.


    He was a second-year student and his rank was only at Rank-E+.


    As soon as the match began, he started to attack me.


    By using the hilt of the sword, I knocked him unconscious after dodging his attack.


    Zero took less than a minute to end the match.


    The other match finished quite quickly as well.


    The third round began and this time, my opponent was one of the third-year students.


    "Hmph! I will eliminate you before I eliminate Lyon. Do you think you''re the only ones who came to win here?"


    The Third-year said angrily. Lyon challenging Zero before the match even began was like an insult to other participants.


    It was like Lyon was saying that he and Zero would definitely qualify for the final. This didn''t bode well with him as he was also there to win the selection.


    Lyon was clearly underestimating other students in the group including himself.


    He had decided to defeat both Zero and Lyon and show them what happens when they underestimate him.


    *****


    "Winner! Zero Elea of the First-year!"


    But like I said, resolution and sh*t don''t matter when onecks the ability. He was only at Rank-E+ peak and facing him was no different than facing any other students to Zero.


    Zero only needed to strike him once to secure the win.


    The other fight continued until the long-awaited match arrived.


    After waiting for quite a long time, the fight between Lyon and Zero was finally going to start.


    The excitement was all-time high as the students started to cheer and shout in loud voice.


    "I have waited for this moment for too long. Finally, I have the chance to beat you and make Lisanna acknowledge me."


    Lyon said as he pointed his spear at me.


    "Really? Let''s see if you are capable of that."


    Zero said as he took out his sword from the spatial ring.


    "The final match of Group 5 will begin now!!!"


    As soon as the host signaled the start of the match, Lyon dashed towards Zero.


    [ "Twin Night: Rushing Burst" ]


    Lyon has seen what Zero could do. There was no way he would take it easy on the man who could fight toe to toe with Lisanna.


    Zero calmly watched as Lyon elerated and rushed toward him with destructive force.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    Zero deployed three walls of ice to stop Lyon''s attack. It was expected that two would be sufficient, but just in case he''d calcted incorrectly, he added a third.


    -CRRRRRRKKKKKKKK!


    A collision between Lyon and the ice walls ensued. Lyon managed to break the first barrier, but his speed and attack power decreased significantly.


    -CRRRRRKKKK! -CLANNKKKK!


    And on the second ice wall, he was able to make a crack but didn''t go past the wall.


    It was a great opportunity for me to attack since Lyon was a tad worn out after that attack.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    -WHIIISH!


    I immediatelyunched my attack once Lyon came to a halt.


    [ "Don''t think you can defeat me that easily." ]


    [ "Twin Night: Brisk Strike" ]


    Lyon didn''t try to dodge as Zero''s attack was too fast and he was kind of trapped due to the ice wall blocking his way. He decided to block Zero''s attack.


    A powerful thrust from his spear met the approaching attack and he countered it with an equally powerful thrust.


    Zero closed the distance right after he had finishedunching his attack and didn''t give Lyon an opportunity to rx. Strengthening and making the sword swift with the mana, Zero attacked Lyon who had just finished countering the attacks.


    -CLANK!


    Lyon responded quickly as he blocked Zero''s strike with his spear.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Zero attacked again and again as he continued to push Lyon back with each strike until he had nowhere to retreat as the area behind him was covered in ice.


    "SH*T! I can''t believe this."


    Lyon shouted as he found himself helpless against Zero. It had only been the start of the fight and he had already found himself losing.


    It was more frustrating to know that Zero was not even giving his all. Lyon has seen Zero fight and knows that he has many strong skills up in his arsenal but Zero didn''t even use them to corner him like this.


    Lyon quickly tried to think of a n to escape from his current predicament but before he could even start to think, Zero made his move.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    Knowing that Lyon has nowhere to run, Zero used ground freeze to finish off Lyon.


    Lyon quickly deployed a mana barrier to defend against the Zero''s attack.


    But it was no use as his mana barrier ended up freezing and breaking apart and in the end Lyon''s body was also frozen.


    -SILENCE!


    The audience was silent. The fight was as thrilling as they had expected but Lyon lost too quickly.


    Zero treated Lyon as an ordinary fighter and easily dominated the match. Lyon didn''t even get a chance to retaliate.


    They hoped for a long fight between equally strong fighters but it turned out that Lyon was no match for Zero. The student realized that they have underestimated Zero too much.


    That was the power of Zero!

 Chapter 89 Zero Vs Lyon [2]

    Chapter 89 Zero Vs Lyon [2]


    The second best in Ace Academy has been defeated by Zero.


    They saw the whole thing but could not believe it.


    Lyon''s current strength was Rank-D+ peak. Since Zero defeated him, then¡­ his strength was at least that of a Rank-D+ !!!!


    As they thought of this possibility, the students immediately emitted the sound of heavy breathing as they inhaled more air to calm their minds.


    "Winner! Zero Elea of the first year."


    As the voice of the host fell on the students'' ears, cheers came from all directions. Their gaze at Zero turned from curiosity to admiration and reverence.


    At this moment, the name Zero Elea would be etched into the memory of everyone present there.


    Only did they now believe the rumor of Zero Elea being as powerful as Lisanna.


    At this age, to be able to reach Rank-D+, it would make him the youngest person to reach Rank-D + in the history of humanity.


    Though it was all spection since they never felt the mana aura of Rank-D+ from Zero. But even then, Zero power was equal to Rank-D+ or even Rank-C-.


    The second strongest student at Ace Academy has just been reced by Zero who is just in his first year.<sub></sub>


    "Very¡­ Very Strong¡­"


    Toby murmured. Among all the students, Toby knows Lyon''s strength the most.


    Even at the same rank, Lyon could easily dominate others. To be able to beat him, Toby could only say Zero was too strong.


    He could not believe that someone could defeat Lyon so easily. The only other student to be able to do that would be Lisanna.


    A first-year who could very well be the strongest student in Ace Academy. Toby shuddered at that thought.


    The other participants also were equally shocked and upon realizing that they didn''t have to fight Zero, they felt relieved and lucky.


    The mouths of Professors in the VIP seat were wide open. Their faces were filled with shock as they watched the young man return to his seat.


    Who could imagine that Lyon, whose rank was at Rank-D+ peak, was defeated easily by a junior who they sense is only at Rank-D -. This was in spite of Lyon taking the battle seriously and unleashing his strongest skill right from the start.


    Originally, they were still discussing just how many rounds it would take for Lyon to defeat Zero.


    However, their discussion had yet toe to an end when Zero had already told them the answer. <sub>


    </sub>


    "His potential is really scary. If we groom him properly in these three months we might have a student who could defeat Omar Noel."


    Professor Theo said. He had seen Zero''s strength during the mid-term exam and thought Zero was talented just like Lisa and Hiro.


    But the power he is disying right now shows that Zero''s talents might have even surpassed Hiro, who is said to be the most talented person.


    "Yes, first-year students'' potential is really terrifying this year. We already have seen two first years whose strength is on par with Third year Top-10."


    Professor Delvinmented.


    "Haha, no wonder Professor Mia has him in her heart. Only outstanding talent as Zero could manage to steal your heart."


    Professor Veronica teased Professor Mia. Previously, many believed Professor Mia going out with Zero to be just a rumor ( Which is true) but seeing Zero''s talent they think otherwise.


    Previously, they could not believe it because of the disparity between the talent between Zero and Professor Mia and also because they were teachers and students.


    But now it seemed that those rumors could not be entirely false. Outstanding people like Professor Mia are destined to be with monster talent like Zero.


    "Ignoring the first sentence, I do think Zero is an outstanding talent. He could have been stronger if he decreased his time flirting with girls."<sub> </sub>


    Professor Mia told them. While she was referring to the incident where Zero would always try to flirt with Lisa, the other professor thought otherwise.


    ''So, this is how Zero managed to capture Professor Mia''s heart. Zero must have spent a lot of time courting Professor Mia.''


    The other Professor thought Zero''s flirting referred to him flirting with Professor Mia. There was no way they would know that Zero used to chase after Lisa.


    "But this might be the first time a First-year managed to get into the Top-3 rank of Ace Academy."


    Going back to the serious topic at hand. They discussed how Zero has managed to set a record.


    Previously, many unexpected events urred, but they weren''t as crazy as this.


    There has been an instance of a first-year student beating the Top-10 of third-year students. But it was the first time they had witnessed one of the Top-3 being defeated by the first year.


    "I wonder who is stronger between Zero and Lisanna."


    One of the professors curiously asked.


    As a professor, they were able to sense that Zero didn''t even use his full power. That means Zero didn''t even need to be serious to take out someone as strong as Lyon.


    That means that Zero might be as strong as Lisanna. They saw the battle between Zero and Lisanna. However, while they could vaguely see the destruction that Zero''s attack contained, they were not able to sense his true power through the monitor.


    They thought Lisanna might have been holding herself back at that time. But it looks like Lisanna truly didn''t have enough power to defeat Zero.


    It was good news for the Academy as they have someone who could be as strong as Lisanna as their participants.


    Previously, the school management team was actually quite worried about this year''s Tournament of Academies.


    While Ace Academy has talented students like Lyon and Lisanna who could reach Rank-C - but Arcane Academy has someone who was at Rank-C.


    They believed that this year they might have to lose their title as the Best Academy but unexpectedly there were lots of talented students from the First Year.


    Lisa disyed power on par with her third-year students. Then there was Zero, who could be as powerful as their current Top student.


    Not to mention that the selection was notplete and they still have many talented students like Hiro and Zion.


    They expected simr performance from the two of them who are said to be more talented than Lisa.


    The professor could not hide their happiness and discussed the n to increase the power of students for the Tournament of Academies.


    Zero left the stage amid all the discussion and apuse and got back to his seat.


    The students can only stare at him as he makes his way to his seat.


    "WOW! Zero won against the second-best of our school."


    "ZERO! He is truly a monster. I kind of get why his previous opponent surrendered. There was no way he could beat this monster even if practiced for 3 more years."


    "Looks like an unparalleled genius has emerged from First-year."


    The students were all praising andplimenting Zero.


    However, the match had to go on and Lyon was to fight the previous opponent that Zero defeated.


    *****


    "Zero of the first year and Lyon of the third year will be the participants from Group 5."


    The host announced the result and with it, the Group 5 fight was over.


    Then started the match of Group 6 where the winners were both from the Third year.


    It marked the end of today''s selection. The rest of the groups were topete tomorrow.

 Chapter 90 Toby Vs Zion

    Chapter 90 Toby Vs Zion


    Waking In the morning, I checked my schedule.


    Today was thest day of selection. With it, 20 participants for the Tournament of Acemies will be selected.


    Then the Academy will begin to nurture those students for the Tournament of Academies.


    Wearing my school uniform, I went to the stadium. On the way to the stadium, I could see people looking at me and whispering.


    I chose to ignore it. While I would prefer to keep my power hidden, it was already impossible.


    I want to win the Tournament of Academies and with Lyon and Lisanna as my opponents, there was no way I could have fought without showing my powers.


    The first battle for the day was between two second years. Being simr in strength, they took a long time before the winner could be decided.


    Despite taking a long time, the audience was not bored and was excited to watch them battle. Though both of them were only at Rank-E+ but for the most present there, two of them were considered talented for reaching that rank at that age.


    As the host sounded the end of another match, another two students appeared on the stage and the cycle continued.<sub></sub>


    After the participants went through an intense battle, the victor would have ted faces while the loser would withdraw from the arena in a dejected manner, and sometimes they would need to be carried on a stretcher.


    Group 7 finished their selection with the winner from the third year and runner-up from the second year.


    The Group 8 match began and it was the group to which Zion Maxwell belonged. I honestly didn''t care whether he qualifies or not.


    But considering he is one of the main characters, the chances of him getting selected were high and he did get selected in the novel.


    However, bing number one in the whole group might be impossible for him since Toby, the Third ranker was also in the same group.


    The first match was between Toby and a second-year student.


    Zero gazed at the arena where the two men were getting ready for a fight. Zero was able to see the bitterness on the face of Toby''s opponent.


    Getting to fight the Third ranker really meant your luck was out. <sub>


    </sub>


    However, he didn''t give up. This was his chance to get stronger. With the school resources invested in him, he could have a chance to reach Rank-S in the future.


    Even with Toby as his opponent, he was not going to surrender.


    "The first match of Group 8 will start!"


    Immediately after the match started, Toby''s opponentunched himself toward Toby with a sword in his hand.


    He swung his sword when he was in close proximity to Toby but Toby''s body instantly disappeared.


    Toby''s opponent''s attack missed and he instantly began searching for Toby. He immediately swung his sword backward after sensing a danger from his back.


    -CLANG!


    He managed to block a blow from Toby but Toby was not done yet. Toby continued to thrust his spear.<sub> </sub>


    Toby''s opponent was under great stress as if he felt like a man trying to block a bus. He used all his strength to defend himself from Toby''s attack.


    -CRACK!


    His weapon could not hold it anymore and broke under great pressure. Fear appeared on his face as his defense broke down and Toby''s spear was about to pierce him.


    But Toby didn''t continue his attack, instead he withdrew his spear and kicked his opponent out of the stage.


    In just one attack, Toby was able to defeat his opponent. If not for Toby holding himself back, he would have killed his opponent.


    This kind of result caused students to be in an uproar. Although the students didn''t think Toby would lose, they didn''t expect him to win with just one attack.


    They once again realized the distance between them and the Top ranker. Previously, Zero and Lisa defeating the Top-10 student of Third-year had made many students underestimate the power of the Third year rankers, but Toby managed to convince them why they are considered the strongest.


    "What a fast speed! I thought Toby had actually disappeared for a second."


    "Toby deserved to be Ranked 3rd. With that speed and power, he could pretty much defeat everyone in this contest."


    Under everyone''s gaze, Toby quietly came back to his seat. He would have shown off a little under normal circumstances but considering Zero had defeated Lyon, he thought it would be kind of shameful.


    "Looks like we can''t underestimate the Top-10. Toby will be a difficult opponent to defeat."


    Sylvia said to her friends to which Lisa and Hiro nodded.


    They agreed as Toby''s opponent was not a weak student that could be easily defeated as Toby has done.


    While Sylvia seemed to be telling everyone, she was specifically telling Zion who would face Toby as he is in the same group.


    Zion would not like it if she directly said, "Toby is powerful, you might need to tread carefully if you wish to win." He didn''t like others undermining his strength.


    "Hmph! If he can defeat Lyon, I can also defeat Toby."


    Zion said arrogantly. ''He'' was referring to Zero whom Zion didn''t particrly like. It was because Zero was someone who was chasing after the girl whom he liked.


    ( She will definitely be mine. That Zero¡­ I shall defeat him in the uing Tournament of Academies. The girl whom I fancy will belong to me. )


    Zion cooled down after thinking of the positive side. He could defeat Zero and impress Lisa at the same time. In the Tournament of Academies, he nned to be number one.


    Defeat his rival Hiro, beat down his love rival Zero, and gain the affection of Lisa. He would be able to achieve all the three things he desires at the Tournament of Academies.


    A rare smile appeared on Zion as he thought about all the prospects after winning the Tournament of Academies.


    But before the Tournament of Academies, he needed to win the selection. He didn''t think it would be anything difficult for him.


    ''I will never lose against them!!!''

 Chapter 91 Toby Vs Zion [2]

    Chapter 91 Toby Vs Zion [2]


    There was still an endless stream of fights before Zion turned came.


    At his turn, he was able to easily defeat his opponent and advance to the next round.


    Soon, the semi-final was about to begin. Sure enough, Toby won and was set to advance to the final.


    Zion confidently stood up as his turn came. He would be up against a fellow first year.


    "Hmph!"


    He could only wait for this pointless battle to end. Zion''s opponent was Ranked 6 in mid-term, one rank above Zero. His name is Edwin Diaz.


    Zion has never even put a Top-10 student of Third-years in his eyes, not to mention the Top ranker of first-years. He believed the fight to be useless as the oue was pretty much already predetermined.


    The match started and, as many of the audience expected, Zion won. But it was not the swift and easy win that Zion had expected. Edwin was able to match Zion in strength and Zion could not overwhelm him easily.


    After quite a long battle, Zion won as he managed to break Edwin''s defense with his fierce attack.


    Although Zion won, he was not in a good mood. Taking so long to defeat someone at rank-6 of first-year shows just how weak he was inparison with Toby.<sub></sub>


    Toby was able to take out the second-year Top-10 in one move while he struggled to defeat the student who was in the Top-10 of the first year.


    While the First-year Top-10 was not inferior to the Second-year Top-10, rather, it was superior. Then also to struggle against a no-name was truly frustrating for Zion.


    Zion was frustrated and angry. While he was healing from his injuries, he nced at Zero, who had more power than the opponent he was about to face.


    Zero defeating Lyon entitles him to the seat of second strongest in the whole Academy. That means that if he is not able to defeat Toby, it would mean he is inferior to Zero as Toby is inferior to Lyon.


    Zion showed a cold glint that shed across those dark, red eyes.


    Zion waited impatiently as he was being healed. He could not wait to defeat Toby and show the whole school how talented he is.


    After he finished healing, Zion confidently entered the stage as he prepared himself to fight Toby.


    "So you are Zion Maxwell. It''s true you''re talented, but you are not as good as Zero."


    Toby said to Zion provokingly. Before the battle of the bodyes the battle of the mind.<sub>


    </sub>


    People always try to disturb their opponent''s mind so that the opponent makes mistakes while fighting.


    Toby has heard about Zion Maxwell and also after watching his earlier fight, he was certain that Zion as rumored is an extremely prideful person.


    Therefore, Toby tried to mention Zero andpare the two. A prideful person like Zion would not like to bepared and hear others say he was inferior.


    "I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN. I will beat you and he will be next."


    Zion yelled as he could not keep his anger in check. While he did know his opponent was just provoking him, Toby''s words touched his nerves. He could not control his anger.


    Toby''s provocation was effective, too effective one might say. He didn''t know about the conflict between them due to Lisa.


    And recently Zion was developing an inferiorityplex toward Zero but he didn''t want to admit that he was weaker than Zero. So, Toby mentioning those words ended up enraging Zion more than he hoped for.


    However, Toby was satisfied to know that his words were working and he smiled slightly.


    "The final match for Group 8 will begin right now!"<sub> </sub>


    The moment the host''s voice sounded, the gazes in the stadium that were focusing on the two of them became boiling hot.


    This match would be the most anticipated match after Zero and Lyon''s match. Both of them are considered geniuses and they could not wait to witness this epic battle.


    Right after the battle began, Zion unleashed a huge amount of mana andunched himself toward Toby with his spear.


    Toby also readied himself to defend with the spear. It was a battle between the spear wielders.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    Zion came hard right from the start. Using one of his strongest attacks, he struck the spear at Toby.


    [ "Impure Feather Spear: Seamless Movement" ]


    Zion struck with each strike carrying destructive force. However, Toby dodged all those attacks like he was dancing.


    -SHHHUSH! -SHHHUSHH! -CLANG!


    Using his spear, Toby sessfully parried the strike that he had trouble dodging and dodged other attacks with seamless movements.


    While Zion struggled to even hit Toby, Toby leisurely dodge the attacks without any worries.


    Toby didn''t worry about Zion. While Zion might be talented and considered powerful by many, he was nothing in front of Toby. Toby was in Rank-D+, a whole rank higher than Zion.


    "What a Movement Art. Senior Toby doesn''t even look like he is trying his best."


    Hiro stared intently at Toby and Zion as he spoke in a soft voice. Toby was toying with Zion, only dodging and showing no sign of attacking back.


    Lisa and Sylvia nodded slightly. They finally realized how strong the Top students of third years were.


    They were quite worried about Zion who was struggling tond a hit on Toby''s body.


    -CLANK!


    Toby shed his spear with Zion''s spear and flicked Zion''s spear in the air. Zion immediately backed away tens of meters to avoid Toby''s attack.


    "Hah¡­hah¡­"


    Zion heavily panted. He looked at Toby who had a casual look on his face. It made Zion even angrier.


    Both men released their powerful Mana and almost shot out simultaneously like arrows.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Toby''s long spear violently pierced over 5 times in a short amount of time. While Zion managed to defend himself against three strikes, two of them directly hit his body and injured him heavily.


    "Spat*"


    Zion ended up spurting a handful of blood. The arrogant face that he had previously had disappeared and what was left was the face of a helpless boy.


    Zion held onto his spear tightly and poured his remaining mana.


    "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE HERE!!!"

 Chapter 92 Toby Vs Zion [3]

    Chapter 92 Toby Vs Zion [3]


    "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE HERE!!!"


    Zion screamed as he released an immense amount of mana.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Imperial Barrage Pierce"]


    The spear formed numerous spear afterimages at that instant. In each spear afterimage, Toby faced a killing intent that was directed at every fatal spot on his body.


    [ "Impure Feather Spear: Parry Outburst" ]


    Seeing that the iing attack could cause serious damage, Toby decided to take it seriously.


    -CLANG! CLANG! -CLANK!


    Sparks flew in all directions as the sound of metal colliding rang out.


    While exchanging moves, Toby was able to parry Zion''s attacks though Zion did manage to slightly hit Toby''s left arm.


    However, while Zion has managed to cut a bit of flesh from his left arm, Toby has managed to pierce many parts of Zion''s body.


    Seeing that Zion was getting slower due to exhaustion and loss of blood, Toby decided it was time to end this battle.


    [ "Impure Feather Spear: Absolute Impaling" ]


    Immediately, Toby''s spear produced a sharp sound of rushing wind as it shot explosively toward Zion''s chest.<sub></sub>


    -BANG!


    Zion was heavily injured and was sent flying outside the stage.


    A low and deep muffled sound suddenly resounded. The entire audience stared at Zion, who had tattered clothes and looked miserable.


    "Phew, I thought even Toby might lose after watching Lyon lose."


    "Looks like only Zero would be able to defeat the Top-3 students of Ace Academy."


    "Senior Toby''s strength has increased. Nobody can fight as elegantly as him."


    Lots of seniors were relieved after seeing Toby win. If even Toby lost to a first-year then it will be quite embarrassing for third-year students to show their faces on campus.


    Once an arrogant man, was beaten down a such a state. It looks like the gap between Zion and Toby was quite wide.


    A pernicious glint shed over Zion''s downcast eyes. He clenched his fist tightly. At this moment, he could not even move his back a little.


    That heavy blow from Toby earlier had already broken a couple of his bones.


    However,pared to the pain in his body, the frustration and the blow to his heart was the one that Zion had the greatest difficulty enduring.


    He didn''t lose to Toby only, he also lost to Zero and other students who are stronger than Toby.<sub>


    </sub>


    ( Just why am I lower than all those people? What do they have that I don''t. )


    Zion started to question himself.


    "Pride is only worthwhile if you want to make yourself look good. You would one day die if you cling to your little pride. I suggest you look at yourself for real or else you would never be able topare to real genius."


    Before leaving the stage, Toby turned around and advised Zion. Toby spoke like it was from his own experience.


    Toby was trying to help his junior whose behavior was just like his when he was younger.


    ''Pride breaks a person from the inside out'', Toby knows that well.


    Zion seemed to have hidden his problems behind his pride and never tried to face reality just like he did.


    Zion hid his inferiorityplex, hisck of talent, and his envy of other people''s abilities behind his pride and arrogance.


    His pride was his way to escape from the cruel reality that he was never going to amount to anything in front of real talent.


    However, as Toby said, it was only meant to hide from reality and not change it. Until he came to terms with that reality, Zion was never going to be the best.


    Zion had to ept his w, his weakness, or else he would always be a broken man with useless pride.


    Toby returned to his seat. Zion showed a great deal of potential, and he knew that if he got rid of his useless pride, he could be a strong man.<sub> </sub>


    The audience apuded for the great fight that they disyed. Zion was able to surprise many people with his unexpected strength.


    While they concluded that he wasckingpared to Zero, the destructive power that he showed was enough for them to not underestimate him.


    Third-year students were more impressed by Zion than other students. It is because they know the power of Toby and know how difficult it is to fight against him.


    To be able to injure Toby was already an indication of Zion''s talent.


    Under all the apuse, Zion was feeling the worst he had felt in years.


    Delusioning himself to think he was superior, thinking he could win the Tournament of Academies while in reality, he could not even defeat Third-no fourth best student of Ace Academy.


    How funny?


    It was truly funny that he expected himself to one day be the strongest person in the world.


    How could he when there were monsters like Hiro and Zero everywhere.


    Zion was carried out on a stretcher as he covered his eyes which were starting to be moist.


    *****


    "I hope he''s okay"


    Sylvia said as she looked at the state Zion is in.


    Sylvia knows that Zion''s pride must have been broken due to him losing.


    Given how arrogant he was before the battle, there was no way he could be okay.


    They would have to console him like friends do but knowing Zion, they know that he will probably be more hurt if they came to show sympathy.


    They could only hope that he would be okay.


    *****


    The Group 9 battle was next.


    The match was dominated by Lisanna. She didn''t even need to fight to win.


    While some surrendered even before the fight, others did it after struggling to stand when Lisanna released her Rank-C - mana aura.


    Lisanna managed to suppress all her opponents with just her mana aura. Even the audience felt some pressure when Lisanna released her Rank-C - mana aura.


    The only battle she fought was with a fellow third-year student La.


    La is considered the most talented archer in the Ace Academy and she lived up to her name by defeating her opponents with one shot.


    But the match between La and Lisannasted only one minute. Lisanna used her Movement Art to give La no chance to use her bow and arrows.


    She could not pinpoint where Lisanna''s real body was. She shot her arrow after predicting Lisanna''s trajectory.


    La, as well as the audience, thought the arrow had hit Lisanna, but it turned out to be just an afterimage. Lisanna appeared from behind and used her skill topletely eliminate La.


    And in just one exchange, Lisanna has thrown La out of the stage.


    La''s face turned white. A handful of blood was spat out. She tried to stand up, only to fall down again. She could not ept the fact that she was defeated that easily.


    The stadium waspletely silent as everyone watched La who spat out blood and was carried on a stretcher.


    Many people only saw that La''s earlier attack had hit Lisanna''s body.


    It was really unexpected that Lisanna deceived all of them with her afterimage. La was utterly defeated.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    Amid all the cheers and chants, Lisanna looked over at the boy that she desire to fight.


    Zero was also watching the fight when he felt Lisanna stare at him. Their eyes met each other.


    The student also looked at Zero and Lisanna who were staring at each other.


    The student observing them thought that there was nothing wrong with Lisanna showing her desire to fight with Zero. Zero was the only one who was able to contend with Lisanna as an equal.


    That led to a big question in everyone''s mind.


    ''Who is stronger?''

 Chapter 93 Hiro Vs Rylan

    Chapter 93 Hiro Vs Rn


    ''Who is stronger?''


    Well, to know that they needed to wait for the Tournament of Academies to start. The result will naturally answer those questions.


    Lisanna returned to her seat, knowing that she had to wait until she meet Zero in the Tournament of Academies.


    This would also be when both she and Zero would have gained more strength. She was excited at the idea of facing each other in an epic showdown after training for three months.


    ( Let''s see whether you can surpass me or would I surpass you in these three months. )


    *****


    La fought with her next opponent. Naturally, she was able to win easily as her opponent was just Rank-E.


    "Lisanna Lockser of the Third-year and La Elsher of the Third-year will be the participants of Group 9."


    The host announced the result and thest group for the selection, Group 10 match was going to start.


    The sun had already started to sink but the match had to be held today as nned.<sub></sub>


    This group''s strongest student was Hiro followed by a third-year student ranked in the Top-10.


    The other participants were wary of Hiro after witnessing lots of fights of First-year students.


    And Hiro was the student that is said to be the most talented among the first-year students. They had to be careful while fighting with him.


    The first match was going to be between Hiro and one of the third-year students.


    Both were in the same rank and both of them used swords as their weapon.


    The audience thought it would be a long time before the result came out.


    Surprisingly, however, Hiro Ernest has totally dominated the match. With each of his attacks, Hiro pushed his opponent back until he was blown out of the stage.


    While in the same rank, Hiro Ernes''s stat was superior to what his opponent had. With Hiro stat, it was possible to even fight with Rank-D + as an equal.


    "We can''t really underestimate Hiro Ernest. He does not seem weaker than Zero. Looks like the title of being the most talented human is notpletely a lie."<sub>


    </sub>


    "Well, I don''t know about being the most talented but Hiro is definitely going to be one of the participants."


    Hiro didn''t disappoint the expectations that people have of him. Even the professor was satisfied with his performance.


    "Looks like we got lots of talented students at hand. Hiro Ernest seemed to be even more powerful than Zero Elea."


    One of the professorsmented.


    However, Professor Mia and some other professors didn''t ept his word though they didn''t agrue with him.


    Naturally, Professor Mia knows her students and is able to tell their power level to certain extend.


    While Hiro disyed power that looked greater than Zero''s power, it was because Hiro was required to. Whereas Zero had not even disyed half his power.


    It just shows that Zero could defeat Lyon even without using half of his power while Hiro needs to exert much of his strength.


    "Hiro Ernest is indeed one of the most gifted talents we have. If we nurture him carefully, he might even reach Rank-C before the Tournament of Academies."<sub> </sub>


    Another professor added. The other professor nodded as it was possible with Hiro''s potential.


    "It appears the Tournament of Academies is not a lost cause at all for our school. Many talented students have emerged from the first year. We might have a decent lineup ready for the Tournament of Academies."


    "Let''s continue to watch. Hiro Ernest might be hiding even greater power than this."


    The professor continued to evaluate the students.


    Students had to sit in the same ce for over 8 hours but they didn''t show any signs of exhaustion or getting bored.


    The raucous, fiery passion that filled the morning air remained even when the moon rose. They were excited to watch the talent of their academy showcase their power.


    It was also a very valuable learning experience and even when the sky was turning darker they were happy to sit there and watch the rest of the battles.


    The match continued with some showing off their great strength, while others showed their incredible speed and defense. The first round ended and the second round immediately began.


    Hiro easily won against his next opponent who was even weaker than his first opponent. This was the case for his third opponent.


    In the midst of all the anticipation, came the match that everyone was eagerly anticipating, including Zero.


    While Zero didn''t care much about the changes that happen in this world, he would like it if the MC of the novel, Hiro Ernest, was to be as strong as described in the novel.


    Ernest Hiro surpassed the novel''s depiction and reached rank-D much earlier than how it is depicted in the novel. Zero was interested in knowing whether Hiro has continued to improve with that speed or if he isgging behind.


    Amidst all the gazes from the audience, Hiro and his opponent made their way to the stage.


    "Greetings, my name is Rn Trevor. Hopefully, you will not disappoint me in this fight."


    Rn said to Hiro.


    Rn did notpete for the purpose of being a participant in the Tournament of Academies from the beginning.


    The main reason why he participated in the selection process was to spar with strong people.


    If he could achieve that in the selection, he would bepletely satisfied even if he was not selected as a participant.


    Currently, the opponent he was facing was the one that many people around the world were talking about. Hence, he would not be dejected even if he lost as long as he was stronger than him.


    "The final match of Group 10 will begin now!"


    There was not much of a warm-up the moment the match began. Both parties unleashed their powerful attacks right off the bat.


    There was no way that half-assed attack would work on either of them.


    Two powerful attacks collided together, and the sound of exploding metal brewed into st waves, sweeping their surroundings like a fierce wind.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    My eyes stared intently at the fight in the arena. The overall strength disyed by Hiro was satisfactory.


    But I would be disappointed if this was all Hiro was capable of.


    "Show me the power of the Main Character."

 Chapter 94 Hiro Vs Rylan [2]

    Chapter 94 Hiro Vs Rn [2]


    The battle started with both Hiro and Rn using their full power.


    The entire stadium was silent. The gazes of everyone were all gathered on the two people on the stage.


    Neither of the two was giving any opening to the other. They continued to exchange moves that contain powerful energies.


    One after another, iparably sharp and explosive attacks from Rn''s sword were directed at Hiro in a lighting-like manner.


    However, regardless of how strong and fast he was, they did not have much of an effect on Hiro. Hiro was able to easily dodge and block his attack.


    Rn was at Rank-D, one sub rank above Hiro, but Hiro''s stats were slightly higher.


    This caused Hiro to disy power and speed that had exceeded Rn.


    -CLANG! CLANG! -CLANG!


    "You are really strong! But do you really think you can win easily against me."


    [ "Whirlwind Technique: Wind Eruption" ]


    Rn''s attacks became fiercer as the sh continued to multiply and hit Hiro from different directions.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!<sub></sub>


    Hiro tried to defend against Rn''s attacks, but it kept getting harder and harder as his attacks kept on increasing.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    -SWISH!


    Using his Movement Art, Hiro dodged the attack and created a distance between him and Rn.


    However, Rn didn''t give Hiro a chance to rx as he dashed and began attacking.


    But Hiro''s current speed was not something Rn could contend with.


    -SWISH!


    Disappearing from Rn''s sight, Hiro reappeared behind him andunched his attack.


    -CLANK!


    But Rn blocked it with his sword. Rn, through years of fighting, had many experience of fighting with those who were stronger than him.


    He realized during the fight that Hiro''s stats were higher than him but that didn''t mean he was going to lose. <sub>


    </sub>


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro tried to attack Rn from different directions but Rn with his superior battle awareness was able to predict Hiro''s attack pattern.


    ( This is not good. My attack pattern is being read. )


    Hiro realized that just relying on his speed was not going to get him anywhere. He knows that hecks battle experiencepared to Rn, and therefore he nned to overpower him with his speed which failed.


    ( Unexpectedly Top-5 students are this difficult to defeat. I wonder how he was able to defeat Lyon so quickly.)


    Hiro could not help butpare himself to Zero as he fought. Hiro was struggling to get a win against someone who was just in Top-5 while he had seen Zero casually beat the second strongest student of Ace Academy.


    -CLANG! -SLIT!


    In the middle of his thinking, Rn attacks Hiro and manages tond a hit on his leg albeit the wound was light.


    ( No use thinking about it right now. I need to focus on my opponent. )


    His opponent was not someone who he could fight while being distracted.


    Fighting with a Top-5 Third-year student, Hiro realized how ridiculously strong Zero is for being able to easily defeat Lyon. <sub> </sub>


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    [ "Whirlwind Technique: Cyclone st" ]


    Two swords collided violently as deep explosions formed due to their collision. It caused the air in the stadium to fluctuate continuously and surge out in all directions after the explosion.


    The audience was able to feel how horrible the attacks were just from getting hit by the strong air.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Two of them fought continuously even before the dust settled. They could vaguely see inside even the dustiest of ces with their eyesight.


    ( Looks like I need a stronger attack. )


    Hiro thought as he battled with Rn. Earlier he thought that ''Complete Annihtion'' would be enough to defeat Rn. He didn''t expect Rn to also hide his real strength.


    He decided to use his strongest attack. He didn''t n to use this here but considering the situation, it was not possible to win without utilizing it.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    An attack that was wilder and more viciouspared to Hiro''s previous attack caused Rn''s eyes to be slightly narrowed


    He didn''t believe that Hiro had another attack that was more vicious and powerful than the previous attack.


    Rn at that moment knew he would lose as he was barely able to cancel out thest attack of Hiro. Now an attack even more powerful than that was headed his way.


    "However, I am not willing to give up easily!!!"


    [ "Whirlwind Technique: Cyclone st" ]


    -BOOOOOM!


    The collision caused even more destruction than the previous collision and caused even the stage to crack as a result of the collision.


    The stage was not made with normal brick but rather with stronger material that is able to withstand Rank-D attacks. The crack indicates how powerful the attacks were.


    An air fluctuation swept across the stadium, which was more powerful than the previous one. The audiences were stunned to see such a powerful attack from Hiro.


    While some had heard about Hiro being a genius, it was at that moment that they realized how strong he truly was.


    Some also thought that Hiro was more powerful than Zero. As Hiro''s attacks were iparable to any attack disyed by other students.


    Though the smarter ones were able to tell that Hiro would not be able to win against Zero. Hiro with that kind of attack was just enough to contend with Lyon.


    They have seen Lyon lose miserably, and know that Zero was on another levelpared to Hiro and Lyon.


    It was a long timeter before everyone gradually recovered from their dull state.


    The eyes of these students were filled with surprise and shock. Clearly, the destructive attack that Hiro had disyed really caused them to be stunned.


    At this moment, even the expressions of the professors in the VIP area instantly underwent a drastic change.


    It was clear that they seriously underestimated Hiro, who is not inferior to the top-3 strongest students. Although they did not know who was stronger between Zero and Hiro, they felt that there would not be arge difference between the two.


    They all abruptly turned their gazes towards the ce that was obscured by dust.


    As the dust became fainter, Hiro and Rn once again appeared in everyone''s sight.


    However, at this moment, Rn was lying on the floor and there was a deep cut on his chest.


    The Victor was clear!

 Chapter 95 The Selection Ends

    Chapter 95 The Selection Ends


    "Winner! Hiro Ernest of the First-year."


    The host announced the winner for thest group.


    "Shit, Even Rn lost to a First-year. How can we show our faces to the juniors?"


    "Dammit, this year''s juniors are messed up. How can we as seniors keep our dignity?"


    "You only have half a year with them, but we still have to keep going to the same Academy for at least one and a half years." ¡­


    The audience began chatting loudly after the results were announced. Three Top-10 scorers lost to first-year students; one was in the Top-5 and another was in the Top-3. This means that at least 3 first-year students were stronger than almost all Third-year students.


    How can they who are regarded as talented show their faces when two years younger people are stronger than them?


    Does that mean they should treat Hiro, Zero, and Lisa as how they treat Lisanna and other Top students? They can''t disrespect them as they were stronger than them.


    In previous years, seniors will show their power and dominate the Tournament and amaze the juniors with their power.


    And after the Tournament, Third-years will go and give advice and teach the first-year student for a few days. It would have been an eye-opener for the first year as they watched their seniors disy shocking power.


    However, this year, how can they have a face to teach them when they are literally more powerful than them?


    While seniors were contemting this problem, the First-year students were ted and delighted.


    "Hiro beat the Third-year in Top-5. He deserved to be number 1 in the first year."


    "Yeah! Thatst attack would have killed me even if I was 10 times stronger."


    "Tsk Tsk, Looks like the seniors are no big deal."


    Hiro being strong is an indirect indication of how strong the first years were. Though it didn''t mean that every first year was strong like Hiro.<sub></sub>


    However, they could still brag about how they are in the same ss as him.


    They showered him with apuse andpliments.


    This type of fight was what excited the students most. Where both the fighters were equally strong. Not like Lisanna and Zero who could one-shot their enemy even before they could see what was happening.


    Many of the students were watching the fight for fun, but I was watching it to analyze Hiro''s current strength.


    ( Pretty decent! )


    That is what I thought about Hiro''s current strength. He didn''t disappoint me nor did he show power which is beyond what I had expected.


    While I can''t really gauge his true strength as I know that he still has many trump cards hidden, but from hisst attack, it seems that Hiro was around Toby and Lyon''s level.


    By looking at the progress, he might even break through to Rank-C - before the Tournament of Academies if he keeps up the same speed of progression.


    This was fasterpared to the speed Hiro had in the novel. In the novel. Hiro would be at Rank-D + and stood no chance against the Rank-C opponent that he faced in the Tournament of Academies.


    But it might be a different story if Hiro manages to reach Rank-C - before the Tournament of Academies.


    After the battle of Hiro and Rn, there were two more battles left. Zion, who was injured during his final fight, and Rn.


    Rn was the first one to battle. Although he was heavily injured, he was easily able to win due to the huge difference in strength between him and his opponent.


    Zion''s turn was next and he fought with his face gloomy the entire time during the fight. His mind didn''t seem to be present in that battle.


    It was a good thing that he was still able to fight despite how lost he was in his thoughts. He used his strongest attack to instantly win.


    He didn''t have the face of a winner even when he won. He exited the stadium as soon as the fight was over.<sub>


    </sub>


    I didn''t know why he looked like that. In the novel also he ends up losing to the Third-year but he arrogantly deres that he will surpass him before the Tournament of Academies starts.


    However, it seems that Zion took that loss a lot harder than he did in the novel. I can just hope that he does not go to the dark to seek more power.


    The fights were over and the professor was to give an ending speech. The Head Teacher leaped down to the stage.


    He raised his head, and his gaze turned toward the position where the participants were located. He had a warm and inspiring smile.


    "Congrattions to all the winners and also to the other participants who showed us an incredible fight. I hope that after watching the fights, all the students will continue to work hard and surpass them in the future."


    The moon was already up along with countless stars. It was quitete so the Head Teacher kept his speech short.


    "I hope that the selected participant would disy an even greater power and bring honor to our school."


    The details of the Tournament of Academics preparation was kept to be covered tomorrow since it was alreadyte today.


    *****


    The next morning, I made my way to the Training Field where the professor had told the selected participants to gather.


    I would attract quite a number of gazes each time I pass through a student. The moment other students saw me, they would cause amotion.


    Those numerous gazes toward me from all directions were filled with respect and fear.


    I could not help but feel a little surprised as I continued to walk toward the Training Field.


    I already had many experiences of getting attention from students. It became natural to me after getting used to it.


    But those gazes were all disdain and contempt. Now, they looked at me with admiration and respect.<sub> </sub>


    It truly is a world where strength is respected above all. Even if all the rumor about me being an a**hole was true, as long as I am strong, people will admire and respect me.


    I kept on walking, ignoring all themotions that students were making.


    "Heading towards the Training Field?"


    A familiar sound came from behind. I turned around and nodded my head to Sylvia.


    "Let''s go together!"


    Sylvia said as she walked beside me. She would asionally give me nces which honestly gave me an ufortable feeling.


    There was an awkward silence between us as we continued walking toward the Training field.


    "Why are you not with your friends?"


    I tried to have a conversation with Sylvia since I felt quite awkward. Also, I was curious about why she didn''te with Lisa or Hiro.


    They would always be together so I found it quite odd for her to be alone.


    "Ahh. I had some business to attend to so I leftte. Unexpectedly, I encountered you on the way."


    Sylvia said. I thought it would be another awkward silence between us when she asked a question.


    "What do you think about Hiro?"


    "What?"


    I was stunned by her question.


    She was asking like she wanted to know my opinion on a girl. What do I think of Hiro? I don''t think about him at all.


    ( I am not gay! )


    "He is a nice guy."


    I said what I thought at that moment.


    "Nice?¡­ "


    Sylvia didn''t expect that kind of answer. She just wanted to know what Zero thinks of Hiro as he is as talented as him.


    Whether he thought of him as a rival or someone he would like to fight. Not whether he thought he was nice or not.


    However, Sylvia didn''t ask him again because she thought he might be intentionally giving her a wrong answer or maybe he just thought of Hiro as a fellow student who is kind and doesn''t care about his talent.


    Changing the topic, Sylvia asked him another question which she was quite eager to know.


    "Why did you stop chasing after Lisa? Is it because the rumor of you going out with Professor Mia is true?"


    Sylvia asked in a high voice as she became excited to know the answer.


    Zero suddenly bes indifferent to Lisa as if he didn''t care about her at all. Even though he would always try to flirt with her in front of her before.


    "Er,... "


    Zero didn''t know how to reply to Sylvia question and started to think of an answer.


    ( Why did I stop? Because my role was over? I don''t know how to answer that question. I realize that whatever is meant to happen will eventually happen and I didn''t need to stick to that ridiculous script.)


    "Me going out with Professor Mia is just a rumor. As for Lisa¡­"


    Zero paused as he had no idea what to say.


    ( Should I say I have no interest in her? Or should I make up another reasonable exnation? But why did I even chase after her in the first ce? )


    This question has haunted me for quite a while. In the novel, it did say that I started to chase after Lisa. Although due to Parallel Memory, I think that my personality has changed a bit.


    However, I don''t think that I would have fallen for Lisa just like that, even with my previous personality.


    Lisa is certainly beautiful but I am not a guy that just falls in love with any pretty girl that I see. Or am I?


    I doubt that''s true.


    (...)


    "...llo"


    "Huh?"


    "~Earth to Zero! Are you here?"


    Sylvia waved her small hand in front of my face as she gazed at me trying to figure out what had happened.


    "Ehem. Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts."


    I said as I started to scratch my head.


    It is crazy to think that I have to worry so much about something that will not have much impact on the future.


    ( I will just tell her that I just lost my interest in Lisa. )


    "I have lo¡­

 Chapter 96 After Selection

    Chapter 96 After Selection


    "I have lo¡­"


    "What are you two doing here?"


    Appearing out of nowhere was Professor Mia. She interrupted me before I told Sylvia.


    She appears to be heading towards the Training Field as well.


    "You are going to bete if you stay still like that."


    Professor Mia said sternly.


    "Yes yes, Uh...we... were just going."


    Sylvia said while stuttering. She seems quite nervous in front of Professor Mia.


    It was not long before she bowed before Professor Mia and quickly walked away from her.


    Most students were definitely afraid of Professor Mia. Not because she was just a professor but because she is the ''Ice Enchantress''.


    While she garners fame and admiration from millions of people, she also causes them to fear her.


    Although I don''t think I am ever going to be scared of her. <sub></sub>


    People fear what is unknown. Though Professor Mia might be able to kill me in one p, I know she won''t.


    Therefore, I don''t think I will be afraid of her.


    Sylvia escaped like she was running away from the devil.


    Sorry, Wrong expression. If it was a real devil, people would definitely attack it rather than run away from it.


    Anyway, it looks like Sylvia is not good with Professor Mia.


    "Actually, it is a good opportunity. I want to ask you something."


    While walking towards the Training Field, Professor Mia stopped and suddenly spoke to me.


    "Huh?"


    "What do you think about me?"


    "..."


    ( This again? )<sub>


    </sub>


    It was Sylvia asking the same question about Hiro, now Professor Mia is asking the same question about her.


    "You know, I am one of the strongest people in Ace Academy and also in the whole Humalia Domain."


    Before I even thought of an answer, Professor Mia started bragging about herself.


    ( Why are you telling me? )


    It was weird for Professor Mia to boast about herself. She never did it in ss and she doesn''t need to because she is one of the most talented people in the world.


    It would be rare to find someone who has not heard of Ice Enchantress once in their life, especially the younger generation.


    She is an idol of many students including Lisa. She has been recruited by many Top guilds including the four tinum graded guilds.


    She literally has no one topete with in her age group. Her strong Ice skill and her beauty earned her the title ''Ice Enchantress''.


    However, she refused and joined Ace Academy instead.


    Many thought it was a waste of her talent and she would slow her advancement to higher ranks if she chose a teaching career.


    But she proved those people wrong by breaking through Rank-A and bing the youngest person in history to do so.<sub> </sub>


    Though I didn''t understand her intention of bragging about herself, I nodded to her question.


    "My Ice Magic can be said to be one of the strongest and there is no one who can use Ice magic better than me."


    ( I KNOW! YOU ARE THE ICE ENCHANTRESS! )


    "So, I think it would be better if you chose me as your training mentor."


    ( Ah! It was about that.)


    I finally realize Professor Mia''s intention.


    In order to increase the power of selected participants as much as possible, school management will let students pick a professor as their mentor for three months.


    They will supervise and impart their knowledge as much as possible.


    Selecting a mentor requires consent between both student and professor.


    The student and mentor not only need a good rtionship but also should have simr Art or weapon.


    What can a professor who specializes in Sword Art teach a student who uses a bow?


    Maybe he could teach him about mana control and condensation but his teaching would not be as effective as training under a professor with simr Art.


    Therefore, having a good professor who has simr Art will greatly benefit the student.


    (...)


    I pondered for a minute about Professor Mia''s proposition.


    She was a really good choice. We both have the same element of Magic Art and I would like to think that our rtionship is better than most.


    Except for Professor Mia, I don''t think I have really close ties with other professors.


    But I could also opt to go for a professor who specializes in Sword Art. With the performance I showed the day before yesterday, I don''t think many professors will refuse if I said I want to learn from them.


    After all, professors are also human, and they also like to have a connection with talented students. So that when the students grow stronger, they can repay the favor.


    However, as Professor Mia said, she is one of the strongest and most talented professors at Ace Academy.


    And with her expertise in Ice Magic, she should be able to guide me well.


    Learning under her would be most effective though I doubt the methods she would use to train me.


    Professor Mia''s only w was that she would use extreme training measures in order to train her students.


    Since she was able to do that type of training when she was younger, she expects others to also do it. Which led to many students fleeing from her training session.


    But I will be fine. I will be fine, right?


    I would like to believe I will be fine since I am quite used to harsh training. Though she might introduce a more difficult training method.


    "Although you also use Swords, I think that your Magic Art is more powerful than your Sword Art. I suggest you focus on your Ice Art for now."


    It really looked like Professor Mia wanted to be my mentor. I don''t know what prompted her to be so motivated to be a mentor.


    With her reputation and power, she could choose any one of the participants as her mentee.


    "I understand. I will do as you say."


    However, I didn''t have any reason to refuse her. Professor Mia was definitely the most suitable option for me.


    "Great! Other professors may try to win you over but I hope you keep your promise."

 Chapter 97 Choosing Mentor

    Chapter 97 Choosing Mentor


    Shortly we reached the Training Field.


    The moment I entered the Training Field, people began looking at me.


    They were not even surprised when I came in with Profesor Mia. Although I could feel some jealousy from the boys.


    The professor went near the podium where another professor was, while I remained with other students.


    The Head Teacher came to the podium and began giving his speech.


    The Head Professor once again congratted us. And then he began exining what exactly the Tournament of Academies is and why it was established.


    An event that was established to give young students the chance topare and learn from each other.


    It was also so that various guilds around the world could see the talented people that they might be interested in recruiting.


    And provide students with opportunities to show their abilities.


    Fame is something that everybody wants and this event was perfect for those seeking to show off their powers.<sub></sub>


    Academy ranking is also decided based on the ranking of students in the Tournament.


    The reason schools invest so much in participants of the tournament is because the resources allocated to the Academy in the following year will be determined by the ranking.


    "Now, we will begin by allocating a professor to each one of you."


    The Head Professor finished speaking. The professor stood in front of the student.


    The student was called ording to their rank or ording to the power disyed in the Selection fight.


    The first name on the list was Lisanna. Lisanna stood in front of several professors waiting for the professor to step up and show their desire to be her mentor.


    "Keke, I will have Lisanna as my mentee."


    One of the professors said with a smile while exuding an intimidating aura. The other professor didn''tment on his behavior because he was one of the most powerful professors in Ace Academy.


    This was also so that lesser qualified professors would not step up topete for Lisanna. <sub>


    </sub>


    If given the chance to everyone, every professor would choose Lisanna as their mentee. But they were not qualified and Professor Uriel showed it with his aura.


    Only those who had the guts to stand in front of that aura would have the qualifications to step up.


    "Hehe, Old man Uriel, don''t think you are the only one who wants her as their student. She should study under anotherdy rather than a rusty old man."


    A mature woman stepped forward from the group. She exuded confidence and was not in the least intimidated by Professor Uriel''s aura.


    Three more professors stepped up showing their desire to be the mentor of Lisanna. While they were strong,pared to Lady Sienna and Old man Uriel, they could hardly grab Lisanna''s attention.


    Professor Mia''s reputation and influence could beparable to them but she didn''t step up topete with them.


    Lisanna''s choice was therefore between Uriel and Sienna. In the end, she ended up choosing Sienna.


    It could be because Sienna was the ss teacher of her ss and she felt more familiar with Professor Sienna than Professor Uriel.


    "ZERO ELEA!"<sub> </sub>


    Next on the list was Zero.


    Some students were surprised because while Zero might have defeated Lyon, it didn''t mean that the ranking would always change.


    Although Toby could defeat Lyon at times, their ranking didn''t change due to a single fight.


    While the majority of other students had all expected this oue. Zero has the capability ofpeting equally with Lisanna, and it is uncertain whether Zero will lose a fight with her.


    If Zero was called first, then it might have caused some kind ofmotion. But then also, the students present there could ept the result.


    Zero''s reputation was already sky high and there was not a single student that would underestimate him.


    Lyon beside Toby showed a bitter expression but he could only ept the situation as he ended up losing against Zero.


    I walked out of the crowd and stood in front of the Professors. Professor Mia was sending me some meaningful looks.


    For a minute, professors didn''te up right away. They were waiting for someone to step up.


    Some professors nced at Professor Mia. They seem to know that the chances of Zero choosing Professor Mia were high and have refrained from stepping up.


    "I will have him."


    Amid the silence, Professor Mia stepped up and dered. It was like she knew she would be chosen.


    "Keke, I think that a young man like Zero would learn better from an old man like myself."


    Professor Uriel once again stepped up. He specialized in Sword Art. He has seen Zero use Sword Art and he could sense much potential in him.


    He wanted to teach Lisanna since she is one of the most skilled sword users. But since she refused, he could only go for Zero who is second best.


    "Old man Uriel, don''t you know the rtionship between the two? I think you are just going to be rejected again."


    One of the professors jokingly said. While it was meant as a joke, the meaning was serious.


    This was the reason why many professors refrained from going after Zero even though Zero is one of the most talented students in Ace Academy.


    Professors have pride too and when students repeatedly reject the professor multiple times, it could be seen as a humiliating thing.


    Old man Uriel already lost once to Professor Sienna. Would it not be embarrassing for him to be rejected twice?


    The professor already seems to know who Zero is going to choose and has refrained from stepping forward.


    What is the use of stepping up andpeting when the oue is already determined?


    And there were also only a few professors who could match Professor Mia''s strengths. Professor Uriel was one of them.


    "I have also heard that young man Zero has an extraordinary rtionship with Professor Mia but in front of interest, those things are just secondary."


    Old man Uriel said confidently as he took one book out of his storage ring.


    "Uriel, are you serious? That thing is the hard work of your entire life."


    His friend was surprised by his friend''s actions when he said this. He tried to hold Uriel to let him think about his decision again.


    "I have no family and rtives. Would it not be perfect if I could pass it on to someone who is talented like Zero?"


    Professor Uriel said happily. He looked directly at Zero to reaffirm his choice.


    "Young man, if you choose me as your mentor, I will pass on my Art to you."

 Chapter 98 Choosing Mentor [2]

    Chapter 98 Choosing Mentor [2]


    "Young man, if you choose me as your mentor, I will pass on my Art to you."


    Professor Uriel''s voice was so loud and clear that it was heard by all the people present there.


    The student was stunned when they heard this.


    ''What did I just hear? Professor Uriel wants to give his Art to Zero?''


    They could understand if Professor Uriel wanted to teach his Art through Manual but passing Art on the other hand was a different story.


    The difference between Art learned through a book instantly like Zero and learning Art through a Manual was an entirely different thing.


    When one uses an Art book to absorb the Art, many techniques and methods that you didn''t know previously can be known after using the Art book. While learning through Manual is just like normal learning. You go through the instruction written in the Manual by someone and try to execute it.


    Learning from the Manual can be less effective if you don''t fully understand what is written in the Manual. On other hand, learning from Art book is easy as the only thing needed to reach the perfect stage is practice.


    Another difference between an Art book and a Manual is that while a Manual can be used many times, Art book can only be used once. This makes Art book extremely rare and precious.


    It was unimaginable for them to ever get a Rank-S''s Art book. They know that Professor Uriel''s Art book was at least level 6 which made it extremely rare.


    Many students were seething in jealousy at the thought of losing this opportunity to Zero. Lisanna also felt a tinge of envy at Zero and was regretting her decision a little.


    She might have got it if she chose Professor Uriel as her mentor. <sub></sub>


    Many professors were equally as stunned as the student. Never in a million years did they expect Professor Uriel to use his most prized possession as a way to entice a student.


    The prospect of getting an Art book easily, especially one of Level 6 Art, is something that could even make Professors jealous.


    Even Professor Mia was shocked by this. She didn''t expect Professor Uriel to be so serious about Zero. She looked in the direction of the boy who was offered such a generous offer.


    Unlike others, Zero was standing there with a calm expression, not showing a single bit of excitement.


    He was also a bit surprised that Professor Uriel was willing to use his Art book as bargaining chips. He knows how precious an Art book can be since it represents one''s umtion of expertise in Art.


    However, to say he would want it is a different story. While he was shocked by Professor Uriel''s method of recruiting him, he didn''t think he needed that Art book.


    The level of Professor Uriel''s Art was well above level 5 and it was able to entice many people but not himself.


    Zero could, if he wanted, obtain a Sword Art book of at least level 7 Art in the future with the knowledge of the future.


    ( What is the use of spending and wasting so much time on level 5 or 6 Art when it would get wasted when I eventually get a Level 7 Sword Art. )


    While I appreciated Professor Uriel''s sincerity and I might have even epted him as my mentor if I hadn''t already chosen one.


    "Thank you for thinking so highly of me but I have already decided on Professor Mia as my mentor."<sub>


    </sub>


    Another sentence caused a shockwave on the students and professors watching him.


    ''Is Zero rejecting Level 6 Art? LEVEL 6 ART!!!''


    Level 6 is not a cabbage that you see every day. It is extremely rare and precious. Many would even risk their lives just to get such Art.


    ''Are you an idiot? YOU ARE AN IDIOT''


    How can anyone even think about rejecting such offers? Some people might object if they are asked to do something unreasonable but Professor Uriel is just asking Zero to be his mentee. He just had to say yes and train with him for three months.


    It was the same as offering it for free and Zero was tantly rejecting it.


    ''Are you blinded by beauty to see what is important? Nothing really matters other than strength.''


    Students'' heart was bleeding when they think about Zero opportunity to get Level 6 Art, only to forsake it.


    Some were smirking and showing disdain towards Zero as they thought Zero was just faking it for attention.


    They believe he will ept the offer soon.


    While the one who didn''t like Zero thought that, others thought of another reason.<sub> </sub>


    The student asked, ''Is love worth it'', having no idea about what Zero had promised Professor Mia, could only interpret this as Zero never abandoning his lover.


    Some Professors also had a simr thought that Zero loved Professor Mia too much to even bother about Level 6 Art. Like the saying goes ''Love is blind'', they thought Zero being young could not choose the right decision.


    Some of the professors were disappointed at Zero''s decision as they thought he was blinded by short-term gain and could not think wisely.


    Professor Mia was happy that Zero kept his word. But at the same time felt a little sad and guilty for robbing Zero''s opportunity to get a strong Art.


    While she knew Professors would offer different kinds of offers in order to win over Zero, she didn''t think anybody would use an Art book to do so.


    If not for her selfishness and making Zero promise her, he might have gotten the opportunity.


    But she was not a girl who gave in to sadness and regret. She decided that she will train Zero to the point that his progress will be equivalent to getting that Level 6 Art.


    "Th-This¡­"


    Out of all the people, Professor Uriel was the most shocked. He never thought anyone could reject the offer that he made.


    He heard rumors about those two but emotion and feeling can only take you so far. It is always self-interest that dominates all other feelings and emotions.


    Level 6 Art was enough to even get a Diamond grade guild interested, not to mention a boy who had no background and was given this opportunity for free.


    A simple answer from Zero caused many people to start thinking about various things. Many thought Zero made a wrong decision.


    Zero was rejected not because of the feeling or emotion that many people were thinking, but because level 6 Art was not lucrative enough for Zero.


    Though his promise could also be said to have prevented him from epting the offer, but it was mostly because he was not attracted by Level 6 Art.


    He needs to spend at least 4 months to 6 months to get it to the same power level as his current Shadow Style Art. By that time, he would have already gotten a new Sword Art which is a higher level than 6.


    He was nning to get an extremely high-level Sword Art after the Tournament of Academies. So, even if he practiced for those three months, it was going to be a waste. So, he had no desire to learn that Art.


    "Are you sure?"


    Professor Uriel asked seriously. This was hisst chance to Zero, after this, he was not going to ept Zero even if the other party begs for it.


    He had already promised his most valuable possession and showed more than enough sincerity. If Zero wanted more, he could only think of him as greedy and narrow-minded.


    "Absolutely!"


    Zero said this without any regret. He went back to the crowd after he rejected the offer.


    Many looked at the boy who rejected an offer that they could only ever dream about. The regret on their faces was like they were the ones who got denied the offer.


    If other students had rejected it, they would have dragged him into a corner and beat some sense into his head.


    Unfortunately for them, Zero was the one who rejected the offer. They could not beat him even if they wanted to. It would be the opposite, Zero would beat them until there was nothing left of them.


    -SIGH!


    The students can only sigh. They didn''t know what goes into the brain of the weirdest boy in the whole school.


    The event continued, with Lyon following me, then Toby and Hiro.


    Thepetition between the professors increased afterward. Top Professors ended up taking in the most talented students, and after the Top Professors had finished choosing, other professors franticallypeted with each other.


    The earlier a student was called, the more talented they were. Because of this, professors try to get students as quickly as possible. They would try to entice the student with their lucrative deal though nobody had offered value simr to Professor Uriel.


    The student who the professor fought for the most was Lisa. She was young and a talented student. Other Top students were all taken, therefore Lisa became the most wanted student by the remaining professors.


    Zion was called after Lisa even though his rank was higher than Lisa in the Mid-term.


    All 20 students got their respective mentors. They were to supervise the training before the school began and after the school ends.


    In other words, every time excluding the normal studies. Participants will work extra hard under the guidance of a mentor, though the school will continue as usual.


    "I will make you the strongest for the Tournament of Academies"


    Professor Mia said as she demonstrated an unusually motivated spirit.

 Chapter 99 Training With Professor Mia

    Chapter 99 Training With Professor Mia


    The training didn''t just begin after the mentors were selected.


    We just fought to get selected as participants. So, we had been given a two-day holiday before the training started.


    In that period, I reviewed the report sent by thepany.


    From now on, it looks like I will not be getting any rest. Not with Professor Mia as my mentor.


    This could be my only chance to look at thepany report.


    After 3 hours of looking at the progress of different departments of the Tech genesis, I was satisfied.


    TwitFlick and WorldCraft were not showing any signs of slowing down in their growth. Hundreds of thousands of new users were added daily to the two apps.


    An average of Ten million active users every day. The number of people making new content has also increased.


    The content with the most views was the videos of students fighting.


    It looks like some students captured the video of other students battling each other to determine the participants of the Tournament of Academies.


    Other schools have also started selecting their participants for the Tournament of Academies. And it seems that the audience had taken pictures and video of it and uploaded it to their TwitFlick ount.


    There were several videos showing the battles between students from different Academies. Some students were even from our Ace Academy. <sub></sub>


    It was mostly Hiro''s as he is popr and having him in a video is guaranteed to garner more views on TwitFlick.


    The increase in content creators could be one of the reasons why more and more people are using TwitFlick.


    The increase in content creators could directly be linked to the fact that we have started to pay those people who have a high number of views.


    Mana battery and Megaplex were also doing well.


    We have finally started to sell phones that are powered by Mana batteries.


    It looked like the selling through Megaplex had dampened the sales of Mana battery phones in the first week of itsunch.


    Despite spending millions on the advertisement, Mana battery phones were not in demand at the start of itsunch.


    The customer probably could not understand why they must pay for something that they could buy for 3 times less. And they might also be discouraged by the fact that it is sold through Megaplex.


    However, there were some enthusiasts who brought this phone to test it. They were able to see the benefit of having these types of phones.


    And through advertisements and customers referring to their friends, we managed to sell Ten thousand of these products in the second week.


    Not a very high number but it was a good start and those who bought the phones have also bought other products from Megaplex.<sub>


    </sub>


    I could finally say that Megaplex was finally picking up its pace though we were still at a loss of 50 million Ethan from Megaplex. But I expected this investment to be returned several times in the future.


    They also sent me a prototype of drones that are powered by Mana batteries. It could be super useful when exploring dungeons and unexplorednd.


    Thepanies were doing well, and my secretary is also capable. So, I had no problem leaving mypany in their hands.


    Though I had to make sure that the employees got their bonuses and vacation time.


    Thepany also had a different department called the Intelligence Agency. It was specifically created to meet my needs.


    Like getting Malus Fruit and Lilium flower, two main ingredients to make Rank-S rank up potion. They were able to procure two Malus Fruits and more than 10 Lilium flowers.


    They also bought many Rank-A Rank-up potions that I was preparing to give to Shadow Genesis guild members.


    They were also collecting information on auctions and rare items that were going to be sold there.


    If something catches my eye and is reasonably priced, I can ask them to buy it.


    Therefore, although I earn lots of money these days, I also spend it on all those items.


    Anyway, I have the solution to making two new Rank-S humans. It is quite unbelievable that I could do something like this.<sub> </sub>


    Though Rank-up potions do not guarantee that a person will certainly rank up, it does increase the chances exponentially. If even using this potion you are not able to rank up then I can only say you are not destined to rank up.


    This department was always busy and many people worked in many different ces, collecting relevant information as per my need.


    There was no profit in keeping the Intelligence Agency but it was made to help me and reduce the burden on others. I can''t always ask my secretary, Elisa, to hire someone to look for those items.


    It was expensive to hire those people and I constantly need people to procure many things. So, to keep things cost-effective and more efficient, the Intelligence Agency was created.


    And I was quite impressed by their work. They had even been able to get some information on ck markets.


    The ck market was a ce where Heroes, Dark guild members, and even Devil Contractors would be present. It was a ce that had all kinds of people.


    It could be seen as an illegal ce where every kind of transaction takes ce. The auctions there could include extremely rare artifacts and mana herbs.


    Even the Main Characters end up going to the ck market to search for an extremely rare Rank-A artifact that they needed to catch a Burning Cyclop who is a Rank-A boss monster.


    To be able to gather information from those ces is certainly not an easy job. It seems that I need to increase their pay and invest more in that department.


    NightShade guild was also doing their work well. Recently due to the increase in poprity of ourpany, even Gold graded guilds have their eyes on Tech Genesis. Although, having NightShade guild dering the partnership of their guild and thepany has deterred many guilds from getting any ideas about Tech Genesis.


    But they were waiting for their chance to annex thepany when NightShade was in a vulnerable position. Though they had to wait for a long time, because of my investment in the NightShade guild, they were able to sessfullyplete a lot of raids and campaigns without much loss.


    They were bing stronger day by day with no sign of slowing down. But it might be difficult for even NightShade to protect thepany if the Diamond grade guild showed their interest in the Tech Genesis.


    Looks like I need to do something about it. Though I guess it will be a long time before it gets to the point of getting the attention of a Diamond-graded guild.


    After I finished looking through the reports, I spent some time watching the videos uploaded to TwitFlick.


    Mainly the battle of students of other schools. It was always good to collect information before confronting your enemy.


    After watching some fights, I concluded that the standard for other students was lowpared to those at Ace Academy. The strongest person I saw in the video was just Rank-D who was not even as strong as Velma who was defeated by Lisa.


    Though thements were crazy.


    "WOW! Nice Fight!"


    "Wish I had that kind of power."


    "He will definitely rank in the Top-10 of the Tournament of Academies."


    "Big Fan!"


    It looked like he garnered the most attention on TwitFlick. The ignorant mass even believed he would rank in the Top-10.


    ( Top-10? My a**! He would be very lucky to even get in the Top-100.


    He gained poprity because his moves were very shy and gave the impression that he was very strong. Although It was very good for TwitFlick and entertainment, in actual battle, it was not very efficient.


    He only won because of vast differences in rank between him and his opponent. If it was me, it would not even take more than one attack to kill him.


    What is the point of shy moves? Sure, you will get the attention of some, but that is it. A skill needs to be precise and deadly. A shy skill will only consume more mana resulting in faster exhaustion of mana.


    I continued to scroll down and watched different kinds of Art being disyed. Some have even impressed with their tactics to exhaust their opponents with defense.


    Another individual who was interesting was someone who did not retreat but focused only on attacking. While it may seem stupid and easy tounch an attack, it was not.


    You need to be able to withstand other party attacks and also need to be fearless. It was not like everybody could move forward when they saw an attacking. It is in our instinct to dodge or block the attack.


    He would ignore their attacks and just move forward to his opponent''s position. He won with his overwhelming defense and the look on his opponent''s face conveyed how scary it was to face him.


    However, no matter how brave he was, being in just Rank-D -, he could be even taken care of by Lisa, not to mention other strong students of Ace Academy.


    I continued to watch other students battle before drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 100 Training With Professor Mia [2]

    Chapter 100 Training With Professor Mia [2]


    "Huff¡­ huff¡­"


    The sound of heavy panting resounded in the room as I continued lifting the barbell. The room that I am currently training is not an ordinary room but a room called Gravity Room.


    In the Gravity Room, you can adjust the gravity of the room to the one that you want. The maximum gravity was up to 20 times the normal gravity.


    Right now, I am being trained here, early in the morning by Professor Mia. Lifting 200 kg barbell plus 5 times the normal gravity. Even for a guy who would train continuously for days, it was difficult.


    Last night, Professor Mia sent me a message toe to the Gravity Room at 6 in the morning, after my rest day was over.


    First thing she did was to make me run in a circle for 30 minutes. It might have been a piece of cake if the gravity in the room was not 5 times more.


    In the beginning, Professor Mia set the gravity to 3 times but seeing that Zero was not at all affected by it, she decided to increase it.


    She was determined to make Zero one of the strongest students in the Tournament of Academies. To do that, she would need to train Zero in harsh conditions.


    Normal training would do no good to strong people like Zero. Zero already proved that when hepleted running in 5 times the gravity.


    If it was an average person in Rank-D -, he/she would have passed out from exhaustion. While she saw him sweating and breathing heavily, it didn''t seem like he was at his limit.<sub></sub>


    After that was when she made Zero lift a 200 kg barbell in the Gravity Room. Zero felt as if he was lifting a ton of weights due to the 5 times gravity.


    ( Looks like Professor Mia is not going to make this easy. )


    But lifting 200 kg barbell in 5 times gravity was nothing impossible. While it was difficult training, I could manage to lift it.


    I knew Professor Mia''s method would be extreme but who could have thought she would make me lift a 200 kg barbell in the Gravity Room right off the bat?


    -GRRRR! -GAAHH!


    As I kept lifting the weights, I started to be weaker and grunting noises unintentionally escaped from my mouth.


    ( Good! It looks like he really trains hard. )


    Professor Mia thought as she waspletely satisfied with Zero''s performance.


    She was impressed by Zero''s persistence and his ability to continue. Rarely did she evere across students who could follow her training method. It was also one of the most difficult training methods she devised for the students.<sub>


    </sub>


    She would normally not use this but Zero was a rare talent who had the potential to surpass her. So, she wants to be able to provide the most effective training she can.


    While this was her most difficult and grueling method of training, it also provided the highest results. How did she know?


    Because it was the same training method she used when she was at Rank-D -. However, she ended up passing out after one hour of following this method during her first week.


    Unlike her, Zero could handle it easily and she was happy to know that. She thought she needed to revise her method and bring in more tough training.


    She was observing Zero very meticulously. She was carefully watching Zero to find out what his limits are and what he can handle, so that she coulde up with a more effective training method.


    "Zero, you have done well today. Umm¡­ Let''s end the training here. I will see you in ss.~"


    Professor happily said.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    Honestly, it was the most difficult training that I ever did. Luckily itsted for only one and a half hours. In that short period of time, I was exhausted and drenched in sweat.<sub> </sub>


    Normal training will not make me exhausted or sweat even if I practice for a whole day. Normal training was not very effectuve for me.


    Only by opting for extreme methods do I see myself improving, though Professor Mia''s method could be said to be too extreme.


    However, I was happy with the training because I know that I will get stronger if I continue to train like this.


    I happily left the Gravity Room and headed toward the shower room.


    *****


    The morning training ended at 7:30 am. I was able to take a shower and dress up in 20 minutes. And made my way to the ssroom.


    I entered the ss and I could feel the gazes of the students. As I walked towards the ssroom, the same thing happened.


    Students will most likely stare at me whenever they see me. While it was awkward, I was used to ignoring those stares.


    Simrly, I would also ignore my ssmate''s stare and sit down in my ce.


    "I heard he rejected Professor Uriel''s Art."


    "Dammit! I thought it was just a rumor but many students present there confirmed it. Who is stupid enough to reject Level 6 Art? I wish I was in Zero''s ce."


    "Pft! Who would not like to be in Zero''s ce? He is one of the strongest students and even third-year students fear him. Everybody would be happy to exchange their ce with him."


    The students who are interested in gossip have already gotten hold of the news that Zero rejected Level 6 Sword Art. While many believed Zero made a major mistake, others believed the reason Zero rejected the offer was that Zero possessed an even higher level of Art.


    While the Sword Art that Zero showed in the Tournament could be said to be decent, it didn''t possess the power that Level 6 Sword Art typically has. Though not all Level 6 Sword Art would have high power.


    Many believed that theory because why else would Zero reject something as valuable as Level 6 Sword Art if he had a low-Rank Art?


    Students were surprised and shocked to find out that there was someone so strong among their ssmates. They were also jealous of Zero''s strength.


    However, they were not afraid or scared of Zero because why would they? They didn''t do anything to offend him.


    "Boss, what shall we do?"


    "Do we go and apologize before he beats us?"


    "Phew! It does not look like Zero remembers us. It might be a good idea to not appear in front of him. He will eventually forget us."


    sh Erwin said to hisckey. He was a man of pride. How could he bow his head? But remembering Zero''s strength, he started to sweat and tremble.


    Although other students were not afraid of Zero, it was a different story for sh Erwin and his friends. They could be said to be fortunate that they didn''t face any retaliation from Zero when they were harassing him.


    But they were definitely afraid that one-day Zero might cripple them because of their previous action. Beginning from the day Zero defeated Lyon, they lived in fear and waited for their end.


    Luckily it didn''t seem like Zero would bother with someone as insignificant as them. They felt a little relieved to see Zero was just going to his own seat as usual.


    They nervously looked at Zero who was going to his seat. They could not help but think,


    ''Why the hell did we mess with that monster?''

 Chapter 101 Training With Professor Mia [3]

    Chapter 101 Training With Professor Mia [3]


    Hiro, Sylvia, and Lisa also could not help but look toward Zero. The gossip surrounding Zero had be the most talked about topic in the entire Ace Academy.


    Everyone, from students to professors, everybody was talking about Zero.


    The main characters were no exceptions. Though they don''t engage in gossip like other students. But Zero was a different thing for them. They each had some remarkable encounters with Zero.


    They each had different feelings toward Zero.


    Sylvia was the least surprised of them when Zero defeated Lyon. She had already witnessed Zero''s might from the beginning of school. She already saw Zero as someone who is as talented as Hiro.


    Zero saved her life at the beginning of school and she considered him someone to whom she is indebted.


    Lisa seemed to haveplicated emotions towards Zero. As someone who was once chased by him, it felt weird to see Zero as someone who could shock even the S Rank Professors.


    He was always goofy and funny in front of her. Always citing some poem to tell her she was beautiful. He received a lot of hate due to that.


    But he seemed like someone who would not give up on her no matter what the other students did. However, he did leave her after some time.<sub></sub>


    Now, the same coward which many people believed he was, is able to shock the world with his power. She just could not see the two of them as the same person.


    Zero seems different from the time when he flirted with her, not just in terms of power, but also in terms of aura and disposition.


    Hiro was the least person among the three to have any kind of interaction with Zero. But he did know the existence of Zero, as Zero made his name famous by openly chasing after Lisa.


    It left a deep impression on Hiro as he had never seen someone who could tantly chase someone like Zero.


    He admired Zero''s guts and bravery. Not everyone can do that, at least not to Lisa who had many admirers.


    Then he and Zero were constantly harassed by the seniors. The conflict got so big that he had to ept the challenge and fight the two seniors with Zero as his partner.


    Hiro felt guilty for dragging Zero into the fight with the seniors. Lucas and Rowan were both weaker than him, and he knew he could easily take care of them.


    But he didn''t think they would resort to cheating. It could have been his loss if not for Zero helping him at that time. <sub>


    </sub>


    Then he began noticing Zero''s power. During the training, mid-term test, and finally the selection fight, Hiro had ample opportunity to confirm Zero''s power.


    Hiro thinks of Zero as someone he needs to surpass.


    Zion was absent that day. Looks like he still didn''t get over his defeat.


    *****


    [ Zero''s POV]


    We had Theory ss until lunch. After that, I was going to train with Professor Mia.


    As usual Professor Mia entered the ss at exactly 8:00 am. She took attendance and left the ssroom.


    "ARGH!"<sub> </sub>


    I groaned as I stretched my arms.


    It looked like the training in the morning really took a toll on my body.


    As soon as Professor Mia stepped outside the ss, I started to doze off.


    The professor teaching the ss came and noticed that Zero was sleeping.


    He thought Zero was disregarding his authority but he didn''t say anything to him. Zero had be one of the most talented students in the Ace Academy, to criticize him was inappropriate.


    Unless Zero did something outrageous, even a professor would not say anything about what he does. This was his privilege as one of the strongest students in the Ace Academy.


    Another professor whoter showed up for the next ss also didn''t say anything about Zero sleeping in ss. However, his reason was different from the first professor.


    He was aware of the fact that Professor Mia is Zero''s mentor. Due to Professor Mia''s personality, the professor believed that she must have trained Zero inhumanely.


    He has personally witnessed Professor Mia training the students and knows how tough it is to train under her.


    The professor could only show sympathy and let Zero rest during his period. He only hopes that this young man could endure until he is finally able to enjoy his youth again.


    "UGH!¡­"


    Waking me up was the sound of students chatting and walking. It looks like it was time for lunch.


    I also went to the School Cafeteria to eat something. Though the crowd inside the Cafeteria had made me feel quite awkward. There was arge number of students in the cafeteria and when they noticed me, they would stare at me like I was a rare specimen.


    I quickly ate the sandwich that I ordered and left that awkward ce.


    The training once again started with Professor Mia repeating the training that I did in the morning. It appears that she is focusing on enhancing my physical body right now.


    The training didn''t feel as overbearing as in the morning but it was still tough. After running and lifting a 200 kg barbell, Professor Mia continued my training by letting me run while attaching a bracelet around my arms and legs which weigh 25 kg each. So in total, I had 100 kg added to my body and was to run in a room where the gravity was 5 times more.


    It wasn''t until 30 minutester that I fell down due to exhaustion.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Even with strong stamina, it seems that running in a 5-times gravity room with 100 kg of weight is too much for my body to handle. I have never thought that one day I will fall down due to running.


    "Take this!"


    Professor Mia suddenly threw a potion in my direction. I immediately knew what kind of potion it was. The potion that Professor Mia gave me was the Recovery potion which is pretty recognizable by its green color.


    "We will continue the training after you have rested for 10 minutes."


    Professor Mia said as she began jotting down notes in her small notebook. I don''t know what that notebook contains but she would now and then write something down.


    -GULP! -GULP!


    I took the potion andy on the ground for another 5 minutes before springing back on my feet.


    ''Time for round 2''

 Chapter 102 Training With Professor Mia [4]

    Chapter 102 Training With Professor Mia [4]


    This same schedule continued until Friday. I was made toe to the Gravity Room every day in the morning and practice there for at least one and a half hours.


    Then after the ss, we will once again meet to train. It wouldn''t be untilte at night that I would be free to leave.


    I would immediately drift off to sleep the moment I reached my room. Even forgetting to take a shower sometimes.


    The majority of the time, I would sleep in ss because I was so tired. Luckily, the Professors didn''t scold me or even try to wake me up.


    However, it was not only me who seemed exhausted in the ss. Even the Main Characters seemed to have been put through some intense training.


    Though I would argue that I have it worst among all the participants. Professor Mia''s training method is more difficultpared to other professors.


    Professor Mia will increase the difficulty of training little by little every day.


    After the ss was over, I headed over to the gravity room thinking that it would be the same old training.


    However, the moment I entered the room, Professor Mia was standing there wearing her gym clothes.


    It was a tight ck that seemed to suit her perfectly. I took a few seconds to admire the view. It is not every day that you get to watch the most beautiful woman imed by many, in a tight dress.


    "Looked enough!"


    Bringing me back to reality was Professor Mia''s voice.


    "Ahem! Why did you change into different clothes?"<sub></sub>


    Trying to divert Professor Mia''s mind to other things, I asked about Professor Mia''s decision to change her clothes. Normally she would be in her skirt and heel.


    "Oh, this? This is because today we are going to do different things."


    She said as she backed away a few meters away from me.


    "Today, you will be fighting me."


    "AHA¡­Eeh¡­ What?"


    I was dumbfounded that I didn''t know what to say.


    What did I just hear? Did Professor Mia just tell me she was going to fight me, a puny insect at Rank-D -.


    Does Professor Mia have any grudge against me? Don''t tell me it is her revenge for ogling her body.


    Nah, she wouldn''t be so petty, I hope.


    It is impossible for me to survive if I fight her. She is freaking Rank-A+ and one of the most talented people in the world.


    Even Rank-S might have to go through lots of trouble in order to defeat Professor Mia.


    It is even possible that Professor Mia could defeat Rank-S if he/she was to let their guard down against her.<sub>


    </sub>


    How can I, who is just in Rank-D - be able to defeat someone who is three ranks higher than me, it is impossible even for Hiro after using all his power. Even the Main Character''s plot armor would not be able to save him if he fought with Rank-A right now.


    They would not even need to lift their fingers to defeat people in our ranks. They could suppress thousands of us with just their mana aura.


    "Don''t worry, it is not like I will kill you. It is just to let you experience how it feels to face a stronger opponent."


    Professor gave out the reason why she decided to have a fight with Zero. Though it was one of her reasons for fighting Zero, it was not the sole reason she decided to fight with Zero.


    Her true purpose was to check the full power of Zero. While she has seen many fights involving Zero, she didn''t see any instances where Zero seemed to be really pushed into a corner.


    Only when people are desperate would they show all their power. She wants to know the extent of Zero''s power to decide on his future training. She would know what hecks after she fought with him.


    Professor Mia does not have any intention of being lenient towards Zero. Additionally, she nned to use her mana aura and her Art.


    She wants him to know what Rank-A power really feels like. Get used to fighting under a higher-rank mana aura.


    Many people have difficulty fighting with higher-ranked people because higher-ranked people will have a more refined and dense mana aura which they use to suppress lower-ranked people.


    Furthermore, people are intimidated by the mana aura and the bloodthirst and end up making stupid decisions.


    She wants to let him experience the Rank-A mana aura earlier so that he could be calm when facing a higher-ranked mana aura.


    By getting used to a higher-ranked mana aura, Zero would be able to make calm decisions even when facing enemies beyond his rank.<sub> </sub>


    By fighting with her, he will get used to fighting with a strong opponent and make the right judgment during battle.


    It was also a way for Zero to get a bit of fighting experience. With Zero''s power, hardly any student canst long enough to make Zero fight seriously.


    So, fighting her could also greatly improve Zero''s fighting skills.


    "We will start in one minute."


    She gave Zero one minute time to sort out his thoughts ande up with a n to deal with her.


    It might seem short but in actual battle, you only get a couple of seconds before you have to make a decision. A poor decision can mean death in a real battle.


    Zero used that one minute to calm down his emotions and to think about ways to deal with Professor Mia.


    He knew that Professor Mia would not change her decision and that he needed to definitely fight with her.


    ( I can''t use Cryomancy Art against her. )


    Ice Magic against someone who is more skilled at Ice Magic would be a dumb decision.


    While it could work, using Shadow Style would be better when fighting against Professor Mia.


    We both use Ice Magic Art and although I have level 9 Art, I should have had the advantage against everyone who uses Ice Magic. But Professor Mia''s rank is very high and her proficiency in her Art should be greater than mine.


    So, the advantage that I could have against other Ice Mage is irrelevant in this current scenario.


    The good thing was, although my Ice Magic was ineffective against Professor Mia, the same should apply to me.


    My resistance towards Ice Magic is high due to practicing Cryomancy Art and Professor Mia''s Art should be ineffective against her.


    Though I doubt that she needs to use her Art to defeat me. If Professor Mia went full power mode right from the get-go, one finger would be enough to kill me a hundred times.


    It wasn''t like when I fought Solomon and Glenn, who were unable to use their Rank-A power.


    I was going to fight a Rank-A at her peak without any injuries or any form of restrictions.


    Andpared to Professor Mia, Solomon and Glenn could be considered normal. Even among Rank-A people, Professor Mia could be considered as strong. She might be even 2-3 times stronger than Solomon who was in the same rank as Professor Mia.


    "Let us begin!!!"


    One minute was up and Professor Mia signaled the start of the battle. She stretched her hand from left to right as she readied herself to fight.


    The battle had already begun, but she hadn''t released her mana aura, otherwise I would not be able to move.


    [ "Dual Art" ]


    There was no way I was going to fight Professor Mia while hiding my powers. She has already seen me use this Art before.


    It also was no use hiding this Art. First of all, Professor Mia is currently assessing me and I think she is trying to know the extent of my power.


    She might not be satisfied until I use all the power in my arsenal and make me fight her again and again.


    Secondly, I was not worried about Professor Mia revealing my secret to others. After knowing her for months, I believe she is not the kind of person who spills others'' secrets.


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Professor Mia flinched a little.


    She has always wondered what kind of Art Zero is practicing. She felt two kinds of energies fighting each other in Zero''s body when she was helping Zero at the BloodyWolf incident.


    There has never been a case where a person uses two energies simultaneously. A person may use multiple different energies but they don''t employ them at the same time.


    Not to mention, Zero seemed to merge the energies rather than just using them at the same time.


    However, she could not conclude anything with her assumption. It might be a newly discovered Art or it could be an entirely different energy that Zero is using.


    But she was happy that Zero was taking this battle seriously. If he didn''t use his trump cards even when he was facing her, she would have definitely taken that opportunity to teach Zero a lesson.


    "Let''s see whether you can withstand my punch."

 Chapter 103 Fighting With Professor Mia

    Chapter 103 Fighting With Professor Mia


    In front of Professor Mia, Zero unleashed an extraordinary amount of mana for his rank.


    It had even startled Professor Mia a tiny bit.


    Professor Mia was getting excited to test Zero''s defense. Professor Mia assumed the Dark Icy armor was to increase Zero''s defense.


    Without taking much time, she quickly dashed towards Zero and clenched her fist. She was aiming to break Zero''s armor.


    While it was a simple movement for Professor Mia without enhancing her speed and power with mana, to Zero it looked like Professor Mia shed before his eyes.


    -WHOOSH!


    He could still react to Professor Mia''s speed and see where she is aiming her attack. Zero strengthens the part that Professor Mia was aiming for, which was near his sr plexus.


    -BANG! -CRACK!


    Instantly the Dark Ice armor defending Zero''s sr plexus was broken and Zero was pushed back a few feet.


    "Hah.."


    ( THIS IS FREAKING INSANE!! )


    A casual punch from Professor Mia almost ended my life.


    Her movement is too fast for me to see her properly and her punch was as strong as Rank-B attack.


    Even with the strongest defense that I can currently muster, it does not look like it willst long agsint her attacks.


    Zero thought his defense was severelycking. His Dark Ice Armor broke even when he fully concentrated on strengthening it.


    However, Professor Mia''s thought was quite the opposite. Contrary to Zero''s notion that Dark Ice Armor was weak, Dark Ice Armor was one of the strongest defenses that Professor Mia saw in that rank.<sub></sub>


    Just now Professor Mia used a power that is almost equal to Rank-B.


    Zero managed to stay on his feet, Furthermore, taking very little damage from her attack.


    Despite the punching from Professor Mia, who held back quite a bit of her strength, it was not something that a Rank-D could handle.


    Heck, it would have even seriously injured a person in Rank-C.


    Zero''s defense skill was at top of its ss against physical attacks. she believed not many people can harm Zero suing physical attacks.


    Now she wants to test Zero using her Ice Art. Whether Zero could defend against Magic Art or not.


    [ "Ice Nova" ]


    A wave of cold st appeared from Professor Mia''s hand.


    It would normally have enough power to blow away the whole room. However, this time around Professor Mia did not condense the mana nor did she pour in the required amount of mana.


    This greatly decreased the power that it normally would have but still, it was more than enough to overwhelm a Rank-C human.


    Zero at that moment looked at the forceing toward him. Ice Nova could not really freeze him even if it hit him because of resistance towards Ice. But the sheer force at which it wasing was enough to severely injure him.


    ( Professor Mia really wants to cripple me. )


    Using Art was definitely unnecessary for Professor Mia. Even then she use it. I don''t know how I can survive fighting with her.


    [ "Dual Art: Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    -SWOOOSH! -SWOOSH!<sub>


    </sub>


    Professor Mia''s attack wasing at a very high speed and force, freezing everything it touched on its way.


    -BOOOOM! -CRACK! -BOOOOM!


    When her attack collided with the Ice Shadow Wall, it was destroyed in no time.


    I deployed almost 6 Icy Shadow Walls but it didn''t stop the attack from advancing.


    Immediately, one after another, the wall broke down and hit me.


    It was a relief that the force of the attack had dwindled quite a bit. Also, the fact that I had Dark Ice Armor but it still managed to blow me over.


    Though the only damage that I could have sustained was absorbed by the Dark Ice Armor.


    Professor Mia was truly impressed by his defense now. While she did decrease the attack power of her Ice Nova and also kept in her mind that Ice effectiveness is lowered in front of Zero, she still didn''t expect her Art to be blocked that easily.


    Zero had almost used 50 percent of his mana and only two minutes had passed since the start of the battle.


    That was also when he was focusing on only defending.


    On the other hand, Professor Mia had not even lost one percent of her mana.


    Thinking that continuing to defend will only result in him losing miserably, Zero decided to try his attack on Professor Mia.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    The sh containing Ice and Sword energy moved forward at an incredible speed. It could have easily taken down Rank-C.


    But what happened next has turned Zero''s world upside down. Professor Mia merely used her punch to cancel out the attack which has the highest power.<sub> </sub>


    She just used her bare hand to bring it down. Zero knows that Professor Mia is absolutely beyond his current power but even he didn''t expect his strongest attack to be shattered by her bare hand.


    Professor Mia didn''t let Zero be in that state for too long as she immediately attacked after destroying Zero''s attack.


    He immediately strengthened his arms and legs and tried to block her kicks, only to have his armor shattered and get a severe blow to his arm.


    -BANG!


    Zero was blown away and his body which is currently without armor shed with the wall.


    "Uuuggghhh!..."


    ( She didn''t really pull her punch when she kicked me. Dammit! I think my arm is broken. )


    My hand was actually okay but it did feel like it had been broken.


    Professor Mia''s physical strength seemed to be on par with or even surpassed that of a Rank-A warrior.


    Typically, Magic Art users will have higher Mana stat and lower Strength stat but Professor Mia seemed to have all her stats high.


    It does not look like Professor Mia will lose against someone at Rank-A even without using the Ice Magic that she is known for.


    "10 minutes of rest and we will fight again."


    ( Again? )


    It seems like I will be a punching bag for Professor Mia for the whole training session.


    She must not be satisfied with my performance. I was also not very satisfied with my performance.


    I could have protected myself well if I had predicted her attack beforehand and kept myself alert.


    It might be because I know that Professor Mia will not kill me but I don''t feel myself being very cautious even though I am facing a Rank-A+ peak mage.


    I could have also used tricky attacks rather than relying on my attack power. Even if I squeezed out everyst bit of mana from my attack, Professor Mia would have easily blocked it.


    What I needed to do at that time was not to attack but rather use Ice Creation to distract or divert Professor Mia''s attention. It could have been better if I had concentrated only on defense.


    Rather than wasting my mana for an attack that will never hurt someone like Professor Mia, it could have been better to preserve that mana for defense.


    Anyway, that attack was a bad choice against Professor Mia. It might have worked on people who had weak defenses, but certainly not against Professor Mia.


    Zero was reviewing his mistake and how he could have increased his chance of surviving.


    Professor Mia stood there staring at the boy who seemed to have lost himself in his own thoughts.


    She was impressed by what Zero had disyed right now. Contrary to Zero''s assumption, Professor Mia thought Zero had performed beyond her expectations.


    Zero is only 15 years old and she didn''t expect him to be tricky and be able to n ahead. Even experienced people struggle to make ns ahead.


    Zero showed his superior technique and his exceptional reaction speed.


    Professor Mia knows that her attack was so fast that even Rank-C would have been unable to react much less block it.


    However, Zero was able to react well and use his strengthened arm to defend and he didn''tpletely copse even after receiving her attack.


    Moreover, while Zero saw Professor Mia use her bare hand to block his attack, Professor Mia actually strengthened her hand with mana.


    She felt the impact of the attack and assumed that without using mana to strengthen their bodies, Zero''s attack could even injure Rank-A humans.


    Professor Mia felt more and more confident that Zero could win the Tournament of Academies.


    She didn''t really care about the fame and wealth that would be gained after winning.


    With Zero''s talent she believed that sooner orter, the whole world would know about a boy named Zero Elea.


    Rather than fame, the most lucrative reward for winning the Tournament of Academies was to get The Authority''s backing.


    It is a precious opportunity to be protected by The Authority and also enjoy the resources provided by them.


    -GULP! -GULP!


    Zero took the recovery potion and waited for his injuries to heal. Soon, ten minutes passed.


    "Okay, Times up!"


    Professor Mia announced as she got ready in her battle position.


    Zero also took his battle stance as he stared at her. He seems to have regained his fighting spirit.


    It didn''t seem like Zero was afraid to face Professor Mia again.


    Professor Mia could see the determination in Zero''s eyes. Even if it seemed like a hopeless battle, Zero had not even thought about giving up rather he was busy nning to avoid making the same mistake he made earlier.


    "Good!"


    Professor Mia liked the look in Zero''s eyes. If someone who didn''t know about Zero and Professor saw them right now, it might seem like Zero is facing someone he thinks he could beat.


    He didn''t show any signs of cowardice or backing away. Like he was fighting with someone who he could defeat.


    Professor Mia started releasing her mana.


    -SWISH!


    She will now began testing Zero''s willpower.

 Chapter 104 Fighting With Professor Mia [2]

    Chapter 104 Fighting With Professor Mia [2]


    Professor Mia started off by releasing her mana aura.


    I did not think that she would do that, but she released her mana aura. Would it not be over in an instant?


    However, I didn''t have time to start thinking about that as pressure on my mind and body increased several-fold.


    "URGHH!"


    It is too much. The pressure on my body is so severe that I feel like I am suffocating right now.


    My whole body was under pressure like a giant elephant on top of my body. It felt worse than when I was training at 10 times the gravity.


    It is like the atmosphere has changed from Eds to that of Mars or others. Anyway, it felt like I was in an atmosphere with unbreathable air.


    "Hah¡­hah¡­"


    I had to heavily breathe in air as I felt myself to becking air.


    -THUD!


    My leg could not hold it anymore and I was kneeling in front of Professor Mia with one leg holding the whole body from copsing.


    It felt like somebody was pressing on my whole body and trying to squash it on the ground.


    "ARGHHH!"


    Zero screamed as he tried to use all his power to stand up. He refused to kneel and did his best to resist Professor Mia''s suppressing aura.<sub></sub>


    -CRACK!


    The sound of bones cracking can be heard in the whole gravity room. Zero bones were starting to break as they had to withstand an immense amount of pressure.


    "URRRRRGGGHH!"


    Even as his bone was breaking, Zero didn''t give in. He continued to resist the pressure with his whole body.


    -BANG!


    Zero body was finally on the ground after trying his absolute best to resist Professor Mia''s Rank-A+ aura.


    Not only was it taxing on the body but also on the mind.


    If you are in the presence of higher-ranked auras, your mind will feel like you are kneeling before them. Simr to a natural instinct that someone who is way above you is in front of you.


    You had to have strong willpower to suppress your natural urge to kneel before the higher-ranked aura.


    It is less effective when the difference in rank is not that significant. However, there was a vast difference in rank between Professor Mia and Zero.


    Zero resisting against Rank-A+ aura was like a peasant trying to defy the power of the king by standing in front of them.


    ( Shit! )


    I did everything to resist those urges to give up and only thought of resisting. However, before my mind copsed, it was the body that could not stand it anymore.<sub>


    </sub>


    I think that almost all the bones in my body have suffered major damage. My leg which supported the whole body was in the worst condition of all.


    Moving my legs even a tiny bit would bring forth an intense and sharp pain almost simr to having it stabbed with a spear.


    I was lying on the ground almost like I was dead.


    Many people face the same end when they challenge people who are higher ranked than them.


    Just with their auras, they could deal heavy damage to their opponent.


    I feel that Professor Mia has not even used her full mana aura, for which I am thankful.


    Imagine being on the receiving end of a full-powered Rank-A+ aura. It would not even take one second to tten someone like me just with their mana aura.


    Knitting her brows, Professor Mia observed Zero. It was not that he performed poorly or anything. It was actually the opposite.


    It was really out of her expectation that Zero could manage to hold on for so long. It was fortunate that Zero had such strong willpower.


    But she was worried. Worried because it seems like Zero''s willpower is too strong for his own good.


    Till the end, Zero never had any intention of sumbing to the aura. It was good that he had strong willpower, but it seems his physical strength could not keep up with his willpower.


    It is impossible to find someone who is in the same rank as Zero and has the same willpower.


    He could resist against Rank-A+ mana aura which even Rank-B might not have been able to. <sub> </sub>


    However, it seems that Zero was just listening to his willpower and not to his body.


    He ended up doing something that his body was not capable of.


    Professor Mia came near Zero and started healing him with an artifact that she possessed. Healing using it was not as effective as high-quality potions, but it could be used on someone who is not in any condition to take a potion.


    Zero was in no condition to take a potion. He could not even properly open his mouth to speak.


    Professor Mia started to heal Zero''s body.


    While healing Zero, Professor Mia also talked about her observation to Zero.


    Having strong willpower is good when dealing with bloodlust and other skills that debuff your willpower. But from what I can see, your willpower is too high which can be detrimental to you. The reason why you end up in this state is because you refused to give up even when your body can''t handle it."


    She paused for a moment thinking about Zero''s willpower. It has always been the case of people not having appropriate willpower for their rank.


    It is difficult to raise your willpower unless you are constantly fighting with someone stronger than you. Thus, those who are always risking their lives in the dungeon have a high level of willpower.


    Due to that, those people are able to stand tall even when faced with situations that are extremely dangerous to them.


    However, Zero''s case waspletely the opposite. There is no doubt that he has a very powerful will, almostparable to Rank-B.


    He might end up doing something he can''t handle.


    Sighing a little, Professor Mia continued.


    "As a result, you overestimate the capabilities of your body and end up pushing your body beyond its limits."


    Professor Mia stared at Zero and understood why Zero could train so bizarrely. He could train continuously under extreme conditions when most of his peers would have long given up.


    It was because of his incredible willpower to withstand those pains and continue pursuing his objective.


    "You should keep a limit for yourself. Persisting is not always wise. Sometimes giving up might be the right choice."


    As was the case earlier, it would have been much better if Zero had given up and stopped struggling after his body was unable to hold on.


    Due to his refusal to give up, he struggled and ended up breaking his bones.


    Zero listened to Professor Mia''s advice and carefully thought about it.


    He didn''t expect his willpower to be so great that it would cause him trouble.


    He never had that much willpower when he had tested it before but unexpectedly Professor Mia has said that his willpower is very high.


    He didn''t think Professor Mia was wrong as she is Rank-A+ and something like determining willpower is easy for her.


    ( How did my willpower change so much? )


    I thought for a while and knew exactly why. I was certain that it was because of my Parallel Memory Skill.


    It seems that I have not only received a memory from my alternative self but also some of his emotions, personality, and willpower.


    Although having high willpower is not good in some situations, as long as I maintain some limitations to my actions, I do think it would be fine.


    I once again realized the uniqueness of Parallel Memory Skill. I have never heard of any skill or Art that could increase one''s willpower.


    Parallel Memory Skill seems to affect a lot of things other than just memory. Or is it that willpower is essentially just a part of memory?


    For example, one''s determination to be a doctor could be the result of one''s encounter with a doctor.


    If your determination to be a doctor is due to you seeing them save lives then your determination to be a doctor might be stronger than other people who are just there for the money.


    But what if that memory is no longer there? Would you still be determined as to when you have those memories?


    I don''t think so.


    It is just a theory but it could be true.


    So, where is my determination to training from? Because I know that the world would be in danger? Because I know I will be stronger if I continue training? Or because of my alternative self desire to live in such a world.


    As a person who used to read many fantasy isekai novels, he did dream of transmigrating and bing strong like some protagonists.


    Could that justify my willpower to train? To be stronger?


    Right now, I don''t have a concrete answer but it seems that my Willpower has increased dramatically.


    I continued to have my body healed by Professor Mia.


    Professor Mia at that time was thinking about changing her training method.


    Since Zero''s willpower was already sky-high, she thought it unnecessary to train him in that area.


    Though she still decided to include a few sessions of having him feel her mana aura to make Zero adapt to a higher-ranked mana aura.


    She was considering increasing his physical training and increasing his survival skills.

 Chapter 105 Fighting With Professor Mia [3]

    Chapter 105 Fighting With Professor Mia [3]


    Afterward, there was a series of physical training. Professor Mia didn''t keep the training light and always tried to increase the intensity of the training.


    After hours of training, the sun has already set and my body was screaming for some rest. But just before we left the gravity room,


    "Ah! Tomorrow you have toe to Agora Town. I will have you train in the dungeon. From now on, you will spend the weekend, training in the dungeon."


    "Dungeon? Which dungeon?"


    I can''t help but ask this question. After fighting with Professor Mia, I can''t rule out the possibility that she will take me to a Rank-B dungeon or higher.


    Though it could be a privilege to be able to get an opportunity to enter the Rank-B dungeon. Not only do you have to pay an absurd amount of money to the one who owns the dungeon but also need a certain level of authority to get permission to enter the dungeon.


    But my strength was too low to be able to do anything in the Rank-B dungeon. My life could be all over if I met a Rank-B monster.


    "You will know tomorrow."


    Professor Mia didn''t reveal the name of the dungeon which really made me feel worried.


    Worried as I might be, I could not do anything other than to wait for tomorrow.


    I slept as soon as I got on the bed. It was a really exhausting day. Fighting with Professor Mia was the main cause of my exhaustion rather than other exercise. Fighting with her really causes extreme stress to both body and mind.


    *****


    I woke up feeling super refreshed.


    I checked my time on the phone to find out that it had already been 8:40 am. <sub></sub>


    ( Oh, NO! )


    Professor Mia might kill me if I arrivete. It looks like yesterday, I have been more exhausted than I thought.


    I would normally wake up at 6:00 am but it seems that yesterday''s training has really exhausted my body.


    I quickly had a light breakfast and hurried to catch a bus on its way to Agora Town.


    Today was the weekend but I still had my training with Professor Mia. It looks like Professor Mia is really trying to make me into a training maniac like some protagonist from a Chinese novel.


    I didn''t know which dungeon she was nning to take me into but I am already prepared for any dungeon we mighte across.


    I always make it a point that my spatial ring has enough food tost me for at least three months.


    You might never know what might happen in this world. You could be teleported to some deserted ce if you happen tond on some teleportation trap, or you could be sent to another dimension through some dimensional crack.


    There are many people who have lived through those things and they always say that people should always be ready to face the unexpected.


    And it is always wise to prepare rations and potions when venturing into dungeons. Dungeons are things that are beyond people''s understanding.


    They just appear randomly and spawn monsters and that is what humans have known about it for hundreds of years.


    Nobody knows how the dungeon came into being nor its purpose. People just think of them as a ce where we can get resources.


    Anyway, many unexpected things happen in those dungeons. Sometimes, even dungeons which are imed as 100% explored can yield things that have never been seen before.<sub>


    </sub>


    And this is highly likely as the rank of the dungeon increases. Higher ranked dungeons are really difficult to conquer, not only because of the rank of the monster but also because of many unpredictable things that explorers encounter in those dungeons.


    Therefore, I make it a point to replenish my resources in the spatial ring whenever I get a chance.


    Currently, I was getting off the bus and then I realized, why am I still using the bus? I mean I am freaking rich right now. Mypany makes millions every month and their boss is still without a car, taking a bus?


    I mean I don''t know how to drive but still, I could get a driver for it and it looked like I would be venturing to a dungeon more than just once a month.


    It would be convenient to have a car. But those things will be discussed with Elisa at ater date. Right now, I need to quickly meet up with Professor Mia.


    I was already about 10 minuteste.


    Yesterday night I got a message on my phone telling me the location and time of where we were going to meet.


    "If I remember correctly it was in front of the Fountain of Tyche"


    The statue was built in the center of the town. It is meant to bring prosperity and good luck to the whole town.


    I had a general idea of where it is because I came across that ce when I was herest time.


    As I was approaching the ce, I could see lots of people gathered around the Fountain of Tyche.


    Ranging from themon citizen to high-ranked Explorers, all kinds of people were present there and were causing some kind ofmotion.


    I proceeded to know what was going on, only to see Professor Mia standing there.<sub> </sub>


    She was wearing white armor that was her defensive artifact. She didn''t have any weapon on her right now, it is probably inside her stirage ring.


    She also wore an earring in the shape of an Ice Crystal and a silver hair essory. Both of those things are artifacts for sure because Professor Mia never donned things to enhance her beauty.


    Neither did she need to wear them because she was already beautiful even without any other fancy pieces to enhance her appeal.


    She was standing there amid all those people surrounding her. She seems a bit pissed right now.


    ( I am dead! )


    The people were only watching her from a certain distance. Those people seem to instinctively know not to get too close to her.


    Her looks, however, seem to counteract their desire to run away. As a result, they kept a certain distance from her while they watched her.


    It was not only her look that attracted many people to Professor Mia but also because of her reputation.


    She was someone who is deemed one of the most talented humans and also someone who got her title at the young age of 20.


    By the age of 20, Professor Mia''s fame was already on par with Rank-SS humans. Her name and face were remembered by all the people in Humulia Domain.


    "Sh-She is Ice Enchantress? I can''t believe I would one day be fortunate to see her in person. She is even more beautiful than what she appeared on TV."


    "It is also my first time seeing her. I thought the talk about her appearance was overrated, but now? I know those words were not enough to describe how beautiful she is."


    "What is Ice Enchantress doing here? Is she waiting for someone? She had been standing there for 15 minutes already."


    "Which motherf**ker has the audacity to make a beauty like her wait? I would kill that person if it turns out to be a man."


    "I have never heard of Ice Enchantress having a boyfriend. If she had a boyfriend I would kill him myself."


    "Calm down. She doesn''t have a boyfriend. But if it turns out to be the man that she is waiting for, count me on your team to kill him."


    It looks like people are already ready to kill me even if they don''t know who I am.


    ( Dammit! I don''t have time to waste here. )


    I was alreadyte as it is but now I had to make my way through this huge crowd.


    I pushed through the crowd to make my way toward Professor Mia.


    "Excuse me. Passing through. Excuse me."


    Normally people would have been annoyed by someone pushing them. However, it looks like they are so busy looking at Professor Mia that they don''t want to wadte their time being angry at someone.


    Eventually, I made my way through the crowd, though I ended up falling down after I made it through thest line of people.


    "AH!"


    -THUD!


    That crowd was almost as big as when the president made an appearance in front of the people.


    If Professor Mia runs for the presidency, I will not be surprised to find 100% of citizen voting for her. Beauty is indeed a powerful weapon.


    As I was about to stand up, a hand was offered by someone. I took his hand and stood up.


    "Thank Yo¡­"


    I stunned by the person in front of me. The person who just helped me was none other than Professor Mia.


    It would normally be fine if it was Professor Mia but right now she seemed to be pissed about meing herete.


    "Zero"


    Professor Mia said in a calm voice. You would not think she was angry if you didn''t know her for long.


    "YES, MAM!"


    I straightened my back and answered like I was an army officer. It is nerve-wracking when I know that Professor Mia was the one who is angry at me.


    However, I could only ept whatever punishment she would give me. It was my mistake that I camete.


    I would also be angry if someone showed upte.


    "Apparently someone needs to be disciplined."

 Chapter 106 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion

    Chapter 106 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion


    [Mia''s POV]


    It has been almost 3 days since I started training my student, Zero Elea, for the Tournament of Academies.


    I have been surprised many times by him. He could endure bizarre training and his physical stats appeared to be better than any talented students.


    Though hecks the battle sense of a veteran Explorer, it is still very highpared to his fellow peers.


    He is also the student who has one of the highest talents she has ever seen.


    She was excited to know that she would be teaching a ss full of talents such as Hiro, Zion, and others who are considered the Golden Generation.


    However, among the gold, she had found a diamond. If Zero was not there she might have chosen to mentor Lisa or others who possess Magic Art.


    But unexpectedly someone who is very talented and also uses Ice Magic like her showed up.


    She couldn''t be happier to teach Zero. Zero has fulfilled all of her expectations and gone above and beyond them.


    He not only did notin during the training but also endured it for many hours. People who don''t shy away from working hard will be the ones to be somebody in the future.


    But today he has done something he should be punished for.


    I arrived at the location that I decided on at 8:50 10 minutes before the time for the meet-up.


    Slowly a crowd started to form around me.


    This is why I refrain froming out in public too much. People always disturb me by surrounding me and not giving me an ounce of privacy.<sub></sub>


    I wanted to escape from that ce and go somewhere without any people.


    However, I had to wait for Zero, or else he would not know where I am.


    Ten minutes passed by as I continued to wait for Zero.


    The time was already 9:00 am but Zero didn''t show up.


    The small crowd had be so big that it might have covered the whole space around the Fountain of Tyche.


    The people were staring at me like I was some kind of rare animal.


    And the noise that they are making could only make this ce more annoying.


    5 minutes had passed and there was no sign of Zero.


    Did anything importante up? Or is he sucked into Gates?


    Gates have been increasing as ofte. The Authority is trying to research the problem but right now they have no idea.


    The good thing is that the dungeon rank is low and many people survived after Explorer ventured inside to help them.


    I quickly checked my phone for any ce near here which is experiencing a Gate right now.


    As of right now, the most recent Gate appeared 5 days ago and there are no signs it will happen again.<sub>


    </sub>


    The first option was less likely as he would have informed her if anything of importance came up.


    It seems that Zero is runningte because he has be tardy.


    In her role as a professor, Mia Frostine couldn''t help but notice the disciplinary problem Zero is disying.


    No matter how powerful one might be, one ought to have some kind of morals and discipline.


    The crowd surrounding me did not make waiting for Zero any more enjoyable. He really needs to be punished for making this situationst longer.


    It was not until 5 minutester that Zero finally showed up though he ended up getting rolled in front of me.


    ( What is he doing? )


    He seemed to have fallen down after walking through the crowd. He seemed so tired after going through the crowd that his current state might suggest he had just been through a dangerous battle.


    It was contrary to his appearance when he went through those difficult training sessions. He would not even flinch when his body has reached its limit.


    However, he appears to be so exhausted that he has fallen off while trying to push through the crowd. Professor Mia has already noticed some kind of mismatch in personality Zero shows sometimes.


    He would at times be a flirty and happy kind of person and sometimes a serious person who seemed desperate to get stronger.


    However, it was not my ce as a professor to pry into Zero''s history. He might have gone through some things that led to him being like that.


    Her job as Zero''s mentor was to protect him and show him the right way to achieve his goals.<sub> </sub>


    Seeing the pathetic state Zero was in, she thought she would not be too harsh when giving him the punishment.


    "Huff¡­ Puff¡­"


    He was sweating and almost out of breath. Whether it was because he was running due to beingte or from trying to push through the crowd, he seems to have a difficult time getting here.


    "Zero"


    Though he might have already suffered, it is imperative as an educator to let Zero know that you can''t just bete without facing some kind of consequence.


    "Apparently someone needs to be disciplined."


    I thought about what would be the most appropriate punishment foringte.


    I would not want it to be too harsh since it was his first mistake and also because whileingte was inexcusable, he might have his circumstances.


    In addition to being light, Zero''s punishment should also be beneficial to him. What is the use of punishment if it does not change or benefit him?


    It would be an absolute waste of time for both Zero and me if I were to punish him like some punishment where the person is made to stand there for the whole day. ( Some people make them do it.)


    (...!!!)


    AH! I got it. I previously decided to let Zero challenge The Orc dungeon which is a low-level Rank-D dungeon but I might need to change it to a high-level Rank-D dungeon.


    The Orc Dungeon needs a team of Rank-E + or at least one Rank-D in a team to conquer the dungeon.


    But for a high-level Rank-D dungeon, you would need Rank-C - or at least a team of Rank-D + to conquer it safely.


    In Rank-D, Zero might have difficulty - but based on her understanding of Zero''s power, she concluded he was at the same level as Lisanna.


    She thought she might start off with a light training since it will be the first dungeon training with Zero.


    But since Zero needs to be punished foringte, she decided to change the level of the dungeon.


    "Today, you will need to conquer The Lair of the Brutal Lion."


    "The Lair of the Brutal Lion?"


    ( is this not the dungeon that is said to be the most difficult under Rank-C. )


    The environment is tough for beginners and monsters are quite skilled. The monsters present in them are mostly beasts with less intelligence but it ispensated for by their far superior physical abilities.


    Their abilities to hunt in the group are also far superior to many monsters and therefore, it is difficult to fight with them.


    Just looking at the difficulty, it is borderline Rank-C - dungeon.


    This would be my first attempt at trying to clear a Rank-D high-level dungeon. I had previously conquered mid-level Rank-D dungeons, and it was neither too hard nor too easy to conquer them.


    I could manage to deal with the dungeon bosses without using Dual Art, though it was definitely not easy to defeat them.


    "The Lair of Brutal Lion is the perfect ce to test your physical abilities and also to fight against a group. We might never know what will be in the Tournament of Academies. It could be a survival test or it could also be a group fight. To prepare you for this, Lair of Brutal Lion."


    ( OH! So that is the reason. )


    I nodded to Professor Mia''s exnation.


    Indeed, The Lair of the Brutal Lion is ideally suited for those things. Professor Mia is really visionary, to be able to n for all those things. I knew she would not be so petty as to punish me foring a littlete. I honestly thought she was doing this becau¡­


    " And also because you camete. I don''t know the reason but you should have at least informed me if you were toete."


    "O_O"


    ( SO THAT''S THE TRUE REASON! )


    And here I was praising her for being visionary and magnanimous. I knew she would not be so kind as to spare me for beingte.


    Her actual goal for choosing The Lair of Brutal Lion was definitely because I camete.


    I wanted to shout andin about how it was unfair to give such a harsh punishment just foringte.


    However, it was really my fault foringte. And it was not like I could not conquer that dungeon.


    Sure it might be difficult for a normal Rank-D - but I think I could manage to conquer it. Regardless of how difficult it is to defeat the monster, the rank of the monster will always be Rank-D + and below.


    Professor Mia observed Zero''s expression and his reply when she mentioned The Lair of the Brutal Lion. She was impressed that Zero didn''tin about going to The Lair of the Brutal Lion.


    Either he does this because he has no choice but topel her or because he is confident about conquering it.


    Well, she will find out soon which one it will be.


    "Follow me."

 Chapter 107 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion [2]

    Chapter 107 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion [2]


    "Follow me"


    Professor Mia said as she took me out of the crowd. The people when they saw Professor Miaing, made way for her to pass through.


    After having calmed down, I had a clear vision of the surrounding which was filled with astonished people right now.


    I quickly followed Professor Mia in fear that those people might start attacking.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    After a few seconds.


    "What did I see right now? Ice Enchantress was waiting for a boy? Th-This is¡­"


    "HOT NEWS!!! I finally got the news that is guaranteed to be on the front page."


    One of the girls excitedly screamed and jumped around.


    She is one of those aspiring youth who dreamed of catching cool news and making their article in the headline.


    But the reality was that not every piece of news makes it to the headlines. It was very hard to get news that is not covered by others and is interesting.


    She was casually strolling around when she spotted a beautiful woman surrounded by lots of people.


    She, with her instinct as a journalist, knew something exciting was going on there. ( Not really. Anyone can tell what is happening with that huge crowd. )


    At first nce, as a journalist, she recognized the woman standing in front of the Fountain of Tyche, The Ice Enchantress, the youngest human to achieve Rank-A , Mia Frostine.<sub></sub>


    She quickly took her camera out and took photos of Mia Frostine. Her appearance alone was worthy of being on the front page of the newspaper.


    She believed those photos alone could make a headline.Ice Exhantress the most beautiful woman in the world was there in the Agora Town.


    ''Ice Enchantress spotted in Agora Town'' could very well be the hot news in the newspaper.


    But that was just her assumption. She knew it was not enough to get her news in the headlines.


    She waited patiently to find something interesting and it finally happened.


    The Ice Enchantress was actually waiting for a man. This was big news.


    She quickly took a couple of photos of Mia Frostine and the unknown man.


    "This is it! This news will certainly make the headlines."


    She was overly excited about finally submitting a piece of hot news to Eds Time Now.


    Several people were dumbfounded when they saw the scene in front of them.


    "Who is that guy? I don''t think I have ever seen him before."


    "I don''t think he is one of the heroes. He was really young to reach that rank. And he didn''t have an air of being that strong."


    "He might be an entertainer given his looks. He might be an aspiring young actor."<sub>


    </sub>


    "Ice Enchantress, one of the most talented humans going out with a powerless actor? Ridiculous."


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. Given the age of the boy, it might be her student. Don''t forget the Tournament of Academies ising up and right around this time, they would train their students."


    "Right. That must be it. He must be her student. Just look at how he greeted her. It was full of fear and respect."


    The crowd started to realize the truth. Zero expression of fear has yed a part in making them believe that he might be her student. He was young to be a student and Ice Enchantress is a professor, so it was a no-brainer for them to figure out who that boy could be.


    However, those who like drama and are seeking out interesting news, like the girl, believed otherwise.


    They believed or wanted to believe the boy to be the boyfriend of Ice Enchantress.


    The reason was that the boy was unknown to many of them present there. If it was a talented student like Hiro and Zion, they would have instantly known it was a student and mentor for the Tournament of Academies.


    But Ice Enchantress taking in an average student as her mentee would almost seem like a joke. What can a talented person know about how normal people train? She would kill the average student with her training session.


    Many talented students at Ace Academy are already well known to the outside world. But they have never seen that boy and assumed he was not a student.


    The pictures and videos of this incident had already been posted by the people present there.


    With TwitFlick, it didn''t take long for it to reach millions of people in a minute.


    Ignorant of such a thing happening, Zero followed Professor Mia to register for the dungeon.


    Due to the reputation that Professor Mia held both individually and as a professor of Ace Academy, permission to use the dungeon was instantly granted.<sub> </sub>


    On the way to The Lair of the Brutal Lion, Zero took the opportunity to ask the ones who wereing out of the dungeon for their maps.


    Zero would have already prepared such things if he had known which dungeon he was going in but Professor Mia didn''t reveal it previously. So, now he needs to take advantage of this time to try to retrieve a map from other Explorers.


    Professor Mia saw what Zero was doing and was d to find Zero being cautious.


    Confidence is good but one should always be careful.


    Talented students always have the problem of overconfidence. They would forget to prepare resources, take maps and underestimate their enemy which all leads to an early demise.


    No matter how insignificant, when venturing into the unknown, one should always try to gather some information.


    Map was one of the essentially resource one would need for safe exploration of the dungeon.


    Zero eventually managed to get one of the maps at the price of a thousand Ethan. While it might look low, a thousand Ethan for a map was really asking for too much.


    However, Zero didn''t hesitate to pay the money not only because he was rich but also because he failed to get maps from other Explorers and would not want to miss this opportunity.


    After walking for quite a bit, we reached the location at which the portal to The Lair of the Brutal Lion was present.


    Professor Mia showed her ID to the guards and was quickly allowed to proceed.


    The guard showed a nervous expression after seeing the ID card of Professor Mia.


    The portal for the dungeon was at least twice the size of the Labyrinth of Goblins.


    "You will have to conquer this dungeon in two days. If you can''t, I have something special waiting for you. I will not intervene unless you are on the verge of dying."


    Professor Mia emphasized the need to take the dungeon seriously even when she was there to protect him


    I entered the portal, and as always it felt simr to riding a high-speed roller coaster.


    Though it seems that I am getting used to portals as I don''t feel like puking this time.


    -WHOOOOSSSH!


    Opening my eyes to the ce where I havended, I could see the ce akin to Madagascar. A ce where it was hot with a desert-type ground with small bushes.


    It felt like a ce where various animals roam on Earth. Like in an African jungle or something.


    -GROWL! -ROARRRR!


    Various roars could be heard from a distance. Whether it is monsters fighting each other or Explorers hunting them, many sounds could be heard.


    Professor Mia just stood there waiting for Zero to make his move. She was just going to stay far away observing how Zero conquers the dungeon.


    The first thing Zero did was take out the map and look at the position of the boss.


    "Alright!"


    After getting the general idea on how to go about conquering the dungeon, he moved to the direction of the dungeon boss.


    -SWISH!


    Zero ran at a pace that would not exhaust him.


    While running in the direction of the dungeon boss, Zero came across lots of trees.


    However, the trees were covered in scars that hadrge w marks, possibly from big monsters.


    Frown appeared on the forehead of Zero as he entered the territory of some unknown monster. He could take another road but he would have to walk back quite a bit wasting time and this was also the shortest path.


    As he examined the w mark, he tried to determine which monster''s territory it was.


    "It must be the territory of Arzuros."


    Arzuros, a beast well known to dwell in humid forest and mountain region. It was also the monster who preferred to mark their territory.


    Arzuros has the appearance of a mixture of armadillo and bear. Its main power lies in its two vicious ws which can easily take out a tree in one shot.


    Its rank is D and it is also the monster who likes to form groups, so you can expect to meet 5-10 Arzuros at times.


    Zero sprinted at high-speed so that he could get out of this ce before encountering Arzuros.


    -SWISH!

 Chapter 108 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion [3]

    Chapter 108 The Lair Of The Brutal Lion [3]


    Zero thought of avoiding the Arzuros but Arzuros were very territorial monsters and they could smell intruders entering their territory from hundreds of meters away.


    There was no way he could get out of this ce without encountering even one group of Arzuros.


    However, he could decrease the number of Arzuros he needed to fight by getting out of their territory quickly.


    -SNIFF! -SNIFF!


    -GRRRR!


    A group of Arzuros made their way to take out the intruder that they had noticed. They had picked up the scent of iing Zero and were waiting to kill him.


    For these monsters, humans were the worst kind of creatures. They invade their territory and kill them. So, obviously, they were not nning to be kind to them either.


    -WHOOSH!


    "Huh!"


    As I was sprinting through the territory of Arzuros, I saw a group of Arzuros ahead of me. It might have been more effective if they stayed hidden and ambushed me but they were just stupid monsters who would not think of such tactics. <sub></sub>


    -SPEED UP!


    I didn''t intend to stop or turn around after spotting them. It would have been better if I didn''t encounter them but since they are so eager to fight me, I can only fulfill their desire.


    -GRRRRR!


    The Arzuros roared ferociously, vibrating the air. Arzuros bared their fangs and flexed their ws as they raised their massive frame on their hind legs. The average height of these monsters was 3 meters which is almost twice that of a human.


    The Arzuros swing theirrge arms toward the approaching Zero like a streak of lightning.


    -SWISH!


    However, what Arzoros hit was just empty air. Zero has already dodged and has passed through the first Arzuros.


    Before the Arzuros who struck at Zero could even turn around, Zero had already impaled him on his heart from the back.


    -STAB!<sub>


    </sub>


    The first Arzuros fell down without much resistance. There was a torrent of blood oozing out from his body, quickly covering his entire body.


    Zero turned around to look at the remaining Arzuros. They didn''t attack him from behind as he expected. Looks like they don''t know the concept of a sneak attack.


    -ROOOAR!


    The other Arzuros took a few seconds to realize that their fellowrades had just been killed. They roared furiously and charged at Zero almost at the same time.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    The Arzuros used their ws one after another to tear Zero apart, but he dodged all of it easily. It was not that Arzuros monsters were slow, rather they are known for the vicious speed of their ws when they strike.


    However, Zero''s reaction speed was faster than their attack. They did their best to hit him but Zero kept on dodging their attacks.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Meanwhile, Zero would counterattack and seriously injure them.<sub> </sub>


    The Arzuros became more agitated after their attacks failed to hit their prey. They began to fiercely attack the human.


    Zero slowly took out the Arzuros one by one. The number of Arzuros decreased as time went on until only one Arzuros remained.


    "Now you are thest one."


    -ROOOAR!


    Thest Arzuros was bleeding from head to toes. From the beginning to the end, he persisted until he was the only one left.


    He charged at Zero with everyst bit of power he could muster. There was no intention to retreat in the eye of the Arzuros.


    -STAB!


    Zero just shifted a little to avoid the attack before stabbing his sword straight into his heart.


    -THUD!


    Thest Arzuros of the group fell to the ground.


    The fight with Arzuros'' group was just a warm-up fight for Zero. Arzuros was not difficult to defeat even if they were in a group.


    Zero looked for the monster core but he could not find it among the Arzuros he had in. He stored the bodies of Arzuros in the spatial ring and continued to move through the Arzuros'' territory.


    The body of Arzuros might not fetch a high amount of Ethan coin but since he has killed them, he would not want the body to be a waste.


    Their ws will be useful for making weapons and their fur for defensive equipment. Though the money he gets will be just a drop in the huge amount of money he already possesses, he wants the monster he killed to be at least useful for something.


    He didn''t want them to be killed for nothing.


    Not long after his first encounter with the Arzuros monster group, he encountered two more groups of Arzuros monsters. He managed to take care of them in a short amount of time.


    After running through Arzuros''s territory for two hours, Zero was finally out of Arzuros''s territory. He checked his map again to confirm his current position.


    "20 km to the northeast and there will be the territory of the Brutal Lion."


    Brutal Lion was an elite monster at the rank of D+. They were faster and more viciouspared to Arzuros. Their tactics as a team were also more powerful than other monsters of the same rank.


    The leader of Brutal Lion is the boss of this dungeon. The leader of those Brutal Lions is known as the Spectral Lion, a special existence with the ability to lead the Brutal Lions.


    The Spectral Lion was not only a greatmander of the other Brutal Lion, but its stats wereparable to those of a monster of Rank-C. It was also proficient at using fire abilities.


    Spectral Lion was the monster that he needed to defeat in order to conquer the dungeon. Spectral Lion''s fire abilities could be nullified by his Ice Art but the problem was that he needed to fight the other Brutal Lions that would be with Spectral Lion.


    Spectral Lion alone would give Zero some trouble, not to mention fighting with other monsters at Rank-D +.


    As Zero contemted a n to deal with the Brutal Lions defending Spectral Lion, he formted a n.


    I slowed my pace after exiting the territory of Arzuros.


    When venturing to the territory of Brutal lions, I would asionally encounter Rank-D monsters such as Orge, Silver Wolf, and Lone Tiger.


    However, they were just Rank-D monsters and they would also be alone, so it was easy for me to take care of them.


    I would leave them alone if they didn''t attack me. Fighting with them was just a waste of time and it felt a bit like bullying when I fought them.


    I took a mana potion just before entering the territory of Brutal Lion.


    "Herees the real difficulty."

 Chapter 109 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?

    Chapter 109 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?


    Observing from afar was Professor Mia.


    With her sense, looking at a 1km distance is the same as looking at something 10 meters away.


    She watched Zero''s every move, from the path he took to when he rested.


    First, she thought Zero made a wrong decision in choosing to move through the territory of Arzuros.


    Monsters themselves were not very difficult to defeat but the real problem was numbers. They would always be in groups providing challenges to lone challengers like Zero.


    She had given Zero 2 days'' worth of time to conquer the dungeon. Zero would have been better to go from other safer paths rather than choosing the shortest path.


    However, it seems that Zero chose that path because Arzuros poses no threat to him. He instantly decimated a group of Arzuros in less than 10 minutes.


    Professor Mia gave a plus point to Zero''s way of fighting the monster.


    "It seems he is quite used to hunting in a dungeon."<sub></sub>


    Professor Mia was satisfied with how Zero dealt with the monster. He efficiently took down the monster while he himself avoided sustaining any injuries.


    Zero seems like he was used to dealing with monsters showing that he would asionally go to the dungeon.


    Many people know that a dungeon is a great way to train themselves but not many do it.


    Why?


    Because it was way more dangerous than other training method. You can''t choose a low-rank dungeon for training because it will be of no use for training purposes. How could you learn anything when you are fighting a monster which you can kill with one punch?


    And while attempting to challenge a dungeon that is simr to the one suitable for training, you could very well lose your life.


    So why choose a dungeon for training when one could opt for a safer training method like sparring with other humans or strengthening their physical strength in a gym?


    However, it was essential for them to train in the dungeon because the purpose of bing stronger was to protect humanity from the monster. <sub>


    </sub>


    While many are only trying to be strong for fame and join guilds to get money, the main purpose of the Academy and guild is to protect humanity. They exist to teach the next generation about their responsibility as Explorers to protect humanity.


    She thought she would have to train Zero on how to efficiently hunt the monster but it looked like Zero is quite adept at hunting the monster.


    However, she noticed Zero was not very skilled at finding the weak spots of the monsters.


    She noted down the things that she observed in her notebook as she quietly followed behind Zero.


    The monster didn''t attack her because they couldn''t sense her presence when she hid.


    Even if some monsters who are very sensitive to the environment can perceive Professor Mia, her one re was enough to make them run for their lives.


    Finally, Zero reached the territory of Brutal Lion and this was the start of the real difficulty of The Lair of the Brutal Lion dungeon.


    Other areas were like trials before attempting to enter the territory of the Brutal Lions.<sub> </sub>


    ******


    After recovering 80 % of my mana, I ventured into thends of the brutal Lion.


    The majority of the ce inside the dungeon was a part of the territory of the Brutal Lion. Brutal Lions were the apex predator in this dungeon, and therefore the name of the dungeon was kept as The Liar of the Brutal Lions.


    I looked around my vicinity to check for any possible ambush. The Brutal Lion might be brutal as the name suggests but they are also adept at ambushing their prey. Their intelligence was far better than those of the monster Arzuros.


    "KYYYAAAAA!"


    As I was moving in the direction of the dungeon boss, a loud scream wasing from a few meters ahead of me.


    ( Someone seems to encounter a stroke of bad luck. )


    This was a dungeon where people are always risking their lives. It is not a surprise to find people dying in the dungeon or finding themselves on the verge of death.


    I changed my direction toward the voice. I want to check where that scream was from.


    -WHOOSH!


    As I reached the ce where the scream came from, I noticed a lone Brutal Lion.


    A girl was in the hand of the Brutal Lion, which was not surprising to me. A typical damsel in distress scenario.


    "SOMEONE!!! PLEASE HELP ME!"


    She was crying and shouting to save herself from the Brutal Lion that was trying to eat her.


    But I didn''t jump in to save her.


    Why?


    It is a fake scenario to catch those naive men who want to act like heroes.


    Firstly, it is odd that the Brutal Lion has not started to chow down on that woman despite such a long time.


    Second, look at the appearance of the girl. She is obviously a terrible actress who just seems to have a little dust on her dress. I can''t believe a girl who has entered the dungeon to be in that kind of shape.


    If she really had a tough fight then she should be in tattered clothes with blood all over her body. She seems to just want to be a pretty girl in distress.


    Thirdly, I have already felt an additional presence near that ce. It might be subtle but there are definitely more people waiting to ambush me.


    As for that Brutal Lion, it may have been tamed by those ambushers who had a taming skill or they may have been some kind of artifact that tamed the beast. For Brutal Lion to hunt alone, let alone keep his prey alive for so long, was already unusual.


    That Brutal Lion is definitely their pet.


    Whatever it might be. This whole situation is designed to lure in newbie Explorers to rob them.


    "KYYYYAAAA!"


    The girl screamed again. She might have already known I am near her since her acting was getting out of hand. She screamed and acted like she was getting eaten by a Brutal Lion.


    ( Sorry, you can continue with the act. I got my own things to worry about. )

 Chapter 110 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? [2]

    Chapter 110 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? [2]


    Zero left without looking back at who those people could be. This type of people ismon in the dungeon and Zero could not care less about who those people are.


    "DAMMIT! He ran away."


    "How did he know? We have made a perfect situation to get him."


    The two men who were waiting for Zero to jump in and try to save the girl were angry. They had nned


    "KYYYYYAAAAA!"


    The girl, unaware of the fact that Zero had already run away from that location, kept shouting for Zero toe rescue her.


    "Malty, stop shouting, he is already gone."


    Annoyed, he shouted at the girl who was already making the situation more annoying.


    "Huh? What? What happened?"


    Confused, the girl asked the two men. She thought the boy was already in their grasp since he appeared. <sub></sub>


    She was confident that those men who saw her in distress would not think twice before jumping in to save her.


    "He has already left the area. He might have seen through your terrible acting."


    The angry man med their failure on the girl who could not even convince a boy that she was in a terrible situation. He thought that the boy might be a veteran but who cares, their n failed and he needed someone to me.


    " Te-Terrible acting? YOU!!! You are the one who said that the boy was just a newbie Explorer. How dare you me me for your mistake?"


    "..."


    The angry man was indeed the one who made the mistake. He was a scout who was responsible for spotting Explorer who is naive and rich.


    He saw Zero who was alone and thought he was a newbie since most veteran Explorers know that being in the team is most important when exploring the Liar of the Brutal Lion.


    And by appearance, he concluded that he must be too young to have much experience in the dungeon. Additionally, the Storage ring was enough to indicate the wealth Zero possesses.


    Not everyone is eligible to have a storage ring. Not to mention the various artifacts that were worn by Zero.<sub>


    </sub>


    He thought they could easily make money from robbing Zero. Didn''t expect the boy to see through their ns.


    However, he didn''t want to admit that it was he who told them that the boy was naive and would easily fall for their n.


    "If you had tried harder to act properly, I might be counting our treasure rather than arguing with you."


    "YOU!!! I will kill you."


    "Quit it both of you."


    The other man remained calm as he took out a cigarette and lit it. He was also disappointed by the oue, but he remained calm.


    "Mitchell, Are you sure that kid is loaded?"


    He asked Mitchell who was the one who told him that they had hit a jackpot. He, himself, has not seen the boy that he mentioned.


    "Dale, are you doubting me? I have been doing this for 5 years. I am sure he is one of the wealthiest people I have ever met. His storage ring alone must have cost around 100,000 Ethan."<sub> </sub>


    "Ummm¡­"


    He began to think. If it was just a regr person, he might not have bothered someone who is cautious enough to not fall for their trap. However, a person who carries an artifact like some kind of decoration must be worth all the trouble he would need to go through.


    "Let''s call the boss. We will ambush that kid with other people when hees back from his little hunt."


    Initially, he didn''t want to call the boss since most of the loots they will get will fall into their boss''s pocket but they also can''t afford failures.


    Considering how the trap failed, it was impossible to try to trap him using simr strategies. And fighting with him was not a wise idea with only three of them.


    ording to Mitchell, it was a very young boy, however, who knows what kind of abilities he possesses to be able to traverse this part of the dungeon alone.


    If they want to rob them directly, they will need superior fighting power.


    Asking their boss was a clear way to reduce risk while also getting a percentage of the loot.


    *****


    I continued to move forward through the dungeon after I had left the area where the girl was screaming for help.


    I had not a shred of guilt since I knew that the girl asking for help was just acting.


    I would have helped if it was someone who was in real trouble under the condition that my life was not at risk. It would be stupid if I tried to save someone when I could not even guarantee my own life.


    Only those foolish protagonists like Hiro would do it. Though I would argue that the reason why he is alive after those stupid decisions is because of plot armor.


    If some extra like me tried to do it, I would die before I could blink.


    -WHOOSH!


    As I delved deeper into the territory of the Brutal Lions, lots of bones of monsters and humans could be seen.


    I became alert as it was a clear indication of the presence of the Brutal Lion. I carefully moved amid all the bones and grass.


    Soon after, I saw the first pack of Brutal Lions.


    Good thing it was me who noticed them first instead of the other way around.


    I slowly sneaked away and observed what they were doing.


    Right now, the Brutal Lion was resting while some Brutal Lion was keeping guard.


    Their number was easily over 15.


    "15 Rank-D+ monsters."


    It might seem insane for one Rank-D - to challenge a group of Rank-D + monsters, and they were also elite monsters who could fight one-on-one with talented humans.


    However, what my Cryomancy Art excelled at was taking out arge number of enemies which is not too powerful.


    At full power, I was able to take out Rank-C Devil Contractor when I was just Rank-E +. Even though the Rank-C Devil Contractors were exhausted and severely underestimated me, it was proof that as long as I caught them off guard, I could easily take out multiple strong enemies at once.


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]

 Chapter 111 Brutal Lions

    Chapter 111 Brutal Lions


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]


    Since I don''t know much about Brutal Lion, I had to be careful when dealing with them. They could attack me when I least expect them to.


    Using Ice Embodiment to bolster my defense is the best choice when fighting with arge amount of enemies.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    I had to take out as many Brutal Lions as I could when they were unguarded.


    The Brutal Lions who were resting peacefully sensed a huge amount of mana from their surroundings.


    -ROAAARRRR!


    The Brutal Lion who was guarding was the first to notice the attack and immediately alerted the other Brutal Lions.


    Although I think it is already toote by that point.


    -FFFFSSSSTT!!


    The ce froze quickly along with the Brutal Lions who were on the way.


    However, one or two Brutal Lions who reacted quickly deployed their shields and were able to withstand the attack.


    ( "I guess they are really Rank-D + Elite monsters." )


    They were able to defend themselves against the skill that even Rank-C - humans could not. Although it was not my full strength, however, back then I was just a Rank-E+.


    <sub></sub>


    -GRRRRRR!


    The ones who had sessfully defended against the skill red in my direction and growled angrily.


    ( What? Angry that I did what you all are best at. )


    Brutal Lions were monsters who were adept at sneak attacks, so I might have hurt their feelings by using their specialty against them.


    I didn''t stand there putting in more mana since the whole area has been frozen. I immediately dashed towards the two Brutal Lions who were able to escape from Ground Freeze.


    I had some time before other Brutal Lions could free themselves from the Ice. It would be better to reduce the numbers while I can.


    [ "Ice Creation" ]


    Changing my Ice armor which surrounds my arm into a sharp simr to a spear, Iunched myself in front of two Brutal Lions.


    The Brutal Lions showed their fangs and jumped at me. They had no intention of letting go of the intruder easily.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The Brutal Lions were aggressive monsters who would rather attack than defend. They used their fangs to attack.


    I could use my armor as a shield and defend against their sharp teeth. Though small cracks started to appear shortly.


    -WHOOSH!


    I immediately avoided their attacks when seeing the cracks. Luckily for me, right now the ground is frozen and Brutal Lions can''t show their true speed. Or else with their speed, it might have been difficult for me to dodge their ferocious attacks.


    <sub>


    </sub>


    I had the environmental advantage as the ground is turned into Ice right now but theirbined attack has indeed surpassed what I had expected.


    While one attacks, the other Brutal Lions remain cautious and ready to defend the other Brutal Lion. This made it increasingly difficult for Zero to counterattack, which he is proficient at.


    Zero tried to attack the Brutal Lion when he saw an opportunity, only to have it blocked by the other Brutal Lion.


    -SMASH! -SMASH!


    Despite being unable to carelessly counterattack, I could still dodge their attacks well. Their missed attack hit the Ice ground and the ice would be shattered into pieces showcasing how strong those attacks were.


    -ROAR!


    It seems that the Brutal Lion was not happy to have their attack miss. Added to the fact that it was only one intruder that they had to deal with.


    Their attacks became fierce but their teamworkcked that smooth flow that they had earlier. Zero waited for his moment.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    As an aggressive monster, they had a tough time keeping their cool and became more agiated as their attack failed.


    -SWISH!


    As soon as he saw his chance to attack, Zero used his spear-like arm to thrust into the Brutal Lion who had just missed his attack.


    -STAB!


    The Brutal Lion spat out a pained cry as it get away from Zero as far as possible. Since the attack did not hit his vital organs, the Brutal Lion did not die, but it was enough for Zero to render one of the Brutal Lion unable to fight.


    <sub> </sub>


    It was the perfect moment to kill the Brutal Lions since they had lost their only advantage against Zero. Zero moved forward and attacked the Brutal Lion which was near to him.


    -RAWR!


    The Brutal Lion roared angrily and had his w in the air ready to strike at Zero.


    -SMASH!


    However, the only thing that hit his ws was the Ice on Zero''s body. Zero deliberately used his icearmor to block his attack, since the counter attack bes easier.


    -THRUST!


    The Brutal Lion could not dodge the attack of Zero at point-nk range


    -RAWR!


    The Brutal Lion spat out his final roar beforepletely stopping his breathing.


    As for the other Brutal Lion that had been injured earlier, Zero didn''t even need to try hard to kill him.


    -THUD!


    "Nice!"


    The two Brutal Lions who had escaped his Ground Freezey dead on the ground.


    However, the joy of victory was short-lived as it took him a long time to kill those two. The other Brutal Lions were starting to regain their freedom as they slowly shattered the ice which had been trapping them.


    Before Zero could take out the Brutal Lions who were still trapped in the Ice, two Brutal Lions who had just escaped from the Ice jumped to face Zero.


    -ROARR!


    And they were not happy to be sealed in ice. They red angrily at Zero and at the dead body next to Zero. As monsters with slightly high intelligence, they know that the human they are facing right now is not like many they have killed before.


    They were cautious even though they were aggressive monsters.


    ( Dammit! And here I thought it would be easy. )


    Although he had killed the two Brutal Lions without much difficulty, it had led to the other Brutal Lion getting the time to get out of the ice. In sense, it was Zero''s loss.


    Zero knew that killing them all would be much more challenging after other Brutal Lions escaped from their ice. Not only would they have the advantage ofrge numbers, but their teamwork was impable.


    However, I had no intention of relying on my trump card. If I am required to show my trump card while fighting with Brutal Lion, it means that I am not capable of fighting with their leader.


    "Huuu¡­ Hah"


    Taking in a deep breath, I dashed towards the first two Brutal Lions at full speed.


    The two Brutal Lions were surprised by Zero suddenlyunching himself towards them.


    -ROAR!


    The two Brutal Lions showed their fierceness with their roars as they prepared for battle.


    -CLANG!


    Since Zero had stopped using his sword, it looked like a beast fighting with another beast. Using only their bodies, both parties fought fiercely.


    -STAB!


    However, due to them being frozen in the ice, the two Brutal Lions were much slower than the two Brutal Lions that Zero fought previously.


    Zero could easily take advantage of that fact and overwhelm them with his speed.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Inparison with other Brutal Lions, they might have been quicker at breaking the ice, but since they had already spent much of their energy breaking it, and because they were still coated in ice, they were unable to exhibit their full strength.


    Zero dominated both of them like they were low-rank monsters. Zero pounced on them without mercy and finally calmed down after having those two bodies on the ground.


    -CRACK!


    Sadly for Zero, other Brutal Lions were also freed from the Ground Freeze.


    -ROAR!


    A wonderful smile bloomed on Zero faces as he stared at the Brutal Lions who were bare their fangs at him.


    "Let the party begin!!"

 Chapter 112 Spectral Lion

    Chapter 112 Spectral Lion


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    I sat down after going through that heavy battle. My whole body was covered in blood.


    After killing those 4 Brutal Lions, I still needed to kill 11 more Brutal Lions.


    One after another, the Brutal Lions escaped from the ice.


    I was not nning to wait for Brutal Lions to regroup, so I took the chance when they were unaware of the situation, and I attacked them.


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -STAB!


    Facing 11 Brutal Lions, I could not hold back my power. Using just my arms covered in Ice, I attacked the Brutal Lions.


    -ROAR!


    Brutal Lions were obviously not going to make it any easier for me.


    -GRRR!


    The Brutal struck at Zero from behind though the Ice armor managed to withstand the attack. Zero continued to focus on taking out the Brutal Lion rather than dodging.


    With 4 Brutal Lions surrounding him, it was impossible for him to dodge their attack especially since the Brutal Lions were not slow either.


    He relied on his Ice armor to protect himself as he concentrated entirely on killing the Brutal Lion without much regard for his defense.


    He needed to reduce the number of his enemies more than anything.


    -SLASH!


    His gamble paid off and he was able to heavily injure one of the Brutal Lions. Although he had to endure the attacks of three Brutal Lions.


    His Ice Armor could not block against the consecutive attacks of three Rank-D + Elite monsters and he was severely injured in his right arm.<sub></sub>


    However, Zero didn''t retreat. He could not give Brutal Lions an opportunity to group together.


    He moved towards his next target. Right now Zero''s appearance was reminiscent of that of a grim reaper.


    He was covered in blood and still viciously attacked the Brutal Lions. If other people saw Zero right now, they would have thought that a mad man was going on a rampage.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    The other Brutal Lions made their way to Zero and joined forces with other Brutal Lions to overwhelm Zero with their numbers.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    Although the Ice Shard was not very powerful, but with Brutal Lions in close proximity to each other, they had less space to dodge.


    -STAB! -STAB!


    The Brutal Lions who had a quick reaction quickly deployed their shield. While those who were close to Zero didn''t have the time to deploy their shield and were heavily injured by Ice Shard.


    Zero took this chance to take down another Brutal Lion. It continued for quite a few minutes with Zero sustaining more injuries than ever. Blood was oozing out of every part of Zero.


    "Huff¡­Puff¡­"


    "...They were better than I expected."


    Zero didn''t underestimate the Brutal Lions but the battle was more challenging than he expected. While he didn''t use all the moves he had at his disposal, Zero did use some of his most powerful skills.


    And more than killing the Brutal Lions, he was learning to fight with arge number of enemies. If it was just overpowering them with Art, Zero was more than capable of ending their life in a minute.


    However, he wanted to learn to fight more efficiently against many enemies without just relying on power. It proved more difficult and he was heavily injured as a result.


    Zero took a couple of health and mana potions before collecting the bodies of Brutal Lions.<sub>


    </sub>


    "I need more practice."


    Zero realized hecked the experience of fighting with arge number of enemies right now. Before setting out to challenge the dungeon boss, he attempted to find other groups of Brutal Lions.


    On this day, Explorers of The Lair of the Brutal Lions could asionally hear the voice of Brutal Lions crying.


    Zero didn''t stop until he hunted 6 packs of Brutal Lions.


    With each fight, Zero grew more ustomed to fighting with arge group as well as Brutal Lions.


    In thest fight, he barely got injured. Rather than using Ground Freeze to trap the Brutal Lions, Zero used condensed Ice Shard to take out the majority of Brutal Lions, followed by the Ground Freeze.


    After that, he engaged in a series of fights using his sharp arm. It became very easypared to the difficult fight he had with the first group of Brutal Lion.


    "Time for the Dungeon Boss."


    Zero was confident in taking out the Dungeon Boss. After fighting with 6 packs of Brutal Lions, he knew the most effective way for him to reduce the number of Brutal Lions before the Spectral Lion showed up.


    He just needed to deploy the same tactics and take out Spectral Lions'' guards before facing off with Spectral Lion alone. Spectral Lion alone was not a very difficult opponent, more so since Zero had the elemental advantage.


    He followed the route indicated on the map. He could finally see the cave which is marked as the home of the Spectral Lion. Guarding the cave were four Brutal Lions.


    There were also other Brutal Lions surrounding the area. It could easily be over 25 Brutal Lions.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment"]


    I wasn''t going to hold back when the Brutal Lion''s number was twice what I faced previously. And I had to take them out before Spectral Lion made its appearance.


    Previously as a practice, it was okay to hold back but right now my life could be in danger if I let down my guard.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Icy Surface" ]<sub> </sub>


    With the power enhanced by Dark Ice Embodiment, the Brutal Lions caught in the skill were not only immobilized but also severely injured. Shadow spikes even caused some Brutal Lions to die inside the ice.


    -ROAR!


    The Brutal Lions guarding the cave immediately roared and alerted nearby Brutal Lions and also the Spectral Lion inside the cave.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    Immediately shooting out several attacks, Zero beheaded a lot of Brutal Lions in one go. Almost all of the Brutal Lions were killed in an instant without getting any opportunity to retaliate.


    Against Zero''s full power, Brutal Lions no longer seem like the tough opponent that they were previously. In the face of absolute power, skill and experience were indeed secondary.


    I was about to charge in and take care of the remaining Brutal Lions when there was a sudden outburst of mana from the cave.


    -ROOOOAAAAARRRR!


    The Spectral Lion charged out of the cave and roared towards the sky. The lion''s mane which was distinct from Brutal Lion spread outwards, and its fur looked formidable with fire surrounding it.


    Its size was almost twice the normal Brutal Lions with even more viciousness in its eyes. He red dignifiedly at the intruder who had the audacity to disturb his rest.


    The Spectral Lion didn''t charge me immediately. Hemanded other Brutal Lions which were about 8 in number, to attack me.


    He was amandermanding his subordinates to kill me.


    -ROAR!


    The Spectral Lion roared to signal the Brutal Lion to attack me.


    They hadunched themselves at me and attacked simultaneously while the other Brutal Lion maintained a good distance to help block my attacks.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Honestly, with Spectral Lion asmander, the Brutal Lion showed incredible teamwork and it also seemed that Spectral Lion had some kind of group buff since the Brutal Lion was much stronger than what I had faced before.


    I looked at Spectral Lion to see whether he would be taking any action.


    Spectral Lion quietly surveyed the battle from above, whether it was to find an opportunity to strike at me or to demonstrate his absolute confidence in his subordinates.


    ( Indeed he was dungeon boss. )


    He was calm and didn''t behave aggressively like other monsters. However, did he think that someone who took care of his other 16 Brutal Lions is someone who can be stalled by his subordinates?


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    -SHHHUSH!


    The Brutal Lion immediately set up a defensiveyer to defend against the iing attack. The 8 Brutal Lions work together to generate a strong wall of mana for defense.


    They had already seen the power of this attack earlier, which resulted in many of theirrades dying. They had no intention of underestimating it again.


    I watched as the Brutal Lion made an attempt to block my attack. Their skill was really admirable. It could be the strongest defensive skill under Rank-C but it was still not enough to block my attack.


    -BOOM!


    As a result of my attack, their defenses were shattered and they were directly hit. But their defense skill really paid off as they were still alive. Though they don''t look like they will be able to fight again.


    -ROOOAAAR!


    The Spectral Lion who was observing roared angrily. However, his anger was not only directed at Zero but also at other Brutal Lions who could not finish off the intruder.


    The Spectral Lion shot through the air towards Zero. The mes around its body rose as it furiously charged towards Zero.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero stood there not a bit scared of Spectral Lion''s momentum. The Spectral Lion''s body was so hot that the surface he stepped on started to melt a little.


    -RAWR!


    [ "Ice Wall"]


    Several ice walls stood between Zero and Spectral Lion. However, the beast kept on shattering the wall without much effort.


    -BAM!


    Spectral Lion with full power hit Zero directly. The Spectral Lion expected Zero to be burned, but that did not happen. Zero was perfectly fine holding his body in his hand.


    "Didn''t expect that, huh!"


    I have never wanted to stop Spectral Lion with the Ice wall. I just needed it to cool down his me and with the elemental advantage I have, it was easy for me to extinguish his me.


    I also had Ice Armor which ispletely resistant to fires. With the Ice Armor, I was able to sh with Spectral Lion who was covered in me though right now the fire is nowhere to be seen.


    With me channeling the Ice energy on Spectral Lion''s body, his skill vanished without a trace.


    ''!!!''


    The Spectral Lion was confused by his me going out. His me was hot enough to melt the stones, but now it had been easily extinguished.


    The Spectral Lion was angry at the human who took away his power and pride. Among the Brutal Lions, only those who have the ability to wield fire abilities have the chance to evolve into a Spectral Lion.


    His me was his pride. Now his pride has been snatched by a human.


    However, his anger was short-lived as the face Zero showed had changed his anger to fear.


    "Hehe¡­ Shall I teach you about what pain feels like?"

 Chapter 113 Blackstorm Gang

    Chapter 113 ckstorm Gang


    Looking at the monster core, I felt happy. It was my reward for all the hard work I put in.


    Spectral Lion without hismanding abilities and with his fire ability suppressed by my ice energy was just like other Brutal Lion, only a little stronger.


    Facing an opponent who couldpletely suppress him with his energy, Spectral Lion trembled, not to mention the scary face that Zero had.


    It is not that fire energy cannot fight with Ice energy but Zero practiced level Ice Art, an absolute Art which wasparable to an Ice Elemental Dragon skill. His profound Ice energy could easily suppress the fire wielded by the Spectral Lion.


    Zero threw the lion after catching the Spectral Lion in his hand. Zero continued to tor¡­ I mean fight with Spectral Lion mercilessly until Spectral Lion stopped moving.


    Zero felt Spectral Lion was too easy not knowing how hard it is to solo this dungeon. The main difficulty of this dungeon is the number and teamwork of the monster but Zero easily destroyed those numbers easily.


    This led to Spectral Lion not being able to show his actual power or the power he is known for.


    However, since Zero took care of most of the Brutal Lion before Spectral Lion made its appearance, he effectively made killing Spectral Lion much easier.


    As usual he checked for the monster core in the bodies of the monsterafter he had defeated the Spectral Lion and unexpectedly he got a monster core from the Spectral Lion''s corpse.


    Though the mary value of this thing could only be dust in the eye of Zero, you need extreme luck to get one of those. Akin to people winning a lottery even if one is very rich, they would feel happy.


    Zero was also happy to be able to get the monster core. He stared at the shiny red monster core which was a little bigger than the average size of the monster core.


    Storing the other Brutal Lions body, Zero left the area and made his preparation to leave the dungeon.


    "Congrattions on defeating the Spectral Lion."


    Appearing out of nowhere was Professor Mia.<sub></sub>


    ( Ah! She was here. Ipletely forgot! )


    Zero was so engrossed in the training that he even forgot that professor Mia entered the dungeon with him.


    He even forgot the fact that his training here was all arranged by Professor Mia.


    "Let''s go out together!"


    Since the objective of the training to defeat the dungeon boss waspleted, she chose to exit the dungeon with Zero.


    It was because she wanted to tell her observation to Zero and tell him which area he needs to work on.


    Though she will train and make sure he get rid of his w, Zero needed to know his own w and also work on it himself.


    And there was something she needed to take care of before going out of the dungeon.


    *****


    "Are you sure the boy is here?"


    A domineering voice asked.


    "Yes, BOSS! We already surveyed the nearby ces and we are sure he had gone to challenge the dungeon boss recently."


    Mitchell answered. He has already traced the whereabouts of Zero before the boss and other gang members arrived.<sub>


    </sub>


    "It better be worth it. I bought 20 of myckeys for this."


    Boss said in an annoying voice. He didn''t like to wait and he had already spent hours hiding to ambush the boy.


    He would not have been hiding so meticulously if not for Dale telling again and again about how great the boy''s senses are.


    He was only enduring the ufortable ce because of the wealth he would get after robbing the boy.


    ording to Mitchell, the boy possesses an item worth over hundred thousand Ethan and if they ask for ransom from the parent, they would easily be making at least one million Ethan.


    Only for this operation, he ordered 20 mens from his ckstorm gang and alsoe personally to help Dave and his team.


    The gang members were all Rank-D and above and they had spent years in this dungeon robbing and killing the Explorers. They were the rulers of this ce.


    He, himself was Rank-C. There was no way the boy could escape from their gasp.


    ( Hmph! Challenging the boss of this dungeon? He might be looking for death. )


    The ckstorm gang had defeated Spectral Lion before but at the cost of many lives and he, the boss, also suffered heavy injuries from it. Half of his face was burned to the point that it could not be healed back by low level potion or middle level potions.


    Although they managed to kill the Spectral Lion in the end.


    He didn''t believe that the boy would be able to defeat the Spectral Lion and woulde crying back soon.


    "Boss, we have spotted the boy."<sub> </sub>


    "!!!"


    The scout immediately saw the people waiting for the ambush. They had been waiting for this moment for hours.


    "Get Ready! Try not to kill the boy. His parents must be loaded to give him those artifacts."


    "Boss, there is someone else with the target."


    "How many?"


    "One."


    "Nothing of concern. We will get them together."


    One or two does not make any difference. They just need to add another person into their killing list.


    *****


    Walking down the way that I havee previously, I noticed a presence of lots of people ahead.


    I was about to use my skill to test whether my perception was wrong or not when Professor Mia held my hands and stopped me.


    "Shhh¡­ Act like you never noticed them."


    I nodded. With Professor Mia''s perception, she must have already noticed them. With her, I was not worried about meeting anyone in this dungeon.


    -WHOOSH!


    Jumping out of their hiding ces, the ambusher revealed themselves when we got too close to them. The number of ambushers was close to 25.


    "Hehe¡­ I suggest you surrender yourself if you don''t want to win."


    The one who seemed to be the boss spoke as he showed off his de.


    "Hehe¡­ I didn''t expect to meet such a beautiful woman. Hey woman, if you can entertain me, I might spare you. ¡­Haha¡­"


    "Boss, you should give her to us after you are done ying with her. Hehe¡­"


    The other ambusher also joined their boss andughed like a hyena.


    -SIGH!


    ( They are dead! )


    I don''t know who gave them the guts to say such things to the Ice Enchantress. I almost pity those guys who are going to be in hell a lot of pain. Even god can''t save them.


    Is it because those guy spend their entire time in the dungeon that they don''t recognise Professor Mia''s face or is it because the dungeon is dark right now. Either way they would be dead soon.


    Professor mia raised her right hand and aimed at them.


    Professor Mia''s eyes turned cold as an inexplicable mana aura started to emanate from her body.


    The ambusher expression turned from bliss to horriefied. They knew they had touch a ho nest from the suppression that they felt.


    The ambusher immediately released their defensive skill as they felt extreme danger as the temperature around them rapidly fell down.


    Following the unleashed of her aura, a cold mana started being exerted from her hand, instantly turning the surrounding air to bing freezing cold.


    [ "Ice Wave" ]


    She used the skill which was used against me when she was fighting with me. But unlike the training, she was not holding back against them and using her real power.


    "The crazy woman is using a dangerous skill. Quickly use all your power to block it."


    The boss of ckstorm gang immediately released his strongest skill as he prepared himself to resist against the iing attack.


    From his perspective, he could not actually tell the rank of Professor Mia, just felt that she was more powerful than Spectral Lion.


    He didn''t know that the attack that was released by Professor Mia is rank A+. He thought that since the skill was of a wide range, it could not be too powerful.


    If they could withstand the attack, they could counterattack. There was power in numbers afterall.


    Some ambuschers attempted to cancel the attack with their own attack while others had barriers around them. Some even used their defensive artifact feeling that the attack was too powerful.


    However, when the attack made contact with Professor Mia attacj, it immediately froze and continued to make its way towards them, freezing everything in the path.


    As soon as the Professor Mia skill hit them, regardless of skill and artifact that they were using, they all felt an immense, frigid chilling from them.


    Then their vision started to blur. While they could still think, their skill, artifact, body and mana all were all frozen in Ice.


    It was an instant defeat for the ckstorm gang. As expect of Rank-A, one attack was all it needed to take out those people.

 Chapter 114 Becoming Famous?

    Chapter 114 Bing Famous?


    "Let''s go!"


    Professor said as she began to walk away.


    I gave a final look at the Ice statue. They were unlucky to meet Professor Mia though they are also lucky that they have not been killed.


    While those people have indeed frozen to Ice, they were just immobilized. They should be fine as long as they are defrosted.


    After exiting the dungeon, Professor Mia exined the situation to the guards and asked them to bring the criminal to jail.


    Turns out those people were part of the ckstorm gang which is the dominant gang in the Lair of the Brutal Lions.


    Criminal organizations like those did exist in many dungeons. While The Authority had tried to take out such organizations, they failed because it was not worth the effort.


    Hiring the Explorer and heroes was expensive and the number of organizations was numerous to take out. It was also hard to recognize such criminals because most of the things that happen in the dungeon are unknown.


    ckstorm turned out to be such an organization. Due to their deed in the Lair of the Brutal Lion for years, they arebeled as criminals.


    Due to the authority that Professor Mia had, the guard didn''t question the authenticity of her word and immediately set off to bring those criminals to justice.


    "Say, you knew that those people were ambushing me?"


    I said as we were waiting for the guards to bring in the criminals.


    I asked Professor Mia the question because I see no other reason why she tried to walk with me back then. She should have silently observed until we were out of the dungeon.


    "Ang huh"


    Professor Mia nodded and turned her head toward me.


    "I already observed what they were doing after you didn''t jump in to save that girl. I heard them calling their boss. I thought it was a good opportunity to catch them in one move."


    Professor Mia said calmly. What she said above was true but she also had another reason.


    The reason was Zero. While she believed Zero to be strong, he got this personality of messing around sometimes.


    Like when fighting with the Brutal Lion he would have killed them easily but he didn''t and continued to get injured even though he was more than capable of annihting them in one go. She didn''t know his intention was to use those Brutal Lions to practice hisbat with arge number of enemies.<sub></sub>


    Professor Mia for a moment became extremely anxious when she saw the state Zero was in. His whole body was covered in blood, akin to someone who is on the verge of dying.


    However, as a professor, she would not let her emotions block her judgment as a professor.


    Since the situation was not life-threatening, she didn''t show up.


    She was afraid that the same thing might happen if he met the gang. He might go easy on them because they are fellow humans.


    Therefore, though it would have been a good chance for Zero to learn to fight with other humans, she decided it was not good to push Zero off the limit.


    She had already pushed him too far by letting him conquer the dungeon, she didn''t want to burden him extra with the guilt of killing a fellow human.


    No matter the reason, killing humans always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.


    We waited for the guards to bring in the ckstorm gang. They need to verify whether what we im is true or not. Though with Professor Mia, even if it turns out to be false they would not do anything to us.


    After 20 minutes, the guards came out of the portal with prisoners bound to a special lock which sealed off the mana flow.


    They were defrosted to make them walk. When they saw Professor Mia, they shuddered like a mouse seeing a cat.


    It was already dark when we came out of the dungeon. We decided to go back to our home and meet up tomorrow. Tomorrow, I had to conquer another dungeon.


    *****


    Today, I was on time and we went to one of the dungeons. The dungeon that I went to today was much easier than the Lair of the Brutal lions.


    So easy that rather than training it felt like I was just terrorizing the monster. Even the dungeon boss was in in one attack.


    Since the dungeon was easy, Ipletely conquered it before lunch.


    Saying that she had something personal to take care of,Professor Mia soon went somewhere as soon as we were out of the dungeon.


    I didn''t have anything nned today since I thought I would spend the rest of the day in the dungeon.


    I decided to take this opportunity to explore Agora Town. Last time, I was poor so I didn''t get to buy things that I like.<sub>


    </sub>


    Now that I am rich, I want to buy all the things that I fancy.


    Looking at the stall and going inside the shops, I was just looking for something interesting and had no item in mind to buy.


    As I walked through the streets of Agora Town, I noticed people staring at me and whispering to each other, like how the students at Ace Academy would.


    "Huh? This is strange. Why are they staring at me?"


    The number of people looking at me just increased as I walked through the street.


    -CLICK! -CLICK!


    *FLASH!


    It was enough that there were people staring at me, now some people also took my pictures.


    "Haha¡­ I got a picture of Ice Enchantress boyfriend. Let''s sell it to a newspany."


    "How much do you think you can sell this for?"


    (!!! Boyfriend?)


    Two boys were whispering to each other even though I heard them. I don''t know what made them think such things but they seem to misunderstand something about me.


    I went up to one of the stalls.


    "Sir, do you know why people are staring at me?"


    I asked the elderly owner of the stall politely.


    "Ang? Boy, do you not know the reason?"


    The elderly man asked, almost stupefied.


    I shook my head. How should I know why they are interested in me? Maybe because of my handsome looks? Nah, who am I kidding.<sub> </sub>


    "There are videos and pictures of you with the Ice Enchantress circting in TwitFlick and newspapers. There are also rumors that you are the boyfriend of the Ice Enchantress."


    The elderly man said.


    I was surprised to find out the reason. Video of me and Professor Mia?


    "Boy, are you really the boyfriend of Ice Enchantress?"


    The elderly man asked curiously.


    "No, I am her student."


    I refused firmly.


    "Student, huh?"


    The elderly man got lost in thought for a minute. Might be to think about whether I am lying or telling the truth.


    "Anyway, you should be careful. There are lots of fans of Ice Enchantress here in Agora Town. I heard they want to kill you who ims to be her boyfriend."


    "!!! What?"


    I never thought that my stroll to Agora Town would be so dangerous.


    "Thank you, I will go now."


    I quickly escaped from that ce. Listening to the elderly, I don''t think my life is safe in Agora Town. I know how frantic fans can be.


    I returned to my room and vowed to stay there until the rumors died down.


    With that my weekend training isplete. The next day was again a series of brutal training waiting for me.


    Just like that, we continued to train. 5 days of training in the gravity room with some sparring with Professor Mia, while the other two days were spent inside the dungeon.


    I never got outside unless it was necessary.


    ***One month***


    "1 2 3, 1 2 3¡­"


    Lifting 300 weights an


    "Phew"


    Sitting down to take a rest, I thought about how inhumane it is to make someone lift a weight of 300 kg in a ce where gravity is 10X more.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D


    Strength: C -


    Speed: D +


    Stamina: D +


    Mana: C -


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    Yeah, it had been one week since I broke through and reached Rank-D. Professor Mia was able to see through my rank during the training.


    She increased the intensity of training and also made me train within 10x the gravity with 150kg on my body all time. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to lift those 300 kgs in a 10X gravity.


    The rank of the dungeon also increased with Professor Mia sometimes taking me to conquer Rank-C - dungeon.


    With the increase in rank, Rank-C - monsters were no more than my punching bags. Though Rank-C - Elite monsters were able to fight with me for quite a bit, they can''t defeat me.


    Since my strength stat was Rank-C -, even without the use of skills, I could fight on equal ground with Rank-C - monster.


    Today was the weekend and as always I was to go to a dungeon to train. Professor Mia said it was the Wyvern dungeon.


    Wyvern used to be a challenging opponent when I was a Rank-E human, now that I have been promoted to Rank-D, I can''t wait to find out how they fare against me.


    "..."


    I looked at my watch to see the time. It was already 9:10 am, way past the appointed time.


    "What happened to her? She has never been sote."


    It was very rare, no almost impossible to have Professor Mia to bete on something.


    I remembered her giving me quite an earful when I waste on the first training in the dungeon.


    It might be my turn now.

 Chapter 115 Dungeon Outburst

    Chapter 115 Dungeon Outburst


    "She iste¡­"


    Maybe I should also lecture her on not keeping someone waiting. Just joking. Maybe only those who don''t care about their own life might criticize the Ice Enchantress.


    But it was very unlikely for her to be thatte. Maybe something serious happened?


    I didn''t even have the time to wonder as I got my answer soon.


    ''WARNING! There has been a dungeon outburst in Rank-B Catb of the Forbidden Marsh. People of Agora Town, don''t panic and calmly evacuate the town. Several Explorers have been dispatched to keep you safe from the monster."


    (??? Dungeon Outburst? )


    Dungeon Outburst happens when the monster inside the dungeon overflows. But that rarely happens to the dungeon that had already been conquered.


    The Catb of the Forbidden Marsh has already been conquered a long time back but to reach the point that Dungeon Outburst happens, it could mean the guild presiding the dungeon is irresponsible or it must be done intentionally by them.


    Anyway, the Rank-B Dungeon Outburst was really dangerous, not to mention Catb of the Forbidden Marsh is an incredibly high-ranking dungeon among the other Rank-B.


    Monsters such as Minotaur and LigerFang roam in those dungeons. With their strength, they could easily bring down a huge building with a single strike from them.


    If even one of them reaches this town, it would be enough to raze the whole town to ground, ensuring countless casualties.


    This might be the reason why Professor Mia iste. She must have gone there to help the other people in stopping the monster.


    "Let''s run! We need to get out of this ce as soon as possible."<sub></sub>


    "What is happening today? Why is there a dungeon Outburst in an already conquered dungeon? The Explorers are bing more irresponsible as time passes by."


    "Grandpa, don''t just stand there and evacuate quickly."


    "Hoho¡­ Don''t worry, child. Heroes will soon arrive and save the town in time."


    The people who are young and have hardly faced such a situation panicked at hearing the warning. They were scared that the monster would reach that ce soon since the dungeon was quite near Agora Town.


    However, older people who had multiple experiences were calm. They had faced such situations countless times in their life. Many undiscovered dungeons would lead to dungeon Outburst, and this was the reason why many ces became inhabitable due to many monsters rampaging and upying those ces.


    Though humans have managed to preserve somend for themselves, however, the world was mostly filled with countless monsters.


    They would upy those areas where they had Dungeon Outburst but they did not seem too keen on expanding their territory which is a fortunate thing for humanity.


    Humans have tried many ways to get back the lostnd but only a small part of thend was recovered. The monster that hase out of the dungeon would reproduce quickly and be sorge in number that we humans can''t kill them all.


    Good thing is that monsters don''t get along with other species of monsters, so they kill each other, keeping the number to a certain extent. If not, the world would be overflowing with monsters.


    I also got ready to move out of the town. Monsters are likely to attack ces which have arge human poption. And since Agora Town is the nearest town to the dungeon, the monsters will inevitably be attracted to Agora Town.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -BOOM!


    A few minutes into the warning, I could actually hear people fighting with the monster. Though, I doubt it is Minotaur and LigerFang since if they were to fight, buildings would be crashing down.<sub>


    </sub>


    "It must be the low-rank monster of Catb of the Forbidden Marsh."


    High-rank dungeon does not mean that all the monsters present there would have high ranks.


    A rank-B dungeon is so huge that it takes weeks for a veteran Explorer to defeat the dungeon boss.  It would contain Rank-E monsters to Rank-B monsters. Though low-rank monsters are only food for other high-rank monsters.


    However, low-level monsters such as Goblin and Orc have a very high reproductivity that even if they reduce to only two or three in numbers, they will be hundreds in a matter of weeks.


    Anyway, it must be such a monster that has arrived first. High-rank monsters must be held off by the high-ranking humans in that ce.


    -WHOOSH!


    Turning my direction towards the ce where the sound of fighting was, I immediately set off to check the situation.


    They would not need my assistant but who knows what is happening there unless I go and check out.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    "Hey, these monsters are endless. When are they sending the reinforcement?"


    "...I don''t know. They must be busy with the high-rank monsters right now."


    "F**K! Do they not care about what will happen if we die? There are countless people who can''t fight with these low-rank monsters. They will just end up bing food for these monsters"<sub> </sub>


    The man said angrily. It has been quite some time since they requested The Authority to send in other Explorers who are in the area. NO one showed up and they only had five people fighting against 20 or 30 Orc by themselves.


    -STAB!


    Arriving at the scene, I saw a small team of Explorers currently fighting with Orcs, one of the low-rank monsters in Catb of the Forbidden Marsh.


    The team consisted mainly of Rank-D with Rank-C captain. They would have been fine if it was one-on-one but the monsters outnumber them by too much. And they don''t seem to have a mage who could take out arge number of monsters instantly.


    It is understandable since mage are rare as Magic Art are several times rare and precious than other Art, plus you need your mana stat to be higher than many other stats.


    It seems they are struggling against them. I don''t see any reinforcement in sight either.


    It looks like I need to assist them or else they will be killed by these Orcs.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    Rank-D Orcs no matter the number were no match for me since they would be frozen if they are near me anyway.


    -FFSSSSTTT!


    Instantly, all the Orc present there had turned into Ice. The fierce battlefield hade to aplete halt.


    "I think they can take care of them now."


    I instantly turned around and went away. Since the Orcs have all turned into ice, all they had to do was give a finishing blow.


    "Huh?"


    "What happened? Who helped us?"


    The team fighting with Orcs was dumbfounded when they saw the Orcs turn into Ice.


    They were struggling against them for so long but someone instantly took care of it in a second.


    "Did reinforcement arrive?"


    "No response from the headquarters. It might be someone strong passing by."


    "Who could be so strong to turn so many Orcs into Ice? Co-Could it be the Ice Enchantress?"


    The man became excited at the prospect of the mysterious helper being Ice Enchantress.


    "Most Likely. She is well known for her strong Ice Magic. And I heard she was there to stop high-ranking monsters in the entrance of the dungeon. She must havepleted her mission there and came to help here."


    The number of Mages was already low and those who can wield strong Ice magic like this were even smaller, most notably being Mia Frostine. They naturally thought it was Mia Frostine since the skill was extremely powerful.


    "Now, let''s stop chit-chatting and finish these monsters. They are still alive."


    They could still feel Orc resisting inside the Ice. They move on to kill the Orc. They know that once the Ice that is trapping them is broken, Orcs will attack them again.


    *****


    I moved from the roof of one building to another, carefully observing the situation of the town. It seems that the low-level monster had escaped from the dungeon area and reached this town.


    I could also see some Goblins though it didn''t take a minute to kill them all. Their number was almost 50 which could have given some Explorer trouble though they were nothing but target practice for me.


    I used Ice Shard to shoot at them and reduce their number to nothing.


    I continued to observe as I moved through the route where people went for evacuation.


    "KYYYYAAA!"


    As I was moving through the road, I heard a scream. I immediately went to help the person.


    As a student of Ace Academy, it was my duty to help powerless people. So, unlike the dungeon where it was okay to ignore someone in trouble because they themselves willingly came into the dungeon knowing the dangers, I had to help people in danger.


    Rather than what someone taught me, I would like to follow my own rules. Like I have said before, as long as I don''t have to risk my life, I would help someone who is in trouble.


    Just don''t let it be another scheme to trick other people.

 Chapter 116 Dungeon Outburst [2]

    Chapter 116 Dungeon Outburst [2]


    "Hah...Hah..."


    There were 7 Orcs chasing after a group of children who, judging from their appearance, are aged between 8-10.


    The oldest one in that group seems to be between the ages of 13 and 14. Looked a bit younger than me.


    She was trying to protect the other smaller kids. They were really in danger.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    -BANG!


    Precisely hitting the Ice Shard on the Orc''s head, I killed all the Orcs in one shot.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    In the face of my attacks, monsters of rank-D who did not use defensive skills are nothing but dead meat.


    "Are you okay?"


    I asked because I saw that they were quite terrified of what had happened. And I also need to know that they were okay physically and also mentally.


    "A-Ah, we''re okay. Thank you for saving us."


    The oldest girl bowed her head to me. I observed them for a bit and found no injuries on their bodies. They must be just scared.


    The kids seem to be a bit afraid of me. It might be just my imagination but I think so.


    And the fact that I killed the Orc in front of them might have frightened the kids.<sub></sub>


    Even though I did it in order to save them, they might not be used to seeing such gory stuff. They were after all just young kids.


    Looking at them, they seem to have separated from other people.


    "I am heading to the evacuation center. If you don''t mind, I can take you all there."


    "Really!!"


    The girl became energetic after knowing that she didn''t need to go through that experience again. She believed that with a guy who could easily kill those monsters, they would not need to worry about being in danger.


    "Come with me. I will take you there safely. Just don''t stray away from me."


    They nodded at me.


    "Good! Let''s go!"


    I moved at a slower pace since there were children following me.


    Looking at them again, I could see that they are still scared. They must have thought they would die in the hands of Orcs.


    I don''t know which adult is so careless as to abandon their children and run away. If I ever meet them, I would need to give them some lessons about the responsibility of parents.


    We encounter another group of Orcs and one group of Goblins. However, they could not even withstand one of my moves.


    After a while, we reached a ce that seemed to be where people were evacuating. There was also a team of Explorers guarding that ce.


    "You should join that group. I need to go somewhere else."<sub>


    </sub>


    It seems rtively safe to leave them there. There were many Explorers including Rank-C Explorers, who could protect the people as long as Rank-B did not show up.


    "Thank You!"


    They bowed and thanked me and quickly blended in with the crowd. I waved goodbye and left to check the situation in the other parts of the town.


    Currently, the monster has not reached this part of the town. The Explorers team must be holding them off right now.


    For now, the evacuation center is rtively safe. I went to the ce where I was previously.


    Since that area is closer to the dungeon which is facing Dungeon Outburst.


    As I ran, I noticed that I had not encountered one monster since I left the evacuation area. Did they all die somewhere?


    !!!!


    While I was getting closer to the Fountain of Tyche, I was dumbfounded for a moment. The beautiful ce waspletely encased in ice. Inside the Ice were a variety of monsters from Goblin to even the Rank-C monster Hellhound.


    Ice could extend 1 km away from where it was frozen. The sheer amount needed to achieve this is currently impossible for me.


    This must be the reason why I didn''t see even one monster on my way. They were all trapped here.


    "It should be Professor Mia."


    I could be wrong but there was no other Ice Mage who is as powerful as her. Only she should be able to do such a thing.


    "What are you doing here?"<sub> </sub>


    There was suddenly a voice behind. It startled me for a moment.


    Turning my head around, I asked.


    "Is the monster at the entrance taken care of?"


    I asked Professor Mia. She is here can mean that the monster at the dungeon had been taken care of. Though I don''t know how a Dungeon Outburst of such scale could be taken care of so easily.


    "Not yet!"


    "So, Why are you here?"


    I asked confusingly. If the monster from Dungeon Outburst is not killed, how can Professor Mia have time toe here.


    "I came here to take care of the monsters that have escaped from the entrance. Heroes have arrived, so my presence was not really needed there."


    Heroes were all Rank-S and above. With them there, the situation at the dungeon should have stabilized to a certain extent.


    Though with the number of monsters present in a Rank-B dungeon, even with the presence of Rank-S heroes, it would take some time before all the monsters are killed.


    "Besides, I was worried about you. I can''t let my student die because of me."


    Professor Mia said. Even with Heroes arriving, having Professor Mia was a huge help to them.


    But Professor Mia was quite worried about Zero who should be waiting for her in Agora Town. The situation at the entrance was looking good, so she came to Agora Town to check on Zero.


    Most of the monsters that escaped from that area were Rank-C and below. The main reason why they could escape from there was because the high-ranking Explorers needed to deal with Rank-B - and above monsters.


    Compare to a thousand Rank-D monster escaping, the destruction that a Rank-B could bring was many times dangerous. And Rank-D monster could be taken care of by other low-ranking Explorers. However, the same can''t be said about Rank-B monsters.


    Therefore, arge number of low-ranking monsters sessfully escaped from that area and reached Agora Town.


    By the time, she reached Agora Town. Thousand of monsters have already started destroying the city. Though she sensed that the area where she was had no presence of humans.


    To reduce the damage and take off all those monsters, she decided to freeze the whole area. With that everything within the radius of 1 km had been turned into Ice.


    "OH!"


    What a honor to get the concern of the Ice Enchantress. It didn''t feel bad that someone is worried about my safety. Though the next time something like this happens, I hope that I be so strong that no one would be worried about me.


    So what shall I do?


    Since it seem that every monster that escaped had been killed by Professor Mia, I didn''t know what I should do. I could go with her to the entrance of the dungeon or go to the evacuation center. Anyway, he decided to ask Professor Mia.


    "Follow me, we will go to the entrance of Catb of the Forbidden Marsh. It is a rare opportunity for you to watch a battle between high-ranking monsters and Heroes."


    The area was rtively safe with the presence of 3 S-Rank and 15 A-Rank Explorers. And she was going to protect Zero closely.


    If something dangerous happens, she was ready to protect Zero at all costs. Though she knew that she need not worry about this since the strongest monster present in that dungeon is Rank-B + Boss monster.


    "... Okay then"


    I understood what Professor Mia''s intentions are. I have never ever witnessed Rank-S fighting. It could be an opportunity to learn about the power that heroes possess.


    -WHOOSH!


    We quickly dashed towards the dungeon area. Along the way, we encounter some low-rank monster that must have escaped from the entrance.


    We immediately took care of any monster that we could see on our way. Even arge number of Rank-C monsters were immediately taken care of by Professor Mia in one attack.


    !!!


    While we were still on our way to Catb of the Forbidden Marsh, suddenly I felt a huge amount of mana being released somewhere near.


    It was unlikely any mana aura that I felt. Even more dense than what I usually feels from Professor Mia or even when Glenn, Guildmaster of NightShade broke through.


    Even Professor Mia seem to be alerted by the sudden appearance of such mana.


    "WE NEED TO QUICKLY LEAVE THIS AREA!!"


    Professor Mia who would usually stay calm, shouted with worried expression. She seems to know something about that unusual mana presence.


    -WHOOSH! -WHOOSH!


    I ran at full speed while Professor Mia ran behind me.


    "What is that unusual mana aura? I don''t think that man aura is from a person."


    The magnitude of mana that I felt was sorge that it had surpassed that of Rank-S. I don''t know how much mana capacity a Rank-SS has but the mana that I felt, was 100x more than what I felt from Professor Mia.


    I don''t think even Rank-SS has 100x more than Professor Mia. Not only is Professor Mia mage, which mean she has more mana than others of same rank. And there were no mage who is in Rank-SS, at least ording to what I know.


    "No, that is mana is not from a person. It should be fr¡­"


    While Professor Mia tried to exin what that man, was, suddenly a strong suction force appeared and stopped her exnation.


    -WOOOOO!


    The force was so strong that even with me using my full power, I was getting sucked into it.


    "AAAAAHHH¡­"

 Chapter 117 Gate???

    Chapter 117 Gate???


    -THUD!


    "Ahh¡­ Ouch!"


    Landing on my butt, I involuntarily let out a sound. The thing that just happened was simr to how portals work. However, the force that pulled me inside was several times stronger than a portal.


    I didn''t feel that I could resist such force even if I rank up several times.


    Even Professor Mia who is in Rank-A+ could not resist that force and I think she also has been sucked into this ce.


    (...)


    I thought for a while about the event that just urred.


    This ce was definitely inside a Gate.


    Gate is simr to a Dungeon but the time in the Gate is much slower than outside unlike a dungeon where one minute inside the dungeon is equivalent to one minute outside the dungeon.


    In Gates, one month could mean 1 day or even only one second outside. Other than that, another difference between dungeons and Gates was that Gate would appearance would be followed by an intense suction pull that pulls in every living being in its vicinity.


    Another difference is that once the Gate is conquered, it will disappear after some time like it never existed at all. A dungeon, even if one does defeat the boss, would still exist and spawn another boss after a period of time.<sub></sub>


    After its appearance, Gates will function as a normal dungeon. Other people could enter it and conquer it.


    However, with the time difference, it might be months and years before reinforcement from outside arrives inside a Gate. It might take only hours outside but a year might have already passed inside the gates.


    I stood up and surveyed my area. All I could see was an empty white space. Though of course, it was not a room with a white wall, it was a ce covered in heavy snow.


    All the things within my sight were covered in snow with no other color in sight. The Gate''s environment was a snowy and cold ce simr to the north pole.


    The environment was easy to survive for me since I have high resistance to cold temperatures. It is also true for Professor Mia.


    Even if she (which is likely) is sucked into this Gate, she would easily survive in this ce. Other people might not be able to deal with such low temperatures but it was normal for an Ice mage like us.


    Always dealing with Ice energy, it would be weird if we could not withstand a low temperature such as this. Ice energy we use is many times colder than this.


    Anyway, the environment was no problem for me. I could survive here as long as I don''t encounter dangerous monsters.


    I don''t know the Rank of this gate though.


    However, I assume that this is not a low-level Gate. Judging from the aura and density of mana it released when it appeared in Agora Town.<sub>


    </sub>


    Additionally, the worried expression on Professor Mia''s face, I expect this Gate to be at least Rank-B. She would not have reacted so strongly if the Gate that appeared was of low rank.


    If it were below that, Professor Mia could easily conquer the Gate. She might be able to conquer this Gate even if it is Rank-B but not Rank-A.


    One more thing that Gate differed from the dungeon is that, unlike its dungeon rank, the Boss rank is sometimes higher than what Gate rank is.


    It happened at several Gates, where the Gate were judged to be Rank-B but the boss monster was at Rank-A.


    Even in Rank-A Gate, Professor Mia might survive with her strength until reinforcement arrives but with my strength, it would be near impossible for me to survive for months if the Gate rank turns out to be A.


    (...)


    Shit! I think I am really in big trouble now. It might have been a good choice if I never left that evacuation center. No use regretting now.


    I need to think of a n to survive here. Conquering this Gate is out of the question with my current strength. Even a Gate of Rank-D might give me a run for the money.


    And I am sure that this Gate is a high-ranking one.


    "What happened to my Rank-B luck? Is it taking a shit?"<sub> </sub>


    Most of the time, I would thank my luck but it seems to turn into a shitty one. I might have used all my luck to survive Solomon''s attack, maybe?


    To get into Gate, not to mention that there is a high possibility of Gate rank being high.


    Anyway, I need to decide what I need to do fast. Without any n, I could very well turn into the food for the monsters.


    (...)


    I had many options to choose from; one I can just wait here, hiding until the reinforcement arrive. My second option was to rank up quickly and defeat the boss. If I train here for at least 2 years, I might get strong enough to defeat a Rank-B Gate boss.


    My third option was to try and defeat the Gate boss in my current state though it might be impossible if the dungeon rank is high, however, there is also a possibility of the Gate rank being low though it is very unlikely


    However, the n that could ensure my survivability and was more realistic to execute was finding Professor Mia. I know for sure that she is in this ce. There has been no incident of any person escaping from the Gate suction force.


    Even Rank-S heroes get into low-rank Gate because they can''t escape from it.


    However, even if she didn''t get sucked into the Gate, there is a high chance that she entered right after she saw me get sucked into the Gate.


    If she waited for help from others, it would be already weeks and months in the Gate and I could be dead by that time. From my understanding of Professor Mia, she would definitely jump in to save me.


    With her by my side, my chance of survival would increase several-fold. No amount of n and method could ensure my life as much as being with Professor Mia.


    Before starting to search for Professor Mia, I would first need to know my own position. Right now all I could see was white snow with no other thing in sight.


    I decided to head North which seem to be high ground. With a higher ce, I would be able to see the ce more clearly, leading to finding Professor Mia more easily.


    -BADUM! -BADUM!


    The sound of my heart beating was so loud that people 10 meters might actually hear it.


    However, calm I tried to be, I was scared and anxious to quickly find Professor Mia.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Zero, which is an unknown ce, was afraid that he might encounter something he can''t handle. He felt a pressing sense of urgency to quickly find Professor Mia.


    He hurriedly sped up as he continued to run at a pace that will not exhaust him.


    There was currently 2 months'' worth of food in his spatial ring, so he was not worried about food for the time being.


    In a blick of an eye, Zero has already run over 50 km distance, but he still could not find anything except the white snow and a little bit of green grass.


    Though it was a good thing that he also didn''t encounter monsters. With the dungeon and Gate being a ce for monsters, it was quite lucky for him to not meet any monsters.


    He continued to move at high speed.


    -ROOOAARR!


    Suddenly, he heard a roar carrying a terrifying aura. Zero shuddered for he sensed a very terrifying auraing from the roar.


    He quickly buried himself beneath the snow and held his breath. He didn''t dare to move even an inch until he was sure that the monster outside is not there.


    From the aura that terrifying roar contained, Zero was sure that the monster was at least Rank-B. He previously fought with lots of Rank-C monsters and he knows that terrifying aura does not belong to a rank-C monster.


    Luckily it didn''t seem that the roar was aimed at him. If that monster had seen and was nning to attack him, he knew he had only a little chance of being alive.


    After being sure that the monster was noting in his direction, he came out of the snow he buried himself in.


    Zero immediately changed the course of his direction. While he was curious to see what type of monster that was, however, if he encounter that monster, there was a huge chance that he''d meet a cmity that could kill him easily.


    Now, he was certain that the Gate was of very high rank. Even the monster met for the first time in the Gate was of Rank-B. It is estimated that the Boss monster who is the apex predator in the gate should be at least Rank-A.


    The situation was not looking good for Zero.

 Chapter 118 Gate??? [2]

    Chapter 118 Gate??? [2]


    I had reached quite a high ce after walking for quite a distance.


    I think that I have walked for almost two days since I have been inside this dungeon.


    Sleeping in the Gate was no problem since I had a tent and all the types of equipment for surviving in the wild.


    Though I didn''t sense the presence of Professor Mia in the way, nor saw her when I surveyed from up in the mountain.


    While I could see many parts of the Gate clearly from above but the Gate was goddamn so big that even with my heightened senses, I could not see any end of the Gate.


    It was truly like I was teleported to a different world. It felt that I could never finish exploring this ce even if I tried running for months.


    I don''t know where Professor Mia is either. It seems hopeless to search for her in such a huge ce. And the possibility of encountering monsters increases with traveling.


    Luckily, the mountain I was spawned has fewer monsters.


    With very little vegetation and food, it seems that only a few monsters stay on this mountain. From the ce that I could currently see, there was more vegetation in the other mountains than in this one.


    In addition tock of food, theck of monsters could be because the temperature in this mountain is colder than other ces that the monsters are avoiding.


    It was good news for me since I would encounter fewer monsters if I stayed here or it might be a good idea to climb to a higher ce than this.


    I have food in my spatial ring and I could be safer if I climb higher. Looking at the ce, a higher ce might have fewer monsters since the temperature was colder at higher ces.


    With a new objective in mind, I continue to climb higher and higher. Along the way, I got something unexpected.


    "This¡­ Amodaisy!!!"


    A rare mana herb that grows in extremely cold temperatures and needs a high density of mana. <sub></sub>


    It was good for increasing mana capacity and its biggest benefit was for Ice energy. The Ice energy will be more refined after consuming this.


    I didn''t think twice before consuming the mana herb right away. It was extremely useful for Ice Mage like me. It could help me to increase mana capacity as well as the quality of my Ice energy.


    -CHOM! -CHOM!


    Chewing on every part of it, I could feel some change in my mana. I released some Ice energy from my hand to see whether there is any change in my Ice energy.


    However, I was disappointed to find that there was no change at all.


    It might be because I practiced the highest level of Ice Art, and my Ice energy quality is already so high that eating one Amodaisy would not affect it at all. Or the change in my Ice energy is very minute for it to be noticeable.


    Anyway, it seems that this ce has some treasure waiting for me to grab.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    I continued to walk for two more days, along the way I carefully observed the ce for any mana herb and other treasures.


    I got more mana herbs, one was called Unableine and another Aphimire which are also good for Ice mage but it was not as effective as Amodaisy.


    There was quite a lot of mana herb in the area that I am in right now. I continued to stay there, picking up the mana herb and also surveying the area.


    ******


    It had been quite a few days since I stayed in this area. I continued to stay here because there were lots of rare mana herbs in the vicinity.


    -GGGGRRRRRR!<sub>


    </sub>


    "Oh! It was time for you to show up."


    Also, the ce that I decided to stay for now was home to these monsters. Their fur was as white as the snow and was quite hard to notice in this ce full of snow.


    These monsters are called White Fox, whose appearance is quite simr to the Arctic fox found on Earth.


    However, they were far more powerful and vicious. Their rank was generally in between Rank-C.


    I met them three days ago when I was picking up some mana herb. It looks like I have intruded into their territory and taken their resources.


    I could have run away if it was not for the mana herb. The mana herb grown here was quite beneficial to me and there was no such thing as having too much mana herb.


    So I continued to fight with them while collecting the mana herb.


    It seems that I kind of formed an enmity with their tribe.


    They would always show up at this time to interrupt my happy time with the mana herb.


    The White Fox would appear in a team of 3. They seem quite capable as a team, though they were no sloth when it came to one on one either.


    I was able to kill them even though they were in Rank-C -. Due to my experience in dungeons, I was efficiently able to deal with them even though they were higher in rank and number.


    Though sometimes I needed to use Dual Art when the situation turned a little dangerous.


    *****


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"<sub> </sub>


    Fighting with them was definitely difficult but the rewards that I got were also equally good.


    Fighting with them was like training for me. They were difficult to defeat but not something that I can''t handle, a perfect opponent for me.


    I stored their corpses and the mana herbs. I have been taking this mana herbs everyday and there has been a increase in my mana stats.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D


    Strength: C -


    Speed: D +


    Stamina: D +


    Mana: C


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    My mana has reached Rank-C. It was quite impressive also considering that I am just Rank-D, to get a stat to Rank-C is nothing sort of miracle.


    After Luck, mana stat was definitely the hardest to rank up. Even a Rank-C Mage might still have Rank-D mana stat, and therefore to have mana stat at rank-C is absolutely shocking.


    And I also feel that my next rank ising up. With the mana density being high, it was easier for me to rank up here. If I continue to advance at this rate, in three months, I might be in Rank-C.


    Taking out the dry meat, I continued to chew on it. The only thing I hate about staying here is the food. Though I had food to eat, there was no fire to cook the food.


    After staying at this Gate for a few days, my initial fear has gone down quite a bit.


    The monster that I met for the first time in the Gate seems to be rare. The monsters that I frequently fight with were all Rank-C White Fox.


    It might be because it is their territory but even when I had gone quite far from their ce to search for new things, I could not see other monsters beyond Rank-C.


    After surveying the area, I woulde back to this area because I felt safer here than in other ces. Since I was sure that this territory belongs to White Fox, I don''t have to worry about other monsters.


    I only needed to fight with White Fox. and at night they are pretty much holed up in their home. I have never seen a White Fox after the sun has set.


    Don''t ask me how there is a sun in the Gate. I don''t know either. With the sun being present, the ce really felt like another world instead of something like a dungeon.


    I don''t know when I can find Professor Mia nor when the reinforcement would arrive. I kept it after ranking up.


    After my rank increases, I would have a higher chance of surviving in the Gate. I want to go to other mountains to search for Professor Mia.


    It had been quite a while since I havee into this Gate. I would not be at peace until I find Professor Mia.


    Though I was profiting with all the mana herb I had collected, I know that the Gate was a dangerous ce to be in.


    I always remember to keep myself cautious whenever I ventured into new areas. Right now the area I surveyed was rtively safe but I knew that it was because the area I was in was for the low-rank monster.


    "Let''s just hope everything is fine at Professor Mia''s side."

 Chapter 119 Zero Is Dead?

    Chapter 119 Zero Is Dead?


    [Mia''s POV]


    Professor Mia was also sucked into the Gate along with Zero but she was spawned in a different ce than him.


    When they were in Agora Town, she knew the moment she felt the presence of Gate that she was of very high rank.


    She felt the aura of Rank-A Gate. She would not have panicked much if not for the presence of Zero.


    While she could guarantee her own survival, however, she could not say the same about Zero.


    The first thing she did after regaining her consciousness in the Gate was find Zero. With her extraordinary vision, she could easily scan an area of one km in a matter of seconds.


    It had been many days since she had been inside the Gate and she was still frantically searching for Zero.


    It was difficult for her to even travel in this Gate, not to mention Zero who is just in Rank-D -. She knew she had to find him faster but the Gate is so big that even with her speed and vision, she could not find Zero''s trace.


    As days passed, she became extremely anxious about finding Zero.


    During that duration, many Rank-B and Rank-A monsters fell under her attacks. Due to Professor Mia using mana to boost her speed and vision, many monsters were attracted by her mana.


    Although Rank-A possessed some threat to her, however, she was in a league of her own. Nobody below Rank-S could really kill her.


    Ten monsters, then hundreds, and then thousands, the number of monsters she killed increased as she traveled from one ce to another.


    She would finish exploring a 500 km area in one day but she failed to find any trace of Zero even after 20 days passed.<sub></sub>


    She was not worried about surviving in this Gate even if the Gate was Rank-S. However, her greatest fear was Zero.


    Zero could hardly survive in this Gate which is Rank-A or it might even be beyond that. The chance of Zero being killed increases as time passes by. She could not calm her thoughts and even when exhausted, she would do her best to continue and search for Zero.


    Currently, she was passing by one of the coldest areas. It had not been long since she was here that a Rank-B, Sabretooth, started to attack her.


    -ROOOARRRR!


    A roar that had Zero fear for his life was nothing more than a sound of meow in front of Professor Mia.


    She didn''t even need her staff to kill the monster in one move.


    [ "Ice Explosion" ]


    Even the monster who used to live in a -50 degree ce was frozen by her skill.


    -SHATTER!


    She instantly destroyed his existence in a few seconds. Professor Mia has no time to waste fighting with monsters.


    She quickly went and moved.


    "This¡­ This is a bottle?"<sub>


    </sub>


    She quickly moved closer to confirm what she saw from one km away. In a second she reached the ce where she saw that object.


    She picked up the bottle.


    It was the first time that she saw a sign of a human being in the Gate. She became a little excited to know that she was near Zero.


    Other than both of them, she knew there was no other human in the Gate. The area where the Gate appeared was basically abandoned by the humans, and she and Zero were present there.


    The possibility of reinforcement was also not there. The Gate was definitely Rank-A, and she knows that The Authority needs to gather many Rank-S Heroes and Rank-A Explorers.


    To conquer the Gate of this rank and also to keep the casualties low, much preparation needs to be done before sending in the reinforcement.


    She, from her experience, knows that they need to wait for months or even years before reinforcement from outside appears.


    She finally concluded that this bottle was discarded by Zero. She finally has a clue as to where she needs to find him.


    She looked at the bottle carefully. The bottle was discarded only recently as the condition of the bottle had only deteriorated a little.


    She was happy that Zero was still alive, at least there was a high possibility.


    These past days, since she had been inside the Gate, was feeling a heavy burden on her shoulder.


    Zero safety was her responsibility. She was the one who brought Zero to Agora Town. If something happened to him, she could never forgive herself.<sub> </sub>


    How could she ever have the courage to teach another student if Zero died here?


    Zero was a talent that maye only in a thousand years. She believed him to possess talent that is higher than her and also Hiro.


    She knows that Zero will definitely be a pir of humanity''s peace for hundreds of years. That possibility could have been destroyed by her own hand.


    That possibility has kept her awake even when she is resting after running for days. She could not sleep until she saw Zero, whether alive or dead.


    Since she knows that Zero was in this area, she started to search for him more quickly than ever. She would only rest after she saw Zero.


    She started to run up the mountain. However, the way was not easy, with Sabertoothing towards her from left and right, and also with Yeti, a Rank-A monstering to join the fight.


    With such enemies, Professor Mia''s pace became slower. Even with her strength, she could not easily kill a Rank-A monster in one move.


    As she was running, she became more concerned about Zero. There was some evidence that Zero had gone through this path such as bottles, cloth pieces, and stic from packaged food.


    However, with her encountering so many high-ranking monsters, she didn''t know whether Zero was alive or not. Though the evidence showed that he has indeed gone from this path, Rank-B and Rank-A monsters made her highly doubt Zero''s survivability.


    Even a Rank-B human would have already turned into food for these monsters, not to say a Rank-D - human.


    But she didn''t lose hope since she could see bottles and stics every hour or so. However, her fear became more profound after she had not seen any bottle or stic for an hour after reaching a certain altitude.


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly, when she was thinking of changing direction, she felt a familiar mana aura from a nearby ce.


    "This is Zero''s mana aura but this murderous aura is..."


    She was sure that this was Zero''s mana aura even though it seemed to change into a more powerful one. However, it would not be weird for Zero to rank up after being in this dungeon for so long.


    But the thing that confused her was the murderous aura that was in the mana aura. The murderous intent that was in the mana aura was something that she has seen only in some Rank-A and Rank-S who would always risk their life.


    It felt so dangerous that even Professor Mia who is borderline Rank-A felt chills when she felt that aura.


    She quickly made her way towards the mana aura she felt. She thought Zero was with some dangerous being that he could not handle.


    -SWISH!


    Moving at the speed that might seem like she was teleporting, she made her way toward the source of that mana aura.


    Arriving at the ce, she saw something she was not willing to ept.


    A Rank-A monster, Yeti was present there. Beneath his feet was human blood, a lot of human blood.


    Other than her, there was only one more human in this Gate, Zero. That was definitely Zero''s blood.


    The Yeti noticed Professor Mia but Professor Mia stood there not reacting at all.


    Right now, her emotions were in turmoil. The worst thing that she expected had just happened.


    "This¡­ This can''t be! THIS CAN NOT HAPPEN"


    She didn''t know what she was feeling, Sadness, Angry, fear, she seemed to experience every negative emotion at once.


    Tears naturally flowed from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks which turned into ice before hitting the ground. She unleashed her mana.


    When one doesn''t know how to express their feeling, it will all turn into anger because anger was the emotion that was most easy to express.


    Professor Mia became furious beyond anything she felt before. All her feelings have turned into hatred and anger towards Yeti.


    She only thought about killing the Yeti and avenging Zero.


    [ "Icy Meteor" ]


    Icy Meteor was one of the strongest skills she had in her arsenal. The skill creates a giant meteor that was capable of even ttening a Rank-S Hero.


    -BOOOOOM!


    The Yeti who was the target of the skill did everything he could to defend himself from the enormous meteor that wasing toward him.


    However, all that was left was the blood of the Yeti.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Zero. How can this be? Is this really your end?"


    Normally, Professor Mia would not be tired after firing an Icy Meteor but she, in her anger, used almost all her mana. She still could not believe that her student died in such a way.

 Chapter 120 Zero Is Dead? [2]

    Chapter 120 Zero Is Dead? [2]


    Like someone who has lost their way, Professor Mia didn''t know what to do. She stood there for a while.


    "Huh?"


    She thought the Yeti had eaten Zero. Even so, she could still feel the mana of Zero being emitted.


    "Zero''s mana aura? He is alive?"


    Like someone who suddenly got their life back, she jumped from her depressed mood to serious mode. She thought the mana aura she felt previously was abination of Zero mana aura with the murderous intent from the Yeti, but it seems that she misunderstood the situation.


    Although the blood definitely belonged to Zero, it didn''t seem like he was dead. Otherwise, she would not be able to sense his mana aura at all.


    His mana aura was still strange with dangerous killing intent mixed in with it but it was certainly the mana aura of Zero.


    -WHOOSH!


    Professor Mia quickly dashed in the direction of where the mana aura was. She didn''t want her earlier misunderstanding toe to pass by getting dyed.


    Even though she wasted too much mana on Yeti, she was able to recover her mana quickly due to the high Ice energy in the Gate.


    "Please be safe!"


    She, who believed only in hard work, prayed for the first time for something. She, even with her strength, could not protect her student. She could only pray and hope that Zero was alright.


    Sometimes, something is beyond one''s strength. Even when one gain enough strength to turn the whole world into rummbles, some things are always impossible.


    [ "..por Sword: Extermination st" ]


    ( That Voice! It is definitely Zero.)


    When she got closer to where the mana aura was emitting, she heard the voice of Zero. She was truly relieved to know that he was still alive.


    -THUD! -THUD! -SWISH!<sub></sub>


    She quickly increased her speed and reached where the voice was.


    -SIZZZLE!


    The way was full of leaves and grass, unlike other ces in the Gate. After passing through those obstacles, she finally saw the shadow of the person she was looking for ever since she came into the gate.


    "Zer.."


    She was about to happily call his name out when she felt a sense of danger. She sensed a significant amount of dangering from Zero.


    The one who she believed was Zero noticed her and red at her. He emitted an intense killing intent, showing his full hostility towards her.


    ( That is¡­ He is Zero, right? )


    Zero''s appearance was the same as that of the Zero she remembered, but the killing intent directed at her says otherwise.


    It was so intense that Professor Mia even thought that he was an entirely different person.


    "Zero! Don''t you know who I am? I am Mia Frostine, your instructor."


    Trying to make him remember her, she said. His killing intent was still strong and aimed at her. He seemed to want to fight her even after telling him who she was.


    Initially, she thought Zero was emitting such killing intent because he was on alert, but it continued even after he noticed her.


    "WHO? I don''t know someone like you. If you don''t want to be killed, leave this ce immediately."


    He said in a voice full of conifdence and threat.


    Professor Mia was dumbfounded.


    ( What happened to him?)<sub>


    </sub>


    ****Few days before Professor Mia met Zero***


    Waking up in the morning, I did my usual routine. Exploring the area while collecting the mana herbs. As it had been quite a while since I was here, It felt normal to do those things.


    It was better to profit from this ce rather than live in fear. The area I was currently in had only Rank-C monsters, so I felt quite safe here.


    After staying here for quite a while, I had an objective. I was determined to conquer this whole area by exterminating the White Fox.


    I don''t hold any grudge against them but since they were trying to kill me, I think I should also do the same to them. They also want the mana herb. I also don''t want some enemy waiting to ambush me when I am collecting mana herbs.


    I also had the perfect equipment that could help me with this new objective. Taking the item from the spatial ring, I smiled.


    "Time to test this new product!"


    It was the Drones powered by Mana stone. It was a prototype that thepany had given me for testing.


    I found them when I was checking for items in the spatial ring, and it was helpful for surveying the area without worrying about encountering high-rank monsters.


    I was intending to use this device to find where those White Foxes live.


    I already had a general idea of where they could be since they often appear from the same direction. I didn''t explore those ces for the fear that I might be ambushed by them.


    But this time, it was different. With drones, I will be able to confirm their ce and number. With that, I was going to decide my course of action.


    If their number were in the hundreds, I would naturally give up but if it was something that I could handle, I would do it.


    -BZZZZZZ!


    The drone flew and the monitor showed me all the things that it saw on the ground. With the drone, I spotted two to three White Fox running through the snow.


    It seems like a group that is heading outside to collect the food specifically mana herbs. While they could also eat other monsters, however, the energy that is gotten from consuming mana herbs was much more beneficial than meat.<sub> </sub>


    The drone flew deeper into that area and soon enough I could see a whole tribe of White Foxes.


    They were 15 in number. Their numbers dwindled quite a bit, must be because I killed at least 10 White Foxes.


    15 White Foxes who were in Rank-C - with Rank-C White Fox leader. I would not be able to kill them, at least not for now.


    I decided to try again after I rank up. The reason why I decided to fight with White Foxes despite having seen their number is because of the mana herb.


    From the monitors, I noticed that White Foxes were protecting some kind of mana herb. I tried to recall what that Mana herb was, and I remembered.


    It was a mana herb called xettle. The effect was simr to that of Silvervender, so after consuming it, my stat might increase. But xettle has a better effect than Silver Lavender.


    There was even a possibility of getting two of your stats higher, though the chance was very slim, slimmer than winning a lottery.


    However, the chance of getting one of the stats higher was a lot higher than Silver Lavender. It was one of the epic-grade mana herbs.


    There was no chance that I would give up on that opportunity.


    But I didn''t let my greed get into my head. I know that right now, I stood no chance against those numbers of White Foxes.


    I decided to do that after I ranked up. It would only take me a few days before I was ready to advance to Rank-D +.


    I went to prepare for the breakthrough. With the mana herbs I have, I didn''t need other things to help me break through.


    After a few days of channeling the mana from the mana herb into my body, I felt the bottleneck of Rank-D slowly being broken.


    "It''s time!"


    -SHHUUUSSSH!


    My body was filled with mana and I could feel it rising throughout. It began to rumble violently throughout my body.


    After a few minutes, the mana in my body calmed down and stabilized.


    "Phew. Looks like I have sessfully broken through."


    With me eating so many high-quality mana herbs, my breakthrough was almost guaranteed, but almost and certain werepletely different things.


    I was relieved once I had sessfully broken through.


    I excitedly clenched my fist. Gate has benefited him quite a lot. I might even be grateful to the Gate as long as I escape from the Gate alive.


    "Now, let''s see how much the stat has increased."


    [ "Status"]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D +


    Strength: C -


    Speed: C -


    Stamina: D +


    Mana: C +


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    With this increase in power, I knew that I could take on those White Foxes. Though it will still not be easy to defeat them all.


    I need to tread carefully while dealing with those White Foxes even though I have broken through. They were still one rank higher than me after all.


    However, the reward for those difficulties will be quite good as well. xettle is not something that you could buy even if you have millions of Ethan.


    With the addition of stats after consuming xettle, my stats might even surpass some of the Rank-C.


    My mana stats were already on par with a Rank-B mage.


    My mana could probablyst quite a while even after utilizing Dual Art for a long time. When you used Dual Art, it was like draining water from arge pipe. All your mana would be used up instantly, but I believe with Rank-C+ Mana, I couldst at least 10 minutes.


    I can''t imagine how much stronger I will be before going out of the Gate.

 Chapter 121 Exterminating The White Fox

    Chapter 121 Exterminating The White Fox


    I didn''t start attacking the White Fox territory, right after breaking through the Rank-D +. I needed some time to stabilize my new power.


    And I was also watching the recording that the drones had sent. I was trying to figure out their behavior, when White Fox leaves the area or where the guards are positioned.


    It took me additional two days before I decided it was time to confront the White Fox.


    I slowly approach the territory of White Fox. I would stop from time to time to check on the drones. They were showing the position of the White Fox guarding the entrance to their homes.


    Unlike other areas, this area was covered in trees and grass. Some trees had even evolved into low-ranked monsters.


    Under the high density of mana, it was possible for even trees and nts to gain intelligence.


    Though the trees present here were too weak to attack monsters like White Fox.


    After approximately two hours of sprinting, I reached the White Fox territory. There were three White Fox guarding their territory.


    Others might be resting in deeper areas of the territory.


    After defeating those three, I need to fight with 12 more White Fox. Though the leader of White Fox would be busy guarding the xettle flower.


    It would be a good idea to finish fighting here before the White Fox leader made his appearance.


    Immediately, the first White Fox who was guarding the entrance came into my view.


    Sneak attacks were difficult to execute as White Foxes could pick up any abnormalities in the environment with their sense of smell.


    That''s why I opted to use a powerful skill to kill them as soon as possible rather than choosing to take them out one by one silently.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    White Foxes were Rank-C - monsters and without using my full power, it will be hard to kill them in one move. <sub></sub>


    I had to quickly take out as many White Foxes as I could before they got time to group together.


    !!!


    The three White Fox guarding the ce, instantly notice the fluctuation of mana and put on their defensive skill.


    However, the power that cier Shadow sh has is not something a Rank-C can defend. Maybe those monsters who are Top-ss in defense may be able to stop two or three such attacks.


    -BOOM!


    Anyway, even with their golden-colored barrier, they can not stop my attacks.


    The three White Fox were dead but my skill has surely alerted the other White Fox residing in this ce. But this was what I wanted too.


    I wanted them to approach me while I took them out one by one, or at least in small groups. If they alle to attack me together, the fight might turn very difficult for me.


    [ "Dual Art: Shadow Cryo Bomb" ]


    While waiting for the other White Foxes to show up, I nted Shadow Cryo Bomb on the various parts of my current area. It is likely that one or two White Fox would step into the trap.


    -GROWL!


    I could hear the angry growl of the White Foxes. They must be making their way to this ce after either sensing the blood of theirrades or from mana that I released.


    -FREEZE!


    The one who was leading that small group actually stepped into the trap that I set up just now. It seems that his luck is pretty bad.


    The skill does not only freeze the target but also injures the target who is trapped in the ice. Even if you survive, the injuries are enough to make the person unable to stand anymore. <sub>


    </sub>


    One White Fox from the 4 White Fox that was making its way to me was already taken out.


    -GGGGRRR!


    The approaching White Fox became even angrier as they saw theirrades fall to the enemy''s cunning trap. They prepared themselves to attack the intruder.


    Three of them opened their mouths to spit out their attack.


    I had fought many White Fox since I hade into the Gate. This attack was one of the strongest and most frequently used attacks by White Foxes.


    However, it was not something that I can''t defend against. They shot out chilling Ice energy like cannon shooting the cannonball.


    Three White beams were shot out of the White Foxes'' mouths.


    [ "Ice Wall"]


    It was enough to reduce the force of the attack. The Ice energy that the attack contained could not do anything to me.


    It might be enough to freeze a Rank-D with just its Ice energy but since I was immune to most Ice energy, it could not do that.


    -BAM!


    Their attack hit the Ice Wall and stopped. While their attack was not weak, it was not strong enough to break my barrier.


    It was now my turn to attack them. The White Fox looked at me dumbstruck.


    It might be from the fact that I was easily able to block attacks from three of them despite me showing a Rank-D mana aura.


    Dashing towards their position, I was ready to take at least one White Fox out. Enhancing the sword with Shadow Style, I aimed my sword at the nearest White Fox neck.<sub> </sub>


    -SLASH!


    I didn''t give them time to react after their attack failed. When they were thinking deeply, Zero suddenly disappeared from their sight and reappeared in front of them.


    The other White Fox became a little frightened after seeing their enemy easily kill one of them.


    -ROAR!


    A roar came from the deeper area of White Fox territory. It looks like the rest of the White Fox is alsoing here right now.


    "Now then, Shall we finish this before the rest of your friends reach here?"


    -GRRR!


    The two White Foxes gave a re that seemed like they were prepared to resist my attacks until the end.


    ( They must be waiting for reinforcement. )


    Seeing theirradee closer, the two White Fox became very motivated to defend themselves from Zero''s attack until their friends reached here to fight with the enemy.


    However, Zero''s intention was quite the opposite. He wanted to finish these two White Fox before their reinforcement arrived.


    -SLASH! -CLANG! -CLANG! -SLASH!


    It took Zero, a few swings before he managed to kill both of them. Now I needed to kill 7 White Fox plus their leader to get the xettle flower.


    -AWOOOO!


    The White Foxes'' sounds were able to shake the ground. With great momentum, they came.


    I was a little surprised to find the White Fox leader among the group. It looks like they deemed me as a threat far greater than I thought.


    I thought the leader would not show himself unless I went to his ce. With their leader leading them, the White Fox showed no fear against the enemy who had exterminated 7 of them.


    The White Foxes didn''t waste their time, as soon as they got here, they started to attack me. Leading them was the Rank-C White Fox leader.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    I had no intention to block the attack with Ice Wall like previously.


    Not only was the White Fox leader''s rank one sun rank higher than those three, but there were 5 more attackspared to the earlier one.


    There was no way I could risk my life. So, I used Dark Ice Embodiment to protect myself, in case something happened to me.


    Additionally,


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Immediately, after deploying my defensive skills, I prepared to counterattack.


    8 white beams came closer and collided with the dark wall.


    -BAM!


    Even those attacks were not strong enough to break my strongest defense.


    It seems I don''t need to worry about Rank-C attacks as long as I use my Icy Shadow Wall.


    With 7 Rank-C and 1 Rank-C attacking me together, their attack power might be close to the Rank-B peak of Rank-C +.


    Since I could defend against these attacks, I might be able to defend against Rank-C + monsters as long as their number is low.


    Anyway, one-on-one, it might be difficult for any monsters below Rank-B -, to kill me.


    [ "Dual Art: Shadow Ice Shard" ]


    Since White Foxes were quite numerous, I was hoping this attack would at least take out one of them. Though, my real intention was to keep them upied when I approach them.


    I instantlyunched myself in front of the White Fox after the attack.


    Since I had the protection from Dark Ice Embodiment, I was not scared of dying immediately.


    The White Foxes came together and deployed their barrier which turned into one big shield.


    -BAM!


    My attacks hit their shield but didn''t manage to prate it.


    However, it was fine since I hadpleted my objective.


    [ "Shadow Cryo Bomb" ]


    Since they were grouped together, it was a good chance to take all of them at once.


    -BOOM!


    I used many Shadow Cryo Bombs but their shield appeared to remain without showing any sign of breaking.


    It looks like I underestimated the power of the shield generated using 8 White Fox.


    However, I knew that this shield wouldst only temporarily. Greater the power of skill, the more likely that the mana consumption is high.


    I continued to attack their shield, though only to pressurize the White Foxes. I would only go all out when they disable their shield.


    After a minute or so, White Foxes were struggling. It seemed their mana was running low.


    "Now, let''s end this."

 Chapter 122 Kill Zero

    Chapter 122 Kill Zero


    Since the White Foxes were in the most vulnerable state right now, I decided to use all my power to take all of them out.


    [ "Shadow Cryo Bomb" ]


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Using my skills one after another, I did all that I could to eliminate all of them.


    Since they had their mana exhausted, White Foxes could not deploy their barrier to block my attack.


    They could only watch in horror as a barrage of attacks made its way to them.


    -BANG!


    As expected, first the Shadow Cryo Bomb froze some part of their body and cier Shadow sh cut all their body into pieces. The body that was frozen was shattered into pieces while the unfroze part oozed out blood.


    -GRRR!


    "OH! You really are tough."


    Despite all hisrades falling, the one who was still standing was their leader. I guess he is not a Rank-C for nothing.


    He managed to stay alive after withstanding my attacks just his bare body.


    However, he was still going to die in my hands. The leader seemed to know that he couldn''t escape his fate, but instead of running, he charged at me.


    Whether it was to avenge hisrades or to show hisst pride, I admired his action.


    -SLASH!


    Thest of White Fox has also fallen down.


    I stored their body in the spatial ring and moved to collect the xettle flower.


    However, before I could go to get the xettle flower, I sensed a very strong mana auraing from the direction that I havee.


    ( Is it because of the battle? )


    Whether it was from the scent of blood or from all the mana fluctuation that my battle with White Foxes caused, but I fear that some strong monsters were making their way in this direction.


    I looked carefully in the direction that the monsters wereing enhancing my vision with my mana.


    "Th-Tha is Ice Bear!!"


    Ice Bear, appearance is simr to pr bears but the fact that they can use Ice skills and could bring down a building with their arm is what makes them scarier than any pr bear.


    They are Rank-B monsters that are found in dungeons with an extremely cold ces such as this Gate.<sub></sub>


    Unlike the size of their body, the speed at which they were approaching was astonishing. They were not a fast creaturepared to other monsters at Rank-B but considering I am at just Rank-D, they looked extremely fast.


    I thought I should use the tactic that I used when I first came to this Gate. HIde under the snow.


    "AHHHHHH¡­"


    However, before I could execute that n, I felt a strong headache. Like someone is inserting something into my head forcefully. I unintentionally let out a big scream.


    -GROWL!


    Surely, the Ice Bears have also heard my scream and were making their way toward me. I could still get away but I still can''t get over the headache.


    "AHHHHH..."


    ( Wh-What is happening? )


    I don''t know the reason but I felt a strong urge to kill and destroy everything.


    ( KILL! KILL! KILL! DESTROY EVERYTHING! HAHAHAHA¡­ )


    ?a?da ?o??l. The feeling of anger, resentment, and hatred was so strong that it could turn any sane man into insane in a second. I don''t why but I was definitely possessing this feeling.


    ( I, Who, Where )


    What? Is it Parallel Memory? I could vaguely see some of the memories of my other-self. But unlike when I inherited the memories from Earth, this guy''s memories and emotions seem to have overtaken my body like they were of some other entities.


    ( Argh! My head is bing nk. I can''t think of anything else. )


    Zero stood there without moving a muscle. During that time, two Ice Bears have also made their way toward Zero.


    -GROWL!


    The two Ice Bears showed their hostility and their intent to kill Zero. But Zero just stood still even when Ice Bears released their Rank-B mana aura.


    -GROWL!


    Ice Bears seemingly had their pride hurt when a bug dared to ignore their presence. They growled angrily at Zero.


    -TSK*


    "Why are these lowly beasts growling?"


    Zero said annoyingly as he stared at the Ice Bears with eyes full of killing intent. Unlike everyday Zero, the current Zero seems to view the Ice Bears as mere bugs.


    The two Ice Bears, though they can''t understand humannguage, they could somewhat feel that Zero was looking down at them. This caused them to be extremely furious.<sub>


    </sub>


    But what caused them to be angrier was the fact that they felt threatened by the killing intent of the human presence in front of them.


    The two Ice Bears charged at Zero with their ws having be Ice. This was one of the famous moves of Ice Bear known as "Pr Ice w".


    Zero stood there showing no intention of dodging the iing attack. Zero brandished his sword and pointed it at the iing two Ice Bears.


    "Looks like you beasts want to die."


    [ "Demon Emperor Sword: Extermination st." ]


    The attack was akin to a wave of destruction. The snowy ground that the attack touched instantly disintegrated and showed the rock underneath.


    -GROWL!


    The two Ice Bear who were charging at Zero didn''t have the time to dodge as they were already close to the attack, they used their Ice w and their mana barrier to defend against the attack.


    -GROWL!


    The two Ice Bear tried their best to resist the attack but the power was not something that they could block. They could already see that they were going to be killed.


    They growled but unlike the fierce and threatening one, it was more like a dying breath.


    "Humph! Two lowly beasts trying to attack this Emperor? Know your ce."


    Zero said as his eyes were full of hatred and disdain.


    Right after he finished killing the two Ice Bears, he felt the presence of another humaning toward him.


    -SIZZZLE!


    It was then that Professor Mia found Zero and appeared before him.


    "Zer.."


    He didn''t know who it was but he could feel a great amount of power from the woman that had just entered his view.


    He started to release all of his killing intent and positioned himself to fight. Professor Mia also felt the killing intent of Zero and didn''t move carelessly.


    "Zero! Don''t you know who I am? I am Mia Frostine, your instructor."


    Professor Mia tried to calm Zero down.<sub> </sub>


    However, the current Zero seems to have no memory of such person and was alerted even more after she tried to make him remember her.


    He believed the woman was trying to trick him into believing her.


    "WHO? I don''t know someone like you. If you don''t want to be killed, leave this ce immediately."


    He said in a voice full of confidence and threat.


    Professor Mia was dumbfounded.


    ( What happened to him?)


    Professor Mia would whip his ass whenever they fought, now it seems that Zero had forgotten those teachings.


    Professor Mia ignored the warning and came closer to check on Zero. She thought that Zero might have hit his head somewhere to forget her.


    "Women, I have already warned you. Don''t make me draw unnecessary blood."


    "Let me see how you can do that."


    Professor Mia tried to provoke him. She has already seen that there was something wrong with Zero but she needs to check his body to know the problem.


    Since it didn''t seem like Zero would willingly let her check his body, she decided to do it after knocking out Zero.


    -SWISH!


    Zero instantly disappeared from her line of sight.


    "Th-This¡­"


    ( Is this Zero''s speed? )


    She didn''t know what to say about the speed disyed by Zero right now. Whether it was his new skill or his real speed, the speed Zero had shown was enough to be at Rank-B + or Rank-A.


    She had already seen two dead bodies of Ice Bear near Zero. Initially she thought Zero might have stumbled upon the corpse of those monsters.


    But it looks like they were killed by Zero.


    ( Rank-B monsters killed by Zero? Thats impossible. )


    Yes, it was indeed impossible even after using all the skill he have, it would be impossible for Zero that she knows to kill them.


    But the Zero that she found did seem to possess the power to kill them.


    Zero reappeared behind Professor Mia.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    !!!


    The attack surprised Professor Mia. Not only did she sensed a great amount of power behind the attack but the mana was akin to that of Devil Contractor.


    "Zero¡­ Zero ¡­ is a Devil Contractor?"


    She didn''t know what to do with this new information. Every Devil Contractor was the enemy of humanity.


    She as a human, as well as the Professor of Ace Academy detate her to kill anyone who possesses Dark energy of the Devil.


    She tightly held her staff and readied herself. Even if she didn''t want to, she had to kill anyone who is a threat to humanity.


    She needs to kill Zero.

 Chapter 123 Emperor Of Destruction

    Chapter 123 Emperor Of Destruction


    Sadness, Resentment, Anger, Destruction!


    That is what my life was all about. I, who was the son of two honest citizens, was used of coborating with the demon and was to be executed along with my family.


    My father, my mother, and my loving little sister. This...This DAMN WORLD had taken everything away from me.


    The actual conspirators were the son of the Duke who wanted to use demon power to be king and had me be his scapegoat.


    The king could not let the person who worked for the demon go. With enough evidence forged by the duke''s son, I was found guilty.


    Lauded as the demon''s spy, I was to be tortured while my family was killed.


    I could not even see theirst moment. The other stupid humans, guards, and king mocked my family.


    Having nails stabbed into each and every part of my body, beating me every day, talking about my dead family, feeding me only trash that was served only once a week, they had me tortured both physically and mentally. I could not forgive myself for the death of my family.


    They threw me into the Forest of Death, where high-level monsters roam. They tried to get rid of me after torturing me for 1 year straight.


    I was just 10 years old at that time.


    I refuse to die until I take my revenge against that goddamn world. My hatred was what kept me alive even though I wanted to kill myself millions of times.


    Every time I was on the verge of dying, I always reminded myself of the mockery smile that the people had when my family was dragged to be executed.


    Learning to survive in the forest of death, drinking poisonous water, and even eating the rotten flesh of monsters, I did whatever it took for me to live in this forbidden jungle.


    After staying in the forest of death for 3 years, I became stronger and stronger and even got a Martial Art manual from a deceased Dark Martial Artist. <sub></sub>


    I learned the Martial Art manual to its perfection and became the master of the forest of death. The prey of yesterday was the predator of every being.


    Once I was out of the forest, I decided to take everything from this world.


    Killing each and every person who was the cause of my family''s death was my mission.


    But turns out every being is guilty of my family''s death. Humans who feared demons, that is why they killed me and my family after being used.


    The demons who were the reason for my usation were equally guilty. Even the god himself was on top of my kill list.


    Innocent people? Good people? There was no one like that. Every person in this goddamn world was guilty of taking my beloved from me.


    Killing one, two, thousand, millions, I started to massacre every person in this world starting from the kingdom I was born in.


    However, no matter who I kill, the emptiness in my chest could not be filled. Even when I had killed every person in Duke''s mansion, my heart was not at peace.


    Even when I heard the duke''s son who is the cause of my misery was begging and bowing his head to the ground, I didn''t feel my heart at peace.


    Even when I smashed his head into the ground, I didn''t feel even the slightest happiness.


    When I finally arrived before the King, they gave me the excuse for their sins.


    The king and government just wanted to ensure the safety of the country but why does it matter to me?


    Your fault had taken away what kept me sane. Your foolish decision would mark the destruction of this country and the whole world. <sub>


    </sub>


    There was no opponent who could survive after taking one attack from my sword. Even the strongest swordsmen in the kingdom whom I admired when I was young were killed in one attack.


    I had the king''s head hanging on the wall of his castle. No joy or sadness was felt even after causing this much destruction. I know that no matter what I do in this world, I would not feel anything other than anger.


    So I continued to kill humans, demons, and monsters, no living species were excluded from my killing list.


    Even Angel themselves groveled before my feet. Messenger of God? What nonsense!


    Appearing before me, telling me to go on the right path, to atone for my sins. Telling me it''s still notte.


    Sins? YOUR SIN of taking my family away from me will never be forgiven.


    Where were you when I was wrongly used? When my parents were killed?


    No happiness will be achieved even if I destroy the world?


    I already know that damn well. Even killing God himself will not appease this anger of mine.


    Don''t try to preach to me when this world is already messed up.


    To stop me, God helped various nations by giving them ''Heroes''.


    Heroes? F**K YOU!!!


    You are just a puppet sent by gods to get more followers. <sub> </sub>


    No one is capable of taking my life, not even God himself.


    I was the god of this goddamn world. Hero would tremble in the mere presence of me.


    They were nothing more than a mere teenager who had not suffered anything. Until they met me, they must not have faced any difficulties.


    Crying, Begging, and Regretting are what those heroes do when they try to confront me.


    The world became a wastnd that I created. I was just waiting for the day when someone would finally be able to stab a knife in my heart and free me from my misery.


    *****


    That was who the Emperor of destruction was. He even forgot the name given by his parents.


    The only feeling that he got was from the memory of his family and even those started to blur as he started his conquest to destroy the world.


    Now, all that he possessed was the urge to destroy and kill. The only memory he had also faded with the blood that flowed with each new victim.


    At the age of 15, he was already feared by every being in that world.


    That same person was in front of Professor Mia.


    A person who had been through a much worse and more dangerous situation than Professor Mia could think of.


    Professor Mia could tell that Zero was using Dark energy that is specially used by only the Devil Contractors.


    She was hesitant to kill Zero even if she had already steeled herself to do so.


    She quickly dodged the powerful st attack.


    "Zero, we could talk about this. Don''t do this! Don''t you care what might happen to your family?"


    Professor Mia once again tried to talk to Zero. She didn''t want to give up on someone she believes in.


    As long as she could calm Zero down, she hoped that she could find a better solution than killing him.


    She wanted to remind him that there was something more important than power. She thinks that Zero was hasty to achieve greater power and that is why he signed a contract with a Devil.


    "...Woman, what did you just say?"


    Professor Mia who had no idea about the current Zero said that without any intention other than to calm Zero down.


    "Say it again. What did you just say now? Family?"


    Even after washing his hand daily with blood, he knows that his pain originated from his family. The family that his weak self could not protect.


    The greatest regret, his greatest pain, and his ultimate treasure. When he was strong, they were no longer there.


    It is funny how one thing could give as much happiness as sadness. All his happinesses from his family and his greatest sadness was also from his family.


    "HOW DARE- you utter that nonsense in front of me?"


    The Emperor of Death shouted angrily at Professor Mia. His family was already gone and now the person in front of him was trying to deceive him so tantly.


    ( Think about my family? THEY ARE ALREADY DEAD!!! )


    2 years after he had avenged his family, nobody has managed to ignite his anger as much as Professor Mia.


    He quickly disappeared and reappeared in front of Professor Mia. He didn''t use any skill and just threw a punch whose strength has been pushed to its limit.


    His punch strength was at Rank-B. However, the one he was currently facing was Rank-A +, the Ice Enchantress.


    -POW!


    Professor Mia swiftly reacted to Zero''s punch and caught it with her hands. She was surprised after sensing the strength behind Zero''s punch.


    ( How could his strength increase this much? )


    Professor Mia thought confusingly.


    It seems impossible even if Zero signed a contract with a strong Devil. If people could be so strong just by signing contracts, the majority of the human poption would have happily agreed to sign contracts with the Devils.


    "Huh? You blocked my punch?"


    The Emperor of Death was surprised that a mortal was able to block his punch. It had been many years since there was someone who could withstand his attack.


    An ominous aura filled the surroundings as Zero began to release his mana.


    He was going to fight seriously for the first time.

 Chapter 124 Emperor Of Destruction [2]

    Chapter 124 Emperor Of Destruction [2]


    A disturbing aura flowed from the body of the Emperor of destruction who had taken Professor Mia seriously.


    Professor Mia slowly retreated a few meters back. The aura that The Emperor of destruction released possessed danger to even someone like her.


    Professor Mia''s face distorted sadly as she looked at her student who had lost his sanity.


    ( A way to help Zero¡­ )


    She bit her lip until it bled. Just looking at the Dark energy that was being released by Zero, she knows that it was more than anything she had ever faced. Even some of the Elite demons she killed didn''t possess such Dark energy.


    ( Don''t tell me¡­ Zero signed a contract with Demon King. )


    Only those Demons whose rank was Duke and above could produce such intimidating Dark energy. For a human to get it to simr quality, the contractors need to be a prince or Demon King rank.


    The Emperor of destruction used his skill right after he finished releasing his Dark Energy.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    Strong demonic energy covered the sword.


    "Looks like you are really serious about doing this."


    Professor Mia said as Ice energy sprang up from her body. She knew that the power that Zero currently possessed was something that she can''t withstand unless she uses all her power.


    The surrounding mana was overflowing with Dark and Ice energy. Both mana auras collided with each other fiercely.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]<sub></sub>


    One of the strongest skills she is currently in possession of. Primordial Ice Pce creates something like a domain where every move Professor Mia makes is enhanced while the ability of the opponent is greatly decreased.


    The only w of this skill was the mana consumption. She could only maintain this barely for 10 minutes in her prime condition, however, right now what the mana she has was less than half as she has been fighting and exhausting herself to find Zero quicker.


    She has to subdue Zero before 5 minutes.


    Ice Energy started getting gathered in the surroundings as Professor Mia''s control of surrounding mana increased dramatically. She could also see everything that was happening inside her domain.


    She was the queen of this ce. Everything in this ce was under her control.


    Zerounched himself at Professor Mia. Normally, his abilities would be decreased due to the effect of the Primordial Ice Pce but since it was Zero who practiced Cryomancy Art, he was immune to that effect.


    Zero swung his sword whose Dark energy that was covering the sword changed into arge sword and struck Professor Mia. With Demonic Force Maniption, Zero could control Dark Energy to its very limit.


    The strike could injure even Professor Mia if it hit. The surrounding area was getting destroyed just by the force it was emitting.


    Professor Mia didn''t move and just waved her hand. Two big pirs of Ice appeared before the Dark energy.


    -BAM!


    The destructive dark energy dissipated after hitting the Two Ice Pir. The Dark energy that Zero extended was frozen into Ice upon contact.


    Zero became more violent as he rampaged and destroyed everything in his surroundings.


    Professor Mia used her Ice Block to protect herself from the iing attacks. <sub>


    </sub>


    Zero physical abilities were higher than mere mage and he was overwhelming Professor Mia with his speed.


    "...Is this really the Zero I know?"


    Professor Mia could not believe how much power Zero has. Even with her own abilities enhanced by Primordial Ice Pce, Zero was overpowering her, giving her no chance to attack.


    She started to freeze Zero and his nearby surroundings. However, while Zero''s Dark energy could be frozen for some time, Zero himself would not freeze from the Ice energy.


    Even with the Emperor of Destruction currently taking over Zero, the body belonged to the one who practiced Cryomancy Art, so he was immune to freezing.


    Professor Mia also noticed that it was impossible to try to immobilize Zero with her Ice energy.


    Professor Mia shot Big Chunks of Ice onto Zero. While he might be immune to Ice energy, the force of such a heavy object was sure to hurt Zero.


    Zero nonchntly clenched his fist, which is now embedded in Dark energy, and punched the iing Ice Blocks.


    -BAM! -BAM!


    Zero was crushing the 10 meters of Ice like it was some kind of fragile ss.


    After destroying all the Ice Blocks, Zero swung his sword toward Professor Mia. Professor Mia used two pirs of Ice to block the attacks again.


    The exchange continued for a few minutes. While only a little time has passed, with Professor Mia''s and Zero''s speed, hundreds of exchanges have already been done.


    Both Zero and Professor Mia started to umte damage throughout the exchange. Some internal organs were injured by both Zero and Professor Mia and there were lots of broken bones.<sub> </sub>


    Blood was oozing out of both their bodies.


    But the situation was turning disadvantageous for Professor Mia since her mana was being drained. Even with Primordial Ice Pce, she is barely able to keep up with Zero, if she didn''t boost her abilities with it, she knew she would not have a chance against Zero.


    "This might be myst attack."


    She knew that with her current mana capacity, she could only execute this final skill.


    She never thought she was contemting whether to kill Zero or not when it was she who was in danger.


    She didn''t know whether she should be happy or sad. Happy to see that her disciple was this strong or sad that he will be humanity''s greatest enemy.


    [ "Icy Meteor" ]


    A big Ice contain massive amount of Ice energy emerged in the sky and fell towards Zero. Even with Zero''s high cold resistance, the Ice energy contained in that skill was sure to freeze Zero even if it was for amount of time.


    But the real danger was from the force of the Icy Meteor. It will kill a person rather than freeze them. Those who are not directly hit by the Icy Meteor but were nearby would not be spared as the Ice energy from the Icy Meteor would freeze everything in its vicinity.


    The Emperor of Destruction didn''t have thoughts about dodging and ran towards Professor Mia without stopping. As the Emperor of Destruction, he has never ever tried to dodge anything and would face it directly.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    He responded to Professor Mia''s attack with his own attack. However, the Emperor of Destruction was currently with Zero''s body and could not disy his true power.


    His power was not enough to stop Icy Meteor and was hit directly.


    -BOOM!


    "Did I do it?"


    It was funny how Rank-A + human was worried about whether she has taken care of Rank-D + student. However, with the power Zero had disyed, many would naturally formed this doubt.


    She was already half exhausted from all the fighting she did beforeing here and now she had no more mana to use her big moves.


    It would be game over for her if Zero was still unhurt and wants to kill her.


    She was not afraid of death but she could not die in the hand of Zero.


    -SWISH!


    Zero was bleeding profusely but he didn''t stop. He seem to be determined that he will kill her today. With killing intent oozing out of every part of his body, there was no doubt that he was going for the kill.


    !!!


    Professor Mia immediately became alerted by Zero suddenly appearing from the dust. She immediately tried to deploy her shield but since most of her mana was already used, she could not.


    "... Is this it?"


    She could do anything to stop Zero now and could only take the attack that Zero was about tounch.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination Bl.."]


    Suddenly in the middle of executing the skill, Zero copsed on the ground.


    -PHUA!


    Zero vomiited bucketful of blood. It seem that Zero had used strength beyond what his body could handle. Blood was oozing out and soon covered his whole body.


    "Th¡­This ¡­"


    The Emperor of Destrcution could not believe that he copsed as his mind drifted off and became unconscious. Everything the Emperor of Destruction used has put Zero''s body under tremendous pressure.


    If he continued to do so, he could have very well turned into a cripple.


    Professor Mia immediately moved towards Zero. She carefully examined Zero.


    Zero has really became unconscious and his body was damaged to the point that without high level healing spell, his life could be in danger.


    She stood still for a while.


    She didn''t know what decision to take.


    Help Zero and heal him. However, the consqeunce of healing Zero was too big. From what she can see Zero could dominate this world if he continue to grow at this rate.


    He might turn out to be the reason for humanity''s destruction.


    On other hand, she wanted to help Zero. ording to her understanding of Zero, she knows that he is not someone who would do evil. Even after seeing Zero rampage, she believed there must be a reason for it.


    "What shall I do now?"

 Chapter 125 Emperor Of Destruction [3]

    Chapter 125 Emperor Of Destruction [3]


    I don''t know what happened but my consciousness slowly faded away as I started to experience my life as The Emperor of Destruction, my other self from the world of Martial Art.


    It was a life of a boy whose emotion was always in despair, only that much I could get from the memory.


    Whether it was because the memory of my other self ( The Emperor of Destruction ) himself has not much memory except destruction, anger, and despair or because my skill is not working properly, the only thing I could feel was negative emotions.


    He has already lost his mind, I concluded after seeing a little memory of him eradicating a town full of humans.


    But he was also me, so I question myself,


    ( How can I be so cruel? )


    He was technically not the same me but at the same time, he was also me. Was I capable of such destruction? Such cruelness?


    I felt I was the one who did so when I experienced it but when I actually gained back my consciousness, I could not help but question whether it was truly me.


    Maybe. If I had his strength. Even with the little memory that I had gotten, I could tell that he was several times stronger than me.


    Since I don''t get many memories from the Emperor of Destruction, I could not say why I had be like this.


    Maybe, that is why I don''t feel much anger and sadness after regaining my consciousness even after gaining his memory.


    I don''t feel much different than who I was before getting that memory. It might be because I don''t know why he lost his mind because the memory was notplete.


    But it was good because from little memory I can tell that his memory is full of sadness and loneliness. It might be because my other self doesn''t want to remember anything, that is why the memories were all broken up.


    Anyway, what happened to my body after I fainted. Thest thing I remember is confronting two Rank-B Ice Bears. <sub></sub>


    ( Don''t tell me, I am dead!!! )


    I thought as I started panicking.


    Two Ice Bears must not have spared me even after finding out that I was unconscious. Rather they would have started chowing down on my flesh.


    What bad timing for Parallel Memory to inherit memory when I was in the middle of a crisis. And most importantly, I inherited nothing except a broken or useless memory.


    I don''t know whether I will remember the full life of my other self or not. Though I would be happy to get the skill of my other-self.


    There was nothing I could do even if I wanted the skill of my other-self. I could only wait for a day when I fully remember the life of my other-self.


    ( ARGH¡­)


    I tried to move but then my body didn''t obey me and I was greeted by an intense wave of pain. I could not even make a sound as my mouth would not move at all.


    ( At least, this confirms that I was not dead. I can still feel pain in my body. )


    I was relieved to find that I was still alive.


    But the pain was nothing to scoff at. The pain was simr to when I tried to first use Dual Art.


    My body was weak at that time and could not handle the power of two different energies in my body.


    Additionally, I had weak control over my Shadow and Ice energy. Using Dual Art has taken my body to its limit and the two energies fought with each other inside my body.<sub>


    </sub>


    Muscles shattered and veins were on the verge of bursting. It was like a thousand needles directly poking my veins.


    That same sensation was from my current body. I don''t know what urred when I fainted but one thing was for sure.


    Nothing good had happened to my body.


    My outer skin was also hurt as I could feel my skin burning. But rather than pain from the outside body parts, major pain came from inside the body.


    I don''t know the reason why I was this injured. It might have been the Ice Bears though I doubt they had kept me alive after injuring me.


    Another was I had used a power that had exceeded what my current body can handle. However, I remember that even when I was fighting with White Foxes, I didn''t use all my power.


    However, something might have happened when I was inheriting that broken memory of the Emperor of Destruction.


    The pain slowly went away bit by bit. Luckily, it seems like someone was helping me from outside. I could not tell because my ears were not working and it was difficult to even open my eyes.


    I could only wait for my body to heal enough for me to see who was helping me. But since I was in the Gate if I correctly remember then there were only two possibilities.


    One was obvious and more likely, that is Professor Mia had somehow found me and was helping me recover.


    Another possibility was that the reinforcements from outside had arrived and found me. I didn''t know how much time had passed, but there was a possibility of this happening. I might have been even transferred to hospital if they had conquered the Gate.


    Those were the only two possibilities. Though, I could only wait to find out the real answer.


    *****<sub> </sub>


    "ARGH! Urgghhh¡­"


    Waking up, I found myself in great pain.


    Thoughpared to previous times when I first found out that I was injured, it was nothing. It seems that my body had recovered quite well and I could also control my body to a certain extent.


    Opening my eyes slowly, I looked around the ce that I was currently at. There was a fire in front of me and I could see  that I was still inside the Gate.


    Still, I could see no one around me. It was only me in this ce for now.


    ( Whoever it was, they woulde back. )


    Currently, the one who helped me was not there. They might have gone somewhere for now but they should return shortly.


    If not, some monster might kill me if they found me right now. I could not resist even if some Rank-E monster attacked me in my current state.


    Though I could easily handle Rank-F monsters.  If I release my mana aura, the Rank-OF monster would be afraid to even approach me.


    Though I doubt I would encounter those monsters inside this Gate. I have only seen strong monsters from Rank-D + and above.


    There were already many monsters in this Gate that could threaten my life even if I was at my peak condition, not to mention when I am this injured.


    "Zero!"


    Although my worries for nuts since someone called me. A voice that I was very familiar with.


    "Professor Mia!"


    I happily responded. In this dangerous Gate, the only one who could keep safe had finally been found. Of course, I was happy beyond words when I heard her voice.


    Rather than being happy to find I was okay, Professor Mia had aplicated expression on her face. She even had many injuries on her beautiful face and other parts of her body.


    I didn''t know who she fought but looks like the Gate was really a scary one. Not many monsters are able to injure Professor Mia like this.


    Professor Mia stood still and carefully examined me.


    -GULP!


    I don''t know what happened but Professor Mia stared at me seriously, making me nervous.


    "You remember me?"


    Professor Mia asked in a serious tone.


    "Huh?"


    I didn''t know how to respond to her question. Remember her? I didn''t know whether she was joking or not.


    I thought maybe she is asking me whether I remember her training because I was injured even after getting lessons from her.


    Honestly, it is embarrassing to know that I was injured when I was found by Professor Mia.


    I still don''t know how I got injured but I got injured when she finally found me. I don''t know whether to call it lucky or unlucky.


    Lucky because I was saved when I was injured. Unlucky because if she found me faster, I might have avoided being injured.


    "Why are you asking me? Do you think I won''t remember you? "


    Zero said jokingly. Who would forget the one who is known as the most beautiful woman? Every man who has seen her even once might remember her face for a lifetime.


    However, Zero didn''t know that he had forgotten about her albeit when he was unconscious and his other self overtook his body.


    "..."


    Professor Mia didn''t answer him. She just stared at him.


    Zero was getting more nervous from her silence.


    ( Did I do something when I was unconscious? )


    From Professor Mia''s strange actions and questions, Zero thought that maybe he might have done something to her.


    "Did I do something?"


    Zero asked nervously.


    "Zero, can you answer me honestly?"


    "YES!"


    "Are you a Devil Contractor?"


    "Huh?"

 Chapter 126 Multiple Personality Disorder?

    Chapter 126 Multiple Personality Disorder?


    "Are you a Devil Contractor?"


    "Huh?"


    I was extremely dumbfounded by Professor Mia''s question.


    I don''t know why she was asking something like this the moment we met.


    ( Don''t tell me¡­ )


    However, it didn''t take long for me to realize why she would ask this. Vague as it might have been but I saw the memory of the Emperor of Destruction.


    I didn''t know what his Art or those skills were but it was akin to using Dark energy, though obviously, I didn''t have any contract with the Devil.


    I just happened to be a human or I hope, who had the ability to use Dark energy, something that is impossible in this world.


    I looked at Professor Mia who was right now covered in wounds.


    I felt guilt piling up in my heart as I saw the wound on Professor Mia.


    Previously, I thought that Professor Mia was injured because she fought some terrifying monsters, but looking at the injuries carefully, it was more of an injury caused by humans than a monster.


    I don''t know what exactly happened here but it looks like it was all my fault.


    I might have subconsciously used Dark Energy when I was getting my new memory.<sub></sub>


    "No, not really."


    I put my head down as I answered truthfully. As far as I know, I have never signed a contract with Demons. Though I can''t say the same about my other self ( Emperor Of Destruction.)


    If I really had used Dark Energy, it would not be weird if I was killed by Professor Mia. I don''t know exactly how I managed to cause such injuries to her.


    I don''t know why she kept me alive despite what I''ve done. She should have killed me if I had used Dark energy, not to mention if I was the cause of her injuries.


    "No?¡­ Really?"


    Professor Mia said as if to convince herself that what I said was true.


    I don''t know why she was asking me. It could be as I thought but it could also be another reason. No reason to think of such things when I can directly ask the person in question.


    "Why are you asking me?"


    I already had my guess but I want to make sure that my guess was correct. Additionally, it didn''t make sense that I hurt Professor Mia.


    I was unconscious at that time and I am sure that I would not have fought with Profesor Mia. Even if we did fight, I was an ant in front of Professor Mia''s power.


    "That is¡­"


    Professor Mia started to talk about what happened when I was unconscious. She also wants to know how Zero could use Dark energy.<sub>


    </sub>


    She didn''t know whether Zero truly didn''t remember what happened or was pretending to not know. Though, when she fought with him, he had forgotten about her or who he was.


    Even if Zero signed a contract with a Devil, it was not possible for Zero to forget who he was. So, she thought Zero didn''t have the faintest idea of what he had done that time and decided to iterate the story.


    I was utterly stunned by what I heard. Me, being out of control and fighting with power on par with Rank-B.


    I don''t remember doing this but perhaps, while I refuse to believe this, it might be the side effect of Parallel Memory Skill.


    Only with this, could I have be so different. I must have been overpowered by the Emperor of Destruction''s emotion and memory to the point that I lost control of my body.


    I don''t know what other changes happened to me that I was unaware of. Since, even after inheriting memories, I felt like the same person I always was.


    The difference might be noticeable as time goes on. I might not notice but those close to me might, especially if the Emperor of Destruction corrupts my thinking.


    However, I won''t lose to a mere skill. Even if I gain other memories of an alternative universe, I will continue to stay who I always have been.


    Though obtaining even a small part of the memory of the Emperor of Destruction was extremely dangerous. It was very different from when I first had a memory from Earth''s self.


    Getting all the memories from modern Earth was easy, probably because he was weak while the Emperor of Destruction was very strong, maybe equivalent to Rank-SS Hero.


    "Zero, you might be suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder."


    Professor Mia said after she finished telling about what transpired here.<sub> </sub>


    Previously, she had seen that sometimes Zero''s personality changed like he waspletely a different person.


    She suspected him of having a split personality or some kind of mental disease like that.


    However, her encounter with Zero in the Gate convinced her that Zero has multiple personality disorder.


    How can one go from being able to kill her to listening and obeying whatever she told him?


    Even if he was hiding his real intention and expression behind a fake face to deceive her of his real motives, since Zero had already revealed his Dark Energy, he should not need to hide those things anymore.


    Zero would have tried to kill her as soon as he regained his consciousness judging from his previous killing intent.


    However, right now she didn''t feel even a speck of killing intent in Zero. It was like all the things she saw when she encountered him were just a dream.


    He was Zero that she knew. She was relieved to see that Zero hadn''t be someone else. However, she thought Zero suffered from a mental illness.


    "Multiple Personality Disorder?"


    Zero was once again baffled by Professor Mia''s question.


    Though it was understandable that others watching Zero might find it weird when Zero acts totally out of character. This is because there were not many who were close to him to tell the difference except one person.


    For months Professor Mia had been observing Zero. She knows more about the current Zero than anyone else. So, she was able to notice those abnormalities in Zero''s behavior sometimes, not to mention that Zero was like apletely different person when fighting with her.


    Therefore, she concluded that Zero was suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder since Zero was showing the traits of someone who suffers from that.


    Though she can''t find the answer to how he was able to release the Dark energy. It was impossible to use Dark energy without getting the contract from Devil.


    However, Zero had denied that he was a Devil Contractor. She knows that he was telling the truth but it didn''t make sense for him to use Dark energy.


    "I¡­ I don''t think that I have a multiple personality disorder."


    Zero hesitantly said. He wanted to say it might be the side effect of his skill but he didn''t want to reveal his skill. And lying was not very suitable in this situation since Professor Mia knows that there are not any known skills that cause one to have Multiple Personality Disorder.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Professor Mia got lost in her thoughts.


    -GROWL!


    "Ah!"


    That was embarrassing. It looks like my stomach has be empty. I don''t know how many days have passed since he was unconscious but it was obvious that quite a few days had passed looking at the state of my stomach.


    "Okay, let''s stop talking for now. I will prepare the food, you just sleep there."


    Professor Mia said as she took out delicious-looking meat from her storage ring. By simply looking at the mana emitted by the meat, one can easily determine that it is monster meat that is also of very high rank.


    She started cooking the meat as Iy on the bed. A pleasant smell started to fill the area. My already hungry stomach was growling louder than ever.


    "Let''s Eat"


    I started to gobble down food faster than normal people can see. If someone was looking at me right now, they might wonder where the food that I put in my mouth had disappeared to.


    Professor Mia was surprisingly very skilled at cooking. She must be one of the best chefs in the world. At least that is what I feel when I am eating the food.


    Possibly the food tastes better because I am starving, but another reason could be the fact that this meat is filled with high-quality mana.


    As I started eating, my worries also disappeared along with the food.


    It is not that I don''t trust Professor Mia but the fact that I had used Dark energy was enough for me to be killed by any human, including Professor Mia.


    From the novel, I know that she has killed lots of Devil Contractors and absolutely detests them. There are many reasons for that, one of the reasons being the BloodyWolf incident where many students were killed.


    I might have been spared because I was her student but the fact I used Dark energy could mean that I was either a spy or someone who is seeking to harm the students.


    Even in the novel, some students of hers be Devil Contractors and try to kill Mc and his friend. Professor Mia does not show mercy and kills them despite being her student.


    So, I don''t think that me being her student is the reason.


    "Why didn''t you kill me?"


    I stared at Professor Mia as I asked. It was very odd that I was not killed. I could not help but feel ufortable not knowing why I was spared despite using Dark energy.


    "I¡­ "

 Chapter 127 I Believe You!

    Chapter 127 I Believe You!


    [Mia Frostine''s POV]


    Zero copsed in front of her for whatever reason it may be. Judging from the injuries, Professor Mia thought it might be because Zero was not used to his own power.


    There were lots of skills that could make one go beyond their limit, however, the side effects associated with the power increase were tremendous.


    The side effect differs from one skill to another but most of the time the side effect severity is as per how much the person''s strength increased. The higher the increase in strength, the higher the side effect would be.


    Since Zero showed the power of Rank-B despite being only Rank-D, he must be suffering much more than most people. There were not many skills that could increase strength equivalent to two major ranks.


    There were rare skills that could increase one''s strength by one major rank but two? It was unheard of. At least Professor Mia has never met someone who could do it.


    No matter what, Professor Mia has survived the situation. It was strange that her student was about to take her own life despite being Rank-D.


    "This monster-"<sub></sub>


    She could only say that withplicated emotions. Zero was a monster even in the eyes of someone as talented as Professor Mia.


    She understood a little about the emotion of others when they described her as a monster.


    It was because from their perspective, the strength she disyed was able to make them feel disbelieved just as Zero did to her.


    Even when she was the one to directly face Zero, she still could not believe how Zero could have such immense strength.


    She stood still for a minute after taking some potions. She looked down at the person that was on the verge of dying.


    Now, she had a major decision to make. Whether to help Zero or leave him like that.


    If she decided to leave him, looking at the injury, there was a 100% chance of him dying. <sub>


    </sub>


    There were lots of cuts on his body and many bones were broken. More than that his internal organs seem to have suffered from a great shock.


    She could leave him and he would die. He was a Devil Contractor who had tried to kill her. He as Devil Contractor is someone she had to kill.


    Otherwise, he would be an enemy of humanity who could wipe out every human from Eds.


    If Zero was indeed Devil Contractor, with his talent, Professor Mia didn''t doubt her thoughts. He could be capable of that in a few years.


    If she saved him, she would bepromising the life of every human on Eds.


    However, despite all the consequences that she could think of, she ended up saving Zero.


    Whether it was because Zero was her student, or because she became close to him during the training, either way, she felt that she would deeply regret it if she didn''t help Zero.<sub> </sub>


    She tried toe up with all kinds of reasons why she was helping Zero, like she had promised to help Zero until he became very strong.


    Or like Zero, he could have a reason for being in contract with the Devil. He could have a good and unknown reason for being in contract with the Devil.


    However, it was all an excuse she gave herself to help Zero. No matter the reason, how could itpare to humanity''s crisis, but she still chose to help Zero.


    Whether she will regret that choice remains to be seen but she at least thought that she made the right decision when she saw Zero eating the food hriously.


    "Why did you save me?"


    Right now, zero is asking her a question. She looked at Zero''s face and she could feel that Zero seemed to worry about something.


    "I-I¡­"


    However, even she didn''t know the exact answer to that question. Why did she save him even knowing the possibility of danger to not only her but to the world?


    "Because you are my student."


    Whatever the reason she had for saving Zero, one fact that could not change was that she knows Zero because she is his teacher.


    Whatever the reason may be, it would be directly or indirectly due to her knowing Zero as her student.


    "..."


    Zero remained silent. He didn''t believe that him being a student could only be the reason or maybe because of him knowing about her through the novel, he could not believe that reasoning.


    "Whatever you do, I will take responsibility for it. If you turn out to be a Devil Contractor who threatens life then, I will personally kill you. I am at least willing to take that responsibility."


    Professor Mia said resolutely. It was something she decided when she saved Zero.


    It doesn''t matter how much she ignores the fact that Zero is a Devil Contractor, if he ever kills someone or bes a threat to humanity, she will kill Zero anyway, even if it means sacrificing herself.


    "I had my doubts about how you can use Dark energy. Only Devil Contractors and Demons can use them. However, Zero, you did many things that were not done before."


    She was referring to his use of Dual Art, and also his growth speed, both of which were not achieved before.


    "I believe you don''t need to be in a contract with the Devil to be strong."


    She continued.


    She has already checked his willpower which was more powerful than even Rank-B. It is impossible for a Devil to entice a person with such strong willpower.


    And like she said, Zero already possesses an incredible potential and can be stronger even without relying on the Devil.


    A devil could only deceive people who desperately need strength and have weak willpower which is opposite to what Zero possesses.


    He has both remarkable strength and extremely strong willpower. It is almost impossible to get Zero to make a contract with the Devil unless Devil promised Zero something other than strength.


    "Zero, I believe you."

 Chapter 128 Is It Worth It?

    Chapter 128 Is It Worth It?


    She didn''t know what Zero was worried about, but she dered that she would believe him.


    "Zero, I believe you."


    Professor Mia said as she looked directly into Zero''s eyes.


    Whether it was true or not didn''t matter as Zero was greatly touched by her words.


    He could only nod his head.


    He didn''t believe people could be trusted. In anger, jealousy, and sadness, people do lots of unbelievable things to others.


    When a situation bes dangerous, people would abandon their friends, and family to save themselves.


    That''s why it was so difficult for someone to believe in other humanspletely.


    The same was the case for Zero. He didn''tpletely trust Professor Mia and even if she had saved him, he was afraid that she would kill him eventually.


    Who would believe someone who used Dark energy? There might be only a handful of people who would believe in me after I used Dark energy.


    Professor Mia was one of them. <sub></sub>


    I could say anything back to her. It looks like Professor Mia trusts me more than I thought.


    Then followed the period of recovery for both me and Professor Mia.


    While Professor Mia''s injuries were lightpared to Zero, however, she was not in any condition to use her strong skills.


    She could be in serious trouble if she met a strong monster.


    While they were both resting, Professor Mia also made ns to leave the Gate.


    They needed to find the boss of the Gate and defeat him.


    It was a good idea to wait for reinforcements from outside but they did not know when those reinforcements were going to arrive.


    It had already been a month since they had entered the Gate but there was no reinforcement from outside.


    It might be just an hour outside even though one month has already passed inside the Gate.


    ording to Professor Mia, they might have to wait years for reinforcements to arrive.<sub>


    </sub>


    The Gate was of very high rank, at least Rank-A, which would require Rank-S heroes and above to clear.


    To minimize the casualties, The Authority rmends around 5 S-Rank heroes to conquer Rank-A Gate safely. And ording to Professor Mia, it would take around 3 days outside the Gate.


    Firstly, the S-Rank heroes who were close to the area were fighting with monsters from the dungeon outburst, so it was unlikely that they woulde to help right away after exhausting themselves.


    This means recruiting a new 5 S-Rank heroes from another ce will take at least 3 days. In 3 days, it might already be one or two years here.


    So we need to wait quite a long time for the reinforcements to arrive.


    Even if we have to wait a long time, it might be possible with Professor Mia here. However, there were reasons why we needed to get out of the Gate quickly.


    One reason was because of me. My condition is more serious than I thought.


    If not treated quickly, I might die. My internal injuries could not be healed by low-level and mid-level potions.


    I need to go to the hospital and have professional healers take care of me.


    With potions, I could still stay alive and do things like normal people. I could even exert power equal to Rank-E without any side effects. <sub> </sub>


    The power of Rank-E was useless in this Gate.


    Anyway, we can''t afford to wait for another reason. Our potions were running low.


    Not to mention, I, who is surviving on potions, even Professor Mia will be in danger once potions are depleted.


    Professor Mia might be able to fight and kill Rank-A monsters in this Gate but if she is injured, which is likely as she will need to fight with Rank-A monsters, she would not have any ways to heal her injuries.


    Unlike monsters, who have insane regeneration, humans are very fragile.


    Human regeneration is very slow and recovery of injuries takes quite some time and without potions, it might be very difficult to heal some wounds in the dungeon.


    The option to stay hidden is also gone because our food resource is also running low. We need to kill monsters for food.


    Therefore, it was better if we could defeat the Gate boss and get out of the Gate instead of worrying about those problems.


    However, the problem was, judging from the Rank of the monster in the Gate, the boss monster could be Rank-S -.


    To defeat the S-Rank boss monster, we would need at least one SS-Rank or at least 5 S-Rank heroes.


    It was impossible for us, with just Professor Mia and me, to conquer this Gate.


    The probability of staying alive was more if we stayed hidden.


    Professor Mia can probably survive for at least one year even if she doesn''t have any potions with her.


    I concluded that the probability of surviving was more if we didn''t go looking for the boss.


    I told Professor Mia what I thought, that it was better for us to just stay away from the boss.


    The only one who would be more likely to die if the Gate was not conquered quickly was me. Although I didn''t say that.


    "We should just wait for reinforcements. The boss monster is likely to be Rank-S -. You can''t defeat it."


    I said. I am not underestimating Professor Mia''s powers, but it was the truth.


    She might defeat the normal Rank-S monster if she was lucky enough but the boss monster of Rank-S was impossible.


    Boss monster means that it is the most talented monster at that Rank.


    Simr to Hiro and Lisa, who is one of the strongest in their respective ranks. Even those people who are ranked higher than them might not defeat them, not to mention people of simr rank.


    The same was the case for boss monsters. Even Rank-S humans might not be able to defeat S-rank boss monsters.


    "There is no need to worry too much. We should first find the boss monster before concluding that the boss monster is Rank-S."


    Professor Mia said. Though she said that, I know that she already knows that the Gate we are currently in is one of the highest-ranking Gates, even among Rank-A Gates.


    But it seems that Professor Mia is really set on conquering the Gate.


    Though I know why she is doing this, I don''t think it''s worth it.


    My life was not important inparison to Professor Mia''s.


    Between Rank-A + human life and Rank-D + human life, it is obvious whose life is more significant.


    Many might argue that human life is equal but it really is not. A Rank-A human can save more lives than a Rank-D human.


    In a world filled with disaster, those who can save more lives should be worth more.


    However, Professor Mia does not seem to think so. I could only think,


    ( Is it worth it? )

 Chapter 129 Ice Enchantress Ascension

    Chapter 129 Ice Enchantress Ascension


    But it seems that for Professor Mia, my life is more important as she refused to ept my proposal and was adamant about defeating the Gate boss monster.


    "Professor Mia, are you really serious about finding the boss?"


    I asked, a little irritated. I might not die immediately even if I don''t have potions.


    But it was different for Professor Mia if she met the Gate Boss. She would certainly die if she confronted the Boss right now.


    It had been a few days since we started venturing into different parts of the Gate and searching for a boss.


    I thought she would give up after I continuously persuaded her but Professor Mia was determined to find the Gate Boss.


    So, I couldn''t help but be a little irritated.


    "It is better to conquer the Gate. That has a high chance of surviving."


    This is the reason she has been giving me so far. However, I know the real reason already.


    But it was no use saying. <sub></sub>


    ( This stubborn woman!!!. )


    It really seems that she can''t be persuaded to change after she decided on her objective.


    If so, I can only help her. If I wait for a few more days and she has still not given up, our potions will be empty and she might fight with Boss monster without any potions.


    I wanted to give this to her before I die, but it seems that Professor Mia will not give up.


    -THUCK!


    I took out a potion from my spatial ring and handed it to Professor Mia.


    "This is?"


    Professor Mia asks confusingly as she had never seen this type of potion.


    "We need to find an isted area. This potion will help you to rank up."<sub>


    </sub>


    Yes, the potion that I gave to Professor Mia was one of the two S-Rank up potions that I currently have.


    If Professor Mia is so determined to fight with Boss monster, it would be better if she did it after ascending to Rank-S -.


    She would have a better chance of finishing off the Boss monster if she ascended to Rank-S -.


    No doubt that she would be able to break through with this potion. With Professor Mia''s talent, she should have naturally broken through to Rank-S - in one or two years'' time.


    Even in the novel, she ascended to Rank-S before Hiro and others graduated from the Ace Academy.


    "... Are you sure?"


    Professor Mia asked, doubting what I just said.


    It was already good that she is not cursing me for telling lies. There is no potion that could help Rank-A + to break through currently in the market.


    "Yes, trust me. Or I can drink this and show you that it is not harmful."<sub> </sub>


    She must be worrying about the potion being fake or me trying to trick her.


    Though it will be a waste for me to drink the potion, if this is what it takes to make Professor Mia trust me, then I was ready.


    "No, I trust you. It is just¡­ just that the fact that there is a potion to help breakthrough to Rank-S is unbelievable."


    "Oh!..."


    Zero might be young to understand the true impact of his invention( though he stole it from the novel).


    But Professor Mia could see what this potion could do. It could break the bnce of power between different species in Eds.


    If humans have this potion, we could have thousands of Rank-S humans who could be deployed everywhere in times of war.


    In wars, Rank-S are treated like rare resources which are only deployed to change the direction of war.


    Only in the important event do they participate because we can''t waste Rank-S heroes who are less in number


    But with Zero''s potion (which she didn''t know from where he acquired), we could supply that rare S-Rank in thousands.


    Thousand S-Rank was enough to win every battle. Humans could topple the bnce between different species and be the top being in the world.


    However, Zero does not seem to see the effect that this potion could bring, or was it that he trusts Me, Professor Mia thought.


    She didn''t know the answer. Nevertheless, Professor Mia kept in mind to tell Zero about not showing this potion to anyone after exiting the Gate.


    Right now, she has to use this potion to break through to Rank-S -. After her ascension, her chance of beating the boss monster would go up.


    They found a ce where there was no monster. With Professor Mia''s senses, she was able to survey everything within a 1 km radius.


    She confirmed there was no danger and proceeded to ascend to Rank-S.


    *****


    It had been a few hours since Professor Mia had gone into seclusion in a nearby cave to break through to Rank-S.


    She was already at the peak of Rank-A+, so a breakthrough might be easier for her. I just needed to wait for her to ascend.


    -BOOOOM!


    And there was this huge release of manaing from Professor Mia''s direction.


    I had already witnessed Glenn, Guildmaster of NightShade breaking through Rank-S but inparison, Professor Mia''s mana was much more profound, both in terms of quantity and quality.


    It was the fact from this mana that she is more powerful and talented than Glenn. Even as a newly ascended S-Rank, she might be able to overwhelm Glenn who had broken through Rank-S months back.


    After a few minutes, Professor Mia came out of the cave and thanked me happily.


    "Thank you, Zero. With this, I might be able to easily win."


    I don''t know whether to ept such apliment when I am the reason that Professor Mia would need to face the Gate boss.


    Anyway, no need to think about such things again. Professor Mia would not change her mind, I just need to help her.


    "Anyway, we need to quickly find the boss."


    Professor Mia said worriedly. While Zero looks right now, she knows that his injuries are very serious.


    She needed to find the boss and defeat him as soon as possible to get out of this Gate and treat Zero.


    "Ah! I already know where the boss is."

 Chapter 130 Ice Griffin

    Chapter 130 Ice Griffin


    "Ah! I already know where the boss is."


    I said confidently.


    This was something Professor Mia was unaware of. I had already deployed drones to survey the area ahead.


    I would look at the monitor sometimes and see whether the drones have found the boss or not.


    And I did end up finding where the boss was.


    I didn''t reveal that information to Professor Mia at that time as I was sure that Professor Mia would give up after some days. I needed time to persuade her to give up.


    But contrary to that, Professor Mia became hastier as she began to push herself.


    I didn''t understand why she was doing this but I knew that I could not persuade her.<sub></sub>


    And she was getting close to the location of Boss. As far as I can see from the drone, Professor Mia would have reached the Gate Boss monster location in one or two days.


    That''s why I knew my time for persuading Professor Mia was up and I had to help her. If the Gate Boss monster is what I think it is, then the boss monster was not something Professor Mia could handle.


    She would not be able to escape from the Boss monster once she caught his attention.


    Therefore, I gave the Rank-S breakthrough potion to Professor Mia. With that, she might be able to win or at least the probability of winning is greatly increased by it. Even if she didn''t win, she could at least run away with her stat as Rank-S.


    Since I decided to help Professor Mia, revealing the location of the Boss monster was something I needed to do. She would only waste time and consumption of potions would only increase if we dy time to find the Boss monster.


    "You know?"


    Professor Mia asked, tilting her head. She must be thinking how can I know something like the location of Boss monster. I had been with her all along and her sense was greater than mine.<sub>


    </sub>


    She probably had no idea that I was using drones to secretly watch the boss monster.


    "Yes"


    I said confidently. Be stunned by what mypany product could do. A product that will be useful to even Rank-S like yourself.


    I should probably advertise this product like this once it enters the market. Though I need to make it out of the Gate to do it.


    Opening the monitor, I showed the screen to Professor Mia. I pointed to the image of an Ice Griffin quietly sleeping.


    Ice Griffin is a mythical monster mentioned many times in RPG games. It was simr to a normal Griffin, however, its wings were of Ice, unlike the normal Griffin.


    It was also much stronger than normal Griffin. Normal Griffins are usually at Rank-A, however, Ice Griffin was Rank-S - monster. This was the Gate Boss.<sub> </sub>


    We needed to defeat this cmity to escape from this hellish ce. Even with Professor Mia''s new power, I know it will be anything but easy.


    Generally, 5-6 Rank-S Heroes were needed to defeat the Ice Griffin. Ice Griffin was a tough monster that was difficult to defeat if there was no strong individual.


    Numbers were nothing as he could freeze thousands of Rank-B humans with just one of his skills, Icy Wind Storm. Unless the people fighting him were not strong, having many fighters were useless.


    Though the fact that Professor Mia is Ice Mage may prove advantageous to his skill. His skill could not freeze Professor Mia and me, who is immune to Ice Skill. However, the same must be true for Ice Griffin, our Ice Skill may be useless to him too.


    And the fact that Professor Mia was just a newly ascended S-Rank worries me.


    "Wow! How can drones fly for so long in such cold temperatures?"


    Professor Mia was genuinely surprised by Zero''s drones. Normally, many technologies do not work in dungeons or Gate. The machines are fragile and the environment inside Gate and Dungeon was so dangerous that the machine would easily break down.


    Drones made by Zero were closer to an artifact than a mere machine. It could be said as a modern artifact that integrates technologies and mana core. The steel used to make the drones were also steel found inside the dungeon.


    The drone could qualify as a Rank-E artifact from the material it was made. It would not break easily like other machines.


    "It is one of the prototypes of mypany. If you want it, I can preorder it for you."


    Zero said proudly. While the inventor was a different person, the product was still from hispany.


    "Really? I want three then."


    Professor Mia said. She was an intelligent person and knew how useful this product was.


    Sending them to collect data on unknown and dangerous ces, this product could reduce danger in exploration. It could even be used to find Boss monsters like how it had done right now.


    "If I get out of this Gate, I will definitely gift three drones to you."


    With the help of drones, Professor Mia could see what type of Gate Boss was. She was greatly shocked when she saw Ice Griffin.


    Even she knows what type of monster Ice Griffin was. It was regarded as a cmity monster, not because of his rank but rather due to his skill.


    It was something that happened hundreds of years ago. When one of the dungeon outbursts happened, Ice Griffin was one of the monsters that came out of that dungeon. It instantly destroyed everything and every Explorer that came to subdue the monsters.


    Ice Griffin alone annihted millions of humans before one SS-Rank Hero showed up and defeated it. Due to its capability of such destruction, it is regarded as a Cmity.


    She carefully looked at the location of Ice Griffin and also checked for other monsters in its vicinity. Unlike Spectral Lion, Ice Griffin was a solitary monster.


    They don''t like to have other monsters with them. Therefore, their territory usually doesn''t have many monsters.


    After thinking about some ns, Professor Mia decided to confront the Ice Griffin.


    "Let''s Go!"

 Chapter 131 Ice Griffin [2]

    Chapter 131 Ice Griffin [2]


    Since the drones had already marked where the Ice Griffin was, it was only a matter of hours before we reached the area where Ice Griffin was sleeping.


    "You need to stay hidden until I defeat the Ice Griffin."


    Professor Mia said before we reached where the Ice Griffin was.


    I nodded.


    I would only be a burden to her even if I went with her. I could never even hurt Ice Griffin''s feather even if I was at my peak state, not to mention when I could not even muster my Rank-D power.


    I should just stay far away from where the fight would take ce.


    -WHOOSH!


    We walked in the direction of where the Ice Griffin was. Never did I think that one day I would get an opportunity to watch S-Rank Ice Enchantress fight with S-Rank Ice Griffin.


    It was in one of the chapters in thetter part of the novel where Professor Mia fought to protect the students from Dungeon Outbreak. The same situation was going to happen.<sub></sub>


    While I was worried about Professor Mia, I as a reader was also excited to get an opportunity to watch a fight simr to one of my favorite parts of the novel.


    The feeling was simr to how your favorite light novel gets an anime adaptation.


    After a few hours, we saw the ce that we had previously seen from the drones. The Ice Griffin was just at the top of the mountain which will only take a few minutes of walking.


    "You stay here. I will take care of Ice Griffin."


    Professor Mia moved as I remained in that ce. I quickly opened the monitor and checked what the Ice Griffin was doing.


    It was still sleeping peacefully without caring about anything. He was the apex predator in this Gate. He has no one in the Gate that could match his strength.


    He was someone that we need to defeat if we wish to go back to our world.


    Ice Griffin''s appearance was quite scary if I say so myself. It has countless razor-sharp ice feathers on each of its mighty wings, which it uses to keep enemies at a distance. And there was also his eagle-like head with a huge body.<sub>


    </sub>


    It was an enemy that was beyond me. It would have been really unlucky for Professor Mia and me if either of us had spawned in his territory.


    To say nothing of me, even if Professor Mia met this monster at that time, she would have surely died. She could not outrun an opponent who could fly.


    It was not a monster that you want to mess with even if your rank was S. Now, Professor Mia was going there to confront this monster.


    Shortly after a few minutes, I could see Professor Mia slowly approaching the Ice Griffin. It looks like Professor Mia was looking to severely injure the Ice Griffin when he has his guard down.


    However, things didn''t go as nned as the moment when Professor Mia got close enough tounch her attack, Ice Griffin woke up.


    -SCREECH!


    Ice Griffin emitted a highly destructive, and the deafening roar that might be able to defeat anyone who has weak willpower. It was not only to scare the enemy but it actually contained destructive energy.


    The fact that one of my drones was closer to it was destroyed was proof that the Ice Griffins'' screech contains the power to harm others physically.<sub> </sub>


    A Rank-E human might be dead just by getting hit by this screech.


    Though it was not able to have much effect on Professor Mia who is Rank-S -.


    Professor Mia readied herself to face the Ice Griffin. It was the strongest monster that she needed to fight.


    Even though Ice Griffin woke up, Professor Mia didn''t back away. It seems that she expected this, there was no way that she could easily sneak attack a Rank-S Boss monster.


    She didn''t hold back as she started to summon one giant Ice meteor from Ice which was directly at the Ice Griffin.


    The Ice Griffin didn''t try to dodge the attack, he responded to Professor Mia''s attack with his own.


    Six destructive shes made their way toward the Ice Meteor. It looks like Ice Griffin wants to show off his power by destroying Professor Mia''s skill.


    -SSHHHHH!


    As expected by Ice Griffins'' power, the Ice Meteor that wasing toward him was sliced into many pieces and fell apart before reaching the Ice Griffin.


    -SCREECH!


    Ice Griffin roared towards the sky as he made his preparation to attack Professor Mia.


    A big vortex formed between his wings. It looks like he was going to use his most famous skill, Icy Wind Storm.


    Professor Mia also didn''t back down, as she also used her strongest skills, Primordial Ice Pce.


    I have not seen her use this skill in real-time but I had once seen her use it on one of the news channels.


    Pirs of Ice burst out of the ground and formed something like a wall. The Ice expanded as it started forming a grand hall simr to the pce.


    A crown made out of Ice appeared on Professor Mia''s hair. She looked like a queen that had absolute control over the Ice. She looked absolutely gorgeous with those Ice architecture befitting the Queen of Ice.


    -SCREECH!


    The Ice Griffin shot his Icy Wind Storm towards Professor Mia. The violent storm was so strong that even I, who is very far from the battle area, could feel the pressure of the skill.


    I quickly checked the monitor. Professor Mia didn''t move, it looks like she does not have any intention to dodge the iing attack.


    It was the right call to make as it is almost impossible to dodge such a skill that could cover an area of 100 meters. You can''t dodge it unless you can teleport out from that area.


    I could not help but feel very nervous at the sight of one small human standing up to the huge storm. Even the color of the sky has changed to ck after Ice Griffin used his skill.


    Professor Mia looked confident and didn''t panic. She raised her hands and 20 pirs of Ice moved and stood in front of Professor Mia. It looked as if Professor Mia wasmanding the Ice pirs.


    The fierce storm drew closer to Professor Mia, the storm of freezing air whipped across the sky.


    -BANG!


    The Ice Pirs blocked the iing attack. However, the power of the Icy Wind Storm was too strong.


    The Ice Pirs started to shatter one after the another until no more Ice Pir was left.


    -CRASH!


    The only thing now left to protect Professor Mia was her mana barrier.

 Chapter 132 Ice Griffin [3]

    Chapter 132 Ice Griffin [3]


    -BANG!


    With a loud bang, the Ice Griffins'' skill hit Professor Mia.


    At the same time, the Ice Griffin was just flying in the sky without showing any sign of attacking again.


    Ice Griffin has used his strongest skill, Icy Wind Storm. He was confident that Professor Mia is dead, there was no opponent in the Gate that could survive this skill of his.


    Ice Griffin was a prideful creature after all. They were powerful, which was something that they were very proud of.


    Simr to how Professor William and some other people believe that their blood is noble and superior to others, Ice Griffin too thinks in a simr manner.


    They despise other monsters and view themselves as superior species which was to a certain extent true. Be it normal Griffin or Ice Griffin, they were top of the food chain.


    The skill continued to surround the area where Professor Mia was. The mana barrier which was protecting Professor Mia started to crack as the skill continued to hit her.


    After a minute, the skill disappeared.


    Everything in the area was destroyed and shattered into pieces, except one person.


    Professor Mia was still standing, though there were substantial injuries on her body.


    To be able to survive against Ice Griffin''s strongest skill was very difficult, even for Rank-S. The fact that she is an Ice Mage must have helped her to withstand Ice Griffin''s Icy Wind Storm.


    The dangerous thing about Icy Wind Storm was not the destructive Wind but the freezing energy it contained.


    Even the strongest shield will easily shatter after it has been frozen. Not even Rank-A artifacts were spared from that Ice energy.


    The moment your body touches the attack, it''ll be game over for you. However, it was not the case for Professor Mia who has high resistance to Ice energy.


    Still, the attack was not something she coulde out of unscathed. There were no life-threatening injuries, but she still suffered some serious injuries.


    - SCREECH!


    The Ice Griffin howled at Professor Mia, clearly showing his anger toward her. Never did he think that someone would survive after getting hit by his strongest skill.


    His pride had taken a big hit after he saw someone he saw as an ant survive his greatest skill. Ice Griffin had turned mad from having been humiliated. <sub></sub>


    He immediately dived down towards Professor Mia showing his sharp ws.


    -SHING!


    The already razor-sharp w of Ice Griffin was further enhanced by imbuing it with Ice energy. The ws of Ice Griffins were extremely strong and sharp, with the capability to cut orichalcum like butter.


    Ice Griffin was not like a low-level monster who was incapable of thinking. Though not as intelligent as humans.


    Ice Griffin had observed Professor Mia and was able to know that she was capable of resisting his Ice Skills. Therefore, he opted to use his w.


    -SWISH!


    Ice Griffin rushed to the injured Professor Mia. She didn''t have time to rest until she defeated the cmity in front of her.


    Right after taking a hit from Icy Wind Storm, she had to square off against the Ice Griffin.


    Professor Mia immediately made 8 Ice pirs and had them block Ice Griffin.


    She also was preparing to attack Ice Griffin.


    Ice Griffin quickly cut down the Six Ice Pirs in a second. There was no way it could have defended itself against his w.


    However, Professor Mia had achieved her objective. She didn''t believe Ice Pirs could actually stop the Ice Griffin. Her real aim was to slow down Ice Griffin and also to kill his momentum which she did.


    Ice Griffin made his way to Professor Mia clearly aiming for the kill. He was inches away from Professor Mia''s neck when Professor Mia disappeared.


    Before Ice Griffin couldnd his attack on Professor Mia, she used her Movement Skill to quickly move behind the Ice Griffin.


    The Ice Griffin seemed confused by the disappearance of his prey. But it was not long before he felt strong mana behind him.


    Professor Mia quickly started to prepare her skill.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    The attack was shot at a nk position and there was no way Professor Mia could miss her attack on this huge monster. <sub>


    </sub>


    The Ice griffin can only grit his teeth and deploy his shield.


    Unlike other skills, Ster Annihtion Waves was not from her Ice Art. It was an S-Rank skill that she got from her expedition at the Obelisk Tower.


    To get such a rare skill, Professor Mia was definitely lucky. The skill was strong as per rank, but the only downside of this skill was its huge mana consumption.


    As a mage, she already had a high mana stat and even then she could barely use it only Once or Twice.


    That''s why, until now, not many had witnessed her Ster Annihtion Waves skill. She would only use this in an emergency.


    Even, I would have no idea what that skill was if it was not for it being described in the novel.


    In the novel, the user of the skill can release massive waves of ster energy in every direction at once at almost unlimited scales. The power could be used to instantly annihte thousands of enemies or destroy a whole town in a second.


    Anyway, to continue with the battle between Professor Mia and Ice Griffin. After ranking up, Professor Mia''s mana stat had been increased and she could use the Ster Annihtion Waves skill two or three times, that was how much mana it consumed.


    She fired off an extremely powerful beam of light at the Ice Griffin.


    -BOOM!


    In a blink of an eye, the attack hit the Ice Griffin. There was no way that Ice Griffin could dodge something whose speed is the same as light.


    The barrier of Ice Griffin waspletely shattered at the part where the skill hit. The body part that was hit by the skill was charred.


    -SCREECH!


    Ice Griffin howled loudly with both pain and anger.


    His already intense Killing intent was soaring through the sky. He was mad that someone who was an ant had damaged that noble body of his.


    He deployed multiple skills which were not as powerful as Icy Wind Storm but still enough to kill thousands of Rank-B humans.


    Professor Mia defended sessfully against such attacks while she also attacked the Ice Griffin whenever an opportunity came up.


    The battle continued for a while with Ice Griffin gaining the advantage over Professor Mia. <sub> </sub>


    Professor Mia was able to deal some serious damage to Ice Griffin with Ster Annihtion Waves Skill, but she could not use it a second time due to its mana consumption.


    She saved the skill for when she was certain that it would be able to kill Ice Griffin.


    Without the Ster Annihtion Wave skill, Professor Mia could not deal serious damage to Ice Griffin.


    Ice Griffin was already more powerful than Professor Mia. With its ws and some powerful skill, he was able to inflict a lot of damage on Professor Mia.


    Fortunately, those injuries subsided with the help of potions.


    Professor Mia would whenever possible, use a potion to heal herself and also recover some mana.


    However, it was only possible to heal light injuries and a mana potion could only recover a limited amount of mana.


    If the fight continues, there is no doubt that Professor Mia will be the one to die.


    *****


    I watched the fight inplete tense. It didn''t look like there was a chance for Professor Mia to kill the Ice Griffin as of right now.


    I closed the monitor and pondered for a minute. I can''t just sit around and wait for Professor Mia to die.


    I know that with my measly strength I can''t be of any help to Professor Mia. Even more so with my current condition but there are still some things that I could try.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D +


    Strength: C -


    Speed: C -


    Stamina: D +


    Mana: C +


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    "Tch!"


    There has been no update to my Art list. I thought I might have the skill that I used when I was unconscious.


    ording to Professor Mia, at that time I was able to fight with her on equal ground. In spite of the fact that Professor Mia''s current power is far beyond her Rank-A self, the fact that I canpete with her means that the skill in question was incredibly powerful.


    If by chance, I could get that skill, I might have a chance to help Professor Mia. However, it didn''t look like I would get that skill.


    Even so, it was not like I would stay here watching Professor Mia lose her life. In the first ce, she was fighting because of me.


    -SHOOSH!


    I quickly moved to where the battle was taking ce. I, at the very least, want to do my best before regretting not doing anything.


    Anyways, if Professor Mia dies, it is only a matter of time before I die.


    From my spatial ring, I quickly retrieved a herb. It was a xettle Flower that I stored after I recovered.


    I wanted to take it after I was fully healed. But if I don''t take it right now, I might not get a chance to even eat this.


    I quickly put the herb inside my mouth and started chewing while I was still running.


    Suddenly, powerful energy flowed through my body.


    "Aaaaaaack!"


    Shit! I knew it would hurt with my racked body but it was surprising how much it hurts.


    My current body state was in no condition to receive such violent energy.


    ( Endure! Zero, Endure!)


    But this was something I needed to endure. I would endure this pain a thousand times more than having Professor Mia die.


    Even with intense pain throughout my body, I didn''t stop moving.


    I had no time to care about such pain.

 Chapter 133 Mia Frostines Regret

    Chapter 133 Mia Frostines'' Regret


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    My body ached terribly as I ran even though my internal organs were facing catastrophe.


    Taking potions will only worsen the condition, so right now all I could do was grit my teeth and hope that the pain will subside by itself.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    As I moved on, my condition became better as my body started to absorb the energy from the xettle flower. The violent energy started calming down, and my body was no longer hurt by the violent energy.


    -BOOM! -BANG! -BOOM!


    As I got closer to the ce where the battle between Professor Mia and Ice Griffin was taking ce, the sound of them fighting got louder and louder.


    "Huff¡­Puff¡­"


    The energy in the body waspletely absorbed after some time. It looks like the effect of xettle Flower wasplete.


    [ "Status" ]


    ( I hope at least one of my stats has increased. If not all of my suffering will be for nothing. )


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: D +


    Strength: C -


    Speed: C -


    Stamina: C -


    Mana: B -<sub></sub>


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    "Lucky!"


    As soon as I saw my stat, I became cheerful and forgot the pain that I had to endure a little while ago. Not one but two of my stats have increased. My incredible luck stat has once again shown its power.


    Out of all the stats, it was the mana stat that was increased. Like I said before, increasing mana stat was extremely difficult among other stats.<sub>


    </sub>


    Looking at the mana stat, I thought that I might have been born to be a mage.


    Another stat that increased was stamina. It has jumped from Rank-D + to Rank-C -.


    Now, all my stats were in Rank-C - and above. My mana stat even exceeded the threshold of Rank-C and reached Rank-B -.


    Comparatively, my status was quite highpared to other D+s. It has even surpassed the stat that Hiro had when he was Rank-D+ in the novel. Though I can''t say the same about the Zero of this world.


    However, even with all the increase in strength that I had, the opponent that I was going to face was still someone who I couldn''t beat. It might be impossible even if my stats were two times more.


    But I didn''t have to defeat Ice Griffin. All I needed to do was create some kind of distraction so that Professor Mia could attack him when he had his attention on me.


    *****


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    "Hah...Hah¡­"


    Professor Mia breathed heavily. Even with her superior stamina stat, she was getting tired of fighting with the Ice Griffin.


    Though the same can be said about Ice Griffin. Ice Griffin also deployed countless skills at Professor Mia and his mana was also running low.


    It was only a matter of time before one of them copsed. Having said that, it was more likely for Professor Mia to be the first one to copse.


    -SCREECH!


    Ice Griffin howled angrily. He was mad that a small creature could survive against him for so long. However, he noticed that the intruder was getting exhausted.


    He wanted to finish off his opponentpletely this time. He spread his wings showing many Ice Feather under his wings.


    -SCREECH!


    The Ice feather began vibrating as if it were trying to break free from the wings. One by one, Ice feathers came out and started making their way toward Professor Mia.<sub> </sub>


    !!!


    Professor Mia became absolutely alert when she saw the Ice Griffinunching this attack.


    The skill that Ice Griffin used was a one-time move that Ice Griffin could use once a year. The Ice Feather under Ice Griffins'' wings takes years topletely form. It is the result of the umtion of Ice energy from Ice Griffin.


    It was a deadly skill that could be executed only once a year.


    The Ice Feather was as strong as Ice Griffins'' ws. So getting attacked by this skill was the same as getting attacked by Ice Griffins'' ws simultaneously thousands of times.


    Professor Mia knew that the Ice Griffin was trying to annihte her at all costs when she saw Ice Griffin use this skill.


    Actually, it would have been a smart move if Professor Mia retreated after she got exhausted but she could not do that.


    There will be no more chances after she retreats today. Her potion was almost exhausted, she would not be able to fight against Ice Griffin anymore after today.


    And she knows that her student would notst more than two days as the potions were getting less and less. She needed to finish off Ice Griffin even if it cost her life.


    She has been thinking about whether sacrificing her life was worth it for Zero since she decided to confront this cmity.


    He was just her student like many others, and she was willing to help her student to a certain extent. Be that as it may be, It didn''t mean she would sacrifice her life for every student.


    However, she did think that Zero was worth it. There were many reasons but ultimately it was her feelings. She felt she would regret it if she did not save Zero.


    Professor Mia had exhausted almost all her mana using the Ster Annihtion wave and maintaining the Primordial Ice Pce skill.


    Now, she had to defend against something like an Icy Featherless Dance. However, she would not give up. After using Icy Featherless Dance, Ice Griffin would be weaker.


    As the name implies, the Ice Griffin would lose his Ice Feather and those Ice feathers contain the Ice energy of the Ice Griffin. Losing them means that his Ice energy would decrease quite considerably.


    That was the moment that she needed to attack the Ice Griffin. She would win as long as the Ster Annihtion Wave strikes the Ice Griffin.


    Thousands of Ice Griffin''s Ice feathers made their way toward her.


    Professor Mia quickly channeled her mana into the Staff and positioned herself.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Wave" ]


    Professor Mia wanted to use her own attack to destroy the iing Ice Feathers.


    -BOOM!


    Ster Annihtion Wave was indeed a Rank-S skill. It destroyed hundreds of Ice Feather before it vanished. Almost half of the Ice Feathers were stopped by Ster Annihtion, but more than half were stilling at her.


    Professor Mia didn''t give up. She needed some time before she could use the Ster Annihtion Wave again.


    However, she still had 12 Ice Pirs from the Primordial Ice Pce. She raised her staff andmanded the Ice Pirs.


    They immediately lined up in front of her to block the Ice Feathers.


    -CRACK! -BANG! -CRACK! -BANG! -CRACK! -BANG!...


    The Ice Pirs started to break, though it managed to stop a couple of Ice Feathers. In the end, it was Ice feathers vs. her body.


    The same situation happened when she faced the Icy Wind Storm. She was left to defend herself with her body. But this was different, Ice Feathers did not only contain Ice energy but also were sharp enough to cut Rank-A artifacts.


    While she was wearing Rank-S defensive armor, she didn''t know when the Ice Feathers would pierce them.


    She deployed a barrier to protect herself, but it crumbled to pieces as if it didn''t exist. Countless Ice feathers were hitting her body at the same time so she could not dodge all the attacks even though she tried.


    First, her arms, then her stomach, and more attacks hit her. She gritted her teeth as she tried to withstand those attacks.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    Professor Mia survived the onught of Ice Griffins'' fierce attack. However, Professor Mia was in no state to fight back at all.


    Her whole body was covered in blood. All her limbs were barely responding to her will. Many deep cuts could be seen on her body. She was barely standing.


    "Not... yet..."


    Professor Mia spoke with a weak voice.


    She could not fall until she hadpleted her final task. She had to attack the Ice Griffin while it was in its weakest state.


    !!!


    -PHUI!


    However, before she could see where the Ice Griffin was, Ice Griffin''s w had pierced her stomach. The Ice Griffin has attacked her from behind.


    A proud creature opted for a sneak attack. Looks like he was terrified of Professor Mia''s retaliation and decided to hold back his pride and use a sneak attack.


    There was arge hole in Professor Mia''s stomach.


    "So¡­this¡­is¡­it"


    It seems that the final moment of her life would be a lonely one. To die inside Gates and dungeons was lonely. Her body would just be devoured by the monster, not making it back to her family. She would die, being forgotten by everyone.


    At the end of her life, her only regret was not being able to save the life of the boy that she swore to save.


    Never did she think he would be thest person she would think of when she first met him.


    A Flirt! yboy! cker! Sweet Mouth! Rude! These were things she thought when she first met him.


    Among many hard-working students, only one seemed to havee to Ace Academy to chase after girls.


    As time passed on, her initial image of Zero started to change though she still thinks that Zero is a flirt.


    She became his mentor for the Tournament of Academies. She wanted to help and make Zero the strongest. However, at the end of the day, it was her who endangered Zero''s life.


    All she had was regret for bringing Zero to Agora Town. If she chose a different ce, this might not happen. She thought Zero would have risen to Rank-S in a few years and would have been able to overwhelm everything by himself.


    She took a bright future from a promising youth who helped her when she was in trouble.


    She had destroyed one of the pirs of humanity''s peace.


    She regretted, regretted that she could do nothing else for Zero. When she was having herst thought, she heard a voice.


    "Pro..fessor¡­M i a"

 Chapter 134 My Fault!

    Chapter 134 My Fault!


    "Pro¡­fessor..M i a"


    Zero''s words were shuttering. He didn''t believe that Professor Mia would die. She could not die.


    ( It is my fault. My fault¡­)


    As someone who knows what will be happening in the future, I know that Professor Mia was not someone who was going to perish here.


    It was because of my interference that her fate was altered for the worse. If I didn''t change the course of the original novel, Professor Mia would not have died.


    As I watched the lifeless body of Professor Mia, my mind wentpletely ck for a second.


    My chest was stuffy from the suffocating emotions. They were emotions that couldn''t be described in words.


    The shock was too overwhelming and he couldn''t think properly.


    "AAAAAAHHH!"


    Zero howled in the sky and startled the Ice Griffin who was standing in front of Professor Mia.


    "Th.i.s DAMN WORLD! Once again¡­ once again it had taken what is precious to me."


    Tears slowly filled Zero''s eyes with the outburst of his anger. <sub></sub>


    He felt that he had a simr experience before.


    Zero has lost something precious and he could not forgive the existence who had done this.


    A dangerous aura leaked from Zero''s body. Killing intent filled Zero''s eyes as he red at the Ice Griffin.


    Zero mind was filled with the thought of destruction. There was an aimless sense of destruction that wanted to extinguish every life on earth. He felt an immeasurable hatred toward the world.


    Ice Griffin didn''t know whether it came from him or the Emperor of Destruction, but one thing was certain: both of them wanted Ice Griffin dead.


    Ice Griffin also felt someone was targeting his life. He was surprised to find that an ant weaker than the creature he killed just now was emitting such strong hostility against a noble creature such as him.


    He spread his wings and released his killing intent. He wanted to show that he was not someone that should be provoked by weak creatures.


    Zero didn''t back down, instead, his killing intent rose, even surpassing that of Ice Griffin.


    "I will pluck off your wings and make them into chicken wings."


    Zero smiled like he was a devil. He has already lost much of his reasoning and didn''t even care that the monster in front of him was a Rank-S Ice Griffin.


    The ck aura flowing from Zero''s body thickened as he felt an increase a drastic increase in strength.<sub>


    </sub>


    -SCREECH!


    The Ice Griffin roared furiously. He could not fully understand Zero''s words but he could at least feel that the creature in front of him was provoking and insulting him.


    Ice Griffin could not have an inferior species insult him so much. He instantlyunched his attack on the creature who had been acting too insolent in front of his presence.


    He thought that he could overwhelm Zero with his killing intent but to his surprise, Zero was able to contend with his killing intent. Now, he had to resort to using his attacks.


    The skill that Ice Griffin used was Ice Breathe, an attack that instantly freezes its target. It also covered arge area, however, it severelycked destructive powerpared to Icy Wind Storm.


    Zero dashed towards Ice Griffin amid an attacking straight at him. Ice Breathing used intense Ice energy to freeze, but other than that it acted like a wind carrying that energy.


    Since Zero had high resistance to Ice energy, the Ice breath would not have much effect on him. He rushed to Ice Griffin who had been underestimating him. He dashed straight through the Ice Breath, which is normally strong enough to freeze multiple Rank-B Explorers.


    The Ice Griffin was surprised to discover that Zero was still alive after taking a direct hit from his Ice breath. He could already tell that the creature in front of him was mere at Rank-D which was the lowest rank inside this Gate.


    He didn''t give Zero a chance to close any more distance. He shot out a sh which turned into Ice and headed towards Zero at incredible speed.


    Ice Griffin had realized that Zero was simr to the creature that he had just killed, though he sensed that the creature he was currently facing was far weaker than the one he had killed.


    He used Ice sh to kill Zero, who was invulnerable to Ice energy. <sub> </sub>


    Even with Ice sh heading toward him, Zero didn''t flinch or show any intention of dodging.


    He clenched his fist as a ck aura thickened around his fist.


    The moment Zero saw the Ice sh, he threw a punch.


    -BANG! -CRACK!


    The Ice sh cracked under the tremendous force of Zero''s attack. Zero''s hand was notpletely unharmed either. Blood dripped from Zero''s fist but he didn''t stop and retrieve the sword from his spatial ring.


    Low-level creatures like that survived his attack. Ice Griffin was truly astonished. The events that happened right now were hardly even conceivable, so he could not even be mad.


    Zero didn''t waste his time and started attacking Ice Griffin as soon as it was within his skill range.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    He used the skill of Emperor of Destruction. A Dark energy sh that contained destructive property shot out from Zero''s sword.


    Whether he used it consciously or subconsciously was not known, but Zero at least had some idea of how to use the skill.


    The state of Zero was simr to when his body was absorbing the memories of the Emperor Of Destruction.


    The Ice Griffin regained his mind after sensing the attack from Zero. He extended his w to intercept the attack.


    Even though the current Ice Griffin was exhausted and far from being at his peak state, he didn''t find the attack to be anything that could threaten his life.


    -CLANG!


    An attack that had preciously had Professor Mia sweating was nothing more than a weak skill for Rank-S - Ice Griffin. Ice Griffin instantly managed to block Zero''s Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st.


    However, his ws started to crack from Zero''s attack. He has underestimated the damage that Professor Mia has inflicted on him. In addition to the fact that he lost all his Ice feathers, he was nowhere as powerful as he used to be.


    Ice Griffin was pleasantly surprised to find damage on his w. But more than that he was astonished to find that there was someone who could produce power unfitting for their rank.


    "BLARGH¡­"


    Right after Zero attacked, he fell down and started vomiting blood. His body was in no position to exert any of his normal power, not to mention something like Demonic Emperor Sword, which had already turned his perfectly fine body into a dying one.


    Now that injured body was once again trying to utilize that power. It was inevitable that his body could no longer withstand those powers.


    Blood didn''t stop flowing. Zero used his Ice energy to freeze many blood vessels in order to stop the blood.


    It was just a temporary solution in order to dy his death from blood loss. Eventually, he was going to die.


    Not to mention, even if his body was not in that condition, there was no way the monster in front of him would spare him.


    The Ice Griffin approached Zero and carefully looked at the strange creature. To monsters in the Gates, humans were strange species.


    Originally they did not exist there. So, for the Ice Griffin, it was his first time encountering humans.


    "...Not like¡­ this"


    Zero refuses to ept that kind of fate. He stood up even though his limbs didn''t have any more strength.


    He kept staggering but he refused to stand down, even when Ice Griffin was no more than one meter away from him.


    Zero kept ring at the Ice Griffin even in his current state. While his body was already on the verge of breaking, his killing intent was at an all-time high.


    How could he cower and die from the monster that has taken Professor Mia away from him? Even with his existence at stake, he didn''t mind sacrificing everything in order to avenge Professor Mia, just like how Professor Mia did for him.


    He knows that his parallel self was much more powerful than this Ice Griffin. He still has an unparalleled move that he used to fight the archangel in another world. He only needed to execute that powerful move once and it was going to be all over.


    "Huuu¡­"


    Zero prepared his sword as a vast amount of dark energy started to umte in the sword.


    Of course, he could not channel this much energy in his current condition without any bacsh. Blood started to flow out like the wall that had been holding them back broke.


    Even with that Zero didn''t give in, he embedded the sword with even more Dark Energy.


    His appearance was simr to a Demon right now. Body covered in blood while emitting a ck aura with intense killing intent.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]

 Chapter 135 Icy Spider Lily

    Chapter 135 Icy Spider Lily


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]


    From my memory fragment of the Emperor of Destruction, this was one of the skills that contain absolute destructive properties.


    Unlike Extermination st, Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction does not spread the power. The beam focuses on a single point and, upon contact, causes a colossal explosion.


    -CRACK!


    The sword broke right afterunching the attack. The sword was a Rank-B artifact, even so, it could not stay intact after storing the amount of Dark energy needed to use this skill.


    -BLARGH! -THUD!


    Zero''s body took an unbelievable troll to execute that skill. It was already a miracle that he was able to stand after using Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st.


    Zeropletely fell down with all his organs wrecked. Every cell in his body was screaming in pain.


    Still, he stayed conscious, until he saw the Ice Griffin die. He could not faint. It will be over for him once he loses his consciousness. Even if he died, he wanted to know the oue of this battle.


    Ice Griffin didn''t think that the already wounded creature would be able to attack.


    He deployed a barrier and had an Iceyer to protect him. After the previous attack, Ice Griffin didn''t overestimate himself, however, he was in no condition to deploy more powerful defense skills.


    Ice Griffin tried to deploy his stronger defensive skill but unexpectedly his mana level was lower than ever and he had no more mana to do so. Even so, he didn''t panic, he had already deployed a mana barrier which was more than enough to defend against Zero''s attack. He also used some of his remaining mana to add ayer of Ice that was as strong as his w.<sub></sub>


    Unlike Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st, Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction was much smaller but the aura it contained was sharper and more destructive than Extermination st.


    -SWUUSH! -BANG!


    The Cataclysmic Destruction made contact with the Ice Griffins'' barrier. Upon contact, the skill bared its full power. Theyer of ice that was covering the mana barrier was instantly shattered while the barrier inside withstood the attack.


    The attack expanded and continued to intensify as the collision continued.


    The Ice Griffin became cautious once his Iceyer was destroyed and poured more mana into his barrier. As Zero''s attack didn''t stop, Ice Griffin had to pour plenty of more mana to maintain his barrier.


    !!!


    As the Ice Griffin continued to concentrate on protecting himself from the iing attack, an Ice flower bloomed from his body.


    This situation caught Ice Griffin by surprise. The Ice Griffin''s internal organs have started to freeze, and the ice is extending from his body, rendering him immobile.


    Zero also watched the Ice Griffin bing frozen from the inside out. At first, Zero was also surprised and didn''t know what caused the situation.


    Then he looked at the lifeless body that was in the distance.


    "Professor Mia"<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero said in a low voice.


    He knew what caused that phenomenon in Ice Griffin. This is Professor Mia''s "Icy Spider Lily" skill.


    It was a dyed skill where the user embeds the target with something like a seed. Simr to Cryo Bomb but unlike Cryo Bomb, it was more powerful but took longer to execute.


    After attaching the skill to the target, the seed will slowly absorb the Ice Energy. Usually, the user will attack the target and at the same time they will be feeding the seed with Ice energy but since Ice Griffin was using Ice energy, it must have been slowly absorbing the Ice energy of Ice Griffin.


    Also, the Ice energy in the atmosphere of the Gate is very high so that skill must have be stronger.


    And the fact that the Icy Spider Lily bloomed from inside the Ice Griffin, Professor Mia must have embedded the seed inside the Ice Griffin. Ice Skill is practically useless to Ice Griffin but it was different if attacked from inside where it was defensive and had no resistance to Ice energy.


    The Ice Griffin tried to stop the ''Icy Spider Lily'' from freezing his remaining body part. In order to resist the Ice Energy, he channeled his mana into his body.


    However, Ice Griffin waste in noticing the skill and more than half his body was already frozen by the Icy Spider Lily skill.


    Since the Ice Griffin was partially frozen by the ''Icy Spider Lily'' skill and had used his mana to resist the Icy Spider Lily, he could not use more energy to defend against Cataclysmic Destruction.


    -CRACK! -SHATTERED! -BOOM!


    The barrier without the support of Ice Griffin instantly crumbled and shattered under the attack from the Cataclysmic Destruction. The didn''t stop there and made its way towards its target.<sub> </sub>


    -SCREECH!


    The Ice Griffin howled as disbelief filled his eyes. He was right now powerless against the iing attack. He had no more mana nor was he in any situation to dodge the attack.


    The attack of Zero had finally managed to reach Ice Griffin''s body.


    -BAM!


    The Cataclysmic Destruction prated Ice Griffin''s body and shot far into the distance until it disappeared. All the things in its path were reduced to dust.


    -THUD!


    Zero looked at the Ice Griffin''s body that was lying on the ground with a huge hole in its chest.


    The Ice Griffin, once a mighty existence, had finally been killed.


    His gaze turned from Ice Griffin''s body to Professor Mia. He tried to stand but it was impossible with the state his body was in.


    Zero, even without any strength in his body, dragged his body towards Professor Mia with his right hand.


    An unbearable pain was coursing through his body. But he gritted his teeth and kept on moving. The distance was just a few meters, but to Zero, it felt unbelievably far away.


    ( Just forst time! )


    I wanted to look at Professor Mia for thest time. She was someone who didn''t hesitate to sacrifice her life for someone like me.


    My body felt like it was frozen. It might have actually been frozen but I could not feel anything other than pain.


    I used my hand to drag the heavy body, yet the coldness was quickly enveloping that part as well. My entire body was like an icy statue that refuses to move.


    After countless struggles and pain, I reached near Professor Mia''s body.


    -SNIFF! -SNIFF!


    Tears ran down my face as I extended my hands. I held her hands and gently called out her name.


    "...Mia"


    Professor Mia didn''t answer. I knew she was dead but refused to believe it. Her hand was very cold and she was no longer breathing.


    There were so many things that I wanted to say to her; I wanted to say sorry to her. I wanted to apologize because it was all my fault that she had to die here. Apologize that I have changed her fate.


    But it was all useless because the person to whom I wanted to apologize had already departed from this world. It was better for me to apologize when I see her again in the next life.


    Even with the Ice Griffin dead, Zero''s body was already on the verge of copsing. At maximum, he could breathe for one hour more.


    I felt a lump in my throat, clenched both my hands, and began to cry loudly.


    I kind of realized what the Emperor of Destruction felt. After destroying everything he wanted, he must have also realized that what he wanted to save had already died. Only emptiness is left inside the heart.


    "I ¡­should¡­have¡­tried¡­harder..."


    Perhaps it was the price of my insolent resistance towards my own destiny that I am being screwed like this. If I remained who I was without changing anything, Mia and Mia would not have to go through this.


    I kept looking at Mia Frostine but the image got blurred as my eyes were slowly losing their vision.


    I kept looking at her without blinking because it felt like I would not be able to open my eyes once I closed them¡ª so I simply kept staring at Mia''s face in silence.


    -WHOOSH!


    As if to mock me, a portal appeared in front of the Ice Griffin''s body. The portal that would take me to the outside world.


    I was in no condition to go out and Professor Mia''s pulse haspletely stopped. Her corpse will be forever left here if I decide to go out of the portal.


    The moment all the intruders (that is humans) were either dead or had exited the Gate, the portal would automatically close.


    I might be able to get out if I tried my level best, but I had long since epted my fate. Rather than leaving Mia alone, I might as well die with her here.


    My death was already guaranteed even if I went out.


    This body of mine had already been pushed beyond its capabilities multiple times. It was already strange that it had still not copsed.


    "...May¡­we¡­meet¡­in¡­next¡­life¡­"

 Chapter 136 Close Your Eyes

    Chapter 136 Close Your Eyes


    "...May¡­we¡­meet¡­in¡­next¡­life¡­"


    In this life, I could not do anything but lead her to her death. If given a chance, I want to be able to repay her.


    In this life, it seems impossible, but maybe in the next life, I would do my best to repay her.


    I still kept looking at Professor Mia''s face which seemed as beautiful as ever. She seemed semi-transparent right now, probably because of my poor vision.


    However, I was at peace when I looked at her face.


    My eyes had almost lost all of their vision. My end was really close to me.


    -SHING!


    Maybe it was because the world was pitying me or rewarding me for my suffering, either way, an item suddenly appeared from the sky.


    It was the reward for killing the Gate boss, Ice Griffin. There will always be rare items appearing when the dungeon boss monster is killed for the first time.


    And of course, when the Gate boss is defeated, there will always be a reward. In Gate, the Boss monster can only be in once because once the Gate Boss is killed, the Gate will disappear. So it was no surprise that there would be a reward for killing the Ice Griffin.


    However, it was not due to the appearance of an item that surprised me, but because of what the item was. It was pink in color and shone like a gem.


    ( Legendary Grade Rank-S Elixir! )<sub></sub>


    The item that the MC, Hiro Ernest was desperately trying to get in the dungeon where he found the system. An Elixir that is said to cure every kind of disease there is, as well as heal any kind of injury, no matter how severe.


    Be it regrowing of limbs or even organs like the heart and stomach.


    My Elixirnded directly in front of me. I quickly grabbed the potion in fear that it might disappear.


    I immediately searched for Professor Mia''s body. My eyes had already turned blind after I grabbed the Elixir, however, since I was near her I could know where she was by using the feeling of hands.


    -POP!


    I quickly used my mouth to open the potion right after knowing where Professor Mia was. Opening a potion felt like a tedious task when I was in this condition. Fortunately, I still had my strong teeth.


    -CLUG! -CLUG! -CLUG!


    I started to pour the potion on Professor Mia''s body.


    Even if her pulse and breathing have stopped, as long as the time of death is not much, this legendary potion has a chance to bring even the dead back.


    It had not been even 10 minutes since she was injured, so the Legendary Elixir must be able to bring Professor Mia back to life.


    -THUD!<sub>


    </sub>


    Like someone who had finallypleted hisst job, I instantly fell down and no muscles were responding to me. Maybe it was due to me feeling relieved that at least one of us was going to live, that might be why I hadpletely lost control over every nerve after I had finished pouring the potion.


    As my mind sank deeper into the darkness, I could feel my body breaking into thousands of pieces. As everything pulled further and further away at an incredible speed, I could hear faint voices calling my name.


    I could hear the voice properly but it felt very familiar. It is a shame that I didn''t have the strength to respond.


    Even when I knew I was dying, I didn''t feel scared. Rather it was absolutely peaceful.


    *****


    "Huh?"


    When I regained myself, I found myself in a ce that was all white. It was not a hospital room, as far as I was aware of because the white room was endless.


    I looked at the surroundings and found that, aside from me, there were also two other figures who looked the same as me.


    "Was it worth it? You could have saved yourself with that Elixir."


    One of the figures spoke in a domineering voice. His appearance was simr to mine, yet his voice felt like someone who had conquered everything. It made me feel like growling in front of him.


    I had by that time pretty much figured out where I was and who those two figures were. <sub> </sub>


    "As someone who knows everything about me, you should understand why I did that. Is it not for a simr reason that you had destroyed half of your world, Emperor of Destruction?"


    "..."


    The figure became silent.


    There was no doubt that I was in my consciousness, and those two were probably the memories of my other-self.


    "My situation is different. My family member was killed. Yours were just someone who had too much information about you. It might even have been better for her to die there. You had a chance to save yourself and continue protecting yourself and your family. You had wasted that chance for a stranger."


    The figure spoke as he started to emit a somewhat threatening aura. Even if this was in my consciousness, it still gave me goosebumps.


    The Emperor of Destruction looks quite angry that I had saved Professor Mia instead of myself. It might be that the Emperor of Destruction thought that saving myself was a better option.


    If I saved myself I would have been able to protect my family. In addition, the Emperor of destruction might have been able to fulfill the task in this world that he had failed in his world.


    Since we are basically the same person, it was not too difficult to understand why he would be so angry.


    However, I was also angry at him. It might have been eptable if he said this about someone else but he was talking about Professor Mia.


    "She was someone who would go to any length to save me. Even if she reveals my information, what difference does it make? She had already done so much for me that I would not mind giving my life for her."


    Zero gave a fierce re to the figure. Even if the figure in front of him had a mighty presence, Zero could not stand someone badmouthing Professor Mia.


    Spark flew between the two. The two of them were the same, but at the same time, they were both different people.


    "Now, Now, there is no need to be so hostile to each other. We are one person, remember?"


    The other figure spoke as he put down something that looked like a book.


    "Hmph! What about you? Don''t you feel bad about being sacrificed by him?"


    The figure asked the other figure angrily.


    "I don''t care about anything other than the development of the story. As someone who likes to read emotional books, I would say that sacrificing his life for his teacher was quite a good development. I am a little disappointed about not being able to develop Tech Genesis anymore. Haha¡­"


    The other figureughed as if he couldn''t care less about anything other than his interest. He didn''t look a bit worried about his life or even others'' lives. He then pointed toward the other figure with his book.


    "Anyway, why are you so angry about dying? Isn''t this what you always wanted?"


    The figure who held the book didn''t seem to be afraid of other figures. Zero was kind of surprised that the figure holding the book was able to be this fearless.


    As he recalled, that other self was from a called Earth where humans were basically powerless. For that person to stand fearless against someone like the Emperor of Destruction who even Professor Mia had to be wary of, showed how courageous that person was.


    In view of the way he talks about how my life is part of the story, I wondered whether maybe he views this whole scenario as something like a story where we are just characters in that story.


    ( This crazy Tech Geek bastard. )


    I was astonished at the level of mental strength that figure showed. He could view everything as a part of a story, even himself. Not everyone could do that. He seemed to view even dying as a part of a story.


    "Humph! Even if I wanted to die, I did not want to die like that. It is pathetic that he is dying to protect other people who could very well kill him in the future."


    "He was already dying due to your power. Didn''t you know? Maybe you should have controlled yourself instead of going out of control. Oh! I remember, you can''t. Your story is boring and you don''t seem to remember much about yourself. Without being here, you could not even think and speak properly"


    "You¡­"


    The figure pointed his sword at the other figure. The other figure who was holding the book remained still while smirking at the other figure. He was really not afraid of anything. Another reason why he is so fearless might be because it was happening in our consciousness and was not real.


    Even so, I had to admire his guts to provoke the Emperor of Destruction. Even in this ce, I felt a bit of difort when confronting the Emperor of Destruction.


    However, the Book figure seemed to have pointed out a valid point as the Emperor of Destruction had taken his sword back.


    If my body had not been wrecked by the Emperor of Destruction using the power, then Professor Mia wouldn''t have any reason to look for Ice Griffin.


    However, I was not going to me him like the book figure. He seemed to have his own issue and the Book figure also knew that but he might have pointed out those things to calm down the Emperor of Destruction.


    I was thankful that the Book figure had calmed that figure down. But,


    "What now?"


    Whether this was a dream or my own consciousness, I didn''t know. But it seems that I will be stuck here for a while with those two.

 Chapter 137 Effect Of Legendary Elixir

    Chapter 137 Effect Of Legendary Elixir


    ***Before Zero lost his consciousness***


    -CLUG! -CLUG! -CLUG!


    The legendary grade elixir was as effective as it was rumored to be. The moment the first drop of Elixir touched Professor Mia''s body, Professor Mia''s consciousness had already started to form.


    ( Huh?)


    Professor Mia could not move or open her eyes but her consciousness had returned to her. Her body was still being healed by the Elixir.


    ( Weren''t I dead? What happened? )


    Professor Mia remembered that she had died at the hand of Ice Griffin. She had a gaping hole in her stomach.


    She tried to remember herst memory. Thest thing she remembers was seeing Zero just after getting stabbed by Ice Griffins'' ws.


    ( Zero! Is he fine? I hope he didn''t do anything stupid. )


    Whether it was an illusion or real, she was worried about seeing Zero there. She specifically instructed Zero to hide and note there until she killed the Ice Griffin.


    It looked like Zero didn''t listen to her instructions.


    However, she would still be worried even if she saw Zero. Zero''s body was not in a stable state, and without properly healing him, he was bound to die. With her not finishing her job, Zero could not escape from the Gate.


    ( If I am fine, then did the reinforcemente? Zero, should also be fine then, right? )


    She thought that if she is still alive after getting such a severe injury then that means that she was healed right after she was injured. In any other case, it would be impossible for her to recover. <sub></sub>


    That means that reinforcements hade to save them right after she was stabbed by the Ice Griffin.


    She felt a little relieved after thinking that her conjecture was most likely true. Getting help from the reinforcement team was the most likely scenario in this situation.


    She might have been healed within two or three minutes, though she didn''t know how the reinforcement team arrived so quickly right after she was injured.


    I mean she would have detected them even if they were one km away. So toe right after she was on the verge of dying seemed unrealistic.


    ( I could not move. )


    She could still not move or hear anything. Though she sensed someone next to her.


    She thought it was the healer since she was regaining her strength. She knew she was being healed right now.


    Though she was surprised by how quickly she was recovering.


    From being able to feel her stomach which had been destroyed by Ice Griffin to her arm, she could feel that she was being healed at ridiculous speed.


    Every part of her body was healed as if she had obtained a new body part rather than being healed. Her body part, which had recovered, was feeling much better than before.


    ( Who could it be? )


    Professor Mia can''t help but wonder who was healing her. As far as she knows, there was nobody who could heal her at that speed. Even the Rank-S healer could not fully restore a destroyed body in a second.


    ( Could it be Saintess? )<sub>


    </sub>


    Saintess, a person who has one of the highest positions in the church. Even when they are low-rank their healing power is superior to Rank-S healers.


    They would be the best healer in the world, the moment they inherit the title of Saintess. The method to inherit Saintess''s power was a secret but the moment someone receives the title of Saintess, they will gain the most powerful healing skill.


    Although, if Saintess rank is low, due to their low mana stat, they cannot maintain a high healing rate for too long, so they are inferior to the higher rank healers in some ways, but due to their healing effect being so much more effective than other healing spells, they are considered to be the best healers.


    ( She shouldn''t be here.)


    However, Professor Mia knows that it was not the Saintess that was healing her.


    A Saintess is a being who is protected by the church as they consider the saintess position to be just below that of god. They would not easily allow the Saintess to leave. There is a strict restriction on the Saintess movement.


    Saintess''s magic is also an absolute nemesis of Demon beings, so Saintess is being watched by Demons. As long as they get a chance, they will deploy every elite demon to kill the Saintess. Therefore, Saintess only appears in critical situations.


    ( However, even if she is here, the speed is still not something she could achieve.)


    She knows how amazing the Saintess is but still, she didn''t think that the Saintess would have such amazing healing power. Unless Saintess uses her forbidden healing spell which she knows is impossible.


    ( Anyway, it looks like I survived. )


    Professor Mia was very curious about the healer''s identity but more than that she was d that she was getting healed. She could already move her hands though her upper part of the body was getting dyed in healingpared to her stomach areas.


    It was due to Zero pouring the Elixir on her stomach, so the part around her stomach was getting healed first.


    -PLINK! -PLINK! -PLINK! -THUD!<sub> </sub>


    Zero had finished pouring every drop of the Elixir and copsed on the ground. At the same time, Professor Mia was fully healed.


    "ARG¡­"


    With head-splitting pain, Professor Mia woke up. She slowly opened her eyes.


    "What?"


    She was surprised to find that she was still inside the Gate. The environment where everything was still covered in snow was visible.


    ( Didn''t the reinforcement team defeat the Ice Griffin? )


    She thought that she was already back in her old world. She didn''t think she was still stuck in the Gate.


    (???)


    She was stupefied to find that the Gate portal was there but she was still stuck in the Gate. If reinforcements have arrived, she should be transported to the hospital right now.


    Then her eyes started to open wide. She was currently staring at the body next to her which was smeared in deep cuts and blood.


    -GULP!


    "Zero¡­Zero¡­ZERO!!!"


    She instantly became nervous as she thought of something which sounds impossible but could exin everything about the current situation.


    Ice Griffins'' dead body and portal. Only she and Zero were present there. She could immediately imagine what might have happened after she passed out.


    "H-ow can this be?"


    Professor Mia looked as she quickly checked Zero''s pulse and his breathing which had both stopped.


    Rather than thinking about what had happened here or whether her conjecture was right, Zero''s life was far more important.


    "Th-this c-an''t be¡­"


    Professor Mia can''t believe that Zero is dead. It was not just her assumption this time, she had even personally checked his body.


    Even just looking at the state the body was in, everyone could tell that Zero was dead.


    Professor Mia who had regained all her strength and was more powerful than ever instantly lost all her strength and fell on her knee.


    Tears overflowed from her wless face. But she didn''t stop thinking even when her eyes had be red and wet.


    ( How am I still alive? )


    She thought she could use the same method that was used to save her to save Zero too.


    Previously she thought that she was saved by a reinforcement team but now she knows that there is no reinforcement team to help her. But she was still saved despite receiving that horrible injury.


    She then noticed the Elixir bottle near Zero''s hand.


    "Th-this is¡­"


    She knew, just by looking at the appearance of the bottle, what that Elixir was. A golden ring on the neck of the bottle.


    Gold means that the item is a Rank-S item. So that Elixir was Rank-S Elixir which is said to be able to heal any damage no matter how severe.


    "Idiot, idiot, If you had gotten such an item, you should have used it on yourself."


    Tears naturally fell down her cheeks when she found out how she had been saved. It would have been impossible for any other lower grade Elixir to save her from that wound.


    She knew that Zero could have used that potion on himself and saved himself, but instead, he chose to save her. She could not understand why he did it? It was her duty to save Zero, not the other way around.


    She thought she had failed as a teacher. She not only failed her task but also made Zero sacrifice his life for her. There was no bigger failure than this.


    Her emotion that she tried to hold back overflowed. Sadness, anger, and regret, every emotion Professor Mia felt had turned into a droplet of tears.


    However, she didn''t keep on grieving,


    There is still time. It is not toote. As long as I can get her to heal Zero."


    Professor Mia was not someone who would give up just because there was a small chance of sess.


    She was determined to save Zero, even if she had to search for the Rank-SS Revive potion. This was how she was intending to repay her debt.


    She carefully released her Ice energy and froze Zero''s body. It was to dy Zero''s body getting damaged.


    If she used her first method to save Zero, the chance of saving Zero bes lower as time passes.


    She could earn herself some time if Zero''s body was frozen.


    "Just wait, I will give you a thorough lecture when you wake up."

 Chapter 138 Outside The Gate

    Chapter 138 Outside The Gate


    ***Outside the Gate***


    "How long has it been?"


    "Roughly around 6 hours."


    The agent from The Authority wiped his sweat from his brow as he listened to the answer. He was someone who was appointed to supervise Agora Town.


    He manages the Explorers who are stationed here and is also someone who has to handle any emergency that may arise there. Since lots of dungeons were close to this town, this town was an extremely valuable area.


    That''s why he, who is also a Rank-A, was appointed here. The Authority needed someone reliable and strong to guard the town.


    However, he didn''t expect that he would be facing so many problems only after he was appointed here for one month.<sub></sub>


    There was a Dungeon Outbreak in one of the Rank-B Dungeons and also the appearance of Rank-A Gate. Both of the problems were beyond his capability but he had to do the job.


    First, he had to call the headquarters for reinforcements to save the town from the Dungeon Outbreak. He did get three Rank-S heroes to block off the high-ranking monster, which made it possible to keep the casualties low.


    Unexpectedly, when everything was progressing great with handling the Dungeon Outbreak, there was the appearance of a Gate in the middle of Agora Town. And it was not the low-rank Gate either, it was Rank-A Gate.


    He had already called all the S-Rank that were avable near Agora town for dealing with Dungeon Outburst. Now, it would take some time before he was able to recruit 5 more Rank-S heroes.


    And the Rank-S Hero who was helping him with Dungeon Outburst needed rest after all the monsters that they dealt with. The number of Rank-B monsters was easily over a thousand.


    They couldn''t help with the Gate problem, although they might be able to after a few days, which he could not wait for.<sub>


    </sub>


    Anyways, he had to first concentrate on exterminating all the monsters that escaped from the Catb of the Forbidden Marsh.


    The Gate had already appeared which means that the people that have been sucked in could not be saved unless 5 Rank-S heroes were mobilized.


    No more victims will be there as the Gate had already appeared and those who were sucked in were already beyond his help. He felt bad for the people who got sucked in but there was nothing he could do immediately.


    He needed to gather at least 5 Rank-S Heroes and multiple Rank-A + Explorers. He could also send in the Rank-A to protect those who were trapped but there was no guarantee that the Rank-A he sent would be able to survive.


    If he made a rash decision, only the number of victims will increase. He had to handle and givemands carefully.


    Though he had already sent the emergency message to The Authority about the appearance of the high-ranking Gate while dealing with the Dungeon Outburst, it would take some time for even The Authority to send more Rank-S Heroes.<sub> </sub>


    The agent didn''t understand why a high-ranking Gate appeared there. Previously even the appearance of Rank-B Gate was rare. And it was already the 3rd Rank-A Gate of the year.


    Right after he finished taking care of the Dungeon Outburst, he frantically searched for more Rank-S. There were currently 2 S-Ranks in the area, but it was still not enough to clear the Gate.


    It would have been less stressful for him if he didn''t know the name of the person that got sucked into the Gate.


    ''Ice Enchantress, Mia Frostine''


    The youngest person to ascend to Rank-A, who holds incredible power and potential to be one of the strongest humans.


    However, he knows from experience that even Ice Enchantress could not clear the Rank-A Gate. Based on the rank measured, it indicated the very peak of the Rank-A gate, so he knew the Gate Boss was definitely Rank-S.


    ording to thetest information, he was informed that Professor Mia had been helping the team at the Dungeon Outburst entrance to hold back the monster until Rank-S Heroes arrived.


    After that, she seemed to have departed from that ce saying she had to find her student and then she along with a boy got sucked into the Gate.


    The agent knew that the two victims that were sucked into the Gate were Professor Mia and her students.


    Knowing that one of the victims was Ice Enchantress, the agent had to rapidly call for every high-ranking Explorer and Guild to help him. He could not take the responsibility of rescuing the person who could one day be protecting humanity''s peace.


    6 hours have passed since the Gate appeared, and nearly everyone in the Eds has heard the information. Many news reporters were seen near the Gate, broadcasting what was happening there.


    "It looks like the Explorer is waiting for more Rank-S before venturing into the Rank-A Gate. This is already the 3rd time Rank-A Gate has appeared this year. Is the world really ending?"


    "We got thetest information from our trusted source that one of the victims of the Gate is the Ice Enchantress."


    The news reporter even got hold of the information that the person trapped there is the Ice Enchantress. A lot ofmotion was going on there.


    "Anyway, Finn, when is The Authority sending in the other Rank-S Heroes?"


    One of the Rank-S Heroes who had been there was impatiently asking the agent, Finn, who had been quite exhausted by all the things happening in his supervised area.


    "I don''t have the exact time but they should arrive in 4 hours. Anyway, why are you so impatient, Glenn?"


    The Rank-S Hero who asked the question was Glenn, the guildmaster of NightShade. He got a call from Tech Genesis that Zero had been trapped in the Gate.


    He was really surprised that they got this information this fast when he didn''t receive any news from The Authority. He didn''t know that the department responsible for collecting information was so effective.


    He quickly prepared his equipment and made his way towards Agora Town. It was time for him to repay his debt.

 Chapter 139 Gate Conquered

    Chapter 139 Gate Conquered


    The reason for his impatience was not that he was waiting for 3 hours but because he didn''t know what might happen to Zero.


    He didn''t worry about Professor MIa. Not only did he not know Professor Mia personally, he believed that she would be able to survive by herself.


    "We can go in with the people present here. Wasting any more time would mean endangering the lives of those who were dragged into the Gate."


    Glenn said impatiently. He could not wait any longer for The Authority to send in the reinforcements. They had many Rank-A on the standby as well. He thought that they could with so many Rank-A and two Rank-S could at least conquer a Rank-A Gate


    .


    "We know you are worried about them. We are too. But we need more Rank-S heroes or else there will be more casualties."


    The other Rank-S approached Glenn and spoke calmly. He looked really old with white hair and a white beard.


    "Professor Delvin, shouldn''t you be more worried than me? It is the teacher and student of Ace Academy that is trapped in the Gate."


    The other Rank-S Hero hade from the Ace Academy as soon as they heard it was Professor Mia that had been trapped in the Gate. They sent out the Head Teacher who was near the area and who was avable at that time.<sub></sub>


    "Ho ho, indeed I am very worried. But we need to think calmly at times like this. A hasty decision will only cause the rescue to fail. And this mission is something I can''t afford to mess up."


    Professor Delvin tried to act calmly while speaking those words. But in reality, he was also thinking of going inside the Gate and protecting Professor Mia and Zero by himself.


    While he didn''t think that Professor Mia needed his protection, he knows that Zero needed to be rescued as soon as possible.


    Right now, other people might be more worried about Professor Mia because they know about her. But Ace Academy knows that they can''t abandon Zero who has the potential to surpass even Professor Mia.


    Professor Delvin was specifically there with the task of rescuing Zero. Zero is someone who is ranked second, though unofficially is someone that has received the highest degree of protection from Ace Academy.


    That means Ace Academy will not hesitate to even deploy their Rank-S teacher if Zero was in trouble or danger. He was treated almost at the same level as Hiro.


    However, Professor Delvin could not let his emotions cloud his decision. If they were to raid the Gate right now, many Rank-A Explorers might die and they could not even guarantee their own survival.


    Even for a man like him who had been Rank-S - for many years, he knows from experience that Rank-A Gate was not something that could be easily conquered.<sub>


    </sub>


    "The true danger of the Gate lies in the fact that the monsters have adapted to the environment whereas we have disadvantages. Even Rank-A monsters might give us trouble if the environment is too unfavorable to us."


    Prof. Delvin tried to convince Glenn as well as himself since he was also bing impatient as time went on. This was the truth after he had conquered many Gates.


    It didn''t matter whether Glenn believed Professor Delvin''s word or not, but he did be quiet after Professor Delvin''s exnation.


    -CLICK! -CLICK!


    Many cameras were aimed at the two S-Rank present in that area. Rather than just showing the videos of the Gate which were not showing any reaction, the news about two Rank-S was more interesting.


    A news reporter even tried to ask nearby explorers some questions about their mission to enter the Gate.


    "So annoying!"


    Glenn said as he showed his disdain for news reporters who only cared about getting interesting news. He knows that they don''t care whether what they broadcast destroys someone''s life or not, they just want more people to watch their news.<sub> </sub>


    The reason Glenn didn''t like them was that when his Guild was on the verge of copsing, the News channel had only negative things to say about him and his guild, though after his breakthrough, they changed their face.


    -BUZZZ!


    "Huh?"


    Glenn and Professor Delvin turned their heads at the same time and looked at the Gate. It is because they both could sense the fluctuation in the Gate.


    "What is happening?"


    Glenn asked Professor Delvin who had more experience than him. It was actually Glenn''s first time to be so close to Rank-A Gate. He never went inside a Rank-A Gate.


    Previously, Rank-A Gate was very rare, urring only once every 5 years. Although there have already been three this year, which is unusual.


    "How can this be? Im-impossible¡­"


    Professor Delvin was astonished. He knew from the fluctuation of the Gate, what was happening.


    "What? Do you know something?"


    Glenn quickly asked Professor Delvin. He didn''t know what was happening, whether it was Gate Outbreak or Gate being conquered.


    "Looks like they areing out of the Gate."


    "Coming out from the Gate?"


    Glenn said as his eyes widened.


    (That means the boss is also exiting the Gate.)


    He instantly turned around to look at the Gate. The size of the Gate was shrinking, indicating that the Gate had been conquered.


    Glenn instantly became happy and excited. Not only him but other Rank-A Explorers were also happy and excited to the point that tears fell from their eyes due to happiness.


    Though the reason for being happy was different for Glenn and Rank-A Explorer.


    If the Gate had been conquered, it means that they don''t have to go into it. While they were not cowards and would not shrug off their responsibility, they were more than happy if they didn''t need to do it.


    "What? The Gate!"


    "The Gate is shrinking!"


    And of course, the news reporter also realized what was happening. Whatever the reason might be, it was big news for them.


    "Did the Ice Enchantress conquer the Gate?"


    "Someone¡­ Someone ising out of the Gate!"


    The spectators there were all watching in anticipation. The news reporter could not hide their excitement as they excitedly reported everything that they were seeing.


    When the Gate had fully shrunk, the one who appeared was a beautiful woman.


    It was Ice Enchantress.

 Chapter 140 Outside The Gate, Again!

    Chapter 140 Outside The Gate, Again!


    The Gate began to disappear after Professor Mia had stepped out of the Gate.


    -CLICK! -CLICK! -CLICK!


    She saw an unusuallyrge number of people when she exited the Gate. She didn''t know how much time had passed outside but she concluded after seeing all the news reporters that more than 5 hours had already passed.


    It would have been impossible for so many reporters to gather if the time spent outside was any less than that.


    The people around the Gate were stunned when they saw Professor Mia. Not only because Professor Mia had conquered the Gate but also because of her appearance.


    Professor Mia has been revived using the Rank-S Elixir which not only healed Professor Mia''s injury but also strengthened her body as well as rejuvenated her skin, making her even more beautiful than before.


    Moreover, Professor Mia was wearing a beautiful dress instead of her battle equipment. She didn''t look like someone who wasing out of a dangerous Gate.


    If previously Professor Mia was a Rank-SS beauty, right now she had reached the pinnacle of beauty with Rank-SSS. They were all momentarily stunned by her appearance.


    She appeared as if the Goddess had descended. A couple of them had already begun taking pictures of Professor Mia.


    Her pictures alone were worthy of making the headline of the news.


    ******


    Finn became extremely excited when he saw Professor Mia out of the Gate. Not only has Professor Mia escaped from the Gate but the Gate was also conquered.


    Now, he didn''t need to worry about the Gate Outbreak or the pressure to rescue Professor Mia quickly.


    However, he was confused as to how the Gate was conquered. ording to the analysis of the Gate, it was a high-ranking Gate of Rank-A which had a high possibility of having a Rank-S Boss monster.<sub></sub>


    It was impossible for Professor Mia to conquer it if what he knows about Professor Mia was right. In the report, her rank was shown as A +. If she was Rank-A+, it would be impossible to conquer the Rank-A Gate.


    ( Did Ice Enchantress ascend to Rank-S? )


    ¡­Age 25 Rank-S, it was a funny joke that could make many Rank-S Heroes cry. The average age of Rank-S ascension was between 40-50 years.


    So, for someone to be Rank-S at age 25 would be a p in the face to those who are proud of ascending to Rank-S at the age of 40.


    He was not sure but he did think that was a valid assumption considering he was talking about Ice Enchantress.


    Although he was still not convinced that Professor Mia alone could conquer that Gate. Even with Professor Mia breaking through to Rank-S -, he didn''t think she would be able to conquer a Rank-A Gate.


    He didn''t continue to think thoseplicated thoughts. He could already get the intel from the person herself. He was about to approach Professor Mia when,


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    Many people ran quickly towards Professor Mia. They were news reporters waiting near the Gate.


    Previously they didn''t get too close to the Gate, just in case some ident happened, but since the Gate had disappeared, they didn''t need to worry about it anymore.


    Additionally, the big news has appeared and they were not going to be slower than other news reporters to broadcast this news.


    -CLICK! -CLICK! -CLICK!


    A Gate that would normally need more than 5-Rank-S Heroes and many Rank-A Explorers had been single-handedly conquered by the Ice Enchantress. There was no bigger news than this.<sub>


    </sub>


    The news reporter instantly came very close to Professor Mia, only a few meters away from Professor Mia''s face. They held up their mic and started asking questions to her.


    "Mrs. Mia Frostine, can you tell us how you escaped from the Gate?"


    "Ice Enchantress, what was inside the Gate? Was it really as dangerous as The Authority imed?"


    "Professor Mia, please face the camera. Have you really conquered the Gate by yourself? The audience wants to know the answer." ¡­


    Many news reporters simultaneously asked the question to Professor Mia. It was typical behavior of news reporters.


    It didn''t matter whether the person that they wanted to ask the question was unharmed or unwell. They didn''t care about their feelings or their well-being and did whatever to get interesting news.


    Professor Mia has just exited from a dangerous Gate but the only thing news reporters cared about was getting interesting information about Gate and how she conquered it.


    "Can you make way for me? I need to go somewhere urgently.."


    Professor Mia immediately shut them off by asking them to leave her alone. She didn''t have time to entertain the news reporters.


    However, those news reporters didn''t care what Professor Mia wanted.


    They fearlessly ignored what Professor Mia had said. This was how the newspany''s employees operate.


    They were fearless, believing that they had got the right to ask questions to others while not knowing that those people also got the right to be left undisturbed.


    The news reporters believe that they are the voice of people, apany that reports the truth and makes society a better ce.<sub> </sub>


    "Ice Enchantress, could you reveal the type of boss monster?"


    "Ice Enchantress, were you only the one who got trapped inside the Gate? We heard that there was another victim."


    Professor Mia was now getting irritated by the news reporters. She was already low on time since she had to quickly bring Zero to that person.


    The news reporter didn''t seem to understand her words. She had already asked them politely to let her go but instead more and more news reporters were surrounding her.


    Essentially, they were thinking along the lines of ''we must report this news or don''t conceal information; we have a right to know that information''.


    They believed that a person would never attack them since they were from a newspany. One bad thing about you in the news and your whole reputation is destroyed.


    That was the power of newspanies and the reason why many people act politely when in front of a camera.


    "GO AWAY!!!"


    As Professor Mia spoke, she had the aura of Rank-S in her voice. She had to show them that she was serious.


    Asking them politely was only going to increase the ego of those news reporters.


    Instantly, dozens of people had passed out from hearing her voice. No one near Professor Mia was standing anymore as everyone had copsed with white foam on their mouth.


    The news reporters were all low-ranked humans. There was no way for them to resist the aura of Rank-S.


    And since Professor Mia was annoyed by them, she had unintentionally released some killing intent as well.


    While the killing intent was smallpared to her full killing intent, it was enough to terrify those news reporters.


    !!!


    Even those high-ranking Explorers became alerted after hearing Professor Mia''s voice. They felt insurmountable pressure from that aura.


    Involuntarily, sweat began to form on their faces. They knew it was a Rank-S aura, that was also someone who was at the top of Rank-S.


    Even the two Rank-S who were present there were surprised. The fact that Professor Mia had reached Rank-S, made her the youngest Rank-S which was astonishing to know.


    They were of course surprised by that information but more than that, it was because even they felt that the split-second aura that they felt was much more profound than their own aura.


    Glenn who was also a newly ascended Rank-S - could not be matched against Professor Mia''s aura. Glenn himself was no different than a newbie Rank-S -, so it was no wonder he felt danger when Professor Mia released some of her aura with killing intent.


    However, even Professor Delvin who had been Rank-S - for many years felt weaker in front of Professor Mia''s aura. He was surprised that the little girl he taught was able to surpass him in just a few years.


    He felt both d and sad. He was of course d to know that his former student and now colleague had be stronger than him but also upset to find that he was getting left behind by the younger generation.


    After having those annoying news reporters out of her way, Professor Mia was quickly getting ready to leave that area.


    "Wait!"


    Finn, who could see that Professor Mia was about to leave, stopped her. He was also terrified by the aura he felt earlier, even so, he needed to know some information.


    "I am the Supervisor of Agora Town. We need to ask Mrs. Mia Frostine some question. We ask you to please cooperate with us."


    He had already seen that Professor Mia wanted to go somewhere quickly. But he still mustered his courage to do his work.


    As someone who had to watch over the events of Agora Town, it was his duty to collect the intel about the Gate and report it to The Authority.


    "I will answer all the questions after Ie back. Right now, I need to urgently find someone."


    Professor Mia said in a less annoying voice. She knows that it was his job and that''s why he had stopped her. If it was for another annoying reason, she might have frozen that person.


    Seeing that he could not stop her. Finn had already decided to ask the questions after Professor Mia had finished with her task.


    "Who are you trying to find? You could probably find that person faster using the Ace Academywork."


    Professor Delvin said to Professor Mia. He suggested that because Professor Mia urgently needed to find someone, rather than searching by herself, it was better to use the Ace Academywork.


    !!!


    Professor Mia noticed Professor Delvin only now. But she didn''t need to ask to know why he was there.


    (...)


    She thought for a while. She had to admit that though she was almost certain where that person could be, it was not 100%.


    Since she was in the Gate, she could not guarantee that person would not move to another ce.


    Right now, time is of the essence. She knows that she could not make a mistake here or else it would cost Zero''s life.


    If she went to the location and that person was not there, she would have wasted lots of time and Zero''s life would be much more difficult to save.


    She decided to answer Professor Delvin and seek help from the Academy.


    "I need the Saintess."

 Chapter 141 The Saintess

    Chapter 141 The Saintess


    "I need the Saintess!"


    Professor Mia said.


    Saintess was one of the most powerful healers in the world. There are many legends of Saintess, like


    Regardless of whether the legend of them resurrecting the dead is true or not, they have powerful healing spells that can regrow all the limbs at once.


    She needed Saintess''s healing powers if she wanted to heal Zero. If a Saintess can''t help him then maybe no healer in this world can.


    "Saintess¡­"


    Professor Delvin couldn''t understand why Professor Mia was so desperate to find Saintess.


    Upon observing Professor Mia, he did not notice any injuries on her. On the contrary, he thought she had be more powerful than ever before.


    "Are you injured? We could procure a high-level potion if you are wounded."


    Professor Delvin didn''t understand why Professor Mia was searching for Saintess but Saintess was not someone anyone could meet.


    Not even Rank-S Heroes have the privilege of freely meeting the Saintess. It was better to rely on a high-level potion than Saintess.


    "No, I need a Saintess spell. It is to heal ¡­.my student injury."


    Professor Mia said guiltily. She clenched her hand and tried to calm down. There was no time to regret, she still had a chance to set things right.


    "Your student?"


    Professor Delvin widened his eyes upon hearing the reason.


    Professor Delvin of course knows who Professor Mia''s student is. One of the strongest students in Ace Academy with the capability to fight head-on with Lisanna.


    Despite being just a first-year, he was able to im the seat of second strongest. He was as famous as anybody could get in a school.<sub></sub>


    Professor Delvin knows that the people who were trapped inside the Gate were Professor Mia and Zero Elea.


    But when he saw only Professor Miae out of the gate, he had already expected the worst.


    It was already beyond his expectation that Professor Mia could conquer a Rank-A Gate by herself but he knew that Zero being in Rank-D could not survive there.


    Even Rank-B might get himself killed right after getting into the Gate, not to mention a student who is just Rank-D.


    It was already a blessing that Professor Mia had survived and had broken through, so he didn''t expect Zero to be alive.


    "He is still alive?"


    Professor Delvin asked, to confirm what he heard was correct.


    "For now, I can say that he is in a state where he can be saved. That''s why I need to find the Saintess."


    "ording to the intel that I got from the school, it seems that she is still residing in Holy Church but she is not taking any visitors right now."


    Professor Delvin shared all the information he got from the Academy. He had already given a message to look for Saintess when the Professor mentioned her.


    Luckily, some people were stationed near the Holy Church and knew the information about the Saintess.


    "Holy Church¡­"


    Professor Mia fell into thought for a second and turned her face towards the direction of the Holy Church.


    "Thanks for the information, Professor Delvin. I will go then."


    "Wait¡­"


    -BAM!<sub>


    </sub>


    Professor Mia leaped through the air with insane strength cracking the ground and producing a loud sound.


    She didn''t hear Professor Delvin and left him before he could finish his sentence. He stood still like a statue for a moment before smacking her forehead.


    "Did you not hear that Saintess is not entertaining any visitors. How can you just go there?"


    Professor Delvin could use some of his connections to help meet the Saintess but he didn''t know that Professor Mia would go there immediately without listening to his word.


    Without an appointment, nobody could enter the Holy Church unless they used force.


    "Don''t tell me¡­ Arg, let''s just report back to the Ace Academy. At least, the Church will not kill her even if she enters the Holy Church Forcefully."


    Professor Delvin left the area since the reason he came there was gone. And he had to do some work if Professor Mia did what he thought she would do.


    -SHUUUSSHH!


    "Yes, I heard that boss is in danger."


    Meanwhile, Glenn was contacting the Tech Genesispany.


    Zero was nowhere to be seen but ording to what he heard from Professor Mia, he knew that Zero was in some kind of danger. Therefore, he quickly informed thepany.


    Glenn was pretty much useless outside fighting. That was one of the reasons why a Gold Graded guild was about to go bankrupt previously.


    Glenn went to the Tech Genesispany to discuss what they should do. Right now, they know that Zero was in safe hands but they had to do something if he was really in trouble.


    He also left the area leaving behind Finn and other Rank-A Explorers. Several news reporters were lying on the ground.


    Unfortunately, news reporters were all still unconscious from Professor Mia''s aura. If not, they could have grabbed that interesting bit of information for themselves.


    *****<sub> </sub>


    -SHUUSHHH!


    Professor Mia was moving at an extremely high speed. She had already heard that the Holy Church was inessible to anyone right now.


    But it didn''t matter. As long as Saintess was there she was sure that she could get Saintess to heal Zero.


    After a few minutes of traveling using her full speed, Professor Mia had reached the Holy Church.


    "STOP! State your purpose foring here."


    Outside Holy Church, there were two guards at Rank-B. Only a strong organization could afford to have someone at Rank-B to guard the ce.


    "I need to see the Saintess."


    Professor Mia answered. She didn''t want to create unnecessary trouble on someone else''s territory.


    "Go Back! She is not epting any visitors right now."


    The guard bluntly shooed Professor Mia.


    "I need to see the Saintess urgently. Can you just tell her that Mia Frostine wants to see her?"


    The two guards became a little nervous hearing the name of the visitor. They both were Rank-B and as a guard of Holy Church, they also had lots of privileges but in front of Ice Enchantress, they were nothing.


    However, they didn''t cower in front of her.


    "We can''t! Come again another day."


    They still had the backing of the Church. Not even Rank-S would mess with them.


    Professor Mia realized that those guards were not nning to let her in no matter what. She has already shown the Church enough courtesy by not just heading inside the Holy Church.


    If it weren''t for her urgent situation, she wouldn''t have done this.


    It might be risky to go against one of the most powerful organizations in the world, but she could handle the consequences so long as Zero was healed.


    "ARG¡­"


    Professor Mia released her aura which was filled with her killing intent.


    Both guards fell to the ground after groaning in pain.


    "The church is made for helping people. If they can''t do that, we don''t need that."


    Church power came from the people. It was because they were initially made by people who unconditionally helped people in trouble.


    Though in recent times, the Church has be something of a ce where high-ranking people of the Church could exert their power.


    Collecting fees for healing injuries and exorcising ghosts, the Church has already lost its image as a ce where it helps people unconditionally.


    Hearing the groan of the guards, the other people stationed inside the Holy Church became alert.


    There were lots of people inside the Church who were of Rank-B and Rank-A. The Church had lots of resources and could attract a lot of high-ranking people to protect the ce.


    This is especially true since Holy Church is one of their headquarters.


    "Hey, Sto¡­"


    Professor Mia didn''t have any reason to listen to others'' words anymore. She just did what she did to the two guards.


    Those Rank-B making their way towards Professor Mia instantly lost their consciousness. While those Rank-A approaching her were terrified.


    "Th-This¡­ She is Rank-S?"


    Those Rank-A people realized from the aura that the person that they were going to face was Rank-S.


    "No need to worry. Wepletely outnumber her. Even Rank-S can''t handle so many Rank-As. Don''t sully the reputation of the Church."


    One of the people came forward. It seemed he was a person known as the ''Holy Guard''. His rank was approximately A +.


    He was able to deter some effects from Professor Mia''s aura. He immediately gathered others to confront the uninvited guest.


    "Get out of my way or else you will regret it."


    Professor Mia said while giving a nce at the group. It was going to be her final warning before she made her move.


    -GULP!


    Professor Mia was still releasing her killing intent. Even with morale boosted by the Holy Guard, there was no way that people there could not feel threatened by the killing intent of Rank-S Hero.


    "Let''s GO!"


    With the Holy Guard leading the charge, many Rank-As followed behind him. Knowing that morale will only go down as more time passes, he decided to attack quickly.


    "Hmph! You all can regret your choice."


    [ "Ice Wave" ]


    Professor Mia''s strength right now was something that even Rank-S+ would feel threatened by. She did not only get promoted to Rank-S - but also got her Ice energy enhanced in the Gate as well as got her body strengthened by Legendary Grade Elixir.


    "Quickly, block it!"


    Many Rank-A who specialize in defenses came forward and released their defensive skill. There was no way that a bunch of Rank-A would be able to resist her skill.


    When the skill was fully executed, the Holy Church was fully covered in ice. Everything from grass to Rank-A Holy Guard was frozen in Ice.


    Just when Professor Mia was about to go inside the Holy Church building she heard a voice.


    "Mia!"

 Chapter 142 Saintess Amelia

    Chapter 142 Saintess Amelia


    "Mia!"


    A sweet voice came from inside the building. A girl rushed out of the building and immediately hugged Professor Mia.


    "Saintess Amelia!"


    The person was the one that Professor Mia was trying to find, the Saintess.


    "Humph! I already told you not to address me in such a way. Just call me Ames like you used to."


    Saintess Amelia pouted in a childlike manner.


    "Ames, you really need to maintain your image. Your followers might leave you if you behave like this."


    Professor Mia spoke as she saw that there were many followers behind Saintess Amelia.


    "Let them leave if they want to. I don''t care whether I have any followers or not."


    Saintess Amelia said, seemingly dissatisfied with the role of Saintess that was forced upon her.


    She didn''t care about her image as Saintess and had never bothered about acting like a kind and elegant person.


    She and Professor Mia were childhood friends who used to y together often when they were kids. Until she was recognized as the next Saintess by the previous Saintess.


    She was taken in by the Church to be nurtured to inherit the power of Saintess. She was not allowed any freedom and all her decisions were decided by the Church.


    Her parents didn''t go against the Church''s decision as being Saintess would bring honor and wealth to the family. Rather than disagree, her parents happily gave away their daughters.


    She hated the Church for this. The fame and wealth that she earned from it, as well as her powerful skills, she was not content with those things.  <sub></sub>


    She had always been a free-spirited child since young and long to live her life as she used to when she was just a kid. ying around, roaming wherever she likes without needing to follow any orders.


    Therefore, she was more than happy to leave her title as Saintess and live like any other person. Other people might envy her position but the person herself didn''t like it.


    She had lost many friends due to being the Saintess and the only one who would visit her would be Professor Mia.


    Many people tried to befriend her but all of them were only drawn to her due to her title as Saintess. They all wanted the benefit of being the friend of Saintess and many tried to take advantage of that.


    Professor Mia didn''t maintain her friendship with her due to shallow things like benefits.


    Even with her position as Saintess, it didn''t mean her fame and position were higher than her friend Mia Frostine.


    Rather Professor Mia is recognized as someone who had the potential to reach Rank-SSS which might be more influential than having a Saintess title.


    "Anyway, what''s the rush?"


    She nced toward the people who were frozen by her friend. She didn''t scold or be angry at the fact that her friend had frozen all those people.


    She was rather happy and curious. She didn''t like those guards whose intention was to gain fame and resources through the Church.


    They also didn''t let her go out and would monitor her like some kind of prisoner, so she secretly held a grudge against those guards and Holy guards.


    Though she knows that they are just following orders from the Pope and their superiors, it didn''t change the fact that she didn''t like them.


    She was also curious because Professor Mia has never behaved in such a way. She was a model student through and through even as a child.


    She would not break any rules and was serious in all the things she did. Even for small things, she would not lie or do anything against the rules.<sub>


    </sub>


    She was also called the ''Iron Lady Mia''.


    Saintess Amelia would never have believed that the same Mia had forcefully entered the Holy Ground.


    "I want you to heal someone."


    "Heal Someone? Is it that serious?"


    She asked, knowing that Professor Mia would have never reacted in such a way if there was another way to solve her problem, asked her.


    As a person who hated being indebted, she would not ask for someone''s help easily. If she came to her in such a hurry like this, she knew the problem was quite serious.


    Professor Mia nodded to Saintess Amelia.


    "Where is she? I will heal her right away if I can."


    Saintess Amelia knows about her friend. There were only a handful of people for whom Professor Mia would go to such a length. Therefore, as long as she could help, she was willing to.


    "Let''s go somewhere private. He is with me."


    "Ok, let''s go into my room. Nobody will disturb us there."


    Professor Mia nodded.


    -SNAP!


    Saintess Amelia snapped her finger and instructed her followers to listen to her orders.<sub> </sub>


    "You all heard me. Don''t allow others to enter my room without my permission. And also take care of this mess."


    Saintess Amelia spoke while pointing towards the frozen guard. While her voice with Professor Mia was friendly and adorable, it was theplete opposite for other people.


    Her voice sounded distant and domineering while she spoke with her followers.


    "Yes, Saintess!"


    The maids who were following Saintess Amelia replied solemnly.


    "Now, let''s go to my room."


    ***Inside the Saintess Private Chamber***


    Unlike many people''s expectations, the room was not decorated with gold and holy objects. It was not that grand either.


    It was a normal room that every girl had. With every item ced in an orderly manner. Only that, now that room has two of the most famous women in the world.


    "So, where is the person that you want me to heal?"


    Saintess Amelia asked right after entering the room. She could see that Professor Mia was in a hurry.


    Professor Mia took out an object from her storage ring.


    The object was an artifact that was in the form of a scroll.


    It was actually a kind of storage ring but unlike storage rings, it didn''t restrict living things. In other words, it was an artifact that could be used to store humans.


    Professor Mia opened the scroll and Zero, who was frozen in the Ice, came out.


    "This is the person you want me to heal?"


    "Yes. I hope you could do me this favor."


    Saintess Amelia can feel the desperation in her friend''s voice. Professor Mia kept staring at the body sealed in the ice.


    She began examining the body from the outside. While she could not say for sure but looking at the person''s body, she knew that it was in pretty rough shape.


    "Hmmm"


    She could not say for sure whether her healing power was strong enough to heal the person on the ice.


    "So¡­ Can you heal him?"


    "Not sure. Your ice is obstructing my examination. However, if you have frozen him to slow down the damage on his body then I can say that this injury is anything but simple."


    "..."


    Listening to the Saintess, Professor Mia became gloomy. She knew that Zero was in a dangerous state but to think that even the Saintess was not sure about being able to heal him.


    "But I think I can try. I can only say for sure after seeing his whole body."


    Saintess Amelia was not sure since the Ice was interfering with her senses.


    Once the ice melted, she should be able to see for sure whether the injury is beyond her capabilities or not.


    Professor Mia started to melt the ice surrounding Zero. She knew that Zero''s life would be in Saintess''s hands after this.


    "KKKKYYYAAA!"


    Right after melting the ice, Amelia was scared off by the presence of Dark Energy. As a Saintess, she was able to see the type of mana each person had.


    And inside Zero''s body, she could feel the Dark Energy.


    That is also not a weak Dark Energy but rather something that is on the level of a demon prince.


    Saintess Amelia began to tremble after sensing that Dark Energy.


    It was not that she was a coward or anything, it was because she was once left on the verge of dying by one of the demon princesses.


    Demon Princesses were equal to Rank-S + heroes. And Saintess Amelia at that time was just Rank-D, so she could not do anything even when Demon Princess was just ying with her group.


    She could not forget the dark energy that she felt that day. A huge number of humans that were fighting with demons were instantly burnt to a crisp by her.


    She killed not only the humans but even her fellow demons.


    If not for the timely arrival of some Rank-S Heroes, she was sure that she was going to die in that demon princess''s hands.


    Therefore, she was involuntarily scared by the Dark Energy of Zero.


    "Ames, What happened?"


    Professor Mia immediately rushed to help Saintess Amelia. She didn''t know why her friend had screamed.


    "Th-That boy i-is Devil¡­"


    Saintess Amelia said while pointing her trembling finger at Zero''s body. She was sure that the person on the ice was a Devil, not a human being.

 Chapter 143 Saintess Amelia [2]

    Chapter 143 Saintess Amelia [2]


    The Dark Energy that she sensed had the quality that was only found in the Devil. It was not possible even for the strongest Devil Contractors to have that kind of Dark Energy, and therefore Santess Amelia was certain that the boy was a Devil.


    "Calm down!"


    Seeing her friend panic, Professor Mia immediately tried to calm her down. She realized that Amelia was scared because she sensed Dark Energy from Zero.


    She knew that Amelia might find out that Zero could wield Dark Energy. But she didn''t expect her to react like this.


    "You want me to heal a Devil? Are you crazy? Instead of healing the Devil, Healing Magic would only do more damage to the Devil."


    The Devil was hated by God, at least that is what is known. Maybe that''s why healing spells do damage rather than heal them.


    Elves, dwarfs, and humans were all entitled to be healed by healing spells but Demons were not.


    Even monsters can be healed by healing spells. However, some monsters like ghosts and evil spirits would be killed by it. So, demons are considered the only intelligent species abandoned by Gods.


    "Ames, hear me out. He is not a Devil. I don''t know how he can use Dark Energy but I will guarantee that he is not a Devil."


    "Mia, are you sure about this?"


    "Totally! Do you think I would bring a devil here to be healed?"


    "Sorry, I panicked."


    She stood up and thought carefully about Professor Mia''s words. She knew that whatever Professor Mia said made sense.


    Nobody will bring a devil to be healed in a Church. It was simply killing them.


    However, she was sure that Zero was a Devil since she had never felt such a dense Dark Energy from any human.<sub></sub>


    She slowly made her way toward Zero''s body and began to look carefully. Regardless of how she looked at him, his body was certainly human, but she sensed a huge amount of dark energy emanating from within his body.


    "Who is he anyway? Why do you want to desperately save him? Even if he is not a Devil, you can''t deny the fact that he is a Devil Contractor."


    Saintess Amelia wanted to know why her friend was willing to go to such lengths to save him. The fact that he had Dark Energy was enough to convince her to kill him.


    Even if she didn''t kill them, at least she would not go to such lengths to save him. Maybe leaving him to die naturally was more than enough to show mercy to a Devil Contractor.


    "He is not a Devil Contractor. He said so himself."


    Professor Mia refuted Saintess Amelia''s words. Professor Mia wants her to know that Zero was not a Devil Contractor.


    "Unbelievable! How can you believe him so easily? He probably lied to you."


    Smacking her forehead, Saintess Amelia wondered when her friend had be so naive to believe that nonsense.


    A human using Dark Energy and not being a Devil Contractor? It was impossible. She would rather believe that some humans have wings than believe that humans can wield Dark Energy.


    "He is my student. I know him well."


    "Oh¡­"


    "And he saved my life."


    "Your life? It can''t be. You just said he is your student and looking at his appearance he seemed to be 16 or 17. How can he save a person who is Rank-A+?"


    Saintess Amelia was stunned by Professor Mia''s words. It was not that she didn''t believe Professor Mia but it was just the fact that a person who would only be Rank-E or Rank-D could save a life of Rank-A+.<sub>


    </sub>


    Rather than unbelievable, how can a rank-D save the life of a rank-A+? If the problem is something that can''t be solved by Rank-A+ then what can a powerless Rank-D do?


    It is simr to how someone has said that an ant has saved the life of a human.


    "Anyway, let''s discuss thister. Can you save him?"


    "Hmmm"


    She examined Zero carefully. Zero was beyond the definition of alive. It was better to say that Zero was dead. However, Saintess Amelia was not without a solution.


    As long as certain conditions are fulfilled, even bringing the dead to life was possible for the Saintess.


    "Is he really important to you?"


    Saintess Amelia asked seriously. She wanted to know whether he was worth saving using her forbidden skill.


    "Yes! So much so that I would give my life for him."


    Professor Mia said firmly. She believed that Zero was worth saving even at the cost of her life.


    "Okay. Since you said so much. I will trust you."


    [ "Divine Light Blessing: Glyph of Mystic Restoration" ]


    She clenched her hands together and began chanting. A green halo appeared on Zero''s body and rapidly started to restore the body that was broken down.


    Slowly all the wounds and scars disappeared from Zero''s body and it looked as if he was not injured at all. <sub> </sub>


    Sweat slowly started to appear on Amelia''s forehead. Whether it was huge mana consumption or any other reason, her body seemed to be under severe stress.


    However, this skill was not considered forbidden because of those things. The cost of using the skill was the life force of the user. Using the skill would shorten the life of the Saintess.


    Due to this, Saintess would always be short-lived. The Saintess who lived the longest was 40. Most Saintesses would die before age 30.


    Saintess Amelia, knowing that fact, used the skill because she could feel the determination of her friend to save the boy in front of her.


    After a few minutes.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­ I think that is enough!"


    Saintess Amelia said, stopping her spell. She had fully restored the body of Zero to its former state. No injury, no wound, it might have be even better than before.


    "Now, it is up to him whether to wake up or not."


    Saintess Amelia said as she fell to the floor. She has exhausted almost all her mana. Her mana stat was only around Rank-B and the spell took huge mana to use.


    "Ames, are you alright?"


    "Hah. I-I am fine. Check on your student condition."


    Professor Mia nervously approached Zero. She examined his body. Her expression brightened when she found that his body was breathing again.


    A teardrop fell on the floor. She was relieved; relieved that Zero could live again.


    "Wow! I never thought that even you could cry. Guess it was worth saving him."


    Saintess Amelia said with a smile on her face. She never thought that her stern friend could cry like this one day.


    After resting for a bit, Saintess stood again and turned toward Professor Mia.


    "So, Mia. How about you tell me about your boyfriend?"


    "Huh?"


    Professor Mia found herself dumbfounded by Saintess Amelia''s question.


    Saintess Amelia believed that Zero was Professor Mia''s lover.


    It was not like Saintess Amelia lives under a rock. She would watch TV during her free time and have heard rumors of her friend being in a rtionship with someone.


    She didn''t believe those rumors. She knew Professor Mia for a long time. She knows that Professor Mia had never thought about men and was only interested in bing strong.


    Saintess Amelia also heard a lot of rumors about Professor Mia dating her student which she of course brushed off as fake rumors.


    However, looking at the current situation, she had changed her mind. She had never thought that Professor Mia would be willing to do so much for a mere student.


    "Now, where do I even begin?"


    Since the immediate problem has been solved, Professor Mia didn''t mind chatting with her friend. She started telling all the events that had led up to this point.


    Saintess Amelia was surprised to discover the truth about Zero. In terms of talent and power, this person surpassed Hiro, the most famous of all the students, or so Professor Mia believed and told the Saintess.


    Saintess Amelia knew of Hiro, who was said to have greater talent than Professor Mia. Though she never believed that.


    Professor Mia was already a monster, who could be greater than her? She didn''t believe that, though Hiro''s rank showed that he was indeed doing better than Mia Frostine.


    Now, someone who she has never heard of is said to have even greater potential than those monsters. She had a hard timeprehending that information.


    She also understands why Professor Mia helps Zero. Since he had also helped Professor Mia, Saintess Amelia thought that it was no wonder that Professor Mia was willing to help Zero.


    "When I regained my consciousness, Ice Griffin was already dead and the portal was open again."


    Saintess Amelia didn''t know that Professor Mia was trapped inside the Gate. She was surprised that her friend had made a breakthrough to Rank-S -.


    But even more so by knowing that someone in Rank-D+ had managed to y Ice Griffin.


    ( Maybe I should not have saved him. No, no, he is someone precious to Mia. I will trust her decision for now. )


    She was having an extra thought about saving Zero. She still had her doubts that Zero was a Devil Contractor.


    She thought having such a talented Devil Contractor would be disastrous for humanity''s future. However, she had already saved him, and listening to her friend, she decided to believe in Zero.


    "Anyway, when will Zero wake up?"


    Zero had still not regained his consciousness even though all his body functions were working again.


    "It depends on his willpower. As long as his soul has refused to disappear, he should be able to wake up again."


    While Saintess Amelia said that, she knows how difficult that was. Refusing to disappear was more difficult than anything.


    Rather than living in nothingness alone, it was better to disappear into nothingness.


    ( I hope you don''t disappoint her. )

 Chapter 144 Saintess Amelia [3]

    Chapter 144 Saintess Amelia [3]


    In the ce that is said to be nothingness, Zero was chatting with the two figures.


    "I think it is time for you to leave now."


    This is what the figure holding the book said. Zero didn''t know whether he was speaking from his intuition or he knew what was happening to his body. However, he seemed to be sure that Zero could go back.


    "Leave?"


    "I think the time for you to stay here has expired. You should remember what we have said."


    Zero nodded. He didn''t know how that guy knew that he could leave but he did remember what he and the other figure said.


    "Find that ''thing'' as soon as possible. You should know where to find it. If not, the same thing might happen again. You might die next time if you use his power."


    "Hmph! It is all because his body is too weak. me his pathetic body."


    "Not everyone is muscle-brain like you. Your stupid power is the reason we are suffering right now."


    "Hmph!"


    "Anyway, remember to get stronger, or else you will not survive. It should begin soon ording to the novel. Hey, looks like time ¡­"


    The two figures slowly disappeared and everything turned white for a second. Zero could feel himself drowning in something.


    "ARGH!"


    Zero regained his consciousness and he could feel his body again. He didn''t know whether what he saw was a dream or reality but he did remember his talk with those two figures.


    Opening his eyes slowly, Zero could see a figure of a girl.


    He was sure that it was Professor Mia and tried to call her.<sub></sub>


    "Mi¡­


    "Oh! You are awake."


    The figure interrupted Zero. Zero realizes that the voice does not belong to Professor Mia.


    "Who are you?"


    Slowly the image of the girl became clear and he could see that the girl in front of him was not Professor Mia.


    The girl in front of Zero had a delicate face with fair skin and a pair of big, light blue and pink eyes. Her beautiful, long hair is the same color, although her ends are pink and a mixture of purple.


    She seemed like a delicate girl at first nce. The type whom everyone wants to protect.


    "That is what I should be asking. Who are you? Why are you deceiving Mia?"


    Instead of answering his question, the girl angrily asked a question back.


    "Deceiving Professor Mia? I don''t know who told you that but I am not deceiving anyone."


    Zero replied with disdain. He could see that the girl didn''t like him and was showing her full hostility even though it was his first time meeting her.


    "You must have approached Mia with ulterior motives."


    "How can you be so sure? Did Professor Mia tell you?


    "Arg... N-No."


    "Then stop assuming things. Why is a stranger questioning me anyway? Where am I?"<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero looked sideways to find that he was in a room with many plushies. He could not see doctors or anyone who looked like a healer.


    And there was this annoying girl who seemed to hate him.


    ( Shouldn''t there be at least one doctor? How did I even get healed? )


    He was confused by where he was. He thought he might be in a hospital where he had been lucky enough to be healed, but he was instead inside a normal room.


    "You are in my room. Anyway, answer my question. What is your motive behind getting close to Mia?"


    ( Again )


    Zero didn''t know why the girl was so persistent. It was their first meeting and she seemed to misunderstand him about something.


    "Why are you asking me? Do you even know who I am? I am her student. What other motives would I have other than to learn from her?"


    "Like I would believe a Devil contractor."


    The girl shouted at Zero. Zero was surprised to be referred to as Devil Contractor.


    He didn''t understand how that girl came to know that he could use Dark Energy. The only one who should know that information was Professor Mia.


    "Cat got your tongue. I know that you are a Devil contractor. If you don''t state your intention clearly, I will eliminate you."


    The girl threatened Zero. Whether she was joking or serious didn''t matter, but Zero found it funny that a stranger was threatening him.


    The girl exerted an aura of Rank-A with her killing intent.


    Zero was surprised that a girl whose age seemed the same as Professor Mia was Rank-A. In other words, the girl was not just a random person but rather a famous genius.<sub> </sub>


    Though he didn''t remember someone like her on the news or maybe he just forgot.


    Anyway, he was just stunned by her mana aura, and not by her killing intent. She disyed a killing intent that didn''t correspond with her rank. Even Zero had killing intent, which was stronger than the girl.


    "Can you?"


    Zero red at the girl causing the girl to flinch. Zero was not afraid to fight, and he was ready to fight even more when threatened.


    The Rank-A was certainly powerful but it did not mean that Zero was obliged to cower because of the mana aura.


    Saintess Amelia didn''t expect Zero to show that kind of look after she had shown her power. She thought that zero would be scared by her mana aura and spill the beans.


    Instead, it was she who got a little scared of Zero. Though she was Rank-A, she was not a fighter and didn''t know how to fight.


    Additionally, she was already a little afraid of the Dark Energy inside Zero. This caused her to flinch even though she was Rank-A and Zero was Rank-D.


    Seeing that the girl didn''t mean what she said, Zero cooled down and started to inquire about the situation.


    It was already weird that the two of them were arguing even though they didn''t know each other. And also over someone who wasn''t even in the room.


    "Anyway, who are you and where is professor Mia?"


    "I am Amelia. Mia is resting in another room, so I was looking after you."


    This time, the girl answered Zero. Just hearing the name, Zero knew who she was.


    ( Saintess Amelia )


    Her appearance did seem to match the appearance described in the novel.


    A beautiful woman who even the Devil hesitates to kill. Or was the author exaggerating? Zero was convinced that the author was exaggerating.


    If he was a Devil, he was sure that he could kill this annoying girl without an ounce of hesitation or mercy.


    Anyway, he realized that the girl in front of him was a big shot who had Church backing her up.


    Zero didn''t recognize her at first nce because Saintess seldom appears in the news and the fact that her appearance looks different when she is in front of the mass was another reason why Zero didn''t recognize her.


    "Hmph! You should be grateful to me. I have saved your life."


    Saintess Amelia proudly dered. She could not stand someone being arrogant in front of her when it was she who saved him.


    She needed to remind him that he owed her his life. And also because if she didn''t remind him, she was a tad bit afraid that he might attack her.


    She thought he could do it since he was frighteningly ring at her previously.


    "You saved my life?"


    "Of course! Who else has the capabilities to bring back the dead?"


    Zero listened to Saintess Amelia bragging. Listening to her, Zero knows that he has been healed by the Saintess.


    However, he doubts whether his injuries could be healed by the Saintess. He knows that Saintess is one of the best healers in the world but his injuries are not at a level at which they could be healed easily.


    ( Unless she used some forbidden skill. )


    Saintess ys a crucial role in the novel by healing strong heroes during their battles with demons. She used a strong Forbidden healing spell on the heroes at a certain point to change the course of the war.


    However, there were some serious side effects of using those forbidden skills. One of them is decreasing the life span of the user.


    " How did you heal me?"


    His body felt better than ever. There are no injuries or scars on the body. Zero seemed to have moved into a new body.


    Considering that his body was all broken and full of injuries, it was hard to believe that it was the same body.


    "Don''t tell me you used a Forbidden Skill?"


    "H-How did you know?... Hmph! How do you expect me to heal your wrecked body without using a Forbidden Skill?"


    The general public didn''t know that Saintess can use Forbidden Skills which are capable of healing even the deadliest disease.


    It was not a heavily guarded secret but only a limited number of people know that. Even Professor Mia had no idea about it until she saw its power being used to heal Zero.


    So Saintess Amelia was surprised that Zero knew about it.


    "You really used a Forbidden Skill¡­"


    Zero from the novel knows that Saintess is capable of using many strong Forbidden Skills but each Forbidden Skill came with a heavy price.


    He didn''t know why the Saintess sacrificed so much to heal him. At least his earlier disdain for her was gone.


    No matter the reason, using Forbidden Skills was absolutely dangerous to users.


    Earlier, he didn''t know who she was but realizing that she was his savior not to mention that she used Forbidden Skill, he realized he had been ungrateful to the Saintess.


    "I am extremely thankful that Saintess has helped me, going as far as using the Forbidden Skill to heal me. I will certainly repay you for this favor."


    "Humph! Now, you know your ce. I hope you remember that I was the one to heal you."


    She certainly seems like someone who likes to be thanked. She was acting as if she had just gotten a Rank-SS Skill. She sure was a gullible person.


    "Now, answer me! Why do you have Dark Energy?"

 Chapter 145 I Dont Like Older Woman

    Chapter 145 I Don''t Like Older Woman


    "Now, answer me. Why do you have Dark Energy?"


    Saintess Amelia asked again.


    Saintess Amelia sure was persistent in that question. Zero didn''t know why she was so adamant about it.


    Even in the novel, there was no mention of the Demon Princess threatening Saintess Amelia''s life, so he didn''t know why Saintess Amelia hates Dark Energy.


    The girl asking the question was his savior, so he could not refuse her. But it was not like anyone could believe that he could use the Dark Energy because of the memory from other parallel existence.


    ( Now, how do I exin it to her? )


    This world didn''t have any concept of a parallel world unlike on Earth. Earth was much developed in their way of thinking and would always assume that everything was possible including the existence of a multiverse and parallel world.


    However, Eds was different. Everything would be magic-focused, so they don''t research much on other spaces; rather the research is about Dungeons, Gates, and Artifacts.


    People here would probably not even believe that there are others with life. They wouldbel me as crazy.


    Even if I tell the truth, she would not understand me. It was like telling a kid about calculus; he would not understand anything.


    I was quite perplexed about how to respond to the Saintess.


    "..."


    The Saintess silently waited for the answer. She wanted to know whether the existence known as ''Zero'' was a danger to her friend.


    Saintess Amelia cares for Professor Mia more than anything in the world. She didn''t want her friend to be entangled with someone who uses Dark Energy.


    Whether Zero was a Dark Contractor didn''t matter, as long as The Authority finds out, Saintess knew that everyone rted to him would be in trouble.


    Since her friend seems especially concerned about Zero, she knew that she would get into trouble when The Authority takes action against Zero.


    Zero saw that the Saintess was staring at him making it hard for him to ignore the question. He knew he had to say something that would convince the Saintess.


    "I can only say that I was able to use Dark Energy due to a certain skill."<sub></sub>


    Zero gave Saintess an answer which was somewhat the truth. Without the Parallel Memory Skill, he would not have been able to use Dark energy after all.


    "Skill? What Skill? I have never heard of a skill that can produce Dark Energy."


    It didn''t seem that the answer had satisfied Saintess Amelia.


    "Th-that¡­ Indeed, there never was one but it is not like there never will be one. I have it. It could be a very rare one."


    Zero expressed his thoughts while trying to convince the Saintess. It was true that the Parallel Memory Skill is a unique skill that has never been recorded in any book.


    He could not even tell the name of his skill. It is because Parallel Memory is a well-known F-Rank skill that only improves the memory of the user.


    His parallel memory skill, on the other hand, is Rank-SS, which has entirely different applications.


    Even if he says the name of his skill, others will just use him of lying. Who doesn''t know what type of skill Parallel Memory skill is?


    "You¡­ you are deceiving me, aren''t you?"


    The Saintess was angry. She waited for a definite answer from Zero but all she got was an ambiguous one. She felt like she was being deceived by Zero.


    "What are you two talking about?"


    Interrupting the conversation between me and the Saintess was Professor Mia.


    ( Looks like Elixir worked. )


    I was quite relieved to see that she was okay. Thest thing that I remember was seeing a hole in her stomach.


    Looks like Legendary grade Elixir deserves to be one of the most powerful potions in the world.


    "What did you do, Zero?"


    Professor Mia red at me like I had done something wrong. <sub>


    </sub>


    "Huh?"


    ( What did I do? )


    "I heard Ames saying that you are deceiving her. Don''t tell me you started to flirt with her as soon as you woke up."


    "EHHH¡­"


    I don''t know why Professor Mia misunderstands me again. Looks like it is very hard for me to change the image that I initially have.


    She still thinks that I would start chasing after any beauty I see.


    "Ames, sorry for his behavior. He has always been like that but I don''t think that he means any harm."


    Professor Mia started exining even though I didn''t do anything wrong here.


    "Professor Mia, I didn¡­"


    "I know what you are trying to say. Even if the Saintess is beautiful, it doesn''t mean that you can flirt with her. You should know her position¡­"


    Professor Mia started lecturing me about how I should not think about girls at my age.


    I look behind her to try to get help from the Saintess. Professor Mia would stop if the Saintess exined the situation to her.


    Looking into Saintess''s eyes, I begged her to help me.


    "Heh"


    The Saintess grinned and approached Professor Mia. I don''t think she is going to help me, though.


    "Mia, thank goodness you got here in time. This degenerate here was teasing me. I didn''t think your student would be like this. I think you should leave him alone. He is not worthy of your affection"


    Adding fuel to the fire, Saintess Amelia acted as if she had just been molested by me.  <sub> </sub>


    ( This girl )


    I didn''t know what to say to the Saintess who was acting so shamelessly. How can she say that I was teasing her?


    Doesn''t Saintess have aw that states they can''t lie or something? I have heard that Saintesses are holy beings and they don''t sin.


    However, looking at the Saintess in front of me, I realized all that was bullshit.


    The Saintess was definitely trying to make trouble for me.


    "I don''t tease old women, you know?"


    Feeling hurt by their usation, I started to make some rude remarks. I mean just because she is pretty doesn''t mean she can use me.


    And it was kind of true that I don''t tease older women. Older women all remind me of Eleonore.


    " "What did you say? " "


    Both Professor Mia and Saintess Amelia yelled angrily at me. I was startled by their reaction.


    I forgot that Professor Mia was the same age as Saintess Amelia. Must have felt indirectly insulted by my earlier remark. Women were creatures that were very concerned about their age, especially those who were in their 20ths.


    "Anyway, Zero, how are you feeling? Is your body alright? Any pain or difort?"


    Professor Mia asked, looking a little worried.


    "Yes, thanks to you, I am all healed up. I didn''t think that I would survive after that."


    While I was saying that, it looks like I reminded Professor Mia of something.


    "You¡­ "


    Professor Mia remembered what a stupid thing Zero did and scolded him. From disobeying her instruction to using Elixir on her. She took hours to scold the Zero who had just woken up.


    "Remember we are alive just because of luck. You would really die if you did such stupid things again."


    After she had finished scolding Zero, she allowed him to rest. Saintess Amelia had already left the room when Professor Mia started to scold me. However, before leaving she turned back.


    "Thank you for saving my life. If not for you, I would have been dead in the Gate."


    She smiled at me while thanking me, so I smiled back. There was no reason for her to actually thank me because she was in danger because of me.


    If not for me, she would not have even attempted to fight with the Ice Griffin in the first ce.


    "You''re wee!"


    However, I graciously epted her thanks. After she left the room, I took out my phone and checked the news.


    It has been two days since we hade out of the Gate and there has been lots of news about the incident. There are many headlines about Professor Mia.


    ''The third High-Ranking Gate of the year was conquered by the victim by herself. The person was none other than the Ice Enchantress.''


    ''A Dungeon conquered by a Single Lady.''


    ''The Strongest Woman emerges!''


    ''Ice Enchantress attacking news reporters.''


    ''Oppressing others with Rank.''


    However, not every news article was about Professor Mia''s achievement. In addition, they criticize the use of aura to make all the news reporters faint.


    Some also called it bullying the weak. Not following thew and attacking innocent citizens. Some want The Authority to act against her behavior.


    ''Ice Enchantress broke the record again!"


    ''Youngest Rank-S in the World!''


    Additionally, there were news articles stating that Professor Mia had reached the rank of S. Zero thought that all those news articles were either not true or just their assumptions.


    Especially the news about Professor Mia attacking the news reporter and them iming to know her rank. He thought that the news reporter just assumed that Professor Mia was Rank-S.


    Zero didn''t know that Professor Mia had released her aura at the Gate site. Though the news reporter could not tell the rank of Professor Mia.


    However, other Rank-A Explorers at that ce realized that Professor Mia was Rank-S. Of course, the reporter will collect information from those Explorers.


    In some cases, people will not reveal the information to protect their privacy, but in others, as long as the newspany pays them enough, they will share. Through them, they got information about Professor Mia being Rank-S.


    While some newspanies wanted to avoid making enemies with her after knowing this information and just covered good things about Professor Mia. They didn''t mention that they were attacked by her aura.


    These were the others who were fearless and had a grudge against Professor Mia. It was people who only cared about the news and not the person.


    Their ego as news reporters was hurt after Professor Mia tantly released her aura. They wanted to get back at her through inciting violence.


    Though when Zero saw the news talking badly about Professor Mia, he didn''t think it was a big deal. People would always say bad things about others not knowing that some of the things they were doing were also bad.


    And it was not like anyone could punish Professor Mia. Being the youngest Rank-S would alsoe with many benefits. Numerous guilds would extend an invitation to her with many benefits.


    To punish her, The Authority would need to send in at least 3 Rank-S to arrest her, which was absolutely not worth it.


    Unless she does outrageous things like signing a contract with the Devil, The Authority or any strong Organization for that matter wouldn''t condemn her for action that has caused less damage.


    Looking at the recent event, Zero once again realized how much change he brought to this world.


    ording to the novel, Professor Mia would only advance to Rank-S in two years. And there was also a life-threatening experience he got.


    He realized that no matter whether the world was going ording to the novel or not, the most important thing was raising his strength.


    "Looks like I need that ''thing'' if I want to live."

 Chapter 146 A Funny Guy!

    Chapter 146 A Funny Guy!


    "Yes! Yes, I will be there tomorrow."


    Professor Mia sat on the bed as she ended her call.


    "Phew!"


    Professor Mia had been receiving many callstely. From news channels that would like to interview her to The Authority who want to confirm certain things like her rank and the type of Gate that had emerged.


    She rejected those news channels while she postponed her meeting with The Authority agent.


    She needed to eventually register herself as Rank-S and it was crucial for humanity peace to share information about the Gate.


    She waited for Zero to regain his consciousness. Since he had already woken up, she decided it was time for her to get back to her duty.


    "Mia, are you already going? Can''t you stay for a few days more?"


    Saintess Amelia asked Professor Mia. She had been quite happy to spend time with her friend after so long.


    She didn''t want Professor Mia to leave so quickly.


    "I have already postponed my duties for too long. I can''t keep them waiting for too long."


    Saintess Amelia noticed that Professor Mia was back to being that sterndy she was.


    Always following the rules andws, it looked like she had changed for a bit when she forced her way into the Holy Church.


    She realized that Professor Mia had only been neglecting her duties and ignoringw and order due to Zero.


    ( That Boy. )


    Saintess Amelia became annoyed when she thought of Zero. Saintess Amelia didn''t dislike Professor Mia''s change but to think that it was due to Zero has made her angry.


    She didn''t want her friend to be sullied by that rude boy who called her an old woman.


    Whether it was because Zero has Dark Energy or because of the fact that her friend was showing more concern for him, she didn''t have a favorable opinion of Zero.


    Even when Professor Mia denied the rumor between her and Zero, Saintess Amelia didn''t believe that nothing was going on between Professor Mia and Zero after listening to their story. <sub></sub>


    At least she felt that their rtionship was better than most people.


    Who would not think like that when they know that Professor Mia and Zero were ready to sacrifice their lives for each other?


    Saintess Amelia felt that Professor Mia was at risk of being taken away by Zero. She didn''t want to lose her friend to a leecher.


    "I will be leaving Zero in your care for a few days. I wille back to bring him back. I hope you can take care of him for me."


    She initially wanted to bring Zero back to the Ace Academy but feared that he might not have fully healed.


    With Saintess by his side, she believed that even if there were some side effects, he would be healed as long as Amelia was with him.


    Saintess Amelia thought for a while before revealing a smile.


    "You don''t need to worry about him. I will make sure to ''take'' care of him."


    "Thank you!"


    With that Professor Mia disappeared from that ce like she was never there, to begin with.


    "Hehe¡­Yes, I will make sure he is taken care of."


    Saintess Amelia revealed an evil smile which was unbefitting for her status as Saintess.


    *****


    Breakfast was already prepared and delivered to Zero''s room when he awoke.


    ( At least she still treats me like a guest. )


    I thought that Saintess Amelia would leave me hungry all by myself but the Saintess unexpectedly was still treating me like a guest.


    The food was luxurious and all the cleaning was taken care of by the maids.


    I feel like a rich person who had all the work done by others. <sub>


    </sub>


    Though I really am rich enough to afford this kind of lifestyle. However, I would not want to live like this.


    Though I enjoyed doing this once in a while, I feel like I will turn into azy person once I get used to it.


    After eating breakfast, I was in the mood for a walk.


    It had been days since Ist moved my body and I wanted to know whether there was any problem with my current body.


    Not to mention that it was kind of a rare chance to explore the Holy Church. The Holy Church was not essible to everyone, at least not the inner part of the Holy Church.


    I confirmed with the maid that was assigned to look after me whether I could explore the ce.


    "Can I go for a walk?"


    I asked her.


    "There are certain restricted areas. Other than those ces, you are allowed to go anywhere. I can guide you if you want."


    "Thank you, that will be a big help."


    With that, I was taken on a tour of the Holy Church. The maid exined the history of the Holy Church as we went and explored the ce.


    The Holy Church was a huge ce with arge garden outside. It might even be possible for people who don''t stay here to get lost.


    "Oie, who is that?"


    In the middle of touring, a man interrupted us.


    He seems extremely arrogant with many followers behind him.


    I don''t know whether he is a member of the Church or not, but it seems that he is an influential person.


    I mean he coulde into the Holy Church with so many followers, so I guess he is not just a random person.


    "He is a guest of the Saintess."<sub> </sub>


    The maid answered emotionlessly. I wondered whether the maid is a robot or not with how little emotion she has shown so far.


    "Saintess Amelia''s Guest? I have never seen him before. Who are you?"


    The man asked as if he was the owner of the Holy Church. His voice seemed like he was ordering me.


    "And why should I answer you?"


    Zero unintentionally became a tad annoyed at the man since Zero felt the same vibe of Professor William from that man.


    "You don''t know who I am? Heh, let me introduce myself to you ignorant child. I am Christian La-Minnings."


    Rather than getting pissed off at Zero''s response, he seems to pity Zero.


    Maybe he really felt that Zero was a pitiful man who didn''t even know a man as magnificent as him. Perhaps it was just Christians'' narcissistic nature to think like that.


    "I am Zero Elea."


    Zero answered. It was only polite for him to introduce himself since the other party had already introduced himself.


    "Zero Elea, huh? Does not ring a bell. How did you get in here?"


    "He was brought in by the Ice Enchantress and the Saintess Amelia has decided to look after him."


    The maid escorting Zero told Christian.


    ( Wait a minute, why are you making me sound so pathetic? Like I am someone who is riding on others'' coattails.)


    "I thought you were some bigshot. So, someone who knows Ice Enchantress gets the privilege to be a Saintress guest? I didn''t know that even maids would take care of him."


    He shot a re in my direction. When he spoke, he showed a bit of hostility.


    I don''t know why this type of guy seems to hate me the moment they see me.


    Could it be my handsome looks? Nah, who am I kidding?


    But it did seem like those types of people don''t like me the moment they see me.


    "Anyway, where is Saintess Amelia? She wasn''t in the room either."


    It looked like Christian came here to meet the Saintess.


    I looked behind Christian to see that his followers were carrying a lot of flowers. I can guess why he made his appearance here. Looks like he is here to pursue the Saintess.


    Saintess Amelia, whether it was her appearance, talent or background was second to none.


    There were countless men who were courting Saintess Amelia.


    Naturally, men are attracted to a beautiful woman and Saintess Amelia was one of the most beautiful women in the world.


    Not to mention being in a rtionship with her can get lots of benefits. Like the backing of the most influential organization in the world, the Church.


    No matter what, there were plenty of men in pursuit of Saintess Amelia and the man in front of Zero also seemed to be one of them.


    "The Saintess room is being used by this gentleman."


    The maid replied to Cristian.


    "Huh?"


    Christian almost sounded like he could not believe his ears for a while. He looked stunned by what the maid said just now.


    I was also stunned by her words. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the maid was making a feud between me and this Christian guy with her words.


    "Oie, Oie, Oie, what did I just hear? You are saying this boy has been staying in Saintess Amelia''s room."


    "Yes!"


    The maid said emotionlessly.


    "Oie, Oie, Seriously?"


    Christian guy seems to be drifting away from reality. His two followers came from behind to hold him.


    "What did you say your name was?"


    ( This guy. He asked my name and then forgot it the next minute. )


    "Zero Elea"


    "Zero¡­ Zero I will remember your name. Today I am not feeling well, so I have to retire for the day. Next time, let us have a man-to-man talk."


    Unexpectedly, the Christian guy simply walked away without creating any problems with me. I thought he might ask his followers to attack me or at least threaten me.


    ( Did he really have to react like that just because I was staying in her room? )


    Christian seems to have been shocked by what the maid said and had left the Holy Church.


    I expected him to be like Professor William who would be relying on force and status to fight with me but it seems like I was mistaken.


    He did act arrogantly but it seemed like it was his normal attitude.


    I tried to remember whether there was any character with the name Christian in the novel but I could not remember him being mentioned.


    An interesting character like him would definitely be remembered by me.


    Anyway, it didn''t seem like Christian had any malicious intentions against me which I was grateful for.


    I think that I have had enough of making enemies with someone who I don''t know at all.


    "What do you think of Mr. Christian?"


    The maid asked me.


    ( This maid! )


    She is surely a dangerous being, at least to me. Whether it was deliberately or not, she could have made me the enemy of Christian.


    Maybe she knows what kind of man Christian is, and therefore didn''t consider herment to create problems for me.


    Anyway, I could not see through her intentions at all. However, there was no harm in answering her question. I might also know what her real intention is.


    "A Funny Guy!"

 Chapter 147 A Good Guy!

    Chapter 147 A Good Guy!


    "A Funny Guy!"


    I answered. Christian guy seemed rather funny than arrogant. He felt really arrogant for a second but it looks like he was not as bad as I thought he would be.


    "A funny guy? Hahaha¡­ Did you call the heir of the biggest business a funny guy? Haha¡­"


    The maid who was emotionless up until nowughed like she just heard one of the greatest jokes.


    La-Minnings is a family that is one of the richest in the world. They are involved in a lot of business like massing producing Artifact and Potions, though qualities are a little subpar.


    This information is something that I as a resident of the world knows. The La-Minnings business was not really mentioned in the novel, maybe because MC does not have anything to do with those things.


    Though I remember that there was a strong character with La-Minnings'' family name in the novel. I tried to remember but I could not though I knew for sure that it was not Christian.


    "But he did act like a stupid man right now."


    Looking at the maid right now, she seems like a normal girl in her twenties. She seems to know who Christian is though it is natural since she works as the maid of Saintess and Christian is one of the guys courting her employer.


    "Anyway, let''s go and meet with Saintess. She wanted to see you."


    The maid returned to her emotionless state. She looked like a lively kid when she wasughing.


    My tour of Holy Church ended up with meeting Christian.


    The maid took me outside the building where various flowers were nted. The Saintess was sitting while drinking tea inside a gazebo.


    "Oh! You are finally here."


    The Saintess Amelia said she slowly kept her cup on the table.


    "I heard that you went for a walk. How is your body?"<sub></sub>


    "..."


    Seeing her act like a good person, I felt something was wrong. I mean just yesterday, she was trying to get me into trouble with Professor Mia.


    That reminds me,


    "Where is Professor Mia? I haven''t seen her since this morning."


    Ignoring the Saintess'' question, I asked the whereabouts of Professor Mia. She probably asked that question because she wants to appear as a good person either way.


    "Ignoring me¡­ This guy, really¡­"


    The Saintess angrily murmured in a low voice. She had been trying to check on Zero since Professor Mia asked her.


    "Mia had gone to report to The Authority. You will stay with me until Miaes back."


    "Huh? She is gone?"


    Zero didn''t think that he would be left alone here in the Holy Church.


    He thought that he should also leave the ce since he does not have anything to do here. He is rather morefortable sleeping in the Ace Academy than in a stranger''s ce.


    "You have to stay here!"


    Saintess Amelia said after she had seen through Zeros'' intention.


    She would also like if Zero is gone from here but she had to make sure that Zero''s body is fully recovered before she could do so.


    And her friend had also entrusted Zero to her, so she had to make sure to keep her promise.<sub>


    </sub>


    "Why?"


    Zero thought that Saintess would be more than happy to let him go. He didn''t expect her to ask him to stay.


    Rather than feeling grateful, he thought that something might be up.


    "Mia had asked me to keep an eye on you."


    "Ehhh¡­"


    "So, Adeline, I heard that your brother came?"


    Ignoring the stunned Zero, Saintess asked the question to the maid that was apanying Zero.


    "Yes!"


    "I see."


    Taking a sip of the tea, she seems to have fallen deep into her thoughts.


    "Her brother?"


    Zero was confused by Saintess''s question. He only knows the maid''s name now, Adeline.


    He was confused as he didn''t know what Saintess meant by having met her brother. He clearly remembered that she had been with him the whole time.


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    Realizing who that brother could be, Zero could not help but be shocked.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, Christian that you met earlier is my brother."


    Adeline confirmed Zero''s guess.


    ( Really? )


    Zero could not help but question that. The interaction between the two earlier didn''t seem like that of a sibling, though he could not really tell because he didn''t have any siblings.


    At least in this life. He vaguely remembers having a sister in another world. Though those memories were very distant.


    Zero understood why Adeline spoke in that manner even though she was a maid. She didn''t really seem to treat Christian as a guest earlier, it might be because he was her brother.


    She could have also caused a problem for me and Christian with her words but if she was his sister, she would know how he would react after hearing her words.


    She must have known that he would not make a scene there and it was not like he could start a fight in front of his sister either.


    But still, why were they still talking like strangers? And judging by the fact that Christian seems like an important person, how can his sister work as a maid.


    Even if working for Saintess might be considered a noble professionpared to other work, it does not make sense for Adeline to work there.


    The background of their family was sure to be high since Christians could act arrogant in the Holy Church. La Minnings would only face humiliation if peoplee to know that one of their children is working as a maid.


    "You seem curious as to why I am working as a maid while my brother is the heir of thergest businessman. Do you want to know?"


    "Not really!"


    Though he wanted to know, it seemed a little inappropriate to get his nose into other people''s business.


    "Well, I will tell you. He is the son of his legal wife while I am the child of one of his father''s mistresses."


    Not caring about Zero''s reply, Adeline shared the reason. Adeline told as if it was not rted to her at all even though it was about her.


    "Well, putting that aside, what would Mr, Zero like to drink?"


    Adeline was back to being in her maid mode. She was really fast at changing her mood.


    "...Tea"


    "Understood!"


    Adeline went away to bring tea for Zero.


    "So you have met her brother. What do you think about him?"


    Saintess Amelia asked.


    "Huh? Why are you asking me? You want me to help you choose your lover or something?"


    Zero said in a sarcastic tone. Christian hade to court Saintess and now she was asking for his opinion.


    To Zero, it seemed as if she was asking him his opinion of her pursuer.


    -BANG!


    "What?"


    The Saintess angrily banged the table and stood up.


    "What?"


    Zero got startled by her sudden action. He didn''t expect her to react like that.


    "Are you an idiot? Do you really think Christian hase here to pursue me?"


    "Is this not the case?"


    "You are really stupid. If he was reallying with the intention to marry me, why would he go back without meeting me."


    The Saintess began exining.


    "He was obviouslying here to meet his sister Adeline. Since he already got to meet her, he left the ce. His objectiveing here is pretty obvious."


    ( So that was the case. )


    Earlier, Christian acted as if he was shocked by the fact that I slept in the Saintess''s room and left the ce.


    It must have been his excuse after he saw Adeline. That is why he was not particrly angry at me.


    He was not really there to pursue the Saintess. However, there was still one confusing thing about his whole thing.


    "Why do this? He could meet with her if he really wanted to. Why act as if he is courting you?"


    "That is their family decision. Their family wants him to be in a rtionship with me. That is the reason why they even send Adeline to helpplete their objective."


    The La Minnings family seems to want the benefit of being tied with the Church. They even send the family head''s child as the maid of the Saintess.


    "Though two of them didn''t seem too keen on following their order. Christian La Minnings does asionallye to meet me but I could not really see his sincerity in his sweet words. Rather he seems focused on watching Adeline more than on our conservation."


    Oh, that guy has a good brain. Yes, Saintess is beautiful but personality is what matters the most.


    "It was good for both of us though. The Church receives lots of donations from the La-Minnings family, so I can''t decline their invitation and Christian can''t ignore his family order. But it looks like we both don''t have an interest in each other which is good. Though we have to keep the appearance in front of others."


    Listening to the story, I understand why Christians have to act like that.


    He needed to show that he is trying to court Saintess Amelia to others. Though his main objective ofing to Holy Church is to see how his sister was doing.


    That Christian guy was really a good man.

 Chapter 148 Adeline La-Minnings

    Chapter 148 Adeline La-Minnings


    Christian seems like a guy that cares about his sister. Though I could not say the same for Adeline.


    She is skilled at managing her expression, so you could not really tell what she is thinking. She might be d on the inside that Christian came to visit but who knows.


    ( So, her full name is Adeline La-Minnings. Adeline La-Minnings¡­ )


    The name seemed familiar all of a sudden. I remember that there was a character who was taking care of the Saintess during the war.


    And her family name was definitely La-Minnings.


    When fighting with the demons, I remember that there was a character with La-Minnnings protecting the Saintess. Even a Demon at Duke rank was killed by her.


    That is what happens in the novel. I could not tell it was the same person because, in the novel, Adeline is introduced as a Holy Guard rather than a Maid.


    And she was not weak at all. Considered the most proficient rapier user, her name shone like the sun on the battlefield.


    However, I doubt whether she is the same person. I could not imagine the current Adeline to be that bloody rapier.


    Since those sent to kill the Saintess were not only demons, she had to kill everyone who had any malicious intent towards the Saintess.


    More than her skills, she was moreuded for massacring her enemies. Whether it be demons, monsters, or humans, she would kill them all the same.


    I carefully looked at the person who was currently pouring in the tea.


    ( So this person is the person that will be the best rapier user in the future. )


    It is unfathomable that the La-Minnings family abandoned her to raise their status. If they had taken good care of her, she could have helped to raise their status all by herself.<sub></sub>


    They really let this opportunity slip away. Having a Rank-S could have more impact on the status than having a Saintess as their daughter-inw.


    After all, even the Church would not help them if the danger is too great. The help provided to them would be limited even if Christian managed to marry the Saintess.


    But Adeline was different. She was their own family and as long as she was breathing she would help solve the crisis of the family.


    Anyway, back to Saintess''s conversation. She seemed to be happy that both Christian and she had no interest in marrying each other. But listening to Saintess Amelia, one thing was for sure.


    "Seems like Saintess Amelia is really undesirable. Even if you change your words, it does not change the fact that he is not interested in you."


    It was not really true but I had to joke about it since yesterday she used me of flirting with her.


    "YOU¡­ Hmph! I have lots of admirers, you know."


    Saintess Amelia took his joke seriously.


    "I know, I know, I was just joking."


    Seeing that Saintess was taking his words seriously, he admitted that he was just joking.


    Zero was surprised that she would take his word seriously.


    ( Does she not have confidence in her appearance? )


    I mean who would believe she does not have any admirers with that kind of look? It would be weird if she did not have admirers. <sub>


    </sub>


    "Hmph! It is good that you know. You should thank God that you have the opportunity to even talk with me."


    "Yes, yes, I am really grateful to God that I could talk to Saintess Amelia."


    "Humph! I am d that you realized that."


    ( So easy. )


    "So I want to ask you something. How do you know Professor Mia?"


    I asked the Saintess. It had not been written in the novel, so I was really curious.


    As one of the fans of the novel, I was excited to discover new things about major characters such as Saintess Amelia and Professor Mia.


    The Saintess didn''t seem to dislike the idea of telling the story about her childhood when she and Professor Mia were neighbors.


    Remembering her childhood, she smiled. That period was the happiest time of her life.


    Zero listened carefully and only then did he be aware that Professor Mia and Saintess were childhood friends.


    ( No wonder Saintess agreed to heal me. )


    Listening to Saintess, Zero realized that she had a great deal of respect and care for Professor Mia.


    He thought that it might be the reason why she healed him despite hating the fact that Zero could use Dark Energy.<sub> </sub>


    Saintess Amelia looked quite happy to share her story with Professor Mia, as she kept on talking about how cute Professor Mia was back then until it was time for dinner.


    Zero had not anticipated the Saintess would talk so much for such a simple question. He regretted asking that question a little.


    He had already drunk 6 cups of tea while listening to the Saintess story. Though because of that, Zero obtained lots of information about Professor Mia and Saintess Amelia''s past.


    Zeroy on the bed after eating dinner as he contemted what to do from now on.


    There were still 2 months left before the Tournament of Academies started and no major event happened before that in the novel.


    The preparation for the Tournament also got elerated due to him spending time in the Gate.


    He expected to break through to Rank-D+ before the Tournament, but it had already been fulfilled and there were still 2 months left.


    He also thought about making preparations to enter Rank-C. It was possible for him as long as he worked hard and got the required resources.


    Zero thought that he might easily win unless something unexpected happens during the tournament.


    "Anyway, just because I got ranked does not mean I will getcent with training."


    One''s rank was only one aspect of strength. It does not necessarily mean that a high rank could mean high power.


    Without training, I might lose my edge and perform poorly in the tournament. That''s why constant practice was required so that your skill does not deteriorate.


    But I didn''t know what to do. I don''t think there is a training facility in the Holy Church. Actually, I don''t have much information about the Holy Church.


    It was only after going through various procedures and achievements that the MC got an opportunity to meet Saint Amelia.


    I decided to ask Adeline or Saintess Amelia about it. If there is a ce I can train, I could use that.


    *****


    The next day


    "A ce to train?"


    "Yes! I should not waste my time anymore. I had to win the tournament of academies and it looks like Professor Mia will be busy for quite some time."


    "Hehe. I never thought you would be the one to bring this up. Follow me, I will take you to a ce where you can train."


    A grin spread across the Saintess''s face. Zero thought there was something wrong when Saintess showed unusually high excitement.


    I followed her and she took me into a big building simr to a stadium.


    Upon entering the ce, the gravity increased and force on the body increased. The building seemed to be simr to the gravity room where I trained in Ace Academy.


    "Oh, I forgot to mention that the gravity inside this ce is 10x greater. Teehee."


    Saintess Amelia tried to make it sound like she forgot but I got the feeling that she intentionally didn''t say it to me.


    To me, this much gravity is not worth mentioning. Even before ranking up, I could train in a ce with 15 times more gravity.


    Though I was a little concerned about whether my body could handle it. However, it looked like my concerns were unnecessary as my body was more than fine.


    Looks like at least Saintess''s skills are as rumored.


    Also, I observed that the maid had no difficulty walking through the area where the gravity is 10x.


    Which meant that at least their rank was C or higher. I have the status of Rank-C-, though I don''t want to brag, normal people in Rank-D+ would not have as high a stat as me.


    So I assumed that maid strength was at least simr to before I was trapped in the Gate.


    However, I do not understand why they are staying as a maid for the Saintess. With their rank, they could do well as an Explorer and they don''t have to work under someone.


    Though there could be a lot of reasons for it.


    There is a possibility that as an Explorer they would face danger, and they would rather work as maids than fight for their lives on line.


    Second, they can''t fight or their rank is high but they don''t have anybat abilities.


    Third, it could be that the Church is giving them more money than they could earn from doing the Explorers'' job.


    There could also be other reasons like Adeline who is working as a maid because of her family. But those three were general and more likely.


    "What is this ce?"


    As we walked inside the building, I asked the Saintess. It seems rathervish to have a building with 10x gravity. Why would the Church even have such a building?


    "It''s Holy Training Ground"

 Chapter 149 The Holy Training Ground

    Chapter 149 The Holy Training Ground


    "It''s the Holy Training Ground. This is the ce where guards and Holy Guards are trained."


    Adeline answered.


    "Hmmm"


    ( So this is the ce where they train. )


    Even a Rank-A guard would be rusty if they were not trained from time to time. This ce seemed to be where they polished themselves.


    However, only 10x the gravity seemed to be an easy ce to train. At least 30x gravity is needed if a person at Rank-A wants to train effectively.


    10x might be enough for Rank-C and below. But the Church''s strongest military, the Holy Guards, are at least Rank-B. For them, this ce would be inefficient.


    Though having 30x gravity inside the whole building might be he expensive even for the Church. Even in the Ace Academy, there were only three or four rooms with such facilities.


    "One, two, three."


    "Whooo!"


    "Huff¡­Puff¡­"


    As we reached the training area, lots of people were training. They were making a lot of noise.


    "All attention! Saintess Amelia is making her presence."


    The guard stopped their training and immediately gathered and bowed when Saintess came.


    "It is our blessing that the Saintess has graced us with your presence. Did the Saintess need something from us?"


    The leader of the Guard asked Saintess Amelia. He is the Holy guard that Professor Mia froze when she entered the Holy Church.


    "I want you to include him in your training sessions for the time being."


    The Saintess ordered. This was her purpose for bringing the Zero here. <sub></sub>


    She had already thought of bringing Zero here but unexpectedly the person himself was also finding a ce to train.


    The Saintess wanted to make Zero suffer a little. The training of Church guards is said to be twice as difficult as in a Guild.


    Not everyone was able to endure that training. Only the elites are capable of doing so. Even walking bes difficult for Rank-D+ in 10x gravity.


    At least that was the case for normal people at Rank-D+, not someone like Zero.


    The guards at the Holy Church were more capable than others who are of the same rank. Though Professor Mia had easily defeated all the so-called elites.


    That was the difference between an elite and a genius. In normal people''s eyes, elites might seem talented at being stronger than normal people at the same rank.


    However, the true monsters were those geniuses who could fight on par with people above their rank.


    Anyway, Saintess didn''t seem to know that the training Zero usually does with Professor Mia is many times higher than those training sessions with Holy Guards.


    "And this is?"


    The Holy Guard leader asked, looking at Zero.


    The Holy Guard captain didn''t know that the reason Saintess visited them was for allowing a kid to train with them.


    "He is the apprentice of Ice Enchantress."


    Saintess Amelia said.


    Saintess mentioned Mia as Ice Enchantress because people usually know famous people by their titles rather than their actual names.


    "Ice Enchantress?"


    The Holy Guard leader''s eyes widened. He didn''t like Professor Mia very much.


    In addition to Professor Mia''s forceful entrance into the Holy Church, he was unable to stop her despite her numerical advantage.<sub>


    </sub>


    Not to mention stopping her, they were defeated in one move. It was a humiliation that he could not forget in this life.


    He didn''t hold a grudge against Professor Mia though. It would be foolish to hold a grudge against someone as powerful and talented as Professor Mia.


    Though he would naturally dislike someone who had any rtionship with Ice Enchantress, especially her students.


    The same was true for other guards who had been defeated by Professor Mia that day. They had their pride shattered by Professor Mia.


    Normally, not even Rank-S would make trouble with them in the Holy Church. The Church was a very strong and influential organization after all. Nobody would want to get on their bad side.


    They would not put Rank-S into their eyes but Professor Mia taught them the reality that day.


    Their current position was a matter of riding the coattails of Church power, without knowing that even one Rank-S - would be enough to wipe them all out.


    "Apprentice of the Ice Enchantress?"


    "How dare he show his face here?"


    "Is he Rank-C? I don''t think he is Rank-C. He might copse if he trains with us."


    Several guards discussed the Saintess'' intentions here. Some were dissatisfied with Zero joining them while some were concerned about lower rank training with them.


    "Captain, we can''t ept an outsider with us."


    The guard who was dissatisfied with Zero spoke. To him, it looked like Zero was relying on Professor Mia and Saintess to join them.


    While others might look down on the position of guards, getting the job as a guard in Holy Church was no easy thing.


    You needed strength and endurance to be selected as the guard for the Holy Church. The man prided himself on being able to get the position of the guard in Holy Church.


    He could not ept someone entering through a back door. He assumed Zero was going to be a guard.


    "Yes, yes, how can we just ept that?"<sub> </sub>


    "He is unqualified to train with us."


    The others also supported it. Some were because of simr reasons while others were because they didn''t like the Ice Enchantress.


    They could not ept that the student of the one who humiliated them would be joining them.


    "And a weakling like him will only get in the way of our training. I guarantee he can''t even withstand our training session for 10 minutes."


    The man further added. He seemed to view Zero as a weakling.


    "Stop it! Don''t act disgracefully in front of the Saintess."


    The Holy Guards leader shouted and stopped the discussion among the guards.


    While he didn''t particrly like this, he was requested by the Saintess and could not ignore the Saintess request.


    "Saintess Amelia, Sorry for their shameful behavior. I would increase their training so that they don''t shame you in the future."


    "It''s okay. Zero, what are you nning to do? They seem to dislike you. I could not help you any further."


    The Saintess said with a smile on her face. The way she acted made it seem as if she didn''t have any power here.


    ( This bitch! )


    She could have justmanded them to keep quiet and let me use the ce but she purposely acted like she didn''t have any authority in this ce.


    Those guards were all under hermand and with just one word from her, they had to listen to her, whether they liked it or not.


    She was truly looking forward to what I would do here.


    *SIGH!


    And there were those guards. I don''t know why they seem to be so hostile towards me.


    Even If I take advantage of Saintess toe here, I don''t think so many people will hate me.


    Zero, who was unconscious at that time and didn''t know the problem that Professor Mia created.


    He was confused at the hostility shown by them, not knowing how they were defeated by his teacher.


    However, he quickly epted it. It was because he was getting used to being hated by others.


    "Then let''s do it."


    Zero said as he made his way towards the Guard.


    There was one thing that spoke louder than anything in Eds. It was power. As long as you show you are worthy, no one will say anything to you.


    "Oie, you!"


    I pointed at the guy who first questioned the captain about my capabilities.


    "Since you think that I am too weak to endure the training session, let us see who could train more inside here."


    Though the fighting was one of the ways to prove one''s worth, it would be more meaningful to defeat him in the contest of endurance since he said I could not endure their training session.


    Let''s see whether they couldpete with me who has been training under the guidance of Professor Mia, aka the training monster.


    "Humph! Do you really want topete with me? I am Rank-C+. You don''t stand a chance."


    The man spoke. He assumed that Zero was low rank because of his young appearance.


    A Rank-E or Rank-Dpeting with a Rank-C was absurd.


    Even if Rank-D might win in the fight because of luck and experience, there was no way for Rank-D to defeat Rank-C whenpeting in terms of strength and stamina stat.


    Although how much one can endure in training will depend on their endurance, a higher stat means one will have an easier time enduring it.


    So, people with higher stat were at an advantage if they were having a contest of endurance.


    "Whether I have a chance or not, you will find out soon."


    Zero thought thatpeting with that man would be more than enough to get him the acknowledgment to use that ce.


    "Are you sure?"


    The Holy Guards leader asked Zero for confirmation.


    Even if he disliked Professor Mia and her apprentice, it didn''t mean that he would support something which is disadvantageous to one party.


    He sensed that Zero was only at Rank-D+, which was one whole rank below Karn Kobe. Karn Kobe is the man who is being challenged by Zero.


    Although Zero made the suggestion, he had a hard time epting it.


    Even if Zero lost, he could not ignore Saintess'' request. He had to somewhat make Zero join the training session.


    Zero''s loss will only make it more difficult for him to convince his subordinates.


    "Yes, If I lose I will disappear from here but if I win I want to use this ce to train."


    "But..."


    "It''s okay, Zain! Let''s do as he said."


    The Saintess said. She would not want to miss the opportunity to see Zero''s strength. She wanted to find whether he was worth her lost lifespan.


    Since the Saintess had already agreed to the idea, Zain also had no objections.


    The contest was very simple; With an additional weight of 300 kg, whoever ran the highestp would win.


    It was essential to put them on weights so that the contest would end quickly. Without the weights, they might run for hours without being exhausted.


    Zero and Karn put on the weight and were ready topete. Zain was appointed as the judge of the contest.


    "You may start!"


    With Zain''s signal, the contest started.

 Chapter 150 A Handicap?

    Chapter 150 A Handicap?


    -THUD! -THUD!


    The two started to run at a decent pace right from the start. At the start of the contest, Karn was trying to provoke Zero.


    "Are you sure you can run carrying those weights? I will give you a handicap if you can''t handle it."


    Karn said while walking at the same speed as Zero. He was greatly underestimating Zero.


    With 300kg on there with 10x the gravity, even Rank-C + Karn felt somewhat struggling to run properly.


    He assumed that Zero would be suffering since he was used to training in 10x gravity and his rank was higher than Zero.


    Normally, people didn''t have enough endurance to train in a gravity room, so many would find training in those ces difficult and would avoid it.


    Getting stronger by ranking up was easierpared to struggling in the Gravity Room.


    And even if a person had the will, not many ces had those gravity rooms. Even if they have, renting those ces was very expensive.


    Karn guessed Zero falls into the first category. A person who had no will to properly train in the Gravity Room.


    The reason for his assumption was that Zero''s skin was too fair like a protected maiden to have gone through any training.


    In reality, Zero''s skin was like this because of Saintess''s healing which had healed his body to the point that even his calluses disappeared.


    Previously Zero had many scars and wounds on the body plus calluses on his hand due to his reckless training. But those all disappeared after the Saintess''s healing.


    While the result of his training didn''t go away, the proof of his hard work has surely disappeared.


    That''s why Karn thought of Zero as a person who is using his background to get through the backdoor.


    He didn''t think Zero would be able to endure even 5 minutes of running with those 300kg weights on his body.


    "Yes! What type of handicap do you want to give me?"<sub></sub>


    Zero instead of getting angry at his underestimation agreed that he needs a handicap. He knows that Karn was trying to make him angry by talking to him.


    However, it would only work against someone who is bloated with pride and ego, it was not effective against Zero.


    It was not that Zero had no ego or pride but due to constantly being on the verge of death, he has matured enough to not get blinded by pride and ego.


    What could pride do when fighting against Rank-A Devil Contractor and Rank-S Ice Griffin? Not to mention countless suffering as Emperor of Destruction.


    Pride could only make death quicker and nothing else.


    "Wha-! Shameless!"


    Karn can only utter those words. He never thought that there was someone who could ever be a person to ept a handicap in a contest.


    Even if agreeing does get you the advantage, what about pride? Is getting the win with a handicap be honorable?


    With Saintess and many Holy Guards as witnesses, you would only get humiliated by epting a handicap.


    He never except that his word which was only meant to be for provocation could be epted by Zero.


    ( Does this guy not have pride? Are you even a man? )


    Karn thought angrily.


    However, Zero thinking was different. As a person who had been thrown into the Forest of Death, he had to use every means to survive.


    Before bing the strongest, he had to use every underhanded method to win against his enemy.


    So, that''s why Zero more than wees the opportunity for his enemy to be at a disadvantage. That''s why he unhesitantly epted Karn''s words.


    Another reason was that he was already at a disadvantage since he was Rank-D+ which is one major rank below Karn. Zero getting a handicap would not necessarily be mocked.<sub>


    </sub>


    And the chance of winning is also increased with a handicap. He will be more than happy to get a handicap as long as he wins.


    Even if others scorn him for winning because of a handicap, as long as he wins, he would be able to use the ce to train.


    He didn''t care what others thought, he was going to stay here temporarily anyway.


    Though it seemed that he had to wait whether he would get a handicap.


    Karn didn''t speak anymore. He just wanted to make his opponent angry, not expecting that the other party is shameless to even think of getting a handicap.


    "So, What handicap will you give me?"


    Zero asked Karn.


    "...."


    Karn stayed silent. He had never actually thought of giving a handicap since all he wanted to do was make Zero angry.


    "Oh my, don''t tell me you have been just speaking bullshit. A man such as yourself, who is serving in this holy ce is actually lying to others. What a sin."


    Zero took the opportunity to mock Karn instead. He knew that Karn''s words were just to provoke him. But who told him to utter that nonsense in front of him.


    ( This Shameless guy, really¡­ )


    He didn''t think that Zero could ask him to give him a handicap. He thought he would provoke and humiliate Zero but instead, it seems that he is getting insulted.


    "Nevermind, I don''t need a handicap to defeat a person like you."


    -DASH!


    "SHIT!"<sub> </sub>


    Karn got angry. It looked like he could not even give a handicap to a guy who was Rank below him.


    Actually, there were many things he could have said or done, instead of getting humiliated like this. But since he was baffled at Zero''s unexpected reply, Karn could not think properly.


    He had turned stupid by Zero''s shamelessness.


    He could only grit his teeth and endure the humiliation. He ran faster as he felt the need to win to wash away his earlier embarrassment. Losing will only add to his insult.


    Zero kept a calm face as he ran like he was used to this type of training. Before being stuck in the dungeon, Zero could run up to two hours with 100kg on his body.


    This was before he ranked up. Now with his stat increased with mana herb and ranking up, he was able to run with 300kg like he used to with 100kg.


    He didn''t struggle much after getting used to the weights which didn''t take long. Finding the appropriate pace, Zero began running at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow.


    Zero thought of this as training and had forgotten that he waspeting with someone. He was happy looking at his own progress.


    He noted down in his mind the changes he feels. It is his first time really looking at his own improvement since ranking up.


    -HUFF! -PUFF!


    "Are you approaching your limit?"


    It was not until Karn came to talk to him, that Zero came back to reality.


    It had been 30 minutes since the contest began, and Karn was sweating a lot. Normally he would be only using 200kg and he could run for one hour.


    Now, he was carrying over 300kg and he was honestly reaching his limit. He was also running at a pace that was faster than his usual due to being desperate to win.


    He thought that Zero who is only in Rank-D should not evenst for 5 minutes. Now, it had been 30 minutes, and rather than Zero, it seemed that he was reaching the limit first.


    "No! Maybe after 30 minutes."


    ( What? 30 more minutes? )


    Karn felt spurting blood when he heard Zero. He could only go for 5 more minutes at most. It was impossible for him tost another 30 minutes.


    "Impossible! You are just bragging."


    Karn shouted. How could he believe that someone who is younger and had a lower rank could outdo him so much?


    Even among the same rank, he was considered an elite. With Church''s merciless training, he had only be stronger.


    How could he ept that a person whose skin was like he had never wielded a weapon could defeat him?


    "Impossible? It''s just running another 30 minutes. Don''t tell me you are reaching your limit?"


    -GULP!


    Zero hit him where it hurt the most.


    "Hehe¡­ How about it, I give you a handicap?"


    Zero said with a big grin. It was his way of getting back at Karn who had been provoking him.


    "And I am not lying like you either. I can add another 100kg on my body if you want."


    And he didn''t forget to mention Karn''s previous shameful action.


    "..."


    Karn could only silently retreat. He didn''t want to get any more insulted by Zero. Zero was surely provoking and insulting him at the same time but he could not retaliate.


    Zero was provoked by saying that he will offer a handicap just like Karn had done and also insulting him for reminding him of his previous blunder.


    However, Karn could not answer in the same way as Zero.


    Zero could definitely give him a handicap.


    However, even with Zero giving him a handicap, Karn was not going tost more. If it was at the start or if Zero also seemed exhausted, he might have a chance at winning with a handicap but it was not the case.


    Zero, like he said, seemed to be able to run for a few moreps. Getting a handicap at this point seems a little pointless with his condition.


    Adding to that, it will only add more insult to his already pathetic situation. Getting a handicap from a person you looked down at and also to the person who has a lower rank than you.


    Even getting a win with a handicap will only further add to his humiliation. There was also his fellow guard and Saintess watching them.


    He ran as he looked at the Zero''s figure which was running further and further away from him, Though, in reality, it was him who was getting slower and slower.


    ( What a monster! Looked like this world has given birth to another ridiculous monster. )


    -BANG!


    With a loud sound which was due to his 300kg weight, Karn fell down.


    The audience outside could not believe what they had just seen. They didn''t know about Zero but they did know Karn well.


    Though a bit arrogant, he had the strength to back it up with hard work apanying him. They didn''t think that today they would suffer another humiliation.


    That also from a student of Professor Mia who had first humiliated them. The student and teacher really gave them a wake-up call.


    They didn''t have a chance against Professor Mia who had been ascended to Rank-S - and even her student at Rank-D+ won against their Rank-C+ guard.


    The judge, Zain, looked at Karn with pity and then at Zero withplicated emotions. Karn was one of the most talented guards on his team.


    Though Karn was just Rank-C, he was also youngpared to other guards whose age was over 40. By their age, Karn could be another Rank-A Holy Guard leader like him.


    However, the same Karn has beenpletely defeated by an outsider who is younger than him.


    -SIGH!


    He could only ept the result. He vowed to train his team more strictly from now on. Not only did they not listen to their master, Saintess but also got himself humiliated.


    "The contest is over. Winner, Zero Elea!"

 Chapter 151 Professor Mia Returns

    Chapter 151 Professor Mia Returns


    "The contest is over. Winner, Zero Elea!"


    Zain dered in a loud voice.


    Zero at that time was still running, not aware that Karn had copsed. Only after hearing the judge''s announcement did he stop.


    -HUFF -PUFF!


    Zero hearing the announcement turned around and saw Karn had copsed.


    His uneven breathing showed he was tired after running for so long with 300kg in 10x gravity.


    Though he could still run for a long time before being in the same state as Karn.


    "Wow! He beat someone from the Holy Guard team. Are Ace Academy students as strong as they say?"


    "Befitting the student of Ice Enchantress. The student is as talented as his teacher."


    "I had never expected that a child so young could be so powerful. Worthy of being Saintess''s guest."


    The maids behind the Saintess were surprised to see one of the guards lose in a contest of endurance.


    The maids serving Saintess were all Rank-C and higher, but that didn''t mean they could do what Guards could do. They don''t have the will nor the power to train with added weights and 10x gravity.


    They know guards who regrly train like this are strong with high endurance. They had never expected them to lose to a mere kid.


    Though they did ept the fact after realizing whose student he was. Zero, they might have never heard of but they sure knew who Ice Enchantress was.<sub></sub>


    Being her student could mean that he was talented. Thises to a natural conclusion after seeing him beat Karn.


    ( Mia, at least he is as talented as you say. )


    Saintess Amelia thought.


    She had listened to the story shared by Professor Mia who could not stop talking about how talented and hard-working her disciple is.


    While she didn''t think that Professor Mia would lie to her, she didn''t fully believe her either.


    A person you are close to will always tend to exaggerate their achievements. She believed that while Professor Mia might be telling her the truth, she may also be exaggerating it.


    Otherwise, how can she possibly believe that there is a monster whose talent surpasses her friend?


    She had expected Zero to lose to Karn. While she heard that he was a beast in training, Church guards were no slouch either.


    They had been through grueling training since they were selected as Church guards. Their endurance and power were beyond the same rank.


    She followed along with Zero, even when she thought he would lose. That was because if Zero was even a little like what her friend said, then Zero would be able to at least disy an amazing performance.


    Even with his defeat, he could get ess to the training ce as long as others acknowledged his power.


    Though it seems that Zero''s performance was beyond her expectations. She thought that maybe her friend was not exaggerating as much as she thought.


    "It looks like my sacrifice was worth a little."<sub>


    </sub>


    ( But will he stand on humanity''s side or oppose it? )


    She did think that Zero had the amazing talent to even have her neglect the fact that she lost some of her life spans to heal Zero.


    But she also knew that Zero could use Dark Energy. A power that is a nemesis to humanity.


    A talented person like him could either be a hero or the most dangerous viin.


    Saintess Amelia could not arbitrarily judge Zero''s character with the little information she had of Zero. She needed time, which she had, to observe Zero and determine whether she had saved a Hero or a Viin.


    ******


    "As per the agreement, I hope that you all let me use this ce to train."


    Zero said which also looked more like a statement than a request.


    It was okay for them to reject and badmouth him the first time they met but now that he had shown them his capability, he could not stand it if they tried to do so again.


    He could only let his fist talk otherwise.


    The Church''s guard, who was the target of Zero''s word, remained silent. They had to ept it since one of their guards had lost and they had agreed on the bet.


    They could not use excuses like Zero had no power, or endurance or he used the backdoor. Instead, he had shown that he was better than them, at least in terms of talent. They had to admit that Zero was perfectly qualified to train there.


    Taking their silence as okay, Zero turned to the Saintess.<sub> </sub>


    "Since Zero had won the contest, I hereby give my permission for him to train here."


    Saintess Amelia announced.


    Since gaining permission to use the ce for training, Zero had been training in that building for most of the days.


    However, it was not like it was a private room that he got so he had to train with the Church guards.


    At first, many thought that Zero was using the backdoor to get the position of Holy Church guard. However,ter they found out that Zero was just staying here temporarily to which they felt relieved.


    If Zero were to join them, his talent would overshadow them which was something that they don''t desire.


    To rise in rank, the lesser thepetitor, the better, especially someone who is as talented as Zero.


    They had been observing Zero''s training when they came to train. With Zero winning against Karn, they had naturally developed a keen interest in Zero.


    They wanted to find out Zero''s real limit. In the contest, Zero had won even before he had shown any signs of exhaustion.


    As the guards were always training with each other, they could at least tell whether one was reaching the limit or not.


    They could only marvel at the training Zero was going through. He had been carrying the same 300kg weights from his contest with Karn and had been training with those weights on.


    Zero had been training with that weight for one hour before resting for a while and continuing with the same training.


    It was not that there was no person in their team who could do that but those people were all Rank-B and quite old to astonish them.


    While Zero was the youngest there and was training using those things. They can''t help but be motivated to work hard themselves.


    It was simr to how one sees a kid working harder than you. You would naturally feel that you need to do more work.


    One more change that the Guard felt in the training session was the appearance of Saintess.


    She, who rarely visited them, was showing up more often. ( Saintess Amelia hates the Guard due to them not allowing her freedom which they were oblivious to.)


    She would alwayse to observe Zero. While others may simply think she was looking at his body, she had been paying more attention to his mana aura.


    His Dark Energy has subsided quite a while, with Ice Energy taking over. With her observation, she could see that Zero''s Ice Energy was as strong as Professor Mia''s.


    She could finally understand the real reason why Professor Mia had taken Zero as her mentee. She was the ideal teacher for Zero.


    ***


    ( Is she still busy?)


    Zero thought.


    One week had gone by since Professor Mia left him.


    He was a little worried since he was missing so many days from school. Though even with him going to school, most of the time had been spent sleeping in the ss.


    He knew that Professor Mia had only officially announced her new rank causing a sensation around the world. The youngest Rank-S had emerged.


    Zero has seen many news articles covering her. Professor Mia had been in the limelight for many days.


    It was only after three more days that Professor Mia hade to take Zero back.


    She suddenly appeared beside Zero, which gave him a shock.


    "Zero, has Saintess Amelia been taking care of you well?"


    "Haha¡­ Y-yes, she has."


    Zero answered quite awkwardly.


    Saintess Amelia was observing him, quite like a stalker. It would be weird if he didn''t see her observing him.


    She didn''t care about how others saw her and would look at Zero like a hunter looking at its prey.


    The only good thing was that Saintess Amelia didn''t really disturb or make trouble for him. And she had been treating him like a guest which he was thankful for.


    Looking at how Saintess was showing disdain for the Dark Energy, Zero for one thought that he would be treated miserably once Professor Mia was gone.


    He thought that Saintess was not that heartless, and had thought that maybe she might be as kind as the rumor states.


    Though rumor tends to be exaggerated especially when ites to things rted to God and religion. And Zero himself learned how Saintess could lie without batting an eye.


    "Is that so? I will need to thank herter."


    As she said, she went to find the Saintess.


    Zero was dyed going back by one more day. Saintess had kept pushing Professor Mia to stay there.

 Chapter 152 Back To Ace Academy!

    Chapter 152 Back To Ace Academy!


    [Ace Academy]


    One week after Zero and Professor Mia escaped from the Gate. The main characters from the novel have been spending their time peacefully in the Academy.


    There had been no incident and they were training for the Tournament of Academies. With their mentor not sparing any time to rest, they had been using all their time to strengthen themselves.


    At that time, one particr news that all the students were aware of was Professor Mia''s new rank. It had be a hot topic since they had officially heard about her new rank yesterday.


    "Hey, Professor Mia has reached Rank-S -. We have another Rank-S teacher in the Academy."


    "Our Academy has been receiving lots of news reporterstely. I have even been interviewed by some. Guess we are lucky to be in this ss. Haha¡­"


    "Professor Mia is really an ideal Professor. We should take her as a role model and work hard."


    The students were also hyped after knowing about Professor Mia''s ascension, especially in the ss of Hiro. It was because Professor Mia was their homeroom teacher.


    They had even been approached by some news reporter to talk about Professor Mia. They could only say positive things about Professor Mia. Not only was it true but even if it was false, they didn''t dare badmouth Professor Mia.


    Hiro and others were equally astonished to find out that Professor Mia ranked up.


    "She really is a genius. I wish I could congratte her right now. Pity that Professor Mia is away from the Academy."


    Sylvia enthusiastically said with a little bit of disappointment. Professor Mia was her idol and to see her idol reach a new height, she was naturally happy.


    "Lisa, do you know about that news?"<sub></sub>


    "Yes, Professor Mia is really a genius, bing a Rank-S at such a young age. We ought to congratte her."


    Lisa said with a smile showing a hint of little jealousy and happiness.


    She was happy that her teacher was promoted to a new rank. Though that does not stop her from being envious of Professor Mia''s talent.


    She had everything a person desires; Fame, beauty, and power. There was no single entity who would not feel jealous of Professor Mia.


    "Not that one. The one which says Professor Mia was trapped in a Gate before ascending to Rank-S."


    Sylvia asked.


    "By this point, there is no use asking about that. Pretty much everyone knows that Professor Mia conquered the Gate herself. Our guild had been trying their best to get Professor Mia to our side, promising to even give Rank-S Artifacts."


    Lisa said. It was no secret that Professor Mia got trapped in a Gate before emerging as Rank-S.


    All the Guild had been trying their luck to get the talent on their side. They didn''t care much for resources as long as they could get Professor Mia to join them.


    With her ascension, Professor Mia is hailed as a true genius whose talent is higher than Hiro. She is the youngest Rank-S in the world.


    Not only that, to conquer the Rank-A Gate all by herself when she is only at Rank-S - shows that herbat ability is no worse than Rank-S+. She was every definition of genius.


    Of course, the number of proposals she received skyrocketed to thousands with the young masters of Age 20 to Age 50 Rank-S trying their luck. Her fan base was increasing exponentially since her ascension.<sub>


    </sub>


    "Yes, she had conquered a Rank-A Gate herself. As expected of Professor Mia, I still have a long way to go before reaching her level."


    Sylvia clenched her hand, determined to someday be just like Professor Mia.


    "Oh!And by the way, did you know that Zero was also trapped in the Gate."


    Sylvia said, remembering the information.


    "What?"


    Lisa shouted.


    Lisa was surprised. She had no idea about that. She had only heard about Professor Mia getting trapped and conquering the Gate.


    It was because a majority of the news channel was about Professor Mia''s ascension. Who got the time to report about as insignificant as Zero being with Professor Mia in the Gate.


    However, some news reporters did not forget to mention that along with Professor Mia, there was another victim trapped in the Gate. With theirwork, some found out he was a student of Ace Academy.


    Though hardly anyone had paid attention to those news articles.


    However, Saliva as a die-hard fan of Professor Mia had read many news articles including those which talked about the presence of another person present in the Gate.


    Though the news article didn''t particrly mention Zero but with her conjecture, she thought it was Zero. There were lots of things to believe that the person was Zero.<sub> </sub>


    First, it was no secret that Zero was training under Professor Mia. Also that she was taking him to dungeons.


    Second, the Gate appearance was on the weekend, the same day when Professor Mia takes Zero to the dungeon.


    Third, Obviously, Professor Mia was at Agora Town with a purpose which was definitely to train Zero.


    Though news articles mentioned Professor Mia was defending the ce from Dungeon Outburst before she got sucked into the Gate. However, she was definitely there because of Zero not because of Dungeon Outburst.


    The fourth point which surely supports every previous point, Zero was absent from the ss. That was also at the same time when Professor Mia was not present.


    Sylvia was certain that Zero was the other victim of the Gate.


    "How can that be? Isn''t he dead then?"


    Lisa said almost refusing to believe Sylvia. A Rank-D trapped in Rank-A Gate? He would surely die.


    "Howe we didn''t get any information about it? Is the Academy trying to avoid their responsibility?"


    Lisa raised her voice a bit, showing a fit of rare anger on her face.


    She knows how big organizations try to hide their mistakes by hiding the truth and revealing only the good things. She thought it must be Ace Academy manipting the flow of information like the time at the BloodyWolf incident.


    "Calm down! How can that be possible for him to die like this? Was Professor Mia not with him?  as long as she is with him, he could not possibly die."


    Sylvia talked with absolute confidence in Professor Mia. And she also didn''t think that Zero was someone who would easily die like that.


    She was saved by Zero and not only did she see the overwhelming power of Zero but also his tendency to survive. There was no way someone who has such willpower would easily sumb to fate.


    And she knows that even if Ace Academy tries to hide the news, for how long can they do it? People were not blind and they sooner orter found the disappearance of Zero odds.


    Zero is the most talented student in Ace Academy, there is no way that Ace Academy could hide Zero''s death or avoid the responsibility.


    Others may not care much about Zero''s death but not Ace Academy. Others don''t know about Zeros'' talent but people of Ace Academy know.


    If Zero dies, they have to shoulder the responsibility whether they like it or not. Especially Professor Mia who was Zeros'' mentor and someone who had dragged Zero into that ce.


    Right now, many are treating Zero''s disappearance as normal since he is one of the participants of the Tournament of Academies. They think he is training and as a participant he got the privileges of being on leave for so long.


    "..."


    Lisa calms down after listening to Sylvia. She knows that if Professor Mia has time to interview then it shows that there was nothing wrong with Zero.


    She felt embarrassed after she calmed down. Raising her voice and acting on emotion, she was behaving like a kid.


    "Are you sure it was Zero?"


    This time, the one to ask was Hiro. He had been listening to them and thinking by himself. He also thought like Sylvia.


    "Yes, one of the news reporters is my friend. She had spotted Professor Mia and Zero together one month before the incident. She had been secretly collecting news about them."


    Sylvia said while grinning.


    Her friend was a gossip lover who had been trying to get good news for a while. The biggest achievement of her life was spotting Professor Mia and Zero together and making a headline of it.


    "Hmmm!"


    Hiro fell into his thoughts. He imagined himself being inside a Rank-A Gate. No matter how much he thought, he didn''t think it was possible to survive inside with his Rank-D + strength.


    ( What a monster! )


    Hiro thought. No matter whether it was because of Professor Mia or not, surviving inside a Gate would be as tough as it gets with their feeble strength.


    He has little idea about Zero''s strength but if Zero could survive inside Rank-A Gate, it goes beyond his imagination of how powerful Zero was. Not even Lisanna has a hope to survive inside Rank-A Gate.


    He thought that Zero being able to survive inside a Rank-A Gate showed his strength. Whether it was luck or his own skill, Hiro had to admit defeat in front of Zero.


    "He might as well be the strongest student in the world."


    Hiro Muttered.

 Chapter 153 Back To Ace Academy! [2]

    Chapter 153 Back To Ace Academy! [2]


    Four more days had passed and Zero was still not at Ace Academy.


    "Where did Zero go? Even with his privilege, I don''t think that he would be absent for so long."


    "Do you think something happened to him?"


    "Haha, who can mess with him? Unless they want to face Professor Mia directly."


    "True, she is Zero''s mentor after all."


    "What mentor! Did you not hear the rumor about those two? If the rumor is true then whoever messes with Zero will certainly face Professor Mia''s wrath."


    The ssmate naturally felt something was off since Zero had been absent for more than 10 days.


    With Zero''s fame in the Ace Academy, many would notice his absence. Though they didn''t think that he was in any kind of danger with Professor Mia''s backing.


    "However, I heard that he died in the Gate."


    One of them said,


    "Gate? The same one as Professor Mia or a different one?"


    One of them curiously asked. The dead part might be fake but getting trapped in the Gate may be true. The number of gates has been increasing day by day. It would not be weird for Zero to get trapped in that.


    However, the students there know that the Gate below Rank-C is not capable of ending Zero''s life. At least with his power, he could survive until reinforcements arrive.


    The problem was the high-ranking Gate. And the recent High-Ranking Gate was none other than the one Professor Mia conquered.


    "The same one."


    "Really? Then, he should be as good as dead."


    Sigh. They didn''t know whether the rumor was true or not but judging by the fact that Zero was missing they could only believe it.<sub></sub>


    The second strongest in the Ace Academy dead? That was a big blow to their line of participants for the tournament.


    "Why didn''t the school say anything?"


    They wondered. With Ace Academy ability, it was easy to know the status of one of their students. They would have already known whether Zero was alive or dead.


    If he was dead, then choosing another participant should be natural. The Ace Academy would start another selection process for choosing the recement.


    They all thought about possible things that could happen, not knowing that the Head Teacher had already got the information about Zero from Professor Mia.


    Since Professor Mia already told him that Zero was injured, he had already taken that statement as Zero being alive. So, Ace Academy professors were not worried about losing their participants for the tournament.


    The students were all gossiping with each other. Topic about Professor Mia being most talked about. They were also eager to wee their homeroom teacher who had been ascended to Rank-S.


    For many of them, Rank-S was their lifetime goal. Something they will strive for all their lives. They could only respect and envy Professor Mia for reaching it at such a young age.


    -CRICCK!


    Amid the noisy ss, Zero opened the door and entered the ss.


    The whole ss turned silent and looked at Zero.


    It had been 10 days since thest time they saw Zero, and he casually turned up now.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    He casually walked up to his seat, not paying any attention to those curious stares. It wasn''t like this was his first time that so many people stared at him.


    "See? He is not dead. I told you Ace Academy would not hide the information if he was dead."


    Sylvia told Lisa. <sub>


    </sub>


    "I already know."


    Lisa blushed. She was reminded of her embarrassing outburst. But even so she was relieved to see Zero back.


    While the two of them were talking happily, Hiro was fixated on Zero.


    Hiro felt tense while looking at Zero.


    He could sense that Zero strength had actually jumped several times higher than what it was two weeks ago. He could not actually gauge his strength with his skill ''Wild Sense''.


    Wild sense, a Rank-A skill. Though it has no other function other than to sense others'' strength, it was more than enough to avoid potential danger.


    ording to the user''s strength, one could gauge opponents'' strength. It does not show other persons rank or status but it was more useful than knowing them.


    Stat and rank were after all just one of the factors that determined ones'' strength. With Wild sense though, you could actually know whether you can beat the other person or not.


    However, the skill was only useful for those who were Rank-A and below. It would be useless after that but before reaching that rank, it was a life saving skill.


    The danger level is represented by colors. The colors were white, green, blue, yellow, orange, red and ck with White being easy and ck being impossible.


    Using Wild Sense on Lisanna at the selection turns red, indicating a very tough opponent for Hiro.


    Lisanna getting red means that it would be very difficult for Hiro to win against her. However, Zero was ck.


    ck means an opponent that is almost impossible for Hiro to win. Professor Mia and the Head Teacher were all in the ck category.


    It means that Zero had a strength that was unreadable by the current Hiro. He has used Wild Sense on Zero before and it was red simr to Lisanna. He didn''t expect it to turn ck in just two weeks.


    ( What did you do? )


    Hiro thought. <sub> </sub>


    With the system, it was all a matter of hard work for him to be stronger faster than anyone else. He thought he might be able to close the gap between him and Zero, only being left behind.


    The gap between them only increased even though he had increased his rank and was stronger than he was at the selection. The danger level of Lisanna has decreased to orange which means that he has closed the distance between him and Lisanna.


    But the distance between him and Zero had actually increased rather than decreased. To the point that even Lisanna could not defeat Zero.


    While Hiro was getting all tense, Zion was just staring at Zero. He has long lost his interest in things other than his own strength.


    He even stopped having hisckey follow him.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Zero walked to his seat as usual and sat in his chair. He looked around to see everyone staring at him.


    ( What? Did you all turn stupid, looking at me with a ck expression. )


    Zero thought while feeling awkward with all the stares on him. He was gone for two months, well two weeks for others and they all turned stupid.


    They were just wondering what the second strongest member of their Academy had done during the two weeks he was gone.


    Ignoring their stare like usual, Zero began looking around.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    A voice interrupted him.


    "Who?"


    "You forgot me after only two weeks?"


    "Sylvia!"


    "Hehe¡­"


    Zero turned to see Sylvia making a sly expression.


    "Who are you searching for?"


    Sylvia asked curiously.


    "No one."


    "I for sure thought that you would be searching for Lisa after not seeing her for so many days. Did you not miss her after so long?"


    Sylvia said.


    "..."


    Zero became silent for a second. Though he would like to deny that, it was not entirely false. He was after all looking for the main characters which include Lisa as well.


    "Maybe you were looking for me. Hehe¡­"


    "Like Hell!"


    Zero knew that Sylvia was teasing him. In addition, Zero could not refute it because it was all the result of his own actions.


    ( Who told me to follow that nonsense script? I don''t know when I can clear my name. )


    Zero thought. Due to his acting like a love sick bastard during the first week of school, he has been misunderstood on more than one asion.


    Professor Mia and Sylvia were prime examples of how others looked at him. It was impossible for him to dispel the rumor that he chased a girl despite being among the Top-3 strongest students.


    "Thought so!"


    Sylvia said, not caring about hisment.


    "Anyway, where were you all this time? Our princess here was worried about you all this time."


    Sylvia grinned. Princess obviously referred to Lisa.


    "Well, I was busy with some personal problems."


    Zero answered. Ignoring the sentence about Lisa. He didn''t think that Sylvia was telling the truth and was just teasing him.


    With his knowledge of the main characters, how would he not know about Lisa? Lisa, a girl who was friendly to everyone but always maintained a wall that prevented others from getting too close to her.


    There was no way that same Lisa would particrly care for him. As a ssmate, maybe she might be worried but not more than that.


    "Personal Problem? Were you trapped in the Gate? Was it from that?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "Yes, I was taken to the Holy Church to be healed. I had to stay there for quite some time."


    Zero replied. Not entirely true but not false either. He was healed in a day and was staying there because Professor Mia asked him. Though he didn''t want to exin all thoseplicated things.


    "Holy Church? Was the injury that serious? Is it all right now?"


    Syliva asked. She became worried when she heard the reason for Zero''s absence. She didn''t know that Zero was injured to the point of needing to go to the Church.


    "It''s okay. I have fully recovered."


    Zero chatted with Sylvia for some time. Sylvia was the only one from the main character group that Zero actually talked to.


    He had been getting thetest information about Ace Academy and about the event surrounding the Main Character from Sylvia.


    She would also tease Zero from time to time with Lisa, to which Zero could only endure.

 Chapter 154 The Journalist

    Chapter 154 The Journalist


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Look! Professor Mia is back!"


    "She seems to have be even more beautiful than before."


    "God had bestowed her with both talent and beauty, s the world is really unfair."


    Professor Mia was back. No surprise there since she was the one who dragged me back to Ace Academy.


    The students in the ss had be extremely excited after seeing Professor Mia back. The object of envy and the person who is being talked about in the whole world is right in front of them. How can they not be excited?


    "Silence!"


    Professor Mia said.


    The student kept quiet as soon as Professor Mia said the word. The student knows better than to defy Professor Mia.


    With Professor Mia''s power increased, they cannot imagine the state they will be in if Professor Mia punishes them.


    "I know most of you have heard of why I was absent. Now that I am back I will once again resume my duties."


    Professor Mia then took attendance and shared the announcement that she has as she usually does. The only difference was that the student was excited to see her.


    They had the same expression as when Professor Mia first came to the ss as a homeroom teacher. <sub></sub>


    When they first had Professor Mia as their homeroom teacher, they could not stop being excited. Though with time, that excitement seems to have vanished.


    But now they seem to have again realized the luck that they have in being able to have Professor Mia as their homeroom teacher.


    Professor Mia''s fame is now as high as it could be. There was no one who had not heard of her. The greatest genius of the century.


    Professor Mia exited the ss and the ss continued on as normal. Since I had no training in the morning, I actively listened to the teacher.


    Professor Mia had suspended the training for a week. I guess she is worried about my injuries even though they are all healed up.


    The ss began with Professor Helm talking about the use of mana core as external mana. After that was the training period.


    Today, I didn''t need to train with Professor Mia so I headed to where the ss is training. It was the ss that I had not attended since I was training under Professor Mia.


    I looked around to see how they were training. The students were in groups and were training by themselves.


    ( Soft! )


    That was the only thing I could tell about the training that they were doing. They were Rank-E+ and only used 50kg weights to train with no increase in gravity.


    Some were just running around. What do you think would achieve that? Stamina? Even if I ran around the whole day, I would not feel tired in this ce.


    At least use mana to run around, not just run aimlessly. Mana use will increase your control and capacity, though it will be exhausting but that is the purpose of training.<sub>


    </sub>


    I could only say that the training that my ssmate was doing would rather deteriorate my strength rather than increase it.


    For the first time, I know why Church guards'' training is considered one of the most difficult. It was because they indeed whenpared to the training my ssmate were going through.


    ( I hope others are doing better than this. )


    I was worried about how the other participants for the Tournament of Academies were training. If they were also going through this kind of training, I can only worry about the winning rate of our school.


    The tournament was not a one-on-one battle and having strong teammates was needed to win.


    Though I don''t think that the mentors would be so easy-going with the participants of the tournament.


    The distribution of the resources would be decided by the tournament. They must be training their mentee with harsh methods as their sry depends on them.


    I would suffer if I had weak teammates. Though I can rest assured knowing Hiro and the other main characters are there.


    I don''t know what type of training they are putting themselves through but they do get extremely strong before the Tournament of Academies. I expect them to be more powerful than they are in the novel.


    If Hiro breaks through to Rank-C - then winning the tournament would be a walk in the park.


    Well, I expect to see improvement in their performance soon. With the Tournament of Academies beginning around next month.


    Anyway, I should stop thinking about things that are beyond my control. Whether other participants are working hard is none of my business and I can''t stop them even if they don''t train.<sub> </sub>


    I can only increase my strength so that even if they are weak, I would have no problem winning.


    Walking out of the gate of Ace Academy, I headed to the NightShade guild to train. Even if I don''t need to train with Professor Mia, it does not mean that I would not train.


    The training was not for the others, but for myself. I learned how weak and powerless I am in the face of death after the incident at Gate. If not for luck, Me and Professor Mia would have both died in the Gate.


    I need to increase my power as quickly as possible. There are many unexpected events and dangers that could easily kill me if I ever getcent.


    *****


    After the training, I stopped by Tech Genesis for a bit. Everything was going well and thepany was heading in the right direction.


    TwitFlick and WorldCraft already have tens of millions of users. The profit generated was enough to make even the Diamond Graded Guild take notice of mypany.


    The reason I was at Tech Genesis was to have thepany procure a new sword for me. The previous sword had been destroyed by the skill that I used in the Gate.


    I needed a stronger weapon than that. Even with the sword being at Rank-B, it just broke like that. I would need a sword at Rank-A though it will be difficult to get a sword artifact of that rank.


    But with the money that I currently possess, it was only a matter of time to get the sword artifact of Rank-A. I just need the information gathering team to collect any information on a good Sword Artifact.


    After I was done with my purpose, I went back to the dorm to rest. The bed at Holy Church was much softer but I feel much morefortable sleeping here than there.


    The next day, I was on the way to my ss. Everything was as usual except for the fact that there had been a sharp increase in the number of journalists in the Ace Academy today.


    With Professor Mia back at the school, I guess they want to have an interview with her.


    I could see many of them talking with some students and other students were also staring at them.


    I ignored them and continued to walk to ss. However, as I walked away from the crowd, my hand was caught.


    "Young man, Stop!"


    Following the grabbing was a voice.


    Turning around, I found that it was one of the journalists that grabbed my wrist.


    I don''t know why he caught me when there are a lot of other students in the area. He could have just gone for them.


    "I heard you are the personal disciple of Mrs. Mia Frostine."


    So that was the reason. Looks like the journalist in front of me had some rtionship with the people of Ace Academy.


    Only the students and teachers that are from Ace Academy would know that Professor Mia is my mentor. So, my guess is someone from the Ace Academy told him.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about. Please let go of me."


    I try to ask him nicely. If I used my power, I might break the hand that is grabbing me.


    "Don''t try to lie. We already have extensive information about you. We know that you are the one that Ice Enchantress is teaching for the Tournament Of Academies."


    "I have already told you I don''t know what you are talking about. If you want to interview someone, ask them."


    I pointed to the other students who seem to be looking forward to being interviewed. I guess they think they will get some fame from those news reporters.


    "I already have something to do. So if you excuse me."


    I tried to take my hand away from the journalist''s grip when instead of loosening the grip, the journalist held it tighter.


    I was surprised because the strength of the grip was of someone at Rank-D. A Rank-D journalist looks like he works for some bigpany.


    "Please stop with your lie. We would like to ask you some questions. Young man, we work for the Titan Storm Guild. If you cooperate with us, it will be for the best."


    The journalist said in a domineering voice making it sound like a threat.


    Titan Storm Guild is one of the Diamond Graded guilds. It is famous because the Guild leader is Rank-S+, one of the top Heroes.


    But even if he works for a Diamond Graded Guild, is it not rude for them to force me?


    I mean I have not even med them for collecting information about me and now they seem to be threatening me with their guild.


    "So what? I have already told you that I need to go. When I say I need to go, I will go. Don''t you dare threaten me with your guild!"


    I said in an annoyed voice.


    With that, I used some strength to free myself from his grip. I walked away not giving a damn about the journalist.


    "Humph! Arrogant like his teacher. I will show him the power of a journalist."


    The journalist clenched his hand.

 Chapter 155 What Is My Crime?

    Chapter 155 What Is My Crime?


    The journalist was one of those journalists who had pestered Professor Mia during the Gate. He also suffered at the hand of Professor Mia.


    He hade here to take revenge on Professor Mia. Though it was not possible to fight Professor Mia with his fist, at least he could drag her name down with his news article.


    He could have easily done it if he had the cooperation of Zero who is the personal student of Professor Mia. He had many ways to twist the news article into making Professor Mia look evil.


    Even if Zero would not say directly that he could have conned him into admitting that Professor Mia is a terrible person rather than a genius. But he had not expected that Zero would not even want to talk to him.


    Many people, especially the young, would be extremely happy to get to be in the news. Who would say no to fame?


    Moreover, they were from one of the greatest new channels in Eds, not to mention that Titan Storm was backing them up.


    Now, Zero had once again made the arrogant journalist realize that they could not do everything they wanted.


    His hatred for Professor Mia has been transferred to Zero who has reminded himself of the time he was suppressed by Professor Mia.


    He had made up his mind to make trouble for Zero. This is also in line with what he was here for. Zero''s bad reputation will indirectly affect Professor Mia''s reputation as well.


    Unknown to Zero about the intention of the reporter, he went to ss like normal.


    He looked around to find that his ssmates were more excited than ever. It might have to do with getting an opportunity to get interviewed.


    It seems that no matter how powerful one bes, he/she will always seek fame and glory. It was no different for the students of Ace Academy.


    They seem to dream of spreading their name across the whole world.


    I also get it that they want to make themselves famous but I don''t think answering journalists will do that. All they care about right now is getting the information about Professor Mia.


    It was the same for the audience, who would care about a person who appeared for one minute to talk about someone else.


    *SIGH!


    One could easily be famous as long as one bes strong. What''s the point of temporary fame when you could have all the fame when you ascend to Rank-S?<sub></sub>


    Right now, what we should focus on is getting stronger. Fame and other things were all useless things that could easily be achieved with power.


    Everything proceeded as normal. The only problem was journalists roaming outside the Ace Academy. Can''t the school administration do something about this? They are destroying the Ace Academy peace.


    I can''t go outside to train since the gate is filled with journalists. I decided to train here at school today.


    Only at night did I go to sleep.


    *****


    The next day, I walked down the road to my ss. There were many news reporters around which made the school atmosphere quite chaotic.


    "Look, he still has the audacity toe to school."


    "I never expected him to be so arrogant. Just because he is strong, does it mean he can do whatever he wants?"


    "Disregarding thew, I can''t believe him. He is truly fearless."


    "I already knew he was a flirt but to go so far. He is truly shameless."


    Walking to ss, many students were ring at me. I don''t know what happened but it looks like they hate me.


    I don''t do anything to earn their disdain but I guess there would be some who would always hate me no matter what.


    Ignoring those students, I continued to head toward the ss. The other students were also showing me the same kind of attitude as the previous group of students.


    I also realized that students were paying more attention to me than usual.


    Moreover, they seem to look at me with hostility rather than respect and fear which is usually the case.


    -CRICK!<sub>


    </sub>


    As I opened the door to the ss, my ssmates'' reactions were simr to those of students I had encountered earlier. While walking towards my seat, I heard a voice.


    "Humph! Despite all that, he is still acting so casually. If I were him, I would bury my face and never show it to others."


    One of my ssmates whispered but it was clearly aimed at me. With our hearing better than normal people, how could you possibly try to whisper in front of Rank-D? I knew he deliberately said that to be heard.


    I red at the ssmate. He immediately lowered his head and tried to make it seem like it wasn''t him who said that.


    One look was enough to scare him this much. I don''t know who gave him the guts to say such things to me.


    Still, something was definitely up which was not known to me right now. I know from the reaction of the students when they see me but I was not that worried.


    Even if they hate me to the point of wanting to kill me, they don''t have enough courage or strength to do so.


    -BANG!


    While I was making my way to my seat, one of the professors entered the ss.


    "Zero Elea, you have been summoned to the Professor conference hall."


    I thought that the problem was not that severe until I was summoned to the Professor''s conference hall.


    I don''t know what type of problem is brewing but it looks like something happened with me being involved.


    I tried to ask the reason but got no answer. I silently followed the professor.


    "Zero, Do you admit your fault?"


    As soon as I stepped into the conference hall, a familiar voice shouted at me. It was Professor William, typical of him to me me as soon as I entered the room.


    Ignoring his gibberish words, I looked around the conference hall to see many professors present. Looks like something serious has happened.<sub> </sub>


    "For what reason did you all call me?"


    I said.


    If they think I am going to cower before them then they can continue to dream. They might be trying to show their domineering side but it was only rude, rude to call me without telling me the reason.


    Just because I am a student at Ace Academy does not give them the right to push me around. If they want to discuss something useless, I would just leave from here.


    I could see Professor William gritting his teeth. But what can he do? I was not under any obligation to answer him.


    "Zero, we have called you to discuss something important."


    The Vice-Principal solemnly said.


    Even the Vice-Principal was present, which made me think that it was more serious than I thought.


    "What is that?"


    I asked.


    "Don''t try to fake ignorance. Just admit your wrongdoings and you will save us some time."


    One of the professors said, Looking closely I know who he was. He was one of the professors that followed Professor William.


    Looks like Professor William wants to take revenge today. Though I still don''t know why I am called here.


    "I admit that you are stupid. Now, may I go?"


    "Y-YOU! Know your ce. Is this how you talk to your professor?"


    "And is this how a professor behaves? Just tell me the reason why you have called me here."


    I replied angrily. Does he think he can get respect by treating me with contempt? I only respect those who respect me first.


    "You think that just because Professor Mia is backing you, you can act so arrogantly. I wil¡­"


    "STOP! Professor Yoel if you are done, I would like to ask Zero Elea some questions"


    The voice of the Vice-Principal, which contained his aura vibrated through the conference hall. Professor Yoel backed away without hesitation seeing that the Vice-Principal was getting angry.


    "Did you see the recent news?"


    "???"


    ( What does that have to do with me. )


    I don''t know why he asked me the question but it might have to do with me being called here.


    "No!"


    "I guess we should start from there."


    The Vice Principal flicked his hand and one of the professors came forward and started to speak.


    "At 8:00 pm yesterday, a news article started circting that one of the students had attacked a journalist who is weak. Disregarding thew that powerful people are not allowed to suppress the weak people"...


    The professor started stating the news and things became a little clearer to me. The reason why everyone around me was looking at me like a criminal.


    "It is also said that Zero was harassing some girls. The girl gave their testimony to the newspany."


    The professor finished speaking and backed away.


    "Zero, did you understand the situation?"


    The Vice-Principal asked.


    I nodded.


    Basically, the news article was published talking about how I have used my power to beat a powerless citizen. An article in the news shows me smacking a journalist''s hand with my full strength.


    In addition to the news article about me harassing girls in the town, the girl gave an interview to substantiate the report.


    "Zero, do you admit your mistake?"


    Professor William bbered again.


    "So, what is it that you call me here for?"


    Once again, I ignored Professor William and asked the Vice-Principal.


    I know that talking to Professor William is just a waste of my time. I would rather get rid of whatever the problem is.


    I could see Professor William fuming with anger since I have ignored him twice. But I don''t care. He has already taken me as his enemy and I would love nothing more than to upset him.


    "As you have heard, the news is quickly spreading and it is hurting our school''s prestige. Since you are our student, we have to handle your crime. Zero Elea, do you have anything to say in your defense?"


    Vice-Principal asked.


    Anything to say in my defense? OF COURSE! Are these people idiots? Don''t they see that the news is fake and manipted by the newspany? Do they seriously believe that the news is authenticated?


    "Huuuu¡­"


    I took a deep breath to calm down my mind. Dealing with stupid people is always stressful especially when they are in a group.


    "I would like to ask a question."


    "Sure!"


    The Vice-Principal gestured for me to go on.


    "What is my crime again?"

 Chapter 156 What Is My Crime? [2]

    Chapter 156 What Is My Crime? [2]


    "What is my crime again?"


    "Huh? Don''t you still not understand after all that?"


    Professor Yoel bellowed.


    ( Can you please stop acting like a small-time viin? )


    I could not help but be curious about how Professor Yoel even reached Rank-B. If even a person like him could reach it, does it not mean that anyone can aplish it?


    Though the truth was far from it. Reaching Rank-B would be considered as being talented. Most Explorers were in the Rank-D, and being in Rank-C was considered strong.


    So Rank-B could be considered quite powerful from this fact.


    Only 0.01% of the poption is at that rank. While not rare but it was still excellentpared to many people. As an Explorer, he would be able to hunt high-rank monsters and would have earned lots of money.


    "I know that there are many news articles smearing my name but what does that get to do with my crime? They can say all they want, it does not mean I did those things."


    "Humph! Don''t try to act innocent. There are many newspanies saying you did it."


    "Just because of that? Are you saying that when many people talk about something then it will be true? Then what happened to the victory over demons in thest war? Did we win as many newspapers said?"


    Professor William''s face was gloomy. He should know where I''m going with this. Newspanies write a lot of bullshit all the time so why should I care about the things they say is what I was trying to convey here.


    "You and I know that humans have not won the war. Just because many people tell something, it does not mean it will turn out to be true. If you want to use me, please show me some evidence."


    "There are videos and pictures of you roughly smacking someone''s hands and also the girls who testify against you."<sub></sub>


    Professor Yoel said.


    "Haha¡­ you call them evidence? I have indeed smacked his hand away but that is because he was not letting my hands go. As for the girls, who can tell whether they are hired by them or not?"


    "Zero Elea, stop with the lie. Just admit it and we will lightly punish you."


    Professor William bellowed. He must be desperate seeing that the situation was working in my favor.


    "Lightly punish me? For what? Telling the truth? It is not necessary to waste time discussing these issues if you have already determined that I had done them. I had already told you the truth."


    I didn''t need to admit to anything.


    "Professors, you can all see that this boy is lying. His reputation is already low and many people are insulting our Academy."


    Professor William said to every professor present there.


    Anyway, Professor Mia was not there. It might be because she is my mentor that they have decided to exclude her. Because there would be discrimination if Professor Mia were present.


    There could also be other reasons.


    "Yes, he is destroying our Academy prestige."


    One of the professors said,


    "Many people are criticizing our academy. Telling us that we are not teaching our students properly."<sub>


    </sub>


    ( Yes, I agree. How can you just appoint William as professor otherwise? )


    I thought. Ace Academy was definitely doing something wrong by having William as our professor. Furthermore, there are too many arrogant students in the school, so I agree that Professors are not teaching students well.


    However, the me should lie more with the parent who had shaped them into being arrogant in the first ce.


    "With your reputation, how can we entrust you to participate in the Tournament of Academies? You will only drag down our academy name. I beseech everyone here to ban Zero from attending the tournament."


    Professor Yoel said.


    Looks like Professor Yoel and William''s aim is for me to not participate in the tournament. If I perform well in the tournament, The Authority will extend their protection making it harder for Professor William to mess with me.


    Also with all the prizes that I might get if we win, I would be promoted to another level which Professor William didn''t want from me.


    But did he really think that I needed to participate in the tournament to do that? I already have more than enough resources to make even young masters from a Diamond guild cry.


    The mana herb which I got from the Gate is not only rare and high quality butpatible with my Ice energy.


    Even the resources I might obtain from the tournament would be a drop in the bucket of the many resources I already possess.


    Moreover, I participate because of Professor Mia''s request and because I will receive an Art I really need. But even without the reward, I have other ways to get the Art.


    So threatening me to take away my participation right was nothing but a joke in my eyes.


    "This is not appropriate. Zero earned his right through the selection process. We can''t just ban him due to some false news."<sub> </sub>


    One of the professors said,


    "Letting him participate will further affect our school''s honor. We can''t let him represent our Academy."


    "What do you know? We cannot win if we ban someone as strong as Zero. Don''t you know that our participants this year are weaker than other schools already?"


    The professors started arguing. On one side, the professors want to withdraw my participation and on the other side, they disagree with that idea.


    -CLAP!


    The Vice-Principal pped his hand stopping the professor from arguing further. After the silence, he looked at me.


    "What do you think, Zero?"


    Vice-Principal asked.


    "I didn''t do those things. If they want to use the opportunity to take my participation right then I have no problem. I don''t want to participate in a childish game anyway."


    It would be a loss for Ace Academy if I did not participate in the tournament. Do they really think I care about the fame and glory that I would get from the tournament?


    The reward is barely enough to make me participate in the tournament. It is not enough to make me desperate.


    "Haha¡­ You said it. Vice-Principal I think that Zero is inappropriate for participating in the tournament. We should withdraw him and put another student."


    Professor William was obviously happy that Zero had given up so easily. To him, Zero looked like a loser who had lost the opportunity to get all the rewards from the Tournament.


    Although he was arrogant, Professor William could at least ept some facts. Considering Zero''s power and age, he knows he would get a good ce in the Tournament, and considering how talented he is, he knows that The Authority and other guilds would consider him to be a capable fighter.


    He was happy that he could take away Zero''s opportunity to get the resources from the tournament. What can talent and hard work do without enough resources? You would only advance faster with enough resources.


    He knows that Zero doesn''t have the background to get the resources to advance to a higher rank.


    "I think we should stop our discussion for today. Whether Zero will participate or not, we will wait and see for a few more days."


    Vice-Principal interrupted his happy moment.


    With that, the discussion came to a halt. Professor William was obviously irritated that he could notpletely get rid of Zero but soon calmed down at the thought of his n.


    The reputation of Zero was only going to get worse day by day. He believed that by next week, he could fully convince everyone to remove Zero from participating.


    While everyone was signaled to leave the room, the Vice-Principal asked Zero to stay behind.


    "Zero Elea, have you thought this through? With your power, it would not be difficult for you to make a name for yourself in the tournament."


    "I know but I don''t really care about fame."


    Zero said.


    It was true that fame yields nothing more than animosity. If he were to choose, he could rather be an unknown boy than someone who is known by everyone.


    The Vice-Principal nodded his head with a smile.


    "I am happy with your state of mind. Superficial things like fame and glory are obviously not as important as strength."


    Vice-Principal emphasizes. He has been teaching students for many years and has seen many talents. Most talents would be blinded by temporary fame and glory.


    Therefore he was happy to see that someone as young as Zero has got his priorities straight and does not care about fame.


    "But the news will not only hurt your reputation but also Professor Mias."


    "Huh?"


    "The fact that you are Professor Mia''s student for the Tournament has spread. If the news continues to spread, it will be harmful not only to you but also to Professor Mia. If you don''t stop the spread of news and withdraw from your participation, Professor Mia''s reputation will go down."


    ( I don''t really care about what bes of my fame. One moment people will talk about these things and tomorrow they will forget about them. )


    I am an unknown boy and even if I really did those things that are mentioned in the news articles, those things would be forgotten quickly.


    But it was different for Professor Mia. With everyone keeping their eyes on her, even the slightest things about her would be remembered by many people.


    If the news spread that her student wasmitting all those crimes, wouldn''t people me her?


    Zero didn''t really care because nobody really knew him and he didn''t care what other students thought about him. Not like many young masters have a better reputation than him.


    "I don''t need to say how many people have their eyes on Professor Mia these days. And not all have good intentions towards her."


    "Hehe¡­ They are really messing around. Vice-Principal rest assured. I will solve this problem."


    It''s time to show who controls the biggest social media sites.

 Chapter 157 Enacting Plan

    Chapter 157 Enacting n


    "Hehe¡­ They really like messing around. Vice-Principal rest assured. I will solve this problem."


    Zero spoke with such confidence that the Vice-Principal decided to let Zero handle the matter regarding the scandal.


    He thought that he needed to assist or at least provide some kind of help to Zero but seeing that he was so confident, he decided to let Zero handle it.


    Ace Academy was not called the number one school just for show. If he used his influence and power, he could instantly make all the news disappear.


    But it was not his job nor would it be going to help the student in the future. He believes that for a student to grow into splendid individuals, they need to undergo a lot of hardship.


    It isn''t always possible for them to support their students every time they face difficulties. They were more than willing to do anything to save their lives, but they did not want to deal with every single problem.


    It wasmon for those who were bound to be famous to have scandals and all those things.


    Students like Zero were bound to be rising stars among other people. He will always need to deal with journalists and other things. <sub></sub>


    He just wanted to wait and see how he dealt with the problem.


    He didn''t even want to make a big deal out of it but Professor William and other professors who were obviously on his side insisted on ming Zero and having punishment given to him.


    Some professors were just going along with whatever Professor William said while other professors were those who hated Professor Mia.


    Seeing that they were adamant and also seeing this as an opportunity for him to probe the little genius, the Vice-Principal decided to hold the conference for Zero.


    Regardless of the reason and whoever the professor may have been, the oue had already been decided. He was not nning to withdraw Zero from the tournament even if Professor Williams'' father came.


    Among the best tforms for honing the genius'' skill was the Tournament of Academies.


    For Zero to miss out on that, the Vice-Principal cannot fathom the loss. Not to mention, without Zero, the strength of the Ace Academy participants was going to decrease considerably.<sub>


    </sub>


    "Seeing that you have a n, I would not say anything more. But if you could not aplish it, don''t worry and just get the help of this old man."


    "Thank You, Vice-Principal!"


    Zero bowed in gratitude.


    He could distinguish who had malicious intentions and who had ulterior motives. Speaking with Vice-Principal, Zero could feel that he was truly trying to help him.


    From the beginning of the meeting to talking to him, he could feel that the Vice-Principal was worried about him and was looking in his best interest.


    So he was grateful and kept his word in his mind. Though obviously he didn''t need Vice-Principal''s help to deal with some stupid people but having a backup was always great.


    After leaving the ce, Zero decided to mercilessly teach them some lessons. To have disturbed his life was enough for him tobel those people as his enemy.<sub> </sub>


    *****


    "Haha¡­ To think that we could have them lose their participants with just a news. You did a great service to the guild."


    "Thank you for the praise. It is because of the guildmaster n and the spy in Ace Academy that things are going smoothly ording to the n."


    ording to the guildmaster of Titan Storm, the journalist said. Having someone whose position is high, such as the Guildmaster, praise someone as weak as him made him feel very good.


    "We should also thank those morons for helping us. Not helping their own students and thinking about dragging them down, Ace Academy sure is declining."


    His eyes were filled with hidden ambition as he spoke.


    "I am d that I decided to enroll Noel at Arcane Academy. With this year being hisst chance to attend the Tournament of Academies, I believe that winning would bring honor to both him and our guild."


    Omar Noel was the son of the Titan Storm guild. The Guildmaster was willing to do anything to have his son Noel win the tournament.


    Being able to win the tournament means breaking the long winning streak of Ace Academy.


    The fame and glory won by winning the tournament will be iparable to anything else they will do. It was their chance to rise in one fell swoop.


    That''s why the Guildmaster of Titan Storm is willing to do anything to achieve this goal. He was, therefore, willing to consider the Arcane Academy arrangement to deal with Ace Academy.


    They were not explicitly told to kill the student or do things that would bring danger to the guild. They were just instructed to make a mess of Ace Academy if possible.


    However, he didn''t expect the opportunity to present himself in front of them. The problem itself was small but it was enough to keep Ace Academy busy.


    To smear the Ace academy name with a student oppressing journalists was not good enough.


    That''s why they added another lie by having it seem like Zero had harassed some girls. They had already collected data on Zero and knew that it was not an unbelievable thing for Zero to do so.


    After all, he is called ''Romeo'' because of his habit of harassing girls, or so he heard from his report. So, they hired some powerless girls and had them testify to those ims.


    In fact, that news had done much more to affect the Ace Academy than they initially anticipated.


    They were just trying to have Zero be someone who would disturb the atmosphere of the Ace Academy.


    They didn''t expect that luck would be on their side and the Professor of Ace Academy would be hell-bent on having Zero out of the tournament.


    Just having remembered those things, Guildmaster of Titan Storm could not help but grin. His guild was on the verge of rising to be one of the top guild.


    "Haha¡­ We are going to rise after this tournament."

 Chapter 158 Enacting Plan [2]

    Chapter 158 Enacting n [2]


    The next day after Zero was called to the conference, Zero was absent from the school.


    "That shameless person finally decides to hide aftermitting those atrocities. I would have long dropped out of school if I were him."


    "Even if he has strength, he is not a noble character like us. He was bound to do something like this."


    "I knew that professors would not let barbarians like him be left unpunished. I also heard that he will be withdrawn from the tournament."


    "He should be! I don''t know what type of underhanded tactic he used to qualify as the participant. He should have long been removed."...


    The Zero haters were happily talking about how Zero has not shown up. They decided to guess that it was due to him being punished by the professors formitting the crimes.


    The rumor has also spread that Zero will be removed as a participant for the Tournament of Academies.


    Seeing that Zero was not present, they decided to badmouth him as much as possible.


    Despite how much they hated or attempted to appear superior to Zero, one thing they had to admit was Zero''s power.


    As long as Zero was present, even if they exerted all their willpower, it was difficult to talk badly about him. They were scared that Zero would kill them if they did so.


    So to summarize, the students proudly badmouthing Zero were nothing but cowards who took the opportunity of Zero''s absence to badmouth him.<sub></sub>


    The rumor spread from one student to another and the whole Ace Academy heard it.


    The Tournament of Academies is one of the most important events that is going to be held next month. People paid extra attention to the rumor rted to that.


    Zero as the participant was obviously someone, who many people were paying attention to.


    Having Zero removed from the tournament was a big loss. It could affect the overall oue of the tournament.


    Zero was, after all, acknowledged as the second most powerful student of Ace Academy, on par with Lisanna, the number one student of Ace Academy.


    Having him removed from the tournament would likely result in Ace Academy losing in the uing oue.


    This fact was something that even Zeros'' haters find difficult to argue. Those who had seen Zero''s power would acknowledge that Zero''s strength was unfathomable.


    The student felt that having Zero removed from the tournament was a big risk. No matter how bad the news was about Zero, they thought it was better to punish him differently.


    "What do you think of this?"


    She solemnly asked her friends who were the main characters. <sub>


    </sub>


    Right now, the rumor about Zero being removed from the tournament was circting, and the main characters, being the participants of the tournament, were more worried about this than others.


    "I don''t think they will remove Zero. Those things are only rumors and have not been officially announced."


    Lisa said. The rumor didn''t seem credible to her.


    Even if the whole school talked about it, unless an official announcement was made, it was pointless to believe it.


    And she also thought that the rumors were highly unlikely. The tournament will not only affect the students but also the teachers.


    Their reputation and resources depend on the tournament. She thought there was no way that they would be messing around with the tournament.


    She knows that Zero is one of the strongest participants in the tournament. If the Ace Academy wants to win the tournament, they have to let Zero participate.


    Unless the professor does not care about the tournament at all, which is unlikely.


    "Really? But how to exin Zero being absent? It is rumored that he will be suspended from the school."


    "He might be suspended but not removed from the tournament. There was no way that Ace Academy would be foolish enough to remove Zero."<sub> </sub>


    Ace Academy could punish him by suspending him from school but he will definitely not be removed from the tournament unless they want to lose the tournament.


    "Hmmmm¡­ It seems reasonable!"


    Sylvia thought.


    "It all started with the news, right?"


    Hiro inquired. He was not that up-to-date on thetest rumors. He rarely paid attention to them, though he was interested in the rumors rted to Zero.


    He had heard that the problem that Zero was in all started during the day news reporters started appearing on the campus.


    "That''s right! This is all because it is alleged that Zero used force against the journalist and harassed some girls. Using his power to make several demands from them or so says the news."


    Sylvia replied to Hiro.


    "The news is probably a lie or something. They always tend to exaggerate things."


    Hiro said. He has been on the news several times and many times the news about him would be exaggerated or a tant lie.


    "Maybe. Anyway, he is not here today. I don''t know how he is nning to deal with this problem."


    *****


    "Haha¡­ Let me give you a taste of your own medicine."


    While others are discussing Zero''s absence, Zero was actually nning on getting revenge on the people who dared to mess with him.


    To dispel the news about him, he needed to prove that he was innocent. It was more difficult to do that.


    This will only get him to turn the situation back to how it was rather than take revenge on those people who dared to nder him.


    Zero thought of a n that could take care of his tarnished reputation and also get revenge at the same time. What was a way to dispel news? It was to introduce even bigger news.


    As long as there is a new story that is more interesting than the previous one, the previous one will be forgotten. As the owner of TwitFlick, it was not very difficult for him to spread news like wildfire.


    As long as he uses his authority to promote the news that he wants, he could instantly make millions of people aware of certain things that he wants.


    The type of news that is desired is obviously the bad one about the journalist that had framed him.


    At the moment, most people are focused on Professor Mia, which is why the news about me has be a major deal.


    As a result, the news about the people in that news would make a lot of headlines right now.


    As long as I make some kind of news about the journalist and the girl who framed him, he could turn the situation around.


    He ordered his information-gathering department to find out the identity and other information of the journalist who had messed with him. He specifically asked for things that would destroy his reputation.


    He also told them to look at the guild behind him. The journalist''s actions could be very closely connected to the guild he is in.


    If the guild behind the journalist interferes or had something to do with the journalists'' actions, he wanted to make them suffer.


    Though Titan Storm was a Diamond Graded Guild, it didn''t mean that Zero could not deal with them.


    Even if exterminating them is impossible, he could at least drag their name down. There was no way he was willing to leave the guild alone if they had messed with him,


    Additionally, he had to find the girls who had used him of harassing them. Whether they were ckmailed or whether they were paid to say so did not matter, he was determined to make them pay.


    Since they decided to make an enemy out of him, he decided to take his revenge on them as well. Anyone who dared to mess with him was not innocent.


    Even the professor who seized the opportunity back then in the conference hall was on his revenge list. Since they had done something to anger him, he had to pay them back severalfold.


    "Hehe¡­ Let''s see whether you all can maintain the same expression when I get back to you."

 Chapter 159 Collecting Information

    Chapter 159 Collecting Information


    "Hehe¡­ Let''s see whether you all can maintain the same expression when I get back to you."


    Zero grinned as if he were some kind of demon king on his way to ughter some powerless people.


    It was funny how Zero views those people who are almost seen as invincible to be just something he can deal with.


    Due to his father''s influence, Professor William was powerful, whereas other professors who used Zero were Rank-B and Rank-A. They were almost like the definition of power to some people.


    He knows that right now the person who had made him fall into this position and the professor who took advantage of his situation were all gloating as they thought that they had seeded in their mission.


    Zero was obligated to pay them for all the trouble they caused.


    First on his list was to take revenge on the journalist, the one who caused all of this.


    ******


    The information-gathering department had been established for months now. They had steadily increased their number and with them doing their job every day, they had developed their skills.<sub></sub>


    They had beenmanded by their boss to collect information about the journalist that was on the news. They already know the conflict that their boss and the journalist have.


    They had already started to investigate all the people that were involved in the news. However, the number of agents working on that has tripled under themand of the boss.


    Since the journalist was just an ordinary person with no protection, it was rather easy for them to collect various information about him.


    By one day, they had collected so much information about the journalist that the journalist himself had long forgotten.


    Right now, the leader of the information-gathering department was reporting their findings to their boss.


    "Fal is the name of the journalist. He is quite powerful for a reporter having reached Rank-D. It seems that previously he had joined the Explorer school in the hope of bing an Explorer but had been expelled for various reasons."


    Zero nodded.


    "Continue!"<sub>


    </sub>


    Looks like he was going to find something interesting after all. Just the fact that he was Rank-D was enough to clear his name.


    How could you call someone bullying when the victim is as strong or at least in terms of a rank simr to the one you proim as a bully?


    I just needed proof that he was Rank-D and then people would ignore the news about me suppressing the journalist with my power.


    Though I also need to deal with rumors that I am using my power and status to go around and harass girls.


    "Yes, Sir! The reason Fal is expelled is that he oppresses the weak with his power. He even went as far as to use his power to ckmail the people. s! He had one day picked the wrong target. He bullied a princess of the Gold grade guild, resulting in him being forced to leave the school."


    ( That journalist )


    He dared to me me for using my power to oppress the weak while it was he who had been doing that.


    It was nice to add that information to the post. Using his dark history to humiliate him was a nice way to get my revenge.<sub> </sub>


    Anyway, this Fal guy really had big guts. He didn''t have a prominent background but caused problems everywhere.


    He hit a nail with him harassing the girl who is adored by the gold-graded guild.


    He dared not look at the face of the genius of his school while trying to appear like a strong human in front of a weak citizen. He was a typical bully.


    "He joined the newspany after seeing that he was bound to fail as an Explorer. Seeing that someone as strong as Rank-D is applying for their newspany, the newspany The Truth immediately epted Fal."


    Most of the middle-ranking people like Rank-D would prefer to be Explorer or work for The Authority or some Guild.


    The average person at rank F should be the people who would look for a job in apany such as a newspany.


    Therefore, they must not have hesitated to ept Fal when he applied for a job as an employer. While Rank-D was nothing in the eyes of most students of Ace Academy, formon people they were strong.


    "Fal had been steadily climbing the ranks at The Truth Company, bing the best journalist. The reason for this is that Fal would coerce and ckmail people into confessing to doing something. He would use force to make many confessions and make interesting news. This led to him being promoted to a higher position."


    Listening to the report, Zero understood that Fal had been using his rank to generate lots of fake but interesting news. The newspany always emphasizes getting interesting news.


    And as long as there is some evidence, they would not hesitate to promote that news.


    He must have used his mana aura to pressurize themon people to admit lots of things that they didn''t do.


    He might also use his power to have people admit things that he wants.


    *Tsk!


    Such a piece of trash dares to frame me. I would like to know what he would think when every single achievement that he worked hard for in his life was taken away by me.


    ( Who told you to mess with me? )


    I immediatelymanded my intelligence department to keep an eye on Fal and gather every evidence of his crime.


    Find his victim and gather evidence of his crimes. He has been working as a journalist for a while. I reckon that he must have upset many people with his antics.


    I have also gotten a report on the girls that dared to say that I harassed them.


    It looks like Fal had been paid arge sum of money from Fal to use me. They were girls that worked in the red light district and had no problem using me.


    Gathering information about them from their customers and also spying on them had given me sufficient evidence to be dered innocent.


    ( That stupid journalist. At least try to get girls with a good background. )


    For him to bring in those girls to shame me was a stupid choice.


    He could have brought girls who have a clean image though I reckon that it would be more difficult to have them cooperate with him.


    However, having prostitutes as a victim defeats the whole point of me harassing them. How could I harass a prostitute whose job is being harassed?


    I might sound harsh but if you see it from another angle, they are that. Getting money for being harassed.


    To think that an experienced journalist would leave so many holes in his news, it looks like Fal had been up against only an easy opponent.


    Now that you are facing the final boss of social media, let''s see whether you cane out unscathed.

 Chapter 160 Power Of TwitFlick!

    Chapter 160 Power Of TwitFlick!


    For the next day, the intelligence department was busy getting evidence of Fal being a bully and girls being paid to say that thing on the news.


    Zero has been busy sorting the information that he is getting from the intelligence department. The information about Fal was so much that Zero didn''t know which information to use.


    This guy was someone who wouldmit a crime every three days. To think Zero thought he needed to put some effort into digging into some of his evil past.


    He was looking through the evidence of Falmitting many of his misdeeds. Choosing those which would most likely incur the wrath of the people.


    It was almost time to attack the enemy. As long as sufficient information was there, he could easily make it into a big deal.


    It was time to make use of TwitFlick to clear his name.


    *****<sub></sub>


    During the time Zero was absent, many students started to believe that Zero had been punished for the things that he did in the news.


    Even the professor who had been in the conference hall was shocked to find out that Zero had been suspended.


    They believed that the Vice-Principal had meted out punishment in private.


    This news led to professor Willian smiling from ear to ear. ording to him, Zero was removed from the tournament as a rumor as a result of his persuasion.


    He had initially thought that the Vice-Principal was trying to help Zero during the discussion but did not expect that Zero would be punished by the Vice-Principal.


    He almost started to respect the Vice-Principal though for only a few seconds. There was no way that a prideful person like Professor William would respect someone for real.<sub>


    </sub>


    People started to make lots of assumptions when the actual truth was that zero was taking some days off to deal with the news.


    People forgot that Zero is a participant of the tournament which means that he has the perk of staying absent if he wants to as long as it is for a short period of time.


    The reason is that, during this time, news articles were ndering Zero and he appeared to be either punished by the school or too embarrassed to attend ss.


    Either way, the reputation of Zero among the students was reaching rock bottom. Even the people who had favorable thoughts about Zero were starting to think differently after listening to so many terrible rumors about him.


    That''s when a piece of news started to spread.


    As TwitFlick became popr and was considered a ce both for information and entertainment, most of the students of Ace Academy were using it. They would generally get the news from TwitFlicks nowadays.<sub> </sub>


    There was a post of the journalist using his backing of Titan Storm to threaten other people into saying the things that he wants.


    Additionally, he was Rank-D which was a high rank for a journalist. He uses his rank as a means to ckmail the powerless citizen.


    This sent a shock to people around the world. To think that there was someone as weak as him to behave as arrogantly as the young of big guilds and ns. If they didn''t see it with their own eyes, they would have never believed it.


    .


    The post has photos and videos of the person in the act. His information was also written down professionally.


    The photos and videos were all taken by the Zero Information Gathering Team. This could have been taken by the victim who recorded the image and video themselves or from a CCTV camera.


    The news quickly spread since Zero had this post advertised instead of other advertisements for the whole day on TwitFlick. At least 1 million people have seen the post since it was posted.


    Later, some people who are good at verifying information pointed out that the journalist in the post is the same one who was the victim of the news a few days ago.


    This again has confused the people. The person that they thought was powerless was actually Rank-D and the person himself was not a good person. This caused the people to rage as they finally realized that the journalist had fooled them.


    Another post which was of some girls was published. It was only about the girls of red district light which was not interesting unless you were a pervert.


    But people quickly link that post to the previous article about Zero. They quickly realized that the girls in the post were the same as in the news which proimed them as victims of harassment from Zero.


    Due to their fame which was all from the news, people quickly recognized those people in the post. The pity they had from the news has turned into anger.


    A few people realized that the two articles were about supporting Zero after they saw the post about the prostitute girls. After all, why would those posts about those two appear together?


    There was a chance that it was all a coincidence but they begged to differ. There is no coincidence in the world.


    They realized that they were tricked by the news into thinking that Zero had wronged them. Only realizing that the news had fooled everyone.


    Was the girl working as a prostitute and iming victimization by Zero harassment?


    The journalist who bullied others was actually the one who wasmitting all kinds of crimes using his rank and his guild as backing.


    It was clear from this two news that Zero was the victim of false news. The post didn''t say that Zero was innocent or anything but people conjectured from those posts that Zero was innocent.


    Zero intentionally didn''t proim himself innocent. He didn''t want to pursue anyone into thinking that he was a victim or anything.


    He didn''t want to prove that he didn''t do all those things. He never wanted to im himself as a hero who only does the right things. More than that he was more interested in his revenge.


    It was fine for him as long as the people who messed with him suffered.


    He had never cared about anyone''s opinion.

 Chapter 161 Power Of TwitFlick! [2]

    Chapter 161 Power Of TwitFlick! [2]


    In less than a day, the news was known by millions of people.


    Especially by the people of Ace Academy as they were particrly concerned about the news rted to Zero.


    "Looks like Zero was wrongly used by those people. I can''t believe that a journalist dared to mess with a student of Ace Academy."


    One of the students bellowed.


    He was angry not because he liked Zero or anything. It was just that the journalist dared to frame Zero which was equivalent to neglecting the fact that Zero is from Ace Academy.


    From their point of view, it will be correct to say that Fal undermined the power of Ace Academy.


    It was something that students at Ace Academy couldn''t bear to handle. They were the number one school in the whole world and there was someone who tantly dared to mess with one of the students.


    "Aie ya, I have wronged Zero too. We should not have believed in them in the first ce. s! I didn''t expect there to be someone who had the guts to frame one of the Ace Academy students."


    "With all that evidence, Zero''s punishment is likely to be lifted."<sub></sub>


    Students still had a misunderstanding that Zero was punished by Ace Academy.


    Now that the post about the victim being such a bad guy is released, they feel disgusted that they ever felt pity for them.


    The news also spread among the academy''s professors.


    Some were d that the problem of wanting to remove Zero from the tournament will be solved. With that evidence, Zero will likely not be punished.


    They didn''t need to worry about Zero being removed from the tournament.


    While others were quite hostile to Zero, especially Professor William, who had a grim expression on his face ever since he had heard the news.


    He believed yesterday that he had seeded in taking his revenge against Zero who had repeatedly humiliated and taken his woman from him.


    Yet he didn''t expect that the next day all his happiness would be snatched away from him. He didn''t expect that another news that was obviously in favor of Zero woulde out.<sub>


    </sub>


    The post had already rendered previous news useless. No one would believe that Zero had used power on the journalist.


    And even if Zero used force on the journalist, what difference would it make? The journalist Fal was a bully and to have him bullied was just his karma.


    Nobody was going to care that Zero bullied such a person.


    "Zero, don''t be happy so soon. I will make sure that next time you will suffer excruciating pain."


    Professor William bellows as he grits his teeth.


    He knows that his n had failed and Zero would get to participate in the tournament. He could only find another opportunity to remove him.


    Even with his father''s influence, it was difficult to make trouble for Zero as long as the other party did not make trouble.


    *****<sub> </sub>


    "Shit! I didn''t expect a boy to get so much information about me."


    Fal smacked his hand angrily against the wall.


    It was just a few days ago when he was gloating about his victory and how he messed with the disciple of Professor Mia. The fact that he managed to ruin Professor Mia''s student satisfied him.


    A few dayster, the tables turned and this time it was he who was in a lot of trouble.


    With all the evidence and the victim talking about Falmitting his misdeed, it will not take long for the Authority toe here to give him punishment.


    If it was one or two people, then it might have been possible to use the guild name or his rank to make the rumor disappear.


    But the news about all the previous crimes hemitted was shown to millions of people and the evidence was all solid enough to guarantee that he would spend his life in jail.


    Even his guild would not be able to save him now from The Authority.


    He knew right away who was responsible for his misery. Who else but Zero would have reason to make trouble with him?


    He started to regret messing with Zero. It was all because he wanted to take revenge on Professor Mia that he was in a tough spot.


    He should have let all his hatred fade away like many others. Now, all he can do is wait for the agent of The Authority to take him away.


    Those who testified against Zero also had lots of problems due to Zero''s post. They were able to make a huge sum of money a few days back by just telling some lies to the news reporter.


    They didn''t care about the repercussions of their actions as they didn''t recognize the boy, which meant that the boy didn''t belong to a big guild or be talented like Hiro.


    They had no problem testifying and lying against such a person for money. They only cared about the money they received and had already forgotten about that issue.


    However, today they felt the impact of their action.


    First, they didn''t understand what was happening when people were ring at them. At first, it was simr to the time when the news became widespread and they gained some fame.


    People will show sympathy towards them which they find funny.


    But this time that attention had turned into hostility. All the people around them were looking at them in anger.


    They didn''t understand the reason for their behavior until they saw the news about them. The information about them was being reported in the news.


    So the lie that they told previously was known to the whole world. They had lied and were about to seed in making the life of an innocent boy miserable.


    Whenever they walked outside, people would whisper to each other while ring at them.


    "Look! It''s the shameless girl who tried to mislead us. Saying that a boy tried to molest them when they themselves were working in that shady ce."


    "I should have known by looking at the appearance of them and the boy. The boy was handsome enough to get a hundred of such girls. He didn''t need to use force or anything. s! My sympathy led to my misjudgment."


    The whisper was loud enough to be heard by the girls.


    Insults are thrown right in their faces sometimes. Before they could even do anything, their reputation had already hit rock bottom.


    They thought that the money that they got was not enough for them to go through this.


    They regret their action but it was already toote. There was only endless suffering waiting for them.

 Chapter 162 Titan Storm Guildmaster

    Chapter 162 Titan Storm Guildmaster


    Zero continued to have his information-gathering team keep their eyes on Fal and the girls.


    He wanted them to report him if they did anything suspicious. He might even get information on the people who conspired against me.


    He also had another team to keep their eyes on Titan Storm.


    With Fal being in the Titan Storm guild, there was a huge chance for him to bemanded by them or may be receiving support from them when he is in trouble.


    Though Titan Storm didn''t seem like they were about to do something. But even if they did try something, I was not going to let them do whatever they wanted.


    I already have my information-gathering department look into the people involved in making that news. I already dealt with people who were directly involved.


    Now, I had to see whether it was nned by Fal or if it involved other people who were controlling the situation in the dark.


    Right now, I was in in sight while the enemy was in the dark. I have no idea who was involved in this plot apart from Fal. <sub></sub>


    I could only wait for my people to gather more information about the situation.


    "Geez-! I hope they show themselves like idiots."


    It wasn''t a strange plot for the mastermind to show up in front of me and provoke me. That was how some viins were when their n got wrecked.


    It would be very easy for me to handle the situation if I knew who my enemy was and their motivation.


    Though it was only a dream.


    *****


    "Haha¡­ So you are the person who dared to bite back."<sub>


    </sub>


    A bear-like personughed while speaking.


    I didn''t expect my thoughts toe true. The next morning, I was intercepted by the person who is the Guildmaster of the Titan Storm.


    Judging by the words, it is confirmed that he was involved in the n to make trouble for me. Looks like he came to provoke me or something like a typical idiot viin.


    "Don''t be happy that you have managed to escape our clutches. Whether you participate in the tournament or not, the results will be the same. My son will beat your ass in the Tournament of Academies."


    Not only did he provoke me, but he also gave me some more information. That is why I appreciate more stupid enemies like him.


    He didn''t onlye to confirm that he is my enemy but also gave me information on his motivation. It looks like he is making trouble for me because of me being a participant in the tournament.


    From his word, his son is probably one of the participants in the tournament and he made trouble for me in hopes of hindering Ace Academy. <sub> </sub>


    He may be a Rank-S Hero, but he is extremely stupid. I guess there is no way to look at one''s intelligence stat and no intelligence stat is increased even when one ranks up.


    So even the Rank-S hero that everyone enviously admires might be just as dumb as the Rank-F bandit you see everywhere.


    Though I guess he has a little self-awareness as he didn''t start killing me right after seeing me. He was right now in the enemy''s territory which is the Ace Academy.


    He would probably be killed by the Ace Academy Professors or The Authority if he killed me. To die in exchange for Rank-D was absolutely not worth it for a Rank-S hero.


    Even more so when the conflict between us was small. Just ruining one another''s reputation which is not a big deal.


    I might be troubled by it for a bit and even Professor Mia would be affected by my reputation. However, it was not a big dealpared to killing each other or even worse killing each other''s family in hatred.


    The only problem that this whole ordeal has given me is making my parents worry. They have been calling me each day asking me whether I was okay.


    They wanted to help me, which I refused. They persistently asked but I convinced them by telling them to give me one week to solve the problem.


    Titan Storm guildmaster went away in the direction of the office of the professor after finishing his business with me.


    I guess he had some business with Ace Academy toe here. He would not juste here to make trouble with me.


    He would not have been allowed inside if he didn''t have an appointment with Ace Academy. Although he could break through with his strength, it was not worth it if his aim was to merely provoke me.


    Though I don''t know why he was even invited here, I have my assumption. It''s likely that Ace Academy is aware of his involvement in the problem I faced and will issue a warning to him.


    Ace Academy would not interfere much with students even when they face problems. But it was a different story when people from Rank-S got involved.


    I still need to know who his son is. Even though I do not hold grudges against the Titan Storm Guildmaster, I do need to teach them a lesson.


    It was not my policy to let someone who messed with me be excluded from my revenge.


    What could be more satisfying than to have his proud son''s ass kicked by me?


    I would very much like to see the expression he would make when I do so.


    Although it may seem arrogant to believe that I can beat anyone in the uing tournament, it is the truth.


    I know from my knowledge of the Parallel self that the highest rank of students at the uing tournament would be C+.


    Though I am Rank-D+, I believe that I am capable of defeating someone in Rank-C+ unless the said person was someone as talented as Hiro. If Hiro was Rank-C + and had a fight with me, I might be in trouble.


    With his skill and stat, fighting him at Rank-C+ would be simr to fighting someone at Rank-B.


    Anyway, beating his son is one of the objectives of this tournament. Though I hope that he is as strong as his dad believes him to be.


    If he was eliminated right from the beginning, my hopes of taking revenge will be crushed.


    Soon, Zero would find out that his worries were for naught when he discovered the name of Titan Storm Guildmaster''s son.

 Chapter 163 More Training Before The Tournament

    Chapter 163 More Training Before The Tournament


    It has been quite a while since I attended the ss.


    ( Come to think of it¡­ I had been staying on leave for many days. )


    It has not even been a week since I continued toe to ss after the Gate incident and I have already stayed another 3 days home.


    Well, those things were all unavoidable though. I could not just escape from the Gate and I had to deal with the problem right after I came back. It is not like I am intentionally skipping the ss.


    -CRICK!


    Opening the door to the ss, I entered the ss.


    I looked at the faces of my ssmates. It was only three days ago that they were ring at me like they wanted to kill me.


    I want to see what they are feeling after knowing the truth. Do they still have that hostility in their eyes?


    All the students avoided making contact with my eyes. The moment Iid my eyes on them, they would instantly have their heads down.


    ( Humph! )


    I snorted while watching them make various expressions.


    Even I would be ashamed to meet someone whom I have wrongly used without really knowing the truth. And the problem was that they were fooled not only because Fal created fake stories but because they might want to believe that.


    I know that many students at the Ace Academy don''t like me. Primarily because of my sudden rise in rank and bing somewhat more prominent than them.


    Just like how you can''t ept that a person who grades below you all the time suddenly bes the topper of the ss. <sub></sub>


    So they readily epted the news when it was criticizing me. They were just idiots who would easily believe something like that.


    Anyway, I didn''t particrly hope for any one of them to believe in me. They were just my ssmates, nothing more and nothing less.


    I headed towards my seat as usual. The student was avoiding me and the student in my way instantly moved away.


    I looked like a virus that everyone is trying to avoid, but it worked to my advantage because I didn''t particrly dislike receiving this type of behavior.


    It was 10X better to get this type of behavior rather than them trying to make trouble for me.


    Sitting down, I fell into deep thoughts. It was about recent events and how some people were looking for trouble with me due to the tournament.


    I didn''t expect that I would get into trouble for participating in the tournament. I guess I underestimated the importance of the tournament in the eyes of other people.


    It was their chance to rise through the ranks and be the best. Fame will be immeasurable if they are able to break the two-decade record.


    While I was just motivated because I might get an Art from winning the tournament, the other school will get much more if they manage to win the tournament.


    The recent problem that I encountered was easily solved because I owned TwitFlick and I had people gather information quickly.


    If not, things might have turned out just like the Titan Storm Guildmaster wanted. I might have even been removed from the tournament due to my reputation.


    After some time, the professor came and took attendance of our ss. Unexpectedly, the professor that came to our ss was not Professor Mia.


    "Professor Mia is tied up with some work. Today, I will be taking her ce."<sub>


    </sub>


    The professor said,


    Though he didn''t really tell us the specifics and just said that Professor Mia had other urgent tasks.


    The ss continued as usual, and after the theory ss, there was a practical ss.


    This time I was called by Professor Mia toe and train with her. I guess she was finished with her urgent task.


    ******


    "Huff¡­ Puff¡­"


    I heavily breathed as I started to feel theck of oxygen in my body.


    -THUD!


    Lying on my back, I looked at the ceiling.


    ( Did my stamina go down? )


    It might be just my imagination but I felt that the training was extra difficult today. It might be because I was nning and dealing with Fal and other people, for which I neglected my training.


    Nheless, the likelihood of the training being difficult in the first ce was more likely.


    Two hours ago, professor Mia told me to run in 10X gravity with 400 kg weights.<sub> </sub>


    While it was not that hard at least for the current me, the tiredness had piled up and I was feeling exhausted after 2 hours.


    As I thought, the training I was putting myself through was several times more difficult and tougher than what my ssmates are going through.


    It might even be seen as ying around if peoplepared the training of mine and the ss.


    "400 kg in 10X the gravity for two hours, Zero I have to say that I am impressed."


    Professor Mia excitedly expressed her thoughts.


    Zero was only Rank-D+ while he could train almost as if he was Rank-C which was absolutely a good thing.


    Though in reality, the endurance Zero showed was almost at the Rank of B.


    The reason why Professor Mia said Rank-C was because she wasparing Zero endurance to her past self.


    Taking a towel and wiping the sweat, I rested for a moment.


    "Professor Mia, why were you there in the morning?"


    I asked.


    It was not that I needed to know but I was quite curious. There are not many times when she would change her schedule without a major reason.


    "Oh, this morning? I made sure to warn the Titan Storm Guildmaster to behave himself. Next time he tries to pull a simr stunt, I would make sure to pulverize their whole guild."


    Professor Mia said while fuming with anger.


    The reason she didn''te to the ss in the morning seems to be because she wanted to deal with Titan Storm Guildmaster.


    She was already angry because Ace Academy had stopped her from getting in contact with Zero ever since the problem cropped up.


    She had been given lots of reasons not to interfere. For example, she wanted to prove that Zero would never do the thing depicted in the news but was stopped because they said there was evidence against him.


    In another instance, she wanted to attend the conference but was told that she will be biased toward Zero due to her being his mentor.


    She believed that Zero would notmit those crimes. She already knows how much the newspanies manipte the news just to get it viral.


    She was willing to help Zero deal with the journalist and his bad reputation. Though Zero refused her help by saying that he could handle it.


    She could not help but wait since Zero has said it himself.


    Anyway, she was frustrated not being able to help. In addition, she was feeling angry because she was aware that some of these problems arises because of her (She created hate between the journalists and herself by using her aura during the Gate incident).


    She knows that there are many people waiting for her to get knocked down. The journalist who schemed at Zero, the professor who took the opportunity to bring her disciple down, and also other people waiting for their chance.


    "Anyway, you don''t need to worry about the same things happening again. If anyone dares to make trouble for you in the future, I will make sure to let them know who they are facing."


    This time she didn''t say much about the Ace Academy not supporting Zero because it could be said that the opponent has some evidence against Zero. But next time they do the same thing, she will not show mercy just because they were her colleagues.


    The professors who tried to make trouble for Zero are not idiots. They should have known that other schools are plotting against the Ace Academy.


    Various problems always arise as the tournament days approach. The professors should know this and yet they prioritize their own desire rather than look at the bigger picture.


    Professor Mia was truly disgusted by the attitude of the Ace Academy Professor.


    Anyway, such negative feelings soon vanished as she trained alongside Zero. Seeing Zero work hard had always made her feel better.


    Zero showed impressive endurance for his age and rank. His perseverance and motivation to work harder was something that she as a professor appreciated in students.


    Zero had been kept here until midnight. With the tournament just around the corner, Professor Mia wanted Zero to focus on improving himself.


    Additionally, she was paying attention to prevent Zero from getting injured. She still worried about his body which was on the verge of death.


    She was worried but that was why she was determined. To avoid a simr fate, she had to make Zero stronger.


    The training continued with Professor Mia teaching Zero about condensing his mana and regting his mana. Since both use Ice Art, Zero learned various things from Professor Mia.


    She also sparred with Zero to increase his experience. Though the result was always Zero getting beaten down by Professor Mia.


    She made sure that she passed down her experience to Zero whether in the form of teaching orbat.


    There was not much time left for the tournament and it could be seen from the attitude of the participants.


    The students looked exhausted most of the time during the ss. Often they would skip the theory ss.


    Their training time has drastically increased. They were kept in the training ground from 6-10 at a minimum.


    Due to the short time left for the tournament, this effort was purely ast-minute attempt to boost the power of the participants.


    There is only one week left before the Tournament of Academies starts.

 164 Rank Up!

    Chapter 164 Rank Up!


    [ ¡°Status¡± ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: C ¨C


    Strength: C ¨C


    Speed: C


    Stamina: C


    Mana: B ¨C


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    ¨C ¨C > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    ¨C ¨C > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    My stamina and speed have increased to Rank-C from Rank-C -. As for the mastery of the Art, I guess it would need time before they advance to Expert proficiency. There is even a possibility that I may have to wait years before I can reach the Expert proficiency level.


    Leveling up the mastery level after the Proficient level was quite difficult. It was much more difficult than all the previously hard workbined.


    One week passed by in a blink of an eye and I had also broken through to Rank-C -. With my talent, I would have needed to wait for one month or more if I had to naturally break through.


    Luckily with the mana herb that I obtained from the Gate, it was possible to rank up quickly.


    Among the humans, I might be the person who had to reach Rank-C fastest from Rank-F. In less than one year, I had broken through from Rank-F + to Rank-C -. A feat that might be difficult to break by anyone.


    Though someone was faster than me in reaching Rank-C as a first-year student, Hiro had already reached Rank-C one week before I had managed to do so.


    I guess he is a protagonist for a reason. Even with my intervention and all the changes that are happening around, one thing that has not changed is the monstrous growth of MC Hiro Ernest.


    I predicted that he might be able to beat his novel self and rank up earlier but I didn¡¯t expect that he could do so.


    I thought that maybe I would be able to surpass his rank but turns out that even with all the resources avable to me, MC was still faster than me.


    Now that Hiro is in Rank-C -, I guess winning the tournament would be much easier. I might not even have to show my power at all in the tournament.


    Though I would at least need to show some of my power. I need to beat Omar Noel, the son of Titan Storm Guildmaster.


    The sin of the father must be carried by the son. Even if he was not involved in that conspiracy, I needed to teach them a lesson which I am nning to start by first beating his son whom he is so proud of.


    Do you think I am doing a despicable thing? Of course not! From the novel, I know what type of person Omar Noel is.


    Ruthless! Evil! And murdering thousands of innocents. Though it all happens in the future after he joins a dark guild.


    But he is not a nice guy that I have to show mercy upon, not to mention it is totally fine to do so since it is all the tournament is about.


    Even if I did not have hostile intentions, I was obligated to fight Omar Noel. More so since he is said to be the strongest person in the whole tournament.


    He is the biggest antagonist of the tournament arc in the novel. Though I doubt he will pose any danger to me.


    If Ace Academy wants to win the tournament then they will need to deal with Omar Noel.


    In the novel, neither Lisanna nor Hiro could hold their candle against him. Since Hiro in the novel is just Rank-D+ during the tournament, he gets pretty beaten up by Omar.


    Lisanna was just one sub rank below Omar but Omar was both superior with his skill and experience, not to mention even one sub rank was enough to create a huge gap between the two.


    She could not beat Omar Noel either.


    Anyway, Hiro might be able to handle Omar. At least he will not get beaten up like in the novel or so I hope. There is nothing I could do even if he gets beaten up.


    I don¡¯t think Omar could easily beat Hiro who is in Rank-C though Arcane Academy mighte up with a n to defeat Hiro who is in Rank-C -. The fact that Hiro achieved Rank-C was no secret.


    It was unprecedented to have a person in Rank-C ¨C despite the age being 15. With Hiro¡¯s growth rate surpassing his previous self, the world has once again realized that Hiro Ernest is one of the most talented humans alive.


    The news of Hiro breaking through has caused another storm, right after the news about Professor Mia breaking the record for the youngest Rank-S.


    People were still digesting the fact that an unparalleled genius had been born when another member of Ace Academy broke the record for being the fastest to reach Rank-C -.


    The news reporter was flocking to the campus like anything. Almost all the newspanies seemed to have sent their journalists to interview Hiro as well as Professor Mia.


    It got so terrible that Ace Academy had to prevent everyone froming inside the campus. They had made a system where they were allowed to talk to Hiro for 5 minutes. They had to leave after that whether they were satisfied or not.


    There was a huge debate carried on in the humanmunity about who was more talented; Ice Enchantress Mia Frostine or Rising Dragon Hiro Ernest.


    Both have been setting records that were not seen in human history.


    Professor Mia, in her early school days, was not as talented or at leastparable to Hiro, but after graduation, her growth rate elerated, and at the age of 20 she achieved Rank-A.


    Now she has shown her talent by reaching Rank-S at age 25, breaking the record for the youngest person to be Rank-S.


    Whereas Hiro has an insane growth rate in the early days of his high school. He has set a record for being Rank-E + during Entrance Exam, became one of the fastest to reach Rank-D, and finally broke the record of being Rank-C in the first year.


    This all goes to show how much potential Hiro has. With his growth rate, it was possible to break Professor Mia¡¯s record in the future but that was all just assumptions.


    In reality as Rank and age increases, the speed at which the human rank up will be drastically slowed. The golden period or the most growth that a person has is between the ages of 15 and 20, after that, it will be slowed down and one might not expect a breakthrough for years.


    Professor Mia was a different case since her speed seemed to have increased rather than decreased after graduation. But the same can¡¯t be said for Hiro.


    Anyway, they have to wait for at least 5 years to truly know who is better. If Hiro breaks through Rank-A before age 20, then he might be able to surpass Professor Mia, though even that would not be 100%.


    After all, some people would have insane growth at an early stage only to have their growth stagnate when they are older. Though with my Parallel memory, I know that with System help, Hiro would be able to reach the pinnacle of human rank.


    There is no way that his growth will be halted. He is going to be stronger and stronger. Though I also don¡¯t know whether his growth would surpass that of Professor Mia.


    Anyway, it is good news for humanity to have two geniuses. The stronger they were, the more help they could provide down the road when humans are in peril.


    The already famous Ace Academy was even more famous with the emergence of these two people. Many people were closely paying attention to what Ace Academy was doing.


    The other schools would be more wary of Ace Academy. As the number one academy, it goes without saying that many schools are keeping their eyes on us especially since the tournament will be starting.


    But with the news of Hiro breaking through, they might be more cautious of Ace Academy than ever. It is likely that they have already gathered information on the participants of Ace Academy.


    It is safe to say that most schools would probably have an idea of how strong Ace Academy participants are. And they might havee up with various ns to defeat us before the tournament.


    However, to defeat Ace Academy, they must deal with me.


    I wonder whether they could handle me or not if they worked together. If I use my Dark Energy, I could exterminate all of them in one move.


    Obviously, I would not. I decided to keep this skill under wraps unless it concerns my survival. I would never show something that would send thousands of humans hunting me down.


    Though I don¡¯t think I would need to do so just to deal with some weaklings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you all entertain this Overlord!¡±

 Chapter 165 Rank Up! [2]

    Chapter 165 Rank Up! [2]


    "Wow!"


    I am currently looking at the new artifacts that I bought from the auction.


    **********


    Name: Zealous Warde


    Rank: B +


    Description: The de that is made for war. The artifact is truly suited for those users who are generals. With its appearance, allies will be motivated and enemies will shiver.


    Attack: +30%


    **********


    This sword artifact was the recement for my previous sword Elucidator which unfortunately broke in the Gate.


    This sword is better than my previous one. Elucidator was Rank-B - while Zealous Warde is Rank-B+. But the price was also much higher.


    I had to pay 5 million Ethan for Zealous Warde which is 5 times more than Elucidator.


    Sword Artifact is always in high demand due to numerous Explorers being Swordsmen. I wanted a higher Rank sword artifact if possible but looks like this sword is the best sword that is avable right now.


    With the tournament being held soon, I had no choice but to buy this. Though this sword is by no means any less powerful than other swords. It also seems that it also has the effect of increasing the morale of the troop which is a pretty useless feature to me.


    I also didn''t forget to buy the armor. Generally, I don''t like to use armor and other people don''t either.


    Not only does it make your body stiff but the speed is decreased and it is ufortable to use some skills with the equipment on.<sub></sub>


    People also make sounds while walking when wearing armor. It would be morefortable to wear light armor than heavy armor, but if it is light, the defensive capability would be reduced as well.


    As a result, armor is not verymonly used unless you are a tank or a knight who is used to wearing armor.


    However, the protective armor that I brought was different.


    **********


    Name: Robes of Holy Power


    Rank: B


    Description: An armor imbued with the power of regeneration. It can heal the user and also has a self-repairing function. As long as the user imbues the armor with mana, the user can use this function. The armor is also able to withstand any attack of Rank-B monsters.


    **********


    Just looking at the description, you know that this artifact is one of the best. Not only can it protect me from others'' attacks but also has a healing effect.


    As a person whose Mana rank is B, I don''t have to worry about running out of mana either. So I can use this function even when fighting.


    The majority of people won''t be able to utilize this feature unless they are not fighting because they need to conserve their mana while fighting, but I was able to do so.


    My mana is basically a tank that would be difficult to empty unless I am using Dual Art with many skills that have high mana consumption.


    However, the price of this armor is also ridiculous. It cost me nearly 10 million Ethan. Protective Artifacts are also high in demand since they can be used by a lot of users.


    In addition, this armor has incredible features. They cost me twice the price of Zealous Warde despite the artifact being one sub-rank lower than the sword artifact.<sub>


    </sub>


    Anyway, I managed to buy two good artifacts. Money is only good when you spend it and I have quite a lot lying around to be spent.


    With this, I am sure that the tournament will be a walk in the park.


    *****


    Tomorrow participants are asked to gather outside the school gate at 8 am. The school bus will be taking us to the venue where the tournament is held.


    SpiritMeadow was the city in which the tournament was going to be hosted. Since the tournament was held, it has always been held there. This year was also no exception and the Tournament of Academies will be held there.


    *****


    Waking up in the morning I quickly got ready to depart. All things that I need are stored in the Spatial ring.


    Heading towards the school gate, I saw a familiar figure.


    "Good Morning, Misha!"


    It was Misha who seemed to be heading towards the school gate.


    She is also one of the participants that are going to the SpiritMeadow. She was really lucky to have been able to get in as a participant of Ace Academy.


    Honestly, she was weaker than most of the third-years that were there in the selection, but she was lucky enough to only encounter weak people.


    While she wasn''t weak by any means, she wasn''t very strong either. But it was still a surprise to find out that she managed to reach Rank-D.


    Reaching Rank-D during your first year is really remarkable. Some schools might have Rank-D as their Ace student, though for Ace Academy Rank-D participants aremon.<sub> </sub>


    "Good Morning Zero!"


    Misha returned the gesture politely.


    She was surprised that she met Zero before she had reached the school gate.


    She looked at Zero who seemed to appear the same as she remembered, but at the same time gave her a new feeling.


    In her view, Zero had changed drastically from how he was before.


    He progressed from being one of the ranked students in the first year to being the top rank in the whole school.


    No one could deny that Zero is stronger than Hiro, who has been the talk of the town for the past few days.


    Even with Hiro breaking through and beinguded as the greatest talent of the century, many students believed that Zero was more powerful.


    Misha too believed that Zero was more powerful than Hiro. It might be because of the selection where they found out how strong Zero was and had not really seen that kind of power from Hiro.


    Not only his strength but also his personality seemed to have changed. He generally tried to avoid trouble back in their middle school days but now it seems that Zero had been getting into one trouble after another.


    So for Misha who has known Zero for many years, this changepletely stunned her. She believes that Zero would be able to achieve something in the tournament with his power.


    They talked for a while and Zero had a happy expression until,


    "My parents and sister areing to watch the tournament."


    "Shit! Isn''t she busy with something?"


    Zero panicked.


    ( Calm down! )


    Yes, I am Rank-C and could easily defeat Eleonore if I want to. There is no way that I am scared of her.


    Yup! If she dares to cross me or tries to bully me then I will be sure to return the favor. Humph! Just the thought of making Eleonore beg for mercy at my feet,


    "Hehe¡­."


    ???


    Misha was confused at why Zero wasughing creepily but didn''t disturb him since he seemed to be lost in thoughts.


    They reached the school gate quickly and many participants were already waiting there.


    While I was ncing at the students, it became apparent to me that they''d all increased their strength drastically, which was no surprise since they''d been training all the time since the selection.


    With their talent, it should be obvious that they could increase a rank or two during this time.


    The highest rank that I sensed was Lisanna Lockser who seemed to have reached Rank-C from Rank-C -.


    Next were Toby, Lion, and Hiro who have broken through to Rank-C -.


    Other third years and Sylvia, Lisa, and Zion seemed to have reached Rank-D +.


    While many seemed to be in rank-D with Rank-D - being the weakest.


    The lineup was pretty strong. For an average school even having Rank-D + would be considered a blessing.


    It is expected that most of the students that would participate in the tournament would be at Rank-E+, which is the average rank of third-year students.


    Though most of the students from top-5 academies would have Rank-D - as their lowest rank.


    While even the top-5 schools would consider Rank-C a valuable asset. And we have 5 students in Rank-C which only serves to show why Ace Academy is considered the number one school in the world.


    *STARE!


    While looking around, Lisanna also noticed me and was staring at me.


    "Eh-Good Morning Mrs. Lisanna."


    I greeted her feeling some kind of pressure. I don''t think I have offended her in any way and I know that she is not a petty person to hold a grudge for that fight.


    Anyways, if someone was nning to hold a grudge, it should be me. I was the one who attacked her after having already said that we would go our separate ways.


    "Good Morning Zero! I hope that I canpete with you again in the tournament."


    Lisandra said, demonstrating her fighting spirit.


    She had been left unsatisfactory in theirst fight. She felt Zero was stronger than what he showed in her fight.


    She had been wanting to have a fight with Zero ever since. Not many students at Ace Academy can stand fighting with her for long periods of time.


    She hardly gets a chance to show her power and she doesn''t have any sparring partner on whom she can go all out. Zero was the only one she encountered among the students, with whom she can go all out without worrying about using too much strength.


    "S-Sure!"

 Chapter 166 Challenges Before The Tournament

    Chapter 166 Challenges Before The Tournament


    "S-Sure!"


    I didn''t know what to say so I just epted Lisanna''s challenge.


    Anyway, rather than fighting amongst ourselves, the first round of the tournament would need the cooperation of students from the same school, or else they might not even make it to the next round.


    Lisanna seemed satisfied with my response as she went back smiling. She does not know what type ofpetition will be there but still thinks that she would get to fight with me.


    We might fight but not unless we get past the first round. First-round is also something that Ace Academy is at a disadvantage.


    Well, I will have to first see whether the rules for the first round are the same as in the novel.


    Though even if the rules change, the thing that you would need to rely on in the tournament is ultimately your strength.


    "Humph! How can Lisanna challenge Zero instead of me? He is still in Rank-D. I think it should have been me whom she should have challenged."


    Lyon said to Toby, feeling quite disappointed. <sub></sub>


    Toby can only sigh inwardly at his friend. Why should she challenge us when we can''t even fight with her for a minute?


    He could keep those thoughts to himself as he didn''t think Lyon would change his mind even after getting reminded of it.


    Lyon had challenged Lisanna 20 times since the selection and the longest he was able to fight her for was 5 minutes. That was nowhere near Zero who had fought for more than an hour with her in the selection.


    Though Lyon said that Zero is only at Rank-D that might be just something that we assumed. Due to the nature of Zero, he has never updated his rank unlike many who would update their rank the next day just to show off to the world.


    Who is to say that Zero is not in Rank-C - like them. Though the chance is slim but Toby with his sharp institution always felt some kind of inferiority while probing Zero rank.


    And he knows that even if Zero was just in Rank-D or Rank-D +, they would be no match for him. Even Lisanna who was at Rank-C - could not really gain any advantage against Zero who was just Rank-D - at that time.


    "Humph! I will also go and challenge him then."


    Lyon said as he made his way towards Zero. <sub>


    </sub>


    Lyon was helpless against Zero during their fight in selection. Zero didn''t even struggle to make him lose. He was beaten like any other contestant at that time.


    He could only me himself for being so weak. He has trained hard in the hope that he could beat Zero and Lisanna in the Tournament of Academies and im the championship.


    Lyon was not arrogant and knows that it will be more difficult than trying to beat Lisanna. He still could not win against Lisanna, not to mention that Lisanna is not even considered the strongest person in the tournament.


    But as the saying goes, if you don''t believe in yourself from the start then you have already lost.


    Toby can only shake his head and follow his friend.


    He could not stop his friend from doing what he wanted. And it was not bad for Lyon to challenge Zero. Even if he stood no chance, at least he was working harder than anyone to achieve that goal since the selection.


    "Zero, you had defeated me in the selection. Although I admit to my defeat, I will avenge myself at this tournament. You will see my new power."


    Lyon said radiating confidence. He was in a new rank andpared to the difference between Rank-D + and Rank-D -, the difference between Rank-D + and Rank-C - is immense. <sub> </sub>


    He believes that even if he can''t defeat Lisanna, he at least has a chance against Zero.


    Zero stood there dumbfounded.


    (Have all the students turned into muscleheads? )


    They don''t know what kind ofpetition it is going to be and all they care about is fighting with me.


    "Okay!"


    Zero just said, feeling nothing more than annoyance at the challenges of two of the best students of Ace Academy.


    Lyon waited for more words from Zero like I will see whether you are worthy or maybe something like I have already defeated you once, don''t dream about the impossible but Zero has already finished his sentences with one word.


    Zero began moving away from him, and he could stop getting irritated. He knows that Zero didn''t mean to annoy him as even Lisanna got ''sure'' as an answer but he was provoking him, unlike Lisanna.


    He expects some kind of response like a challenger should receive, not like this one.


    "Okay, you have finished saying what you want. Don''t disturb him further."


    Toby dragged Lyon who was just standing there lost in his world. Zero turned back and saw it.


    Toby waved to Zero showing no intention of fighting him unlike the other two top students in Third-year.


    Zero nodded.


    "Oh, I was so nervous. Zero, you sure are famous for being able to make Top students challenge you."


    Misha said feeling somewhat envious.


    She felt nervous when Senior Lisanna came and challenged Zero. She knows about the conflict they had during the selection. She thought maybe Lisanna was trying to get her revenge on Zero.


    Then came Senior Lyon apanied by Senior Toby. Senior Lyon was a bigger problem since Zero had beaten him.


    However, unlike her expectation, they were just issuing a challenge to Zero which is normal for those who acknowledge each other. She was surprised that they were challenging Zero and not the other way round.


    Weaker challengers will normally challenge the strong. It surprised her. It was eptable for Lyon who once lost to Zero to challenge him but for Lisanna, who is currently number one in Ace Academy to challenge Zero seemed inappropriate.


    They had treated her like air but she was not sad or angry. It was totally normal since she was weak and didn''t know them whereas both Lyon and Lisanna were super famous and strong.


    "Tsk. They are just two annoyances."


    Zero said with a frown.


    He was feeling that they were not looking at the bigger picture. Making Ace Academy win should be the goal of every student in this school. Looks like he is the only one who has the goal of contributing to the school.


    If Professor Mia heard this, she would have puked at his word. Contributing to school? For the bigger picture? If not for Professor Mia promising the rewards if the Ace Academy wins, Zero would not have even thought about participating in the tournament.


    He will look at the bigger picture because as long as Ace Academy wins, he will get the reward from the school.

 Chapter 167 I AM RANK-B!

    Chapter 167 I AM RANK-B!


    Misha seemed baffled by Zero''s response.


    Lisanna and Lyon who are both respected and admired by many students were just annoyances in Zero''s eyes. The students idolized them and could not wait for them to praise and acknowledge them, while Zero despised the attention from those two.


    Though she knows that Zero''s fame and the number of students who respect and admire him is no less than theirs.


    With the strength shown by Zero which is acknowledged as the best in the first year, even Zero had a fan base. He was not bad-looking either, and lots of girls liked him.


    Zero was strong and had an attractive face and his background was not too shabby. The gold-graded guild was considered elite, and Zero was heir to it. He had everything a girl could ask for.


    If not for his tendency to stay alone, many girls might have already jumped on him.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Yo-Ho! Zero. Misha, what are you talking about?"


    Sylvia appeared out of nowhere and asked.


    "Sylvia!"


    Misha said excitedly.


    They hugged each other while talking to each other, totally ignoring Zero. Not that Zero mind.


    Zero was surprised to see both of them treating each other like best friends. He didn''t know that those two were so close to each other.


    Misha and Sylvia were already life and death partners who had gone through a dreadful experience together. They both showed trust and refused to betray each other even when facing death.<sub></sub>


    So to say that Sylvia considers Misha as a friend who she can trust on an equal level as Hiro and Lisa would not be a lie.


    Despite the fact that theye from different backgrounds, Misha considered Sylvia trustworthy and a good friend.


    Due to them being in a different ss, Sylvia does not seem close to Misha, and Zero does not pay much attention to Sylvia and Misha in recent times which had led to him not knowing this.


    He was most of the time relying on his knowledge of the novel to guess the rtionship between important people and would have never guessed that Misha and Sylvia were such close friends.


    "Zero was being challenged by Senior Lisanna and Sr. Lyon."


    Misha answered after they had finished talking.


    "Oh¡­"


    Sylvia was surprised.


    Though she found it normal after a few seconds. Zero was essentially the only student who never lost to those two.


    She then nced at Hiro and thought that even Hiro who is receiving much attention from the world does not seem like someone that they need to challenge. She knows that them challenging Zero is a rare case and they would not go so far as to challenge another first-year.


    That only shows that Lisanna and Lyon treat Zero as equals. Not as their junior, but as their equal.


    "Zero, what is your rank?"


    Sylvia asked excitedly. <sub>


    </sub>


    She does not know the rank of Zero. Zero is still registered as Rank-D but she didn''t think that rank was very convincing for a man like Zero. She knows that he is much more talented than her.


    She was already Rank-D +. It would be weird for Zero to be in Rank-D.


    "Noment!"


    Zero replied.


    "Eh? Why not?"


    "It is not wise to reveal your strength to your enemy."


    "Enemy? ~You surely don''t mean me?"


    "Ahem! Mrs. Sylvia of course you are not but I don''t know about the future."


    Zero said.


    When he said that Sylvia probably knew that he was referring to when the tournament started. Who to tell that she would not be his opponent?


    "You could tell me. I am no threat to you and I would not tell anyone."


    Sylvia said.


    She was a bit happy that Zero seemed to look at her as his opponent. Previously she thought that maybe she did not even fall into his eyes.<sub> </sub>


    It is not that she thinks Zero is an arrogant person but when you see a person who could not even react excitedly to being challenged by Top-ranked.


    You would definitely feel that you would be ignored by that person since that person does not seem to care about even the top-ranked whereas she was even below them.


    Even so, she was self-aware of her own strength. There was no way that she could beat Zero if she encountered him.


    "Definitely not!"


    ( Like I will believe you. )


    With her mouth, Sylvia would definitely not keep a secret. With how much of a talker she is, the whole school will hear her as soon as she hears something interesting.


    "~Eh! Come on, just tell us."


    Sylvia asked persistently.


    "Then I will only tell you two."


    Zero said seriously.


    Misha and Sylvia were both surprised. They didn''t think that Zero would be willing to reveal his rank so easily. Sylvia just wanted to tease him a little.


    They came closer since that type of information can''t be heard by others.


    "Listen closely. Don''t be so shocked, okay?"


    Zero whispered to the two with a serious expression.


    They nodded.


    -GULP!


    Both of them were feeling nervous for some reason. Just looking at how serious Zero was, they thought they were listening to some top-secret information. They looked at Zero and expected some kind of surprise from him.


    ( Is he Rank-C- or maybe Rank-C? Don''t tell me he is Rank-C +? )


    Sylvia thought. She felt that with Zero''s talent it might be possible. She knows how little time he had to advance from Rank-F + to Rank-D. Since he could reach that rank in 3 months, she didn''t think it was impossible for him to achieve Rank-C +.


    "I am Rank-B"


    " "WHAT? RANK-B!" "


    Sylvia and Misha both shouted simultaneously.


    Rank-B! They didn''t think that anyone who is a student could reach that rank. Not to mention a first-year who is just finishing one year of studies.


    "Really?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "Of course NOT!"


    Zero pour water on their heads.


    "Hahahaha¡­ "


    Looking at the two girls who were all serious, he can''t hold it back anymore. Taking whatever I say seriously.


    "Did you two really think I would reach Rank-B? How old are you to believe that? 5-years? Haha¡­"


    How could somebody take those words seriously? Even with heaven-gifted talent and Hiro''s system, it would be impossible to reach Rank B in such a short period of time.


    The two girls blushed after realizing that Zero was just making fun of them. Zero''sughter only added to their embarrassment.


    That''s right, how can they just believe Zero? They should have already known that when he said that he reached Rank-B.


    ( Serves you right! )


    Zero thought to himself watching Sylvia. Sylvia most of the time would be the one making fun of him or teasing him. Since she had the upper hand with information about my activities during the first day of school that is me being a total idiot.


    ( I am a very petty man. I need to pay back every debt. )


    I was very satisfied with her reaction. Who told you to y with fire? You would only get burned. I finally had a chance to pay her back.


    "Zero, I didn''t think that you would y with maiden hearts."


    Sylvia said with a sad expression.


    "Haha¡­ Serves you right! So what if I y with your heart?"


    Zeroughed again as Sylvia was the object of his teasing.


    "Lisa, you have to avenge me."

 Chapter 168 Goddess Is Angry!

    Chapter 168 Goddess Is Angry!


    [Lisa''s POV]


    I was heading towards the school gate with my friend Sylvia, only to discover that she had disappeared.


    I looked around and she was there with Zero and Misha.


    I also wanted to go there but seeing Zero, I felt a little awkward. I still don''t know how to face Zero.


    Her first impression was that he was tantly pursuing her, which made her feel awkward. It would not be hard for her to talk to one of her pursuers but the reason why she didn''t know how to face Zero was that hepletely changed his attitude toward her.


    His flirty attitude disappeared and he stopped to chase after her. It was not like she was depressed because of it, on the contrary, she felt a little relieved.


    Focus on getting stronger should be the aim of every student or so she thought. She didn''t want to focus on getting into a rtionship or whatnot before ensuring she is strong.


    However, Zero ignoring or not talking to her has caused a gap in their rtionship. She didn''t think she was close to Zero even when he was pursuing her but she didn''t feel like a stranger since he was talking to her.


    But right now, she felt like a stranger to him. It was not like Zero intentionally ignored her or held a grudge against her as she was once saved by Zero in the mid-term.


    Therefore, she didn''t feel veryfortable speaking with Zero.


    She just continued to observe them from afar. They were talking to each other. With her sense, it was not very hard to eavesdrop on their conservation.


    Though she thought it would be rude to listen to their conversation without their knowledge. She wanted to distract herself with other things when she heard,


    ''Zero, what is your rank?''


    She heard Sylvia ask.<sub></sub>


    She instantly turned back and concentrated more on their conversation. Even if it was rude, she was curious about that so she continued to listen to their conversation.


    Zero''s rank might be one of Ace Academy''s biggest secrets. Unlike other people, nobody knows what his rank is. She thought that maybe only Professor Mia knows.


    He doesn''t show or talk about his breakthrough. It also seemed like Zero did not bother updating his rank on his ID card.


    She was naturally interested in knowing that. Zero is one of the strongest students of Ace Academy and even she was interested in his strength.


    She also knows a little about Zero''s history which is usually shared by Sylvia who seemed to get that information from Misha.


    She knows that Zero had good talent in middle school but not to the degree shown nowadays. His rank went from triple-digit of First-year to number 2 of Ace Academy in less than one year.


    Though she thought that he was ate bloomer, simr to Hiro. Hiro''s talent was also not outstanding before entering the Ace Academy and he was considered quite ordinary in middle school.


    Only after the Entrance Exam did he shine and be famous around the world. Zero was also like Hiro but only that Zero''s strength was generally kept a secret.


    Even if you know that he is strong, you don''t know how strong. He was able topete with Lisanna but three months have passed since then. Zero was not caught in school trouble like Hiro where he had to show his power every now and then.


    There was always some student who seemed to be unsatisfied with Hiro. This could be because of his fame or maybe his handsome face that many peoplee to create problems for him.


    During that time, Hiro had to subdue them forcefully. Hence, she can vaguely sense Hiro''s strength and somewhat guess Hiro''s strength.


    But Zero was different. He didn''t seem to fight even when a problem arose. He used to refrain from fighting with a weaker opponent during the first month when people like Erwin sh were challenging him.


    This was the time when he earned the nickname "Coward" which seemed to fit him at that time.<sub>


    </sub>


    When he showed his strength, everyone realized how mistaken they were. He has surpassed many students of Ace Academy and even a second-ranked student of Ace Academy lost to him.


    She listened carefully in anticipation of Zero''s answer. Zero resisted for a bit and refused to answer Sylvia until he finally gave in.


    Lisa involuntarily got closer to the three and carefully listened.


    ''I AM RANK-B''


    ( Rank-B!!! )


    I was totally stunned. Rank-B!!! It was higher than the strongest person in the tournament, Omar Noel, who is apparently Rank-C +.


    Rank-B, when he is just in first-year. It is really unfair. She was struck in Rank-D +, when someone of her age is already at Rank-B.


    How could one be calm when confronted with such a big difference?


    Lisa was shocked and felt somewhat depressed looking at her own progress. She, who is considered the princess of her guild, is left behind by arge margin.


    ''Did you two really think I would reach Rank-B? How old are you to believe that? 5-years? Haha¡­''


    Zeroughed and was making fun of Sylvia.


    -STOMP!


    Lisa angrily stomped her feet. She can''t believe that she was duped by Zero''s word.<sub> </sub>


    And while she knows that those words are not exactly aimed at her, she somewhat felt irritated by them. Like Sylvia, she also believed in his word, meaning that Zero indirectly mocked her with that statement.


    If she was in Sylvia''s position, she could not really control her anger. How can someone just lie like that?


    While Zeroughed, Lisa red at Zero. She also saw Sylvia looking at her for a bit and grinned.


    ( Was that my imagination? )


    She definitely felt that Sylvia was grinning for a second.


    ''Zero, I didn''t think that you would y with maiden hearts.''


    Sylvia said that and then started acting pitiful. Zero, who was high over the moon and believed that Sylvia was very frustrated and didn''t think she was currently acting.


    ''Haha¡­ Serves you right! So what if I y with your heart?''


    Zero continued. He was currently very satisfied.


    Sylvia turned around and threw herself onto Lisa''s hands.


    "Lisa, you have to avenge me."


    !!!


    Zero also noticed Lisa and suddenly changed his attitude. He transitioned from acting like a hooligan to a gentleman. He kept his back straight and stoppedughing.


    Knowing what Sylvia wanted to do, Lisa changed her expression from angry to calm.


    Normally she would have scolded Sylvia for bringing her into her business but today she felt like ying along with her.


    ( Who told you to fool thisdy? )


    Lisa thought angrily/


    "What happened?"


    Lisa asked with genuine concern on her face.


    She was acting like she didn''t know what had happened to her. There was no way she would admit or let them know that she was listening to them.


    "~Cry! Lisa, this bad guy dares to lie and not apologize to me. He was also making fun of me. ~WooooH!"


    Sylvia truly acted like she had been wronged by Zero. If some guys were to see her, they would swear to kill Zero even if they have to sacrifice their life.


    Under the gaze of others, Sylvia was smiling inside.


    ( I will let you know the price of making fun of me! Hehe¡­)


    Sylvia thought.


    [Zero''s POV]


    ( Huh? I thought I was winning. Why did the role reverse? )


    I had the perfect chance and I made fun of Sylvia for all the things that she did. Though I didn''t expect her to run and get support from Lisa.


    Lisa is the character who I should have courted and confessed to, though I threw those scripts in the dustbin a long time ago.


    I was already courting her a bit and that made it rather awkward for me to get close to Lisa like Sylvia. If I tried to talk to her or approach her, others and the person herself will think that I was trying to make her like me.


    To avoid that, I barely speak with her these days. I don''t even approach or talk with the main characters due to this reason.


    I don''t want them to misunderstand my intention and that''s why Sylvia is the only one from the main character''s group that I am close with.


    "What did you do to her?"


    Lisa asked.


    There was obvious anger in her voice.


    ( Goddess is really angry! )


    Zero misunderstood the reason why Lisa was angry. From his point of view, Lisa was angry because the whole situation right now looks like he was bullying her friend. Though in reality, she was angry because she was also somewhat duped by him.


    "Now, would you mind exining to me?"


    Lisa elegantly said.


    Zero was definitely feeling the pressure right now.


    ( Howe I, the overlord, am pressured by this little girl? )


    Zero thought while feeling the need to exin himself.


    "Ahem! Goddess Lisa, listen to me, I didn''t really do anything to them."

 Chapter 169 Goddess Is Angry! [2]

    Chapter 169 Goddess Is Angry! [2]


    "Ahem! Goddess Lisa, listen to me, I didn''t really do anything to her."


    Zero said.


    He has already seen through Sylvia''s acting. He didn''t think that Sylvia would resort to using Lisa for getting back at him.


    "Oh, really! Then why is Sylvia crying?"


    Lisa totally didn''t believe Zero.


    Zero has sensed that Lisa seemed to be angry at him though he has no idea why.


    "No, really! I was just joking with her."


    "You shouldn''t joke after seriously telling us to reveal your rank."


    Lisa angrily said.


    "Huh? How did you know that?"


    ( I don''t think I told her that. )


    "Th-That That is not important! What I want to tell you is that you should not y with innocent souls like Sylvia."


    Lisa changed the topic immediately. There was no way she was going to let Zero know that she was eavesdropping on their conversation. She would be too embarrassed if Zero knew.


    Zero also seemed to not care about that. It was not important how she knew anyway.


    "A-Ah, Yes I will be careful!"


    Seeing that it was his chance to drop the matter, Zero quickly admits his fault. Whether he was right or wrong was not important, getting out of the problem was what mattered.


    "Then that''s good!"


    Lisa said as she covered her face which was turning red. <sub></sub>


    She, earlier due to her being angry, came and wanted to scold Zero due to him making fun of them but thinking carefully, that statement was not even directed at her. How can she be angry just because of that?


    And she herself was to be med for eavesdropping. Now she was trying to act like an educator to Zero. When she realized that, she became embarrassed.


    *TSK!


    "I thought Lisa would scold Zero more for bullying me."


    Sylvia said.


    She was a little disappointed at the oue. She was able to get back Zero a little but not as much as she thought.


    She didn''t think that Lisa had seen through her acting. With Lisa acting protective, she thought that she had managed to deceive Lisa, never expecting Lisa to y along only to get back at Zero who had fooled her as well.


    Anyway, the thing about Zero bullying Sylvia was finished. Lisa stopped pursuing it, so Sylvia dropped it as well.


    *SIGH!


    Misha felt relieved seeing the conflict die down.


    When Lisa came, she just observed Lisa and Zero from the side. She naturally knew that Sylvia was acting and trying to get help from Lisa.


    However, she didn''t intervene because she was also angry at Zero. How can he turn her sincere expectation into ridicule?


    She also wanted to get back at Zero. Though she was ready to intervene if the matter got out of control.


    While watching the two, Misha noticed Zero''s change in attitude. Zero was acting nervously and answering Lisa like he wasmanded by God. Maybe it is a little exaggeration to say that but he definitely looked like someone who would not disobey her.


    She began to remember the rumor about those two. She has naturally heard the rumor about Zero chasing after Lisa. Nevertheless, she thought that was just something made up because she knew Zero unlike other students at that time.


    But looking at the scene before her, she thought otherwise. If Zero didn''t have any feelings for Lisa, it is impossible for him to change his behavior.


    ( But then¡­ It''s not possible. )<sub>


    </sub>


    Misha violently shook her head. Even if Zero seemed a little different in front of Lisa, she was certain that Zero would not have any feelings for her. If he did, she would not forgive Zero.


    *****


    The atmosphere reverted back to normal and Sylvia started to tease Zero. With Lisa near them, she definitely had to reiterate everything that Zero did the first time they met.


    Since Misha who didn''t know the details was there, Sylvia took her opportunity to exin in detail what happened embarrassing the hack out of Zero. Zero tried to stop her but Sylvia would just hide behind Lisa and continue to speak.


    Zero could only endure while Sylvia made him listen to his embarrassing history.


    Slowly all the participants made their appearance. The time for them to depart was close.


    "I would like to remind the student to behave properly once we arrive at SpiritMeadow. You will represent the Ace Academy from now on and whatever you do will reflect on our school image."


    Professor Mia said.


    She was one of the professors apanying the student to the tournament venue. In this case, it was for the safety of the students as well as to ensure Ace Academy''s students don''t cause problems.


    Professor Mia continued for a minute.


    "And stay out of trouble! Understood!"


    Professor Miastly said.


    "Yes, mam!"


    The students replied.


    All the participants and the teacher apanying them boarded the school bus.


    Zero was also about to board the bus when Hiro approached him.


    "Zero, let us do our best in the tournament. I hope that I will get an opportunity topete with you."<sub> </sub>


    Hiro said.


    "Yeah! I will definitely do my best."


    Zero replied.


    Zero got a different kind of feeling when challenged by Hiro. Zero, with the memory of a parallel self, knows the importance of Hiro in this world more than anyone else.


    He is the main character, the one to which the world revolves. The man who would eventually be a hero.


    So for that same person to challenge a person who was destined to be an insignificant character, it gave him an indescribable feeling.


    Hiro smiled and boarded the bus after having done what he came for. Zion, who was behind Hiro, snorted and left.


    ( I will definitely make the world acknowledge me. )


    Zion thought as he boarded the bus.


    Zero also followed him. He was searching for a seat once he got onto the bus.


    Sylvia waved at him and signaled that he shoulde to and sit beside her as she kept one seat empty.


    Zero was about to go in the direction of Sylvia when someone dragged his hand and made him sit down. Initially, he was a little surprised by the amount of power possessed by the person who dragged him.


    In addition to being dragged without him noticing, he was also unable to resist the power. There were only a couple of students who could do this to him.


    He wanted to find out which student had the guts to do this to him.


    And sure enough, it was not a student but Professor Mia.


    "Sit here!"


    Professor Mia said.


    I nodded.


    Anyway, it didn''t matter whether he sat here or there.


    *STARE!


    Yes, countless eyes are looking at me but even if I sit with Sylvia, the result would be simr. In any case, I was used to these stares, and it was not like there was someone stupid who dared to offend me.


    "MOVE! How dare you sit with her?"


    Oh! There was someone who was stupid. Even without looking at the person, I already knew who the person was.


    Professor William. He was fuming with anger as he ordered Zero to get out of the seat. It was supposed to be his seat. How can he let others sit with Professor Mia?


    Zero looked at Professor William and immediately lost interest. He didn''t want to argue with someone who would not listen to anything he said.


    Ignoring Professor William, Zero continued to sit. It was not like Professor William could do anything to him. And with Professor Mia seated next to him, he doubts whether Professor William will even try something here.


    "Yo-You¡­"


    Professor William trembled and pointed his finger at Zero unable to contain his anger.


    Zero had repeatedly taunted and ignored him. He, who is respected and feared by many, has been continually mocked by this student who obviously has no background to rely on.


    "Professor William, the seat is already taken. It would be best that you find another seat."


    Zero responded seeing that Professor William is refusing to go. Due to him, all the students were currently paying attention to us. Even the bus could not start because Professor William was standing near me like an idiot.


    Professor William also noticed the stares of others. He doesn''t want to fight with a student under everyone''s eyes. It will damage his fame. ( I don''t think he has any. )


    "Humph! Don''t be happy. I will sooner orter im what is mine."


    Professor William dered and left to find another seat.


    While he may be trying to sound cool or scare Zero with his words, it didn''t matter to Zero. The only thing Zero knows about it is that it was just a rant from a loser.


    But Zero or at least one of his personalities was a petty person. He was not willing to let Professor William continue to provoke him.


    Professor William has already offended him many times. Zero stared at Professor William back with a cold glint in his eyes.


    In truth, it was not very difficult for him to kill Professor William. Professor William, even with the rank of B was less powerful than the average Rank-B -. His rank was all due to potions, he himself was not that powerful.


    He could kill him if he used everything in his arsenal. Despite being Rank-C -, he was still confident that he could defeat Professor William.


    However, Zero hides his murderous intentions. He didn''t want to ruin his life over a clown. Removing Professor William was easy but dealing with the aftermath was hard.


    Professor William is still a professor at Ace Academy, and his father works for The Authority. Killing him will only get his life screwed, though it was not like he was going to let him scot-free.


    "Sorry Zero! Professor William will not stop pestering me."


    Professor Mia said.


    She was very sorry for what she did. She knows that what she did had made the rtionship between Zero and Professor William sour. Though it was already sour due to her previous actions, she escted the problem again.


    "No problem! He would have kept a grudge against me regardless of what you do."


    Zero said.


    He knows Professor Williams'' personality well. Even without Professor Mia, he would not be kind to him.


    Take Hiro for example. Professor William hates Hiro to the core just because Hiro is powerful and famous while having no background.


    He, himself, stood in the same position as Hiro. Zero had a little background, being in the Gold Graded Guild, though it will not be enough to offset Professor Williams'' hate.


    Professor William only considers guilds with a Diamond grade and above to be noble. Anything less is probably something he considers beneath him.


    It was already destined for me and Professor William to be enemies!

 Chapter 170 Strongest Students From Top-5 Academies!

    Chapter 170 Strongest Students From Top-5 Academies!


    "You should also be careful if you encounter the ace students from Demacia Academy and Britelts Academy. Although they are weaker than Omar Noel of Arcane Academy, they are still very strong."


    Professor Mia warned.


    She was reminding me about certain things that I need to be careful with. Demacia Academy, also known as the Academy of Knights, and Britelts Academy, also known as the Academy of Spell, were Top-5 schools, and their students were stronger than most.


    The tournament participants are already given information about the students from other Top-5 schools that are likely to participate in the tournament.


    By looking at the participants ofst year''s tournament, people could pretty much guess who would be the strongest student of each Academy this year.


    It is because the strongest student in the second year whopeted in the tournamentst year is very likely to be the strongest student this year.


    Even though there may be some changes, listening to the rumors and analyzing student information about each academy, they know pretty much who the best student is going to be from the Top-5 schools.


    The newspanies also release the list of students who are likely to win the tournament. They also rank the students from the different academies ording to their rank.


    The prediction lists of most news organizations are simr and only slightly differ from one another. But all the top-5 students who are likely to win were the same for all news articles.


    Omar Noel of Arcane Academy was ranked number one who is likely to win. Then Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy, Adamscat Phillipower of Britelts Academy, Luciano Elderik of Demacia Academy, and Jeremy Vincent of Skyline Academy.


    The students were all participants in the previous year though they didn''t y any major role in thest tournament because third-year students, who were more powerful than them, were there.


    But this year, they believe that those five are the strongest students. They were also considered the strongest in their respective schools as well.


    From what they achieved in their previous tournament and also looking at their current progress, those five were considered the strongest in the tournament. They were all students of the top-5 Academy.<sub></sub>


    Omar Noel was considered the strongest with Rank-C + which is the highest rank in the tournament. Because of Omar Noel''s impressive performance in thest tournament,bined with his ranking, many were certain that he was going to win this year.


    Lisanna and the other two students that Professor Mia warned were all in Rank-C. Lisanna was considered more powerful than the other two even though they were in the same rank.


    Thest student reached Rank-C - peak, which can be considered quite strong for a student, but not much in the tournament considering the fact other students from Top-5 schools are also in Rank-C-.


    Only students from the top-5 Academy were discussed extensively. Other students didn''te close to their strengths.


    Most students who are considered the strongest in other schools were just Rank-D. Rarely would there be a student in Rank-D + in other schools. Rank-C - and above-ranked students were almost all from Top-5 academies.


    The students who reached Rank-C - and above were less than 15 in the entire tournament. They were the ones who got the chance to win the tournament.


    Nevertheless, the descriptions of those students and other outstanding students from different schools were collected and presented to the participants.


    Ace Academy collected that information in the hope that the participants don''t get careless while facing those students. The same things were done by other schools too.


    The information about Omar Noel was particrly detailed.


    Omar Noel was the opponent that would be the most difficult to beat in the entire tournament. However, if one is aiming to win the tournament, they need to face Omar Noel.


    The Art that Omar Noel practices and the skill he has, were all written and exined clearly. His habit of attacking and also how good he is at nning were all written.


    Omar Noel uses Spear and has Art that focuses on destruction. His attacking power is simr to Rank-B - and could easily break any defense of the same rank. It is better to avoid than suffer in a head-on sh.<sub>


    </sub>


    It was also written that his personality is aggressive and most of the time depends on force to deal with problems. In other words, a blockhead who only knows how to use the spear.


    Professor Mia talked about the tournament, what to expect, and other things.


    *STARE!


    The students could only feel envy looking at Zero who has the privilege of sitting with not only the girl who is considered the most beautiful but also the most talented.


    They were ring at the person who got to sit with beauty while they had to look at the ugly faces of their friends. They couldn''t wait to drag Zero and let him feel the power of single dogs. They wanted to beat Zero until their jealousy settled down.


    Though like Zero previously thought, no one was stupid to underestimate his power and do anything to him. They could only keep those negative thoughts inside themselves.


    No one would implement those thoughts unless they wish to get themselves kicked in their a*s by Zero.


    While listening to the warning from Professor Mia such as the power of Omar Nole and other students, Zero didn''t show much emotion.


    Professor Mia knows that Zero is not afraid of those students.


    Compared to facing Ice Griffin, fighting with those students is nothing to speak of.


    Zero had been training with her and he also got the valuable experience of fighting with Ice Griffin. It would be weird if Zero got scared away by a bunch of kids.


    While the student that is called the strongest could send a shiver to any student by just mentioning their name, in front of Zero, they were just someone who he needed to defeat.<sub> </sub>


    Professor Mia was anticipating a great fight from Zero. She hopes that Zero could bring in the championship and knows that she would not be disappointed by his performance.


    Professor Mia didn''t fully grasp the limit of Zero''s power. However, based on what she saw, Zero''s strength is far greater than Lisanna''s and Omar Noel''s. However, she was not so careless as to think that Zero could easily beat them.


    They were also considered geniuses and had many tricks up their sleeves. You never know what type of strength they will show you until you face them yourself. That''s why she was reminding Zero again and again.


    Moreover, she was worried that Zero might go berserk like the time in the Gate. She didn''t know what triggers that power and whether Zero could control it or not.


    However, she would keep an eye on Zero in case something happened. She knows how powerful that power is; She, who was in Rank-A + peak was pushed back by Zero at that time and even the Ice Griffin was in by it.


    The power was all well and good for Zero but it seemed that Zero could not handle that kind of power and had even endangered his life. She was not about to let that same thing happen again.


    Not to mention that if other people notice the Dark Energy then Zero could be executed as a traitor by thew.


    The bus went on smoothly and it would not be too long before they reached the SpiritMeadow.


    The students were all looking forward excitedly as the scenery changed from forest to city.


    They all had all kinds of expectations from the tournament. Some want to spread their name as far as possible through this tournament while others are thinking about the prizes that they would get from winning.


    ******


    "Do you understand?"


    A solemn voice asked.


    "Yes, mam!"


    A group of students replied.


    "You have to win the Tournament Of Academies. Omar Noel! You will lead this group of students and no matter what, bring the trophy to Arcane Academy."


    "Hehe... Don''t worry, those students are nothingpared to what I can do. Winning is absolute! I just hope that they don''t disappoint me too much."


    Omar Noel said.


    He didn''t think that winning the tournament was anything difficult. It was not only because of his arrogance but because he had already experienced participating in the tournament once that he knows the standard of the Tournament of Academies.


    Last year, if not for him being ranked lower than the Ace Academy''s students, he would not have lost miserably. Now that the previous third year had already graduated, there was no way that he was about to lose to anyone who was ranked lower than him.


    There was a cold glint in his eyes as he eagerly waited to take revenge against Ace Academy. He was determined to humiliate the Ace Academy and redeem himself in the tournament.


    "And also don''t forget that student. You have to make Zero Elea humiliate himself as much as possible. Don''t show any mercy to him."


    Professor Frey said angrily.


    She has a grudge against Professor Mia and those resentments only increased when she heard the news about Professor Mia''s ascension.


    Not only did Professor Mia catch up to her rank but now she has also surpassed her. How could she take it without hating Professor Mia?


    She always thought that she was the most talented woman, not Professor Mia. Although she could not do anything to Professor Mia, it was different for Zero.


    She already considers Zero as Professor Mia''s lover. She has already seen Zero together with Professor Mia during the party hosted by Sophia.


    Since Zero is someone Professor Mia loves and cares about, Professor Frey directed that hatred toward Zero.


    She could have her students humiliate and beat Zero in front of all the people. She could not wait to see the expression that Professor Mia makes when that happens.


    She believed that her student, Omar Noel, who is already considered the strongest student in the tournament, would have no problem dealing with Zero.


    Zero was someone that they didn''t even bother considering a threat. Lisanna and Hiro from Ace Academy were some of the students that Professor Frey believed could pose a threat to Omar.


    Lisanna was of course because she is the next student who is considered the strongest while Hiro was because of his fame. The talent shown by Hiro has alerted many higher-ups of many schools.


    They don''t know the extent of Hiro''s power and being so talented, they of course need to be more vignt towards him.


    Though they were still confident that Omar Noel was the strongest and would not lose to anyone in the Tournament of Academies.


    Professor Frey believed no one in the tournament could defeat Omar.


    "Soon, our goal will finally be achieved!"

 Chapter 171 Popularity Of Ace Academy!

    Chapter 171 Poprity Of Ace Academy!


    Our bus entered the city and made its way towards the hotel where we were going to stay.


    Arge crowd had already gathered before the hotel even opened its doors. Looks like it is going to be noisy for a moment.


    "Look! It''s Ace Academy! Ace Academy is finally here!"


    "I believe that the Championship will be theirs!"


    "I have been waiting for them! I can finally see their participants."


    Looking outside the bus window, I saw many people who were waiting for us. Whether it be the curious citizen or the journalists.


    -CLICK! -CLICK!


    They started to take pictures. I already feel like some kind of star looking at the atmosphere.


    Maybe because of the crowd outside, some students who were not used to attention were getting nervous as they straightened their backs and kept a straight face. <sub></sub>


    Though most of the students were used to this kind of crowd. Hiro, who is always in the center of attention, is already used to this kind of crowd, and even Lisa, Zion, and Sylvia were all famous and got this kind of treatment everywhere.


    They didn''t even show any kind of excitement or nervousness when the bus got through the crowd.


    The bus had finally reached the stop after a long period of time. I could feel my shoulder and back getting stiff. I guess I am more likely to suffer exhaustion from riding a bus rather than from training.


    "KYAA! It''s Lisanna Lockser!"


    "WOW! She looks cuter than I expected and also a lot shorter. I can''t believe she is one of the most powerful students."


    "She is going to lead the Ace Academy to victory."


    Outside the bus, people made a hugemotion when the students were leaving the bus especially when Lisanna came out.


    Actually, I wanted tough a little seeing how people were calling her cute and small. She only appears small and harmless until you actually meet her on the battlefield.<sub>


    </sub>


    She is absolutely terrifying when fighting with her. She does not underestimate others since she gets underestimated most of the time due to her appearance. Therefore, she does not get careless when fighting with any opponent.


    Lisanna ignored those people and without showing any emotion on her face walked to the hotel where the participant will be staying. The hotel which we are going to stay at is for students of Top-5 Academy.


    Lisanna calmly led the other students through the crowd. She is used to getting this much attention. Even though Hiro is a lot more famous than her, Lisanna being the top student at Ace Academy does get a lot of attention from others, especially the guilds who are looking to recruit her.


    The sound of the crowd just got bigger when Hiro and his group made their entrance.


    "Hiro Ernest ising!"


    "Hiro Ernest, the youngest to reach Rank-C -, he looks as handsome as shown on TV."


    "He is definitely going to get one of the Top-10 positions. Being the first year, it would be incredible to be ranked so high."


    Oh! And in the ranking of the students in the tournament by various newspanies, Hiro Ernest is at number 8 most of the time. Many believe that he has incredible talent and hoped that he would get in the Top-10 of the tournament.<sub> </sub>


    "Herees the Top Student of the Golden Generation!"


    The Top of the Golden Generation is obviously Hiro Ernest, Zion Maxwell, Lisa Kyelpas, Sylvia Mavis, and one other student from the Academy of Spell.


    Now that I think of it, that ''guy'' is as strong as Zion and bes one of the antagonists of the novel. He should also be participating in the tournament.


    "Princess Lisa is definitely the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen."


    "Sylvia Kyelpas is also a beauty. Damn! Ace Academy took all the beauty. I wish I could also apany them to ss with them."


    "Zion Maxwell, he is also considerably talented. If not for Hiro Ernest, he might be the most talented student of this year."


    "Ace Academy should be able to win the tournament next year with such talented students."


    "Huh? Why not this year?"


    "Are you an idiot? Don''t you know that this year Arcane Academy has Omar Noel? He is a savage beast who shows no mercy to others. If not for the third year of Ace Academyst year, Omar Noel might have wonst year. This year, he is guaranteed to win."


    The man who said this then sighed. He was also there to watch the tournamentst year where Omar Noel severely injured multiple students.


    The only good thing was that he didn''t kill them due to the rules of the tournament but the students who were injured by him had many of their limbs cut off.


    He became disgusted with Omar Noel after witnessing this savage act. He, himself, was very weak, and seeing Omar Noel bully other weak students reminded him of many of his unhappy memories. Omar Noel was cruel but he could not deny the fact that Omar Noel was unbelievably strong.


    -SWISH!


    ¡­


    The people who were shouting and making noise instantly turned silent and looked at the personing out of the bus.


    Professor Mia was getting off the bus and I was behind her.


    The people who were seeing her for the first time in real-time were surprised at how pretty she is. She looked 10X more beautiful than on TV.


    Not to mention, due to the Legendary Elixir, she seemed to have be more beautiful than before. If her Charm was at Rank-SS+ before, it is definitely Rank-SSS now. Maybe the only one to have such rank in charm is Professor Mia in the whole world.


    "I must be dreaming. Absolutely Gorgeous! Ice Enchantress is definitely the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."


    "Huh? Did you not just say that when you saw Lisa Kyelpas?"


    "They both are the most beautiful girls that I have ever seen."


    Looking at his friend who had lost his mind, the man just pped his forehead and continued to observe. However, he had to admit that the school with the most beauty definitely belongs to Ace Academy.


    As a matter of fact, even a student who is unknown has beauty above the norm, not to mention Professor Mia whose beauty is acknowledged by the world.


    Professor Mia continued to walk under the gazes of the crowd. Looks like Professor Mia is pretty used to being stared at by the crowd as well since it does not seem like she cares about their gaze.


    When the crowd was mesmerized by Professor Mia''s beauty, I got off the bus behind Professor Mia. Luckily it didn''t seem like the crowd was paying attention to me due to Professor Mia.


    Due to the scandalous newsst time, some people should be able to recognize me as long as they look at me carefully. However, it does not seem like they are nning to shift their eyes from Professor Mia.


    Well against Someone who is as beautiful as Professor Mia, who got the time to look at a potato like me?


    I would also prefer to look at Professor Mia than at myself.

 Chapter 172 Rivals Meets Each Other!

    Chapter 172 Rivals Meets Each Other!


    The hotel we are staying at is a rather expensive one. Since the tournament got lots of sponsors from different guilds and businesses, it does notck the fund to treat the participantsvishly.


    -CLANG!


    Getting inside the hotel, the hotel was spacious and the ceiling was at least 10 meters high. The hotel was decorated with lots of flowers and ornaments.


    The material of the Hotel is not regr either. It is probably the metal found in dungeons and could at least withstand the power Rank-A. This hotel is perhaps one of the safest ces to stay.


    If you need to stay in a hotel like this, it would normally cost around 10,000 Ethan for one night.


    The hotel was impressive indeed but what caused us to be more alert was not thevishly made design, it was the students of other Top-5 schools.


    It looks like thest school toe to this ce is our school. Truly the protagonist''s school, making thest entry is always their thing.


    The students of different schools were ring at us. They might also be observing their opponent.


    I also looked around. They all will be our opponents in the tournament. Just when we were walking, a middle-aged woman stood before us. <sub></sub>


    From the attire she wore, it seemed that she was also a professor. The only thing that made her unique from other professors though was that she was wearing a hat. Probably a witch hat that increases mana. She should be a Mage.


    "Hello, Professor Mia! Good to see you again!"


    The professor blocking us greeted Professor Mia. Looks like she knows Professor Mia and hade to meet her.


    "Professor Glinda! I see that you are here."


    Professor Mia and Professor Glinda started talking to each other. They seemed to know each other well seeing how they didn''t seem to be wary of each other.


    "Students, she is the professor of Britelts Academy. I will need to discuss some things with her. You all can go and receive your room key from the receptionist and rest in your room."


    Listening to Professor Mia, Students went to the receptionist and got the room key for their respective rooms.


    The students seemed to have be tired after sitting on the bus for too long. Even with a strong body, the tiredness you feel from sitting in one ce for many hours will always be there.<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero was also going to go to his room to rest.


    "So you have finallye, Professor Mia."


    I turned my head as I heard a familiar voice from Professor Mia''s direction. And the person who was arrogantly calling Professor Mia was Professor Frey whom I met at Sophia''s birthday party.


    She was a pretty dangerous person. Not only because I know that she is a member of a dark guild but because she had killing intent when I met herst time.


    I was only Rank-E back then and she used her bloodthirst which made me quite scared. She will also be the Vice-leader of the Dark Guild.


    I stayed where I was and started to listen to their conversation.


    "Professor Mia, I didn''t think that you were going toe seeing how busy you should be. Oh, and let me congratte you on Ascending to Rank-S."


    Professor Frey said with a smile on her face.<sub> </sub>


    If one does know the rtionship between Professor Mia and Professor Frey, they might even see them as friends. Unfortunately, Professor Frey was someone who detest Professor Miapletely.


    In the novel, because of her hatred for Professor Mia, she will target Hiro and other students of Ace Academy. She will make everyone who is rted to Professor Mia suffer.


    "Thank You, Professor Frey! It seems like you are also going to ascend soon."


    Professor Mia replied.


    I don''t know whether Professor Mia said it with kind intention or to provoke Professor Frey but it seems like Professor Frey took that in a negative way.


    She probably thinks that Professor Mia is provoking her and showing off that she has ascended before her.


    Though I don''t think that is the case because while Professor Frey seemed to have a grudge against Professor Mia, Professor Mia does not have many grudges against Professor Frey.


    She just finds her annoying because Professor Frey always seems to go against her and she also knows that Professor Frey hates her.


    "Professor Mia looks like you have brought your little lover to the tournament."


    Professor Frey said that while ring at me.


    ( Looks like she didn''t forget me. )


    I don''t know whether to be happy or sad that she remembers me. Happy that such a powerful character remembers me or sad because she hates me due to Professor Mia.


    "I didn''t bring him, he earned himself. He is going to be one of the participants from the Ace Academy."


    "OH!"


    Professor Frey had a surprised look on her face.


    Though in actuality she already knew that because she had already collected the information about who all are going to be participating from Ace Academy. That''s why she told Omar Noel to beat Zero if he got the chance.


    "Then, I have to remind Professor Mia to warn him carefully. Our Omar Noel is a little cruel. Who knows what he would do if he meets Zero in the tournament."


    Professor Frey told.


    She was trying to make Professor Mia nervous and scare her a bit.


    "Thanks for your warning. I would also advise you that you tell Omar Noel to be careful when he meets Zero. Omar is said to win the tournament, it would be embarrassing if he gets easily defeated by Zero."


    Professor Mia said.


    She was not a bit scared of Professor Frey''s words. While she knows that Omar is strong and cruel and that he might target Zero but knowing who Zero was, she doesn''t panic.


    Zero is the most talented student that she knows, there was no way that she would think that Zero would easily lose against Omar.


    Even if winning was not possible, she believes that Zero would not be harmed even when going against Omar Noel.

 Chapter 173 Rivals Meets Each Other! [2]

    Chapter 173 Rivals Meets Each Other! [2]


    Professor Frey made an unsatisfied face as her n had failed. She was also told to be careful of Zero and to make sure that Omar Noel does not embarrass them.


    "Omar Noel losing against your lover? Haha¡­ What a funny joke! Professor Mia, don''t let love cloud your judgment. I will see in the tournament whether what you say is true or not."


    Professor Frey believes that Professor Mia was just lying in order to get back at her words. How can Zero, who is just a first year student, win against Omar Noel, who is the highest ranked student in the tournament?


    Professor Frey believes that even Lisanna is an easy target for Omar Noel. What can a nameless first year do to Omar?


    Professor Mia didn''t say anything back. It was Professor Frey''s choice whether to believe her or not. And action will speak louder than words.


    Observing this happen from a far, I already guessed that Arcane Academy was going to be my bitter enemy in the uing tournament. Professor Frey must have already instructed Omar Noel to teach me a lesson by the looks of it.


    If I was the same weak Zero, I was at the start of the year, I might have been scared. Omar Noel is a savage beast who shows no mercy to his enemy.


    I watched his performancest year. Whoever encountered him would be left in a bloody mess. It left asting image in me as even if the society in Eds is that of survival of the fittest, humans are generally a species who do not really show their beast side.


    Omar Noel was different. He was a beast from head to toe and would leave no enemy without drawing blood. He was definitely a scary person.


    But now that I am strong and faced problems that were 100 percent more dangerous, I didn''t think much of being targeted by Omar Noel.


    *SIGH!


    Professor Frey is really a petty person. She should focus on winning the tournament right now, and despite that she wanted to have her revenge. Even people like her don''t see the bigger picture. In front of personal grievances, it seems that the bigger picture is something that has less priority than their revenge.


    Not wanting to stay for more than needed, I went to the room indicated by the room key. Anyway, all the students will be my enemy from tomorrow. Omar Noel was just another student who was more powerful than the rest.


    Entering the room, it was bigger than the room I have in the Academy. Though that is to be expected as this is a very expensive hotel.


    Anyway, Iid on the bed and closed my eyes. It was quitete and my body was sore after sitting on the bus.<sub></sub>


    Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


    *****


    Today, the Tournament of Academies was officially starting.


    We were about to enter the arena. With the other participants from Ace Academy, I was walking through the tunnel.


    "Are you nervous?"


    Misha, who was beside me, suddenly asked.


    "Not really!"


    I casually answered.


    Tournament that was just involving a bunch of students. Even if I lose, there was nothing more than losing the promised reward from Professor Mia. It was not like I would lose my life or anything. I was not nervous though I was filled with anticipation.


    "It must be great having good talent."


    Misha said bitterly.


    ( What does talent got to do with being not nervous? )


    I thought when I heard Misha.


    I didn''t understand why Misha brought up the topic of my talent when I answered that I was not nervous.<sub>


    </sub>


    "You do know that our parents are going to be here to watch the tournament?"


    "Yes!"


    I have already got the call from the parents, excitedly saying that they will be cheering for me and also recording my performance. They were already very excited, thest time I told them about me participating in the tournament.


    "Are you really not nervous?"


    Misha asked again.


    Zero didn''t answer instantly and looked at Misha carefully. He noticed that Misha was trembling a little.


    It was actually her who was nervous.


    Misha was a little scared because she had seen the other participants of Ace Academy who were far more powerful than her.


    She started to doubt whether she would be able to do anything useful in the tournament. She thought she would only let her parents down by performing badly in the tournament.


    Her parents and sister were surprised about her participation. They became extremely happy and excited. They even sent many precious resources to her in hope that they would be able to help her even a little in preparing for the tournament.


    She can''t shame her parents and the guild she belongs to. But looking at people like Zero, she slowly started to lose confidence.


    Zero was just like her before. Actually she deemed herself more talented than Zero before and was ranked very high in Ace Academy.


    Her background was simr to Zero and she know him very well. However, Zero had left her in dust and became one of the most talented person.


    She believed this was due to the difference in talent and that Zero was naturally more confident because of his talent.<sub> </sub>


    She bit her lip as she was bing overwhelmed by her negative emotions.


    Zero didn''t know what was going through her mind but knew that she was very nervous right now.


    "Misha!"


    Zero called out her name instead of answering her question again. He knows that Mish was not actually looking for his answer was just asking because of her nervousness.


    "Yes?"


    "Are you nervous?"


    Zero asked same question to her.


    Misha tucked her clothes and nodded silently.


    "Misha, you don''t need to worry so much. Even if you fail, this young master will win the tournament for you. You can just sit back and rx!"


    Zero arrogantly said while pointing the thumb finger at himself. He proudly said that to her like this was the most naturally thing that was going to happen.


    Zero said in such a loud voice that it even attract other students attention.


    The other student were also a little worried about the tournament when they heard an arrogant voice saying that he will win the tournament.


    ( Bro, we are nervous that we will not even pass the first round and you dered yourself as a winner of the tournament? )


    Most students which belonging to other schools was baffled at the person who said that. They didn''t know that there was someone who is brave enough to dere himself the champion before the tournament even began. Was it not tantly challenging everyone who would bepeting in the tournament?


    The student darted a nce at Zero and sneered, believing that those are word just some ignorant person. Unlike Lisanna and Hiro, Zero was unknown students. They have got no idea about who he is.


    The Ace Academy students who were close to Zero have all heard his statement. But unlike other students, they didn''t think it was a arrogant statement.


    If even Zero who is ranked second in their school can''t confidently im championship then who among them will? Most of them thought.


    In reality, most Ace Academy student were very worried especially the third years. If this year they fail to defend the championship, they will be treated as ck sheep who ruined Ace Academy glory.


    This year, the chances of them losing was very high and that''s why the nervousness was getting to them. Even Lisanna who was leading them didn''t say anything like she would guarantee the championship.


    Lisanna was also not very confident about winning especially when she knows who she will fighting with. Omar Noel was tought opponent and she believed that she only had 20 % of winning even they fought.


    That''s why, they felt really relieved seeing Zero''s confidence. They also became a little more confident after hearing his word. Zero''s bold word has gave them some kind of courage.


    "... Haha Really!"


    Misha burst outughing.


    She wasn''t even worried about championship. But seeing Zero arrogant say those word put her to ease. She believed that just like Zero said, what is there to be worried? Even if she lose, she could train more and redeem herself next time.


    It was not like she had to win.


    "Thanks! I will definitely do my best today."


    Misha said with her eyes filled with determination.


    Zero felt at ease seeing that Misha was not that nervous anymore. It would have been bad if she had nervous breakdown before the tournament.


    Zero actually said those word as a joke. He didn''t know or expect that those word has increase the moral of Ace Academy students. He was just trying to make Misha''s mood better.


    Ace Academy came out from the tunnel and what filled their vision was the huge audience before them cheering for them.


    ''Ace Academy! GO!''


    ''Number One Ace Academy!''


    They would have been really worried if they had not just heard Zero''s word. Naturally they were still worried about winning but believed that they don''t have to pressurize themselves.


    With how talented their juniors were, they believe that they would be able to uphold the glory of Ace Academy.


    The other students also came out from the other tunnels. There were five tunnel from which the Top-5 Academy took separate tunnels. The other school participants were divided and send to different tunnel as well.


    ''Woooh! GO Ace Academy!''


    ''Arcane Academy Crush those students!''


    ''Britelts Academy Go Show us some cool Magic!''


    The audience who were excited shouted to the participants entering the arena. The cheers were mostly directed at the Top-5 school due to their their poprity.


    The students looked at each other faces. They were secretly guaging the opponent while smiling to each other.


    Most of the students were looking at Omar Noel who were leading the Arcane Academy student. Omar Noel was surrounded by a constant air of savagery as if he is standing above all. No one dared to stand close than 5 meter around him even the students from Arcane Academy.


    He didn''t seem to care about other student. He was excluding aura that say that he is the winner.


    The participants made their way towards the arena.

 Chapter 174 Rule Of The Tournament

    Chapter 174 Rule Of The Tournament


    Over 1000 participants from all the different schools gathered in the stadium that will host the final round of thepetition.


    The front row of the participants were the students from Top-5 Academy followed by the students from other schools.


    ''Ace Academy! Win the tournament!''


    ''Omar Noel! Crush those ants''


    ''Demacia Academy! Show us the pride of the Knight!''


    The audience''s cheers filled the stadium with their excitement. I looked at where the audience was and tried to look for my parents. However, in a ce filled with thousands of people, it was not possible to easily spot them.


    I turned around and looked at the participants. I could see the nervousness in the faces of the participants, especially the students from schools other than Top-5 Academy.


    Most participants from Top-5 schools were already very famous and were not intimidated by the huge audience. The other school though seemed to be experiencing this kind of atmosphere for the first time.<sub></sub>


    At this particr moment, thousands of students were gathered in the arena. They all looked at the audience with nervousness, excitement, and awe.


    Anyone would be excited when it came to joining the tournament, knowing their rise in fame was just around the corner, as long as they perform well. And they were nervous as well at the thought of losing miserably.


    The first round of the tournament was going to be chaotic as hell as there will be thousands of students taking part at the same time.


    "Unbreakable Guardian has arrived!"


    Nock Fletcher, known as the ''Unbreakable Guardian,'' is the hero with unmatched defense. He is ranked among the world''s top 5 heroes and is serving The Authority.


    His title of Unbreakable Guardian was not for show either. Even Multiple Rank-S Heroes failed to leave a scratch on him when they were sparring.


    Nock Fletcher was followed by other heroes from The Authority. However, the majesty aura of Nock Fletcher was enough to show who the main character was among them.<sub>


    </sub>


    Many students as well as the audience were excited to find that the one presiding over the tournament was the Unbreakable Guardian. It was not every day that you got to meet one of the Rank-SS Heroes, not to mention Nock Fletcher was the 5th strongest human in the world.


    "Wee! We are fortunate to be able to witness the talent of our future generation. This is the 67th Tournament of Academies and we sincerely hope that the students will perform well in this tournament"


    The presentation began with Nock Fletcher congratting and filling the audience and students with excitement. He didn''t just start off by starting the tournament. He made it a point to try and rx the student first, which was an excellent move on his part.


    He also shared his worries and how the current situation in the world is dangerous, especially for humans. He also emphasizes that people who have power and talent should protect the weaker ones and try to maintain peace.


    It was the type of speech that would be greatly appreciated by people like Hiro Ernest who are aiming to be a righteous heroes. However, for some others like Omar Noel, who only follows the rule of survival of the fittest, it wasplete bullsh*t.


    Even I might fall into the second category as I did not believe in the words of Nock Fletcher. While protecting the weak sounds cool and admirable, when facing true disaster, 99 % of the human poption falls into that weak category.


    Who could save all of them? It was rather better to prepare yourself and work hard to be powerful. Ultimately, one''s own power is the greatest reliance. The weak can only me themselves for getting killed.<sub> </sub>


    Nock Fletcher addressed all the points he wanted to convey to the students and audience before moving on to the topic at hand, which was the tournament.


    "As you know, the Tournament of Academies has always been conducted in different areas with rules always changing ordingly. This year to pass the second round, the rules are quite simple."


    Nock Fletcher then took out something from his pocket.


    "You see this? Each of the participants will be given this token. To move on to the next round, the participants will need to collect at least 10 tokens by the end of the tournament. No participants will be eliminated until the end of the tournament."


    Nock Fletcher said in a loud and clear voice.


    As he said, the rules were pretty simple. To steal tokens from other students and keep the tokens with you until the tournament ends.


    But the problem was,


    ''10 Tokens?''


    ''That means only a hundred of us will be able to move to the next round!''


    ''Oh, God! Why must you be so cruel?''


    The students started to panic after hearing the rules.


    This rule guarantees that only 10 % of the students move to the next round. In fact, if the participants obtain more tokens than they need, then they may reduce the number of opponents for the next round.


    This means that people like Omar Noel, Lisanna, and Hiro may be able to eliminate tens and hundreds of students in this round. If the time permits, maybe one student could even try to win the whole tournament in this first round.


    However, just losing a token does not mean that the participants are disqualified. As long as they gather 10 tokens before the tournament ends, they can advance to the next round.


    One of the most advantageous or disadvantageous things about this rule is that if your school is strong, you might be able to collect tokens for letting your friends pass. In other words, a stronger school will have more participants in the next round, which will give them an edge.


    The students can pass even if they are weak, as long as another schoolmate helps them to get the token.


    This is extremely disadvantageous for those students who are strong by themselves. It means that the chance of them getting disqualified would be higher than in a typical one-on-one match.


    Even if Omar Noel is the strongest, as long as 10 strong students surround and fight with him, he is bound to lose.


    As for me? Fighting with several opponents has always been my strong point.


    As long as my opponents are below Rank-C -, I could easily handle them with my Cryomancy Art.


    ( With Cryomancy Art, victory in this round is inevitable! )

 Chapter 175 Rule Of The Tournament [2]

    Chapter 175 Rule Of The Tournament [2]


    Nock Fletcher continued and reiterated the dos and don''ts of the tournament which are always the same in every tournament.


    The main points are that killing each other is prohibited, and extensive violence against already lost participants is also prohibited. Weapons such as explosives and lethal poisons are prohibited. Only equipment which is worn by participants is allowed and other objects are not allowed.


    Storage rings and storage bags are not allowed since you never know what they might contain. In addition, getting tokens from others would be difficult if the participants stored them in Storage rings.


    Anyway, judging by the rules, the tournament was going just the way it was described in the novel. The rules were the same as what was there in the novel and I expect the dungeon we are going to be teleported to will also be the same.


    After Nock Fletcher was done exining the do''s and don''ts, we were given 30 minutes before we were to be teleported into the dungeon.


    The time given was for participants to recheck everything that they had and also for them to make a n before entering the dungeon.


    The students walked to their respective professors. Professor Mia was the person in charge of making ns for the students at the Ace Academy.


    Professor Mia has already guessed what type of strength is needed to win the first round of the tournament. It was more about cooperation between participants than individual strength.<sub></sub>


    It was advantageous to Ace Academy since she believed that the overall strength of Ace Academy was higher than other schools.


    If the battle shifted more towards individuals, the chance of losing against Arcane Academy was high. Since cooperation was needed, she did not seem to be as concerned about her student.


    "The n is simple. The portal is random and will split you all. Regardless of what happens, you are to search for each other first and foremost! Don''t you dare wander around. You never know where your enemies will be hiding waiting to strike you. Lisanna willmand the team after entering the dungeon. Make sure you all find her and stick together with her. Listen to the decision she makes!"


    Professor Mia said.


    "And also be extra careful when dealing with Omar Noel. Don''t fight him and try to avoid him if possible."


    Even if the student seeded in defeating Omar Noel, it would not be worth it. Fighting Omar Noel was tantamount to losing lots of mana and energy. With storage rings being disallowed, carrying potions was also not convenient.


    So if your mana gets exhausted, you have to wait for it to refill by itself. Not only that, getting injured means that yourbat power is weakened for the wholepetition unless there are healers to heal you.<sub>


    </sub>


    Fighting with Omar Noel will only result in injuries, so it wasn''t worth the effort. Thepetition was not about defeating him but to gather 10 tokens.


    Professor Mia thought that as long as Lisanna and other students stuck together, even Omar Noel would not make any unnecessary move against them.


    Even for Omar Noel also, fighting with Lisanna and Lyon was not worth it as it would only get him exhausted.


    Professor Mia also gave different advice to different students. She has observed the students and knows their personalities. She made sure that they understood the meaning of cooperation andply with hermand.


    She didn''t want them to disobey her, only to fail in the first round. People like Zion and Lyon hardly know the definition of cooperation and would rather fight alone.


    Therefore, Professor Mia made sure to sternly tell them about cooperating with other fellow students.


    "Zero, I know that you are good at cooperating with others. I believe that your Art will be very useful in this round. Make sure to help other students." <sub> </sub>


    Professor Mia said.


    She has already seen how Zero fights with his teammate during mid-term. She can only describe his teamwork as perfection.


    Zero supports other students with his Ice Magic while also focusing on the enemy. He was the definition of a supporter-type fighter.


    Therefore, Professor Mia was not worried about Zero not listening to her instruction. Even if she didn''t instruct them, she believed that Zero would have cooperated with others.


    Professor Mia believes that Zero would y an invaluable role in ensuring that Ace Academy has as many participants qualify for the second round.


    The other schools were also discussing and making various ns but everybody had simr ns. That was for the students of their respective schools to stick together and fight when they outnumber other students.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    "Thirty minutes is up! Participants return to the stage."


    Reaching the forefront, Nock Fletcher surveyed the crowd of students.


    "Please step before the Portal. The first round of the tournament will begin shortly!"


    Starting with Ace Academy, the Top-5 Academy took the first line in order of the previous Tournament of Academies ranking.


    The Heroes from The Authority then poured the mana and activated the portal and students could sense an oppressing aura from the portal.


    Upon sensing the aura released by the portal, it was simr to Rank-D dungeons but they were not certain since they can''t judge the rank of the dungeon urately with just their senses.


    Nock Fletcher gave plenty of time for the participants to calm their nerves and prepare for what wasing next.


    "Alright, youngsters. Time to go! Do your best!"


    With it, the students started to enter the portal. Lisanna was the first person who went inside the portal and soon other students followed.


    Since Ace Academy students were leaving first, my turn was just around the corner. Next to the Ace Academy line was Arcane Academy which was ranked 2nd in thest Tournament of Academies.


    Just when it was my turn, I noticed Omar Noel who was first on the Arcane Academy line. He was ring at me and when our eyes met each other, Omar Noel sneered at me and made a hand sign with his thumb down.


    He was clearly provoking me. I guess that he was really instructed by Professor Frey to beat me.


    Smiling at him, I entered the portal.


    (Lets'' see whether you will be able to maintain your arrogant face when you meet me in the dungeon. )


    -WHOOSH!

 Chapter 176 Starting With Bad Luck?

    Chapter 176 Starting With Bad Luck?


    The blinding light from the tower disappeared and Zero found himself in the middle of a forest. He was only teleported and didn''t get time to make sense of his surroundings when a roar grated his ears.


    -GRRRR!


    With its paw and mouth full of blood, the bear looked at me with bloodthirsty eyes. Beside him was another monster body which was killed by the bear in front of me. It looks like someone has disturbed him during his lunchtime.


    "Rank-D + monster, Ald Bear!"


    I was surprised at the monster which I met the moment I was teleported.


    It was a monster that would be able to easily beat the average participants of the tournament. Not many participants would be able to face this monster.


    Participants were actually teleported into this insanely difficult ce by The Authority. Though I read in the novel that the location for the first round of the tournament was dangerous, upon experiencing it for myself, I had to agree that it was simply too much for an individual student.


    They might only be safe if they form a group and cooperate with each other. If not for that then they would be instantly annihted. Maybe only 30 students are capable of defeating Ald Bear solo.<sub></sub>


    I know that there are heroes deployed by The Authority to secretly protect the students, but I can''t help but curse at them. If another student was in my shoes, he/she might have already died.


    But in reality, it seems that it is my luck that has run out. Ald Bears are very rare, so for me to encounter one immediately after teleporting, I can only me my luck.


    -GRRRRR!


    The Ald Bear swiftly used his giant paw to strike at the intruder who had disturbed his meal time. The giant paw was right in his face, yet Zero didn''t seem to be bothered by that.


    Zero raised his hand and caught the giant paw with his bare hand.


    The fierce bear paw came to a halt and the Ald Bear was scared out of his mind as he stood dumbfounded, staring at his prey which looked like a devil.


    "Aren''t you too weak for a bear?"<sub>


    </sub>


    Zero mockingly said.


    d was a monster known for its devastating attacks, and this d was no exception. However, Zero''s strength was abnormal and his strength stats were greater than this Ald Bear''s.


    -BAM! BOOM! -BAM!


    The d Bear ran away crying after Zero had taught him some lessons.


    It was truly his fault for disturbing his meal but can that justify his intention to kill him? Zero had to teach him some lessons. Zero was already kind enough to not kill him.


    The scaredy cat Bear ran away with all of his might as Zero watched. Even in the world of monsters, power was everything. As long as a person has enough power, even the savage monster would be scared witless.


    With his strength, Zero was not afraid of the monster that might appear. So he walked in the forest as if he owned it. The ce was not dangerous for Zero at all.<sub> </sub>


    On the other hand, the dungeon was a nightmare for the other students, particrly for those who are in Rank-E +.


    They had to be cautious of any monsters that might be attracted to them and also be careful of not falling into the ambush set by the other students. They could only move stealthily through the forest and search for their teammates.


    Zero walked carefree through the forest trying to find any student that he could find. He was also surveying the area for any teammates that he might meet.


    !!!


    Zero sensed somethinging towards him at a high speed. When the monster appeared before Zero with its savage eyes and baring its fangs, the atmosphere changed.


    "Rank-D monster, Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf!"


    Zero frowned when he saw the monster.


    ( Another Rank-D? )


    The monster seemed amused when he saw Zero frowning, thinking that he had scared the guy with his dynamic entrance.


    -ROAR!


    The beast pounced ready to shallow Zero Whole. He considered Zero a weak being who could not even react well in front of his presence.


    -BAM!


    Zero just raised his fist and punched the monster, shattering many of its teeth. The monster was stunned but quickly regained hisposure and ran away seeing that Zero was deep in thought.


    The proud beast quickly ran away with his tail tucked in between his legs. He had never met someone as strong as Zero and was scared but soon felt relieved seeing that no one was chasing him.


    Zero was still in his thoughts. In contrast to what the monster thought, Zero frowned because he was thinking about how likely it was that he would meet two Rank-D''s consecutively.


    Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf was a Rank-D monster, although weaker than Ald Bear but it was still a threat to most participants. He met two Rank-D monsters only after a short period of time, although they should be rare.


    It has not even been 10 minutes since he beat the Ald Bear when he met with Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf.


    These encounters would have been a good thing if the tournament was about hunting down the beast, but since it was not, he could not feel good about such encounters.


    That''s why he let go of the two monsters because it was not worth the effort. Even if he could kill instantly, it would still attract other monsters with their blood, and both Ald Bear and Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf were not monsters that would go down easily without a fight.


    Since his objective was not to kill the monster, he let them escape.


    Zero continued to walk through the forest and met many monsters and he frowned as he could see that his encounter rate with monsters was very high. He imagined that he was in some monster''s house where monsters kepting at him one by one.


    He had met many monsters but had yet to meet a single participant. Zero started to worry for a bit since he could not spot a single participant.


    ( Don''t tell me I will fail the first round because of my bad luck? )

 Chapter 177 Starting With Bad Luck?

    Chapter 177 Starting With Bad Luck?


    ( Don''t tell me I will fail due to my luck? )


    Zero will not pass the first round if he does not meet with any students as only students will have a token.


    What''s the use of killing several monsters and having such great strength in the tournament? If you don''t meet any students, all the power and strategy will be useless and you will not be able to obtain the tokens.


    Just when Zero started to worry,


    "Hehe, hand over the token and we might spare you!"


    A group of students suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "We won''t hurt you out of respect for Ace Academy. But if you dare to refuse our mercy, don''t me us for going overboard."


    They were a cautious group of students who would only attack someone when they had an absolute advantage.


    Fortunately, they were instantly able to group up and the number of teammates increased to five. They had enough numbers and were waiting for a chance to steal the token.


    They were hiding and were ready to ambush others when they felt Zero''s presence. Initially, they were alerted by the fact that Zero was wearing the school uniform of Ace Academy.


    Ace Academy was the number one school in the world and all the students there were significantly stronger than the participants in their school. They would have been scared if they had encountered him alone.


    But they were soon relieved to see that only one student wasing toward them.<sub></sub>


    Fiay Ziao was Rank-D - which was the highest rank among the students present in that group. He was the leader of that group and the one who had decided to ambush Zero.


    They thought that Zero would be hopeless in front of five of them and would quietly hand over the token.


    However, contrary to their expectations, right now, Zero was genuinely smiling with happiness.


    Zero never thought that one day he would be happy to meet people who would be threatening him. Zero found hope in them. Not seeing a single participant had really worried Zero to death.


    "Hehe¡­"


    Zero was so happy that his voice involuntarily escaped from his mouth.


    The person named Fiay Ziao''s eyes were bloodshot as he angrily said.


    "Ignorant brat! Out of respect for Ace Academy, I was going to spare you. But you dare tough at us. Guys beat him up!"


    Fiay Zaio thought that Zero was underestimating and mocking them. He thought that even when they outnumbered him, Zero had the audacity tough at them and not take them seriously.


    He didn''t like Top-5 Academy students because their students would show direct contempt and make fun of other schools. They also take the most resources which he thinks has led to him not getting enough resources from the school even though he is so talented.


    His friend seemed reluctant. They were not afraid of Zero but they knew which school he belonged to. They thought that if they beat Zero up, then the next time they meet Ace Academy students, they would be screwed. Still, they listened to their leader as he was the one to make decisions in that group.<sub>


    </sub>


    The students approach with various feelings such as worry and fear.


    On the other hand, Zero was happily looking at the participants making their way toward him. He only sees them for their token and nothing else.


    Already, he sensed that the strongest student was only at Rank-D -, while other students were all at Rank-E +. They were nothing more than students gifting their tokens to him.


    "Don''t me us kid! It is the rules of the tournament after all."


    One of the students said. He then threw a straight punch at Zero''s face. The air in the atmosphere seemed to be pushed back by the power of his punch.


    Zero was still smiling like an idiot even when a punch was making its way to his face.


    -BAM!


    Fiay Zaio and his friends thought that Zero would be knocked out by the punch.


    However, the next second they found that their friend''s wrist was yanked behind his back.


    "AHHH!"


    -BANG!<sub> </sub>


    Zero then instantly knocks out the guy by striking his neck.


    Fiay and his friend werepletely stunned by this. They clearly saw their friend punch Zero but instantly it was their friend who was knocked out.


    ( How did he do that? )


    ( He is damn fast! We have provoked a strong person! )


    They could not see how Zero did that because of how fast he was. But one thing that they knew was that Zero was strong. Unbelievably Strong!


    Fiay Zaio gnashed his teeth and took out his sword.


    "Snap out of it! He is only one man. Even if he is strong, there is no way they can defeat all of us."


    The men nodded at his words and disyed their weapons.


    Zero raised his hand, signaling them to stop.


    "Give me all your tokens and I will not bother you all."


    "Hehehe¡­ Scared now?"


    Fiay mocked.


    "Scare? Hardly! I am merely warning you and giving you a chance."


    Zero said.


    His voice was calm and there was no panic on his face.


    "Don''t listen to his words. He is just shamelessly boasting!"


    "Attack! Show him our power!"


    Fiay ordered.


    -SHING!


    Brandishing their weapon, they charged forward at the same time.


    "Kid, if you give us your tokens then we might consider letting you go."


    Fiay gained more confidence as he talked. Fiay had almostpletely forgotten about the power Zero had shown earlier.


    *SIGH!


    "Naive!"


    Zero shouted.


    Zero unleashed his mana aura and the mana in the surrounding changed. The four participants who were charging forward felt immense pressure on their backs and they all fell down.


    -THUD!


    They were just average students with Rank-E + and Rank-D - which was way lower than Zero''s rank. Not to mention, even among the same rank, Zero''s mana aura is far superior.


    The four students felt suffocated and were even struggling to raise their heads.


    "Th-This is¡­"


    The four students all shuddered and watched Zero in horror. A dense mana aura emanated from Zero, making them feel utter dread and even robbing them of any will to fight back.


    They finally thought of something that just added to their fear.


    "RANK-C!"

 Chapter 178 Four More To Go!

    ¡°RANK-C!¡±


    For a moment, they couldn¡¯t believe what they were sensing. Rank-C was something only a genius student could achieve and there were only about 15 students who managed to reach it in this tournament.


    They carefully examined Zero who was looking very scary right now. They know everyone who has reached Rank-C and Zero was not included in that list.


    Zero has also not appeared in any of the previous tournaments. With Zero¡¯s strength, they believed that he would have been able topete inst year¡¯s tournament.


    So, the conclusion they came up with was that Zero was a new student which sounded more ridiculous than knowing their opponent was Rank-C.


    A Rank-C first year! There was one student that had done that in the history of humanity and that person was Hiro Ernest. The Rising Dragon is believed to have incredible talent with him breaking many records.


    But they looked at Zero¡¯s face and noticed that he was nowhere as handsome as portrayed in the picture ( Hiro¡¯s picture), not that Zero was unattractive but Hiro Ernest was handsome beyond normal standards.


    Not to mention, they clearly remember Hiro having ck eyes rather than green eyes.


    Thus, the conclusion that they came to was that the enemy they have provoked is an incredibly talented first-year student at Ace Academy who isparable to Hiro.


    ( Another Monster!!)


    They already felt depressed when they heard that Hiro Ernest, who is just First-year, has reached Rank-C. In their school, even the most talented student didn¡¯t reach that rank in the history of their school.


    Not to mention that most of their professors were at that rank. As a result, when they learned that a First-year student had reached the same rank as their professor, they could not help feeling jealous.


    They realize the difference between an ordinary person and those destined to achieve greatness.


    Now, in front of them, there was another gifted student that had simr power to their professor. They couldn¡¯t take that anymore and were having a mental breakdown.


    The one who was most depressed was Fiay Zaio who had provoked Zero. He didn¡¯t expect an unknown student from Ace Academy to be so strong. He was cursing the person responsible for collecting intel.


    ( Howe we didn¡¯t know about such a powerful character? They should have done their work properly. )


    Fiay Zaio could only curse at the person responsible for collecting the information as well as at his luck. Why did he have to encounter such a monster?


    They all looked at Zero and waited for him to decide what to do with them. Right now they were powerless and could only hope that Zero showed some kind of mercy.


    ¡°It would be best that you stay put if you don¡¯t want to end up like him!¡±


    Zero said, pointing at the person that he knocked out.


    His voice was the same as before but in the ears of those students, it looks like a demon king is threatening them.


    -GULP!


    They all immediately nodded.


    ¡°Good! You should have all listened to me from the start. Now, hand over the tokens!¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­ S-Sir!¡±


    Fiay opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Please, can you retract your mana aura? We can¡¯t move!¡±


    Fiay Zaio struggled to speak. Not only because of the oppressive mana aura but also because of the fear of offending Zero.


    But he had to since he and his friends were suffering under Zero¡¯s mana aura. They also couldn¡¯t move their hands to take out the tokens which were demanded by Zero.


    Realizing what Fiay Zaio meant, he suppressed his mana aura.


    Immediately after Zero stopped oppressing them with mana auras, they felt as if the giant mountain pressing them had disappeared, and they soon rxed their bodies.


    They were still tense in front of Zero but without the mana aura, they didn¡¯t fear Zero as much as they did earlier.


    ¡°Thank you Sir for showing us mercy!¡±


    ¡°Thank you Sir for showing us mercy!¡±


    They all respectfully bowed to Zero. They were not angry at Zero for suppressing them, instead, they were grateful that they were spared, at least for now.


    They were not in the least ashamed of bowing to a junior. Even their professors, whom they hold in high regard, are at the same rank as Zero.


    In a world where strength determines everything, what is respected is not age but strength. Since Zero was as powerful as their professors, they had to respect him in the same way.


    ¡°Okay, Okay. Now hand over the tokens!¡±


    Zero was not in the least interested in being respected or anything. He wanted to quickly find other participants and get the tokens.


    ¡°Here, Sir!¡±


    Fiay Zaio collected the tokens from his friend and also from the guy who was knocked out by Zero. With a smile on his face, he handed the tokens to Zero.


    ¡°GOOD!¡±


    Zero said excitedly.


    With tokens in his hand, his worry was gone. From one encounter, he managed to get more than half of the required tokens. He only needed four more, which he thought would be simple if he met with a group like Fiay Zaio.


    Fiay Zaio would be crying if he knew what Zero was thinking. For him, meeting Zero was the worst thing that could have happened to him. Zero was very powerful but unknown.


    At least, if they encountered other strong students like Lisanna, they would probably avoid them. But Zero seemed just like a normal student except for the fact that he is from Ace Academy.


    Fiay Zaio and his friends remained motionless. They didn¡¯t dare ask anything to Zero who could end them in one move. They just anxiously waited for Zero to let them off.


    ¡°Okay, you guys go and do your things!¡±


    Zero said after feeling awkward being stared at by those four.


    The four immediately beamed with happiness. They were relieved that Zero didn¡¯t do anything to them.


    Only one of them was knocked out which is not a big deal. They regretted having five of their tokens taken but at least they could redeem themselves by stealing the tokens from other students.


    ( Let¡¯s get out of here before this monster changes his mind! )


    They looked at each face and nodded, apparently having the same thought

 Chapter 179 Only Monsters In Ace Academy!

    Chapter 179 Only Monsters In Ace Academy!


    They were quickly prepared to flee from that ce. Before Zero decides to change his mind, they want to get as far away from him as possible.


    "Wait!"


    They felt electricity jolting from their bodies when Zero asked them to wait. They thought that Zero had changed his mind and was nning to do something to them.


    "Yes Sir! What do you need?"


    They asked nervously.


    Even if they wanted to escape, they could not in the presence of Zero. They didn''t want to anger Zero and could onlyply with his word.


    "Have you seen any Ace Academy Students?"


    Zero asked.


    He didn''t forget what Professor Mia said. Even though Zero was sure of his survival even against tens of participants, he was more than ready to cooperate with other students of Ace Academy in order to increase the chance of winning.


    And he was also a bit scared that Professor Mia might scold him if he didn''t help other students of Ace Academy.


    "No Sir!"


    They all shook their heads.


    "Then do you know where the other students are?"


    Zero asked another question.<sub></sub>


    If he depends on himself to find other students, he reckons that he will spend many hours finding none. It was his luck that the Fiay Zaio''s group decided to ambush him or else he would be wandering without knowing where to go.


    "Sir, east of here you would encounter many students. There is a big battle being fought there."


    One of them answered immediately.


    The ce where he was spawned was chaotic where many students were fighting at the same time.


    Since he was weak and didn''t have any teammates, he escaped immediately. He was lucky to be able to escape and group up with his other friends.


    "Thanks!"


    -WHOOSH!


    Upon receiving the direction from the student, Zero immediately ran in that direction. He wanted to collect the required amount of tokens as soon as possible.


    "I-Is he gone?"


    One of them asked nervously.


    "Y-Yeah! I think he has left."


    "Whew! I thought I would die!"


    They felt rxed after knowing that Zero had left the area. <sub>


    </sub>


    "Anyway, who is that monster? Howe we didn''t hear anything about him?"


    Fiay Zaio asked angrily.


    If they had information about Zero, they would never in a million years dare to even think about attacking him. Now that they did, they all lost the tokens they had.


    They looked at each other''s faces which were filled with confusion. It was natural that they didn''t know him. Otherwise, they would not have stopped him from ambushing Zero.


    "He should be a new student. We should have information about all the participants from the second and third year."


    They all fell silent when they heard this. It was only the first students that they tried to ambush and it turned out to be so strong. They were losing hope of passing the first round of the tournament.


    Fiay Zaio shook his head to stop thinking about those negative thoughts.


    "We are already lucky to be unscathed after encountering him. Let''s just be more careful from now on and work hard to get the tokens. Even if we don''t pass the first round, we can''t give up. We should live up to our school expectations."


    Fiay Zaio said.


    "Yes, even if I don''t pass, we can still let senior Fiay Zaio pass."


    "We may have been unfortunate right now but we definitely can''t give up without doing our best."


    Fiay Zaio managed to break the depressed mood of his friend. They know that the chance of all of them passing was slim in the first ce. That chance was almost ''zero'' after Zero had stolen all their tokens.


    However, they still hope to collect enough tokens to let their leader, Fiay Zaio pass. <sub> </sub>


    *SIGH!


    Fiay Zaio sighed looking at the sky. Even though his friend''s morale had increased, he was still mortified by what happened.


    "Looks like there are only monsters in Ace Academy!"


    *****


    Zero sprinted through the forest. He ran at a ridiculous speed yet he didn''t meet anyone for the next thirty minutes.


    ( Did they deceive me? )


    Zero thought while soaring through the forest. He was told that there were lots of participants in this direction, but so far he has not seen anyone.


    However, he was certain that those students would not dare to deceive him. They should know the consequences of lying to him. Additionally, his request wasn''t that difficult either. They just needed to show him the direction of where other students were.


    ( Maybe they moved to another ce? )


    Zero thought of that possibility. If those participants didn''t lie to him then it was the only possibility. They might finish fighting and go to another ce to collect more tokens.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    A familiar voice entered his ear when Zero was thinking about where other students might be at.


    Zero paused. He carefully listened to where the sound wasing from.


    He sped up and turned in that direction.


    ( It would be great if she was fighting with other students.)


    Zero smiled as he went in the direction of the sound. It seems that he didn''t need to worry about finding other students.


    Even if he only helped Misha, it will be seen as him cooperating with others. He was worried that Professor Mia would scold him if he didn''t help other students.


    Then he saw a 5-meter tall gori-like monster.


    "Rank-D, Mountain Crushing Gori!"


    It was another Rank-D monster. It was his third time meeting a Rank-D monster even though they were rare.


    ( Don''t tell me, the ce is different from the novel. )


    In the novel, it is said that the main character group only encounters one Rank-D in the entire tournament. And here I was meeting with my third.


    I doubt I could describe this ce as one in which the Rank-D monster rarely appears as the MC does in the novel. For me, encountering a Rank-D monster in this tournament is far moremon than meeting with other participants.


    ( It might just be my bad luck! )


    -WHOOSH!


    In the ce where Mountain Crushing Gori was, a girl could be seen wielding her weapon and fighting with the monster.


    Misha shed at the monster that was attacking her. She was able to inflict damage on the monster but it was not lethal. She kept attacking and dodging when the Mountain Crushing Gori attacked.


    Even though the monster had insane power, it was slow at attacking and Misha took advantage.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    Making the Mountain Crushing Gori distracted by the illusion of petals, Misha struck at his leg.


    -ROAR!


    The monster angrily went on a rampage and started to destroy its surroundings. Mish avoided the big debris that wasing toward her.


    "She has be really strong!"


    Misha was much stronger than she was at the start of school. She was ranked among the Top 50 back then at the start of the school but now her strength was enough to make her the Top 10 in the first year. She should be the strongest in her ss.


    Misha, in the novel, was not that strong. She was barely enough to be qualified to be called an above-average student at Ace Academy. Now, it might be necessary to change it to a talented student at Ace Academy.


    Not to mention that she was participating in the tournament as a first-year student on behalf of Ace Academy. If she was in another school, she would be treated as an Ace student.


    Judging by power, Mountain Crushing Gori was stronger but Misha could beat him with her skill. But it would lead to Misha exhausting her mana and she might even be injured which is dangerous in this ce.


    "Let''s just help her!"

 Chapter 180 Academy War!

    Chapter 180 Academy War!


    Zero brandishes his sword as he silently moves toward the Mountain Crushing Gori. It was easier for Zero to get near the Mountain Crushing Gori because the monster was currently focused on killing Misha.


    -SWISH!


    Misha struggled against the Mountain Crushing Gori. Though she would probably win, it was exhausting her strength.


    As she was thinking about getting out of the situation, Zero appeared beside the Mountain Crushing face with a sword ready to attack.


    -SLASH!


    -THUD!


    The head of the Mountain Crushing Gori fell down.


    She stared in astonishment at the person who was seemingly helping her. Even so, she did not forget to be alert as she wasn''t sure whether the person was an ally or an enemy.


    "Misha, what a coincidence! We meet again!"


    Misha heard a familiar voice and she involuntarily let her guard down.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero jumped off the Mountain Crushing Gori body as it began to fall down.<sub></sub>


    -THUD!


    Zeronded just before Misha.


    Misha was too stunned by what happened that she forgot to respond to Zero''s question. She knew that Zero was strong but to think that he could instantly kill the monster which was troubling her so easily.


    She underestimated Zero''s power even though she thought that she was always overestimating it.


    "Hey! Are you okay?"


    Zero asked. Misha''s unresponsiveness had him worried. He thought that Misha might have sustained some injuries.


    "Umm! I am fine. Thank you for your help!"


    Misha thanked Zero.


    "No need to mention that! You could have handled the monster anyway. I hope you are not angry at me for killing the monster."


    Zero said.


    Although Zero had helped Misha with good intentions, he was worried that Misha might not like it. Some people have pride which prevents them from owing others anything.<sub>


    </sub>


    "No, No! You saved me there!"


    Misha said. She was not trying to be humble or anything, Zero had saved her there. If not for Zero, her journey in the tournament might havee to an end there.


    Without teammates, getting exhausted or having injuries could be very dangerous. She was almost thinking about escaping and Zero killing the monster had greatly helped her.


    And about Zero taking the kill? Who cares as killing the monster had no merit in the tournament. It might have been different if killing monsters was the main objective of the tournament.


    "So you didn''te across any students of Ace Academy either?


    Zero asked even though the answer was obvious. If she had met a teammate, she would not be alone here.


    "None so far. But I heard from some students that they had spotted some students wearing Ace Academy uniforms in the east."


    Misha shared what she knew with Zero.


    When encountering students from the same school, one rule was established naturally. Those who are stronger would be the leader of that group and others would listen to them.


    Right now, between Misha and Zero, Zero was stronger. Misha acknowledges those facts and was more than willing to listen to any arrangement made by him.


    Zero pondered for a while. Zero was also told that there were many students in the east, so he believed that some of those students must be from Ace Academy.<sub> </sub>


    "What is your n? Want to go to the east together with me?"


    Zero asked.


    Even though Professor Mia had asked them to team up, he needed to get permission from those students. He would not force the students to follow him if they were not willing to.


    "Yes! It is better if we help each other!"


    Misha said.


    She almost blushed after realizing what she had just said. Zero was weak enough to need help from her and she was only a burden to Zero.


    She thought it was arrogant to say that she could help Zero. She was embarrassed by those thoughts.


    "Okay then, I will be in your care!"


    Zero believed that having Misha with him would be a great help. You never know when you might get into a problem that cannot be solved by a single person. Having someone he could trust like Misha was a blessing here.


    "Let''s go!"


    -WHOOSH!


    Misha and Zero sprinted towards the east.


    Along the way, Zero asked Misha various things like how many monsters she encountered? How many monsters were Rank-D and above?


    He needed to know these things to know the general idea about the ce that he was in. He thought he was in the same ce as stated in the novel but he met three Rank-D monsters which made him doubt his thoughts.


    It was also normal for the ce of the tournament to change since he had been changing many things in the world and had brought a lot of changes which could result in the ce of the tournament changing.


    Misha''s answer was as he expected which confused him more. Misha said that she didn''t encounter many monsters and the Mountain Crushing Gori is the only monster in Rank-D that she met.


    From Misha''s words, Zero knew that the ce of the tournament was still the same as in the novel. He thought it was just his bad luck that he encountered so many monsters, including three monsters that were in Rank-D.


    "How many tokens do you have? Did you get the required tokens?"


    Misha shook her head.


    "No, I have a long way to go before I can collect 10 tokens. Right now, I have only 3 tokens."


    Misha said.


    Misha was surprised when Zero asked whether she had collected all the required tokens which were 10. She barely got two other tokens from Rank-E + participants.


    She thought that Zero was making fun of her by saying that.


    However, then she thought of something.


    "Zero, you already have 10 tokens?"


    Misha asked excitedly.


    She anticipated that with Zero''s strength he would have no problem getting 10 tokens. With Zero''s strength, she thought that he would not worry about getting beaten and could easily steal from anyone he encounters.


    If she had Zero''s strength, she would have also jumped in to fight with other students to get the tokens as soon as possible.


    "No, I don''t have the required tokens. I need another 4 tokens to pass the round."


    Zero said disappointedly.


    It was not like he could not handle other participants, it was just that he didn''t get an opportunity to steal tokens from a group other than Fiay Zaio.


    "Oh!"


    Misha was shocked. She thought that Zero would have annihted his opponent and gotten all the tokens.


    Misha and Zero had a conservation with each other as they sprinted through the forest.

 Chapter 181 Academy War! [2]

    Chapter 181 Academy War! [2]


    While Misha and Zero were leisurely moving through the forest, in the east, war was on the verge of erupting.


    In arge in area, on either side of the area, two forces were ready to battle.


    On the one hand were students from Ace Academy and Britelts Academy, with participants like Lisanna Lockser, Hiro Ernest, and Adamscat Phillipower. All were in Rank-C - and above.


    The other side had the students from Arcane Academy, Demacia Academy, and Skyline Academy which is led by Omar Noel, Jeremy Vincent, and Luciano Elderik.


    All the students on both sides seemed tense as they waited for the battle to start. The Ace Academy side was more nervous since the students on the other side of the ce were more.


    Their standoff was visible beyond that ce through the drones that were recording their standoff live to the audience at the SpiritMeadow stadium.


    Actually, one of the sponsors of the Tournament of Academies was Tech Genesis. The Tournament of Academies was a suitable event to advertise their products, and they also arranged for theirtest mana drone to transmit the video to the audience.


    Tech Genesis has grown beyond anyone''s expectations and is one of the biggestpanies in the world. Tech Genesis is known for their quality service, be it apps, websites, or other products like the Mana phone and theirtest release Infinity Drone.


    The products were all innovative and high-quality with exemry customer service. The Authority which is hosting the Tournament of Academies has no problem with Tech Genesis providing the mana drones.


    The drones made by Tech Genesis couldst for weeks and their camera quality was also impable. Their materials for drones were also robust, so they don''t have to worry about their drones getting damaged.<sub></sub>


    Tech Genesis was also getting a lot of benefits from the deal. Not only are they advertising their product, but they are also showcasing the service provided by their products. With millions of people watching the tournament, they were able to promote themselves extensively.


    Anyway, Mana drones were spread across the area where participants were. Mana drones followedrge crowds of people, or the drones could also be remotely controlled to show interesting content to the audience.


    There were four high-quality screens ced in the middle of the stadium which could be clearly seen by anyone present in the stadium.


    The big screen activated right after thest participants were teleported. Participants kept watching the audience and the most delightful content came from the east side of the venue as well.


    Zero was really spawned at an abandoned ce. There was not even one Mana drone stationed near the ce where Zero spawned.


    Participants on the east side were full of chaos and students were showing their power one after another. There was not a dull moment at that ce since many students were stealing tokens from each other.


    Audiences were kept entertained throughout the tournament with the big screen showing only the extremely interesting videos.


    As of now, the audience''s excitement has reached an all-time high since the tournament began. Because right now, a war is brewing among the Top-5 Academies.


    Top-5 Academies was the school that had the most powerful students and this moment was one of the critical parts of the tournament which would eventually decide the winner. <sub>


    </sub>


    The school that wins in this war will be able to obtain all the tokens that other schools currently possess.


    Not only the audience, but even the students from other schools were also anxiously watching the standoff from a distance. They were not strong enough to participate with students such as Lisanna and Omar.


    They could only watch the battle from a faraway ce. However, they were not only there to watch them battle, but they were also hoping to collect the tokens if they get an opportunity.


    They secretly hoped that both sides would fight with each other until no one could fight. That way they could steal the tokens when everyone from Top-5 Academies is not able to fight.


    "Hand over all your tokens. You might still have the chance to advance to the next round if you go and steal the tokens from other schools."


    Omar Noel spoke in a high and mighty way.


    He was currently the strongest person there. Moreover, he outnumbers the students on their side.


    Jeremy Vincent and Luciano Elderik sneered at Ace Academy and Britelts Academy.


    They thought that they were on the winning side. With Omar Noel and three of the Top-5 academies teaming up, there was no way they were going to lose.<sub> </sub>


    The Ace Academy side knew that they had to stick with defense. They had no choice but to admit that right now they were in a disadvantageous position.


    Omar Noel alone was enough to give Arcane Academy a big advantage but now even the number of students present on their side exceeded theirs.


    However, even Omar Noel could not recklessly act alone. Omar Noel could also lose since the other side still had 40 or so students.


    That''s why Omar Noel was more than willing to talk to them. He just needed the tokens.


    "This is yourst chance to decide. Either hand over the tokens or fight me! Haha¡­"


    "Dammit!"


    Professor Glinda gnashed her teeth looking at the big screen. She was absolutely worried about the oue of the battle.


    The majority of their students will be disqualified if they lose. Only one or two might be able to advance to the next round. This will be absolutely detrimental to Ace Academy and Britelts Academy.


    "Looks like Ace Academy is going to lose this year!"


    "Yeah! In addition to dealing with Omar Noel, which is a difficult endeavor, they also had to take on other students while being outnumbered. This does not look good for Ace Academy and Britelts Academy."


    The audience was super hyped. Additionally, they were looking forward to Ace Academy being dethroned. Two decades of dominance were finallying to an end today.


    They were excited for that moment and all were hoping for Ace Academy to lose.


    However, those people who were associated with Ace Academy had gloomy faces. The loss of Ace Academy would damage the prestige of the school where their rtives or children study.


    "Zero would be alright, right?"


    Zero''s mother asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry! Zero is not in that group of students!"


    Zero''s dad reassured her.


    They could see the faces of the participants, but they haven''t spotted Zero yet. This means that Zero was not at the scene of the uing battle.


    "Even Misha is not there!"


    Sadie Kanon, the mother of Misha, expressed relief that her daughter was also absent there.


    Elea''s family and Kanon''s family were sitting next to each other. With their long-time friendship and alliance, it was not weird for them toe together.


    With Zero''s potion, both his parents were at Rank-A and even Misha''s mother had reached Rank-A. With how much the Kanon family had helped their family during the crisis, it was not a big deal to give one of the Rank-up potions.


    Both families were extremely satisfied with their children who had performed above and beyond their expectations. Both Misha''s and Zero''s parents didn''t expect that their child would be able to participate in the Tournament of Academies despite being a first-year student.


    "Mom! Aunt Maidson, don''t worry! Misha and Zero had both be strong. Even if they were there, they would not lose to anyone!"


    Eleonore said.


    Eleonore said those words not only to relieve the stress of the parents but also from her experience.


    She had also participated in the Tournament of Academies when she was in school. The same type of standoff took ce during her time, and as a Rank-D+, she survived the battle.


    She knows that her sister was more talented than her. Misha reached Rank-D when she was just a first year. Eleonore was gloating about Misha''s talents.


    She was like a proud big sister, who can''t wait to brag about her sister. She had toe along with her parents to watch the performance of her little sister.


    She frowned when she heard that Zero was also a participant. Even though she does not want to acknowledge Zero, she had to ept the fact that Zero was incredibly strong.


    She knew that both of them would do well in the tournament.

 Chapter 182 Academy War! [2]

    Chapter 182 Academy War! [2]


    Omar Noel became fed up with waiting for them to surrender and started to take the matter into his own hand.


    Omar Noel unleashed his mana aura with his bloodlust, which was directed at all the students, including his own allies.


    He wanted to show his dominance to both his enemy and allies. To make them realize who he was.


    Weak-willed students started to copse in fear. Even those in Rank-C felt dread in front of Omar Noel''s disy of power.


    Subconsciously, Lisanna and their group took a step back. In contrast, Omar Noel slowly made his way toward them.


    Omar Noel was one man, yet he alone instilledplete fear in all the students that were present there. Even Hiro Ernest and his friend felt the threat from the aura emitted by Omar Noel.


    "For how long do you intend to continue to resist? Just hand over the tokens and be done with it!"


    Omar Noel demanded.


    Lisanna and Adamscat gnashed their teeth in silence.


    While handing over the tokens might give them the chance to advance to the next round but for the Top Academy to surrender was a total humiliation. The same was true for Britelts Academy. Being in Top-5 Academy, how can they give up before even fighting?


    They would be mocked by everyone for their cowardice. Giving up was more shameful than losing the battle.<sub></sub>


    They had to fight!


    "Omar Noel, it is better we take a step back and reconsider the situation. We would be willing to give you half of the tokens that we have."


    Toby said.


    While it was shameful to give even half of the tokens away, it was still not as shameful as losing all the tokens or giving up. They could still maintain some kind of dignity.


    "Haha¡­ What makes you think you can bargain with this Omar Noel? Just do as I say or ¡­"


    "Or What? Fight?"


    Lyon roared.


    He has had enough of this humiliation. How can he cower and avoid a fight when he is the top fighter at Ace Academy? Even if he loses, he wants to lose like a man.


    He took out his spear showing his determination to fight. Toby shook his head thinking that Lyon''s attitude was hasty but still gave a smile because he also had enough of being humiliated.


    Omar Noel didn''t n to let Ace Academy leave with dignity anyways. He should still be thinking about revenge due tost year''s defeat he suffered at Ace Academy''s hands.<sub>


    </sub>


    Omar Noel sneered. He just red at Lyon. Lyon was not strong enough to make him take the fight seriously. How does Rank-C -pare with Rank-C +?


    It might be possible to win if the person at Rank-C - was incredibly talented or Rank-C + was incredibly mediocre. But both of those statements were false here.


    Lyon was talented but not to the extent of being incredibly talented and Omar Noel was not mediocre rather he was one of those incredibly talented people.


    Lyon stood no chance against Omar Noel.


    Lyon also knew his chances of winning were slim, but despite this he still chose to fight with Omar Noel.


    He disyed an incredible aura of power that would be enough to stun most people, although, inparison to Omar Noel, it was pale.


    [ "Twin Night: Brisk Strike" ]


    Lyon shouted as an incredibly powerful mana thrust containing destructive power made its way towards Omar Noel.


    Omar Noel just put his spear in front of him and shot out an energy beam.


    PFF!<sub> </sub>


    Lyon coughed out blood. Omar''s casual attack not only destroyed Lyon''s attack but also hit him at an incredible speed.


    *****


    In the stadium, people were frantically shouting at the top of their lungs. The confrontation that they had been looking forward to has finally started.


    Lyon is also famous and many people recognize him. The fight ended in one move but the hype was still high. They know that that fight was just an appetizer for the main event.


    They were eager to watch the battle of the top students from the Top-5 Academies.


    "Looks like one of the Ace Academy students is just about to copse from Omar Noel''s casual attack! Did he really think he would win?"


    Professor Frey who was in the stadium mocked andughed at Lyon. She was trying to make Professor Mia angry.


    However, Professor Mia''s indifferent expression scuttled her n. Professor Mia does not seem to feel angry at Professor Frey''s words.


    Professor Mia just continued to stare at the screen even after hearing Professor Frey''s words.


    Though her words have managed to anger the other professor from Ace Academy. They red at Professor Frey. Professor Frey just sneered at them.


    She didn''t care about what other professors of Ace Academy thought, she just wanted to make Professor Mia miserable.


    The professor of Arcane Academy was beaming with happiness. They were finally going to win the tournament and be the number one academy.


    Omar Noel was the hope of Arcane Academy. He was someone who could help Arcane Academy achieve greatness by making them be the number 1 Academy.


    They weren''t stingy when helping Omar Noel grow. They used their highest quality potions and mana herbs, and even gifted one with an Art of his choice.


    They wanted to rpense their effort through the Tournament of Academies for all the resources that they spent on Omar Noel.


    Arcane Academy professors were all gloating at the moment. Right now, Arcane Academy is the most dominant academy in the tournament.


    Omar Noel has exerted his dominance over other Top-5 academies which shows the power of Arcane Academy.


    *****


    Omar Noel put his spear down andughed at Lyon who was vomiting blood.


    "Haha¡­ An ant trying to fight with me? An ant should know their ce!"


    Omar Noel fired another one of his attacks which was aimed at Lyon''s stomach. He wanted to injure Lyon beyond healing.


    -CLANG!


    However, his attack was blocked by a sword.


    Lisanna appeared before Lyon in time and blocked the attack.


    Omar Noel red at Lisanna beforeughing.


    "Haha¡­ So you have also decided to fight?"


    Omar Noelughed.


    Lisanna raised her sword ready to use her skill. With this, it was confirmed that Ace Academy was Ace was going to fight Arcane Academy Ace.


    "You asked for it. Don''t regret not epting my offer."

 Chapter 183 Academy War! [3]

    Chapter 183 Academy War! [3]


    "You asked for it. Don''t regret not epting my offer."


    Omar Noel snorted.


    -WHOOSH!


    Omar Noel disappeared in front of everyone and before anyone realized it, he appeared in front of Lisanna and was about to stab Lisanna.


    -CLANG!


    However, Lisanna''s speed was also not to be underestimated. She parried Omar Noel''s spear with her sword.


    Lisanna''s sword shed and she took the opportunity to counter-attack Omar Noel.


    [ "Thousand Wind de" ]


    Lisanna used her strongest move the moment she got the chance. It was better for her to take this opportunity to use her strongest attack when Omar Noel was underestimating her.


    With opponents like Omar Noel, the number of opportunities that might appear is far between. She needed to use this chance and take out or at least deal heavy damage to Omar.<sub></sub>


    Lisanna''s attack was at least 10 times stronger than Lyon''s previous attack. Even someone like Omar Noel had to get serious while facing Lisanna.


    With the distance between Lisanna and Omar being very close, Omar Noel would not be able to dodge even with the kind of speed he has shown earlier.


    Omar Noel used his spear to block the iing attack.


    -BANG!


    Omar Noel was pushed back by the force of the attack.


    The allies of Lisanna smiled as they watched her sessful attack. They know that even a monster like Omar Noel would be in serious trouble against the attack of LIsanna.


    However, their happiness was short-lived as Omar Noel who directly took the brunt of Lisanna''s attack was still standing with an imposing aura.


    ( How can that be? )


    The Ace Academy student was confused and astonished. Lisanna''s strongest attack was easily blocked by Omar Noel.<sub>


    </sub>


    There was a cut or two here and there but overall it didn''t seem like Lisanna''s attack had done any major damage to Omar Noel.


    "How is this possible?"


    Toby mutteredpletely stunned by the oue of Lisanna''s attack.


    Toby being in the same ss as Lisanna knows her power the best. Even if the likes of him were 5 times more powerful, he was not confident to defend against Lisanna''s skill.


    He knows that there is a big difference between each rank and even more so when it involves talented people like Lisanna and Omar Noel. However, what he was seeing was still unbelievable.


    He knows that even if he was at Rank-C +, it would be impossible toe out unscathed after getting hit by Lisanna''s attack, not to mention that the distance between Lisanna and Omar was almost nonexistent.


    There was no doubt in everyone''s minds that Lisanna Lockser had no chance against Omar Noel. Omar Noel was able to defend against Lisanna''s attack without using a skill, so people can guess how much power Omar had.


    However, unlike what everyone was thinking, Omar Noel frowned. He didn''t expect a sudden attack from Lisanna which caught him off guard.


    Even though he seemed to be okay with only a few cuts, they were still a big deal for him. He didn''t expect that there would still be someone in this tournament who could actually hurt him in a one-on-one battle.<sub> </sub>


    "I have to give you credit. It has been ages since Ist bled. It is well deserved for you to be ranked second in the tournament. Not bad at all!"


    Omar Noel said.


    "But that is precisely why I have to thoroughly beat you. So that no one would think about challenging me!"


    Omar Noel roared.


    He understands that once he has beaten Lisanna, it was only a matter of time before other students gave up. By beating Lisanna, he effectively wins the whole tournament. He was nning to make sure that no student except him qualified for the second round.


    As Omar Noel prepared to use his skill, he emit bloodlust far stronger than when he was using his mana aura.


    [ "Legend Spear: Dividing Crush" ]


    Students who were far away from the attack could also feel the dreadful power behind the attack. They shuddered and thought that they were lucky that they didn''t have to face such a monster.


    [ "Wind Spirit: WindStorm" ]


    A hurricane formed and went on to face the Omar Noel attack. However, just like how a paper could not stop a scissor, Lisanna''s attack was just ripped apart by Omar Noel''s attack and continued to make its way towards Lisanna.


    -BOOM!


    With a loud thunderous sound, the attack hit.


    The Ace Academy and Britelts Academy students stood there thinking about the worst. There was no student who could defend against such a powerful attack. Even those who mainly focus on defense would be crushed by the force of Omar Noel''s attack.


    However, the next thing that they saw was that the attack hit the ground, and the ground was split apart but there was no sign of Lisanna.


    -CLANK!


    Rather than being crushed by Omar Noel''s attack, Lisanna dodged the attack and moved toward him, attempting to attack him even though he blocked it.


    "Pretty fast, aren''t you?"


    Omar Noel said.


    He was not at all disappointed that his attack failed to defeat Lisanna. The tournament of Academies was an opportunity for him to show his power to the world.


    How can he disy his power if the opponent he faces is all weak? He needed an opponent like Lisanna who could serve as a stepping stone to his glory.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Both Lisanna and Omar Noel started fighting, with Lisanna dodging Omar Noel''s every attack as Omar Noel simply defended himself against Lisanna''s.


    Lisanna knows that she was inferior to Omar Noel except in speed. She took full advantage of that fact by attacking quickly while dodging the attack.


    Omar Noel''s spear techniques were all destructive and Lisanna was not powerful enough to defend against Omar Noe''s attack. That''s why she dodged the attack instead of trying to block it.


    However, with her speed, it was only barely enough to keep up with Omar Noel for a short period of time. She knew that with time, she would be defeated by Omar Noel.


    The only way she could keep up with Omar Noel was to do her best and deploy everything in her arsenal. While Omar Noel has not even shown one of his trump cards.


    Lisanna was losing against Omar Noel.

 Chapter 184 Zero Arrives!

    Chapter 184 Zero Arrives!


    In the distance, the students of both sides were just watching the ongoing battle.


    They were unqualified to intervene, or rather if they came close to them, then just their attack force would be enough to pulverize them.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    They could see that both Lisanna and Omar Noel were on equal ground or at least that was what most students thought. They didn''t expect Lisanna to be so strong. Even for Ace Academy students, it was their first-time watching Lisanna use her full power.


    However, powerful students like Hiro and Toby knew otherwise. They had yet to see Omar Noel use his powerful skill. They could see that Omar Noel was holding himself back and was just ying around with Lisanna.


    "Things do not look good! "


    Hiro said worriedly.


    "Huh? Senior Lisanna is pushing Omar Noel back! How is that a bad thing?"


    Sylvia said.


    She didn''t understand why Hiro said that. Lisanna was doing great against Omar Noel and it looked like she was winning.


    Hiro shook his head.


    "Omar Noel is yet to be serious. We might need to think about a n to get out of here safely."<sub></sub>


    Hiro said solemnly.


    Sylvia was surprised to discover that Omar Noel was hiding his strength when going against the best student at Ace Academy.


    To them, it just looked like Lisanna was dominating Omar Noel. Lisanna was like a fly that could not be hit by Omar''s attack.


    Sylvia knew that people like Hiro would be able to judge the battle more clearly than them as Hiro was close to their strength.


    Sylvia also had a grim expression after realizing her optimism was just something she hoped for and not something that would happen.


    Lisanna was going to lose!


    After Lisanna, it would be their turn. They didn''t know what they would need to do right now.


    ording to Professor Mia, they had to listen to Lisanna''smands but right now she was busy fighting with Omar Noel and could not make a decision.


    So ording to school rank, the leadership of Ace Academy would either fall under Hiro or Toby. Lyon was currently being healed by Lisa, so Lyon was also incapable of making a decision.


    However, they both don''t have the authority to make a decision for the alliance since the next inmand should fall under the Ace of Britelts Academy, Adamscat Phillipower.


    However, Adamscat was also just watching the fight and not telling anything. Right now, they need a backup n as soon as possible.<sub>


    </sub>


    After LIsanna loses, there might not be another student who could stand up to Omar Noel. Hiro Ernest didn''t feel that his power was inferior to Lisanna and could even exceed her strength for a short period of time if he used everything he had.


    But in front of Omar Noel, he didn''t think he could win against him.


    "Adamscat, can you share your n if Lisanna falls?"


    Hiro asked anxiously.


    Adamscat was the nextmander of the alliances. She should have a n or two to get out of the trouble, Hiro thought. If not, they might be seriously in trouble.


    "Ummm¡­ Let''s just watch the battle. I believe that Omar Noel, even if he is not defeated, would be too exhausted to defeat everyone here!"


    Adamscat said.


    What she said made sense as even Omar Noel had to use much of his mana to defeat Lisanna. Adamscat might be able to defeat Omar Noel if she made the move after the current fight ends.


    But the problem was not whether or not they could defeat Omar Noel.


    In fact, they were fighting all three members of the Top-5 Academy instead of just Omar Noel. Even if Adamscat goes next, who''s to say other ace students from other schools will stay put?


    It is likely that due to the dominance disyed earlier by Omar Noel, the students were incapable of thinking carefully and only viewed Omar Noel as their only enemy.<sub> </sub>


    They forgot that they were still outnumbered and there were other strong students on the enemy''s side.


    Hiro started to worry.


    "WOW! What is happening here?"


    Just as Hiro started to worry, he heard a familiar voice. It was Zero who had just reached that ce.


    Zero seemed to be in a good mood unlike him.


    Zero and Misha headed towards this ce and encountered many students. So Zero took the opportunity to take the tokens from them.


    Not to mention when they were close to reaching this area, a lot of students from other schools seemed to be busy with something as they didn''t even notice them approaching.


    Zero took that opportunity to freeze those students and Misha slowly took their tokens one by one. Zero has 30 tokens and Misha has 20 tokens with them at the moment.


    They got a big haul just at the moment when they got to the east side. It was enough to enable another three students to advance to the next round. Zero worry about not obtaining enough tokens was also gone.


    As for whether he could still retain the tokens until the end? He was not worried at all. NO student was his opponent.


    That''s why both Zero and Misha were in a happy mood. They had already collected the tokens needed for passing the first round.


    "Zero! When did you get here?"


    Hiro asked.


    He was sure that Zero was not here earlier. Otherwise, he would have asked for his opinion.


    "Just arrived. What is the situation?"


    Zero asked, knowing nothing about what was going on.


    Though from the memory of the novel, he could guess what was happening but he still had to ask to confirm his guess. He could see Lisanna was fighting with Omar Noel just like in the novel.


    Hiro started exining all the details. He might have given just a little information if it was someone else but it was Zero, so he had exined everything clearly. Zero was someone who could also make a decision about what Ace Academy students should do.


    Even if Zero was in Rank-D +, Hiro and other students from Ace Academy would not disobey his decision.


    He was after all the next person who the students of Ace Academy should listen to as Zero was the second rank of Ace Academy.


    "Hmmm, so Lisanna is losing!"


    Zero muttered.


    Normally Ace Academy would face a problem here with all the tokens getting stolen and having to acquire the tokens from other students. Many students from Arcane Academy would advance to the next round while Ace Academy would have less than 5 students advancing to the next round.


    It was a major blow to Ace Academy which contributed to Ace Academy losing in the tournament.


    Adamscat was watching the fight when he noticed someone talking with Hiro. He felt some kind of threat from the neer that he didn''t notice before.


    "This is¡­"


    "Oh, let me introduce him. His name is Zero Elea. He had just arrived here and I was just exining the situation to him."


    Hiro introduced Zero and as for introducing Adamscat, there was no need as she was one of the most famous students there. They had already seen her picture and the information provided by the school.


    Zero and Adamscat nodded to each other after Hiro finished introducing Zero.


    Adamscat went back to watching the battle. She was not interested in Zero as she had not heard his name in any of the ranking lists or from their academy professors.


    She believed he was just an average student and that her sense was just mistaken.


    Zero was also not keen on getting her interest and turned his head to watch the battle. Zero could feel Lisanna''s attack getting less and less powerful.


    ( Looks like the tournament is just going in the direction of the novel. )

 Chapter 185 Zero Arrives! [2]

    Chapter 185 Zero Arrives! [2]


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The battle between Lisanna and Omar Noel continued. However, the one who was getting pushed back was Lisanna. She had exhausted much of her strength and now Omar Noel was slowly gaining an advantage.


    Omar Noel gradually increased his attack and finally hit Lisanna in the stomach.


    -PFF!


    Lisanna coughed up a handful of blood. Due to exhausting her strength, her speed had drastically decreased, allowing Omar Noel to hit her.


    "Haha¡­ I didn''t expect you tost for so long. But this is it. I will end the battle with the next move."


    [ "Legend Spear: Dividing Eruption" ]


    This attack was unlike any other attack that Omar Noel did. This was one of his powerful skills and true to his word, Omar Noel intended to end this fight with this move.


    Lisanna struggled to stand up. Lisanna was injured and exhausted, so she was unable to dodge the iing attack. She could only try to defend herself from the attack.


    [ "Thousand Wind Storm" ]


    She also deployed her strongest attack with every bit of her mana in hope that it could cancel Omar Noel''s attack.


    -CLASH! <sub></sub>


    The two attacks collided with each other but the reality was dreadful. Although Lisanna had managed to shave off some of the power that Omar Noel''s attack had, it still came straight at her.


    Lisanna quickly deployed her mana barrier and gritted her teeth. She knew that she had failed miserably and had let down Ace Academy.


    There was no explosion or sound of an attack that she could hear. She slowly opened her eyes to find a person in front of her.


    She knew that the person in front of her had saved her life.


    "Senior, are you alright?"


    The students of Ace Academy quickly came forward to help Lisanna and took her back for healing. They knew that they had lost the fight.


    Although it was lucky that Lisanna had avoided her most terrible fate. She could still fight after being healed.


    The student then looked at the person who had blocked Omar Noel''s attack. They knew that someone who could block Omar''s serious attack would be a powerful person. Since he was wearing the Ace Academy uniform, they knew he was their ally, which gave them some hope.


    Omar Noel also was stunned to find that his attack was blocked and he didn''t manage to injure Lisanna. Then his eyes widen.


    "It''s you!"


    Omar Noel knew the person who had blocked his attack. <sub>


    </sub>


    Not only him but the entirety of Arcane Academy knew who he was. Professor Frey had specifically asked them to teach him a lesson. They had seen his photo and also his information.


    That''s why they were even more shocked. The information given to them indicated that Zero was not a threat to Omar Noel and was incapable of stopping his attack.


    Omar Noel had also seen Zero closely before teleporting to this ce so he was sure that the person who was in front of him was Zero Elea.


    He just became angry at the thought of what had transpired when he met Zero. He had provoked Zero and wanted to anger Zero but instead Zeroughed at his face like his threats were a joke.


    He had never thought that there was any student who would dare to anger him. Rather than Professor Frey''s instruction, it has be more of his own personal revenge. He could not wait to show how powerful he was to Zero.


    "Haha¡­ I never expected someone like you to interfere in the fight. At least, for your courage let me praise you."


    Omar Noel said.


    He arrogantly looked at Zero waiting for a reply that never came. Zero was not even looking at him, much less responding to him.


    Zero acted like Omar Noel''s words were not directed at him.


    Omar Noel''s face contorted with rage. It was the second time that Zero had ignored his words and pretended to be strong.


    "HOW DARE YOU! Do you think that this is the same as your school where you can use the Ice Enchantress name to do whatever you want? Let me tell you that I, Omar Noel, am not scared of Ice Enchantress and would not spare you even if Ice Enchantress was backing you up."<sub> </sub>


    Omar Noel bellowed.


    He was unable to take this. More than hatred, what was more angering was indifference. Zero''s indifference to his word, made Omar Noel very angry.


    "Your strongest students have already been beaten. Do you also want to challenge this king? I will dly fight with you."


    Omar Noel said.


    He portrays himself as a generous man who was kind enough to give an opportunity to weak people like Zero to challenge him.


    "Challenge You?"


    Finally Zero replied to Omar Noel.


    Omar Noel became less enraged when Zero replied. Earlier he was ready tounch an attack on Zero if dared ignore him once more. But seeing Zero respond to him, he thought he would wait until he humiliated Zero before ripping off his limb.


    Although there was a rule prohibiting excessive violence, but as long as he made it seem like an ident, he would be able to get away with it. A fight without injuries is impossible after all.


    "Don''t think highly of yourself! Do you even deserve to be challenged by me?"


    Zero calmly said.


    In his voice, he expressed disdain, indicating that he finds the idea of challenging Omar Noel disgusting.


    "...."


    The students watching and the spectators in the stadium became silent when Zero replied.


    ''How can anyone have the guts to say that to Omar Noel? Who is that guy?''


    ''Such an arrogant guy! Not knowing how high the sky is!''


    '' Let me see you get humiliated!''


    They thought that the words spoken by Zero were too arrogant. If even Omar Noel does not deserve to be challenged by you, then who does?


    Others might think it is ridiculous but it was not for Zero. If he used Dark Energy, he could fight on par with Rank-A. What could a little Rank-C+ do?


    Challenges are always meant to be given by the weaker party. How can Zero challenge Omar Noel when he clearly knows that Omar is inferior to him?


    With Zero being more powerful than Omar Noel, Zero did think that it was ridiculous to challenge Omar Noel who is inferior in strength.


    Though it was different for other students who looked at Zero with disdain. They thought that Zero is too arrogant and needs to be taught a lesson, especially the students on the Arcane Academy side.


    However, Ace Academy students who were despairing due to Lisana''s loss gained a glimmer of hope after hearing Zero''s words. They know that Zero is very powerful and with him talking with confidence, they also didn''t feel like they were going to lose any time soon.


    On the other hand, Britelts Academy, the ally of Ace Academy, was stunned by Zero''s arrogant words. Since they didn''t know Zero, they only viewed his words as words of pretension.


    "Die! How dare you pretend here!"


    "Arrogant Bastard!"


    "I have never seen someone who is courting death like him."


    Students started to curse at him.


    He ignored all the distractions and even more so the curses people hurled at him.


    "YOU!"


    Omar Noel unleashed his mana which was even higher than before.


    He haspletely be enraged. A student like Zero dared to underestimate him. What Omar Noel didn''t like was someone underestimating him and Zero openly dering that he was inferior to Zero. It made him really mad.


    Zero stepped back to his previous position and tapped on Hiro''s shoulder and nodded his head. Then he looked over at Omar Noel and shouted.


    "Omar Noel, even my friend Hiro thinks that you should show your worth before fighting with me. He is ready to test whether you qualify to fight me!"

 Chapter 186 Hiro Ernest Vs Omar Noel

    Chapter 186 Hiro Ernest Vs Omar Noel


    "Omar Noel, even my friend Hiro thinks that you should show your worth before fighting with me. He is ready to test whether you qualify to fight me!"


    "- - - - -"


    Once again, everyone was baffled by Zero''s words.


    "What?"


    "That arrogant bastard is not arrogant but a coward!"


    "What test? He obviously wants to have Hiro handle the fight!"


    "You coward! Come out and fight yourself!"


    People once again started to curse at Zero. Not only did Zero mock Omar, but he also went to get help from other students.


    They were stunned looking at Zero''s bizarre behavior. One time he acts like the most courageous person and mocks even a person like Omar Noel. And the next thing you know, he is there pushing another student to fight for him.


    What a shameless person!


    They thought when looking at Zero.


    This type of behavior angered the participants and the audience. They assumed Zero to be a person who just knows how to talk big.


    "...."


    The most stunned person in this situation was Hiro Ernest who was made into a scapegoat by Zero. He didn''t think Zero would push the fight onto him and make it look like he was agreeing with Zero.


    He didn''t expect that Zero would take advantage of him like this. But he was still thinking about whether he should fight Omar Noel or not.<sub></sub>


    Whether Zero took advantage of him or not, was not important. It was more important to figure out the situation and the most effective way to get out of this situation was to beat Omar Noel.


    "I am injured after blocking his attack. Could you do me a favor and fight him?"


    Zero whispered to Hiro in a really low voice.


    Zero was not hurt or anything. He just wanted to give Hiro a reason to fight with Omar Noel.


    As for the reason why Zero let Hiro battle him, it was not because he was afraid of Omar Noel as many believed.


    He was being cautious because he could detect a stronger mana aura than Omar Noel in the vicinity.


    He knew that there was someone stronger than Omar Noel that was observing them. Zero didn''t know whether it was an ally or a foe.


    Most of all, in the novel, Omar Noel was the strongest student; however, he also sensed a power greater than Omar Noel.


    After Zero finished speaking, Hiro regained hisposure.


    He looked at Zero carefully.


    Zero didn''t appear to be hurt or at least there were no visible injuries. However, Hiro still nodded.


    Hiro owes a favor to Zero and he was going to pay him back. Not to mention, he felt that Zero had some kind of n. He didn''t believe Zero was doing all this just to ruin his own reputation in front of the whole world.


    Hiro stepped forward.


    Hiro''s action was perceived as equal to Hiro agreeing with what Zero said. It made people angrier. <sub>


    </sub>


    "Such arrogant students! Ace Academy is just full of themselves!"


    "Hiro Ernest, how dare you think you are Lord Omar''s opponent!"


    "Does he think that being handsome is equal to power?"


    The student hurled, even more, curses at Hiro. They weren''t expecting Hiro toe out and test Omar Noel.


    "Hehe¡­ Another first-year thinking he could defeat me. Looks like Ace Academy is full of idiots."


    Omar Noelughed.


    He didn''t think that the person who underestimated him was such a coward. And that the rising talent would be brave enough toe forward and challenge him.


    "Omar Noel, fight me! We will know whether you are qualified topete with Zero after this fight!"


    Hiro Ernest shouted.


    He yed along with Zero''s words and acted like he was some kind of person that needed to be defeated before challenging Zero. In other words, he at the moment very much appeared to be ackey of Zero.


    "Huh? Seriously! Do you all think you stand a chance against me? Humph! Looks like I have been holding back my power too much!"


    Omar Noel red at Hiro angrily.


    He didn''t think that what Zero said earlier was true. Fighting Hiro Ernest just to fight with Zero? It was obviously Zero''s n to avoid fighting him.


    Hiro, on the other hand, spoke to him as if he were a small fry that had to be defeated before challenging the big boss. If others didn''t know of Hiro, they might have assumed Hiro was theckey of Zero.<sub> </sub>


    Omar Noe didn''t intend to follow Zero''s words and end Zero directly.


    But Omar Noel was confident that he could instantly end the fight with Hiro. Then he nned to beat the hell out of Zero.


    He was excited to beat Hiro in front of the whole world. There was no other student who had achieved more fame than Hiro Ernest. Defeating him would be tantamount to gaining huge fame.


    Omar Noel was more than happy to defeat Hiro.


    [ "Legend Spear: Dividing Eruption" ]


    He used the same move as earlier but this time it was more powerful. He could not wait to defeat Hiro and go and beat Zero. This time he was holding nothing back and came with full power.


    " This is the real power of Ace of Arcane Academy!"


    "You should all surrender to avoid getting beaten up!"


    "All hail Lord Omar!"


    The students of Arcane Academy cheered for Omar Noel. They could feel incredible power from Omar Noel''s attack. They didn''t think there was any student who could withstand that attack.


    However, Hiro was calm even with such a powerful attack heading in his direction.


    [ "System Double Power Activate!" ]


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    He knew that with his current stats, it was impossible to dodge Omar Noel''s attack. Therefore, he used System double power to increase his stat and then used Star Swift to increase his speed.


    With those things added, Hiro''s speed right exceeded the Rank-C stage and reached the Rank-B domain. He appeared as if he disappeared from his current position.


    -WHOOSH!


    And the next thing you know, Hiro was behind Omar Noel. Omar Noel''s eyes widened as he didn''t expect this kind of speed from Hiro. He was at the moment even faster than Lisanna.


    Omar Noel quickly turned around and used his spear to attack behind.


    [ "Legend Spear: Dividing Crush" ]


    Hiro was also not just standing behind. He was condensing his mana and when Omar made his move, Hiro also unleashed his attack.


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    -BOOM!


    The two powerful attacks collided and the nearby trees and other objects were blown away.


    -WHOOSH!


    Omar Noel emerged from the dust and stared in Hiros'' direction in shock. He had heard of Hiro before but only thought of his power as nothing more than an exaggeration. Today, he knew that Hiro truly deserved to be called the most talented student.


    His hand was vibrating from the earlier confrontation. He expects that even in terms of strength, Hiro would be better than him.


    "I didn''t think that you had such power. You have really surprised me. However, even with that kind of power, you can''t win against me!"


    Omar Noel quickly made contact with Hiro using his spear. His spear technique was destructive and fast.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    However, Hiro parried all of Omar Noel''s attacks. Hiro also attacked him with his elegant sword technique.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Students watched the battle in surprise. They didn''t expect that the ever-popr Hiro would be on par with Omar Noel who is the strongest student.


    Itpletely blew their minds as Hiro was just a first-year who had just started his journey to bing strong.


    That same person was fighting as an equal with Omar Noel, a third-year and the strongest student in the tournament.


    What can they say about themselves? They would have been dead by now if they had fought with Omar Noel.


    They watched the battle silently. They were even scared to hurl curses at Hiro.


    The audience in the stadium was excited throughout this confrontation. Lisanna fighting Omar Noel was entertaining and then it was another fight between Hiro Ernest and Omar Noel.


    There was no one in the audience who didn''t know those two. While many believed Omar Noel to be stronger, they didn''t underestimate Hiro who is praised as the most talented student in the world.


    They continued to stare at the big screen where the battle was being showcased.


    Zero also looked at their battle.


    "Just show them why you are called the protagonist of this world!"

 Chapter 187 Hiro Ernest Vs Omar Noel [2]

    Chapter 187 Hiro Ernest Vs Omar Noel [2]


    " Just show them why you are called the protagonist of this world! "


    Unlike many, Zero thought that Hiro would emerge victorious. It was because he knew the power of Hiro better than anyone.


    In the novel, Hiro would lose to Omar Noel in the final round. He didn''t have a chance against Omar Noel despite using everything.


    However, the reason why I think it will not be the same was simple. Unlike in the novel, Hiro Ernest was Rank-C - which is a lot stronger than Rank-D +. And most importantly, Omar Noel had just finished fighting with Lisanna resulting in Omar Noel exhausting his strength.


    Though not much of his strength was depleted, I believe that he had used up more than 30 % of his mana. In this condition, I am more inclined to believe that Zero would win.


    In the novel, Omar Noel would fight with Hiro when he was in full power unlike now. But now, I have made a situation where he can''t retreat even if he wants to.


    He greatly underestimated Hiro and fought with him on the spot without recovering or calling another one of his allies.


    Though Zero expected this because this was the sole reason he had provoked Omar Noel. After being so angry, Zero believed Omar Noel would be aiming to fight with Hiro and then would be nning to beat him.


    Zero knew that Omar Noel was looking down on him and Hiro which he greatly weed from his enemy.


    ( Who is the idiot? Obviously, someone who can''t keep his head straight! )<sub></sub>


    Earlier Omar Noel called Zero and Hiro idiots because Omar thought they were challenging someone who they couldn''t beat. But those were not the actions of idiots. Idiots were more like Omar Noel who gets yed in the hands of others and does not even realize it.


    Truly an idiot!


    Zeroughed inside and then looked in the direction of where the Arcane Academy students were. He was sensing some kind of powerful mana fluctuation there. He believed that Arcane Academy has a bigger trump card than Omar Noel.


    It was not mentioned in the novel. Maybe because it was unnecessary to show that trump card in the novel where Omar Noel had won everything.


    ( Arcane Academy sure is something! )


    Not only did they have students like Omar Noel but they also had someone who is far stronger than him hidden. It looks like Arcane Academy is serious about winning this tournament.


    Still, a person stronger than Omar Noel? How did they manage to hide him and more importantly how could such a talented character not be mentioned in the novel?


    Though I would not get this answer immediately even if I wreck my brain. I need to at least see that person first. He might be mentioned in the novel at ater part of the story.


    However, Zero seemed that the person might not take action unless the Arcane Academy is on the verge of losing. Or else, they would have already shown him and showed off. This led to his conclusion that the person was not something that can be unted like Omar Noel.<sub>


    </sub>


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The battle had reached a point where most students were unable to tell who was who and could only see the shadow of Hiro and Omar.


    Both of them were disying astonishing speed as well as strength. The ce where they are shing has dust blown off now and then.


    When using the skill, the geography of the ce changed. They both seemed like an incarnation of destruction right now.


    Previously, Lisanna''s battle could have been called incredible, but now, what they were witnessing had exceeded the bounds of their ability toprehend a fight.


    Rank-E and Rank-D would probably not be able to tell the difference between the fight between Rank-B and Rank-A Explorer. Simrly, those students who were Rank-D and below didn''t know what was happening at all.


    They just knew Hiro and Omar''s strength was insane.


    However, the battle was not going to continue indefinitely. Hiro''s body could not handle the sudden increase in stats for too long while Omar Noel''s stamina and mana were reaching the limit.


    Omar didn''t expect that he would struggle against one of the students in the tournament. <sub> </sub>


    " SH*T! I can''t believe this! "


    Omar Noel roared.


    He was the most talented person in the world or so he believed. He was not able to winst year because Ace Academy students were more powerful but that was because they were older than him.


    Now, Hiro was directly pping his face bypeting with him with equal power. Hiro, despite being two years younger than him, is on the verge of overwhelming him.


    He could not ept that. He would not ever ept that!


    -SLICK!


    While he was getting distracted by his thoughts, Hiro shed his arm which was holding the spear. This significantly decreased the strength of Omar Noel''s attack.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro Ernest slowly dominated the battle and it seemed that Omar Noel would lose.


    Everyone was focused on the fight between Hiro Ernest and Omar Noel.


    However, Zero was paying attention to the Arcane Academy side. There is a good chance that person will make a move soon. If not, Zero also had no problem with Hiro winning and the enemy surrendering to us.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -BANG!


    A few more shes ensued between Hiro and Omar, and in the end, Hiro managed to knock Noel to the ground.


    -THUD!


    " I can''t ept this! "


    Omar Noel, the strongest student in the tournament, said to be the winner was very much on the verge of losing. His body was full of cuts and bruises. Omar Noel red at Hiro Ernest.


    This was his opportunity to shine! He was going to be the protagonist of this tournament. Now, he was there, losing pathetically likest year and also from the student of the same school asst year.


    ( If only I was at my full power! )


    Omar Noel thought regrettably. If he hadn''t fought with Lisanna, he was sure that Hiro would not be his opponent. Only by taking advantage of the fact that he had his stamina and mana depleted did Hiro have a small upper hand.


    ( This is all that coward''s fault! )


    He gave a resentful re at the crowd of students on the opposite side. Initially, he aimed to defeat Lisanna, the strongest student on the opposition side, and to reduce the morale of his opponents. Then he would rally his allies to defeat all of them.


    His n was wless. If only he hadn''t gone out of the track, he would have easily won. He hated Hiro who was currently beating him but more than that he hated Zero who led this situation. He vowed to take revenge on both of them.


    Anyway, he knew that he would not be beaten here. He was sure that he could escape this situation because they had ''her''.


    Hiro instantly closes the distance and was preparing to take out Omar Noel. Immediately, someone from Arcane Academy took action.


    !!!


    Hiro was stunned. The enemy was approaching at a much faster speed than he was using System Double Power and Star Swift.


    He knew that someone strong wasing and from Wild Sense, he knew that the person approaching was more difficult than Omar Noel.


    He knew he didn''t stand a chance!

 Chapter 188 Battle Between The Strongest!

    Chapter 188 Battle Between The Strongest!


    Hiro from his wild sense already got the danger level of the opponent that was approaching him. It was red in color!


    The red color means that the opponent is extremely dangerous. Omar Noel was orange which was a great danger but since he was already exhausted, Hiro was able to win though it took great stamina and mana from him.


    -WHOOSH!


    The person quickly appeared near Hiro and was only 10 meters away from him.


    -WHOOSH!


    -CLANG!


    However, the person was stopped in his tracks by another person that had approached from the other side.


    "I didn''t expect you to show up so early!"


    Zero said while grinning.


    He was waiting for something to happen because it was certain that if the other side didn''t do anything then their leader would be defeated by Hiro. He expected some kind of interference from the other side, especially from the person he was keeping his eyes on.


    So, Zero was waiting to make his move the moment someone from the other side interfered.


    Then, it happened and the personunched himself toward Hiro presumably to stop Hiro. He was wearing a hood on his head and that''s why Zero could not see his face.


    Anyway, Zero also rushed towards him. Hiro has next to no chance of defeating the person who he sensed is dangerous. More so when Hiro had just finished fighting with Omar Noel.


    A great sh happened between the hooded person and Zero. So much so that it wasparable to that of when Omar Noel and Hiro were at their best.


    -CLANK!<sub></sub>


    "Move OUT!"


    The hooded person shouted.


    She hade to save Omar Noel and didn''t expect someone to be able to react to her sudden action.


    From the start, she didn''t expect that she would need to make an appearance here. She didn''t think much of Hiro''s strength, so that''s why she was not against Omar Noel fighting with Hiro Ernest.


    She was nning to stay low as long as possible. But now she had no choice because Hiro was about to defeat Omar.


    She figured that if she just posed as someone who took an opportunity to surpass Hiro''s speed and help Omar without revealing her strength, no one would pay attention to her.


    In a sense, she wanted to be like Zero when he saved Lisanna, but she would disappear from the crowd''s attention unlike Zero, who made everyone yell at him.


    However, just when she was about to aplish her objective, Zero appeared and blocked her attack. She was annoyed and at the same time, a little surprised that she was stopped by someone.


    "Oh, A girl! Mind telling your name to me!"


    Zero said almost like flirting.


    "Move aside!"


    -CLANG!


    "What''s the hurry? Why don''t we chat for a while?"


    He wanted to find out who she was. Howe she was not mentioned in the novel? He thought that she might be a significant character that appears in the future.<sub>


    </sub>


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The two shed again with their swords. They immediately caught the attention of other students on both sides. Following the battle between Hiro and Omar Noel, their attention naturally turned to Zero and the hoodie girl fight.


    Both of the fighters were unknown, especially the hoodie girl as her face can''t be seen and also because she was trying toy low. Zero, on the other hand, wasparatively famous because of his seemingly cowardly action earlier.


    "Lady, I don''t know who you are but beat that guy!"


    "Teach him a lesson!"


    "Kill him!"


    The nearby students started cheering for the girl in the hoodie. They didn''t know who she was but they cheered for her because they didn''t like Zero.


    They think of Zero as a weak person because of his earlier actions. They can''t wait for Zero to suffer.


    Only Ace Academy studentsughed inside. They didn''t know the identity of the hoodie girl and her strength but they did know Zero''s strength.


    ''A random girl defeating Zero? That would be funny!''


    ''Looks like we are going to win this round!''


    All the Ace Academy students thought like this. Earlier they were mortified due to Lisanna''s defeat but Hiro ended up winning which lifted their mood. They knew that they were going to win!


    And about the hoodie girl? They didn''t care as they didn''t expect her to stand a chance against Zero at all. They just thought of her as a person who was trying to stop Hiro from beating Omar Noel.


    The audiences in the stadium were also looking forward to how the first round of the tournament would end up. They were not as excited as earlier because both Zero and the hoodie girl were unknown students, or at least not as famous as Omar Noel and Hiro Ernest.<sub> </sub>


    Then also the audiences were not bored because it seemed that the hoodie girl was trying to help Omar Noel. If she manages to do so, Omar Noel would make aeback.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The two continued to fight with the hoodie girl increasing her strength bit by bit. Initially, she just showed the power of Rank-D which she thought would be enough to defeat Zero.


    As they shed, she began to struggle, so she increased her power. From Rank-D to Rank-D + and then to Rank-D + peak.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    ( Even Rank-D + peak strength is not enough. How strong is he? Was the information given by Professor Frey wrong? )


    She thought as she struggled. Zero is known by Arcane Academy students due to Professor Frey personally asking them to teach him a lesson. It was stated that his power is around Rank-D to Rank-D +.


    But now she was even struggling when she used her Rank-D + peak strength. She realized that their information was wrong.


    It is also worth noting that even a person at Rank-D + peak, or even a person at Rank-C - might have struggled against her if she used her Rank-D + strength.


    Now, Zero was dominating her even when she used her Rank-D + peak strength which speaks of his strength.


    "Who are you?"


    She said, surprised by Zero.


    How could a person in the first year be so strong? She knew that only Hiro was the person who had managed to reach Rank-C - in the first year.


    "Don''t you know? I, for one, thought that Professor Frey had already given you my information. Now, I''m hurt!"


    Zero joked.


    He was serious when he said that they should know his information. He knew that Professor Frey had already formed a grudge against him because of Professor Mia.


    How can a petty person like Professor Frey spare him? He knew her character well to know what she would do, at least to a certain extent.


    "Humph! Don''t think that only you have hidden your strength!"


    The hoodie girl snorted.


    She felt that Zero was showing off in front of her.


    The hoodie girl increased her strength to Rank-C -. She knew that exposing this much power would gain the attention of others. However, she was already getting a lot of attention from confronting Zero, so she thought this much would not matter.


    "Hiro! Quickly defeat Omar Noel and also take his tokens!"


    Zero quickly shouted.


    He didn''t think that defeating Omar Noel would mean winning this war but he thought that it might somewhat distract the hoodie girl.


    She had only begun taking action when Omar Noel was losing, so Zero thought that attacking Omar Noel might make the hoody girl impatient.


    Hiro quickly nodded and moved to defeat Omar Noel. He almost forgot his objective and was busy watching the fight like many others.


    He needed to defeat Omar Noel. In this way, the morale of the enemy side will decrease and it might give them the edge when the all-out battle starts.


    However, he was more worried about fighting on Zero''s side because the girl Zero was fighting was more dangerous than Omar Noel. Although he became less concerned once he realized Zero had a ck danger level that was higher than a hoodie girl.


    Simr to Hiro, Zero also knew that defeating Omar Noel alone would not suffice. More than Omar Noel, the enemy in front of him was far more dangerous. She might be the real key to Arcane Academy winning the tournament in the novel.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The participants remained silent at the moment. Although the power is shown right now was not to the level of Hiro and Omar Noel, it was still far more powerful than Rank-D fights.


    Even more surprising was the fact that the person theybeled a coward demonstrated the strength of Rank-C.


    The one cursingpletely shut their mouth and stepped back in fear that Zero might remember their face.


    Whether Zero was more powerful than Omar Noel was not relevant, it was important to know that Zero was far more powerful than them. If Zero decides to take revenge, there is no way that they could defend themselves.


    The more power Zero showed the more they prayed for the hoodie girl to win the fight.


    Unlike them, other students are more interested in the oue of the battle. They were surprised to find the strength of two people who were fighting right now. Both were disying the power of Rank-C -.


    They all just thought that two weaklings were going to fight but it all changed when they started to fight.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The hoodie girl frowned. She was showing the power that even most Rank-C could not resist but still Zero has a little advantage over her. She didn''t think that there was someone stronger than Lisanna in Ace Academy.


    She was proven wrong twice. Once, by Hiro, who had managed to take down Omar Noel, and now by the person in front of her.


    "I never thought I would need to show my abilities!"

 Chapter 189 Battle Between The Strongest! [2]

    Chapter 189 Battle Between The Strongest! [2]


    "I never thought I would need to show my abilities!"


    The hoodie girl spoke.


    In this tournament, she was only thinking about assisting Omar Noel and taking out any opponent who might pose a danger to Omar Noel. Never did she think that she needed to show her real power that early in the tournament.


    She regrets not calling Omar Noel back before reaching this point. She underestimated the strength of Ace Academy. Their school was not the only one hiding their strength.


    Since they fell into an enemy trap, she had no choice but to use her real power to turn the battle in her favor. She had to finish this battle as soon as possible before Omar Noel gets defeated by Hiro.


    On the other side, Omar Noel was desperately defending himself against Hiro''s attack.


    Omar Noel didn''t give up and, even though he was getting overwhelmed by Hiro, he knew the Hoodie girl could easily save him.


    Omar was also surprised to find that the person who provoked him was so powerful. Strong enough to even hold back the hoodie girl.


    Now, he saw that his hope was getting dyed and he was getting himself beaten up by Hiro.


    He gritted his teeth and cursed inside his heart. His hatred for Hiro and Zero grew. He has never been humiliated this much. Now, his only hope was that the hoodie girl quickly defeats Zero and saves him.


    "Show your real abilities? Haha¡­ So what? Do you think you can save him just because you decide to use your real abilities? Do you think I will stand by and let you do it?"


    Zero said arrogantly.


    Inside, he was smiling. He could finally see who this person was. Howe such a strong participant was there in Arcane Academy?


    It was better if he exposed her strength so that even if he fails, other people would investigate her. Zero knew that a person stronger than Omar Noel would definitely catch the attention of the higher-ups of The Authority and various guilds.<sub></sub>


    They would definitely ask for her identity.


    Anyway, he was determined to find out why Arcane Academy was keeping such a secret. It might be their little dirty secret, something that they can''t easily reveal.


    "Humph! Don''t think you can be so arrogant after I show you!"


    The hoodie girl snorted and then released her mana aura.


    She knew that Zero''s expression would change after realizing how strong she was.


    They were all shocked and shuddered in terror since the mana aura released by that person was Rank-B -.


    Rank-B!


    That was the rank that many people couldn''t fathom. To a person below the rank of C -, they would not be able to tell what rank it is.


    They might not understand what the hoodie girls'' rank is but they can feel that the mana aura was more fearsome than the mana aura emitted by Omar Noel.


    "Rank-B! How can that be?"


    "You meant to say that Arcane Academy has a stronger fighter than Omar Noel!"


    The Ace Academy and Britelts Academy students were despairing again. They didn''t think that they could win, after all the opponent was Rank-B. Even the Ace Academy who believed in Zero''s strength started to lose hope.


    It was not that Zero was not strong but that the opponent he was facing was too strong. They already lost their hope before the battle ended.<sub>


    </sub>


    The audience in the stadium also heard the shouting of the participants. They were baffled as the random girl from Arcane Academy turned out to be the strongest student.


    "Turns out the girl is in Rank-B!"


    "Arcane Academy certainly hid her well!"


    With the emergence of powerful students, the audiences became more enthusiastic.


    "Zero! He should be alright, right?"


    Zero''s mother said. She got worried about Zero.


    In the beginning, they were surprised by Zero''s actions. In addition toing to the battlefield, he also provoked Omar Noel. His action dumbfounded Zero''s parents. They also didn''t know that their son could say such words.


    This made the parents of Zero and Micha bewildered by the behavior he was showing. They have watched Zero grow up and know that Zero doesn''t create trouble or fight with others. So, seeing him show such an arrogant side had stunned them.


    But more than that, they were extremely worried about him. They were relieved when Zero walked away without fighting and let Hiro Ernest fight.


    While others were insulting and cursing Zero, they felt that he made a wise decision. They were not worried about the reputation as long as Zero was fine.


    Now, Zero was fighting with an opponent far more dangerous than Omar Noel.


    They were stunned and d to find that Zero had the power of Rank-C. Zero''s parents were proud of their son and could not wait to brag about him.


    Diego and his family were shocked! They didn''t think that Zero would be such a genius.   <sub> </sub>


    Eleonore was stunned. She didn''t think that Zero would improve so much in such a short period of time.


    She would have cursed at herself before because she would have been in the same rank as him but luckily she had broken through Rank-B -st month.


    If he dares to provoke her, she could still beat him to a pulp.


    ( So what if you got stronger? I am still stronger! )


    "Darling, don''t worry! He should be fine! You have to believe in him."


    Zero''s dad reassured.


    Although he was nervous and worried as well, he had to calm his wife.


    ( Anyway, this kid dares to hide his strength from his parents! You had us worried to death! )


    Zero''s dad thought.


    They would not have been so worried if Zero had told him about his strength. They thought that Zero was in Rank-D and was extremely anxious about his safety.


    He was proud of his son''s achievement! Knowing that his son had Rank-C strength, decreased some of his worries even when knowing that his opponent was Rank-B.


    Anyway, they could not do anything even if Zero gets beaten. They could only pray and hope that he escaped unscathed.


    Though other audiences felt different. They were itching to watch Rank-B beat Rank-C. Though some people were cheering for Zero. People who like to cheer for underdogs supported Zero.


    "Who is she? Howe I have never heard of her?"


    "Hey! Arcane Academy, who is she?"


    "Tell us her name! Howe you didn''t show her face?"


    They were curious and wanted to know about the genius that appeared. They shouted at the Arcane Academy professors to reveal the identity of the girl.


    Arcane Academy professors sweat with nervousness. The girl was their trump card and would be only used when they have no choice but they can''t me her for showing herself as Omar Noel was losing.


    But her identity was not something that they could reveal. It would be a disgrace to their school if others found out.


    Nevertheless, some of their professors were unting instead of caring. They appear to be showing off and telling others, ''This is the power of our Arcane Academy!'' with their puff chest.


    One such professor was Professor Frey. She would have also frowned because their trump card was revealed so early but seeing that the opponent was Zero, she was smiling.


    She was surprised that Zero had a strength of Rank-C. She had investigated Zero before and found out that he barely qualified to attend Ace Academy.


    She thought that Professor Mia used her authority to put Zero in the tournament, never expecting that Professor Mia''s little lover was a monster. But even so, her mood became better knowing that Zero was facing their strongest student.


    ( Ruelle, you have to make that brat suffer as much as possible! )


    She also didn''t forget to provoke her archenemy.


    "So sorry! Professor Mia looks like your little lover is going to be beaten up. But you should not me him. What can he do when he is facing a Rank-B?"


    Professor Frey said this in a sarcastic manner.


    Professor Mia''s body twitched a little but then calmed down. She was surprised to find out that Arcane Academy had a Rank-B student.


    She knows that if allowed Zero would have instantly won using Dark Energy though he can''t as there are many people watching him. It would spell his doom if others find out he can use Dark Energy.


    It was not worth it for a tournament.


    Therefore, she became a little worried when she found out that Zero''s opponent was Rank-B -.


    However, thinking calmingly, her student was not any less monstrous than a Rank-B student. If you don''t consider winning as a priority and just look at the tournament as a training ground then this match was absolutely good for Zero.


    It is not every day that one gets to fight with Rank-B seriously. Moreover, Professor Mia knows that Zero''s life was not at any risk.


    Even if he loses, the opponent would not kill him. She thought that it would be a worthwhile learning experience for Zero.


    Though she hoped Zero would win, and the chances weren''t too slim either.


    "Professor Frey, thank you for your concern but you should be more worried about your student."


    Professor Mia replied.


    Professor Frey was delighted inside knowing that her words had certainly worked but frowned a little when Professor Mia warned her back.


    "You meant to say that Zero could beat her? Professor Mia, I was really surprised that he was Rank-C, but remember that there is a big difference between Rank-C and Rank-B. There is no way that Zero would win."


    Professor Frey sneered.


    "Who knows? You never know until the winner is dered!"

 Chapter 190 Battle Between The Strongest! [3]

    Chapter 190 Battle Between The Strongest! [3]


    "So this is what you are hiding?"


    Zero smirked.


    Zero appeared as if he didn''t care that his opponent had just released a Rank-B mana aura. He still emanates a confident aura.


    ( Rank-B -, huh! This should be her real rank! )


    Zero looked at Ruelle, trying to determine whether she was hiding something more. But it seems unlikely as what could be more dangerous than Rank-B strength?


    If there was something more powerful than Rank-B power, then Zero would indeed need to start worrying about himself.


    "Stop Pretending! You should know the difference between us. I will give you a chance to surrender to me!"


    Ruelle said.


    Now that she had disyed her rank, she believed that Zero would eventually submit to her. Who would dare to go against Rank-B power?


    "Yeah, yeah, I would like to see the difference!"


    Zero mocking said. Zero didn''t care at all that she was Rank-B. He already expected that when he felt a greater threat than Omar from her. If he cared about her Rank-B strength, he would not have shown his face.


    Giving a chance? It was he, who gave her a chance by not beating her directly. <sub></sub>


    "...."


    ( Howe that I am being underestimated here? )


    Not only did he force her to show her real power, but now he seemed not to think it was a big deal. Her biggest trump card was being mocked here.


    Ruelle didn''t expect this kind of response.


    ( Shouldn''t he apologize and beg with tears in his eyes! )


    She knew that something was wrong with this situation.


    ( Was I too kind or does he have a powerful trump card? )


    She shook her head. Despite thinking hard, she didn''t know what exactly went wrong for Zero to continue acting arrogant in front of her.


    "Humph! Let''s see for how long you can pretend!"


    She didn''t know what Zero was hiding to be so confident but she still believed that she was the strongest.


    [ "Putrefaction st" ]<sub>


    </sub>


    Ruelle for the first time used her skill. She didn''t care about being used of seriously injuring Zero. After demonstrating her strength, she had already given him the opportunity to surrender. She thought that it would only be Zero''s fault if he died from her attack.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero also used one of his strongest attacks.


    With Rank-B taking action, it would be fatal if he held back any longer. As long as he didn''t use Dark energy, he knew that he would be fine with using any other skill.


    It was shot and the force of the two attacks was enough to blow anyone below rank-C away if they were close to it.


    Even though the participants were far away from the attack, they were pushed away by the wind generated by the attack. The spectator could only imagine how powerful the actual attack was.


    -BOOM!


    Without dy, the two attacks collided, causing a huge explosion. The earth shook, and wind and dust were blowing in every direction.


    The students near the fighting area had a hard time watching the fight due to the wind and dust getting in their eyes.


    The dust gradually settled, and both Zero and Ruelle were standing without a scratch on their body. The two attacks seemed to have simr power due to which the two attacks canceled each other.


    -GULP!<sub> </sub>


    At that moment, everyone knew how powerful the two fighters were. They already knew that Zero was powerful when she released her mana aura but now they realized that even her opponent was equally formidable.


    It was clear that even if theybined their power, two of them could defeat most of them present there.


    The realization sent shivers down their spines, but even so, they decided to stay and watch the rare battle. The winner of this battle would be crowned the strongest in the tournament. Omar Noel already lost that title.


    "..."


    Ruelle was truly dumbfounded now.


    No matter how serious she was and even when she used her strongest skill, Zero was able to fight with her as an equal.


    "Oh My! Don''t tell me this was your full power? If so, you might need to try some more if you want to go past me!"


    When Zero saw Ruelle''s dumbfounded look, he provoked her.


    Ruelle gritted her teeth. She severely underestimated her opponent. Zero attacks were almost on par with her. She didn''t think that such an unremarkable-looking boy would force her hand.


    "I really want you dead!"


    Ruelle shouted.


    She could not hold her emotions when Zero was tantly mocking her in front of everyone. How can a genius like her ept being insulted by others?


    Even when she knows that staying calm is the right answer, she could not help but get angry at Zero''s provocation.


    Ruelle instantly charged at Zero.


    If the skill doesn''t work, then she would exhaust Zero to death. No matter how powerful his attacks were, Zero was not a Rank-B. With her stat of Rank-B, she thought that her mana and stamina would be higher.


    In order to defeat Zero, she wants to take advantage of that. She was so consumed with winning right now that she forgot that her goal was to save Omar Noel, not to prolong the battle.


    She thought of Zero''s previous attack as his strongest attack and his trump card. She thought that Zero mana would probably be exhausted if she kept fighting for a few more minutes.


    [ "Cryomany Art: Ice Shard" ]


    However, she was stopped in her tracks by the iing Ice attack. Zero didn''t give her the chance to close the distance.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    She destroyed every Ice shard that wasing in her direction. Just when she thought that the attack had stopped,


    [ "Ice Ground" ]


    Zero used Ice Ground to try and freeze Ruelle. The ground began to freeze and it was heading in Ruelle''s direction.


    -WHOOSH!


    She instantly backed off. She looked at the ground. An area of around 20 meters has been frozen in ice.


    Zero skill didn''t hit Ruelle but he was still able to aplish his objective. Now the area surrounding him is all Ice. With environmental advantage, Zero knew that Ruelle would have to be more careful when attacking him.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    Zero, having created distance between Ruelle and himself, took advantage of that and used his long ranged attack.


    Ruelle switched on full defense mode as she continued to only defend herself. She was happy that Zero was wasting so much mana. She thought that Zero would not be able to keep this up for too long.


    However, Zero was having different thoughts than her. He was thinking that his n was working. Zero was also using the same n as Ruelle, which is exhausting your opponent to death.


    The Ruelle n was doomed to failure from the start!


    Zero''s mana stat has always been significantly higher than other people, not to mention the intense training that he puts himself through has increased his stamina so much that it is practically impossible for him to get exhausted unless he is always under great stress.


    Additionally, Omar Noel is on the verge of copsing. Though Omar Noel was not as crucial as Ruelle, he was still significant in ensuring the tournament win.


    ( This is my victory! )

 Chapter 191 All Out War!

    Chapter 191 All Out War!


    ( This is my victory! )


    As long as he continues to keep his distance and press on, regardless of whether he could defeat Ruelle or not, he knows he would be the ultimate winner!


    Ruelle was too invested in defending and had switched into turtle mode. But Zero didn''t care because the more time she wasted, the more likely it was that she would lose.


    The spectators were also surprised by this turn of events. Not only did Zero defend himself against the Rank-B attack, but he actually had the upper hand.


    "Haha. How can we forget? Zero''s real Art is his Ice Magic!"


    "I also totally forgot. It does not seem like he is going to lose!"


    Ace Academy students realized that Zero was using his Sword Art the whole time. They knew that Zero was more powerful when using his Ice Magic but due to Zero rarely using Ice Magic, they almost forgot his actual Art.


    Then they realized that Zero was actually holding himself back when he was fighting with Rank-B.


    Zero was going easy on the Rank-B opponent!


    ( Cruses! How is his Ice Magic more powerful than Sword Art! )


    Ruelle threw curses in her head. She thought that Zero''s Art was a Sword but turns out he was just messing with her earlier. His Ice Art was even stronger than his Sword Art.


    "Help! Quickly save me!"


    Omar Noel shouted.<sub></sub>


    He was getting his ass beaten down by Hiro and his helper has not yet arrived. He has no choice but to beg for help seeing that Ruelle had forgotten about him.


    From Omar''s shouts, Ruelle remembered her objective and realized that exhausting Zero was not going to work. Zero was ying with her.


    "Damn!"


    Ruelle gritted her teeth in anger.


    She knew that her option was limited. She could not continue her earlier tactics.


    "What are you waiting for? Attack them!"


    Ruelle, seeing no way out,manded the students behind her to take action. They had to fight now or they would end up losing.


    "..."


    The students hesitated. They were mostly Rank-E + and Rank-D -. They would be dead before they could do anything in the battle involving Rank-B.


    It was for this reason that they had to refrain from interfering from the start. They were barely able to intervene in the fight between Omar Noel and Lisanna, not to mention the fight was more fierce than that.


    "Cowards! I am holding him back. You just need to attack other students."


    Ruelle shouted.<sub>


    </sub>


    She was irritated by the behavior of her allies. The only reason she was relying on them was that it didn''t seem likely that she would end the battle with Zero anytime soon.


    If this was about a one on one fight, she believed that she would not be forced to get help from those weak students. She could have fought with Zero and emerged victorious.


    But she still needed to have Arcane Academy students get the required tokens. Which would be hard if they didn''t defeat the Ace Academy and Britelts Academy''s students and take their tokens.


    "I would stay back if I were you. If you all dare to move, I will make sure that you are unable to stand up for the rest of the tournament!"


    Zero warned them before they even made up their minds.


    Zero was emitting his mana aura and his bloodthirst. Although his mana aura was just at C-Rank, it was denser than other C-Ranks - but what made him the most terrifying was his intense bloodlust. Anyone who heard his warning shivered from head to toe.


    The enemies started stepping back in fear that Zero would attack them.


    -THUD!


    "You think I am scared of you? You overestimate yourself!"


    Jeremy Vincent of Skyline Academy shouted angrily.


    Being in rank C, Zero''s threat amounted to very little in front of him. Even so, he was still frightened of Zero''s killing intent. But as the ace of his school, he needed to be brave.


    "Students of Skyline Academy, get ready to charge into the battle!"<sub> </sub>


    He ryed hismand to the student. He was the leader of Skyline Academy. Even though their school is considered the weakest among the Top-5 Academies, they were more powerful than a typical school.


    They want to use this tournament to elevate the rank of their Academy.


    Jeremy Vincent was wary of Zero but like Ruelle has said, right now, he was upied with Ruelle. He believed that Zero could not make a move and was just bluffing and scaring them.


    With Lisanna and Lyon still recovering and Hiro Ernest and Zero currently preupied, he believed that this was the right time to annihte Ace Academy and Britelts Academy.


    If they dy this, when Ruelle and Omar Noel are defeated, then they would have no chance to fight against Ace Academy, which has Zero and Hiro.


    "We will also charge!"


    Luciano Elderik of Demacia Academy also ryed hismand.


    The students of Arcane Academy were also ready to charge into the battle. While their Aces were still fighting, they still had their third strongest leading the students from behind. They were eager to help Omar Noel.


    As for Ruelle, they didn''t dare interfere nor did they think it was necessary. They know what a strong individual she is and know that they would only be a burden.


    Jeremy Vincent took the initiative and moved forward with Skyline Academy students following him. He felt that it would be an easy fight.


    However, it was not one step that he moved that Zero started to take action.


    [ "Ice Embodiment: Ice Creation" ]


    Zero was not joking when he said that he was nning to take out anyone who is going to move their ce.


    Ice Creation was a delicate skill that required extremely high control over Ice Magic. That''s why Zero had to use Ice embodiment to increase his control of Ice Magic before using Ice Creation.


    Zero used Ice Creation to make a gigantic hand and waved it towards Jeremy Vincent.


    !!!


    The enemies instantly became alert and moved back when they saw the giant Ice Hand being shot at them, especially Jeremy who was in the front and had nowhere to run.


    "Don''t underestimate me!


    The only thing he could do was pretend to be strong while sweating buckets. He knew that the attack was aimed at him and he could not escape like other students.


    [ "Reverberating Strike" ]


    He took the hammer in his hand and pounded at the giant Ice Hand with his full power. He wanted to destroy the Ice hand.


    -BANG!


    The ground shook a few times, and what was left intact of Jeremy was only his body. His hammer and armor were all shattered and he was coughing up blood. Jeremy, the Ace of Skyline Academy, was in a miserable state.


    -GULP!


    The motivated students instantly lost their morale.


    ''How can we do anything when even the Rank-C - student was instantly defeated?''


    Even the other Rank-C students were scared right now. It took only one move from Zero to tten one of the strongest participants of the tournament. They were sure that the moment they took action, they would end up like Jeremy Vincent.


    However, they had to muster their courage. Zero power was an indication of what would happen if they didn''t take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate Ace Academy and Britelts Academy.


    "Listen up! Zero must have spent a lot of mana on that skill. We just need to remember that Zero doesn''t have an infinite supply of mana!"


    Luciano Elderik of Demacia Academy said to his allies.


    He believed that Zero could not use such a strong skill again and again. He believes that since Zero was fighting Ruelle, he could no longer afford to fight them. If he did, he thought that Zero was putting himself at a disadvantage, which was beneficial for them.


    Ruelle also didn''t stand when Zero attacked the other student, she charged straight at Zero when Zero was attacking Jeremy Vincent.


    [ "Fission Wave" ]


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment: Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    -BOOM!


    Taking this chance, she immediately went in Hiro''s direction. She wants to take Omar and retreat.


    However, Zero instantly reacted when Ruelle turned toward Hiro''s direction.


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment: Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Immediately, a big wall was erected between Ruelle and Hiro. She had no choice but to stop. She immediately turned around and found Zero behind her.


    She thought that without defeating Zero, she couldn''t rescue Omar Noel.

 Chapter 192 All Out War! [2]

    Chapter 192 All Out War! [2]


    "Senior Lisanna, please don''t move. You have not recovered yet!"


    Lisa said as she was healing Lisanna''s injuries.


    In the middle of the treatment, Lisanna stood up, prompting Lisa to advise her.


    "We have no time! Arcane Academy and its allies areing here! We must fight them and avoid burdening Zero."


    Lisanna emphasized.


    She knew that even for Zero, fighting all those students by himself would be difficult. She needs to lead the students of Ace Academy and Britelts Academy in the battle.


    Understanding what Lisanna meant, Lisa stopped pursuing Lisanna. This was a crucial moment for Ace Academy''s victory.


    She had healed Lisanna to 50% of her health and was capable of at least fighting.


    "Listen up! We need to get ready to fight!"


    Lisanna said to the students.


    However, students seemed a little reluctant to follow her order. It was expected since the number of students on the enemy side was more than their force.<sub></sub>


    "I know what you are fearing, but don''t worry! As long as we persist, Hiro Ernest and Zero Elea should be able to help us!"


    Lisanna said.


    She knew that her allies were worried about the numbers but she needed them to know that they have strong students by their side.


    "Yes, I agree!"


    Adamscat, the Ace of Britelts Academy also supported Lisanna''s decision.


    "Right now, Zero and Hiro are dealing with the most troublesome enemy. If the enemies help them and defeat Zero and Hiro then we are bound to lose. We need to avoid that scenario at all costs."


    Adamscat believed the time hade for them to enter the war. She exined the situation to the other students so that they understand why it was so crucial to make a move now.


    However, students didn''t seem to be convinced by them, or at least it didn''t seem like they wanted to take part in any of this. They had already lost their motivation to fight after watching Zero and Ruelle fight.


    "What are you scared of? Aren''t we winning? As long as Zero and Hiro prevail, we will also win. And it is not like we are going to fight Omar Noel or that Rank-B girl."


    Toby interfered. <sub>


    </sub>


    While Lisanna and Adamscat were proficient at analyzing the situation and making decisions, they were not that great at motivating their allies.


    "And don''t forget this is our chance to disy our power. I''m sure you want to show off to your friends and family, not to mention those Top Guilds who are paying attention to this battle. This is a fight for glory."


    Toby included everything that made this tournament enticing. Because of fear and power differences, students might not have remembered what this tournament is about.


    This tournament was not something that they participated in just because they thought that they were the strongest like Omar Noel. Instead, they participated because they wanted to show their talent to the world.


    This was the tform for them to show their talent and be famous.


    Hearing Toby''s words, the students'' morale immediately increased. What the students cared about more than their school winning or losing was bing famous. This was one of the main reasons that they had initially joined this tournament.


    "YAY!"


    "They are right! We need to fight!"


    "How can we let this opportunity slip? Let''s go and beat those students."


    The students cheered and were excited to fight. <sub> </sub>


    "Friends, the time hase for us to finally show our talents. Let''s beat those bastards!"


    Toby sparked their desire to fight even more.


    Baffled by the sudden turn of events, Lisanna and Adamscat looked at Toby in bewilderment. Unlike him, they could not understand students'' desires.


    Due to the fact that they were the ace of their respective schools, they had a great deal of responsibility in this tournament. Nothing was more important than having their school win the tournament.


    The general student, however, didn''t care much about these responsibilities and only attended for their own selfish reasons. They have onlye here to obtain the merits thate with it.


    Toby understood those students'' desires and ignited their desire in order to motivate them to fight against their enemy. He was well aware of what they wanted and how to use that to his advantage.


    The students formed a group and started advancing toward the enemies.


    "Long-Range fighters! Attack them as soon as they are in range. Closebat fighters will then cover them and fight with the enemy advancing party. Support Mage strengthens the attack of the long-range fighter, then switches them to closebat fighters after they are done attacking. Healers take care of the wounded!"


    Lisanna gave her an order.


    She wasn''t skilled at raising morale or being a leader, but she had a talent for being of being amander. She knew how to efficiently use the students ande up with good ns.


    The advancing enemies were intimidated by the Ace Academy and Britelts Academy students who were making their way toward them. They stopped in their tracks.


    It was not that Ace Academy and Britelts Academy had more students or that their students were stronger. However, they were scared of Lisanna who was currently leading the charge.


    They had seen what she could do in her previous battle with Omar Noel. Although she ended up losing, no students underestimated her, rather they revered her more.


    Even the Ace of Demacia Academy knew that he alone could not stop Lisanna. More so after witnessing her power. The only one from their side who could have kept her in check was Omar Noel who was currently getting beaten up by Hiro.


    They were confidently charging because they assumed that the Aces of Ace Academy were all busy. Zero and Hiro were fighting while Lisanna and Lyon were recuperating from their injuries.


    Ruelle saw the situation and got irritated. She pointed at her allies and angrily shouted,


    "What are you gawking at? Defeat them already!"


    Seeing that they had no other option but to fight, Arcane Academy and their allies charged toward Ace Academy and Britelts Academy.


    -WAAAHHH!


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Supporters start the spell!"


    Lisannamanded.


    Many supporters started to use their skills from behind. One of the supporters was Lisa.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Heavenly Strengthening" ]


    Together with many other supporters, she cast her skill. The battlefield shed with different kinds of colors as the supporting skills were being deployed.


    "Now, Mage and Archer! Fire!"


    Countless attacks were fired right after Lisanna''smand. The sky looked as if it was raining from the perspective of the student watching the battle from afar.


    "Tanks! Use your shields. Mages, make a barrier quickly!"


    Luciano Elderik also ryed hismands to his allies. He quickly responded to his enemies'' attacks.


    -BOOM! -BAM!


    The sound of the explosion was reverberating throughout the battlefield. Students from Arcane Academy and their allies were getting shot one after another.


    Despite Tanks taking the majority of attacks and Mage protecting them, countless attacks from the enemy caused them to lose many students.


    However, this was somethingmon in arge battle. So, Luciano Elderik didn''t panic and also had their long-range attacks attack Ace Academy and Britelts Academy while slowly advancing forward.


    "Close-Range fighters, Get Ready! The real war is beginning!"

 Chapter 193 All Out War! [3]

    Chapter 193 All Out War! [3]


    The battle started with both sides deploying every fighter they have.


    The audience was extremely enthralled by the fight they were watching. It is extremely exciting to watch a group battle because it offers other advantages than a solo fight. You get to see lots of skills and also thebination of skills with other fighters.


    However, the main fight was still the battle between Zero and Ruelle. Even with numerous battles happening around, the major part of the battle depended on those two.


    Ruelle didn''t have any choice but to fight with Zero. Her path had been blocked by an ice wall. Moreover, she had already thought that saving Omar Noel would be useless now.


    [ "Cryo Bomb" ]


    -SLASH! SLASH! -BOOM!


    Before hitting her, Ruelle had destroyed the attacks. It was a smart choice since if she had tried to block it then her sword and possibly her hand and body would have frozen.


    "You''re the first to ever rile my desire to defeat someone!"


    Ruelle said as sheunched three devastating strikes at Zero.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    They were all blocked by Zero. <sub></sub>


    Ruelle didn''t panic and took her time to figure out Zero''s weakness. Unlike earlier, the fight was in her favor.


    Even without saving Omar Noel, she believed that as long as Zero''s side loses, it would not matter. With her side having outnumbered Zero''s allies, she believed that it was a matter of time before Ace Academy and Britelts''s Academy lose.


    [ "Fission Wave" ]


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    -BOOM!


    The immense power of the strike cracked the earth under them, caving it for a hundred meters around. When the two of them fight, it is like a natural disaster has urred.


    No matter which side of the students they belonged to, they made sure they stayed far from these two monsters. They were scared of ending up as coteral damage.


    When the dust settled all they saw was a mess. When the spectators double-checked the two, they were nowhere in sight.


    -BOOM!


    But the sudden explosion scared them back. Looking at the source, they found those two fighting 50 meters away from where they were. <sub>


    </sub>


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    -WHOOSH!


    She instantly jumped back. She was cautious of Zero''s skill as one hit from them could make her immobile which would be very problematic considering she is fighting with someone as strong as Zero.


    One moment is all they needed to defeat each other. That''s why they were extremely cautious when fighting. One mistake and they would end up losing.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The two continue to fight each other, causing shock wherever their attacksnd.


    ******


    On the battlefield, under Lisanna''smand, Ace Academy and Britelts Academy had managed to decrease the number of students on the Arcane Academy side but still, they were outnumbered.


    When the two sides made contact, Arcane Academy took advantage of their number and immediately overwhelmed the Ace Academy side. <sub> </sub>


    Additionally, Lisanna was extremely weak to fight, which allowed Rank-C from Arcane Academy, Demacia Academy, and Skyline Academy to gain an advantage in the battle.


    Adamscat and Toby had contained two of the Rank-C students from the enemy slide, but they still had four more Rank-C students.


    Without anyone to stop those four, the battle quickly shifted towards the Arcane Academy side.


    -THUD!


    Just when the battle was turning in Arcane Academy and their allies'' favor, Hiro appeared with unconscious Omar Noel in his hand.


    Finally, Hiro defeated Omar Noel and came to help them.


    "You are finally here!"


    Sylvia said happily.


    She had just finished defeating two Rank-D - students when Hironded near her position.


    "Sorry, it took more time than I expected!"


    Hiro apologized.


    He didn''t expect Omar Noel to resist so much even when he was severely injured. He gave Hiro trouble until the end.


    "It''s totally okay! Still, for you to defeat Omar Noel, you''re really strong! Though I already knew that!"


    Sylvia raised her thumbs up.


    The students surrounding Hiro also noticed Hiro immediately and also the person in his hands.


    Seeing Omar Noel defeated, the morale of the Arcane Academy plummeted. And more so with Hiro Ernest standing in their way.


    Luciano Elderik also noticed that and immediately took action. He had one of Rank-C and 5 other Rank-D + confront Hiro.


    "Don''t worry! Don''t you know that we still have our strongest fighter?"


    Luciano Elderik shouted.


    When he said the strongest fighter, he obviously meant Ruelle. In the past, Omar Noell might have been the most reliable ally, but now Ruelle was even more reliable because she was Rank-B -.


    Luciano Elderik''s words worked and hisrades worked harder even though they were terrified of facing Hiro.


    Despite this, Luciano Elderik was happy with the oue. In any case, he did not expect the general student to fight with Hiro. That''s why he sent the students who he believed would be able to win against Hiro.


    ( One might not be enough. But what about two, three, or four? I don''t think you can take care of them by yourself! )


    Luciano Elderik thought.


    He knows that at the moment there is no student who can fight with Hiro. But so what? He simply needs to add the number of students in the fray and he knows that they will win eventually.


    Additionally, he believed that even Hiro would not be in peak condition after fighting with Omar Noel.


    Hiro was assaulted by four people. He fought back and tried to end the fight quickly. However, with his power diminished and without his System''s double power, he was having a hard time.


    His body had been under severe pressure due to System double power and his mana was also quite low. With such disadvantages, Hiro found himself struggling against his opponents.


    He would have defeated them in one move if he was in full power but due to energy spent on fighting with Omar Noel, he was only as powerful as the average Rank-D + peak.


    Only because of his excellent swordsmanship did he manage to withstand the onught of four opponents.

 Chapter 194 Conclusion Of Zero Vs Ruelle!

    Chapter 194 Conclusion Of Zero Vs Ruelle!


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    "Why don''t you just admit defeat? Even Omar Noel had been defeated."


    "Haha¡­ Do you think Omar matters? As long as I win, Omar Noel''s loss will not matter anymore."


    Ruelleughed.


    She had already given up on Omar Noel. As long as she shows her overwhelming power, other students on her side would not surrender easily.


    She had already taken the ce of Omar Noel. It was not in her n as she was nning to be low-key and only help secretly. Since the circumstances have forced her to act, she has no choice but to do so.


    She had already shown her real power. Since hiding it was no longer possible, she just had to take advantage of it.


    "Zero! This is my real power!"


    "I have already heard that more than once!"


    Zero sneered!


    Ruelle''s face turned blue with anger. Zero was not respecting her as his opponent at all and all his replies were different from how a normal response should be.


    She was acknowledging his strength and using her real power, the power of Rank-B and Zero was there, mocking her.


    Angrily, she channeled a massive amount of mana into her sword and used her skill.


    [ "Overbearing sh!" ]<sub></sub>


    [ "Dark Icy Wall" ]


    *****


    -HUFF! -PUFF!


    Ruelle breathes heavily!


    The fight with Zero continued for quite some time and the result? Ruelle was totally getting crushed every time she made a move.


    "NOOOO...!"


    She can''t believe this! She had been going at it for a long period of time using her full power but she was getting pushed back. Not to mention, the vast amount of mana that she had utilized to counter Zero''s skill.


    ( Just how? )


    She believed that as long as she made Zero use his skill, he would have his mana exhausted. She was Rank-B and he was just a Rank-C -. However, it was she who found herself having her mana and stamina low.


    Zero was still looking as he had before the fight with his arrogant smile. Her body was in a terrible state with cuts and bruises, and some of her body parts were frozen. While Zero barely has a scratch.


    Zero had also slowly turned the battlefield that they were on, into a frozen ce. In a radius of 500 km, everything was covered in ice.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero has no intention of giving Ruelle time to rest. He would attack her immediately the moment he found her idle. Not only was it a matter of physically tiring Ruelle, but it was also mentally exhausting her, leaving her with no time to think of a n.<sub>


    </sub>


    !!!


    Ruelle tried to raise her sword and cancel the attack but her mana has reached the limit. Since her skill failed to execute, she only had the option of using her sword as a weapon of defense.


    -BAM!


    Ruelle was severely injured and her blood oozed out like water from a tap. Honestly, if she was any weaker, she knew that she would have been killed by that attack.


    -SHING!


    "Surrender!"


    Zero said as he raised his sword to her neck.


    "Humph! Don''t think you have won. Your friends are losing. Even you can''t change this!"


    Ruelle snapped while gritting her teeth.


    It was a total humiliation for her. She, a Rank-B genius, was trampled by a Rank-C - first year. No amount of time was enough to make her forget this humiliation.


    Although she lost, she expects the war to be won by her side.


    Although she was lost, she didn''t believe that she had necessarily lost everything yet. Even if she lost to him in an individual battle, as long as her side had won this war, she would be the ultimate winner.


    "You seemed to have no idea about my power even after fighting with me for so long."<sub> </sub>


    Zero replied with a smile.


    "You stay here and watch!"


    Zero froze Ruelle''s body and immediately made his way toward the battlefield.


    *****


    Right now, Arcane Academy and their allies were having the upper hand and it seemed it was only a matter of time before they defeated everyone on the enemy side.


    Hiro Ernest, the only hope of Ace Academy, was also on the verge of losing against his opponents.


    "Admit your defeat and surrender your tokens!"


    Luciano Elderik said.


    Luciano Elderik was feeling really good right now. With him leading the students, it seemed that they would win. He could already imagine all the glory and fame he would obtain after this battlefield.


    ( The Main Character of this tournament is me! )


    Luciano Elderik happily thought. Right now, he was the strongest person in this tournament, deciding the direction of the tournament.


    He even felt grateful to Zero and Hiro for stalling and decreasing the influence of Omar Noel and the Rank-B girl. Without those two, he would have never gotten the opportunity to lead the Three of the Top-5 Academy.


    -THUD!


    "!!!"


    Suddenly when he was feeling up in the sky, a loud crashing sound came from the battlefield. He immediately turned around.


    "Looks like you have already started the party without me! You should have waited for me."


    Zero said as he turned his gaze towards the enemy.


    "ZERO!"


    Many students call out his name in surprise.


    The name immediately made the enemies shudder throughout the battlefield. They all looked at the person who entered the battlefield in fear.


    "How? You should be fighting with the Arcane Academy Rank-B girl!"


    Luciano Elderik said as he turned his head to look for Ruelle. His heart immediately sank when he found out the reason why Zero was here.


    "Oh! That? Sorry, she is not enough to stop me!"


    Zero pointed at Ruelle as he spoke leisurely.


    Zero appeared just as when he went to fight with Ruelle. Arrogant with no sign of exhaustion.


    The students on the battlefield slowly realized that the battle between Ruelle and Zero had been concluded.


    And the winner was obviously Zero!


    The enemies were terrified, while the allies rejoiced.


    Luciano Elderik bounced back from his initial state of shock.


    "Don''t panic! Remember how we dealt with Hiro Ernest? Even if Zero is strong, he is only one man, not to mention he should have to spend a lot of mana and stamina fighting with Arcane Academy Ace!"


    Luciano Elderik said.


    "3 Rank-C and 5 Rank-D members from our allies, including me, will work together to defeat him. Other students continue to finish the battle as soon as possible."


    Luciano Elderik called out his strongest allies immediately.


    He was 10 times warier of Zero than Hiro Ernest. He thought of Zero as his final obstacle to glory.


    They listened to hismand. Anyway, it was not them who was going to fight with Zero, so they had no problem following his order.


    "Zero, we know that you are just pretending! Just surrender, we will not take your tokens!"


    Luciano Elderik said to Zero.


    Even though he had the upper hand, he was not stupid enough to underestimate someone who has beaten Rank-B -. He was more than willing to negotiate with him


    He did not think that Zero''s tokens were worth anythingpared to not having to fight him.


    "Why don''t you make me?"


    Zero said while emitting his bloodlust!

 Chapter 195 One Man Army!

    Chapter 195 One Man Army!


    "Why don''t you make me?"


    Zero said while releasing his bloodlust!


    You could tell that the moment Zero strikes, a lot of lives are going to be taken, or at least that was the feeling of the students that were facing Zero.


    -GULP!


    This was definitely a scary experience for those 8 students, particrly Rank-D+, who couldn''t stop shaking.


    Even if they knew that Zero had spent most of his strength fighting an Arcane Academy Rank-B girl, it didn''t lessen the tension that they felt when facing Zero.


    "ATTACK!"


    Luciano Elderikmanded!


    He was also feeling how intense the killing intent was, especially when directed at them. It was nothingpared to when Zero had been emitting killing intent far away from them.


    -WHOOSH!


    The three Rank-C students, including Luciano Elderik, were the first group to attack Zero. They had also been buffed by 3 mages.


    [ "Heavenly Strike" ]


    [ "Mountain Pierce" ]


    [ "zing Magma sh" ]


    They instantly used the strongest attack they had. They were not in a position to hold anything back. Powerful auras of mana emanated from their attacks.


    Zero showed no reaction to their attacks and stood there. He had the armor from the Dark Ice Embodiment and didn''t need to do anything to defend himself.<sub></sub>


    While he waited for them to attack, he concentrated on strengthening the armor.


    Zero was nning to take them out at once, the moment they attacked him.


    Luciano Elderik, seeing that Zero showed no reaction smiled.


    ( Was he more exhausted than I thought? Surely he should already be on thest leg because of fighting a Rank-B person. )


    He already concluded the reason why Zero was not moving.


    Luciano Elderik and the other two also didn''t stop and took the opportunity to quickly attack Zero.


    "You should have taken my chance!"


    Luciano Elderik said to Zero.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Their attack perfectly hit Zero. They thought that they had won. They exhibited relief, especially Rank-D +, who didn''t have to participate in the battle.


    "This is it?"


    However, a voice took all their happiness away.


    Contrary to what they expected, there was not a single scratch on Zero''s body. He was standing there with a look of disappointment.


    "Th-this¡­ How?"


    Luciano Elderik was confused. <sub>


    </sub>


    How could their attack fail? They were not able to break Zero''s defense even when he was not doing anything. They had done everything to increase their power, to the point that even Omar Noel would have been severely injured.


    "SH*T!"


    They didn''t expect that Zero''s Ice armor would be that tough. They were not even able to bypass that armor.


    They immediately tried to retreat, however, when they tried to take their weapon away from Zero''s body, they couldn''t. Their weapons were stuck on Zero''s body.


    "How can you just run after attacking me? Don''t you know that there is a consequence for every action?"


    Zero then caught the face of two Rank-C - students.


    -FSST!


    They slowly turned into ice. Watching hisrade turn to the Ice statue, Luciano Elderik''s face turned grim. He finally realized that what he was fighting against was totally on a different level.


    "R-Retreat!"


    Luciano Elderik immediately abandoned his weapon and jumped back.


    ( I have to get away from him! )


    Luciano Elderik desperately thought.


    "You all cover for me!"


    Luciano Elderikmanded the remaining 5 Rank-D + students as he quickly ran away from Zero.


    ( I have to gather more students and surround him! Haha, I have not been defeated yet! I still have a chance. )<sub> </sub>


    Luciano Elderik thought as he ran.


    The other students who went with Luciano Elderik to fight with Zero werepletely baffled. Their leader wasmanding them to stay back and fight when he, himself, ran away like a coward.


    ''What can we do when even you all could do a thing?''


    ''For god''s sake, we are just Rank-D!''


    ''F**K! You are running away by yourself!''


    The remaining students thought as they cursed Luciano Elderik in their heads. They were only there to support the three Rank-C - students. How can they stop Zero?


    "Think you can run away?"


    Zero leisurely raised his sword as he prepared tounch his attack.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    !!!


    Luciano Elderik felt a strong attack heading his way. He immediately used the mana barrier to protect himself.


    -CRACK! -BANG!


    The attack broke through the barrier like it was made of paper and hit Luciano Elderik in the back.


    -GAAAA!


    Luciano Elderik vomited blood as he fell. His face was full of regret and pain. His dream was almost in his hand when Zero destroyed it all. He couldn''t ept this!


    "At least bring ten more Rank-C students if you are going to stop me!"


    Zero giggled.


    "Now, where should I go next?"


    As he examined his surroundings, Zero said.


    "Oh! How can I forget you all?"


    Zero said as he looked at the 5 Rank-D+, who were all shuddering in fear. Zero had taken out Luciano Elderik before they could even decide whether to follow Luciano Elderik''s order or not.


    They could only wait for Zero''s decision. They didn''t even have the courage to run after watching Zero brutally take out Luciano Elderik.


    For Zero, it didn''t matter whether he spared them or not, but since they were a rtively strong student in this tournament, he had to deal with them in order to reduce the number of opponents on the opponents'' side.


    It would be terrible if they caused trouble for Ace Academy just because he had spared them.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    Since they were all standing in one ce, Zero could freeze them all at once. After dealing with them, Zero immediately went to the ce where most students were fighting.


    -WHOOSH!


    He disappeared and suddenly appeared before two Rank-D students before freezing them. They didn''t even have time to think about what was happening when they froze.


    "Zero!"


    Sylvia called out.


    She was fighting with two Rank-D when Zero suddenly appeared and froze them. She called Zero in surprise.


    "Just stay there! I will deal with them!"


    Zero said as he headed toward the iing enemies.


    "Quickly, shoot him!"


    The enemies panicked when they saw Zero. They outnumbered Zero and have decided to fight together against Zero. The 5 or so mage quickly deployed their strongest skill and aimed at Zero.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    Zero instantly erected a wall. While he could have easily defended against those attacks, those attacks could have hit Sylvia and other students of Ace Academy who were behind him.


    -BOOM! -BOOM! -BAM!


    Various magic attacks were directed at Zero, only to be blocked by the Ice Wall. The enemy Mage and Archery increased their attacks and used up every drop of mana they had to stop Zero.


    However, they had only managed to destroy three Ice walls when Zero had deployed 5 Ice walls.


    [ "Cryo Bomb" ]


    Zero threw the bomb from above the Ice Wall. With them concentrating on attacking, they even failed to detect the attack.


    -FSSST!


    The instant the Cryo Bomb exploded, all the enemies on the other side of the Ice Wall froze. Zero surveyed the area to make sure that all the enemies were taken care of.


    Having noticed no other enemy, Zero turned his head.


    "Sylvia, take care of them! I will go support other areas."


    "Roger that!"

 Chapter 196 One Man Army! [2]

    Chapter 196 One Man Army! [2]


    "Roger that!"


    Sylvia saluted Zero like a soldier.


    Whether it was intentional or not, Sylvia acted like she had beenmanded by amander in the army.


    Zero smiled at Sylvia''s funny antics. As he prepared to go to another ce.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero instantly disappeared from that ce and appeared in another ce where enemies reside. He immediately used a ground freeze to catch the enemies in surprise.


    Wherever Zero appeared, all that was left in those ces were the Ice statue of the enemies. The allies rejoiced and cheered for Zero.


    The battle which was hugely in favor of Arcane Academy and their allies was quickly turned in Ace Academy''s favor.


    The spectator from a distance and those people in the audience were stunned by the result. One man to change the battlefield. Itpletely changed their view on what a powerful individual can do.


    It is not like there had been no strong participants in the past, but they could notpare to what Zero did. He not only fought against an enemy whose rank was higher than him but also joined the war and defeated countless enemies.<sub></sub>


    It was not a matter of strength. Even with enough strength, stamina and mana would notst long. But in the case of Zero, he was like someone who has infinite mana and stamina showing no fatigue at all.


    The Top Guild was more frantic than the audience. They werepletely busy searching for information and contacting Ace Academy about Zero''s recruitment.


    They were not going to miss the opportunity to recruit a genius to their guild.


    The same situation was for professors of various academies. They didn''t have the information on Zero and quickly gathered whatever they could. They had to quickly make a countermeasure for Zero.


    Professor Frey had turned mute, the moment Ruelle who was their trump card was defeated. She lost every word that she had prepared to mock Professor Mia.


    The same was for the professors of Demacia and Skyline Academy. Their students were getting ughtered by one student. All the tokens that were collected by them were also taken by Ace Academy and Britelts Academy students.


    They knew that they had totally lost this round. They could only pray that their students could recover quickly and collect tokens before the time runs out. Or else there would be no student from their academy in the next round.


    This would be the most humiliating thing for their school, especially considering they are one of the Top-5 Academies.


    "Is this really Zero?"<sub>


    </sub>


    Eleonore was utterly shocked.


    Just a few minutes ago, she thought that she was stronger than Zero because she was Rank-B - which is higher than Rank-C - but Zero had managed to beat someone who was in Rank-B - which is the same as her.


    Though she knows that she is stronger than the girl that Zero beat, still Zero had the power to contend with Rank-B-. She didn''t know what to feel about that.


    Congratte him? Beat him? She didn''t know. It was not like she was scared of Zero getting powerful.


    It was from the fact that her progress seemed to be nothing in front of Zero. Her Rank-B -  was also something that Zero could exceed at any moment.


    Her mother patted Eleonore''s head.


    "Mom?"


    Her mother seemed to guess what Eleonore was thinking from her expression. Even she felt depressed thinking about her own strength. She had recently advanced to Rank-A which was provided by Zero''s parents.


    However, from the speed of Zero''s progress, it didn''t seem like it was going to take long before he surpassed them.<sub> </sub>


    The merit of this all was that Zero was the son of their best friend. It would have been bad if the person who was so talented was from their rival guild. Good thing, that it was their ally that they can trust fully.


    Not to mention, that Zero was somewhat like their son too. They had known him from when he was a baby.


    "Haha¡­ That''s my son!"


    Zero''s fatherughed happily.


    Zero was practically invincible in the tournament. He didn''t think that his son would be the strongest in the tournament. He could not wait to brag about Zero to his guild members.


    "Uncle Warren! How did he be so strong?"


    Eleonore asked.


    She also knows about Zero more than anyone. Zero was not very talented nor was he someone who was capable of what he was showing right now. She didn''t see him for 3 months and he turned into an invincible genius.


    She could not help but ask Zero''s father. While she didn''t know, she thought that Zero''s father would know. She thought that Zero might have received some Art or potions from Shadow Genesis that turned him so strong.


    "That¡­"


    But what Eleonore didn''t know was that Zero''s father was equally confused as her. He also didn''t know what his son did to be this strong.


    "It might be because he became the disciple of Ice Enchantress!"


    Zero''s mother answered.


    While she also didn''t have much idea. But ording to what Zero has said previously, she thought that her son''s progress has to do with Professor Mia.


    After all, Professor Mia, herself was a genius that would onlye in a thousand years.


    Zero''s mother believed that she would have taught her son some amazing things which lead to him bing so strong. She could not think of any other exnation.


    "Ice Enchantress?... That Ice Enchantress!"


    Eleonore said.


    She waspletely stunned.


    Who doesn''t know about Ice Enchantress? She was the most famous person on this right now.


    Carrying multiple achievements under her, with the youngest Rank-S being the greatest achievement, Professor Mia had be the idol of many people.


    You could ask any random person about Ice Enchantress and they would be able to tell you about her to fill an entire book.


    Eleonore also thought that if Professor Mia was Zero''s teacher then it might be possible to be so strong. Only Professor Mia was capable of teaching such a monster.


    However, she still had doubts.


    ( How did Zero manage to get Ice Enchantress as his teacher? )


    Eleonore thought to herself.


    ( Wait! Don''t tell me¡­)


    She suddenly thought of something as she became angry.


    ''You have even seduced Ice Enchantress! Just you wait!''

 Chapter 197 Arcane Academy Secret Weapon!

    Chapter 197 Arcane Academy Secret Weapon!


    -ACHOO!


    "Is someone thinking about me? Or is it the effect of all those students'' curses?!


    I looked at the numerous Ice Statues that I made. Some people made funny expressions while being frozen. They must be cursing me.


    Anyway, it took some time but finally, I can see the end of this war. Only a few small groups of people are left.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    However, before I could rest, a student suddenly came running toward me. He was not an enemy judging by the uniform so I didn''t do anything.


    Since I didn''t know who he was, I assumed him to be a third-year student. He seemed quite worried about something.


    I quickly moved toward him.


    "Huff¡­ Puff¡­ Zero! Emergency!"


    "What happened?"


    I asked.


    I have taken care of most enemies and I didn''t think there was anything that could threaten the victory of Ace Academy anymore.<sub></sub>


    "Omar Noel and that Rank-B girl had been taken by someone!"


    He said nervously.


    "Tell me the details!"


    We quickly went towards where Hiro was fighting while I listened to the senior.


    Actually, Hiro was fighting with Rank-C and needed more help than anyone. But considering he is the Main Character, I thought that it would be an opportunity for him.


    Who knows he might unlock something like Super Saiyan if he was pushed to his limit. That is the reason that I don''t really like to help or interfere with him unless necessary.


    Hiro Ernest was someone who would emerge stronger the more he struggled.


    I would have certainly stepped in if the situation was dangerous. However, considering this was just a tournament, I know that he would not die even if he was defeated.


    That was the reason I left him alone. I didn''t think that something would happen to him even if he was exhausted after fighting Omar Noel.


    Not to mention, he has support from Lisa and other students.


    At first, he didn''t have support from other students because others were also fighting. However, after I entered the battle, the number of enemies decreased.<sub>


    </sub>


    They quickly went to help Hiro after their opponents were defeated.


    "We had won against those guys. Hiro had managed to defeat them with our support but we didn''t expect that there would be another Rank-C hiding behind us."


    The senior started exining.


    Apparently, Hiro and his team didn''t lose to those students. They had been ambushed after they had taken care of those students.


    The ambusher rank was C - which they could not deal with. Hiro, the only person who would have been able to fight with him, was busy fighting with that Rank-B girl.


    Looks like I underestimated Arcane Academy too much. I didn''t expect that they would keep one of the Rank-C hidden until thest moment.


    He must have helped that girl when I was busy fighting with other students.


    However, I don''t think they can do anything even if they ran away.


    Those two had already lost all their tokens. The goal of this entire war was to get as many tokens as one can by defeating the other school.


    In terms of that, they had already lost. All the tokens that the other three of the Top-5 academies have collected are all in the hands of my allies.


    For this round, they could not change anything. It is Ace Academy victory! <sub> </sub>


    They might get into the next round but I didn''t care. What can they do? Even with the advantage in numbers, they were not able to do anything to me.


    Would their power increase after getting to the next round? I don''t think so.


    Nevertheless, there must have been a reason why the rescuer chose to save them. I will find out if they still have any schemes left.


    Soon, we reached the area where Hiro and the other students were.


    "Where are they?"


    I asked as soon as I got there. Hiro was injured, probably from fighting with that Rank-B girl. Luckily, their sole objective was to save Omar Noel.


    Ideally, I would like to see the face of the person who had managed to rescue Omar Noel and that girl. So that I could be wary of him in the next round.


    "There!"


    Lisa pointed in the direction of the west forest.


    "Sorry, I let them escape."


    Hiro Ernest apologized.


    His expression was full of guilt. It must be because he thinks that all the hard work had been destroyed because he could not stop them.


    "It is nothing. It was my fault that I didn''t keep an eye on that girl. Anyway, what is done is done! We should just be more cautious in the future"


    After saying that I concentrated my mana on my eyesight and looked in the direction where Lisa had pointed. In the distance of about one km, I could see Omar Noel and Ruelle who were both heavily injured, and another person who waspletely unharmed.


    *****


    "SH*T! To think that I lost to that upstart!"


    Omar Noel shrieked with anger.


    He was totally humiliated by Hiro. All the fame and glory that he had imagined had gone down the drain.


    "And how can you just lose to that guy? I thought you were strong. Turns out the school invested in you for nothing!"


    Omar Noel med Ruelle.


    He even begged for help, but it never came. He thought that he was an idiot for asking for help from her. Omar Noel has lost some of his respect for Ruelle.


    "SHUT UP!"


    Ruelle shouted.


    She had already been humiliated by Zero to the point that she would not be able to show her face to anyone. Now, Omar Noel dared to remind her again.


    She realized after watching Zero defeat many students after their battle that he had not even used all his power fighting her. She had been belittled by a Rank-C boy!


    "It was your fault in the first ce! If you weren''t so stupid to fight Hiro Ernest without recovering your strength, I wouldn''t have to show my face in the first ce."


    Ruelle also med Omar Noel.


    Though both of them know that they lost because of theirck of strength, they were not willing to admit that.


    "I would not have shown myself if you had taken care of Hiro Ernest. Now, not only did you ruin the n made by the school but you also resulted in many of our students losing their tokens. You have decreased our strength for the next round."


    Ruelle bellowed.


    "Senior Ruelle, I didn''t expect you to be so quick to me others for your mistake. I admit that I underestimated Hiro Ernest but what about you losing to a nameless boy? We would have won as nned if you didn''t lose."


    Omar Noel said.


    In his opinion, Ruelle couldn''t be called a trump card if all she aplished was defeat. Academy had done so much to get her in and she didn''t manage to do anything worthwhile.


    "Huh? Do you want to fight? Do you think that you have be great after beating some weak students?"


    Ruelle directed her killing intent to Omar Noel.


    While Omar Noel was at Rank-C +, which is lower than Ruelle''s rank but it was not a vast difference that would make him scared or pressured. He could escape from Ruelle if he wanted and didn''t fear going against her at all.


    "Okay, okay, you two! Stop fighting!"

 Chapter 198 Arcane Academy Secret Weapon! [2]

    Chapter 198 Arcane Academy Secret Weapon! [2]


    "Okay, okay, you two! Stop fighting!"


    He intervened, seeing that his allies were on the brink of fighting.


    " "SHUT UP!" "


    Both of them yelled angrily at him.


    "Where were you anyway? How dare you say that after hiding like a coward?"


    Omar Noel said angrily.


    Omar Noel didn''t like him even though he had saved him. He was hiding and was acting like he was something special, especially since he had saved him once.


    He would have been a little grateful if he had saved him before getting beaten by Hiro.


    "Haha¡­ What are you saying? Didn''t you know that I was busy with some arrangements?"


    The guy was not scared of Omar Noel at all.


    Not to mention his own strength, Omar Noel right now was someone he could beat at any time. Though being the cool-headed he was, he would not do that. He didn''t save them just to beat them.


    "So? Did you finish the preparation?"<sub></sub>


    Ruelle asked solemnly.


    She had calmed down. While her resentment of being defeated has not faded away, she thought that she still had the chance for revenge.


    She knew what arrangement he was talking about. In the event that everything had gone as nned, she believes that she would have gotten her revenge more quickly than she had expected.


    "What do you think? I would have already started if not for having to save you two!"


    An expression of dissatisfaction was on his face. The two of them were not showing any gratitude to him, even though he had saved them.


    He ignored them thinking that he should not have expected anything from those two arrogant guys. He took out a flute.


    Judging by the mana aura, one would be able to tell that the flute was an artifact that was also of high rank.


    -PHWEEEEEE!


    He blew the flute using his mana. An extremely dense mana aura was released from the flute, and along with that, the ground shook like an earthquake.


    ******


    Zero watched the man blow his flute and, along with that he sensed a vast amount of mana being released. He didn''t know what type of effect that flute had but soon the earth shook.<sub>


    </sub>


    "What is happening?"


    The students all panicked at the sudden urrence. They had just started resting after the grueling battle when suddenly the ground shook violently.


    "What is that?"


    The students suddenly pointed in the direction where Omar Noel and others ran. The expression on their faces changed.


    "Th-this is¡­"


    "How can we survive this?"


    "Is this the end?"


    The student lost all hope at the moment because right now the cause of the earthquake and the things that the students saw were nothing but monsters.


    -GRRRR! -AWOOOOOO!


    Hundreds and thousands of monsters were currently heading in the direction of the students. The monsters were not very high ranked as the highest monsters were only Rank-D + which was also rare in number.


    However, the problem was the number of monsters. With these numbers, even the Rank-B student would have died of exhaustion. Not to mention, the current state of students was not good.<sub> </sub>


    With students having fought with all they had, there were hardly any students that could fight against those monsters. They were exhausted both physically and mentally.


    The appearance of the monsters affected the mentality of students. Most have given up on even trying to escape.


    "RETREAT!"


    "There is no ce to run! We are surrounded!"


    The monster had surrounded this ce from all directions. The students were all gathered surrounded by the monsters.


    Amidst the chaos, Zero was calmly thinking about something.


    ( Was that flute for controlling the monsters? )


    I thought.


    The monsters made the move as soon as I saw the Arcane Academy''s guy blow his flute. I had expected that they were nning to do something.


    Only that I didn''t expect that he would have such a rare artifact. Artifacts for controlling monsters are extremely rare, even more than some of the Rank-S artifacts.


    Anyway, how did he manage to gather so many monsters? Did he collect the monsters at the beginning of the tournament?


    Even so, the numbers are a bit too much if you think about it. Even if he was given one day, it would be impossible to prepare these many monsters.


    Not to mention, how did he know that this ce would be filled with monsters? The rules and location of the tournament are not revealed to anyone until thest minute. It is impossible to get such an artifact at thest minute.


    And I don''t think anyone would be stupid enough to carry such a precious artifact with them. It seems that someone from the tournament management side is helping the Arcane Academy.


    ( Arcane Academy scheme runs deeper than I thought. )


    *****


    "Sir, the situation is extremely dangerous. I think we should end the tournament and evacuate the student as soon as possible."


    A guy asked on his phone.


    He was one of the heroes responsible for students'' safety. They had been watching the exciting battle until the appearance of the monsters.


    With such arge number of monsters, it would be difficult for them to protect everyone by the time the students needed help. They had to interfere now or else there would be lots of casualties.


    After all, unlike students monsters would not hold back and kill humans. He called his superiors and asked for their decision.


    "No need! The higher-ups have decided to let the students take care of this by themselves. You should just focus on other situations."


    "But sir, the situation is very dangerous. We need to act now or else we will lose lots of talented students."


    He asked desperately.


    "Just do what we are telling you to do. Don''t question our decisions!"


    -Piiiii!


    With that, the call ended.


    "F**K!"


    He threw the phone in anger. He didn''t understand what type of decision the higher-ups were making.


    "All Heroes, prepare yourself! We will jump in as soon as students are in danger."


    He wanted to rush over and help the students right now but he was powerless to do so. He had to follow what he was told or he would face harsh punishment.


    He could only keep the anger to himself.


    He hoped that students would be able to face this disaster by themselves!

 Chapter 199 Monster Horde

    Chapter 199 Monster Horde


    -GRRRWWW! -ROAR!


    We were surrounded by monsters in the in area where we were fighting previously.


    ( Now, I get why that guy decided to rescue them before using that artifact! )


    Omar Noel and that Rank-B girl would also be in our ce if he used the monsters to attack us without rescuing Omar Noel and her.


    However, he was still ruthless enough to abandon his allies, not to mention other students from Arcane Academy. Judging by their gloomy expressions, I can tell that they were not informed of this n.


    Only those three knew about the n. And along with us, all their allies had also been thrown away. The students who were just watching the fight were also surrounded, prompting them to move closer.


    I expected Heroes to make a move since the situation was dangerous but seeing that there was no movement, I assumed that they would not make a move. I am 100% certain that the tournament management team has someone who is helping Arcane Academy.


    Otherwise, they would not let the situation escte to this point.


    I am not sure how they will deal with the problem in the case of arge number of students dying. I am sure they would need to take responsibility for the student who would die here.


    That''s not an easy thing, especially when the heir of tinum, the daughter of a top executive, and a hero nurtured by the Authority are involved. There are also many prominent figures among the students present here.


    Anyway, what is the use of thinking about something that will never happen?<sub></sub>


    -ROAR!


    The monsters led by the Rank-D monsters approached us. Their momentum was quite strong with them destroying everything in their path. With so many big monsters marching toward us, the earth began to shake more violently.


    "Make a Formation!"


    "We need to work together!"


    "Don''t lose hope!"


    Those who have not given up hope, or those who are strong, were rallying their friends to fight against those monsters. Some students came together and were prepared to face the monsters.


    They were the students who would frequently challenge dungeons. As Explorers, they were familiar with unexpected situations and knew that fighting is better than giving up.


    However, I was not nning to stay like them. Defending was good but in the face of numerous monsters, they are not going tost long. It would be better if they tried to escape.


    I nned to charge ahead and kill as many monsters as I can before they reach this ce.


    Like I said before, if they want to stop me, they would at least need 10 Rank-C students. Same was the case for monsters. If they want to kill me, then they need to bring at least 10 Rank-C monsters. <sub>


    </sub>


    Rank-E and Rank-D monsters are just not capable of harming me.


    -SWISH!


    "Oh! I see some familiar faces!"


    While I was approaching the monster horde, I saw some monsters which I had met before. I immediately headed in their direction.


    The monster horde was quite organized. The Rank-D monsters acted as leaders and were leading the charge.


    There were 7-8 Rank-D monsters who were leading the monster horde.


    "Yo! Nice Meeting you again!"


    This is what I told the monster that led the monsters. In an instant, the monsters stopped for a moment and looked at me who dared to stand in front of them.


    -GRRWW!


    The monsters behind the Rank-D monster growled at Zero. However, no matter how much those low-rank monsters were angry and determined to kill the target, their leader didn''t give them amand. They were getting impatient and wondering why their leader is still not giving the order.<sub> </sub>


    The Big Bear, who was the leader of that group, at that moment was sweating buckets as terrible memories flooded his mind. This monster is the same monster that Zero beat up when he first spawned in this ce.


    "What? Are you here to attack me?"


    Zero asked while giving his signature evil grin.


    The Ald Bear instantly shook his head. The minions were confused by the actions of their leader.


    "THEN why are you standing here and acting like some bigshot? GO AWAY and take those monsters with you!"


    Zero screamed at Ald Bear.


    The Ald Bear instantly got the message and ran away with those monsters who were following him. For those who dared not listen to hismand, he demonstrated the power of his paw.


    At least a hundred monsters were running away.


    "Do I have to tell you separately?"


    Zero then directed his attention to Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf, whom he had previously defeated.


    The Blood-Eyed Thunder Wolf was also a leader of a group of monsters that had a simr size to the group led by Ald Bear.


    The monster knew what Zero meant and instantlymanded his subordinates to retreat and flee. He didn''t want to get beaten up again.


    There were also some monsters that Zero beat before though they were not as strong as Ald Bear or Blood Eyed Thunder Wolf. They ran away the moment they watched those monsters run away.


    While other monsters didn''t know why theirrades were running away, that was not the case for the monsters who were beaten by Zero. They fully know the dread of Zero and choose to join the monsters who were running.


    Immediately, before even starting the fight, the number of monsters had diminished quite a bitpared to how it was before. The other monsters were left baffled by the action of theirrades.


    All students there experienced the same thing. Just a few words and Zero had managed to drive away hundreds of monsters.


    Though they didn''t understand the monsters'' actions, they knew that the monsters were scared of Zero. Though they can also rte to those monsters.


    Who would not fear the monster known as Zero? He was a bigger monster than those real monsters. They all know what happened to those who fought against him.


    Anyway, they were d that Zero was on their side. At least, they would still have hope as long as Zero was with them.


    "Anyone, who wants to leave?"


    Zero asked almost like he was asking other humans.


    The monsters who were confused by the behavior of theirrades immediately focused on Zero. They knew that the human in front of them was threatening them and that other monsters ran away because of him.


    Seeing that the remaining monsters were not going to leave, Zero unleashed his mana aura and bloodlust which instantly instilled fear in the monsters. Even though monsters are aggressive creatures, they know not to mess with those stronger than themselves.


    At that moment, the monster''s instinct told them to run. Faced with an opponent who was several ranks higher than them, they felt dread.


    The monster''s horde came to a halt!


    Zero didn''t know how that artifact controls these monsters but since the two Rank-D monsters and other monsters he beat previously ran away, he knew that the artifact was not something that couldpletely make the monsters listen to the user.


    It might be something like using the artifact to make monsters attack or gather towards the user. It was also different from taming.


    I didn''t know the specific details about the flute but I knew that the orders given through the flute were not absolute.


    -ROAR!


    Other Rank-D monsters instantly came forward as if challenging Zero. They arrogantly thought that the other two Rank-D monsters who were the same rank as them were cowards.


    They wanted to show everyone who the overlord of this mountain was.

 Chapter 200 All Plan Ruined!

    Chapter 200 All n Ruined!


    -BANG! -BOOM! -BAM!


    There was a loud sound of a person beating someone.


    -AWOOOO!


    The monsters howled in pain. Currently, they were getting their asses beaten by Zero. Zero had been beating those monster leaders for quite some time.


    Throughout this time, other monsters watching their leader cry in pain made them shudder. In spite of this, no monster tried to approach and help the leader for fear of suffering the same fate as them.


    "Whew! I am beat! You all can leave or do you want to carry on?"


    -SHAKE! -SHAKE! -SHAKE!


    The Rank-D monsters shook their heads quickly and ran away.


    After teaching those monsters what it means to go against me, I let them flee along with their minions.


    I could have easily taken their lives, but it would have been more difficult to deal with the after-effects. Instead of fleeing, other monsters might have fought harder in order to live.


    It was better that they knew that they could live if they didn''t fight. Letting them flee was a better result than having to kill everyone.


    Therefore, I let them go.


    *****


    ~Rumble


    The monsters ran away as fast as they could. They thought that the further they were from that human-faced monster, the better it was.


    In the midst of the earthquake caused by fleeing monsters passing by him, the flute man''s face twitched. He blew his flute and tried to control the fleeing monsters.<sub></sub>


    "Stop! I order you all to stop!"


    The guy angrily ordered.


    He didn''t expect the monster army that he and others have painstakingly collected to run away before even doing anything.


    However, all the things that the monsters were thinking about were running away from that ce. The flute has no effect on their minds.


    His flute could affect monsters thinking about how he couldmand them to attack other students.


    That does not mean that he couldpletely dominate their minds. It could only slightly alter some things, which was enough for him to incite the monsters to attack other students.


    Zero, however, instilled fear into monsters, which destroyed the flute''s influences. No matter how much mana he poured he could not change the fear that the monster had.


    "DAMMIT!"


    The man angrily threw the flute.


    "All the ns for this round have failed."


    Ruelle said.


    Arcane Academy was determined to win this year''s tournament and had made several ns which had all failed. They had the advantage in this round, but they failed.


    "This is all Zero''s fault!"


    Ruelle gritted her teeth.


    It didn''t seem that she would be able to have her revenge in this round. She saw that it was Zero who had chased those monsters away.<sub>


    </sub>


    First, the n to defeat Ace Academy and Britelts Academy was ruined by him and then all the monsters that they hadmanded were scared away. This round was aplete failure for them.


    "Let''s GO!"


    Ruelle angrily said.


    She was afraid that if they stayed any longer, Zero woulde and chase after them.


    -WHOOSH!


    ******


    "Well, that was easy!"


    Zero said as he headed back after chasing away the monsters.


    When Zero came to where the other students were, all of them were staring at Zero dumbstruck.


    The crisis that would have ended their lives has easily been averted by Zero.


    Soon they were celebrating and cheering. Everyone looked at Zero with reverence including the students from other schools. Even Arcane Academy students'' eyes were filled with respect and admiration for Zero.


    Zero has saved their lives. If not for his help, the students there would have turned into food for those monsters.


    They have witnessed everything from Zero facing those thousand monsters alone to driving them away in an instant. Zero''s image soared in their minds.


    "How is the situation of the students?"


    Zero asked Lisanna.<sub> </sub>


    "Not very good. Everyone is pretty exhausted. They would need at least 2 hours of rest before regaining some strength to fight!"


    She answered.


    She was not in a better state. The fight between Top-5 academies had taken too much toll on everyone''s mind and body. They need some rest.


    "It is fine. We are not in a hurry anyway. We have obtained a lot of tokens and need only defend them."


    "Yes, we got all these tokens thanks to you!"


    Lisanna said, brimming with happiness.


    She had thought that they would be eliminated in this round when she lost to Omar Noel. Instead, they had gained a lot of tokens that would be enough to advance 10 students to the next round.


    They don''t need to worry about searching for other students. There weren''t enough tokens to give to everyone, but at least the strongest students of their school could advance to the next round.


    "You can distribute those tokens ording to their contribution!"


    "Don''t you need any tokens?"


    "I have plenty."


    I already had many tokens when I arrived at this ce, not to mention that I took the tokens of that Rank-B person who had about 13 tokens with her.


    We have around 25 students if we count Britelts Academy which is our ally. We have to also give them some tokens.


    After talking to Lisanna, I searched for Hiro Ernest. I soon found him and began walking toward him.


    "How is his condition?"


    I asked Sylvia who was standing there.


    Hiro had been beaten by the Rank-B girl. Though I think that most of his injuries are from using System Double Power.


    Lisa was currently healing him.


    "Pretty bad! He would not be able to fight anymore!"


    Sylvia said.


    She was feeling guilty. It was because she thought that it all happened because she was not strong enough. If she was stronger than she thought that she would have been able to stop enemies from harming Hiro and others.


    ( Why am I so useless? I thought that I had be stronger.)


    She med herself for letting the enemy harm Hiro, as well as taking Omar Noel.


    -BANG!


    "OUCH! Why did you hit me?"


    She turned her head and red at Zero.


    "Oh! Your face was ugly so I thought I ought to fix it. No need to thank me!"


    Zero pretended like he did something good for her.


    "GRR! How dare you call me ugly. I will tell Lisater!"


    Sylvia said angrily.


    Zero waited there with Sylvia, asionally annoying her. He was bored so he had to do something to pass the time, which was annoying Sylvia.


    All the other students were also recovering from their injuries so Zero had no choice but to wait.


    He can''t go anywhere because he needs to protect the students from enemies or if the monsterse back. It was a boring job that he needed to do.


    "Anyway, I came here to give you this!"


    Zero took out the tokens from his pockets.


    "Don''t you need this yourself?"


    Sylvia asked while being astonished by the number of tokens that were in Zero''s hand.


    "Do you think Ick any?"


    She thought about it. How can the person who beats Rank-Bck tokens? He would have stolen tokens from anyone he saw no matter the number.


    "You are just bragging now!"


    Sylvia said.


    "Am I now?"


    Sylvia snorted.


    "Tell me how many tokens you need."


    In total, Zero gave Sylvia 6 tokens, 4 tokens to Lisa, and 5 tokens to Hiro. Even with those tokens given away, Zero had more than enough. He decided to keep these and give them to other students when the timees.


    "Now, what shall we do?"

 Chapter 201 End Of First Round!

    Chapter 201 End Of First Round!


    "Now, what shall we do?"


    After students recover, we can choose whether to stay where it is less likely to be dangerous or go out and search for tokens.


    Though I think that the majority will choose to go with the second option. There would not be many people that will pose a threat to us after we recover, not to mention that those with insufficient tokens will be dissatisfied if we choose the first approach.


    We also had to find other students from our school and honestly, as this is the tournament, many will want to show off their strength until thest moment.


    Anyway, it was better to discuss this matter with others and see which options they liked.


    After the students had recovered, we started to move. The majority has chosen to go with the second option as expected.


    We separated from Britelts Academy since we only worked together to face themon enemy. Now that themon enemy had been defeated, we were back to being opponents. Though we would not fight each other in this round, that will change in the next round.


    With around 12 students we set out to search for other students from Ace Academy as well as other students who have tokens.


    Well, honestly it was a boring trip. We would go around searching for other students and even if we spotted one, any one of the students in our group could easily take care of them.<sub></sub>


    There was a vast difference between Top-5 Academies students and other school students. Even our weakest Rank-D - was more than enough to annihte other school groups.


    However, the disappointing thing was that they had very few tokens or sometimes no tokens at all. Most of the students who have enough tokens are either hiding or in another location. Most tokens from this area are already in our hands, so I guess it would be difficult to get more tokens.


    Zero''s group was leisurely strolling around. With Arcane Academy defeated and Zero in the picture, they were not worried about getting their tokens stolen.


    "I think we should now proceed to find the exit. With one hour left, the portal should be opened. What do you think?"


    Lisanna asked.


    "Ummm¡­ We have all the tokens that are needed for all of them to advance. And it does not seem that we will find other participants from Ace Academy. I think it will be okay for us to leave early!"


    I said it after thinking carefully.


    After all, the sooner we leave, the less chance of any mishap happening. Getting more tokens is not going to give us anything. But in any event that we lost the tokens, it would make all our previous effort go to waste.<sub>


    </sub>


    I can''t confidently say that Arcane Academy or any other academy doesn''t have any other trump cards. Arcane Academy had shown more than enough trump cards to defeat most of the students even if they worked against them.


    It was lucky that their trump cards weren''t strong enough to defeat me. But who knows what else they have. I would rather stay on the safe side even if others call me a coward.


    Since most decisions lie in my and Lisanna''s hands, once we have decided something, the other students have to follow them whether they like it or not.


    We then proceed to search for the portal. To find a portal, all one needs to do is detect the huge mana aura that is generated by a portal. Moreover, there will be strong Heroes near the portal so that monsters do not get in.


    So, you can either detect the mana aura of the portal or the heroes. Both would release a mana aura strong enough to be felt from a distance.


    After a while, we detected an unusual mana aura and followed that direction.


    Finding the portal was not difficult. However, the journey toward the portal was not easy.


    As soon as we were near the portal, a group of students attacked us. <sub> </sub>


    It didn''t matter that they were weaker than us or that we were Ace Academy students. They were focused on getting the tokens from us.


    They were the students who didn''t have enough tokens and they would do anything to obtain them.


    So the most certain way to get those tokens in thest part of this round was to wait for other students who will leave. They set up an ambush for those students.


    Since it was theirst chance, they did everything they could to get the tokens from our hands.


    Though with so many strong fighters on our side, they never had the chance.


    It was a matter of time before we defeated all of them. While we had students like Hiro Ernest who was seriously injured and was barely able to walk, Rank-C was necessary for these ambushers.


    They were usually the students that had failed to obtain the tokens and were weak. The only thing that they have an advantage over us is their number which ounts for 20 to 25. They were made of low-rank students who didn''t have any tokens.


    Like previously, I just stood there while other students attacked and fought them. It was not that I was thinking like their level is too low for me to raise my hand. Rather it was to protect those students who were injured.


    In the case that the ambusher made their way toward those injured students, they would be able to steal their tokens. The only way to guarantee that it would not end this situation was for me to protect them.


    Just like I predicted, some students made their way toward this area knowing that the injured students were there. Though it didn''t take more than one move to take them out. I just froze them when they got close enough.


    Other ambushes were not much better as people like Misha and Sylvia could take out 3 to 4 students at the same time. The battle ended in an instant.


    "We have arrived!"


    The portal was right in front of us.


    This round was finallying to an end. After a stroke of bad luck and luck and worrying about not getting the tokens, I have finally made it here with all these students of Ace Academy. While my first few hours in this tournament were not good, the final result turned out better than expected.


    Not only did I see the trump card of Arcane Academy who is probably the most dangerous opponent for Ace Academy but also managed to get 12 of Ace Academy students to advance to the next round.


    I don''t know how the other 8 students from Ace Academy are faring but they should be doing well unless they meet with people like Omar Noel and that Rank-B girl.


    Anyway, I think I have done more than enough for Ace Academy in this round. For the next round, they would have to depend on their own strength.


    "Get in!"


    One by one the Ace Academy students got in. I stay as thest person. You never know when other people will attack them and I was the most reliable person to stay behind.


    Thest person, Lisanna, stepped inside the portal.


    *SIGH!


    This round had made me show most of my trump cards. If not for that Rank-B girl, I would not have to do anything, and we would have won.


    Anyway, it was finished and I think I have done an excellent job. I also entered the portal.


    -FUUSSSH!

 Chapter 202 End Of First Round! [2]

    Chapter 202 End Of First Round! [2]


    "ACE ACADEMY!!!"


    "CONGRATULATION!"


    "I knew that you would be the winners!"


    The instant Ace Academy students were teleported to the stadium, loud cheers entered their ears. Everyone in the audience was congratting them like they had already won the tournament.


    -FSSSHH!


    "ZERO! You were incredible!"


    "The new strongest student!"


    "Rank Crusher!"


    And obviously, when the one who showed incredible power came through, the cheers instantly shifted towards him. Everyone has seen him take out Rank-B students, defeat countless others and scare away thousands of monsters.


    Everyone was excited about him. Even if they are not necessarily his friends or rtives, people were happy to have such a talented boy.<sub></sub>


    The world was not a peaceful ce with signs of war showing and monsters bing more and more of a problem. Having talented people was always weed, though not all of them were happy about it.


    Ace Academy students stood there like champions who had already won the tournament. While the oue is yet to be seen, many believe it to be inevitable.


    They had strong students like Zero Elea, Hiro Ernest, and Lisanna Lockser. The chances of losing were very slim.


    In contrast to when they had entered this tournament with fear of losing to Omar Noel, they werepletely different after this round.


    Omar Noel? He is already beaten by Hiro Ernest. Trump Cards? We have a monster called Zero with us.


    They felt the crown of the best academy still belonged to them.


    After Zero came out of the portal, the other Ace Academy students followed him. Zero was already their leader. With being the strongestes the responsibility of the leader.


    Zero didn''t feel anything even when thousands of people were chanting his name and cheering for him. He was already immune to these things which change at the drop of a hat.


    They might support him now, but if someone spreads negative newster, they immediately believe it and curse at him. Therefore, he didn''t care about something like fame which was useless.<sub>


    </sub>


    He walked to the Ace Academy side of the stadium where Professor Mia and other professors of Ace Academy were waiting for them.


    "Congrattions to you all for advancing to the next round!"


    "Zero, you really saved our school''s dignity!"


    "I bet we are the ones who have the most students that are qualified to enter the next round."


    "Haha¡­ We didn''t know we had so many strong first-year students in our school! We have a bright future ahead of us."


    The professors congratte us the moment we arrive there. They were excited and proud of their students. The professors were also puffing their chests out to show that they were the ones who taught them.


    "Excellent job! You all have done well, especially you Zero."


    Professor Mia said.


    She was satisfied with the performance of the participants and felt that they had done particrly well when facing strong enemies.<sub> </sub>


    She was, of course, happier about Zero''s progress and what he has done in the tournament. She knew that no one in this tournament could pose a threat to Zero but she didn''t expect that Zero could defeat a Rank-B and also defeat so many strong opponents in an instant.


    It was only a few days that she didn''t teach Zero due to the work regarding the tournament and she felt that his power had already increased drastically.


    "You can either wait here or go rest in your hotel!"


    The tournament still has some time left. Currently, we are the only group that has shown up. Others were still fighting and collecting tokens.


    Injured and exhausted students were apanied by some professors to the restroom. They immediately called for high-ranking healers.


    Zero decided to sit and watch the ongoing tournament. He was not too tired and wanted to see if the participants would show something interesting. He might even see some of their trump cards which mighte in handy in uing rounds.


    The big screen showed various battles, including one that included a video of Omar Noel and the other two. Currently, they seem to be heading towards the portal.


    Well, with their strength, it is not surprising that they were able to collect the tokens.


    "What do you think about that girl?"


    Professor Mia asked as she sat down near me.


    The girl she was referring to was the Rank-B girl that I fought.


    "She is powerful but it was easy dealing with her."


    Zero said.


    "Not that! Do you have any idea who she is? Like when you fought her, you felt that she was someone you were familiar with."


    Professor Mia asked.


    No matter what she tried, she was unable to obtain information about that girl, whose identity remained a secret. While she was not Zero''s opponent, it was wise to be vignt, especially against someone who is Rank-B.


    With someone of her talent, it was weird how nobody knew about her. She even wondered whether she was a student or not. Though those doubts were dispelled knowing that one cannot enter the tournament without a student ID.


    "I don''t know! She was probably using some artifact to conceal her face. I could not see her face even when I got extremely close to her."


    Zero answered.


    "I see! She reminds me of someone, especially in her Art. I think I saw it somewhere before!"


    Professor said while contemting something.


    She thought that The Authority should know about this girl since she was so strong. She needed to ask someone she knows there after the tournament.


    "How did Arcane Academy hide someone like her?"


    Professor Mia said while looking over at the Arcane Academy.


    At the Arcane Academy side, the professors all wore an ugly faces. All their ns were revealed and none of them seeded. Most of their students alsocked the tokens to advance to the next round.


    Luckily, three of the strongest students of their Academy were able to collect the tokens. However, it was their fault that Arcane Academy was in this situation. Those three were obligated to take responsibility for their failure.


    Demacia Academy and Skyline Academy were in simr states. While their students managed to collect some tokens, it was only enough for 4 to 5 students. They knew that they were going to be at a disadvantage in the next round.


    More so when they know that Ace Academy has a monster known as ''Zero''.

 Chapter 203 End Of First Round! [3]

    Chapter 203 End Of First Round! [3]


    -FUUSSH!


    Omar Noel, Rank-B girl, and flute guy were teleported to the stadium. They also met with some students who tried to steal their tokens, though they quickly defeated them.


    The audience cheered for them. Even if they lost to Ace Academy, they were worthy of the admiration of millions of people.


    However, it didn''t seem like they were happy at all. How can they when all their ns have failed? It was not difficult for them to pass this round. For them, this round was about defeating Ace Academy, which they have marvelously failed to achieve.


    Unlike other students of Arcane Academy, they knew that the responsibility of failing would fall on their shoulders.


    Professor Frey left with Omar Noel and the other two. She was clearly angry and looked furious at them. They silently followed her.


    Before leaving they didn''t forget to give me a hateful re.


    ( WOW! Such hatred! )


    I just smiled and waved my hands.


    Professor Frey gnashed her teeth and clenched her hand. She wants nothing more than to snap the neck of Zero. She had severely underestimated him.


    Their ns would not have failed if Zero was not there.


    "Let''s go!"<sub></sub>


    They just left the ce. I also reverted back to watching the big screen. Slowly students were being teleported into the stadium. Only a few minutes were left before the round ended.


    Everything was chaotic at thest minute of the tournament. Students were fighting each other more ruthlessly than ever while those with enough tokens were hurrying to the portal.


    Even powerful Rank-D + students were sometimes beaten by groups of Rank-E + students. Even some Rank-C students who were working alone were struggling to reach the portal with all those students attacking.


    Desperate people are really dangerous!


    Within minutes, the time was up and those who did not have enough tokens were disqualified, and those who did have enough tokens qualified for the next round.


    Like one of the professors thought, Ace Academy had the majority of qualified candidates for the next round. Only three students from Ace Academy failed to advance to the next round.


    "The details for the next round will be announced three days from today! I hope you all use this time to prepare yourself for a tougher challenge."


    With this, the first day of the tournament came to an end. The audience left the ce one by one. They were talking excitedly with their friends.


    They were satisfied with what they saw. The new generation of students with unbelievable powers. Whether it was Zero and Hiro who were in the first year or Omar Noel and Lisanna, they were satisfied with watching them fight.


    I felt more at ease after they were gone. I could feel their gazes throughout the time I was here. It would have been unbearable if I didn''t already have lots of experience with such situations.


    We were given three days of preparation. While we do not know what type ofpetition the next round will be, these three days can be used to recuperate if you are injured. In addition, you can get weapons and armor if they were broken in today''spetition.<sub>


    </sub>


    In addition, it was to give students a chance to rest their minds. Nobody wants to continue fighting three days straight. It would exhaust one''s mind, especially if one had fought with people like Hiro and Omar Noel.


    ( Alright! Time to leave! )


    Just when I was about to leave the ce,


    "Zero, where are you going?"


    Misha asked.


    For a moment I was confused by what Misha said, then I remembered.


    ( Oh Shit! I almost forgot! )


    My parents have told me to meet them after the tournament. Since they were with Misha''s parents, Misha also knew about that. She was also asked by her parents to meet them along with Zero.


    I almost left without meeting them. I would have to listen to mom''s endless lecture if I had forgotten. Thankfully Misha was still here.


    "Thanks!"


    I raised my thumb and said to Misha.<sub> </sub>


    ???


    Misha, who didn''t know what Zero was thinking, was confused by Zero''s gesture. She didn''t know why Zero was giving her a thumbs up.


    ******


    "Zero really shocked us. He has grown a lot stronger. Looks like Shadow Genesis will flourish with such an heir!"


    Deigo said to his friend.


    "Haha¡­ I don''t know about that. We will have to see whether he wants to be the guildmaster or not."


    Warren replied.


    He didn''t want to shackle Zero''s future path. If he decides to be the guildmaster of Shadow Genesis, he was more than wee but even if he wants to join other guilds he was okay with it.


    Warren understands that with his son''s talent, he could easily enter a tinum-graded guild and would be treated well there. The Authority would have been interested in nurturing such a young and talented boy.


    Therefore, Warren didn''t really expect Zero to be the guildmaster of Shadow Genesis. Shadow Genesis was after all a small guild that didn''t fit his son''s talent.


    "Your daughter has also gotten a lot stronger. She advanced to the next round which is an incredible feat for the first year."


    Warren said.


    Whenparing talents, Misha looked inferior to Zero but she was in her own right, very talented. There are not many who are qualified to participate in this tournament as first-year students, not to mention the number of first-year students who made it past the first round.


    "Haha¡­ I am also blessed to have such a talented daughter!"


    Diego was proud of her daughter.


    Misha had performed beyond their expectations. They knew that their daughter was learning well at Ace Academy. Diego felt immense happiness watching his daughter all grown up.


    "It looks like we both are very blessed!"


    Warren was very happy today. His son has made him incredibly proud. His son became famous and made a mark in this tournament.


    But more than the fame, he was happy knowing that Zero was strong enough to protect himself.


    With him dealing with guild work, he knows exactly how dangerous the world has be. Even with Rank-A strength, there were lots of dangerous things in this world that could instantly take their life.


    With Zero showcasing Rank-B power, Warren knew that his son would be at least Rank-S or maybe even Rank-SS in the future. He believed that with that strength his son would not be in danger.


    The two women in their family were also happily chatting with each other. Although the topic of their discussion was different from their husbands''.


    "Zero has turned into such a dashing man. He is both talented and handsome. I bet countless girls are chasing him."


    Misha''s mother said.


    She didn''t see Zero for a year or so. She was busy during the party to celebrate Warren''s rank up and missed meeting Zero. This was her first time seeing Zero after he entered high school.


    "I can say the same about your daughter. Misha must be getting a love letter every day."


    Zero''s mother replied.


    As Zero''s mother, she felt it was her duty to find a good wife for her son. The daughters of her friend were the prime candidate considering how close they were. Though she was fine if her son brought another girl.


    They chatted with each other while waiting for their child toe.


    "Mom, Dad!"


    "Son!"


    They ran towards him and hugged him.


    Zero''s parents were relieved to see that Zero was fine. Even when they had seen him do incredible things in the tournament, they were worried that he might be pushing himself too much.


    Zero also felt relieved seeing his parents. With how often he found himself in trouble, the only time he let down his guard was in front of his parents.


    Only in front of his parents, he was a son!

 Chapter 204 MatchMaker

    Chapter 204 MatchMaker


    "Son, you have done a great job. Both dad and I are very happy for you!"


    "Thanks!"


    Zero''s parents congratted him. His parents also asked about his new power which he has credited to Professor Mia. Anyway, being Professor Mia''s student was a great way to convince others that he became like this due to her.


    "We should meet her once. We need to show our gratitude to her."


    Madison said while looking very excited.


    In addition to giving her gratitude to Professor Mia, she heard rumors about Professor Mia and Zero and wanted to find out if they were true or not.


    We talked for some time after which the Kanon family came to me.


    "Zero thank you for helping Misha!"


    Misha''s parents said to Zero.


    "It was the least that I could do!"


    Zero felt that he didn''t deserve their gratitude. And he knows that Misha''s parents also knew that Misha could take care of the monsters herself. She would have been fine by herself.


    Zero thought that Misha''s parents were thanking him for the time when he defeated the Mountain Gori. Though, Misha''s parents were thanking him for not only that but also for taking care of her the entire tournament.


    Then he talked with them for a while. He was not awkward with Misha''s parents as he had known them from the time when he was a child. To him, they are almost like his family.


    ( They are the same as always! )


    Whether I was talented or not, they had always been nice to me. <sub></sub>


    Anyway, I felt a threatening re for quite a while.


    "E-Eleonore!"


    "Tch!"


    Eleonore clicked her tongue the moment I called her. Her displeasure was written all over her face.


    "¡­ Ahem! It''s been a while."


    ( Wonder why she is pissed this time. )


    "What?"


    "What What?"


    "Tch! Why did you call my name?"


    She was staring at me like she wanted to kill me with her stare. Now, you are asking me why I called you?


    ( Calm down! I am a gentleman. )


    "You have been staring at me so much. Do you need anything?"


    "Huh? Do you think I was looking at you? You think you have a pretty face for me to look at?"


    ( Huh? When did I say something like this? )<sub>


    </sub>


    "Eh¡­ But you were clearly staring at me."


    "When did I?"


    "Okay, Okay, you didn''t!"


    It didn''t look like I was able to get anywhere with her, so I walked away.


    "Wait!"


    Eleonore tucked my shirt from behind.


    ( Now What? )


    I asked what she wanted, and she did say anything. Now that I am leaving, she is stopping me. What is happening to her?


    "I am thankful that you helped Misha!"


    Eleonore said while bowing her head.


    (Wow! Now that''s new. Can''t say I dislike it. )


    I don''t think I have seen Eleonore thank me before. Now, I feel remorse seeing that she is sincerely thanking me for something that I don''t deserve. I guess the Kanon family is someone who shows gratitude for even the smallest favor.


    I thought she was finished with whatever she wanted to say.


    "However, don''t you dare seduce Misha. I will not forgive you if you dare to y with her feelings."<sub> </sub>


    Eleonore red at Zero, seriously warning.


    Zero was baffled at how fast Eleonore''s mood changed. One moment she was sincerely thanking her, now she was threatening him.


    However, the most shocking thing was what she was talking about.


    "Eh? When did I ever do something like that?"


    ( I am a gentleman. How dare you use me of ying with a girl''s feelings?)


    "When? You are seriously asking me! Zero, you are really testing my patience. How dare you act innocent after all this time? Humph!"


    Eleonore burst into anger like never before. Unlike before, when she simply looked angry, this time she looked emotionally angry.


    Eleonore angrily walked away leaving a confused Zero behind.


    ( Why was that b*tch so angry? )


    In this world the only person I would never be able to understand is Eleonore. Most of her action was beyond my ability toprehend. I would never be able to understand why she is angry at me.


    Did I do something wrong? I could only recall it when I saw her in her birthday suit, but even she wouldn''t hold on to something that happened a decade ago, right?


    "Even though you used to be so kind to me!"


    Well, many things change in this world. It would be wrong to expect Eleonore to be the same as when we were kids.


    Even I have changed drastically in this short period of time. I find it unbelievable that I am the same person as I was one year ago.


    After having a pleasant conversation with my parents, I and Misha went back to the hotel. They promised that they will be there to watch the tournament.


    After showering and changing my clothes, I made my way to the dining hall where a small banquet was scheduled for the students.


    It was an opportunity for students to socialize with each other. While rivalry was high especially when the tournament had still not ended, most students didn''t hold grudges against each other.


    Most students were talking with students of the same level. Most third years were already familiar with other third years from other schools due tost year''s tournament.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    I walked into the dining hall and immediately went to where the food was kept. I was here just for the food.


    Countless gazes immediately fell on me when I entered the ce. People looked at me with a variety of feelings, such as admiration, respect, anger, fear, hatred, and so on.


    Hatred was particrly evident in the faces of four members of the Arcane Academy. Other students from Arcane Academy didn''t seem very angry at me. It is probably because I happened to save their lives from those monsters.


    In no time at all, I took the tasty-looking things and sat down at an empty table.


    Some time passed but the stare on my back never left me.


    ( You all, concentrate on your food. Is there anything appetizing about my face that you all are staring at so hard? )


    This kind of atmosphere makes it very hard for one to swallow the food.


    "Zero, you are already here!"


    ( Herees the cheerful girl! )


    Sylvia came to my table with a te full of food. She was eating a lot for her size. I estimate that she has almost twice as much as I do on her te.


    "What happened to that ugly girl? I, for one, thought you would still have that horrible face."


    Zero joked. He was referring to the time when Sylvia was entering self-ming mode and bing depressed.


    "Thanks! Now you know I am pretty!"


    "Narcissistic!"


    "Talking about yourself?"


    Sylvia retorted to everything Zero said. In the tournament, her mind was not stable which gave Zero an opportunity to make fun of her. But generally, it was she, who would tease and make fun of Zero. Zero was nothing inparison to her explosivemunication skills.


    "Lisa, here!"


    She waved her hand and called Lisa.


    "Your chance is here! Consider this my reward for helping me."


    Sylvia whispered in my ears.


    "Hehe¡­"


    ( What chance? This girl is obviously taking this chance to take revenge on me. )

 Chapter 205 Edolas Super Brawl

    Chapter 205 Eds Super Brawl


    "Sylvia, why did you run off?"


    Lisa asked.


    "Sorry, sorry, you were busy talking with those people that I could not stand my hunger for any longer."


    "Seriously you¡­"


    Lisa seriously thought about lecturing her.


    But considering how long she was pestered by those numerous students, she could not really me Sylvia.


    Many students were interested in forming a rtionship with her due to her father being the guild master of a tinum-graded guild.


    Sylvia had waited for 20 minutes before she decided to abandon her friend for food. She was not going to wait another 20 minutes.


    Lisa then turned and greeted Zero.


    "Good Evening, Zero! Can I sit here?"


    "Yes, of course!"


    "Thank you! Hope I am not disturbing you too much!"<sub></sub>


    Lisa sat elegantly while holding her te.


    "I would like to thank you for your help in the tournament."


    "My pleasure!"


    Zero answered.


    "Hey! Howe you are speaking to her politely?"


    Sylvia interrupted.


    "You speak to me politely and I might do the same."


    Zero replied while sneering.


    Sylvia always used crude words when speaking with me and she is expecting me to speak politely with her? No chance!


    "Sir Zero, can you please speak politely with me?"


    Sylvia said.<sub>


    </sub>


    She said in the manner with which she is used to speaking with influential people that she meets at parties.


    "Stop! You are creeping me out!"


    Zero immediately said.


    He felt that her manner of speaking had turnedpletely 360 degrees and she gave off an artificial vibe that was unpleasant to listen to.


    "What do you mean creepy? Were you blinded by my elegance?"


    "Elegance, my foot!"


    Lisa watched the two of them bickering throughout the dinner. She felt that those two had gotten much closer, though she knows that with Sylvia''s personality she can pretty much be friends with anyone.


    However, this was different for Zero. She didn''t think that Zero had many people who were as friendly as Sylvia. Zero''s close friendship with Sylvia is evident at first nce.


    She questioned whether it was the same for her. Both Zero and her had interaction with each other asionally, but it waspletely different from how they talked aspared to Sylvia and Zero.


    "Anyway, the food is great. It is a pity that I am on a diet, so I have to refrain from eating more."


    ( Girl, if that food portion is your diet then I am afraid you are going to turn into an Orc someday. )<sub> </sub>


    Zero thought.


    He doesn''t know where she put those stuff in that tiny body and still has the guts to say that she is on a diet. Zero even thought that Orc might not eat as much as Syliva.


    Anyway, Zero knows that it is difficult for people like Sylvia to be fat. With how much training she does, those calories would always be burning like crazy.


    After dinner, Zero said goodbye to Sylvia and Lisa and went straight to bed.


    ******


    The next day, I decided to go around the SpiritMeadow and see what types of artifacts are being sold there.


    I didn''t have any other things to do anyway. Training was not an option since we still have the tournament in two days. It was better to rest rather than do somest-minute training which might end up injuring you.


    And it was not like in two days of training you would unlock special powers like some kind of protagonist from anime.


    I came out of my room and ate breakfast which can only be said to be the most delicious breakfast I have ever eaten. It was simr to ''Zillion Dor Lobster Frittata'' on Earth.


    When I was about to leave the hotel, I saw lots of journalists who were stationed outside the hotel.


    "Hey! Look, it is Zero Elea. Quickly take the photos."


    "Quickly bring the cameras!"


    -CLICK! -CLICK! FLASH!


    "What the¡­!"


    What are these journalists doing here so early in the morning?


    I have not even taken a step outside the hotel and news reporters have already started taking photos and reading their mics.


    It didn''t seem possible to go out with such a crowd waiting outside. There was only one exit and it was blocked by these damn journalists. Even if I could run and go out, I reckon that they would be following me everywhere.


    "It was like that even before the sun rose!"


    Suddenly, Sylvia appeared and said that to Zero.


    She was also excited to spend time shopping in this town with Lisa but with so many journalists waiting outside, it was impossible to even take one step.


    "Is it even allowed? Why isn''t anyone doing anything about it?"


    ( How can they just stay here and disturb the participants? Give us some privacy for god sake! )


    "They are prohibited from entering the hotel. However, as long as it is outside the hotel, they are free to do whatever they want. I guess they have at least that much freedom."


    ( There goes my n to go shop for artifacts. )


    I have to stay here trapped in this building for two days. What to do here? Eat, sleep and take a sh*t? Well, that''s all that I can do here I think.


    "Don''t be so disappointed. This hotel has a recreation room. It is said that it even has thetest title from Tech Genesis!"


    Sylvia said with a sparkle in her eyes.


    She was also quite disappointed to find out that she couldn''t go out but that all changed when she heard that there was a recreation room in the hotel.


    It was not as interesting as going shopping but still, it was better than nothing and she was also a big fan of the Tech Genesis game. And it was her chance to try the game that has not even been released.


    ( Latest game. She must be talking about the fighting game that was being developed. )


    While World Craft was doing quite well, I needed a variety of games for thepany. I was determined to make thispany the greatest gamepany in the world.


    We had World Craft which is a good game for socializing, creativity and survival. Now, I need something which ispetitive and enjoyable.


    That''s why I have settled for something like a street fighter game. Simr mechanism but the characters were different. We used characters that are all famous figures of this world. Rank-SS and other legendary people were included with their fighting styles and Art.


    The name of the game was ''Eds Super Brawl'' and it is in the beta phase. In some of the chosen ces, we have allowed people to try this game along with the console that we built. Our console was something that resembled ystation with a mana battery powering the system.


    This hotel seemed to fall into that group that was given the first product to be tested. The official release was kept for after the tournament if there was no problem with the beta version.


    "Let''s head over and try that game. It is said to be pretty entertaining to y with your friends."


    With that, she dragged me to the ce which is said to be the recreation room.

 Chapter 206 Edolas Super Brawl [2]

    Chapter 206 Eds Super Brawl [2]


    In no time, we reached a big, open space with lots of game equipment. Many people were gathered there and seemed to be enjoying themselves.


    "There are quite a lot of students here!"


    Sylvia said while looking around.


    Many students were already there.


    ( They must havee here after knowing that they were unable to leave the hotel. )


    It might be the only ce in this hotel where we can do something. Well, there was also a training room if people are interested but who would train¡­ Oh, wait, I can think of some people who would.


    Zero and Zion might be there if I think about it. Well, leaving those training freaks alone, I don''t think that many people want to train in this new ce.


    After all, it was an opportunity to explore a new ce, though it has been destroyed by those damned journalists.


    As I put the negative thoughts aside, I thanked the hotel for providing us with something to do during our stay which would have turned super boring if not for this.


    There were lots of games and it looked something like a game center.


    I guess that is the type of quality you should expect from an expensive hotel such as this. Though it might have cost at least 5 million Ethans to build something like this considering the scale and the designs.


    The ce was packed with students and one particr ce was filled with lots of audiences. They seemed to be watching a person y the game. Though from the look of the controller he was holding, I already knew what that game was.


    "Look, that ce should be where thetest game of Tech Genesis should be!"


    Sylvia pointed her finger at where the people were gathered and immediately dragged me to that ce. She seemed eager to try the Eds Super Brawl.<sub></sub>


    Well, I was also interested to see how they were ying. It should be students'' first time ying this game considering the limited product that was released for beta testing.


    ''Jeremy, use your special moves!''


    ''Roya, defend!''


    ''Press the X button.''


    The audience cheered for the two yers excitedly. They looked more excited than I thought. There was so much hype surrounding them that some might have even thought that this was thest match to decide the Tournament of Academies champion.


    -PAW! PAW! POW!


    Currently, Jeremy Vincent and one other student from Demacia Academy seem to be ying against each other. Jeremy seemed to be winning while the other yer was pushed into a corner with only a little bit of health left.


    "This is it! Special move, Super Dragon Breath!"


    Jeremy initiated thebo and finished his opponent with his special move.


    ''FINISH! yer 1 wins!''


    "I won! I already told you that no one is better than me in this game!"


    Jeremy said.


    They had been ying since yesterday and no one was able to beat him. He was the king of this game. He was feeling very proud of himself for being undefeated this whole time. <sub>


    </sub>


    Others also admired Jeremy. They acknowledge that Jeremy was the best in this game. No one was able to defeat him.


    Jeremy nced everywhere and then he saw Zero.


    "Zero Elea, how about a match?"


    He asked proudly.


    He knows that he is weaker than Zero in real life but he thought that he was invincible in Eds Super Brawl. He wanted to defeat Zero even if it was just in a game. And it might even be taken as having his revenge fulfilled.


    He does not have a grudge against Zero for beating him because they werepeting and getting defeated was normal. Though he was certainly embarrassed to be knocked out in one move by a junior.


    "Sure!"


    Zero answered.


    It was a good chance to check how the games are working and I didn''t have other things to do as well. I might as well spend the time ying with them.


    The audience instantly looked at Zero. Nobody here was ignorant of who Zero was. Three schools residing in this hotel suffered from his hand and most were knocked out of the tournament due to him.


    They thought that they would be seeing the battle of Ace of two academies once more though it was in the game. Well, the excitement was as high as ever.


    "Zero, you might have defeated me in the tournament but I believe that this is where my true abilities lie."


    He proudly dered.<sub> </sub>


    ( Are you nning to be a gamer or what? )


    Jeremy was so high on winning in this game that he was saying that ying the game was his true ability. If his professors heard this, they might show him where his specialty should lie.


    Anyway, I can rte to this because rather than getting 1st ce in school, I was more happy and proud of winning in PUBG tournaments.


    However, even my abilities lie in gaming. Don''t underestimate the yer who skipped school and spent 10 hours every day ying games.


    ( This newbie, who does not know that he ispeting against someone who used to spend 10 hours ying these games. )


    ''Let me show you how the pro ys.''


    -TAKTAKATKA! TAKATKAK!


    -POW!


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "How can this be?"


    In three matches with Zero, Jeremy failed tond even one damage on him.


    ( How can anyone be invincible in everything? )


    Jeremy''s n to win against Zero was instantly destroyed by Zero''s infinitebo.


    Zero looked at Jeremy in pity.


    It was not that Jeremy was poor at ying the game, it was because he was a pro at this type of game. Jeremy might be able to pull off simplebos and special moves which were enough to win against other newbies but Zero was a pro yer. He would do infinitebos giving him no chance.


    This was the difference between someone who is a pro at the game and someone who is good at ying games.


    Zero thought that Jeremy was incredible to be able to be so strong even though he was unfamiliar with the game before.


    ( He might just be a genius at fighting games! )


    The audience was also surprised at Zero''s gaming skills. Jeremy had no chance against him as he was destroyed immediately.


    "One more time!"


    Jeremy said.


    He was still not convinced and wanted to at least punch him.


    "It is my turn now"


    Sylvia grabbed the controller immediately.


    She had been waiting for her turn and she was not going to give it to Jeremy who has only lost to Zero


    "Let''s GO!"


    Sylvia excitedly shouted.


    She was also good at ying games. While she appreciated Zero''s skill, she knew that she should be able to perform better than Jeremy. She was going to beat Zero.


    ''1 2 3 START!''


    *******


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "Anybody who still wants to show off their skills?"


    I asked as I looked at the crowd who had been destroyed by my skill. No one has even managed to harm me.


    They were not able to say anything to Zero even when he was mocking everyone here. He had shown them what a pro yer was.


    They had a gloomy expression which is understandable as they were not able to take even one HP from Zero''s character.


    ( I guess I am Invincible in both game and reality! )


    "It is lonely to be invincible!"

 Chapter 207 Starting The Second Round Of The Tournament

    Chapter 207 Starting The Second Round Of The Tournament


    "It is lonely to be invincible!"


    Zero said.


    It was the habit of many gamers to show off against newbies. They like to show they are strong when they are beating someone in a game.


    The people who heard this sentence gnashed their teeth and became angry. They could not even hit him once after all this time so obviously, they could not refute his words even if they wanted to say something.


    "We still have time. We will make sure to beat him before the tournament ends!"


    "Yes, he must have yed this game somewhere else. That''s why he is so good at it."


    Just like that these two days of rest had turned into apetition to beat Zero for many students. However, they could not even take one of his HP.


    "Well, this is myst game!"


    Zero was able to y continuously for many hours but he soon felt bored because they would simply be defeated in an instant.


    Though he still yed for hours to show off his game skill.


    Others didn''t leave when Zero decided to leave. They stayed behind and continued ying the games and improving their skill as they vowed to take down Zero.


    During dinner, Sylvia and Lisa sat with Zero like the previous day.


    "Zero, you should go easy on me!"


    Sylvia said while pouting.<sub></sub>


    She considered herself somewhat of a gamer, but she was also destroyed along with other students by Zero.


    "Would you be happy if you won against me with a handicap?"


    "Of course!"


    "Then NO!"


    "You are Evil!"


    Sylvia was entirely out of the conversation. She didn''t understand what they were talking about. She was training throughout the day and didn''t see any of them.


    ( They seemed even closer! )


    Lisa thought as she looked at them silently.


    Zero and Sylvia naturally grew closer as they talked about the things that both of them liked. Simrly to how people with the same taste get along well with each other.


    After dinner, they left to y games. Zero yed Eds Super Brawl before ying another game. Though Sylvia still continued to y it with other people.


    The next day, they spent their time fighting against Zero.


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''<sub>


    </sub>


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "We can''t win. He is too strong!"


    "Just believe in yourself! We can take him down. This is what our whole life was about."


    -TAK! -TAK!


    Zero as usual was doing his wlessbos when,


    -THAK!


    The yer blocked the attack and then the unspeakable happened.


    -PAK!


    "Yes, yes, you did it!"


    "How did he ck and hit him?"


    ''yer 2 wins!''


    "You have hit the invincible Zero!"<sub> </sub>


    "I guess all the night practice paid off!"


    "Let''s lift him in the air!"


    "Hip Hip Hooray!"


    The students grew crazy when finally someone took one 1 hp from Zero''s character. They celebrated as if that boy had won the match, though what the boy did was just take one attack.


    "Paul, you are the next champion!"


    They dered as Paul had managed to hit Zero. Paul also felt like he had won the tournament as the Zero no longer received ''Perfect'' as his victory sounded.


    The students surround Paul and congratte Paul as they begin to remember his name. They also ask him to teach them how to do that move.


    "A Shame that you are no longer The Invincible Zero!"


    Sylvia said while giggling.


    "I still won the match and don''t you remember all those times when you were getting floored by me?"


    Zero replied.


    "Humph! That was because I was not serious. Now that your luck is out, I should be able to defeat you."


    We got back to ying. I had to teach this arrogant girl the reality of how much she sucked at Eds Super Brawl.


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "Guess I am still invincible!"


    Sylvia looked gloomy as I said those words.


    The gaming session was as intense as it could be but considering tomorrow the next round was starting, we left early. The only people left were those who qualified for the next round.


    Although they didn''t seem to be disappointed as they concentrated on ying Eds Super Brawl.


    *****


    "Hello, Zero!"


    "Good Morning, how about we y after the tournament? I have gotten pretty good at Eds Super Brawl."


    Unlike before, Zero has made many friends through ying the game. While he would mercilessly beat them down but due to having yed together, they kind of formed a bond.


    Even though Zero was so dangerous in a tournament, well, he was even more dangerous in games, but he seemed approachable when ying, which gave them an easier time talking to him.


    Therefore, naturally, after some time their wariness toward Zero dwindled and Zero was able to make some friends.


    "Zero, you might have beaten me many times in the game but I will win if we face each other in the tournament. Real fighting is my specialty!"


    One of the most persistent yers who would fight again and again was Jeremy. He was one of the yers who managed to hurt Zero in the game which is considered an extremely good yer in the eyes of other students.


    "Yeah, let''s see! Just make sure you don''t get knocked out in one move again."


    "That¡­ was because I was giving you a chance because you were a junior. I will show my real power when the second round begins!"


    ( We don''t even know what type ofpetition it is going to be. )


    In the novel, the second round was a type of capture of the g. If that were the same as in the novel, we might find it easier since we have the advantage of numbers.


    This time around, less than a hundred students were present here. Over 50% of the students present here came from Top-5 academies, while the remaining 50% came from other schools.


    We entered the stadium tunnel as we made our way toward the arena. The students were not as nervous as they were during the first round.


    This was especially true for Ace Academy students, who were exuding the auras of the champion, unlike in the first round where they were scared of losing.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Go Zero, Go!"


    "Ace Academy Win!"


    "Omar Noel, we still believe you."


    "Hiro Ernest, you are the best!"


    "Skyline Academy don''t give up!"


    Lots of people started to cheer the moment we came out of the stadium tunnel. I was also feeling confident knowing what the objective of the second round was going to be.


    ( Let''s win this one as well! )

 Chapter 208 Starting The Second Round Of The Tournament [2]

    Chapter 208 Starting The Second Round Of The Tournament [2]


    Loud cheers can be heard the moment we enter the arena. The number of people who came to watch the tournament has increased from round one, as well as the number of guilds looking to recruit students.


    Since round one was over, the ones who were able to advance to the second round are those who are more talented than others. It is also possible that people from the diamond and tinum grade guilds will appear today.


    Many people from the third-year participant have been approached by various guilds. While the Diamond and tinum guild would not even acknowledge those participants who failed in the first round, but for the Silver and Bronze graded guild, they are the perfect candidate for their guild.


    Senior Lisanna and Lyon must have been contacted by the various guilds in the past three days. Students who are about to graduate are expected to join one of the guilds unless they have already done so.


    Various guilds are eager to have talented members in their guilds. They would offer all kinds of incentives for them to join, especially for people like Lisanna which would make even Diamond graded guilds offer lots of generous incentives.


    They will start pestering them after this tournament is over trying all the methods to win her over to their side.


    ( Good thing I was a first-year! )


    With talented students like Lisa and Hiro, people would not hesitate to recruit early and give lots of incentives before even having to join the guild.


    But there was a problem and that was that people were forbidden to recruit students from the first and second years. It was so that they could focus on their studies and avoid being distracted knowing that they already are set for life.


    Those found not adhering to the rules are barred from recruiting anyone from any school by The Authority or the school''s administration. <sub></sub>


    Though the guilds that broke this rule are generally low-grade guilds. High-ranking guilds are not worried about not being able to get talented members as many students are applying to those high-ranking guilds.


    Though they would fight for students like Hiro who could make any guild stronger in the future. Anyway, I have my parents'' guild, so I don''t think I need to join any other guild.


    We stood on the stage as Nock Fletcher came and once again talked about the objectives for the second round.


    "Congrattions to all the students who made it here! However, thepetition is still not finished. For the second round, groups of 10 students would be fighting each other."


    ( H-Huh? )


    "You can disqualify your opponent by either knocking out the opponents or by making them fall from the stage."


    ( Huh?)


    "The winner of that group will be allowed to advance to the final round! Other things remain the same, no killing, no intentionally injuring others, and no bringing in potions and other artifacts other than your equipment."


    ( Wait, wait! What? This is different from what I know. )<sub>


    </sub>


    Is it not to capture the gs that are going to be held in the second round? I thought that we would win easily. Howe the rules have changed?


    I immediately tried to calm down my emotions, which was quite difficult. Previously, I was ted to learn that the second round would have the same objective as the novel depicted.


    "You have thirty minutes to discuss and the group where you belong will be disyed soon!"


    The rules changed and the big advantage we had was taken away. Although even with this rule, there are still some advantages like having the same students from the same school in a group would be able to work together but still it was not as great of an advantage as the rules from the novel.


    With the current rule, many students from Ace Academy would not be able to advance to the next round.


    If it was still the capture the g rule then at least 17 of us would be in the next round. Losing was impossible with our number if the objective of the second round was to capture the g.


    ( Looks like someone tampered with the rules.)


    As I had previously suspected, Arcane Academy seemed to have someone helping them from the tournament management team.


    In the novel, they had the advantage in numbers, so rules were made to benefit them. Now that we had the advantage in number, the rule changed to give us no advantage. <sub> </sub>


    It is easier to guess that there was someone who wanted Ace Academy to lose.


    This is starting to get a lot more annoying than I initially thought.


    "Best of luck to everyone!"


    I got quite shocked knowing that the rules had changed. Eventually, I calmed down. Even if everything changes about the tournament, it doesn''t change the fact that strength was needed to win the match.


    I would be able to win even if the opponent had 10 students at the level of Omar Noel. Yes, there was nothing to worry about considering my current strength.


    We walked to the Ace Academy resting area in the stadium.


    "Good Work everyone!"


    Professor Theo said.


    "Huh? Professor Mia is not here?"


    Zero asked, noticing that Professor Mia had disappeared. They hade together to the stadium and it is Professor Mia''s job to give orders to the students.


    "Well, I don''t know what happened but she suddenly bolted out of the stadium saying that she had some urgent work. Therefore, today I will be handling her job."


    ( Went somewhere? )


    I don''t know why but I didn''t like the sound of it. While I expected certain changes to happen to this world due to my actions, including the change in rules of the tournament. But for the strict and diligent Professor Mia to just run off without telling anyone the reason was very suspicious.


    "Today, I guess the battle would be far more brutal than in the first round. But thankfully we have the advantage in number and we should be in a better position than other schools."


    ( Where would she go? Did something happen during this time in the novel? I don''t think any other incident happened in this arc. )


    I still can''t stop thinking about Professor Mia''s disappearance. For now, all I know is that she went somewhere ording to her own will.


    "You should cooperate with each other if you are in the same group. Only after defeating the other student, should you fight each other."


    Even when Professor Theo started to speak of his n. I could not concentrate much on his voice.


    When he finished exining his n, students waited for the roster to appear. The students were praying for their group to be different from strong students like Zero and Omar Noel.


    They nervously waited for the name of the first group to appear.


    On the big screen, the names of participants for the first group appeared.


    "What the¡­ It is mostly from Arcane Academy and Demacia Academy."


    "Good for us, they would fight and eliminate each other." Haha¡­"


    Theyughed. The list of students included top performers mostly from those two schools. This would have been a disaster if it was them who were included in that group, but if it was only those two schools'' students then that means that most students from those two schools would be eliminated here.


    "Wait! Look at thest name."


    One of the students said in a worried voice.


    They looked at thest name carefully. They widened their eyes when they saw the name and shouted.


    "Zero Elea!!!"

 Chapter 209 One Vs Nine!

    Chapter 209 One Vs Nine!


    "Zero!!!"


    They all nced at Zero nervously. However, at the moment, Zero was not even paying attention to any of this and was deeply in thought.


    The students took this as Zero thinking of some n and admired him for keeping a straight face even in such a disadvantageous situation. If they had been in Zero''s shoes, they know that they would have probably caused a scene.


    The opponents were all from the academy which was the enemy of Ace Academy. Furthermore, both Omar Noel and Luciano Elderik, who are Aces of their respective academies, are also in the group, as well as the only Rank-B student. Other students were also quite strong with the weakest being at Rank-D +.


    That means Zero had to face all those Top-ranked students by himself. They would have surrendered from the start if it was them.


    But this was Zero that they were talking about. Those 9 students were all defeated by Zero in the first round. So would the second round be any different? They didn''t think so.


    The student of Ace Academy was not worried that Zero would be defeated. Instead, they knew that it was all those students who had bad luck for having to face Zero. Same were the thoughts of many participants.


    However, Zero remained seated without moving at all. If it was another student, the students who were staring at him might have assumed that he/she was too scared to fight. However, knowing it was Zero, they knew it was not the case. They thought that Zero was thinking about some n.


    Quite some time had passed and all other participants from group 1 had stepped onto the stage. They were all waiting for Zero toe there. The more they waited, the more nervous they became.<sub></sub>


    The audiences eagerly awaited for Zero to show up.


    The Ace Academy student became a little impatient seeing that Zero was not moving at all. However, they didn''t dare to disturb Zero. No one wanted to be on the negative side of Zero including the professors who were impatiently waiting.


    -PAK!


    Someone finally hit Zero on his back and woke him up.


    "Zero!"


    "Huh? What?"


    Zero came back to reality. He was deeply thinking about the problem with Professor Mia''s behavior and wasn''t aware of what was happening in the stadium at all. All he saw was people staring at him for no reason at least that was how it seemed from his perspective.


    He was confused about his situation.<sub>


    </sub>


    "It is your turn!"


    Sylvia said.


    Everyone was scared of disturbing Zero. Well, almost everybody! Sylvia has no problems hitting Zero since she used to make fun of him on a daily basis. She has no problem mming her hand hard on Zero''s back to make him open his eyes.


    He understood why Sylvia called him. He then looked at the names disyed on the big screen and understood the reason why they were all staring at each other. It was because it was his turn!


    He then stood up and headed towards the arena. But he was still worried about Professor Mia. Moreso when she didn''t return even after 30 minutes had passed.


    Professor Mia was Rank-S and if she wanted to solve something, she would have easily solved those problems. For her to take so much time might mean that something serious has happened.


    However, Zero didn''t have any idea about her situation. He could only focus on his match and hope that Professor Mia was alright.


    He then nced at the participants on the stage. As he looked at his opponent, he was aware that the allocation of students was already set by someone in advance.<sub> </sub>


    How else can you get a full lineup of powerful students who are all his enemies?


    ( Bad luck for them! )


    Even with such preparation, they are still most likely going to lose. It would have been better if they had avoided putting their best students in the same group as me. Though by doing that they will still lose in the next round which is one-on-one.


    They might be trying to defeat me with their numbers. And then they would let Omar Noel or that Rank-B girl advance to the next round.


    Without me, there is not a single person who can defeat them. Hiro would also have a high chance of losing to Omar Noel if he fought with him at his full power.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    "Let''s use that as nned!"


    "You all quickly set up the formation as soon as the match starts!"


    Like Zero said, the students there were all arranged in advance and the students present there knew that. They had already worked out a n to deal with Zero.


    They knew that they would be facing Zero and had prepared something for him. For the past three days, they had been practicing something to win against Zero.


    They were fully prepared to face Zero. With Rank-B girl and Omar Noel by their side, they knew that they could take care of Zero.


    However, that didn''t mean that they were less frightened of Zero. When Zero wasing up to the stage. They can''t help but be slightly scared.


    -GULP!


    They nervously waited for the match to start. The students were already grouped into two; One was the lone Zero while on the other side, all the other participants were gathered, showing everyone that they were working together.


    Though for the audience who witnessed the first round either in the stadium or on the TV at home, it was no surprise. But the people watching this for the first time were puzzled. They were puzzled by how Omar Noel, the supposed strongest student, was teaming up with other students and being wary of Zero.


    "All the participants have arrived. Now, let the first match of the second round begin!"


    The referee''s voice vibrated throughout the stadium.


    Even with the excitement in the air, the audience managed to keep silent. Everyone was quietly watching the fight which seemed to have turned into 1 vs 9. They could not wait to find out how this match would turn out to be.


    The first match turned into the most anticipated match of the tournament. They knew that the winner of this match would probably decide which school would win the tournament.


    "GO!"


    Ruellemanded the other students.


    They quickly circled around Zero and surrounded him. They took some kind of object and with some hand gestures, they quickly deployed some kind of barrier with only Ruelle and Zero inside.


    Zero didn''t know what they were doing. He thought that the best they could do was to take advantage of their numbers and attack him together. Never did he expect that they would force him to fight One-on-One.


    ( Well, easier for me! )

 Chapter 210 Zero Vs Ruelle Rematch!

    Chapter 210 Zero Vs Ruelle Rematch!


    ( Well, easier for me! )


    He thought.


    "Today, you are dead!"


    Ruelle shouted angrily.


    She had been preparing this tactic for three days. It was humiliating for her to work with others to deal with Zero but considering the humiliation she suffered in Zero''s hand, it was nothing.


    She, who was considering winning the tournament as her highest priority, has changed. Her revenge on Zero was more important than anything at that moment.


    "Do you think you would win just because of this barrier?"


    Zero didn''t forget to provoke his enemy first!


    "Humph! You will know in a minute. Everybody, now!"


    Ruellemanded.


    Everybody instantly poured their mana into the object that they were holding and did some hand gestures.


    Zero was confused but he knew that they were nning something. He was not an idiot to stand there and do nothing knowing that his enemy was going to turn strong.


    He immediately turned around and spirited toward the participant who was close to him. He was going to break this barrier and take out that student before they were done with the thing that they were doing.<sub></sub>


    -SLASH!


    However, to Zero''s surprise, the barrier made by them was sturdy and there was no scratch or vibration of any kind. It didn''t even seem like he had hit the barrier at all.


    "Too bad for you! Only somebody at Rank-A might have a chance of breaking the barrier! You,  Zero, could not escape from this ce."


    Ruelle said.


    She didn''t give up the opportunity to make fun of Zero. To have his n be ruined was something that she was happy to witness.


    "Escape? Me? Haha¡­ Do you remember the person who had run away in the first round? Do I even need to run away from you?"


    Zero replied.


    "Y-You!"


    Ruelle''s face instantly changed.


    It was the greatest shame of her life to run away without fighting back.


    "You will regret this!"


    -SHINGG!<sub>


    </sub>


    Then immediately Ruelle''s body began to glow.


    Zero knew that she had received some kind of boost from the barrier or the formation he was in. The problem was by how much. For Zero, a 10 % or 20 % increase in her strength was nothing to be worried about but considering 8 students were being used for enchanting her, he knew that the percentage would be much higher.


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]


    He immediately used his skill to increase his defense. He didn''t know what would happen and he was somewhat wary of the enchantment.


    [ "Ice Creation" ]


    Zero didn''t stand idle. He was going to take her out before she made a move. After all, the offense was the best defense.


    He made a giant hand that was used for crushing Jeremy Vincent in the first round. Jeremy who was watching the match shivered and remembered some bad memories.


    -SHUSH!


    The Ice made its way towards Ruelle who was not showing any sign of dodging.


    -BAM!


    The attack hit her directly.


    The Ace Academy students immediately rejoiced watching Ruelle get hit. Zero''s attack was strong enough to destroy a tank with his defense on and Ruelle who had no defensive skill took the hit head-on. They thought that the girl must be knocked out.<sub> </sub>


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    The Giant hand was then crushed into many pieces and Ruelle was standing there with no injuries at all.


    "Your attacks will no longer work! Even someone in Rank-A will lose against me."


    Ruelle started boosting again hoping to witness a scared Zero.


    However, Zero still had a calm expression. He was certainly surprised to see that Ruelle could easily break his skill without relying on anything other than her sword.


    However, he was yet to be impressed. She had received enhancement from 8 students and all she could do was cut a big Ice.


    -WHOOSH!


    Ruelle rushed towards Zero.


    ( She is fast! )


    Not only her strength but even her speed increased drastically.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    Zero immediately froze the ground.  No matter the speed, it was harder to run on a slippery surface after all.


    Ruelle didn''t care about Zero''s skill and instantly jumped andunched his attack on Zero.


    -BAM!


    -FU!


    Zero coughed up some blood which he instantly wiped off. It was good that he was using Ice Embodiment which saved his life. He didn''t expect Ruelle to just jump and attack him.


    Her strength shattered the Ice Armor and managed to hit his body which resulted in him getting injured.


    "Oh! Sorry, you had to bleed due to me."


    Ruelle said.


    She was not only nning to defeat Zero but to humiliate him. She wants Zero to lose while having his pride and ego stripped.


    If Zero had heard that, he would haveughed his ass off. Pride? Ego? He had none. He only knew to do everything to achieve his objective.


    If he cared about pride, he would have resisted those students who came to bully him. He would have epted their challenge instead of earning the title ''Coward Romeo''.


    In three of his memories, he didn''t have any obsession with keeping a worthless pride. They all find it funny how some people were bent on keeping those pride.


    However, in Ruelle''s eyes, Zero was someone who is way too cocky and prideful. It was because of how Zero acted and also because the majority of top students had lots of pride.


    They didn''t like other people treating them as weaklings. The same was for her and that is why she was angry at Zero because he treated her as some kind of weakling like other students.


    That is why she was hell-bent on breaking his pride and humiliating him.


    "Haha , Don''t worry! I remember making you bleed more."


    Zero replied.


    He was angry or anything.


    However, it was different for Ruelle. Not only did her way of mocking not work but she was mocked instead.


    She was angry because Zero seemed to treat her the same as he did when he fought with her in the first round. In her perspective, Zero was still not taking her seriously.


    "I will kill you!"


    Ruelle angrily roared. She instantly released Rank-B aura with her murderous aura.


    "Already heard that line!"


    Zero casually replied.


    However, he also became more cautious and instantly released his mana aura.


    The real battle was going to begin!

 Chapter 211 Zero Vs Ruelle Rematch![2]

    Chapter 211 Zero Vs Ruelle Rematch![2]


    They both released their mana auras filled with killing intent. The barrier inside was filled with a dangerous aura that could mentally crush everyone below Rank-C.


    [ " Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment"]


    Zero Ice armor was then changed to ck and had more thickness than before. He used more mana and strengthened the Ice Embodiment skill.


    Ice Embodiment was not enough against the enchanted Ruelle, so he used the stronger version. Taking Ruelle''s attack into ount, Zero believes Ruelle has Rank-B + or Rank-B+ peak stats at the moment.


    Although he does not know whether the formation has any other feature other than strengthening Ruelle. But even Rank-B + stat was enough for Ruelle to give him enough trouble.


    "Finally getting serious!"


    Ruelle said with a smirk.


    Based on their previous battle, she already knew Zero had stronger skills. That''s why she didn''t let her guard down even after injuring Zero earlier.


    [ "Putrefaction st" ]


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Zero immediately resorted to his strongest defensive move.


    -BANG!


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Immediately after defending himself against Ruelle''s attack, Zero set up traps everywhere.


    Ruelle didn''t see any abnormalities due to the Icy Shadow Wall blocking her view. Even if she saw Zero, she would not have known what that skill did. At most, she would have just been more careful stepping into those ces where the skill has been set up.<sub></sub>


    Anyone, it didn''t look like Ruelle had seen anything as she quickly readied herself to use another skill.


    [ "Fission Wave" ]


    Ruelle didn''t hesitate to use another one of her skills. Normally, she would not use the skill one after another knowing that it was not going to work. However, with the formation, her mana capacity has increased as well as has faster mana recovery. As a result, she could easily throw out 10 such skills without exhausting her mana.


    Therefore, she was not hesitant to throw another skill even though she believed Zero would be able to block it. Another reason was that while she had arge mana reserve right now, she knows that Zero''s mana would deplete if he kept on using the skill to defend himself.


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Ruelle''s n involved more than simply exhausting Zero to death which she knows would be tedious and time-consuming. More than that she wanted to make Zero miserable for this moment. She wanted to beat Zero and have Zero taste the dirt on the ground.


    Afterunching her attack, she went straight to Zero. She knows that her attack would not be able to prate Zero''s defense.


    -BANG!


    Rulle''s skillnded on Zero''s Dark Ice wall, but as she believed, that was not enough to break it.


    Right after the collision, Zero sensed Ruelle was rushing toward him.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero began freezing the already iced ground with ayer of another Dark Ice.


    Ruell also saw that Zero was using a simr move to his previous one.


    ( It didn''t work the first time, and it certainly won''t work the second time either.)<sub>


    </sub>


    Like what she did previously, Ruelle jumped in the sky to avoid the freezing andunched herself toward Zero.


    Zero smirked.


    He already knew from his previous action that Ruelle had be cautious of his abilities and was learning how to counterattack him. This time, he was intentionally baiting her to do this again.


    Zero stopped using his skill and moved away immediately after Ruelle had jumped. However, this was not the only thing that he did. The Dark Ice had transformed from a smooth area to spikes.


    !!!


    Ruelle found herself falling right into a ce full of spikes. She realized that she was baited into a trap. However, she didn''t panic and had already found the solution.


    [ "Fission Wave" ]


    And the solution was to destroy the object which was giving her trouble.


    -BOOM!


    She immediately destroyed everything that was on the ground including the Ice below the Dark Ice. She even managed to crack the stage concrete which is made of mana stone and can withstand Rank-B attacks.


    -THUD!


    She thennded on the cracked surface that was free of Dark spikes.


    Zero instantly went to attack her right before she even properlynded on the ground. He used the sword which is currently imbued with both Ice and Shadow energy.


    Ruelle also raised her sword and prepared to fight with Zero. She believed that in closebat, she was superior, and with the increase in her strength, she believed Zero didn''t stand a chance.<sub> </sub>


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Zero''s attacks were all deadly and fierce. He didn''t look like he was struggling to fight with the enchanted Ruelle.


    Ruelle, on the other hand, was slightly pushed back. If not for her enchanted strength, she would have been long crushed by Zero. She then realized how powerful Zero was.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Ruelle knew that she couldn''t defeat Zero in closebat, at least in a short period of time. She didn''t know whether she could defeat Zero at the time that the formation was working.


    -CLANK!


    After exerting some strength she pushed Zero and made some space between them. She didn''t think that she would need to think about the way to defeat Zero after her power had increased and believed that she would easily defeat Zero with her new strength.


    She got intoxicated with her strength and forgot that the opponent she was fighting had easily beat her before. She needed a well-designed n if she wanted to defeat Zero easily. A formation alone was not enough to defeat Zero.


    Even after the confrontation, she backed off, making it seem as if she had lost. She gritted her teeth and looked at Zero angrily.


    [ "Shadow Ice Shard" ]


    However, Zero didn''t give much time for her to be angry as he immediatelyunched his attacks.


    [ "Putrefaction Shield" ]


    Ruelle immediately used her defensive skill to block the iing attack. With the countless attacksing toward her, she had to use her barrier skill instead of confronting with attacks.


    In between, she was also thinking about the way to defeat Zero.


    In closebat, she had no advantage, and Zero had many long-range attacks that made her even more vulnerable in long-range confrontation.


    Then what about the battle of stamina? She has already witnessed Zero fighting for hours with multiple enemies and he showed no sign of exhaustion. She had no confidence that her stamina and mana wouldst longer than Zero even after being enchanted.


    ( What a monster! )


    She again realized how difficult it was to fight against Zero. Zero was skilled with swords, had many powerful long-ranged attacks, and had strong defensive skills. The only thing that he wascking was insane speed.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    [ "Fission Wave" ]


    Ruelle realized that Zero was not stopping when he used skills one after another, which affirmed her belief that Zero''s mana capacity was huge and that he would be hard to exhaust.


    -BANG!


    -WHOOSH!


    After defending herself from Zero''s attack, she instantly sprinted toward Zero. She made up her mind to defeat Zero with her sword. Rather than using Zero''s weakness which she could not find, she decided to use her biggest strength which was her sword technique.


    Even with the time taken, she believed that this was the right way to defeat Zero. She instantly moved towards Zero.


    Zero was also not afraid to face Ruelle in a sword fight. He was already adept with the sword since this was his primary weapon from a young age, and with some memories from Emperor of Destruction, his sword technique has already be more powerful.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The sword fight between Zero and Ruelle again took ce. Ruelle used more mana and increased her attack. This time she had be more aggressive in her attack.


    On the contrary, Zero calmly defended against Ruelle''s attack while also attacking asionally.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Outside the barrier, the 8 students who had been channeling the mana had started to sweat and were hoping for the battle to end quickly. More than Ruelle, it was them who were actually suffering from the long battle.


    -CHEERS!


    Not having any idea about their suffering, the audience was more hyped than ever. They got to see such a grand battle at the start of the second round and could not be more pleased.


    From the beginning until now, the battle had been so engaging that even blinking had be a waste of time.


    Many of the audiences were low-ranked humans with an average rank being Rank-F+. For them, this kind of battle was already the epitome of strength. They could sometimes even fail to see Zero and Ruelle''s movement.


    Not only the average citizen but also the high-ranking explorers who came to find suitable guild members were also amazed by the battle. This was one of the most impressive fights that they had seen in the history of the Tournament of Academies.


    Coming back to the participants, they were treated as extras by everyone even though they were among the strongest participants, much to their dismay.


    This was their chance and a tform to showcase their power but it had turned into Ruelle Vs Zero. They didn''t like that at all. Especially Omar Noel, who was gritting his teeth because he was being treated as nobody.


    It was his greatest opportunity to shine and make everyone know his name but instead, he was here imbuing mana to make someone else shine. He vowed to defeat Ruelle after Zero was defeated.


    Even if he was instructed to give the opportunity to Ruelle by the professors, he didn''t care. As long as he wins the tournament, nobody would me him, and even if he was med, he could easily join any guild with his fame.


    How could he bear to stay on as an extra? He was Omar Noel, the most famous student in the world. His ambition could not be stopped by some school decisions.


    He is just hoping that Zero and Ruelle can defeat each other quickly so he can take the overall victory. He could not stand being treated like air.


    Omar Noel''s eyes glinted with ambitions.

 Chapter 212 Zero Vs Ruelle Rematch! [3]

    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    The two of them took their time and fought with everything they had. Zero¡¯s Dark Ice armor was also being destroyed asionally and injured from Ruelle¡¯s attacks.


    However, the state Ruelle was in was more dire than Zero. She didn¡¯t have body protection like Zero and was vulnerable if Zero¡¯s attack went through her defense. Therefore, although she was injuring Zero now and then, Zero had done far more damage to her than she had done to him.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    She changed her fighting style to a defensive style. Attacking fiercely only when the opportunity arises. Zero also noticed this change in her fighting style quickly and decided to fight aggressively simr to Ruelle earlier.


    In a sense, they had changed their fighting style with each other.


    Zero knew that he would be at an advantage if they changed their style. He was able to have an upper hand while being defensive because he had Dark Ice Armor which would protect him even if he were to make a mistake.


    This was not true for Ruelle. One mistake might cause her to be defeated.


    -SLASH! -CLANK! -SLASH!


    -


    Just as Zero had thought, Ruelle was sustaining more injuries than previously. Zero was attacking fiercely, giving Ruelle no chance to rest and she was getting pushed back.


    However, with the increase in her strength Ruelle had also managed to strike back multiple times and it didn¡¯t look like she was going to be just defeated.


    However, Zero continued to push her back. She was moving in the direction he wanted to.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    [ ¡°Shadow Cryomancy Bomb Activate¡± ]


    Immediately Zero activated the Shadow Cryomancy Bomb when Ruelle was in the range of one of his bombs.


    -BOOM!


    The one bomb that was behind Ruelle detonated and caught Ruelle by surprise. Even if she knew it, she would not have been able to dodge because she was fighting with Zero and had no time to dodge the explosion in time.


    Her feet were frozen in Dark Ice. Not only were her feet trapped but she was severely injured by the explosion.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Ruelle cried in confusion and pain.


    She didn¡¯t know how it happened since she didn¡¯t see Zerounching any attack though she understood that this was one of Zero¡¯s skills. He didn¡¯t have the time to gather mana forunching any strong skill, and yet in a matter of seconds, he caused some kind of explosion that was also in her blind spot.


    She immediately tried to break free from the dark ice with her sword but she could not as it was more sturdy than Ice. She then exerted more force which again failed to work, though some of the Dark Ice cracked. She then thought of using her skill to break the ice using her skill.


    [ ¡°Shadow Cryomancy Bomb¡± ]


    However, Zero was not going to give that opportunity to Ruelle. He immediately threw many of the Shadow Cryomancy Bombs at her.


    With her feet stuck in Ice, Ruelle didn¡¯t have the chance to dodge and immediately used her barrier skill.


    [ ¡°Putrefaction Shield¡± ]


    However, the moment the Shadow Cryomancy Bomb came in contact with her barrier, her shield began to freeze. After more bombs came in contact, the inside of the shield also started to freeze including Ruelle¡¯s body.


    In a moment, Zero had managed to take advantage of Ruelle¡¯s being stuck to Dark Ice and had quickly frozen her body.


    Ruelle was not defeated yet though. She was still using mana and trying to break free from the Dark Ice. With the amount of mana that Ruelle was using, she could be freed from the Dark Ice in no time.


    Zero also sensed that he needed to knock out Ruelle at this moment. He was not nning to wait for Ruelle to get free.


    [ ¡°cier Shadow sh¡± ]


    With her being frozen, she only had her body to rely on. If she could withstand Zero¡¯s attack, she could be freed easily. However, judging from Zero¡¯s attack, everyone could tell that it was not something that a bare body could defend against.


    -SHUSH!


    The attack quickly made its way towards Ruelle.


    -SHINNNGGG!


    However, before the attack hit Ruelle, a barrier appeared before Ruelle, protecting her from Zero¡¯s attack. It was certain that the barrier was from the formation because it had the same color and power as the barrier that enclosed Zero.


    -CRACK! -BANG!


    Ruelle also used her power to get out of the Dark Ice. But she was not in a good state. First of all, Dark Ice didn¡¯t just trap her but spikes grew out of that Dark Ice which pierced her body.


    And for her to get out of that Dark Ice, she used a huge amount of mana which not only broke the Dark Ice but also resulted in her being injured since she was enclosed in that explosion.


    However, she has no choice because if she didn¡¯t get out of that Dark Ice quickly, Zero would haveunched another deadly attack.


    Although the barrier that was deployed inside the formation was powerful, more powerful than the barrier used to enclose Zero and her, the mana needed was also high. It was only used because she was in danger of being defeated.


    With the use of this barrier, Ruelle knew that the time she had in the formation had also diminished, so she needed to finish her objective quickly. But she was not sure how.


    She had already done her best and the more she fought, the more disadvantageous she became. While she had also done considerable damage to Zero, it was nowhere near enough to defeat Zero.


    After Ruelle emerged from the Dark Ice, Zero also didn¡¯t do anything else. He was also getting his mana exhausted. With him continuously using Dual Art and Strong skill one after another, his mana was running low for the first time.


    It was the first time in a long time that he felt that his mana was about to be exhausted. Although he could use his skill 4 or 5 times, he chose not to do so. He had already learned some things about the formation.


    Everyone was aware that the formation was formed by the 8 students outside the barrier and he also knew that they were using their own mana to do so. He could see many students struggling to provide the mana required to keep the formation.


    Therefore, he was nning to conserve some mana and only keep Dark Embodiment for safety. He was intending to prolong the battle and conserve his mana.


    He knows that only defeating Ruelle was not enough and he needs to defeat those 8 students also. He could see that Omar Noel was not having trouble giving the mana, mainly because of his higher stat.


    This meant that after dealing with a Rank-B girl, he had to deal with Omar Noel. To deal with Omar Noel, Zero had to conserve some mana.


    Unlike Zero, Ruelle¡¯s only opponent was Zero or so she believes. They had already discussed that she as the strongest should be promoted to the next round. Others should give up.


    Arcane Academy had already promisedvish rewards for those 8 students and also offered invitations from high-ranking guilds as their reward.


    However, the biggest problem in advancing to the next round for Ruelle was Zero who she didn¡¯t know how to defeat.

 Chapter 213 Evil Scheme!

    Chapter 213 Evil Scheme!


    Ruelle didn''t make any unnecessary moves and was thinking about what she should do.


    Zero didn''t want to waste too much mana trying to defeat Ruelle, so he immediately went and used his sword to confront Ruelle. With the dark Ice Armor, he had an advantage over her and knew that she would be defeated if they fought using a sword.


    Ruelle also has not much choice but to rely on her sword.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    They were again in a stalemate. This time, they didn''t use strong attacks and fairly relied on their strength and sword techniques. Ruelle''s strength was higher than Zero''s but Zero was better with the sword than Ruelle.


    -CLANG! -CLANK! -SLASH!


    But then Ruelle started feeling weak, which gave Zero a chance to overwhelm her for a second and sh her arm.


    -THUD!


    Of the 8 students, the weakest one had copsed and the formation was weakened. It was only a matter of time before the formation fell as the burden to other students drastically increased from having one of them fall.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    With the advantage of her strength disappearing, she was overwhelmed by Zero. She was getting pushed back and she didn''t have anything else to rely on. The formation that she relied on to beat Zero had started to fall off.


    -CRACK!


    And yet another student lost consciousness, which increased the burden on other students. They were not able to provide enough and the formation broke.<sub></sub>


    -CLANK! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Without the formation to increase her strength, Ruelle was not able to keep up with Zero. Zero took the opportunity and quickly tried to eliminate Ruelle.


    However, the rest of the students didn''t just stand after their formation had fallen. They made their way toward Zero to defeat him. It was theirst struggle against Zero. Without Ruelle, they knew that they would eventually lose. So they made their moves before Ruelle lost.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    However, before they could even do anything, Zero flung Ruelle and appeared in front of them. They tried to react but they were kicked and sent flying. Omar Noel didn''t make rash decisions like them and was waiting for his time.


    In addition to eliminating Zero, he nned to defeat Ruelle and im the victory. He needed them to do the work for him before finally eliminating everyone.


    Four students were not in the state to be able to fight. Even Ruelle was on the verge of losing her consciousness. Only Omar Noel seemed okay at the moment.


    Three more students tried to fight Zero but he instantly overpowered them and sent them flying like the other two.


    Seeing that only he was left, Omar Noel smirked and immediately walked to take his win.


    "Why not just surrender? You are going to lose anyway."


    Omar Noel said while brandishing his spear. He had more than half of his mana left and thought that it was not a big deal to deal with exhausted Zero.


    Zero just chuckled. <sub>


    </sub>


    Zero was looking at Omar Noel as if he was some kind of idiot. Omar Noel could also feel that he was being looked down on by Zero.


    He knew that Zero was acting arrogant because he was stronger than him which made him angrier. He was going to defeat all of them and im the title of the strongest.


    [ "Legend Spear: Dividing Crush" ]


    -BAM!


    A direct hit!


    "Humph! Who told you to underestimate me? I am the winner!"


    However, when he looked carefully, his spear did not seem to have hit any flesh. Instead, it was rock hard Ice that his spear collided with.


    "How?"


    Omar Noel asked.


    He clearly saw Zero getting exhausted. He could not exert mana to defend himself yet there they were with Zero having strengthened his Ice armor.


    "Too bad! I still have plenty of mana!"


    Zero pushed Omar Noel back with his spear. Then he instantly closed the distance, and he took the hand covered in Dark Ice. He started punching Omar Noel, and finally gave Omar Noel a final punch.<sub> </sub>


    -ONE PUNCH!


    Omar Noel was also sent flying.


    -BOOM!


    After taking care of all of them, the only thing that Zero was left to do was throw them out of the stage.


    He wanted to first start with Ruelle who is probably the strongest opponent here. He again lifted Ruelle and was about to throw her off the stage.


    Zero was just about to end Ruelle when he heard a voice in his mind.


    " ( STOP!) "


    !!!


    Zero was startled by the sudden voice that was directly in his mind. The voice sounded angry and full of hatred.


    ( Telepathy! )


    Zero thought.


    Telepathy is a skill that allows one to talk directly to the mind of the target in a certain range.


    Zero knew what this was but he was not about to stop just because of telepathy. He already knew the identity of the person using telepathy and understood why he stopped him.


    Zero was finally able to identify who had been helping Arcane Academy all along. There was a Rank-A member of the Tournament management team who had telepathy skills. He was an unpleasant person and also had some connection with Arcane Academy in the novel.


    So, with all that evidence, Zero knew that the person behind the scene manipting everything was Ulv Sylvester. His telepathy skill is a secret and not many people know about it.


    He was the traitor of The Authority and would send sensitive information to Dark Guild using his telepathy. Since the skill is very difficult to detect unless you are very sensitive to mana, then you would not know.


    He only needs to keep one member of the Dark Guild within a certain range, and then he will secretly tell all the information he knows.


    However, since I already knew about the user of that skill, he has already revealed himself by using the telepathy skill.


    I didn''t listen to his words and instantly got back to throwing Ruelle out of the stage.


    " ( I already told you to STOP!  ) "


    His voice just got angrier. But it wasn''t going to help, as Zero was about to throw the girl off the stage. Despite her strength, Ruelle was unable to resist Zero at the moment.


    " ( Your parents are in our hands! ) "


    The voice immediately told Zero.


    !!!


    Zero froze on the stage.


    " ( If you don''t want them to be harmed, release the girl! ) "


    Zero immediately released Ruelle from his hands.


    -THUD!


    He quickly used his mana senses to scan the audience and look for his parents. To his horror, though, he was unable to sense his parents'' mana auras.


    Although he did not fully believe Ulv Sylvester''s words earlier, he had done what he said as he was uncertain about his parents'' condition, but now he realizes that what he said was true and was truly threatening him.


    Zero''s killing intent grew to the point that he was about to unleash his Dark Energy and kill Ulv Sylvester, who was supposed to be in the VIP area of the stadium.


    However, knowing that showing his Dark Energy only increased the chance of his parents being killed, he didn''t do it.


    " ( Haha¡­ You should have been obedient from the start! ) "


    Zero clenched his hand to the point that his hand was bleeding.


    He was reminded of some unpleasant memories!

 Chapter 214 Evil Scheme! [2]

    Chapter 214 Evil Scheme! [2]


    Outside the stadium, many were confused by Zero''s action. He released the enemy which he could have easily finished off and was just standing there.


    The participants took this chance to recover their strength and stand up.


    However, participants on the stage were not foolish or brave enough to attack Zero even when he was just staying idle. They believe that Zero is cooking some kind of n and waiting for them to let their guards down.


    They believed Zero was baiting them so that he could eliminate all of them at once.


    ''Don''t think we are so stupid!''


    They thought as they stood there putting up their guards.


    " ( If you want your parents to be okay then listen to what I say.) "


    Ulv Sylvester went on.


    " ( For this entire round, you will not do anything. You should get beaten and just lose. If you do something, I will make sure that you never see your parents again. Nod if you understand. ) "


    Zero nodded.


    His anger had reached its limit and he swore that he would kill Ulv Sylvester after this tournament no matter what. His eyes were full of bloodlust and those who looked in his eyes got shivers even if they were in Rank-A.<sub></sub>


    Zero''s killing intent was on par with Emperor of Destruction''s, and the only thing missing was the mana aura that he intentionally suppressed.


    The remaining participants felt dread when they looked at Zero and didn''t dare make a move. They knew that Zero was dangerous.


    Ulv Sylvester after warning Zero and seeing that he had agreed, smiled.


    He had initially thought that just having arranged those students would be enough to guarantee the win. But considering the importance of the Tournament of Academies, he had to make a countermeasure.


    That countermeasure was kidnapping his parents and threatening him to lose. However, the countermeasure was not foolproof. Not everyone is willing to be threatened by their family members.


    With how this world worked, many people didn''t care about their family or any such rtionship and only believed in strength and fame. For those things, they are willing to even harm their loved ones.


    However, Ulv Sylvester has clearly hit a jackpot by kidnapping his parents. From the looks of it, Zero''s parents are very significant to him and he could make use of that to threaten Zero.


    Hemanded Zero to stand still. While he could make him give up, that would look suspicious so he wanted to have others beat him. This is also because he wants to extend Zero''s suffering.


    It was also considered his revenge because Zero was foiling the n that he made. He was so furious that he almost screamed previously. However, from now on, he knew that things would go as he had nned.


    The kidnapping was not only his idea but also the decision of the Dark Guild. With Zero''s talent, the Dark Guild desired to have Zero join their side.<sub>


    </sub>


    In order to get Zero to join the Dark Guild, they want to threaten him with his parents. All in all, it all worked in his favor and he had some people kidnap Zero''s parents before the tournament started.


    " ( You can beat him and he would not do anything! Make sure to make him miserable before throwing him out of the ring.) "


    Telepathically, Ulv Sylvestermunicated with Omar Noel and other students.


    Other students didn''t know anything and were confused with the words that they heard. However, Ruelle and Omar Noel knew where it came from and understood that Ulv Sylvester had done something that made Zero give up.


    "Let''s go and attack him!"


    Omar Noel instantly became energetic and asked the other participants to attack Zero with him.


    However, they were all standing there. Not only did they not believe what they had heard, but they were also scared of Zero. Zero at the moment seems like a monster wanting to kill everyone. Their guts told them to stay away from Zero.


    However, Omar Noel believed Ulv Sylvester''s words and approached Zero. He thought that it was fine for him to go alone if Zero was not going to do anything to him.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Omar Noel slowly approached Zero to observe his attitude. Seeing that Zero was not showing any reaction, he gained some confidence and quickly moved near him. Even Omar Noel, when he approached and looked at Zero''s face, he became nervous and a bit scared.<sub> </sub>


    -GULP!


    He was hesitant for a moment but knew that Zero would not retaliate. He stood before Zero and pped him.


    -SLAP!


    Zero as expected didn''t do anything to him. He was more confident and started beating Zero brutally. While he did not hit that was fatal, he did use powerful punches and kicks which were painful.


    "This is your payment for hitting me. And this is underestimating me!"


    -POW! KAPOW!


    "You should have been like that from the start. A nobody dares challenge me"


    -BAM! -BANG!


    "You are just a loser!"


    Omar Noel started hurling insults at Zero.


    Others also believed that what they heard was true and joined the fray. They started to beat Zero as mercilessly as they could.


    -BAM! -BANG! -POW!


    -FUU!


    Zero vomited blood several times but his expression didn''t change. However, he was still scary to look at, which is why they were more satisfied to beat him.


    "Where is your arrogance now?"


    "Why don''t you fight back? Scared to fight now?"


    "How dare you disrespect me? I will show you what happens when I get serious."


    The other participants also started hurling insults and hitting him harder. Most of them were very talented students but Zero made them look weak and the glory that they should have received had turned into humiliation.


    They carried hatred for Zero and those emotions were fully disyed at that moment. They wanted to make Zero as miserable as possible and get their revenge.


    Outside the stage, people were shocked at what was happening. In one moment, Zero has beaten everyone and was about to win and in the next moment, he has turned into a punching bag.


    They were brutally beating Zero and Zero stood there without retaliating. The match quickly turned gruesome with Zero bleeding from every part of his body.


    "Why? Why is he not doing anything?"


    Lisa asked, almost wanting to enter the stage. She could not stand watching that anymore.


    "How should I know? He was clearly okay! Why is he standing like this?"


    Sylvia became a little angry.


    She didn''t know why Zero was doing nothing. But she didn''t like him standing there and taking hits and insults from those students.


    ( Please! Fight back! )


    Sylvia prayed as she looked at Zero''s miserable state.


    "ZERO!"

 Chapter 215 Evil Scheme! [3]

    Chapter 215 Evil Scheme! [3]


    "ZERO!"


    They called out his name but the situation didn''t change. Zero was still taking the hits from other participants without retaliating.


    The Ace Academy students also had worried expressions but more than that they were confused by Zero''s behavior.


    This strange behavior also caught the eyes of people in the VIP area. They also discussed what was happening on the stage.


    "It must be the side effect of Zero using that strange technique. How else could he be so strong despite being a Rank-C -?"


    Ulv Sylvester spoke in an attempt to reduce suspicion of Zero''s action. He didn''t want them to find out that someone was interfering with the match.


    He said in such a loud voice that not only the people in the VIP area but also other people in the stadium had heard that. They also thought that the exnation was usible.


    They had only sensed Zero''s mana aura which was at Rank-C -. He has already shown a level of strength beyond that.


    They thought that Zero used a forbidden skill to increase his power. And every forbidden technique that is used to increase strength has some kind of side effect. With Zero being so strong, they thought that side effects should be very big.


    "Looks like his luck has run out!"


    "If only the side effect didn''t appear for a minute or two then he should have been able to win."


    "Pity!"


    People sympathized with Zero. Zero was strong and was only a first-year student. If he had won the tournament then a world record would have been made. Unfortunately, he lost because of his bad luck in meeting such strong opponents and having run out of skill time. They thought it was a pity.


    "So he is only strong because he uses skills? And here I thought that he was very talented."


    "This type of skill should be banned. I don''t know how much money he spent to get those skills."


    "He is obviously relying on external things to be strong!"


    "It was really unfair for others to fight him when he had forbidden skills."


    Not all were, however, on the side of Zero. Many, who were jealous of Zero''s talent, cursed at him and felt that he deserved this oue.


    They were so ignorant and wanted only to believe in themselves that they didn''t realize that 1 vs 9 and the other participants using a formation to deal with Zero was more unfair.


    Despite all the thinking that other people were feeling, the main people concerned knew the reason was not because of some side effect of a skill that Zero is purposefully taking those hits.


    They didn''t know what the voice did to make Zero pacifist but they didn''t care and attacked Zero.


    -PAK! -BAM! -BAM!


    The participants continued to hit and insult Zero. They took great pleasure in torturing Zero who seemed invincible just a few minutes ago.


    However, Zero at the time didn''t even pay attention to them. He was extremely anxious about whether his parents were okay or not. The pain that his body was feeling was nothing inparison to his worries for his parents.


    Even when blood flowed out of his head and mouth, he was still thinking about his parents.


    He already knows how it feels to have his parents taken away and didn''t want to feel that again. The tournament was nothing of a big deal for Zero and he would have even forfeited if asked for his parents'' safety.


    But he knew that after the kidnapping, Ulv Sylvester would not just hand over his parents back. Zero feared that after getting what he wanted, that was after he was defeated, he would order his men to kill them.


    He even thought about charging ahead and killing Ulv Sylvester multiple times. With Dark Energy, he knew that it was possible to instantly kill Ulv Sylvester before he could even call his men. However, he couldn''t until he was sure about his parent''s status and he didn''t want to take a risk that involved his parent''s life.


    -PAK! -BOOM! -BAM!


    Ulv Sylvester looked at Zero feeling satisfied. He had also managed to convince other members of the Tournament managed team that Zero was under some kind of side effect.


    It was the perfect time to end all of this.


    " ( Time is up! Throw him out of the stage.) "


    Ulv Sylvester used telepathy tomunicate with Omar Noel and other participants.


    After hearing the voice, they stopped attacking Zero and stared at him satisfied. They only had to throw him out off the stage and they would be able to finish their objectives.


    Omar Noel took the lead and picked up Zero. A sneer appeared on his face as he looked at him.


    "I guess this is it for you! I am the strongest person!"


    Omar Noel dered.


    His ambition was clear to see and even the other participants could see that Omar Noel was thinking of winning the tournament. They felt that Omar Noel was not going to just obey what was told to him.


    Though they didn''t care much because they would be eliminated either way. Whether it was Ruelle who would take the win or Omar Noel, they would not advance to the next round.


    Zero looked down at him with a condescending smile. Omar Noel can feel that he was still being looked down upon even after Zero was all battered up, which made him angry.


    Zero found it very difficult to understand how Omar Noel, who has no power and only was able to beat him because of him being threatened, could still act so arrogant.


    "A mere loser daresugh at me! I will show you where you truly belong!"


    -THUD!


    Zero was thrown to the ground by Omar Noel and dragged near the ring boundary by him. He was nning to kick him out of the stadium.


    Zero also knew that he was going to be eliminated. He didn''t care much about whether he would be eliminated, but he was thinking about what he was going to do next. He knew that Ulv Sylvester would not free his parents easily.


    He needed to track his parents'' whereabouts before something happened to them. His attention was drawn away from the ring boundaries when he heard a voice from the Ace Academy side.


    "ZERO!"


    He would have normally ignored it because many students and professors were shouting at him. Some tell him to fight back while others tell him to surrender. Both of which he could not do.


    Nevertheless, he nced toward the Ace Academy side because it was Professor Mia''s voice. At Ace Academy''s side, he could see Lisa, Sylvia, and others with worried expressions.


    Then he saw a sweaty Professor Mia shouting at him from an extreme side of Ace Academy. Their eyes met and Professor Mia seemed to understand what he was going through.


    Zero thought that Professor Mia would be angry at him because he could not do what he was asked by her. Now, he was intently losing to them. However, Professor Mia appeared to sympathize with Zero instead of being angry.


    Professor Mia, noticing that Zero was paying attention to her, smiled and opened her mouth.


    " They are safe!"

 Chapter 216 They Are Safe!

    Chapter 216 They Are Safe!


    [ About 2 hours ago ]


    Professor Mia led the student to the stadium and after that separated from the students. In the stadium, she and her colleague awaited their student''s arrival.


    She was looking at the audience and noticed Zero''s parents. She obviously knew how they looked though she didn''t know them.


    ( I should greet them once the tournament ends.)


    She thought.


    She wanted to thank them because she had kind of forced Zero into participating in this tournament and he had done so much to ensure the Ace Academy victory. She wanted to at the very least, thank them, and also because Zero was her personal disciple, she wanted to talk to them.


    However, just when she was about to look away, some people from the tournament management team came to them and took them somewhere.


    ( Where are they taking them? )


    Professor Mia found it very suspicious and immediately pursued them. There were not many reasons for a tournament management team to approach Zero''s parents unless they knew about the rtionship between them and Zero.


    Even if they knew the rtionship, she didn''t think the reason for them taking somewhere was suspicious.


    "Where are you going?"


    Professor Theo asked.


    "I have an emergency. You can oversee the students. I have something that I urgently need to look into."


    With this, she sprinted leaving the confused Professor Theo behind.


    All the people had already gathered in the stadium and there were not many people at the exit.


    She instantly noticed those men getting into the car and going away with Zero''s parents. She knew that Zero''s parents were being kidnapped, so she immediately used her Ice to block a car. She may have been a little forceful, but that was what she needed to do.


    "What the hell? Who did this? I willin to The Authority!"


    The driver immediately yelled angrily.


    "Sorry! But can you follow that car?"


    Professor Mia instantly entered the car and asked the driver.


    "Do you think j¡­"


    The driver wanted to insult and refused the person who rudely used her skill to stop his car.


    But the driver instantly changed his mind after seeing her face. Professor Mia was an idol, not to mention, very beautiful that men could do anything for her.


    He was ready to do anything for Ice Enchantress and instantly agreed and chased after the car without asking the reason. He would have followed the car even if it was going into a monster den.


    The driver instantly elerated to full speed and was caught with the kidnappers'' car. To avoid being suspected, Professor Mia instructed the driver to drive slower.


    Professor Mia didn''t use her skill as she could injure Zero''s parents. And she could endanger Zero''s parents'' life by alerting the kidnapper. Seeing that Kidnapper didn''t outright kill Zero''s parents, she knew that they didn''t want to kill them, at least for now.


    She also knew the kidnappers were capable and extremely strong based on how easily they managed to kidnap two Rank-A people. She would not be able to easily deal with them if they have the hostages with them.


    She could just follow them.


    After a 40 minutes drive or so, they stopped at the remote part of the town with a big factory. They took out Zero parents who were unconscious and took them into the factory.


    Professor Mia looked at them from a distance after enhancing her vision with mana. She didn''t follow them after they drove to an isted area for fear of alerting them. She just followed from a distance.


    After they took them out. She hurried towards that ce. She sneaked into the factory and then tried to sense the mana aura of Zero''s parents.


    She quietly moved.


    There she saw Zero''s parents tied up and unconscious. The two kidnappers were happily chatting with each other.


    "Haha, Millions of Ethan just for those two? I wonder what they want to do with them."


    "Well, the boss can do whatever he wants as long as he pays."


    "However, they sure were a handful. If not for catching them by surprise using the Rank-A sleeping potion."


    The two kidnappers unaware of Professor Mia started talking and just sitting there. They were guarding the two hostages.


    "Anyway, when are their peopleing to take them?"


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    Professor Mia immediately made a space where she would only need to fight with the kidnappers. She kept Zero''s parents secure while having trapped kidnappers in one room.


    "Who is there?"


    "How dare you meddle in our affair?"


    "Reveal yourself!"


    Two kidnappers immediately pulled out their weapons and began searching for their enemies. However, when she appeared, both of them shivered in fright.


    ''Rank-S Ice Enchantress!''


    They knew her fame and also felt her bloodlust and mana aura which kept crushing them, making them unable to move properly.


    "Sh*t! How did she find us?"


    One of the kidnappers yelled. They had done everything discreetly and had been cautious the whole time. Additionally, one of the Rank-S managed to find them which was bad news.


    "Who told you to kidnap them?"


    Professor Mia asked.


    Her voice was dominating with killing intent.


    "W-We don''t know! W-We are¡­ just asked to bring them to this ce!"


    One of them answered.


    They could not answer because they knew that they would face a more serious problem if they told her the name of their employer.


    Professor Mia didn''t have time to interrogate them and she didn''t know how. She instantly froze them.


    Without resistance, she was able to freeze them in a matter of seconds. She quickly rushed and checked Zero''s parents.


    -PHEW!


    She was relieved that they were fine and were just sleeping as those two had said.


    She then quickly called the authority to send some Explorers to retain two Rank-A criminals. After some time, one Rank-A hurriedly came and greeted them.


    It was suggested that the two of them be detained and interrogated after they are unfrozen by Professor Mia. She also said to keep it a secret from other people. With her fame and power, she had some authority and could demand things from others.


    Then she immediately took Zero''s parents to a hospital with enough security. She wanted to stay behind and keep them safe herself but then she saw the tournament on TV.


    In the hospital room where she watched the tournament because she was worried about how the tournament was going. However, what she saw on the screen made her incredibly angry.


    Zero was getting thrashed and many people were insulting him. The TV channel host was also defaming Zero.


    Others might not understand, but she knew why this was happening. She understood that the mastermind behind the kidnapping had kidnapped Zero''s parents to threaten him into doing nothing.


    -WHOOSH!


    She immediately rushed to the stadium. The hospital was not far but not close either. She ran using her mana and in a minute, she reached the stadium.


    However, because she went over the limit to reach faster, she was tired and sweating. However, she didn''t have time to worry about those things.


    She entered the stadium and proceeded to where they were. At that moment, Omar Noel was dragging Zero.


    Professor Mia immediately called out.


    "ZERO!"


    When she met his eyes, she said,


    "They are Safe!"


    She knew these words were enough for him to understand.

 Chapter 217 lce Emperor Emerges!

    Chapter 217 lce Emperor Emerges!


    "They are safe!"


    Others might not understand the meaning of these words, but this was enough for Zero to understand everything Professor Mia wanted to say.


    Additionally, at that moment, those words could only mean one thing to Zero. That is, his parents have been saved by Professor Mia.


    Zero might have doubted these words if it was from someone else but he trusted Professor Mia almost at the same level as his parents.


    He felt extremely relieved that he involuntarily smiled. If others knew that Zero was smiling under all those injuries, they might have thought that Zero has turned psycho. However, from the blood stter all over his face, they could not make out anything from his expression.


    -SHHUUUU!


    Omar Noel was still dragging him.


    Zero didn''t hold a grudge against Omar Noel for attacking him but he did have a grudge against him for another reason. It was because Omar Noel was Ulv Sylvester''s friend or maybe you can say it was because he is on the same side as Ulv Sylvester who kidnapped his parents.


    He was not about to let them off after cooperating with Ulv Sylvester. Zero, first of all, used his Ice Energy to freeze all the cuts and injuries on his body and stopped the blood froming out.


    Immediately after, he released all of his pent-up killing intent and mana aura. The suppressed mana aura and killing intent surprised everyone.


    Omar Noel, the one closest to Zero, immediately became frightened after having to withstand such a powerful killing intent from a nk point.


    He even hallucinated death for a short period of time. Zero instantly freed himself from Omar Noel''s hands and stood up.


    People were astonished by this surprising turn of events. However, they instantly felt chilled all over their bodies when Zero red at Omar Noel with killing intent.


    Several audience members fainted, unable to cope with the killing intent. Even Professors from Top-5 Academies shivered and felt dread.


    -THUD!


    Omar Noel fell down with fear written all over his face. There was no single arrogance in his expression at that moment.


    "No no no..."


    Omar Noel cried. He could feel his death.


    Omar Noel was the target of Zero''s killing intent, which meant that his killing intent was not as powerful as those killing intent felt by Omar Noel. But everyone knew that if they also took on that killing intent, they would have fainted.


    " ( WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ) "


    An angry and panicky voice entered Zero''s mind.


    " ( Don''t you care about what happens to your parents? I can still overlook this behavior if you just give up! ) "


    " ( SHUT UP! Don''t think your threats will work anymore. I will let you know what happens to those who threaten me! ) "


    As said previously, he was determined to kill Ulv Sylvester with his hands. Everyone who threatened his family was his enemy. This was a single bottom line of Zero that people should never touch if they want to live.


    -KUAA!


    Zero then lifted Omar Noel by strangling his neck. Omar Noel was so mentally scared that he could not even think of resisting Zero.


    In the VIP area, Ulv Sylvester was trying his best to keep a straight face. He was getting extremely angry and wanted nothing more than to kill Zero''s parents in front of him. He didn''t think that Zero''s parents had been freed because he asked two strong Rank-A to guard them.


    However, he did not order because he still needed them to threaten Zero into joining the Dark guild. He thought that Zero didn''t believe him right now and was too angry to ept the truth.


    As for the threat given by Zero. He didn''t even consider them. Not only was Zero weak in his eyes but he thought that Zero didn''t even know his identity.


    He immediately called out to the other participants.


    " ( What are you doing? Immediately use the Formation again! ) "


    Ulv Sylvester instructed.


    Other participants have recovered to a certain degree and could use Formation for a short period of time. They only came back to reality when Ulv Sylvester shouted in their minds. They were so scared of Zero that they lost the ability to think.


    The formation was immediately deployed with Omar Noel enchanted. However, being enchanted didn''t help as he was mentally attacked.


    "Do you think that you could stop me with this Formation?"


    Zero asked in a chilling voice.


    When he nced at them, they could not help but sweat profusely.


    Zero, with his body covered in blood, looked like Death God. They could see death in those emotionless eyes that viewed everything as mere ants.


    Zero''s eyes turned blue and ck for a second. He released most of his remaining mana.


    [ "Ice Shadow Formation" ]


    Zero was using thebination of Ice Creation and Shadow energy. He would normally not use Ice Creation as Dual Art because Ice Creation was a skill that alone required high control over Ice Energy.


    However, he knew that right now he could control these two energiespletely and used thisbination.


    [ "Ice Age" ]


    Immediately the ck Ice appeared from the ground as if they were bursting out and like that it continued to spread. A big dark point of ice rose out of the ground and attacked the barrier. It continued to spread and the attack reached the boundary of the barrier.


    Right now, 8 students who were maintaining the barrier were suffering as their barrier was taking hits from all directions. Every part of their barrier was shaking and seemed to want to break.


    -SHATTER!


    The barrier could not handle the pressure from all those attacks and shattered. The Attack immediately struck these 8 students after they passed through the barrier.


    The ring at that moment looked like a mountain made of Spiky Dark Ice. In the middle of that vicious attack was Zero with Omar Noel in one of his hands. The other students were all struck by an ice attack and lost consciousness.


    Omar Noel also fainted from not being able to take the pressure from Zero''s killing intent and mana aura. Zero flung him out of the stage after seeing that he had lost consciousness.


    Only Zero stood in the ring with all others fallen. His emotionless eyes could give anyone who looked at them a creepy feeling. He didn''t seem excited by the win and was behaving as if this was a natural oue.


    ''Invincible''


    That was the word that came into everyone''s mind when they saw him.


    The audience turned silent for a moment. They still can''t believe how fast Zero had ended the fight. They thought that this was going to be another long fight but Zero only needed one move to settle this.


    -CHEERS!


    "Did you see? This is what a strong man should do. That should be the demeanor of the champion"


    "I almost peed after he released his killing intent."


    "He will surely win!"


    "He is the champion of this tournament!"


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The audience cheered and even people from different schools pped at Zero. Even with all the rivalry taking ce, even professors from different schools could hide their admiration for Zero.


    "Sovereign of Ice!"


    "This is the Ice Emperor!"


    "The Ice Emperor has emerged!"


    "Ice Emperor!"


    "Ice Emperor!"


    "Ice Emperor!"...

 Chapter 218 secret Exposed!

    Chapter 218 secret Exposed!


    "Ice Emperor!"


    "Ice Emperor!"


    A fitting title for Zero. They are not certain whether the Dual Art that Zero used was Ice Magic or not, but based on the cold and the fact he used Ice Magic most of the time, they believe that even the Dual Art he used was Ice Art.


    In addition to that, Zero was acting in an emotionless manner and controlling every situation during that entire time, which very much resembled that of a monarch. So, ''Emperor'' was stuck to hisst nickname.


    Therefore, the title of Ice Emperor was given to Zero by the spectator.


    "Ice Emperor!"


    "Ice Emperor!"


    "Ice Emperor!" ¡­


    Excitedly, the spectator shouted his title over and over again. Admiration, respect, fame, Zero gained everything from this match. No matter what, Zero''s existence was known to every part of the world.


    The Authority, various guilds, Dark guild, Devil contractors, and various organizations watched the match and etched the name Zero Elea into their memory.


    While allies of Zero such as members of Shadow Genesis and NightShade were cheering and celebrating for Zero, other people like Dark Guild members were furious at Zero and making ns to remove him.


    Having Arcane Academy win the Tournament of Academies was one of the missions of the Dark guild which they knew had failed due to Zero.


    "Ice Emperor!"


    Zero stood emotionlessly.


    He felt a huge relief and started to calm down. He had already stopped emitting his bloodlust and mana aura. From Professor Mia''s expression, Zero understood that they were truly okay.


    He was eager to go and meet them but before that, he still had something he wanted to find out.


    It was also something that I was very curious about this entire time. His curiosity was about the identity of the Rank-B girl who suddenly emerged from Arcane Academy.


    Not only was she not mentioned in the novel, but from the way the Arcane Academy professors made the effort to hide her identity, Zero felt she was too suspicious.


    -THUD!


    Zero jumped andnded near Ruelle. He lifted her up and pulled up her hoodie. Under the hoodie was the artifact which was in the form of a mask. It appears to be an item that would camouge her mana aura and her appearance including her body shape.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"


    One of the professors at Arcane Academy shouted. He lost all his cool when Zero approached Ruelle and pulled her hoodie.


    "Stop! We already lost!"


    Another one said.


    They quickly tried to approach Zero but they were stopped by the guards who suddenly appeared and stopped them. The guards were there to make sure that professors and other unauthorized persons do not step onto the stage.


    Zero ignored them and moved to remove the mask.


    -THAK!


    "NOOOO!"


    The professors of Arcane Academy shouted.


    Zero finally saw the face of Rank-B but that was it. She was not anything other than ordinary and Zero didn''t know her either. She didn''t appear any special from any angle.


    This confused Zero because Arcane Academy was trying so desperately to hide her identity but there was nothing weird about this girl.


    ( Why are they even trying to hide her identity? )


    At least that is what Zero thought. It was different for other people who were shocked by the identity of the girl and started murmuring.


    "Isn''t she Ruelle?"


    "Yes, she looks just like her!"


    "But how could it be her?"


    After a period of shock, the spectator was even more confused by the appearance of Ruelle than Zero. A hugemotion broke out and the Arcane Academy professors appeared as if he/she had been caught stealing something.


    "Isn''t she the participant fromst year''s Tournament of Academies who appeared as the third-year? How can she participate again this year?"


    Professor Theo stood up and questioned Arcane Academy angrily.


    Ruelle was already well known among many, especially those who paid close attention tost year''s final round. She was one of the Top-3 participants at Arcane Academy.


    The professors from Arcane Academy kept quiet for some time before Professor Frey stood up.


    "Well, the truth is Ruelle failedst year and she had to repeat this year. So, technically she is still allowed to participate in the tournament. We were just embarrassed that she failed which is why we hid her identity."


    Professor Frey answered.


    This was the reply that they had prepared in case Ruelle got her identity exposed.


    "Who would believe that bullsh*t? Ruelle failing? Then all the students of Arcane Academy should have failed."


    Professor Theo said, getting angry at Professor Frey''s answer.


    As one of the strongest students at Arcane Academy, Ruelle should have passed the third-year exam with ease. He knew that it was just an excuse to avoid responsibility.


    "How did she even get selected as a participant? Her identity should have been checked!"


    Professor Theo asked.


    Even if they didn''t know her identity until now, her identity should be known by The Authority and the Tournament management team.


    They could not let her participate after learning her identity, which begged the question, how did they avoid their surveince and sneak in Ruelle?


    Zero had already grasped the situation from their conversation. So, she was hiding her identity because she was actually not allowed to participate in this tournament. And as for how she managed to get approved, Zero already had the answer.


    ULV Sylvester, who is on their side, should have helped them get approved.


    Zero instantly lost interest in Ruelle. He thought that she would have an incredible secret or something but turns out she was just an illegal participant.


    Professor Frey and Professor Theo were yelling at each other. One side asking to penalize Arcane Academy and the other defending themselves. It was clear, however, that Arcane Academy was a false y and that it broke the rules.


    Their image has already fallen and even some of the allies'' schools had second thoughts about maintaining their rtionship with Arcane Academy.


    Zero did not care about any of this and headed toward Professor Mia to ask her about his parents'' condition.


    -WHOOSH!


    "SILENCE!"


    The referee appeared above the stage.


    "As the referee of this rule, I decided Ruelle of Arcane Academy is disqualified."


    Referee announced.


    However, instead of thinking it was a great decision, many started to be dissatisfied with his decision. It would have been an okay decision before the tournament started.


    But now, Ruelle was already eliminated by Zero and was no longer eligible to participate anyway. It was the same as letting Arcane Academy off for their foul y.


    "Additionally, Zero Elea is also disqualified for breaking the rules."

 Chapter 219 Unfair Decision!

    Chapter 219 Unfair Decision!


    "Additionally, Zero Elea is also disqualified for breaking the rules."


    Referee continued.


    "HUUUUHHH?"


    This announcement has truly stunned everyone. Zero elimination? For breaking rules?


    ''Which rules?''


    The referee looked like a stupid person in everyone''s eyes. He was making one terrible decision after another. Letting the person who broke the rules off and then having an innocent person punished.


    "Are you stupid? Which rule are you talking about?"


    "You let the one who broke the rule off and punished another student. Do you think you can do anything you want?"


    The spectator was dissatisfied with his decision and yelled at the referee.


    The referee ignored all those people and continued.


    "Zero harmed the students who were already down. He has intentionally caused harm to other students. For this reason, he has been deemed to break the rules of the tournament."


    The referee finished saying.


    "Bullsh*t!"


    "Who let him be a referee?"


    "He is obviously on the Arcane Academy side."


    "I will file aint against you."


    The audience was obviously angered by such a ridiculous reason.


    ''Intentionally harm?''


    If that is the reason, other participants from other schools should be disqualified. They had beaten Zero even when he was no longer resisting. That was what is meant by attacking a participant that is already down.


    Moreover, most of them had turned into fans of Zero after witnessing the performance of Zero. The referee gave such a ridiculous reason to disqualify Zero, so how can they remain silent?


    -BOOHOO!


    The most dissatisfied people were from Ace Academy. It was their student who had to suffer as a result of all of this. The appearance of Ruelle was mostly disadvantageous to Ace Academy and the decision made by the referee was also against them.


    They realized that the referee was intentionally targeting them. Letting go of their opponent while attempting to eliminate their strongest participant.


    Professor Theo and some others started arguing against the referee. Clearly, this was a totally irrational decision, and everyone can see that.


    However, the referee was like a stone not reacting to anything that was said to him. Everybody was getting angrier with time.


    "Please, stop arguing!"


    Finally, a member of the Tournament management team walked out of the VIP area. The audience and the professors from Ace Academy thought that finally someone who could help them had arrived.


    However, Zero knew how wrong they were. It was Ulv Sylvester who hade down there. Well, Zero didn''t expect that Ulv Sylvester would be directly interfering. It meant that his threat was not taken seriously and he was not afraid of getting his identity known to Zero.


    A secondter, Zero red at him, but immediately repressed any killing intent he might have.


    ( This is not the time! )


    Zero thought as he walked away.


    Zero went to Professor Mia.


    "Professor Mia, can you tell me where my parents are?"


    Zero asked.


    "They are safe but they have been given sleeping potions, so I have them stay at the hospital right now."


    Professor Mia answered.


    "Thank you!"


    Zero said.


    He was very grateful to Professor Mia. He already had immense respect and trust in Professor Mia but due to this incident that had increased by several times.


    Zero not only owes her for saving his life but also his parents'' lives.


    "Can I leave?"


    I asked.


    The tournament was not over yet but I had already finished my fight. As for the matter of disqualification, I don''t think that anything I say will make a difference.


    With Ulv Sylvester insisting on my disqualification, no matter what others say, he could do whatever he wants. Though he will receive criticism and might get into trouble when he goes back to The Authority.


    Well, that is all if he can go back alive at all.


    "Is your body okay?"


    Professor Mia asked.


    Zero was currently not in a good condition. If someone saw him, they might think he is a ghoul or some kind of monster.


    "Nothing serious!"


    Zero answered.


    Though the truth was that he was barely able to stand. With all these injuries that he sustained, it was already a miracle that he was even conscious.


    "Let''s wait for a minute! I will take you there after this mess has been taken care of!"


    Professor Mia was referring to the referee''s decision. She had already guessed that someone from the tournament management team was targeting Zero or at least they were somewhat involved in the kidnapping.


    Otherwise, it was impossible to kidnap someone from the stadium without causing amotion or at least guards would have spotted them.


    But that did not happen and everything went perfectly for the kidnapper, which made Professor Mia suspicious of the tournament management team.


    However, she didn''t know that Ulv Sylvester was the traitor. She then called up Lisa to heal Zero. It was impossible for Zero to lie about his condition to her.


    She also thought that Zero could take this opportunity to heal before she took him to the hospital to check on his parents. After which she will have him stay in that hospital for recovery.


    Upon the arrival of someone from the tournament management team, the audience became a little quiet and Professors from Ace Academy didn''t argue.


    "I understand that you all are a little dissatisfied with the referee''s decision but the referee has the final say in this round. I hope that you all can ept his decision for now."


    Ulv Sylvester said.


    He acted as if he was also dissatisfied with the referee but had no power to change his decision when in reality he wasughing inside.


    ( So what if you won? I can still make you disqualified. )


    Ulv Sylvester thought when he gave a hateful nce at Zero.


    The audience was still angry and wanted to change the decision. The professors of Ace Academy were in a simr state.


    However, after listening to Ulv Sylvester''s words, they were convinced that the power to make that decision lies in the referee''s hands. If even the tournament management team said so, how can they change anything?


    They could only file aint to The Authority about the referee. And that will also only result in the referee being punished and the tournament would already be finished and Zero would already be disqualified.


    At the time, the decision seemed to be made and the audience could only ept that unfair decision.


    Zero at the time was getting healed by Lisa. Lisa was healing Zero quickly with everything she had. Looking at Zero, she was still worried.


    "Zero, why did you do nothing at that time?"


    Lisa asked.


    She was still puzzled by Zero''s decision. In contrast with those who believed Zero was suffering from some side effects, she did not believe this from the beginning and Zero''sst action proved that he was not suffering from any side effects.


    Which begged the question, why did he need to suffer like this?


    "¡­"


    Zero didn''t know how to answer that question. He could answer that he was threatened or something but that might involve Lisa in this conflict. He will solve the problem with his own hand and he didn''t want to make her worry for nothing.


    "I thought that I should give them some chances to beat me. Well, they were so weak that they could not defeat me even after I gave them those chances. Haha¡­"


    Zero tried to joke about that.


    Zero''s excuses were far from believable, and Lisa could see that something was driving him to act that way.


    Her worries just increased with that answer. Moreover, she was getting angry that Zero was not even giving her an honest answer.


    ( I am not even close to him. If I were someone like Sylvia then he might have given me the answer. )


    Lisa thought. It was obvious to her that she was not close enough to Zero to be trusted. If her rtionship with Zero was like Sylvia then she thought that he might trust her enough to tell her the truth.


    She didn''t ask further because she knows that Zero doesn''t want to tell her. She continued to concentrate on healing him.


    "..."


    There was an awkward silence between them.

 Chapter 220 The Match Continues!s!

    Chapter 220 The Match Continues!s!


    "Let''s respect the referee''s decision here. We will move on to the next round."


    Ulv Sylvester said.


    He looked around satisfied. He knew that his persuasion have worked and then he went back to the VIP area.


    There were some who weren''t happy with him, but he knew they couldn''t do much to change the decision since it was not only his decision but that of the referee, who has control of the round right now.


    Many participants looked at Zero in pity. They knew that Zero would win the tournament without trouble. But now he was expelled for a ridiculous reason.


    However, the moment they saw him, their pity turned into anger.


    Zero looked neither upset nor angry. How can he look sad when he is being healed by beauty?


    Many people looked at Zero after the decision was made, but they found that he was not even paying attention to something that would be detrimental to his aplishment and something that would bring him great fame. Rather he was with a beautiful girl.


    Many men could only be jealous of Zero''s situation and silently cursed Zero in their hearts. They were also willing to be injured to be with such beauty.


    Previously, if they had seen something like this, they would have cursed loudly at how Zero does not deserve such a girl or something along those lines. But after Zero had disyed his power, nobody would think like that.


    If Zero does not deserve someone then who is more qualified? No one was more talented than Zero and they know that. He could easily grow to be Rank-SS in the future as long as he had time.


    After having healed considerably, Zero thanked Lisa and walked away with Professor Mia. Professor Mia again left the responsibility of the students to Professor Theo.


    She exined that Zero was too badly injured and that she would take him to the hospital.


    With this incident over, the second round began.


    *****


    Zero saw his parents lying on the bed. Fortunately, they were only unconscious and had no injuries.


    "When are they going to wake up?"


    Zero asked the doctor who was looking after them.


    "I think it would probably be 4 to 5 days. They have been given a very strong potion and we want them to recover naturally."


    "Thank you, doctor!"


    Zero thanked the doctor.


    ( Time doesn''t really matter as long as they recover fine! And it might be better that they don''t see me like this )


    Zero thought.


    He was very relieved to see that nothing had happened to them. And thought that it might be best that they don''t see him in this battered up state which will worry them. He would be healed up or at least there wouldn''t be many injuries visible by the time that his parents woke up.


    "Boy, rather than your parents I think it is you who needs treatment."


    The doctor said while observing Zero''s body.


    Though Zero was healed by Lisa, he was severely injured and could not be instantly healed by Lisa. He needed to be treated continuously for a long period of time before he could recoverpletely.


    "I am good!"


    Zero refused.


    "No, you are not! You have already seen your parents. Now, go and receive your treatment."


    Professor Mia said.


    Professor Mia already nned to have Zero admitted to this hospital. She was not going to let Zero escape after she had brought him here.


    "Doctor, take him and admit him to the hospital."


    "Understood!"


    The doctor instantly agreed.


    Neither Zero nor the doctor could refuse Professor Mia. The doctor immediately admitted Zero to the hospital.


    The healers used their healing spells on him, and then he was provided with medicine for his recovery. Theplete recovery of his body would take some time so he stayed in the hospital for some time.


    Well, it was a convenient thing to stay there as he could go and see his parents whenever he wanted.


    During that time he called his subordinates from the Intelligence department and had them collect information about Ulv Sylvester. He gave them all the names of people and the ces they needed to go and look for a certain type of information about Ulv Sylvester.


    Ulv Sylvester''s past deeds were mentioned in the novel, so Zero only needed to gather evidence of his crimes and his connections to the Dark Guild using those information.


    He also had some people spy on him and collect information in real-time, such as where he stays and how many guards are protecting him.


    After doing all those things, he switched on the TV and looked at what was happening in the tournament. The second round started when he had already left the stadium. So, he just watched the highlights and looked at the name that was qualified for the next round.


    After the first round, the second round consisted of random students from different schools. There were one or two students that were in the same school but mostly they were from different schools.


    The strongest among them was obviously Jeremy Vincent. He got lucky and was ced in a group with weak students. But the other participants were obviously wary of Jeremy and decided to team up.


    This situation would have been a lot harder for Jeremy Vincent but he had an ally from his school. His rank was D + and he was the second strongest student among them. The two of them joined up and went against the other 8 students.


    In the end, Skyline Academy managed to win and other participants gave up and Jeremy became the winner.


    "The second round didn''t seem like it had been rigged or anything. The students were random and most of them didn''t know each other."


    However, just when Zero thought that Ulv Sylvester had stopped rigging the match, he realized how mistaken he was.


    In the third round, all the third-year and second-year participants from Ace Academy had been ced in that group. That means that, out of 10 participants from Ace Academy, only one would advance to the next round.


    It was easier for Zero to see that the match was rigged. It was their n to reduce the number of participants in Ace Academy.


    As for using the same tactic as did to me, they don''t have any participants that could handle people like Hiro and Lisanna. All the strong opponents were used in the first round.


    Seeing that they were all allies, most participants gave up in favor of Lisanna Lockser. They already know that she is the strongest in their group.


    Though it was their chance to show their power to the world, they thought that they would only shame themselves by fighting against Lisanna.


    There was no one there who didn''t know how powerful Lisanna was, especially since they were all third and second-year students who had been with Lisanna for almost two years.


    The only one who didn''t back down was Lyonn. Lyon and Tony were the only ones qualified to fight Lisanna.


    Toby also gave up as he already was in a guild and didn''t have to attract people from a strong guild. As for fame, there was nothing admirable about getting beaten up by Lisanna.


    Lyon, on the other hand, was ready to battle and was excited to fight with Lisanna. She was his rival for many years and it was finally his chance to fight with her with the whole world as their audience.


    He and Lisanna stepped on the stage, and what was nned to be a match between 10 participants had turned into a one-on-one match. But the excitement was there nheless.


    Lyon and Lisanna were number one and number two rankers in their respective years. Even when the oue seemed predetermined, it was exciting to watch nheless.


    The fight was great with Lyon showing off the new skills he learned and trying to catch Lisanna by surprise. However, as Lisanna didn''t underestimate any opponent she met, she fought with Lyon extremely cautiously even though she has defeated Lyon many times in the past.


    In spite of the fact that it was only two of them, the battle was more exciting than the previous match due to their great power.


    After some time, the battle was finally over.


    "Winner! Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"


    The referee announced.


    Although Lyon had grown more powerful, he was still defeated by Lisanna. However, nobody dared belittle Lyon who was far stronger than Jeremy Vincent who is said to be the Top-5 strongest student at the initial stage of the tournament.


    Well, now the list has changed after round one. Obviously, round one revealed some participants who were stronger than they had predicted and the ranking had to be changed.


    Many newspapers updated their participants'' ranking ording to theirtest intel.


    The newspanies all kept Zero in the number one ranking, with no exceptions. Number two was Ruelle, then came Hiro, Omar, and then Lisanna. Previously ranked Top-5 was pushed back in the ranking.


    Well, now that Zero and Ruell, and many others were eliminated, many newspapers will update their prediction on who will win.


    The match between Lisanna and Lyon was thest match for today and other matches were kept for the next day.

 Chapter 221 Ace Academy Show Off Event

    Chapter 221 Ace Academy Show Off Event


    The next day, again the list was shown and this time, simr to yesterday, the participants were mostly from Ace Academy. Six students from Ace Academy and the other four from other schools.


    The six students from Ace Academy were Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, and the second-year 1st ranker Ren Dreyar.


    This time no one surrendered and all of them went on the stage. The other student had a worried expression. Why won''t they have as there were six opponents that they needed to face even if they allied themselves?


    Not to mention that the Ace Academy participants were stronger than them. By that, I mean ridiculously stronger than them. The highest rank that the opponent team had was Rank-D.


    Nevertheless, they gathered their courage and stepped onto the stage, hoping for some kind of miracle to happen to them.


    As expected, no miracle happened and the four students were instantly eliminated by Ace Academy participants. However, the real match was just starting, which was among the Ace Academy members.


    The match was immediately divided into three fights; Hiro Vs Zion, Lisa Vs Ren Dreyar, and finally Sylvia Vs Misha. They were all fighting separately.


    Nobody present there has thought about teaming up with each other to eliminate the other. This would be disadvantageous to the Ace Academy as a weaker student might get advanced to the next round and the other thing was because of their pride.


    It was okay to team up with a schoolmate against other schools because that is what they should do but when fighting the students who are all from the same school, it was inappropriate.


    The only ones who would team up are a coward and those who don''t want to prove themselves and just want to advance to the next round. As for those remaining contestants, they were all those who wanted to prove that they were the best.


    The battle started and they didn''t hold anything back, especially in Hiro and Zion''s fight. Zion showed powerful strength even though he was lower in rank than Hiro. However, Hiro was beyond his current strength and easily countered Zion''s attack.


    Hiro didn''t even struggle and easily overpowered Zion like he was nothing. However, Zion was not without a trump card. He instantly used a skill that raised his power and he pushed back Hiro.


    Zion seemed to have used a skill simr to Hiro''s System Power Double, as his strength increased and reached the level of Rank-C.


    With that, he was able to fight toe to toe with Hiro. That showed the power of his skill. With that, it has now be vague who will win unless Hiro uses System Double Power.


    Hiro would not use that skill, because he would not want to waste System points on someone he could defeat. In addition to that, if he wanted to, he would not be able to as hecked the System point to maintain that skill for a long time.


    For now, the fight between Hiro and Zion seemed to have reached a stalemate.


    The other two fights also seemed that it would take time before a victor could be decided. Misha and Sylvia fought with everything they had. Even when their rank was D +, they didn''t seem much weaker than Rank-C - fighters.


    Sylvia used her arrows to keep Misha at a distance. Sylvia already knows how dangerous Misha is in closebat and wanted to avoid fighting with her in close proximity. Misha also knew about Sylvia''s devastating attacks and dodged them instead of blocking them.


    With them knowing each other, they were cautious of each other''s skills. They also smiled from time to time showing their admiration for each other''s skills.


    On to thest fight, it was Ren Dreyar and Lisa. In this fight, instead of Lisa being overpowered, it was the opposite. Lisa was dominating the whole match.


    Dreyar tried to close the distance since he was a swordsman while Lisa was a mage. He was also wary of the light ball that Lisa used to defeat Velma, the third year in the selection match.


    He would quickly use his skill to instantly close the distance and attack Lisa.


    However, Lisa would instantly dash away using her skill. And then continue to fight from long range. He tried his long-range attack but was blocked by Lisa''s defensive skill.


    His long-range attackcked the power to prate Lisa''s shield and therefore he needed to close the distance and then fight.


    Although Dreyar could not defeat Lisa instantly, the same held true for Lisa. She also could not just eliminate Dreyar as he didn''t give Lisa a chance to conjure any strong spell.


    -CHEERS!


    The audiences were as hyped as ever, maybe not as much as they were in Zero''s match but they were definitely more excited than the other two matches.


    The Ace Academy students showed incredible power one after another. Any of those students would be regarded as a treasure in any of the schools and all of them were gathered at Ace Academy.


    The Ace Academy Professors looked at them proudly. This match had be a show-off event for the Ace Academy. Most schools were jealous of Ace Academy.


    They already know that Ace Academy has a monster called Zero. But there were another five students who were just first-year that were extremely strong, stronger than their third-year Aces.


    With such a lineup, they knew that the next two years'' tournament would be extremely difficult to win unless they got a first-year yer who could surpass them, which was even more unlikely.


    *SIGH!


    Many professors sighed as there was nothing that they could do. Their first years were also talented but Ace Academy had taken most of the talented students from the Golden Generation.


    They could not imagine what type of backing Ace Academy would have after Zero and all those students graduated from the school.


    -CLANG! -BOOM! -CLANK! -POW! -BANG!


    The match took a long time and finally someone was eliminated. It was Ren Dreyar who got eliminated first. Ren Dreyar could not withstand the continuous attack of Lisa and was extremely exhausted.


    With that, Lisa had a big advantage over other participants. She could use this time to rest and recover her mana when others are fighting.


    Simrly, the battle between Zion and Hiro appeared to be over after some time. While Zion had gained the power to fight equally against Hiro, it was not enough to overpower him. And, as previously said, every forbidden skill has big side effects.


    Pain ran through every part of Zion''s body after the skill time was over. He immediately lost consciousness and had to be carried over on a stretcher.


    As for the battle between Misha and Sylvia, there seems to be no end in sight. With both of them having a simr power level, they didn''t seem to have an advantage over each other.


    On the other hand, Hiro and Lisa had also started fighting each other. With both their enemies eliminated, they had to fight each other. And the winner will fight the winner between Sylvia and Misha.


    Lisa, who had to recover a bit, had a bit of an advantage over Hiro. Not only that, Hiro''s opponent was far stronger than Lisa''s opponent and therefore Hiro was also more exhausted.


    However, Hiro had a higher rank which was a big advantage over Lisa. He also knows about Lisa''s skills. Though the same was the case for Lisa and she knew most skills that Hiro has.


    The fight continued for some time and then Misha got eliminated. From the injuries that Sylvia has sustained, others can see that she didn''t have an easy win.


    Ultimately, Sylvia won because she sessfully baited Misha at thest moment. Sylvia intentionally gave Misha some openings, and Misha seized the opportunity and dealt some devastating attacks to Sylvia.


    Sylvia managed to barely hold on and after Misha was done with her attack, Sylvia showed her attack which she had kept hidden. This made Misha go out of the ring.


    It would not have been a surprise if Misha had won that fight. Misha dejectedly returned back to Ace Academy''s side. She was going to watch the match before going to heal.


    Misha''s family cheered up Misha by showing their support and others also cheered for Misha.


    "Don''t mind!"


    "You did great!"


    Misha smiled, but she could not hide the sadness on her face.


    Misha''s parents and Eleonore really thought that Misha did everything she could and she should be proud of her achievement. She could easily join any Gold graded guild and even some Diamond guilds would recruit her.


    However, even with such achievement, losing was losing, and Misha was disappointed nheless.


    Even though she knew that winning the tournament was impossible for her and she was already satisfied with being in the Top 100, she could not help but shed tears when she lost the tournament.


    This was a one in million chance for someone like her to get recognized by everyone!

 Chapter 222 Ace Academy Show Off Event [2]

    Chapter 222 Ace Academy Show Off Event [2]


    The match continued and there were only three participants left on the stage. Hiro, Lisa, and Sylvia.


    There were endless cheers for them. Many boys were particrly happy to watch the match.


    To many spectators, the most enviable thing about Ace Academy was not fighting talent but the beautiful girls that Ace Academy had. Excluding the Ice Enchantress who is acknowledged as the most beautiful woman, they had many lines of beautiful girls such as Lisa and Sylvia.


    Around the world, spectators have seen so much beauty in Ace Academy that they were tempted to join. The Eight grade students vowed to join Ace Academy just to interact with all those big sisters.


    -CLANG! -BANG!


    The intense fight continued. Even when both of them had spent most of their mana and stamina, they were still disying overwhelming powers.


    Lisa conjured one powerful spell after another. Hiro, however, was fighting in a defensive style with him just dodging or blocking Lisas'' attack.


    It looked like his strategy was to tire Lisa out. Lisa also knew that but she still continued attacking because this was her chance. As long as Lisa managed to hit Hiro, she could win. Though Hiro was too quick and she could not hit him.


    However, nothingsts forever and the match between Lisa and Hiro was alsoing to a conclusion.


    As expected, Hiro with his higher rank had a big advantage over Lisa, though Lisa had also managed to give some trouble to Hiro and was close to hitting him several times.


    But in the end, Lisa''s mana and stamina could not keep up with Hiro and she voluntarily surrendered after she had done everything she could. Before walking out, she cheered for her friend who was going to fight next.


    Finally, only two participants were left. On the right was Hiro and on the left was Sylvia.


    The final fight to decide the winner started. Whoever wins will be eligible to advance to the next round. This was the moment that everyone had been waiting for.


    Sylvia began attacking Hiro, but Hiro easily blocked her attacks and approached her. It seems that for fighting against Sylvia, Hiro wants to engage in closebat. Unlike Lisa, Sylvia''s attacks don''t consume much mana and it would be very hard for Hiro to exhaust her.


    On the other hand, Sylvia had to be careful because even when Hiro was good in closebat, he also had powerful long-range attacks which he could use to instantly defeat her.


    Sylvia was obviously weaker than Hiro but if she could seize this chance when Hiro was not in his best shape then she would have a chance at winning.


    Though she was in a simr state, Hiro was in a much worse state than she was because he had spent more energy fighting with Zion and Lisa than Sylvia had done.


    Sylviaunched several strong attacks and tried to maintain the distance between her and Hiro. Sylvia hoped for an opening but Hiro was too experienced in fighting and didn''t give her any chance to hit him.


    Hiro being Rank-C - had a higher speed than Sylvia. He could mostly dodge Hiros'' attack and run towards Sylvia.


    By using his skill Star Swift, he instantly closed the distance and attacked Hiro. Sylvia tried to fight back to a certain extent but she was no match for Hiro in closebat.


    Finally, the victor of the match had been decided!


    "Winner! Hiro Ernest of Ace Academy!"


    The referee announced.


    -CHEERS!


    The audience shouted and cheered. The match was very entertaining and they could see the potential of Ace Academy students. Many understood that Ace Academy was still the best academy and every student that was studying there was amazing.


    Many schools barely had one student from the first year as a participant in this tournament and they were only at Rank-E +. And Ace Academy has thrown 6 first-year students who were all ridiculously strong.


    Their rank was equal to the most third-year students that other Top-5 academies had. It would not be weird if they all became Rank-S and above in the future.


    The fourth match was over and then the fifth match had also started. The winner was Admascat of Britelts Academy. She just had to use her mana aura to overwhelm the participants there.


    It was over before it even started. The other participants n to work together and eliminate Adamscat first by overwhelming her with their number, though they failed as they could barely stand in her mana aura.


    They surrendered after knowing that they could not do anything to her. The audiences were disappointed that they didn''t get to see the action but they knew that this was the difference in strength between ranks.


    This was the match''s final match and it wasn''t an interesting match considering that the strongest were only at Rank-D+, and they were from some unknown academy.


    However, the match had an unexpected winner who was a Rank-D - participant. As for the Rank-D + participant, he was eliminated early by others who teamed up against him.


    Being only by himself, he could barely survive the onught of 9 students for a few minutes. Though he still resisted and showed that he was more powerful than them, however, his mana and stamina could notst forever and atst, he was thrown out off the stage.


    Afterward, they all began to fight among themselves, and Rank-D - the participant who was one of the weakest survived and won the match miraculously.


    The spectator cheered and congratted him. Whether the winners were more powerful than others didn''t matter, he/she still won which showed that he had more skill than others.


    Many other defeated participants angrily cursed and thought that he didn''t deserve that but nobody gave a damn to them and continued congratting the winner.


    What''s the use of saying, ''I am obviously stronger than him'' after you have lost to him? In the end, you still lost to him when it mattered. Nobody wants to hear an excuse.


    He was so happy that tears filled his eyes. Even the teachers of his school rushed to congratte him and treated him as if he had just won the entire tournament. All other students at his school showed respect and praised him.


    If someone didn''t know better, then he/she might have thought that he had won the whole tournament after seeing their happiness


    Though, their excitement was justified. They were just a nameless school and were one of the weakest and one of their students had managed to advance to the final round. That means that he was in the Top-10 of the tournament.


    Though Top-10 does not sound impressive, especially when a Rank-D - student could manage to get that position.


    But for a small school with hardly anything to show, that achievement was enough to brag about for a lifetime. Their school will also receive more resources from The Authority making it possible to increase their quality of education.


    He just became the Hero of that school and that''s why many students persisted even when they knew how difficult the tournament was. You never know what would happen in life and it was better to persist than give up without trying.


    Just now, all his hard work had paid off. He would get many rewards for this achievement and he would be treated better in the academy. Although he won''t gain as much fame as the winner of the tournament, he would still be recognized by his school.


    The rest of the winners should also have simr situations because all the strong students were all grouped together and had already finished fighting.


    In the first round, the strongest of Ace Academy, Arcane Academy, and Demantica Academy were all in the same group. That group had more than 5 Rank-C which meant all the valuable and strong Rank-C was eliminated in an earlier round.


    Not only that, in the third round which involved Ace Academy students, they had three Rank-C. Therefore, the vast majority of students left were Rank-Ds from other schools.


    Most participants from Top-5 academies had already finished their round. Sadly, Arcane Academy had already been disqualified, meaning they lost their spot among the Top-5 Academies. They have already sent their participants against Zero and now no one was avable.


    The professors of Arcane Academy didn''t even make their appearance in the stadium, which was a great shame for them who were once Top-5 Academies. They would be mocked and would be criticized for many days.


    This also means that the ranking of the school was also likely to change.


    So, other schools were getting excited and hoping that their students would win. With less presence of strong students, the chance of seeding increased for everyone. As long as no Rank-C was present, the match would be for anyone to win.


    The previous match was a great example. He was one of the weakest but ended up winning. It was highly likely to happen again, and the schools that hadn''t yet had their student participants eagerly looked forward to their students'' results.


    It was their time to shine!

 Chapter 223 The End of Second Round

    Chapter 223 The End of Second Round


    The fight began and it was extremely underwhelmingpared to other fights that they had seen.


    However, the spectator seems rtively excited to watch.


    The fight itself was not as exciting as the previous match but the prospect of predicting who would win was extremely interesting. Unlike previously, just looking at the rank, and making assumptions was not wise.


    There was no big difference in strength and even the lowest rank participants had a chance to win.


    Anyone could win and those who win would ultimately be the hero of their academy. The participants also looked usually motivated and they had a fire in their eyes and nobody was willing to back down.


    Today, it didn''t matter whether they would live or die, they had to win. This type of chance neveres, which is having no strong students topete with. This was the first time that academies other than Top-5 academies had the chance to move to the final round.


    In previous years, barely anyone would advance to the second round from other schools and it was impossible for them to advance to the final round with Top-5 academies having immensely strong participants.


    For other schools, this was an opportunity to rise in status, and if they win, all the fame and glory will belong to them and their school.


    Lots of skills were fired and participants tried their best to exert extra power that day. Even if they were crippled or had skills that put a heavy burden on the body, all of them were used without hesitation.


    It surprised many people as they didn''t think that those students would be able to show anything to them. But to their surprise, they managed to convince the audience that they were all geniuses who had earned the right to be there.


    During the intense fight, participants fell one by one and all had lots of injuries. No one was willing to give up unless they were knocked out.


    Finally, after a long battle, a girl managed to secure the ticket to the next round. She appeared as if she could not believe it and cried happily.


    The students and professors from that girls'' school rushed toward her feeling extremely happy and congratted her. While they had a merry atmosphere, other schools, which had failed, could not be more miserable.


    They missed the golden opportunity and they know that this type of opportunity rarely appears. Once missed, they don''t know when they will get the chance again.


    Anyway, be it disappointment or excitement, the match was already over, and that was all the matches that were scheduled for that day.


    The next day, the participants were mostly from unknown schools. The school mostly had only one student as their participant and at most two. So, if they happened to be in the same group, then it was a great chance for that school but most likely it was the opposite.


    Other participants could also see that they have an advantage and would try to eliminate them earlier in the match.


    Other schools would surely team up and try to eliminate participants who are from the same school. This was because they couldn''t let them have the advantage.


    As a result, having participants from the same school could be an opportunity, but it might also prove to be a curse since they would be targeted by other participants and have a higher chance of being eliminated.


    Just like the previous day, the remaining matches continued. The seventh match of the second roundmenced.


    The participants entered the stage with ambitious goals in mind.


    This match was rather interesting because it had the final students from the Demacia Academy. However, she was not a Rank-C student and was rather an average participant at Demacia Academy.


    Her rank was D + which did make her the strongest among the participants but she was not that overwhelmingly powerful.


    It was a very nerve-wracking moment for the Demacia Academy because they had been nervous about losing the match. They would be able to keep their pride as long as their student made it to the next round.


    They don''t want to be humiliated like Arcane Academy whose participants had all been eliminated by Zero and had to drop their Top-5 status.


    Arcane Academy had turned into a big joke in this tournament.


    What was initially predicted as the winner of the tournament didn''t even make it into the Top-5 rank, plus having registered Ruelle as a participant had greatly damaged their reputation.


    The match started and as expected the participant immediately went after the student of Demacia Academy. She was not only the highest-ranked participant but also from the Top-5 academies.


    However, the Demacia Academy participant was rather rxed. She raised her sword and swung it. A powerful sh came out and swept the whole stage.


    The participants were caught off guard as they didn''t expect such a powerful attack from a Rank-D +. The weaker participants were instantly thrown out.


    She immediately took off and began throwing the participants one by one off the stage without giving them the chance to think about what had happened.


    In under 10 minutes, the Demacia Academy participant won the match.


    The audiences were shocked at the oue. They thought that Demacia Academy would also get eliminated like Arcane Academy but who would have thought that they still had kept a monster hidden.


    Zero who was watching the match instantly recognized the girl when she came out to fight. She was also a first-year student like him and considered a Top student among the Golden Generation.


    Aside from that, she was also considered to be quite talented, at least in the novel, she was described as being as talented as Zion, so it was clear that she was powerful. She should not be treated as a normal Rank-D + and should have power simr to that of an average Rank-C -.


    Anyway, she won easily which reminded others of the Top-5 Academies'' power.


    The professor of the Democia Academy sighed in relief. If it was in other years, they would not bat an eye if their student managed to advance to the final round. It was natural to them but this year it was different.


    Most of the participants of Demacia Academy failed in the first round due to Zero. In the second round, most of their strong students were in the first round and everyone knows how it ended.


    So she carried the dignity of Demacia Academy which she managed to keep splendidly.


    The next two rounds also started and from them, two of the winners were determined. One was in Rank-D + and the other was in Rank-D.


    Thest round also began and the participants in that match were excited. It was because they had more advantage as there were only 7 of them. They had a greater chance of winning and the lucky one was a Rank-D boy.


    After the 9 participants were selected for the final round, Nock Fletcher came to congratte them and gave an inspiring speech. The participants were given three days off to recover.


    Zero switched off the TV not wanting to listen to the speech.


    Zero finally had an evil smile.


    "It''s finally time!"

 Chapter 224 - Assassination Of Ulv!

    Chapter 224 - Assassination Of Ulv!


    ¡°It¡¯s finally time!¡±


    The day had finallye for me to execute my n.


    Zero had spent thest three days collecting information about Ulv Syelvestar while also collecting some artifacts which will help in his assassination.


    He waited until the end of the tournament, not only because it took time to collect the information, but also because it was inconvenient to kill Ulv Sylvester who stayed in the city.


    ording to the information that he got, apparently, Ulv would stay in the ce arranged by The Authority agent when the tournament was taking ce but when there are free days like now, he apparently moves to a different hotel.


    It was because that ce was a little isted which made it convenient for Ulv Sylvester to meet with Dark Guild members and cook their ns.


    Although even if he was to stay with other people, Zero would have made sure to assassinate him. Well, things became easier since Ulv Sylvester wants to make trouble for others.


    Zero¡¯s body had also recovered enough and he had all the information that he needed to kill Ulv Sylvester.


    He didn¡¯t really want to eliminate Ulv Sylvester even if he already knew that he would be a traitor to The Authority.


    It was not like The Authority were all saints trying to help others. There are many people who have only joined it because they want to unt and abuse their authority.


    What happened to them was entirely up to them. Whether they get destroyed or flourish has nothing to do with Zero. But Ulv Sylvester had touched his family, which prompted him to eliminate him.


    The plus point of killing such a person is that Zero would not feel guilty even after murdering another human. Even his parallel self would not feel like he had done anything wrong if he had killed a viin.


    As for the prisoners that Professor Mia had captured, it was reported that they had been killed. This was probably by Ulv Sylvester men who wanted to keep information such as his identity from being leaked.


    It was bad luck for him that Zero knew he was responsible for the kidnapping.


    *****


    At night,


    Zero had already collected the information on where Ulv Sylvester was staying during this whole tournament. He chose an expensive hotel that was far from the city.


    There were also only two guards, primarily from the Dark Guild. Since he had to report and work with other people of the Dark Guild, he needed to stay where there were fewer eyes.


    Well, that was good news for Zero as it meant that it would take time before they noticed that Ulv Sylvester had been killed.


    Zero learned that the guard strength was only Rank-C, which was not very high.


    There was also a security camera inside the house but Zero had quickly managed to hack the system. With his knowledge, it was not veryplicated to find vulnerabilities in the current generation of security systems.


    He had the CCTV rey the same video as the previous day without others knowing that the camera had been hacked.


    Zero looked at the building in front of him. At the moment, a man in a ck dress was guarding the area. As for the other one, Zero didn¡¯t know where he was but he assumed that he must be guarding the door of Ulv Sylvester¡¯s room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡±


    Zero took out an artifact and threw it on the ground. This artifact was simr to the artifact that was used by the Devil Contractor when they attacked students in the BloodyWolf forest.


    However, no space was cut and signals could still travel. It just makes people overlook the things inside this artifact. So, it was like a defective or inferior version of that artifact.


    Nevertheless, it was fine as long as it could prevent an unwanted visitor from interrupting his work. He didn¡¯t want curious people toe if he happened to take a long time killing Ulv.


    -WHOOSH!


    Channeling the Dark Energy, Zero¡¯s speed was beyond what he had shown in the tournament. It wasparable to the peak of Rank-A + Explorer.


    Zero had no problem using the Dark Energy because at the moment, he was wearing a mask and it was not an ordinary mask. It was an artifact that could make the user unrecognizable, which is simr to the one used by Ruell.


    Zero also had a cloak covering his body. This cloak was also used to conceal his identity. It could mask his mana and likewise hide his body shape.


    It was just in case, someone who is sensitive to mana was there then that person might be able to guess the identity of Zero. Of course, that person also needs to be already familiar with Zero¡¯s mana which is highly unlikely but who knows.


    Zero was more cautious when using Dark Energy. Zero didn¡¯t want to take a chance and have his identity known.


    If by chance, someone knows that he could use the Dark Energy then it would bring him a lot more trouble. Anyway, he was rich and could afford these things, so he bought them without any second thought.


    The guard was casually strolling back and forth. He was not really serious about guarding because Ulv Sylvester was Rank-A and there were not many who would try to assassinate him.


    He was a low-ranked member of the Dark Guild and could not oppose him being positioned as a guard. Even if someone wants to assassinate his boss, they should be at least Rank-A or higher.


    And if someone indeedes with that strength, then he knows that he would be already dead. His job was basically the same as a referee in WWE.


    -STAB!


    -THUD!


    The guard didn¡¯t even have an opportunity to resist and died in an instant. With Zero¡¯s strength which was on par with Rank-A + peak, there was no way that a Rank-C guy whose heart had been stabbed would be able to survive.


    The guard just fell to the ground with wide eyes.


    Anyway, Zero had no pity for someone who is an ally of someone who had harmed his family. Coupled with Dark Energy which seemed to be corrupting his thoughts, there was zero mercy from Zero¡¯s side.


    He then quietly sneaks inside the building. He had already memorized the ways of the hotel from the blueprint that his subordinates brought and also knew which room Ulv stayed in.


    After a minute or so, he reached the hallway where Uvl¡¯s room was. Just as he previously thought, the other guard was guarding the door of Ulv¡¯s room. Zero instantly appeared in front of him and then,


    -STAB!


    Well, there was nothing an unguarded Rank-C could do in front of the power of Rank-A. Moreover, these two guards were very careless, probably because they had never encountered any problems before.


    After Zero executed the guard, he listened carefully to the sounding from the room. He wanted to know whether Ulv Sylvester realized that there was an intruder there.


    ¡°F**K! How can you send someone so useless? I had to change my ns because of this¡­¡±


    Apparently, Ulv Sylvester didn¡¯t know at all. The reason why Zero thought that Ulv had no idea about him was that he could hear an angry scream from Ulv¡¯s room. He was talking on his phone and cursing at someone.


    Zero had a vicious smile.


    ¡®Ulv Sylvester, you can regret your actions in Hell!¡¯

 Chapter 225 - Assassination Of Ulv! [2]

    Chapter 225 - Assassination Of Ulv! [2]


    ¡°F**K OFF! Who did you send to kidnap? Howe they are so ipetent and got themselves caught?¡±


    Ulv yelled.


    His identity as the spy of the Dark Guild could have been exposed if the two useless kidnappers said anything about him.


    It was his luck that those were killed before they could have the chance to spill the beans. Moreover, the n to threaten Zero was also destroyed and as a result, Zero won.


    ¡°You are ipetent, your subordinates are ipetent and your allies are also ipetent. How could they lose to one student, especially when he was severely injured?¡±


    Ulv yelled and cursed more.


    ¡®Sir, the situation was extremely dangerous. The Ice Enchantress had followed the kidnappers and rescued our hostage. Who could have thought that she would get involved so quickly? Even so, you should have a backup n. It is not our fault that your n failed. The higher-ups want you to clean up your mess and make sure that Ace Academy does win the tournament. If not, then you know what will happen¡±


    Ulv gritted his teeth in anger.


    -BEEP! -BEEP!


    He threw the phone in anger.


    ¡°F**K YOU! Do you think that my n was wed? You all just had to mess up your job and now you want me to clean your mess and how dare this guy mes the failure on me.¡±


    He kicked and broke some objects.


    His n was wless and he could have earned lots of merits if it had yed out perfectly. But the two kidnappers that were sent to help him were useless and got themselves defeated.


    The artifact that was given to Ruelle was also useless and they lost to one fu*king boy even after using that artifact.


    ¡°So many useless pricks! And you, Zero, just you wait!¡±


    And most of all, he was angry at Zero. He still remembered how Zero had ignored his words and destroyed all his efforts. He vowed that once this tournament was over, he was going to teach him a lesson.


    Right now, he still had to deal with the tournament. After that, his next target would be Zero.


    ¡°There are currently only two students from Ace Academy.; Hiro Ernest and Lisanna Lockser. I wonder whether they care about their families. Hehe ¡­¡±


    Ulv already had a n.


    He was nning to ckmail those two into giving up the match. It doesn¡¯t matter how suspicious it looks or whether The Authority conducts an investigation as long as he deals with these problems carefully.


    Anyway, he could not put his trust in other participants to win the tournament. All the strong students under hismand had already been eliminated. Even if he uses his power as Tournament Management Team, there was not much that he could change.


    He could only do this or hire an assassin. Although he could assassinate Lisanna without any problem, Hiro Ernest was troublesome. The Authority might deploy everything they have to find the killer if he had murdered Hiro. So, the safer option was for him to kidnap their family and threaten them.


    -CRRRICK!


    !!!


    Just when he was thinking about how to go about his n. Zero entered the room.


    ¡°Who are you? Where are my guards?¡±


    Ulv asked.


    He was not very scared because he was Rank-A. There were not many who could kill him.


    ¡°You sure are garbage. You are thinking of kidnapping again.¡±


    Zero said.


    His voice sounded more hoarse.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ulv frowned.


    By Zero¡¯s words, he already understood that the other party was someone who knew that he had kidnapped someone.


    ( Who is he? How did he know? )


    The two kidnappers were already dead, and he never got involved with them before. So, it was impossible for anyone to see the connection between him and the kidnapping.


    He didn¡¯t need to think much. As long as he captured and tortured him, he knew he would get the answer he sought.


    He quickly fetched his staff from his spatial ring. He gathered the mana and conjured the spell.


    [ ¡°Fire Torrent¡± ]


    Ulv started attacking.


    Zero also released his Dark Energy and used his skill.


    [ ¡°Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st¡± ]


    Ulv was easily defeated by Zero¡¯s attack and Ulv was hit.


    -BANG!


    Ulv looked dumbfounded. His body was injured by Zero¡¯s attack, but it wasn¡¯t the power of Zero that stunned him, it was that some Devil wanted to kill him.


    As for why he thought that Zero was a Devil, it was because of the quality of the Dark Energy. ULV had never felt such a dangerous aura even when he met the Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    Which meant that the person in front of him was a high-ranking Devil. Which was confusing as Ulv had no conflict with the Devil.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? I don¡¯t think that I have offended any Devils. If I have, I am willing topensate.¡±


    Ulv said.


    He didn¡¯t want to fight with masked Zero as he felt that he was more powerful than him. Additionally, he knew that the Devil would spare him as long as he provided benefits for him.


    ¡°Devil?¡±


    For a second, Zero was confused, but then he remembered all the Dark Energy he was emitting, not to mention that his face was covered. He could be easily misunderstood as a Devil by others.


    ¡°Do I need a reason to kill an ant that I didn¡¯t like? Your mere presence displeasures me!¡±


    Zero said.


    Since the other party thinks of him as the Devil, he was more than happy to y that part.


    ( UNREASONABLE! )


    He wanted to shout that. He didn¡¯t see anyone who could be as shameless as the person in front of him. He wants to kill just because he doesn¡¯t like him? What kind of reason was that?


    He felt that the Devil was as unreasonable as people say.


    [ ¡°Molten Ray¡± ]


    Since he could talk his way out, Ulv decided to fight and escape when there was a chance.


    [ ¡°Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption¡± ]


    Zero¡¯s swords were greatly enhanced with Dark Energy, and with his sword, he blocked the iing attack. Right after blocking his attack, Zero transformed the Dark Energy that covered the sword into a whip and attacked Ulv.


    It was impossible for Ulv to dodge the whip attack that Zero did and so he chose to defend by using the mana barrier.


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    Ulv¡¯s barrier was easily broken and he was struck by the attack. Ulv felt as if his body had been torn apart when the attack hit him. The attack was powerful but not very lethal.


    -BAM! -BAM!


    Zero attacked multiple times. The attack was not lethal but it was very painful. Every strike was as if moltenva was poured on the body.


    ¡°AAAAHHHH¡­.¡±


    Ulv cried out in pain.


    He looked at Zero with fear. With such power, Ulv confirmed his suspicion that the attacker was a high-ranking Devil was correct.


    ¡°Sir Devil, please spare me. My name is Ulv Sylvester and I am a member of Dark Guild. We have the same goal as you. We also want to destroy humans. Please, I am even willing to be a Devil Contractor.¡±


    Ulv begged.


    Ulv knows that the Devil would appreciate strong men like him and would rather have them as servants than dead. As for bing a Devil Contractor, he didn¡¯t think that it would be any different from working in the Dark Guild.


    He waited for the answer from the Devil.


    ( Easier than I thought! )


    Zero thought!


    Zero bes happy instantly. Not because Ulv wanted to be a Devil Contractor, he was not even a Devil, how could he make a contract? It was because he confessed that he was a Dark Guild Member.


    He had lots of evidence of Ulv being a Dark Guild member and also much evidence of his misdeed. But the most valuable evidence would obviously be from the suspect¡¯s mouth.


    With this confession, other evidence will gain much more reliability.


    Zero stopped the recording and put that into his spatial ring. Now, he doesn¡¯t have any reason to y with Ulv. Earlier, he wanted to scare and torture Ulv into confessing but now there was no need for such things.


    Zero transformed the Dark Energy from a whip into a big sword.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    Ulv was confused. He thought that the Devil had decided to spare him but then in an instant, he felt a huge bloodlust.


    [ ¡°Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st¡± ]


    ¡°Sirrr¡­¡±


    Ulv cried. He was not in a position to defend against such a strong attack. He didn¡¯t understand why the Devil was killing him, even when he swore loyalty to him.


    ¡°You should not have touched my family!¡±

 Chapter 226 Assassination Of Ulv! [3]

    Chapter 226 Assassination Of Ulv! [3]


    "You should not have touched my family!"


    Zero said.


    He had no emotion when he looked at Ulv, just like it is natural for him to die after Ulv has done something like this.


    Zero also gave a hint to who he is.


    Ulv Sylvester was no idiot and instantly realized what Zero was talking about. There was only one person that he recently messed with but he didn''t know how he knew it was him.


    Though he used telepathy and provoked Zero, he knew that he would never be able to guess his identity. And the person in front of him has strength which is absolutely unbelievable.


    "Ze..."


    But before he could open his mouth to confirm his guess, Zero''s attack had hit him and there was nothing he could do but defend using his mana barrier.


    -BOOOOOM!


    "Finally it is over!"


    Zero said.


    He stared at the body which was the result of his attack.


    What was left was a corpse beyond recognition that was infused with Dark Energy. Anyone who checks his body will suspect that it was a Devil or a Devil Contractor that killed him. There was nothing that would give away his identity.


    He then kept all the evidence of Ulv Sylvester being a traitor on the table including the tape recorder. He also had a copy of them stored on his personalputer just in case he needed them in the future.


    As long as things go ording to his expectation, he knows that The Authority will not investigate much of this incident. They would definitely not want others to know that they had a traitor in their organization which will increase distrust among many organizations who believe them and their dignity will also go down.


    As far as Zero was concerned, they might at most try to conduct a small investigation and guess who killed Ulv Sylvester. Ulv Sylvester being a traitor is not important to The Authority and they might even keep this whole murder case as an act of justice that had helped The Authority.


    Well, it will depend on who is in charge of this case. He had to wait and see how they responded, but he reckoned they wouldn''t want to announce the fact that the Authority had a spy from Dark Guild.


    However, their suspect would be the Devil or the Devil Contractor regardless of how they investigate. They will never find out who the real killer is.


    As for Dark Guild, Zero reckon that they will be super pissed after they learn of this. Ulv Sylvester''s strength was not important as they had many members who were stronger than him but he was an extremely valuable chess piece to them. Ulv was in a high position in The Authority and would give sensitive information that was useful to Dark Guild.


    Even if they investigate, they will also never guess that I was the one to kill their spy.


    Zero exited the building. He didn''t know how many days it would be before someone found out that Ulv Sylvester was dead and there was a high chance that Dark Guild mighte first and take all the evidence.


    So, after Zero ran away from that ce, he called The Authority to inform them that he had been seeing some suspicious activity in that hotel. As for whether they can track my call, good luck to them.


    Afterward, Zero returned to the hospital and slept without any worries.


    ******


    [ One Hour after the call ]


    Many security agents from The Authority came to the hotel to investigate.


    In the beginning, it seemed to be just some simple problem with someone calling them about a possible crime, but when they got there, they found three dead bodies, and most importantly among them was Ulv Sylvester, which caused the incident to be more serious.


    In Spirit Meadow was the Tournament Management Team, a group of high-ranking people who were also in the same group as Ulv Sylvester for the mission assigned to them for managing the tournament. They called for help in the investigation.


    They had to be very careful because the murderer was very strong with the ability to kill Rank-A. One should know that to kill someone from Rank-A, one needs to be significantly stronger than the other party.


    In a formal match and tournament, a person of simr rank might be able to win, but killing someone is a whole lot harder than just beating them. Therefore, for someone to assassinate Ulv Sylvester in the hotel, they know that the killer would need to be very strong.


    Therefore, a team of strong people was assembled to investigate this case. The first thing that they noticed was the evidence that was kept near Ulv''s corpse.


    Naturally, they had looked into them. There was information about all kinds of misdeeds that Ulv Sylvester did including the rigging of the tournament. It also had evidence of Ulv being a Dark Guild member.


    At first, many were skeptical about the evidence as the murderer would obviously have a grudge against Ulv and those things were not verified yet.


    But then after listening to the recording, The Authority agent''s expression darkened.


    "¡­spare me. My name is Ulv Sylvester and I am a member of Dark Guild. We have the same goal as you. We also want to destroy humans. Please, I am even willing to be a Devil Contractor¡­"


    Ulv had confessed all those things with his own mouth and they naturally had to believe the recorder.


    They didn''t expect one of the oldest and trusted members of The Authority to be a spy of Dark Guild. They could not think about the damage and leakage of information that might have happened due to him.


    More importantly, evidence of someone from The Authority rigging the tournament was bad news. If it gets out, then many will begin to distrust them and they would lose lots of authority.


    They might not even be allowed to control many of the existing dungeons. Which guild and Academy will believe them again after such things? Even with their power, they would not be able to exert much dominance if they lost the trust of everyone.


    "I didn''t expect that Ulv Sylvester was a spy from the Dark Guild. I guess you didn''t like him for a reason."


    One of the Tournament Management team members said to his friend.


    "I also never expected that he was such a scumbag. The reason I didn''t like him was that he likes to abuse his authority, especially at the tournament. He was clearly trying to eliminate that student and the referee was also in on that."


    He replied.


    "At least, we know that the referee might also be the traitor. Contact others and have them apprehend him. We might get more info from him."


    He ordered other agents from The Authority.


    They reyed the recording as they tried to get more information.


    Not only did they know that Ulv was a traitor but they also managed to gain some information about the killer. ording to what was in the recorder, the murderer was most likely the Devil, coupled with the fact that there are traces of Dark Energy on Ulv Sylvester''s body, they had to assume that it was a Devil or the Devil Contractor.


    In addition, they know that the rank of a Devil is at least that of a Count, which isparable to that of a Rank-A human.


    They searched for more evidence or clues about the murder but this was it. They checked the CCTV and found that it was tempered because it was showing apletely normal Ulv and in the next moment, the dead body appeared.


    They needed a thorough search of people in the vicinity, possibly everyone in the SpiritMeadow and they also had to lock down the city with special artifacts so that the murderer does not escape.


    They immediately informed the higher-ups about this situation as the situation regarding the spy is very serious. It was crucial that they ask for permission from higher-ups if they want to conduct a more thorough search throughout the city.


    They had to keep this situation ssified and close the case earlier due to the insistence of higher-ups who don''t want to create any scandal. At the time of the tournament, if something as important as the information about the spy being in The Authority gets out then the whole dignity of their organization will be lost.


    They also can''t lock down the whole city for catching the murderer. Imagine if the murderer, in his desperate attempt to escape, begins holding hostage the people trapped inside Spirit Meadow city which is a bigger problem than finding the murderer.


    Additionally, if the murderer spread the information in case they tried to capture him, then it was not good for them. Becausepared to the death of the spy which can be said to be good for their organization, they can''t afford to have this scandal known.


    And they had to put in a lot more resources to find and capture such a strong Devil which they don''t want as a traitor. It would have been a different story if Ulv was not a spy but since all the evidence points to that, they had to believe this and treat him as a traitor.


    Anyway, The Authority is already short of men due to the tournament and due to the recent increase in Gate. They don''t have many resources to invest in a problem that will not cause them any trouble.


    With that, The Authority closed the case!

 Chapter 227 Guilty Of Everything!

    Chapter 227 Guilty Of Everything!


    The Authority closed the case because they didn''t want to spend much time finding the murderer of their traitor.


    The most important work after finding out that Ulv Sylvester was a traitor was trying to figure out how much information was leaked and if any vital n was given to him. They needed to find them and change the n.


    They had to reduce the damage done by Ulv as little as possible.


    As for the murder, with their assumption that it was either Devil or Devil Contractor, they had to increase the security of the SpiritMeadow. If the Devil killed without discrimination or just came to cause trouble there, there will be many more victims for the Devil.


    As soon as that happens, they will catch him and they will naturally solve the problem. But if the murderer does not show up then they know that they can''t do anything. As for the victims, The Authority had to look at the bigger picture.


    Anyway, it was going to be a busy day for them.


    ******


    Zero was lying on the bed ying with his phone.


    He also looked into TwitFlick which had the post on the tournament. TwitFlick posts were mostly fights from the tournament.


    Zero''s fight was a hot video with one of the videos reaching 10 million views and 20kments.


    The other fight was between Hiro, Misha, Sylvia, Lisa, Zion, and Ren. Thement section was especially active with manyplimenting the beauty of the fighters, while others were extremely surprised to find that first-year students had such power.


    ''When we were at Ace Academy, the most that a first-year student could aplish was Rank-D. Now, they even have two Rank-C students. Looks like the younger generation will surpass the old. Anyway, congrattions Ace Academy!''


    ''I didn''t believe it when the news said that the Golden Generation was here! Now, I see what they mean. I hope they can grow safely and protect us.''


    ''Weak! I would defeat everyone in a second.''


    ''Stop Bragging!''


    ''Stop Bragging! +2'' ¡­


    ''Stop Bragging! +212''


    Manyplimented the Ace Academy but there were also many who were not happy with that.


    Zero watched the news and changed channels and tried to see whether there was any news about Ulv''s murder but there was none. As he considered, he knew that The Authority would not take any action that would increase the possibility of information about the spy leaking.


    Zero waited for the whole day and nothing happened. No one was conducting any investigation and the hospital and SpiritMeadow were as peaceful as before.


    This was the same for the next day and after that. The Authority acted as if their people had not been killed.


    Zero expected such an oue and was satisfied with that. And today, even his parents woke up which was good news for him.


    They were confused about where they were at first but Professor Mia exined the situation to them. As to why Professor Mia was there, she said it was to monitor him or something.


    Well, Zero was okay with having someone do the talking. After some time, Zero''s parents understood the general situation and were surprised that they were kidnapped.


    Professor Mia asked what they remembered.


    Zero''s father started telling the story. ording to him, they were asked toe and meet the Tournament Management member because they had suspected that Zero was using some illegal artifact to win.


    They were called for that reason and as they had the badge to show their identity, Zero''s parents followed. But they didn''t expect that the moment they were in an isted ce, they would use some kind of potion to make them fall asleep.


    Zero''s parents were ashamed. They let down their guard seeing that the two people were from The Authority. They should have been on their toes.


    Professor Mia left after saying that the family should talk to each other and outsiders should leave.


    They talked to each other. Zero''s parents apologized saying that they made him worry and also that they caused trouble for him.


    However, Zero felt more guilty when his parents apologized. He knows that all this happened because of him. If he had not participated in the tournament and had kept his power hidden then his parents would not be in danger.


    He didn''t speak for a long time and his parents found him odd. They knew something was making their son depressed, so they tried to change the topic.


    "What happened to your fight?"


    Zero started describing how he beat all of the participants. Of course, he didn''t say that he was threatened and injured. He said that he easily beat them but that the referee was corrupt and disqualified.


    His parents were naturally angry but Zero said that he didn''t care about that. His parents looked at their son and found that he was not really sad and forgot about it. They also didn''t care about fame and all that.


    They just want their son to be able to do everything he wants. As long as their son was happy, they were also happy.


    They talked about all kinds of things and spent time together as a family.


    Although Zero smiled and didn''t let his parents worry about him, inside he was being eaten by guilt. After a long time, Zero returned to his bed.


    Hey on the bed and was contemting what he should do from now on. He stillcked the means to protect his parents and it seemed that he was causing trouble for his parents.


    He needed something, something extremely strong to protect his parents even when Rank-SS tried to assassinate them. The best method was to make his parents stronger.


    However, he was already providing potions and other resources. It would definitely help them but it would take time before they reached Rank-S and even after that there was no guarantee that other strong people would not go after them.


    That means that as long as Zero''s enemies exist, their parents would always be the target. Then there was only one way for Zero to protect his parents and that was he had to stop trying to stand out. He should step out from the Novel story and should involve as little as possible with the MC path.


    He assumed that Tournament of Academies was one of the arcs where MC gets involved. That''s why there were lots of enemies in this tournament which prompted his parents to be involved.


    Whatever things MC got involved in were connected to the interests of lots of powerful organizations. For him to avoid making more enemies, he had to stop bing involved in future conflicts.


    As for getting powerful, it was a must. Whether it be the future war or the many problems that will involve everyone, which he can''t avoid even if he wants to. For those scenarios, he needs absolute strength.


    He also needs to increase his influence and get as many allies as possible. He also had to increase the strength of his parents'' guild and Night Shade.


    He also had to upgrade his information agency, so that if anyone was scheming against him or his parents, he would get the information beforehand.


    He didn''t need information from everyone, as long as he had some kind of way to get the information from the major organization or from those who could threaten him, he would be a lot safer.


    "There is so much to do. But to protect everyone I care about, I need to do it!"

 Chapter 228 The Final Round!

    Chapter 228 The Final Round!


    The next day, the tournament was scheduled to continue as nned.


    There was no dy or announcement regarding Ulv Sylvester being dead or having people inspected.


    Seeing as Ulv was a traitor, his death was of little concern to The Authority. It was not important for them to waste precious resources trying to find his killer. For them, the priority should be to keep the news hidden as well as to keep everything normal.


    Zero''s parents recovered and were discharged from the hospital. As their son no longer participates, they headed back home and decided to continue watching the tournament on their TV.


    Zero did not stop them and thought that it was best for them to stay in the house. He also called NightShade and asked them to send a couple of Rank-As to protect his parents.


    Even when he knows that Ulv Sylvester is dead, he can''t rule out the possibility that others people might try the same antics.


    Zero has also recovered and he came with other students from Ace Academy to watch the match.


    This time he had toe to the stadium and sit down with other professors and disqualified students. As he nced at the other members of the Ace Academy, all of them looked proud as if this tournament was already won.


    It was kind of true since there was not anyone who could beat Lisanna or Hiro. The only ones that could fight properly with Ace Academy fighters would be either Jeremy Vincent or Adamscat. Other than those two, there were no other participants who could pose a threat to them.


    It was simply a matter of deciding whether Hiro would win or Lisanna would win. Either way, it was a victory for the Ace Academy.


    Between the two, many supported Hiro as he was apparently more powerful than Lisanna in the first round, even managing to defeat Omar Noel who had defeated Lisanna. So, logically Hiro should be stronger than Lisanna.


    On the other hand, there were also many analysts who insisted that Omar Noel only lost to Hiro due to Lisanna and Lisanna should be stronger than Hiro.


    Anyway, Zero didn''t care who would win. Professor Mia already promised him that as long as he helped the Ace Academy win, he would be rewarded.


    There would be a reward given by The Authority to the winners of the tournament but it should not be more valuable than what he was hoping to get from the Treasury of Ace Academy.


    The reward system provided to individual winners was never the selling point of the Tournament of Academies. The majority of schools are interested in the tournament because of the resources that will be distributed to the winners'' schools and also because winning the tournament increases schools'' prestige.


    Though Ace Academy was brimming with happiness, other participants'' schools were not depressed either. Though the odds were against them, half the participants'' schools were weak, and to be able to reach the final was already a miracle for them.


    As for the championship, it was beyond their reach and they never thought that their school would win.


    -CHEERS!


    As the 9 nine contestants made their way toward the stage, the audience cheered wildly. The participants from weak schools appeared rxed, possibly because they had already achieved their goals and did not want the championship at all, unlike the students at the Top-5 Academies, who appeared more tense than ever.


    The Top-5 academies always had one goal and that is the championship. As for getting in the final round, it is something that is achieved by many students of their school. Only being champion was worth it.


    After they were on the stage, they were greeted by Nock Fletcher and he started by first congratting the finalist and then saying the rules for the final round.


    The final round was always the same. It would be a duel every time. The only difference would be the number of students in the final, otherwise, everything was the same.


    There were 9 contestants this time, and in order for the number to be even, they first picked the two unlucky students who will thenpete to make the number eight, which is just right for the tournament.


    But before revealing the number, they were sent to their academy for 10 minutes to rx their minds. As for why the time given was so short, it was because the final round was already known and there was no need for many strategies. Thest round is determined solely by individual strength.


    Hiro and Lisanna came to our side. Professor Mia, in her position as the professor in charge, advised students to give their best effort, not underestimate their enemies, and be prepared for anything.


    They nodded to her and then other students walked over and encouraged them. They have full confidence in those two participants and were not worried about them losing.


    "Hiro, do your best! I know that you will win."


    "Senior Lisanna, the championship will be yours!"


    "All the best!" ...


    During their conversation, the names of the two students who had to fight early were disyed. Zero also looked at the screen.


    ( As expected of the Main Character.)


    Why Zero thought that was because it was Hiro who was unlucky, or should he say fortunate enough to get to fight.


    Why he thought it was lucky was because the opponent was a weak one and the only thing that this fight will produce is the chance for Hiro to show off.


    As his opponent was at Rank-D, Hiro would be able to defeat him immediately.


    The two fighters stepped into the ring and took out their weapons. Hiro''s opponent was weak and he knew that but he still decided to fight.


    It was his honor to get a chance to fight the world-famous Hiro and it was a rare chance to fight such a genius. It could be a very valuable learning experience for him. As for winning, he didn''t have much hope of winning from the start.


    The problem was not that hecked confidence but that one should know one''s limits. Even after witnessing Hiro''s power, if someone like him thinks that he could win then it was not courage or being positive, it was utter foolishness.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The battle started and Hiro''s opponent frantically attacked Hiro.


    Hiro seemed to be holding back and didn''t use all his strength in his first sh. If he did, he should have flung his opponent in one strike.


    He seemed to be showing mercy to his opponent. Or maybe he wants to give his opponent some time to show off to the world.


    -CHEERS!


    Well, that worked as the audience cheered in excitement.


    However, after a while, Hiro started to overpower the opponent and defeated him easily. Even with Hiro holding himself back, his power was way higher than a Rank-D.


    -CLAP! CLAP!


    With that, now Officially, there were 8 participants and soon the tournament bracket was shown.


    In the first bracket, it was Adamscat and Jeremy Vincent, and two other students who are in Rank-D and Rank-D +. In the second bracket were Lisanna, Hiro, and Zoe who is the Demacia participant and thest one was Rank-D -.


    For the first match, it didn''t take long for Adamscat to instantly defeat the opponent with her spell. The second match was simr, with Jeremy Vincent rushing toward his opponent without getting damaged by his attack and finally throwing him out.


    In the third fight, Lisanna faced Rank-D - a boy who didn''t even get the time to react before a sword appeared on his neck.


    This oue was expected by everyone. All the opponents of Rank-Ds were the Ace of Top-5 academies who are in Rank-C. They didn''t expect them to win or put up a good fight.


    The only match that seemed interesting was thest round which was the fight between Hiro and Zoe.


    People didn''t expect her to win but she had shown amazing power before. People hoped that she would be able tost a few minutes longer than other participants.


    Well, in reality, it didn''t take more than 10 shes before Zoe was defeated. Though, she was the only member of the Rank-D who had managed to survive so long.


    It was not that she was weak but Hiro took the fight seriously right from the start and used his full strength which was higher than her to overpower her.


    Hiro acknowledges Zoe as a strong person and didn''t hold back. If anyone who was in Rank-D received the same treatment from Hiro, they would be honored. Honored because using full power meant that he acknowledges them as a powerful person.


    However, Zoe looked furious when she was defeated by Hiro. Zoe was in the same generation as Hiro, which means that she sees Hiro as her rival.


    Many think that Hiro is naturally gifted and that he is a genius that they should notpare with.


    Others might not care that she lost and thought of it as natural for her to lose but she did not. She was also talented and the thought of losing never appeared on her mind.


    She gnashed her teeth in anger and jumped off the stage.


    The professors of Demacia Academy didn''t look disappointed as they didn''t have much hope of winning. Anyway, they had at least managed to get into the final round which was much better than getting eliminated like Arcane Academy.


    In the end, the first round ended and not even 10 minutes had passed since the start of the match. That was to be expected since Rank-C was fighting with weak opponents who didn''t evenst 1 minute before getting eliminated.


    Anyway, those participants who were below Rank-C were all eliminated and all the students that were left were in Rank-C.


    The real battle was about to start!

 Chapter 229 The Semi-Final

    Chapter 229 The Semi-Final


    "Let''s start the semi-final! On the left, we have Adamscat of Britelts Academy and on the right, we have Jeremy Vincent from Skyline Academy."


    There was no need for rest because the participants had rarely lost their power fighting with the earlier opponent. It was almost a one-shot kill.


    The first fight was between Adamscat of Britelts Academy and Jeremy Vincent of Skyline Academy. They don''t get along at school as seen in the first round of the confrontation.


    ording to the rank, Adamscat was one sub-rank higher than Jeremy. So, technically Adamscat should be stronger than Jeremy. But Jeremy is a tank and it will not be easy for Adamscat to eliminate him.


    "Start!"


    The referee signaled the start of the match. The referee was different from the previous one. Most thought that he was removed due to the bad decision that he made previously.


    However, he was detained by The Authority who wanted to question him as they suspect him to be the ally of Ulv and a fellow spy.


    However, spectators were pleased that a referee of such caliber had been reced.


    On the stage, Adamscat and Jeremy released their mana aura. It was not like the previous match where they could afford to hold back.


    [ "Frost Arrow" ]


    Adamscat was the first one to make the move. As a mage, it was better for her to maintain the distance and attack from far away.


    Many arrows containing ice energy formed and were aimed at Jeremy.


    !!!


    Jeremy immediately became alerted. He doesn''t like Ice because he was smashed by Zero Ice magic which left a horrible memory about ice. So, seeing Ice, Jeremy involuntarily became a little tense.


    [ "Reverberating Strike" ]


    Jeremy took his giant hammer and destroyed the iing attack. He then moved forward as he had to close the distance.


    Adamscat''s spell was not a strong one, and it was something she used for testing Jeremy''s strength. She didn''t expect her first spell to do anything to Jeremy.


    [ "Acid Arrow" ]


    Adamscat started to conjure more spells and shot at Jeremy. Jeremy concentrated on his defense and Adamscat repeatedly conjured these spells and tried to stop Jeremy from moving.


    She was deliberately using a low-level spell as it cost less mana and can be used to distract Jeremy.


    -CLANK! -BOOM!


    Adamscat''s spells were practically useless as Jeremy could easily defend himself against them.


    However, having the initiative taken away from him, he was in a dangerous situation if he continued to stay like that.


    [ "Fury of Energy" ]


    Jeremy''s body was covered in a thickyer of energy. With that, he rushed toward Adamscat even when her attacks wereing toward him.


    Jeremy ignored all the iing attacks and without dy headed towards Adamscat.


    -BOOM! -BOOM! -BAM!


    All the attacks directly hit Jeremy but when he came out of the explosion, he waspletely fine. It didn''t look like the low-powered attacks were enough to prate Jeremy''s defensive skill.


    However, Adamscat was as calm as ever. She just waved her wand and then enchanted her spell.


    [ "Deception of Vision" ]


    Adamscat released some kind of fog.


    Jeremy was initially concerned about the fog, but with his defensive skill, it didn''t have any effect on him.


    [ "Conjure Clone" ]


    Adamscat conjured another spell.


    Jeremy just continued to rush towards Adamscat but what he saw left him puzzled. In front of him, 10 Adamscat were there. He didn''t know where to go.


    However, Adamscat was not nning to wait for his decision.


    [ "Frost Arrow" ]


    Adamscat started attacking.


    The attack came from his left, he immediately moved in that direction thinking that Adamscat''s real body should be there.


    [ "Acid Arrow" ]


    But then other bodies also started to attack which further increased his confusion. He focused on his defense and took that time to think of a way.


    He would then move to one body and attack it, only to find it was a fake. This happened for quite a bit and he could not find the real body.


    Jeremy was like a rat being yed by a cat. He waspletely being yed by Adamscat.


    Just like that Jeremy''s stamina continued to drop as time went on. Adamscat had also deployed many spells, but she was good at managing her mana as she usually only used low-level spells.


    -HUFF! -PUFF!


    Jeremy was breathing heavily.


    It had already been quite a while since Jeremy found himself in an unfavorable situation. Jeremy had already stopped using his skill and was concentrating on finding Adamscat''s real body.


    "I have got no choice but to use that!"


    [ "EarthShattering Strike" ]


    The hammer grewrger as Jeremy gripped it, and he used all of his strength to strike the ground.


    -RUMBLE! -RUMBLE!


    The whole stage started shaking as the powerful wave started to ripple throughout the ring.


    "Found you!"


    Jeremy shouted excitedly.


    His attack destroyed every other fake clone and what was left was the real Adamscat who was using her barrier to protect herself from Jeremy''s attack.


    However, Adamscat grinned when Jeremy rushed toward her.


    Jeremy was already exhausted earlier and this attack took a toll on both his body and his mana. Adamscat has already seen through that and has started gathering mana for a big move.


    Jeremy quickly rushed towards Adamscat as he only had a few minutes before he copsed. He was readying the strongest attack that he had.


    [ "Sunlight Explosion" ]


    However, Adamscat had already finished gathering mana for her spell and used her strongest attack.


    -SHINNNG!


    She already knew that with Jeremy''s condition, he would not be able to defend against such a powerful attack.


    [ "Guardian Shield" ]


    Jeremy was not the one to give up easily. His shield was fortified with mana, and he held it tightly. It seemed that even if the earth shook, he would not move.


    However, the iing attack was not a weak one. The Adamscat''s attack collided with Jeremy''s shield.


    -BOOOOOM!


    All the spectators eagerly awaited the result. Right now, the stage was covered in smoke, and they could not see whether Jeremy had withstood the attack. After a few seconds, the smoke slowly went away.


    Adamscat was standing with a smile on her face. From her smile, anyone would guess that she had won but they still had to wait for the smoke in Jeremy''s area to clear.


    Then the smoke faded away showing the body of Jeremy who was still standing. People thought that he was able to withstand the attack.


    But then he copsed. Jeremy was unconscious.


    "Winner! Adamscat of Britelts Academy!"


    The referee announced.


    -CHEERS!


    "AMAZING! Adamscat is so powerful!"


    "Adamscat!"


    "Britelts Academy!" ¡­


    Jeremy tried his best but he was no match for Adamscat who had taken control of the match from the start. He had exhausted his power and was not able to show the real power of his defensive skill in the end.


    Jeremy was carried on a stretcher as the stage was rebuilt for the next match. Rebuilding the stage was easy as people with earth magic could instantly make another one.


    Then the next match started.


    "Good Luck, Hiro!"


    "Do your best, Lisanna!"


    First-year students supported Hiro, while second-year students and third-year students supported Lisanna.


    Both of them stepped onto the stage. They were both sword users and people expected a thrilling sword fight.


    "On the left, we have Hiro Ernest and on the right, we have Lisanna Lockser. They are both from Ace Academy."


    "Hiro!"


    "Lisanna!"


    People excitedly shouted the name of the person that they were supporting. This match was the one that most of them were waiting for. It was the most unpredictable match. Both Lisanna and Hiro showed power beyond what most students could disy.


    In this fateful confrontation, the two would find out who was the stronger of the two. This might even be considered the match that decides the winner.


    "START!"

 Chapter 230 The Semi-Final [2]

    Chapter 230 The Semi-Final [2]


    "START!"


    The referee signaled the start of the match.


    Two of them immediately released all their power. Previously, both of them worked together but at that moment, the fight was for themselves.


    There was no Ace Academy to bind them together nor was there a senior-junior rtionship. They were just individuals fighting to advance to the next round.


    It was their first time fighting with each other.


    Lisanna is at the top of her year and also the schools. She is a well-known person and Hiro has known about her ever since the start of school.


    Same was the case for Lisanna, who was constantly hearing about the talented first year from her friends. Though it was mostly because her girlfriends like to gossip about handsome boys.


    Lisanna had seen Hiro''s power before and also during the first round where he was much stronger than her. But it didn''t mean that she was going to give up, rather she was more excited to fight.


    Hiro had also seen Lisanna''s fights and he knew that her speed was higher than him. It is crucial that he does not make a mistake, otherwise he will be defeated instantly.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    Hiro increased his speed and seemingly disappeared from the spectators'' vision. Higher ranked people could see him, but for people in Rank-E and F, he has practically disappeared.


    [ "Wind Spirit: Astral Movement"]


    Lisanna also didn''t hold back and increased her speed tremendously.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    In a second, they exchanged many moves. Normal people could only see them when they stopped moving and their swords shed with each other.


    When they were fighting one another while moving they could only hear the thunderous sound of swords shing against each other.


    It didn''t take long for them to start using their powerful skills.


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    [ "WindSpirit: WindStorm" ]


    The stage vibrated when their skill collided. However, even after they had finished releasing their skill, they would not stay still and immediately attack one another.


    The fight was on another level than Adamscat and Jeremy. The previous match was also a fantastic fight but they were not as shy as the fight between Hiro and Lisanna.


    As both Lisanna and Hiro were sword users, they confronted each other directly and that''s why their battle was more popr with the spectators.


    One more reason was that Lisanna and Hiro were more powerful than them. The impact of the skill that the two of them were using regrly to fight was simr to the impact of thest confrontation between Adamscat and Jeremy.


    Each one of their skills would shake the stage and leave the spectators gasping for air. Even Rank-D explorers have a hard time spotting them.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    In terms of speed, Lisanna was unparalleled. She had the upper hand against Hiro in the speed department. However, in terms of strength, it seems that Hiro was stronger.


    The match as previously expected was very unpredictable as both of them were very on the same level. Though Hiro was younger and of lower rank, everyone could see that he was more talented.


    But talent is not equal to strength. If both of them were the same age, Hiro would be a lot stronger than Lisanna but at that moment, their strength was simr.


    In spite of Zero''s knowledge of the majority of world events, he could not be sure that Hiro would win. Zero knows that Hiro is powerful and that if he uses System, then he would win.


    But Zero also knows the price that needs to be paid to use that skill. He suspects that Hiro does not have enough system points to activate his skill again. He already used too much during the first round to beat Omar.


    Anyway, whoever wins, Zero would happily congratte them. He would get the rewards regardless of who wins.


    After many shes, Hiro began to feel exhausted. He was certainly powerful but for him topete with Lisanna in speed was not a smart idea.


    As for using skill to beat Lisanna, he was either countered by her skill or when she does not use skill, she quickly dodges them. It was not possible to hit her without exhausting her or decreasing her speed in some ways.


    For Hiro to win, he needs to take away Lisanna''s advantage, which was her speed. However, he was no Zero who could freeze the area and make her lose her ground.


    While shing with Lisanna, he started to think about how to defeat Lisanna. With where this was going, he knew that he was going to bite the dust.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    [ "Thousand Wind de" ]


    Lisanna used her strongest attack.


    Thousands of des made of mana formed and went after Hiro. Hiro who was having trouble with Lisanna has to now face tens of her attacks at the same time.


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    Hiro destroyed hundreds of wind des but again another hundred came after him.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro then destroyed one attack after another. He decided to conserve his mana and counterattack using his sword technique. He hoped that Lisanna would be exhausted after this and he would gain the upper hand.


    This was the idea that he came up with. If he continued to fight as earlier, he would be the one to exhaust first. But now that Lisanna is using a skill that takes away much of her mana, as long as he survives, he would win.


    However, he was getting pushed back as he continued to dodge and destroy the wind des without using any skill. He continued and he noticed Lisanna''s attacks were getting weaker and weaker.


    He knew that his tactics were working and it was only a matter of time before she stopped using her skill.


    !!!


    After a few rounds, he was pushed back to the edge of the stage. He didn''t even notice that as he was fully concentrated on the wind des of Lisanna.


    He noticed a smile on Lisanna''s face. He realized that she was trying to push him off the ring. He immediately poured most of his mana and readied himself for hisst attack.


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Now, with him being at the edge, attacking was the only option that he had. If he continues to defend, he would fall off the next wave of attacks.


    He expects that with such a powerful attack even Lisanna would not escape unscathed. This was the most powerful move that he could muster at that moment.


    [ "Wind Spirit: WindStorm" ]


    Lisanna responded with an attack of her own. If she dodged the iing attack, she knows that the hard work that she had done will be all wasted, and with how little mana she had, it would be her loss if Hiro escaped from that position.


    -BOOOOM!


    A huge explosion followed with the collision of two skills.


    The impact was several times stronger than when Adamscat''s skill collided with Jeremy''s shield. The audience in the stadium could feel how strong the attacks were by the wind that was blowing.


    Simrly, the huge explosion caused dust to be released into the atmosphere. The whole stadium was filled with dust.


    One of The Authority''s management team members came forward and cast a skill to make the dust go away. If they waited for the dust to go away naturally, they were afraid that they would need to wait for half an hour.


    -SHUSH!


    After all of the dust had settled, what remained was a severely injured Lisanna on the ring and Hiro who was outside the ring.


    "Winner! Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"

 Chapter 231 The Final Match!

    Chapter 231 The Final Match!


    "Winner! Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"


    The referee announced the result.


    There was a moment of silence among the spectators. They still didn''t know what was happening.


    Hiro seemed to have been blown away by the force of the explosion. Although Lisanna seemed to be more injured from the confrontation, she was still on the stage while Hiro was out of the boundary.


    It was obvious that he had lost this match.


    -CHEERS!


    No matter the oue, the battle was very entertaining. People had been gasping for air the entire match. No one held back and fought with all their power but it looks like today, the goddess of victory favored Lisanna over Hiro.


    "I-I¡­ won?"


    She seemed a little confused.


    She and Hiro didn''t see anything after that huge explosion. Her attack was weaker than Hiro''s attack and she sustained heavy injuries due to Hiro''s attack.


    She slowly stood up and surveyed her surroundings, discovering that only she was on stage. She slowly realized that she had won.


    She thought for sure that after this sh, she would lose against Hiro, but unexpectedly she managed to push Hiro off the stage.


    It was her victory!


    She clenched her fist and raised it in the air as if to show that she had won this match to everyone.


    ( I did it! )


    -CHEERS!


    "Lisanna Lockser!"


    "Absolutely Fantastic!"


    "This is what I was talking about!" ...


    Even when she looked battered, right at that moment, no one looked more powerful than her. In this high-level fight, the one toe on the top was Lisanna. She proved once again why she is an Ace student at Ace Academy.


    On the other side, Hiro looked dejected.


    He was not that keen and was not really aiming for the championship but when he lost, he was more dejected than he initially expected. One reason could be because this was a match that he could have won if he had done things correctly.


    Anyway, it was no use crying over the spilled milk. He acknowledged that Lisanna was more experienced and outwitted him in this match.


    A healer soon came, but not for Hiro, it was actually for Lisanna who suffered severe injuries.


    The next match was the final match and it will determine who will win the championship.


    Because Lisanna just had a big fight with several injuries, the fight was postponed for one hour. Lots of high-ranking healers came to heal Lisanna and also to help her recover her mana. With so many healers working together, it was expected that Lisanna would be back to her prime state soon.


    Hiro didn''t need healing and he came back to where we were watching. Hispanions, Lisa and Sylvia, rushed over and consoled him shortly after. Cheering him on, they said he fought courageously and shouldn''t take the loss to his heart.


    Professors and other students alsoplimented him and said that he still had next year to try again. They were optimistic about next year''s tournament which will yield better results than this year.


    However, no one dares to utter a sentence such as ''You will surely win next time!''. With the presence of another monster like Zero, they don''t assume anything of that sort.


    With the fight postponed, to keep the audience engaged, on the big screen previous fights were shown. It was the highlight of the previous round.


    From Lisanna fighting with Omar Noel to Zero dominating everyone in the first round, interesting videos were shown. Many people have already seen those but that doesn''t mean that it was boring.


    The video reminded people of the struggle that the two participants struggled through to reach this final moment.


    Soon enough, the time was up and Adamscat and Lisanna went up the stage. They stared into each other''s eyes.


    They were both third-year students and Aces at their respective schools. They had also known each other sincest year.


    Previously, they worked with each other but this time it was a serious battle with their schools'' honor on the line. A fight to decide who will win the tournament.


    "This is what we have been waiting for! This fight will determine who will be the champion of this year''s Tournament of Academies. On the left, we have Adamscat from Britelts Academy!"


    -CHEERS!


    "Adamscat!"


    "Britelts Academy!"


    "I Love you!"


    "Fight till the end." ¡­


    "And on the right, we have Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"


    "Lisanna!"


    "Championship is yours!"


    "Give us a good show!" ...


    The most anticipated fight was about to start but although it was the most anticipated fight, many already believed Lisanna to win. As seen previously, Lisanna was one league above Adamscat.


    "START!"


    As soon as the referee signaled the match to begin, both participants immediately released their mana aura.


    [ "Frost Arrow" ]


    Adamscat fired her frost arrow. She had to execute her move faster and have to keep Lisanna upied or else she would not be able to keep up with her speed.


    She has already seen what Lisanna is capable of and she must admit that she would be immediately defeated if she gave her the chance to breathe.


    When Lisanna was busy dodging her frost arrow, she immediately enchanted another spell.


    [ "Poison Mist" ]


    Lisanna was very fast, but she also had a few tricks up her sleeve. The only reason she thinks that Hiro lost was that he didn''t have a way to counter Lisanna''s speed but she was different.


    By having poison mist surrounding her, she could make Lisanna unable to get close. If she attempted, she would be poisoned, which would be a big advantage for her.


    After dodging the frost arrows, Lisanna tried to close the distance, only to have Adamscat''s poison mist spread rapidly.


    [ "Wind Spirit: WindStorm" ]


    However, with all her abilities being wind-rted, blowing away the poison mist was not very difficult.


    -WHOOSH!


    All the poison mist was blown in another direction, leaving Adamscatpletely exposed.


    [ "Deception of Vision" ]


    If that skill didn''t work then she had to take away Lisanna''s vision. However, she knows that the same thing will happen, so she added another skill.


    [ "Conjure Clone" ]


    With that, even Lisanna would have a hard time figuring out where her real body was. She nned to exhaust Lisanna like Jeremy and then overwhelm her.


    [ "Thousand Wind des" ]


    However, Lisanna was not gonna take her time to defeat each of her fake clones. She was nning to destroy everything, so she knew that she would naturally determine which was genuine and which was not.


    Unlike when fighting with Hiro, her opponent, this time, was not stronger than her. Every stat she had was higher, except for mana, which should be a mage specialty.


    She could overpower Adamscat with only her power and she didn''t need to strategize much. She had to take advantage of her power as much as she did with her speed.


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    One by one, every fake clone that was conjured was destroyed, leaving only the real Adamscat. However, Adamscat was not going to give up either.


    [ "Acid Arrow" ]


    -BANG!


    All her attacks were blocked by the wind des and then it continued to move closer to Adamscat.


    [ "Frost Arrow" ]


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    Even her other skill was useless in front of Lisanna''s wind de. Adamscat assumed that Lisanna''s wind des were weak because Hiro could break them with his sword, not knowing that it needed a very strong attack to do it.


    Her low-level spell was not strong enough to do that. At most, it could break one or two which is nothingpared to hundreds of des floating near Lisanna.


    [ "Sunlight Explosion" ]


    Adamscat was left with no choice but to use her strongest attack. The hundreds of iing wind des were instantly sted away by Adamscat''s spell and even Lisanna had to quickly move away to dodge her attack.


    Even though Lisanna tried to sh with her skill, she could not because Sunlight Explosion was ridiculously strong. The best option was to avoid it instead of confronting it.


    Anyway, it was not a big challenge for her to dodge Adamscat''s attacks with her speed.


    [ "Wind Spirit: Astral Movement" ]


    Since her wind des were all destroyed, she chose to deal with Adamscat herself. Using such a big move, Adamscat''s stamina and mana would be low. Lisanna wanted to capitalize on that.


    !!!


    Adamscat immediately deployed her mana barrier. With how fast Lisanna was approaching, she didn''t have much choice but to defend.


    -CLANG -CLANG! -CLANK!


    However, after withstanding tens of strikes from Lisanna, her mana barrier was unable to keep up and got destroyed.


    Lisanna jumped at the chance when such an opening was made.


    -WHOOSH!


    Lisanna held her sword against Adamscats'' neck. It was Lisanna''s victory.


    Adamscat raised her hand in surrender.


    -CHEERS!


    "Lisanna! Lisanna!"


    "Ace Academy! Ace Academy!


    "Number 1!"


    "CHAMPION!" ¡­


    The audience roared. In the final match of the tournament, the one toe out as the winner from 50 academies was Ace Academy.


    "Winner! Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"

 Chapter 232 Tournament Of Academies Ends!

    Chapter 232 Tournament Of Academies Ends!


    "Winner! Lisanna Lockser of Ace Academy!"


    The referee announced the result.


    Lisanna Lockser became a name that spread to every corner of the globe at that moment. In this gathering of genius, the one to emerge as the victor was the tiny little girl.


    This tournament has many variables as Rank-B girl Ruelle, Zero who was ridiculously strong, and Omar Noel who was given the number 1 rank but that all didn''t matter to most people, what mattered was the name of the winner.


    Lisanna winning with such people was a testament to her intelligence, luck, talent, and power. She would be the target of many guilds after this tournament.


    Her fame will increase from now on and may even exceed that of Professor Mia for a few weeks and many news channels will cover stories about her. Many guilds will extend their invitation to her. With her fame, it was easier for the guild to capitalize on her fame which will make her the most suitable choice for recruitment.


    Ace Academy will also be in the limelight for quite a while. Well, it already was in the limelight due to Professor Mia but it will only increase due to Lisanna.


    "Lisanna! Lisanna! Lisanna!"


    The audience chanted her name over and over again. Some students and Professors from Ace Academy went over the stage and congratted her.


    They all felt proud of their school being ranked first again.


    -CLICK! -CLICK!


    This big event was filmed and reported by many news reporters. A lot of people took photos and wrote a lot of information for the newspaper, which will be published.


    After some time, Nock Fletcher came over and said some words. He talked about how sessful the event was and congratted the participants for doing their best.


    He congratted Lisanna and gave her the prize, as well as the runner-up, Adamscat. This was just the tip of the iceberg, the real prize will be given to the academiester.


    Lisanna got a Rank-A + sword as the prize. She seemed satisfied with that and it was alsopatible with her. As I said, the prizes for the winners were good but not very precious. Rank-A + is definitely rare and very precious but nothingpared to the treasures of Ace Academy.


    There will be a prize awarded to the participant by their school as well, which might even be better than the prize of the tournament. Well, that is only if you are from the Top-5 academies. I don''t think that other schools can provide better rewards than what is given here.


    With our academy retaining 1st ce, I don''t think that the rewards will be bad.


    -CHEER!


    "Ace Academy, the best school!"


    "The undefeated school!"


    "King of the tournament!" ...


    The audience cheered and congratted Ace Academy. Despite the news, prior to this tournament, about how Ace Academy was about to lose their crown, they still managed to hold it.


    Many news channels had already started talking about the level of Ace Academy going down and to keep their news entertaining, they would also insult Ace Academy.


    However, the champion was Ace Academy!


    They could only admit their judgment and keep quiet about their previous statements. The Ace Academy has pped them right in their face.


    We returned to the hotel but it had be dark outside when we reached there. There had been too many reporters interviewing us.


    Obviously, the main person that journalists were interested in was Lisanna but there were also others who took their time to interview other participants from Ace Academy. Surprisingly there were also reporters who asked me questions.


    "Zero Elea, how do you feel about getting disqualified?"


    This was what most journalists asked him. Everybody knows that Zero was the prime candidate for taking first ce in thispetition but was unfairly disqualified.


    Many people had already filedints and The Authority also replied that they had punished the culprit but had refused to give more information about that.


    The people could only ept that statement and seeing that the referee was changed, they could somewhat ept the result.


    Anyway, even without Zero being the champion, many think that the credit for winning the championship should go to him for defeating Omar and other strong participants.


    Zero would always answer that even with the unfair decision, their school still won and nothing mattered more than that.


    People praised Zero for his maturity and his image improved among the masses. If it had been them, they knew that they would haveined and made trouble for the Tournament management team.


    "What do you think about Arcane Academy getting suspended from the Tournament of Academies for five years?"


    And there was also this question which was asked to him.


    The punishment for Arcane Academy was also changed. They were suspended from the Tournament of Academies for 5 years and many of their resources were taken from them by The Authority.


    One reason for doing this was obvious as they had Ruelle participate in this tournament under the pretext that she had failed in school. This excuse was not going to fly well with the Authority.


    But the main reason was probably because the agent from The Authority suspected that Arcane Academy had connections with the Dark Guild. The evidence they collected enabled many of them to prove the connection between Arcane Academy and Ulv.


    Although there was no concrete evidence that Arcane Academy was affiliated with Dark Guild, suspicion was high. Thus, they decided to take all the resources of Arcane Academy in order to reduce its influence and power.


    Not getting topete in the Tournament of Academies sounds like a light punishmentpared to being taken all the resources but it was not. Without having the chance to appear in the Tournament of Academies, which student will join Arcane Academy?


    Tournament of Academies was an opportunity for many students who would get the chance to show their talent and gain fame and various connections. And they would alsock the resources to properly train the students. Knowing that, which student will join Arcane Academy?


    That means that for 5 years, there might not be any new students for Arcane Academy. That was simply killing the school.


    The decline of Arcane Academy was certain. There might even be many investigations of their faculty and students.


    Anyway, to that question, Zero will say that it was The Authority''s decision and he could notment on it as they might have their reason. Well, Zero already knew why they were punished though.


    Equally, Hiro was also a popr candidate for those journalists. He was also surrounded by journalists as much as Zero was.


    And other Ace Academy participants and professors were also not spared. In such a situation, it took quite a while before they made it to the hotel.


    They were very exhausted when they reached the hotel.


    -BRRING BRIING!


    After taking a shower, Zero got a call from Sylvia.


    "Hello?"


    "Zero,e down."


    ???


    Zero was confused but he listened to Sylvia and came down from his room. He had nothing to do anyway and was curious what Sylvia was up to.


    In the entrance hall, Sylvia was standing with many students from other schools.


    ???


    Zero didn''t know what was going on but they seemed to be waiting for him, so he went to them.


    "Let''s go and y Eds Super Brawl. This is ourst chance to beat you."


    Without waiting for Zero''s reply, they dragged Zero to the entertainment room of the hotel.


    While they were in the hotel, they yed this game together. They wanted to y against Zero previously but he was hospitalized. Today was theirst day in the hotel, which meant it was also theirst chance to y with Zero.


    They had to win against Zero.


    Zero also didn''t have a problem with them, so he went along with it. He had to remind them who was the invincible Zero.


    Many people gathered around to watch the game. They had already made the order of their turn to y against Zero.


    ''Eds Super Brawl! Commenced!"


    The yer who was first to y against Zero was Paul who is considered the strongest next to Zero. The yer had determination in their eyes and was ready to defeat Zero.


    -PAW! -POW! -POW!


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Finish! yer 2 wins!''


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    But the reality was harsh!


    They were beaten left and right like some kind of punching bag. Against Zeros'' infinitebos, they could do nothing but get beaten up.


    However, their improvement was apparent as they could deal some damage to Zero unlike when he waspletely invincible.


    However, the most that they could manage was to reduce Zero''s health to 75 percent, which was very far from being able to defeat him.


    "Dammit! I can''t believe that there is someone who is really unbeatable. I will defeat you!"


    -PAW! -PAW! -POW!


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "It is a hundred years too early for you to defeat me!"


    Zero mocked.


    "My turn. Look at my newbo!"


    -PAW! -PAW! -POW!


    ''Perfect! yer 2 wins!''


    "Maybe after you learn to block!"


    Zero said.


    Whether ying games or insulting opponents after winning, Zero does not hold back when ying games. He had to show off when he could. It was not like he was a pro gamer and with time, there would be people who would y better than him.


    But until that timees, he was going to show off!


    With Zero defeating and mocking them, the final day of the Tournament of Academies finally came to an end!

 Chapter 233 The Future Path

    Chapter 233 The Future Path


    The participants started to return to their schools. Some schools looked happy while some schools were depressed.


    Ace Academy was definitely in the happy camp. Initially, not many people, including Ace Academy professors, believed that our school would win the tournament.


    But now, we are the ones taking the trophy!


    With bright faces and delight written all over their expressions, anyone can tell that students of Ace Academy were very satisfied with this year''s tournament.


    We boarded the bus and were ready to depart.


    Then came the hellish period where we had to stay still for hours before reaching the school.


    However, unlike before, people inside were chatting excitedly. Seniors were also talking excitedly with each other, mostly about the guilds that had approached them to recruit.


    Many students were taking this opportunity to speak with Lisanna. She was the one who had gotten the most in this tournament. All the big guilds came to recruit her with all kinds of promises. Some went as far as to say that in five years they will make sure to ascend her to rank A.


    People would also have gone and spoken with Zero if not for Professor Mia who was sitting just next to him. Who can tell what kind of punishment they will receive if they misspoke and got on her wrong side?


    Due to this, they refrained from going to Zeros'' side.


    Hiros'' side was very popr with many students talking about what he wants to do in the future. Like joining a guild, raiding the tower, or maybe carrying justice with The Authority.


    Well, Zero already knows what he will decide or rather be forced into. Hiro, the main character, gets into all kinds of trouble, revealing mysteries of this world each time and getting closer to the viin behind mass murders and other criminal activities.


    That''s why his path eventually became The Authority agent. It was because the information that he needed to track down the viins was with The Authority who wouldn''t reveal it to others.


    Lisa, Sylvia, and Zion also help in his quest though they don''t join The Authority. They don''t need to as they get all kinds of support from their parents who are all filthy rich.


    However, his main objective was always to find the Demon who attacked his parents though, in the novel, he never was able to. Maybe in the future, he does. Anyway, his objective does not get fulfilled even when he joins The Authority.


    Anyway, many students were very interested in knowing Hiro''s goal and what he wants to achieve. Hiro is one of the most talented humans who would gain a high position in the future, and they wanted to make friends with him when they had the chance.


    The journey for many students was very exciting though Zero was bored with having to sit in one ce.


    With time, participants were getting more and more excited. Most of the participants were anticipating the rewards they would receive from the school. They expect at least Rank-B artifacts or at least LVL 4 Art.


    They cannot wait for them to get their hands on them.


    For people like Lisa and Hiro, this type of reward was not particrly attractive because they had superior artifacts and Art. Lisa, with her background, can easily obtain any artifact she desires, and Hiro, with his system, will provide him with all kinds of artifacts in exchange for points.


    ******


    We traveled rtively the same way as when we went to the Spirit Meadow. The only difference was that the students and professors were more excited because of the trophy.


    We arrived at our destination safely.


    Students began stepping out of the bus with proud expressions. They were the winners who brought back the trophy for the school.


    There were people receiving us at the Ace Academy entrance. They congratted the participants for their hard work. Their wee was full of admiration.


    They seemed even more excited than us.


    One by one, we got off and we were told to gather in the academy''s main hall.


    We entered the stage one by one, and the other students and professors apuded and congratted us.


    The participants raised their heads and showed off a little. They seemed to really like this kind of treatment.


    Then the Vice-principal appeared and praised us for all our hard work. He started to reiterate the Ace Academy''s great history. In any case, it appears to be an event that was designed to show appreciation to the participants.


    This was mainly for showing appreciation to the participants and there were no rewards given. Our vice-principal said we would get the rewards tomorrow and that they would be excellent.


    Right after that, I went to my dorm which I had missed for two weeks. After taking a shower, I jump onto my bed.


    This trip has taught me a lot of things and how dangerous this world could be. Even with strength, you need connection and resources if you want to provide for your loved ones.


    I had resources but not many connections. NightShade was the only guild that I could count on if I fought with Dark Guild.


    ( I needed to collec¡­, I mean recruit good talent that could protect my family in the future. )


    There were many talents that I could lure into my side at this early stage of the novel. They could turn into a big help if I nurture them well.


    I also need to upgrade the power of Shadow genesis and NightShade. Just giving resources to the NightShade was enough for them but for Shadow Genesis, I would also need to give them some strong Art.


    Getting Lvl 7 and above Art is impossible, so the best that I can give them is Lvl 6 Art which should be good enough. And I need to collect some strong skills which arepatible with my parents.


    As for me, I would soon get my new Art and then I would go and retrieve the item that would really make me invincible. The only problem was that it could take years before I got that item.


    Zero thought about many things and sighed!


    "It seems like I need to leave the Academy earlier than I thought."


    I had thought about this for a while. I could gradually be strong in this Academy but it seems that staying in this Academy could turn into a problem.


    For one, as I said before, the main characters are experts at attracting trouble and everything that they get involved in is linked with the interest of many strong organizations. Just like when I interfered with the tournament which hurt the interest of the Dark Guild.


    As a whole, the main character group is rtively safe because of their good backgrounds, but for me, it was different. I had to rely on my own skill and connection.


    As a result, I even endangered my parents for a worthless tournament. I had already decided to stay far away from Hiro and the most effective way to do it was to get out of this school.


    With the knowledge about this world, I would get more opportunities by exploring the world than staying here. I already got most of the knowledge that an academy can provide.


    And secondly, like I previously said to withstand the power of Dark Energy I need an item. The item was called Dragon Heart which is an extremely rare Rank-SS item.


    This type of item only appears once a century and whoever eats it will have their veins strengthened, being able to handle all kinds of chaotic mana and also strengthen the body. This was the ideal item that could instantly boost my strength to a whole new level.


    With the rarity of the item, I would have normally given up on it if I didn''t already know how to obtain it. I already knew the location of this item but it would take a long time nevertheless. At most three years and at minimum, 1 year.


    "3 years¡­"


    It was neither too long nor too short, especially for those of us who could live more than two hundred years. Yet, wasting such a short youth was a foolish choice.


    But Zero was determined. The world was not going to wait for him to grow up. He must acquire all the power he can before the major events begin.


    One part of him wanted to stay and watch the main characters grow and fight against all kinds of problems. He was even willing to help them if needed.


    But even that feeling was inferior to the urgency of obtaining the Dragon Heart.


    Moreover, Zero already knows that Hiro and others were strong and they could solve the problems on their own. I mean they were ''Main Characters'' unlike him who is a mob character.


    However, he still has time to think carefully about this. It was not like he had to leave tomorrow. He still has many things to do before he could leave.


    He must first provide his allies with resources and strengthen his parents before he can leave without worrying.


    He also had to collect lots of resources because he had to stay in a ce where resources are scarce for years. That preparation will also take considerable time.


    He has at least two months left before he leaves!

 Chapter 234 The Promised Reward

    Chapter 234 The Promised Reward


    The next day, the participants were once again gathered, but this time there were no other students, and it was only the participants and a few professors, and the Vice-principal.


    This time it was for giving out rewards to the participants of the tournament.


    "Lisanna Lockser"


    The Vice-principal called out participants'' names one by one and gave them rewards. For Lisanna, since she already owned a weapon artifact, she was given Rank-S - boot for increasing her speed.


    "Hiro Ernest"


    "Lisa Kyelpas"


    The rewards were given one by one, though Lisanna was the only one to get the Rank-S artifact. Hiro got a Rank-A + sword which was not worse than the artifact that Lisanna got from the tournament.


    The rank of the weapon varied with the contribution to the tournament but the rank of the artifact that someone received didn''t go below Rank-B. Moreover, every artifact waspatible with the owner.


    "Zero Elea"


    Finally, my name came.


    "I have talked about the promise with Professor Mia. You were the greatest contributor to the Ace Academy victory. Here is the key. You may take any one treasure from the treasury."


    ( Finally! )


    Zero thought.


    He had been waiting for this moment quite a bit. The Art he was going to get was not as strong as his Cryomancy but it was strong nevertheless.


    "What?"


    "Any treasure from the school''s Treasury?" ¡­


    For a moment, the students could not understand the situation properly and then they realized that they hadn''t misheard the Vice-principal.


    Participants know the capabilities of Ace Academy Treasury by the prize they received. Lisandra received the Rank-S artifact, but they know that it is not the academy''s highest rank artifact.


    That means that Zero just got ess to the ce where he can get extremely rare and precious artifacts from the Ace Academy treasury. Most of those rare treasures were usually given to the professors who had done an incredible job for Ace Academy.


    However, their surprise turned into doubts and that doubt turned into understanding. At first, they were surprised by the opportunity given by the vice-principal to Zero. Then they began to wonder whether it was just them mishearing things.


    And then doubts were gone when they remembered the performance that Zero showed in the tournament. It would not be wrong for them to say that they won because of him. He, alone, eliminated the strongest opponent that they had.


    "Thank you!"


    As Zero spoke, he was on his way to the Treasury. He could not wait to obtain the speed Art that would greatly increase his speed.


    "Zero, this is a rare opportunity. Make sure you take time and get a strong andpatible Art."


    Professor Mia advised.


    She knows how some kids get too excited and bring in the first interesting toy they see without taking time to explore and get the things that they will like the most.


    Just like that, she thought that Zero who is excited would wrongly choose the Art that sounds powerful without really looking at other things that are in the treasury.


    And like she said it was a rare and hard-toe opportunity.


    Actually, at first, it was kind of a joke that she suggested to the Vice-principal.


    At that time, Ace Academy staff were not very optimistic about this year''s Tournament of Academies because of Omar Noel and other strong students from Arcane Academy.


    At that time, Professor Mia saw potential in Zero and thought that he could be turned strong before the tournament of Academies and have him contribute to Ace Academy.


    However, she by that time knew quite a bit about Zero''s personality. He didn''t like to stand out or fight.


    She knew that Zero did not like to stand out from the fact that he kept his strength a secret that many of the students would unt.


    He would not show his power even when others provoked him and tried to fight him. From that, she had guessed that Zero was probably not interested in the tournament.


    When she was in thought, she met the Vice-Principal who looked very worried due to the tournament.


    For others, losing didn''t mean much but for Ace Academy which had been undefeated for two decades, one loss will result in destroying that streak which may spark Ace Academy''s decline.


    They talked about the tournament and how it will be difficult to defend the title this time. At that time, Professor Mia said that she knew someone with great potential who might be able to get Ace Academy the championship.


    Vice-principal who had only been hearing negative news perked up and listened to her. He at the time easily believed her words without any doubts. It was because he was very worried and could not think properly and also because it was Professor Mia who was saying those things.


    It was very rare for her to praise someone because of how talented she is. So, the Vice-Principal seriously listened to her words.


    She said that there was someone who was very talented in her ss and she might be able to train him well and get to the level of Aces. The Vice-principal assumed that to be Hiro because he knew about Hiro''s talent.


    Professor borated on how she was going to increase his power, and the Vice-principal thought that the training was too brutal even for someone as talented as Hiro but he didn''t say anything because how can one be a sessful person without suffering?


    Professor also said that the said person ( Zero ) does not look keen on participating and it would be difficult to have him participate.


    She said that wanted to use some kind of reward to lure him. The VIce-principal asked for Professor Mia''s advice as she was more familiar with Hiro (Assumed person) than himself.


    At that Professor Mia, half-joking and half seriously, said that if we give him ess to the school''s Treasury, he would definitely agree.


    The Vice-principal thought for a second and immediately agreed on that.


    He thought that if the said person could help keep the two decades of record then it was no big deal. With the dire state that they were in, winning didn''t seem possible and the condition was only if he contributed greatly and the school won that tournament.


    Moreover, he thought that Hiro ( Assumed) getting those treasures would be great for Ace Academy as well. He was one of the Ace Academy students and his getting stronger meant that they would get an incredible ally in the future.


    Therefore, he promised that as long as the said person contributed greatly and Ace Academy won, he would fulfill his promise.


    After choosing the mentor, he learned that the said person was Zero and not Hiro. But he didn''t take back those words because Zero has shown great talent and if he helped the Academy win, he had no problem fulfilling his promise.


    And fast forward to tournament time, Zero had contributed the most. In the first round, he helped almost all the Ace Academy students to advance. Although he got unfairly eliminated in the second round, he had eliminated all the strong opponents.


    Therefore, he was also convinced that Zero helped the Ace Academy win.


    In any case, the fact that this was a hard toe opportunity is not only because she got Vice Principals'' approval, but also because there was opposition to giving Zero ess to the Treasury.


    Vice-principal agreed but it didn''t mean that he could decide everything by himself. He was not the principal and the decision to grant ess to the Treasury was notpletely in his hands. He called another professor and asked about the rewards that they would give to participants.


    Then came Zero''s name, and many suggested an artifact rank of S- and A+, which was not bad, but he was also of the belief that what Zero did was far more impressive than that of Lisanna in that tournament and deserved better.


    He then brought up the thing about giving ess to the Treasury to Zero. Many opposed that decision, especially Professor William who said that it was absolutely inappropriate and also that he was not even the winner.


    Hisckey and other jealous professors also supported him. However, the Vice-principal shut their argument down by reiterating the things that Zero did which helped secure the win.


    "But he didn''t even get past the second round!"


    Professor William said.


    However, this time the vice-principal didn''t have to interfere because many high-ranking professors refuted his point and said that they were not the tournament management team that only focused on the winners but also had to look at the contribution.


    They also said that eliminating Zero was some kind of conspiracy and that they got Rank-B dungeon management right aspensation. This was known only to senior professors.


    Ace Academy was strong and even The Authority could treat them unfairly without any reason. However, the decision that was already made could not be taken back and there were many reasons for that.


    So, to avoid the conflict between Ace Academy and the Authority, The Authority decided topensate for the damage by giving the right to manage one of the Rank-B dungeons to Ace Academy.


    Therefore, Zero not only contributed to Ace Academy''s increase in resources by securing the win but also due to him being unfairly eliminated.


    Therefore, they disagree with Professor William''s point. Normally, they would not care about Zero and avoid offending Professor William because of his dad.


    Despite this, many professors felt guilty about the unfair elimination of Zero and thepensation was for Ace Academy rather than Zero who is the main victim. Therefore, the most that they could do was to provide him with another reward which was ess to the school''s treasury.


    With so many professors against him, Professor William and other professors had to keep quiet. Even when their number isrge, when senior professors speak, they don''t have much power.


    Can a hundred Rank-B voices be equal to one Rank-S? NO, one Rank-S was far more important and influential than a hundred Rank-B.


    This was the same situation. What could weak professors do when the strong ones had already decided to agree with the Vice-principal?


    Only after all these things happened, was the ess to the treasury given. So Professor Mia wants Zero to cherish it.


    Zero just nodded and went inside the Treasury. He already had decided on what to bring and he didn''t need to listen to Professor Mia''s advice.


    He excitedly entered the Treasury and looked around in amazement.


    "It is really the number one academy in the world!"


    Zero eximed.


    Rank-A artifacts were lying here and there just like some ordinary things and even the number of Rank-S items exceeded 10 which is extremely rare.


    However, he soon began scavenging for the Lvl 7 Art. He assumed he would find it instantly, but he was wrong.


    Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours and even then he could not find it. He searched for it high and low.


    "Huh? It is not here!"

 Chapter 235 The Promised Reward [2]

    Chapter 235 The Promised Reward [2]


    "Huh? It is not here!"


    Zero was confused after not finding the Art after searching for it for a long time. Since he had already decided which item to take, he thought that it would only take a little bit of time but he didn''t expect that the Art that he wanted was very difficult to find.


    He searched for it carefully once again and it took another hour to go through everything that was present there. After another round of checking, Zero confirmed that the Art was indeed not present there.


    "Did Ie too fast?"


    Zero thought.


    If there is no Art then it means that the Art that he wanted was procured between now and the second year of Hiro''s time next year. This means that presently the Art is not there.


    ( ¡­ )


    Now, it was a bump for him. He thought he would go to the Treasury, pick up the Speed Art, and go back, but in reality, the Art was nowhere to be found.


    *Sigh!


    "Let''s search for another Art."


    Zero had no choice but to give up on searching for that Art. With the treasures present in front of him, he thought that even if he didn''t get the Art he wanted, he could probably get a simr Art.


    He then directed his concentration on the piles of artifacts and treasure that were lined up in front of him.


    "Not this"


    -THAK!


    "Not this one either!"


    -THAK!


    ¡­


    Zero looked through the treasures one by one. There were lots of weapon artifacts that included Rank-S but Zero was not really interested as he already had a reliable weapon that waspatible with his strength and techniques.


    He was basically looking for a skill or an artifact with nice abilities. However, it seemed that most artifacts were either weapons or Fighting Art.


    He thought he would find a simr Art to the one Hiro would find, but that was just a dream. There were not many speed Art and at most, the level was just 4.


    He even had to give up on finding a Speed Art. Now, he just wished that he would get a helpful artifact from the treasury or else everything that he worked hard for would be for nothing.


    *****


    "This is good!"


    Eventually, after some time, finally an item caught his attention after some searching.


    He picked up an artifact that was oozing with vitality and seemed to recover his fatigue and mana. Alongside, there was also a description of the artifact.


    *****************


    Name: Phoenix Feather Pendant


    Rank: A +


    Description: A ne made with a Phoenix feather has huge energy. It is capable of healing any injuries that users sustain. Also, the mana recovering rate will increase by 10 %.


    *****************


    The ability was useful and it could even help him recover his mana which is one of the rare abilities, not to mention its ability to heal the user. As he did not have any identification scroll to scan the artifact, he was unaware of any other information besides what is written there.


    However, since it is made from a phoenix feather, Zero knew some things about the item, such as the ability of the phoenix feather to prevent death. Unless the head is chopped off, artifacts made from phoenix feathers prevent the user from dying.


    However, he didn''t choose the artifact immediately. He browsed through other batches of artifacts. He tried to find another speed Art but the strongest Art was only LVL 4, which was not worth looking at.


    He also browsed through other artifacts which had interesting abilities but none of them were as useful as the Phoenix Feather Pendant.


    There were many artifacts that had a rank of S and Art that had LVL 6 but they were not very useful to Zero. In terms of its usefulness, Zero preferred this Phoenix Feather Pendant over other artifacts.


    Zero was a little disappointed that he didn''t get the item that he nned to get. He never thought that the item he wanted would not be there.


    He could have asked to postpone the day for choosing the treasure but Zero didn''t know when it would arrive or whether it would arrive at all. He thought that Art might not be here because of the change of course of this world due to his intervention.


    However, he still got something that would help him immensely in his goal, and he didn''t entirely think that it was a bad thing. At least, he got something.


    -CRICK!


    Zero opened the door and wanted to leave. He didn''t think that there would be anyone waiting for him. He took almost 4 hours to choose the item.


    "How did it go? Did you choose carefully?"


    Professor Mia, who was waiting for him, asked.


    Zero was surprised to see Professor Mia. He didn''t think that there would be anyone there.


    "This!"


    Zero directly showed the item that he brought.


    He would not have necessarily shown the item if the one who asked him was another professor. Having your artifact capabilities known to others was not a very good thing.


    However, Zero didn''t hesitate even a little to show what he bought to Professor Mia. For Zero, other than his parents, he felt that he owed Professor Mia the most.


    "This is a Phoenix Feather Pendant!"


    Professor Mia said.


    She knows most of the artifacts that were in the Treasury as she also got the opportunity to get the treasure from the Treasury when she was promoted to Rank-S.


    "Are you sure this is what you want?"


    Although its abilities were good, they weren''t the best that you can find in the Treasury. Although it was the best of the Rank-A artifacts, it didn''t measure up to the other Rank-S artifacts.


    Zero has the choice to choose any artifact from the Treasury and Professor Mia felt that he should choose those strong Rank-S Artifacts as those are the artifacts that are truly hard to get.


    "Yes!"


    Zero said confidently.


    From Professor Mias'' expression, Zero knew what she was thinking. But Zero had also chosen this artifact after thinking carefully.


    Rank-S was more expensive but he was confident that he could get that in the future. And the reason why he didn''t take it now was that the weapon artifact of Rank-S that was in the treasury was not verypatible with him.


    And Phoenix Feather Pendant was Rank-A + but its rarity was not lower than other Rank-S artifacts.


    Professor Mia wanted to give Zero another chance to change the artifact but seeing his determined expression, Professor Mia knew that it was not a decision based on impulse.


    He was no fool and she knew that.


    After that, Zero joined the ss which was taking ce as normal. The participants were highly respected by all, especially Lisanna. She was like the goal of most students.


    Hiro was also regarded highly by seniors and peers alike. For a first-year, his achievement was almost unbelievable. To get into the Top-4 of the Tournament of Academies, there was no one other than him.


    As for the Zero, he was also respected and feared for his power. But regardless of the fact that Zero contributed more to the victory of Ace Academy, students were more focused on the ranking.


    Since Hiros'' ranking was higher than Zero, they naturally regarded Hiro as superior. But those who had watched the whole tournament held more admiration for Zero than Hiro.


    The higher-ups of Ace Academy also valued Zero for this reason. His contribution to the victory was far more than Hiro and they also thought that Zero held more potential than Hiro.


    The reason for this thinking was that Hiro was Rank-E +, while Zero achieved Rank-F + during the entrance exam. Fast forward to today, both of them are at the same rank, which was more than enough to prove that Zero was more talented.


    However, Zero also had the advantage of being trapped in the Gate, giving more time two more months than Hiro to cultivate. Though, not many will say that being trapped in the Gate is an advantage.


    Being trapped in the Gate means that there is no time to cultivate and most of the time is spent finding food and fighting monsters. Therefore, not many people think that being in the Gate has given Zero any advantage at all.


    Therefore, while many think that Zero is more talented, others do not necessarily think like that and say that he had an advantage. Though what both sides agree on is the fact that Zero was not your everyday student.


    Even if Zero were not at the same rank as Hiro, after watching Zero defeat Ruelle, they believe that Zero would be talented enough topete with Hiro.


    As for right now, disregarding their rank and onlyparing strengths, no one thinks that Hiro is stronger than Zero. While Hiro was in another league whenpared with other people of the same rank, Zero was also in a different leaguepared to Hiro.


    If the average Rank-C- waspared to Hiro, it would be the same asparing a tiger to a cow. But if youpare Hiro to Zero, then it would be the same as a tiger beingpared to a dragon.


    Anyway, they started to pay great attention to Zero.


    Lisa and Sylvia were also greatly appreciated for their powers. Even though monsters like Hiro and Zero had made them somewhat like side characters, both of them had shown incredible skill at a young age.


    Being able topete with geniuses who are older than you was already very difficult. Despite this, they had managed to beat a couple of them in the first round, showing that they were geniuses among geniuses.


    Though their achievements were overshadowed by Zero and Hiro.


    In front of Zero and Hiro, they could only be considered average students.

 Chapter 236 Professor William Plans

    Chapter 236 Professor William ns


    Anyway, after the tournament, students were convinced of their power, and more than ever, they were eager to make friends with them.


    It was not surprising that those looking for connections flocked to Hiro and Zero''s table.


    Many were still wandering around and chatting with Hiro but a couple of the students also came to Zero in hope of making some kind of connection with them. However, with Zero''s indifference, they soon gave up the idea.


    Students tried their best to talk to Zero, but he kept a straight face throughout the conversation making others feel awkward. They thought that he was not interested in them.


    Though the reality was far from it. It was not that he didn''t like them or anything but he simply didn''t know what to do when others came and talked to him. He was willing to but he didn''t seem to make a good impression on other people.


    In other words, Zero was bad at making friends.


    However, unlike before, they were some students who were friends with Zero. There was Sylvia, who is his closest friend. Then there is that Professor Mia fan club president who can''t stop singing the praises of Professor Mia to him.


    And also its members, who think that Zero has done great service to their goddess by providing a ce to showcase her beauty.


    Zero would always twitch his mouth when he heard it because he had to suffer because of that. It was fortunate that it was only Professor Mia who found that out.


    If Sylvia also came to know that he had made the Sylvia Fan club in Twitflick, he couldn''t imagine his fate. As her friend, he had known her hatred towards the person who had made that page.


    Every time those topics came up in their conversation, Zero tried to change the subject and said she shouldn''t be angry at those idiots. He was trying his best to hide that fact from Sylvia as well as Lisa.


    Anyway, after the tournament, Zero spent a good time on campus.


    To Zero, the current situation in the school wasfortable for him and he felt a little sad when he thought about leaving this ce.


    For Zero, for as long as he could remember, he found it difficult to form any kind of rtionship with others. This was a precious time for him.


    However, that emotionsted for a second. Because for him, he could not waste his time knowing about future disasters.


    The ss continued as normal for most of the days.


    The only thing that was a little different was the increase in the number of journalists outside the school campus.


    It was already normal for us to see many journalists before the Tournament of Academies, due to Professor Mia.


    But this number just jumped up due to Ace Academy winning the tournament.


    Winning the tournament was nothing new for Ace Academy, which had been defending its title for two decades. However, this year, the Tournament of Academies was different.


    The odds against Ace Academy were heavily stacked and Arcane Academy was favored to win. With the appearance of Ruelle, a rank-B student, it was more apparent that Arcane Academy would take the championship.


    Additionally, Ace Academy was discriminated against by the referee, which put them at a disadvantage by removing their strongest students.


    Even then, Ace Academy disyed its mighty power once again and won the championship. This scandal was worth publishing and also knowing the thoughts of Ace Academy on that matter.


    The journalists were also eager to interview Lisanna as well as other participants from Ace Academy. To them, the participants from Ace Academy were kind of newly crowned celebrities.


    As long as the news was about them, people were interested in watching it. Newspanies could not let this opportunity go and sent their employees to Ace Academy to collect news.


    Moreover, the number of agents from Guilds entering the Ace Academy had increased. Before the tournament, only a couple of the Guilds would send their agent to recruit the third-year students.


    Now that the tournament has ended and the guilds have seen the talent of the students, they went full force to recruit the talented students. And as the champion of the tournament, Ace Academy students were the hotmodities.


    Obviously, the tournament participants were the top choice for most guilds, but some small guilds opted to go for non-participants who were powerful and were more likely to join them.


    Participants would get invitations from many guilds and they would obviously choose the bigger guild.


    Those who failed to be selected as participants - like some of the former Top-10 rankers of the third year - are left with no other choice but to join small guilds. They were the target of those small guilds.


    We say small guilds, but they must have been at least Gold-ranked. Below that level, only some untalented students from Ace Academy would join.


    Anyways, in a couple of weeks, the third years were going to be graduated and they had to choose their future path.


    As for Lisanna, she had been approached by The Authority to join them and it didn''t seem like Lisanna was against the idea.


    Lisanna likes to maintain order and The Authority was the right ce for her. She also met with many other prominent organizations including the church who also wanted to recruit her.


    The school campus was currently filled with people of all types and from a wide range of backgrounds. It was also not umon to see Rank-Sing into campus from time to time.


    Other than third-year students, not much impact was there on the first-year and second-year students. It was still necessary for them to go to ss and attend regr sses as before.


    Nevertheless, many professors who will attend Zero''s ss will not forget to congratte Zero and others for their brilliant performance.


    They would often spend quite some time expressing their thoughts and their feelings about the tournament. They would take them as an example for other students to follow.


    Most professors had a positive feeling about Zero after the tournament.


    Before the tournament, while some professors did acknowledge Zero for his talent, due to many rumors about him being cowardly and underhanded, many professors didn''t have favorable opinions of Zero.


    However, after watching the tournament, many had changed their minds and now their appreciation for Zero was at the level of Hiro.


    However, certain individuals were not very happy with this development. Professor Williams, who had been trying to drag Zero down the drain had been angry for the past few days.


    Professor William takes Zero as a rival in his conquest to conquer Professor Mia. For him, Zero was a thorn in his path and is meant to be eliminated.


    He traveled with Ace Academy professors to the tournament but unlike the others who were there to help Ace Academy, he was there just because he wanted to eliminate Zero.


    He had been giving information about their school participants to other schools such as Arcane Academy and Skyline Academy in hope that they would help him defeat Zero.


    However, Zero''s power was beyond his imagination and everything that he provided to other schools seemed like fake information.


    As a result, after the first round, Professor William began to be distrusted, and other schools'' professors thought that Professor William was giving them information that was the trick of Ace Academy.


    Professor William gritted his teeth in anger because his n obviously failed. For him, this was not his mistake, but that of other schools. He believes that they are ipetent to even defeat a single student.


    He also stopped relying on them. He then turned to other people who were willing to help him. The Authority people.


    He had also cooperated with Ulv Sylvester. Professor William started giving information about his parents and friends and how to deal with him. Obviously, Ulv did not blindly believe him and had done his own research.


    But he maintained a good image in front of Professor Wiliam. Ulv made a wise choice by having Professor William owe him, whose father is Rank-SS. Therefore, he acted as if he had done things ording to Professor William.


    During the time when Zero was being beaten left and right, Professor William was filled with joy. He knew at that time that his n was working and that he would be able to exact his revenge.


    However, even that joysted for only a few minutes and Zero had managed to do the impossible. All of them including the Rank-B girl who had the same strength as him had been defeated by him.


    He knew that Zero''s strength was above his and this further angered him. Though he consoled himself by saying that Ruelle was just an amateur and he was more powerful than her.


    The only achievement that he felt was that Zero was eliminated in the second round which relieved his mind. In spite of Zero''s poprity, it was not as high as when one won the tournaments.


    After the tournament, Professor Mia had suggested to the school that Zero should be rewarded by giving ess to the Treasury and this infuriated him.


    ( Treasury? To Zero? )


    This was tantamount to giving his enemies the nuclear code. He had to stop this from happening at all costs. He began resisting such a choice with a couple of hisckeys who supported him.


    As it turned out, those who he had thought would not interfere helped Zero at thest minute.


    ( Those geezers! )


    He was absolutely angered at the senior professors who had supported the idea of Professor Mia.


    In earlier times, those senior professors would not interfere with him. At most, they would suggest some other ways to solve the problem but they would not go against his choice.


    In this case, he expected the same thing to happen. He had his father''s power to back him up and those senior professors would not necessarily fight for Zero who is just a kid.


    Atst, Zero was given permission, and he had no choice but to ept. However, the idea of retaliation never went away.


    The more Professor Mia helped Zero, the more he wanted to kill Zero.


    "Just wait! It was not that I wanted to do this but it was you who forced me! Hahaha¡­"

 Chapter 237 Preparation Before Leaving

    Chapter 237 Preparation Before Leaving


    Day by day, Zero was preparing to leave the school. During ss hours, he woulde to attend the ss.


    After the ss, he would go back to hispany to handle much of his preparation.


    The Tech genesis was his main source of ie and could be regarded as his biggest backup.


    Using the money umted by thepany, Zero could buy all the things he needed easily.


    He would always be reminded of the benefit of hispany whenever he saw the price tag of some of the things he bought.


    For example, the Lvl 6 defense Steel body costs around 10 million Ethans which could bankrupt many Gold graded guilds and could be easily bought.


    Though it was not a big deal considering that it would strengthen many Shadow Genesis members.


    The Potions and Mana herb for his parents were simrly priced in total.


    Then there were also artifacts for Shadow Genesis and NightShade. Most artifacts were ranked at B while for his parents, at minimum, the rank was A.


    With all those types of resources, it would be hard for even some Diamond Graded guilds to eliminate thebined force of Shadow Genesis and NightShadow.


    Even the Diamond-graded guild would not want to fight with them unless there is a deep grudge between the two.


    Anyway, after they had consumed the potions and herbal medicine, they might even be able topete with them.


    In total, Zero had spent more than 100 million Ethans to strengthen his allies. However, he was not upset by that.


    His main reason for setting up apany was for him to earn money in this type of situation.


    He was thankful for the fact that hispany was bringing in so much money.


    Therefore, Zero also pays great importance to thepany. Zero was spending his time discussing future projects and how to go on about them.


    Eds Super Brawl was also released with the console.


    As expected of the next-gen looks and game. The games bought on the first day had exceeded 10 million copies.


    Nowadays, most people believe Tech Genesis products will be of high quality because of its reputation.


    Therefore, as soon as the game and the new console wereunched, there was no hesitation and many people bought it.


    Their revenue from that alone has exceeded 100 million Ethans which offset the money used to buy the artifact and resources.


    The Megaplex that was established has also be one of the most used apps. Manypanies and shopkeepers have decided to work with ourpany and sell their products through our website.


    It was because of the sess that ourpany had with it. Many of the mana stone-powered items are sold through it and users be familiar with this type of shopping after a while.


    Anyway, Megaplex was no longer a project that was not generating any ie.


    Initially, Megaplex didn''t have many users which caused serious concern for many employees of Tech Genesis. Nevertheless, it is now one of the tforms that generates one of the highest ies for thepany.


    Sometimes, the monthly ie from Megaplex would exceed 50 Million Ethans.


    There were also many projects that started under Tech Genesis. Major projects were those which were ordered by Zero to make.


    Besides that, Tech Genesis had started another project which was also sessful but not at the level of Zero''s idea.


    Because of that, many employees held a great opinion. Every project led by Zero had turned into a great sess. To them, it seemed like every idea that Zero tried to implement would generate enormous money.


    Every project Zero had started ended up bing extremely popr and many users would flock to use them.


    All of the ie generated by other projects of Tech Genesisbined would not tally up to one of his projects.


    Though there were many innovations and good products, they were not on the level of Zeros.


    Anyway, Zero is considered a great boss, and many employees admire him. Not only was he smart (at least in their eyes), he treated them well.


    The average sry of Tech Genesis was on par with Rank-C Explorer and Top-executive had an even sry which wasparable to Rank-A, that was also not counting the bonuses.


    In addition, they weren''t at risk of losing their lives like them, and they were only Rank-F humans. If they were working in any otherpany, they reckon that they would have a hard time even meeting the daily necessity.


    But now, they could even afford luxury items and artifacts to protect themselves.


    For them, this job was a dreame true for those who would be discriminated against by explorers and other high-ranking humans.


    They also don''t have to worry much about being bullied because thepany was protected by people from NightShade, and most trouble makers would be beaten before they get the chance to do anything to the employees.


    The next group of employees were the information gatherers, who are dispersed throughout many ces collecting information.


    This group was also very important to Zero who could do many things with information as long as he got it.


    Because Zero knows much about the future and who will y major roles, whether on Hiros''s side or on the enemy''s side.


    Zero had many of them keep their eyes on them and collect information on them.


    Zero was not nning to interfere as long as they kept quiet and didn''t find trouble with him or his loved one.


    There was also a ManaElemist group whose products are increasing in poprity. A lot of things were made with Mana stone and they were all of high quality.


    Their product didn''t need a power supply and the battery couldst for years. Many people were reluctant at first due to the high price and unknown brand.


    However, after spending millions of Ethan in endorsing popr people and having advertisements all over the ce, now these products are seen as premium products simr to Apple on earth.


    The price was high but was justified by its quality. They could also save on electricity bills.


    They are now focusing on introducing cars with high-ranked mana stones. Zero also has his request to equip his car with many artifacts.


    Well, this was just his personal product. Zero wants to build a car that is capable ofunching Rank-A magic spells from his car.


    Rather than for safety, it was more for his hobby. The idea of riding a robot and controlling that technology was always the dream of many children on Earth.


    During that time period, Zero was able to seriously consider the project proposal and ept good ideas while modifying those with potential.


    He has also given a couple of projects for Tech Genesis to make. Even if he was absent, Zero believes that the money would help his parents and the guild.


    During this time, he also paid attention to Hiro and other members of MC. Zero didn''t have any expectation of being saved by Hiro like many others.


    And he wasn''t really expecting him to save the world like in the novel. In spite of that, he hoped that as the MC he would be stronger by eliminatingmon enemies.


    Hiro was also the thorn in the path of the Dark Guild which is marked as an enemy by Zero.


    The day his parents were abducted by Ulv, the whole Dark Guild was on his target list. He didn''t have evidence of Ulv working with everyone in the Dark Guild but it didn''t really matter as Ulv was one of its members.


    The fault of their members should also be ounted for by their boss. While I don''t n to kill every one of them which was impossible at the moment and even if I could, it would only make me a mass murderer.


    However, that didn''t mean I would let them off easily. To show mercy to your enemy is the same as harming yourself and it would not only be me but my family that would be endangered if I didn''t deal with them.


    I, at least, need to nt a spy in their group to know whether they are nning to harm me or not. If they are then there is another thinging for them.


    Most of their passwords and secret code are known to me and it would not be very difficult for me to send some people to go undercover.


    I am also confident that I could even pretend to be some bigshot of Dark Guild and most Dark Guild members would not know.


    Well, those things I can do if I want to y with them. I could sneak into their secret location and take their treasures, pretend to be theckey of the Dark Guild leader andunch an attack on other organizations.


    Sadly, I don''t have the time, otherwise, I would have thrown their organization into a big mess.


    For now, I have to focus on Tower Of Obelisk!

 Chapter 238 Tower of Obelisk!

    Chapter 238 Tower of Obelisk!


    Tower of Obelisk, a ce where many treasures and dangers are hidden.


    For as long as the dungeon existed, the Tower of Obelisk has also been there. That means that in this world, for as long as mankind has existed, the Tower of Obelisk has always been there.


    However, no matter how long this thing existed, no one knows the actual depth of the tower. The highest floor that anyone had explored was 54 by a group of Rank-SS led by a Rank-SSS hundred of years ago.


    Simr to the Dungeons, the Tower Of Obelisk has lots of monsters and a boss on each floor. One might even call each floor an independent dungeon.


    To proceed to the next floor, the Explorers could either kill the boss monster or search for the teleportation circle which is randomly scattered across each floor.


    However, unlike the dungeon, monsters do note out of the tower no matter what. Even if the Tower is left untouched for years, nothing will change.


    Monster numbers remain the same and the strength of the monster also remains the same. It is like those monsters are programmed to stay the same.


    From the outside, the Tower of Obelisk does not look as big as it is described. Outside, the Tower of Obelisk is only 20 meters tall and could not really fit the mountains and all those humongous things in the tower.


    However, the time and space inside the tower are quite different from the outside world.


    1 cm space inside the tower might be equal to 1 km outside. No one knows the truth, but Tower Of Obelisk is considered a world unto itself. If webined all the floors together it might be as big as our world but no one can estimate that as we still don''t know how many floors there are.


    Also, there are multiple restrictions when entering the Tower. First is the number of people one could have in a party.


    The maximum number of people is 10 and if one exceeds that number, one of the members who came along will be teleported to a different ce.


    Strangely, the floor seemed to be different for different parties. Two parties of people might enter at the same time but they would never meet each other even if they searched the whole floor.


    There are differences between the Tower of Obelisk that one entered and the Tower of Obelisk that the other party visited.


    All in all, the experience they have, and the monsters they encounter, are generally simr. The same kind of monster is there on each floor.


    The second restriction is the number of tries that one could enter. A person can only enter the Tower of Obelisk three times in their lifetime.


    More than that, people who wished to be teleported would never be teleported anywhere.


    Third, the treasure that you took previously will not be spawned again for the same person. You may enter the tower of Obelisk for the third time and decide to go through the first floor again in hope of getting the treasures again but those same treasures will never spawn again.


    This is why people wishing to enter the Tower Of Obelisk will teleport directly to the floor they just left. There was no sense in going through the first floor again.


    And the final restriction is just what I mentioned. You can directly teleport to the other floors of the Tower of Obelisk but the maximum floor that one could enter is the one that has been conquered by you.


    These restrictions are very significant, as they directly impact when one enters the Tower. Most people who enter the Tower of Obelisk are aged 40 - 50 when they are at their peak.


    Due to the chance of entering the Tower of Obelisk being three, most people try to maximize the treasure that they can get by only entering inside the Tower Of Obelisk when they are at their strongest.


    This is a smart decision if one is nning to use those three opportunities to get more treasures.


    However, it was better to divide the chance into three parts. One should enter the Tower of Obelisk in their twenties to gain treasure which will make one more powerful. In addition, the Tower of Obelisk is a convenient ce to gain experience if you are a young person.


    Number two would be when one meets a wall in advance. Tower Of Obelisk is actually a worthwhile ce to cultivate one rank.


    As one rises on the floor, the mana aura increases, meaning one will rank up faster if they stay there. That might be because of the high ranking monster found in those floors.


    Though most people are entering the Tower Of Obelisk for treasures and not to train.


    New novels chapters are published ?n !


    Number three is like most people do. When at the strongest, enter the Tower Of Obelisk and try to get as much treasure as possible.


    One could find lots of rare treasures inside the Tower of Obelisk with many objects that are unknown to the people of Eds.


    Many say that the Tower of Obelisk was built by ancient people to escape from the monster onught but had ended up being attacked by monsters.


    There are many theories though no evidence backs them up. In any case, there are many mysteries surrounding the Tower, and even someone like me who had read the novel didn''t know much about this aside from the fact that Hiro on his first try reached around twenty floors.


    Having his Main Character''s luck, he manages to take most of the rare treasures with one of the treasures being Rank-SS andter serving as his main weapon.


    It was a case of insane luck for the protagonist. In normal cases, the Rank-SS only appears on Floor 40 and above but Hiro, who was on the 20 floors, gets it.


    The Tower of Obelisk might seem like a ce that could make anyone rich but it was not.


    Since there are no other ces to acquire rations and potions, one must get as many resources as possible to survive for months or even years inside the tower.


    Equipment will also break and one needs to take many spare parts or include a cksmith in their team.


    This much preparation could take 100 million Ethan of one is preparing for arge-scale Guild raid.


    If one could sessfully do well, the guild might acquire lots of treasure that could increase the strength of the guild to a new level.


    Not only that, the guild that performs well in the Tower of Obelisk gets recognition from the world and is an opportunity to get famous.


    However, in most cases, such investment ends up in failure. For example, the NightShade guild tried to get on the 35 floors but ended up failing.


    In addition to having been mocked by others for failing, the treasure they found did notpensate for the money spent on the equipment and potions.


    This led to their guild being on the brink of bankruptcy or they were if not for me helping them.


    And this was not a new thing as many guilds also became like this. With the hope of bing powerful and famous very quickly, they take out loans to acquire resources and jump into the Tower without knowing the cost of their failure.


    It is a good thing the NightShade guild was strong and they retreated or else they might have been like many other guilds who could not afford to retreat and had to fight till they died.


    However, this is not the case for me. Not to mention that I have lots of money, and can buy all the resources I need to sustain myself for years. I was going alone which is a lot less expensive though it is also more dangerous.


    Another reason why I am going to the Tower is that I am certain about obtaining the Dragon Heart that I want and because more than treasure, I want to train there.


    Fame-wise, I had no good reason to gain attention right now, and I already acquired a lot of useless fame from the tournament.


    It would not be a loss for me to enter the Tower in my current state. Moreover, I could use my Dark Energy and there would be no one to see that.


    So, with Dark Energy, I think that in my current state, I would be able to reach quite a high floor and obtain many good things, though they are just my secondary aim.


    Getting inside the tower can be viewed as training that will prepare me for the danger that wille in the future.


    Not only that I would be a lot safer inside the Tower of Obelisk than in school. Many would consider me crazy if I said that it is safer in the Tower of Obelisk than in school but this was the truth.


    The monsters were dangerous and it would be extremely dangerous to be careless in front of them butpared to human enemies, the monsters were a lot easier to handle.


    Unlike humans, who would hide and use tricks, to deal with monsters only strength is needed.


    Rather than endangering myself and my parents by being around Hiro, I think that fighting with monsters without any hidden danger is good.


    However, when I came out of the Tower, the enemies better pray that they don''t get on my wrong side.

 Chapter 239 Examination??

    Chapter 239 Examination??


    The preparation took quite a long time and it was already time for the Exam.


    Simr to the Midterm the Exam was split into two parts, one was the theory and the other one was the practical test.


    Although the exam was not important for me, the one who is inevitably leaving school, I did study a little and did everything I can to score higher.


    Anyway, the overall total of theory was just 30 % and as long as one did great in the practical exam, even if one failed the theory exam, they could pass by doing well in practice.


    Unlike the midterm practical where we had to hunt monsters in the dungeon, the practical exam this time was to fight with professors.


    They exin that more than monsters one needs to be more cautious of humans and that in real life, the conflict between the Explorers ismon.


    Therefore, we need to not only know how to fight monsters but also humans.


    That is why to check the fighting abilities of students, this type of exam was kept.


    Normally, Rank-B professors would handle this type of exam.


    However, this time, Rank-A professors as well as Professor Mia came to handle the exam.


    Though Professor Mia might have onlye to watch the performance of the student. Even the other professors present herebined might be enough to defeat Professor Mia.


    Previously, first-year studentscked the power to fight properly with Professors. However, this year, they had Hiro and Zero plus some other students that might give some trouble to Rank-B professors.


    So to avoid shaming the professors, Rank-A professors were sent to evaluate their strengths.


    The practical started and it was ording to the roll number which was the same as the rank from the Entrance exam.


    Rules for the practical exam were simple: fight with the professor. The points will be given based on how long one survives, how much damage a student has given to the professor, and if the student ends up defeating the professor then he| or she will obtain full marks.


    Well, defeating the professor was impossible when your opponent is Rank-A but they would not use their real power or so I hope.


    If they did give you their real power, even Hiro might notst for 10 seconds.


    First to go was Hiro. His opponent was Professor Theo who is Rank-A +. He was the strongest next to Professor Mia.


    He might be specifically prepared for evaluating Hiro.


    The referee of this match was Professor Mia. She looked at Hiro and then at Professor Theo.


    After seeing that both of them were ready, she initiated the battle.


    "Begin!"


    The battle started. Same as Hiro, Professor Theo also used a sword.


    Hiro had a high-ranking artifact but Professor Theo despite having a good weapon was using an ordinary sword with good quality.


    Well, those who are experienced in controlling mana could easily strengthen their weapon and maintain it throughout the fight.


    In their hand, even a toy sword could disy the power of a Rank-B weapon.


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    Right after the start, the two of them engaged in a fierce fight. Hiro seemed to be using his all without the System skill.


    Despite being only at Rank-C -, the power disyed by Hiro was close to Rank-C +.


    In thest two months, Hiro''s rank didn''t increase but it looks like his strength had a drastic increasepared to the tournament.


    Professor Theo was smiling even when he was getting pushed around by Hiro. From his smile, anyone could tell that he was satisfied with Hiros'' performance.


    As previously mentioned, Professor Theo didn''t use his full power. He was mainly focusing on defending and would asionally attack which could be blocked or dodged by Hiro.


    If he really attacked, even if Hiro used everything in his arsenal, he would not escape nor block Professor Theo''s attack.


    The battle dragged on for five minutes and with each passing time, it seemed like Professor Theo was increasing his power.


    After five minutes, Professor Theo turned the table and started pressurizing Hiro and after another three minutes, Hiro was defeated.


    Professors had already given the marks to Hiro. Not only was Professor Theo responsible for giving points it seems that Professor Mia and one other Professor were also responsible for marking the students.


    Professor Theo also expressed his opinion on Hiro''s fighting style and pointed out his mistakes and weaknesses.


    Though in the end, he praised Hiro and that he was a rare genius who was able to reach this stage so quickly.


    The Exam continued with students going up and getting beaten by Professor Theo. The time that a participant survived decreased as time went on.


    Hiro had survived approximately 8 minutes, Zion about 7 minutes, and Lisa survived 7:30 minutes.


    It seemed that Professor Theo didn''t spend much stamina or mana as he continued to fight with students one by one.


    After the roll number( Previous Rank) reached around 300 with most being in Rank-E +, the students could barely survive for one minute.


    Because most students started to fail after one minute, the practical exam seemed to be progressing at a very high pace.


    And finally, Zeros'' turn came. Zero was ranked around 970 and in that ss, he was at the bottom.


    At the start, there were some people below him in the same ss but after the midterm, most ended up failing and had been expelled.


    Anyway, the practical exam wasing to an end and Zero was one of thest participants but also the one that many were looking forward to.


    Even Professor Theo became a little tense when Zeros'' turn came up. It was not that Professor Theo thought that he was weaker than Zero.


    However, with the format of this exam, he had to restrict his strength to a certain extent and in that period, Zero might be able to overwhelm him.


    Zero came up on the ground and took out his sword. There was no nervousness nor any excitement on his face.


    Just the old same face that he always has. Anyway, even when they had been together for one year, not many students had seen any other emotion other than an aloof face.


    "Fight!"


    The battle began as soon as Professor Mia signaled.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero didn''t use Dual Art and was just using his Shadow Sword style for the first minutes.


    Anyway, to defeat Professor Theo was impossible even if he used Dual Art and it was not his objective.


    Zero was nning to obtain points by surviving for as long as he can and therefore, he matched the strength of Professor Theo purposefully.


    It was no use using more power and pushing Professor Theo around. There was no chance of defeating him and that would only cause one to spend more mana.


    Therefore, Zero nned to keep the fight at a stalemate and increase his strength ording to Professor Theo''s strength.


    After a few more minutes, too much student disappointment, Zero didn''t overwhelm or give him a hard time.


    It seems that Zero was not capable of defeating Professor Theo. And many even thought that Zero was not that powerful.


    But after a few more minutes, even when Professor Theo''s strength was at Rank-B, Zero seemed to be equally matched. This dispelled the thought that Zero was weak from many students'' minds.


    Not only that, Zero had managed to exceed Hiros'' time and fought with Professor Theo. Obviously, Zero started using Cryomancy Art and then Dual Art when Professor Theo started disying Rank-B strength.


    -CLANG! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The fight had turned from a boring to an extremely powerful one. Professor Theo was still not using his full power but he was facing pressure under Zeros'' strong attack and his imprable defense.


    However, Professor Theo knows that Zero was using his full power and would onlyst for a few more rounds.


    -BOOOOOOOM!


    !!!


    When Zero and Professor Theo were fighting fiercely and all the students'' attention was on them, suddenly a sound of a big explosion was heard throughout the school.


    Immediately, all the students shifted their attention from the Zeros'' battle to the sound of the explosion.


    Above the battlefield of Zero, a portal suddenly emerged. Many at first thought that it was the appearance of the Gate, however, there was no suction force.


    After a while, a figure appeared out of the Gate and startedughing. His face and body were simr to a human but there was a horn and tail and their body gave out a hideous mana aura.


    "Keke¡­ What do we have here? The most famous person on Eds Ice Enchantress. It must be my lucky day to get this area. Hahaha¡­"


    ( Devils!!!)

 Chapter 240 Devils

    Chapter 240 Devils


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    Throughout the Ace Academy, multiple explosions were taking ce. Along with the explosion, there were appearances of Devils and also Devil Contractors.


    The Devil came out of the portal while the Devil Contractor seemed to have been hiding in Ace Academy all along.


    "Hehe¡­ Kill All of them!"


    Devils ordered the Devil Contractors like their servants which were true. Devil Contractor only exists as a servant of the Devil and they need to obey themands of the Devils.


    The Devil Contractors immediately followed the Devil''s orders and started attacking every person that they could spot.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    However, they were immediately stopped in their tracks by the professors of Ace Academy.


    "Take the students and go away!"


    One of the professors anxiously said.


    The professors immediately went to intercept the Devil Contractor when they felt that there was an attack on Ace Academy premises.


    A group of Professors was standing in front of Devil Contractors showing their resolve to fight with them until the end.


    The number of Devil Contractors was more than the professors, not to mention, there was also the Devil who was just flying in the sky and looking at them.


    Professors were able to respond to their attacks quickly and there was no death yet. The explosion seemed to be done by the Devil Contractor to destroy the protection seal that was used to protect the school.


    With the protection seal, portals and spatial distortion were impossible on the school campus. Therefore, it seems that the aim of the explosion was to destroy the seal and let the Devils in, rather than killing the students.


    But the bigger question was how the Devil Contractors got inside their academy with such explosives. With their security, they were confident that no matter how sneaky Devil Contractors acted, they would not be able to get in.


    However, they didn''t have time to think about such things as they had to deal with enemies first.


    "Have you asked for assistance from other professors?"


    One of the professors asked.


    ''Yes, however, they are also in the same situation! Looks like we need to hold on until we get the reinforcement from The Authority."


    The professor replied.


    This time the range of their attack was veryrge and there were hundreds of Devil Contractors who got inside the campus. Now, all the professors of Ace Academy were currently busy taking care of the enemies which appeared near them.


    The professors present in Ace Academy were mostly Rank-A with some being in Rank-B +. And on the enemies'' side, Devil Contractors were of mixed rank.


    The lowest Rank was C while the highest was Rank-A. And as for the rank of the Devil who was ordering them, professors could not tell his rank. It was probably due to the difference in rank and also because the Devil was not releasing his mana aura.


    The Professor''s side had higher quality but the Devil Contractor had quantity. Moreover, it didn''t seem that the Devil would be attacking them anytime soon which was good news.


    Only Rank-S Heroes could fight against those Devil ording to the feeling that they were getting from the Devil. They were sure that a Rank-A professor like them would not stand a chance.


    "Let''s get rid of the loser!"


    "Attack them together!"


    "Let those elites know who really is more powerful."


    The Devil Contractors bellowed and started attacking the professors.


    The Devil Contractors were mostly those humans without talents and backgrounds. So, of course, their resentment of Ace Academy which is the ce for elites was very high.


    "Block their attack!"


    The professor quickly deployed their defensive skills.


    Professors could not dodge their attacks and blocked them with their defensive skills instead. It was not that they were not fast enough but because if they dodge the attack, the attack could hit the students which were behind them.


    Students were panicking and had already started running away. The rank of the average students was round Rank-D and in front of Rank-Bs and Rank-As devil Contractor, it would be even admirable to even stand.


    Therefore, whether it was a courageous person or a cowardly person, the most logical decision here was to run away.


    Even if they stayed behind, most of them would only add a burden to the professors just like what they are doing right now. They would be more helpful in running away.


    "I am here to Help!"


    However, this rule does not apply to everyone.


    Lisanna came forward with a couple of strong students. With their strength, they would be able to at least help when dealing with Rank-Bs Devil Contractors.


    "No! You all retreat with other students. You all are talented students and we appreciate your help but this level is different from what you are used to."


    The professor immediately rejected their help.


    Despite being talented and having the ability to help them, even they were a burden to the professors. Professors all understand that in order to close the difference in the numbers, having others to help would be helpful.


    However, it was different when the help was from students. While they believe that their students are talented, everyone knows that they were too inexperienced, especially when dealing with human-type enemies.


    Moreover, it was their job to protect the students. Having students fight with them was defeating the whole process of having them there.


    "But¡­"


    "No buts! Listen to us and retreat with everyone. You are just a burden to us!"


    Lisanna wanted to refute but was quickly shot down by the professor. The professor didn''t hide his thoughts and harshly told them off.


    -SHUSH! -BOOM!


    Arrows and magic were sting through the air everywhere. Whether in the sky or onnd, there are huge explosions happening everywhere.


    The once peaceful Ace Academy was immediately engulfed in the sea of mes. The once majestic buildings were destroyed into pieces.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The sound of battle and cries of some weaker students could be heard throughout the Ace Academy ground.


    On the other side, where Hiro and Zero were taking their exam, A Devil appeared which seemed to recognize Professor Mia.


    "Keke¡­ What do we have here? The most famous person on Eds Ice Enchantress. It must be my lucky day to get this area. Hahaha¡­"


    ( Devil!!! )


    Everyone thought that when they sensed the personing out of the portal.


    One of the Devils hade from an area around where there was a practical exam for Zero''s exam. From the mana aura he was emitting, everyone could tell that the rank of the Devil was very high.


    Hiro, even without using his Wild Sense could tell that the Devil that came out of the portal was out of the league for everyone out there except Professor Mia.


    Many students started panicking and shuddered in fear. They had never been exposed to such a strong mana aura and the bloodlust that he was emitting was off the roof. From the perspective of weak students or those students who had never encountered Rank-S, his very presence was enough to bring despair.


    Professor Mia had also started to worry after sensing the power of the Devil. Unlike others, she could gauge the Devil''s strength and could tell that he was around Rank-S Explorer or in terms of Devil Rank, A Marquis.


    However, it was not that she was afraid of fighting him but the fact that she would need to protect the students while fighting him which would be very difficult.


    "Oh, we even have Hiro and other targets here. Quite a lineup I had to deal with. Looks like this is really my lucky day.''


    The devil continued talking.


    This Devil seemed to be a very talkative person as he seemed to show no sign of stopping his talk and attacking the students or anyone.


    Professor Mia signaled Professor Theo and the other professors.


    And immediately after she signaled, the Professors started to retreat and shouted.


    "Quickly move to the safe area!"


    This voice managed to bring students back to reality. They immediately began running away. The professors led the student while surveying the area for any more danger.


    Professor Mia and Professor Theo stayed behind to confront the Devil.


    "EH! I was not even finished talking and you had all already started! Quite impatient I must say."


    The Devil said. He was as calm as ever without even thinking about going after the students.


    "Anyway, let''s get started! I must finish this mission properly or else my superiors will be angry at me again."


    The Devil raised his hand and shot fire in the sky.


    "Servants, go capture those students!"


    The Devilmanded.


    Instantly many Devil Contractors started appearing and they released their mana aura which was around Rank-A and B and some in their Rank-Cs.


    !!!


    The Professors brandished their weapons while positioning themselves in a way that they can protect the students.


    Most students had already fallen into despair, though some were getting ready to fight.


    "Hehe¡­ Let''s start the party!"

 Chapter 241 Devils Attack!

    Chapter 241 Devils Attack!


    -BOOM!


    "Evacuate the students! We will hold them off!"


    Several Rank-A professors came forward to fight with the Devil Contractors, and those who were Rank-B professors were tasked with evacuating the students.


    However, even those Rank-A professors could not stop the Devil Contractors from slipping through their defense.


    As a result of therge number of Devil Contractors, the people were unable to escape. Which meant that everyone on the training ground was trapped inside that ce unless they defeated the enemies.


    "Set up a defensive formation! Students! Be ready to run whenever the chancees!"


    The professors gave theirmands to the first-year students. First-year students were afraid, but not as much as when they were in the presence of the Devil.


    Moreover, they had already faced a simr kind of situation in the BloodyWolf forest. When dealing with Devil Contractors, they showed more courage than most people.


    Right now, the professor''s priority was to protect the student while making an opportunity for students to escape.


    [ "Multiple Fireball" ]


    However, the Devil Contractors were not going to wait for the professors to think. They had already begun attacking.


    The mage of devil Contractors startedunching their fireball attack which was aimed at the students. Some professors stayed behind to maintain the formation and also to protect the students if the devil attacked from another direction.


    The remaining professors proceeded to kill the enemies. Without taking out the enemies, they would be just sitting ducks.


    They had to reduce their numbers and hope that students would be able to escape when the Devil Contractors were busy fighting with the professors.


    However, the chance of that happening seems very less as more and more Devil Contractors join the fight. They were seriously outnumbered right now.


    -CLANG! -SWiSH! -BAM!


    While most of the students followed other professors and ran away with other students, Zero didn''t really follow them.


    Not only was he capable of running away if the situation called for it, but he was also worried about Professor Mia who was fighting with the Devil.


    Seeing that the devil was so confident, Zero assumed that he had something to back that confidence. It could be his strength or some kind of trick that he has to deal with Professor Mia.


    Whatever the reason, Zero stayed behind. With all the chaos no one was even there to reprimand Zero.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Zero watched Professor Mia and Professor Theo take on the Devil.


    In the confrontation between those three, it was obvious that Professor Mi and Professor Theo were going to win. The Devil at most had the same strength as Professor Mia.


    With Professor Theos'' help, it didn''t seem like the devil had any chance of winning at all. The most logical choice for the Devil would be to call for an ally for help or to retreat, both of which he didn''t do.


    Zero continued observing the fight but it was not like he was being ignored by the Devil Contractors. They were just trending more cautiously because they had seen Zero fight in the tournament and had a general idea about his strength.


    Therefore, the group of Devil Contractors who were in Rank-C was a little hesitant to attack. However, it didn''tst for long and they rushed towards Zero because they had an advantage in numbers and believed that they could take him out.


    Zero had already noticed those Devil Contractors but because they were only at Rank-Cs, he ignored them as they were not his threat. Rank-Bs and Rank-As Devil Contractors seemed to be busy with the Professors right now.


    Therefore, for capturing the students, it seems that only Rank-Cs Devil Contractors were sent.


    Zero had no intention of fighting with those Rank-C Devil Contractors. However, Devil Contractors themselves wereing to attack him even though he left them alone.


    He raised his sword in the air and gathered the mana.


    "Shadow sh"


    Zerounched his skill at the approaching enemies. To his enemies, he held no mercy and didn''t care whether they would die or not.


    "AH¡­"


    The devil Contractors who were rushing towards Zero were in by Zero in one move. Those who survived weren''t in any better state with their bodies in tatters.


    The remaining Devil Contractors who were behind sweated and gulped. If it was them who rushed first, they knew that they would have ended up in the same state.


    The Devil Contractors came to a halt and didn''t move. They were waiting for Zero to make a move but Zero didn''t move from his previous position like he didn''t care about the remaining Devil Contractors.


    Normally, they would have be angry for being underestimated, however, faced with such a strong enemy, the Devil Contractors were relieved that Zero didn''te after them.


    They also stood there for a few minutes. They didn''t have the courage to attack Zero and they were also afraid that Zero might attack them from behind.


    So, they stood there with their guards up.


    Zero just nced at them and then looked in the sky where Professor Mia and the Devil were fighting. Professor Theo was supporting her from behind using his bow which was his main weapon.


    Unlike in the practical exam where he used his sword, Professor Theo''s power was quite different when he used a bow. Professor Shot many deadly arrows which could instantly destroy a building. However, the Devil blocked those attacks like it was nothing.


    "Huh? What the f**k are you doing?"


    Suddenly on the scene, a new Devil Contractor came. He seemed pissed judging by his voice.


    The Devil Contractors that were there turned their heads and shivered a little when the new Devil Contractors came.


    From the mana aura emitted by that guy, the new Devil Contractor rank should be around Rank-B.


    "Why have you not captured that brat? You all are standing here like an idiot while we are doing all the work."


    The new Devil Contractor angrily bellowed.


    If one observes him carefully, then one will notice the bruise and cuts on his body. It seems that he was fighting with the Ace Academy professor and had run away from it.


    That might exin his bad mood and his dissatisfaction with the Devil Contractors who were not doing anything but standing there.


    "Sir, the student ahead is Zero and he has taken out many of ourrades. We fear that our strength is not enough to defeat him."


    One of the Devil Contractors exined.


    "Humph! EXCUSES!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor angrily bellowed again.


    He was already pissed off by the fact that he had to flee from the Ace Academy Professor and now this group of Devil Contractors said that they can''t take care of one student, which made him really angry.


    In his perspective, the moment that he gained new power after bing the Devil Contractor, he always felt that he was superior to humans and even the elite school Ace Academy would not be able to fight against him.


    But he was beaten up easily and had to flee which was his greatest humiliation. Now, 5 or so Devil Contractors say that they can''t beat a student who is in the same rank.


    Which meant that humans are superior to Devil Contractors. Zero, showed that humans were far stronger than a typical Devil Contractor. For the Rank-B Devil Contractors who believe in Devil Contractors'' superiority, this was uneptable.


    "Follow me! I will show you how it is done."


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor took control of that group of Rank-Cs Devil Contractors and once again those Devil Contractors were led by the Rank-B Devil Contractor to attack Zero.


    They were a little hesitant because they had seen Zero''s power and didn''t think that they could defeat Zero. However, with Rank-B Devil Contractor, they believed that they would be able to do so.


    Or more like they had to believe in him as they had no choice but to follow Rank-B Devil Contractor order as he was ranked higher than them.


    Once again the Devil Contractors rushed towards Zero and the Rank-B Devil Contractors released his mana aura and bloodlust. To remove his humiliation and to regain the pride of Devil Contractors, having Zero suppressed would be the best option.


    He believed that Zero would not be able to move under his pressure. However, contrary to his belief Zero was still standing and looking at him uninterested.


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor felt looked down by Zero which further angered him. He swore that he would kill Zero with his own hands after he had given him to the Devils.


    "Surround him! Don''t let him escape!"


    He gave hismand to the Devil Contractors who were following behind him. At a very high speed, he charged alone towards Zero.


    He thought that he didn''t need support from others to deal with a Rank-C student. He believed that the reason the other Devil Contractors died was simply that they were trash.


    Unlike them, he believed that he was a true Elite.

 Chapter 242 Devils Attack! [2]

    Chapter 242 Devils Attack! [2]


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor taking charge was good news for the other Devil Contractors. Others didn''t want to bear the brunt of Zeros'' attack.


    [ "Spear Gigantamax" ]


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor used his skill. He has grown the spear in his hand by ten times its original size. His handle seemed to be the same size, but the other part of the spear had turned 10xrger.


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor lifted that huge spear and aimed at Zero.


    "Take this!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor showed no mercy and even though they were asked to capture the students, he attacked as if he was trying to kill Zero. Maybe he forgot that or maybe he chose to ignore it.


    Anyway, he didn''t hold anything back when attacking Zero. The spear which had been turned into a giant spear, aimed at Zero''s heart.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Zero immediately used the Dual Art and Dark Ice Embodiment without any dy. Unlike before, he has a better grasp of the strength of Rank-B and himself. He realized that without using Dual Art, it is very difficult to defeat people of Rank-B.


    Moreover, his opponent was a Devil Contractor and there would be no consequences for killing him, so he wasn''t hesitant to use his Dual Art.


    -WHOOSH!


    !!!


    Rank-B Devil Contractor didn''t back down when he saw Zero using the skill. He was secretly sneering in his heart, thinking that Zero was attempting to block his attack for naught.


    This skill was specifically for increasing the power of his attack and he believed that Zero, who is in Rank-C would not be able to block it.


    -CLANK!


    "WHAT? How?"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor eximed in surprise.


    To his surprise, Zero parried the strike easily. The spear, which is 10x bigger than a normal spear, was blocked by a sword that was very tiny inparison to his spear.


    "Haaaaa¡­"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor pressed on and tried to crush Zero who was blocking his spear. He intended to crush Zero with its pressure. Though the most that it did was to make his sword vibrate a little.


    The expression on Zero''s face was especially calm when facing the Rank-B Devil Contractor. Even with the huge spear only a meter away, he didn''t seem scared at all.


    The reason Zero was looking calm was not that he was trying to look calm but because he had the strength topete with Rank-B Devil Contractor.


    Moreover, every piece of artifact that Zero was wearing was of high rank and this gave him an advantage over the Rank-B Devil Contractor who only had a decent artifact.


    Even with the Rank-B Devil Contractor increasing the power of his attack, Zero''s sword artifact could not be broken by him.


    "This can''t be!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor once again could not believe his eyes.


    He had used every ounce of strength he had and was unable to even push Zero back from his initial position. Zero was like a mountain that refused to be moved.


    For him, who always thought of Devil Contractors as the superior species, it was a huge blow.


    Before bing a Devil Contractor, he was also a normal human. His potential as a human was limited, and the highest he could achieve in his lifetime was only Rank-E.


    However, after submitting to the Devils, it was as if his potential was unlocked. He was able to swiftly increase his strength and had even managed to be Rank-B which only elites and talented humans can be.


    The once strong human that he thought was invincible died in his hands more times than he could count. He had surpassed all those people he once idolized.


    Due to that, he thinks that Devil Contractors are better than humans. As a human, he was weak but as a Devil Contractor, he had be very strong. This is why he thinks that Devil Contractor is better than humans.


    Therefore, he is unable toe to terms with the fact that the humanity that he abandoned and looked down upon had a person who could easily suppress him despite being Rank-C -. This was more depressing than losing to the Professor who was ranked higher than him.


    "DIE!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor shouted angrily.


    The Rank-B devil contractor lifted the spear again and prepared to strike Zero. With anger burning his eyes, he had again struck Zero.


    -CLANK!


    Another strike was blocked.


    CLANK!


    Another one!


    CLANK!


    ¡­


    Every one of his strikes was met with Zero''s defense. The Rank-B devil Contractor got angrier with each strike but his strikes were easily blocked each time. Although he tried, his strength was less than Zero.


    The other Devil Contractors who had Zero surrounded could only watch from afar. As the sh of power and mana auras rages, the others cannot even consider approaching the fight. The force generated by Zero and the Rank-B Devil Contractor sh was sending everything flying away from them.


    The Devil Contractors who are watching this unfold would have been thrown off if they were not of a high rank.


    The Devil Contractors watching from afar as well as the Rank-B devil Contractor knew that this was going nowhere and that he was not able to win against Zero. After all, despite attacking so much, Zero had yet to be hit even once.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    He tried a couple of times more but Zero stood there like how he was initially which meant that his attack did not affect Zero.


    Instead of affecting Zero, it was he who was getting tired of lifting his spear which is significantlyrger than normal. In hope of defeating Zero quickly, he has neglected his stamina which was draining quickly because of the heavy weapon.


    His moment became sluggishpared to when he came, plus he was not in a great condition even when he came. He had just fought with the Rank-B + Professors of Ace Academy and had already spent much of his stamina and mana.


    It was foolish of him toe here and challenge Zero who had chosen to ignore him. Now, he began to think of a way to get away from there.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    This did not escape the eyes of Zero who had been training with Rank-B from NightShade Guild. He could already estimate the power of Rank-B and knew that the Devil Contractor in front of him was running out of power.


    Taking the opportunity when the Rank-B Devil Contractor slowed down, Zerounched his own attack.


    The Devil Contractor immediately retracted the spear to its original size and used the spear as well as his mana barrier to block the iing attack.


    -SWISH! -SWUSH! -BOOM!


    "A-AH!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor had managed to block most of Zero''s attack but some of the shes had managed to hit his body. While it was only a minor cut, it was painful nheless.


    Zero was not done yet. He would not miss the opportunity of Devil Contractor being dyed by his attack. After using cier Shadow sh, he immediately changed his target to all the other Devil Contractors.


    It was best to reduce the enemies when the opportunity arose. Or else you would not know when they would take an opportunity to attack you when you least expect it.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero didn''t hold back even when dealing with those Rank-Cs Devil Contractors. He immediately used the Dark Icy Surface to instantly trap every one of them including the Rank-B Devil Contractor into the Dark Ice.


    The color of the Dark Ice changed from Dark transparent to Dark red. The Dark Ice does not only trap enemies inside it, but it also has thorns stabbing inside.


    The Rank-C Devil Contractors died inside the Dark Ice while the Rank-B Devil Contractor barely survived. In front of Zeros'' ruthless attacks, Rank-Cs could not do anything.


    .


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor used every ounce of mana he could release and broke free from the Dark Ice.


    "Hah¡­hah¡­"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor panted heavily.


    At that moment, he was feeling dread at the prospect of dying. His previous all-mighty expression had turned into that of a person desperately looking for a way to survive.


    Though Zero had no intention of letting him go. Zero prepared himself to once again strike at the Rank-B Devil Contractor.


    -WHOOSH!


    However, suddenly a portal opened in between the area of Zero and the Rank-B Devil Contractor. Zero stopped in his tracks and became alert.


    From the aura that wasing from the portal, Zero knew that the Deviling out of the portal would be of very high rank. If it was at the rank of the Devil that Professor Mia was fighting then he would have no chance. However, if it was below that then he might have a shot.


    Instead of running, Zero waited there because the Devil might havee to support the Devil fighting Professor Mia. If the Devil who was appearing from the portal was stronger than Professor Theo then he had to help them or else Professor Mia might face some problem.


    "This seems to be the right ce!"

 Chapter 243 Meet The Old Enemy!

    Chapter 243 Meet The Old Enemy!


    "This seems to be the right ce!"


    As the Devil stepped out of the portal, he said.


    Analyzing what the Devil said, Zero assumed that the Devil had intentionallye to that ce which meant the Devil was there to support the S-Rank Devil.


    "Sir, Xalvar!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor called out.


    More than feeling relieved that he was getting help, the Rank-B Devil Contractor seemed to be more afraid of the Devil than getting killed by Zero. One would normally feel happy when an allyes to your aid, especially when in a desperate situation like Rank-B Devil Contractor was.


    The Devil ignored the Rank-B Devil Contractor and was watching the fight between the Rank-S Devil and Professor Mia.


    Zero was ready to attack the Devil as he stood by the side. He still has no idea about the strength of the devil but he thought that he could at least distract the Devil until Professor Mia and Professor Theo defeat the Rank-S Devil.


    Anyway, if the devil turns out to be Rank-S then Zero would be killed instantly. However, he still thought that this was the right choice. If the Devil was indeed Rank-S, then everyone including Professor Mia could die.


    There was no way that Professor Mia could handle another Rank-S in this situation. Right now, Professor Mia had the advantage with the aid of Professor Theo but it would be different if the Devil that came joined the battle.


    "For how long has Ostrimor been fighting?"


    Xalvar asked the Rank-B Devil Contractor.


    "Sir Xalver, I think it has been about 10 minutes!"


    The Rank-B Devil Contractor immediately replied.


    Zero thought that the Devil would attack professor Mia the moment he grasped the situation. But unexpectedly, even when the devil who is called Ostrimor was at a disadvantage, he waited and continued to observe the fight.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The fight between Professor Mia and the Devil continued. Zero, who was unable to perceive Xalver''s n, continued to observe him while being prepared to attack at any moment.


    Xalver then nced at Zero and grinned.


    "I didn''t expect you to be here."


    Xalver said happily.


    ???


    However, Zero didn''t understand why the Devil said that. They said those words to Zero as if he knew him.


    "Who are you?"


    Zero asked.


    He had be more cautious after what the devil said. He didn''t understand why the devil said that but he assumed that the devil knew him or something.


    Enemy knowing you is never a good thing.


    "Kekeke¡­ Who am I? What a funny thing to ask. Hahaha¡­"


    The Devilughed.


    ???


    Zero didn''t really understand the devil in front of him. Xalver was acting as if Zero was stupid for not knowing him or something.


    "Then let me remind you again who I am."


    -SHUSH!


    The Devil released his strength and the air seemed to have stopped for a second. From the aura released by the Devil, Zero knew that the Devil in front of him possessed the strength equal to Rank-A Explorers.


    *****


    On the other side of the battlefield was the fight between the students and the Rank-Cs Devil Contractors.


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Behind the barrier, professors could not protect students forever. They have students escape from other routes while they hold off the Devil Contractors.


    However, on the other path also, there were lots of Devil Contractors. Though the rank of those who ambushed them was not of very high rank. The high-ranking Devil Contractors were fighting with the professors.


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    -BOOM!


    "I have cleared this area."


    Hiro said to other students.


    Hiro was Rank-C - but hisbat power was a lot higher than that rank. For him, those Rank-C - and Rank-C Devil Contractors were not a big deal. It only took him a few minutes to kill 10 Rank-Cs Devil Contractors.


    Other students like Lisa and Sylvia were also fighting with the Devil Contractors. They were also able to defeat at least Rank-C - Devil Contractor.


    Professors had stopped the Rank-B and Rank-A Devil Contractors from going after the students.


    However, the students still had to deal with the Devil Contractors though they were weaker than the Devil Contractors that the professor was fighting against.


    Hiro and the other main characters led the students to escape. They were the strongest among the students and were naturally inmand.


    The weaker students who are in Rank-Is just followed them. They were powerless to do anything against the Rank-C enemies. Even Rank-D students were struggling to provide any help to Hiro.


    The fortunate thing was that Hiro was able to defeat those Rank-Cs Devil Contractors or else they could not have survived for so long. There was also Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia who had managed to take out a couple of Rank-Cs Devil Contractors.


    And there were also a couple of students who were fighting with the Devil Contractors with the help of their friends.


    Even with the amount of Devil contractors that they defeated, there were still more than one hundred Devil Contractors that were making their way towards them.


    Even if Hiro spent hours fighting with them, it didn''t seem like they would be able to escape from that ce.


    -CLANG! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    Though they knew that, they didn''t have any other choice but to fight.


    They could only hope that the Professors win their fight ande over to help them.


    After defeating this group of Devil Contractors, another group soon followed.


    "Keke¡­ I came to the right ce!"


    One of the Devil Contractors who suddenly appeared said.


    !!!


    Hiro, Zion, and Lisa immediately became alert. It was because the Devil Contractor that had appeared was someone that they had encountered before.


    "It is good that you all are still alive. If not, all my preparation, my hard work, and my feelings would be for nothing."


    It was the same Devil Contractors leader that Hiro had fought in the BloodyWolf Forest.


    At that time, Hiro was only at Rank-E + and the Devil Contractors leader was ranked D -. At that time, even with the help of Zion and Lisa, Hiro was only able to survive and could not do anything against him.


    Encountering him again, they were obviously cautious because of their memory. That was the time when they truly despaired and knew about the power of Devil Contractors.


    However, things were quite different this time. Hiro was at Rank-C -, while Zion and Lisa were at Rank-D +. If they encountered the same Devil Contractors leader, they would have been able to defeat him alone.


    However, the Devil Contractors seemed to have also changed. The Devil Contractor which was at Rank-D has managed to reach Rank-C +. This type of speed wasparable to Lisa and Sylvia''s.


    However, it was not talent that had managed to get him so far. With his revenge as his motivation, he went through countless life-threatening missions and got lots of Devil fruit, and managed to Rank-C +.


    This all was for this moment. This past month all he could think about was this moment when he could finally meet Hiro, Zion, and Lisa again.


    "You are going to experience all the pain I went through due to you!"


    He bellowed as he released all his mana aura. The students could tell he was more powerful than any other Devil Contractor from the mana aura he released.


    -THUD!


    He stepped forward excitedly. He could not stop himself. He had endured harsh punishment due to the failure of the mission. He became a joke in the Devil Contractormunity and all his resources were taken.


    He could not avoid taking high-risk missions in order to get good rewards in order to avenge himself. He was able to survive and finally the time for him to get his revenge hade.


    -THUD!


    Zion and others could feel the pressure of his mana aura. While Hiro, who is in Rank-C - was not pressurized by Rank-C + mana aura, it was different for other students who are in Rank-D.


    "Barracuda! Wait! They are tough. We need to work together."


    However, one of the Devil Contractors immediately stopped the Devil Contractor. Barracuda, which was the name of that Devil Contractor, was annoyed by the Devil Contractor who stopped him.


    For him, anyone in the path of his revenge was an enemy.


    -BANG!


    Barracuda flicked his hand and pped the Devil Contractor who stopped him in the wall.


    "Anyone who wants to order me again?"


    Barracuda asked angrily.


    The other Devil Contractors didn''t dare to stop him. They had known about Barracuda ever since he became Rank-C -. An unusual Devil Contractor who took a highly dangerous mission and came back alive every time.


    He would fight with anyone who angered him. Therefore, many of the Devil Contractors present there to avoid him. The only reason they are together with the lunatic is that the Devil ordered them to do so.


    Barracuda once again turned his attention to Hiro.


    "Now that annoying bug has been removed. Let''s start the fight, little heroes!"

 Chapter 244 Meet The Old Enemy! [2]

    Chapter 244 Meet The Old Enemy! [2]


    "Now that annoying bug has been removed. Let''s start the fight, little heroes!"


    Barracuda said as he regained his excitement.


    Barracuda called Hiro and his group heroes because that was what was called by the media when the news that Hiro managed to drive away Barracuda was known.


    Letting Hiro alive was one of the most humiliating things for Barracuda. He used Devil Fruits and even with that he was not able toplete his objectives. His punishment was nothing inparison to the humiliation that he had to endure.


    The news about the heroes emerging was everywhere after that incident and every time he saw those papers, he would be angry. It was like someone was advertising his failure to the whole world which was technically true.


    His failure was celebrated by the whole people of Eds.


    Anyway, those were the things in the past that he had to endure. Now, the time to amend his mistake hade. He brandished his ax which was a Rank-B artifact that he got from one of the missions.


    Hiro and Zion also got ready. They were not hasty about making their move and waited for Barracuda to make his first move.


    Barracuda''s ability to knock out one of the Rank-Cs Devil Contractors in one move showed them that Barracuda was more powerful than the other devil contractors they were fighting.


    When Barracuda took the stage, even the other Devil Contractors refrain from interfering. They don''t want to end up in the same state as the one who was pped by Barracuda.


    -THUD! -WHOOSH!


    Immediately Barracuda started to move towards them with bloodlust oozing out of his body.


    "Enchant me!"


    Zion quickly said to Lisa. He knew that for them to be able to defeat Barracuda, they needed to take the fight seriously.


    While he could use his secret technique to increase his strength, after the time ends, he would be vulnerable. And that would be the worst-case scenario, especially since Barracuda was not the only enemy that he had to fight.


    However, he was not afraid to face Barracuda again. Instead, he took this as an opportunity to wash away his shame of being defeated.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Reinforce Strength" ]


    Lisa immediately enchanted Hiro and Zion''s power. She also remembers the time when the three of them were defeated miserably by Barracuda.


    However, she was not afraid to face Barracuda again for a simr reason. Since then, she has grown and believes that she could perform better than before.


    Barracuda wielded his ax and rushed to attack the trio. However, this time they were not only stronger, but they had an additional ally.


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    Sylvia was the first one to strike. She shot several arrows simultaneously at Barracuda with each arrow blinding the enemies.


    Of the four, only Sylvia has not fought with Barracuda. Even so, she could tell that the opponent appeared this time was more dangerous than before.


    Barracuda who was rushing towards them came to a halt due to his vision being taken away.


    Hiro and Zion didn''t let the opportunity pass them by and immediately started to attack him.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    [ "Starshatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    Both Zion and Hiro used their skills at Barracuda who was stunned by Sylvia. The other Devil Contractors even with Barracuda fighting alone refrain from helping him.


    Not only were they not friendly with him, they knew that they were more likely to be beaten by Barracuda. Anyway, even if Barracuda was to be defeated, they didn''t think that it was anything bad.


    [ "Berserk Chop" ]


    -CLANK!


    However, their attacks were met with Barracuda''s ax. With Barracuda''s ridiculous strength, he was easily able to parry Hiro and Zions''bined attack. After fighting many strong enemies for the past few months, Barracuda''s fighting abilities werepletely different from before.


    Even without his vision, by sensing the mana aura, he was able to tell from where Zion and Hiro were attacking.


    "Not today!"


    Barracuda said.


    -CLANK!


    Hiro and Zion were pushed back by Barracuda''s counterattack.


    [ "Phoenix me Shot" ]


    -SLASH!


    Sylvia attacked, but the attack was destroyed by Barracuda''s ax. For him, the attack that was done by Sylvia was very weak.


    Hiro and others were not that shaken by Barracuda''s disy of strength. That was not like the time when they used every power they had and still failed to defeat him.


    They were just using their regr power and then also they were not at a disadvantage. While their attacks were all intercepted, Barracuda himself was not able to proceed further.


    "I see you have all grown stronger. But so did I! Haaaaaa¡­"


    Barracuda released a powerful wave of mana as he prepared to use his skill. Several students would have passed out if not for Hiro shielding them with his own mana aura.


    [ "Mountain Split" ]


    A huge sh created by Barracudas'' ax wasunched at the students. The attack area didn''t just involve Hiro and those who were fighting him. The sh was sorge that it could hit every student that was there.


    However, obviously, Hiro and his group would not let that happen.


    Lisa raised her staff and prepared to deploy the shield.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Lunar Curtain" ]


    Lisa released her skill. In front of the students, there was a wall that seemed to be made up of light. Obviously, a wide area shield like this was not enough to protect the students from the attack that Barracuda has just released.


    [ "Stormrage Phoenix" ]


    Sylvia shot an arrow that turned into a blue fire phoenix that headed towards the Barracuda attack and challenged it.


    -BOOM!


    The two skills shed with each other but Sylvia''s attack could not stop the attack that was released by a Rank-C +. However, the objective of her attack which was to weaken the Barracudas'' sh was sessful.


    Now, with Lisa''s shield, the weakened Barracuda attack should be blocked. The students who were behind Lisa''s skill could only watch the attacke toward them in despair.


    -BAM! -BOOM!


    Barracuda''s sh was powerful enough to annihte all the students present there, however, with the help of Sylvia''s attack and Lisa''s protection skill, all the students were unscathed.


    Barracuda was a little surprised at the strength of the girls. He remembered the time in BloodyWolf Forest when Lisa failed to protect herself, much less the number of people that she managed to save today.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro and Zion immediately moved to attack Barracuda. They didn''t want to give Barracuda another chance to use his deadly attack.


    [ "Berserk Chop" ]


    -SLASH!


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    There was aplete stalemate between the two sides. Hiro and Zion''s attack was stopped by Barracuda and Barracuda''s strikes were blocked by them.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    After exchanging a few blows, Hiro realized that even with the support of Lisa and Sylvia, it is going to take a lot longer to defeat Barracuda without using their secret techniques.


    Although it was going to take longer, Hiro felt that it was a good thing and continued fighting. It was because while Barracuda was a tough opponent, they were not as exhausted as when fighting with multiple enemies.


    Moreover, other Devil Contractors had stopped attacking and were watching Barracuda. He felt that staying in this position would be ideal until help arrives.


    The other Devil Contractors were also getting impatient as Barracuda was wasting a lot of their time. However, thinking about what happened earlier, they refrain from directing their anger toward themselves.


    Anyway, they do not believe that Ace Academy professors would be able to defeat those Rank-A and Rank-B Devil Contractors plus even if they defeat them, they believe that they would be stopped by the Devils.


    Therefore, they thought that interfering with this fight was not necessary and just continued watching them fight.


    On the other hand, there was a Barracuda that didn''t care about such things. His only objective right now was to eliminate those three and everything else was a secondary concern. He didn''t even think about the reinforcement and just continued attacking Hiro and Zion.


    The good thing for Barracuda was that there was no one stronger than him in that group of Devil Contractors. So, nobody could truly order him.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Neither side gained any advantage as the fight continued for a few minutes more. It seemed as though the fight would never end.


    -WHOOOO!


    However, suddenly a portal opened near their fighting ce. Both sides knew what wasing out of the portal as the fight which seemed endless came to a halt.


    -WHOOSH!


    From the portal, a Devil came out. But unlike other Devils, she was tremendously beautiful. However, nobody has the time to admire the beauty because of the dreadful aura that they sensed.


    -CLANK!


    !!!


    Hiro, who was watching the Devil, suddenly trembled and the sword which was in his hand was released. His body trembled violently as he raised his finger and pointed at the Devil.


    "YOU ARE!"

 Chapter 245 Hiros Past

    Chapter 245 Hiro''s Past


    [5 years ago]


    My name is Hiro Ernest, and I am 10 years old.


    Everything was peaceful and happy for the once Ernest family. We were not the most powerful or had the most luxurious lives, but with Rank-B and Rank-C mothers, we could afford to stay in the city and eat until full.


    I had a cute little sister and I myself was not that terrible of a talent. With time, it seemed that I could even reach the rank of my father.


    The life that I cherish and thought would continue forever was crushed in one night.


    However, that evening turned everything into his nightmare.


    "Hmmm~"


    I went home happy as I walked.


    As usual, I was back from school and my father and mother didn''t have any dungeon raids and stayed at home. This was probably the reason why I was happy.


    Most of the time, my father would be away on the dungeon raids and sometimes even my mother would join in. Consequently, it was a very precious time for me.


    -CREAK!


    "I am home!"


    "Wee, BROTHER~"


    Weing Hiro was a cute little sister of Hiro.


    "I am back, Mine!"


    Mine, which was short for Minerva, the name of his sister. She immediately jumped and hugged Hiro.


    "Did you have fun?"


    "Yes~ Today, I went to the park with my dad. And I bought Ice cream¡­ and then¡­ "


    Mine continued talking about all the things that she did with her father. She probably had the fun of her life looking at her excited face.


    Hiro took a shower and came down to have dinner. It has been too long since all the members of the family were present.


    "Hiro, what did you do today?"


    Hiro''s mom asked after dinner. By the simrity between Hiro''s mom and Hiro''s question, it is clear that Hiro learned that from his mother.


    "Mom, today was super fun at school. We were shown images of mana nts. They were so beautiful."


    Hiro happily talked about his school while his little sister tucked herself into his leg. It was a moment of happiness for a family of four.


    His father told countless stories of his deeds, boasting about his strength. It was a perfect day for Hiro.


    However, not all thingsst forever, especially happy times.


    -BOOM!


    While they were happily talking, someone sted their door open.


    Hiro''s parents immediately covered their children underneath their bodies while they used the mana shield to prevent any damage.


    "WHAT??? What is happening dad?"


    Hiro, who was a fun-loving individual at that time, could not remain calm in the face of the situation. He could have cried and screamed if not for being in his father''s arms.


    ~WEEPING!


    However, his sister who was just 8 years old was scared out of her mind and immediately yelped at the top of her lungs.


    "~It is okay, little one. Just sleep for a little bit and when you wake up, everything is going to be alright!"


    Hiro''s mother using her spell made Mine sleep. She then handed over her to Hiro while taking out her staff.


    With the explosion of the door, both Hiro''s father and mother knew that the people who had done that were not friendly.


    Unlike Hiro who could only think of monsters as intruders, Hiro''s father and mother could sense Dark Energy being used.


    They knew that they were dealing with the enemies of humanity. They quickly pressed the emergency button, which alerted the guild that they were in danger.


    Then they put Hiro and Mina inside the hidden room of the dining room.


    "Hiro, can you promise me that you would not make a sound and stay here protecting Mine until wee back?"


    Hiro''s mother gently asked.


    Hiro, who didn''t know the situation and was frankly scared to death, could not say yes to his mother. He tried to gather his courage and do what his mother wanted but his fear was real and he could not betray what he was truly feeling.


    "Don''t worry! Your mother and I will beat up those bad guys quickly ande back."


    Hiro''s father said.


    He honestly doesn''t want to leave his child alone either but considering the situation, they would only be in more danger with them.


    Hiro, who could see his father''s confident smile, gained some confidence and he slowly nodded his head.


    They hesitantly turned their heads away and went to meet their nemesis.


    Hiro, who idolized his father, thought that his father would easily defeat those monsters ande back quickly.


    Which never happened!


    That night, what was supposed to be a happy family night dramatically changed Hiro''s life forever!


    -TAP! -TAP!


    After the explosion subsided, the sound of multiple people entering the house was heard.


    [ [" Horizon Split"] ]


    Hiro''s parents attacked the Devils immediately when the Devils had just entered the house. Having executed the sneak attack, they had managed to take out two Rank-C Devils in one move.


    The Devils who were all casually entering instantly became more alert. They were numerous and there were many Rank-C Devils.


    Luckily for them, it was just the Rank-C Devils. With Hiro''s father Rank-B''s strength, they had hope of surviving.


    However, they knew that wasn''t going to be easy when they had to battle 20 or so Devils. Even with Rank-B strength, there was no guarantee that they would seed.


    "You must be the Ernest family?"


    An extremely powerful voice ran throughout the room and from behind the Devils, one Devil man made his way towards Hiro''s parents.


    Seeing that all the Devils were respectful and bowed toward him, Hiro''s parents immediately put up their guard.


    They knew that those Devils only showed respect to those who are more powerful than themselves. Since even the Rank-C + Devil showed respect to her, Hiro''s parents knew that the Devil that appeared is extremely strong.


    However, contrary to what Hiro''s parents believed, the Devil man didn''t attack them. He was staring at and examining them as if they were artifacts.


    Hiro''s parents stayed in their defensive position while keeping their guards up. Neither of them acted recklessly and attacked him.


    Right now, they need as much time as they can. They know that their guild member wille there and help them if they can hold on.


    The Devil man with red eyes was transformed into eyes with a line. Hiro''s parents knew that the Devil man was using some kind of inspection skill but then also they didn''t fight back.


    As long as the Devil man remained still without fighting, it was a good thing for them. Also, they know that the Devil man was a Rank-B Devil. With him, Hiro''s father''s advantage of being Rank-B was gone.


    If they fought, Hiro''s parents knew that they would have no chance.


    "Huh? You two don''t have it."


    The Devil man finally said something after looking at them for a minute.


    "Are you two really Ernest?"


    The Devil man asked again.


    Hiro''s parents didn''t really understand why the Devil man was hell-bent on them being the Ernest family but those two didn''t reply.


    Giving information to the enemies was akin to helping them. Even if they don''t know why they are confirming something that the devils could have before entering this house, they didn''t answer.


    "Not answering?"


    The Devil man sounded irritated.


    "Fine!"


    He raised his hand signaling her subordinate to take action.


    Anyways, he has done his fair share of research and knows that this is the right residence.


    "I know that you are Ernest. But you two don''t have it. Where are your children?"


    Before the fight started, the Devil asked another question.


    Hiro''s parents don''t know what they are trying to search for, but when the topic of their children came up, they became extremely defensive and aggressive.


    They had no intention of telling anything to the Devils. And when they knew that their next target was their kids, both parents were ready to take them down.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -SLASH!


    Because the Rank-B Devil was not joining the fight, Hiro''s father used his Rank-B strength to take out several Devils.


    Both sides entered into full power mode as they fought vigorously. However, obviously, since their kids were hiding in the kitchen, Hiro''s parents made sure not to have any attack go that way.


    The techniques they use are less destructive and more stabbing. While also canceling the enemy''s attack that went that way.


    However, under such a restricted environment plus the numerous opponents, Hiro''s father was soon getting tired and even with his wife''s help, the fight seemed to be tilting towards the devil''s side.


    "You two can make this a whole lot easier! Kyaaaa~"


    The Devil man said while sneering. He didn''t seem to care for the devils that had been killed nor did he mean what he said at all.


    Rather he seemed to enjoy the destruction and all the chaos this fight has caused and looked like he wanted it to continue forever. He was like a man who is high on drugs.


    The devil was an absolute psycho who loved chaos!

 Chapter 246 Hiros Past [2]

    Chapter 246 Hiro''s Past [2]


    "I-Is Mom and Dad alright?"


    Hiro said to himself as he continued to hide in the hidden room. The hidden room contains soundproof materials so that people outside don''t know what is inside. But it was the same for the people inside the hidden room, they didn''t know what was happening outside.


    It had not even been 10 minutes since his parents went away but for Hiro, it felt like an eternity. He became extremely nervous and was imagining the worst things that could happen.


    However, with a sister that was in his arms, he held his desire of going outside to look inside of himself and continued waiting.


    ******


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Both Hiro''s parents refused to listen to the Rank-B Devil and fought with everything they had. They, knowing that the devils were targeting their child, had no intention of surrendering.


    However, even with their best intentions, their bodies had limitations. Hiro''s father who had been fighting for so long using all his power had built up quite arge amount of fatigue.


    [ "Negation of Exhaustion" ]


    Hiro''s mother used her spell on her husband as she tried to take away the tiredness that he felt. It was not that he was filled with energy again but he will feel as if he is not tired anymore. Just deceiving the body into thinking that he was in perfect shape.


    "AAAAAAH!"


    Hiro''s father was able to show the same ferocity as he did at the start.


    -BANG! -BANG! -BAM!


    Hiro''s father once again went on a rampage as he started to kill all the Devils. Unlike Hiro''s father, the Devil could not show the same power as they did when the fight started, and hence, they suffered more than when the fight had been initiated.


    To Hiro''s parents'' relief, the number of devils had decreased considerably and the only thing that they had to worry about was the Rank-B devil who was just watching with ecstasy.


    He still showed no sign of making a move even when the devils that he bought were all annihted.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    "As expected from the descendants of one of the ancient heroes."


    The Rank-B Devil said.


    "Even though the ancient family has declined, its blood still stands strong against demons. I would have watched more but it looks like time is running out."


    The Rank-B devil continued.


    Hiro''s parents didn''t understand half of what he said. Hiro''s parents were from ordinary families and all the things that the rank-B devil said just looked like gibberish. However, one thing that they understood was that he was going to make his move.


    "My name is Xalvar! A Baron Devil."


    The devil introduced himself.


    "Unfortunately, I would not be able to deal with you personally."


    -SNAP!


    Xalvar snapped his finger. Immediately a portal opened up and from the portal came another Devil.


    "..."


    Both Hiro''s parents were speechless for a second. They had seen their fair share of devils in their lifetime but they had never seen a devil as beautiful as the one that had juste out of the portal.


    Silky ck hair with golden eyes. She very much matched the image of a goddess that many men had inside of their hearts but she was a Devil.


    Although, even with those thoughts, they never let down their guard. They could clearly sense that the girl that had just shown was on the same level as Xalvar. In other words, she was a Baron-ranked Devil.


    "She will keep you entertained until Ie back. Lilith, kill them and capture those kids hidden in this house."


    Xalvar said those things but the person who he hadmanded didn''t seem like she was listening to him at all. She was standing in the room staring at the flower pot with an emotionless face as if she had no intention of killing anyone at all.


    Xalvar who ordered Lilith didn''t seem surprised at her behavior. He just giggled as he began flying, seemingly preparing to go somewhere else.


    -CLICK!


    Before departing, Xalvar pressed some kind of button. Then he just flew off.


    Hiro''s parents were relieved to see Xalvar go away. They could not win if they had fought Xalvar in addition to the newly appeared Devil.


    Sadly, their relief soon turned into dread when the Devil girl who appeared started releasing her mana aura. The devil still had that emotionless expression on her face but the aura that she released was filled with intense killing intent as well as it was simr to that of Rank-B + peak.


    Which meant that the devil girl standing in front of them was stronger than Xalvar who left.


    Lilith raised her hand while gathering Dark Energy. Sensing the incredible amount of mana, Hiro''s father immediately knew that Lilith was going tounch a very powerful attack.


    "Alia, Get Back!"


    Hiro''s father immediately called out to his wife. He pulled her back and immediately got into a defensive position.


    -ZZZNNG!


    Lilithunched a ck beam toward the couple. The size of the beam was no bigger than a pencil but everyone present there knew that the beam was extremely deadly.


    [ "Horizon Split" ]


    Hiro''s father immediately tried to cancel out the attack with an attack of his own.


    -BOOM! -ZZNNGG!


    However, the beam that was shot still continued toe towards them without any sign of slowing down. Hiro''s father''s attack didn''t seem to have done anything to the beam.


    [ "Stone Shroud" ]


    Hiro''s mother immediately deployed a barrier of stone that covered both her and her husband. With her husband failing to stop the attack, she knew that the attack was incredibly powerful and it was not something a Rank-C like her could do anything about but even so she knew that she had to try.


    -CHIUNG!


    However, even theyer of protection that Alia had made was nothing in front of the ck beam. It easily made a hole in the barrier.


    Hiro''s father used his sword as protection and tried to deflect the attack that wasing his way.


    -CLANK! -CRACK!


    The resistance only continued for a second before it made a hole in his sword and soon after a hole in his body as well.


    "ZEN!"


    Alia shouted in panic.


    -THUD!


    ''Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    Hiro''s father fell down as he started panting heavily. The ck beam had pierced his bodypletely. It has literally made a hole in his body.


    The only positive thing was that due to the ck beam size being very small, the area of destruction was very less. Although this type of attack could be very lethal as long as it hit vital areas of the body.


    Due to the beam hitting him in a non-lethal ce which was just below his shoulder, Zen was able to survive. Though with a hole in that area, he was far from being okay.


    Alia immediately went to him and started chanting healing spells. While the damage could not be healed immediately by a weak healing spell, it was better than doing nothing.


    Zen also stood up immediately when he was able to because they knew the danger was not over.


    The owner of the beam had only made one move and that was enough for them to be on the verge of dying. They knew that they were up against someone very powerful.


    Lilith didn''t make any move after she had shot her first attack. But after Zen stood up, Lilith immediately began rushing toward him.


    !!!


    -BANG!


    Lilith threw a punch at Zen and although Zen saw that, he was not able to respond to it and was immediately flung back.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zen immediately stood again and this time he went ahead and attacked Lilith.


    This time also, Lilith was not attacking anyone after she had punched Zen but seeing Zen attack, she went and countered with her w, which had be longer and stronger.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Surprisingly, Zen and Alia were able to survive for a long period of time. It was not because the Devil girl had be weak or that they had be stronger, but because of how Lilith fought.


    Lilith, despite being on the same Rank as B +, seemed to miss the experience and theplexity of the attack. She was basically just attacking without any tricks or she would not use anybos.


    This was the same as going against a kid whose strength was Rank-B +. Though the kid was strong for sure but when battling against weaker but experienced fighters, that kid would struggle.


    Simrly, Zen and Alia were able to survive thanks to Lilith being extremely ipetent at fighting. Though because of how much stamina they had consumed, they were not able to take advantage of that fact and could only focus on surviving.


    However, it might be because Lilith realized this as she began preparing for another skill. She began gathering her Dark Energy.


    Hiro''s parents who had experienced her skill became extremely nervous as they had previously known how strong her attacks were.


    However, unlike earlier, it didn''t seem to be the same move. The amount of mana that was being used seemed to have exceeded the previous one, which meant that she was executing a more powerful attack than earlier.


    Even the other devils who were just watching earlier panicked when she began using that move, and some even fled the scene.


    Lilith emotionlessly fired her attack without considering the feeling or the safety of the devils.


    -BAM!


    A simrly ck beam wasunched, but the size of the beam was bigger, big enough to cover the whole room.


    When Hiro''s parents tried to defend themselves, they could only grit their teeth. They didn''t have any method other than deploying a mana barrier with every mana they had and could only hope that their barrier could at least save their lives.


    "AAAAAHHH!"


    The devils who had yet to flee started to scream as the attack hit them.


    The attack indiscriminately wiped out everything, including her fellow devils. The Rank-C devils had no hope of defending against the attack of Lilith as they instantly turned into ash.


    -CRACK!


    The barrier of Hiro''s parents could not withstand such a powerful attack and was immediately broken by Lilith''s attack.


    Now only their bodies remained!

 Chapter 247 Hiros Past [3]

    Chapter 247 Hiro''s Past [3]


    Hiro, who had been hiding for so long, could not wait any longer. He was worried and scared. He wanted to find out what was happening outside.


    So he left his sister sleeping with his jacket and quietly came out of hiding. He heard some kind of explosive sound when he was getting out. Then also he gathered his courage and came to take a look.


    Slowly and quietly, he began moving towards the entrance of his house. Actually, almost all the walls and doors had been destroyed, making his house almost unrecognizable but he still knew his way around.


    He reached the entrance but what he saw left him stunned.


    Both his parents were unconscious and bleeding in front of the devil. Their bodies had be beyond recognition, but little Hiro still knew his parents.


    "NOOOOOO!"


    Hiro could not help but scream when he saw such a scene. Even if he knows that it will alert the devil, he could not control his emotion.


    When the prospect of his parent''s death came to his mind, Hiro, who was still young, could not care about the consequences of his action. He didn''t care whether his action would alert the Devil.


    That day, for the first time he was burning with the emotion of hate. Hate for the devils who harmed his parents. Although he had no power, Hiro wanted to kill the devil that was in front of him.


    Even when Hiro screamed, the devil which was near his parents'' bodies didn''t respond. She stood there without any reaction. She was releasing the mana aura which was affecting Hiro who was trying toe close to the Devil.


    The mana aura that was being released by the devil was too much for the young Hiro and he soon passed out. The Devil didn''t even need to take action to beat someone like Hiro.


    However, instead of capturing Hiro as instructed by Xalvar, the devil girl flew away without caring about Hiro or his parents.


    Hiro that day got lucky and survived even after his encounter with Rank-B + Devil! However, this was not the case for his parents.


    After a while, therades of Hiro''s parents came and were stunned by the scene. Only a few pieces of the previous house were left behind after the house was almost blown away. Luckily, that part included the kitchen that Alia and Zen tried to protect.


    There were traces of Dark Energy and they surveyed the area for enemies that they could not find. They then immediately went toward Hiro and their family.


    Alia and Zen Ernest were injured beyond what they could say alive. Almost all their bones were broken and all the blood that oozed out of their bodies made them assume that they were dead. However, they were d to find that they were still breathing.


    Their healers soon began to heal and stabilize the condition while also quickly taking them to the hospital.


    They also brought Hiro. While unconscious, he remains uninjured. They also found Mine in the hidden room that they brought along.


    *****


    "ARGH¡­"


    Slowly opening his eyes, Hiro woke up. He had a terrible headache, and he couldn''t remember how he fell asleep.


    "W-Where am I?"


    I said as I looked around.


    I could not remember when I went to sleep.


    But slowly some unpleasant memories entered my memory.


    "D-Dad? ¡­ Mom?..."


    I looked around searching for my parents while also calling out my parents. I wanted to know whether what I saw was just a dream.


    The ce that I woke up was unknown to me and I didn''t know where I was. Unlike my colorful room, the room was white with little to no decoration.


    -CREAK!


    I heard the sound of the door opening and quickly turned my head in panic. I didn''t know where I was and I was afraid that I was captured by the Devils.


    "Oh! You are awake!"


    Luckily, the one who appeared was not a Devil but a human. A woman carrying food walked toward me while examining my body.


    I saw her a couple of times with my parents in the guild and knew that she was a friend of my parents.


    "Where are my parents?"


    I asked her.


    I knew that the person in front of me knew about my parents. Was what I saw real? Or was it just my dream? I needed to get the answer quickly.


    I needed an answer as soon as possible or else I wouldn''t be able to keep my mind calm.


    I don''t really know how but I knew that I had to see my parents. I would know everything once I saw my parents.


    "Ummm¡­"


    The woman contemted for a second. She didn''t know whether to answer truthfully or say something different. She was worried about whether a young boy like Hiro would be able to bear the truth.


    So she tried to change the topic and have Hiro have food first.


    "How about I answer you once you eat your meal?"


    She asked.


    Hiro had been unconscious for more than one day due to the effect of Devil''s Energy. She knew that Hiro needed food or else he would copse.


    *NOD!


    Hiro, who was just a child, could only ept what she said. And he was also hungry and he would get the answer after eating so he had no problem agreeing.


    -CHOMP! -CHOMP!


    Hiro started gulping down the food like water and finished a whole meal in under 5 minutes. This was the first time that he had ever eaten such a big meal.


    "Can you take me there now?"


    Hiro asked again immediately after finishing his meal. He didn''t forget his objective. He needed to know about his parent''s situation.


    "Umm¡­"


    Thedy seemed quite reluctant to have Hiro know about his parents but seeing how determined Hiro was, thedy agreed and took Hiro to where his parents were.


    -BEEP! -BEEP!


    "DAD! MOM!"


    Hiro shouted as he ran towards his parents, who were unconscious.


    The reason why thedy didn''t want to bring Hiro to his parents was that Alia and Zen Ernest were not doing well. It was already a miracle that they were alive but that might not be true anymore.


    The doctors and healers didn''t really have any way to save them since they were both in a deepa.


    Hiro cried while watching his parents. He knew that all of this was caused by that Devil.


    Hiro kept the image of that devil etched into his memory. He could not forgive and vowed to take revenge on his parents.


    *****


    [ Back to Present ]


    "YOU!"


    Hiro shouted.


    The Devil that appeared from the portal was the same Devil as the one that was near his parents'' bodies. He remembered that face well enough for the past 5 years.


    The Devil that broke his family had appeared again. She had the same face as she had 5 years ago with no change.


    Even Sylvia, Zion, and Lisa were stunned when they saw the devil. It was not that they knew the Devil but because the Devil Girl that appeared was pretty simr to someone that they know.


    "Lisa, is that your sister?"


    Sylvia whispered to her friend.


    She knew that it was not true but she had to ask. The devil girl had ck hair, and golden eyes just like Lisa.


    However, unlike Lisa, Devil girl had horns, a tail, and wings. She also looked like the mature version of Lisa. But undoubtedly, all other features remained the same as Lisa''s.


    "..."


    Lisa was also quite shocked and was not offended by Sylvia''s question. The Devil girl in front of her looked so simr to her that she found it scary.


    Anyway, Hiro had totally different thoughts from them. His hatred for Lilith had never dimmed in these past 5 years.


    -WHOOSH!


    Hiro could not think of anything but revenge when he saw Lilith and immediately jumped andunched his attack.


    For this past year, he had suffered a lot because of her. Because of her, his sister became sad. She was the reason why his happy family broke.


    He could not forgive her even if she were to die!


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Devoted Star: Limit Release" ]


    -FUUAAA!


    The limit release was simr to his System Double Power but it was weaker than that. But the positive point about this was it didn''t need system points and he could use it without fearing he would lose his hard-earned system points.


    Anyway, his strength was almost strong enough to surpass Rank-C +.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    Hiro swung his sword with his full strength.


    ""HIRO! ""


    Sylvia and Lisa shouted as they tried to stop Hiro. They didn''t know the grudge between Hiro and that Devil but they knew that it was dangerous for Hiro to attack the Devil when they didn''t know anything about the Devil.


    From what they had previously seen, they knew that the Devils were very strong. For Hiro to attack mindlessly was the same as seeking death.


    They immediately went to support Hiro.


    The Devil girl stood there emotionless as she was 5 years ago.


    ''HAAA¡­"


    Hiro didn''t stop and swung his sword.


    -CLANK!

 Chapter 248 Hiros Rage

    Chapter 248 Hiro''s Rage


    Hiro used Limit Release and his strength has been increased to Rank-C, plus with Starfall Fracture skill, he could seriously injure even Rank-B humans.


    -CLANK!


    However, Lilith easily caught his sword in her finger. She didn''t just dodge or block the attack but caught it with her finger. This was enough for Hiro and others watching the fight to know how strong his enemy is.


    Other students were scared off by the power shown by the Devil. Hiro was considered an insurmountable mountain and the mountain was stopped with bare hands.


    Lilith nced emotionlessly at Hiro and flung him back.


    -BANG!


    She didn''t care about Hiro or had any thoughts about capturing or killing him.


    Zion and the others did not make any careless moves after seeing how easily the Devil Girl had stopped Hiro''s attack easily.


    However, Hiro, who had been looking for a chance of revenge, didn''t give up. Still burning with energy, Hiro stood up and held his weapon.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Annihtion" ]


    A dangerous attack that seemed to be destroying space wasunched. If it had been a Rank-C Devil Contractor like Barracuda, he would have been killed.


    -CRACK! BANG!


    However, the result was the same as before. Lilith used her ws to instantly destroy Hiro''s skill.


    Hiro took his sword and attacked Lilith ferociously.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    However, only by using her nail as a weapon, she was easily able to block every attack of Hiro.


    Hiro''s weapon, which was a Rank-A artifact, was easily blocked by the nail of Lilith. She showed strength far surpassing Hiro.


    The wise choice here would be to retreat, however, Hiro in his fit of anger could not think straight. The only thing on his mind was to kill the Devil before him.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    However, Lilith easily counterattacked and the one to suffer injuries was Hiro who was cut multiple times. Every attack of Lilith was like someone of the Rank-B was using their strongest attack.


    Her casual attacks wereparable to the threatening attacks of Rank-B.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Even when suffering injuries and battling against such a strong opponent, Hiro had no intention of backing down and continued attacking.


    -CLANK!


    In the exchanges of attacks, Hiro was flung back on the wall by the flick of Lilith''s hand.


    -BANG!


    "ARGH!"


    Hiro groaned in pain but he was still getting ready for another round. Compared to the pain he endured for the past 4 years, this was nothing. His desire to fight was not vain even after getting beaten.


    "STOP!"


    However, before he could take another step, he was caught by Sylvia along with Lisa and Zion.


    They had been watching the fight and they could see that Hiro was fighting calmly. In the face of such powerful enemies, he chose to fight alone and he also battled head-on.


    If it continued, they know that Hiro could be dead. The only reason why he was alive was that the Devil didn''t kill him. That was the only reason.


    Judging by how easily the devil was countering Hiro''s attack, they know that the Devil was not taking Hiro seriously. Only with her physical strength did the Devil surpass Hiro, since she has yet to release her mana aura.


    -TAK!


    "This is my fight!"


    Hiro said while taking Sylvia''s hand off his shoulder. Hiro didn''t want to listen to them as his only thought was getting his revenge.


    "You should seriously stop!"


    This time it was Zion who stopped Hiro.


    "You always tell me that we should work together but look at you now! Do you seriously think you are a hero that can defeat anyone?"


    Zion asked.


    Zion was frustrated watching Hiro fight the Devil. He considered Hiro as his greatest rival and what he was doing was pathetic, not worthy of his admiration.


    Hiro was irrationally fighting with the devil. Even knowing that the devil is of higher rank than him, he continued to attack head-on which is a stupid decision. Moreover, Hiro was blinded by his anger and forgot to even seek his allies'' assistance.


    This infuriated Zion who had been desperately chasing after him.


    "It is better to work together. You have already fought with her and you should know that the devil is not someone you can defeat with your power."


    While also watching the devil cautiously, Zion spoke.


    The Devil girl didn''t move and just stood there. The other Devil contractors also just watched the Devil girl, including Barracuda.


    "..."


    As Zion pushed some hard facts upon Hiro, he stopped. He cooled down a little after getting lectured by Zion. He was seriously blinded by his anger and could not see his friends.


    Rather than getting revenge, he should have focused on getting out of here alive with his friends. He could see the concern in the eyes of many of his friends.


    He knew that right now was not the time for getting revenge. Not only him, but many of the students'' lives were on the line.


    "Sorry!"


    Hiro apologized. He had been acting selfishly.


    Sylvia and Lisa finally felt relieved that Hiro had calmed down. They didn''t know what to do if he went on another rampage.


    However, even with Hiro calming down, the reality didn''t change. They still had to face the devil girl whose power level they could not gauge plus all the other devil contractors.


    The only positive thing was that the Devil girl didn''t make a move and the other enemies also stayed still.


    "What should we do?"


    Sylvia asked.


    The Devil girl was standing still which was good. It would be a very good thing if the situation stayed like this but they knew that it would not.


    "Let''s wait for her to make a move first while other students will retreat!''


    Lisa suggested.


    She knew that escaping was impossible with the presence of the devil. They need to go back to the professors and think of another route.


    However, they all can''t run away at the same time because the enemies will attack from the back. Which meant that some students had to stay here while others retreated.


    This was a good sign that the devil girl was not reacting to them, and other Devil Contractors also stopped moving. This was a good opportunity for them to have other students retreat from this ce.


    *NOD!


    Others agreed with Lisa''s suggestion. They could not fight while also protecting the powerless students. And they also knew that escaping from this path had be impossible with Lilith.


    Along with Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia, only a few students remained. Others slowly started to go back.


    Seeing this, the devil didn''t do anything.


    The Devil Contractors knew that their prey was running away, but due to the devil''s presence, they did not speak.


    Well, that was not true for some Devil Contractors. In response to the prey running away, one Devil Contractor approached the devil.


    "Miss Lilith, we should go after the students. Or else Sir Xalvar will not let us off!"


    The Devil Contractor said.


    He was very clever as he didn''t say that it was his will but that the Devil Xalvar hadmanded them to. He was trying to reason using another devil.


    -BANG!


    However, Lilith didn''t listen to his exnation and instantly smacked his head down to the ground.


    ( Idiot! )


    Barracuda thought.


    He knew something about Lilith and didn''t make a move in front of her. Anyone who knows about Lilith should be aware that for her, it didn''t matter whether you were a devil or human, as long as you got in her way, you were an enemy.


    He had read many reports of Lilith annihting a whole army of devils when fighting with enemies. Therefore, many Devil Contractors remained still and didn''t disturb Lilith in fear of getting killed.


    However, whether Lilith understood what the Devil Contractor said or whether she thought it was time, she moved forward.


    Seeing that the Devil girl moved, Hiro''s gang thought that the devil was finally making her moves.


    As Hiro and others have thought, Lilith indeed intended to make her move.


    -RUMBLE!


    Lilith released her power and with it, it caused thend to tremble a little.


    With her mana aura released, Hiro and others were finally able to know her rank.


    "Viscount Devil!"


    One of the students screamed.


    Viscount ranked the devils who were on par with Rank-As human. Lilith''s mana aura was of that rank and many students fell to their knees when Lilith released her aura.


    The students there were Rank-Ds and in front of Viscount Devil, they were no different from an ant. Even if theybined all their power, they could still fail to scratch her.


    Even Zion and others were on the verge of kneeling. They didn''t know that Devil Girl was a Viscount. They have no hope if they fight with the Rank-A devil.


    Lilith flew in the sky apparently clueless about what Hiro and others were feeling. She began to gather the mana in her hand.


    Lilith was getting ready to use the same skill as she used when dealing with Hiro''s parents.

 Chapter 249 Hiro Breaking The Limits!

    Chapter 249 Hiro Breaking The Limits!


    -SSSSS!


    Lilith continued to gather mana in her hands as she prepared tounch one of her devastating attacks. Since her strength was obviously higher than 5 years ago, the attack that she was going to shoot was definitely going to be more powerful than before.


    -WHOOSH!


    The Devil Contractors immediately began running away in panic. They all know that Lilith will attack even if her allies are there. However, under the pressure of Lilith¡¯s mana aura, many of them were struggling to move.


    ¡°QUICK! We need to run away!¡±


    Hiro immediately signaled others to run away.


    ¡°ARGH¡­¡±


    ¡°UGH¡­¡± ¡­


    However, many students were immobile. Even Rank-Cs Devil Contractors were having trouble moving under Lilith¡¯s mana aura, not to mention the students who were just Rank-Ds. They were not in any state to move.


    Hiro didn¡¯t know what to do. Obviously, he could run away, abandoning them all but that was not an option. As for blocking the attack, that was impossible with his current power. Even if he could squeeze out everything he had, he knew that he would not be able to do anything in front of Lilith¡¯s attack.


    Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia were in no better positions than most students. Though they could still stand, running away from the st would be impossible for them.


    -SHUNK!


    There was no more time to think as Lilith had finished her preparation for the attack. Lilith released waves of ck energy as the sky trembled with its power.


    Just from the force that Hiro felt from the attack beingunched, Hiro predicted that no one would survive if the attack reached here.


    [ ¡°StarShatterer Style: Devoted Star Limit release¡± ]


    Hiro increased his power once again. Having done it once, the strain on his body was more. However, he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. However, he knew that this was not enough.


    ¡°Not enough!¡±


    Hiro shouted.


    [ ¡°System Activate: Double Power¡± ]


    On top of his already skill to increase his strength, Hiro used the system skill to further increase his strength. While System skill does not burden his body as much as the Devoted Star Limit release, there was a burden nheless.


    Furthermore, because his body was already enduring power that he normally is not privileged with, his body began to tremble with all the power that his body could not handle.


    ¡°AAAAAH!¡±


    Hiro was beginning to feel pain that he had never felt before. The intensity of the pain was simr to when Zero first used Dual Art in a fight. Like every mana in his vein was trying to burst out.


    -THAK!


    Keeping his sword firmly in hand, Hiro endured all the pain. He had to stay conscious or else all the hard work that he had done would be for naught. He gathered his mana quickly as he prepared tounch an attack to counter Lilith¡¯s attack.


    -SUUUUUU!


    The attack was heading in their direction as it continued to disintegrate everything that was in its path including some unfortunate devil contractors.


    Hiro got a little used to the pain and his focus shifted to the dangerous ck beam that was heading in his direction.


    [ ¡°StarShatterer Style: Evesting Starlight¡± ]


    Hirounched a sh of his own. The skill was the most powerful one that he could use right now. The skill was unique in that it had the ability to absorb the mana in the surrounding area as it continued to get stronger and stronger and finally hit the target with power greater than it initially was.


    Hiro¡¯s attack continued to make its way toward the ck beam as it continued to grow as big as the ck beam.


    -BOOOM!


    And finally, the two met with one having the ability to disintegrate things while the other had the power to consume mana.


    -THUD!


    Hiro¡¯s body could not handle the strain and copsed, but Hiro continued to stare in the direction of his attack. The fate of his life depends on whether his attack surpasses Lilith¡¯s attack.


    They didn¡¯t need to wait for a long period of time to find out.


    -SUUUUU!


    Lilith¡¯s attack immediately disintegrated Hiro¡¯s attack, as if it didn¡¯t exist.


    The increase in power of Hiro surpassed the power of many Rank-B Explorers, and with the Evesting Starlight attack, he could have easily countered an attack by a Rank-A human, but unfortunately, Lilith¡¯s power was greater than your typical Rank-A.


    Hiro has lost all his hope. He gave his all and the result was still the same. His attack could not even make a dent. Even if he wanted to do something, he simply didn¡¯t have any more energy.


    And even if he could, he had already shown everything he had and could not do anything. Other students had also lost hope.


    Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia were even embarrassed to be able to do nothing but watch their friends injured trying to save them. Hiro did his best while they were struggling to even hold their weapon in their hands.


    -SUUUUU!


    And soon they lost the light in their eyes as all the light was swallowed by the ck beam. Some had already closed their eyes prior to their death, thinking that their time hase to an end.


    -BANG!


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°We are alive!¡±


    ¡°We are Alive¡­¡±


    They got a feeling that they got hit by Lilith¡¯s attack but then it looks like they were still alive. They could not hide their joy as they hugged their friends in tears.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Sylvia asked confusedly.


    One moment they were about to die and the next thing they knew, they were still in one piece.


    ¡°Look there!¡±


    Someone shouted.


    Everyone immediately looked in the direction in which he was pointing to.


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    In front of them was a big shield. They knew that it was what had saved them from that devastating attack.


    ¡°Anyone injured?¡±


    The Hero wielding the big shield turned around as he spoke.


    ¡®Y-You are ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Diamond!¡±


    The one toe to their rescue in their peril was called Mr. Diamond. He excelled in defense as a Hero of rank-S and is said to be one of the best Rank-S tanks. Despite being attacked by a 5 S-Rank Devil, he is said to have still survived, which shows how strong he was.


    ¡°Everyone is fine Mr. Diamond.¡±


    ¡°Good! Sorry foringte! Our team got stuck by some Devil but don¡¯t worry now. The Authority will now protect you.¡±


    Mr. Diamond said as he shifted his focus from the students to Lilith.


    Despite being a Rank-S hero, he was still wary of Lilith. He tried to be perfectly fine but his hand was still trembling from the hit that he took. He still could not believe that someone of the Viscount Devil could disy such power.


    He didn¡¯t know what would have happened if he came one secondte.


    Lifting his giant shield, Mr. Diamond moves forward toward Lilith. When he arrived, he shielded students with his mana aura which made students move easily.


    -SSSSSS!


    Lilith who was still in the air gathered Dark Energy once again. She was again preparing to use her skill.


    However, students were not scared of the attack anymore. With the arrival of Mr. Diamond, they knew that they would not be harmed.


    Mr. Diamond halted his steps and positioned himself to receive the attack. The fact that he knows the attack will be powerful does not deter him from blocking it. As he had previously done, he knew that this time would be no different.


    -SUUUU!


    Lilith, this time used a smaller sharper ck beam which she used to make a hole in Hiro¡¯s father¡¯s shoulder 5 years ago.


    Mr. Diamond used his Giant Shield and blocked the attack.


    -BANG!


    Students watched the fight without any worries. And just like the other attack, Mr. Diamond perfectly blocked the attack.


    -CHEERS!


    Students cheered for Mr. Diamond as he continued to block one powerful attack after another without taking any damage.


    Mr. Diamond stopped the cheers with his hand.


    ¡°You should retreat. There are agents from The Authority to the east. They will protect you.¡±


    Mr. Diamond said.


    This puzzled the students who were cheering. They thought that Mr. Diamond was going to protect them which turned out to be false.


    Actually, Mr. Diamond wanted to protect the students himself but he changed his mind after taking the second attack.


    There was a small hole in his giant shield. His shield was a Rank-S artifact that could not be broken unless it took a powerful attack from Rank-S. To be able to destroy some of his shields, he knew that the Devil before him was trouble.


    He didn¡¯t want to risk the life of the students and if he made some mistake, the Devil could take the students hostage. Both his life and that of the students could be at risk.


    Therefore, he asked the students to retreat.


    While they didn¡¯t understand Mr. Diamond¡¯s intention, the students obeyed hismand and retreated. Hiro was carried by Zion as they left with other students.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s fight!¡±

 Chapter 250 Xalvar Domination

    Chapter 250 Xalvar Domination


    [On the other side]


    "Then let me remind you again who I am."


    -SHUSH!


    Xalvar released his mana aura disying his Viscount strength. The Rank-B Devil Contractor and other Devil Contractors trembled in fear. For them, the Devil was god themselves and they could not help but tremble when var disyed a power that they could never attain.


    However, it was a different story for Zero. He brandished his sword and prepared his magic bracelet. He already got used to Rank-A pressure when fighting with Professor Mia.


    Moreover, with dark Energy, he could exert the power of Rank-A. Therefore, even when Xalvar released his Rank-A mana aura, Zero was calm.


    !!


    Xalvar was surprised and also dissatisfied with Zero''sck of expression. He was nning to have Zero tremble and beg in front of him.


    -WHOOSH!


    Xalvar quickly disappeared and appeared behind Zero. It was not that Xalvar had teleported but because he was fast, it seemed like he had teleported.


    -CLANK!


    However, Zero blocked it with his sword. For Zero, while Xalvar was fast, it was not to the point that he could not see him. After blocking, he raised his sword and attacked Xalvar.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Zero and the Devil known as Xalvar were confronting each other. Simrly, like how Lilith fought with Hiro, Xalvar also did the same. He fought with Zero using his w.


    ( Who is he? )


    Zero thought.


    Despite being in the battle, not to mention, with a Viscount Devil, Zero was still thinking about what the Devil had said.


    [ "I didn''t expect you to be here." ]


    ( What did he mean? Did I ever meet him? )


    He could not remember knowing any Devil, much less someone as powerful as the one he was fighting with. If he ever met a Devil, he would have been dead.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    However, despite not fully concentrating on the fight, Zero was able to keep up with Xalvar. It was not that Xalvar was not powerful but it looks like he was purposefully not using his full power.


    [ "Dual Art: Peerless Ice Strike" ]


    -CLANK!


    The attack was again blocked by Xalvar.


    On the other hand, Zero was using everything he got to keep up with Xalvar. Xalvar could easily block any attack even if it was Dual Art.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    However, even if Zero didn''t gain any advantage, it wasn''t like Xalvar was doing any damage to Zero. Zero would also easily block every attack thrown at him.


    "Keke¡­ I truly didn''t expect this!"


    Xalvar said.


    Xalvar was talking to Zero as if he knew him to Zero''s great dismay. Zero didn''t know who his enemy was while it seemed that his enemy knew him well.


    It would have been good if what Xalvar was saying was just to make him loseposure but Zero felt that what Xalvar was saying was true and he truly knows him.


    "Who would have thought that a little kid from back then would grow to be able to contend with me. I am really jealous of your talent!"


    -CLANK!


    Xalvar said as he threw another punch which was blocked. Xalvar every attack was lethal and if one makes even a slight mistake, he/she might lose their life.


    Zero was only able to predict and counter Xalvar''s attack because he had fought with too many people. With the experience in his hand, Zero was able to at least keep his life intact.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero tried to catch Xalvar off guard and freeze him with Dark Icy Surface.


    *WHOOSH!


    However, Xalvar immediately reacted to Zero''s skill and flew into the sky. Though the skill didn''t work, since Xalvar decided to dodge, Zero knew that Xalvar was wary of him.


    If his attack didn''t work on Xalvar, Xalvar would not even bother to dodge it. Therefore, he assumed that Xalvar could at least be injured by him.


    "Hehe... Nice Try! Now try surviving from this."


    Xalvar said as he threw what seemed to be a big ball containing Dark Energy. By big, I mean that the Xalvar attack was 20-meter diameter.


    The Rank-B devil Contractors and others could only stare in awe at the attack. They knew that they did not have the capabilities to survive if they got hit by that.


    "Lord Xalvar!"


    The Devil Contractors screamed his name in hope that Xalvar would cancel his attack but their hopes were all dashed when they saw Xalvar looking at them with a smile.


    As a Devil, Xalvar viewed Devil Contractors as their ves and something expandable. He didn''t care about the devil Contractors who were below. He was rather happy to watch those ants being crushed by him.


    Unlike those devil contractors, Zero was not scared. Even if the attack was powerful, he knew that he could survive, at least if he used Dark Energy. Well, he would not use that here where there are too many eyewitnesses.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Zero immediately covered himself in his Dark Ice Armor. With this skill, he could easily be injured even when Rank-B attacked him. He understood, however, that this was not enough for what wasing to him.


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    There are now 30 Dark Walls in front of Zero. Many giant walls were erected to stop the Xalvar attack.


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    However, one wall would not evenst for one second before it was destroyed by the big ball.


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    -CRACK! -BAM!


    One after another, the once numerous walls had been reduced to zero. While some of the power of the Xalvar attack had decreased, it was still far from over. Xalvar''s attack still has enough power to wipe out everyone that was present there.


    [ "Dark Ice Creation" ]


    Using this ability, Zero created a giant hand that was used to stop the big ball.


    -CLASH!


    The sh between the two skillssted for 6 seconds before it was also destroyed by Xalvar''s destructive ball.


    Now, the only thing left to defend Zero was his Dark Ice Armor. Zero used his sword as his shield with a mana barrier and tried to block the attack.


    -BOOM!


    With a radius of 100 meters, everything in the vicinity had been turned into dust. The Devil Contractors who were present there had also been turned into dust. Only a battered Zero remained.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    The Dark Ice Embodiment Armor that Zero had was broken into pieces while his own body also met the impact of Xalvar''s attack. His appearance was as if he had just gone through a war or something.


    ( That''s Viscount Devil alright! )


    Without the use of Dark Energy, it is practically impossible for the current me to defeat a Rank-A opponent. To be alive after fighting a Rank-A as a Rank-C - is already a miracle.


    However, I am not someone who will easily give up. The Devil was strong, maybe a little out of my league, but that didn''t mean that I was just going to get beaten up.


    Although Zero''s injuries were serious, he still stood up to fight the Devil. The injuries were so painful that some people might even go crazy but for Zero who had gone through worse, he was able to stay normal.


    "I am surprised you survived my Destruction Ball skill. Not even Rank-B Devil Contractor has survived this."


    Xalvar said as he descended from the sky.


    He was really surprised by the fact that Zero was able toe out alive after getting hit by his favorite skill.


    Following Solomon''s failure to annex the Shadow Genesis guild, he investigated Zero. He was already surprised that Zero, who was just a normal boy six years ago, had managed to reach Rank-D in 6 years.


    For the Devil, to advance to such a level, it would normally take 20 years. Although humans were generally faster than Devil in ranking up, this was beyond what he had expected. Now, he was able to gain the strength to defend himself from his attack.


    Based on his investigation, Zero should have been Rank-C - and he was still feeling Rank-C auras from him. The fact that he survived an attack that Rank-B is not able to survive led to the conclusion that Zero''s true strength was around Rank-B +.


    ( Just how? )


    He was not able toprehend the power that Zero had. Not only the growth of Zero''s power but even the power itself was weird. He has not heard of any Art or Artifact that is able to make a Rank-C -pete with Rank-A.


    ( You were just an ant before! )


    Xalvar began to feel angry when he started to think about the talent that Zero possessed. Regardless of Zero''s forgetting him, he clearly remembered Zero, who was Rank-F trash he could easily crush to death at any time.


    "However, luck will not save you for long."


    Once again, using his w, he confronted injured Zero.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    However, even when Zero was battered and looked like he was on hisst leg, he still managed to block his attack.


    "Hah¡­Hah"


    Zero was heavily panting as he blocked Xalvar''s attacks. This was the first time after Solomon that he was struggling this much.

 Chapter 251 xalvars Domination [2]

    Chapter 251 xalvar''s Domination [2]


    -CLANG!


    My hand trembled when shing with the Devil. Since I have taken that Destruction Ball, my body has not been able to keep up with the Devil.


    It was already hard for me to fight with Viscount Devil but now that I am injured, it does not look very favorable to me. Then also, I dragged my injured body and fought with the Devil.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Xalvar attacked Zero aggressively. Right now, he was using most of his strength and pushing back Zero.


    With Viscount Devil¡¯s power, Zero was not able to keep up with Xalvar. Xalvar increased the intensity of his attack as he began to injure Zero more and more.


    -CLANK!


    Xalvar solely focused on Zero. He even seemed to forget that he was there to help Ostrimor who was getting his ass beaten down by Professor Mia and Professor Theo.


    [ ¡°StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction¡± ]


    [ ¡°Imperial Spear Style: Imperial Strike¡± ]


    The moment Zero was being bombarded by Xalvar¡¯s attack, two people jumped in and helped him. Well, he knew who those two were judging from their attacks.


    -BANG!


    Xalvar, who had been taken in surprise by the sudden appearance of Hiro and Zion, could not react in time and was knocked onto the wall.


    ¡°Zero!¡±


    I turned my head to see who was calling my name. Unexpectedly, Sylvia and Lisa were also there. Well, I was thankful for their help though I didn¡¯t understand why they were there.


    [ ¡°Hygieia Blessing: Compassionate Light¡± ]


    Lisa immediately rushed over and healed Zero. Zero was grateful for that as he was really injured. He took out the healing potion and mana potion and drank them. With Lisa¡¯s healing, Zero¡¯s condition improved a lot.


    ¡°I thought you had escaped by now?¡±


    Zero asked.


    Professors had already taken the students and I thought that they should have reached the safe area by now. He didn¡¯t understand why they were back.


    ¡°There was a problem with the route and we are trying to find another path.¡±


    Sylvia answered.


    After running away from Lilith, they were met with another dead end. The path from the west was blocked by Lilith while the path from the south, Rank-As, and Rank-Bs Devil Contractors, was fighting with the professors.


    After deliberating for a long time, the students decided to separate and try to find another path. There were three routes from which they could escape.


    The first one was from the training ground, but there was a Devil there as well. Another route was where Professors were fighting and thest one was where Lilith was present. All the escape routes have been blocked by their enemies.


    Therefore, the students returned back. While others were trying to check the situation with other professors, Hiro and his group were trying to see whether the training group was safe and hade to check.


    However, as soon as they came near the area, they could hear the sound of battle. When they were close enough, they could see Zero fighting with a Devil.


    They didn¡¯t understand why Zero was here. As they escaped, they did not see him with them when they escaped but because they knew about his strength, they didn¡¯t bother searching for him. They didn¡¯t expect him to be fighting a Viscount Devil.


    Moreover, the state of Zero was not very good. His body was seriously injured.


    Just judging from the state Zero was in, they believed that his opponent was very powerful. They know that Zero could easily handle Rank-B opponents, which meant that the enemy was stronger than Rank-B.


    Then also, they immediately rushed to help.


    [ ¡°Athena Blessing: Reinforce strength¡± ]


    Lisa immediately increased Hiro and Zion¡¯s strength before they went and knocked Xalvar down. Since they had attacked when the enemy was unaware of them, they managed tond a solid hit.


    Sylvia finished exining the problem that they faced.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Listening to Syliva¡¯s words, Zero fell into deep thoughts.


    ( Looks like the Devils are serious! )


    Since all the routes are filled with Devils and Devil Contractors, Zero realized that the Devils have reallyunched arge-scale attack on Ace Academy.


    ( This ispletely different from the novel that I know. )


    In the novel, although there were attacks on the Ace Academy, the timing was not right. It was only when MC Hiro reached his third year that Devil slowly began attacking Ace Academy.


    ( Moreover, what is the objective of the Devils? )


    Zero tried to think of the reason that Devil attacked Ace Academy.


    While Devils had always been on sour terms with Ace Academy as it was a birthce of many heroes, they were not someone who would mindlessly attack this ce.


    In the novel, they only attack Ace Academy with the main objective of killing Hiro who had been destroying their ns one after another. Thinking that Hiro would be a thorn in their path, they decide to kill him with the whole Ace Academy.


    However, the objectives do not seem to be the same this time, or else, just like in the novel, many enemies would be engaging with Hiro. However, there were no enemies currently chasing him.


    Which meant that their objective this time was not Hiro but someone else.


    ¡°Keke¡­ Trying to sneak attack!¡±


    However, Xalvar was not going to let Zero think for a long period. Xalvar had been smashed into the wall but he came out without a scratch. There was no sign of Hiro or Zion attacks either.


    While Hiro and Zion¡¯s attacks were powerful but with Devil skin which is very tough, those attacks hardly did any damage. Xalvar just felt their attack like some strong wind.


    If not for being unaware of the attack, Xalvar would not even have moved from his initial position.


    -WHOOSH!


    Xalvar suddenly disappeared from their vision. Hiro and Zion who were the closest to Xalvar were confused and looked around trying to figure out where Xalvar went.


    ¡°ABOVE!!!¡±


    Zero shouted.


    He was the only one capable of seeing Xalvar¡¯s movement. Xalvar speed was only interpreted as teleportation by others.


    !!!


    The two of them immediately looked up.


    ¡°Toote!¡±


    -BANG!


    However, just like Xalvar said, it was toote. Xalvar punched the two of them and let them bite the dirt. They were inflicted with injuries that exceeded their expectations when the Viscount Devil struck them.


    They realized how fighting with Xalvar was different from fighting with Lilith. Lilith only had raw strength but it was not very difficult to see what she would do.


    However, Xalvar was different. He made use of everything he had and took advantage of his speed to smash the two of them. Lilith would have never attacked them from a blind spot.


    ¡°Two of our objectives had gathered here. Looks like this is my lucky day. Hehe¡­¡±


    Xalvar beganughing while looking at the two who were getting up.


    ¡°But what happened to Lilith? It was her job to catch him.¡±


    Xalvar said while putting his hand on his chin.


    He was already rxed and was not worried about any attacks from the people below. Zero was injured while others who had arrived could not hurt him.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    Zero uttered the name.


    It was a strangely familiar name, and Zero tried to remember the person. He could not remember but from what Xalvar said, he realized that the objective of the devils still seemed to be Hiro.


    ¡°Tch! She failed again just like 5 years ago.¡±


    Xalvar muttered.


    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±


    Hiro, who was near him, had clearly heard him.


    5 years ago, Hiro was hiding in the hidden room when Xalvar attacked his parents and therefore, didn¡¯t know that it was Xalvar who led the attack. Hiro just believed that the state his parents were in is solely because of Lilith.


    Therefore, when he heard Xalvar talk about Lilith¡¯s failure 5 years ago, he immediately knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°Oh, just some insignificant thing from the past.¡±


    Xalvar said casually.


    For a Devil like him, life was not very important. For powerful people like them, weak people¡¯s lives were equivalent to insignificant.


    That year he failed the mission because of Lilith but he discovered the target which was more than enough. They had been keeping their eyes on Hiro ever since and therefore Xalvar knew who Hiro was.


    ¡°So you were the one to attack my parents 5 years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Those two ants refused to listen to me so I had to show them the result of their decision.¡±


    Xalvar casually admitted. He had no problem with making Hiro his enemy. To him, despite what the world says about Hiro¡¯s potential, he was still a weakling not worthy of his attention.


    ¡®How dare you?¡¯


    Hiro gritted his teeth in anger.


    ¡°HAAAAA¡­¡±


    Hiro raised his sword as he attacked Xalvar. He was not mindlessly attacking like when he saw Lilith. However, Hiro was still angry to hear that Xalvar was the one leading the attack that night and also because he regards his precious parents as insignificant after what he did to them.


    -WHOOSH!

 Chapter 252 Xalvar Reinforcement

    Chapter 252 Xalvar Reinforcement


    "So you were the one to attack my parents 5 years ago?"


    "Yes! Those two ants refused to listen to me so I had to show them the result of their decision."


    Xalvar casually admitted. He had no problem with making Hiro his enemy. To him, despite what the world says about Hiro''s potential, he was still a weakling not worthy of his attention.


    ''How dare you?''


    Hiro gritted his teeth in anger.


    "HAAAAA..."


    Hiro raised his sword as he attacked Xalvar. He was not mindlessly attacking like when he saw Lilith. However, Hiro was still angry to hear that Xalvar was the one leading the attack that night and also because he regards his precious parents as insignificant after what he did to them.


    -WHOOSH!


    ¨CBANG!


    However, Xalvar immediately disappeared and reappeared behind him and smashed Hiro onto the ground. Xalvar was too fast for Hiro to react to his moves.


    Xalvar''s power was on par with Lilith''s. But with Hiro not being able to use Limit Release and System Double power, he was pretty much easy prey for Xalvar unlike with Lilith.


    [ "Phoenix me Shot" ]


    Before Xalvar could get another chance to attack Hiro, Sylvia shot an arrow toward Xalvar. Despite the fact that her attack would never be able to kill him, Xalvar nevertheless chose not to ept the attack with his bare body and instead destroyed the attack before it even got to him using Dark Energy.


    However, Xalvar easily dodged those attacks. He then concentrated on taking out Sylvia as he waved his hand and sent out multiple shes of Dark Energy at Sylvia.


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    However, Zero instantly erected multiple Dark Ice walls and blocked the attack. While the attack was certainly strong, it was not on the level of his Destruction Ball.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    I was still not healed but if I wait any longer, Hiro could be dead. The Devil didn''t have any intention of going any easier on Hiro and had almost crippled him. I understood from the devil''s behavior that he didn''t care about Hiro''s life.


    Unlike other Devils, Xalvar didn''t bother to ask Hiro to join him or anything like that. He was straight away trying to kill him.


    [ "sma Ball" ]


    Since Lisa didn''t have to heal Zero anymore, she also attacked Xalvar.


    However, Xalvar easily dodged our attacks.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Swift Strike" ]


    Immediately after Zero and Lisa failed in their attack, Hiro and Zion pursued Xalvar and attacked him from his blind spot.


    -CLANK!


    He easily caught their attacks with his hands. He twisted his hand, causing them to fall to the ground.


    -THUD!


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    We were not nning to let Xalvar rest. Even with our attacks failing to injure Xalvar, we kept on attacking. Although their attacks did not have any real effect on him, at the very least, they prevented Xalvar from attacking them which was already a good thing.


    -WHOOSH!


    While Xalvar was defending himself from Sylvia''s barrage of attacks, Zero also attempted to strike him. Without Hiro''s System Double Power and Limit Release, Zero was the most powerful attacker.


    If anyone was going to hurt Xalvar, then it was only Zero. Others could only work as a distraction.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Reinforce Strength" ]


    Lisa increased Zero''s strength. With new power overflowing inside him, Zero became more confident.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Zero instantly covered himself in Dark Ice. This time, it wasn''t for defense, but for attack purposes. With Dark Ice Embodiment, he would have more control over Ice and Shadow Energy, thus being able to churn out more powerful attacks.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    Sylvia continued to shoot arrows at Xalvar. Xalvar''s vision was taken away as he closed his eyes to avoid being blinded by the light. But he could still feel the mana in the air being able to tell the position of the people that were present there.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero put his all into that attack. Because Dark Ice Embodiment allowed Zero to control mana more and Lisa''s skill also contributed to that, the attack power of that sh had reached Rank-A.


    -SLASH!


    !!!


    Xalvar felt an incredible powering toward him. He opened his eyes only to be greeted by two giant shes. He immediately tried to block the attack with his w.


    -BANG!


    However, Xalvar who had underestimated the power of that attack was caught in surprise by the power of Zero''s attack. He had never expected that Zero would be able to disy power close to Rank-A.


    The five of them felt relieved when they saw two huge scars on Xalvar''s body. It was the first time that any of their attacks had managed to hurt him.


    Xalvar had two huge scars on his body which were frozen. Because the attack was filled with Ice energy, it had been able to freeze that part of the body, inhibiting its regeneration.


    "Keke¡­ Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Haha¡­"


    Xalvar, on the other hand, startedughing crazily.


    It might have been the injury that made him go crazy, but all of them had serious faces because Xalvar looked like he was going to attack.


    "I will give you points for cooperation."


    In contrast to what they thought, Xalvar calmed down and did not attack them. Though it didn''t mean that they were rxed since their opponent was a Viscount Devil. You will never know what they would do.


    "It didn''t seem very fair for me to fight so many of you."


    -SNAP!


    Xalvar said as he snapped his finger.


    -WUUUU!


    Immediately a portal opened.


    Zero and others immediately became more alert as they knew what that meant.


    They didn''t know how strong his reinforcement was but they did know that a Devil wasing to help Xalvar. Anyway, with the current situation, any help to Xalvar will be a big disadvantage to them.


    It already took all they had to keep up with Xalvar. After the new Devil entered the fray, they knew the situation was going to get worse. However, they had no choice but to ept those facts and get ready to fight them.


    Both sides waited for the Devil to show up. For Hiro and others, attacking Xalvar will not help them. They could not defeat him anyways.


    As for Xalvar, he didn''t care about Zero and others. With his reinforcements, he could easily take them on. Consequently, it was better for him to attack them together with his reinforcements.


    -THUD!


    Instantly a devil emerged from the portal.


    !!!


    Everybody had a big reaction when a new Devil entered the area. It is because every one of them knew who the Devil was.


    Lilith, the Devil who had previously fought with Hiro and others, was the one who came out of the Devil. Though from her appearance, anyone could tell that she had gone through a rough time.


    She was still fighting with Mr. Diamond beforeing here. Despite Mr. Diamond being in Rank-S, he could not easily defeat Lilith who was a Viscount Devil.


    However, he still was pushing her back and it seemed only a matter of time before she was defeated. However, she disappeared after some time, which was when she was summoned by Xalvar.


    Even with all kinds of injuries to her body, Lilith still had that emotionless face. She didn''t seem to care or know the condition of her body.


    Hiro, Zion, Sylvia, and Lisa knew about her strength and were stunned to see her. They know that Lilith is a Viscount Devil and with the addition of another Viscount Devil, it didn''t seem likely that they would be able to survive.


    Although they were fearless, they were not very confident in front of two Viscount Devils. It already took all they had to escape from Lilith earlier and the reason why they were able to fight with Xalvar was that they had Zero.


    "Get ready to run!"


    Hiro said.


    Even with the two of the Devils who attacked his parents, Hiro still calmly assessed the situation. He knows that they were not in a position to fight the two of them. He didn''t want to make wrong judgments and challenge them, only to have his friends killed.


    Everybody nodded except Zero. He still seemed to be shocked by the appearance of Lilith.


    "S-She¡­"


    Zero shuttered.


    Zero opened his eyes widely and was stunned by the appearance of Lilith.


    Zero also had a big reaction to her entrance. It is because he also knew who she was but in apletely different sense than Hiro. He had never fought with her or seen her in battles like Lisa and Sylvia.


    Zero waspletely lost in thought and seemed to lose touch with reality.


    "Keke¡­ At least you seemed to remember her."


    Xalvar interrupted Zero''s thoughts.


    He seemed to be amused by the whole situation. Only he seemed to know what was going on here. Hiro and his party had no idea about what Zero was thinking while Zero himself didn''t know what to make of this situation.


    From how their conversation unfolded previously and how Xalvar seems to know the fact that he knows Lilith, Zero was sure that Xalvar was someone who knew him when he was a child. However, rather than focusing on that, he was still staring at Lilith.


    "How?"


    Zero muttered.


    He still can''t believe that what he was seeing was real. It was as if everything was a dream and he was stuck in there. He slowly raised his finger while pointing toward Lilith.


    "How can she be alive?"

 Chapter 253 Zero and Lilith

    Chapter 253 Zero and Lilith


    [ 7 years ago ]


    I am the protagonist of this world or so I believed when I was a child.


    Just 8 years old and I had upgraded my rank from F - to the peak of Rank-F -. There were not many kids around my age who did so, especially in my neighborhood where talent is scarce.


    My parents and literally everyone around me praised me and said that I was going to lead our guild to a new era. I had trained hard to reach that rank but mostly it was because of my talent that I was praised.


    In the same rank, my status was a little higher than others which meant that I was stronger than those of the same rank.


    Moreover, I was friendly and had lots of friends who followed me. I was outgoing and would spend most of my time ying with my friends. With everything good about me, naturally, I thought about being the Hero.


    "Hey, we are going to y in a park."


    I yed around with many of my friends when I was a kid, alongside training in the guilds. We would usually go around in the park ying.


    Our favorite game was ying the role of heroes, while other yers yed the role of monsters. Heroes will beat down the monster and save other people.


    Although it was just a game, because we would usually end up really fighting, it was very violent. But because we are trained from a young age, those pains were nothing.


    That was how we as a kid used to spend our time. Due to how much Explorers and Heroes are revered, even kids who don''t really have an idea about the risk of those professions, dream about bing one of them.


    Zero was no exception, especially since both his parents were Explorers and Guildmaster, on top of that.


    Anyway, that day he was going to y with his friend in the park. It was one of those blissful days of his life.


    "Take this Divine Cross-sh!"


    Zero pretended to be one of the Rank-SSS, Godyer and attacked the monsters which are actually his friends.


    "AHHH!"


    "OH NO! I am dead."


    One after another the kids pretended to be dead after getting hit by my attacks.


    "Haha¡­ your attack is useless in front of my defense."


    One of the boys said.


    He was pretending to be the Demon King who fought a deadly battle with Godyer back then. Demon King was also on par with Rank-SSS Godyer and would not be killed.


    -CLANG!


    Taking a stick as their weapon, they began to fight. It was your typical kid''s fight with toys. However, because they were trained from little, their techniques were far more sophisticated than Earth kids.


    -STAB!


    Atst, the Demon King was in by the Godyer, and peace was restored in thend of Eds. That was the story that kids were told by their parents and many kids dreamed about bing the next Godyer.


    "Now it is my turn!"


    "No, it is me!"


    After Zero was done ying the Godyer, it was time to change the role and everyone wanted to be the Godyer.


    Since Zero had already yed Godyer, he just watched his friends fight for the role. They were using rock paper scissors to decide who is going to y as The Godyer.


    "Hello!"


    The kids'' bricking was suddenly interrupted by a voice.


    Zero was also surprised by the voice and instantly turned his face to look at who it was. The voice came from behind him.


    !!!


    Zero opened his eyes widely. This was the first time that he had seen someone so beautiful. Only one thing came to his mind when he saw her, "GODDESS".


    Zero stared at the beautiful girl.


    The girl caught his stare and smiled. Zero immediately turned his face away in embarrassment.


    "What do you want?"


    A kid asked.


    As small kids, not many of them had the patience or manners to deal with situations correctly. So one of the kids fighting for the role of Godyer was irritated with her interruption and didn''t hesitate to show his anger.


    The girl was not angry at all and just smiled at him. Zero was once again enchanted by her smile.


    "Are you ying?"


    "Yes, we are ying Heroes Pride. Can you not disturb us?"


    The irritated kid was still acting rudely.


    Zero was getting angry at the behavior that his friend was showing. His friend''s name was Sixtus and was one with a big behavior problem. Even though he does not have the great talent nor was his family an influential one, he does not shy away from acting like one.


    However, because he was his friend, Zero won''t say much and tolerated his arrogant and immature behavior.


    -CLAP!


    "Really? Can I also y?"


    The girl excitedly asked.


    "Big Sis, don''t!"


    "Yes, those games are only for those violent boys."


    "Come y with us?"


    The girl''s friends that were ying in the park dragged the girl into the park where they were ying with their dolls.


    The girl seemed to be happy and immediately followed the girls and went to see what they were up to. Zero just stared at thedy as she went further and further.


    "Yes, it is my turn!"


    Sixtus won the game and it was decided that he was going to y as Godyer.


    "Hey, Zero!"


    Sixtus and the other kids were waiting for Zero who seemed to get lost in his thoughts.


    "Hey, Zero! It is your turn to be Demon King."


    !!!


    Only after getting called by his friends several times did hee back to reality.


    "Coming!"


    He immediately went and started his role as Demon King. Hemanded the monsters and attacked Godyer.


    After Godyer had in every monster, he finally entered the fight.


    "Haha¡­ You shall not escape this time."


    Zero said as he raised his voice and tried to intimate the Demon King''s voice.


    "You will die! Divine Cross-sh."


    -CLANG!


    Sixtus swung his stick fiercely at Zero, but Zero was able to easily parry his attacks. Among them, he was the strongest and had a status much higher than them.


    "Divine Cross-sh"


    "Highspeed regeneration"


    While Sixtus tried to harm Zero with his skill, Zero pretended to use the Devil''s ultimate regeneration to survive his attack.


    "It''s not Highspeed Regeneration."


    "AGH!"


    Suddenly, a voice interrupted their fight. Because of how the voice actually came from behind, Zero was more surprised than Sixtus. He turned around only to see that girl from earlier.


    "What?"


    Zero asked involuntarily. He didn''t know why the girl had interrupted them while they were at the climax.


    "The demon King didn''t have Highspeed Regeneration. It was called Ultraspeed Regeneration."


    The girl said.


    ???


    Zero and Sixtus were confused. They didn''t necessarily know the difference between the two skills but what they were taught in school was that the demon king had Highspeed Regeneration.


    "Anyway, let me y. Your game seemed more entertaining than ying with those dolls."


    The girl said as she started to attack Sixtus.


    -BAM!


    The girl was too fast for Sixtus to defend himself and he got himself kicked. The girl didn''t seem to have the idea that this was just fake and started to attack Sixtus for real.


    -THUD!


    Zero immediately put himself between the girl and Sixtus.


    "WAIT! You can''t really hit him."


    Zero said angrily. They were just ying a game and the girl really kicked him hard.


    "Huh? Weren''t you all fighting earlier?"


    The girl asked confusedly.


    "Huh? That is fake. We are just ying around."


    Zero said in a loud voice.


    The girl seemed to understand the situation and helped Sixtus to get up and apologized quickly. Zero was happy that she was not deliberately beating him.


    However, he was confused. Hero''s pride, which was the name of the game, was well known and for the girl to not know was strange. But he wasn''t able to think for long as he was still a child and didn''t know aboutplicated things.


    Zero was an understanding kid and matured in certain areas such as forgiveness and helping others. Therefore, he didn''t shy away from helping the girl understand the rules of the game and how it is yed.


    The girl then followed the rules and yed along with them. Sometimes she would show overwhelming strength though she would not hurt anyone like earlier. She was fast and strong and even if it was just ying around, Zero could tell that the girl was very strong.


    Anyway, the time came for them to go home.


    *TUCK!


    ???


    However, someone got hold of his shirt. He turned around to find that the same girl was holding onto his shirt.


    "Can I y with you next time?"


    The girl asked.


    "Of course!"


    Zero answered immediately. For him, everyone was his friend and there was no barrier to friendship like adults have.


    The girl smiled with happiness and held her hand out for a handshake.


    "My name is Lilith."

 Chapter 254 Zero and Lilith [2]

    Chapter 254 Zero and Lilith [2]


    "My name is Lilith."


    The girl introduced herself.


    "L-Lilith?"


    Zero had a hard time pronouncing her name correctly because the name was certainly notmon, at least he had never heard that kind of name. However, he was not going to judge the name of a person.


    "My name is Zero Elea."


    Zero also introduced himself.


    Since that day, Lilith has always shown up in that park to y with Zero. Not only that, but Zero had also toured Lilith around the town. He was surprised that a girl older than him didn''t know much about the city.


    Little by little he took Lilith around different ces. One thing that Zero realized after spending time with her was that she was weird.


    One time he was taking Lilith around the Ice cream shop and she was like, "So this is what humans eat?" and other times, she would say things like, "So that''s how humans spend their time."


    Therefore, Zero concluded that Lilith was not a very social person and someone who would seldom leave her house. He could not think of any other reason as he was just 8 years old without much thinking power.


    Anyway, he pitied her because it seemed like she was experiencing these things for the first time, and somewhat he liked spending time with her. Therefore, Zero started taking Lilith to all kinds of ces that he likes.


    "Let''s go there!"


    Lilith said he dragged Zero.


    With time, Lilith had known about the neighborhood almost as much as Zero knew about that ce. She would drag Zero to the ces she would love to visit.


    Because of how much time they spent together, Lilith instantly became one of the closest friends that he had. The other friends that were closer than her were Eleonore and Misha, whom he had known since they were babies.


    Lilith appeared older but it was Zero who acted more mature. Lilith was just like a child following her parents and discovering new things.


    While Lilith was older, Zero had no problem taking care of her. It is because he has already experienced this type of thing already.


    His childhood friend Eleonore was a lot harder to handle than Lilith. Even when she was older than him, Zero had to handle most of the things in the house.


    "She really needs to act more mature!"


    Zero said as he thought about Eleonore.


    She can''t even make anything properly. Even making instant noodles seemed to be an impossible task for her. Anyway, because of that, I had to take care of her sometimes especially when Uncle and Aunty went for dungeon raids.


    It was the same for me when my parents had to go on dungeon raids together. They would leave me to the Kanon family. Their house was like my second home and I would asionally drop by.


    Anyways, their parents will let my parents take care of them but because of how busy they are in the office, it would be me who is actually looking after them. Although it sounds absurd to say that an 8 year old is looking after an 11 year old, it is true.


    The Kanon sisters were hopeless at housework. They could barely cook anything and left alone, they might just starve to death.


    The younger sister was very shy and I barely talked with her because of that. She usually hides behind her sister and does not say many words to me. Even with how many times we were together, she would rarely open up to me.


    Eleonore, on the other hand, was very friendly with me. Because our parents were friends and we were brought up together, we were not awkward with each other. As for Misha, she was like that with everyone, maybe worse with others than she is with me.


    Anyway, there was no hesitation or anything when we were dealing with each other. And we had spent time together many times that we could be counted on as a family.


    *****


    "I want this!"


    Eleonore said as she showed Zero the picture of Creamy pasta.


    As of that day, Eleonore''s parents were raiding a dungeon of rank-B, and the estimated raiding time was one week. During that time, Eleonore and Misha were staying in our home.


    Because I had to look after them, I told my friends including Lilith that I would be busy for the week. Lilith obviously rejected that and said that I had toe and y with her anyway, but I said I really could not.


    We had made ns that day to go to the aquarium but because of Eleonore and Misha, I could not go and had to cancel my ns with Lilith. Lilith obviously showed dissatisfaction. Anyway, we could go there anytime we want, so I didn''t think much about that.


    -SIZZLE!


    Zero prepared everything and was getting ready to make the creamy pasta that Eleonore wanted. He didn''t think much about Eleonore''s request as it is something that he has done many times before.


    Eleonore looked at Zero with satisfaction. She knew that she could count on Zero to take care of her. She tried to help Zero by washing tes but,


    -CRASH!


    The results were tes slipping off her hands andnding on the ground. No matter whether it was her luck or because she really could not do it, she would always end up in the same situation when trying to do housework.


    "Go Sit there!"


    Zeromanded angrily.


    Even though he appreciated her intent to help him, he knew that she would only add to his workload. It was better for Eleonore to do nothing and just wait for food.


    *POUT!


    Eleonore showed dissatisfaction at Zero''s words. However, she can only keep quiet and obey him because she hadmitted a mistake.


    "I was just trying to help you. What with your anger? Humph!"


    She decided to ignore Zero for the day. She would only forgive him if he apologized. She waited for the food and also Zero''s apology, both of which failed toe quickly.


    -KNOCK! -KNOCK!


    Just when she thought that she should take another look in the kitchen, the front door was knocked.


    "Coming!"


    Eleonore said as she went to open the door.


    She assumed that Zero''s parents were back. Though it was rare for them toe back so early, she thought that they might have taken a leave.


    -CREAK!


    She quickly opened the door quickly but the person standing in front of her was not Zero''s parents.


    "Yes? What do you want?"


    Eleonore didn''t know who she was and why she was there.


    "Hello! Is this Zero''s house?"


    Lilith, the person who was standing in front of the door asked.


    She was in a bad mood because Zero canceled their n. However, she immediately thought of an idea. If Zero didn''t want toe, she would drag him out and take him with her.


    She used her intel, which is Zero''s friend who knows the information, to find Zero''s address. She followed the route and came to the house which had Elea written on it. She knocked on the door and expected Zero toe out.


    Nevertheless, the one who came out of the house was a pretty girl of her age.


    ( Who? Zero''s sister? )


    Lilith thought.


    However, she knew that Zero had no siblings.


    ( Wrong address?)


    She thought that she might be in the wrong ce. So she asked whether this was Zero''s house or not.


    "What do you want?"


    Eleonore asked.


    Judging by what she said, Eleonore knew that the girl in front of her didn''t exactly know Zero''s house. She was confirming it which meant she didn''t know. She didn''t answer immediately and asked about her objective.


    "Zero and I had ns. But he failed to show up, so I want to know why."


    Lilith answered.


    What she said was actually half lie and half-truth. Zero has already exined that he can''te but she was there to forcefully take him away. Anyway, Lilith thought that keeping promises was the most important thing.


    Even if he had something to do, Zero had already promised her that he would go together with her, so she came to make Zero fulfill his promise.


    "Huh?"


    Eleonore said in surprise.


    ( Go together somewhere? How dare he! )


    Eleonore got angry at what Lilith said. Usually, this time is for them to spend together, and Zero stays with them most of the time. Now, she was hearing that Zero had made a n with another cute girl. Eleonore was angry.


    Although it was good that he didn''t leave, but the fact that the girl came to take Zero out was irritating. So she replied,


    "Zero is busy. You can try another time."


    She immediately tried to make Lilith go away. For her, she was someone who was trying to destroy her precious time with Zero.


    "..."


    Lilith, on the other hand, felt hostile toward Eleonore and assumed she was trying to stop her from meeting Zero. She had not even met with Zero and the girl in front of her told her to go away.


    ( This Girl! What is her problem? )

 Chapter 255: Lilith Vs Eleonore

    ( This Girl! What is her problem? )


    Eleonore thought.


    Even when she had already told her indirectly to go away, she still stood there.


    Simrly, Lilith didn''t have the greatest impression of Eleonore who was trying to block her from meeting Zero.


    As far as strength is concerned, she knows that she was superior, and had it been her former workce, she would have already taught her a lesson. However, considering she was in the human world, she refrained from doing so.


    The atmosphere was tense between the two.


    "Eleonore, who is at the door?"


    Just when both of them were staring at each other, Zero''s voice interrupted them.


    Zero had finished cooking the food and was wondering who was at the door because Eleonore was at the door for too long.


    "..."


    Eleonore refrained from speaking. She didn''t want Zero to know that this girl hade to find him. Despite having doubts about their rtionship, she knew that Lilith was close enough for Zero to go to the aquarium together. She didn''t want Zero to meet this girl.


    "ZERO!"


    Lilith was extremely excited to hear Zero''s voice. She thought that she might be at the wrong address but hearing Zero''s voice, she knew she was at the right ce.


    On the other hand, she had be warier of Eleonore who lied to her about Zero. If Zero was not home, howe she was hearing Zero''s voice?


    ???


    Zero waited for an answer only to get silence.


    "What is she doing?"


    Zero muttered while being a little irritated.


    Seeing that there was no reply, Zero decided to check.


    "Zero!"


    As soon as Zero was in sight, Lilith immediately ran toward him.


    *TCH!


    Seeing this, Eleonore was extremely disgusted. She knew that she was right in trying to chase her away.


    "Lilith!"


    Zero eximed in surprise.


    Zero was surprised to find that the person at the door was Lilith. He didn''t remember telling her his address or showing his home to her.


    "Who is she?"


    Eleonore asked in anger.


    "Oh, she is Lilith. The new friend that I made in the park a few days ago."


    Zero introduced, not knowing the story between the two.


    "Who is she?"


    Lilith also asked the same question while ring at Eleonore. She was clinging to Zero while asking


    "She is my childhood friend, Eleonore Kanon."


    Still, Zero answered without knowing the situation. He thought that he could take this opportunity to increase the number of friends of Lilith who he thinks is new to the town.


    "Come in!"


    Zero invited Lilith.


    Lilith was brimming with happiness and instantly followed him inside while also grinning toward Eleonore. She felt that she had won against Eleonore though there was nopetition or whatsoever.


    Eleonore gritted her teeth in anger. She can''t believe that she failed to chase her away and that Zero invited her in.


    "Zero, I can''t believe you are so eager to bring in girls."


    She was also angry at Zero for inviting Lilith.


    Zero, who had no idea about the girls'' fight, was currently showing Lilith around the house. Lilith was extremely excited to see what type of ce Zero was living in and looked carefully, especially when he showed his room.


    However, she didn''t forget Eleonore who lied to her. She was extremely cautious of her.


    Lilith was also invited to join them for lunch, which was creamy pasta, which Eleonore had told him to make.


    On the table, one side was Zero and Lilith and on the other side was Eleonore and Misha.


    Misha, as usual, refrained from speaking and kept ncing at Lilith but she dared to talk to her or anything.


    On the other hand, Eleonore red at Lilith in hatred while also not saying anything.


    -CHOM!


    "It was delicious!"


    Lilithmented after they had finished eating.


    "It was too salty and oily."


    On the other hand, Eleonore keptining. It was not like she didn''t like the food but because she wanted to go against Lilith that she spoke the opposite of what she was saying.


    "If you don''t want to eat it, you should have made it yourself. Humph"


    Eleonore also knew that Eleonore was deliberating going against her. From the moment they met, she knew that Eleonore was making things difficult for her.


    Therefore, she also replied angrily.


    "Huh? Why should I? I have Zero."


    Eleonore replied.


    "He is not an object that you can im is yours."


    Lilith answered.


    Both sides argued which was not good.


    Zero at first thought that both of them were just having some small disagreement because of their difference in the taste bud.


    However, as they started to fight more and more, Zero could not take it anymore and interfere.


    -BANG!


    "Can you two please act more mature? Why are we fighting over food?"


    Zero said.


    He didn''t know what goes through the mind of Eleonore and Lilith to fight like little kids. As far as he was concerned, both of them appeared to be fighting over food.


    In reality, the argument had nothing to do with the food and it was simply a disagreement between two people who don''t like each other.


    *HUMPH!


    Both of them turned their heads away from each other.


    "Zero, let''s go to the aquarium!"


    Lilith decided to set aside her anger and do what she came here for.


    !!!


    Immediately, Eleonore became alert. In the first ce, she didn''t want Zero to meet her because of this, and finally, her enemy had used a move.


    "No!"


    Rather than Zero giving an answer, it was Eleonore who rejected Lilith in Zero''s ce.


    Lilith red at Eleonore.


    "He has promised us to stay with us!"


    Eleonore continued.


    "He also promised me to go to the aquarium!"


    Lilith replied.


    They red at each other for a second before turning their heads to Zero, demanding an answer.


    "Zero, you will go with me, right?"


    "Zero, chase this girl away."


    Both of them were pretty intense when asking Zero. Good thing was that Misha was not there.


    "AH..."


    Zero didn''t know how to answer them.


    ( I had already said I would not be going. Lilith is making it difficult for me. )


    For the starter, though I had made ns with Lilith, I already told her that I would be busy for a week.


    However, she even came here to invite me. It would be incredibly rude for me to reject her.


    !


    ( Why did I not think about that? )


    "How about we all go together?"


    I will be able to solve both my problems that way. I will fulfill my promise to Lilith while also not getting worried about my house getting burned.


    " "NO!" "


    Both of them said it at the same time. Zero even got startled by their reply.


    ( Why would I go with this girl? If it was only us, then I might have. )


    Eleonore thought.


    ( No. No. It would not be a date anymore if we brought her along.


    Lilith thought.


    Seeing them frantically reject his idea, Zero didn''t know what to do anymore.


    "I also want to go to the aquarium."


    The moment Zero was lost as to what to do, Misha came to his rescue. Misha also expressed her desire to go to the aquarium.


    "..."


    With Misha showing her desire to go to the aquarium, Eleonore was not able to reject her idea. One was because she loved Misha very much and would do whatever for her.


    Secondly, it is very rare for her to voice her desire. Misha was a quiet child and from a very young age didn''t demand things.


    Therefore, the times when she wanted something were rare and their family would do everything they could to satisfy that request.


    Lilith also didn''t reject Misha as she did with Zero. First of all, she didn''t hate Misha like she did Eleonore. Secondly, she didn''t know the rtionship between Misha and Zero.


    What if Zero liked Misha? Then her refusal will make a gap in their rtionship which she didn''t want.


    Anyway, with the intervention of Misha, both of them agreed.


    Zero didn''t know whether she did this intentionally or because she wanted to go to the aquarium like she said but the fact that she saved him didn''t change.


    Zero was grateful for Misha''s help and gave a thumbs up to Misha. Misha smiled in response.


    Then the four of them prepared to go to the aquarium.


    The aquarium was not very far and could be reached within 15 minutes, so they decided to walk instead of taking a bus.


    On the way to the aquarium, Eleonore and Lilith argued. Lilith tried to get close to Zero, only to be stopped by Eleonore.


    This happened several times, and each time both of them would fight. Even Zero didn''t know what to do. He was the youngest of them, and it was he who was responsible for taking care of them.


    Misha was not very good with the crowded ces and was sticking close to Zero. While the other two fought with each other.


    ( Will we be okay? )


    Zero thought as he regretted his decision.

 Chapter 256: Bickering Days!

    ( Will we be okay? )


    Looking at the group again, he regretted his decision toe to the aquarium together.


    Misha was afraid of the crowd and didn''t really like this kind of ce while the one who should be looking forward to this ce was fighting with Eleonore.


    And Zero, himself, was not veryfortable in ces like the aquarium without his parents. Well, he was trying to be an adult, but he was still a kid at heart. Though he could handle those types of ces better than Misha.


    Anyway, after some time of bickering and fighting, they finally reached our destination. The Aquarium which is called the Water Beast Park was thergest aquarium in their city.


    After reaching the aquarium, Lilith''s attitudepletely changed. She switched from anger mode to excited mode immediately. Paying less attention to Eleonore, she began fully exploring the ce while also dragging Zero along with her.


    Elena, herself, did not seem to hate the ce, as she seemed to be entranced by some of its creatures, such as Salos. Perhaps she thinks of it as food? Maybe?


    Anyway, she seemed to be enjoying herself to the point that she at least refrained from fighting with Lilith. Misha was also less tense while she looked at the fish.


    There were also some ferocious fish monsters which scared her a little. Those were generally below Rank-B and the ss was made out of material that could withstand Rank-A attacks, so there was no danger.


    asionally, Eleonore will also escort Lilith. Lilith, who seemed oblivious to the type of fish she was seeing, would ask Eleonore, who would proudly tell her the answer. Because of the excitement, Lilith seemed to set aside her hatred and was talking in a friendly manner with Eleonore.


    All in all, the trip to the aquarium turned out to be okay. This trip might have made us closer or so I thought.


    "Let go of his arms!"


    "No!"


    "I said let go of his arm!"


    "NOOO!"


    "This girl!"


    As soon as we were done visiting the aquarium and were on our way back home, the fight between Lilith and Eleonore resumed.


    *SIGH!


    Zero could not think of anything to make them closer. Anyway, they both were older than him and he was in no position to tell them. He just hoped that they would get closer as time passed.


    He thought that bing friends would be beneficial to both of them. He has known Eleonore since they were little and knows that she has very few friends. Because of her fierce personality, rarely anyone would consider befriending her. Therefore, he thought that Eleonore bing friends with Lilith would be a good thing for her.


    Simrly, as far as he has seen, Lilith didn''t have any other friends apart from him. For her also, bing friends with Eleonore was a good thing.


    Though they were fighting, Zero could see that many of their personalities were the same. They were both very energetic and loved hanging out outside. Bing friends would be beneficial to both of them.


    However, it didn''t seem like that would happen soon.


    *****


    "Zero, I am here!"


    From then on, Lilith woulde to visit my house where she would meet Eleonore and Misha. While her rtionship was good with Misha, her rtionship with Eleonore became worse and worse.


    Although they would asionally forget they were enemies while ying together, they would always get back to fightingter.


    Zero didn''t understand why they were fighting so much. The things that started their fight didn''t seem very meaningful, and not even kids would quarrel over them. Like who would fight over something like the color of a shirt that is worn by other people?


    Anyway, even with arguments, one thing was sure we were slowly getting to know each other more.


    One surprising thing that I found out about Lilith was that although Lilith was oblivious to many things, she was able to cook, better than Eleonore at least. Though Eleonore refused to admit that and continued to insult her cooking while also eating her food.


    She also was far stronger than I thought. While ying which required physical strength, Lilith seemed to be far stronger than Eleonore.


    Well, that was some of the things which proved that she was older than me, otherwise, there was not much to show other than her age that she is older. She didn''t know more than me nor did she act more mature.


    Well, I didn''t know her exact age but I assumed she would be around Eleonore''s age, which is 11. She would generally act naive and childish, so I tended to treat her as someone young.


    Soon the time came for Eleonore and Misha to go back to their house. Misha thanked me while Eleonore, well she was never one to say that type of thing. I also talked with Uncle Diego who shared his experience in the dungeon.


    While I was not a very adventurous person, those things captivated me. Surviving in a ce where most humans would die. This type of thing seems to be something that a Hero would do.


    Anyway, peace seemed to return to the Elea Family once again. It was not that Eleonore or Misha was a burden, quite the opposite, I loved spending time with them. It is just that sometimes, I also like to stay alone.


    Well, my days with them were more hectic this time because of Lilith. She would always visit and even my parents knew about her. They told me to introduce her though I didn''t get that opportunity.


    These days, most of my time is spent ying and there is hardly any time for training. Though I don''t particrly love to train, I still do that in order to be a Hero.


    It didn''t help that we were on vacation, so I didn''t have to study either. There was still half a month left before school resumed. I decided to take this opportunity to y as much as possible. Anyway, I can train when school starts.


    Just like before, I nned to go to the park this time and y with other friends. It had been one week since Ist saw my friends.


    -CREAK!


    I opened my door and I walked out of the house excitedly. I had already informed them and we had nned to meet in the park.


    "You are here!"


    !!!


    However, as soon as he got out, Lilith called him out.


    "Lilith!"


    Zero didn''t expect to see her in the morning. While he got used to seeing her for the past week, he thought it would be different from today.


    "Where are you going?"


    Lilith asked.


    She seemed to expect that Zero was still going to stay there like before. She didn''t know that Eleonore and Misha had moved back to their own house. She had expected Zero to stay in the house like before.


    Zero had simr thoughts and assumed that was the reason why Lilith still came to his house. Otherwise, he assumed that she would be in the park like before.


    "I am going to the park to y."


    Zero answered.


    "Okay. I will also be going with you."


    Lilith said.


    Zero agreed as there was no problem with that.


    Just like in the past, Zero along with his friends would y many kinds of games while also exploring different ces. They would then visit the arena where some people would be fighting.


    However, because the publicly avable arena could only withstand Rank-E power, only those below Rank-E were there to fight. But from the perspective of little kids, those fights were too exciting and they loved to watch them.


    Lucky for them, today, two Rank-E who seemed to be in high school were using the arena. Zero and his friends immediately sat down and watched the fight. They admired how powerful those older guys were.


    However, unlike those kids, Lilith was not very excited to watch these types of fights. Though from the perspective of a small kid who had not trained well, the Rank-E battle seemed out of reach, Lilith knew that those Rank-E fighters would notst one second in front of her.


    Anyway, she was following Zero and Zero seemed to enjoy watching the fight, so she didn''t make any fuss.


    After that, they ate some snacks while walking on their way to their house. Lilith followed Zero until he reached his home before saying goodbye.


    Zero was thankful, knowing that Lilith was trying to look out for him. He knew that Lilith only walked with him to his house because she was trying to protect him.


    She was a friend that he had made recently but in terms of rtionship, only Misha and Eleonore were more close to him than her.


    More importantly, while most of the image that he had of a goddess had vanished due to her bricking with Eleonore, Zero still thought that Lilith was one of the most beautiful girls that he had seen.


    Someone who resembled the Goddess.

 Chapter 257: Its Fun!

    I waited for Lilith to appear.


    "She iste."


    Usually, she would be the first one to arrive and would be waiting in front of my house. However, she had yet to appear. I didn''t know the reason, but still, I waited as I thought that she woulde soon.


    However, one minute turned into 10 minutes, and 10 minutes turned into 30 minutes. Still, Lilith was nowhere to be seen.


    ( Is she noting today?)


    Zero thought.


    "Zero!"


    Someone called him.


    Initially, Zero thought it was Lilith, but it turned out to be another friend of Zero. They all seemed to have been there together.


    ???


    Zero didn''t understand why they were there. Normally, they would not bothering even if one waste and would continue ying with each other even if someone was missing.


    "Why are you all here?"


    Zero asked. Anyway, if one didn''t know the answer, one could always ask the one who could provide the answer.


    "We were waiting for you and you still didn''te. So, we came to get you."


    Sixtus told.


    He seemed to be in a particrly good mood.


    ( Did something good happen to him? )


    Zero thought. Normally, Sixtus would always be in a bad mood even when they were ying. Anyway, setting aside his good mood, the situation was still odd.


    ???


    Zero was still confused about the situation. As mentioned before, one or two kids missing were not a big deal and happened normally and no one would go to bring them unless you are very very close.


    "We were nning to go to the ce that Sixtus is talking about. We didn''t want you to miss that."


    Wendy said. She was a cute little girl around the age of Zero and was somewhat like Misha, only less shy.


    "I found this cool ce yesterday. Let''s go! I will show you all something amazing!"


    Sixtus said excitedly.


    Looking at them again, there were all kinds of tools that they had bought for exploration. Little protective armor along with a small knife.


    Zero now understood why they were there. Unlike usual, it seems that today they nned to explore this ''Cool ce'' that Sixtus had found.


    "I cannot! I have to wait for Lilith."


    Zero refused.


    While he was also entranced by the fact that they could explore this cool ce that Sixtus was talking about, however, he still decided to wait for Lilith. Anyway, he thought that he could follow them after Lilith arrived.


    "Lilith?"


    "Haha¡­"


    ???


    Suddenly they startedughing. Zero didn''t understand why they were acting crazy.


    -TAP!


    "Zero, did you forget that Middle School starts today? She should be attending school. You are wasting time waiting for her."


    John, who was rather a big fellow, said.


    !!!


    Then only did Zero understand why Lilith didn''te. If the school had already begun, it is understandable that she didn''te.


    Zero didn''t know that Middle School started one week before their school. Anyway, he was not a middle schooler and didn''t know that.


    "Let''s Go!"


    Even Sixtus kept his arrogant side at home and didn''t argue. He led the group of kids to the ce which he described as cool.


    With that, they dragged Zero into going with them. They all looked excited.


    ******


    "Look!"


    Sixtus proudly showed the area which had been covered in forest. Previously, this ce was covered in rock but now it haspletely changed into a different area.


    "Is this the ce?"


    Wendy asked.


    Zero looked at the forest and was somehow having a bad feeling about it. The area seemed to bepletely different from what a normal forest should be. More than that, it was an isted ce just like some haunted areas.


    "Are you sure this is safe?"


    Zero asked.


    "Yes! Follow me!"


    Sixtus said as he led the group into the forest. He seemed confident that this ce was not dangerous at all. Seeing that Sixtus was so confident, the other kids also followed him.


    Anyway, they were here to explore the ce and creepy ces like this were just what they needed. They thought of this as a preparation for future exploration.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Upon entering the forest, the atmosphere seemed to bepletely different from the outside. Zero, felt that the mana inside this ce was very different from outside, though other kids didn''t seem to notice.


    The only thing that made him less worried was that nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary other than that, and they were perfectly fine right now.


    "Isn''t this scary?"


    John asked while trembling.


    John was not very good at dark ces and since the sunlight seemed to be mostly blocked by the big trees, the route we were taking was dark.


    "Shouldn''t we go back?"


    Zero asked.


    Seeing the situation, Zero thought that heading back was probably good. It seems that he can''t seem to get rid of his bad feeling, and his friends appeared to be scared of going further.


    "Just a little further! We will see something amazing there."


    Sixtus insisted. He seemed dead set on showing us that amazing thing that we had no idea of.


    "Well, let''s continue a little."


    Wendy said.


    In addition, she was not fond of such a ce, but it seems that she is willing to follow Sixtus just a little because he was her friend.


    "Well¡­ If it is just a bit further."


    John also said.


    Just like Wendy, he was also considering Sixtus'' feelings about who had found this ce and wanted to show them and also because he wanted to see that amazing thing that Sixtus kept talking about. Other friends also nodded.


    Just like that, we agreed on going a little further.


    *****


    Still, there was nothing there and the ce just became more creepy.


    "Hey, we should stop!"


    Zero said.


    It didn''t seem that they were going to see anything in that ce other than trees.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    However, Sixtus kept on walking, not heeding Zero''s word.


    "Hey, Stop!"


    Zero shouted.


    However, there was no response.


    -THAD!


    Zero grabbed Sixtus'' shoulder, making him stop.


    "Hey, I said stop!"


    Zero said to Sixtus in a little irritating voice.


    While he didn''t intend to me Sixtus for bringing them here as they were also partially responsible, Sixtus'' refusal to listen caused Zero to be angry.


    *GRIN!


    Zero couldn''t see Sixtus'' face properly but Zero could have sworn that Sixtus was smiling.


    Sixtus suddenly turned around and struck Zero''s abdomen.


    -BANG!


    "ARGH!"


    Zero felt that he was going to vomit. He didn''t understand what was going on. Why did he attack me? Did I do something wrong? All types of thoughts were going through his head.


    The same was true for other kids who watched this in shock. They didn''t know why but their friend Sixtus had attacked Zero suddenly. And it didn''t seem like a prank seeing how Zero was suffering.


    "SIXTUS! Have you gone mad?"


    "Why did you attack Zero?"


    Other kids angrily asked. While they were friends and could make some jokes to a certain extent, however, they knew that this had gone beyond what one might say is a joke.


    "Hahaha¡­"


    However, Sixtus beganughing eerily while holding his face in his hand.


    !!!


    His voice was so eerie that even just hearing it gave them goosebumps. Zero knew that something was wrong and that the one who was in front of them was not the one that they knew.


    "Fools!"


    Sixtus said.


    -WHOOSH!


    Sixtus'' appearance started to change soon after. Two horns were grown while a pair of wings and tail had grown from behind. His height grew from 110 cm to 180 cm.


    !!!


    Instantly, everybody there knew what that was. While they were immature and had yet to explore the world, they knew about the major species of Eds of which Devil was one of them.


    Even without ever seeing one, they could tell Sixtus was a devil.


    *SHIVER!


    The kids started trembling at the sight of Sixtus''s Devil form. Though it was not only appearance but also because Sixtus has started to exert his mana pressure.


    While they were not sure which rank Sixtus was in, however, they knew that he was at least stronger than they were. Moreover, Devil''s rank starts from E, unlike humans which meant that Sixtus was at least Rank-E, which is far stronger than they were.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Sixtus slowly approached them. He was slowly going toward them intentionally so that they felt more scared.


    Zero was equally scared as other kids. This was his first time encountering something like this. Moreover, there was still the pain of being punched in the abdomen.


    "How I waited for this moment?"


    Sixtus said excitedly.


    He looked at the kids like a tiger would look at its prey. Right now, Sixtus was the big tiger while Zero and others were all his prey.


    "Why? Why are you doing this?"


    Zero asked.


    He suppressed his fear and bravely said. They were a bunch of kids that had never offended anyone. Why were they in this position? Why were they targeted?


    "Why? You ask?"


    Sixtus turned his head towards Zero while replying.


    "Because it''s fun!"

 Chapter 258: Despair!

    "Because it''s fun!"


    Sixtus said as he smiled ecstatically.


    Zero and the other children shuddered when they saw his smile and re. He looked at them as if they were his toys which were kind of true in this situation. Sixtus can easily end any one of their lives at any time.


    "Haha¡­ This is why I do this!"


    Sixtus as he looked at the kids excitedly.


    Whether it was true or false didn''t matter because all Zero could think of was how to escape this ce with his friends. He could only see Sixtus as a psychopath.


    "P-Please, Let me go home!"


    Wendy begged.


    She didn''t know what was going on anymore and was very scared. She regretted agreeing to go with Sixtus.


    "Oh, ~little Wendy wants to go home?"


    Sixtus mocked while getting closer to her.


    Zero can see that Sixtus was very much enjoying this situation. However, he could only watch him do so because he was being suppressed by the mana aura and had no power to retaliate.


    "Hehe¡­"


    Sixtusughed in Wendy''s face. Zero knows that Sixtus has no intention of letting them go, otherwise he would not have done this. However, what Sixtus did next was something that he never expected.


    *SLASH!


    ''Hahaha¡­ "


    Without hesitation or warning, Sixtus plunged his hand right into Wendy''s stomach. There was no struggle of any kind and Wendy passed away immediately at that moment.


    "KYAAAAA!"


    "WAAAHHHH!"


    "MOM! DAD!"


    "Someone help me!"


    Kids started to scream while calling for help. Some broke down in tears as they just saw something horrifying. They could imagine all kinds of suffering that they had to put themselves through but never did they think that Sixtus would just kill them.


    As kids, this was the first time that they had faced this kind of cruelty.


    One of their friends just got killed, however, no one there had time to grieve, instead, they had to stay in fear thinking that they were going to be next.


    Sixtus, as he said, does not appear to be seeking any particr objective and appears to just wish to torment them. While the truth was not known, it was certain that he liked to torment others for his pleasure.


    "No¡­ no¡­ no"


    Zero muttered while staring at the lifeless body.


    Zero was still in disbelief. The friend that he had been spending time with was just killed. It only took one second for the Devil to take away the life of Wendy.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    Zero was panting heavily as he looked at Wendy''s body. A lot of thoughts were running through his head. He didn''t know what kind of feeling he was experiencing but he was angry.


    It is said that when people don''t know how to express their emotions, they will turn into anger which is the easiest to show. Zero also turned his regret, grief, and sadness into anger. For the first-ever, Zero was feeling extremely angry at someone.


    "YOU! I will never forgive you!"


    Zero shouted.


    It seemed that in a ce filled with Sixtus''sughter and kids wailing, a new kind of voice was heard. A voice filled with anger and sadness. Zero immediately managed to get the attention of both Sixtus and those crying kids.


    He immediately pulled out his short knife and ran towards Sixtus. The fear towards Sixtus disappeared and what was left was anger.


    That anger was enough to make him forget the fear and everything else he was feeling, including the sadness he was experiencing. Right now, all he wanted was revenge for killing his friend.


    Wendy, despite not being the closest friend, was someone very important to Zero. He had known her for 2 years and thought that they would be friends forever but who knew that her life would be cut short by The Devil.


    Despite still being pressurized by Sixtus'' mana aura, Zero managed to move without trouble. It seems that moment was when his body decided to let go of the limit of the body.


    "HO-OH!"


    Sixtus eximed in surprise.


    He was both impressed and found it funny. It was impressive that Zero despite being in just Rank-F - could move in his mana aura which is Rank-D. Though obviously, he didn''t use his full power, despite that it was impressive for Zero to stand in his presence.


    On the other hand, Zero''s movement was sluggish and very slow. He found it funny that Zero was trying to attack him despite being so weak. He was amused by the idea of Zero attacking him.


    "Haaaaaa!"


    Zero, who was controlled by his anger, didn''t care about the difference in power or anything. He lost the ability to calmly assess the situation and continued to make his way toward Sixtus.


    Zero raised his knife and plunged it into Sixtus'' stomach. It was a clean hit. Zero believed he had done it, and even other kids found hope in him. As long as the cmity known as Sixtus was killed, they believed that they could go back home.


    "Haha¡­ You seriously think that a knife could kill me? Haha¡­"


    However, Sixtus was justughing at Zero''s stupidity.


    The Devil''s bodies were very tough and it was impossible for an ordinary knife to do any damage to them. That''s why, Sixtus was standing, doing nothing when Zero attacked him. Because he knows that he will be fine.


    Zero''s anger immediately vanished and what was left was fear. However, despite being afraid, he continued to stare at Sixtus in anger. He still could not forget what Sixtus did to Wendy and let him get away with that.


    He still knew that the only escape was after he had defeated Sixtus. He instantly let go of his knife and turned around to kick Sixtus.


    -BANG!


    He tried to kick Sixtus but as expected there was not much effect. The Sixtus, who thought Zero would be in despair when he got his hope dash, became upset when he saw Zero was still fighting and had hope in his eyes. He liked to see others suffering and seeing Zero not lose hope was making him very upset. He began thinking of ways to make him despair.


    -BAM!


    Firstly, Sixtus sends Zero flying.


    "ARGH!"


    Zero screamed in pain. However, unexpectedly, Zero was not killed which really confused him. It was the same case earlier where he was just punched. He thought that Sixtus wanted something from them until he killed Wendy.


    From there, Zero thought that Sixtus just wanted to kill them. But he was spared again.


    "Since you have made me happy, let me tell you the real reason why you all are stuck here."


    Sixtus said.


    Zero, who was lying on the ground, listened to Sixtus as he didn''t have anything else to do.


    "It is because of you!"


    Sixtus pointed his finger at Zero.


    !!!


    Zero as well as his friend were shocked when Sixtus med Zero.


    "It is because you possess something that our boss wants. It is because of that that your friends are going to be killed. It is all your fault."


    Sixtus continued.


    !!!


    ( My fault? )


    Zero thought.


    Zero, who was just 8 years old, was naive and didn''t understand Sixtus'' tactic to drive Zero into despair. It was Sixtus'' intention to make Zero even more miserable, whose will was already broken.


    Some of Zero''s friends were also ming Zero for the state they were in. They instantly believed Sixtus'' words and thought that the situation they were in was something that Zero caused.


    While some didn''t fully believe Sixtus, there were doubts nheless.


    He tried to throw all the me on Zero. Despite, being all his fault, Sixtus sessfully threw the me at Zero.


    Humans are creatures who would try to me someone weaker than someone who is strong. Humans always attempt to me someone weaker, since they can''t do anything to the strong, while they could to the weak.


    "I only wanted you but since your friends followed you, they will face the same consequences."


    Sixtus said.


    Zero at the time was thinking a lot. While he didn''t want to believe him, seeing that he was still alive while Wendy was killed, he thought that Sixtus might be right.


    He thought that he was still alive because there was something Sixtus wanted from him while his friends who got caught up in this were killed.


    *SLASH!


    Another one of them was killed without any reason. Sixtus again instilled fear in them by killing one of them.


    "NOOooo! Please, Stop!"


    Zero begged. He could not take it anymore.


    Because of Sixtus, Zero thinks that it is some kind of his mistake. He started to think that it was because of him that his friends were suffering.


    *SLASH!


    However, like talking to the air, Sixtus didn''t listen to anyone and started ughtering them one by one.


    "P-Please STOP!"


    Zero still begged.


    "Hehe¡­"


    Sixtus liked the expression of Zero which was filled with despair. This was the face that he was trying to find. The more Zero suffered, the better it was for him.


    "I will do anything. Just Stop!"

 Chapter 259: Zeros Despair!

    Sixtus showed no mercy as he kept killing Zero''s friends one after the other. Sixtus didn''t kill them all at once; instead, he would kill one before stopping.


    It was so that he could instill fear into the remaining people and let them fear him more. He would also stop to enjoy the expressions on the faces of his next victims.


    *SLASH!


    "Haha..."


    *SLASH!


    "Haha...''


    And after killing one, Sixtus willugh crazily. Each time they heard hisugh, they would shudder.


    Zero had to watch his friends get killed and he was helpless to do anything. As a result of the injury on his body and the Sixtus mana aura suppressing him, he could only watch as his friends were killed.


    He was desperately trying to make his body move but it would not listen to him.


    Zero was willing to do anything for Sixtus to spare his friends.


    "I will do anything. Please Stop!"


    Zero begged as tears fell on the ground.


    However, Sixtus continued to kill with delight as if he was doing something good. Even though Zero begged him to stop, he seemed even more content to kill them with Zero''s begging.


    "Always remember they are killed because of you. If not for you, they might still be living as normal."


    Sixtus didn''t forget to asionally remind Zero of whose fault this was, making Zero feel more guilty for something he didn''t do or know about.


    Zero didn''t understand what Sixtus wanted from him but as he said, Zero seemed to be of some value to him as Sixtus kept him alive. But this was nothing to be happy about.


    All his friends! All the people that heughed at and yed with were dead. Sixtus spared no one except him.


    His mind began to wonder if other kids were just getting caught up in that mess because of him. Because a dangerous person was interested in him, and that''s why his friends were also involved.


    "WHY? WHY? WHYYYY?"


    Zero screamed in despair.


    He could not save anyone and he was the only one left alive. They still had much of their lives to live, however, instead of living the life they dreamed of, everyone died, everyone except him.


    "WHY WHY WHY WHYYY!"


    Zero was turning crazy. He didn''t know what to do except that he had to kill Sixtus. He knew that Sixtus was one guy that he should never forgive in his life.


    Even if he was killed at the moment, Zero would not cry or beg to be spared. If Sixtus kept him alive and he survived this crisis, he swore that he would get back at him 100x for what he did.


    "I-I Kill¡­ Kill YOU!"


    Zero''s face was distorted with rage.


    Despair and rage, all turned into the negative energy that slowly enveloped Zero''s body. His body was slowly turning into a ck thing. At that moment, Zero felt that his power was soaring, like he was liberated from humanity''s limitations.


    "This is¡­"


    Zero didn''t understand what was happening to his body but he knew that he had gotten powerful and could resist Sixtus'' mana aura better than before.


    Because of this new sensation, Zero calmed down a bit but he never forgot what Sixtus did. Even when he was able to calmly contemte the situation, only revenge remained in his head.


    He never had the thought of running away and was currently ring at Sixtus. He hoped that this new power could help him get his revenge. No matter what happens, Zero felt that he had to kill Sixtus.


    -WHOOSH!


    He quickly stood up and ran towards Sixtus who was crazilyughing at all the despair he brought. Sixtus was feeling ecstasy looking at the dead bodies. Because of that, Zero could easily sneak near Sixtus without alerting him.


    It would have been a chance for Zero to run away but the hatred and anger had clouded his judgment. Not to mention that as an 8-year-old, he would listen more to his emotions than logic.


    In spite of the logic that told him to run because Sixtus'' power was too overwhelming for him, he never forgot what Sixtus had done to his friends, and he could not allow Sixtus to get away with it.


    -POW!


    -BANG!


    This time, Zero''s punch managed to send Sixtus flying toward the trees. He didn''t quite get it but the fact that his power could hurt Sixtus delighted him. He was fully prepared to take revenge for all he did.


    "Haha..."


    Sixtus stood up as heughed.


    He was both surprised and happy.


    He didn''t expect that Zero could generate this much power to even hurt his body. His face was still stinging because of Zero''s punch.


    "As expected."


    Sixtus said.


    More than shock, he was happy because he expected this to happen. He seemed to have already predicted something like this and was not panicking at all.


    You really are one of the people who possess it. Zero from Elea lineage. Hehe¡­"


    Zero didn''t care about what Sixtus was talking about. His sole focus was on killing Sixtus. For that, he was even willing to lose his life.


    "After giving the item to the Lord, I will surely be rewarded generously. Ha-"


    -POW!


    Zero threw another punch in Sixtus'' face causing him to again be smashed into the ground. Zero didn''t want to hear anotherugh from Sixtus who killed his friends.


    -BAM! -BAM!


    Sixtus had no chance to retaliate as Zero continually threw punches one after another.


    "Hah¡­ Hah ¡­"


    After a minute or so, Zero was exhausted from punching. He gave his all in each punch and his hand even started to bleed a little.


    He looked in Sixtus'' direction where his face was no longer recognizable. He was a bit satisfied seeing the state Sixtus was in.


    "That is it?"


    Sixtus asked.


    Contrary to his appearance, Sixtus'' voice was full of provocation and arrogance. Even with his face turned into minced meat, he still continued to provoke Zero.


    "Haaa!"


    -POW!


    Zero threw another punch, however, this time his hand was caught before he could hit Sixtus'' face.


    "Hehe¡­ I gave you a chance but all you could do was this? I am very disappointed!"


    Sixtus said with sadness. However, that sadness should be Sixtus''s acting and he was only doing so in order to aggravate him.


    Zero obviously took the bait and was even angrier. Sixtus continued to act superior and even the satisfaction Zero got from hitting him vanished.


    -SHIIISHH!


    Sixtus who was getting hitpletely changed his aura. The person who appeared battered was all healed and had no injuries on his body. It was as if he was never injured.


    !!!


    While Zero did not know whether it was a Devil''s ability or his own, he realized all of his attacks were for nothing, and the reason Sixtus did not defend himself was that his attacks were useless against him.


    Sixtus raised his hand, getting ready to strike. Zero stood in a defensive position. He thought that he might be able to withstand his attack, seeing that his power had increased.


    -WHOOSH!


    However, when Sixtus made his move, Zero could barely see his movement and the next second he knew it, Sixtus was in front of him.


    Zero quickly raised his hand to block the iing attack.


    -BANG!


    "ARGH!"


    However, it was of no use. Upon reflecting upon Sixtus'' previous attacks, Zero realized that Sixtus was holding himself back. The punch he threw this time was very different from those two and he seemed to have broken a few bones.


    "This is what you call a punch!"


    Sixtus as he slowly approached Zero.


    "You really impressed me with your power. You can already wield the Power Of Desire to a certain extent. However, you still don''t have the capabilities to go against me."


    Sixtus raised his hand to strike again.


    Zero could not react to his attack. His bones were broken and he was very exhausted. He could just watch as Sixtus attacked him.


    -WHOOSH!


    -BAM!


    "What?"


    Sixtus was surprised.


    Just before his punchnded on Zero, someone appeared and blocked it.


    Zero was also surprised by the appearance of the new person. The person who suddenly appeared was so fast that Zero thought that she/he teleported before him. But there was no teleportation circle or any sign of the use of spatial magic which meant that he/she was just that quick.


    Because the ce they were in was dark, Zero could not see the face of his savior. Though he was not sure whether he/she was his savior, at least he/she had blocked an attack from him which naturally made Zero feel that the person was on his side.


    -THUD!


    Sixtus backed away for like 3 to 4 meters. It is because he also felt that the person that appeared was very powerful. Not to mention the speed that she disyed, she was also capable of blocking his full-power punch.


    As much as he loved to see chaos, he was also very cautious. He would never do something he was not 100 % sure of.


    The person that appeared didn''t chase or attack Sixtus. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Zero before opening her mouth.


    "Are you okay?"


    A familiar voice asked Zero.

 Chapter 260: Lilith To The Rescue!

    "Lilith?"


    He wasn''t sure because he couldn''t see her face, but from the voice, he was able to identify the individual.


    It would be weird if Zero, who has spent most of his time with hertely, doesn''t know her voice. Lilith turned around and looked at him for a moment before taking something out of her ring.


    -TKA!


    Lilith poured something on Zero. Although Zero didn''t know what that was, he could feel his exhaustion and injuries healing. He could feel his pain go away in an instant. It was more effective than the potion that he used before.


    "Zero, you need to run! I will hold him back."


    Lilith said.


    She seemed to know that Zero was in some kind of trouble and immediately told him to run away.


    "Kakaka¡­ I didn''t expect the princess to show up."


    Sixtus said.


    Though he was not really surprised considering he already knew how much time Lilith and Zero spent together.


    While acting as Sixtus, he has already collected enough information to know who was who to Zero. He was only looking for the most ideal time to bring Zero to this isted ce.


    While the Devil Sixtus was really calling out the title of Lilith, Zero just interpreted it as something that Sixtus was calling to a girl.


    It is not surprising that some people like to call certain girls princesses and Zero just thought of it as the same case.


    Anyway, in that situation what Sixtus called Lilith hardly mattered but if he could have thought carefully, he would have found something about Lilith''s identity.


    However, lucky for Lilith, Zero at the time was naive and could not think about thoseplicated things.


    "You have certainly crossed the line, Xalvar."


    Lilith said as she got ready to attack.


    Lilith''s voice sounded angry, and this was the first time Zero noticed her anger. Even when fighting with Eleonore, Zero didn''t think that she actually resented Eleonore. However, this time was different. Lilith actually seems to want to kill him.


    "Zero, I will hold him back! You escape!"


    While concentrating on Sixtus, Lilith spoke to Zero.


    Lilith wanted Zero to run away from this dangerous ce.


    "NO! You should run. He is a Devil. You are no match for him!"


    Zero refused.


    Zero didn''t know how strong Lilith was but he was aware that Sixtus was not a weak Devil. He knew an 11-year-old could never defeat him. With his new profound strength, Zero believed that he could even defeat Rank-E Explorer but even so, he ended up getting beaten up.


    And moreover, he didn''t want to see another of his friends die because of him.


    "You can''t! He is after me. You will also die because of me. You should run instead."


    Zero said almost as if he was begging Lilith.


    While Zero was momentarily happy that Lilith came to help him, he could not help but think about the worst-case scenario where she would end up dead. Having experienced having his friends killed, he didn''t want it to happen again.


    "..."


    Lilith didn''t know what was going through Zero''s mind but seeing the situation around her, she knew that Zero experienced a strong mental shock.


    Who could not be devastated when all his friends died in front of him? Lilith could already see that the smiley and happy Zero was already gone.


    Positive thinker Zero has been reced with someone who only worries about bad things. He was no longer who he used to be!


    -BAM! -BAM!


    Sixtus struck but Lilith also responded to his attack. While Lilith showed extraordinary power which is beyond what Zero and his other friend had still Sixtus disyed more power.


    "RUN!"


    Lilith shouted.


    Even in the middle of fighting, Lilith wanted Zero to escape. However, Zero was like a statue who refused to move. He was already thinking about the worst possibility that could happen and wanted to prevent that.


    -BAM!


    Sixtus mmed Lilith to the ground with a punch. However, even after that Sixtus seemed to be very cautious and didn''t let that get to his head.


    He didn''t get arrogant and let his guard down after he knocked down Lilith. He was waiting almost as if he knew that his attack would not work.


    However, for Zero, it seemed as if Lilith was getting beaten up like him.


    Zero almost could see where it could lead to if Lilith stayed. He doesn''t expect Lilith to be able topete with a Rank-D Devil.


    Even after Lilith repeatedly urged Zero to run away, Zero refused to do so. He wants Lilith to run away instead of him. He was already prepared to die after failing to save his friends.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero refused to run away, and Sixtus took advantage of that to attack Zero rather than Lilith.


    Zero had also seen Sixtus make his move, however, it was toote to dodge. And he didn''t think that it was such a bad thing.


    As long as he dies, Lilith would stop worrying about protecting him and could run away safely. He thought that maybe dying was better.


    He thinks that as long as Lilith decides to run away, she is perfectly capable of that. From the speed she showed to save him at the start, Zero realized that Lilith was quite fast.


    -BANG!


    However, before Sixtus'' attacknds on him, Lilith threw her body in between, taking the blow for Zero.


    "ARGH!"


    Lilith spits some blood.


    Lilith already looked battered because of an earlier fight and by blocking that attack, Lilith almost looks like someone who is dying.


    "This is my fault! I should have been killed instead."


    Zero was already breaking down.


    When he chose to resist, his friend got killed. When he chose to die, his friend also died. He didn''t know what to do.


    He already med himself for being alive. Him giving bad luck to others.


    "It is okay!"


    At that moment, as if some angel were there to help him, Lilith''s soothing voice entered his ears.


    Lilith smiled while saying those words. Whether she meant to say she was okay or that it was okay for him to stay alive, both of those meanings were good for Zero.


    Even when she was battered and had some blood on her face, Lilith looked incredibly beautiful. She looked like the goddess to bring salvation.


    Lilith didn''t me Zero at all. Even when Zero refused to listen to her and as a result, she got injured, she didn''t seem to see Zero as a burden or think it was his fault.


    She knows that Zero went through a lot and that he was suffering. She could see that Zero at the moment hated himself too much. She didn''t want Zero to change. She liked to see him smiling and staying optimistic and bringing joy to others.


    However, that was her wishful thinking. She knew that this event would have a profound impact on Zero''s life, and he may change into a different person. This greatly angered her and she was furious at Sixtus who was responsible for this.


    "I will be fine! That bastard could never kill me."


    Lilith said with full confidence. Lilith was very confident even with her body full of injuries. She didn''t seem to view Sixtus as a threat at all.


    Zero seemed to regain some of hisposure. He didn''t know why but he felt like he could trust her words.


    "Zero, remember none of this is your fault. It is him who should be punished."


    Lilith said.


    Lilith, simr to Sixtus, was trying to put the me on Sixtus. The only difference was what she said was true. All that happened was because of Sixtus.


    No matter whether Zero possesses something that he wants or someone else, it is a fact that Sixtus was the one to kill his friend.


    Zero could not really stop being guilty but he felt a little less guilty after listening to what Lilith said.


    Even if what Lilith said was true, it was also a fact that because of him, his friend got dragged into this mess. This guilt cannot be erased even if he knows that it is Sixtus'' fault.


    Seeing that Zero had calmed down a little, Lilith once again tried to persuade Zero to escape.


    "Zero, listen! You run straight down this path and you will see an exit. You don''t need to worry about me and run."


    Lilith said.


    *NOD!


    This time, Zero nodded to Lilith. He already knew that he was being a burden to Lilith.


    He could also see that Lilith is determined to stay here if he refuses to run away. He thought that she might go away if she knew the difference in strength between her and Sixtus but she didn''t.


    She even risked her life to block Sixtus'' blow to save him. He realized that Lilith would really get herself killed if he stayed. Therefore, he has no choice but to run away.


    Only that he could not stop worrying about Lilith.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Zero then began running. He would look behind him sometimes only to see the image of Lilith getting more and more blurred.


    *****


    Back to the battle area.


    Sixtus didn''t dare to go after Zero because he was wary of the person in front of him.


    While Zero was worried and even thought that Lilith was dying of the injuries that Sixtus caused, for Sixtus those injuries were nothing, considering who she was.


    "Xalvar, you really dare to harm this princess and her precious friend. Today, you are not going to leave this ce alive."


    Lilith said.


    The tone of voice was really dominating and she seemed very different from who she was when she was with Zero. Her eyes emitted enough blood lust to even frighten Sixtus.


    Moreover, the energy that she released waspletely different. It was dark and suffocating to the point that Sixtus had to back away.


    Lilith''s height grew a little and there was a pair of wings growing on her back. Like a shackle being undone, Lilith''s strength increased dramatically as she kept ring at Xalvar.


    -GULP!


    Xalvar knew that he was done for.

 Chapter 261: Help!

    "Hah... Hah¡­"


    Zero ran faster and faster.


    He had recovered to a certain extent but he was not as strong as previously. Earlier, he didn''t know what happened but it was like he was someone different with vast amounts of power.


    As of now, he seems to be back to normal with Rank-F - speed and power. He ran as fast as possible to seek help.


    He knew from the confrontation that he could be of no use to Lilith and only increase her burden. It was better for him to bring back an adult or someone capable of helping her quickly.


    -TIK! -TIK!


    *SNIFF!


    He ran through the dark forest with tears dripping from his face. Ultimately, he was the one who survived and fled. Neither was he able to save any of them nor was he capable of taking revenge.


    What he did was leave another one of his friends just to flee. Even when it was Lilith who told him to run away and he also knows that he was a burden but it didn''t change the fact that it was his fault.


    "We-endy!¡­ John! ¡­"


    Everyone was dead.


    Even Lilith might be!


    *SHAKE!


    He shook his head to stop thinking about that possibility. He knew he had to believe in Lilith and bring help from outside.


    If Lilith also dies then he would really not be able to recover from the shock. Lilith stayed behind because of him and if she dies, it will bepletely his fault.


    " I need to get help as soon as possible!"


    Even when he wasn''t in the right state of mind, Zero knew how to prioritize things. First, he had to bring someone to help Lilith, and then he could cry as much as possible. It was still not time for him to be depressed.


    Soon enough he was out of the forest. He frantically went out to look for someone. However, he felt exhausted as soon as he was out of the dark forest. He didn''t know what happened but it felt like he had passed through something but he just thought of that as his illusion.


    His body felt heavy and his leg was giving away. But he knew that he could not pass out right now. He searched for someone but the ce he was in was isted and he needed to go a little further to see some people.


    As he was struggling to go further, he encountered a girl who looked like she was in high school, and more importantly was a student at Ace Academy. He felt somewhat relieved.


    it was already good that he had found someone and that she came from the prestigious Ace Academy. Although he did not know the general strength or ranking of Ace Academy, he knew that it was where talented students gathered.


    He wanted to shout for help but the sound just would note out properly. After struggling to speak, some words came out of his mouth.


    "...He-lp!..."


    Though the girl was still far away, it looks like she noticed Zero. Moreover, Zero''s condition was not good with all the blood and injuries. Anyone can see that something was wrong with him.


    As long as it was someone who did not ignore others'' suffering, they would immediately help. The same was the case for the Ace Academy girl who was walking. She immediately changed her direction to Zero.


    -WHOOSH!


    The girl was ridiculously fast. Even Zero who witnessed Sixtus and Lilith''s speed was awestruck. The girl who he approached was possibly stronger than both Lilith and Sixtus. He also felt that she was stronger than most of the Shadow Genesis Explorers.


    "...Help!"


    Still, Zero has no time to admire the girl''s strength and pleads for help. He wanted to tell more about the situation but he had no more strength. Even with the potions provided by Lilith, it could not heal the exhaustion of his mental strength.


    Zero copsed unconscious into that girl''s arm.


    *****


    "What do I do?"


    The Ace Academy girl thought.


    She didn''t know who the boy was but looking at the state he was in, she was sure that he had been attacked by someone. She could also tell that he was giving off Dark Energy which meant that it was probably a Devil or Devil Contractor.


    As a third-year student, she had encountered many cases of people getting hit by Dark Energy and how their injuries looked.


    She remembered the boy asking for help. Though she didn''t know whether it was to help him or if there was someone in need of help. But considering the situation, she thought that he was probably referring to someone else.


    She knew that this boy would not be able topete against a Rank-F monster, much less a Devil or Devil Contractor. If he could escape, it probably means that someone is holding the enemy back.


    While that situation was critical, taking the boy to the hospital was equally important as she found his injuries were serious.


    "Mia, what are you doing?"


    "Thank god you are here! Take him to the hospital!"


    ???


    Mia Frostine quickly handed Zero to her friends. Her friends were confused by this sudden request.


    "Who is he?"


    She asked, however, Mia was already missing from her vision. She looked a little further to see that Mia was running.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    She shouted but there was no reply. She quickly disappeared from her sight.


    "Sheesh! Still doing whatever she wants."


    Sheined.


    She was aware of Mia''s personality which is quite unyielding. She will fight for any injustice and will be the first one to help someone. But considering her talent and background, many are scared of her and those with a good background consider her a hypocrite.


    However, no one was stupid enough to get on her bad side. She was the strongest among all the students by a big margin. She was Rank-C + and the most likely one to win the Tournament of Academies in the uing fall.


    Her friends knew about the real Mia and admired her. But doing things without any exnation sometimes gets on her nerves just like now.


    She then looked at Zero who was in her arms. The injuries could already tell her that something serious had happened. Nheless, she believed that Mia would handle it or, to be more precise, she wouldn''t be able to help if it was something that Mia couldn''t handle.


    Therefore, she took Zero to the hospital right away.


    *****


    -WHOOSH!


    Mia ran as fast as she could. She didn''t know whether there was someone in danger or not but she knew that time was of the essence if someone was in trouble.


    -TRRR!


    She suddenly came to a stop when she saw what was in front of her. It was the Dark Forest that Zero had escaped from but unlike them, Mia knew what it was.


    "Dungeon!"


    She was not deceived by the illusion that made the ce look like a normal forest. She could see through the illusion and could see that there is a portal connecting the ce Zero was in and the outside world.


    It was just Zero and the other kids were weak and didn''t have an experience like Mia. She immediately dialed the number of The Authority to inform of the newly unregistered dungeon and also to talk about the possibility of the Devil upying it.


    Mia Forestine''s reputation was good in a situation like this as The Authority agents believed her instantly and sent in the reinforcement immediately. They also told her to wait because they don''t want to lose someone as talented as her.


    As Mia insisted on going, she warned that time was of the essence and that someone might be in danger. But the agents told her firmly that she might alert the devil, making the rescue more difficult.


    Though they were just making excuses so that Mia would not act recklessly. However, it was true that Mia didn''t have enough information to proceed further. It could be dangerous to both herself and the hostage if she went in.


    Soon many Explorers and The Authority fighters were deployed, just as agents of The Authority promised. While the average rank was B, it was more than enough, especially considering the dungeon itself was just Rank-E.


    They only sent those strong fighters because of the presence of the Devil and Devil Contractor. And also considering that there could be a hostage.


    They tried to make Mia stay but because of her strong insistence, she was allowed toe in. She was protected by two Rank-B Explorers.


    The two Rank-B explorers had no problem acting like a guard for Mia Frostine because Mia was the daughter of a Diamond-graded guild and also because of her talent which could be considered the best in the century.


    It is a wise decision to maintain a good rtionship with people like her.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    The group proceeded quietly, but with haste. They wanted to reach the area quickly but they also had to make sure that the enemies did not notice them.


    They went further inside, but they encountered no one. Not even monsters which were weird considering that it was a dungeon.


    -TAK!


    However, soon enough they reached the area where Zero fought with Sixtus, and what they saw left them speechless. Mia was trembling with both anger and sadness.


    "WHO? Who is this cruel?"

 Chapter 262: Help! [2]

    There were 8 dead bodies ranging in age from 7 to 10 on the ground. The body had been crushed or cut into several pieces.


    It even made professionals who had witnessed countless dead and in thousands of monsters feel like vomiting. They had never seen someone so cruel.


    In war or a life-threatening battle, they had seen many dead bodies but they were all adults. In wars too, there is a minimum level of respect for the people.


    No one would deliberately kill a small child. Given the option, many would avoid it even if they were on the enemy side.


    But what they were seeing was the cruelty of the enemy that they had yet to encounter. They don''t know who their enemy is but they did know that he/she was sick in his head.


    Judging by the scene, they could tell that the murderer had obviously targeted those kids specifically. If not, there would also be some dead bodies of adults.


    Among them was Mia Frostine who had lots of experiences in the dungeon but was seeing such a scene for the first time.


    "WHO? Who is this cruel?"


    Mia Frostine was burning with anger. She already expected some kind of violence and unpleasant scene but the thing that she was seeing had exceeded what she thought.


    She thought that she might encounter some kind of kidnapper or Devil who wants to convert Kids into their worshippers but this was simply an act of cruelty.


    What was crueler in her mind was that the boy she saved had also witnessed the same scene or even worse. In her head, she imagined Zero watching this all and breaking down.


    Even she can''tprehend what would happen to that boy''s mental state. She reckons that someone else of that age would have gone insane.


    However, remembering the words of Zero, she thought that maybe he had avoided seeing this scene and ran away. Or like she previously thought, someone had dyed the murderer.


    The second exnation was more likely because she could see a clear sign of battle. She could feel the use of Dark Energy and from the destruction done to the ce, she felt that the fighters were around Rank-C to Rank-B.


    After the initial state of shock, they quickly resumed their work. While some took the dead bodies, others searched the ce thoroughly.


    Mia also knows that there should be someone who had fought with the murderer. Their assumption is that the age of that person should be higher than 17 years old.


    It was the age of most people around Rank-C and based on the area, they knew the person was an adult.


    However, they had yet to see the dead body of an adult or the Devils, which are primarily responsible for the incident.


    However, no matter how much they searched the dungeon, there was no one. No sign of an adult dead body nor the Devil. In the end, they concluded that the Devils had run away and whoever was fighting them was either taken by them or he/she had also run away.


    But judging by what Mia heard from Zero, they concluded that the first scenario was most likely. They also thought that this incident might even be a n to lure the person who helped Zero. But this all was just an assumption and they needed to ask Zero to know.


    They asked The Authority for a more thorough investigation and ordered that dungeon to be sealed up for a further search.


    Their main concern was that Devils were able to infiltrate the middle of a city and no one knew about that. Moreover, they still didn''t know about the purpose of the Devil.


    *****


    *BEEP! *BEEP!


    Mia''s friend had transported Zero to the hospital and he was receiving the best medical treatment that they could provide.


    With all the medical equipment and high-ranking healers, Zero was currently out of danger. His previous injuries were fully healed.


    However, he was still sleeping. While he had recovered from physical injuries, he still needed rest to recover from his mental exhaustion.


    Sophia was waiting for Mia toe. She had already informed Mia which hospital she was in. She didn''t know what happened after she disappeared and expects an exnation from Mia.


    "Sophia!"


    "Mia! Where have you run off to? Do you know how much I was worried for you?"


    "Sorry! There was an urgent thing that I needed to handle."


    She looked very guilty as she spoke. It is obvious that she should have exined the matter clearly to Sophia. However, she herself had little information and from what she heard from Zero, things looked very urgent which prompted her to act quickly leaving no time for exnation.


    *SIGH!


    The truth is, Sophia wasn''t actually looking for an apology or thinking Mia did anything wrong. Judging by Zero''s condition, she could tell that something serious had happened. But what she didn''t like was Mia rushing without thinking much about the consequences.


    Sophia didn''t have an idea of the level of danger but she thought that it would have been better for an actual adult to handle such cases. Students like them should steer clear of trouble.


    She worries about the future of her best friend.


    "How is his condition?"


    Mia asked worriedly.


    She was already concerned about Zero''s injuries previously and because of what she saw, she was feeling more sympathy towards Zero.


    She didn''t know whether Zero saw the murder happen before his eyes or not but one thing was clear, his friends were dead.


    Zero would hear this one day or the other. She didn''t know how much he would be hurt. He was injured and after recovering, she knows that pain is all that is waiting for him.


    "He is fine! Just doctors are not sure when he will wake up."


    Sophia said.


    She had heard about him not waking up because of his mental state or whatnot but Sophia didn''t understand any of that. She just understood that he would eventually wake up, just not now.


    Mia looked at Zero from the windows.


    She kind of thought that she knew why Zero was not waking up. She thought that maybe he didn''t want to wake up and find that his friends were gone. He wants to just think about all the things that happened to be just a dream.

 Chapter 263: Nightmare

    "NOOOO!"


    -SLASH!


    "Haha ¡­"


    -SLASH!


    "Please, STOP!"


    -SLASH!


    Before his eyes, his friends were being killed again and again and even Lilith who tried to help him was killed. This scene was repeated over and over again. Each time he could not do anything but watch.


    Even if he wanted to scream, he could not.


    "This is all your fault!"


    The head of Wendy turned towards Zero and spoke. Her expression was filled with despair and pain. Zero wanted to respond and help her but he could not do anything.


    "This is all your fault!"


    "This is all your fault!"


    "This is all your fault!"


    Suddenly, the heads of his friends began chanting those words again and again. They slowly approached Zero with Sixtus leading them, cornering him.


    "This is all ¡­


    "Hah!"


    Zero heavily panted. He was drenched in sweat and there were even tears in his eyes.


    Zero opened his eyes to see that all of that was just a nightmare. He realized that he was no longer in the Dark Forest.


    It certainly wasn''t the nightmare Dark Forest, but what was waiting for him was worse than that. What was waiting for him was another nightmare called reality.


    His friends were all dead. And even the status of Lilith was not known. He looked around but there was no one. He wanted to know how he ended up in this situation and moreover, he wanted to ask about the situation in the dungeon.


    Zero could recall asking a girl from Ace Academy for help. He doesn''t know whether the girl helped him or not. If not, he had to ask someone to go and help Lilith. He had no idea that a day had already passed since the incident.


    After some time, nurses came and informed the doctors. They checked his condition and confirmed that there was no problem.


    However, he was still not allowed to go home. What was waiting for him after the checkup was several interrogations by The Authority agents.


    Zero was asked all kinds of questions and throughout the session, Zero surprisingly remained calm as he answered the questions one by one.


    Many questions were asked, including who the attacker was and why they went there, and many more. They also asked what was their motivation for entering the dungeon and if he knew what Sixtus''s objectives were.


    In addition, they wanted to know how he escaped and who was the person that helped him.


    The Authority agents learned new information, such as the Devil transforming into a human. This information was vital for the security of human cities.


    After answering, they thanked him and went away. They began analyzing Zero''s words and also tried to find information from other ces.


    "Looks like the target was actually that girl called Lilith."


    One of the investigators said to others.


    Zero reiterated everything that happened and also said that Sixtus said the target was him but the investigator just thought that the murderer was just ying with Zero and making him despair by ming him.


    As for the power that Zero felt, they concluded that as the body raising its limit corresponds to danger. There was no increase in rank and Zero''s strength had returned to normal. Therefore, they didn''t think there was anything abnormal about that situation.


    Not only that, they tried to make a connection between Sixtus and Zero and found that Zero has nothing that a Devil might want. Zero''s background was average and his talent might be superior in his neighborhood but was nothingpared to the real geniuses such as Zion of Imperial Gate and Lisa from Divine God guild.


    Therefore, Zero as a possible target was eliminated.


    They concluded that it was Lilith after a thorough investigation. First of all, no matter how much they investigated, there was no girl named Lilith in that neighborhood or even that city. The name Lilith itself was very rarely used by humans and no human bore that name currently.


    The only proof that the girl existed was Eleonore and Misha''s statements that they collectedter. They, therefore, concluded that she is a human, who might have run away from the Devil''s camp or was being chased by the Devil.


    They were more inclined to believe the first scenario due to how Lilith was acting. She was spending time with Zero, probably thinking that she had escaped sessfully.


    They also started investigating the person named Sixtus which the Devil impersonated. And it turns out that he used the identity of the boy who had already died one year ago. They thought that Sixtus stayed in that city knowing that Lilith was there.


    Secondly, the timing of Lilith''s appearance to save Zero. The fact that she was in that ce meant that she already knew about it. The ce was a dungeon hidden by illusion and people who don''t know that might never be able to enter that dungeon.


    Lastly, the murderer didn''t chase Zero, which is probably because he got the target. If the objective was Zero, they believe that the Devil would have chased him. As for whether Lilith could stop him, from what they heard from Zero they could tell that she was weaker than Sixtus and would be easily defeated by the Devil.


    That is how theye to a conclusion but this was all from the data that Zero gave and what they have collected from their investigation.


    Seeing that they also concluded that Lilith should be dead. There was no reason to believe that a girl captured by the Devil is alive. Either she had be the Devil Contractor or she was to be sacrificed in some ritual.


    *****


    "..."


    Zero was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.


    He was once again reminded that everything that happened was real. All his friends were dead, moreover, they also informed that Lilith was either dead or taken by the Devil.


    The hospital also informed his parents toe to the hospital immediately after Zero woke up. He was waiting for his parents toe and take him home.


    Zero was also visited by Mia though he barely remembered what she said to him. He also forgot that she was the one he asked for help. Anyway, he was not in a state to think clearly.


    "Zero!"


    Zero''s mother immediately ran towards Zero and checked whether he was injured or not. Though she would not find any wound as he was perfectly healed by the Doctors and healer.


    It had been two days since Zero went with his friends to the dungeon. Zero''s parents and other friends'' parents had been searching for them since they went missing that night.


    They had frantically searched for them the whole night but there were no results.


    Only the next day did they receive information about Zero being hospitalized. As for the other parents, they had to hear the bitter truth about their child being dead.


    They were not told the whole story but they heard that a Devil was responsible for the incident. Therefore, on the way to the hospital, Zero''s parents were extremely worried. Devil and Human were in an extremely bad rtionship. If humans encounter a devil, they will not spare them. The same was the case for the Devil.


    Only after seeing that Zero was fine did they feel relieved.


    "..."


    Zero stared at his mother expressionless.


    ???


    Zero''s parents felt something was odd. They had never seen him look so emotionless before. As a child, Zero was a bright child who managed to find joy in everything he did. He was an optimistic kid who didn''t do anything bad or hate anyone.


    Every time they were together, Zero would be happy and smiling. Zero should be happy to see his parents, especially after that scary incident but what they got was an emotionless face.


    Zero''s parents looked at each other in worry. They didn''t know what to say to Zero as they had no idea what had really happened.


    But they chose not to pursue that for now. They were happy that Zero was fine and thought that they could help Zero recover slowly. They thought that there was no rush.


    Zero''s mother stayed with Zero,forting him but it was unknown whether Zero was listening to her or not as he was not responding.


    Zero''s father went to talk to the doctor about Zero''s situation. The doctor reassured him that there was nothing wrong with Zero''s body but said that he might have suffered a great shock because of going through a dreadful experience.


    They rmended that they spend some time with Zero and try to make him forget about that incident. They also rmended a good psychologist.


    Zero''s father wanted to know what actually happened to Zero but even doctors had no idea. They just told him that The Authority was strongly investigating the incident.


    Zero''s father thought that Zero had been caught in something really serious and thought of introducing a good psychologist for him.


    After that, they were about to leave the hospital but were stopped by some people.

 Chapter 264: Nightmare [2]

    "Look who is awake while my son has closed his eyes forever!"


    His voice was filled with hatred as he spoke.


    Just looking at the man, you could tell that he was not there to congratte Zero on his recovery. Contrary to that, the man seemed to be very hostile to Zero.


    It was not just him but other people who had the same expression. The looks on their faces indicate they were ready to attack Zero at any moment, but may have refrained due to Zero''s parents being present. In terms of power, those people fell quite shortpared to Zero''s parents. Even if they attacked together, they would have been defeated by Zero''s parents.


    But that didn''t stop them from shouting at Zero.


    "Give my child back!"


    "The Devil''s friend!"


    "You killed our child!"


    ¡­


    Just listening to their words, one could guess who they were. They were the parents of Zero friends who died in the dungeon.


    They were devastated by the fact that their child died in the dungeon. The reason for their death was unclear but they heard The Authority agent say that the Devil''s target was a girl named Lilith.


    While they don''t know where that girl is, they know that the girl is a friend of Zero. Obviously, they shifted their me from Lilith to Zero. As for the Devil that killed their child, they didn''t know his whereabouts and could only vent their anger onto Zero, the only person who came out of that dungeon.


    While unreasonable, they wanted someone to me and Zero was the only person avable. Not only was he Lilith''s closest friend but he was the only one who survived that incident. Even if they wanted to me other kids, they were dead and only Zero was alive.


    They could not ept that their children were dead and they could do nothing to get revenge. Therefore, they shifted their hatred toward Zero and wanted to vent their anger on him.


    Zero''s expression only got worse with those parents ming him. It was like adding salt to his wound when the parents of the deceased med him. He already med himself for the situation that happened in the dungeon, now they were also ming him, making him more miserable.


    ''This is all your fault!'' That he heard from Sixtus and in the nightmare seemed to be more and more real for him. The only thing that kept him calm was the word of Lilith, otherwise, he would have truly broken down.


    While Zero''s parents could understand their emotions, they were not going to just let them torment their child.


    "Stop! You are ming a child for no reason. You all know that Zero is not the one responsible for the incident."


    However, when the parents of those dead kids heard their protests, they were not inclined to listen to anything and just kept ming Zero. Zero''s parents'' words fell on dead ears.


    "Give our child back!"


    "Give our child back!"


    "Give our child back!" ¡­


    Themotion just grew bigger. The parents started to get louder and louder, and it was not like Zero''s parents could stop their voices as they outnumbered them. The parents of the dead were also not in their rational minds and continued making a mess until the guards came to stop them.


    Not only were they creating trouble for Zero''s family, but they were also disturbing other patients in the hospital. The guard came there to warn them.


    Even then, they didn''t stop and the guards had to forcefully drag them out of the hospital. There was a moment of peace for Zero but his mind was not in a great condition. But he didn''t cry or show any emotion.


    "Are you okay? Don''t listen to them. They are just spouting nonsense because they are sad."


    Zero''s parents told Zero.


    "I understand!"


    Zero said while smiling. However, despite the smile, Zero could not hide his real feelings from his parents.


    Zero parents looked at each other, extremely worried. They would have felt better if Zero cried like any other child instead of putting on a brave face.


    Crying and whining were one thing that Zero has always refrained from. So, it was a normal thing for Zero not to cry, but to be normal in this situation was absolutely abnormal.


    Any kid of age 8 would have cried if they were met with the same situation. Which kid would be able to be calm when faced with hostility from 20 adults?


    They then headed toward home. Zero parents felt that with time everything would be back to normal.


    *****


    Soon after, many news covering the incident came up and many journalists were trying to get in contact with Zero.


    While journalists didn''t get to interview Zero or his parents, they managed to contact the parents of other victims.


    The parents of the victims sobbed as they told the story and med Zero for their misfortune.


    ******


    Zero stayed home for a week due to the incident, despite school starting. His parents were worried about him, both about his physical well-being and his mental state as well.


    "You should rest!"


    "Mom, I am really fine!"


    Zero''s mother wanted Zero to rest for more days but Zero refused.


    Eventually, he joined the school, but the atmosphere was different from before. In just a week, the news about the death of 11 students spread among the students.


    It is said that only Zero escaped after abandoning his other friends. There was also another rumor that Zero purposefully took those students to the dungeon to get them killed.


    Therefore, many people who resent Zero appeared. Even if one does not hate Zero, one wants to avoid being the next victim.


    Zero was fairly popr in the school mainly due to his background and talent. His parents were the guildmasters of the silver-graded guild, which is one of the highest in that school.


    And Zero''s talent was also considered the best in the school. He was also friendly and never arrogant. So, he had many friends aside from those who were dead.


    But at the moment, even those friends were looking at Zero in a weird way. They were judging him based on the rumor that they heard.


    "Hey¡­"


    Zero wanted to ask what was wrong but immediately the student that he asked ran away.


    "..."


    Zero didn''t know what to say. He had no idea what caused them to treat him like this.


    The same was the case for his other friends who purposefully avoided him.


    Not only did this happen, but after a few days, some students grouped together and started to bully him.


    "Friend killer!"


    "Mr. Misfortune!" ¡­


    All kinds of nicknames were given to him as they pushed him around while calling this name. Zero didn''t do anything to them and just endured those things.


    Because he believes that this is because of himself. He knows that they are doing this because he is the reason his friends died. This is his retribution.


    If he wanted to, he could easily beat those students in a minute but he refrained from it.


    The bullying started increasing as time passed. Before, due to their fear of Zero''s strength, many refrained from bullying him and just avoided him.


    But when they saw how docile Zero was, even those students started to join others in bullying him for fun.


    His previous friend just avoided those things altogether, not wanting to bully Zero or help someone who abandoned Wendy and the other kids.


    While they don''t want to hurt their once friend Zero, they also secretly me Zero for what happened to other students who died.


    Misha was also in the same school. She has heard the whole story about the incident from her father''s mouth but with her personality, she was not able to help much.


    She was too shy to go out and say that it was not Zero''s fault in front of everyone.


    Though she tried to rify the rumor as much as possible, the students already believed that Zero was the reason for the death of other kids.


    She was at least able to convince her friend to not bully Zero and also not believe those strange rumors.


    However, those things didn''t impact much as the bullying continued, and each day,


    Zero himself tried to at least say the truth but no one wanted to listen to him. He could only endure the grazes of other students. Zero became more and more emotionless.


    Zero tried his best to show that he was doing fine but deep inside his emotions were already dead.


    He neither felt anger nor sadness with whatever happened around him. Even when someone attacks him, he doesn''t have the urge to fight back.


    He would act normal in front of his parents like nothing was wrong. He tried to act as before and refrain from worrying about his parents.


    However, he had never escaped from the nightmares. Every night, he would dream about those scenes again and again.


    He would see his friends and Lilith die, again and again, never letting him forget about that incident.

 Chapter 265: Past To Present!

    "How can she be alive?"


    All these years Zero believed that Lilith, who was his close friend and his savior, died in that dungeon. He was haunted by her death for many years and couldn''t believe that the person in front of him was her.


    If it had been years ago, he could have epted that but right now his emotions were in total shambles. Moreover, while she looked exactly as she was 8 years ago, she was a devil with a wing and horn.


    "No! Lilith was a human. How can she be a Devil?"


    Zero shook his head thinking that the devil that appeared was a different person. It was not impossible to have the same appearance. Just look at Lisa who looks simr to Lilith, Zero concluded that the devil was just someone who resembles her.


    "How? Hehe¡­ What a naive person you were. She has always been a devil!"


    Xalvar said knowing exactly what Zero was thinking.


    !!!


    Zero didn''t believe those words. Zero still remembers ying with Lilith and he would have noticed if Lilith was a devil. He was pretty convinced that Xalvar was just saying nonsense things to him.


    "I don''t know how you found out that I had a friend with a simr appearance as her but your words are useless. I will not be deceived by you."


    Zero said firmly.


    He thought that the enemy was trying to let his guard down so that he could take advantage of that. He was ready to attack Xalvar again.


    "Won''t be deceived by me? Haha, you really say some funny things. Did you forget who followed me into the dungeon and had his friends killed? I must say Wendy and others should be sad knowing that you already forgot them."


    !!!


    Now Zero was not asposed as before. He started trembling and started to think hard about Xalvar''s identity. There was only one other person alive who knew what happened in the dungeon and that was.


    "Y-You are Sixtus!"


    Zero was hit by the sudden realization.


    It was not that Zero forgot that incident but because of where he fought Sixtus, he didn''t really see his face after Sixtus transformed into a devil and failed to recognize him.


    "Bingo!"


    Xalvar said.


    Xalvar has no reason to hide his identity and he was looking forward to what type of expression Zero will make when he finds that and he didn''t disappoint him.


    Zero widened his eyes and bloodlust instantly raised from his body. He was gritting his teeth and tightly held his sword.


    Even Hiro and Lisa who was near Zero were caught off guard by the intense killing intent that they felt and subconsciously back off a little.


    They were surprised that Zero gave off such an intense killing intent and wondered what happened between Zero and Xalvar for Zero to show such killing intent. They already know from their conversation that Zero somewhat knows Xalvar.


    "Kekeke¡­"


    The person who was directly getting hit by the killing intent was just smiling. Rather he was still looking to provoke Zero more.


    "I was sad that you forgot me despite being friends with me. Was those years of friendship just a lie?"


    Xalvar said as he acted pitifully.


    -CRACK!


    Zero just got angrier listening to those words and watching him act pitifully. It is because Zero believed that because they were friends with Sixtus that they got his friends killed. Just hearing that he was Xalvar''s friend was enough to make him vomit.


    "How dare you!"


    Zero said angrily.


    It was clear to Zero that Xalvar was disrespecting Wendy and his other friends that got killed by him. They treated Sixtus with respect and as a friend but he killed everyone and he even got the audacity to mention them being sad.


    Zero''s killing intent was still rising. His hatred for Xalvar, no one could understand other than Zero himself. For years, he had the same nightmare of watching his friends get killed one by one by Sixtus.


    However, despite the hatred, there was no way for him to know where Sixtus was and how he could fulfill his revenge. Now that he appeared before him, Zero wanted to kill him at any cost.


    Watching Zero get angry, Xalvar found it very amusing. As he said, he had spent many hours ying with Zero to know him well. He knew his personality well. However, not a speck of that Zero remained in the current Zero.


    During his operation acting as Sixtus, Zero was a bright kid with many friends and would never get angry or show hatred towards other beings. But looking at the current state of Zero, no one will believe that they are the same people.


    "Zero, Calm Down!"


    It was Sylvia who tried to calm Zero. Zero was emitting enormous killing intent and she knew that he was going to attack Xalvar. But to fight with Count Rank Devil head-on was courting dead.


    She didn''t want anger and hatred to cloud Zero''s judgment. Therefore, before Zero took any action, she wanted to stop.


    However, it was alreadyte. No voice could stop current Zero. The cause for his years of nightmares was in front of him and he wanted nothing more than to kill him.


    A ck aura started to slowly rise from Zero''s body. Zero was no longer thinking straight and his objective was only to kill Xalvar. For that, he deployed every power he had including the Dark Energy.


    The pressure in the atmosphere started to increase with Zero releasing his Dark Energy.


    "Ha-h! This is!"


    Hiro and others who were near Zero were forced to kneel when Zero started to release his Dark Energy. They look at Zero in astonishment and bewilderment.


    They all know that Zero has released Dark Energy and the only people who could use them are Devil and their Devil Contractors. Which meant that Zero was one of them.


    "???"


    Even Xalvar was caught off guard by this unexpected event. He also looked at Zero in surprise.


    "Kaka¡­ I can''t believe this! Did you really sell your soul to another Devil?"


    Xalvar said while looking amused.


    This event was totally unexpected but he liked where it was going.


    ( I should find who that Devil was. )


    It was natural for him to think so. With the soul in his hand, he could make Zero do everything he wants. He was going to toy with Zero until he was satisfied.


    However, soon he realized something was wrong. Zero''s Dark Energy didn''t stop increasing and even was on par with his own energy. He knows that it was impossible for a Devil Contractor to have such intense dark energy unless one was in contract with a Duke Ranked Devil.


    Zero didn''t care what Xalvar was thinking. He immediately started to attack Xalvar with everything he had.


    -WHOOSH!


    Holding the sword in his hand, Zero quickly rushed towards Xalvar who was currently surprised by Zero''s Dark energy. However, he was not worried about his safety.


    "Lilith, protect me!"


    Xalvarmended/


    -BANG!


    Just when Zero was getting near Xalvar, Lilith appeared in front of him to defend him.


    Zero immediately halted his steps.


    "..."


    Zero looked at Lilith and Lilith also stared back at him.


    Zero was still not sure whether the person in front of him was Lilith or another person. It didn''t help that the devil in front of him didn''t have emotion, unlike the Lilith he knew. Lilith he knew was cheerful and yful, nothing like the emotionless machine in front of him.


    But still Zero could not attack her, who resembles Lilith too much. Even as an enemy, Zero could never attack Lilith who had saved his life.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero tried to change the direction and attack Xalvar from a different direction but Lilith was able to keep up with him and stop him every time.


    "Still a soft heart."


    Xalvar muttered.


    He was doing nothing but wait there knowing that Zero could never attack Lilith. He thought that Zero might attack Lilith to kill him but it didn''t look like Zero could bring himself to attack Lilith.


    He was disappointed that Zero had still not turned into a person such as himself. To fulfill his desire, it didn''t matter if one was his friend or not, anyone that got in his way was killed.


    He got bored after seeing that Zero will not attack Lilith.


    "Lilith, Kill Zero!"


    Xalvarmanded.


    At that moment, Zero and Lilith were staring at each other. Zero was trying to find a way for him to attack Xalvar after outrunning Lilith. He thought he could because Lilith was not in a good shape.


    Just looking at her, he could tell that beforeing here, Lilith was in a tough battle. Despite being a devil with high regenerative power, she still has injuries that suggest that she was fighting with a strong opponent.


    Just when he was thinking about how to get past Lilith, a voice was heard.


    "Lilith, kill Zero!"

 Chapter 266: Past To Present [2]

    "Lilith, kill Zero!"


    Xalvarmanded.


    Immediately after themand, Lilith changed from a defensive position to an attacking stance.


    -WHOOSH!


    -CLANK!


    Lilith disappeared for a second and appeared in front of Zero. Zero blocked Lilith''s attack with his sword and pushed her back. In the current state, Zero was stronger than Lilith.


    If Zero fought Lilith seriously, he could have easily decimated Lilith but because of how much she resembled Lilith, Zero was not willing to do that.


    After getting pushed by Zero, Lilith didn''t stop. Immediately sheunched another attack at Zero.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    *****


    Hiro, Lisa, Zion, and Syliva watched the battle with surprise. Lilith who easily overwhelmed them was easily being handled by Zero.


    And there was Dark Energy that Zero was released that made them suspect whether Zero was their friend or enemy. In a normal situation, he would be their enemy since he used Dark Energy but considering that right now he is fighting with the Devil, it says otherwise.


    Hiro was pondering whether he should help Zero or not. As a person who holds a grudge against Lilith and Xalvar, he should, but as the pinnacle of a person who believes in justice, he cannot see himself allying with someone who sold their soul to the Devil.


    However, the person was Zero, whom he knows is a good person who helped him several times. He thought that, if Zero was going to be in trouble, at least he should repay him for what he owed him. He could not just watch Zero get killed by Lilith and Xalvar.


    Lisa and Sylvia also wanted to help Zero regardless of whether Zero was a Devil Contractor or not. They were certainly surprised that Zero was using Dark Energy but that didn''t mean much to them.


    They knew Zero, at least better than most other people, and thought that he must have his own circumstances for being able to use Dark Energy. Not to mention, he was currently fighting against the enemy who was trying to kill them.


    However, they also know their limits. They know that trying to help Zero with their measly power would only end up burdening him, so they refrained from interfering with the fight between Rank-A power.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Lilith fiercely attacked Zero but Zero was easily able to repel her attack. Just looking at the fight, one would guess that Lilith was no match for Zero but still Lilith attacked without stopping.


    Xalvar was standing there happy at the development. To be able to witness the fight between two friends was what he liked the most. When toying with the enemy, he would always try to get them to fight by saying that the one who won would be left alive or whatnot.


    Humans will turn their des against one another even if the other party is their best friend in order to save themselves. However, Xalvar will nheless kill the winner and happily look at the face full of despair and regret who thought would be spared.


    The situation was simr, but even more so since he had known Zero for so long and wanted to have him experience despair. He also knows how precious Zero was to Lilith and to see the same Lilith attacking Zero, he was exhrated.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! CLANK!


    Nheless, things started to look boring after both Lilith and Zero were fine even after having battled for quite some time. He could see that Lilith would never be able to beat Zero despite the other going easy on her.


    "Huh? He sure has be powerful!"


    Xalvar was surprised.


    He was already surprised when Zero was said to have reached Rank-C -, but the power he showed was several times higher than that. Zero''s power was almostparable to his.


    "I already knew he had a good talent, but this is really surprising."


    While he had been gone for 8 years, Zero was able to acquire such an incredible amount of power, which made Xalvar extremely curious. Other than finding joy in other people''s misery, Xalvar also likes to search for a way to get stronger.


    Clearly, the second reason was also to see other people''s despair. As long as he gets stronger, he could make more people''s lives miserable, so he also emphasizes getting stronger.


    Initially, after that incident, he heard lots of people making Zero look like the culprit of that incident. He thought that Zero would lose all his will and be miserable, never thinking that he would be so strong.


    "I am getting more and more interested in what happened to you. But I don''t have a lot of time on my hands, let''s finish this as soon as possible."


    "Lilith, use your full power!"


    Xalvarmanded.


    Lilith, who was fighting with Zero, came to a halt and flew into the sky. Then she started to gather Dark Energy to execute her move.


    Zero knew that Lilith was preparing to use some powerful attack next. It would take some time, as long as he could stop her from gathering the energy needed she would fail.


    [ "Ice Creation" ]


    Since it was hard for Zero to reach Lilith, he rose to a higher ce by lifting himself by creating ice below his feet. He was soon within the range to intercept Lilith.


    Just when he was about to attack Lilith,


    -BANG!


    "Keke¡­ you should pay attention to your surroundings!"


    Xalvar attacked him before Zero could react. Zero was kicked back to the ground.


    "SIXTUS!"


    Zero angrily looked at Xalvar. For the moment, he knew Xalvar was Sixtus, his hatred for him has maxed out. He even forgot that Lilith was getting ready tounch a powerful attack and was thinking about killing Xalvar.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    Since Xalvar has presented himself before him, Zero didn''t hold himself back and started to immediately use his deadly attack.


    !!!


    Xalvar looked at the attack that wasing on him. He never anticipated that Zero was that powerful. He came to stop Zero from interrupting Lilith and thought it would be an easy task.


    Xalvar also immediately gathered his Dark Energy and shot a Dark beam to intercept the iing attack.


    However, the attack that Zero justunched wasparable to the Rank-A+ peak and was stronger than what Xalvar thought. Zero''s attack destroyed Culver''s attack and hit Xalvar.


    -BOOM!


    Zero looked in the sky where Xalvar was hit. He knew that the attack was not enough to kill Xalvar. If he caught him off guard, he could but because of Culver''s attack, Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st power had decreased and was not enough to kill him.


    He yearned to attack Xalvar more, but he looked at the side where Lilith was collecting Dark energy. If he kept on attacking Xalvar then his mana would be depleted which might not be enough to stop Lilith. So, despite wanting to kill Xalvar desperately, he refrained.


    -SWISH!


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    Just as Zero thought, Xalvar was not dead yet. He pped his wings to disperse the smoke and looked quite injured. Blood wasing out from various parts of his body but as he was a Devil, it was nothing life-threatening and would instantly heal.


    While Xalvar seemed fine on the outside, he was not on the inside. He felt humiliated that the weak kid he knew managed to injure him to this state.


    "ZEEERRRRROO!"


    Xalvar screamed angrily.


    Until now, he thought Zero was just a piece of trash that he could kill whenever he wanted. But the truth was quite different than that.


    Even though Zero was gathering mana to counter Lilith and was paying attention only to her, he felt quite satisfied when he heard Xalvar scream in anger.


    "I will f**king kill you!"


    Seeing Zero not paying attention to him, made his mood worse. It was like Zero was not even considering him as a threat at the moment. The one thing that he hates more than his prey slipping away from him is being underestimated by others.


    "I will kill! Kill! Kill! ¡­"


    Xalvar muttered crazily as he also gathered his Dark Energy to attack.


    Right now, because of the three of them gathering Dark Energy tounch powerful attacks, the concentration of Dark Energy had increased quite a bit and Hiro and others were struggling to stand on their feet because of that.


    The first to attack was Lilith and Xalvar. Both of them threw a huge ball made of Dark Energy. Lilith''s attack was 2x bigger and gave off a more dangerous vibe than Xalvar, but together the attacks were even more dangerous.


    Hiro and others knew that if the attack hits, the area here would disappear from the map. The only choice would be to block the attack. Dodgin was not an option.


    He looked at Zero who was calmly preparing his move.


    ( Can he counter that? )


    Honestly, that would be a lie to say that he fully believes in Zero but at the moment that was his only choice.


    He wished for Zero to seed!

 Chapter 267: Time For Revenge!

    -SWISH!


    The attack was powerful enough to threaten Rank-S Hero, but Zero remained calm. His head was clear after he fought with Lilith. Even though his anger towards Xalvar had not cooled even a little, he was at least considering his next move before taking action.


    He gathered Dark Energy to the sword quickly as he prepared to meet Lilith and Xavier''s attack head-on. He knew that dodging was not an option.


    Not only was the area of effect for that attackrger, but if he dodged then students like Hiro who was behind him would be hit by the attack.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]


    An attack more devastating than Extermination st wasunched by Zero. Extermination st has a wide area of destruction but Cataclysmic Destruction was sharper and contained more power.


    This power could easily kill an average Rank-A person. Last time, he used this move to kill Rank-S Ice Griffin and even his Rank-B sword was destroyed because the power of the attack was too much for the sword to hold.


    This time he had a more powerful sword, even so, the sword trembled viciously as it seemed to be on its limit. Luckily it didn''t break and was barely able to withstand Zero''s power.


    Two powerful attacks came from the sky while an equally or more powerful attack was sent by Zero from the ground.


    -BOOM!


    The destruction ball of Lilith and Xalvar collided with Zero''s Cataclysmic Destruction attack.


    The impact of the collision was so great that the ground that the attack didn''t even touch began to vibrate. It seemed that even the space was twisted for a second.


    This could be seen as a great incident if not for many such things happening everywhere in Ace Academy. Rank-S was fighting all over the Ace Academy campus. Right now, Ace Academy was ground for a battle with many powerful attacks sting off one after another at many ces. Zero and Lilith''s fight was just one of many such battles.


    While it was not very greatpared to Rank-S teachers fighting with Earl Ranked Devils, for those who were in the vicinity of Zero, the impact was very strong.


    -BOOOOOOOM!


    Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia were hardly able to stay there without getting blown by the wind generated by the collision.


    They were really useless after the two devils unleashed their attacks. Even the aura that was emitted by their attack was enough to make them immobile, not to mention blocking such an attack, it was hard for them to even move.


    The mana in the atmosphere only increased after Zero released an incredible destructive skill that was equally powerful as the attack from two Viscount Devils.


    -WHOOSH!


    Looking towards the sky was Zero who just stood there without fear. There was no indication that Zero was nervous. He looked different from earlier when he almost went berserk and looked calm and confident.


    "Everyone Alright!"


    Hiro asked.


    The ce which was once a training ground was razed. Even without directly touching the buildings, their impact was powerful enough to destroy those reinforced buildings.


    "Yes!"


    They replied not sounding very happy about the situation.


    Lisa was happy to have survived but also feltplicated when looking at Zero. It didn''t matter to her that he was currently using Dark Energy but she felt inferior to him.


    They had done everything to survive from Lilith but Zero was able to keep Lilith and another Viscount Rank Devil upied by himself. This great dispersion in strength made even Lisa who normally doesn''t care much aboutparing strength topare her strength with Zero.


    Despite being called a genius since her childhood, she felt all those words were just a lie. Even with the emergence of the monstrously talented Hiro, she didn''t feel inferior. But Zero had really shown the difference between a genius and a talented human.


    She felt that she was just a big fish in a small pond. This feeling was shared with others who could only watch the fight.


    *****


    Zero already knew that Cataclysmic Destruction was very powerful. He knew that Lilith and Xalvar''sbined power would still fall short of his Cataclysmic Destruction attack.


    Though the Xalvar and Lilith attack was more powerful than he initially thought, it was still not able to overwhelm Cataclysmic Destruction.


    However, using Dark Energy, moreover, to unleash attacks such as Cataclysmic Destruction, his body was under great stress. It was better than before as he was stronger now but still, it was difficult for Zero to unleash such an attack repeatedly without damaging his own body.


    Despite that, Zero was sure that even Xalvar and Devil Lilith would also not be able to use that move repeatedly. For such a powerful attack, the Dark Energy consumed was very high, not to mention the time taken to execute that attack was long.


    Zero stared into the sky, making sure that Xalvar was not attacking him. He would love nothing more than to rush toward him and punch him but even so he refrained from that. He knows that Xalvar had more than one trick up his sleeve and Zero didn''t want to give him the chance to take advantage of his anger like earlier.


    *****


    !!!


    "WHAT! HOW!"


    Xalvar shouted.


    Xalvar was truly shocked to see that Zero was able to stop the attack which was the result of Lilith and his. It was the first time he had not expected such a development.


    As for the Dark Energy and sudden increase in strength, he had already experienced it before and was not very surprised to see the same development happening again. It was just that Zero''s power exceeded what he had expected.


    He stared down at Zero who was currently looking at him with a condescending attitude. There was no fear or excitement about having stopped his attacks like Hiro and others. Zero was behaving as if this was a natural thing to happen.


    "ZERO!"


    Xalvar screamed.


    He was angry that Zero, who he looks down on, is showing as if he is stronger than him.


    "You were not able to save anyone before and it will be the same this time as well! Zero, you are nothing but a curse!"


    Xalvar said as he made his way toward Zero.


    "..."


    Zero didn''t get angry at his word because his anger towards Xalvar was already maxed and there was no need to say anything to make him angrier.


    It is clear to him that Xalvar, who kills others for fun, is unable to understand him and is continually reminded of his friend''s death. For Xalvar, his friends'' death was skin to fun while for him, it was his eternal nightmare. His hatred towards Xalvar is something that could not be subsided even if Xalvar was killed a hundred times.


    Now that Xalvar wasing towards him by himself, Zero was not going to let him escape. As he gripped his sword, he was ready to attack Xalvar.


    "ZERO!"


    Xalvar showed no sign of stopping as he quickly appeared before Zero.


    Using his extended ws, Xalvar attacks Zero from his left side where Zero is slow to react. Because they both had been fighting earlier, they had some idea about each other''s fighting style.


    -CLANK!


    However, Zero also knew that Xalvar was aiming at his left side. Xalvar was very good at analyzing battles and knew which areas were vulnerable, which is why Zero waited for Xalvar to strike first. He already anticipated that Xalvar would try to attack from the left and he was prepared to block the attack with his sword.


    Right after the Xalvar attack was blocked, Zero raised his left hand, and immediately a sword was created with his Ice magic.


    -SLASH!


    Due to how quick the counterattack was, Xalvar was not able to defend himself and got seriously injured by Zero Ice Sword.


    "KEH!"


    Xalvar backed off with serious injuries and an ice sword stuck to his shoulder. He looked at Zero angrier than before. However, unlike before he didn''t make the mistake of attacking without thinking carefully.


    Zero was the same. He didn''t just blindly charge because he knew that his attack hardly did anything. With their regeneration abilities, he knew that he could immediately recover from such injuries.


    If you want to kill a Devil, you should attack their vital areas or use a powerful attack that they can''t recover from. A sh from his Ice Sword was not enough to defeat a Devil such as Xalvar.


    Zero red at Xalvar in hatred. It was very difficult for him to control himself when Xalvar was in front of him. He still remembers the ecstatic face that he made when killing his friends one by one.


    ( Wendy, John ... Today, I will finally take revenge! )


    He red at Xalvar with killing intent.


    Xalvar was also in a simr position as Zero. He was truly humiliated by Zero and could not wait to kill Zero. But he also refrained from directly attacking him.


    However, both knew that the one to lose their cool first would be the one to die. They prepared themselves for a fierce battle that was about to begin!

 Chapter 268: Self-Destruct!

    On the other ce


    Ostrimor who was fighting with Professor Mia and Professor Theo was in a terrible state. He didn''t look like the same proud Devil that appeared from the portal.


    "What is Xalvar doing?"


    He shouted in anger.


    Xalvar was supposed to help him, but he never showed up there. Although, he could sense that Xalvar was near and fighting but he failed to help him. He never wanted to rely on Xalvar who is weaker than him but the situation he was facing was not good.


    Professor Mia by herself proved to be too much for him to handle, not to mention that she had help.


    -BANG!


    "TCH!"


    He got hit by Professor Mia''s attack. It was difficult to recover after getting hit by Professor Mia''s magic because her attack froze their skin and made healing impossible. That is why even with Devil''s incredible regeneration, Ostrimor was ridiculed with many cuts.


    He has totally abandoned the thought of attacking Ace Academy and was thinking about retreating. Anyway, he could me Xalvar for failing to provide support if others ask why he had run away before the decided time.


    ( Anyway, what is that Dark Energy that I am sensing? Why is one of our own fighting with Xalvar? )


    Additionally, he was worried about the dangerous Dark Energy that he was sensing from Xalvar''s direction. He knew that Xalvar was fighting with someone tough. Even as Earl Ranked Devil, he found the Dark Energy that he was sensing dangerous, almost as if it was from the Demon King. He knew that their raid would be stopped shortly.


    On the other hand, Professor Mia was also worried. She has also felt the Dark Energy of Zero and unlike Ostrimor she knows to whom that energy belongs.


    She knows that if Zero was forced to use Dark Energy then the enemy would be strong but more than that she was worried about other people finding out about that. She had to exin or protect Zero in case other people see him as the enemy.


    In that sense, she was looking to eliminate Ostrimor as soon as possible.


    ******


    On the battlefield of Zero and Xalvar. The fight was between the two and other people just watched them.


    [ "Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    The first one to make his move was Zero. Using Demonic Force Maniption, he extended the sword in a shape that is simr to a whip. Attacks from whips were hard to predict and dodge and could be used for long-range.


    Zero decided to use that to probe Xalvar.


    -PAK! -PAK!


    Zero attacked Xalvar from a distance using the Dark Energy whip. While the attack could hardly take Xalver''s life, it could at least hurt him.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Xalvar used w strengthened by Dark Energy to fiercely hit the whips. Xalvar also might have known that it was difficult to dodge the attacks and choose to fiercely confront Zero''s attack.


    Xalvars attack destroyed Zero''s whip which is made by Dark Energy but each time that happened, it could instantly be regenerated and continued to attack him. However, Xalvar has not much choice but to continue destroying it.


    -PAK! -PAK!


    They continued to fight like this for a long time. It is obvious that Xalvar who is just defending would be in a difficult position as many injuries appeared on his body but those injuries would immediately start to heal.


    Even when he was seemingly having an advantage, Zero could not help but worry. The attack of his didn''t have enough power to seriously harm Xalvar, on top of that he was worried about Lilith who was doing nothing.


    He didn''t understand why Xalvar didn''te together with Lilith but he knows that if they attacked him together, the situation would not be very good for him. Well, it was not that he would lose but it would indeed have made winning harder.


    While he has his allies Hiro, Lisa, Zion, and Sylvia, he knows that their power was not enough to stop a Viscount Devil. It was not that he was underestimating the main characters but because he knows them well that he came to this conclusion.


    They might keep Lilith upied for some minutes but he knows that right now they don''t have the capabilities to defeat her.


    Moreover, with his disying Dark energy, he didn''t know whether they would help him or not. They might even point their sword at him.


    Therefore, he was in quite a peculiar position where he really needed to think of a n to get rid of Xalvar as soon as possible. With so many variables, he would like to finish what he was doing quickly.


    On the other hand, Xalvar was also growing quite anxious. The reinforcement from The Authority had arrived and the Devils were finding themselves losing. He could sense other Devils and Devil Contractors losing their lives or running away.


    The Earl Ranked Devil that was fighting with Professor Mia and Professor Theo also seemed to be losing. Originally, Xalvar came to support him but unexpectedly encountered Zero. He initially thought that he would y with him for some time before killing him and going to support Ostrimor.


    Now, it seems impossible for him to do so as long as Zero is present.


    (Sorry, Ostrimor! Looks like I need to get out of here! )


    With the current situation, Xalvar was thinking about retreating. He had no idea that Zero was so powerful that he could stop him. As for Ostrimor, he didn''t really feel sorry even if he died.


    "Zero, it looks like ying time is over! We will meet again if you survive this!"


    Xalvar said.


    !!!


    Zero didn''t know what it was that Xalvar was implying but considering what they were doing, he thought that Xalvar was going to release some powerful attack or something simr. He immediately became more cautious.


    "Lilith, Self-Destruct!"


    Xalvar said mercilessly.


    The reason why he thought that he would need to keep Lilith out of the fight was for her to regain some Dark Energy to self-destruct. Lilith was a Viscount Devil and listened to everymand of his which is why she was precious.


    However, despite that, he didn''t hesitate to make Lilith self-destruct. Despite how precious she was, Xalvar could not help but want to see what Zero would do.


    If he decides to ignore Lilith and make her self-destruct, then he wants to know how he would react when he found out that Lilith Devil is indeed the Lilith that he knows. As for in case he tries to save her, that was quite impossible.


    He could only die with her if he decided to save her instead of running away. Any of the two was okay with Xalvar and he could not wait for Zero to once again be swallowed by despair.


    Lilith''s body has been emitting a dangerous level of Dark Energy. It looked like she was really going to follow Xalvar''smand and self-destruct. They were sure that the explosion of that power would level the ground they were on.


    -ZUSH!


    "Until next time!"


    After saying that, Xalvar disappeared into the portal. Although Zero wanted to chase him, considering his strength, it was impossible to kill him at this point. Anyway, he remembers what he looks like and there was plenty of time to kill him.


    Unlike before, he was clear about who his enemy was. The next time he sees him, he vows to make him regret it.


    *****


    "RUN!"


    Hiro and others were aware of what was happening. They knew that this type of explosion could neither be contained nor interrupted. And with their power, there was literally nothing that they could do but run.


    All they could do was escape from that ce and hope to be outside the area of the explosion. An explosion using Viscount Devil''s life as a catalyst was nothing to scoff at. Even Rank-S heroes would not escape unscathed if they were hit by it, not to mention Rank-Cs and Rank-D people like them.


    They immediately began running away.


    Zero was also preparing to run away but stopped when he saw Lilith. He still doesn''t believe that the Devil is the same Lilith as the one he knows. He just believes that Xalvar was telling lies to make him waver. The Devil was nothing like the Lilith he knew.


    However, he still doesn''t know what happened to Lilith he knows. Her body was never found suggesting that she might not have died in that dungeon.


    He looked at the Devil who still didn''t show any emotion despite being told to explode. Zero already thought that the Devil was weird because it seems as if she was a robot that only listens to Xalvar.


    Anyway, even if she was manipted into listening to Xalvar, and even if Zero felt pity for her, there was nothing that he could do to save her in this situation. She was a Viscount Devil and even he would die under her self-destruction.


    "Huh!"


    While staring at the Devil, Zero felt that the Devil was also staring at him. While it would be normal for one to stare back when others stared at them, the Devil was not normal. Even when fighting, Zero felt that the Devil''s attention was not on him.


    It is like she was before me but she was not particrly looking at me and just fighting because Xalvarmanded her. However, for a slight second, Zero felt that the Devil was looking at him.


    "Must be my imagination!"


    Zero said to himself.


    Just when he was about to go, he again saw something that made him stop. The Devil who was about to self-destruct was smiling.


    "Lilith?"

 Chapter 269: Goodbye!

    "L-Lilith?"


    One thing that is embedded in my mind about Lilith that is still clear is her cheerful smile. There was no way that I was mistaken about that. The smile that she showed for a split second was very much like Lilith that I knew.


    "Sh*t!"


    ( I have to save her! )


    Zero instantly turned around and dashed toward Lilith.


    Before seeing the smile, he was still hesitant about saving her life, but after seeing it, he made his way to her involuntarily. He had no idea how to save her or whether he would survive this but he wanted to save Lilith.


    If the devil was indeed Lilith, abandoning her would haunt him forever. If not for Lilith saving him, he would not be standing here.


    If Xalvar did something and made her behave in this way, then it was also his fault. Lilith would not have been trapped in the dungeon if she had not held off Xalvar to save him.


    "Damn him!"


    Zero could only curse Xalvar as Xalvar had already escaped. It wasn''t enough that Xalvar brainwashed Lilith, he even made her die there.


    -SHUSH!


    Even when he stood in front of her, unlike before, she didn''t attack or show any indication of hostility.


    ( Indeed Xalvar did something to her! )


    Zero previously believed that Lilith was a loyal Devil who obeyed Xalvar''s orders to the letter. However, now that he thinks again, he realized that the reason for her behavior was not loyalty or fear, but because she had been brainwashed into obeying him.


    However, Zero had no idea what he did to her even with the knowledge from the novel. There was no mention of this type of Art or artifact that could control others'' will.


    Anyway before thinking about that Zero had to solve Lilith overloading her Dark Energy. Right now saving the lives of him and Lilith was his priority then he could think about what Xalvar did to Lilith.


    ( Should I knock her out? )


    It will prevent further expansion of mana within her body, however, and even if he knocks her out, the explosion will still ur, although it may be on a smaller scale than if she is kept conscious.


    "Hey, wake up!"


    Zero grabbed Lilith''s arms and started shaking her in the hope that she might regain her sanity. If she wakes up then all these problems will be solved.


    However, the reality was not as easy as he hoped. There was no way that she would regain her mind with a small shake when she was not able to do that even when she was fighting fiercely previously.


    "As expected, this is not going to be easy ¡­ Huh-?"


    As he was thinking that this was not going to work, he noticed something unexpected. Once again, he held Lilith''s arms.


    "Looks like I sensed it correctly. My body was absorbing her Dark Energy."


    Zero had noticed that his Dark Energy had increased when he was shaking Lilith earlier. He didn''t know whether it was because his mana regeneration had increased or because he had absorbed mana from Lilith.


    But after holding Lilith''s arm again, he noticed that his Dark Energy was quickly replenishing. And on Lilith''s side, her mana had decreased a bit.


    " Haha, looks like luck is on my side today."


    Zero was delighted. He could finally see hope in this impossible situation. He didn''t really have any solution to save Lilith aside from trying to wake her up. The solution has now fallen right in front of Zero, and he couldn''t be more grateful.


    He didn''t know why but he could easily absorb Dark Energy from Lilith''s body. Without wasting time he continued to absorb the Dark Energy and the self-destruction of Lilith started to slow down but it was too dangerous for Zero.


    Absorbing Dark Energy from Lilith had made his Dark Energy go over his body limit and he was in a simr state as Lilith, that is he was on the verge of exploding.


    However, unlike Lilith who had no way of stopping herself from overloading, Zero had many ways. While stopping others from overloading mana was almost impossible, it was a different story if one wanted to do so themselves.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ] ¡­


    Stopping the overload was easy for him. The only reason why Lilith could not is because she had no intention of doing so. It only takes a few continuous uses of mana for your mana level in your body to drop back to normal.


    Zero shot out his skill continuously and moreover, he would intentionally fire it at the Devil who was seemingly running away. Anyway, he could not shoot on the ground where other students were, so he could only aim at the sky where multiple Devils were flying.


    "KAAAY!"


    "Who dares!"


    The majority managed to dodge his attack since most of them were ridiculously strong, but asionally one of two unlucky devils would be struck by his attack. However, no matter how angry they were, they had to run away or else risk dying from the high-ranking human that came as reinforcement.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­"


    Zero was panting heavily as he could feel pain all over his body.


    Although the problem of overloading was over, the fact that he used such a ridiculous attack, again and again, made him tired and his body was already past its limit. It would have been a different story if he had a strong body but right now his body is not yet strong enough to nonchntly use Dark Energy like the devils.


    Using so many Extermination sts had ced a heavy burden on his body but he had to use it to stop his Dark Energy from overloading.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    He then looked at the Devil who he saved believing that she is Lilith and that he knows but she had turned back into the emotionless devil that she was. She didn''t attack, which could be because Xalvar who was ordering her is not present there.


    "What should I do now?"


    Zero said as he looked up at the sky.


    He could go back and meet with Hiro and his group. Although he used Dark Energy, based on what he knew about them from the novel, he believed that as long as he exined they would believe him that he is not a Devil Contractor and would not spread the information.


    They also owed him for saving them, so it was unlikely for Hiro and others to reveal his secret. But this was the perfect situation for running away from the Ace Academy and going to the Obelisk Tower. He nced at Lilith.


    And there was no way that The Authority would let Lilith stay alive knowing she is a Devil. He didn''t have the ability to hide her and if they found her then both Zero and Lilith would be in danger.


    He looked at Lilith again and made his resolve.


    Considering all the factors, Zero believes that going away would be the best choice. If Lilith is captured, then all of his previous hard work would be for naught. He couldn''t have Lilith be caught by other humans nor was there an option for him to abandon her.


    He looked into the distance where Hiro, Sylvia, and Lisa had probably gone. He would love to see where the main characters would go on from here onwards but he still had his own task toplete.


    "Goodbye! Let''s meet again in two years."


    After saying that he turned around and took Lilith in his arms and vanished.

 Chapter 270: Rising Tension!

    -THUD! -THUD!


    "-Wait!"


    Lisa said looking extremely worried.


    "What happened?"


    Sylvia asked.


    They were currently getting away from the potential explosion that was going to happen. With an ArchDevil self-destructing, they knew that the explosion would be nothing to scoff at. So they kept running until Lisa stopped them.


    "D-Did you see Zero pass by?"


    Lisa asked.


    She stopped them because even after checking multiple times, she still could not see Zero. ording to Zero''s speed, she knew that he would sooner orter catch up to them. She had also seen him run in the same direction as them.


    But after some time instead of seeing him, she lost sight of him. She thought that maybe he had already run past them and she had failed to see him.


    "Zero?"


    They looked at each other and shook their heads. It was not that they didn''t care about Zero but considering the strength he had shown, they knew that he would be able to easily run away.


    "Maybe he ran away in another direction?"


    Sylvia said.


    "That''s possible,"


    Lisa agreed.


    "But I can''t shake the feeling that something has happened to him."


    She said while pondering. There was no reason for Zero to change his direction and he should have already encountered her.


    "We can''t worry about that right now,"


    Sylvia said, grabbing Lisa''s arm and pulling her away from the direction of Lilith.


    "We need to get as far away as possible before that thing goes off."


    "But what if Zero-"


    "We''ll deal with thatter."


    Sylvia said,


    "Right now, our priority is to get to safety. Zero should probably be in the safe zone. With his power, it should be easy for him to escape."


    Lisa hesitated for a moment before nodding. She knew Sylvia was right. They needed to focus on their own safety first. But as they ran, she couldn''t shake the feeling of concern for Zero.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    They ran and soon enough they found that there was no explosion. However, they didn''t think much of it and just thought of it as a blessing.


    They didn''t stop running. Even though they were safe from the explosion, they still needed to be wary of the Devils. While the Devils seemed to be retreating, they never knew if they might attack them.


    They proceeded to run towards the safe area.


    *****


    "Check which students are missing."


    Professor Miamanded.


    The danger was clear at this point, and the Devils and Devil Contractors had all fled or died. With the reinforcement of The Authority and some guilds, they had turned the tables on the Devils.


    However, there was no time to rejoice. The casualties due to this incident were considerably higher than the Wolf Forest incident.


    Even two S-Rank teachers of Ace Academy were killed in battle while many teachers sustained injuries beyond healing. As for the students, the number of students killed was in the hundreds and even some of the geniuses from the big guilds were killed.


    All of the responsibility for this would fall on the shoulders of Ace Academy. There was no way that they would be spared after so many students were killed right under their noses.


    The professors quickly took attendance and thenpared it to the ss roster. They also took down the name of the deceased. While those students for which they didn''t have any information were kept missing for the moment.


    "Professor Mia, what about this student?"


    One of the professors asked while showing the photo of Zero. The professor approached Professor Mia because other students had not seen him and thest ce he was seen (by Hiro''s group) was where Professor Mia was fighting.


    The professor came thinking Professor Mia would have an idea.


    "He ... Just keep him as a present."


    "Noted!"


    After updating the status of Zero, he quietly left.


    Professor Mia sighed as she sat down, trying to clear her mind. She knew that the academy would face harsh consequences for the loss of so many students. But right now, her main concern was Zero and his safety.


    She picked up her phone again and tried to call him, but there was still no answer. She couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread wash over her.


    "Zero, where are you?"


    She muttered to herself.


    Zero had already reported dropping out of school as he had to go somewhere. Professor Mia asked where he was going but the message never came.


    Professor Mia knew that Zero was strong and capable, but the fact that he had dropped out of the academy and disappeared without a trace was worrying. Moreover, it was after such a devastating incident.


    While it was reassuring to know that he was alright, it didn''t mean that she wasn''t worried. She decided to wait a little longer before taking any further action.


    Meanwhile, other professors were frantically trying to assess the situation ande up with a n to deal with the aftermath of the attack. There were many injured students who needed urgent medical attention, and the families of the deceased needed to be notified as soon as possible.


    But despite the chaos and confusion, Professor Mia couldn''t shake the feeling of worry for Zero. She just hoped that wherever he was, he was safe and sound


    "Humph, looks like you are in need of punishment."


    The next few days were chaotic and hectic as the academy dealt with the aftermath of the attack. There were numerous meetings and discussions among the professors, and a lot of decisions had to be made.


    There were also a number of news reporters who covered this incident. Many of them were criticizing Ace Academy for having many talented students killed by the Devils.


    There were also many guilds who criticized them, especially those kids whose parents were the guildmasters of those guilds.


    However, there were also others who were supportive of Ace Academy especially when two S-Rank teachers were killed. It proved that Ace Academy had not been lenient, but that the Devils attacked them without any mercy.


    If the sacrifice of two S-Rank teachers was thought of as not doing enough then there was no organization that could do more than them. They can just me the Devils who attacked them.


    Considering the scale of the attack, the number of survivors was on a higher side and people should have praised Ace Academy for saving so many students. Looking at the strength of the enemies, it would not be weird for there to be any survivors.


    But ultimately, the loss of any life, especially young and talented students, is a tragic and devastating event. People also have the habit of looking at the bad side of things rather than the positive side.


    Many people called for The Authority to step in and shut down Ace Academy. However, there was no action from The Authority. The Authority called this incident a failure of humanity, not Ace Academy.


    The Devils targeted Ace Academy but even if they attacked other ces, they would have caused multiple casualties which could have been higher than Ace Academy. Not every ce has as many Rank-S as Ace Academy and the consequences would have been severe if the Devils had decided to attack other ces.


    The Authority called for a thorough investigation into the incident, to determine how the Devils were able to infiltrate the academy and what measures could be put in ce to prevent future attacks.


    There was also a push for stronger security and defense measures at all academies, as well as increased support for the students and families affected by the tragedy.


    Overall, the incident at Ace Academy has started a new conflict between humans and Devils. Many believe that war will soon be fought.

 Chapter 271: OutCast Town

    With how tantly the Devils had invaded human territory, there was no way that humans were going to take it lightly. There was already rising tension between the devils and humans but with them killing off human geniuses, they set off the start of the war.


    Security at the border between the human and demonic domains has already been strengthened.


    Many media outlets covered the possibility of war, and many people were concerned, especially the elderly. Older people who experienced the war and knew its dread was worried about the difficult time that was going to start.


    While many young people just felt that it was an opportunity for them to be heroes. War was a good opportunity for one to make their name known.


    There was tension among humans, but one individual was concerned with entirely different things.


    Zero was sneaking to where the Tower Of Obelisk was. He was carrying Lilith on his back as he moved. Lilith was still unconscious which could have been worrying but considering the situation it was a blessing instead.


    Zero wouldn''t know what to do if Lilith tried to attack him or other people. That is why it was lucky that she was asleep though it was a bit worrying that she still didn''t regain consciousness. Moreover, with Lilith asleep, he didn''t need to worry about her leaking Dark Energy.


    Though if one had a very powerful sense then they might be able to sense Dark Energy from Lilith''s body.


    It was convenient for Zero that many powerful explorers were already gone to the meeting conducted by The Authority. With Rank-A and Rank-B senses, there was no way they could sense Lilith''s energy especially when Zero was hiding it unless they were really sensitive to Dark Energy.


    He had also heard the news about a possible war between Devils and humans, but he wasn''t as rmed as other people. Since gaining the memory from Earth, he knew that this would happen.


    It was because he knew that this was going to happen that he relentlessly trained because he didn''t want to die like an extra.


    Though the timing was a bit earlier, it was not much different from what was written in the novel. He knows that in two years, the war of me would start to blow and Hiro and other students who would graduate would also need to join it.


    While many events will happen over two years, the main war will only happen in two years. Some other skirmishes were not very significant, although Hiro gained new power and allies during some events.


    But the main plot which would affect the whole human domain will only start when Hiro and the other main characters join the war. Typically, a story would involve the main character in a critical plot; after all, which story would allow an unknown character to save the world?


    That is why Zero gave himself two years to train before Hiro and others joined the war. He needs to get as strong as possible in that time period.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero headed towards the Tower of Obelisk as quickly as possible. Because he was currently carrying Lilith, it was not convenient to take public routes where they would discover Lilith. Even without sensing her Dark Energy, one could tell she was a devil with one look.


    That''s why Zero took other routes, though taking other routes meant a longer time to reach the Tower of Obelisk, not to mention the many monsters that he would be encountering.


    Moreover, the Tower of Obelisk was very far from Ace Academy. The Tower Of Obelisk was near the border between the human domain and the demon domain.


    Zero continued his journey without stopping.


    *****


    "So that is the Tower Of Obelisk!"


    Zero gazed into the sky trying to see the end of the Tower but there was no end. It went past the clouds and into the sky. Eds and heaven seemed to be connected by this object.


    Zero is currently in thest town before the Tower Of Obelisk, or, you might even say, a town on the edge of the human domain.


    This town was formed for the explorers who want to go to the Tower Of Obelisk. However, more than that, the reason why Zero was not afraid of entering this town with Lilith on his back is because this is a town that is not under the control of The Authority.


    The town is also known as OutCast Town and was mainly created for those attempting to go to the Tower Of Obelisk and for those returning from the Tower Of Obelisk. However, the main reason it was called OutCast Town was that there were lots of criminals and thieves in this town.


    The Tower Of Obelisk has many treasures and those who go into ore out of the Tower usually have many precious items on them.


    So that''s why this town has be a gathering ce for thieves aiming for those treasures. Even the agents from The Authority were not able to control this area.


    While they could if they sent in a high Ranking member, which Rank-S or Rank-A Explorer woulde to such a small town to manage a group of thieves? Furthermore, The Authority believes that people who visit the Tower Of Obelisk should at least be powerful enough to defeat these criminals.


    The Authority''s main responsibility was the safety of average citizens and since OutCast Town only had Explorers and criminals, they deemed it not their responsibility to take care of such a problematic ce.


    Anyway, he was finally able to get a ce where he could sleep peacefully. It was a rough day for Zero for the past week.


    It took Zero about one week to reach this town even though he was running with speed surpassing most cars. While traveling, he encountered various monsters because he took a dangerous route.


    The reason he took the dangerous route was that one time he went past a city and some guard was able to sense Lilith. Luckily they were only Rank-B though they might have someone with a very strong sense.


    Zero was easily able to knock them out without really hurting them. While Zero was able to get away safely that time, he learned not to go near the city and took a dangerous route.


    Those routes, however, were longer and more difficult as a result of the overflowing monsters present. Zero even encountered a Rank-A Devil Ape which he was able to defeat after using Dark Energy.


    Anyway, Zero finally managed to reach OutCast Town though traveling to that ce was far from being easy.


    Finally, he had some ce where he could finally sleep in peace or so it would have been if not for the three idiots following him.


    He had already sensed that three people were following him as soon as he entered the town. He ignored them since they were only Rank-C- at best.


    But to think that they even followed him to the inn, they were serious about robbing him.


    *Sigh!


    It was not enough that he was tormented by monsters for the past week, now even some idiot wants to mess with him.


    "Hah, looks like my sleep needs to wait."

 Chapter 272: OutCast Town [2]

    "Hah, looks like my sleep needs to wait."


    Those three do not seem to want to give up though I doubt that they are nning to take action now. If they wanted to, they would have already done so in a ce where there were fewer people.


    They should be waiting for me to let my guard down. That means that they will probably attack me when I am sleeping or they may simply give up. Anyway, if theye to stir up trouble, I will just make them regret their decision.


    -Tinkling!


    "Good morning. Wee to The Grandward Inn."


    A cheerful voice greeted Zero as he entered the inn. He looked around and saw a reception desk with a friendly-looking innkeeper standing behind it.


    "Good morning,"


    Zero said, returning the innkeeper''s greeting.


    "I''m looking for a room for the night."


    "Of course,"


    The innkeeper said, smiling.


    "We have several rooms avable. How many people will be staying with you?"


    "Two"


    Zero said.


    "In that case, I rmend our bigger room. It''s cozy andfortable with two beds, and the rate is very reasonable."


    "That sounds perfect. I''ll take it."


    "One night will be 500 Ethan."


    Zero handed over the money.


    "Thank you! Here is your key. Your room is on the second floor, room 207. We hope you have a pleasant stay with us."


    The innkeeper said, handing Zero a key.


    "Thank you,"


    Zero said, taking the key and making his way to his room. He was looking forward to a good night''s sleep in afortable bed. Unfortunately, some idiots were probably not going to let him.


    When Zero arrived at his room, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was quiterge, and it was also clean and well-maintained. There were two beds, a small dresser, and a nightstand with amp. A window overlooked the inn''s courtyard, and the curtains were drawn back to let in the morning sunlight.


    Zero ced Lilith on one of the beds and he sat down on the bed and took a moment to rx. He wanted to rest but more than that he was hungry right now. For the past few days, he had been surviving on roasted meat which was not bad but after eating repeatedly, Zero started to crave other things.


    After a few minutes, Zero decided to explore the inn. He left his room and wandered the corridors, taking in the sights and sounds of the busy inn. He noticed other guests chatting in themon areas and heard the nging of pots and pans from the kitchen.


    The ce looked like a normal inn even though it was in the OutCast town where criminals roam.


    Eventually, Zero made his way to the inn''s restaurant, where he ordered a hearty lunch as he had not eaten good food for the past week. As he ate, he couldn''t help but think that The Grandward Inn was the perfect ce to spend a rxing night.


    After eating he went back to his room and rested. Despite still closing his eyes, he did not want to be careless. His mana sense was still active and he could sense everything in a radius of 100 meters.


    He had already looked at the people in the Inn and found out that the strongest person in the Inn was Rank-B. That person also seemed to be a customer like himself as his room was next to his.


    *****


    "Shall we do it tonight?"


    One of them eagerly said.


    They had already targeted Zero. Just having a Storage ring was enough to tell one about their wealth. The ring alone cost 20000 Ethans after all, not to mention the items inside the ring.


    Also, Zero looked alone, and you can imagine what they would do to a rich young boy in Outcast Town without a guard.


    They only dyed this because they thought that maybe Zero had apanion in OutCast Town. However, Zero stayed in the Inn alone which meant that he came alone and did not know anyone there.


    They would have investigated more if it had been an adult, but because Zero was just a kid, they assumed he was weaker than them.


    "Yeah, let''s do it."


    Another one replied.


    "He won''t even see iting."


    Two of them were eager to rob Zero. It was not every day that there was a fat sheeping to give them money.


    ''Wait!"


    As one of them said, he wore a look of concern on his face.


    "What? Why?"


    Two of them frowned.


    "I felt like I had seen him somewhere. Maybe we should investigate more before robbing him."


    The man could not remember Zero properly but he felt that he had seen him somewhere. He had actually seen Zero on TV when he was participating in the Tournament of Academies but because Zero was eliminated, the man could not exactly remember him.


    "Stop being a coward!"


    One of them angrily said. They had worked together for a long time but he didn''t like the other guy very much because of his cautious nature.


    "If we dy any longer, others might take him first."


    ...


    The worried man still could not wipe out his worries. He felt Zero was a terrifying existence and they should be more vignt but he also agreed with hispanion. Zero was a fat sheep in OutCast Town and if they dyed more, other stronger people would rob him before them. He didn''t want to lose a chance of robbing a wealthy kid.


    Since two of hispanions were not happy with his decision, he had no choice but to agree with their n. They snuck into the Inn and went straight for Zero''s room.


    -CREAK!


    They quietly opened the door and slowly crept closer to Zero, their eyes focused on the ring on his finger. Just as they were about to make their move,


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you,"


    Zero warned, his eyes slowly opening. He knew everything about them from breaking into the inn to entering his room. Zerozily stood up and looked at them as if they were not a big deal.


    -GLUP!


    The robbers shivered and felt some unknown pressure on them, especially the man who was more cautious. His senses told him that the person in front of him was a terrifying being and that he should run away.


    The thieves hesitated for a moment, but then one of them lunged forward, attempting to grab the ring.


    But Zero was ready for them. With a quick movement, he was behind the thief and knocked him out.


    "W-What?"


    The other thieves were shocked at how easily Zero had dealt with theirpanion. The angry man who attacked was the strongest among them. They quickly realized that they were no match for him and that they had made a huge mistake by trying to rob him.


    "I warned you not to try anything,"


    Zero said calmly.


    "Leave immediately and do not appear before me again."


    The thieves quickly took their fallenpanion and fled the inn, knowing they had no chance against Zero.


    "Sh*t! We should not have messed with him."


    With sweat on his forehead, the man carrying the fallenpanion said. If the person they were dealing with was a bloodthirsty individual, they would have died today.


    "What a monster!"


    In response, the cautious man said. He was equally scared and relieved to have survived. A 14-16 year-old looking boy who could easily overpower a Rank-C +. In their eyes, Zero was truly a monster.


    Zero watched them go, shaking his head at their foolishness. He returned to his bed and closed his eyes as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 273: Entering the Tower Of Obelisk

    The next day, Zero woke feeling more energized than ever. After he took care of the three thieves, there were no more people trying to attack him.


    Lilith was still sleeping on the side he was looking at. However, he was no longer worried as he had already found out the problem with Lilith being unconscious. Due to him absorbing Dark Energy from Lilith, she was suffering from ack of mana. And for some reason, her body was no longer absorbing Dark Energy which led to her sleeping.


    Lilith''s problem could be easily solved if he transferred Dark Energy into her body, but he refrained from doing so for fear of creating additional problems. He was only willing to try this in the Tower Of Obelisk where he would be alone with her.


    After eating a hearty breakfast from the inn, Zero prepared to go to the Tower Of Obelisk. He decided to check for items in the town that might be useful in the Tower and along the way he encountered more people like yesterday''s thieves. It looks like Zero was an easy target in the eyes of the people of OutCast Town, though after beating a couple of them, it looks like they had given up.


    Zero had everything already ready to go to the Tower Of Obelisk. He has 5 years'' worth of food in his spatial ring and many pieces of equipment that he might need in the Tower. In spite of this, he still looked at the artifacts in Outcast Town. This was hisst time to see human civilization before entering the Tower Of Obelisk where he would only encounter monsters.


    After looking around, Zero decided that it was time for him to depart. The Tower Of Obelisk was not very far from OutCast Town and Zero reached there in 30 minutes.


    The Tower of Obelisk was a tall, imposing structure made of dark, ancient stones. It looms over thendscape, casting a long shadow over the surrounding area. Such an enormous infrastructure can be seen by anyone within a 10-kilometer radius.


    Because of that, it was easy for Zero to navigate through the forest and reach the Tower Of Obelisk without any guide.


    !!!


    -SWISH!


    However, just beforeing out of the forest, Zero heard some voices from the entrance of the Tower and he instantly hid. He concealed his mana and presence and hid behind a tree, while also enhancing his hearing to listen to them.


    "Guild Master looks like this time we would be able to surpass the Elementalist Guild"


    "We had finally reached Floor 20 of Tower Of Obelisk and with the artifacts obtained, surpassing Elementalist Guild is nothing. We should instead focus on advancing to the Gold Rank Guild."


    The raiding team returning from the Tower Of Obelisk sounded happy and satisfied with their raid. It looks like they were able to fulfill their objective and get a great amount of treasure. Zero became less vignt after listening to their conversation.


    ording to their conversation, Zero concluded that the returning team from Tower Of Obelisk was from a Silver-ranked guild. Only the Silver rank guild would have difficulty until floor 20. The fact that they are able to dominate floor 20 means that their average strength is around Rank-B.


    If the group that Zero sensed was from a Gold-graded guild or higher, he would have been warier. Even with the use of Dark Energy, it would be impossible for Zero to run away from Rank-S and multiple Rank-A if they target him.


    Zero didn''t hide his mana as before and expanded his mana to sense the strength of that group. As expected, they were a raiding team made up of Rank-C + and Rank-B explorers.


    After the group had left the area, Zero came out of his hiding ce and moved towards the entrance of the Tower Of Obelisk.


    "So this is the Tower of Obelisk."


    Zero looked at the huge structure in awe. When he was little, he would often hear from his parents and Misha''s parents about how they went together to conquer this ce. Ever since then, he was curious and wanted toe here after graduation to give it a try.


    Zero looked at the Tower Of Obelisk both with excitement and fear. This was a ce where arge number of people is needed to survive and Zero wanted to attempt alone. To say it was difficult was an understatement.


    This ce was filled with not only monsters but also deadly traps. One misstep could spell your doom.


    "Let''s see how challenging the Tower Of Obelisk really is."


    However, Zero was confident that as long as he was vignt enough, he could manage to achieve his objective. Within the novel, there was some important information about each floor and he could use that information to survive in the Tower and obtain great treasures.


    Zero turned around to look at where his home was. It would probably be a very long time before he could see his family again.


    While he had informed his parents about his current situation, he knew that they would be very worried. As for other people, he doesn''t know how many people would miss him.


    Even after one year, there was barely anyone that he would call a friend at Ace Academy. If he knew that he would end up like this, he might have tried to make more friends. Well, nothing he could do about that now.


    -INHALE!


    Taking a deep breath, Zero entered the Tower Of Obelisk.


    *****


    "What do you mean he dropped out?"


    Sylvia asked Professor Mia confusedly.


    As of right now, she and Lisa were questioning Professor Mia about Zero''s situation.


    One week had passed since the incident and Ace Academy was back to normal. The decision to continue sses as normal might be because they want to show Ace Academy''s prestige.


    Professor Mia came to their ss as usual and took attendance. Quite a few students were missing. Either they had died during Devil''s invasion or had quit the school after the incident. That''s when Lisa and Syliva noticed that even Zero''s name was removed from the attendance.


    Unlike Hiro who was absent that day, Zero''s name was not read just like those who had died or had dropped out.


    While they had discovered that he was alive, they were surprised that Zero had dropped out of Ace Academy.


    "I''m not entirely sure of the reason but he must have something that he needs to do. Don''t worry too much about it. He is strong and knows what to do. You girls just focus on your studies."


    Professor Mia left after saying that.


    Sylvia and Lisa exchanged a concerned look. The students who dropped out usually weren''t feeling safe at Ace Academy and wanted to change schools. However, they didn''t believe that Zero was one of them.


    "Do you think he''s okay?"


    Lisa asked Sylvia worriedly. If Zero was dropping out of Ace Academy, they knew that he must have a very important reason behind that. They don''t believe that the Devils are enough to scare away Zero.


    "What could happen to him? Didn''t you see how powerful he was?"


    In an attempt to ease her friend''s worries, Sylvia said. Actually, she was also worried but she didn''t want to make Lisa more worried. Anyway, she knew that worrying would achieve nothing.


    She will need to try harder to find Zero. Sylvia was not going to give up just because Professor Mia said so.

 Chapter 274: Sylvia and Lisas POV

    Sylvia tried to investigate on her own to find the whereabouts of Zero. First of all, she went to Zero''s home where she found out that he was not there. However, she was reassured by Zero''s parents that Zero was alright.


    Next, she deployed some of the employees working under her father and tried to track Zero. Though they were very skilled, they were unable to find anything rted to Zero. Because Zero disappeared during the Devil invasion, there was little to no clue about where Zero could have gone.


    Sylvia even had gotten her hands on the information about people joining the army for the war against the Devils. As she saw Zero''s hatred for the Devil named Xalvar, she feared that he might have joined the army but, to her relief, Zero''s name was not there.


    After trying hard for a long time, Sylvia gave up on finding Zero. Though she was relieved again because at least from her investigation, she found that Zero was fine and was not involved in anything dangerous, at least not in the war between Devil and humans.


    Sylvia was still worried as Zero seemed to naturally attract trouble just like her friend Hiro. In Ace Academy, many incidents, some very dangerous and others not so much had happened, and Sylvia had already noticed that most such incidents usually involved Zero and Hiro.


    Zero had dropped out of school while Hiro was absent from school for the past few days. She can''t help getting worried about those two.


    And there was another boy who could not stop making her worry.


    Zion Maxwell, who was incredibly arrogant, had suddenly turned into a quiet animal. Ever since Zero and Hiro showed incredible power in the Tournament of Academies, Zion''s arrogance has pretty much disappeared. He stopped acting like he was the strongest and stopped picking fights with others especially Hiro like before.


    He even pestered Lisa less which was good for Lisa but Sylvia couldn''t help but worry about her group of friends.


    She has known Lisa and Zion since they were kids. Because of how influential their families were, they would often meet each other at parties and the parents were also trying to have them be friends.


    As far as she remembered, Zion was always arrogant and liked to show off while Lisa tried to always be polite. Even for social butterflies like Sylvia, it was not easy being friends with them.


    One always maintained a distance from everyone while the other didn''t care much about anything other than bragging about himself.


    Sylvia only came to know about Hiro this year when school started. Because of the unbelievable record that Hiro made on the Entrance Exam, everyone pretty much knew him, including her.


    Since they were in the same ss and other students seemed to fear getting close to them, naturally, the four of them became friends. Due to how strong they werepared to others, other students would usually have ulterior motives behind trying to befriend them or try to avoid them in fear of offending them.


    Sylvia, Lisa, Hiro and Zion were considered geniuses though Hiro was on another level even whenpared to them.


    Even so, the three of them were much closer to level Hiro than the other students, so they became friends. After that, they experienced many dangerous incidents together which only helped deepen the rtionship between the three of them.


    Sylvia realized how much of a monster Hiro really is after witnessing his power time and again with her own eyes. She believed that no other person would be as talented as Hiro.


    Well, that was at least until she saw the power of Zero. Taking out multiple Devil Contractors who were strong enough to kill her proved how strong Zero was. She believed at the time that Zero was an existence closer to Hiro than any other student.


    At least, that''s what she initially thought until Zeropletely crushed a Rank-B student in the Tournament of Academies, proving that he was on a whole other level than even Monster Hiro. Not to mention, during the Devil invasion, Zero''s power had reached a level where he could be on par with even senior-level professors such as Professor Theo.


    In Eds, he could already be regarded as one of the strongest. Although Hiro and the others were thought to be extremely talented and capable of bing one of the strongest humans, that would be in the future, while Zero was already on the verge of reaching that level.


    "I have to train more!"


    Sylvia reaffirmed her desire to be strong. Since she could not find Zero, she focused on getting stronger. Once again, she realized that there was nothing she could do in her current condition in the face of real danger.


    When she was small, she was called a genius and it was she who left other kids behind in terms of skill and strength but with the existence of Hiro and Zero, Sylvia felt that she had to train harder or else she would be left far behind by them.


    If she wants to avoid burdening others and continue to be friends with them, she knows that she has to be strong.


    *****


    "Just where did you go"


    Lisa muttered while lying on her bed. She could not stop worrying about him ever since the Devil''s invasion. She thought that she might have a chance to talk with him when school starts but to her surprise, Zero dropped out.


    She honestly did not understand her rtionship with Zero. Zero had once tried to pursue her intensely and at that time, she didn''t think badly of him.


    Lisa had met many men trying to get her but she didn''t have a very favorable impression of many of them. And they would easily get scared by Zion''s threat. Zion would also try to pursue her but rather than giving gifts and praising her like a normal person, he would arrogantly say things like, " Only you are fit for a genius like me" or something simr which made Lisa be disgusted by him.


    Moreover, he would also beat and threaten other boys who would try to get close to her. Though it was convenient that people stopped pestering her, she didn''t like Zion for using violence.


    That is why she was surprised that Zero had not stopped courting her even after doing it for many days. She thought that Zero would stop after some time like many others but he continued trying to court her which really surprised her. Moreover, he didn''t go overboard with his actions and didn''t really annoy her.


    However, it was not like she loved him or anything. At the time, she just felt that Zero was a fun person and someone interesting to befriend.


    However, those types of approaches soon stopped and Zero stopped trying to pursue her. She also knew that it was not because of Zion as she would soon find out that Zero was more powerful than he looked.


    By defeating the two seniors, Zero showed that he was extremely strong. Zero even saved her from the Wyvern in the mid-term exam and she would soon receive his help in the Tournament of Academies and also during the devil invasion.


    Each time he would converse with her politely, neither avoiding her nor showing much interest like before.


    Additionally, she had seen Zero''s secret, which is that he could use Dark Energy, but she wasn''t convinced that Zero was a devil contractor. If he was, he would not try to save her.


    *Sigh!


    She stopped thinking about Zero and took out a picture from her drawer. She stared at the picture and softly muttered,


    "Lilith was it? Just who are you?"

 Chapter 275: Obsessed With Strength

    "Lilith was it? Just who are you?"


    She had one of her subordinates bring the videos when Devil attacked them. She particrly wanted to have a picture of Lilith.


    If Lilith had no horn and tail, and applied some make-up, she would be indistinguishable from Lisa. She was curious about her because of how simr she looked to her.


    Moreover, Hiro and Zero both seemed to know her which confused her. While Hiro disyed more anger towards Lilith than other devils, it was nothing unusual. Devils were hated by many humans either because of thest war or because of the atrocities that theymitted.


    Lisa just assumed that Lilith had done something horrible to Hiro or maybe to someone he knew. Though with the information that she has, she believed that it has to do with his parents. She could not confirm it as it is something that only Hiro would know.


    However, Zero''s reaction was quite different from Hiro''s. She believed that Zero was looking at Lilith with longing and guilt. Moreover, Zero was quite hesitant to attack Lilith and even held back while attacking her.


    Compared to the power Zero used to attack Xalvar, the power Zero used to attack Lilith was not even 25 percent.


    With all that information, Lisa came up with many theories and came to the conclusion that Zero already knew Lilith and was close to her based on his behavior.


    She was thinking such things because she wanted to know the rtionship between Zero and Lisa. Because she and Lilith were alike in appearance, she thought it was because of her resemnce to Lilith that Zero pursued her at the beginning of school, which caused her to be frustrated.


    While she didn''t fully understand the truth, this conclusion seemed more probable. She already knows Zero to some extent and she knows that Zero is not someone who would just fall in love at first sight nor someone who would chase after someone for fun.


    However, if it was Lilith, she thought that there was a possibility that Zero, who already liked Lilith, thought they were the same person and approached her. Thinking about that, she felt incredible difort in her chest.


    ******


    -THURST! -THURST! -THURST! -THURST!


    Currently Zion Maxwell was practicing his Art on a practice human doll which is made up of material that could easily withstand Rank-C power. The material is quite expensive and normally would be a waste to make it into a practice material. However, since Zion''s parents were guildmasters of a tinum-grade guild, they had no problem making it for their child.


    "More! More! STRONGER!"


    Zion said as sweat continued to drip from his face.


    -THURST! -THURST! -BANG!


    With each thrust, the shape of the target had already changed into something else which had be beyond recognition. And with his final thrust, Zion broke the target into hundreds of pieces.


    "Hah... Hah ... "


    -THUD!


    Zion, who was training, fell on his butt due to exhausting his strength.


    "Not enough!" I should be able to do more."


    Zion said and tried to get up again.


    -THUD!


    However, he had drained his strength so much that he could hardly stand up.


    Everyday Zion would train insanely without resting. Zion was already someone who used to train hard but after encountering Hiro, his training just became more intense. In spite of this, he still sets limits so that he does not overwork his body.


    But that all changed when Zero, who he viewed as an inferior being, was able to surpass him. As Hiro was hard to surpass already, and with the addition of Zero, Zion could no longer train while setting a limit. If he wanted to achieve his dream of being the strongest, he knew that he had to risk some things.


    To start with, he learned the secret technique of their guild. The Art was incredibly powerful as it could be able to raise one''s strength to the next rank but along with it came huge risks. Art exhausts the body and mana quickly, and if not treated in time, it can cause detrimental effects on the body. Moreover, the secret Art was not something that anyone could easily learn and use.


    Despite that, Zion, who knew that he was being left behind by Hiro and Zero, took the risk and learned the Art. However, even that was not enough and Hiro was able to defeat him in the Tournament of Academies.


    Even though he didn''t fight Zero, just by looking at the battle that he fought, Zion understood that he was no match for Zero, who had no problem handling multiple Rank-C and Rank-B students. There was even some fear when he thought about fighting Zero. He knew that he would be totally humiliated if he fought Zero.


    That''s why Zion was not satisfied even after learning the secret Art of his guild and trained harder. The training he underwent would normally cripple a person instead of strengthening them but Zion continued without stopping. However, rather than getting powerful, Zion was only doing damage to his body.


    However, that didn''t stop him and he continued to train with his injured body. The more he trained, the more disparity he could feel between himself and Zero. Just training hard didn''t seem to increase his power.


    "Just what am I missing?"


    Zion asked himself in frustration.


    In sprouting that he is the greatest and most powerful, he knew he was simply motivating himself so that the dream could one daye true. Since little, he was not as talented as his elder brother, who he thought was the greatest genius but even so, he worked harder in order to catch up with his brother.


    But the reality was that his brother was not even the greatest among his peers and it was actually Ice Enchantress who is called the most talented. That''s why he continued to train where he soon showed talent that surpassed his brother.


    But that was not enough. In an attempt to be the greatest, he sought to surpass Professor Mia, who has been called the greatest genius of all time. However, before that he lost to Hiro, a fellow student, in the entrance exam. This prompted him to work even harder.


    But at longst, he encountered a wall that could not be crossed by just training harder. No matter the amount of time he trained, there was something that was missing from himpared to Zero and Hiro.


    Talent!


    Zion felt that he was not naturally gifted as Hiro and Zero. He trained without taking a break, but he could not close the distance between himself and Hiro.


    He felt it was because there was a difference in talent between him and Hiro. Apart from that, he had all the resources he needed and he learned from many high-ranking arts. He was a child of one of the greatest guilds andpared to Hiro and Zero, he believed that he had the advantage of resources over them.


    So, if it was neither resources nor hard work, then the difference could only be exined by talent. This realization would always make him depressed. He knew that his talent was lower than Hiro and Zero.


    "Humph! As if I would give up now."


    Zion said as he slowly stood up.


    He was obsessed with bing the strongest no matter what and would not give up until he seeded. Nobody said bing the strongest person was easy.

 Chapter 276: Obsessed With Strength [2]

    "Mom! Dad!"


    Hiro said, his voiceced with sadness as he looked at his parents lying in their hospital beds. He dearly missed his parents and was concerned about their health.


    Even after conquering countless dungeons, Hiro still could not find a legendary S-Rank Elixir. He evenmissioned multiple guilds to find information about the S-Rank Elixir but S-Rank Elixir was really an item that randomly spawned wherever it wished.


    "If only I was stronger ..."


    At the time when devils attacked his parents, he could only hide and could not do anything. He could only hide and wait as his parents suffered at the hands of devils.


    They suffered severely after the devils attacked them. Although his parents were notpletely dead, they were unable toe out of aa even with the help of Rank-A healers and advanced equipment.


    His parents could not recover and there was also a medical bill to worry about. With the condition of their bodies, if advanced medicine and equipment were not used regrly then Hiro''s parents would truly die without any chance of recovery.


    For Hiro, who was just 10 at the time, that was the beginning of a nightmare. Fortunately, with his parents'' savings, he was able to keep them in the hospital for a few months, but that was not enough. There was no telling when his parents would wake up and without money, he could not afford to keep them in the hospital.


    Hiro needed to earn lots of money or he could not afford to keep his parents in the hospital. Moreover, he still had to look after his little sister who was just 8 years old at the time.


    Hiro faced the immense pressure of not only caring for his little sister but also finding a way to pay for his parents'' medical bills and keep them alive in the hospital. The burden weighed heavily on the young boy''s shoulders as he struggled to find a way to juggle his responsibilities and cope with the stress.


    The news that his parents were in aa with no hope of recovery shocked Hiro, but he did not have time to be depressed. He had to work hard to keep his parents in the hospital.


    Hiro, despite being 10 years old, found various odd jobs and started to earn money and support his family. He took on any job he could find, no matter how small or difficult it was. He worked long hours and saved every penny he could. Despite his hard work, it was still not enough to keep up with medical bills and the cost of living.


    Luckily, his parents'' guild members were willing to help them. They also encouraged Hiro to continue studying rather than working. This was because he could earn more if he could be an Explorerter and it was also possible for The Authority to sponsor him if he showed amazing talent.


    Taking their advice, Hiro continued to attend school while also working after he finished school. Hiro was able to cover his parents'' medical bills with the guild members'' help, but his parents did not open their eyes even after years of waiting.


    After 5 years, even with the help of his parents'' guild, there was no money for Hiro to keep his parents in the hospital. He had to give up on them. However, for Hiro, giving up on his parents was not an option.


    To earn more money, Hiro went to the dungeons to work as a porter for people going into the Rank-F and Rank-E dungeons. However, Eds''w didn''t allow small children like Hiro to enter the dungeons.


    That''s why Hiro had no choice but to go with Explorers from ck Market who possessed illegal dungeon gates. The ck Market was controlled by various strong people, including some high-ranking guilds, and they controlled arge number of gates that were not known to The Authority.


    The reason for that was because they didn''t want to pay taxes and wanted to monopolize every profit that they would get. That''s why even kids like Hiro were allowed in the dungeon and there was no one to stop people from entering the dungeon.


    Despite that, the money Hiro earned was not very high though it was much more than what he used to make from his part-time job.


    But that was also not enough to cover his parents'' medical bills for a long period of time. That''s why after gaining experience in exploring the dungeon by being a porter, Hiro decided to try to conquer the dungeon by himself.


    Not only would he get much more money that way but there was also a possibility of obtaining a legendary S-Rank Elixir. That was when he entered a dungeon and got the system that changed his life.


    After getting the system, earning money became easier and he also received lots of resources from the System to help him grow stronger. He even managed to be Rank-E + in less than four months since he got the System which could be said to be a miracle.


    Hiro''s talent had always been high, and he had even qualified to take the Ace Academy exam before getting a System, but that was nothing inparison to after he got the System.


    With the help of Level-5 Art and Rank-E + power, Hiro easily managed to get first ce in the entrance exam of the number one school in Eds. Not only that he had also managed to score the highest points since the establishment of Ace Academy.


    After showing such talent, The Authority decided to sponsor Hiro. Because of his potential, they even gave his parents special treatment and shifted them to their headquarters hospital where even Rank-S healers were avable.


    They knew that by making Hiro owe them when he was still weak, they would be able to gain his loyalty easily when he grew up. With the rate that Hiro was growing, The Authority had no problem pouring tens of thousands of Ethan for him. The Authority knew that Hiro was qualified to receive such treatment from them.


    Finally, Hiro''s financial situation changed and he was able to solely focus on getting stronger rather than earning money. In order to get high-ranking healing potions and herbs, he had to enter high-ranking dungeons. In addition, there were also devils who attacked his parents.


    He did not forget the Devils who attacked his parents. To get his revenge and prevent such things from happening again, Hiro knew that getting strong was the only way to go.


    And he had a System that was helping him with that objective. With rewards forpleting System quests, Hiro was quickly able to grow at an exponential rate. He also had the resources from The Authority and their training room where he could train as much as he wanted.


    Until the devil''s invasion, Hiro believed that Lilith was responsible for the attack on his parents, but the true perpetrator was revealed to be another devil.


    "Xalvar, I will never forgive you!"


    Hiro eximed, his eyes filled with rage.


    After the invasion of the Devils, one thing was clear, Xalvar was the one who made his parents like this. With the enemy''s identity revealed, Hiro finally knew who to take revenge for all the suffering that his family suffered.


    While he could not forgive Lilith, who had attacked his parents, the one he really wished to kill was Xalvar who was the mastermind behind the attack. However, he fought with Xalvar and knew that he was far weaker than him. If he wanted to exact his revenge, he knew that he had to be stronger.


    He returned to The Authority headquarters where his parents were kept. It was because the doctors called Hiro to tell him that his parents'' condition was deteriorating and he must get legendary S-grade Elixir or they would have no hope.


    Despite using costly equipment and investing all of the resources avable to The Authority, they were unable to stop the damage inflicted on his parents'' bodies.


    "Hiro, what are you doing?"

 Chapter 277: Yui Ernest

    "Hiro, what are you doing?"


    Suddenly while immersing himself in thinking, a saucy voice came from the door.


    "Yui!"


    Hiro called out happily. He knew exactly who she was just by her voice. His expression immediately changed to one of gentleness and happiness. The one standing in front of him was his little sister Yui.


    Yui looked simr to Hiro with ck hair and ck eyes while having a very attractive face. She was wearing her school uniform which meant that she had just returned from school.


    Yui Ernest, being Hiro''s sister, was also granted protection by The Authority and she could stay at their headquarters where their parents are. Furthermore, they transferred her to a school near their headquarters.


    Moreover, Yui''s potential was also something that The Authority was keeping its eyes on. While she cannot bepared to Hiro, she showed the potential to at least reach S-Rank or higher. Therefore, The Authority had no problem sponsoring Yui and providing resources for her training.


    As soon as Hiro saw her, he began yfully patting her head and messing with her hair. The two siblings had grown very close over the years, especially since they could only rely on one another without their parents.


    "GEEZ Stop it!"


    Yui said while removing Hiro''s hand from her head. This caused Hiro to be sad.


    ( Is it her rebellious period? )


    Hiro thought. When they were small, his sister liked to have her head patted but over the years that seemed to have changed.


    Hiro treated Yui like a kid and this was something that she didn''t like. It was okay when they were kids but she wished that he would stop now. There were less than 2 years between them.


    As a result, Hiro believes that he needs to handle every responsibility as an older brother. Hiro tries to do everything by himself. He even tried earning money for the hospital and living expenses, which Yui didn''t like.


    She hates that her brother who is only a year older is trying to act like an adult and handling everything by himself. Even though she wasn''t very skilled, she was still able to do some work. But Hiro didn''t let her find a job and wanted her to focus on her studies.


    "Anyway, how long are you nning to stay here?"


    Yui asked.


    "Even if you decide to stay, our parents'' conditions are not likely to improve. It might be best for you to return to Ace Academy."


    Yui said.


    She has also gotten information about her parents and is extremely worried. But after 5 years of helplessness, she knows better than to stay depressed.


    Moreover, she was worried about her brother who continued to work hard for her and the family. She would prefer if her brother became a bit selfish and tried to make himself happy rather than always feeling responsible for what happened.


    Now that The Authority is helping their family, she wants Hiro to at least enjoy his school life without worrying. Though her parents'' condition was not great, she knew that there was nothing that she or her brother could do.


    Hiro had already stayed here for a week by his parents'' side and Yui was worried that he was feeling guilty again.


    "Alright!"


    Hiro replied.


    He had already stayed there for a week and there was nothing he could do there to improve his parents'' condition. He thought he could go back to Ace Academy and in the meantime explore some dungeons. Even if getting Legendary S-Rank Elixir was impossible, he thought that he could at least get some helpful artifacts or healing items from the dungeons.


    With his current strength, he could easily conquer Rank-C dungeons and even some weaker Rank-B dungeons. The artifacts that he would find would be of much higher quality than before.


    Getting a positive response from her brother, Yui felt much more relieved. She thought that, at least at school where his friends were, Hiro would worry less about his parents.


    *****


    "Hah? Do you think that you are all that much better because of your brother? I will let you know that any one of the explorers working under our guild can crush your brother."


    Yui Ernest heard a girl who seemed to be the leader of the group tell her. At that moment, when Yui and her friend were going back to their respective homes, a group of girls stopped them.


    "You dare ..."


    The friend of Yui Ernest attempted to reply to those groups of bullies but was stopped by Yui Ernest.


    "Elysia! It''s not worth it. Let''s go!"


    Yui said as she dragged her friend.


    This was not a rare urrence for Yui. She, who had a world-famous genius brother, was subjected to the jealousy of a lot of people in the world, especially her ssmates.


    Moreover, because of her beauty, many female students were jealous of her. Yui also had very good talent and was the most powerful student in the school, excluding the teachers. Because of that, many felt inferior to her and were jealous of her.


    A beautiful face with powerful skills, in addition to having a genius brother who is believed to be a once-in-a-century genius with the support of The Authority. Many were inevitably jealous of her not knowing the suffering that she had been through.


    Despite their jealousy, they would not really fight with her or cause big problems because The Authority supported her and Hiro. They would, however, sometimes go in groups to harass her.


    "Humph! Coward as always."


    The group of girls said. Though they didn''t really want to fight with her, they did want to show that Yui is a coward and that other students should not befriend her. Because those groups of girls were from high-grade guilds, other students don''t dare to befriend Yui in case they offend them.


    In addition, they spread various negative rumors about Yui, including threatening the teacher with her brother''s status and The Authority to get a high grade. They have also spread rumors that she is working as a prostitute and seducing boys.


    Because Yui transferred schools and other students didn''t really know her, many believed in the rumor and stayed away from her.


    Therefore, Yui Ernest was not able to make many friends. Only friends like Elysia stayed with her.


    *****


    "Hmph! They only know how to harass you in groups. They didn''t even reach Rank-F + and are trying to pick a fight with you."


    Elysia said, brimming with anger. Unlike Yui, she was a young girl who acted on emotion.


    "You should just teach them a lesson once."


    Elysia said.


    She had been acquainted with Yui ever since she transferred to the school this year. She knows the circumstances surrounding Yui and knows that all the things that other students use her of are just lie made up to put Yui down.


    Unlike other students who separated from Yui because of those girls and rumors, she decided to stick with her. Moreover, she was from a tinum Graded Guild and was not scared of those girls.


    With her background, the background of those girls was not worth mentioning at all. That''s why, despite her being with Yui, others didn''t dare harass her.


    Unlike Yui, who abstained from retaliating, Elysia was someone who didn''t hesitate to make use of her background and power to teach them a lesson.


    One time, one of the jealous girls tried to bully her because of her good background and tried to make trouble for her. The next day, she along with her parents had toe and apologize to Elysia before transferring schools.


    She would have done the same to the girls who were bullying Yui but because Yui told her not to do so, she refrained. Anyway, if they did something overboard, she swore to regret being born.


    "Just leave them alone. It is only for a few more days."


    Yui said.


    They will be graduating from this school and soon moving on to Explorers School or another school. Yui had fewer opportunities to meet those students because of the difference in talent.


    Elysia knows that Yui will join Ace Academy where her brother is. With the presence of her brother, even if those girls join Ace Academy, Elysia knows that they will not be able to harass Yui anymore.


    "If you say so."


    "Forget about them. Let''s y Eds Super Brawl."


    "You''re on!"

 Chapter 278: Zeros Growing Forces

    "Forget about them. Let''s y Eds Super Brawl."


    "You''re on!"


    Eds Super Brawl which Zero developed a few months back had been released to the public. It had be very popr with their gaming console selling for up to tens of millions.


    The demand for these gaming consoles was very high while the supply was very limited. People were more than willing to buy the consoles, even though they cost 500 Ethan excluding the games.


    It reached a point where people would buy the console in bulk and resell it for a much higher price. With this sess, Tech Genesis increased the production of the gaming console. Along with that, with the instruction given by Zero before he went to the Tower of Obelisk, they started to make multiple games that could be yed on that game console.


    With limited entertainment apps in Eds, Tech Genesis was the onlypany that people relied on for enjoyable games and innovative apps. As far as social media apps and games are concerned, Tech Genesis had aplete monopoly in Eds.


    After Tech Genesis'' sess, many people tried to copy their apps. Many guilds recruited a lot of software developers and were trying to make engaging games for people but they were not on the level of Tech Genesis.


    There was a small sess with games but they could not make anything that different from Tech Genesis andcked innovation. The cause of this was because there were not enough skilled developers, and secondly, all the talented developers were already taken by Tech Genesis.


    As a result of Tech Genesis'' treatment and protection from multiple high-ranking guilds, many chose to work at Tech Genesis as software developers. They also enjoyed high status even as software developers as long as they worked for Tech Genesis.


    Because of this, the treatment of software developers, in general, has changed. Previously, people who took software engineering as their career were looked down upon, and they were given very low sries. But seeing how much profit they bring in and because of the demand for software developers, both the social standing and sry of software developers changed.


    Anyway, the leadingpany for all this change was Tech Genesis and every product that they introduced was excellent. People didn''t doubt the quality of products sold by Tech Genesis.


    Because of this, even when the reseller sold the gaming console for 2000 Ethan, which was very expensive inparison to the original price, many consumers didn''t hesitate to empty their pockets.


    Anyway, Eds Super Brawl was just one of their recent sessful projects. Along with that, Tech Genesis developed many apps such as VidFlow which is basically Youtube, and NovelNexus which is simr to web novels. This was all based on the idea of Zero, and Tech Genesis was making them.


    With such a project at hand, even without Zero, Tech Genesis was already busy.


    Besides Tech Genesis, NightShade, who swore to work for Zero, and ManaElemist were also extremely busy fulfilling their duties.


    The NightShade Guild''s primary job was to safeguard Tech Genesis'' employer and protect Zero''s parents. Although Shadow Genesis has been growing at an rming rate as well, it was notparable to NightShade which had an S-Rank Explorer and multiple Rank-A+ Explorers.


    Along with that, they also have to raid dungeons asionally in order to prevent dungeon outbreaks in their territory. Moreover, they would obtain various treasures from the dungeon which would increase their guild''s strength.


    However, those were not difficult tasks. They were busy because of their rising influence which prompted many people to apply for their guild.


    With the resources provided by Zero, their power has already risen to be one of the top guilds in the city. Many graduates from Top-5 Academy had nned to join NightShade due to the resources that they promised to provide.


    NightShade has plenty of training resources as well as an excellent reputation, making it the ideal ce for people searching for a guild to join.


    NightShade had to use a considerable amount of time and human resources to select new guild members. Because the day of graduation wasing closer, NightShade could not ck off and miss out on a talented graduate.


    Simrly, Mana Elemist was extremely busy because of growing demands for their products. ManaElemist, while it was under Tech Genesis, had apletely different focus than Tech Genesis. Unlike Tech Genesis, which involved making software, ManaElemist mainly created products using Mana stone.


    Be it the phone used by Explorers or the surveince system that The Authority is using in dungeons and dangerous areas, everything was made by ManaElemist. The product of ManaElement was limited and therefore, exclusive to only some of the people.


    Due to Zero, the NightShade guild and Shadow Genesis guild are able to purchase those products at a low price, and The Authority is also entitled to the same privilege. As a result of their favor to The Authority, they were able to make a connection that benefited both parties.


    The Authority benefited from this connection as they would get all kinds of technologies from ManaElemist which greatly enhanced their exploration capabilities. As exploration became less dangerous, the speed with which it waspleted greatly improved.


    Tech Genesis also benefited from obtaining The Authority''s favors, which included protection from other guilds and a strong organization. With The Authority having a good rtionship with Tech Genesis, other people didn''t dare to mess with Tech Genesis unless they wanted to be the enemy of The Authority.


    Moreover, the profit that ManaElemist generated from selling the products was very high, almost reaching 30 % of what Tech Genesis made.


    Day by day, the force that Zero had cultivated was getting stronger and more influential. Hispany could already be regarded as one of the most profitable businesses in Eds and NightShade was not very far from bing a Diamond Grade guild.


    Though, with fame came all kinds of rumors. With how famous NightShade and Tech Genesis became, it was not very odd for people to know that NightShade was acting as a bodyguard for Tech Genesis.


    NightShade protecting Tech Genesis was very odd for many people. Usually, no guild would lower themselves to protect apany unless it was under their name.


    However, rather than Tech Genesis working under NightShade, it was more like NightShade working for Tech Genesis and many confirmed this rtionship. NightShade guild members showed great respect for the executives of Tech Genesis which confirmed that NightShade was working for Tech Genesis and not the other way around.


    While many spected that the NightShade guildmaster was also the owner of TechGenesis, the NightShade guildmaster denied those spections.


    The identity of Tech Genesis was mysterious and many were curious about it.


    Many wanted to know because of their admiration while others were trying to profit from that information. The media would do anything to obtain that information, as it would make for good news, while the hostile organization wanted it so that it would reveal Tech Genesis'' vulnerabilities.


    Anyway, the mystery of Tech Genesis remained unsolved which was good for Zero. He didn''t want greedy people to threaten his peaceful life and this information could also affect his family. Though with Zero gone, nobody would know that answer unless Tech Genesis Top executives or The Authority revealed the answer.


    Because of how valuable Tech Genesis had be, various strong guilds were keeping their eyes on them. It is only because of NightShade and The Authority that those guilds refrained from attacking them.


    In another world, right now, Zero''spany was dominating the market and no one could do anything about it.

 Chapter 279: Stronger Than Before

    At Ace Academy.


    Hiro returned to Ace Academy after talking with his sister. Despite having low chances, Hiro decided to go to the dungeons and try his luck to obtain the Legendary S-Rank Elixir.


    Before that, however, he came to the Academy to ask a friend if they would apany him.


    Hiro soon found that the atmosphere at Ace Academy was not the same as before. Both professors and students looked more tense and there was an air of seriousness.


    Even after two weeks had passed by since the Devil Invasion, it didn''t mean that people would forget easily. Although the buildings were all repaired and looked exactly like before, it didn''t mean that people''s hearts had also been repaired.


    Many had lost their friends and even two S-Rank Professors were dead. After such an incident, no wonder people would be more vignt and tense. If it happened once, there was always the chance that it would happen again.


    The Ace Academy, with the help of the Authority and other guilds, investigated the Devil''s Invasion and took care of the traitors. However, there was no way to predict that there wouldn''t be more.


    Hiro talked with some of the students and most of them were enthusiastic to see him back again, especially his ssmates.


    Many ssmates had already witnessed the power of Hiro who fought toe-to-toe with a Rank-A Devil. Even after already knowing that Hiro was a rare genius, what they saw was truly astonishing. They were also grateful to him for saving their lives.


    Without Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia, more than half of Hiro''s ssmates would have already died at the hands of the Devil Contractors. And if Hiro was not there to fight with the Devil, all the students of Alpha ss would have already turned into corpses.


    As Hiro chatted with his ssmates, he was thanked many times until Zion and others entered the ss.


    Hiro wanted to ask Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia whether they were willing to go to the dungeon. While doing it alone was not a problem, it was more efficient with more people.


    "Good morning guys"


    Hiro greeted them.


    In Hiro''s immediate vicinity, other students gave way to Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia. Prior to that, they upied their seats and when their owners returned, they naturally stepped back.


    "Good morning, Hiro! Someone seems to be very popr this morning."


    Sylvia said while smirking. Lisa just gave a polite nod to Hiro''s greeting while Zion seemed to be thinking about something and was not mentally present there.


    "Hey guys, I was wondering if you would be interested in venturing into the dungeon with me?"


    Hiro didn''t hesitate to ask them right away. As they were people who had experienced a life-or-death battle together, there was no issue asking them.


    "Sure! I was looking to try my newly acquired Spear technique and those monsters would make for good practice"


    "Okay!"


    "Count me in too!"


    They answered right away without hesitation. Even without knowing the reason why Hiro asked them, they had no problem agreeing to Hiro''s suggestion.


    While they agreed because it was Hiro who asked them, it was also because they wanted to be stronger. And no ce was more suitable than a dungeon to obtain more fighting experiences.


    By gaining experience, they wanted to be more powerful. This is so that in the future when incidents such as the Devil Invasion happen, they would be able to help rather than being a burden.


    The desire to be stronger was greater than ever before!


    *****


    Inside the Tower Of Obelisk!


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Zero swung his sword and with each of his swings, many goblin heads fell down. There were already hundreds of Goblins'' heads that were lying on Zero''s feet.


    "Whew!"


    Zero eximed.


    It was not even a minute after Zero got teleported into the Tower Of Obelisk that a huge number of Goblins saw him and started attacking him. Luckily, it was the first floor and the monsters were only Goblins which he could easily defeat.


    Zero easily annihted the group without using any skills. He just needed to swing a couple of times before every goblin was dead.


    "This Goddamn tower! How could you teleport someone right in the middle of a monster horde?"


    Zero cursed at the Tower.


    It was lucky that it was him that was teleported like this. If it were some Bronze Guild or low-grade Silver Guild, there would have been casualties because of such a sudden event.


    "Anyway, how many goblins were there?"


    Zero gave a quick nce at the bodies of Goblins. The number of Goblins that he killed was around a hundred. It would normally be equivalent to the total number of monsters inside a Rank-F + dungeon but on floor 1 of the Tower, it was just one group that had this many monsters.


    Zero ventured further and encountered a simr number of monster hordes.


    ( Looks like Floor 1 of Tower Of Obelisk is equivalent to Rank-E dungeon outside. )


    Zero was able to determine the strength of the monster on Floor 1. That meant that to clear Floor 1 of the Tower, at least a group of Rank-E Explorers or a Rank-D Explorer was needed. With Zero''s strength, it was nothing.


    Upon exploring floor 1, Zero chose to either find the stairway leading to the upper floor or find the boss monster.


    He wanted to quickly reach Floor 10 where there would usually be a safe zone. It was not that Zero was eager to find a safe ce right after entering the Tower but because of Lilith.


    He wanted to try waking Lilith there. While he could try to do it at any moment he wants but because of safety reasons, he didn''t.


    Moreover, he had no idea how much Dark Energy he would need to use nor the time it would take for Lilith to wake up. What if it takes many hours? It would be a disaster if the monster disturbed him during a critical period.


    And there was no guarantee that the method would even work. If so, having his stamina and mana exhausted would be a problem. Even if the monster were weak, he could not be careless. One mistake is all it takes to die.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    "Ice Shard!"


    Zero then continued to speedrun the 1st floor by destroying every monster that came at him. It didn''t even take 10 seconds to annihte the monster horde.


    Soon enough Zero found the Boss monster which was a Giant Ogre which was simr to the one that he defeated in Labyrinth of Goblins.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero immediately sped up and closed the distance while the Ogre and his minions were surprised by Zero''s arrival.


    -SLASH! -THUD!


    With one sh, Zero instantly killed the Giant Ogre. The goblin didn''t even have a moment to be scared as another sh from Zero took their lives as well.


    "Well, that was easy!"


    Previously, he needed to be very careful and it took a lot of effort to kill the Giant Ogre. Now after almost one year, Zero has grown to the point that the same monster that gave him trouble could be killed in a second.


    However, Zero just thought of that as a natural result of his training. He was not very happy or excited about such an aplishment.


    Compared to his goal, Zero knew that he still had a long way to go.

 Chapter 280: Floor 10

    After defeating the boss monster, there would normally be a treasure chest as well as a teleportation scroll that would take the explorers to the next floor.


    Zero was not really looking forward to the treasure chest as lower-floor artifacts would not really be useful to him. But there was no telling as even Hiro got his super cheat System power from a Rank-F dungeon.


    He opened the treasure box like someone opening a normal gacha box but hoping to get a rare character.


    "Rank-D Armour"


    As expected, the artifact was appropriate for the reward for defeating a Giant Ogre. With this armor, most attacks from Rank-F monsters would be negated and around 40 % of attacks from Rank-E monsters.


    Zero had no need for such low-grade armor but he put it into the Spatial Ring anyways. He could give it to his fellow Shadow Genesis members or sell it for some money when he gets out of this Tower.


    After that, he used the teleportation scroll.


    -WHISH!


    In a second, Zero found himself in a different ce.


    "GRW?"


    "Not again!"


    Zero sighed as he brandished his sword. Just as before, he teleported right into the middle of a monster horde. This time, it was Silver Fang, which is a Rank-E monster and hunts in groups.


    Unlike the previous monster horde, the number of this monster horde was just around 10. However, Silver Fang Wolf were monsters who had good cooperation and unlike Goblins, their power increased tremendously when in groups.


    They seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of Zero but after essing the situation and knowing that it was its enemy, they jumped at Zero while showing their dangerously sharp fangs.


    -SLASH!


    No matter how efficient their cooperation was, Zero could kill them in a single sh. Their specialties were teamwork and speed which made them quite tricky opponents but with Zero''s speed, they could not dodge his attacks.


    He easily killed the monster horde but was a bit worried about his luck. It was okay for him to be teleported into a monster horde on the lower floor as he could handle it easily. But it would be a different story from floor 10 and above. If the same thing keeps happening, he might even lose his life.


    *SIGH!


    But he had no choice but to ept his fate. It was not like he could control where he spawned and teleportation was normally random. It was because of bad luck that he was spawned in the middle of a monster horde. He just had to be careful when teleporting to the next floor.


    Just like before, he wanders around searching for the boss monster and stairs to the next floor while killing any monster that hees across.


    *****


    "Whew! Finally the Safe Zone."


    Zero said as hey on the soft grass. Floor 10''s safe zone had a healing effect which made Explorer recover faster.


    It took Zero many days to reach floor 10. Unlike floor 1, where Zero found the boss monster in a few hours, other floors took days to either find the boss monster or the Tower Stairs.


    Fortunately though, when using the teleportation scroll, he didn''t get teleported into the middle of the monster horde anymore. Though Zero would always have his sword prepared when teleporting just in case it happens again.


    Each floor in Tower Of Obelisk was like a Gate that Zero was trapped in. If one were to explore everything there was on the floor then it would probably take more than one month.


    That''s why even for Zero, who could annihte a monster in a second, it took more than 20 days to reach floor 10. Along the way, he obtained various treasure chests and drops from monsters but none were very useful to him.


    The most valuable treasure that he got was Berserk Potion which could increase one''s stat by 2 times for 30 minutes for those under Rank-B. As a side effect, the user would be vulnerable for certain hours after the effects of the potion had worn off. However, this could be extremely useful if used in certain situations and Zero was happy to get the potion.


    The strength of the monsters increased as Zero reached higher floors. Zero also found himself struggling at times, though he hadn''t been injured once by the monsters.


    The strongest monster he encountered was the boss monster on floor 9. The rank of the boss monster was D + which would normally take a Rank-C or 10 Rank-D to defeat.


    Zero managed to take out the boss monster but it was not as straightforward as before. He refrained from using Dark Energy and Dual Art which is the reason that it took him a while to defeat the boss monster.


    He could take out the same boss monster in one hit either using Dual Art or Dark Energy but since he was there to train, he didn''t want to do that. For the time being, he wanted to train his Shadow Style Art and Cryomancy Art before Dual Art and then Dark Energy.


    Therefore, without using his strongest power, Zero reached Floor 10. However, the whole floor was not a safe zone. There was a specific area that was free of monsters and could help heal the explorers faster.


    After searching for some time, Zero managed to spot the ce and immediately rushed to the ce. The ce was easily recognizable since not a single monster could be seen in a 1 km radius.


    He gently put Lilith on the ground and took out his tent where he kept Lilith. He wanted to wait until tomorrow before trying to wake Lilith.


    He didn''t know whether Lilith would attack him or not after waking up. To be on the safe side, he decided to rest and recover his stamina. With Lilith''s strength, if Zero was not using his Dark Energy, it would be difficult to contain her.


    Anyway, those troubles were for tomorrow. At that moment, he set up a campfire and prepared to make dinner.


    Zero stood in front of the campfire, arge pot of water bnced on a tripod over the mes. His clothes were threadbare and stained, but his eyes shone with determination.


    He had been tasked with cooking dinner for himself, and he was determined to make something special. Because it was not very convenient for Zero to light fire on another floor as it would normally end up attracting lots of monsters. That''s why he normally eats dried meat for food.


    However, now that he was in the Safe Zone. He didn''t need to worry about monsters and could take all his time to make food.


    He rummaged through his Spatial ring and pulled out a small bag of dried rice and a handful of vegetables.


    As the water came to a boil, Zero added the rice and vegetables to the pot. He stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon, making sure that everything was evenly distributed.


    As the rice cooked, the smells of garlic and onions filled the air. Zero''s mouth watered as he thought about how delicious the meal was going to be.


    Finally, the rice was cooked to perfection. Zero spooned the steaming mixture into a bowl and sat down to enjoy his hard work.


    As Zero sat alone by the campfire, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride as he shoveled thest bites of rice and vegetables into his mouth. He had cooked the meal all on his own, and it had turned out perfectly, well almost perfectly.


    Normally, what he made would not be noteworthy but because of how hungry he was and how he had not eaten a proper meal for days, he found his meal to be extremely delicious.


    "Now, this is what I call dinner!"


    Zero greedily devoured everything that was on his te. It didn''t take long for him topletely empty the pot.


    After the meal, he sat by the campfire. The warmth of the mes and the fullness of his stomach made him feel content and at peace. He closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh, grateful for the meal that he had eaten.


    He never thought that he could be bliss just sitting by a campfire and doing nothing. Certainly, after having to always walk and fight monsters, Zero would obviously appreciate his rest time.


    However, it was not like he could just enjoy and stay like this. Tomorrow would finally reveal whether he could wake Lilith or not. If she did not wake up, Zero had to find another method.


    And even if she wakes up, if she bes his enemy then there is another problem to deal with. There was no rest for Zero and he needed to constantly work hard to deal with these problems.


    "Hah! I hope that at least the world outside is peaceful!"


    Zero eximed.


    Though it was just wishful thinking. With the Devil and Human preparing for war, how could the world be peaceful?

 Chapter 281: End Of The Year And Beginning Of New Legends

    Just as Zero thought the outside world was far from peaceful. While it was no time for a full-scale war, there were still small fights between humans and Devils happening everywhere. As the year came to an end, the conflict between the two species grew, which seemed to be inevitably heading toward war.


    If history has taught us something, it was that humans and Devils could never live in peace together.


    With the year ending, the final year students at Ace Academy had also graduated. The guilds were fiercely fighting to recruit Ace Academy students more than in previous years.


    This was because of the Devil''s invasion. While people condemned and criticized Ace Academy for letting such an incident happen, one cannot deny that the students that survived were far more talented.


    Having experienced such dangerous attacks from the Devil and still wanting to be an explorer also showed that they were brave enough to not let one setback stop them. This was important for the guild''s recruitment as the war between Devil and Human seemed to be inevitable.


    When war happens, guilds across the country will also have to send their members to the battlefield. Having people already experienced fighting with the devil was a big advantage at the time.


    So, there was no shortage of people looking to recruit students from Ace Academy.


    While Ace Academy third-year students were busy choosing the guild to enter, other-year students were getting ready to take the final exam.


    Ace Academy had no time to prepare anything special because of how busy they were dealing with the aftermath of the Devil Invasion and preparing to make countermeasures against simr attacks.


    Therefore, the exam was simr to what was on their mid-term exams. It began with the theory exam, followed by the practical exam which involved defeating the monsters created by the Staff Of Illusion.


    However, the strength of the monster had been increased by two rankspared to mid-term and there was even the appearance of Rank-B monsters in the exam.


    But having experienced all kinds of attacks from Devil Contractors and Devils, first-year students did not panic and came up with lots of countermeasures. Along with that, they had Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia who could easily defeat them together.


    Therefore, the practical exam was rtively easy for first-year students, especially for the Alpha ss which included Hiro and his crew.


    Even the professors marking them were impressed by the performance shown by the first-year students. First-year students already showed strength and experience equal to that of third-year students.


    "Golden Generation!"


    That was what they could think when seeing monsters like Hiro and Zion who could handle Rank-C + monsters by themselves. Other students were also not bad with some even defeating a Rank-C + monster after forming a team of 5 students.


    While it didn''t look impressivepared to Hiro and Zion, one should know that the highest rank of monster that third-year students could defeat was also Rank-C +. As for first-years themselves, in previous years the most that a student could handle was a Rank D- monster.


    And alsopared to other generations, Ace Academy was one of the strongest. Just looking at thest Tournament Of Academies, they knew that Ace Academy first-year students were far stronger than other school students.


    Professors were now looking forward to the next Tournament Of Academies which they would probably dominate. They would also undoubtedly forget the criticism they receive and the bad reputation they have when they disy the talent that they nurtured.


    Thinking that professors calcted the ranking of the exam. From the first year, obviously, Hiro came first, and with slightly fewer points was Zion followed by Sylvia and Lisa. The one who managed to grab the position right after that group was Misha who was only one point below Lisa.


    This was a surprise since Misha''s ranking in the entrance exam was low, and her mid-term rank was not noteworthy, not even at the Top-20 of the first-year rankings. Yet in the final exam, she managed to get fifth ce in the entire first year, showing a ridiculous growth speed that was second to none, perhaps, only second to zero in terms of growth speed.


    Even so, not many were surprised by her oue after her performance at the Tournament Of Academies. Misha already had defeated a Top-10 student from third-year and even in the Tournament Of Academia, she was ranked in the Top 100 with power almost on par with Sylvia.


    The professors finished ranking them and announced the results as soon as they were done. The Top-10 students were awarded by the Ace Academy with Rank-B and Rank-A Artifacts to the delight of the students.


    Then it was the start of the winter holiday. The students went back to their homes to spend their time with their families and some went on vacation with their friends.


    In the meantime, Hiro and his gang had been running around conquering dungeons one by one, each one different from the previous one.


    The winter holidays only provided more time for them to run more dungeons. In addition to Hiro''s tenacity to conquer dungeons, everyone showed the same determination. While professors and other students praised their strength, to them it was not satisfactory.


    They fought with Rank-A devils and knew how powerless they were. Defeating Rank-C + monsters was nothing to be happy about. The goals that they set were far higher than others and they were more than determined to reach their goal.


    With each dungeon they conquer, they are able to grow stronger and make fewer mistakes while dealing with the same monsters. Their cooperation also increased as they became more aware of each other''s strengths.


    Then they were greeted by the new year. With the start of the year, Ace Academy was soon to start taking entrance exams. Ace Academy''s entrance exams are normally administered inte January, but they had to take them early in case of any unforeseen circumstances.


    With how busy they were, and the conflict with devils increasing day by day, Ace Academy made the decision to conduct entrance exams when they were less upied. They didn''t know how busy they would be inte January and decided to conduct the exam early.


    This led to the creation of an interesting event in early January. Being able to witness talent taking the exam for Ace Academy was a great experience for people and good news material for the media. Every year they would go to Ace Academy to find the strongest person and establish all kinds of information about that.


    So,ing first ce in the entrance exam was kind of like turning yourself into a famous person that would be envied by millions of people. Now that people are paying closer attention to Ace Academy because of the Devil Invasion, the media is getting ready to make a profit from this entrance exam.


    Hiro normally would not show interest in such an event but since his sister was participating, he needed to be there. He knew how annoying the journalist would get if his sister were toe first.


    So in order to watch over her he came along with his friends. Though he said there was no need for them to apany him, they wanted toe and see how Hiro''s sister would perform.


    "Shh... Alright!"


    Hiro had to give in and came with his group to witness Yui Ernest''s performance. They wanted to quietly watch her and see whether her talent was as ridiculous as her brother''s.


    However, with how famous they were, there was no way that they would be able to watch in peace. The moment they came over to the ce where the selection was shown, many journalists recognized them and started swarming around them.


    Hiro was already known by many people and some even hailed him as the savior of humanity. And the fame of others was also no less.


    Zion and Lisa are the heirs of the tinum guild''s guildmaster and Sylvia is the daughter of one of the executives of The Authority. They were also renowned for their talent, which was already enough to make them famous.


    They were asked a lot of questions about the Devil''s invasion and the reason they came here. They also asked them about the rising conflict between humans and the devil. Although young, journalists knew that in a few years, they would be the ones making a big ssh on the battlefield between devil and human.


    They only stopped pestering them when the entrance exam began. They could interview them again after the entrance exam but if they missed anything interesting from the entrance exam then it would be a big loss for theirpany.


    They were mainly sent there to get good new material from the Entrance exam and if they missed them then their boss might fire them.


    So, without further ado, everyone started focusing on the participants who were slowly making their way towards the monsters.

 Chapter 282: Gifted Siblings

    The entrance exam has started.


    The number of participants was lowpared to previous years. It was because of the Devil''s Invasion which led to many parents feeling not safe to send their children to Ace Academy.


    However, this felt like a worthwhile opportunity for people with low talent as they might still have a chance to get into Ace Academy.


    Ace Academy had much more resources than other schools and for students whocked money, getting admitted to Ace Academy was a great chance to obtain those resources.


    And for any explorer, would know that with riskes opportunity, which is exactly the case in this situation. Attending Ace Academy might be risky but if they could avoid the risk, they would be equally rewarded.


    As a result, many people who were weak were also attracted to this opportunity. They believed that since Ace Academy had few participants, they would be forced to admit them.


    However, Ace Academy does not have such a thought at all. Even if the number of students who wanted to join was 1, they had to meet their requirements to study there.


    They still kept the difficulty of their selection the same as the previous year. Likest year, the selection process entailed killing Rank-F monsters, and the minimum requirement was 5 kills. And if there were more than one thousand people having points greater than 5 then the one thousand people who had the most points would be admitted and the rest would be considered failed.


    Last year, many people had more than 5 kills but only one thousand students were admitted. Luckily, Zero was also admitted even though his points were only 7. Though normally, people who scored 5 points would be less than one thousand but becausest year was the golden generation and their capabilities were higher than in other years.


    This time the monster was Skeletons which reced the golem ofst year. Compared to Golems, Skeletons had weak defense and attack but they were faster and were difficult to kill. Even if your attack hit them, as long as it didn''t kill them, they could easily recover from their injuries and they could even reattach their limbs.


    Typically to kill a normal skeleton, the power of the attacks needs to be on par with Rank-F peak''s attack.


    One should know that most of the students participating were only at Rank-F + and below. Only some participants had reached the Rank-F peak and above. This meant that for them, killing the skeletons was very challenging unless they were Rank-E - which was very rare.


    Moreover, since the participants were inexperienced, there was also a risk of them being scared and making the wrong decisions. Ace Academy was testing both their physical power and mental strength.


    "Ahhhhh! Please don''t eat!"


    "I give up! I give up! Please release me!" ....


    As the exam began, those who thought it would be easy and did not prepare properly had their confidence shaken upon meeting the monster and knowing how terrifying they were. Many participants quit as soon as the exam began.


    Even those who had prepared carefully were having a hard time defeating the skeleton. Their attacks hardly did anything to them and even when they managed to destroy their limbs, they would just reattach them.


    While the participants were panicking, people outside were having a great timementing on their performances. Journalists captured the video of them fighting with skeletons and addedmentary while some even went further and analyzed their actions.


    However, the participants'' parents were different as they prayed that their child would pass and was worried when they saw how strong the skeletons were.


    Unlike them, Zero was not very worried about Yui Ernest.


    "WOW! She is doing great. As expected of Hiro''s sister."


    "Looks like she will be able to pass easily!"


    Sylvia and Lisa said after watching Yui''s performance. Not only them, but many others had noticed her, with journalists pointing their cameras at the screen showing her.


    Yui Ernest was Rank-E which was the highest rank of that year''s participants. She was easily able to defeat a Skeleton and moved to destroy a few more.


    Though an experienced explorer would be able to tell that Yui had no experience in fighting, she was doing much better than other participants. She had already defeated 5 skeletons which were needed to pass the exam.


    Even if she were to quit then there was a high chance of her being selected by the Ace Academy. That''s why Hiro was not very worried about his sister.


    Though he knows that troublesome things will soon happen to her.


    "Yui Ernest? She is the sister of Hiro?"


    "Call the Editors right now! We have got a great story to publish!"


    "His sister is as gifted as his brother. Such a gifted family!" ...


    As expected, no information could be hidden from the media. As long as they got their workers to investigate someone, they could immediately find information about them.


    Immediately, the identity of the top performer in this exam was uncovered, which turned out to be a big story.


    Unaware of her rising fame outside, Yui continued to hunt down the skeletons. Others were equally working hard with some managing to kill 3 skeletons.


    Soon the entrance exam waspleted.


    Many left unsatisfied with their performance while others smiled in satisfaction as they walked out with pride.


    Yui Ernest hade in first with 23 points, without any surprises. The first ranker has arge advantage over the second with 5 points separating them.


    While Yui Ernest didn''tpare to Hiro who had much more points, Yui was undeniably a remarkable talent.


    As soon as Yui left the exam area, she was surrounded by many journalists trying to interview her.


    "Can you tell us how you are feeling after the exam?"


    "Is it true that you are Hiro''s sister?"


    "Do you think that you have met the expectations of your brother?"


    "Ehhhh-"


    Yui honestly didn''t know how to respond to their question. She hardly liked to stand out and even when given a chance to speak in public, she would decline.


    Having so many news reporters shing her camera and mike in front of her, she was overwhelmed.


    ******


    "That was so scary!"


    Yui cried out. She was finally left alone by the journalist.


    "You will get used to it!"


    Hiro said as he approached Yui.


    He was also overwhelmed by the journalist when he came first in the Ace Academy entrance exam. Though after having dealt with them many times, Hiro had gotten used to them.


    He could approach her earlier but since she was surrounded by journalists and his approaching Yui would only make those journalists go crazy.


    "Hiro! ...


    Humph! You should have helped me if you were here!"


    "They would pester you more if I had helped you. Anyway, let''s go to a restaurant to celebrate getting first ce."


    "Oh! And these are my friends."


    Hiro said as he turned around and introduced the group who was waiting for them.


    "Hello! You were amazing!"


    Sylvia said.


    "T-Thank you!"


    Yui replied. Normally, she would not have any interest in other people but that was not the case here.


    Sylvia was famous and she was also very beautiful and even girls like Yui admired her. So, facing Sylvia, Yui made sure that she did not appear rude and tried to reply politely.


    "You don''t need to be so polite. Let''s head out, and we will also help you with your shopping."


    As she dragged Yui, Sylvia smiled. She found Yui cute and wanted to see her many dresses. Yui was like the girl version of Hiro and Sylvia couldn''t wait to make Yui try more girly clothes.


    "Sylvia, you should ask her first. And she might need to go eat before going shopping."


    Lisa said.


    As Yui had juste out of the entrance exam and didn''t have any time to rest, Lisa suggested going to the restaurant first. Yui needed to recover her stamina first before doing any shopping.


    "S-Sorry! I was overexcited. Do you want to go shopping with us?"


    Sylvia apologized to Yui whose feelings she didn''t consider while making the decision.


    "It is alright! And I would be happy to be apanied by you."


    Yui replied.


    "Okay! Let me take you to this restaurant that sells absolutely delicious food."


    Sylvia said once more feeling excited.


    Hiro also didn''t have any objection and followed along with Lisa and Sylvia''s nning. Anyway, he didn''t know anything about what girls needed and it was more appropriate to follow their n.

 Chapter 283: School Starts Again

    After the entrance exam, Yui, Sylvia, Lisa, and Hiro decided to go out for a meal to celebrate Yui''s sess in passing the exam. Sylvia was excited to take Yui shopping, but Lisa reminded her that Yui might need to rest and recover her stamina before doing any shopping. Yui didn''t mind and was happy to be apanied by the group.


    Sylvia led the way to a restaurant that she imed sold delicious food. Yui, Lisa, and Hiro followed along, looking forward to a nice meal after all they had been through.


    As they walked, they chatted and Sylvia told many things about their experiences at Ace Academy and what to expect at her new school.


    Sylvia and Lisa also praised her for her strength and skill. Hiro was just happy to see his sister doing well. He felt that there were not many things he did for his sister because of how busy he was. But he was happy that she was able to grow well even without him by her side.


    Finally, they arrived at the restaurant and sat down to enjoy their meal. As they ate, they continued to talk andugh, feeling grateful for the opportunity to have a nice meal together. It was a special moment, and they were all thankful to have each other''s support and for this moment of peace.


    However, Hiro and others knew that this peace was temporary and the devil would soon make trouble. After suffering from the Devil''s invasion, they knew more than anyone how dangerous devils were


    After their meal, Yui, Sylvia, Lisa, and Hiro decided to go shopping as nned. Sylvia led the way to a popr shopping district, and the group browsed the stores, looking for the perfect outfit for Yui.


    Yui was excited to try on different clothes and styles, and she was grateful to have Sylvia and Lisa''s help and advice on things that she would need at Ace Academy. They were able to find some cute and stylish outfits that suited Yui''s tastes and personality.


    As they shopped, they talked andughed, enjoying each other''spany. It was a fun and rxing afternoon, and Yui was grateful that her brother''s friends were so nice and friendly to her. She was almost jealous that her brother was able to make friends with such nice girls.


    Recently, Sylvia and Lisa spent most of their time in a dungeon, so they were also having fun. They rarely got the time to go shopping like today.


    However, as Hiro mentioned, they all knew that this peace was temporary. The Devil''s invasion was still a threat, and they knew that they would have to be ready to face the dangers that came their way. But for now, they were happy to have this moment to rx and have fun together.


    *****


    Hiro didn''t stay together with Yui for a long period. After some days, he returned back to conquering the dungeons while at other times he would be seen training at The Authority headquarters. On the other hand, Yui was also immersed in her training as well.


    Unlike Hiro, who wanted to avenge his parents and get Elixir, she didn''t train for those reasons. She just wanted to be strong enough to be an Explorer and earn money while being able to look after her parents.


    She didn''t really think that she would be able to procure the Elixir which was extremely rare that even a Rank-SSS Explorer might not get. It was better to hope for their parents to open their eyes on their own or hope that with the advancement of technology, there would be a way for them to save their parents.


    Yui was a realistic thinker, unlike Hiro who was an optimistic thinker. She would rather spend time on something that she knows she can achieve than relying on some luck.


    However, that didn''t mean that she disagreed with her brother''s goal. Rather she admired him because he was willing to do anything in order to save their parents.


    Anyway, right now all she could do was train harder to be strong enough to help her brother.


    School has started again.


    First-year students could be seen as nervous and at the same time excited as they entered the Ace Academy gate.


    The students who were returning to Ace Academy for their second and third years seemed more rxed, but they still had the same butterflies in their stomachs as the first years. After all, starting a new school year always brings with it a mix of excitement and uncertainty.


    As the students made their way to the school ground, they couldn''t help but feel a little bit nostalgic for the winter break that had just ended. But at the same time, they were eager to see their friends and teachers again and to take on the new challenges and opportunities that the school year would bring.


    For the first years, the transition to Ace Academy was especially daunting but it was their first real step toward bing full-fledged Explorers. It didn''t help that the professors that were standing on the podium were all famous and powerful.


    Though as soon as they saw their seniors especially Hiro, Lisa, Zion, and Sylvia, they became excited. They were like idols to them and many had joined with the expectation of meeting them.


    It was not easy for a student to earn the admiration of another student unless one showed amazing talent just like Hiro. Regardless of whether they are young or the same age as Hiro, after witnessing his power they cannot help but admire him.


    The same was with Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia. While their poprity was less than Hiro, many new students admired them.


    Though there was also their extraordinary appearance to factor in which made many admire them, especially their opposite gender.


    "Greetings, students! I hope you all had a great winter break and are ready to learn new things.


    To our new students, wee to the prestigious Ace Academy! You are joining a long line of talented and aplished Explorers, and we have high hopes for your future.


    This year, we have many exciting and useful skills to teach you, and we will also be focusing on honing your fighting skills and developing your potential. I encourage all of you to take full advantage of the opportunities that this school has to offer and to make the most of your time here." ¡­


    Ace Academy''s principal went on and on. However, despite it being such a lengthy and almost boring speech, the students were all excited. It is because it is rare for anyone to see a Rank-SS Explorer and having gotten this chance, they can''t help but feel honored.


    They can see that Ace Academy is really a number one school even with all the scandals and malicious rumors going around. After all, only Ace Academy had a Rank-SS Explorer as principal though he rarely taught them.


    But just being present there was enough to skyrocket the prestige of Ace Academy. Having shown Rank-SS on the first day of their school, it left a powerful impression on first-year students.


    "I''m d that I decided toe to Ace Academy!"


    "Yeah! Who would have the opportunity to meet Rank-SS like us? I can''t wait to brag about this on TwitFlick."


    "Also look there! Can you believe how beautiful our seniors are? Just getting to see them every day is enough to make mee to this school." ¡­


    Students left the school grounds discussing various things and expressing how fortunate they were.


    As the first day of school came to a close, the students of Ace Academy couldn''t stop talking about the Rank-SS principal who had made such a strong impression on them.


    They also talked about Hiro who was always in the spotlight. Many of them were excited to have the opportunity to learn from someone who had achieved such a high level of skill and aplishment.


    Hiro was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention he was receiving from his juniors. He had always been a dedicated and hardworking student, but he had never expected to receive such adtion from his juniors. Despite his initial reservations, Hiro was happy to be able to inspire and motivate his juniors.


    Though he was troubled by the number of love letters that he got from the juniors.


    As the weeks went on, Hiro became a bit of a celebrity at the school. Everywhere he went, students, would stop and stare, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous student. Hiro tried his best to remain humble and approachable, always taking the time to answer questions and offer advice to anyone who asked.


    Yui was also getting popr. With the media publishing their news, everybody knew that Yui was the sister of the genius Hiro. Therefore, many approached her in the hope of meeting Hiro.


    It was also because Yui was among the top performers in the first year that others wanted to be her friends. However, because of her fame, there were others who felt jealous and wanted to make trouble for her.

 Chapter 284: Trouble For Yui!

    "Hannah, are we really going to do it? Her brother is a genius that The Authority had kept their eyes on. If she told him, we would be in trouble."


    "Huh? Are you an idiot? Even if her brother is a genius, what can he do to me? My uncle is also one of the agents working for The Authority and even if her brother is a genius, he could not possibly harm me."


    Hannah replied to those girls, expressing her confidence and superiority.


    She was a spoiled girl who was pampered ever since she was born. With her parents doting on her and belonging to a Diamond-Graded guild, she was treated as a princess everywhere she went. Moreover, her uncle who worked at The Authority doted on her and would send lots of mana herbs and potions which made her quite strong.


    She believed that she was a genius and that other people were only trash. She thought that even at Ace Academy, the number one school for Explorers, she would be first and would be fawn over by other students and professors.


    However, Yui Ernest came first leaving her in second ce. Many people were fawning over Yui and because of Yui''s brother, Yui was even respected by seniors. On the other hand, Hannah felt inferior and became jealous of Yui because of her poprity which should have been hers.


    As spoiled as she was, she went crying back home toin to her parents and have Yui expelled from Ace Academy by exining that she must have cheated in the entrance exam. However, even her parents could not do anything to change the situation at Ace Academy.


    Let alone Diamond Graded guild, Ace Academy had nurtured many tinum-graded guild members and had an extensivework in The Authority. Moreover, with the Rank-SS principal and multiple Rank-S professors, the Diamond-graded guild was nothing to speak of in front of Ace Academy.


    They just consoled her daughter and brought lots of things that she liked. However, her hatred was only exacerbated by this incident. Since she was a child, she had everything she wanted and having her wishes ignored enraged her.


    Therefore, she thought that instead of relying on her unreliable parents, she had to do it herself. She wanted to make Ace Academy hell for Yui Ernest. As for the consequences, she had never suffered a setback to think about that.


    *****


    It was lunchtime and Yui was having lunch with her friends including Elysia. Elysia had also joined Ace Academy.


    The idea was discouraged by her parents for safety reasons, but Elysia decided to do it because of Yui. She felt that attending Ace Academy would be more interesting than other schools and her friend Yui was also going there.


    She was also interested in Yui''s brother and moreover, there was someone else that she wanted to meet at Ace Academy.


    "Yui, was your brother always talented?"


    "Is your brother still single?"


    "How did he be so strong?" ¡­


    Yui''s friends would asionally ask about Hiro and most of their talk would be about him. However, that was not the only thing that they talked about as they would also talk about other things like viral posts from TwitFlick and various rumors about Ace Academy.


    Yui didn''t mind them and would try to praise Hiro though thinking about how normal Hiro was, she thought that nobody would believe her if she said that Hiro was just an average person.


    They ate their lunch while asionally having small talk.


    "Hannah, Yui Ernest is seated there."


    One of her followers pointed at where Yui was.


    That day, Hannah decided to embarrass Yui in front of everyone. She could not tolerate her presence any longer and wanted to show everyone who the real genius was.


    She along with her followers approached Yui while also carrying food.


    As Hannah walked past Yui, she made a show of stumbling and reaching out to steady herself on the table.


    "Oops, sorry!"


    She said, a sly smile ying on her lips as she upturned her juice carton, letting the sticky liquid gush out onto Yui''s tray andp.


    Yui gasped in shock and looked down at the mess.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Elysia eximed, leaping up from her seat.


    Hannah shrugged, still pretending to be innocent.


    "It was an ident."


    She said, with a sharine-sweet tone that betrayed her true intentions.


    The other students in the cafeteria turned to watch themotion, and a murmur of whispers ran through the room. Yui stared at Hannah.


    Elysia can already tell that Hannah was there to create problems for Yui. Having already seen this type of behavior at thest school, Elysia knew that Hannah was jealous of Yui and wanted to make things difficult for Yui.


    "You did this on purpose!"


    Elysia said through gritted teeth. She really wanted to beat Hannah who was trying to act like this was an ident.


    Hannah justughed and shrugged again.


    "Come on, Elysia, don''t be mad. It was just a little juice. Everybody can make a mistake."


    Elysia said while smirking. She wanted Elysia to create a hugemotion and have Yui use her so that she could show how petty she was. Even if Elysia was the one to take action, Hannah thought that she could drag Yui along with her friend.


    "Y-You!"


    Elysia eximed with anger. She really wanted to punch Hannah''s smug face.


    Yui, who had finished cleaning the juice that had spilled, stood up and gently ced a hand on Elysia''s arm.


    "Wait, Elysia."


    She said calmly.


    "Let''s just forget it!"


    Elysia let out a sigh and reluctantly nodded. Elysia didn''t really want to let Hannah get away after messing with her friend but having known Yui for a long time, she knew that Yui didn''t want to make a big deal out of this.


    "Fine! But I''m keeping an eye on you, Hannah."


    She said, pointing a finger at the smug viin. Hannah thought that Elysia''s words were the words of a sore loser and in reality, couldn''t do anything to her.


    "If you try anything like this again, know that you are not going to get away easily like this time."


    Elysia said while releasing some of her mana to show that she was serious.


    Hannah came second in the entrance exam which meant she was very strong but it didn''t matter to Elysia. Elysia was not weak either and if she wanted to, she would have also gotten the same points as Hannah but because she wasn''t really interested inpeting, she only got average marks.


    Nevertheless, her rank-E strength was enough to show that she was on equal footing with Hannah.


    Elysia just released her mana for a second but that was enough to frighten most first-years including Hannah and her followers.


    The students could have never imagined Elysia, who was only in the 200 ranks, would have such strength. Even Hannah felt pressured by Elysia''s aura.


    After such a shocking disy of power, Elysia returned back to eat with Yui and others. Yui was not surprised by Elysia''s strength, but her other friends showed shock.


    Hannah and her followers left after such amotion. They wanted to make more trouble but after Elysia disyed her strength, they were too shocked to continue their n.


    Even though Hannah''s background was strong, it didn''t mean that other parties wouldn''t beat them. Judging by Elysia''s strength, Hannah''s followers knew that Elysia was not someone that they should provoke.


    After they left, there was a moment of silence in the cafeteria. Their friends looked back and forth between Elysia and Yui, showing concern while also being surprised by what had happened.


    "Are you guys okay?"


    "I can''t believe Hannah would do something like that. She''s always been jealous of Yui, but I never thought she would go so far as to pour her juice on her."


    "Humph! She would bully anyone just because her family is strong. Even some professors were fawning over her." ¡­


    They let out their anger by telling all the gossip that they heard about Hannah. They could tell that Hannah was not really loved by other people judging by the gossip.


    Elysia let out a sigh and picked at her food, her appetite having been spoiled by the confrontation.


    "I can''t believe she tried to act like it was an ident,"


    Elysia said, her voiceced with anger.


    "I wanted to punch her right in the face."


    Yui ced a calming hand on Elysia''s arm.


    "It''s okay, Elysia. Let''s just forget about it and move on. It''s not worth getting into a fight over."


    Elysia let out a grudging sigh and nodded.


    "You''re right. I''m sorry, Yui."


    After thinking for a bit, Elysia realized that Hannah was intentionally provoking them. If she had attacked them, she knew that Hannah was nning to drag Yui into it and expel them.


    After all, spilling juice was not as great a crime as beating someone.


    "Anyway, you wanted to ask something right?"


    Yui said to Hannah. Before themotion, Elysia wanted to ask something of Yui though it was interrupted by Hannah.


    Yui thought it was perfect to forget the incident that happened and change the subject.


    "Oh, right!"


    Elysia also changed her expression quickly showing that what she wanted to ask was more important than her anger toward Hannah.


    "Do you know whether your brother is acquainted with someone called Zero?"

 Chapter 285: Yui Is Interested In Zero

    "Do you know whether your brother is acquainted with someone called Zero?"


    Elysia asked excitedly.


    " "Zero?" "


    They replied in confusion. After they started attending Ace Academy, they were well versed in most senior names, especially the famous ones, but they don''t remember the name, Zero.


    ( Zero? )


    Yui was also surprised. She had heard a little about Zero and she had also seen the news that was rted to Zero. However, most of the news disappeared and it seemed that people had forgotten about him.


    Moreover, she has also not heard anything about Zero even though she was in contact with Lisa and Sylvia who should be his ssmates.


    "~Oh! And why do you want to know about him?"


    Ask one of them teasingly. She found it interesting that Elysia was interested in a senior boy.


    Elysia shrugged, trying to y it cool.


    "I was just curious. I heard a few people talking about Zero and they seemed really excited about it. I figured they must be someone important, or at least popr."


    Yui nodded in agreement.


    "Yeah, I''ve heard a few things too and he was attacked by the press before the Tournament Of Academies."


    She remembered that as she was paying attention to news rted to the Tournament Of Academies as Hiro was participating. At that time, news came about a boy who was apparently bullying weaker citizens and questioning the teaching of Ace Academy.


    Though soon after various scandals and crimesmitted by those journalists surfaced which shifted the news from Zero to those journalists.


    Yui at that time thought it was well-deserved as she didn''t like journalism. As Hiro grew popr, there were many media trying to bring him down with various false information which made her distrust the media which only knows to attack weak people for their views.


    "Well, I will ask my brother and I''ll let you know if he knows."


    Yui promised. She also wanted to get acquainted with Zero.


    Elysia grinned.


    "Thanks, I''d appreciate that."


    As they walked back to their dorms, the group couldn''t help but specte about who Zero might be and what he might have done to garner such intrigue, especially Yui. Yui had never seen Elysia interested in a boy and she was curious why.


    Though Elysia told her the reason, she knew that it was a lie to cover up the truth. She was close enough with Elysia to know when she lied.


    She went to find her brother the next day. Along the way, she was greeted by many students. Most of the students knew who Yui Ernest was, including the seniors.


    Even third-year students wanted to avoid offending the sister of Hiro. Even if they were seniors, they knew that Hiro could single-handedly beat them.


    Anyway, Yui reached Hiro''s ss, however, Hiro was nowhere to be seen.


    ( Is he still training? )


    Yui thought.


    "Good morning, Senior Isabel!"


    "Oh, Hiro''s sister! Good morning."


    "Might I ask if you have seen my brother by any chance?"


    Yui asked Isabel, who is one of Hiro''s ssmates. Yui knew her as she was one of the seniors who introduced her to her and wanted to learn more about her.


    Yui would have asked Lisa and Sylvia who was more close to Hiro but since they were also not there, she decided to ask Isabel.


    "Hiro? I haven''t seen him."


    Isabel replied.


    "Oh¡­"


    Yui was a little disappointed to find that Hiro was really not there. She was really curious about Zero and wanted to know about him.


    "What''s wrong? Anything that I can help you with?"


    Isabel asked. She didn''t know why Yui came to find Hiro but if it was something that she could help with, she was more than happy to help her.


    ( Ah Yes! I can ask the senior about Zero. She was also a ssmate of Zero and she might know about him. )


    Yui thought excitedly. She realized that it need not be Hiro who can satisfy her curiosity. There were many seniors who she could ask and find information about Zero. As for Elysia''s request, she thought that she could askter after Hiro came to ss.


    "Senior Lizbeth, do you know Zero?"


    Yui asked.


    "Zero?"


    Isabel widens her eyes in surprise. In Ace Academy, there was no one who didn''t know Zero unless, of course, you were new like Yui. Moreover, Isabel happens to be one of the students who teamed up with Zero in BloodyWolf Forest and one of the first students to actually know his strength.


    At the time of introduction, she thought Zero would drag them down as he was only ranked 970 and also thought that hecked guts as he did retaliate when Kale bullied him. Though she soon found how strong he was when fighting with the monster and Devil Contractors.


    "Zero¡­"


    Isabel muttered.


    Isabel didn''t know how to describe him. She didn''t even know why someone like Yui is trying to find something about him.


    "He is someone who is very powerful!"


    Isabel answered.


    Isabel throughout her first year at Ace Academy, the most prominent thing that she could remember about Zero was him being powerful.


    "Powerful?"


    Yui was confused. What she wanted to find information about Zero and all she got was powerful. Yui, also had an idea that he was powerful as he was a participant in the Tournament Of Academies but how powerful? Rank? Skill? That type of information was what she needed.


    "Any, why do you want to know about Zero?"


    Isabel asked.


    "Ah¡­ "


    Just when Yui was thinking of an answer,


    "Hello! Isn''t it Hiro''s sister?"


    "Yeah! It is her." ¡­


    In a matter of seconds, other students soon surrounded Yui and asked why she was there and all that. They were by no means rude to Yui as they didn''t want to mess with Hiro. As Hiro''s ssmates, they knew about his power more than anyone, moreover their lives were also saved by him.


    Yui was first pressured by how popr she was though she knew it was because of her brother. Then she thought it was a good chance.


    "Can you tell me about Senior Zero? Is he here?"


    She asked them. With so many students, she knew that she would be able to dig interesting things about Zero.


    " "Zero?" "


    The students showed simr expressions to Isabel. If they respected and feared Hiro, the same was true for Zero. Furthermore, it has been so long since theyst heard the name which brought both admiration and fear.


    They hesitated for a while. Unlike Hiro, many of them didn''t know about Zero''s talent at the start and ignored him. Some of them had even tried to bully him because Hiro pursued Lisa. They had missed the opportunity to make friends with Zero.


    Later, his talent was revealed and they had seen Zero beat down Rank-B easily which made them both admire and fear Zero. While they were not on good terms, they also didn''t know him well enough.


    Though after the state of confusion, they started to tell Yui about Zero. Some people who didn''t like Zero told all the negative things like how he was always alone doing some suspicious things.


    Some even used him of dropping out because he was a spy working for Ace Academy''s enemies.


    Though most of theirments were about how strong he was, probably the strongest student. Some even imed that he was more talented than Hiro.


    Yui was also surprised to find such information about Zero and was a little sad to find that Zero had dropped out from Ace Academy. She ignored most of the negative information as she can see that those people were just jealous of Zero. As someone who had suffered due to other people''s jealousy, she could easily find that out.


    What was most surprising was how many people were saying that he was more talented and powerful than Hiro.


    She has always remembered Hiro being praised as a genius that was born once in a thousand years and said that he was the most talented and savior of humanity. Even her trainer back at The Authority headquarters would praise Hiro and say that no other people would reach his level in the future.


    She, herself also believed that because of how fast he was growing stronger and also by the position that he got in the Tournament Of Academies. Hiro got second ce, right after Lisanna.


    Lisanna was a third-year student and Hiro was a first-year student. That''s why she thought that no one was close to her brother''s level, at least among his peers.


    However, after listening to Hiro''s ssmate, she knew that Zero was a powerful student who had talent surpassing her brother. There were also other things about Zero like how weird he was and a lone wolf.


    Her interest in Zero just increased after listening to other people. She never thought that after trying to help her friend, she would stumble upon someone so interesting.


    ( Did Elysia know? Is this why she asked whether Hiro knew him? )

 Chapter 286: Yui Is Interested In Zero [2]

    ( Did Elysia know? Is this why she asked whether Hiro knew him? )


    Yui curiously thought.


    "Yui!"


    Sylvia called Yui. She and Lisa wereing to ss after their morning training when they saw a big group in front of the ss. Though curious, they didn''t think much about it until they spotted Yui in the middle of the crowd.


    Students surrounding Yui immediately gave way to Sylvia and Lisa. Sylvia and Lisa slowly approached Yui.


    "Good Morning, Sylvia! Lisa!"


    Yui greeted them cheerfully. A while back, she still called them senior, but Sylvia and Lisa insisted she calls them normally without honorifics.


    "What brings you here?"


    Sylvia asked.


    As far as she could see, even though she was attending the same school as her brother, she would rarely approach him. Therefore, it was unusual for her to appear there and Sylvia thought that she must have her reasons.


    "I came here to meet my brother but he is still not here."


    Yui answered.


    "Oh! If you are looking for Hiro, he is still training but he should arrive soon."


    Sylvia replied.


    "Anyway, it is unusual for you to look for Hiro. Did something happen?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "Nothing! I just wanted to ask him about Zero."


    " "ZERO!" "


    Sylvia and Lisa involuntarily raised their voices, shocking Yui a bit. Though many students gave weird reactions when Zero''s name was mentioned, Lisa and Sylvia''s reactions were the most intense among students.


    *AHEM!


    Embarrassed by their sudden outburst, they tried to cover it up with their cough. They never expected that Yui would bring up the topic of Zero.


    "So, what about Zero?"


    Sylvia asked after regaining herposure. She could not think of a reason why Yui wanted to know about Zero, who she had never met.


    "Well, I actually wanted to know whether my brother was acquainted with him but it turns out senior Zero had dropped out of Ace Academy."


    Yui said with a tone of disappointment in her voice. She heard a lot of things about Zero through his ssmates which only helped pique her interest in Zero.


    She then turned to Sylvia and Lisa with an expectant expression and asked.


    "Were you friends with him?"


    "Friends? Maybe we were."


    Sylvia replied. She did not know whether it was appropriate for her to call herself Zero''s friend. While she was on good terms with Zero, it seemed that she did not know much about Zero.


    The same was true for Lisa who still found it difficult to know her feelings about Zero.


    "Can you tell me about him?"


    Yui asked energetically. Among the students there, no one imed to be Zero''s friend, and all they told her was about his power. She wanted to know more about Zero, beyond just how powerful he was.


    "Maybe next time. ss is starting and you need to get back to your ss."


    Sylvia said, pointing her finger at Professor Mia who was making her way toward the ss.


    "A! Okay, let''s talk next time!"


    With disappointment, Yui left. On the way, she nced at the emotionless Professor Mia Frostine and was mesmerized by her beauty.


    ( How Beautiful! )


    She couldn''t help but think about that when she encountered Professor Mia. She had seen her on the first day but it was from a long distance. Seeing her close, Yui realized why Mia Frostine is called the most beautiful woman.


    "Ah! What am I doing? I need to get back to ss quickly."


    Yui snapped out of her thoughts and quickly rushed toward her ss.


    While she didn''t get to meet Hiro, she gains a lot of information about Zero. Well, seeing that Zero was not even attending Ace Academy, she didn''t think that meeting Hiro was necessary though she did want to ask him about Zero.


    *****


    In Yui''s ss.


    Yui barely got to ss before she waste. Their head teacher took attendance and was announcing some of the important things that would happen to them.


    After their head teacher was gone, Elysia began talking to Yui.


    "Yui, did you ask your brother?"


    Elysia asked, showing enthusiasm that she normally does not have.


    "Sorry! My brother was not in ss."


    Yui apologized. She told Elysia that she was nning to ask Hiro in the morning but failed.


    "It''s okay! It is not urgent anyway."


    Elysia replied.


    "However, I did find out a lot about him. First of all, it seems that Zero has dropped out of Ace Academy."


    "Hmmm!"


    Yui nced at Elysia but it seemed that Elysia was not surprised by that which meant she already knew. Yui thought that Elysia''s goal was to meet Zero through Hiro but it seemed that she had a different goal.


    Elysia wanted to ask why she wanted to ask her brother about Zero but refrained. She unconsciously thought Elysia would be unwilling to tell her.


    "Hey, what are you two talking about?"


    One of their friends intervened. Her name was Nina and she was one of the friends that were with Elysia and Yui during the incident with Hannah.


    "I was just telling Elysia what I heard about Zero from the upperssman."


    Yui said.


    "Oh! Actually, I also asked my cousin from second year and heard a lot of things about senior Zero."


    Nina replied. She became curious about that senior whom Elysia had her eye on as well after yesterday''s lunch. She immediately asked her cousin through TwitFlick.


    The three of them then began talking about Zero and soon other friends also joined and began listening to them.


    In a short period of time, Zero''s name seems to have be famous among first-year students due to the unbelievable things that he seemed to have done. In addition, he was also considered to be more talented than Hiro which sparked curiosity among the new students.


    Though many first-year students who heard such information from their friends thought that it was a lie. It cannot be believed that a person who could surpass Hiro, who was already a rare genius that many could only look up to, ever existed.


    Yui met up with Sylvia and Lisa during the lunch period and Sylvia started to tell Yui about Zero.


    "Zero was an extremely passionate guy who chased Lisa."


    Sylvia said.


    ( That''s new! )


    Yui thought. She was finally hearing the real story about Zero and the first thing that Sylvia said was how he used to pursue Lisa. It was the first time that she heard this as others were all focusing on telling her how strong Zero was.


    She also didn''t doubt Sylvia as she believed that with Lisa''s beauty, any guy would have tried to approach her.


    "Sylvia!"


    Lisa shouted in embarrassment.


    "What? Isn''t that what happened?"


    Sylvia said teasingly.


    "And he also ... "


    Sylvia continued to tell Yui everything she knew about Zero.


    Yui listened attentively as Sylvia told her about Zero''s pursuit of Lisa and his other exploits at Ace Academy. She was surprised to hear about his talent and passion, and couldn''t believe that someone like that would just up and leave without a word.


    "It''s really strange."


    Yui said, shaking her head.


    "I just can''t wrap my head around it. Why would someone like Zero, who had so much potential, just disappear like that?"


    Sylvia shrugged.


    "I wish I knew. We''ve all been wondering the same thing. It may be something that only Zero knows."


    Sylvia said.


    She had finished telling everything about Zero though she did not mention some things like Zero being able to use Dark Energy and such.


    Yui came to know that even Sylvia and Lisa acknowledge Zero to be stronger than Hiro. Since they were close to Hiro, Yui knew that their conclusion would be more trustworthy than other students.


    "If you wanted to know how strong Zero really was, you should watch some of his fights. I would ask the professor to give me a copy."


    Sylvia said. There were many videos captured by Ace Academy and she knew that Ace Academy had a couple of videos of Zero fighting.


    "Really! Thank you very much."


    After returning from lunch, Yui was happy and excited to get a chance to see the fights of Zero. She didn''t think that she would be able to witness that since Zero had dropped out of school.


    She was also interested in knowing whether he was really as strong as other students made him out to be. Due to the unbelievable nature of the information, she would only know for sure if she saw it with her own eyes.


    Yui was also wondering why someone as talented as Zero would leave Ace Academy. She also tried to connect the dots with Elysia''s reason for seeking Zero.


    ( Does she also want to know where he went? )


    Yui thought. She was not sure but thought that it might be the reason that Elysia asked whether Hiro was acquainted with Zero.


    Well, after thinking about it a bit she stopped thinking, knowing that she would never know for sure. Rather she thought it would be helpful if she showed the videos to Elysia.

 Chapter 287: Professor William Evil Intention

    [ "Cryomancy Art: Ground Freeze" ]


    [ "Cryomancy Art: Ice Wall" ]


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ] ¡­


    "... WOW!"


    "Is this real?"


    "Was he really a first-year like us?" ¡­


    Yui called Elysia along with their friends who were interested in Zero to watch the video of Zero''s fight. Today, they were finally able to see whether Zero is really what others im him to be.


    Sylvia gave aption of videos of Zero fighting. Ace Academy would usually keep such data in order to evaluate a student''s growth and analyze their strengths. But it was also open for other students to see it.


    As a matter of fact, professors encourage students to do so. Students could watch the battle of strength and learn from it and it might also inspire students to work harder. It is also used as a reference by the professor while teaching the students.


    Yui and others already expected that Zero would be strong but they never thought it was to that extent. At this moment, they were watching Zero fight with 9 other Top students in the Tournament Of Academies, where he was dominating.


    Some of them remembered such fights being fought but forgot because what really mattered to people was the fight of Top-8 and as for other fights, no matter how interesting they were, it was pale inparison to the final.


    That''s why many forgot the unbelievable performance given by Zero. Now that they knew who Zero was, they were baffled by the power that he showed in the tournament.


    *****


    "Oh My God! Senior Zero was really strong. He could have easily won the tournament if not for being disqualified."


    Nina said.


    "How could one master both sword and Magic Art?"


    One of them asked.


    It was not rare for people to use multiple Art of different weapons, however, the power of their secondary Art would be weak. In Zero''s case, both his Sword Art and Magic Art were destructive and it was difficult to know which Art was his Main Art.


    Having watched the video, they can''t help but feel pity that Zero was not in Ace Academy. They could have witnessed more exciting battles and learned from him.


    Yui was also satisfied to finally witness all the stories that he heard from Sylvia and the other students.


    "Senior Zero was this powerful?"


    Elysia muttered, finding it unbelievable what she had seen.


    "Elysia? I thought that you knew that."


    Yui is surprised to find that Elysia has no idea that Zero wields such power. She thought for sure that Elysia already knew and wanted to meet him because of that.


    "No! I didn''t know that he was so powerful. I simply wanted to meet him to rify some things."


    Elysia replied.


    ???


    Yui didn''t know what to say and was left confused. She could no longer think of a reason why Elysia was interested in Zero.


    ******


    "Humph! One has already been removed, now I just need to remove another one."


    Professor William said as he held the wine bottle.


    He was talking about Zero and Hiro, which he absolutely loathed. He didn''t like the fact thatmoners like Zero and Hiro surpassed people of noble origin like him. Moreover, Zero repeatedly provoked him and had ideas about the woman he coveted.


    He could not forgive Zero and had done so many things to bring him down including helping other Academies take down Zero in the Tournament Of Academies.


    He thought he needed to do more after Zero and Hiro''s fame increased after the tournament. He didn''t want more people to supportmoners and also didn''t like the fact thatmoners thought that they could surpass people from big guilds.


    He wanted to make Zero and Hiro suffer at Ace Academy. However, to his surprise, the boy who had been messing with him had finally quit Ace Academy. Though he thought that it was a pity that he was left off without many consequences.


    Now, he thought that there was only one more dirt that he needed to remove from Ace Academy.


    "Soon, I shall teach thosemoners the difference between them and me!"


    He happily drank the wine.


    ******


    On the training ground.


    Once a month, at Ace Academy, the Professor would gather students and teach them essential skills to make them strong. Last year, it was Professor Mia who taught Hiro''s ss about Mana Condensation.


    That day, it was time for one of the professors to teach a new skill to the students and for Hiro''s ss it was Professor William. Professor used his connection to have him assigned to this ss as he wanted to humiliate Hiro.


    Professor William arrogantly stood in front of the students and began his lesson. First, he talked about the theory behind the skill that he was about to teach.


    "Mana control is very important in order to have more power behind your attack without additional mana. A noble like me is already born with extraordinary control and is capable of ¡­. "


    Professor William''s exnation was clear and he was adept at exining things. He did not appreciate people without backgrounds and praised people from high-grade guilds without any reason.


    Many students didn''t like it as they were from a low background and Professor William was directly belittling them. Professor William also insulted Hiro indirectly.


    "Somemoners may be hailed as geniuses but the true geniuses are people like us who have good backgrounds. He could only watch as people from the great guild overtook him."


    Professor William while looking at Hiro. It is clear as day that Professor William was talking about Hiro when say those words and one can clearly feel the hostility of Professor William from his words.


    A lot of people felt ufortable and angry listening to this professor, but couldn''t do anything about it. Not only was Professor William a professor at Ace Academy but his father had a high position at The Authority.


    Though there were also people who liked Professor William and agreed with him. They were the son and daughter of a high-graded guild who had nothing but a good background to show. They seldom worked hard and had only be stronger because of the potions and artifacts given by their family.


    They hated the fact that Hiro, a person without any background and someone who should be working for them, was acting so high and mighty. The only reason they didn''t dare to mess with him was that he was friends with Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia who had a greater background than them.


    Professor William''s unbearable lecture continued for another hour until it was time for the professor to show the real thing.


    "Ugh! So irritating. Why is he our professor?"


    Sylviained. She wanted to retaliate against Professor William for saying awful things to Hiro but she knew that it would only give the opportunity for Professor William to find more trouble with Hiro.


    Hiro didn''t really care what Professor William said to him. Unlike Professor William who is obsessed with the pride of nobles, Hiro didn''t care what people thought about him. He was never a fan of fame and it was only unintentionally that he gained such fame.


    "So, let me first show you all the difference between someone with good mana control and bad mana control."


    Professor William said as he brought a power testing machine. The power testing machine of Ace Academy could measure the strength of someone below S-Rank and was made up of rare materials.


    "Hiro Ernest! Youe up."

 Chapter 288: Professor William Evil Intention [2]

    "Hiro Ernest! Youe up."


    Professor William said as he pointed at Hiro.


    He chose Hiro to show the difference when someone with great mana control ( Professor William ) and someone with bad mana control ( Hiro which he thinks ) use the same amount of mana for a punch.


    "I have had enough!"


    Sylvia said as she angrily prepared to say something to Professor William. She could not endure Professor William picking on Hiro anymore.


    "Wait!"


    Lisa said as she held Sylvia. She can''t help but feel tired of having to always deal with Sylvia who easily bes emotional.


    "I know that you don''t want Professor William to pick on Hiro. However, it is yet to be seen who will be humiliated."


    Lisa said confidently. Anyone can see that Professor William is taking this opportunity to humiliate Hiro by showing the difference between him and Hiro.


    However, having trained with Hiro and conquered multiple dungeons together, Lisa was sure that in terms of Mana Control, Hiro was very good.


    She didn''t know how good Professor William''s mana control was but she knew that even if Hiro''s mana control was lower than Professor William, it was not at the level that Professor William could humiliate Hiro.


    Sylvia also stopped and knew what Lisa was talking about. Even if it was in terms of strength, Hiro would not be worse than Professor William. They had already seen Hiro defeat a rank-B monster and knew that he could even fight Professor William if needed.


    Sylvia and Lisa along with other students looked at Hiro. Some felt pity while others were happy and thought that Hiro deserved this.


    *SIGH!


    Having no choice. Hiro slowly went up to the podium. He knew that refusing here would only give someone like Professor William a reason to mess with him.


    "To show the difference, I will lower my rank to C. Then we will both punch the Power Testing Machine without any Art. This would be enough to show the difference between someone with Good Mana Control and bad Mana Control."


    Professor William said.


    He suppressed his mana and showed only that of Rank-C.


    Professor William went up to the Power Testing Machine and by controlling his mana to one point, he struck the machine.


    ''BEEP! 534 points


    The machine said as it disyed the power behind Professor William. Many didn''t know whether it was high or low. Regardless, many believed they would die instantly if it were them receiving the punch and concluded it was high power.


    "Now, Hiro Ernest. It is your turn!"


    Professor William said while smirking.


    Hiro obediently went up to the Power Testing Machine and tightly clenched his hand. He didn''t know how many points he would get nor was he interested in beating Professor William''s score.


    However, he was indeed interested to know how many points he would get inparison to Professor William. This was a good opportunity for him topare his strength against someone else. Moreover, Professor William was also regarded as talented so he wanted to see whether he would be able topare to someone like him.


    -BANG!


    ''BEEP! 675 points!''


    The machine said as it disyed the score for everyone to see.


    "W-What? T-T...This can''t be! You must have cheated somehow."


    Professor William was quick to use Hiro of cheating without any evidence. He didn''t expect that instead of humiliating Hiro, it would be he who would be humiliated by Hiro in front of everyone.


    ( How could thismoner have better mana control than me? This is impossible! )


    He could not believe that someone like Hiro could possibly beat him without using an underhanded method.


    As Professor William used Hiro of cheating, many of the students who were watching the scene began to whisper and murmur among themselves.


    "I can''t believe it, Hiro actually scored higher than Professor William!"


    "I wonder how he did it. Maybe he really did cheat."


    "I don''t know, I don''t think Hiro is the type to cheat. Maybe he just has natural talent or has been practicing a lot."


    One student spoke up, defending Hiro.


    "Come on, let''s not jump to conclusions. Just because Professor William didn''t score as high doesn''t mean Hiro cheated. Maybe there are other factors at y here."


    As the students continued to discuss the situation, Hiro stepped forward and addressed Professor William directly. Hiro looked at Professor William with a calm expression, not showing any signs of guilt or shame.


    "I didn''t cheat, Professor. We can do this one more time if you don''t believe me."


    He said calmly. He had no bad intentions and only wanted to prove that he was innocent.


    Professor William''s face turned red with embarrassment and anger. He couldn''t believe that amoner like Hiro would have the audacity to talk back to him, a professor and a noble.


    Moreover, he knew that his score would be the same even if they did it one more time. He would be only further humiliated if they did the test one more time. He thought that Hiro was intentionally challenging him.


    "You insolent brat! How dare you speak to me like that?"


    He yelled, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.


    Hiro didn''t flinch at the professor''s outburst. He knew that he hadn''t done anything wrong, and he wasn''t going to let Professor William intimidate him. However, he didn''t expect that Professor William would be such a petty person who was so unwilling to ept the result.


    "I''m sorry if my words upset you, Professor. But I didn''t do anything for you to be angry at."


    Hiro replied, his voice firm but respectful.


    Professor William seethed with anger.


    "Looks like if I don''t teach you a lesson, you will not learn how to respect your professor."


    Professor William said as he released his mana aura. His mana aura which was Rank-B was on full disy and many students found it difficult to breathe because of the pressure.


    "Professor! Stop!"


    Hiro called out. He didn''t expect that Professor William would quickly resort to violence and was even harming the other students as he was not properly controlling his mana aura.


    Professor William was furious and in no state to listen to others. Moreover, even if he was not, he would not listen to someone like Hiro.


    Professor William''s mana aura only increased as he prepared to attack Hiro.


    "Looks like I have no other option!"

 Chapter 289: Professor William vs Hiro Ernest

    "Looks like I have no other option!"


    Judging by Professor William''s character and his actions, Hiro knows that the further he tries to talk to Professor William, the worse his mood will be.


    [ "Devoted Star: Limit release" ]


    Hiro''s rank was already on the verge of breaking through to Rank-B -. With Limit Release, Hiro''s stats increased and were on par with Rank-B +. Though Hiro doesn''t want to stay in this state for much longer as its side effects are quite severe.


    While Professor William was using his full power, however, he was not using any Art which made his punch less destructive though a Rank-D person would instantly die if he happened to take the punch.


    But for Hiro whose power was that of Rank-B peak, it was nothing more than how a normal person perceives a punch from a normal person.


    Hiro also used the mana-enhanced punch to counter Professor William''s punch.


    -SMACK! -BANG!


    The two powerful fists collided with each other as a loud, echoing sound vibrated through the air. Both Professor William and Hiro staggered backward. However, if one focused on the fight, one would notice that Professor William was pushed back 3 meters more than Hiro.


    Professor William stared at Hiro Ernest in disbelief. He never thought that Hiro, who is a student, would have power equal to his.


    ( Me, a noble! Pushed back by amoner? )


    "This is impossible!"


    Professor roared as he increased his mana aura further. It was enough for the students to lose consciousness because of his mana aura. Fortunately, Hiro''s mana aura blocked Professor William''s mana aura and prevented him from harming the other students.


    "Humph! Hiro Ernest, you have really managed to enrage me. I will show you how powerful a noble is!"


    [ "Aristocratic Assault" ]


    Aristocratic Assault, a skill that is a series of elegant, but devastating punches that are delivered with the poise and confidence of an aristocrat. However, what it is known for above all else is how elegant and powerful the punches look.


    Hiro got ready to block the skill. While itcked powerpared to Hiro''s skill, this Art was not something that one could easily block. Moreover, Professor William was a Rank-B professor.


    "STOP!"


    A loud and oppressive voice echoed through the training ground. A mana aura surged and suppressed Professor William causing him to almost copse on the ground.


    They turned to see Professor Mia at the edge of the training ground. She was slowly approaching them.


    "Professor William, what do you think you are doing?"


    Professor Mia demanded, her voice stern. She didn''t think that Professor William would disregard the rules of the Academy and fight with a student.


    "You know that faculty members are not allowed to fight with students. This behavior ispletely uneptable, and I expect a full apology from you for your actions."


    Professor Mia spoke as if she were reprimanding a child.


    Professor William''s face turned red with embarrassment and anger. He wasn''t embarrassed about attacking Hiro, but by how easily Professor Mia managed to suppress him. Even though Professor Mia was younger than him, she could easily kill him with one finger.


    Moreover, it was the girl that he was pursuing that was suppressing him and there were also students watching this happen. No matter what, it was incredibly embarrassing for Professor William.


    But Professor William was not one to back down easily. He red at Professor Mia, his pride injured by the reprimand and the difference in power.


    "I am of noble birth, and I will not apologize to a mere student for teaching him his ce!"


    Professor William arrogantly said. Though he didn''t look all that powerful as he was on the verge of copsing and was struggling to speak.


    "Professor Wiim, don''t think that you can do whatever you want here. Even your father would not be able to protect you if you dare do this again."


    Professor Mia said as she stopped suppressing Professor William.


    "I will inform the principal about this incident. Be prepared to face your punishment!"


    "Humph!"


    Professor William left the training ground without saying another word. His mouth was bleeding a little because of him trying not to fall due to Professor Mia''s mana aura.


    His hatred only increased because of this incident and he vowed that he would take revenge against Hiro and Professor Mia.


    As Professor William stormed off the training ground, the students who had witnessed the incident looked at each other in shock and disbelief. Some of them couldn''t believe that a faculty member would behave in such a way, while others were more surprised by the fact that Professor Mia had so easily subdued Professor William.


    But the most shocking fact was that Hiro was able to fight Professor William on equal ground. They had only exchanged one punch but it was enough for them to see that Hiro had power equal to Rank-B.


    "Did that just happen?"


    Asked one of the students.


    "I can''t believe Professor William would do something like that."


    Said another.


    "And did you see how easily Professor Mia took him down? She''s so strong!"


    Said a female student. Her voice was full of admiration for her idol who was Professor Mia.


    As Professor William stormed off, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. It was clear that he had made an enemy in Professor William, and he wasn''t sure what the professor would do to take revenge.


    Professor Mia noticed Hiro''s worried expression and ced aforting hand on his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, Hiro. I won''t let Professor William get away with this. I''ll make sure that he is held ountable for his actions."


    Hiro nodded, grateful for Professor Mia''s support.


    "Thank you, Professor."


    "You don''t have to thank me."


    She said with a small smile.


    "It''s my job to protect my students. I just hope that this incident serves as a lesson for Professor William and he learns to control his temper in the future."


    The other students nodded in agreement, hoping that this would be the end of the incident. However, they knew that someone like Professor William would never give up and that this type of incident would happen again.


    Professor Mia nodded, her expression serious.


    "You are a talented and promising student, Hiro. Don''t let this incident disturb your training. If you ever need any help or support, don''t hesitate toe to me."


    Hiro nodded, grateful for Professor Mia''s words. He knew that he had been lucky to have her intervene, and he vowed to be more careful in the future.

 Chapter 290: Evil Plan Brewing!

    Even though this incident caused quite a disturbance in Hiro''s ss, the training continued as usual.


    Another professor soon came to teach the ss as Professor William had left.


    As they returned to their training, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that Professor William was not someone to be underestimated, and he was worried about what kind of revenge the professor might try to take. Despite Professor Mia''s assurances, Hiro couldn''t shake the feeling that this was far from over.


    But he tried his best to push those thoughts aside and focus on his training. No matter the problem, if one was strong enough, there was nothing that could pose a problem. With determination in his heart, Hiro redoubled his efforts and threw himself into his training with renewed vigor.


    *****


    "Good! Good! How dare they treat me like this?"


    Professor William roared furiously. His heart was filled with hatred as well as his mind was filled with revenge.


    Professor Mia had reported the incident back to the principal. Usually, the principal would be busy and absent from Ace Academy but he would always be there to wee the new students. He has yet to go anywhere.


    Since the principal was there, Professor Mia thought that it was best to report to him. Even the vice-principal was a little powerless because of Professor William''s father.


    However, the principal was different as he was a Rank-SS and had a bigger status than Professor William''s father. Even if they talked about connection, Ace Academy Principal is someone who had taught the strongest person in the human domain and was highly respected by others.


    If there was someone in Ace Academy whose position and influence were bigger than William''s father, then it was the principal.


    After listening to Professor Mia, the principal immediately called Professor William and suspended him for one week with his sry cut. He was also warned not to let such an incident happen again or else he would face expulsion.


    "That insolent Mia! She dared to stand up to me in front of the students andin to the principal!"


    Professor William spat, pacing back and forth in the room.


    "And that Hiro! He''s just a lowlymoner, yet he dared to defy me!"


    "I won''t stand for it!"


    Professor William continued, his voiceced with venom.


    "I''ll show him. I''ll make him regret ever crossing me. And I''ll do it in a way that no one will be able to trace back to me. I''ll make them pay, I swear."


    As Professor Mia was Rank-S with a Diamond grade guild backing her, it would be difficult to do anything to her. Moreover, he was still courting her and believed that she would sooner orter be his.


    But as for Hiro, he could not let him go. His pride had been hurt by Hiro and he was humiliated by Hiro. However, he stopped underestimating Hiro and viewed him as a great danger. He wanted to make sure that this time he made no mistake in eliminating Hiro.


    "Did you bring the photos?"


    Professor William said, seeminglymanding the air.


    -WHOOSH!


    In an instant, a couple of men whose faces were covered in ck clothes appeared. They took out the photos and presented them to Professor William.


    "Here, Sir!"


    He red hatefully at the picture of Yui Ernest. His mouth curled into a smile as he handed the picture back to his subordinates.


    "Give this picture to Victor. He will know what to do!"


    The subordinate knew better than to question their master. They simply nodded and said,


    "Yes, Master. We will do as youmand."


    Professor William nodded, satisfied.


    "Good. Now go fetch me a goblet of wine. I have a lot of nning to do."


    *****


    "Elysia, seriously why were we trying to find senior Zero?"


    Yui asked curiously.


    Last time, she learned that Elysia had no idea about Zero''s power then also she was interested in Zero. She wanted to know the reason.


    "Seriously! Let''s just focus on shopping!"


    Elysia replied unwillingly to answer.


    Today was the weekend and they hade to the city to shop. They were just looking around the shop and trying the dresses as they tried to find the best cloth that suited them.


    It was a beautiful Saturday and Yui and Elysia had decided to spend the day shopping in the city. They browsed through various stores, trying on different outfits and searching for the perfect dress that wouldplement their unique styles.


    As they tried on different clothing, they took their time to consider the fit and color, making sure to find the most suitable options for themselves. Despite the abundance of options, they remained patient and attentive, determined to find the perfect pieces to add to their wardrobes.


    As they shopped, they chatted andughed, enjoying each other''spany and the fun of the shopping experience.


    However, Yui stopped herself from asking the question as she desperately wanted to know. Yui had known Elysia for a very long time and had never noticed her interest in boys which made her curious about why she was interested in Zero.


    "Just tell me. I won''t speak of this to another soul."


    Yui continued trying to get Elysia to talk.


    "Okay, Okay! Haaaa¡­ "


    Feeling that Yui was not going to give up anytime soon, she decided to tell.


    "But you have to promise me that you won''t tell that to another soul,"


    Elysia said seriously.


    *GULP!


    Seeing Elysia act so serious, Yui also felt that what she was going to tell would be incredible information or something very important.


    Elysia turned her head left and right to make sure nobody was nearby. Then she got closer to Yui as she whispered.


    "This is something that I heard from my sister. You know the one working for The Authority."


    Elysia said.


    "You know that Tech Genesis owner is still unknown, right?"


    "What? Don''t tell me ¡­"


    Yui already guessed what Elysia was going to say from that line.


    "Yes, as you have guessed, I heard from my sister Julia that the owner of Tech Genesis is a student called Zero from Ace Academy. However, the information is currently confidential and I only learned of it before Tech Genesis became a giantpany."


    Elysia exined.


    Julia, Elysia''s sister, is someone working for The Authority. However, even she does not have the authority to know information about Tech Genesis. But she already knew the name of the owner before it was kept confidential.


    Julia is also friends with Professor Mia and Sophia. During the birthday party of Sophia, when Professor Mia came with Zero, she became curious and checked his information. This allowed her to know that he was the owner of Tech Genesis and received a birthday invitation because of that.


    She just told Elysia since she was obsessed with games from Tech Genesis and wanted to know. That time, the information was not as confidential as now and she naturally told Elysia.


    "Now you know the reason."


    Elysia said.


    "..."


    Yui was in no state to reply. She didn''t expect that she would get hold of such precious information. Moreover, she herself was an admirer of Tech Genesis and was in shock to learn this information.

 Chapter 291: Evil Plan Brewing! [2]

    Tech Genesis is apany that has a monopoly on technology and is one of the fastest-growingpanies in the world. Every product that they delivered was enough to shock and causemotion all over the world.


    Numerous people wondered about the identity of such apany including Yui Ernest. However, she didn''t expect that the genius that people wondered about was no more than 16 years old.


    It was also surprising to learn that Zero is an unrivaled fighter, and even more surprising to learn that his mind surpasses millions of people in intelligence. Yui was baffled and came to know the feeling that Elysia felt when she saw the fight of Zero.


    To possess an unbelievable mind as well as physical prowess, was really unfair to other people.


    "Are you sure?"


    Yui said finding such information unbelievable. Even though she knew that there was no reason for Elysia to lie to her, she still could not believe such things.


    "Not really! That''s why I wanted to meet Senior Zero. Well, considering it was my sister who told me the information, it is most likely true."


    Elysia said.


    She could understand the reaction of Yui who had just gotten hold of such information. She was also surprised to find that Zero was ridiculously strong.


    She thought that Zero would be weak and that he was more interested in the business and technology side rather than bing an Explorer.


    Those who want to go into programming and business are those people who see no hope in bing an Explorer.


    If one could be an Explorer, one would not think about obtaining skills other than survival and fighting. As a result, she found it surprising to discover that Zero, who founded such apany, was also so strong that even a rare genius like Hiro seemed normal inparison.


    She could not fathom what Zero thought when he decided to open such apany. Though taking profit into ount, one may think that it is a natural choice. But one should know that Explorers would rather invest their time into training than try to do something like this.


    One should know that despite how people look down on software developers in that world, it is not easy to obtain programming skills. It would take a long time before one became proficient at programming and there was also the time taken to research and develop an app. Plus there was also the case of setting up thepany and growing it which takes considerable time.


    If Zero decided to invest those time in training, she could not tell how strong Zero would have been in the Tournament Of Academies.


    Though Zero''s decision to invest in apany had a big return, it was not something that any people could achieve. Only someone who is visionary and knows what he is doing could achieve such sess.


    Already his identity as a genius of Ace Academy was shocking but more than that was his identity as the founder of Tech Genesis. His status as the founder of Tech Genesis may even surpass that of the guildmaster of a Diamond graded guild.


    !!!


    Yui was wondering how Zero could do such things while still being a student when she sensed hostile gazes and was instantly on her guard. She had already taken her weapon out of her storage ring.


    "Who is there?"


    Yui said seriously.


    Elysia was surprised by Yui''s action but saw that Yui had even taken out her sword. She knew something was up.


    Without questioning, she also took out her weapon which was a Rank-B Wand. She was also on her guard.


    "Hehe¡­ I didn''t expect that you would be able to notice our presence. Talented indeed!"


    Three men covered in ck cloth emerged from the darkness. However, they didn''t seem to think much about being discovered.


    "It would be best if you obediently followed us!"


    One of the men said.


    "You Wish!"


    Elysia immediately prepared her spell. She could guess that those three were targeting either Yui or her and there was no way that she could let them have their way.


    [ "Fissure Frenzy" ]


    An offensive spell that creates fissures and chasms in the ground, trapping and damaging enemies. It could easily injure Rank-E humans and as it was an AOE attack, it could be very useful when dealing with weak enemies.


    This spell was the strongest that she could muster right now. However, she already knew that it was of no use since she could sense that those three men were far stronger than her.


    Even though she knew that she was not going to sit around and let them have their way. She quickly took out the teleportation scroll and tried to run away with Yui.


    "Activate!"


    Elysia poured in her mana and tried to teleport, however, there was no reaction and they were still in that ce.


    "Hehe¡­ Lady, it would be best if you didn''t try more. Your teleportation will also not work here!"


    One of them said. Despite getting hit by Elysia, there wasn''t a scratch on their bodies. It seems that the Elysia attack has failed to do anything to them.


    Yui quickly assessed their strengths and weaknesses, trying toe up with a n to escape. However, seeing that the space around them seemed to have been isted, she didn''t think it was possible to escape nor was it possible to call for help.


    As for defeating them, it was even more impossible. She could not tell how strong they were, but she could at least feel that they were at least ranked higher than Rank-D. Even with both of them working together, she knew that they could not defeat even one of them, not to mention that there were three of them.


    However, surrendering was also not an option.


    -WHOOSH!


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Yui rushed and attacked the men who seemed to be the leader of the three. She knew that it was impossible to win, but she needed to buy time in order for people to notice the abnormality in that ce.


    The artifact that they used to iste the space would cause abnormalities in the mana around that ce and she hoped that the guards would be able to notice that ande to help them.


    -CLANK! CLANK! -THUD!


    However, Yui''s attacks were all parried and she was pushed back with a swing of his sword. However, she held her sword tightly, showing her determination to continue the fight. Elysia was also preparing her spell to help Yui.


    -WHOOSH!


    However, the leader disappeared from Yui''s vision. She didn''t know where he went as he was so fast that she didn''t even see him move.


    "What?"


    Yui was startled as she lost sight of him in a second. She immediately strengthened her defense knowing that an attack wasing.


    "YUI, BEHIND YOU!"


    Elysia anxiously shouted. She was preparing to attack, however, she stopped as she knew that she would be slower than the man attacking Yui and she could mistakenly hit Yui.


    -BANG!


    Yui was knocked out in a second before she even had the opportunity to react to Elysia''s words. Then he also went and knocked out Elysia.


    "Our mission isplete here! Let''s head back!"


    "Yes, leader!"


    -WHOOSH!


    The three of them along with the unconscious Yui and Elysia disappeared.


    Even those who were within 10 meters of the incident were unaware of what had urred. Yui and Elysia were kidnapped in broad daylight but nobody noticed a thing.

 Chapter 292: Evil Plan Execution!

    The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the training field. Hiro stood in the center of the field, a sword in his hand and a look of intense focus on his face. He was dressed in loose-fitting training clothes, and his hair was tied back in a ponytail.


    He began with a series of stretching exercises, preparing his body for the training ahead. As he moved through the exercises, he took deep breaths, focusing on the flow of energy through his body. Once he was finished, he took a step back, his sword at the ready.


    Hiro began with a series of basic sword techniques, performing each move with precision and uracy. He moved through the forms, his sword shing through the air in a deadly dance. He practiced the techniques over and over, each time with increasing speed and intensity.


    As he progressed, Hiro began to incorporate more advanced techniques into his training. He performed lunges and spins, striking imaginary opponents with deadly uracy. He moved fluidly, his body and sword working in perfect harmony.


    As the training progressed, Hiro''s movements became more and more graceful, like a bird in flight. Sweat glistened on his skin, and his breathing became ragged but he kept going, pushing himself to the limit. He was determined to be the strongest and most skillful swordsman.


    His Sword Art StarShatterer was the Art that the system had given him as a newbie gift. It is level 8 Art, something that Hiro could never even dream of. Even level 6 Art would have been enough for Hiro to change his life, not to mention the Art of level 8.


    Despite being bestowed with such a cheat, he didn''t dare be sloppy in his training. Instead, he trained even more so in hope that he would be able to disy its full power. He knew that getting level 8 would be nothing if he could not disy its power.


    Finally, Hiro came to a stop, his sword resting at his side. He was breathing heavily, but a satisfied smile yed on his lips.


    He picked up the towel and cleaned his face, then took a deep breath, ready for another training session. He was extremely close to breaking through to Rank-B - but he always feels like something is missing for him to break through.


    Hiro was in the middle of his sword training when his phone suddenly vibrated, interrupting his focus. He nces at the phone and sees that he has a new message. With a feeling of unease, he quickly finishes his current set of training and wipes sweat off his forehead before unlocking his phone.


    The message is from an unknown number, but the moment he opens it, he sees a picture of his sister being captured. He immediately feels panic rising in his chest and with trembling fingers, he reads the message.


    "Hiro,


    We have your sister and she is unharmed for now. But, if you want her to stay that way, you must follow our instructions carefully. We know who you are and what you''re capable of, and we''re not ying around. If you want to see your sister again, you must keep quiet ande to the location we''ve provided alone. Any deviation from these instructions and your sister will suffer the consequences.


    Star City''s Abandoned Warehouse District,


    Come alone. We will be watching you every step of the way.


    Do not involve The Authority or anyone else, if you do, it will only make things worse for your sister. We will be in touch."


    The message is a clear threat and it leaves no room for negotiation.


    Hiro''s heart races as he reads the message over and over again, trying to process the enormity of what he''s just learned. He knew that he had to act fast, there was no time to waste.


    With a heavy heart, he sets off, fully aware of the danger that awaits him. He knows that the kidnappers are not to be underestimated. Since they challenged him, that means that they have the capabilities to defeat him. Hiro makes his way to the address, his mind focused on rescuing his sister and bringing her back safely.


    There was no time for him to think about who was the person behind the kidnapping as he had many enemies who could do that. No matter what, he knew that he needed to save his sister as soon as possible.


    "Dammit! How could they make their move against Yui?"


    He was angry at the enemy as well as himself for making Yui face danger. He thought that his action had brought forth danger for Yui. He just hopes that she is okay.


    -WHISH!


    ******


    "Haha¡­ I didn''t think that he would fall for this easily!"


    Victor, the man behind the kidnapping,ughed as he received the report saying that Hiro wasing to this location alone.


    Victor was pleased with himself for having sessfully kidnapped Hiro''s sister and lured Hiro into a trap. He knew that it was risky to kidnap the sister of someone like Hiro, who was a powerful explorer and had connections with many powerful people. But, he was confident that he had nned everything perfectly and that Hiro would fall for his trap.


    A few days back, he received an order from William telling him to take care of Hiro using his sister. Victor could not make a move on Yui until that day as she was in Ace Academy where Rank-S Professors were.


    He had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and that opportunity came when Hiro''s sister, Yui, left the safety of the Ace Academy and went to the city. Victor had sent his subordinates to grab her, knowing that Hiro would not be able to resist the temptation of rescuing her.


    It would have been a disaster if Hiro sought help from The Authority. Luckily, Hiro really seemed to care about his sister as he had decided toe alone.


    With that, 90 % percent of his n was sessful. Now, he only needed to kill Hiro and he would be able to fulfill what William ordered.


    -SNAP!


    "You called, Master?"


    Ten of the men covered in ck clothes emerged from the darkness.


    "Get ready! Our prey is on the way!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    -WHOOSH!


    After receiving the instructions, they disappeared again.


    Victor gave orders to his men to prepare for Hiro''s arrival. He knew that Hiro was skilled and powerful, and he couldn''t afford to underestimate him. He was prepared to deploy every assassin at his disposal.


    "You may be a genius but even you could not defeat so many Rank-C and Rank-B assassins."


    As time passed, Victor''s men reported that Hiro had entered the warehouse district and was making his way toward their location. Victor felt a surge of excitement and adrenaline as he prepared for the confrontation. He knew that this would be the defining moment of his career, and he was determined toe out on top.


    "Haha¡­ After this William is sure to support me in the battle for me to be the guildmaster of GreyRat Guild."


    "Haha¡­ Nobody can stop me!"

 Chapter 293: Evil Plan Execution! [2]

    "So, this is the location!"


    Hiro checked carefully to make sure that he was in the right ce. The ce chosen for keeping hostages was really convenient, as there were no humans in sight. Even if there was a bigmotion happening here, no one would notice it.


    Hiro stood outside the abandoned warehouse, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. He knew that his sister, Yui, was inside, kidnapped by some dangerous people who were likely aiming for his life.


    He was not afraid that he would die but that they would kill his sister which was his biggest fear. Along the way, when he raced to the warehouse, his mind was focused on only one thing: saving Yui.


    That''s why he did everything that the kidnapper demanded and didn''t inform The Authority or the professors of Ace Academy.


    As he approached the entrance, he couldn''t help but think about all the times he had let Yui down in the past. He had always promised to protect her, but he had always been too busy with his own life and work as an Explorer to be there for her when she needed him.


    Now because of him, he had implicated her life. If something happened to Yui, Hiro could never forgive herself. It was enough that his parents were targeted because of him, now even his sister had to suffer because of him.


    He crept through the shadows, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of Yui or her kidnappers. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, and his hands trembled with adrenaline.


    As he searched deeper into the warehouse, he heard a faint noise in the distance. He crept closer, his hand on his sword, ready for anything.


    -CLANK!


    *TCH!


    "You are pretty good to be able to notice me!"


    The leader of the assassins who struck Hiro said. He thought that he had hidden well enough for anyone below Rank-B to not notice him.


    "I am a little sensitive to killing intent!"


    Hiro replied, staring at the system that warned him about the attack. He would probably be injured if his System didn''t tell him about him.


    "Return my sister and I will forget what happened here!"


    Hiro said, releasing his bloodlust.


    "Hehe¡­ Looks like you don''t know who you are dealing with!"


    -WHOOSH!


    Two assassins who were hiding in the shadows revealed themselves and lunged at Hiro from different sides.


    Hiro, who already knew about it, swung his sword at the assassining from the left. His strike was a surprise to the assassin as he didn''t expect Hiro to attack him. He wanted to defend himself but Hiro''s speed was too fast for him to dodge. The assassin got injured on his right shoulder, leaving him incapacitating.


    One assassin had already been taken care of, and for the other, Hiro first blocked his knife attack. Then he quickly cut his abdomen, forcing him to retreat.


    However, the fight was still not done. More assassins appeared and attacked Hiro from all directions. Hiro didn''t show any panic as he prepared to use his skills.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Stardust" ]


    Stardust is an attack that involves a series of quick and precise strikes that can overwhelm an opponent with a flurry of attacks. Moreover, attack speed only increases with the number of attacks that a user performs.


    While itcked the destructive power of his other moves, it was the perfect skill for his current situation where he needed to deal with multiple enemies. Moreover, even though it was not very strongpared to his other moves, it was not something that Rank-C people could easily take.


    -SLICE! -SLICE! -CLANK! -SLICE!


    In an instant, the assassins who were attacking Hiro were the ones suffering injuries. Some managed to block Hiro''s attack with their knife but the majority were bleeding as they retreated.


    "..."


    The leader of the assassins couldn''t believe what he had just witnessed. He had collected information about Hiro and was certain that the boy was just a Rank-C +. However, his speed exceeded that of Rank-C and his strength was nothing to scoff at.


    His prediction was that Hiro would be able to handle three or four of them but currently, even as he deployed 9 of the assassins, they were still on the losing end.


    "Stop underestimating him! Use the Blood Frenzy Formation!"


    The leadermanded. As things stand, if they didn''t use every skill at their disposal, they would be the ones to lose.


    "Blood Frenzy Formation" increases their attack and bloodlust, simr to a berserk state. While their capabilities of thinking decrease, they could ignore the pain and be fearless.


    The assassins set up their formation immediately.


    [ "Blood Frenzy Formation" ]


    Hiro had intended to stop them but it was impossible for him to defeat each individual in a short period of time. Though, before they used the formation, Hiro was able to take care of two assassins.


    Now, there are only 8 of them left. For Hiro, those assassins were not very threatening to him as long as they were just fighting. Apart from their skill to hide their presence, Hiro didn''t find their other skills very powerful.


    He didn''t think they were that strong since they were at Rank-C. His speed and strength had already broken through to Rank-B -. However, it was unsure whether he would be able to have it easy after they had used their formation.


    "Kill! Kill!"


    "Kill! Kill!"


    "Kill! Kill!"


    "Kill him!" ¡­


    The assassins were emitting bloodlust as they chanted to kill Hiro. At the moment, they resembled zombies who had nothing but killing in their minds. They rushed to Hiro as they prepared to kill him.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Hiro also didn''t hold back. He had no time to hold himself back as he was worried about the safety of Yui.


    -BANG!


    One of the assassins who were in the front got directly hit by his attack and died. His body was beyond recognition.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    However, this didn''t stop the other assassins as they neglected theirrades'' bodies and made their way toward Hiro. Because of their formation, their thoughts were only filled with killing Hiro and their fear of death was taken away.


    Hiro was not surprised by their reaction. He has faced many opponents that could use a berserk state which ignores one''s fear of death.


    -WHOOSH!


    Suddenly, one of the assassins jumped and disyed his knife.


    [ "Ember Ejection" ]


    The assassin''s attack involved throwing his knife which carries destructive energy.


    Hiro was sensing great energy from the knife and had decided to dodge it instead of blocking it.


    -BOOM!


    His instinct proved right as the knife hit the ground and exploded like someone had thrown a grenade. If he had blocked the attack, he would have been gravely injured.


    Right after dodging the attack, Hiro was faced with assassins who were attacking him like they were some kind of beast.


    -SHUSH! CLANG! CLANG! CLANK!


    Hiro dodged the attacks while also blocking the attacks he could not avoid. Even with his superior speed, it was difficult to avoid the attacks from 8 assassins that had been enhanced.


    If it was in normal circumstances, he would just need to wait for them to exhaust their stamina and defeat them afterward. However, he could not waste much time here as he was still unsure about Yui''s state.


    "Let''s end this!"


    [ "System Double Power Activate!" ]


    Hiro could have used Limit Release to increase his power but considering the side effects and the situation he was in, he decided to use System power. The system points needed to borrow system power were precious, butpared with Yui''s life, they were nothing.


    He wanted to save enough to exchange the points for the rank breakthrough potion but he could always collect the pointster.


    The leader watched Hiro struggle and sneered when Hiro increased his power. He thought that Hiro was just dying the inevitable and wasting time.


    -BANG!


    Hiro punched one of the assassins which sent him flying into the wall. The leader didn''t have time to be surprised as Hiro began to massacre the assassins.


    -SLASH! -SLASH! SLASH!


    Hiro was killing assassins like he was cutting some vegetables. There was no resistance from the assassins as they didn''t have enough strength to block his attack.


    ( I need to escape!)


    The leader thought. He was the only one who did not use the Blood frenzy Formation and showed fear to the power that Hiro disyed. He knew that their power was not enough to stop Hiro.


    The other assassin had already gone insane without fear and was still charging at Hiro, not knowing how futile their efforts were.


    "Sorry! However, your death would not be in vain!"


    The leader spoke as he began chanting some kind of spell. He knew that those assassins would not be able to stop Hiro nor buy him enough time to escape.


    ( There is no other choice!)


    "Explode!"


    As soon as he finished chanting, the bodies of the assassins began to swell. Hiro sensed that their mana was beginning to overload just like Lilith.


    -BOOM


    But it didn''t take much time for their bodies to explode. Though even with thebination of four bodies exploding, their power was nowhere near enough to defeat Hiro.


    Hiro had protected his body with the mana barrier. However, in the time he wasted, the leader of the assassins had already fled.

 Chapter 294: Evil Plan Execution! [3]

    The leader of the assassins escaped sessfully as he ran away in fear.


    "Dammit! He is a monster. We should not have messed with him. I need to quickly tell Master Victor."


    In fact, today he thought it would be the day when his name would spread in the underworld. If he could assassin a world-famous character like Hiro, his name would have certainly spread.


    He was confident that he could easily kill Zero as he had even killed Rank-B Explorer in one shot. Never did he expect that his entire squad would be killed by Hiro ( Correction 4 of them were killed by him).


    "Yes, we could use his sister to threaten him. Haha¡­ Just wait! I will torture you before killing you!"


    The leader of the assassins thought as he increased his speed. He had already thought about the countermeasure against Hiro.


    *****


    -BANG!


    "Useless! You can''t even kill a kid who is just Rank-C. What is the use of having you?"


    Victor screamed angrily as he kicked his men on his head. He seemed pissed that the assassins that he had cultivated were only at his level. However, even knowing that Hiro had killed his men and had to face him, he was not nervous at all.


    His rank was B and he deemed it unqualified for him to make a move himself. He didn''t expect that his assassins would turn out to be useless and lose to one boy.


    "M-Master, please forgive me! J-Just give me one more chance"


    The leader of the assassins begged. He told Victor about his defeat and his n to use Yui to threaten Hiro. However, Victor was not interested in the idea of some defeated ve who came running away.


    "Humph! I don''t need a useless ve!"


    -SLASH!


    Victor showed no mercy as he coldly killed the leader of the assassins. Failure to execute hismand was equivalent to death and no loyalty could save his subordinates from his wrath.


    "In the end, I had to take care of him myself!"


    Victor muttered, quite irritated. His mood of victory was ruined by the appearance of his men who ran away in defeat. He thought that the leader''s n was just an excuse to escape his punishment.


    "What a waste of resources!"


    The assassin squad was assembled by him and it took much of his resources to have 10 Rank-C + assassins working for him. Today, he lost them.


    However, he did feel that terrible about it. As long as he gets Williams'' favor and wins the position of guildmaster, endless resources would be his. The assassin''s squad was also made for that purpose. Using the guild resource, he knows that he could have a more powerful assassin squad.


    Victor then took out his wine bottle and poured it into a ss. He drank the wine as he waited for Hiro to appear.


    -BANG!


    Hiro entered as he broke down the door. He saw Victor nonchntly drinking wine without any care in the world. Then Victor nced at Hiro before keeping his ss on the table.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    "I didn''t expect that you could make it past my assassins. Honestly, I am surprised! However, it does not change the result and you will have to die here."


    Victor said as if stating a fact.


    "Are you the one behind Yui''s kidnapping?"


    Hiro asked.


    "Yes!"


    Victor answered as if he didn''tmit any crime and was acting as if he had done something good.


    Hiro gritted his teeth and red at Victor hatefully. He would love nothing more than to beat up the man in front of him but he had to wait until he got information about Yui.


    "Where is my sister? You will pay if something happens to her."


    "Haha¡­ Rather than your sister, you should worry more about yourself."


    Victor said as he began releasing his mana aura.


    -SWISH! -BANG!


    Victor dashed towards Hiro and kicked him on his abdomen, sending him flying. Hiro crashed into the wall behind him. Hiro was able to react in time and block Victor''s kick, however, his power exceeded Hiro''s expectations and he was sent flying.


    "Weak!"


    Victor said as he went back to drinking his wine. He could have continued to attack Hiro and given no chance for him to rest. But Victor didn''t put Hiro in his eyes and wanted to torment him until he was bored.


    Hiro immediately got up as he was ready to defend himself from Victor''s attack but Victor didn''t attack him. Hiro didn''t expect Victor to be so powerful. However, the damage done to him was minimal. His body was protected by a mana barrier and the impact of his crashing into the wall was negligible.


    After Hiro got up, Victor began to prepare to attack once more.


    "Let''s see if you can keep up with me!"


    Victor said as he dashed forward with a sword in his hand.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro and Victor''s swords collided with each other, creating a loud metallic sound as sparks flew. Hiro could feel the power behind Victor''s strikes, but he was not intimidated. He had trained for years and had faced many powerful opponents before.


    Victor could be considered one of the strongest that he ever faced. But if he used System Double Power, he could easily defeat him. However, before he defeats Victor, he needs to get information about his sister.


    Hiro tried to get some information about his sister while keeping up with Victor''s fast pace. He asked


    "Where is my sister?"


    But Victor just sneered.


    "Your sister is safe, for now. You might be able to see her if you are able to defeat me."


    Victor said confidently. After a few shes, he was able to push back Hiro and he thought that Hiro was not a big deal.


    Hiro failed to get any information about his sister and it didn''t look like Victor was going to give him the information unless he was killed. However, he was going to try a few more times to get the information.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Victor had the upper hand as he continued to overpower Hiro with his Rank-B stat. However, it didn''t look like the battle was going to end any time soon.


    Even Victor got irritated by how persistent Hiro was. In fact, he thought that as long as he fought seriously, Hiro would be instantly defeated. However, even after he used his full power, he failed to give Hiro any injuries.


    While it looked like Hiro was losing, he actually never lost and was able to fight back. He would always dodge Victor''s fatal attack at thest moment.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Victor indeed had an advantage with his Rank-B stat, however, in terms of swordsmanship and fighting experiences he was nowhere close to Hiro. One could see that Victor''s rank was all thanks to potions andcked proper training and fighting experience.


    Victor relied on his brute force to fight. As someone who would only fight with those weaker than himself, Victor''s fighting style consists of nothing more than him swinging his sword without any nning.


    Hiro was easily able to predict Victor''s move and counter it in time.


    [ "Firestorm sh" ]


    Victor attacked Hiro with his Firestorm sh. It looked fiery and explosive which contained destructive power.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    However, Hiro easily counters his attack. No matter what Victor did, he was not able to kill Hiro. As the fight raged on, Victor got angrier and made several misjudgments allowing Hiro to do a number of damage to him.


    "Tell me where my sister is!"


    Hiro said it again.


    "YOU THINK YOU HAVE WON? You are lucky to be able to die from this."


    Victor screamed angrily as he took out two pills from his storage ring. The pill emitted Dark Energy and didn''t look like something that could be eaten.


    Victor swallowed the pill.


    -WHOOSH!


    Victor''s mana aurapletely changed. Not only did it give off a stronger feeling but it was also sinister, simr to that of Dark Energy.


    ( Is it the Abyssal Pill? )


    Hiro thought about the pill that Victor had taken. He did not know for sure but he had heard about certain pills that Dark Contractors and some criminals use as ast resort to increase their pills.


    It is said to be able to raise one''s strength immediately in addition to increasing Dark Energy in the user''s body.


    No matter what Victor took, Hiro was able to sense that Victor''s power was something that he could not handle without using System power.


    [ "System Double Power. Activate!" ]


    -WHISH!


    "Haha¡­ I can feel the power! I should have used this already and killed my brother. Anyway, after I deal with Hiro, he will be next."


    Feeling the power swelling inside of him, Victor felt that he could achieve anything. His brother was someone who was probably going to be the guildmaster of the GreyRat guild because his brother was a Rank-A Explorer.


    However, after taking the pills, Victor felt that he could easily beat his obnoxious brother and take his rightful ce as the guildmaster of GreyRat. However, it didn''t mean that he was going to let Hiro off.


    Obtaining William''s favor could be his extra insurance and Hiro has enraged him because of the earlier fight. He was going to rip Hiro into pieces.

 Chapter 295: Evil Plan Execution! [4]

    Victor stood tall, his eyes alight with power as he gazed at Hiro. He had taken the Abyssal pill, a powerful substance that had granted him immense strength. Even when he saw Hiro using a skill to increase his power, he still underestimated him because of his new profound power.


    "With this power, I''m invincible. Your pitiful power couldn''t possibly defeat me now."


    Hiro stood calmly, his sword held at the ready.


    "We''ll see about that."


    He replied coldly.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The two shed, their swords ringing out in the air. Victor swung wildly, relying on his brute strength to overpower Hiro. But Hiro with his experience was able to predict his attack, and he expertly dodged and parried each of Victor''s attacks.


    The two were once again in a stalemate, however, this time Victor could not get the upper hand like earlier. The fact that Hiro''s speed and strength were equally matched with his was even more concerning.


    With both Hiro and Victor having the same stats, it was up to their skills and experience to decide who would have the upper hand. Obviously, Hiro had the upper hand.


    Even with the increase in his power, Victor had the same w as before which was hisck of experience and technique while what Hiro wascking was the difference in stats which was erased after he used System Double Power.


    Victor snarled in frustration, but he didn''t let up. He continued to attack, but Hiro''s superior skills and experience were too much for him. Hiro managed tond several blows, slicing through Victor''s defense and drawing blood.


    But then something strange happened. Each time Hiro struck Victor, the wounds would close almost instantly, as if they had never been there. Victorughed maniacally.


    "You see, Hiro? The Abyssal pill not only gave me power, but it also allowed me to heal quickly. You can''t defeat me now!"


    Victor rejoiced as his injuries were all healed.


    Hiro was taken aback, but it was not enough to discourage him. He knew that Victor''s regeneration was only dying the inevitable.


    "We''ll see about that"


    Hiro said, and he began to attack Victor vigorously.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Hiro was able to wound Victor many times, but the Abyssal pill had turned him into something akin to a semi-devil, and his injuries would heal easily.


    He struck Victor with precision and power, and each time hended a blow, Victor''s wounds would not heal as quickly as before. It was obvious that there were limitations to his healing power.


    "Haha¡­ No matter what you do, it will have no effect on me."


    Victor felt that no matter what happened he would not die. Since all of his injuries were healed, he truly believes that he can''t be killed.


    However, Hiro, who had been observing Victor for a long time, could see the difference in healing speed.


    Hiro thought that as long as he could injure Victor with a strong attack, he would be unable to regenerate his wound in a short period of time.


    Hiro gathered arge amount of mana, ready to unleash a powerful attack.


    [ "StarShatterer Style" StarFall Fracture" ]


    Starfall Fracture is a powerful downward strike that creates a shower of sparks and can break through even the toughest defenses.


    [ "Maximum Inferno sh" ]


    Victor responded to Hiro''s attack with his own, however, his attack was nowhere near as powerful as Hiro''s. Hiro managed to inflict serious damage on Victor as his abdomen was ripped open.


    -GURK!


    Victor ended up vomiting blood as a result of Hiro''s attack. Despite his powerful healing abilities, the injury was not something that could be healed in seconds or minutes. Nevertheless, Victor did not let it stop him from continuing the fight.


    "I will never forgive you!"


    Victor shouted as he raised his sword to attack Hiro once again.


    The two fought on, their swords ringing out in the air with each sh. The battle was long and grueling, with both fighters showing no signs of backing down. Hiro was determined to defeat Victor and find his sister, while Victor was driven by a desire for revenge.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    As the battle wore on, Victor''s strength began to wane. Blood loss from his injury was taking its toll, and the effects of the Abyssal pill seemed to have worn off. Victor became weaker and weaker, unable to keep up with Hiro''s quick and precise strikes.


    -THUD!


    Finally, Victor copsed to the ground, exhausted and defeated. Hiro stood victorious, his sword held aloft.


    "Where is my sister?"


    Hiro demanded as he looked down at the defeated Victor.


    Victory on the ground, barely conscious. He smiled wickedly, knowing that he had one final trick up his sleeves. He might have lost the battle, but he knew that Hiro had also lost.


    "Haha...even if you kill me, you''ll never see your sister again. GRUK!"


    Victor spat out blood as heughed.


    "Her role wasplete the moment you came here. I''ve already ordered my men to kill her. Haha...you''ll never see her again. Haha¡­ "


    The whole abandoned warehouse echoed Victor''s eerieughter. Even if he died here, he knew that Hiro was the one who felt more miserable. Hiro was close to saving his sister but he had already killed her.


    "So what if you are the greatest genius? You could not even protect your sister. Haha... "


    Hiro was filled with rage and despair at Victor''s words.


    "I''ll make you pay for this, Victor!"


    Hiro growled. Unable to control his anger, he raised his sword for the final blow.


    *STAB!


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah!"


    Hiro was ovee with grief and anger. However, there was still hope in his heart that his sister was still alive. He thought Victor''sst words were merely a way for him to make him feel miserable.


    Though by how happily Victorughed even in the face of death, what he said most likely seemed true. Hiro refuses to believe Victor until he sees the body of his sister. He wanted to search the abandoned warehouse for his sister.


    He searched the ce where he battled Victor which looked like some kind of office. He found a map of the ce. After looking at the map, he went to find the ce which had been marked. Hiro assumed that it could be where Victor had kept his sister.


    Just as he was making his way towards that ce, he heard the sound of someoneing from that ce. Hiro was alert and ready to fight. He thought that it would be men working for Victor.


    -TAP! -TAP!


    "Hiro? What are you doing here?"


    Hiro immediately turned his head towards the voice. A familiar voice that filled his chest with hope and relief.


    "Y-YUI!"


    Hiro''s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his sister, Yui, standing before him. She was alive and well, and she looked at him with a mix of confusion and concern.


    "Yui!"


    Hiro eximed as he struggled to stand. Yui hurried over to him and helped him to his feet.


    "I''m fine, Hiro. But what about you? Are you hurt?"


    Hiro shook his head, still in shock.


    "I''m fine!"


    Hiro said as he hugged his sister tightly, tears streaming down his face. He thought for a moment that he had lost her forever.


    "I''m just d you''re safe. I''ll never let anything happen to you again, I promise."


    Yui hugged him back. She didn''t know what had happened to Hiro for him to act like this but she assumed that it was because he was worried about her.


    "I know you won''t, Hiro!"

 Chapter 296: Escaping Victors Claw

    "I know you won''t, Hiro."


    Yui said.


    She felt sorry for worrying her brother. She didn''t know what Hiro had been through but from how he got here, she knew that he hade to rescue her.


    "Sorry to ruin the moment but we need to go before other people get here!"


    !!!!


    Hiro was startled by the sudden voice. Though Yui didn''t look surprised by her presence. Hiro was so overwhelmed with emotion that he forgot to pay attention to other things.


    "Okay!"


    Knowing that this ce was not safe, Hiro stood up and began running with Yui, Elysia, and the other person. When they were outside the abandoned warehouse, Yui began introducing the people that were with her.


    "Brother, this is my friend Elysia. And this person is the one who rescued me. She is the sister of Elysia, Julia."


    Yui introduced.


    He was surprised to see Rank-A mana aura emanating from the person named Julia, but he was grateful for her help.


    "Thank you for rescuing my sister."


    Hiro said, bowing slightly in gratitude. Hiro felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. He had never met the woman before, but she had saved his sister.


    "I am Hiro, Yui''s brother."


    "It''s my pleasure to help. Anyway, they dared to kidnap my sister. Humph! I was too easy on them"


    Julia replied. She was angry at those people who dared to kidnap her sister. While she said that she was too easy on them, they were all killed mercilessly by her.


    Elysia nodded in agreement. "We knew we had to do something to help. We''re just d that we were able to get to Yui in time."


    "I don''t know how to thank you enough."


    He said.


    "No need to thank me."


    Julia said.


    The group quickly made their way out of the abandoned warehouse. As they walked, Yui filled Hiro in on the details of her escape and how Julia and Elysia had helped her. Hiro listened attentively, grateful for their help and relieved that his sister was safe.


    *****


    "Ahhh¡­ "


    Yui slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was lying on a cold concrete floor, her hands and feet bound, and her head was throbbing with pain.


    As she regain consciousness, she realized that she was in a dimly lit room, with no windows or doors visible. The only source of light came from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.


    She struggled to sit up, her head spinning as she tried to remember what had happened. Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her. She and Elysia fought with three ck men and she lost her consciousness in the middle of the battle.


    She looked around frantically, searching for Elysia, her friend who had been kidnapped with her. She saw her lying on the ground a few feet away, still unconscious.


    Yui quickly crawled over to her, concerned about her friend''s well-being. She shook her gently, trying to wake her up.


    "Elysia, wake up!"


    Yui said, her voice trembling with fear.


    "Please wake up."


    Elysia''s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she looked around dazedly.


    "Yui? What happened? Where are we?"


    "I don''t know."


    Yui said.


    "We were kidnapped, and I think we''re being held in some sort of basement."


    Yui answered as she tried to tell what she had found out.


    "We have to find a way out of here,"


    Yui said, determination in her voice. I don''t know why they kidnapped us but it could not be anything good.


    Elysia nodded. However, she still had something up her sleeves as she didn''t seem that worried about her situation.


    "Don''t worry! My sister should be on her way to save us."


    Elysia said confidently.


    "Your sister?"


    Yui asked confusedly. She knew that Elysia had a sister working for The Authority but she didn''t know what she meant bying to rescue her. As she remembered, when they fought the kidnapper, the space was isted with no way to send any signals.


    At the moment, their storage ring is taken and they have no weapon nor a device tomunicate with others.


    "Hehe¡­ Don''t worry! As long as I am in some kind of danger, the artifact that is with my sister will know. It should have been activated the moment they closed that isted space."


    Elysia exined. Her life force was connected to the artifact that her sister was carrying. Luckily, her sister was still working in the city and could save them.


    Yui''s worries lessened as she listened to Elysia''s words. But that didn''t mean that she was going to wait for others to rescue her.


    She looked around the room for any possible exits or weaknesses in the walls or floor. She also searched for any objects that could be used as weapons or tools to help them escape.


    At the same time, Yui also knew that they had to be prepared for any eventualities, in case Elysia''s sister was not able to reach them in time.


    "Keke¡­ The preys are awake!"


    One of the guards said. His rank was only at D but it was plenty to watch over two Rank-E girls. Moreover, he had many other guards with him though they were also at Rank-D and Rank-E. However, it was impossible for Yui and Elysia to escape from them.


    "Just lie there quietly!"


    The man said as he went back to y cards with his fellow guards. They were not worried about other people discovering them either as the ce was very isted.


    Yui and Elysia also just waited quietly as they could see no chance for them to escape. There were over 15 people guarding the ce, and their strength was equal to or stronger than theirs.


    They knew that they stood no chance. Moreover, their weapons and artifacts were taken away from them. Their only choice was to wait for someone to save them.


    *****


    "The target has appeared! Kill the hostage!"


    Victormanded. He told his guard to take care of Yui and Elysia the moment Hiro made his appearance. He has no use for them and he believes that he should get rid of the evidence of his crime as soon as possible.


    As for using her to threaten Hiro, he had never thought that he would lose. He didn''t need to think about countermeasures since he believed that victory was inevitable.


    "Yes, Master!"


    The guard answered. He knew better than to question Victor about his decision. In his position as a small guard for Victor, all he had to do was follow hismands.


    "Sorry, little girls but your time is up!"


    Yui was held by the guard in his arms and lifted. Yui red at the guard and showed no fear.


    As the guard tried to hold onto Yui, she used her knee to strike him in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. She then pushed him away, freeing herself from his grasp.


    "Looks like we have no choice but to fight!"


    Elysia nodded in agreement.


    Yui quickly stood on her feet and joined Yui in fighting off the guards.


    ''YOU B*TCH! I will kill you!"


    The guard screamed in anger.


    Yui fought the Rank-D guard with her bare hands while dodging their attacks and striking back with precise kicks and punches. Elysia also helped Yui with her magic. Even though her power had decreased without her wand, it was still useful.


    -BAM! -BOM!


    The guard who had no proper training was unable to keep up with Yui and Elysia who are proficient at fighting. It was still possible for them to fight Rank-D guards despite their difference in rank.


    "Hey, what are you guys doing? Help me!"


    The guard called for other guards. He never thought that he could not handle two girls. He was humiliated, but more than his little pride, he understood that he must fulfill his master''s will.


    -BANG!


    Just after the guard called for help, the door to the basement burst open. Yui and Elysia thought that more guards wereing and were on their guard.


    "Where is my sister?"


    Instead, a woman''s voice called out.

 Chapter 297: Escaping Victors Claw [2]

    "Where is my sister?"


    Julia made her entrance with one of the Rank-E guards held in her one hand.


    "T-They are kept here!"


    The guard cried.


    He wanted to get away from this devil as soon as possible. Victor has given the order and one of the guards has gone to handle it. But as soon as he was gone, their camp was attacked and every guard was beaten down.


    She only kept him conscious as she wanted to know where they were being kept. Along the way, he could feel his intestines hurting due to him being pressurized by her aura.


    "Sister!"


    Elysia called out as she happily jumped up toward Julia. She was so scared that her sister might not make it in time. Thankfully, in the nick of time, she arrived to save them.


    "Elysia!"


    Julia happily called out as she threw the guard she was holding far away as if he was a useless thing.


    "W-Who are you?"


    The guard who was fighting with Yui and Elysia asked. He trembled in fear as he knew that the woman in front of him was extremely strong. He didn''t understand how she knew about the location which was hidden from others.


    -BANG!


    With a flick of her hand, Julia flung the guard into the wall, making him unconscious. She didn''t care one bit about the people who dared to imprison her sister and only saw them as something that she needed to dispose of.


    As for answering his question, he didn''t deserve that.


    "Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?"


    Julia asked, concerned about her sister''s well-being.


    "No! We were lucky that you arrived in time!"


    Elysia said. She and Yui would have died if Julia was even a second. She was lucky that her sister made it in time.


    "Thank God! I don''t know what I would have done if something had happened to you!"


    Julia felt relieved to see that nothing terrible had happened to her. Though she was angry that her sister was kidnapped. Now that Elysia was safe and her worries were relieved, she was furious at the kidnapper who dared to kidnap her beloved sister.


    She punched a nearby wall to release her anger.


    -BANG!


    The wall had a huge crack as if it would fall down any moment. As a Rank-A agent. Her causal punch was more than enough to copse a wall made of concrete.


    "Sister Stop! Stop! We will be buried alive if you punch again!''


    Elysia said, trying to calm her sister.


    "Ah! Sorry!"


    Julia said as she regained her calm.


    Even though she had beaten down every guard that was employed there, her anger would not subside as long as she didn''t beat down the mastermind behind this kidnapping. Though she knew that her revenge had to wait.


    She knew her priority and wanted to evacuate Elysia and her friend before investigating the viin behind her sister''s kidnapping.


    ( You may live for a few more days! )


    Julia thought. The viin would certainly be killed as long as she said. As someone working for the intelligence department at The Authority, it was easy for her to find the perpetrator as long as there was some evidence.


    Yui who was standing there realized the identity of the one who opened the door and was relieved. Initially, she thought it was reinforcement from the guards and was scared, not believing they would be able to survive.


    Well, to her surprise, it was Elysia''s sister. She knew that they had been saved.


    "This is my friend Yui Ernest!"


    "Thank you for saving me!"


    Yui said with gratitude. Even though she knew that Julia came to save Elysia, it didn''t change


    the fact that she saved her life as well.


    "No need to thank me!"


    Julia said as she looked at Yui carefully. She already knew who Yui was, not because she was her sisters'' friend but because she was Hiros'' sister. As someone who worked for the intelligence department, she had seen information about Yui.


    "Themotion just now might have alerted their boss. We need to get out of here before they get here."


    Julia said indicating that they needed to escape.


    Yui and Elysia nodded in agreement.


    In Julia''s case, dealing with her enemies was not difficult. Even though she didn''t know how strong their boss might be, judging from the rank of their men, she knew that she could take care of him.


    Still, the rank was unknown and she didn''t know their numbers, so she decided to retreat first. In addition, she had to protect Elysia and Yui as well, so she decided it was wise to retreat.


    Though she would very much like to find the boss and kick his ass.


    ******


    That''s when they noticed Hiro who was also searching for them. Since he didn''t have the artifact that Julia had to show the location of Elysia and Yui, he could only go to the address given by Victor.


    "Once again I would like to thank you!"


    Hiro said as he bowed to Julia.


    "Sure!"


    Julia said as she epted his gratitude.


    "Right, I want to ask whether you know who was behind this incident?"


    Julia asked. Unintentionally her killing intent leaked out a bit. As long as she knew who it was, she would go there and split his head.


    "It was someone called Victor. Though he had already been killed by me!"


    Hiro answered. He knew that Julia wanted to kill the one who ordered him to kidnap Elysia, so he said that he had already killed him.


    "Victor?"


    Julia was surprised to hear Hiro''s answer. Not by the fact that Victor was the one who asked to kidnap Elysia but by the fact that Hiro was able to kill him.


    She knows who Victor is.


    Victor was an infamous troublemaker who would regrly find himself going against The Authority people due to various crimes that hemitted. In the end, it was only because he belonged to the GreyRat Guild and was Rank-B that he was not imprisoned.


    Julia was surprised when she learned that a student had killed a Rank-B.


    ( I guess that is to be expected from someone who The Authority is keeping their eyes on. )


    Julia thought.


    "Do you know their purpose?"


    Julia asked. She was still not sure why Victor had kidnapped her sister. If someone was targeting her sister, she knew that she had to guard her or take out the mastermind. She didn''t believe that Victor would be the one to kidnap her sister as there was no benefit for him to do so unless he was ordered by someone else.


    "I think Victor was aiming for my life. They kidnapped Yui to lure me out. As your sister was with my sister, they must have kidnapped your sister.


    Sorry!"


    Hiro said apologetically. She was apologizing to Yui and Elysia, who were both kidnapped because of him. He was guilty that because of him, other people were suffering.


    "It is okay!"


    Julia replied. She knows that it is not Hiro''s fault, but those who daremit crimes that are to me.


    She felt relieved having heard Hiro''s answer. Since no one was targeting Elysia''s life, she felt much more at ease. Though she felt sad that someone as talented as Hiro''s life was being targeted but as a genius that is to be expected.


    It is not rare for an enemy or one''s guild''s rival to target their talented people. It is also not rare that some jealous guy targets your life just because you are too talented.


    "Did you offend Victor or something?"


    Julia asked. Even so, it was weird for Victor to target Hiro''s life. She thought that Hiro might have some conflict with Victor, otherwise, Victor would not dare do what he did.


    Hiro would be drafted into The Authority once he was an adult. Victor was taking a big risk by trying to make The Authority his enemy.


    Usually, only the Dark Guild and Devil contractors would go against The Authority. It was normal for them to send assassins against Hiro and other people of The Authority.


    "I don''t! I don''t know why he wanted to kill me. Maybe someone told him to kill me!"


    Hiro answered. This was his first meeting with Victor, and he didn''t even know his name until he checked his phone for any clues about his sister. If not for his sister being kidnapped, he would have never even met that guy.


    "Have you offended anyone recently?"


    Julia asked. She wanted to try to pinpoint who was the real person behind Hiro''s assassination. Not only because she needed to take revenge but because The Authority agents are also asked to safeguard Hiro.


    "Recently?"


    Hiro began to think. His recent activity was mostly training in the dungeon, so there were only a handful of people that he met, much less offended. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he came to a sudden realization.


    "Professor William ..."


    Hiro muttered. The only one he could think of was Professor William with whom he had fought.


    "Professor William? That jerk?"


    Julia said not bothering to conceal her disgust.


    As a friend of Mia Frostine, she knows who that person is and she totally hates him. She thought that he was just a bug trying totch onto her friend. Professor William''s father, who worked for The Authority, was the only good thing about him.


    ".... It is possible that it is him."


    Julia said. Considering his past actions and behavior, she believed that if Professor William had a conflict with Hiro, then he would definitely try to take revenge.


    "However, we cannot be certain. I will investigate this incident properly and see who the real perpetrator is. You shouldy low for now."


    Julia said. As a person who worked for the intelligence department, she knows that information needs to be correct before one takes action. She asked him to refrain from doing anything to him until she found out.


    ( Don''t let me catch you! )

 Chapter 298: Investigation Behind The Kidnapping!

    -SHATTER!


    "USELESS! How can they be so useless?"


    Professor William screamed in anger as he threw his cup on the ground. He just got a report from his subordinate that Victor, whom he gave the order to take care of Hiro had just been killed.


    "Didn''t he say that he would easily take care of him?"


    Professor William was fuming with anger. He didn''t care whether Victor was killed or not but the fact that he failed to kill Hiro really made him angry.


    "Humph! A Rank-B with so many men could not even take care of a single boy. He was really better off dead than alive!"


    Professor William continued to curse at Victor.


    "Did Hiro Ernest do it on his own? Or has anyone helped him?"


    Professor William asked after his anger had calmed down.


    "Report to the Master! Julia Vaelin was the one to report the death of Victor. Her report stated that she had killed Victor in the offense of kidnapping her sister with evidence to back it up."


    The subordinate reported.


    They were not at the scene and didn''t know exactly what had happened. As all the people involved in the incident had been killed by Julia and Hiro, there was no one that they could find to know what had happened. They had to rely on the information that Julia brought back to The Authority.


    Julia had reported the incident to The Authority. She lied that she was the one to take Victor''s life in order to not alert the enemy as well as for them to underestimate Hiro. If others knew that Hiro could defeat a Rank-B Explorer, they might send stronger people after Hiro.


    For that reason, Julia decided to take Hiro''s credit in order to defend him. She also provided enough evidence to show Victor''s involvement in the crime which made The Authority understand her action.


    "How did Victor even end up kidnapping Julia''s sister? Did I not mention that he had to take care of Hiro or did he hear that I wanted to kill Julia?"


    Professor said that he could not handle the anger that was boiling inside. He thought that rather than doing what he asked, Victor was doing his own thing and provoking other people. He didn''t care that Victor was provoking Julia but the fact that he was focusing on other things when he specifically asked to kill Hiro was infuriating him.


    "It seems that Victor wanted to kidnap Hiros'' sister in order to lure Hiro. By coincidence, Julia''s sister was with her and they ended up getting kidnapped together."


    The subordinate answered.


    "Haha¡­ You mean to say that his n ended up inviting a Rank-A and he got killed as a result? Truly useless garbage!"


    Professor William yelled. If Victor was alive, he might have already been beaten to death by William. Professor William cannot tolerate how idiotic the whole situation was.


    "Hmm... how did the GreyRat guild respond?"


    Professor William asked. After having one of their guild masters'' children killed, he thought that the GreyRat Guild might have made some kind of trouble with Julia.


    "Aside from his parents, other guild members'' responses are quite weak. Many guild members felt that Victor deserved that and many top executives also n to not pursue the matter."


    Victor was truly a scumbag hated by his own guild members. He would use his position to bully others who were weaker than him and also make various troubles for the guild.


    Moreover, unlike Victor, his brother was good at everything and many support him over Victor. Now that thepetitor and the troublemaker were gone, they didn''t want to pursue the matter. He didn''t also contribute anything to the guild. He would rather spend his time partying than going to the dungeon with the guild.


    He was seen as a coward who had nothing to show but his rank. There was not a single person who would be sad even if he died.


    Moreover, with the evidence provided by Julia, there was nothing to me for her actions. GreyRat guild also does not want to get on the bad side of The Authority just because of Victor.


    So far, the only response that the GreyRat guild had was to send someone to apologize to Julia for Victor''s crime. Now, with Victor''s death, Professor William can''t rely on anyone from GreyRat to take care of Hiro.


    He needed to employ someone more capable than Victor to kill Hiro. Just because of Victor''s failure, Professor William was not about to give up on his revenge.


    "Haha¡­ You can thank your luck for now. Soon your miserable days will begin!"


    ******


    Hiro, Yui, and Elysia were back at Ace Academy without any trouble on the way. And after resting for the whole day, the next day they had to go back to school and continue their studies.


    Since the incident in the abandoned warehouse in StarCity was something that other people were unaware of, nothing was different in Ace Academy except that Professor William was suspended.


    Hiro''s fame once again skyrocketed due to the fighting between him and Professor William. A debate arose among the students about Hiro''s strength, which contested Rank-B. Many think that he has already reached Rank-B.


    Many students were d that Professor William got the punishment that he deserved. They were always ridiculed by Professor William and held grudges against him. However, due to his background, they could not do anything but endure.


    The school was also in full swing as Ace Academy was getting ready to test first-year students on their survival skills. Just like Hiro and Zero went through in their first year, Yui and Elysia had also gone through simr tests.


    While Hiro and Yui went about their normal lives, Julia returned to the abandoned warehouse to investigate the incident carefully. She appealed to The Authority for an investigation as she said that someone else was targeting Hiros'' life.


    As The Authority viewed Hiro as a valuable person, they were not reluctant to deploy some of their best investigators to investigate the case. Julia joined to help the team with the investigation.


    During the investigation, many clues pointed to Williams'' involvement in Victors'' crime, however, without conclusive evidence it is hard to pass judgment on him.


    Moreover, there were some members of the investigation team working for Professor William''s father who would constantly portray William as just a friend of Victor who is innocent.


    However, Julia, who suspected William to be the one behind Victor''s action, confirmed the truth. She only needed some evidence to confirm her guess. Even though the evidence was not enough to me William, it was enough to validate her guess.


    While she could not persecute William with those shreds of evidence, she could warn Hiro and also the other higher-ups about her spection. With her Rank-A strength and her contribution to The Authority, they would need to take her words seriously.


    Even if Professor William''s father is a top executive, they will watch William''s actions carefully and will not spare him if they get evidence that shows he was targeting Hiro''s life.


    Professor William, who had no idea, still continued to make ns on how to deal with Hiro.

 Chapter 299: Zero At Floor-15

    Meanwhile, in the Tower of Obelisk!


    [ "Ice Creation: Heavenly Spear" ]


    Using Ice Creation, Zero conjured multiple spears and hurled them at the enemies. He was on floor 15 and fighting Rank-C Trolls.


    A troll is arge, ugly, and brutish humanoid with an insatiable appetite for human flesh or other living things. They have rough, scaly hide, sharp teeth and ws, and a distinctive elongated nose.


    Trolls are also known for their regenerative powers, meaning that they can quickly heal from injuries and can be difficult to kill. Their regenerative power could even surpass that of the Devil though theycked the same amount of mana and could only use their physical strength to kill their prey.


    They are also pretty resistant to physical attacks making them a nightmare opponent for close-range fighters.


    Therefore, Zero used Magic Art to deal with these pesky opponents. However, weak magic was nothing for their defense and their regeneration power. So, Zero conjured a spear that directly struck their vital organs, head, and heart, instantly killing them.


    "I think that''s it for today! I better rest for tomorrow."


    Zero had been fighting with Trolls and other Rank-C monsters the whole day. He finally felt his limit and decided to rest.


    He could fight a few more fights but he didn''t want to take chances. There was also a chance that he might be attacked in the night, so he can''t be too exhausted.


    Zero took out his sleeping set as he made a huge Ice wall surrounding the ce to block off monsters. Zero carefully kept Lilith in bed.


    Lilith was still unconscious.


    Zero had tried to wake Lilith by transferring his Dark Energy to Lilith on Floor 10. However, despite having taken in the Dark Energy, Lilith was still unconscious.


    Zero checked whether there was a problem with his method but found nothing wrong.


    Lilith''s condition was normal and even her level of Dark Energy went back to normal. Her condition was better than before but she didn''t regain consciousness.


    Zero thought that it might have to do with Xalvar brainwashing Lilith. Lilith might be suffering some kind of mental disorder due to some kind of bacsh from what she had gone through.


    Zero was worried but was not anxious as he could see that there was nothing wrong with her. As long as she is given some time, she will wake up. Even if it was not by herself, Zero was determined to find healing potions that would heal Lilith.


    As he was in the Tower Of Obelisk where treasures of all kinds are spawned, he knew that he could get something that might help Lilith.


    Therefore, Zero continued to climb the Tower Of Obelisk with a new purpose as well as continued to train.


    In contrast to before, Zero was now not rushed to go to the next floor. He took his time as he explored each floor as well as searched for the treasures.


    Within two months in the Tower Of Obelisk, Zero was able to amass quite a few treasures. Despite this, he has yet to discover a healing potion that is effective for Lilith.


    His training was also going well. With the monster strength in Rank-C, they were difficult for Zero to handle. Of course, it was because he was not using his Dual Art and Dark Energy. However, he was able to finally rank up.


    [ "Status!" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: C


    Strength: C


    Speed: C


    Stamina: C +


    Mana: B -


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotions and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Proficient ]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using shadows.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    With his rank up, his strength and stamina stats had gone up. With him continuously training, it was no wonder that his stamina had be Rank-C +.


    Moreover, he also felt that his Shadow Style was going to have a breakthrough. The reason for that was that he was using Shadow Style most of the time to fight monsters. With continuous use of Shadow Style, it was finally going to be stronger.


    After his Shadow Style was leveled up, he was going to learn the movement technique from Shadow Style known as Shadow Dance.


    "Shadow Dance" is a technique that allows the user to gracefully move in and out of the shadows, evading attacks and striking quickly and silently. It was good for attacking as well as running away.


    There was also an attack technique that was used with Shadow Dance known as Nightfall Shackles.


    This technique would allow the user to control the shadow of their opponent, using it to restrict their movements and prevent them from escaping or attacking. The user could use this technique to immobilize an opponent, making them an easy target for a follow-up attack, or to keep them at bay while the user deals with other threats.


    With this anyone in his range, as long as they were weaker than Zero would be immobilized. This was simr to his Ice Ground technique but it was faster and enemies had less chance of escaping from the technique.


    Moreover, there were enemies that the Ice ground could not freeze such as Professor Mia who had high Ice resistance, and also those with Fire skills.


    Despite this, Shadow Genesis members do not consider this technique very useful. It was due to the huge amount of mana required to keep the opponent captured, as well as the fact that you cannot move when using the technique.


    Shadow Style was a swordsman style, and swordsmen have low mana, so they could not make good use of Nightfall Shackles. Therefore, even if the move sounded strong, it was not suitable for them. However, Zero with his B-Mana could make use of Nightfall shackles well.


    Anyway, he was looking forward to the day that he would be able to use those techniques.


    Zero decided to wait for his Art to level up before ascending to a higher floor. Floor 15 was ideal for his current strength and it would be tough for him to fight monsters on higher floors without any kind of breakthrough.


    For the next few days, the monsters on Floor 15 would tremble as Zero erased them from existence.

 Chapter 300: Shadow Style Proficiency:Expert!

    Zero spent the next few days honing his skills and mastering his Shadow Style. He spent hours each day practicing and experimenting, pushing himself to his limits and beyond.


    As he fought with the same monster every day, Zero was easily able to predict their attacks and counter them.


    As he gained experience and grew more powerful, Zero began to notice that the monsters on Floor 15 were no longer a match for him.


    Zero''s strength had grown to the point where he was able to take on multiple monsters at once and emerge victorious with ease.


    Zero had even defeated the Floor-15 boss monster which was War Troll. These trolls arerger and more powerful than regr trolls with tougher skin, sharper ws and teeth, and greater strength and endurance.


    Not once but twice, he defeated them and obtained the teleportation scroll. However, for the time being, he did not go to the higher floor.


    Finally, after spending days practicing his Shadow Style with Rank-C monsters, his Art had finally leveled up.


    Shadow Style Proficiency had been upgraded from Proficient to Expert. With it, he was always able to use Shadow Dance and Shadow and Nightfall Shackles.


    "Finally!"


    Zero eximed as he felt his sword being more familiar than before just like it was some part of his body. His swordsmanship has improved ever since he entered the Tower. Even without using his skills, he might be able to defeat someone of the same rank.


    Though that was just if he fought an average person rather than someone of Hiro and Lisa''s level. Nheless, his improvement was visible and he had be stronger.


    However, he knew that this was just the beginning and that there were many more floors and challenges toe. But he was ready for them.


    With his Shadow Style now at an Expert level, Zero felt a new sense of confidence. He knew that he had the power to take on stronger monsters ande out victorious even without using his Dark Energy and Dual Art.


    He decided to push himself even further and set his sights on Floor 20 by using only Shadow Style and Cryomancy Art. Note that the group of people from the Silver guild reached Floor 20.


    That means that Zero wanted to be powerful enough to fight a Silver-grade guild without using his trump cards. It was unclear whether he would be able to achieve such power, but he was determined to try.


    His next aim was to get familiar with his new techniques and try to improve his Cryomancy Art.


    Before he went to the next floor, he spent time training on Floor 15 with his new skills, fighting against tougher and tougher monsters, and experimenting with newbinations and tactics.


    ******


    [ "Shadow Dance!" ]


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    For the next few days, he was trying this new skill and tried to find the best way to make use of them with his existing fighting style.


    Shadow Dance was incredibly useful when dodging attacks. He was basically invulnerable against physical attacks though magic attacks would still damage him in that state. However, it was still useful for avoiding attacks since he would be faster in that state.


    It was also good when sneaking attacks. When in that state, enemies would seldom notice him and he would strike them from behind.


    Though, it took much of his mana. Zero could use Shadow Dance for only two minutes with his Rank-B mana capacity. However, even with these disadvantages, it was still a very useful technique.


    With the Shadow Dance technique, Trolls were absolutely no match for him. Trolls relied mostly on their physical strength andcked mana. Zero could use Shadow Dance to avoid their attacks while striking them at their vitals.


    The Trolls that gave him trouble on his first day at Floor-15 were no match to him with his Shadow Dance.


    There was also the Nightfall Shackle which he incorporated into his fighting style. He would use Nightfall Shackles to bind enemies, however, he would also be immobile when using them.


    However, that was not a problem as he could use Cryomancy Art and defeat the enemies.


    Zero would first make the enemies unable to run, and after that, he could either use Ice Shard or Ice Creation to attack the enemies. However, the amount of mana needed to keep the enemy bound was huge.


    If he wants to keep one Rank-C Troll bound with Nightfall Shackle, he would need to spend all his mana to keep him shackled for two minutes. If it was to keep 10 Rank-C Trolls captured, he would need to use all his mana to keep them bound for 10 seconds.


    However, Zero found it incredibly useful despite its mana consumption. Most of the time, enemies would have no chance of escaping from this technique and he could finish the job with his Cryomancy Art.


    Though due to the huge mana consumption, he decided to use it rarely or when needed. He needs to increase his mana capacity in order to be able to use Nightfall Shackles whenever he wants.


    "Time to go to floor 16!"


    Zero had already prepared all he needed for floor 15 and was now ready to take on floor 16. Before going, Zero transferred some Dark Energy to Lilith to check whether she would show any reaction.


    As Zero transferred the Dark Energy to Lilith, he watched her closely, hoping to see some kind of reaction. But there was no reaction and she remained motionless and unresponsive.


    "Looks like it did nothing!"


    Feeling a mix of disappointment and determination, Zero decided to focus on his next challenge, floor 16. He stepped onto the teleportation portal, ready to face the stronger enemies thaty ahead.


    Zero explored the ce trying to survey the area and see what type of monsters are there on Floor 16. Zero fought against hordes of monsters and encountered stronger and more powerful enemies.


    While the enemies were not vastly stronger than Floor-15, the number of monsters that Zero encountered had increased. He asionally encountered arge number of Orge, Orcs, and Trolls.


    There were also Silver Wolves withrge packs of wolves but aside from theirrge number, they were weak. Compared to Trolls and Orcs, they were weaker and would only be food for other monsters.


    -SIZZLE!


    Zero had just finished exploring for the day and was preparing for dinner. He had set up a small campfire and was cooking some of the meat he had collected from the monsters he had defeated. As he tended to the fire, he heard a faint noise behind him.


    He turned around to see Lilith, who had been sitting motionless for so long, slowly beginning to move. Her head turned towards the fire, and her eyes seemed to follow the movement of the me. Zero watched in amazement as she slowly reached out her hand toward the fire.


    "Lilith?"


    Zero called out softly, not wanting to startle her.


    She didn''t respond, but her hand continued to reach out toward the me. Zero got up and walked closer to her, his heart racing with excitement. As he reached out to touch her hand, she suddenly pulled it away and looked at him with wide eyes.


    "Lilith, can you hear me?"


    Zero asked softly, his voice filled with hope.


    She didn''t respond, but her eyes remained fixed on him. Zero felt a lump form in his throat. He was not sure what she was trying tomunicate, but he knew that she could recover.


    As Zero sat beside Lilith, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement and hope. He had seen her react to his presence and movements. It was a small step but it was a step in the right direction.


    As he finished his meal, he continued to talk to her, trying to get some kind of response from her. He asked her questions and waited for her to nod or shake her head, but she remained emotionless, like a robot.


    Despite herck of emotional response, Zero was determined to keep trying.


    As the night went on, Zero noticed that Lilith was starting to respond to his words. She would move her head or arms when he asked her to.


    However, Zero could see that Lilith had not regained her consciousness. Her behavior was simr to the time he fought with her. Even though she could move, she was just following hismands. However, rather than Xalvars''mand it was hismands that she is following now.


    He spent the rest of the night talking to Lilith, trying to get her to respond to him. And as the night went on, he saw her responding more and more, her movements bing more fluid.


    As they settled down for the night, Zero felt a sense of hope and excitement. He knew that it would be a long journey, but he was determined to help Lilith regain her consciousness. And he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.

 Chapter 301: Training In Darkness

    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    [ "Ice Shard" ] ...


    Zero continued his training as before. He was fighting with the monster with his Cryomancy Art, in hope that it would also breakthrough as the Shadow Style.


    Though Zero knew that Cryomancy still had to be trained for a long time before he could breakthrough to Expert Level.


    "Phew! It is not easy defeating such arge number of monsters. Did any monster harm you?"


    Zero asked Lilith. Though he didn''t get any kind of response from her which was normal.


    Lilith was awake and was able to move. Even though she was awake and could move, she would only do that at themand of Zero.


    Even with Lilith awake, nothing much seemed to have changed for Zero. He still needed to train and find a treasure that wouldpletely heal Lilith. His goal still remained and he was determined to achieve it.


    One thing that changed though since Lilith woke up was that Zero didn''t need to look after her as much as before.


    This allowed him to fight more freely without having to get worried about Lilith nor did he need to carry her when moving from ce to ce, allowing him to explore the ce faster than before.


    Zero only needed to give hermand to protect herself from monsters and any monsters approaching her would be instantly killed. Despite not using skill and technique, the monsters on Floor 16 were simply not a match for a Rank-A Devil.


    However, that didn''t mean that Zero was getting help from Lilith to fight monsters. He would always kill any monster that tried to attack Lilith before she did anything.


    This was his training. He didn''t use his Trump card or put himself in dangerous situations for the sake of getting stronger. Getting help from Lilith would defeat that purpose.


    Soon he encountered the boss monster on Floor 16. He tried to sense their number and strength as he quietly hid behind the trees.


    Even though he didn''t try to find it intentionally, he encountered it while exploring the floor. The boss monster was a Rank-C + Orc Lord with several Orcs guarding him.


    As Zero encountered the Orc Lord and his guards, he knew that this would be a challenging battle. The Orc Lord was a powerful monster with high defense, and he had several Orc guards with him. But Zero was confident in his abilities.


    Moreover, monsters on Floor 16 were starting to be easy for Zero. Even though he thought about training for a little longer, since the opportunity came itself, he nned to defeat the boss monster and go to Floor 17.


    [ "Shadow Dance"]


    Zero merged with the shadow and sneakily moved toward the Orc Lord. Neither the Orcs nor the Orc Lord had any idea about Zero intruding into their ce. The Orc Lord was stillzily sitting on his bone throne, not aware of Zero''s presence.


    As soon as the Orc Lord was in his range, Zero charged toward the Orc Lord, his sword ready to strike. He was going for an instant win.


    !!!


    The Orc Lord was startled by the sudden appearance of Zero. He tried to grab his ax to defend against Zero''s attack. However, he was slower than Zero and could only resist the attacks with his body.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Zeronded a series of powerful strikes on the Orc Lord''s body, but it didn''t seem that it was enough to kill him. Zero''s attack was enough to kill a Rank-C + person or seriously injure a Rank-B -, however, it didn''t seem to have much effect on the Orc Lord.


    The Orc Lord let out a roar and swung its ax, but Zero was able to block it with his own sword. Zero backed off a few steps in order to avoid getting caught in the Orc Lord''s attack.


    With an Orc Lord''s roar, the Orcs nearby were notified of the intruder and instantly made their way towards Zero to deal with him.


    The Orc guards moved in to attack, but Zero was able to handle them easily. He used Ground Freeze which froze all the guards. With them no longer having the ability to resist, Zero easily took them out.


    The Orc Lord, seeing that his guards were defeated, grew angry and more ferocious. He swung his ax wildly, but Zero was able to dodge and block his attacks with ease. Zero knew that he had to be patient and wait for an opening.


    Normal attacks would only agitate the Orc Lord and were not enough to kill him. To get past the Orc Lord''s defense and defeat him, Zero needed to focus his attack on his vital organs with his full power.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The Orc Lord swung his heavy ax and attacked. The power behind each swing would be enough to cut a building in half but Zero easily took his attacks. Zero also had Rank-C + strength and with his Rank-C + stamina, he had no problem continuing to defend against such fierce attacks.


    -BAAANG!


    Finally, the Orc Lord made a stronger strike than usual which Zero dodged. The Orc Lord''s ax became stuck in the ground, leaving an opening on his left side.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    Zero saw his chance and took it,nding his most powerful strike on the Orc Lord''s chest. The Orc Lord let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground, defeated.


    With the Orc Lord defeated, Zero had cleared Floor 16. He could continue to train here and ascend to the next floorter but since there was no formidable enemy left, he decided to challenge Floor 17.


    The environment here was also something that he was used to. Forest areas weremon and he didn''t want to waste his time training in the same ce. He wanted to fight against a new enemy and a new environment.


    Zero collected the loot from defeated monsters and treasure chests. The treasure had great items, even containing Rank-B artifacts. Though none of it was better than what Zero was already equipped with.


    After taking all the valuables, Zero used the teleportation scroll and a portal appeared.


    As Zero stepped through the teleportation portal to Floor 17, he knew that he was in for a tough battle. He had trained hard to get to this point, but he knew that the monsters here would be much more powerful than anything he had faced before. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the challenge ahead.


    - SWUSH!


    -THUD!


    As soon as he got on Floor 17, Zero was immediately struck by the change in the atmosphere. The air was thick with a sense of danger and the floor was shrouded in a dark, ominous fog that obscured his vision.


    This was the first time that he had fought in this kind of environment where light is almost non-existent.


    Though with his enhanced sense, he was able to see well, not very clear but enough to see where he was walking.


    Zero knew that he had to be on his guard at all times if he wanted to survive. He made his way through the dark fog, his senses on high alert. He could hear the sounds of monsters lurking in the shadows, but he didn''t let it intimidate him.


    The first monster to appear was a giant spider, its body covered in thick, ck fur. Zero could see glowing red eyes staring at him from the darkness. He didn''t hesitate, and charged toward the monster, his sword ready to strike.


    The spider was fast, but Zero was faster. He dodged its attacks with ease andnded a series of powerful strikes on its body. The spider let out a screeching noise, but Zero didn''t let up. He continued to attack, until finally the spider fell to the ground, defeated.


    As he progressed further into the floor, he began to encounter more and more powerful monsters. They were unlike anything he had ever faced before, with sharp ws, powerful jaws, and deadly venom.


    But Zero didn''t back down. While the monsters were powerful and possessed many poisons that could be deadly, Zero was able to quickly take care of them without getting poisoned.


    Even if he got poisoned, he could slow it down with his Ice Magic and he also carried plenty of antidotes in his Spatial Ring. Therefore, he was not afraid of poison though he made sure not to get hit by it.


    Zero continued to make use of the unfamiliar environment of Floor 17 to further train his fighting style. He wanted to be able to fight like normal even in ces where his vision is obstructed.


    No matter the environment, as long as it was something that he was not used to, Zero was determined to spend time there and get used to it.


    So that when he needed to handle an enemy in such a ce, he would not be at any disadvantage. He wanted to be able to disy 100 percent force at all times.


    He decided to stay on Floor 17 until he got used to the Darkness.

 Chapter 302: Training To Become Stronger!

    As he spent more time on Floor 17, Zero began to adapt to the darkness and the unfamiliar environment. His senses became even more finely tuned, and he was able to move through the fog with ease. He could sense the monsters before they could even see him, and he was able to strike them down before they even knew he was there.


    As he grew more ustomed to fighting in the dark, Zero began to explore more of Floor 17, delving deeper into the dark and foggy depths. He faced giant Vampire Bats with razor-sharp ws, giant scorpions with deadly venom, and even a giant serpent that could swallow him whole. But no matter what the monster was, Zero was able to defeat it with ease.


    Anyway, Floor 17 was no joke with various monsters specializing in poison attacks. Zero would get poison now and then from such monsters. However, most poison would be frozen and expelled before it even goes into his body.


    It was also not the mostfortable floor for him to rest. The floor rarely ever changes and seems to be in eternal darkness. There was no morning or night and Zero would rest when he felt tired.


    However, resting in such a ce was not easy with many monsters disturbing his rest. With darkness being their home, they could sneak attack whenever they like.


    It was by far the most difficult floor that he encountered. This ce was not suitable for a human to live in at all. However, Zero was determined to ovee this weakness and be a person proficient at fighting in the Dark.


    As time passed, Zero becamefortable fighting in the dark. Even with his vision gone, he was able to use his other senses to find monsters and sense their movements. Due to being poisoned multiple times, his resistance to poison also seemed to have increased.


    He has also fought with the Boss Monster of Floor 17 which was a highly toxic Poison Slime. Poison Slime which was Rank-C + is considered really hard to defeat, especially for non-magician.


    Slime is a monster who is almost immune to physical attacks, and Poison slime which is made up of poison would melt any weapons and shields that he touches. It is an absolute nightmare for knights and swordsmen.


    However, Zero had an easy time killing the Poison Slime with his Cryomancy Art. His Magic Art could block any slime bomb that he threw and he could easily destroy the slime''s body after freezing it.


    Moreover, Poison Slimecked the intelligence to keep subordinates and would fight alone. As long as one knew a strong magic skill, taking care of Poison Slime was a matter of time.


    After killing Poison Slime, he got a teleportation scroll and various other artifacts. However, Zero still continued to stay on Floor 17 as he adapted to that environment.


    Eventually, Zero felt that he had learned all that he could from Floor 17. He had be as strong as he could be, and he was ready to move on to the next floor.


    ******


    Tower Of Obelisk, Floor 18!


    As usual Zero was defeating monsters left and right. He would only stop when he reached his limit, otherwise he would continue to fight monsters.


    "How many monsters did I kill today?"


    Zero''s kill count could be in the hundreds of thousands. Some of the weaker monsters would even run away from the killing instinct that they felt from Zero.


    With his killing instinct, he even felt that he would scare away humans with his constant presence among monsters.


    Zero wondered whether he would even be able tomunicate with humans after he leaves the Tower. The only one who he could talk to was Lilith, however, as she would not respond to his talk, there was ack of truemunication.


    It had been so long since he began climbing the Tower. He no longer remembers when was thest time he saw another human as his days were filled with fighting monsters.


    However, his hard work was getting paid off. Now he could easily use his Cryomancy Art along with Shadow Style as if it were one Art. His control of mana has be very good and he has no problem using his skill at any time with its maximum power.


    Despite all the benefits, he could not help but miss his family. However, he didn''t have time to be sad as he knew it was all for his peaceful life. He hardened his resolve knowing that the future was filled with danger.


    If he wanted to protect his family and let them live a peaceful life, his only option was to get stronger.


    With that in mind, Zero began to once more take on monsters with his sword. There was going to be another bloodbath today!


    ******


    His fight with monsters for the past few weeks had not been easy.


    After he had reached Floor 18, he began meeting Rank-C + and Rank-B - monsters. It was difficult for him to defeat Rank-B without struggling as he held himself back.


    In previous battles, most of the time he could easily overpower them due to his superior stats. Even when surrounded by 20 monsters, Zero used his skills to defeat them easily.


    However, it was different on Floor 18. Monsters stronger than Zero began to appear and sometimes even in groups which gave Zero a lot of trouble.


    The number of injuries on his body kept on increasing. Luckily he had many healing potions with him. He kept on challenging them without using his Dual Art even though he knew it would be easier to defeat them with Dual Art.


    Zero gritted his teeth as he battled a monster whose strength overpowered him. He had toe up with various ns in the middle of the fight as well as find their weaknesses, in order to defeat Rank-B - monsters.


    Since his stats were lower than those monsters, he needed to make up for them with his intelligence.


    Floor-18 was by far the most efficient ce for him to train. With monsters whose stats were equal or higher than him, he needed to rely on his experience and technique to defeat the enemies.


    It might even cost him his life if he made a mistake, but that was what made it worthwhile. With all the experience he was gaining, he knew if he faced stronger opponents in the future, he would be able to handle them.


    Finding his own weakness and strength, making up his weakness with his strength allowed the difference in stats to decrease. This helped him understand how to cope with stronger opponents while being weak.


    As a result of training on Floor-18, he eventually ranked up.


    [ "Status"]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: C +


    Strength: B -


    Speed: C +


    Stamina: C +


    Mana: B -


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style proficiency: Expert]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Proficient ]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Practitioner]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    His strength and speed were upgraded with the rise in rank. With his increased strength of Rank B -, it became easier for him to kill those monsters on Rank-B - but they were still stronger than him.


    Even with his experience, he would sometimes find himself in tough situations. However, he fought the monsters and continued to temper his skill.


    As Zero continued to battle the powerful monsters on Floor 18, he began to notice a change in himself. His reflexes were sharper, his movements more fluid, and his mind was able to think faster and more strategically. He was bing a stronger and more skilled warrior with each passing day.


    He was also learning to better control his emotions, and to think more strategically in the middle of a fight. He was learning how to better use his environment, and to take advantage of the weaknesses of his opponents.


    Despite the challenges and injuries, Zero was determined to push himself to the limit. He knew that the only way to be stronger was to face tougher challenges, and he was willing to put in the work.

 Chapter 303: Training To Become Stronger! [2]

    Around the same time, humans around the world were preparing for the big war that was going toe. Small skirmishes happen all the time at the border between human and devil''snds.


    Other races had also noticed the pending tension between the two species. Devils and humans made up the majority of the Eds poption, but there were also Eleves, Dwares, and other species which, in total, equal the poption of humans.


    While the Devil was hated by other species that dwelled on the continent, however, they didn''t think well of humans as well.


    Humans had a tendency to betray their own race and join the Devil. It is even possible for humans to betray their own race, and other races cannot trust such races. Many Devil Contractors had also killed many Elves and other species causing them to feel hatred towards humans.


    In the past, they had also waged war against each other due to resources, so the current rtionship between humans and other races was not good at all. Other races deemed the human race the same as the devil.


    Nheless, they didn''t intend to interfere with the current situation. A war between the devils and humans may be what they desire. With two major races at war, it could inevitably lead to a decrease in their power.


    The Authority was recruiting many Explorers to work as soldiers. The guilds were obligated to send some of their members to serve in the military in an emergency, such as a war.


    The big guilds were exempt from such obligations since they would be neededter in the war when the big battle took ce. While unfair strength was what mattered and a strong guild was not something that people from The Authority can order easily.


    ******


    The Ace Academy continues its normal operation.


    Even though the wars were inevitable, students were not allowed to join the war. Upon graduation, they might, but before that, they are kept out of wars.


    School jobs were to nurture future heroes who would be able to help them in the future. For this to be true, Ace Academy''s teaching had be much more strict.


    asionally, students would need to fight with professors in groups. Team works were essentially in conquering dungeons as well as when taking part in the war. Moreover, Devils were more like humans, therefore it was more efficient to train by fighting with professors rather than mindless monsters.


    On that day, the session also took ce.


    Depending on the strength of the person, the professor would separate the students into groups and fight against them. The number of students in each group was 5.


    Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha who are ranked at the top-5 were ced in one group and were arranged to fight against Professor Mia.


    While it might seem overkill for the students to fight Professor Mia who is in Rank-S, it was not. Each of them was talented and had grown beyond anyone''s expectations.


    Hiro was currently in Rank-B -, while Lisa, Sylvia, and Zion were in Rank-C +, one step before reaching Rank-B -. Misha who was the weakest among them was also in Rank-C +. With such students working together, average professors were not strong enough to teach them.


    -WHAM! -POW!


    "Ack!"


    Currently, those talented students were getting their asses beaten by Professor Mia. Normally, some Rank-A professors would have taken care of them but based on their strength, Professor Mia decided to step in herself and fight with them.


    She, as their ss teacher for Hiro and others, was more knowledgeable about their power than other professors. She knew that they could easily defeat Rank-B professors and there was also a chance of Rank-A professors being beaten.


    Even if the Rank-A professors were not beaten, he would have a hard time fighting with them. Therefore, she thought that she should go and fight with them.


    In this fight, they were not only trying to increase the teamwork of the students, but they were also trying to teach them that there is always someone stronger than you, so one should always proceed cautiously. To teach them the danger of war and let them experience power simr to those strong devils that would be participating in war, professors had to step in.


    During the Devil invasions, many students lost their lives because they overestimated their power and tried to fight the devil instead of retreating. They need to teach them the difference between being reckless and being courageous.


    Still, it was total overkill for Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha to confront Professor Mia. There was a vast gap in abilities between them and Professor Mia.


    However, they were not the ones to give up easily. Even in training such as this, they make sure to give their 100 % with the aim to win.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Sovereign Will" ]


    An elegant strike that carried the aura of a king. It had an imposing power that forced the opponent to kneel down and receive the attack.


    However, this kind of force was not strong enough to affect Professor Mia. She easily dodged Zion''s attack and with a flick of her finger, sent Zion flying back.


    -THUD!


    "Damn It!"


    Zion cursed as he struggled to stand. He was extremely frustrated at how all his attacks were blocked by Professor Mia.


    ( So this is the real power of Ice Enchantress! )


    Zion thought frustrated at the result.


    One of his objectives, when he was a kid, was to surpass Professor Mia and take the title of number one genius. But now that he got the opportunity to fight her, he could tell that he still had a long way to go.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: StarFall" ]


    They didn''t stop their attack with Hiroing right after Zion. Hiro also used his most powerful attack just like Zion. As they knew their opponents well, holding back would only hurt them.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    Professor Mia stood calmly as she conjured an Ice Spear.


    With the Ice spear, she blocked the iing attack from Hiro. Even though Hiro was using an A-grade artifact and StarFall skill, his attack came to a halt when it shed with Professor Mia''s Ice Spear.


    -BANG!


    Same as Zion, Hiro was also flung back with her fingers. Professor Mia''s one finger was enough to knock him out.


    Hiro was surprised to see that Professor Mia, who is supposed to be a magician, has strength equal to that of a warrior. He could see the gap in strength between them that could not be filled even if he used System power.


    [ "Thundering ze!" ]


    Lisa immediately attacked Professor Mia.


    ck clouds started forming as they continuously fired off the lightning at Professor Mia. Not only that,


    [ "Moonlight Radiant Arrows" ]


    At the same time, Sylvia also fired off her attacks. Combining it with Lisa''s Thunder attack, the number of attacks on Professor Mia was in the hundreds.


    Professor Mia was caught between multiple attacks from Thundering ze and Sylvia''s arrow, however, she easily dodged their attacks as she slowly made her way toward them.


    "Seriously!"


    Sylvia said as none of her attacks hit Professor Mia. She had worked her ass off and reached Rank-C + which only talented people reach when they graduate.


    Her attacks were precise and quick and even Rank-B Explorers would not be able to dodge them. However, Professor Mia was not hit even a single time by her arrows, making her feel discouraged.


    "Now!''


    Lisa said.


    Professor Mia had gotten close enough and Lisa predicted that Professor Mia''s next target was her. She quickly spoke to Misha who was preparing for her attack.


    "Here I go!"


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" ]


    Misha charged in Professor Mia''s direction. Bedonna Dance is the strongest move that she could use right now. It is not only powerful and destructive but also deadly due to the toxin released.


    However, it takes quite a while for her to charge the attack and it also takes a ridiculous amount of man from her.


    It was all worth it, as she hit Professor Mia with this. The chance of them winning increases as long as Professor Mia gets poisoned and bes weaker.


    Misha made her way toward Professor Mia who was busy dodging Lisa and Sylvia''s attacks. However, even when Misha approached her, Professor Mia didn''t seem to be bothered by her.


    [ "Ice Wave" ]


    As soon as Misha was in her skill range, she used her skill Ice Wave.


    She saw through their n and also analyzed the Misha attack. She could not let Misha''s attack seed by freezing her.


    Though even if she got hit by Misha''s attack, she would still not lose but she can''t have Misha think that she could seed in her attack.


    With this one move, she froze Misha who was charging at her. With all the closebat knocked out, Lisa and Sylvia didn''t have any chance to resist Professor Mia''s attacks.


    This happened again and again. Hiro and others refined their n and dealt with more powerful attacks. However, they still failed tond a single blow on Professor Mia.


    It was not like their ns were bad or that theycked teamwork.


    This was simply the result of Absolute Strength!

 Chapter 304: Training To Become Stronger! [3]

    These training sessions happened almost every week and students were made aware of their weaknesses and how to deal with strong enemies.


    They were getting stronger at a ridiculous pace, however, nonepared to the growth rate of Hiro and his team.


    Hiro and others are alwayspeting with Rank-S opponents and one mistake would cause them to get knocked out. Therefore, the rate of mistakes made by them greatly decreased as they trained with Professor Mia.


    While they could obviously not win against Professor Mia, they did get better andsted more rounds as the training went on. Though it was all because Professor Mia had limited her strength.


    If she used her Ice Pce or simr skills, they would notst one second against her. But that didn''t mean that she was going so easy that they were able to think that they could win. She always showed an overwhelming difference between them.


    However, they didn''t just learn from studying at Ace Academy. They also went to conquer dungeons which enabled them to gain a lot of treasure and also get stronger. They were now having an easy time conquering Rank-B dungeons.


    The speed at which they conquered also was insane, bringing the attention of other explorers who couldn''t help but admire them. Because of their kind nature, they also end up helping the explorers who are having trouble in the dungeons.


    Whether it was saving the Explorers from monsters or lending potions, Hiro didn''t hesitate to help anyone and this led to his image being favorable.


    Anyway, the training was not the only reason for their growth. Enemies also helped them grow stronger.


    People from the Dark Guild and some Devils had attacked Hiro and his friends. Usually, it would be when they were in dungeons. Infiltrating Ace Academy had be increasingly difficult, and it was not like they could kill Hiro even if they seeded in infiltrating with all the S-Rank and A-Rank professors.


    It seems that the Dark Guild gotmissioned for killing Hiro and the reason for attacking Hiro seemed that the rewards are good. While there may be other reasons, however, from the information gotten by the assassins, they were just targeting them for rewards.


    Hiro was not the only one. Many talented people from the human domain were being targeted by Dark Guilds. It seems that with the waring, Devils and those who have a grudge against certain people aremissioning Dark Guild to kill them.


    The rewards are good and with the conflict between Devils and Humans, The Authority and the guilds have ack of people to guard against such attacks.


    Devils had also ced prizes for taking the head of Hiro. Hiro was already targeted before by them and he still seemed to be on the top list of kills.


    However, unlike before it seems that they could not afford or may not be able to invade like before. While the reasons were unknown, Hiro did seem to be the target of the Devils during their invasion.


    But such an attack of such scale didn''t happen again. Only one or two Devil Contractors woulde together to capture Hiro. At least for now, there was no big invasion likest year.


    Though obviously, all such attempts ended in failure as Hiro along with his allies would always win one way or another. They even ended up winning against a group of assassins who had a Rank-B Explorer from the Dark Guild.


    With each incident, Hiro and his friends emerged stronger. Enemies just be the Exp for Hiro and others to grow stronger.


    Their exploits were also reported by Media. Media is always keeping track of such incidents and they would always praise Hiro and hail him as the talent who may end the war between Devil and Humans.


    As they grew stronger, Hiro and his team also gained more respect and recognition from their peers. They were admired for their courage and determination, and they were respected for their skill and power. They also gained the trust of professors, who recognized their potential and saw them as future leaders.


    They spared no resources in helping their students grow, particrly Hiro who had the potential to reach Rank-SSS. However, even with them giving their best, it felt like they had to do more. Not only because of their past failure but because of the war which would eventually recruit students.


    To discuss this, Ace Academy held a meeting consisting of senior professors.


    "The war is approaching, and we need to change our curriculum to better prepare our students for the dangers they''ll face."


    The Vice-Principal stated.


    "I couldn''t agree more. The Authority is stretched thin with war preparations and our students need to be ready to defend themselves and their homes."


    Professor Theo added.


    Professors began to propose many ns, however, it didn''t strike to Vice-Principal as anything revolutionary or something that they should do. Others were good ns but the cost was high such as giving potions to students and longer training time.


    It was all an okay n but the Vice-principal was looking for something and expected one of the professors toe up with such ns.


    "I propose we start incorporating more practical training and missions into our curriculum. We can have our students help The Authority and also help them gain experience through certain dangers."


    Professor Mia proposed. As the youngest of the senior professors, Professor Mia''s ns were seen as something new. Though if it was on Earth, such a thing would be called an internship.


    Anyway, such things were not done before. Professor Mia was able toe up with such a n as she had a hard time when going directly to studying to only defeat monsters to being told to do other things such as infiltrating enemy bases and guarding people which is normally not taught in school.


    She thought real experience should be given to students before they graduate. They could learn in school what they need and what theyck.


    "That''s a great idea. It would not only prepare our students for the war, but it would also give them real-world experience and earn them some extra rewards and money."


    The Vice-Principal said finding the idea excellent. He was just looking for such a fresh idea and was genuinely happy to hear Professor Mia''s proposal.


    The Authority is busy with the preparation for war andcks people for certain jobs, and for that reason, Ace Academy could provide students to help The Authority with their jobs which also double down as training for the students.


    Since it is a dangerous time, and danger is what students would face and Ace Academy also would like them to be prepared.


    "Though we have to make sure that the missions are not too dangerous for them to handle. It''s important for them to be prepared but also safe."


    Professor Mia said. Looking for the opportunity to make students stronger was good but that didn''t mean that they should send students to risky jobs.


    A few jobs that students could do and gain experience would include guarding certain areas with Rank-D monsters, inspecting ces that are not too dangerous, and conquering dungeons of Rank-C and D that are about to erupt.


    Most professors were favorable to the changes while some others who didn''t want to work extra didn''t agree. However, in front of an overwhelming number that supported the idea, they were ignored.


    Since this n was selected, the Professor began to add details and search for jobs that they could give to students.


    "I see the benefits. The students would be well prepared for the war and would have a sense of responsibility and motivation."


    One of the professors said as he read through the ns carefully.


    Rewards and money forpleting missions could also be given to students, increasing their motivation of students. They can also learn about the various work that people do and help them expand their horizons.


    "Let''s bring this proposal to the headmaster and see if we can get it approved."


    The Vice-Principal said after thinking carefully.


    "Sounds good. The sooner we implement this change, the better prepared our students will be."


    "Agreed. Let''s get to it."


    Professors said as the meeting came to an end. With their decision, some changes were going to happen to Ace Academy


    All in all, Ace Academy nned to raise its students'' level.

 Chapter 305: Ace Academy Theat!

    Principal gave the green light immediately after the Vice-Principal discussed the n. There was no reason to deny as it seems to carry many benefits to the students.


    However, such reasons were not seen by other schools.


    They simply took the opportunity to further condemn Ace Academy who was already getting enough criticism from media and people alike for their failure during Devil''s Invasion.


    They wereughing at Ace Academy''s new method of training by saying how inefficient and a waste of time it was. Rather than doing such jobs, they feel that students should focus on ranking up quickly.


    Higher the rank, stronger the students. There was no need for other factors when one''s rank was higher than the other.


    As for the experience, they believe that it would be sufficient from the training that they give and there is no need to send students to dangerous missions until they graduate. They didn''t see the benefit of expanding students'' horizons either nor how it could help students decide which things to specialize ording to their future jobs.


    Rather than implementing changes, other schools were still with their same old curriculum. They think that what they are doing is fine for students even if they are to be sent to war. Strong will survive and weak will die, and that is all that they know.


    They think that the failure of Ace Academy was solely because Ace Academy was ipetent. If such an incident happened to them, they thought that they would easily ovee it.


    Some of the schools went even extra miles by also using Ace Academy of forcing students to earn money for the schools. They thought that Ace Academy was trying to introduce such a learning method simply to earn more money as well as to not teach the students.


    They also used Ace Academy of trying to please The Authority by using the students. The Authoritycked people and they thought that Ace Academy was trying to butter up.


    The schools that have enmity with Ace Academy such as Arcane Academy spared no chance to defame Ace Academy as much as possible. They also tried to appeal to The Authority to close such academies who bring harm to students and try to profit off the future heroes.


    Students from other schools who were once a part of Ace Academy also took the opportunity to mock the students for being stupid. When they decided to go to another school, many called them cowards and how they were just running away.


    However, they didn''t care as they feared their lives being in danger. They don''t care what others think of them or whether they would be deemed as words as they transfer to another school.


    However, this incident gave them an opportunity for them to fight back against their former school mates. They called them stupid as they supported such idiot schools who failed to protect their own students.


    Of course, the media will also miss the chance of criticizing Ace Academy as everything rted to Ace Academy is sure to get high views.


    While one criticizes, others try to be analytical ande up with the reasons for Ace Academy action. However,pared to people condemning Ace Academy, people trying to side with Ace Academy were only a drop in a bucket.


    Even with all this criticism, Ace Academy continued to try their new method in hope that their students would be able to grow stronger than before.


    However, because of being seen as inferior by other people, many students of Ace Academy protested against this. Most students from Diamond and Gold graded backgrounds simply could bear to work at the same level asmon people.


    They found those jobs to be humiliating, even though they might have to do that some days. However, they felt that those low-level jobs were not to their standards.


    The Ace Academy Professor had no choice but to keep those students from such sessions. Oblivious that Ace Academy were doing this for their own good, those students felt that they were exempted because of their influences and power.


    Ace Academy already had their hands full, and if certain people dislike what they are doing, they have no regrets in giving up on them. Ace Academy professors believe that talent and background are secondary to hard work.


    Many of them have alsoe to this level because of hard work and they know how important hard work is for growth. If students don''t want to, then they could simply keep them out. This was mainly done for them after all.


    However, many students were excited to be given such an opportunity. Some students had never been able to properly go on real dungeons due to restrictions such as level and money needed. But now that the Ace Academy was helping, they had no problem.


    Some were also excited by the fact that they were going to keep the rewards for the mission assigned. While many students from a good background were able to afford into such a school, many took loans and were short of money.


    Such opportunities were a blessing to them.


    Hiro, Zion, Lisa and Sylvia also have no problem with such an arrangement by Ace Academy. They had already been going to the dungeon during free time, and the Ace Academy decision only helped them.


    Lisa and Sylvia were looking forward to other missions that were assigned. They wanted to know more about the jobs that they would need to do in the future.


    Ace Academy was happy for such students. Despite being under constant threat by other people, they did what they needed to do.


    Ace Academy was having a huge problem as they were threatened to get closed because of how negative people''s opinion was about the school. Last year already, with Devil''s Invasion, Ace Academy would have been closed because of students dying in the campus.


    The only reason that Ace Academy were spared even after having lost many students during Devil''s Invasion was because Ace Academy won thest Tournament and because of an invasion involving high rank devils.


    With Number 1 academy gone, it would be a huge loss of morale for many people. And The Authority has many people who studied in Ace Academy and supports it.


    However, Tournament Of Academies was once again approaching and if Ace Academy loses, many expect that with so many factors against Ace Academy, they might need to face being closed.


    Arcane Academy who has the most enmity against Ace Academy wereughing as they prepared to eliminate their enemy once and for all.


    Last year, they tried to turn the tables by employing various tactics and underhanded methods which were exposed. They faced a penalty and The Authority had taken most of their resources as punishment.


    This time they were prepared to have revenge with more preparation than ever.


    Ace Academy was also aware of that fact. It was their fault that humanity had lost many talents and also know that their mistakes are being forgiven because they simply were the best.


    When that title is taken, they would be on fire with multiple guilds and other academies pressuring them to close off.


    However, they were not afraid at all. They were confident that this year, they were going to win as well.


    They believe that their students have grown beyond anyone''s expectation. Not only did they have Hiro and Zion but other strong students who would easily have been the Ace of their academy. It was not just any school but Top-5 school aces.


    Students such as Lisa and Misha were already on level of some of the Top-5 Academies aces. With such a lineup, Ace Academy professors were confident in winning.


    Moreover, the objective of introducing the new learning method is also because they want to strengthen the students. They believe that their students would once again help Ace Academy bring back the glory.


    With all the criticism, Ace Academy students worked hard at the missions that were given to them. For the first few days, not much had changed but after weeks of such a session, good changes were brought to Ace Academy.


    First of all, experience was the biggest gain from all the jobs that students had taken. Guarding people which they would need even in war as they might need to protect mage while fighting enemies.


    Conquering dungeons which are obvious jobs of many Explorers and many more. Students also began to find the necessary skill that they might need for the jobs that they want to do in future.


    All in all, Ace Academy was going in the right direction.

 Chapter 306: Ace Academy Threat! [2]

    In terms of resources, none of the other schools couldpete with Ace Academy. Ace Academy came first in thest Tournament Of Academies and won rights over many resources.


    They easily spend many resources in order to reward the students with good achievements. They had no problem going overboard with their rewards.


    As the days went by, the time for the Tournament Of Academies was getting closer than ever.


    Ace Academy had its selection of participants for the Tournament Of Academies. As before, they had a big mass elimination match, keeping only about 100 students.


    Then based on their strength, they are separated into 10 groups, so that strong students would not face each other. 2 students from each group would be selected as the participant in the Tournament Of Academies.


    Ace Academy''s selection was as fierce as always with many showing incredible potential. However, only 20 students were to be selected.


    Naturally, Hiro, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, and Zion were selected. They were all separated from each other and had won in their respective group.


    Yui and Elysia had also been selected, though barely. Yui was in a group with Misha and lost to her in the final while Elysia was with Zion where she was easily defeated in the final.


    Unusual thing was that the least number of participants were from the third year. It was not that Ace Academy''s third-year students were not talented or that the professor''s teaching wascking but because many talented third-year students had run away to other schools.


    After the Devil''s Invasion, most of the talented students from third-year decided to run away to another school. The reason was of course because of safety but there was another reason and that was that their juniors were more powerful than them.


    Many could tell that they would have no chance against their juniors and they would lose their qualification to participate in the Tournament Of Academies. As the final-year student, it would be theirst chance to appeal to a high-ranking guild and if they were to lose that chance, they would either need to join a low-ranking guild or work in some mediocre ce.


    As talented students, they don''t want that and choose to transfer to another school where they would have a greater chance of being chosen as participants in the Tournament Of Academies.


    Despite Hiro and their generation being called the Golden Generation, other students of the same year were not as powerful as the students from Ace Academy. This was the reason that they decided to move to another school. At least at the other academies, they would get the chance to participate in the Tournament Of Academies.


    In any case, that was not going to change the power of Ace Academy participants. It was already revealedst year that Ace Academy''s main forces were Hiro and other first-year students at that time.


    Even though Lisanna and other third-year students were there to help them, Hiro and others didn''t fall behind them even though they were just first year at the time. They already showed that they were capable of taking the geniuses in their first year.


    Now that they were second-year, no one doubted that Ace Academy aces would be them. However, other schools were not going to just admit their defeat and let them win easily.


    *****


    Other Academies were eager to take on Ace Academy and take the title of the best school in Eds. Defeating Ace Academy which had been undefeated for decades would be the greatest achievement for any school.


    However, none of the schools were as eager to dethrone Ace Academy as the former Top-5 Academy. They had been stripped of their title as Top-5 Academy and their resources were reduced due to Ace Academy kicking them out of the Tournament.


    Zero, himself took out most of the aces of former Top-5 academy out of the tournament. If he were to participate this year, they might have tried everything to kill him.


    Well, Zero was not there and it was known to other schools as well. Therefore, their focus was on Hiro Ernest, who is their biggest enemy to dethrone Ace Academy.


    "As nned, we are going to eliminate Hiro and Ace Academy and im back our position as the Top-5 Academy."


    The Ace of Arcane Academy, Landon Wright said. He is one of the strongest from Arcane Academy and the leader to carry out the n to defeat Ace Academy.


    He gathered every academy participant who was working with them to eliminate Ace Academy. They discussed various tactics to take out Ace Academy and their primary target was Hiro who was their biggest obstacle.


    They also had an advantage due to many students fleeing from Ace Academy. They could gather as much intel as they want from the former Ace Academy and learn the power of Ace Academy.


    "Hey, Ren Dreyar, you should give us more intel."


    One of the Arcane Academy students said angrily.


    Ren Dreyar, the former number one student in the second year of Ace Academy transferred to Arcane Academy because he felt that he was being shadowed in Ace Academy by Hiro.


    In the Last Tournament Of Academies, even though he was one of the geniuses and strongest in his year, he didn''t get a chance to showcase his talent. Everyone was only talking about first-year students of Ace Academy, especially Hiro Ernest.


    Hiro even hailed as being stronger than him which infuriated him. However, the reality was that Hiro was indeed stronger than him and he could not defeat him at that time. That''s why he transferred schools so that he could defeat Hiro and show the world that he is the one who deserved to be called the number one genius.


    Even though he had greater strength than Landon Wright, he was treated badly by other fellow students because he is from Ace Academy. Arcane Academy hates Ace Academy more than anything. Because of Ace Academy, None of the Arcane Academy students made it to even Top-10 in thest Tournament Of Academies and lost a lot of resources.


    Ren Dreyar being a former Ace Academy student meant that hatred is being given to him. He is only allowed to participate as an Arcane Academy student because his strength was the real deal.


    "I already told everything that I know."


    Ren replied. Despite the student''s rude tone, Ren didn''t show any emotion on his face and casually replied.


    He was focused on only defeating Hiro and iming what is rightfully his. He didn''t care what others thought about and even if they had problems with him, the reality was that they could not defeat him.


    Ren Dreyar only thought of them as insignificant people who can''t do anything but scheme. He thought that he didn''t need to rely on anything other than strength to achieve what he wanted. Anyway, since his goal was also to defeat Hiro, he didn''t mind what they were doing and going along with it.


    "Humph! Pretentious bastard!"


    Said one of the students from Arcane Academy. He was angry at Ren Dreyar because he didn''t respect Landon Wright and also because Ren Dreyar was more valued by the professors at Arcane Academy.


    "You are just a coward who fled because of Hiro Ernest. Don''t think you are anything special."


    He continued.


    "Hah?"


    Ren Dreyar didn''t care much about him but told him that he was scared of Hiro crossing the line. He immediately ced his hand on his sword.


    "Okay, Okay! We know that Ren is a former Ace Academy student. But he is now, one of our own and helping us defeat Ace Academy. We should treat him with respect."


    Landon told, trying to defuse the situation. It is not that he respects Ren or anything that he told that. He would also like nothing more than for the Ace Academy students to suffer even if they had transferred schools.


    However, he did that because many of the participants are former Ace Academy. The image of one of them being bullied would not be good for their cooperation and the strength of former Ace Academy students is also great.


    He knew that he would need their cooperation in order for his n to seed. Therefore, in order to leave a good image to the other former Ace Academy student, he did that.


    And it worked!


    Many third-year students abandoned Ace Academy and came to other schools and became participants for their school. As the students of Ace Academy, they were stronger than other school students and could easily qualify to be participants for the school.


    However, this caused anger from the students who failed to be participants for the Tournament Of Academies. They would always berate them and call them cowards and betrayers.


    Seeing someone who defended one of them, they felt more inclined to help Landon Wright with their n.


    Well, even if he didn''t do anything like this, they would have cooperated with him though. They also endured all the humiliation because they wanted to show the world how strong they were.


    They can''t wait to wash away the humiliation that they faced!

 Chapter 307: Motivating the Participants

    That day, participants from Ace Academy were to move to the location of the tournament.


    Hiro and others came together and they could already see other participants waiting for the professors to arrive. Sylvia excitedly went forward and shouted.


    "Yosh! Let''s win this!"


    Sylvia greeted the other participants with all her enthusiasm.


    ...


    "Okay!"


    One of the students replied. Contrary to the excited mood of Sylvia, the other participants were rather gloomy.


    "What''s up with the atmosphere?"


    Sylvia asked confusedly. She thought that like her, everyone would be excited for the biggest event of the year for a student.


    It was the time for them to depart for the Tournament Of Academies. Usually it was the time of the year where students of Ace Academy participants would be hyped.


    It was not only an opportunity for Ace Academy students to showcase their skills but also a ce where they would be revered by many. The fact that they finished first at thest Tournament Of Academies would garner a lot of support for them.


    However, rather than the excited atmosphere that was expected, many seemed to be worried and unusually tense. In contrast to the atmosphere of the champion, this was a very different atmosphere.


    "It must be the media attacks that have made them gloomy."


    Lisa answered.


    In recent days, many media outlets have been busy defaming Ace Academy and talking about how their privileges and resources should be revoked. There was also much news defaming the participants of Ace Academy, just like how some news reporters did to Zero.


    Professors of Ace Academy already were aware of the dirty trick that their rival school was ying. They knew that others were doing everything that they could to put more pressure on Ace Academy.


    However, despite their best effort, the number of news outlets defaming Ace Academy was only increasing. The rival school seemed to have poured in a lot of money to let the media defame them.


    Nobody would like their name to appear in the media just to get cursed at by other people for absolutely no reason. This was the reason why participants were not at all happy even though it was time for the tournament.


    They know what is waiting for them is curses and booing from the audience. They had already got lots of negativements and messages on their TwitFlick ount.


    Moreover, it is the first time for many participants to participate in the Tournament Of Academies. Which made them unable to cope with the situation they were ced in.


    It was only Hiro and his group who were already used to such a situation that were not affected by the news. They already know there will be lots of bugs buzzing around before the big tournament.


    Last year also, manypared the strength of Omar Noel with Hiro and Lisanna. There were many talking about how Ace Academy was going to lose their position as the number one academy.


    However, all of that would disappear instantly if you showed your strength in the tournament. All news channels kept their mouths shut after Zero and Ace Academy beat other Top-5 schools.


    However, it does not look like the newbie understood that and was affected by what they heard.


    "Hiro, everyone is feeling unrest. How about you say something to motivate them?"


    Keiran appeared and asked Hiro. Along with him was Maximus, the strongest of the current third-year students. With Ren Dreyar gone, Maximus took the title of the strongest in third year while Keiran was crowned second.


    Actually, it should be the work of third-year students to pacify such an atmosphere and motivate the juniors who are going through it for the first time. However, more than seniors, Keiran and Maximus thought that it would be more effective for the strongest to give a motivational speech.


    Hiro is known not only as the strongest in Ace Academy but also considering all other schools. As with every year, the rankings were announced this year, and Hiro had been named the strongest student.


    It was reasonable considering the result that he gotst year. Hiro was just one rank short of bing the winner of the tournament. There was no doubt that he was going to be named the strongest that year.


    Hiro agreed with Keiran''s suggestion and stepped forward.


    "Everyone, listen up! I know the recent news has got us all worried, but we can''t let that affect us. We''re the best of the best from Ace Academy, and we''re here to win this tournament. We''re going to show everyone what we''re made of, and show them that Ace Academy is still the top academy in the country."


    Hiro is also tasked with leading the Ace Academy participants. As the strongest, he was given the role of leader.


    Hiro continued, "And to all the new students participating for the first time, don''t worry. This is a normal thing before any big tournament. They''re trying to put us down, but we''re going to prove them wrong with our skills. So let''s show them what we''re capable of and make Ace Academy proud."


    The participants nodded, slowly gaining back their confidence.


    "Yeah, let''s show those bastards who we are!"


    "Humph! They only know how to spread lies using the media. I am going to shut their mouth with my sword." ...


    Lisa added, "And remember, we''re all here for each other. If you''re feeling nervous, just talk to us. We will be there for you all the time."


    Looking at the opportunity that Lisa spoke of, participants'' mood immediately brightened, especially boys. Lisa, who is the prettiest in the whole school and also known as the goddess, for them to get an opportunity to speak to her was a god given chance.


    Some had already nned to act weak and take the chance to talk to Lisa. While others thought that acting weak would be embarrassing in front of the goddess.


    After the speech, the participants were no longer that nervous. Knowing that they had Hiro and their group supporting them, and it was not any other students, it was Hiro and their group who ranked in the Top-10 of the Last Tournament Of Academies, which made them feel relieved.


    As long as they had them, they didn''t think that Ace Academy was going to lose. Last year, against all odds, Ace Academy ranked first. They thought that it would be no different this year.


    Moreover, unlikest year, Hiro, Zion, Lisa and Sylvia were more powerful. They can''t phantom anything that could stop them.


    This year, most of the participants were from second year.


    There were only 2 participants from Third-year who were Keiran and Maximus. From second-year, there were 15 participants and from first-year there were three participants.


    First year participants were Yui, Elysia and Hannah. It is incredibly rare for a first year to participate in a Tournament of Academies.


    Last year was a special case with more than 6 students participating from first-year. It was only because of how strong Zero and others were that they were selected. However, usually there would be none from the first-year. This shows how talented people who are selected as participants in their first-year were.


    Yui Ernest had defeated many seniors from both second year and third year to get selected as a participant for the Tournament Of Academies. Same was the case for Elysia and Hannah.


    Hannah''s personality was worst but her power was high. Despitecking fighting experience and techniques, she could overwhelm her opponent with her stats and mana. Well, she was also lucky that she didn''t run into any strong enemies and got qualified.


    Her already inted ego gotrger because of that. She started to brag about her participation any chance she came along. Though she would scorn at the fact that Yui and Elysia were also selected.


    Hiro walked over to his sister and asked,


    "Yui, are you feeling nervous about the tournament?"


    His sister nodded.


    "Yeah, a bit. I''m not used to performing in front of such a big audience."


    Yui Ernest would always try to hide and avoid the spotlight. She hates nothing more than standing out.


    Because people were jealous of her, standing out would only create more problems for her which made her avoid standing out.


    As such, participating in an event where the whole world is watching was a little nerve wrecking for her. Herfort was that her brother and friends were there with her.


    Hiro put a hand on her shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, we''re all here for you. And you''ll do just fine. Trust me!"


    Sylvia chimed in, "Yeah, and we''re all in this together. If you need anything, just let us know."


    Yui smiled, "Thanks guys, I feel a lot better now."


    After talking with Yui, Hiro went around and helped anyone who seemed nervous. Soon the professors in charge of participants came and it was also the time to move to the ce of the tournament.


    "Alright, let''s get on the bus and head to the tournament. We''ve got apetition to win!"

 Chapter 308: Luminia City

    All the participants and professors slowly boarded the bus.


    Some were nervous even after Hiro''s speech though there was also a trace of excitement. With all those emotions, the participants were set to make a name for themselves.


    Unlike students, most professors felt confident about this year''s tournament. Even with all the nder against them and knowing that there would be a lot of enemies waiting for them, they were not that nervous.


    They knew the level of their students better than anyone else. They could only say that the batch of participants that they have this year is the strongest that they have had in their history.


    Evenst year when the odds of winning were low, they managed to win. Not to say that this year, they had stronger participants.


    Even if other schools had strong participants, they didn''t think that it would beparable to theirs. They were positive about their students, more so about Hiro and his team.


    Hiro was ranked B and Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia were all ranked C +. Such a lineup was too dominating for the Tournament Of Academies. All four together would make it to the Top-5 of the tournament in terms of strength.


    Even if other schools had schemes likest year, the Ace Academy professor believes that victory would still be theirs.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    "Listen everyone! This is it! The moment we have all been waiting for! Let''s show everyone what we are made of and bring home the victory! Many people are waiting to see us fall. Let''s show them why we are the number one Academy!"


    Professor Theo shouted, raising the spirits of the participants.


    This year, the professor responsible for the participants was Professor Mia Frostine. It should normally be her job to give a speech but since she was not good at riling emotion, she gave this job to Professor Theo.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The participants apuded and they soon settled down.


    Just like any other year, participants each had a mentor who would train them. Each mentor gave their disciple advice and also discussed some strategies.


    Last year, Professor Mia was the mentor for Zero. However, this year she didn''t pick anyone. The reason was that she didn''t find any particr participant as interesting as Zero and she also had no free time.


    Being Rank-S, she was asionally called by The Authority to discuss the ongoing conflict with the Devils. While she was a professor, as Rank-S it was her privilege as well as her responsibility to attend such meetings.


    Moreover, being the professor in charge of Ace Academy participants for the Tournament Of Academy meant that she had to make sure that they win thepetition. As such, she needs to research and find the strength and weaknesses of their opponents as they strengthen their participants.


    Professor Mia sat in an empty seat and looked at some data on herptop. She also didn''t think that there would be any problem winning this year''s tournament. However, she needed to make sure not to make any mistakes.


    Students asionally nce in her direction. Despite being at Ace Academy and seeing her often, they can''t help but admire her appearance. The title of ''Most Beautiful'' wasn''t just some title; she could manage to catch anyone''s attention right away.


    She was as beautiful and famous as ever, whether at school or outside of it. Even her fellow teachers respected her and found it an honor to work with her.


    Not only was she very beautiful, but she was also a perfectionist at her job. She was someone that many people admired.


    On her unofficial fan page on Twitflick, the number of people joining was already in the millions. Her poprity can''t be less than those of the top stars in the entertainment industry.


    However, with her cold demeanor, many find it hard to get close to her. Any hooligan who tries to take advantage of her would be dealt with by her Rank-S power.


    Students as well as other professors had to show their best behavior in her presence.


    Despite her intimidating demeanor, she was known to be fair and just in her dealings with students. She did not tolerate nonsense or mischief, but she also did not punish students unnecessarily. Her strictness was only matched by her unwavering devotion to her students and her school.


    Soon, the bus started to make its way toward the location of the tournament. This year the ce to hold the Tournament Of Academy was Luminia City. It''s a vibrant city known for its shining lights and bustling energy. It is a hub of trade andmerce, attracting merchants and adventurers from all over the world.


    The students were buzzing with excitement as they made their way to a different city. As a ce for trade, there were many students who couldn''t wait to go shopping and explore the city.


    The distance of Luminia from Ace Academy was not very far and could be reached in three hours.


    Although not very far, it took quite a while to reach. After quite some time, the students'' excitement died down and they became bored of sitting. Many had already started to sleep.


    *****


    Soon enough the city of Luminia was in sight and students became excited. Even the students that were asleep woke up to look at the new scenery.


    The bus approached the outskirts of the city, and students could see tall buildings and bright lights in the distance. The city was bustling with activity, and students could feel the energy even inside the bus.


    "Look! It''s the Ace Academy Bus!"


    "They have finally arrived! I was expecting them!"


    As soon as people spotted the bus, they knew that Ace Academy participants had arrived. They had seen many schools arrive and were also expecting Ace Academy. However, unlike other schools where they give little to no attention, Ace Academy was different.


    "I still think that they are going to win this year!"


    "Aiya! What do you know? Most of their seniors had left school. Even their top students had transferred. How can they win?"


    "Humph! What do I know? Don''t you know Ace Academy still has Hiro? He was one of the strongestst year. Even without their seniors, I think that he, alone, could beat other students easily." ¡­


    There was a lot of excitement to see them and there was also a lot of discussion surrounding Ace Academy''s performance in the Tournament Of Academies.


    Many were influenced by the media and felt that Ace Academy was not doing a good job teaching students. Mostly, the new learning method of Ace Academy was criticized and many felt that instead of doing their job, professors at Ace Academy were trying to make money without working.


    Also, the fact that third-year students mostly went to other schools was known and people felt that Ace Academy would lose because of that.


    As third-year students would be the strongest because of age and experience. With Ace Academy losing many third-year students, people felt that Ace Academy''s power had decreased considerably and they would lose the tournament.


    Nheless, there were also many people cheering for Ace Academy.


    "Ace Academy, Best Of Luck!"


    "I know you would still be the champion!"


    "The Number One School!" ¡­


    As the best academy in the world, Ace Academy still had prestige and fame. Even with many people denouncing them, their brilliance had not faded at all.


    Among doubt and cheers, the student felt encouraged by people''s cheers. They felt overwhelmed by the poprity of their school.


    Boosted by the people''s cheers, they were determined to prove once again who was number one.

 Chapter 309: Ace Academy, The Number 1 School!

    As they entered the city, they were greeted by a grand entrance, with ornate arches and beautiful gardens on either side. The streets were lined with vendors selling food, trinkets, and other souvenirs. The students were in awe of the vibrant city, and many of them couldn''t wait to start exploring, well that was after thepetition had ended.


    The bus finally reached its destination, a grand hotel in the heart of Luminia City. Right next to it was the big stadium where the tournament would be held. They could also see many students from different schools.


    They seemed to have already arrived.


    As with other people, the students also began to discuss as they saw Ace Academy. Ace Academy was the target of many schools as they also wanted to win the tournament.


    They were also jealous of Ace Academy who enjoyed the resources given to them.


    "Look, they have finally arrived. Humph! I can''t wait to see them lose."


    "Haha¡­ I heard the professors talking about how Ace Academy had lost most of its talent. This year, we are finally going to see a different champion."


    "We are going to win no matter what!" ¡­


    The students carried many opinions. Even those in favor of Ace Academy felt that the odds were against Ace Academy with all the incidents happening.


    The Devil''s Invasion not only killed the students from Ace Academy, but many also quit after the Devil''s Invasion. Now Ace Academy, which was once the leading school in the nation, has decreased its student number by almost 30 percent.


    However, that didn''t mean that they were underestimating Ace Academy. They had seen the prowess of Ace Academy and knew how strong Hiro and others were.


    Nheless, they knew that losing students like Ren Dreyar would have impacted Ace Academy. Even if Hiro was powerful or the strongest, Tournament Of Academies was not a solo event.


    If thatpetition were simr tost year, then other schools would gang up against Hiro. Even if Hiro was strong, they don''t believe that he could defeat hundreds of them alone.


    The bus came to a stop as they reached their destination.


    Professors and students began disembarking from the bus. Quite a lot of people were paying attention to them.


    Some professors and students from Ace Academy were no less than idols.


    "It''s Hiro Ernest!"


    "WOW! He really is handsome."


    "He is also powerful. He is ranked the strongest in this tournament."


    ''Damn! He is both handsome and strong. I cursed him to lose in the first round." ¡­


    Quite amotion was caused when Hiro disembarked. Most people knew who he was and how he looked. Their professors had also warned them about him and they had also seen him fight in a previous tournament.


    Though some students came to greet and talk to Ace Academy students including Hiro. They were some students that they had made friends with in previous tournaments.


    However, most refrained from approaching Ace Academy students. Ace Academy was ostracized by other schools and they didn''t let it happen to them.


    Another reason was that there were participants who were previously from Ace Academy. They had abandoned Ace Academy to participate in the Tournament of Academies. They were quite ashamed to face them.


    As Ace Academy students were usually more talented than other schools, they were able to participate inpetitions.


    "Look, isn''t it senior Ren Dreyar?"


    One of the Ace Academy participants said as he pointed toward him.


    "Oh, it is really him!"


    "How dare he show his face in front of us? Doesn''t he feel ashamed of jumping ship?"


    "Look, he is even walking towards us."


    At that moment, Ren Dreyar was on his way to Hiro. He didn''t care what others said about him. He only had one goal in this tournament and it was to defeat Hiro and show everybody who is more talented than the two.


    "Hey, Ren, why did you leave Ace Academy?"


    It was not Hiro but Maximus who asked when Ren approached Hiro.


    "Oh, it''s just little Maximus. The one who couldn''t even keep up with me at Ace Academy."


    Ren said. When Ren Dreyar was in Ace Academy, he would always win against Maximus and was the strongest for the past two years.


    "Huh? What did you say?"


    Maximus was angered by Ren''s words. He was prepared to brawl with Ren Dreyar. They were ssmates once but they were not in a good rtionship even then. Seeing him act high and mighty even now got on his nerves.


    "I see that you haven''t changed, Ren. Still trying to prove yourself to others."


    Keiran stepped in and stopped Maximus from moving. He could not let Maximus go on a rampage and damage Ace Academy''s image. Moreover, Maximus was weaker than Ren.


    "Prove myself? No, I''m here to show everyone that I''m the better one. You are just a coward who just gave up."


    Saying so, he moved towards Hiro. He had no interest in people that he had defeated countless times. Keiran also didn''t say more. He already had an idea why he hade here.


    "Hiro, you were always the one who was praised by everyone and hailed as the number one genius. But now, it''s time to show who the real genius is. The one who truly deserves the title of being called a genius is me. Let''s see if you''re still called the number one genius when I defeat you.``


    Hiro remained calm and collected despite Ren''s provocations. It was not a new thing for others toe and challenge him.


    "Traitor!"


    "Coward!"


    "Go back to your own school and hide there!" ¡­


    However, other students were provoked by Ren. Not only did Ren betray Ace Academy, but now he came to challenge their Ace. It was not sitting well with many of them.


    ( You transferred to another school. We will not say anything about that but now youe here and provoke us, acting high and mighty! You are just a coward who was scared of Hiro and ran. )


    Many Ace Academy students had such thoughts.


    Ignoring the bystanders'' yelling, Ren Dreyar stared hard at Hiro.


    "We will see that in the Tournament."


    Hiro replied. His reply was neither humble nor arrogant.


    Ren Dreyar turned around and went back to the hotel. Students nearby watched all this happen with excitement. It was no new thing for students to challenge each other, just that this time it was a former Ace Academy student vs the ace of Ace Academy which was interesting.


    Not long after Ren Dreyar left, another wave of noise was heard.


    "Wow!"


    "I can''t believe it!"


    "Seeing it in real life is a hundred times better than seeing it on TV!"


    "Truly deserving of her title" ¡­


    A biggermotion than Hiro''s entry happened when Professor Mia came out. Beauty will always be the talk of the town and Professor Mia was exactly that. As long as she appeared, people couldn''t stop talking about her.


    Many were instantly enchanted by her face. Others who were bad-mouthing Ace Academy also stopped and paid attention to her.


    Along with Professor Mia, there were other female participants from Ace Academy who were all beautiful. Seeing such things, male students can''t help but be jealous of Ace Academy which harbors so many beautiful girls.


    One thing that everyone had to admit was that in terms of beauty, Ace Academy was really number 1!

 Chapter 310: The Day Before The Tournament

    Amidst the bigmotion, the staff of the hotel came out.


    "Wee to the Luminia Grande Hotel"


    The students were greeted by staff who led them to their rooms. While some stayed behind to enjoy the scenery of Luminia City, many went inside to check their rooms.


    As the best hotel in Luminia City, every room was very high-ss and something that would normally cost quite a hefty amount of money to book. However, as the number 1 school, Ace Academy had no problem sponsoring such a thing.


    Inside each room, there were luxurious,fortable beds, spacious balconies overlooking the city, and modern amenities.


    The students settled in, and most of them chose to rest for a bit on their soft beds. Others wandered around the new location and took a look around the hotel.


    As the hotel rooms were booked by various schools, they could see many students wearing different school dresses.


    Not every school had a good rtionship with another. Even if there was no animosity between schools, some participants still harbored grudges against participants from other schools.


    As such, there were many small skirmishes happening in the hotel. This also applies to Ace Academy participants. Not only did it apply but it seems that most people arguing with other participants were from Ace Academy.


    Some were issuing real challenges while others were provoking and belittling them. However, the participants involved were not at the level of Hiro or Ren nor could that cause as big amotion as they.


    However, it appears that many students from other schools have joined hands and have targeted Ace Academy. This is because they always seem to provoke Ace Academy participants. While Ace Academy participants were furious, they didn''t make a big deal out of it and chose to endure it.


    The reason why they chose to not confront their enemies was that the opponents provoked them in groups. If things got physical, they would suffer. They could beat one or two of them but their group consists of 6 to 8 students. Moreover, since they don''t have any intention of attacking, so if they are physically attacking first, they might be penalized by the tournament''s authorities.


    The second reason was that many such incidents were happening all around. They could see that many of their peers were also arguing with other participants. They realized that they were targeting them and trying to provoke them into attacking them. They were not stupid enough to get trapped in their trap.


    The third reason was that there was no need to respond to such low-level provocation. They were determined to show them their ce in the tournament rather than bickering with them. As such, they began to ignore those hostile students.


    However, not every participant was hostile toward them. There were some students who were friendly with them and appeared not to have joined forces with their enemy school.


    They spent their time talking to them and getting to know each other. While they would bepeting with each other, that didn''t mean that everyone had to be hostile like Ren was to Hiro. Most participants preferred to create a harmonious rtionship with each other.


    Before they knew it, it was time for dinner. They gathered in arge dining room, where they were served a delicious meal.


    Luminia Grand Hotel was already full of prestigious schools, and they were all gathered in this dining area for dinner. Students kept their best behavior and even those students who were previously provoking Ace Academy in the afternoon didn''t pick a fight with them.


    The primary reason seemed to be because of the presence of many professors as well as the people who would be administering the tournament. If they caused a problem in front of the tournament administrator, they might kick you out before the tournament.


    As a result, it seems that the enemies of Ace Academy will refrain from provoking them for the time being.


    The dinner was quite good. Professors from different schools seemed to be mingling and chatting with each other. Some students were sneakily analyzing the other participants from other schools while others were busy eating the huge feast in front of them.


    As the night drew to a close, the students made their way back to their rooms, exhausted but happy. There was still one day before the tournament started.


    Students were free to do anything except create problems and be back at the hotel by 6 pm. As for the discussion and strategy about the tournament, they had already done that at school.


    Further strategies would only be made when they knew the rules of the tournament tomorrow. As for today, they were free to do anything that they wanted.


    For most participants, it was their first timeing to Luminia City. They began to explore the ce with excitement. Even those who had been to the ce before were happy to go shopping.


    Luminia City specializes in trade and has many things to offer. Many things are avable in Luminia including various artifacts and Art books. Students wandered around trying to find something that might help them with tomorrow''s tournament.


    As tomorrow was the day of the tournament, the streets of Luminia were filled with people. Many people had already arrived in Lumina City from various ces in order to witness tomorrow''s tournament.


    Though most of them were rtives of participants. Even Zero''s parents were also in Luminia City right now. They were there to support Misha along with Misha''s parents. The expectations for Misha were high and they believe that Misha has the chance of getting into the Top-10 rank.


    Last year, Misha surprised Misha''s parents by not only getting selected for the Tournament Of Academies but also ranking in the Top-100. Although the Top-100 does not sound impressive, one should know that Misha was a first-year student, which is rare in itself.


    Misha''s parents believe that she has a good chance of being in the Top-10 since she is ranked Rank-C. In the tournament, being in rank C - already means that you have a high chance of being Top-10, not to mention Rank-C.


    Last year, barely 4 participants'' ranks were more than Rank-C. Therefore, they believe that their daughter would be likely to get into the Top-10.


    Top-10! This rank would be extremely good to get for Misha. Not to mention, getting it in the second year. Their guild SilverSong had someone who got into the Top-10 in Tournament Of Academies, not to mention someone who is just in her second year.


    However, while optimistic about their daughter, they can''t be sure. Mostly because it was not an individualpetition and had to also do with the power of their school.


    With a worrisome news scandal, the third-year students abandoning Ace Academy and transferring to another school, many people were not optimistic about Ace Academy winning this year''s Tournament Of Academies. They believed that the strength of Ace Academy would surely be decreased after all those events.


    People can''t help but be worried about the current situation of Ace Academy, especially those who support Ace Academy.


    Will they be okay without third-year students?


    Would they win with most of their experienced students going to the enemy camp?


    Will Ace Academy finally lose its crown as well as its qualification to teach?


    They didn''t know but they could only expect some miracles from the Ace Academy participants in tomorrow''s tournament.

 Chapter 311: The Tournament Of Acadmies Officially Starts!

    The day of the tournament.


    Thousands of spectators flocked to the Luminia stadium to watch the Tournament of Academies. The favorites to win were Ace Academy, Arcane Academy, and Demacia Academy.


    The point to note was that Arcane Academy and Demacia Academy were both stripped of their titles as Top-5 schoolsst year. With both of their top students suffering at the hand of Zero, none of their participants advanced to the next round topete where Top-10 participants were ranked.


    However, even with such an ident, people didn''t think that Arcane Academy and Demacia Academy were weak. Their participants in the tournament are included in the Top-10 list of those most likely to win.


    Furthermore, their other participants have been highly rated by people and have aplished impressive things. But the biggest reason why people watching the tournament thought that they were likely to win probably has to do with the media who were spreading the news about Arcane Academy and Demacia Academy''s strengths.


    They might have someone helping them since a lot of news bragging about Arcane Academy participants began to surface while at the same time, many news denounce Ace Academy.


    However, such lowly tactics were not enough to change the view of many people who still believed that Ace Academy would win. People who had seen Hiro and other Ace Academy participants perform inst year''s tournament would know how strong Ace Academy was.


    They believe that Hiro and other second-year participants fromst year''s tournament will be stronger this year. They believe that Hiro, who was already incredibly strongst year, will be able to get the crown this year.


    Discussions about the winner were already discussed before the entrance of the participants.


    "Who do you think will win this year?"


    "It should be Hiro, right? He was alright and on the verge of winningst year. With thest year''s champion, Lisanna, gone he should win."


    "Idiot! What do you know? This is not an individual fight. If Hiro manages to survive until the individual battle, he might win. But other students will certainly eliminate him before that. Not to mention that Landon Wright is the leader of Arcane Academy." ¡­


    Intense debates about their predictions were happening everywhere. Hiro was the favorite to win but at the same time, many felt that he would be targeted since he was hailed as the strongest. However, there were also others who analyzed that the probability would be lower since he would get targeted by other students.


    Moreover, Landon Wright, while still strong, is not known for his raw power. His fame was mainly because of his intelligence. The talent toe up with various ns and use others to solve the situation quickly is his main strength.


    They believe that due to his intelligence, he would already know that eliminating Hiro is the key to victory in this tournament. As for the other participants from Ace Academy, even though they were ridiculously strong, not many were discussing them since Hiro would always overshadow them.


    Audiences had filled the stadium to the brim. Even though there was still time before the tournament, people were already seated at their ces. Even though they were just waiting for the tournament to start, the atmosphere was already very lively.


    As the clock hit 9:00, participants from various schools entered the stadium. Joining them were the apuse and cheers from the audience.


    "Ace Academy!"


    "Arcane Academy! Arcane Academy!"


    "Hiro-Sama!"


    "Sylvia Chan!"


    "Landon Wright! Bring the crown home!"


    "dehaven Academy!" ¡­


    Participants walked amidst the cheers of everyone, some were nervous while others were excited. Only those who had already participatedst year were nonchnt with victory as their only aim. They were not affected by the crowd''s excitement.


    Leading the participants was Ace Academy followed by other Top-5 Academies. Students at Arcane Academy and Demacia Academy who were in the middle of the line gritted their teeth as they red at Ace Academy. They med them for making them lose their position as a Top-5 academy.


    After a short time, the guests for the Tournament of Academies arrived. This time, it was S+ Rank, Kaida Darkfire, also known as The ck me Of Destruction. One of the most powerful in S rank. Her attack is a ck me with a very wide area of effect and contains destructive power, hence her title.


    However, even though she was well known and strong, she was still pale in front ofst year''s guest who was a SS Rank Hero who is on the Top-10 strongest list. Most of the time, SS Rank would show up as a guest at the Tournament Of Academies.


    This year, all SS-Rank Heroes were caught up in the conflict between Devils and Humans. They had no time to attend the tournament, hence the guest for this year was one of the prominent S-Rank heroes.


    Despite that, the audience was not that disappointed. Even though getting to see famous heroes was interesting, the main thing about the tournament was still thepetition between the students.


    As long as they could get to watch intense battles, they would not be bothered by who the guest was. Moreover, the ck me was not a bad choice for getting selected as a guest.


    "Hello!"


    Kaida stood in front of the crowd and began her speech which consisted of her expectations and hopes. Then she began telling the rules of the tournament.


    "This year, the first round will be ''Race across the Beast''. Every participant needs to race from Luminia Stadium to Demonwood Forest and retrieve their token. The first one hundred participants who brought the token would advance to the next round. However, there was no fighting in the city. Fighting will only be allowed in the Demonwood Forest. Those who fail to adhere to the rules will be eliminated from the tournament."


    Participants from the same school were already discussing the n. It was very rare for there to be a tournament where the main focus was not fighting. While fighting was not forbidden, the main thing was to be fast.


    Flying would certainly be the best technique for this round. However, that kind of skill was impossible for students to possess. Flying is an advanced technique mainly used by Rank-S. While some A-Rank magicians could do it, it was only for a short period of time.


    Flying skill requires an incredible amount of mana. Even flying for 10 minutes would need the mana stat to be B + and higher. Therefore, they were not afraid of anyone flying and getting first ce.


    Therefore, the ones to have an advantage in this round were those who had high stamina and speed stat. Or have some skill that could increase their movement speed.


    It was extremely disadvantageous to tanks and magicians who had mainly high strength and mana stats.


    "Haha¡­ We will surely win this round!"


    "Looks like luck is in our favor."


    "None of the schools prioritizes stamina as much as us. It would be easy to advance to the next round."


    Demacia Academy looked extremely excited and was already thinking of this round as an easy win for them. In terms of stamina, they would be number 1 as they mainly focus on that at their school. They felt that they could easily win this round with their stamina.


    Landon Wright seemed to be thinking deeply, possibly conjuring up some ns.


    Hiro and others were the same. They did have a high stamina stat and could also easily win the round but they didn''t think thepetition was as simple as Demacia Academy was making it sound.

 Chapter 312: The Demonwood Race!

    Rules for the first round were announced.


    The participants went to their respective ces where their professors were waiting. They are given 30 minutes before the first round starts.


    Some professors were smiling, knowing their students would do well while others were in deep thought. They need toe up with ns for their students, with which they could gain an advantage.


    At the Ace Academy site, there were lots of discussions.


    However, some participants felt it was unnecessary.


    "The rules are simple. We just need to grab the token and quickly head back to the stadium."


    "With our power, I think that more than half of us would advance to the next round."


    Whenpared with other schools, they thought their participants had one of the highest stamina scores. Only Demacia Academy had students with a higher stamina stat than them.


    However, Professor Mia quickly stopped them from speaking further.


    "This round is not as simple as seeing who can run faster!"


    "Professor Mia, what do you mean? Is it not that whoever brings the token faster will be qualified for the next round?"


    They asked confusedly. What can beplicated about a race? Isn''t it just to see who can run fast?


    "No!"


    Professor Mia said.


    "There was no rule forbidding fighting in the Demonwood forest. Participants could steal a token from those students who had reached first. Even if someone was faster, their token might get stolen whening back. Moreover, whoever is first will surely be targeted by other students."


    Professor Mia continued. This was the same concern that Landon Wright and Hiro had when the rules were announced.


    Some participants might be fast and easily win this if it was a pure race. However, other participants had the right to steal the token. Some participants who are slower would certainly give up on the race andy traps and wait for those participants who had brought the token.


    Therefore, it was not as simple asparing who had better speed and stamina. There was a need to protect one''s token until one reached Laminia City where fighting is forbidden.


    Additionally, the participants'' destination was in the deep area of Demonwood forest, home to many monsters. Although the monsters were not very strong, with Rank-B being the strongest, it was still dangerous for students.


    Even if one was fast, they might encounter strong monsters on the way. If they are defeated by the monster, then they would not be able to get the token even if they were fast.


    Understanding the situation, those students who were excited about thepetition were easily kept quiet. They were confident that if it was just topare stats, they would not lose any other school.


    Professor Mia said her n to the participants, especially to Hiro who would be leading the participants.


    "Everyone needs to move together and bring tokens. After reaching the city, you can break up and quickly race towards the stadium. Keep in mind that there are lots of schools that might be targeting you. Don''t forget what happenedst year! Perhaps this year will be no different. But don''t waste time fighting other participants and conserve your stamina as much as possible."


    Professor Mia continued as she gave warnings as well on what to do when meeting something unexpected.


    Professor Mia believes that the experience would more likely turn into Assassin''s Creed, where participants try to steal each other''s tokens rather than going to the destination to grab one for themselves.


    This was because venturing deeper into the forest would exhaust one''s power. Not only because you have run there but because you would encounter monsters. Moreover, the deeper they go, the stronger the monsters be. So a smart move would be to wait for other participants and take their token while conserving one''s stamina.


    In the blink of an eye, 30 minutes were up.


    "Contestants line up on this line!"


    The referee announced.


    The participants immediately went and lined up. However, it is impossible for everyone to be on the same line. Therefore, the participants were lined up ording to their school rank. Which meant Ace Academy participants were in the front followed by second ce.


    However, as concluded earlier, even if they were first, it didn''t necessarily mean that they had an advantage. If it was some normal race, it might have been a great advantage but in the current situation, it was not so much.


    Though if you can reach the DemonWood, then you may have an advantage in setting up traps earlier and ambushing. However, instead of ambushing participants on their way to fetch the token, many may just want to ambush them after they return with it.


    Anyway, the participants lined up and were ready to begin.


    "On your mark...get set...GO!"


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    Just as the referee started the match, participants immediately ran with incredible speed.


    [ "Swift Stride" ]


    [ "Haste" ]


    [ "eleration" ]


    [ "Swiftness Aura" ] ...


    Several participants used their skills to increase their speed and overtake people in the front. Magicians also started to buff their team and increase their speed.


    While attacking was forbidden in the city, general usage of the skill was allowed, as long as you didn''t attack other participants.


    However, many were just sticking with their schoolmates and running towards Demonwood calmly including Ace Academy and Arcane Academy participants.


    Some of the Arcane Academy participants red at the participants who were using skills and bypassing them.


    "Idiot! What is the use of spending your stamina and mana here? The real battle will only start in Demonwood."


    "Do they think that overtaking us will allow them to win? They are likely to be prey to others."


    Arcane Academy participants scorn. They were all conserving their mana and stamina for when they arrived at Demonwood. They believe those who are hurrying to get the token would either get defeated by the monsters or their token would be taken when theye out to a safer ce.


    "Stop focusing on those fools! Our target is Ace Academy. Make sure to keep that in mind!"


    Landon Wright said. He wanted his fellow participants to keep the objective in mind and avoid getting distracted. While he might seem arrogant and confident, he was always cautious before achieving his goal.


    Moreover, their opponents were Ace Academy who had been champions for over two decades. He can''t be careless even if he was underestimating them.


    "Understood!"


    They replied quickly.


    "Good! Arabe, go inform our allies of our n. Let''s test the water first!"

 Chapter 313: Getting Ganged Up!

    "Hiro, another group of students has overtaken us! Shall we increase our speed?"


    One of his teammates asked Hiro anxiously. They had yet to reach Demonwood Forest but already many other participants had already gone ahead. He was getting anxious and thought that they should also increase their speed.


    "No need! As discussed earlier, we will conserve our energy for now."


    Hiro replied. He knew that conserving energy was very important for them, especially because of what happened at thest tournament. Unlike the one asking the question, he had personally experienced being attacked by others at school together.


    No matter how strong one was when attacked by many students, one is bound to get tired and be eventually defeated. Hiro as the captain had to make sure that his teammates did not use much of their mana before confronting other participants.


    Hence, they were one of thest teams to reach Demonwood Forest.


    Hiro along with his teammates moved into the forest. They became more alert and made sure that they didn''t miss any opponents or monsters. Unlike in the city, they were prone to attacks from both other participants and monsters residing in the forest.


    Sylvia looked everywhere cautiously. As an archer, her sight was better than others and she could see even the tiniest details clearly.


    !!!


    Sylvia looked at the area just ahead of their path and immediately signaled everyone to stop.


    "Who are you? Show yourself!"


    Sylvia said as she readied herself to shoot the arrows.


    "Haha¡­ Looks like we have been discovered! I am Preston Cooper from Crestview Academy."


    Preston Cooper, along with other students hiding in trees revealed themselves. The students were not from famous schools nor were they individually known. However,bining the number of students that hade to confront them, it easily totaled hundreds.


    By that, one could easily guess that Ace Academy was being targeted by them.


    "What do you all want?"


    Hiro asked calmly. He had to make sure whether the other party was hostile or nned on attacking them before he made his move.


    While some of his teammates were a little nervous due to the number of enemies, Hiro was strangely calm. It was because he had already had that experiencest year, and the situation was much worse. At that time, it was the other three Top-3 schools that had ambushed them.


    Compared to that situation, this situation was just like being surrounded by goblins. While the enemies had quantity, they had quality.


    "Hehe¡­ I heard all kinds of rumors about Ace Academy. I want to see whether it is really number one or not."


    Preston and his group seemed keen on fighting with them. It could already be seen from the conversation that they were really waiting for them.


    "Get Ready!"


    Hiro said to his teammates as he brandished his sword.


    "Attack!"


    Preston ordered.


    Hundreds of students immediately started to attack right after Preston ordered. The first wave of attacks was from archers and magicians.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection" ]


    Lisa stepped up and used her skills to block the iing attacks. Various skills were making their way toward Ace Academy students. Some students had already deployed their own shields while others were using mana barriers in order to reduce the intensity of the attacks.


    However, the attacks never made it past Lisa''s barrier. They were all destroyed the moment they hit Lisa''s skill.


    While the number of attacks was high, as the attacks were just from Rank-E and Rank-D, it was not enough to break Lisa''s barrier. Lisa was at Rank-C +, adding to that fact was her Art was of level 7.


    As long as she continued to use her skill, no matter how many times the opponent attacked, their attack would never make it to the Ace Academy area.


    This move stunned many including Ace Academy participants. They knew that Lisa was powerful but they never expected that she could easily take care of so many attacks.


    This scene was also yed for the audience back in the stadium as well as for those watching on TV. They were equally stunned by what they saw.


    Before that, they were discussing which side woulde out on top. Even though Ace Academy was ambushed by hundreds of participants, it was nothing new. Because of their reputation, Ace Academy was always ganged up on by other schools.


    However, the moment Lisa blocked all the attacks, they were surprised. 30-40 attackers were unable to break the barrier of Lisa. This show of strength was enough to tell how powerful Lisa was. Moreover, they believe it was not even her full power.


    The participants attacking were also stunned momentarily. Some were hesitant about making their move as they could see how strong Lisa was.


    "DON''T STOP! Her skill might be effective against long-range but she would not be able to block close-range attacks! Her mana should also be low because of using such arge barrier. Attack when her mana is low."


    Preston said. His confidence was also affected by Lisa''s skills. He thought that by using a long-range attack, they would be able to injure some students from Ace Academy or at least cause some disturbance. But Lisa alone managed to block all the attacks. This was a huge blow to his expectations.


    However, no matter what, he was not one to easily give up. Moreover, he was promised by Landon to be among the Top-10 if he fulfilled this role. He had toplete his mission no matter what it took.


    He also believes that Lisa''s mana would be exhausted after using such a skill. Moreover, they still had an advantage in numbers.


    Once more, students from various schools made their way toward Ace Academy. Preston''s words were readily epted and they assumed Lisa would be unable to use her skill anytime soon.


    "Magicians and archers intercept them!"


    Hiro said.


    There were 3 magicians and 4 archers on the Ace Academy side. It looked nothing impressivepared to their enemies, however, each one of them was Rank-D and higher. Moreover, Sylvia and Lisa were at Rank-C +. In terms of quality, they were far superior.


    [ "Lightning Strike" ]


    [ "Multiple Shots: Dazzling Light" ]


    [ "Inferno st" ] ¡­


    Ace Academy mages and archers started attacking the iing enemies.


    The enemies were not idle either. Their tanks stood in front to bear the brunt of the attacks while others used their skills to block the iing attacks.


    "Ah! The shield broke!"


    "Help! The tanks can''t hold on anymore!" ¡­


    However, the attacks from Rank-D and Rank-C were not something that they could handle. Lisa and Sylvia''s attacks had arge AOE and broke many shields. Even some Tanks were instantly defeated by their attacks.


    Only some with high defense could withstand the attack. Those with high speed also managed to survive by dodging attacks.


    Other than them, many were either seriously injured or unconscious. In one move, at least 15-20 enemies were unable to battle anymore. Moreover, their attacking momentum came to a halt.


    "Start healing the injured people. Others will continue the attack."


    Preston ordered. He was no longer confident about carrying out the n given to him by Landon but he was still unwilling to give up.


    No matter what, he didn''t believe that Ace Academy was invincible!

 Chapter 314: Power Of Ace Academy Participants

    The students attacking Ace Academy were still scared off by Ace Academy''s power. They were still very reluctant even after hearing Preston''smand. However, they had no choice but to attack.


    Ace Academy''s closebatants had already been deployed and Ace Academy opponents couldn''t run, even if they wanted to, as they would be their prey. They could only clench their hands and swing their weapons at Ace Academy fighters.


    At the front of Ace Academy were Hiro and Zion. Behind them were 14 students all carrying swords, spears, and axes. On the other side, there were around 60-70 students who all charged at them.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Swift Strike" ]


    Hiro and Zion made the opening attack. They were stronger than other students and in order to make the fight easier for other students, they decided to quickly reduce the number of enemies as much as possible.


    Zion''s rank was C + while Hiro''s was Rank-B -. They were extremely strongpared to the opponents that they were facing.


    When two of them attacked, the enemy''s tank came forward and used its defense skill. There was also support from the Magician which enhanced their defense. However, with the huge disparity in strength, they were unable to block Zion and Hiro''s attack.


    -BANG!


    In one move, Hiro and Zion took out about 15 students. They were no longer in any state to continue the battle.


    Despite the loss of nearly 15 students, the opponents didn''t give up and continued the attacks. They already knew that Hiro and Zion were powerful, but they had more than enough people to overwhelm him.


    While 15-16 students took on Hiro and Zion, others went and attacked other Ace Academy students. They didn''t want others to help Hiro and Zion.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Heavenly Strengthening" ]


    Lisa cast a spell on all the Ace Academy students except Hiro, Sylvia, Misha, and Zion. She could already tell that they would not need any assistance to defeat their foes. Therefore, she only buffed the other closebatants.


    Except for Misha, the other Ace Academy closebatants were around Rank-D and Rank-D +. With Lisa''s skill, their strength was almost at the peak of Rank-D. At the moment, they felt invincible and even with their enemies numbering more than 6x of theirs, they were confident in taking them down.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANG!


    Two sides werepletely engaged in a fierce battle. The sound of swords shing and spells being cast echoed throughout the battlefield. The opponents were caught off guard by the sudden surge of strength from Ace Academy students, and they struggled to keep up with the relentless attacks.


    The participants from other schools didn''t expect that other participants from Ace Academy would also be so strong. They knew that individually they were weak, but they didn''t think that even the weakest participants from Ace Academy would be overwhelming to some of the participants from their side.


    Most participants from Ace Academy could easily hold three-four of them in check. Yui Ernest was also quite strong and she even managed to instantly defeat the students that charged at her. Yui, despite being in her first year, was at Rank-D and she seemed quite experienced in fighting as well.


    Hiro and Zion were holding their own against the 15-16 students who were attacking them. Despite being outnumbered, their superior skills and strength allowed them to keep the attackers at bay. They fought with deadly precision, dodging and counterattacking with lightning-fast movements.


    Be it rank, stat, or experience, there was nothing their opponents could have an advantage over Hiro. They only had an advantage in numbers, which were rapidly dwindling.


    At the stadium, audiences were excited to see such an amazing confrontation right at the start and started cheering.


    "Hiro Ernest! Champion!"


    "Lisa! Lisa!"


    ''Ace Academy! Ace Academy!''


    ''That girl called Misha is also strong. I saw her on the Top-20 list but I think that she could easily be on the Top-10 list.''


    ''Sylvia and Lisa are also strong. I think that Lisa should have easily made it onto the Top-5 list.''


    ''Haha¡­ Who was it that said that Ace Academy would lose? Who was it that said Hiro would be eliminated?'' ¡­


    People that supported Ace Academy were most excited. In the beginning, they were also pessimistic about the chance of Ace Academy winning due to listening to the news and other people. But with Ace Academy showing their strength, they regained their confidence in Ace Academy. They were now gloating and pointing to those people who had said that Ace Academy would certainly lose.


    Most people around the world were quite surprised by now. They thought that against 100-plus enemies, even if it was the prestigious Ace Academy, they would definitely lose or at least suffer serious damage. In spite of this, they were easily beating their enemies at the moment. They never thought that the difference between Ace Academy and other schools was this huge.


    On the other hand, people from various guilds were very excited to see that kind of talent.


    "Hiro Ernest is really strong! With him there, I don''t think Ace Academy would lose."


    "Yeah! I think that he is already Rank-B. With that kind of strength, no matter how many opponents there were, he would still win. Not to mention, Ace Academy has 4 other Rank-C participants."


    "Whoever gets Hiro to join their guild will win the jackpot."


    "Hiro is already set on joining The Authority. The Authority will never give up on a talent like Hiro."


    "Let''s stop talking about him! It is not like we stand a chance of recruiting such talent."


    The recruiters from guilds were mostly from small and middle-sized guilds. The recruiters from Diamond and tinum-graded guilds would only make an appearance during the final round as they would only want the cream of the crop and nothing else.


    As for the small guild, they would be happy even if they got one of the participants to join their guild. While a middle-sized guild would probably aim for students at the Top-100. They quickly began jotting down the names of those who were talented and those who were suitable for their guild.


    *******


    -CLANK! -BANG! -WHOOSH!


    As the battle raged on, the number of enemies continued to decrease. Ace Academy students could feel the number of attacks getting less and less.


    The Ace Academy students had the upper hand, and it was only a matter of time before they emerged victorious.


    This time the students on the opposing side were really scared and wanted to run away. They could not think of a way to win in this situation.


    Long-range attacks?


    Lisa could easily block that and most of the magicians were already taken out by Ace Academy Magicians and Archers.


    Closebat? Take advantage of numbers?


    Hiro and Zion were like lions trampling a group of rabbits. No matter the number, they easily handled them.


    Taking out other students from Ace Academy?


    Defeating Ace Academy was not their only goal. In case they could not defeat Hiro, they should at least take out other students and reduce their strength. However, looking at how strong other participants in Ace Academy are, this objective would also be impossible to achieve.


    As for running away, there was no way that they could escape from long-range attackers like Lisa and Sylvia.


    Finally, after 10 minutes, the battle came to an end. The opponents were defeated, and the Ace Academy students emerged triumphant. Hiro and Zion emerged unscathed, having dispatched their attackers with ease.


    Other students were also not that injured. Even if they were, Lisa had already healed them. In her presence, a person would be perfectly healed as long as he or she did not suffer any serious injuries.


    The only w in this victory was that the opponent''s seemingly leader had escaped. It seemed that in the middle of the fight when he knew that they could no longer win, he slipped when no one was paying attention to him.


    Anyway, Hiro and others didn''t consider him a big deal and had even forgotten that there were some like him on the battlefield.


    The participants of Ace Academy were overjoyed by their victory. They had proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, even in the face of overwhelming numbers.

 Chapter 315: Power Of Ace Academy Participants [2]

    "Wh-What happened here?"


    One of Landon''s subordinates shouted. He was sent there to check the status of what happened to the battle between Ace Academy and other school participants that Landon sent. However, he didn''t expect that more than a hundred students that they sent were all defeated by Ace Academy participants.


    Most of them had lost consciousness, while others were barely hanging on. They were no longer in any position to continue thispetition.


    He immediately used telepathy to send a message to Landon. It was because of this skill that he was assigned to this mission. As long as the person was within 5 km of his radius, he could send a message to him.


    In the depths of Demonwood Forest.


    Landon and his fellow participants were slowly moving into the forest. Landon was waiting for a message from his subordinate.


    By getting information about Ace Academy, he would need to adjust his strategy. If Ace Academy were defeated, then he would need no further ns and they can depend on their strength to win. However, he knew that this would not be so easy to achieve.


    His best bet was that most of the participants from Ace Academy would be injured in the battle, especially Hiro Ernest who was their main target. The worst-case scenario he thought was Hiro being unscathed with some casualties from the Ace Academy side.


    "Landon!"


    Landon stopped. He knew that his subordinate was sending messages. So, he focused on listening to the message that was being transmitted. Others also stopped when Landon stopped. They knew that information about Ace Academy was being transmitted to Landon.


    However, Landon''s next reaction surprised all the participants present there.


    "What! How can that be possible?"


    Landon shouted in surprise. His voice could not be heard by his subordinates and he could only listen to the message. However, he yelled uncontrobly when he received those unbelievable messages.


    He just received the report that the allies that they sent were all defeated while Ace Academy participants had yet to suffer a single casualty.


    Landon knew very well that Hiro was powerful but he didn''t expect that the other participants from Ace Academy would be powerful as well. He expected that even if they were no match for Hiro, they could at least take care of the other participants from Ace Academy and decrease their power.


    However, Landon didn''t expect that the hundred or so participants that he convinced to attack Ace Academy would be easily defeated without doing any damage to the Ace Academy side.


    "Landon, what happened?"


    "What is the status of Ace Academy? Did they all get defeated?"


    The surrounding students asked Landon curiously. They have no idea what Landon heard for him to react so strongly. They knew that Landon was always calm and would rarely show such a reaction.


    Landon looked at the surrounding students who were waiting for his answer. He didn''t know how to reveal the information as it was too shocking. However, he knew that it was better to just say the truth as it would be known by themter anyway.


    "The allies that were sent to fight Ace Academy participants had all been annihted!"


    Landon said. He didn''t mix any other words or make it sound less severe. He said the same word that he heard from telepathy.


    "What?"


    "How can that be? They had more than a hundred people."


    They could not believe what they heard from Landon. Most of them had expected that half of their allies might be defeated during the fight with Ace Academy.


    With hundreds of participants attacking, they didn''t believe that Hiro would be able to defeat every one of them. They expected that at most, half of their allies might get defeated by Ace Academy.


    "What about Ace Academy?"


    Someone asked anxiously. If their allies had fought until the end, they held the expectation that the casualties from Ace Academy would also be severe. They hoped that at least half of Ace Academy would be severely injured by their allies.


    Landon shook his head.


    "No one from Ace Academy has been defeated!"


    No sound was made after Landon answered that. The information that Landon revealed was truly daunting. A hundred participants attacked but they could not even make one of the Ace Academy participants stay with them.


    They knew that the allies that were sent to attack Ace Academy were weaker than them. But they also knew that it would be impossible for them to fight with those allies and defeat every one of them without suffering any casualties.


    It was just the start of the Tournament of Academies, and they had already suffered such a big setback. They could not help but feel hopeless about their n to dethrone Ace Academy.


    "Haha..."


    Suddenly, Landon startedughing. People around were dumbfounded by him and stared at him.


    ( What''s wrong with you? Did you turn stupid because of the news? )


    Many thought that Landon had lost his mind after his n failed so miserably. However, they also didn''t dare say that to him.


    "Didn''t we already know that Ace Academy would be a difficult opponent? What is the use of being scared now? I already have made a contingency n in case of such a situation."


    Landon said while exuding overwhelming confidence. He didn''t seem one bit bothered by the Ace Academy victory. Rather, from the words and aura he was exuding, it seemed like Landon was ying Ace Academy right in his hands.


    "That''s right! Landon is hailed as the smartest person. He must have already thought of such a scenario. We just need to follow his n and victory will be ours."


    "You''re right! Those students were weak. We are different. We will definitely crush Ace Academy."


    "Yeah! Let''s do it!"


    They regained their confidence. They believed Landon would have ns to deal with Ace Academy.


    On the other hand, Landon was extremely nervous at that point. While he may have said that he already anticipated such an oue, in reality, he never thought that Ace Academy woulde out unharmed from that battle.


    He had nned tobine his current forces with the participants that would survive the fight with Ace Academy and fight with Hiro and make sure he is eliminated in this round. However, that n was no longer avable as all the participants that he sent could not continue the fight anymore.


    However, he didn''t panic and soon calmed down. Even if there were changes to his ns, he knew that he would just need to adapt to the changes and make ns ordingly.


    His choice of sending those participants to fight Ace Academy was also not a wrong move. Now, he gained a new understanding of Ace Academy''s strengths and knew that he could not take other participants from Ace Academy lightly.


    Landon Wright was brewing a new n in which he would slowly bring down the power of Ace Academy one by one. He had already thought of a hundred new ns to deal with Ace Academy.


    However, he wanted to make sure that his n would not fail. He wanted toe up with the best n to defeat Hiro and Ace Academy.


    He didn''t believe that he could not defeat Ace Academy.

 Chapter 316: Reaching The Destination Of The Token

    After the battle with a hundred or so participants, Ace Academy didn''t encounter any other fights.


    However, they did see many participants who had suffered injuries or were unconscious. There were also those who had been eliminated because agents from The Authority stepped in to save them from monsters.


    Hiro led the Ace Academy participants as they made their way toward the location of the tokens. They encountered monsters here and there, however, they were only at Rank-D and E which was easily taken care of by them.


    There were also a lot of traps and people hiding in the ambush. However, their target didn''t seem to be them and whenever some participants noticed them, they would run away quickly.


    Everybody knows the strength of Ace Academy and would normally avoid them in suchpetitions. They would only fight Ace Academy participants if and only if it was their only choice.


    For example, if they were on the verge of being eliminated, and they needed to steal the token from them, then they might be willing but without such an objective, they would flee without hesitation. There was no merit in confronting a strong school.


    That made it easier for Ace Academy. Even though other participants were much weaker than them, it was always a good thing to conserve mana and stamina, especially after they had gone through a big fight.


    As Hiro and others went deeper and deeper into the forest, there were fewer and fewer students. Moreover, the number of monsters had increased proportionally with their rank also increasing. There were many monsters in Rank-D -, but some were Elite monsters of Rank-D + as well.


    It was still easy for Ace Academy participants to defeat those monsters as they had someone in Rank-B with them. However, it was a different story for other schools that were far weaker than Ace Academy.


    Some schools didn''t even have a Rank-D+, much less someone who is Rank-B. They were struggling to make it past this road. Schools with Rank-C participants were also having a hard time as the number of monsters was too much.


    Many had already given up on venturing into the forest and retrieving the token and were waiting to ambush the participants who managed to bring the token out. Others followed the path made by other people. They were slowly following behind schools like Ace Academy which would defeat the monsters and make a safe way for them.


    Anyway, after reaching the deep area of Demonwood forest, Ace Academy had already caught up with those students who had once overtaken them. There were only a couple of schools that were ahead of them.


    As Ace Academy moved deeper into the forest, they noticed that the environment around them had changed dramatically. The trees were taller and darker, and the atmosphere was filled with an eerie silence. The ground beneath their feet felt soft as if they were walking on a carpet of moss and dead leaves.


    Hiro could sense that they were getting closer to their destination. He looked around, scanning the area for any signs of danger. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sounding from the bushes nearby. He signaled his teammates to be on guard.


    The group of participants immediately became alert. As Hiro''s stats and senses are much better than theirs, they knew that Hiro sensed something that they failed to. Without wasting time, they immediately went into battle mode as they readied their weapons and spells.


    Out of nowhere, a group of monsters appeared in front of them. These monsters were different from the ones they had faced earlier. They were bigger and more powerful, and their eyes glowed red with a sinister light.


    The monsters were Ursoloth who had a bear-like appearance. They had strong and sharp ws that could easily tear down trees. They were usually ranked somewhere in D but some strong ones managed to break to Rank-C.


    In this group, however, there were 3 Rank-C Ursoloth with a Rank-C+ Ursoloth leading the pack. Compared to the rest, the leader was twice the size of a normal Ursoloth with a menacing aura.


    This was the strongest group of monsters that they had encountered. Judging by the rank, they were even stronger than those hundred participants who attacked them earlier. But their number was only 30 or so which was very lesspared to hundreds.


    However, even when faced with such strong monsters, Ace Academy participants didn''t panic. This was because they were all regrly sent to dungeons to experience danger and even though the monsters in front of them were strong, they managed to remain calm. Moreover, they had Hiro who they knew was stronger than Ursoloth''s leader.


    Hiro immediately gave themand for Magicians and Archers to attack the Ursoloth. As Ursoloth were dangerous in closebat, it was in their best interest to keep their distance.


    The Magicians and Archers followed Hiro''s lead and unleashed a barrage of spells and arrows at the Ursoloth. The Ursoloth were fast and agile, but it was impossible for them to dodge the attack when hundreds of attacks were raining down on them.


    Most of Ursoloth had begun defending themselves while others still sought to escape.


    The Rank-C+ Ursoloth, however, was a different story. It charged toward Hiro without any regard for the attack. It had incredible speed and rushed with its sharp ws ready to strike. But Hiro was prepared. He focused his mana and used his sword to block Ursoloth''s attack.


    The other two Rank-C Ursoloth also followed suit and rushed to attack Ace Academy participants.


    -WHOOSH! CLANG!


    However, before they reached the other students, Zion and Misha hade to confront the two monsters. Zion and Misha attacked the two Ursoloth, however, the two monsters easily defended against their attack with their ws.


    By following the three Ursoloth, other Ursoloths were also able to escape from the barrage of attacks from magicians and archers. Though the number decreased considerably, there were still more than 20 Ursoloth who survived.


    The other Ace Academy also joined the fray. With all the Rank-C Ursoloth kept in check by Hiro, Zion, and Misha, there was nothing to fear for them. Additionally, they had support from two Rank-C, Sylvia and Lisa.


    Hiro, Zion, and Misha fought with the three Rank-C Ursoloth. However, they were still conserving their energies and not going all out. They knew that defeating the Ursoloth was not their main goal and they still needed to conserve their energies forter fights.


    Moreover, they only need to keep the three Ursoloth in check while their teammates defeat other Ursoloths. The three of them were mostly defending against their attack and not using much mana to attack.


    On the other hand, Ace Academy participants were attacking the other Ursoloth and defeating them one by one. While Ursoloth had a good defense, it was still defeated. With Lisa and Sylvia attacking the Ursoloths, the number of Uroliths was decreasing fast.


    In less than three minutes, all the other Ursoloths were defeated except the three Rank-C Ursoloths.


    The leader of the Ursoloth also seemed to be on the verge of dying. Even without going out, Rank-B - Hiro was much more powerful than Rank-C + Ursoloth. As for the other two Ursoloth, their fate also didn''t seem much better than their leader.

 Chapter 317: Landon Makes His Move!

    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    With Lisa and other participants joining in, the three Rank-C Ursoloths were quickly taken care of.


    However, just when they thought that the danger had passed, multiple arrows and magic attacks were flying toward them.


    "Watch out!"


    "Quickly form your shield!" ¡­


    The surprise attack stunned many of them. They were just about to rx after their battle with the Ursoloths.


    The attack came out of nowhere, making them panic. There was no time for them to run away nor was there time to deploy their barrier. Moreover, the attacks were powerful, and getting hit by them would certainly cause serious injuries.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection" ]


    Lisa immediately used her skills and made a protective barrier. Even with the protective barrier deployed, Lisa was still worried. She knew judging by the power of the surprise attack that her shield would not be able to withstand the attack.


    Since there was no time to charge her skill, her barriers'' defensive power had decreased. Moreover, the attacks that were aimed at them were nothingpared to when they faced Preston and his group''s attack.


    However, her protective barrier was more than enough to give Ace Academy participants peace of mind. Knowing that there was a barrier had eased their minds, and in addition, knowing that it was Lisa''s skill had doubled their confidence. They had seen what her skill could do and was not worried about her barrier not being able to withstand the attack.


    However, Hiro was different from them. He could easily see that Lisa''s skill would not be able to protect all of them against the attack.


    "Magicians quickly use this time to create another barrier inside Lisa''s barrier."


    Hiromanded. Unlike others, he knew Lisa''s shield would not be able to handle the surprise attack.


    Others were a little confused by why Hiro was making them deploy another barrier. They thought that Lisa''s barriers were more than enough to protect them. Moreover, they believed that even if the three magiciansbined their power and created another shield, their shield would be less powerful than Lisa''s.


    They would be wasting time and mana doing so. However, Hiro was their leader and they had to listen to him. Moreover, having another barrier to protect them was not a bad idea and would reassure them.


    The three magicians immediately began chanting as they were preparing to deploy their barrier.


    "Zion, Misha, and Sylvia. Let''s work together and try to intercept enemy attacks."


    Hiro said.


    The three of them nodded. Unlike others, the three could also see that Lisa''s barrier would not be able to block all the attacks.


    -BOOM! BANG! BOOM!


    The enemy''s attacks were raining down on Lisa''s barrier. Lisa''s barrier seemed imprable initially, however, soon it began to shake violently and the sound of the barrier cracking could be heard.


    -CRACK! -CRACK! -SHATTER!


    "Now!"


    Just as Lisa''s barrier broke, Hiro signaled Zion and Misha to release their skills.


    [ "Moonlight Radiant Arrows" ]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    The three of themunched their attacks toward enemies attacks. Despite the attack being from three people, the power of the attack seemed as strong as the attacks done by the enemies.


    Some of the enemy''s attacks were already taken care of by Lisa, thus their power was reduced considerably.


    -BOOM!


    The two sides'' attacks collided with each other. However, due to enemies'' attacks being more than Hiro, Zion, and Misha''s, some of them had managed to preserve themselves and were making their way toward Ace Academy participants.


    [ "Guardian Dome" ]


    [ "MegaShield" ]


    [ "Colossal Barrier" ]


    However, just when the attacks seemed to hit the Ace Academy side, the three magicians released their spell and constructed three barriers surrounding the Ace Academy participants.


    It was less powerful than Lisa''s barrier, however, due to enemies'' attacks being interrupted by Lisa''s barrier, it had be weak.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    The attack hit the barriers but it was unable to make it past them. They sighed in relief knowing they had survived a catastrophe.


    The surprise attack that had almost devastated Ace Academy had failed. It had failed to even injure a single person, let alone wipe out Ace Academy.


    However, Hiro and the other students were still cautious even after sessfully defending themselves against the surprise attack. While they managed to defend themselves against the attacks, they knew that the enemies were still there.


    They were looking around, trying to spot the enemy. They assumed that they would make a move.


    -CLANG!


    Suddenly, the sharp sound of two swords colliding could be heard in Hiro''s direction. Everyone present there immediately turned their attention toward the sound.


    Then they saw Hiro blocking Landon''s sword attack.


    "How?"


    Landon asked. His face showed surprise written all over his face.


    He had used stealth to hide himself and approached Hiro when they were fighting the Ursoloths. However, he still waited as it was still not time to make his move.


    After his allies had attacked Ace Academy, he still waited for his chance. If their attack was sessful, then he wouldn''t need to do anything more. However, he knew that was not possible as Hiro was monstrously strong.


    He waited to strike until thest moment when his chance of sess was 100%. However, he didn''t expect that his strike would bepletely blocked by Hiro.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Landon pushed on trying to defeat Hiro immediately. However, Hiro easily deflected his attacks.


    Landon Wright knew that he stood no chance after being seen. Moreover, Hiro''s friends were alsoing to help him.


    [ "Stealth Sprinter" ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Landon immediately retreated. However, it was only a few meters away. He had escaped to where his allies were waiting.


    "The n failed!"


    Landon said solemnly. Neither the surprise attack nor his sneak attack worked. Either n would have been a huge help in defeating Ace Academy.


    His allies were clearly not happy to have such an oue. They had waited for Ace Academy and also agitated the Ursoloth in order for them to attack Ace Academy. They attacked when Ace Academy least expected them to.


    Despite all their efforts, they were still unable to gain the upper hand against Ace Academy. The task of dethroning Ace Academy proved to be much more challenging than they had anticipated.


    "Let''s continue with n A. Though we were not sessful with our attacks, we did manage to exhaust Ace Academy. We might have a chance of defeating them if we attack now."


    Landon said. The Ursoloth and surprise attacks were nned to reduce the number of participants at Ace Academy, but both failed. Landon also failed to injure Hiro.


    However, Landon believed that victory would still be his. Just as he said, Ace Academy was not in their best condition. They had just battled those vicious Ursoloths and were subjected to their surprise attacks.


    Just talking about stamina and mana capacity, Landon knew that they were in better shape than Ace Academy. Moreover, they had an advantage in numbers with students from 3 schools.


    Landon also knew that it was their best chance of beating Ace Academy right now. They might not have another opportunity like this again in this round. Next round, only a hundred participants would be able to advance and most of their allies would also be eliminated.


    It was now when they had an advantage in numbers and stamina that they needed to strike and eliminate Hiro from the tournament.


    Landon and his allies prepared themselves for another confrontation. The next battle was going to determine whether they could defeat Ace Academy or not.


    Hiro and others were also cautious and prepared for a fight. With the surprise attack and Landon''s sneak attack, they knew that they were being targeted by Arcane Academy and other schools.


    Lisa and other magicians were also ready to deploy their barrier in case of attacks like earlier. People with keen eyes were searching for traces of enemies.


    "Alert! Enemies are attacking again. Their fighters had also appeared!"


    One of the participants gave a warning. He saw another wave of attacks and Landon was leading a group of students and making their way toward them.


    Unlikest time, Lisa was prepared this time. She along with other magicians cast a barrier spell.


    -BANG! -BANG! -BOOM!


    The iing attacks were all stopped by the barrier. Not only was Lisa using her full power but the attack intensity was less than the first wave of attacks.


    However, the long-range attack was just the start. The main attackers were fighters that Landon was leading.


    "Elijah! Abigail! We three are responsible for defeating Hiro. Others follow Harper, and defeat the rest of Ace Academy."


    Landon ordered. He, along with two other Rank-C students, wanted to defeat Hiro. As for the others, Harper, who was another Rank-C student, was to lead other students and defeat Ace Academy.


    ''Yes!''


    ''Okay!''


    ''Leave it to me!'' ¡­


    They replied to Landon. Three of them separated from the group and went to confront Hiro.


    Hiro saw theming his way and didn''t run away. He could see that three of them were the strongest in their group. Nevertheless, he was ready to fight them alone. It was not that he was overconfident but because he knew that he would win.

 Chapter 318: Old vs New! Who Is The Winner?

    Together, Landon, Elijah, and Abigail headed to confront Hiro. Landon was the strongest among them with him being in Rank-C while the other two were in Rank-C -.


    Initially, they had no n to take on Hiro who was too strong. However, without eliminating Hiro, getting a championship was nothing but a dream. Many people believed that as long as Hiro was standing, Ace Academy would definitely get the championship.


    Landon too knew that Hiro was their biggest obstacle to obtaining the title of the strongest. However, he also realized that defeating Hiro was not so easy.


    Even with all the preparation and attacks that were thrown at him, Hiro has yet to be pushed back even once. There was no sign of exhaustion, nor was there any injury on his body.


    However, Landon still believed that it was the appropriate time to fight Hiro. Although Hiro did not suffer any injuries, they are aware that he had to fight a number of students and monsters.


    Additionally, he had witnessed Hiro fighting with the Ursoloth leader. Even though Hiro was able to defeat the monster easily, Landon believes that Hiro had expended quite a bit of energy to defeat it. Moreover, there was also the attack that Hiro had to use in order to block their surprise attack.


    Landon believes Hiro should have very low stamina and mana based on all those factors. On the other hand, Elijah and Abigail were in their best condition with their mana and stamina almost full. He was certain that as long as the fight dragged on, they would have an advantage.


    "Hiro, do you need help?"


    Sylvia asked. She was not that worried about Hiro fighting three rank-C students by himself. She had seen him do many more incredible things. In spite of that, she asked because it was better to be careful than regret itter on.


    "I will be fine. You should help others."


    Hiro said firmly. He could handle them alone. Even if they had something truly amazing, Hiro still had his trump card which was enough for him to fight on par with Rank-A. He didn''t think that they had something that could surpass the power of Rank-A.


    Unlike what Landon thought, he didn''t really use much of his mana and was in good condition. In addition, the enemies that are rushing toward the other Ace Academy participants are powerful, and their numbers are too big. Hiro believes that Sylvia was more needed there than with him.


    Sylvia acknowledged his answer and proceeded to the other side where a major battle was going to happen.


    Landon''s allies were no joke. They were some of the strongest participants in the tournament. While many of them were weaker than Ace Academy participants, they had more people on their side.


    Unlikest time, these participants were mostly in Rank-D with many being in Rank-D + and there were also some students in Rank-C.


    At the moment, the strongest in the tournament were all gathered on this battlefield and the oue of this battle was ultimately going to decide who took the crown home.


    "Hiro, Imend you for facing us alone. Don''t me us for taking advantage of our numbers."


    Landon said. He truly admired Hiro who had been able to easily disrupt his n with absolute power. However, that only fuels his desire to defeat him. He prepared to make his move on Hiro.


    However, before he did anything, someone ran past him and attacked Hiro. And it was not weak either, with the power being approximately at Rank-C +.


    -CLANK!


    However, Hiro easily blocked the attack. He noticed the person who attacked him and was surprised to see the person who attacked him.


    "Ren! What are you doing here?"


    Landon yelled angrily. The n had already been exined, and he thought everyone agreed. Never did he think that Ren would disobey and change his n.


    "Humph! I already said Hiro is my target. I will deal with him myself."


    Ren Dreyar replied. He was not afraid of being reprimanded and scolded by the professor nor did he care. He had only one goal which was to defeat the person in front of him.


    Hiro was someone who made him feel inferior for the first time in his life. Even without fighting, he felt that he was no match for him.


    That thought really angered him. He didn''t have any opponents at his age and he was one of the most talented people. For him to be scared of his junior was uneptable.


    He changed his school because he wanted to challenge Hiro and defeat him in front of the whole world. Not only would he regain his pride that way, but he would also show everyone who the real genius is.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Ren Dreyar attacked with everything he was capable of. The attack power of each of his attacks was Rank-C+. With that, it was certain that Ren was at Rank-C + which was even higher than Landon. Even Hiro seems to be exerting more strength in order to parry Ren''s attack.


    "Humph! You seem to have be even stronger."


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    "However, I have be stronger than you!"


    Ren said. He had trained vigorously for the past few months. He had spent countless sleepless days training just to defeat Hiro. He was willing to do anything in order to get his pride back. He was confident that he would be able to surpass him today.


    [ "Whirlwind de" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Ren didn''t hold himself back andunched one of his strongest skills. Hiro was the same. The two strikes collided and each was canceled.


    Landon and the others were surprised. It wasn''t Hiro''s power, but Ren Dreyar''s that shocked them. They knew that Ren was strong but never did they think that Ren would be so much stronger than they thought. Not only that, his attack power is on par with Hiro.


    With the addition of Ren Dreyar, Landon was now certain that victory would be theirs. It was still unclear whether they would seed earlier, but Ren''s surprise power allowed him to visualize the picture of their victory.


    While Ren seemed no interest in cooperating with Landon and others, it didn''t mean Landon couldn''t help him. Landon and the other two charged their attack when Ren was keeping Hiro busy.


    Everything was working in their favor and they believed that victory was in their grasp.


    "From today onwards, we will be the champions!"

 Chapter 319: Old Vs New! Who Is The Winner?

    On the other side, Ace Academy and Landon''s allies had started to fully engage in fights.


    "Lucas, coward! How dare you show your face to me?"


    "Rowan, you think you can win against me?"


    Keiran and Maximus yelled at their former ssmates. Lucas and Rowan were also one of the Top-10 students and had transferred to another school. They were also the ones who fought with Zero and Hiro at the beginning of school.


    Keiran and Maximus were furious at Lucas and Rowan. Not only did they run away from Ace Academy, but they also dared to help their enemies. The act was like biting the hand that feeds you.


    Simr scenes could be seen in many fights. Ace Academy participants could see their former seniors among their enemies. Most of them were strong and famous at Ace Academy. However, unlike Keiran and Maximus, other participants didn''t have much of a rtionship with them and could not say anything to them. They just shared the same school and now they were enemies, nothing more and nothing less.


    On the other hand, Ace Academy''s former third-years were full of emotion when battling with their juniors. Many of them had transferred to a different school because they knew that the seat for the tournament would be taken by their juniors.


    And at the moment when they fought with their former juniors, they knew that their decision was correct. When fighting one-on-one, they stood no chance against their former juniors. They need help from their friends in order to fight Ace Academy participants.


    They felt more eager to defeat Ace Academy and show those people who would bad-mouth them, who were truly right and who were wrong. By defeating Ace Academy, they could show that their decision to transfer to another school was indeed a wise one.


    "Humph! Keiran, do you still think that you are better than me? Do you think that I will be scared of you?"


    Lucas said. It was true that he was weaker than Kairan when he attended Ace Academy, but he no longer thought that was the case.


    Firstly, he had trained hard and became stronger than when he was at Ace Academy.


    Secondly, he had listened to his new school professor condemning and saying that Ace Academy''s teaching method was useless and would never be able to help the students be stronger.


    Therefore, Lucas believes that Keiran would not have been able to get as strong as he has. He thought that he had already surpassed Keiran.


    "Maximus, do you consider yourself invincible? You were never even at the top of our ss until we left. Now that you became the top of the ss, do you believe that you are undefeated? Haha... Maximus, today you will regret staying behind with Ace Academy."


    Rowan said whileughing. Maximus was second in ranking in their ss, however, Rowan was not scared. While he could not defeat him, Maximus also did not have an easier time defeating him at Ace Academy. In his opinion, he would not lose to Maximus or to the other participants in the Ace Academy because of the advantage in numbers.


    Explosions erupted everywhere as the battle began. As the battle progressed, the geography of that ce rapidly changed. Trees and hills were slowly leveled and had started to be a ce of destruction.


    One thing that did manage to show in this entire battle was the power of Ace Academy. Most of the Ace Academy participants were very strong. And even the strong opponents of Ace Academy were former Ace Academy students.


    From this, it could be seen that Ace Academy was really a strong school. If the third year from Ace Academy didn''t transfer to another school, then Ace Academy would likely have no opponent in this tournament.


    Anyway, Lucas and Rowan had really improved their skills from when they were at Ace Academy.


    -CLASH! -CLANK!


    Keiran and Maximus, however, were still stronger. Not only that, the difference in strength is much more than when they were in Ace Academy.


    The reason was because unlike Lucas and Rowan, Maximus and Keiran had managed to reach Rank-C -. Lucas and Rowan were one of the strongest people in Rank-D + peak. However, no matter how powerful they were, it was still Rank-D which was one major realm below Maximus and Keiran.


    Keiran and Maximus easily overpowered Lucas and Rowan. They were not even able to hold on for a minute before asking for support from their allies.


    "How? How did they ascend to Rank-C? Just how did they do it."


    Lucas red at Keiran. It was understandable for Maximus as he knew that he was already on the verge of breaking to Rank-Cst year. However, he was surprised by Keiran who had also managed to ascend to Rank-C. Between the two of them, there was no big difference in talent and they had almost the same power.


    There were also other students who ranked higher than Keiran that had transferred to different schools. But they were still stuck in Rank-D. The only person who ascended to Rank-C was Ren Dreyar.


    Many ssmates of Keiran were also shocked to find that she had managed to reach Rank-C so quickly. As a former Rank-5 member of Ace Academy, Grace Bt was jealous of Keiran for reaching Rank-C faster than her.


    She was stronger and ranked higher than Keiran when they were back at Ace Academy. Now, Keiran had managed to surpass herpletely and became Rank-C. She knew that she stood no chance against the current Keiran.


    Nevertheless, the battle was not over yet. Since Keiran and Maximus were ranked Rank-C, 10 more students went to support Lucas and Rowan. They didn''t have Rank-C to send to Maximus and Keiran.


    Their four Rank-C students were fighting Hiro while their other Rank-C was busy fighting Zion. In such a situation, the opponents could only increase the number of students who would challenge Maximus and Keiran.


    With the addition of 10 students, they managed to keep up with Maximus and Keiran.


    However, just when they thought that the danger was under control, multiple arrows made their way toward them.


    -THAK! -THAK!


    And each of them contained the power of Rank-C. The arrows were extremely difficult to dodge and blocking them was even more impossible. Even their strongest shield broke after receiving three of the arrows.


    [ "Multiple Shot: Dazzling Light" ]


    It was Sylvia who brought more destruction to the battlefield. There were no opponents at the moment who could stop her. Standing in the distance, she annihted one enemy after another.


    They already had a lot on their te trying to contain Maximus and Keiran. Now, another Rank-C had joined the battle. And she was even more powerful than Maximus.


    Landon''s allies experienced what it meant to go against Ace Academy.


    6 Rank-C participants with one Rank-B, who would have the power to go against such force? Even counting all the Rank-C in the tournament, it would not be more than 15. At least half of those Rank-C participants belonged to Ace Academy. Who would dare to go against them?


    Landon''s allies were fighting the battle extremely difficult even when they had an overwhelming advantage in numbers.


    They were stunned by the number of Rank-C on the Ace Academy side.

 Chapter 320: Landons Crisis

    The number advantage that Landon and his allies had now seemed to beckingpared to what they were facing.


    In order to deal with 5 Rank-C''s with their Rank-D strength, more than 10 students of Rank-D will be required. If they want to defeat Ace Academy, they would need to have at least 50 students to take on 5 of them.


    However, on their side, there were only 60 students. Other participants of Ace Academy were also not easy to handle and they were only able to suppress them due to their number advantage. If they also take that away, then they would surely lose.


    Their Rank-C fighters also couldn''t help them as they were busy with their own fights.


    They could only hope that Landon and their other Rank-C could quickly take care of Hiro ande to help them. Or else they would face annihtion at the hands of Ace Academy.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Ren Dreyar was worthy of being the former top student at Ace Academy. Even with the difference in rank, he was able to keep up with Hiro. Nevertheless, he was clearly more exhausted than Hiro who had yet to even fight seriously.


    "It''s time!"


    Landon, Elijah, and Abigail had finished charging their ultimate move. Thanks to Ren keeping Hiro busy, they were able to charge their attacks to their maximum potential. Even Hiro, who is in Rank-B would be in trouble if he got hit by three of their ultimate skills.


    Just when the moment was right, three of them simultaneouslyunched their attacks.


    [ "Sonic Surge" ]


    [ "Inferno Charge" ]


    [ "Omega st" ]


    Just one of those attacks would instantly kill a Rank-C. With there being three such attacks, Landon doesn''t believe that Hiro would be able to block it.


    Ren Dreyar had also noticed their attack. It was powerful but luckily it was not aimed at him. He stopped attacking Hiro and retreated, knowing that he might be caught in their attacks if he kept being close to Hiro.


    Hiro was already aware that Landon and his friends were preparing something. However, he didn''t mind that and he was also busy with Ren, so he could not interrupt whatever they were doing. Finally, they revealed their trump card and he had to say that it was impressive.


    Therefore, to show some respect for them, he decided to challenge their attack with his own. In spite of being able to dodge the attack easily, he felt he should respond since they put so much effort into releasing the skill, so he thought he ought to respond to them in a simr manner.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall" ]


    Hiro unleashed his own ultimate attack. This was his strongest attack skill and he knew that if he wanted to block the attack, he would at least need such power.


    -BANG!


    Landon''s attack collided with Hiro''s attack. Landon and his friends'' attack was really dangerous but Hiro easily prevailed over it and destroyed it with his attack.


    "What?"


    "How can that be? We used our strongest skills. You meant to say that even our best was not enough?"


    Elijah and Abigail were shocked. It would already be good for Hiro if he could survive their attack, however, they never thought that their ultimate skill would be shattered by Hiro''s skill.


    Ren Dreyar, who was near the attack, also could not believe what he saw. He was near when the attack hit Hiro and could feel its power. The attack was something that might be more than twice as strong as his strongest attack but that still failed to leave a scratch on Hiro''s body.


    He could not fathom how strong Hiro''s Starfall skill was that couldpletely shatter such an attack. He dare not say that he could survive after receiving Starfall even if he was 3 times stronger.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    In the midst of shock, Hiro took this opportunity to counterattack. Since Ren Dreyar had stopped attacking him, he thought of taking this chance to deal with the weaker ones.


    In a blink, Hiro disappeared from their sight. They didn''t even have time to react when suddenly Hiro appeared before Abigail.


    "What!"


    Abigail was still not over the fact that his attack was easily stopped. Now, Hiro appeared out of nowhere, and he was unable to react in time.


    "I''ll make this quick. Just stay unconscious for a while and it''ll all be over soon."


    Hiro said before knocking him out. After taking out Abigail, his next target was Elijah.


    Landon and Elijah had juste out of their shock when their friend Abigail was taken out in a matter of seconds.


    Hiro''s speed was unbelievable and they could barely see him when he moved. Nheless, they were ready to defend themselves against his attack.


    -WHOOSH!


    Disappearing from sight again, Hiro reappeared in front of Elijah. Hiro also tried to take out Elijah like Abigail but was stopped by Landon''s sword.


    "You will not seed a second time!"


    -CLANG!


    Landon struck Hiro. Landon was able to react quickly because he knew that Hiro''s next target would definitely be Elijah. While Landon was losing against Hiro, that did not mean that he could not see through Hiro''s n. His intelligence was one thing that Hiro would not be able to surpass.


    When Hiro disappeared, he had already predicted that he would try to take out Elijah and he was prepared to save him. Just in time, Landon had indeed managed to save Elijah. If he didn''t take action, Elijah would also be defeated.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Landon began attacking Hiro. He was also helped by Elijah. Despite that, it was them who almost got injured by Hiro. Hiro''s speed had increased quite a bit and even with two of them fighting him at the same time, they were not able to keep up with Hiro.


    "Ren, stop standing there and help us!"


    Landon shouted. He could see that if this kept up, he would be defeated by Hiro.


    He asked for Ren''s help. While he could not see how they would win, with Ren''s help, he knew that they could at least survive for a longer period of time.


    Just like his earlier n, he thought that Hiro might get exhausted and lose his fighting power. He was willing to bet on Hiro''s mana being exhausted.


    Ren gritted his teeth before joining Landon. He thought that he could handle Hiro alone and had never intended to work together with Landon or others.


    However, after witnessing Hiro''s Starfall, he realized that he was no match for Hiro. Even if he fought with full power for an hour, he could barely injure Hiro.


    Knowing his limitations, he decided to join Landon and try to defeat Hiro with their help. He absolutely hated the idea of getting their help, but he had no choice if he wished to beat Hiro.


    Landon, Elijah, and Ren''s teamwork were not exactly good. They didn''t know how to cooperate with each other and at times would even interfere with each other.


    Despite such clumsy teamwork, they were still able to put up a good fight against Hiro. They were able to block his attacks and push him back sometimes. However, Hiro''s speed and power were too much for them to handle.


    They were getting tired and exhausted, but Hiro was still going strong.


    They knew that they could no longer go on like this. It was only a matter of time before they were defeated. Therefore, before getting exhausted, they decided to give their all and attack Hiro for thest time.


    [ "Sonic Surge" ]


    [ "Omega st" ]


    [ "Whirlwind de" ]


    The three of them drew thest bit of their mana and unleashed their strongest attack. They hoped for Hiro to be exhausted and unable to block their attacks.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall" ]


    Hiro responded to their attacks with his own attack. Unlike what the three of them hoped, Hiro still had plenty of mana and could easily unleash two to three more Starfall attacks.


    -BANG!


    The attacks collided, creating a massive explosion that shook the ground and sent debris flying everywhere.


    At the Luminia stadium, audiences were getting excited as they witnessed the ongoing battle.


    As the fight continued, the crowd''s excitement reached a fever pitch. The intense sh of powerful attacks and the sight of the powerful students fighting was a spectacle to behold.


    Cheers and shouts of encouragement could be heard from every corner of the stadium. The crowd waspletely engrossed in the battle, eagerly watching as the fighters traded blows with each other.


    The majority of people were, however, focused on Hiro''s battle. Hiro was the most powerful in this tournament, however, his opponents were also not to be underestimated either.


    As the battle intensified and the fighters unleashed their most powerful attacks, the crowd''s excitement grew even more. They cheered and shouted as the attacks collided, creating massive explosions of mana.


    Despite the danger and chaos of the battle, the crowd remained fully invested in the oue. Every movement, every strike, and every counter-attack was met with cheers and apuse.


    As the final explosion subsided and the dust cleared, the crowd held their breath in anticipation, waiting to see who would emerge victorious.


    On the battlefield!


    For a moment, everything was still, and it seemed like the battle had ended. But then, the dust settled, revealing Hiro standing unharmed in the middle of the crater.


    "Landon, sorry! He is too strong."


    "Not a single scratch?" Haha... Looks like I ampletely defeated."


    -THUD!


    The three of them had fallen unconscious. They had used every bit of their mana to unleash their attack, however, it was still not enough.


    Hiro was the winner!

 Chapter 321: Racing Through Luminia City

    Hiro hade on top.


    Turning around, he checked to see if his friends needed his assistance. However, they also won as expected.


    Zion had aplete victory over Harper. Zion was at the peak of Rank-C + while Harper was a newly ascended Rank-C -. In addition, with Zion being more talented, Harper stood no chance against him.


    On the other side of the battlefield, the situation was more tragic than the Harper case. Students in Rank-D had to fight with Sylvia and Misha, who are in Rank-C+. They stood absolutely no chance and were easily annihted.


    On the other hand, other Ace Academy participants also had victory over their opponents. With Lisa''s strengthening skills, they had be much stronger. They were already stronger than their opponents and with Lisa''s skill, they were basically unstoppable in Rank-D.


    Even in case they got injured, Lisa would immediately heal them as if nothing had happened. As such, Landon''s allies soon found themselves being annihted.


    "Guess I waste!"


    Hiro murmured in embarrassment. He thought that others might need his help but in reality, others had already won and were waiting for him to finish his battle.


    Anyway, Ace Academy once again won.


    They continued with their objective of getting the token. But they were more cautious than before. Although they had managed to secure victory, most of their mana and stamina had been spent. Even Hiro had only a half-mana reserve left.


    In the event that they encounter a simr type of group, they might find themselves in deep trouble. However, it was just them overthinking stuff.


    There was no other group as powerful as Landon''s group. Most of the strong students were already recruited by Landon. Even if there were another hundred students ambushing them, their strength would not measure up to Landon''s group.


    In addition, even if another group as powerful as Landon''s appeared, they would suffer the same fate against Hiro and other Rank-C individuals of Ace Academy. As long as they don''t have the n to keep Ace Academy Rank-C and Hiro in check, the same thing will keep happening.


    Ace Academy, however, proceeded with caution. In that forest, there were not only students to be cautious of; there were also strong monsters.


    The location of the tokens was quite close to where they fought Landon and his allies. It seemed that Landon knew that token locations were closed. He knew that Ace Academy would need to pass through there to get tokens and therefore,id an ambush there.


    Anyway, everyone had received the tokens. Now that they had gotten the tokens, they needed to go back to Luminia Stadium. However, they were in no hurry as no other team except theirs had gotten the tokens.


    The only group would have been Landon, however, they had already been wiped out. There were no other groups of students that had taken the tokens.


    When they wereing back they saw multiple students eyeing them. But they knew better and didn''t dare to rob Ace Academy.


    However, not everyone was as calm as them. Some school participants got greedy and made the decision to steal Ace Academy''s tokens. Though as expected, they all got defeated before even getting one token.


    The monsters they encountered also became weaker as they got closer to Luminia City.


    "I guess here is where the race starts."


    Sylvia said pretty excited. She stretched her body as she positioned herself to run.


    Ace Academy participants had reached the edge of the city. Basically, there was no danger as fighting was prohibited inside the city. There was also no danger of them being eliminated as they were in the first ce.


    Only thepetition for the Top position was left which would be among them. Now the real race has started.


    -WHOOSH!


    They started running with all their might. With their only concern being who would reach first, they could go all out. This time they didn''t hold anything back. Using whatever movement skill they had, they tried to surpass each other.


    At the front, most of them were fighters. In general, mages are slowest because of their low-speed stats andck of movement skills.


    Among the top 10 racers, only Sylvia and Lisa were Magicians and Archers. Everyone else was a fighter.


    Though the most surprising thing was that Hiro was not in the first ce. He was ced second. The one who was running in front of him was none other than Misha Kanon.


    Among her stat, the highest stat was speed which was Rank B -. She was as fast as Hiro if they onlypared speed stat, however, she was more advantageous. She had even more powerful movement skills than Hiro''s Star Swift, which is called Shattering Flower Style: Petals in the Wind.


    Moreover,pared to Hiro, Misha still had much more stamina and mana left. In the battle against the enemies, most of the time, Hiro would take on the toughest opponent, which made his mana and stamina lower than Misha''s.


    As for Zion, while he also had a good amount of mana and stamina left, his speed stat was only at C. Unlike Misha, Zion''s strongest stat was his strength rather than speed. Therefore, while he was quite fast, he was still behind Hiro and Misha.


    Misha continued to rush to the finish line with everything she got. She used every bit of mana to increase her speed and stay in the first ce.


    Hiro was not far behind her, using his movement skills to close the distance. Others were also not far behind as they used everything they had in order to reach the finish line first.


    As they approached the finish line, the crowds cheered them on, excited to see who woulde out on top. Among the many people cheering for Misha, Misha''s parents and Eleonore were the most enthusiastic.


    "And there you have it, folks! Misha Kanon from Ace Academy has done it! She is the first to make it across the finish line, with an incredible disy of speed and skill!"


    The referee announced. In the end, it was Misha who crossed the finish line first, followed closely by Hiro and Zion.


    The other Ace Academy students soon followed, all were happy for Misha but also a bit sad about losing. They did great, and their school was first in this round. Still, they wanted to be the one to grab the first ce.


    Tournament Of Academies is the most popr event for schools in the world and many people around the world watch it. If they could at least havee first even if this was just the first round, they would have gained fame all around the world.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP! *CHEERS!


    "Misha Kanon! Misha Kanon!"


    "Ace Academy! Champion! Champion!"...


    Crowds erupted in cheers and apuse. However, their excitement could not bepared to Misha''s parents and her sister, Eleonore. Her mother was tearing up as she saw her daughter get first ce in this tournament. It was a proud moment for all of them.


    Even Zero''s parents who came to apany them pped in excitement. However, there was also a trace of sadness and longing. They thought that if their son, Zero was here, he might have been there just like Misha.


    "Let''s not forget about the rest of thepetitors, who all gave it their best effort. Now let''s wait for the other participants. There is only an hour left on the clock before the round ends."

 Chapter 322: Mishas Goal

    "Let''s not forget about the rest of thepetitors, who all gave it their best effort. Now let''s wait for the other participants. There is only an hour left on the clock before the round ends."


    After the first students had reached the finish line, they would only be given one hour to reach the finish line before ending the round. Whether 100 students made it in time or not was not important. If there are fewer than 100 participants, those who make it past the finish line in time will only advance to the next round.


    However, there was no need to worry about the number of participants. Following Ace Academy''s departure, other schools took the tokens. Ace Academy had already defeated Ursoloths which was defending the token''s location. With that, it was only a matter of them getting there and taking the tokens.


    However, in order not to offend Ace Academy, they waited until Ace Academy was gone. They also didn''t dare to go in front of them. Therefore, when Ace Academy reached the Luminia Stamina, countless participants were already making their way to the finish line.


    It was an intensepetition, and each participant put their best effort forward. The crowd was filled with excitement and anticipation as they waited for the other participants to arrive. The atmosphere was electric, with cheers and apuse echoing throughout the stadium.


    As the clock ticked down, more and more participants made their way to the finish line. Some were running, others were crawling, and a few were limping, but they were all determined to make it to the end.


    Finally, as thest few minutes of thepetition approached, the remaining participants sprinted towards the finish line with all their might. The crowd erupted into thunderous apuse as the final 100th participant crossed the finish line.


    The organizers announced the first 100 participants who would move on to the next round, and they were congratted by the organizers and the cheering crowd.


    Many schools were proud of their students who made it to the next round of thepetition. However, none canpare to what Ace Academy professors were feeling who had 20 of their students all advancing to the next round.


    But those who had failed to make it to the next round were depressed. Especially Arcane Academy whose students were all eliminated in the first round. Despite the fact that they knew their students were capable of making it to the third round, they had already been eliminated in the first round.


    They already lost the status of Top-10 Academyst year. With every student being eliminated in the first round, they might even lose the fame that they built for thest decades. They would be seen as the school that could not even make it into the Top-100 list.


    As the participants left the stadium, the excitement of thepetition still lingered in the air. The next round promises to be even more intense, with new challenges and obstacles to ovee.


    For the top 100 participants, thepetition was far from over. They knew that they had to continue pushing themselves to their limits if they wanted toe out on top.


    But for now, they could bask in the glory of their achievement and enjoy the moment. They had made it to the next round, and that was all that mattered.


    Misha''s parents rushed to her side, tears of pride streaming down their faces.


    "Misha, you were amazing!"


    Her father eximed, hugging her tightly.


    "We''re so proud of you!"


    Misha smiled, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.


    "Thank you, Dad. I couldn''t have done it without your support."


    Her mother, who was teary-eyed, hugged Misha tightly.


    "You were absolutely incredible out there, sweetie. We knew you could do it."


    Misha hugged her back, feeling grateful for her parents'' love and support.


    "Thanks, Mom. I''m so d you were here to see it."


    Eleonore approached her with a big smile on her face.


    "Congrattions, Misha! You did amazing out there,"


    She said, giving her sister a warm hug. Eleonore was very proud of Misha. Eleonore knew howpetitive the Tournament Of Academies was. To be able toe on top of all the geniuses was something that she never expected from her sister Misha.


    Misha grinned and hugged her back.


    "Thanks, Sister Eleonore. I couldn''t have done it without all of your support."


    She said feeling grateful for her family''s encouragement. Her parents beamed with pride as they continued to shower her with congrattions andpliments.


    Misha smiled. She had trained for months to prepare for thepetition, and it had all paid off.


    Zero''s parents also came over to offer their congrattions.


    "You did great out there, Misha. We''re so proud of you."


    "Thank you so much! I could not have done it without your help."


    She was very grateful to Zero''s parents as they had provided many resources for her. Zero''s parents had known Misha since she was a kid and would treat her as if she were their daughter. They would not hold back if it was something to help her.


    Considering all the money and resources Zero''spany sent them, they had no problem procuring high-quality potions for Misha. The resources that she got from Zero''s parents were one of the reasons that allowed her to rank up so quickly.


    She was thankful to every one of them. Without them, she knew that she would not be able to achieve what she could today. It was thanks to them that she was able to get first ce in the race.


    She looked around the stadium, and she saw other participants celebrating with their families and friends. It was a moment of joy and pride for everyone who had made it to the next round.


    But Misha knew that thepetition was far from over. She had to stay focused and continue training hard if she wanted to make it to the finals. Her aim was not only to be the first for only the first round, she wanted to be the champion of the tournament.


    However, she knew better than anyone how high the hurdle was. As she had also spent some time with Hiro and others, she knew how strong herpetitor was.


    Not to mention Hiro, the other three were also very strong. Sylvia, Lisa, and Zion were all ranked higher than her and they also wielded high-level Art with strong skills. While she seemed strongpared to other participants, she wascking whenpared to the four of them.


    Moreover, her target was someone much more powerful than Hiro. She wanted to know whether she was catching up with that person or not.

 Chapter 323: The Second Round Commenced!

    Ace Academy had no more opponents in the Tournament Of Academies. All the potential students who had the chance to defeat them were mostly eliminated. The rest who had advanced to the next round were mostly Rank-D with two or three Rank-C students.


    Comparatively, Ace Academy has all 20 participants progress to the next round, while the top-5 biggest students are from Ace Academy as well. With such a result, nobody thought that Ace Academy would lose.


    After the first round, the media updated their list of Top-10 students of the tournament. Previously, Landon and Ren used to upy the seat of the Top-5 list. However, they were both eliminated and they were removed from the list.


    The newly updated list was something like this; number 1 was Hiro Ernest, followed by Misha Kanon, and after that was Lisa Kyelpas and then Zion Maxwell and Sylvia Mavis. Those five were almost always mentioned in the media.


    Followed by them were other Rank-C participants. Among them were Maximus and Keiran who were also from Ace Academy. Among the Top-10 list, Ace Academy students upied 7 positions.


    Through this tournament, Yui also became famous. People were already paying attention to her due to her being the sister of Hiro. And she did fulfill the expectations that they had of Hiro''s sister.


    Yui was a strong contender in Rank-D. She was one of the most powerful in Rank-D with her opponent only being in Rank-C. Moreover, she was only a first-year.


    While she was overshadowed because Hiro and other Ace Academy students were very powerful. However, if one looked at the first year, she was most likely the most talented.


    The media had really changed their tune after the first round of the tournament. Before the tournament, many were criticizing Ace Academy for the loss of life during Devil''s Invasion and how their new teaching method was useless and the most irresponsible thing that Ace Academy did.


    They were also heavily emphasizing shutting down Ace Academy. They said that Ace Academy was failing in its responsibility in educating students properly.


    They also said that Ace Academy had lost all its glory of the past decade. However, in the first round, Hiro and others had shut their mouths without any chance of retaliation. As a result of Ace Academy''s spectacr performance, the media was no longer able to criticize it.


    Those who did were all scolded by the public for spreading fake news.


    The next day, the second round of the tournament was held. Simr to the first round, the participants went to the stadium and the rules for the second round were announced.


    The round was a team fight. Participants were asked to form a group of 4 and then it would be 4 vs 4. A rule like this was advantageous to the school with thergest number of students who already had good teamwork.


    Ace Academy was without a doubt the one with the greatest advantage in this round.


    Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, and Yui formed one group. Zion and Hiro formed a group with Kale and James who were their ssmates. Kale was one of the subordinates of Zion and also someone who had once teamed up with Zero.


    Kale was once arrogant and looked down on Zero. He felt that Zero was a no-talent guy who dared to go after the girl that his boss, Zion, liked. Therefore, he didn''t have good feelings toward Zero, though he didn''t do anything since Zion told them not to.


    However, he did end up seeing his real strength and admired Zero''s strength. Although he didn''t particrly go out of his way to befriend Zero, Zero did earn his respect.


    Kale was also someone with good leadership qualities and was talented. Which is why he managed to be Zion''s subordinate. He didn''t qualifyst year but this year with many students leaving Ace Academy, he was able to get the chance to participate in the Tournament Of Academies.


    Just like that, 5 teams were formed by Ace Academy students. Others had also formed the group though they needed to mix with other schools. Those who were unable to form a group were automatically assigned to the group thatcked members.


    The referee then gave each of the teams a number. The team with the same number was going to battle each other and go to the next round. This was to keep on until they got 4 teams who would advance to the final round.


    As the battles began, it was clear that Ace Academy had a clear advantage with its strong students and teamwork. Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, and Yui all performed exceptionally well, each showcasing their unique abilities and strategies.


    People felt pity for the students going against the Ace Academy team. Basically, they were invincible and as long as they didn''t run into each other, they could not be defeated. One of the strong teams had onlysted for 3 minutes before Hiro and Zion eliminated them.


    In the end, the 25 teams were quickly changed to 4 teams. Of which, 3 were from Ace Academy and the other team was a mix of students. The remaining Rank-C participants had teamed up and they were able to eliminate one of the Ace Academy teams to get the spot for the next round.


    It was unfortunate that the other Ace Academy team ran into the Lisa and Sylvia team. They had suffered defeat from their fellow schoolmates.


    Other than them, thest team that made it through the second round was the team made by Keiran and Maximus.


    All Rank-C had pulled through the second round and wouldpete with each other in thest round tomorrow.


    As for the final round, everyone knew what the round would be about. Thest round is the same for all year and the rule was the same for every tournament. The final round was the round-robin tournament where participants would duel and the winner would be crowned the champion of the tournament.


    With 16 participants, there would be 8 rounds where a champion would be determined. Additionally, the participants would alsopete for the ranking of Top-10 students, although it wasn''t as lucrative as bing the champion.


    Tomorrow will determine the winner of this year''s Tournament Of Academies!

 Chapter 324: The Final Round Of The Tournament

    As the final round approached, the tension in the air was palpable. The other schools knew that they were facing an uphill battle against Ace Academy, but they refused to give up without a fight. The stage was set for an epic showdown, and everyone was eagerly anticipating the oue.


    There were only 4 participants from different schools, others were all from Ace Academy. No matter the result, Ace Academy cemented itself as the most prestigious school in the world. To be able to nurture so many students who had made it to the finals shows that Ace Academy was doing the right thing.


    Anyway, thepetition was basically between Ace Academy. It was just a matter of who would take the trophy. Everyone knew that the other four didn''t stand a chance against Hiro, Sylvia, Lisa, Zion, and Misha.


    While they all were in Rank-C except Hiro, the opponents were only in Rank-C -. Lisa, Zion, and Sylvia were all in Rank-C + and Misha was also in Rank-C. Not to mention people who are ranked below them, even if the person was in the same rank as them, they can hardly win against them.


    Anyway, the referee soon announced the matchup for the first round of the finals. Luckily, for the first round, Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha were not pitied against each other. However, they did get themselves going against the other Rank-C fighters.


    That meant that of the 10 Rank-C that had made it to the final round, half of them would be eliminated from the start.


    As for the rest, they were in Rank-D and Rank-D +. They were all from Ace Academy except for one who was from Britelts Academy. They were lucky as they had to fight among themselves and not Rank-C participants.


    As the first round began, the crowd erupted into cheers as the fighters entered the arena. The tension was high, and each fighter was determined to give it their all.


    Hiro was up first, and he quickly dispatched his opponent with a flurry of lightning-fast strikes. Zion and Lisa followed suit, effortlessly defeating their opponents with their superior skills and techniques.


    Sylvia and Misha had a bit more trouble as their opponents were Keiran and Maximus, but they were still able to emerge victorious with their power.


    Among the other participants, Yui, Kale, and Britelts Academy students advanced to the next round.


    As the first round came to a close, it was clear that Ace Academy had dominated once again. 7 of their participants had emerged victorious, while only one Britelts Academy participant had emerged victorious. It is certain that the winner will be Ace Academy.


    However, the excitement from the crowds was still there. Despite knowing the school, they were yet to find out who would be the ultimate winner. Despite Hiro having an absolute advantage with his rank, others were not to be taken lightly.


    This time, Yui, Kale, and the Britelts Academy students have run out of luck. Yui''s opponent was Hiro, Kale was matched with Misha and the Britelts Academy student''s opponent was Zion. There was no suspense for their match as they easily won against their opponents.


    The only thing worthy of watching was the fight between brother and sister. Because Yui was Hiro''s sister, he had refrained from attacking seriously. On the other hand, Yui fought very seriously. She had no concern that she might hurt her brother as she knew that her brother was multiple times stronger than her.


    Yui, despite being in Rank-D + was able to summon power equal to that of Rank-C -. However, that was not enough if she wanted to defeat Hiro. Yui eventually gave up after she tried everything to defeat Hiro.


    The following was the most anticipated match of the round. It was Lisa Kyelpas vs Sylvia Mavis. Two of the most powerful rangedbatants were going to go against each other.


    The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the two girls entered the arena. Sylvia was known for her deadly uracy and precision, while Lisa was known for her ability to control the battlefield with her Magic Art.


    [ "Phoenix me Shot" ]


    The match began, and Sylvia wasted no time unleashing a barrage of arrows at Lisa. Lisa, however, was quick to react, and she blocked the arrows with ease using her shield.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Lisa then switched from defensive to offensive moves, but Sylvia was able to dodge them with her agility and speed. The two girls continued to exchange blows, each trying to gain the upper hand.


    As Lisa and Sylvia continued to exchange blows, the crowd was amazed by the disy of their full power. They gasped in awe as they witnessed the girls unleash their most devastating attacks.


    [ "Burning Phoenix Rain" ]


    Sylvia called out her signature move, and a massive burst of mes erupted from her hands, engulfing the entire arena in a sea of fire. The attack also produced an imaginary image of a phoenix flying toward Lisa. This was Sylvia''s strongest attack with the power to destroy everything in its path.


    The crowd was left speechless as they watched in amazement. Some even jumped out of their seats in excitement. They could feel the heat of the attack even when there was a barrier around the stadium.


    [ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ]


    Not to be outdone, Lisa countered with her own powerful attack, calling down a bolt of lightning from the sky that struck Sylvia with a thunderous roar. The ground shook beneath their feet, and the crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.


    The entire arena was electrified as the two girls continued to battle it out, each unleashing more and more powerful attacks. The crowd couldn''t help but be impressed by the sheer strength and skill of these incredible fighters.


    As the fight came to a close, both girls were left standing, their clothes tattered and their bodies bruised and battered. They were determined to win and refused to yield to one another.


    However, nothingsts forever. It was a fierce battle, but in the end, it was Lisa who emerged victorious. She managed to teleport to Sylvia andnded a powerful skill, the Bolting Torpedo, knocking her out cold.


    The crowd erupted into cheers as Lisa emerged victorious. It had been the most intense fight since the start of the tournament. This fight was between two equally powerful participants who were giving their all. When the winner was determined, the ring had almost been destroyed.


    Lisa immediately rushed to help Sylvia who she had knocked out. Her skill was not enough to seriously injure Sylvia, but she had to make sure that her friend was alright.


    [ "Hygieia Blessing: Compassionate Light" ]


    "Ahh... You really didn''t hold anything back!"


    Sylvia said jokingly after regaining consciousness. She slowly stood up with the help of Lisa.


    Despite her defeat, Sylvia smiled as she knew that she had given it her all. While she was also sad because of being defeated, what had happened had happened. Sylvia was not someone who liked to dwell on the past.


    The next round was between Hiro, Zion, Misha, and Lisa. It was almost time to determine the winner of the tournament.

 Chapter 325: Zion Vs Hiro: The Rematch After One Year!

    Because of the destruction caused by Lisa and Sylvia, the ring could not be used for another match.


    The ring needed to be repaired. With all kinds of Art in existence, there were also people with Earth Magic who used their skill for building stuff. They can use those skills to build houses, and repair rings and it is fasterpared to construction using traditional methods.


    Even though it was a fast method, participants still needed to wait a bit before the fight resumed. It was like some kind of interval.


    At that moment, ads were running on the big screen in the stadium and also on TV broadcasting the tournament. Ads featured Tech Genesis'' products, including the most recent phone made using Mana batteries, which are alleged tost for up to five years without recharging. With the partnership that they had with The Authority, only they had such privileges.


    During this time, Lisa was being treated by staff. The other three didn''t need treatment as they didn''t use much of their power in their round.


    After a while, the staff fixed the ring. It was as if nothing had happened and looked brand new. They also strengthened the ring so that it does not get destroyed again.


    "Sorry for the dy, folks. We totally underestimated the power of our participants. We never thought that the stadium built to withstand the power of Rank-B would be destroyed in this tournament. But now, we''re ready to continue the tournament!"


    The announcer said, his voice booming through the stadium. The crowd cheered as the participants stepped into the ring. The first match of the semi-final was between Hiro and Zion followed by Misha and Lisa.


    They entered the ring and looked at each other. This was the time that the two rivals could face each other to see who was stronger.


    Zion Maxwell was particrly excited about the fight. In order to surpass Hiro and Zero, he underwent many tough trials and battles. He risked his life in order to get stronger.


    Hiro was also excited to see how much Zion had improved. There was no good opponent for him in thepetition except his friends. Now was the opportunity for him to fight them. Zion served as both a friend and a rival. He believed that he would need to fight very seriously if he didn''t want to lose.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the next round of the tournament! It''s time for our next match to begin. In this semi-final, we have two very talented fighters from Ace Academy, Hiro Ernest, and Zion Maxwell. We have already seen how powerful they are but they might be hiding more. Are you ready for an epic battle? Let''s get started!"


    The announcer signaled the start of the fight.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Swift Strike" ]


    Zion wasted no timeunching his attack, the Imperial Spear Style: Swift Strike. Hiro was quick to dodge the attack, but Zion was just as quick to follow up with a flurry of strikes.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    Hiro increased his speed in order to deal with Zion''s strike. As Zion used a spear that was faster to strike and had a long reach. Hiro needed to be faster if he wanted to counterattack. With Star Swift, Hiro''s speed increased which made it easier for him to dodge Zion''s attack.


    [ "StarShaterrer Style: Stardust" ]


    Stardust is an attack that involves a series of quick and precise strikes that can overwhelm an opponent with a flurry of attacks. To counter Zion''s swift attack, Hiro also needed to use a fast skill.


    Zion was forced to defend himself with all his might, blocking and dodging the attacks with incredible speed and skill. The two fighters moved around the ring with lightning-fast movements, their attacks, and defenses creating a blur of motion.


    The crowd watched in awe as the two fighters battled it out, each refusing to back down. It was clear that both Hiro and Zion were giving it their all. People are not even able to see how powerful their attacks were because they were too fast in nature.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction'' ]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Imperial Pierce" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion"]


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Obliterate Strike" ]


    However, as the battle progressed, it was apparent that Hiro was winning. Hiro''s attacks were quicker and with Hiro being ranked higher than Zion, he had a higher stat which was a big advantage. Zion''s injuries continue to increase while Hiro has yet to get hit.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Zion backed off a bit in this exchange. He looked at Hiro who was still full of energy. He knew that with his current strength, it would be impossible for him to defeat Hiro who is in Rank-B -.


    [ "Sovereign Will" ]


    Despite the disadvantage he was facing, Zion refused to give up. He took a deep breath and gathered his energy. With fierce determination in his eyes, he unleashed his skill, the Sovereign Will.


    Hiro got himself ready. He had seen that skill in thest tournament when he fought with Zion. Zion''s power would be drastically increased by the skill.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Life Reap" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    The fight continued again. However, unlike before Zion had strength equal to that of Hiro. He managed tond a few hits on Hiro although he also received the same amount of damage.


    The battle seemed to be in a stalemate. However, everyone knew that once Zion''s skill ends, he would lose the match. Though they were not very disappointed as Zion had done everything and managed to even injure Hiro for the first time.


    If not for Hiro, everyone thought that Zion would be the strongest person in this tournament. Zion was very talented but it was a pity that he had topete with Hiro who was gifted by God.


    "Zion, if we continue the fight, the result will be the same asst year. You sure that you don''t have anything else to show."


    Hiro said. His voice was not arrogant but filled with expectation. With how Zion was, Hiro didn''t think that this was everything he had. If that were the case, he would be disappointed.


    "Humph! Looks like someone is eager to lose. Sure, I will show you everything I have got. Hiro, make sure to use your full power or you might end up dead. I also don''t know how powerful this is going to be."


    Zion replied. His voice was filled with the arrogance that he once had. But his eyes showed determination as never before. It did not seem like he was just saying empty words.


    He put down his sword and closed his eyes as his entire attention was focused on gathering his mana for his most powerful skill. Hiro watched as Zion prepared to use his skill.


    He didn''t interrupt as he was curious as to what Zion would do and also because he had no idea what he did. In the event that it was an attack, he would not have enough time to dodge if he went to attack him now.


    -HUUU!


    Zion opened his eyes as he imbued himself with every mana avable to him.


    [ "Sovereign Will II" ]

 Chapter 326: Zion Vs Hiro: Result?

    [ "Sovereign Will II" ]


    Sovereign Will II was the stronger version of Sovereign Will. Sovereign Will might have increased his strength to be equal to that of Hiro''s current strength, however, Sovereign Will II would be able to make Zion surpass Hiro''s power.


    Although the side effect was also several times more severe than Sovereign Will. If his body was not strong enough, it might even be possible that this skill would have destroyed his body.


    However, to defeat his rival he was willing to take any risk. He was determined to see how he would really fare against Hiro who had ascended to Rank-B.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Celestial Burst" ]


    The attack was a massive burst of energy that surged toward Hiro with incredible force. Hiro was caught off guard by the sudden surge of power and was thrown back by the impact.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style; Swift Strike" ]


    Zion continued his attack. Zionunched his lightning-fast attack with an increase in energy.


    Hiro was taken by surprise by the sudden attack and was unable to defend himself in time. He was hit by the attack and was thrown back, his sword ttering to the ground.


    -BANG!


    The crowd gasped as they saw Hiro struggle to stand up. This was also the first time that Hiro had fallen down in this entire tournament. Hiro, who many thought was invincible, was on the verge of losing.


    Zion approached him slowly, with his spear at the ready. Hiro knew that he couldn''t let his guard down even for a moment. Zion''s strength ispletely different from what it was a moment ago.


    Hiro smiled. It was not that he was confident or anything like that but he was satisfied with what Zion had shown him. To him, Zion was a real talent who could be the strongest person in the world.


    If not for the System, he would not get the chance topete with Zion which would have been regrettable. He was thankful to System as well as his rival who was pushing him to the limit.


    [ "StarShaterrer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    Hiro used his most powerful attack. And it was even more powerful than the time when he used it against Landon and others.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Imperial Strike" ]


    However, Zion alsounched an attack of his own. And it was even more powerful than Hiro''s.


    -BOOM!


    -THUD!


    When the two attacks collided, a big explosion was created. And Hiro found himself blown away due to his attack being weaker than Zion''s attack.


    *****


    Outside the battle, people had been stunned by both Zion and Hiro. The level of battle that they were fighting waspletely beyond what is to be expected of a student.


    Thest attacks were something that might even be able to hurt a Rank-A Explorer. It was evident as the ring was once again destroyed. In order to withstand attacks from Rank-B, the ring had been repaired and made with material that had been resistant to the attack of Rank-B.


    This showed that their attacks had power that had surpassed Rank-A. Even if they go back to a hundred years ago when there had been the Golden Generation, none of them would be as strong as Zion and Hiro.


    The Guild recruitment teams in the stadium were also stunned. They had a clear idea of how strong a student should be. Zion and Hiro''s power had reached that of a full-fledged Explorer, no, they had surpassed them.


    They were just second-year students with one more year to go. However, they were certain that in terms of power and fighting techniques, they were already better than most of the Explorers. The term talented and genius might be an understatement to the two of them.


    *****


    -THRUST! -THRUST! -CLANK!


    In the ring, Zion with his newfound power was dominating the fight. Hiro had suffered many major injuries and was bleeding profusely.


    Zion was not in a better state as he felt pain as never before. However, with victory before his eyes, he totally ignored the pain and continued attacking Hiro.


    ( Looks like I have got myself into trouble! )


    Hiro thought. He regretted a bit that he didn''t stop Zion from activating his skill. But at the same time, there was excitement in his heart that wants topete with Zion.


    [ "Devoted Star: Limit release" ]


    Hiro immediately unleashed his skills and used Limit Release. He was also no longer holding back. He was not powerful enough to defeat Zion without resorting to this trump card. He never thought that he would need to use this in order to fight someone on the same rank as him, much less someone whose rank is below him.


    Zion stood there smiling. He had finally managed to make Hiro use his trump card. He felt his bones trembling, however, at the moment he only felt excited and everything else was forgotten.


    -THRUST! -CLANG! -SLASH! -CLANG!


    Once more they got into a fight. Hiro, more powerful than ever, attacked Zion. Zion was also not much weaker than Hiro as he dodged the attacks and counterattacks. Their bodies were bing more and more injured as they progressed.


    [ "Starfall Fracture" ]


    Hiro againunched his powerful attack skill. However, this time the attack was many times stronger. This was not on the same level as before.


    Zion was ready to respond to the attack. He could feel that his Imperial Strike would not be able topete with Starfall Fracture. He decided to unleash his final strike which would also be his strongest.


    [ "Imperial Spear Style: Celestial Piercing Strike" ]


    Zion knew that he had to push himself to his limits to stand a chance against Hiro, and he decided to unleash all of his power. He unleashed massive mana from his spear that threatened to destroy everything in its path, including Hiro.


    Zion gritted his teeth and unleashed the skill, feeling his muscles and nerves scream in pain. His body could not handle such power, not at the moment when his body was already at its limit from using Sovereign Will II.


    However, after enduring all the pain, he unleashed the power of his ultimate ability. He was betting everything on this attack as he used every mana that he had.


    -BOOOOOM!


    A huge explosion surpassing that of the previous one ensured. In addition, the barrier protecting the audience had also shattered because of the force of the explosion. It caused chaos in the audience as they thought that the attack might reach them.


    However, The Authority agents immediately went and created a stronger barrier before the force reached the audience. They stayed and maintained the barrier to make sure that Zion and Hiro do not break the barrier again. While they were maintaining the barrier, they also looked in the direction of the battle.


    They were eager to find out who was the winner between Zion and Hiro. The same thing happened to the crowd, as they also brought their focus back from the barrier to the battle.


    The twobatants were locked in a fierce struggle, each pushing themselves to their limits. However, the force of the explosion was too overwhelming for Zion to withstand, and he was blown away, tumbling backward through the air.


    Zion was pushed out of the ring and was unconscious. While Hiro was still standing in the ring.


    -CHEERS!


    The winner of this fight was Hiro. He had made it to the next round.

 Chapter 327: Lisa Vs Misha: Who Will Go To Finals

    Hiro came out on top in this epic battle! Zion gave everything he had but still suffered defeat in the hands of Hiro.


    -CHEERS!


    "Hiro! Hiro! Hiro!"


    "WOW! What an amazing fight!"


    "So this is what the uing generation is capable of!" ...


    "Wow, what an explosive match that was! The force of thatst blow was incredible, and it''s a testament to the strength and resilience of these fighters that they were able to withstand it for as long as they did. But in the end, it was Hiro who emerged victorious, and he earned his spot in the next round of thepetition.


    "Let''s give a round of apuse to both of these fighters for putting on such an intense and exciting match. And to Hiro - congrattions on your win, and good luck in the final!"


    The announcer said with excitement. Everything about the battle was amazing. Be it their high level skill, their extraordinary power and the fact that they are just students, adds up the excitement.


    The audience erupted in cheers and apuse for the victor, as Hiro stood in the ring, breathing heavily. It was not long before he too copsed on the ground.


    -THUD!


    "Medic! Medic! We need a medic in the ring, quick!"


    The staff member yelled out urgently.


    Within seconds, the medical team rushed into the ring with their equipment, ready to attend to Hiro and Zion. They carefully assessed their condition and provided them with the necessary medical attention.


    They could see that Hiro had copsed because of exhaustion and overstressing his muscles. While he had many injuries and broken bones, they were treatable though not immediately.


    On the other hand, Zion''s condition wasplicated. Not only did he receive a strong attack at the end but his body was basically destroyed due to him overusing the skill, Sovereign Will II.


    His mana was exhausted, and his muscles and nerves were torn apart. His bones were on the verge of breaking apart and he was suffering from ack of blood. His condition was not something that the medical team could solve.


    While applying healing magic and giving potions to Zion, he was escorted out of the stadium. This was an emergency situation and Zion needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. The professor and Sylvia apanied them.


    Lisa and Misha were expected topete in the next match, so they couldn''t leave right away. The same was for Professor Mia who had to oversee their participants. Although they were all concerned for Zion, they couldn''t just abandon their responsibilities. They just hoped that Zion would make it through.


    Likewise, Hiro was receiving treatment. He had to fight in the next round and could not be taken to the hospital even though he was severely injured.


    While their condition was worrisome, the tournament could not be stopped. They continued thepetition with Lisa and Misha making their way toward the ring.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you''re all still on the edge of your seats because the second match of the semi-final round is about to begin! We have two incredibly talented fighters ready to face off in the ring. On one side, we have the Thunder Mage, Lisa Mavis, who has proven time and again that she''s one of the most skilled fighters in thepetition. And on the other side, we have the winner of the first round, Misha Kanon, who surprised everyone with her incredible agility and strength.


    "This is a battle between two of the most talented girls. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on. Who wille out on top and earn their spot in the final round? It''s anyone''s guess at this point, but we can guarantee that it''s going to be an electrifying match. The battle begins now!"


    The referee signaled the start of the fight.


    Lisa and Misha stared at each other, waiting for one another to make the first move. One wrong move and you would end up losing. As they had an idea of each other''s strengths, they were clearly more cautious of each other.


    A Mage would usually be at a disadvantage in a battle with a closebatant, especially in a ring with limited areas like these. However, judging by rank, Misha was less powerful than Lisa.


    Although that was the case, Misha was faster than Lisa and could easily close the gap, which put Lisa at a disadvantage. Lisa had to make sure to keep her distance while slowly overwhelming Misha with her powerful spell.


    However, Misha would obviously try to avoid that. Moreover, Lisa had almost shown everything she had in her battle with Sylvia while Misha still had yet to show her trump cards.


    With that said, Lisa was more at disadvantage in this fight than Misha. However, the oue is yet to be known.


    A few seconds passed by as none of them had shown any sign of making a move. The atmosphere was tense with each passing second. At that time, Lisa decided to break the silence.


    [ "sma Discharge" ]


    Several balls were formed and wereing toward Misha. Misha immediately avoided the harmless-looking balls. While it looks weak, touching it would decrease one''s strength.


    For someone like Misha who had high speed, it was nothing difficult to dodge the sma Discharge.


    [ "Thundering ze" ]


    However, Lisa does not want to give Misha the time to take it easy. Followed by a sma Discharge, Lisa used a fast attack that was difficult to dodge.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Petal In The Wind" ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Thundering ze struck the ground instead of Misha who had already fled the area. The attack continued to follow Misha but Misha easily dodged every attack. However, Misha was not blindly dodging Lisa''s attack, she was also trying to get near Lisa.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    Misha unleashed her attack when Lisa was in her range. Lisa was calm as she had already expected Misha''s attack.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    In a sh, Lisa disappeared from her current position and appeared hundreds of meters away.


    [ "Lightning Strike" ]


    As Lisa gained distance, she continued to attack Misha. However, just like earlier, Misha dodged those attacks and again tried to close the distance between her and Lisa.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    Misha once again tried to attack Lisa. Her strike was much quicker than her earlier attack.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    Nevertheless, Lisa easily dodged the attack and created distance once more. Her strategy was simple, keeping Misha moving and making her use skills to exhaust her energy. In front of Misha who could easily dodge her attacks, she decided to use this strategy to win. It was simple yet very effective.


    [ "Thunder Baptism" ]


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Petal In The Wind" ]


    Misha dodged the attack which was much stronger than the previous one. As she was dodging, she also knew that Lisa was trying to exhaust her mana and stamina. Without a doubt, she can''t bepared to Lisa when ites to Mana.


    However, she was also not intending to keep dancing in her palm. Misha lifted her sword in the air, channeling her mana into the sword, and then plunged her sword into the ground with all her might.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Dahlia Burst" ]

 Chapter 328: Lisa Vs Misha: The Winner

    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Dahlia Burst" ]


    Misha yelled, plunging her sword into the ground with all her might.


    There was a moment of stillness as the energy built up beneath the earth, and then suddenly, a massive burst of energy erupted from the ground in the shape of a Dahlia flower. The petals rained down on Lisa.


    Lisa, who was far away, was surprised by Misha''s attack. This was Misha''s skill attack and Lisa had never seen her use it before.


    Misha had used her long-ranged attack in order to counter Lisa''s Violent sh. If Lisa tried to dodge her attack by teleporting, she would have to do that near Misha''s current position. If Lisa did that, Misha would easily strike her with the sword.


    Lisa could also see what Misha was trying to do.


    With her new long ranged attack, Misha tried to make Lisa use the Violent sh which would result in her defeat.


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection" ]


    Lisa opted for blocking rather than dodging. Having her option of using Violent sh sealed, she could only use her barrier to block the attack.


    -BANG! -BANG! -CRACK! -CRACK! -SHATTER!


    However, Lisa''s shield was unable to stop Misha''s attack. The attack was too much for the shield to block entirely.


    Lisa was stunned by the power of Misha''s attack. She had not expected that Misha, who was strong in closebat, would have such a powerful long-range attack. One must remember that Lisa''s barrier is something that multiple mages and archers had failed to break.


    That same barrier was broken easily by one of Misha''s attacks.


    At that moment, Lisa was made to choose an option that would be risky considering that her opponent was Misha. However, left with no choice, she decided to do it anyway.


    [ "Violent sh" ]


    Before the attack hit her, Lisa teleported to another ce. Misha was ready to strike wherever Lisa spawned.


    [ "Bolting Torpedo" ]


    However, she did not consider that Lisa would teleport behind her and try to attack her.


    When Lisa attacked her, Misha immediately stopped using Dahlia Burst and drew her sword to defend herself.


    -CLANK!


    Fortunately for Misha, she was able to react in time and block Lisa''s sneak attack.


    Now, Lisa''s n has failed. It was her turn to suffer. Why this idea was such a bad idea was because while she could sneak attack, if she failed, she would be in the range of Misha''s attack.


    However, she was left with no choice but to gamble on this decision. She would be forced to be teleported near Misha anyways, so she thought that maybe she could end this battle with her sneak attack.


    She failed, and now she was in Misha''s attacking range.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    Misha quickly counters, giving Lisa no time to use her skill.


    -SLASH!


    Lisa had tried to dodge but had failed, resulting in getting a serious cut on her shoulder. She could no longer feel her left hand and blood was flowing profusely. However, she still had no time to heal her injuries as she was still in Misha''s attack range.


    [ Violet sh]


    Lisa quickly teleports before Mishands another attack. Lisa once again created a distance between herself and Misha.


    [ "Hygieia Blessing: Compassionate Light" ]


    Lisa immediately used her healing skill. Despite using her healing skills, not all of her injuries would be healed. While she had stopped bleeding, her left hand could not exert much strength. She could fully heal her injury but Misha was not going to give her the time to do so.


    Misha got closer when Lisa was busy healing herself. While Lisa took only a few seconds to heal her arm, it was enough for Misha to close the distance.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    [ "Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection" ]


    Lisa immediately conjured her barrier. However, due to the sudden need for the shield, its strength was not at its full potential. Which resulted in the shield easily being broken. Misha was ready to swing her sword again.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Reinforce Strength" ]


    Lisa applied this skill to herself. This was actually a support skill that she used on others, but she needed to do it for herself this time.


    Actually, she didn''t want to do this because she was thinking about exhausting Misha''s mana and winning the battle. By using strengthening skills on herself, she was burning more mana than Misha.


    Even with herrge mana reserve, she was bound to exhaust faster than Misha at this rate. However, she had no choice but to use this if she wanted topete with Misha.


    [ "Bolting Torpedo" ]


    Lisa caught Misha''s attack with her palm. With the power of her Bolting Torpedo and strengthened body, she was able to block the attack.


    Misha continued to strike at Lisa, giving her no chance to retaliate or escape. If she continues like this she knew that Lisa would notst for very long. Lisa was deploying two to three skills together which would burn a hole in her mana reserve.


    Lisa was also aware of this fact. She was doing everything possible in order to block Misha''s attack. She would be eliminated sooner orter.


    Taking a deep breath, she decided to gamble for the final time. Her gambles had all failed, however, she was left with no choice. It was either she would win or lose with this next attack.


    [ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ]


    Lisa used all her mana to summon her ultimate skill. She even ignored Misha''s attack which resulted in her getting a big cut on her abdomen. Moreover, she was also in the range of this attack. This meant Lisa was nning to get hit by her skill while also attacking Misha.


    With the attack having arge AOE, it was impossible for Misha to dodge even with her attack. Your speed is useless when you are bombarding the entire area.


    Misha also knew that it was impossible for her to dodge the attack. She could only challenge the attack with her own attack. She began channeling her mana into the sword.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Dahlia Burst" ]


    -RUMBLE! -RUMBLE! -RUMBLE! -BOOM!


    The thunderous attack hit the area where Lisa and Misha were. Misha tried to stop the attack with her own attack, however, Lisa''s attack was much more powerful and could not be stopped.


    They were both struck by the Lightning Strike Apocalypse. The ring had once again been destroyed.


    The dust from the attacks blocked the visions of many. They could not see anything and could only wait for the dust to settle.


    The arena was filled with the roar of the crowd as they watched Lisa and Misha''s intense battle. It was truly a treat for everyone as they watched one incredible fight after another.


    They did not expect much after the incredible fight between Hiro and Misha. Luckily, they were mistaken and they got another incredible match which was different from Hiro and Zion''s fight.


    They really wanted to know who woulde out on top as the winner between the two. They were all anxiously waiting for the result.


    As the dust began to clear, the crowd could see two figures standing in the midst of the destruction. It was Lisa and Misha, both panting heavily as they tried to regain theirposure.


    Misha sustained several injuries. Her body was badly damaged, and her hair was singed. Lisa was in no better condition, her body had been hit by thunder multiple times, and blood was dripping down her face.


    The crowd expected another epic fight between the two girls when suddenly Lisa copsed. It was certain that Lisa was unconscious as she didn''t stand up even after the referee began his countdown.


    "3¡­2¡­1¡­0. Ladies and gentlemen, after an incredible match between two talented fighters, we have a winner. The winner of this match is Misha Kanon!"


    The crowd erupted in cheers as Misha was dered the winner.


    Misha fell to her knees, exhausted and barely conscious. But the sense of victory was overwhelming, and she smiled through the pain.


    She had won the semi-finals, and now she was one step closer to bing champion.

 Chapter 329: The Final Match: Hiro Vs Misha

    "3¡­2¡­1¡­0. Ladies and gentlemen, after an incredible match between two talented fighters, we have a winner. The winner of this match is Misha Kanon!"


    The crowd erupted in cheers as Misha was dered the winner.


    Misha fell to her knees, exhausted and barely conscious.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­"


    She was breathing heavily because of the intense match she had with Lisa. This was the toughest fight that she had in her entire life.


    And the sense of aplishment was overwhelming as she managed to defeat Lisa who was always ranked higher than her.


    She looked around the crowd and all of them were cheering for her. Her family was also waving and cheering for her.


    She was immediately taken by the medic to get treatment. While Misha was getting treatment outside the ring, Lisa was taken to the hospital for treatment.


    While Lisa''s situation is much better than Zion''s, she suffered multiple burns from her own attack. Forplete recovery, she had to be admitted to the hospital.


    Misha was still getting treated and the finals were going to start in 10 minutes. Misha''s condition was not very good but it was worse for Hiro.


    Even with all the treatment he received, he had yet to recover. It seems that for him to fully heal, he must also go to the hospital. However, this was not the time, and both of them have to engage in a final fight before they can go to the hospital.


    "Wee to the final match of the tournament,dies and gentlemen! We''ve seen some incredible fights so far, but this is the moment we''ve all been waiting for. It''s the match of the year, and it''s about to go down.


    On the left, we have Misha Kanon, who''s fought her way through some tough opponents to get here. Her incredible agility and sword technique allowed her to make it to the finals, and she''s not about to stop now.


    And on the right, we have Hiro Ernest, who''s been showing incredible power and ranked second inst year''s Tournament Of Academies. He''s a force to be reckoned with, and he''s looking to take home the championship trophy tonight.


    Both of these fighters have trained hard for this moment, and they''re ready to give it their all. It''s going to be a battle of strength, technique, and strategy. Who wille out on top?


    We''re about to find out. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the final fight of the tournament!"


    Misha knew that she had to push through the pain and give her all in the final fight. She couldn''t let all her hard work and dedication go to waste. It was the same for Hiro, who hade to win.


    She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the fight ahead. Her opponent was tough, but she was determined to give it her best shot.


    The referee signaled the start of the final fight, and Misha was the first to strike.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    Since they were both sword users, the fight was very straightforward.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    -CLANG! -THUD!


    The sound of their swords colliding echoed throughout the arena, as Misha and Hiro shed in a fierce battle. However, Hiro had more power and pushed Misha back.


    In their first confrontation, Hiro showed that his strength was higher than Misha''s. It was normal as Hiro was Rank-B - while Misha was only Rank-C.


    Although this difference in rank is something that many people can''t ovee, Misha still refused to give up. Misha once again stepped forward and swung her sword at Hiro.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Hiro defended himself from her attacks without a problem. From the way Hiro was blocking the attacks, he didn''t seem injured and appeared to be in good health.


    Despite the odds being against her, Misha continued to fight with determination and an unwavering spirit. She knew that she had to find a way to ovee Hiro''s strength and skill.


    As the battle continued, Misha began to study Hiro''s movements and style of fighting. She analyzed his strengths and weaknesses, looking for any openings that she could exploit.


    It was certain that Hiro was better in every aspect including strength, stamina, mana, techniques, and experience. However, there was one thing that Hirockedpared to Misha. And that was speed.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Petal In The Wind" ]


    Misha was using her agility to her advantage, dodging and weaving around Hiro''s powerful strikes. She knew she couldn''t match his other aspects, so she had to rely on her speed to find some opportunity to deal with Hiro.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    Hiro had also used Star Swift but he was seemingly slower than Misha.


    Hiro was trying to rely on brute force to overpower Misha. He was swinging his sword with all his might, trying to break through Misha''s defense. However, Misha continued to dodge Hiro''s every attack.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Misha knew she had to make a move soon. She couldn''t keep dodging forever, and Hiro was starting to wear her down.


    She took a deep breath and gathered her strength. Then, sheunched herself at Hiro.


    [ " Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    Hiro blocked her attack with his Void Destruction. Even if Misha was faster, Hiro was still quick enough to react to Misha''s attacks. Moreover, he was stronger and needed less time to create an attack as strong as Misha''s attack.


    Therefore, even with her superior speed, she failed to exploit its advantage. As long as Misha''s stats were below Hiro''s, it would be extremely difficult for her to defeat Hiro.


    -WHOOSH!


    After failing to injure Hiro with her Withered Petal, Misha immediately creates a distance between her and Hiro. She then proceeds to lift her sword in the air and prepares for Dahlia Burst. She was willing to try every move in her arsenal in order to find an opportunity tond a hit on Hiro.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Dahlia Burst" ]


    Once again, a massive burst of energy erupted from the ground in the shape of a Dahlia flower. The petals rained down on Hiro just like they did on Lisa.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    Unlike the situation with Lisa where she suffered quite a bit because of this skill, the situation with Hiro was different. He easily destroyed iing attacks.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    When Misha was busy firing off the attack, Hiro immediately tried to close the distance and attack Misha who was busy.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    !!!


    Misha quickly became alert as Hiro suddenly appeared before her. She immediately stopped attacking Dahlia Burst and tried to escape. However, it was already toote and she could not dodge Hiro''s attack.


    Hiro''s sword struck Misha''s shoulder, leaving a deep cut. Misha gritted her teeth and tried to keep herposure despite the pain.


    She knew that she couldn''t afford to make any more mistakes. She had toe up with a new strategy to turn the tables on Hiro. Misha took a step back and assessed the situation. Then she took a deep breath as she channeled mana throughout her body as well as her sword.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" ]


    The "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" is a technique that involves using the poisonous nt Bedonna to disorient opponents. When Misha performs this technique, she scatters Bedonna leaves or petals in the air, which creates a hallucinatory effect on her opponent. This effect can cause the opponent to be disoriented, making it difficult for them to predict Misha''s movements and attacks.


    In addition to the hallucinatory effect, the Bedonna petals or leaves can also have a poisonous effect on the opponent. If the opponent inhales or ingests the Bedonna, it can cause weakness, dizziness, and even unconsciousness. Misha can also use a Bedonna-based poison on her sword, which can weaken or disorient opponents with just a single scratch.


    The "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" is a powerful and unpredictable technique that relies on using a poisonous nt to gain an advantage over opponents. It emphasizes speed, agility, and precision sword strikes, making it an effective counter to opponents who rely heavily on brute strength and power.


    Although the power of this skill was strong and scary, the execution appearedpletely different. When Misha used the technique, her movement was very elegant and beautiful like some kind of fairy dancing.


    Indeed, the "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" technique seems paradoxical in that it relies on a deadly nt to create a beautiful and mesmerizing effect on opponents. Misha''s graceful movements, coupled with the disorienting and poisonous effects of Bedonna, make for a unique and formidable fighting style.


    Hiro had also taken action and tried to block her new skill, however, Misha''s movement waspletely different from the earlier one. It was also difficult to predict where she would attack.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Misha darted in andnded a swift strike on Hiro''s side. Misha followed up with a flurry of attacks, using her speed and agility to dance around Hiro and strike him from all sides.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    He had been hit a couple of times which made him feel queasy and almost got himself into serious trouble. However, the effect didn''tst for long since it was just small scratches and he was able to block Misha''s sword at thest second.


    Hiro was caught off guard by Misha''s sudden change in tactics, but he quickly regained hisposure and started to defend himself properly. While her new skill was powerful and unpredictable, she was still held back by her rank.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Hiro swung his sword in a wide arc, creating a burst of energy that exploded on impact. But Misha was already prepared for this and had moved out of range.


    -WHOOSH!


    Misha closed the distance between them again, darting in with a quick, low strike that caught Hiro off guard. She followed up with a flurry of blows that left him reeling.


    Hiro was starting to feel the effects of Misha''s relentless attacks. His movements were getting slower and his strikes less precise.


    Hiro was not in the best shape due to iplete recovery after Zion''s fight. Coupled with Misha''s new and powerful attack, Hiro seemed to be on the losing side.

 Chapter 330: Hiro Losing?

    Hiro seemed to be on the losing side.


    With Misha''s Bedonna Dance, she managed to slowly decrease Hiro''s strength and speed. However, while Hiro was indeed getting weaker, it was only to the extent that Hiro was on equal footing with Misha. It was not like he had be so weak that he could not react to Misha''s speed.


    He can still manage to defend himself. It would have been a different story if Misha''s rank had been higher.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Misha continued using Bedonna Dance to corner Hiro. However, both of them knew Misha was the one at a disadvantage. She was consuming a huge amount of mana to continuously use Bedonna dance.


    On the other hand, Hiro still has more than half his mana. While his body was not in great condition, his mana level was fully recovered. His mana capacity was already higher than Misha''s and with Misha continuously burning her mana, Misha would be the first one to empty her fuel. This would naturally mean that Hiro would win.


    Despite that, she cannot stop using her technique because that way she would have no way of winning. Without using her skills, she was not capable of defeating. However, even with her skills, she could not win and she knew that.


    ( If only I was a little stronger! )


    Misha desperately thought. In this situation, she would be winning if her rank was higher or if she had just more power to take advantage of Hiro''s condition to defeat him. However, because of being a lower rank, she could not take advantage of her own strength.


    The feeling of grasping victory and letting it slip away was really frustrating. She is very close to winning yet it seems so far.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    Misha immediately dodged his attack. Hiro, despite knowing that he would win if he dyed Misha, was not only concentrating on defense but also attacking fiercely. Although Hiro was extremely cautious of Misha''s attack and didn''t let her attack hit him. The more hits he takes from her attack, the weaker he bes.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The fight was extremely exhausting for Misha. And her mana level was going down rapidly. She didn''t think that she could evenst 3 minutes in this state.


    Hiro also saw that Misha''s speed was decreasing. Speed was the only thing that saved Misha from getting instantly defeated.


    Now that Misha was showing her weakness, Hiro immediately took advantage of it.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Hiro increased his speed suddenly and appeared behind Misha. He had his sword lifted in the air as he swung his sword with all his power.


    [ "StarShaterrer Style: StarFall Fracture" ]


    Hiro used his ultimate attack. He thought that Misha would not be able to get away because her speed had decreased. However, though Misha''s speed had decreased, his own speed had also decreased due to the multiple poisons that he got from Misha''s skill.


    Therefore, when Hiro used his skills, it was slower than normal. However, Misha had not much mana left. If she uses Petal In the Wind, then her mana would be even more exhausted. Then she would have no chance of victory.


    Misha decided to confront Hiro rather than dodge. Rather than losing due to mana exhaustion, she preferred to fight until the end. Even if this was to be herst attack, she would give her best.


    This was her only opportunity. It was a big gamble with the chance of losing 80 %. However, against powerful people like Hiro, she could do nothing but gamble to win.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Withered Petal" ]


    -CLANKKKKKK!


    As Misha''s sword shed with Hiro''s, a loud metallic ng echoed through the air. The force of their swords colliding sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, causing the earth to tremble and dust to kick up around them.


    The sh was so powerful that it created a visible shockwave that rippled outwards from the point of impact, like ripples on the surface of a pond. The shockwave traveled through the air, causing nearby objects to shake and rattle.


    The force behind the sh was immense, with both Misha and Hiro putting all their strength behind their attacks. The sheer force of the collision could be felt even by onlookers who were being protected by a barrier.


    -THUD!


    Misha''s sword shed with Hiro''s, but her attack was not strong enough to match Hiro''s powerful strike. The impact caused Misha to stumble back, and she realized that this was the end of the fight.


    Hiro looked at Misha with respect in his eyes. He knew that Misha had given her all in this fight, and she had shown great skill and determination. Even if he was injured, it was unbelievable that Misha, who was in Rank-C could push him to this state.


    "You fought well, Misha."


    "You may not have won this time, but I have no doubt that you will be stronger."


    Hiro said. He was neither mocking nor making fun of her. This was what he really felt and he was being honest with his words.


    Misha had to also admit defeat. Going further would yield nothing but injuries to the two of them. She knew her limits and was going to surrender.


    However, at that moment, something unexpected happened. Misha felt her power increasing and her body getting more energized.


    ( This can''t be! )


    She was familiar with this feeling but could not believe that this was happening. She didn''t think that in this situation, at thest moment, she would break through to Rank-C+.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Misha Kanon


    Rank: C +


    Strength: C +


    Speed: B -


    Stamina: C


    Mana: C -


    Luck: B


    Charm: S+


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank B: Vitality Flow ]


    Vitality Flow is a passive skill that allows the user to regenerate their mana and stamina over time. The skill works by harnessing the natural flow of energy within the user''s body and using it to replenish their reserves of mana and stamina.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 5: Shattering Flower Style: Proficient]


    Shattering Flower Style is a martial arts technique that focuses on fluidity and agility, using graceful movements to evade and counter opponents. The style is named for the way its practitioners move, resembling petals floating in the wind before suddenly striking with great force and speed.


    The core principle of the Shattering Flower Style is to use the opponent''s movements and energy against them, deflecting and redirecting their attacks while simultaneouslyunching counterattacks of your own. This requires a high degree of skill in reading an opponent''s movements and intentions, as well as the ability to move quickly and smoothly in response.


    = = = = = = = =


    Misha had really broken through to the next rank. She thought that it might be her imagination, however, upon checking her status, she had really be Rank-C +. Her strength stat as well as her mana stat had increased with her rank.


    She looked again to see whether it was real. While she knew that she was capable of breaking through the ranks, she didn''t expect that she would break through in the middle of the battle. And it was the final of the Tournament Of Academies as well.


    She was about to give up yet such a thing happened to her. With this change, Misha felt that God had granted her another chance to fight Hiro. She can''t give up yet.


    Misha held her sword again showing her intention to fight.


    "Sorry! Seems like I can''t give up yet!"

 Chapter 331: Hiro vs Misha: The Winner!

    "Sorry! Seems like I can''t give up yet!"


    Misha said as she pointed her sword at Hiro. With her new power, she wanted to once again challenge Hiro.


    Hiro didn''t expect that Misha would have the urge to keep fighting. He knew her well enough to know that she was not such a rash person.


    Misha would indeed give her everything in anything she did but she also knew her limits. Hiro also knew that earlier, Misha had given up and was about to surrender.


    Hiro was confused by this change of behavior. Nevertheless, he was prepared to fight. No matter whether she wanted to continue the fight or not, he thought that the result would remain the same.


    In his opinion, Misha had shown everything she had, and nothing was left for her to show. Furthermore, he was in better condition than Misha.


    -WHOOSH!


    !!!


    However, Hiro was caught off guard. Misha''s speed didn''t increase with her rank, however, she was exhausted and was also injured and could not be at her top speed previously. But now, she could somewhat show her real speed. That''s how Misha managed to surprise Hiro


    She quickly took this moment to strike at Hiro who was unprepared for her new power.


    -SLASH!


    Hiro immediately reacted and backed off. However, Misha had left a cut on his back.


    Hiro immediately turned around and tried to protect himself.


    -CLANG!


    Once again Hiro was left dumbfounded. He had previously easily blocked Misha''s strike, however, he was having some trouble this time. It felt like Misha''s strength had increased.


    -CLANK!


    Hiro was pushed back by Misha. Hiro quickly regained his footing and prepared himself to defend himself against Misha''s attack.


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Rose Blossom" ]


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Hiro used his skills to block Misha''s attack. Once again, he was overwhelmed by Misha''s strength. He could not tell what had happened to Misha.


    ( Was she hiding her power? )


    Hiro thought. It made sense that she could show this power if she was hiding her power though he could not think of a reason to hide one''s strength in the final match where she was losing. He never had thought that Misha had broken through as this was a very rare case.


    Hiro noticed the change in Misha''s strength and speed, and he realized that he was in trouble. He knew that he could not keep up with her if she continued to fight at this level.


    He could have easily handled such power if he was in good condition. However, with the damage sustained from the battle with Zion and also from his earlier fight with Misha, Misha''s current strength and speed were too much for him to handle.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The table had turned. Hiro was finding it much harder to defend himself and was hit multiple times by Misha.


    [ "Devoted Star: Limit Release" ]


    Hiro had no choice but to use this skill. He might end up in the same situation as Zion because his body was not in good condition. But he had to give his all or else he might lose.


    Pain surged through his body as he activated the skill. Hiro remained calm and didn''t react much to the pain. Though it was more like he can''t afford to show his pain as Misha fiercely attacked him.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Hiro was able to parry all her attacks. With his increased strength, he was able to deal with Misha''s increased power.


    Misha was surprised by Hiro''s sudden surge of power. However, she had already expected this since she already knew about this skill. She had indeed pushed Hiro to the extent that he had to rely on his Trump card.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Petal In The Wind" ] ...


    She continued to push herself to her limits and fought fiercely against Hiro. While she was getting exhausted, she knew that it was also the same for Hiro.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The sound of metal shing against metal filled the stadium as the two sword users fought with all their might. Hiro''s body was giving up on him, but he also refused to give up on the fight.


    The crowd went wild. They had truly seen the talent of Ace Academy students today. Other students'' fights were all trashpared to the fight shown by Ace Academy students.


    Even Misha, who was not very popr and only a few people were aware that she was in the tournament, had shown power beyond anyone''s imagination. Even the all-time favorite to win the tournament, Hiro, had difficulty winning.


    "Oh, this is going to be a good one!"


    A man in the audience eximed.


    "Absolutely! I''ve been waiting for this fight for weeks! I thought that Hiro would easily win. I have not heard about Misha Kanon but she is an absolute genius. I am supporting her to win."


    Another responded.


    The audience waspletely engrossed in the battle, watching intently as Hiro and Misha shed their swords with incredible speed and precision.


    "Woah, did you see that move?"


    A woman shouted, as Hiro deftly dodged one of Misha''s attacks.


    "Yeah, he''s got some serious skill."


    A man responded, nodding in approval. Even when it had been hours, they were not bored. In fact, the longer the fight went on, the more anticipation they had of the fight.


    The battle continued, with each fighter showing off their unique techniques and abilities. The audience waspletely mesmerized, watching in awe as the two sword users fought with everything they had.


    As the fight continued, the audience began to cheer louder and louder, encouraging the fighters on.


    "Come on, Misha! You can do it!"


    A group of girls shouted as Mishanded a powerful blow on Hiro. They had be fans of Misha after witnessing this fight. They also wanted to be as strong as Misha.


    "Let''s go, Hiro! Show her what you''re made of!"


    Another group of girls responded, cheering as Hiro retaliated with a series of rapid strikes. The girls were Hiro fangirls and cheered loudly for him.


    The energy in the stadium was electric, with the audiencepletely invested in the fight. They cheered, gasped, and apuded as the battle raged on.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Once again they were locked in another sh. It seemed like an eternity. However, nothingsts forever. The same was true for this fight as it drew to a close. With their stamina, they could notst for 5 minutes.


    -THUD!


    When Hiro was preparing to do his ultimate attack, unexpectedly Misha''s sword fell from her hand, followed by her body.


    The referee went to check on Misha.


    Misha hadpletely lost consciousness. Her body was already on its limit even if she had broken through and at that moment, it had shut down.


    The referee signaled the end of the battle and announced the winner.


    "The winner of the final match is Hiro Ernest!"

 Chapter 332: Ace Academy Getting Yet Another Throphy

    "The winner of the final match is Hiro!"


    The referee announced, raising Hiro''s arm in victory. The crowd erupted into cheers, pping and shouting in excitement.


    "Hiro! Hiro! Hiro!"


    The group of girls who were rooting for Hiro jumped up and down, hugging each other in excitement. They were really worried for a minute when Misha overwhelmed Hiro.


    Hiro, on the other hand, was panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat. He looked at Misha''s unconscious form. The winner could have been anyone and this time it was him. His ssmates were more dangerous than any other schoolbined.


    Zion and Misha had pushed him into a corner even though he outranked them. While happy about his victory, he also felt that he needed to train more in order to also win next time. What''s more, he knew that there was someone who was much stronger than him.


    The medic immediately came and took Misha away. They were already ready for this situation as they knew from previous battles that the fight between Ace Academy participants would surely leave someone seriously injured which indeed became true.


    There were also healers healing Hiro. They could not take him out yet as he had to receive his trophy and give a speech. Thanks to the healers, Hiro was able to hold on until the awards were given even though it could be postponed for another day.


    Meanwhile, the audience was still cheering, celebrating Hiro''s victory. It was a truly thrilling match and they couldn''t wait for the next one.


    The audience erupted in apuse, standing up and cheering for everyone who gave them such an exciting fight. In them, they could see a bright and safe future for humanity. With such talent, they were not afraid that other races would dominate them.


    "That was amazing!"


    One man shouted, pping his hands together. He hade here expecting Hiro to dominate every match like in previous rounds. Unexpectedly, Ace Academy had other talented fighters who could very well stand against Hiro.


    In the end, Hiro won but it was not easy for him like many expected. He went through more trouble than all the other troublesbined in the previous round.


    "I''ve never seen a fight like that before! Are they really just students? Are you sure that they are professional Explorers?"


    A woman eximed, still caught up in the excitement of the battle. Others were still analyzing the fight.


    "Hiro''s technique was incredible, but Misha''s movement was really elegant and powerful. Pity that she copsed from exhaustion."


    A group of guys was discussing, nodding in agreement. It was really a pity that Misha copsed and they were not able to witness a more amazing fight. Her efforts in this fight earned her great respect.


    "It was definitely a close match. Either one of them could have won. I was secretly cheering for Misha Kanon. She has definitely be my idol."


    A girl added, her eyes still glued to the arena. Even the fighter who lost had earned the greatest respect and admiration from the spectator.


    As the fighters made their way out of the arena, the audience continued to cheer and apud, amazed by the incredible disy of skill and determination. They knew that they had witnessed something truly special, and the memory of the fight would stay with them forever.


    *****


    "Good job! You''ve made our academy proud."


    Professor Mia said when Hiro returned. Their school had already won when the Top-8 round was finalized. The only students from another school were in Rank-D + and she didn''t possess any threat to them.


    Even so, they managed to gain even more respect and admiration from people due to the skills disyed by their students in the following fights. Their students had shown that they were much more powerful than other schools.


    Hiro was also greeted with enthusiasm by other students and professors.


    "Congrattions Hiro, you did an amazing job out there!"


    Said Professor Theo, pping him on the back.


    "Thanks, Professor Theo. I couldn''t have done it without the support of everyone."


    Hiro replied, feeling grateful for the encouragement.


    "Congrattions, Hiro! You really outdid yourself!"


    Said one of the students, also patting him on the back.


    "Yeah, you really showed them what our academy is made of."


    Added another, grinning widely. They were really underestimated and condemned by others, but that all will change. All the humiliation that they suffered was worth it and they showed everyone what they are capable of.


    Hiro felt a rush of pride and satisfaction at the praise from his fellow students. He had trained hard for thispetition, and it was rewarding to see that his efforts had paid off.


    "Thanks, guys. But it wasn''t just me. We all worked together as a team to get here."


    Hiro replied, acknowledging the contributions of his teammates. It was not just words but the truth. He could not imagine the situation where Zion and Misha were from other schools and he would have to fight them. He could not have made it past the first round if that was the case.


    Moreover, he felt that he was able to be this strong because of the pressure from those friends. And he was also grateful for the help that everyone provided when things turned bad.


    Professor Mia nodded in agreement.


    "That''s right. Every one of you yed a critical role in this victory. You should all be proud of yourselves."


    The group basked in their sess. Several of them were participating for the first time in this tournament, and they had managed to do something that many would only dream of.


    Just like Professor Mia said, every one of them who participated did a fantastic job and the school administration was proud of them.


    A recruitment team from different guilds was also aiming for Ace Academy participants. Comparatively, they were much stronger and felt that they could help their guild rise further up.


    After giving some time to celebrate, awards were given one after another. Many people who deserved awards were absent though.


    Like Misha who came second and Lisa and Zion who had been considered third. And all the awards were also for Ace Academy. Other schools could only watch and p as Ace Academy took home not only the title of the champion but also second and third.


    Hiro was also given an opportunity to say some words about his winning this year''s Tournament Of Academies.


    Hiro stood on the stage, the trophy gleaming in his hands as he looked out at the audience. He felt a mix of nervousness and excitement, but he knew that this was a moment he would never forget.


    "I want to thank my teammates and our professors for all their support and encouragement throughout this tournament. Without them, I wouldn''t be standing here today."


    He took a deep breath and continued, "I also want to thank all the otherpetitors for pushing me to my limits. It was an honor topete against such talented opponents and I hope that we willpete again in the future."


    Hiro paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.


    "This is really a proud and joyous asion for me. I never thought that I would be able to win in one of the most difficult tournaments.


    Finally, I want to thank Ace Academy for giving me the opportunity to pursue my passion and hone my skills. This victory is not just mine, but it belongs to all of us."

 Chapter 333: Recuperating From Injuries: What Comes After A Fight Is Rest

    Days had passed since the tournament ended. Misha had woken up in a hospital bed with a dull headache and aching muscles. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented.


    "Where am I?"


    She mumbled to herself, looking around the unfamiliar room. She remembered thest thing being in the middle of a fight, then everything went nk.


    Misha tried to remember what had happened at the tournament. She recalled fighting Hiro and putting up a good fight, but then everything went nk. She couldn''t really remember but she could easily guess what followed. She has lost!


    Misha closed her eyes, feeling a mix of disappointment and exhaustion wash over her. She had put everything into that fight, and it was hard to ept that she had not emerged as the winner.


    "But... but congrattions to Hiro. He''s really amazing. He deserves to win!"


    She managed to say with a small smile. She had given everything she had to give and more. She did beyond what she expected. Although she had lost, she also managed to grow stronger.


    While her target seemed to be far ahead, she felt that she had at least managed to close some distance.


    Suddenly, the curtain near her opened.


    "Oh, you''re awake!"


    Lisa asked. They had been kept in the same room as they were friends. Lisa''s injuries were less severe than Misha''s and she regained consciousness earlier.


    "Lisa! You were also here!"


    Misha said, startled by her.


    "Yes, it seems that they kept us in the same room. Most importantly, how are you feeling, Misha? Any difort?"


    Lisa asked worriedly. She could help her to a certain extent though that was not possible in her current state. However, she can always call doctors and healers who are much better than her.


    "I have a headache, but I''m okay."


    She replied, her voice weak and raspy. It was the effect of staying unconscious for so many days. Other than that, she felt that most of her injuries had healed.


    Lisa nodded and had some conversation before she congratted her.


    "Oh, before I forget. Congrattions on getting second ce! While the winner was Hiro, you put up some amazing fights back there."


    Lisa said.


    She had lost consciousness after their battle and was not able to congratte her for winning against her. While she felt bitter about having lost, she didn''t think that she had made any mistake and was only defeated because she was weaker than Misha.


    After waking up, she watched the final between Misha and Hiros which she missed. There is no doubt that Misha is even more powerful than when she first fought her.


    Misha thanked her and also congratted her. Despite losing, they did get certain awards and they were really worth it. Not everyone could get second or third in apetition where every genius is gathered.


    "Is Zion alright?"


    Misha asked. She remembered that Zion was also taken to the hospital due to his injuries and it was much worse than theirs.


    "I don''t know for sure. Doctors are saying that he is out of danger, but he is not in very good condition. His body seems to have suffered severe internal damage from exerting himself."


    Lisa said. She had inquired about Zion''s condition and found that he had yet to recover. His injuries were much more serious than they seemed.


    Misha looked worried. Internal injuries like Zion had are difficult to recover from and it could be dangerous to his life.


    Noticing Misha''s expression, Lisa said.


    "Don''t worry too much. He is not someone who would die like this. Sylvia is also looking after him. We can check his condition after recovering."


    Misha nodded. She was helpless even if she wanted to help. She could only pray that Zion would make it out of these difficulties.


    Soon, her family came. They were really worried for the past few days even though doctors said that Misha would be fine. They only felt relieved when they saw Misha awake.


    "Thank goodness you''re okay, Misha! Your father and I were so worried!"


    Misha''s mother eximed, hugging her tightly. Her father also embraced her, smiling warmly.


    "We are so proud of you, Misha. You did an amazing job in the tournament, and we couldn''t be happier for you."


    Misha smiled weakly, feeling grateful for her parents'' support. They had always been there for her, through thick and thin, and their unwavering love meant everything to her.


    "You should have given up earlier. If something had happened to you, I would never have forgiven you."


    Eleonore said. She was worried but happy to see her sister fine. However, she also needed to reprimand her so that she does not do such stupid things again. She was really scared when Misha copsed and was taken to the hospital.


    Despite hearing such a thing, Misha was happy. She knew that Eleonore only said that because she was worried about her. Her sister was someone who was cold on the outside and warm on the inside.


    Over the next few days, Misha''s friends also came to visit her in the hospital.


    Her friends also came to visit her, each bringing a gift or a bouquet of flowers. They chatted and joked, making herugh despite the pain and difort.


    "I can''t believe you made it to the finals, Misha! You are such a badass!"


    One of her friends eximed, making Mishaugh. Even though she was a girl, she liked to talk in a boyish manner.


    "Yeah, you kicked some serious butts out there!"


    Another chimed in, causing Misha to smile and feel proud of herself. They said that they were surprised that she managed to do such a thing to Hiro, who is one of the top students at their school. They both congratted andforted her for her loss.


    As the days passed, Misha slowly recovered from her injuries. She was grateful for the time she had to rest and recuperate, but she was also eager to get back to training and honing her skills. She had tasted defeat at the tournament, but it only fueled her desire to improve and be even stronger.


    She vowed that she would be much stronger; stronger than Sylvia, stronger than Lisa, stronger than Zion, stronger than Hiro, and even stronger than Zero!

 Chapter 334: Ancient Dragon Heart

    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    -SHUSH!


    -THUD!


    "Hah.. Hah... Finally!"


    During the time of the Tournament of Academies, when the whole world was focused on thepetition. Zero was climbing the Tower and had managed to reach Floor-25. It was also the ce where he could get the Rank-SS item, Ancient Dragon''s heart, which was one of his objectives ining to Tower Of Obelisk.


    Dragon Heart is an item that can strengthen veins which makes it possible for a body to handle all kinds of mana. It could also help make one''s body stronger. In order for Zero to utilize his Dark energy seamlessly, he needed this item.


    The Dragon Heart is easy to obtain if you have the right information. Without information, one could only rely on luck.


    To get the Dragon Heart, one would need to defeat the Floor-25 boss, Fire Dragon five times. After that, you should be able to get the treasure known as the Dragon Heart.


    However, this is very difficult without information as one would go to the next floor and not spend trying to kill the same boss five times. You only get the reward once and even if you kill twice, there would be no reward.


    So, there is no chance that people will stay and kill on the same floor multiple times without any rewards. And the location of the boss monster also changes after killing it. This is a thankless task that no one would do.


    In the novel, the side character who managed to get the Dragon Heart was by chance. He was unaware that he would find this treasure, but he would stay on this floor and eventually kill the Dragon for the fifth time.


    His objective foring to the Tower Of Obelisk was training and knowing that he had reached his limit, he would continue to just stay on Floor-25. Luckily during that period, he encountered the floor boss five times. After the fifth time, he got the reward Rank-SS Dragon Heart.


    However, this information never made it to others as he got killed by the Dark Guild after knowing that he consumed the Dragon heart. Whether they got the information from him or not is still unknown.


    Anyway, fortunately for Zero, he knows this information.


    After he had started using Dual Art to quickly climb the Tower Of Obelisk. With all the Rank-B and Rank-B+ monsters, and the boss monsters being stronger, he had difficulty climbing quickly without Dual Art.


    Zero began to encounter monsters of Rank-A on Floor-24, which put him in a difficult position. Fortunately, his Cryomancy Art had risen in proficiency and his Dual Art had be more powerful as well.


    Additionally, he had also ascended to the rank of B. Without such improvement, he could not have made it to this floor quickly.


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: B -


    Strength: B


    Speed: B -


    Stamina: B -


    Mana: B -


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style: Expert]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Expert]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Proficient]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    He had been able to climb up to Floor-25 and kill the Fire Dragon five times with this status. It had been one month since he started to search for and kill the Fire Dragon. Today, it was the fifth time that he killed the Fire Dragon.


    -SWISH!


    And a treasure chest appeared. It was the second time that he got the treasure chest after defeating the Fire Dragon. He already knew that he had gotten the item.


    -CLENK!


    Zero opened the treasure chest which contained the Ancient Dragon Heart.


    And there it was Dragon Heart, an ultra-rare item that can easily fetch 1 billion Ethan on the market. Rank-S and Rank-SS would have fought fiercely for this item. And it was in his hands.


    In order to identify it, he used identification scrolls.


    ============================


    Name: Ancient Dragon Heart


    Rank: SS+


    The Dragon Heart is a rare and powerful item that is said to have originated from the ancient dragons that once roamed the small world and destroyed them. It is a small, ruby-red crystal that emits a faint glow and is said to contain the essence of dragons'' power.


    The Dragon Heart has the unique ability to strengthen the veins of the user''s body, allowing them to handle all kinds of mana with ease. It also enhances the physical and mental abilities of the user, making them stronger and more resilient.


    Unlike the appearance he was expecting, the size of the Dragon''s heart was small which is simr to a strawberry. Rather than a heart, it might be more urate to say that it was a gem with this kind of beautiful appearance.


    Without further waiting, Zero threw the item in his mouth.


    As soon as Zero consumed the Ancient Dragon Heart, he felt a sharp pain coursing through his body. It was as if his veins were being stretched and pulled to their limits, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from screaming.


    Zero rolled on his back as the intensity of the pain kept on increasing. This pain was much worse than he experienced when he was using Dual Art for the first time.


    Zero didn''t expect that there could be anything more painful than the time when he first used Dual Art. Looks like he was wrong and unfortunately, he had to experience it himself.


    *AHHHHHHH!


    Zero could not hold on and started screaming. He could be endangered if the monster came here attracted by the noise, but he could not hold his scream given the pain he was in.


    The pain continued for what felt like an eternity, and Zero felt as if his body was on fire. He could not really tell whether it had been one second, one hour, or one week that he had been in this pain, however, he felt that he had been in this state for years.


    -THUD!


    His eyes slowly closed as the pain kept coursing through his body. Finally, he had fallen unconscious.


    "AHH!"


    Zero woke up, still feeling weak and sore all over his body. He tried to move, but his limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. It was as if he had been asleep for a long time and his muscles had atrophied.


    As he tried to sit up, he noticed that his body had undergone a strange transformation. His veins were now pulsing with a faint red glow, and his skin seemed to have hardened. He felt as if his body was now stronger and more resilient than ever before.


    Zero slowly got up, still feeling a little shaky on his feet. He took a deep breath and tried to focus his mind, testing out his newfound strength. He felt an incredible surge of power coursing through his veins, and he could sense that his mana reserves had greatly increased as well.


    He could not believe it. The Ancient Dragon Heart had indeed lived up to its reputation as a rare and powerful item. He had never felt so alive and invigorated before. But the pain he had endured was not something he would want to experience again.


    However, the benefits were clearly visible and he could feel twice, no, he felt thrice more powerful than before. He couldn''t really grasp his new power but felt that he could easily stomp the Fire Dragon who had given him a tough time.


    [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: B


    Strength: B +


    Speed: B


    Stamina: B -


    Mana: B +


    Luck: B +


    Charm: B


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    [Rank SS+: Ancient Dragon''s Wrath]


    Ancient Dragon''s Wrath is an incredibly powerful offensive skill that allows the user to summon a torrent of mes in the shape of a dragon. The mes are so intense that they can easily incinerate even dragons. The skill requires arge amount of mana to use.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style: Expert]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Expert]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Proficient]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =

 Chapter 335: Ancient Dragons Heart [2]

    [ "Status" ]


    Zero carefully looked at the improvement brought by consuming the Dragon Heart. He wanted to know whether it was worth the suffering.


    ....


    After checking again and again, Zero was dumbfounded by the effect of Dragon Heart. It was not long ago that he had advanced to Rank-B - and he had advanced once more as the result of Dragon Heart. He didn''t think that he would be promoted to Rank-B so quickly.


    In addition, his three stats, Strength, Speed, and Mana, have increased as well. Mana had even managed to advance two times, jumping straight from B - to B +.


    And these benefits were immediately after consuming the Dragon Heart. There were still many benefits that he would gradually get as the effect of Dragon Heart got absorbed by his body.


    However, the most unbelievable thing that he obtained from Dragon Heart was the skill Ancient Dragon''s Wrath which is of Rank SS+. Rank-SS + is one of the highest-ranked skills, only below Hiro''s skill called System as far as he knows from the story.


    Rank SS+ Ancient Dragon''s Wrath! Zero can infer that it was an extremely powerful fire attack wielded by ancient dragons based on the description alone. It is extremely contradictory to the Art of his that is his Ice Magic.


    His Cryomancy Art was Level 9 Art which is stronger than a Rank-SS+ skill. However, that was only whenparing perfected proficiency Level 9 Art with a Rank-SS+ skill. Skill does not require training and users can use its full power as long as the user fulfills its requirements for use.


    That means Zero had just gained something that he could use to kill Rank-SS Heroes. However, that was only a possibility. He had enough power with Ancient Dragon''s Wrath skill but he had to first hit the Rank-SS to kill them. With their speed, it would be extremely easy for them to dodge his attacks.


    More than that, the question was whether he could even use the skill in his current state. Ancient Dragon Wrath is the most powerful technique of Ancient Dragon and judging by how rarely they use it, it should be using quite arge amount of mana which Zero might not possess.


    He decided to check thister when he is in a more safe ce. Anyway, he has a really strong skill that could be his greatest trump card.


    After his initial state of amazement, he looked at the surroundings confused.


    "Did the monsters get scared by my scream?"


    Zero wondered. He does not know for how long he was unconscious. However, it was weird that no monster had actually attacked him even though he was in a helpless state and had made such a big noise.


    However, he did not know the truth and he had something else that he was worried about. When he went to fight with the Fire Dragon, hemanded Lilith to protect herself and stay away from that area. He was worried about her safety.


    Zero ran as he wanted to check the condition of Lilith. He didn''t know for how long he was unconscious and whether Lilith was safe. While she was a Rank-A Devil, many Rank-A monsters roamed on this floor-25 that could kill her, particrly when she hadn''t recovered.


    -WHOOSH!


    He soon reached the area where he had told Lilith to stay.


    "Lilith!"


    Zero called. He could see her silhouette. He was d that nothing had happened to her. He even thought that the time he was unconscious must have been short judging by how the monster had not reached him and how Lilith seemed to be in the same ce as he ordered her to stay.


    However, as he got closer, he realized that his assumption could not be further from the truth. Lilith''s whole body was covered in blood. Her clothes were not stained with her blood; it was the blood of countless monsters she had in.


    Hundreds of monster corpses could be seen surrounding Lilith. Judging by how dry the blood was, Zero could easily say that it had been more than a week. That means that he has been unconscious for more than a week.


    And the reason why no monsters harmed him was because of Lilith who managed to hold them off. He realized that Lilith had been protecting him when he was unconscious.


    He quickly checked for any possible injuries to her body. However, there was none to his relief. Even if Lilith receives damage though, as long as it is not that serious, she could heal those injuries as she was a devil.


    "Sorry, Lilith! I will do my best to make it up to you. I swear that I will not put you in danger anymore."


    Zero said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.


    He felt a mixture of gratitude, relief, and guilt. He felt grateful that she protected him, relieved that she was safe and unharmed, but also guilty that she had to bear the burden of fighting for his safety. He thought that it was his turn to protect her and in the end, he still ended up getting help from her.


    Lilith remained silent and unmoving, her body still and unresponsive to his apology. Zero knew that she couldn''t hear him, but he felt better for having said the words out loud.


    Zero scratched his head, not knowing what to say more to such an unresponsive person. He thought that he should say those words again when she recovers. The fact that Lilith was even able to help him indicates that she might be recovering or at least that is what he would like to think.


    His primary objective had been achieved but he still had to find something that could help Lilith recover her spirit and he hoped that the floor above would have something that might help her.


    Before that, he took Lilith to a safe ce to clean all the dirt off her body. He also had to dress her up in her new clothes as her old clothes were all torn and stained with blood.


    He stayed on Floor-25 for a few more days. It was in his best interest to rest as he might not get this chance on the upper floor where he would meet stronger monsters. Secondly, he wanted to get used to his new strength before going up.


    With his new power, he could kill Rank-A - without even relying on his Dual Art.


    Moving through the floor had also been easy because of the new technique he had learned from leveling up his proficiency in Cryomancy Art.


    He learned two skills after he had leveled up his proficiency in the Cryomancy Art. One of which is called Frostwing.


    Frostwing is a high-level Cryomancy Art skill that allows the user to generate powerful wings made of ice. These wings are both beautiful and deadly, as they can be used for both offense and defense.


    When activated, the Frostwing skill creates a pair of wings made entirely of ice that extend from the user''s back. These wings can be used to fly, granting the user incredible speed and maneuverability in the air. They can also be used to attack enemies, as the sharp ice edges can slice through even the toughest armor.


    In addition to their offensive capabilities, Frostwing wings can also provide protection for the user. The wings are incredibly durable, able to withstand attacks from even the most powerful foes. They can also be used to create a barrier around the user, shielding them from harm.


    However, the Frostwing skill requires a significant amount of mana to activate and maintain, and the wings themselves can be difficult to control, especially for those who are not good at controlling mana.


    Using this skill, Zero was able to explore the floor more easily. Lilith could also fly so he didn''t have to worry about her either. However, flying was not very safe either as he would encounter many flying monsters, especially Wyverns.


    His other skill was called Blizzard Storm.


    Blizzard Storm is a powerful skill within Cryomancy Art that creates a massive snowstorm in the surrounding area. When activated, the skill unleashes a flurry of razor-sharp ice crystals that swirl around the user, cutting through anything in their path. The snowstorm is so intense that it creates a blinding blizzard that can disorient and confuse enemies.


    The range and duration of the skill can vary depending on the user''s Mana. By consuming huge mana, it is possible to create a Snowstorm that covers a 1 km radius but could onlyst for 10 seconds. However, if the range and intensity are made smaller, Zero could maintain it for much longer.


    Blizzard Storm can be an incredibly powerful tool inbat, allowing Zero to control the battlefield by creating a blizzard that slows down and damages enemies, or by providing cover for allies to move and attack from a safe distance. It is important to note, however, that the intense cold of the snowstorm can also be a double-edged sword, as it can affect both the user and their allies if they are not properly protected.


    Zero stillcked practice in these two techniques and cannotbine them with his Shadow style. By itself, it is more than useful, especially the Frostwing, which adds speed as well as helps him move quickly from one area to another.


    Zero can''t wait to use those skills on the monster residing on the upper floors.

 Chapter 336: Climbing To Floor-26

    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ] ¡­


    Zero was also trying to use Dark Energy. Dark Energy and the skill that he could use from his memory is one of the strongest techniques with a lot of destructive forces. Previously, his body could not handle such power.


    Due to this reason, he wanted to consume Dragon Heart which would make it easier for him to handle such power.


    As expected from the Dragon Heart, Zero felt no difort and could use Dark Energy as if he was a devil. With his increased mana, he could also use it for a much longer period of time and there was no pain either.


    He thought that he could also use stronger techniques that he knew from memories, though he could not as he did not have the necessary amount of Dark Energy.


    Well, at least he was happy that he could use Cataclysmic Destruction without trouble. He remembers killing Rank-S Ice Griffin with this technique. With this technique, Zero hoped that he could at least finish the boss on Floor 30.


    "Looks like it''s time to move to Floor-26."


    Zero took out the teleportation scroll and used it to teleport Lilith and himself to the next floor.


    *****


    Floor-26!


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero was conquering floor 26 with only his Dual Art. Previously it would have been difficult and he would have rather used power from Dark Energy. However, he had ranked up and he could feel that Floor-26 could be conquered using only his Dual Art. Though he nned to use Dark energy. In case he feels that he needs to speed up.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    Frozen Shadow Dance is a technique that is thebination of the Shadow Dance technique with Cryomancy Art. Simr to the Shadow Dance technique, Zero bes a shadow making him faster but with thebination of Cryomancy Art, he can cling to his enemies'' bodies and freeze them to death. It was a perfect Art for assassination. The only problem was mana consumption.


    Using Shadow Dance already took too much mana but by using Cryomancy Art on top of that, his mana consumption tripled Thankfully, his mana stat had risen by two ranks which at least allowed Zero to use this technique for 5 five minutes.


    [ "Frostbound Chains" ]


    Another Dual Art technique was Frostbound Chains which is thebination of Nightfall Shackles with Cryomancy Art.


    Not only can he bind the enemies like Nightfall Shackles but also freeze them to death. This technique was not only a restraining skill but also an attack technique. Even Rank-A monsters can''t escape after getting trapped in this technique.


    As Zero progressed through Floor-26, he encountered various monsters and challenges, but he was able to ovee them with his skills and experience.


    He noticed that the monsters on this floor were easier to defeat than the ones on the previous floor, but he didn''t let his guard down as he knew that anything could happen in the Tower Of Obelisk. He might have gotten stronger but monsters were also bing stronger as he climbed up. The only reason it was easier was because of Dragon Heart which increased his power exponentially.


    After a few weeks of exploring, Zero came across arge room with a crystal pedestal in the center. On top of the pedestal was a small crystal orb emitting a faint glow. He didn''t know what type of monster there was but he was sure that a boss monster was waiting for him.


    ( There must be boss monsters. It might be a golem type. )


    Zero thought.


    "Lilith, stay here and protect yourself. If you can''t, run ande to me."


    Zero said to Lilith.


    "¡­."


    There was no response from Lilith as usual but Zero knew that she understood hismand. He patted her head before going to confront the boss monster.


    As Zero approached the crystal pedestal, a loud rumbling noise echoed throughout the room, and the ground began to shake. Suddenly, arge golem made of crystal rose from the ground and stood in front of him.


    The golem was at least four times the size of Zero and had sharp crystal spikes protruding from its body. It looked extremely menacing and Zero could feel the pressure emanating from it. He could sense that this boss monster was much stronger than any he had faced before.


    Zero took a deep breath and readied his sword. He knew that this fight would be a tough one, but he was determined to ovee it.


    [ "cier Shadow sh!" ]


    Zero swung his sword and unleashed a powerful sh toward the golem. The st hit the golem''s body, causing it to shake but it didn''t seem to do much damage.


    The boss golem was made of a rare metal called "Oblivionite". It is a mysterious ore that is extremely rare and a good choice for making armor. It has the unique property of being able to absorb and disperse energy, making it extremely durable and able to withstand even Rank-A attacks.


    Its dark, almost ck color, gives off an ominous aura, and many explorers believe that it possesses powerful magic properties. The metal is so rare that it is said that only a handful of golems have ever been created using this material, and each one is a formidable opponent to any explorer who dares to face it.


    Zero realized that brute force wouldn''t be enough to take down this golem. He needed to be strategic and use his skills effectively. He might be able to damage the boss golem or one might call it the Oblivionite Golem as it was made of Oblivionite.


    The golem charged toward Zero with incredible speed, and he quickly used his Shadow Dance to dodge its attacks. He then used his Frostbound Chains technique to bind the Oblivionite Golem, immobilizing it.


    However, with its defense, it quickly absorbed mana and made Frostbound Chains weaker and the Oblivionite Golem broke it. He was also preparing for another strike at Zero.


    [ "Frostwing" ]


    Zero avoids the Oblivionite Golem attack by flying in the sky. One of the main weaknesses of the golems was that they were slow and also that they couldn''t do much against a flying enemy.


    Their defense and power were the greatest advantages. Even against Rank-S, their physical power and defense would not lose to them. However, they can''t fly or use any long-range skills which are their biggest disadvantage.


    However, it seems that Zero underestimated the person who made the Golem. The Golem looked at Zero, analyzing the strategy that he could use.


    As Zero had thought, Golems can''t use any long-range skills. But there were many methods to defeat people who could fly, especially if the said person is as strong as the Oblivionite Golem.


    -CREAK!


    The Oblivionite Golem lifted arge boulder with his arms.


    -SWISH!


    And bang! The Golem threw the boulder at Zero who was flying in the sky.


    !!!


    Zero was surprised by the Golem''s action. He had defeated many Golems in the past and even though they had great defense and power, they were stupid. As long as one was patient and used one''s advantage, it was easy to defeat a Golem.


    However, Zero didn''t expect that the Oblivionite Golem would be so smart as to make use of the boulder to attack him.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero easily broke the boulder that Golem threw. It would have been a different story if the boulder was made out of Oblivionite. Nevertheless, it would be his luck if such a big boulder were made of Oblivionite. He could easily earn a hundred million Ethan by selling such an amount of Oblivionite.


    Anyway, the Oblivionite Golem didn''t stop at that. He began to search and throw boulders again and again.


    [ "Blizzard Storm" ]


    Zero used a Blizzard Storm to cover the area with blizzards. Every area had be obscure. However, Zero could still know what is happening in the area through his mana that is connected with Blizzard.


    Zero wanted to see whether the Golem would still try to throw a boulder at him. As expected, the Golem''s vision was obscure and he didn''t know his location. The Golem seemed to be heading back to his initial location as he could not see Zero.


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Zero seized the opportunity and used his Shadow Cryomancy Bomb technique, unleashing a barrage of bombs at the golem''s body. The Golem didn''t seem to have any effect but slowly it began to get damaged.


    The Oblivionite Golem was very strong. He also had a strategy for handling flying enemies. However, he met Zero. The boulder he threw could hardly do damage to him. While Zero can keep on attacking without worrying about getting hit back.


    After a while, the Oblivionite Golem turned into a pile of rubble, defeated by Zero''s strategic attacks and skills.


    There is a great chance that many of the Rank-A explorers would not know how to fly and would have found themselves defeated by the boulders even if they did. Only Rank-S and above could easily defeat the Oblivionite Golem.


    Zero descended to the ground and waited for the pile of rubble to turn into a treasure chest. Slowly, a treasure chest appeared. Zero expected much from the treasure chest.


    "THIS IS!"


    Zero shouted excitedly. He didn''t expect much but he got something that he desperately wanted. He quickly put all the treasure in and rushed back to Lilith.


    "Lilith!"


    Zero called out to Lilith who had been waiting outside the room.


    "Lilith, I finally got the artifact that could help you."


    He quickly took out the artifact from his Spatial Ring.


    Name: Spirit Amulet


    Rank: A+


    The Spirit Amulet is a mystical artifact made of a soul stone that can heal the mind and spirit. It calms the mind, relieves stress, promotes emotional bnce, and removes negative energy. User mana control would also be increased by wearing the artifact.

 Chapter 337: Dual Art!

    Spirit Amulet was just the artifact that was needed to heal Lilith. It is a Rank-A+ artifact which means its effect is pretty powerful. Even though it could not immediately heal Lilith, Zero expected that Lilith would soon return to normal.


    Zero put the artifact around Lilith''s neck. The ne shone and it seemed that the artifact had started to work.


    Zero took out the teleportation scroll and headed to floor-27. He wanted to know what his limit was in this Tower Of Obelisk.


    *******


    A year has passed since Hiro and Ace Academy won the Tournament Of Academies. They had also recently won the Tournament Of Academies without much trouble.


    Currently, there was no student who could match Hiro and other students from Ace Academy. Hiro has advanced to Rank-B+ and is on the verge of breaking through Rank-A. If he did, he would be the youngest person to break through Rank A.


    Previously, this title belonged to Professor Mia who also had the title of being the youngest to reach Rank-S. Professor Mia broke through Rank-A at age 20 and Hiro could take that title as he was just 18.


    Others were also not far behind with Zion, Lisa, Misha, and Sylvia all being in Rank-B.


    Not only were Hiro and others ranked higher, but they also had breakthroughs in their Art and gained new skills. They could already conquer some of the weaker Rank-A dungeons.


    After the tournament, third-year students were busy choosing where to go. Ace Academy students always have lots of invitations, especially those who participate in the Tournament Of Academies.


    They are also offered many lucrative benefits if they agree to join them. Many would choose the guild that is ranked higher while others would choose those that offer more benefits to them.


    On the other hand, students like Hiro and Zion already have decided where they will join. Hiro was obviously set to join The Authority while Zion had his parents'' guild to join. Sylvia had also nned to join The Authority where her father works while Lisa and Misha were set to join their parents'' guild.


    Nevertheless, it didn''t mean that they would stop working together as a team. Until they are older and had to work like executives, they would continue to work as a team to conquer dungeons. The only difference was that they also had to work at their respective workces when they were asked to.


    However, that would also be the case in the future as newbies like them would only be asked to apany them after a few years of training. Despite the fact that Hiro and others were not in need of something like this, their organization would not immediately deploy them to some team.


    Anyway, there was still time for them to graduate and they were working in a team to conquer as many dungeons as possible.


    During that time, there was a big announcement that shook the whole world. The Rank-SS Hero, Seraphine, the War Goddess had managed to recreate an Art that wouldbine two Art into one.


    Why say recreate? Because the description of the Art is enough to tell that Dual Art already existed before Seraphine. Anyway, they were not bothered by that and were more excited as this Art could revolutionize the world as they know it.


    Moreover, because of the current state of the world, Seraphine was willing to teach this Art to others. In order to increase the power of humans, Seraphine decided to teach this Art to a limited number of talented people.


    Of course, Hiro and others were included in this program. Seraphine was focusing more on young people as they were the ones that could really benefit from this Art. Older people may be able to be stronger, but not many people would have learned two Art and focus on one.


    And it is toote for them to learn. Young people are still in their growing period and can pick up another Art which is necessary for using Dual Art.


    Many media outlets have also been publishing news on this exciting news.


    ''Dual Art? It is now possible tobine two Art.''


    ''Seraphine brought forth the new Art which could revolutionize the world!''


    ''War Goddess brings forth a terrifying Art! Will we enter a new age?'' ...


    Many conferences were held in order to talk about this new Art. Seraphine, who is also called the War Goddess, was a dignified person. She had been trying to use two of her Art together for many years. She had faced lots of difficulties and only recently could she sessfullybine her two Art into one.


    When she did, her status also did get updated with her new Art. However, her name was included as the creator of the Art to her disappointment. She thought that she would be the first one to create such Art.


    Nevertheless, she thought that many people in ancient times were much more powerful and smarter than her. It is possible they had already discovered this art, but as time passed, people had forgotten about it.


    Anyway, it was such good news during the time of war between humans and devils. This could entirely change the way people train. Instead of one Art, many would now practice two Arts. This Art could increase the power of humans and they might easily win the war with Devils.


    Seraphine was more than happy to share the method. However, because of the limited time, she only chose talented people for the time being. She was also not very proficient in Dual Art and would need time to teach others.


    She needed much more time to teach others. And she might not even be able to pass down the Art to the people who are not talented enough. It might change when her proficiency increases in the future. For now, she could only take 20 students.


    Hiro and others who were still students were given leave in order to learn Dual Art from Seraphine. This was an opportunity that no one would miss. Not only the opportunity to learn new Art but also to learn from a Rank-SS person.


    Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha and surprisingly Professor Mia was also invited. Not that surprising as Professor Mia was one of the most talented people but Seraphine was mostly taking in only younger people. But because of her immense talent, Professor Mia was also selected by Seraphine.


    In terms of talent, Seraphine mostly identifies Mia Frostine as the best talent. As the youngest at Rank-S, Seraphine was keener to believe in Mia''s talent than Hiro''s talent who had yet to reach Rank-A.


    Anyway, she had called everyone she thought to be talented to learn this Art.

 Chapter 338: Dual Art! [2]

    Hiro and others also got the news of their selection to learn the new Art developed by Seraphine.


    Seraphine was one of those rare people who learned more than one Art. With both her Art at perfect proficiency and their level being 7, when shebined them into one, the power it produced was incredible.


    They had seen the incredible result of that Art on TV.


    Many were stunned when they saw this demonstration by Seraphine. They were eager for the day when they got their hands on this Art. Many young people had already been searching for a new Art to learn.


    However, among those people, Hiro and others were thinking about different matters. What Seraphine showed was something that they had witnessed many times already and were stunned when they realized that.


    Yes, what they were thinking about was when Zero Elea would use his Dual Art. They didn''t really understand when Zero used Dual Art. They thought of it as some kind of Skill that Zero possesses. There were many incredible skills like the Hiro system which could do incredible things.


    However, after listening to Seraphine talk about some of its concepts, they were certain that Zero used to wield the same Art as Seraphine. And Zero seemed to have better control over it. Seraphine could only use the Dual Art once or twice before she got exhausted.


    With that standard, Zero who could almost battle in that state seemed almost as proficient in Dual Art as someone who had mastered the art of Dual Arts. They had seen him use Dual Art as if it was any other Art.


    "Isn''t it the same thing that Zero used?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "It could be. I am not sure."


    Lisa replied.


    "I am sure that is how he used those ridiculously powerful techniques."


    Sylvia said. She had always wondered how Zero could use two Arts like one. She only understood that when Seraphine exined it on TV.


    "It might be the same or he could have skills that could result in simr things."


    Misha answered.


    "Anyway, we were invited to learn this. I think we should use this time to learn new Art."


    Hiro chipped in. There was some time before they could learn this new Art. It is known by everyone that having two art is necessary for Dual Art to work. However, it is unusual for a person to practice two Art.


    That is one of the reasons why Zero was considered a weirdo. And also the reason why many wondered how both of his Art were so powerful. One had limited time on hand, and it was already hard to level up one Art, not to mention two.


    Zero always seemed to be strong whether he used Sword or Magic. While his Magic Art was obviously stronger, he was not weak with his Sword Art either.


    Anyways, Hiro and others who were selected to learn Dual Art had to get a new Art or else what was the use of taking lessons from Seraphine.


    They nodded at Hiro. They were already asked to get a new Art by the time they started the lesson from Seraphine. Seraphine wanted them to reach proficient proficiency in both of their Art.


    Seraphine knows that it is important to know both of the Art tobine them. However, that was not the only requirement, one would also need to have good control over mana. That is what Seraphine was going to teach her students before they became proficient in their new Art and they could startbining them after their control and proficiency in Art reached a good standard.


    For that week, Hiro and others had to search forpatible Art which they would bebining with their existing Art.


    Simr Art was a good choice but that would not be powerful. Likebining two swords, Art might be easier but of no use. It is better to use higher level Art than tobine two sword Art.


    That''s why they need to find Art that might go well with their other Art. They already had an example of two vastly different Art being used in Dual Art. Zero''s Dual Art is strong because hebined the Art of Sword and Cryomancy. Otherwise, if both of his Art were Sword Art, then it might only be slightly stronger sword Art and nothing like what he currently possesses.


    Hiro and others had found their Art easily. Hiro can get any Art from the System though he used most of his points to buy one of level 7 Art. Simrly, Lisa and others had backers who could easily supply them with Level 6 and Level 7 Art.


    Only Misha was having some trouble. She already has Level 4 Art. Now, she needs a higher level of Art. However, it seems Zero, who knows the future, has already prepared something for her as well.


    Zero had told his information agency to get Level 7 Art or higher and give it to Misha. Well, the time that he told them to give her was around the graduation period and they will know. As a matter of fact, they knew their boss was talking about the time when Misha would be searching for new Art.


    The only thing they told her was that Zero gave it to her as a graduation present or something like that.


    At first, Misha could not understand what was happening, but she epted this. She didn''t just practice the Art as it might have been a scam. She went to talk to her parents and also Zero''s parents.


    Zero''s parents gave a call to Zero''spany which verified the information. Knowing that their son had prepared this for Misha, they knew that they could trust them.


    Zero parents reassured them and told them that it was indeed their son who sent this Art.


    Misha was first reluctant and tried to give it to them. The value of Level 7 Art is something that she could not buy with all the guild resources. It is an Art that only some people would get in their lifetime.


    She didn''t think she deserved to get such incredible Art. However, Zero''s parents insisted that it was something that Zero wanted to give her. They also said that it was of no use to them.


    Misha could only learn the Art. She was thankful to Zero and hoped that she could say that to him. She then went on to practice this Art until the Seraphine lesson started.

 Chapter 339: Dual Art! [3]

    "... And that is how I achieve sess with Dual Art. It was an incredibly difficult journey but I was rewarded with this incredible Art as well. However, you don''t have to go through that process and it will be faster with my teaching."


    Seraphine said. She was a Rank-SS Hero, however, it was the first time that she was doing something like teaching. Which made her quite nervous like a normal person. Nevertheless, it was her responsibility as she was the only one who could teach them.


    The lesson had finally started and Seraphine was talking about the struggle of inventing the new Art. She was also exining all the things that are necessary for them to learn the Art like good control over mana and enough mastery of the Art.


    While she was repeating something that they already knew, it also shows that knowing this information was important.


    Everyone was paying attention to everything that Seraphine was exining. Fortunately, all the students that were selected were all brilliant minded and they could easily understand all the concepts that she was talking about.


    Aside from Professor Mia, there was also Lisanna that Hiro and others were familiar with. She was also one of the most talented people under the age of 20. There was also Landon Wright from Arcane Academy.


    Although Landon was eliminated in the first round of the Tournament Of Academies, he was considered to be one of the most talented with a good brain. There were also others who didn''t have any rtionships with Hiro.


    Following the exnation of most of the concepts, Seraphine demonstrated the Art and showed them how powerful it really is.


    "OHHH!"


    "Amazing!"


    "WOW!" ...


    Seeing it in person was different from watching it on TV. While many of them had already seen how incredible the Art was on TV, it was a different feeling when seeing it in person.


    They could feel the mana and how two different energies mix together to form a technique containing both energies. Seraphine uses Spear Art and Fire Art to create an explosive attack technique.


    Everyone was more eager to practice Dual Art after watching its incredible effect.


    After showing her technique, Seraphine proceeded to teach them how to learn this Art. First of all, she had to check their control of mana. Only some of them reached the level of control that was needed to learn the Dual Art.


    Therefore, Seraphine had to train them to achieve that minimum level of control. She already prepared a lot of equipment that might help them to control their mana.


    On the other hand, those who had good mana control were to train their other Art. Since Seraphine knew that many didn''t practice two Arts and had only picked up Art when she had announced Dual Art. She knew that theycked practice in their new Art.


    While generally, many people would need months or even years to reach proficient proficiency in Art, she believed that the people that she invited were talented enough to achieve the same in under one month.


    Those who had good control over mana were Professor Mia and Lisa Kyelpas. Both of them were mages who generally had good control of mana. Even among the mages, two of them were very talented.


    Even Hiro and Zion didn''t have enough control over their mana to learn the Dual Art. It is because they were most of the time practicing their Sword and spear and does not require much control like mage needs.


    Days passed and many of them became qualified to learn Dual Art. Before practicing Dual Art, however, there was one more requirement that they had to aplish.


    However, that was not really a problem. As Seraphine expected, the people she chose had incredible talent and work really hard. Many of them had only got their new Art one week before the lesson started.


    Many of them, however, achieved a good level of proficiency in their new Art with their talent and hard work. Those who didn''t achieve the required proficiency were given a training room where they could work on their Art.


    At the same time, Seraphine had also started to teach those who fulfilled all the requirements of the Dual Art.


    Hiro and his friends were all qualified to learn. Currently, they were all trying the method that Seraphine was demonstrating.


    -BOOM!


    "AAAHHHH!"


    One of them shouted.


    -BOOM!


    "AAAHHHH!"


    Another one soon followed.


    Learning Dual Art was not easy, especially for those who didn''t have good mana control. Even though they had achieved the level that Seraphine wanted, it was far from what was really needed.


    Trying tobine two energies was like having fire and oil coexist together. And what happens when you try something like this? Explosion. Not only that their nerves also got torn apart because they could not properly control their energies.


    They experienced pain that they had never experienced. It was worse than their bones getting fractured or them getting stabbed. It was literally like hundreds of needles poking at their nerves. Even the toughest guy could not withstand the pain without screaming.


    Therefore, from the start, many people were getting injured and had to rest. Fortunately, Seraphine already expected such a result and had Rank-A healers on standby.


    However, the number of injured kept on increasing. One after another, people kept on getting their energies exploded which eventually created some kind of fear for others.


    Even if they kept the energy under control and stopped it from exploding, they couldn''t really use Dual Art. Including Hiro and Professor Mia, nobody could really use Dual Art on their first day of practice.


    Seraphine was not disappointed as she expected such a result. It took her more than 10 years to get this right and even so it was difficult to control. She thought that it was normal for them to be unable to do it even with her teaching.


    The practice continued for a few more days and there were a lot fewer injuries happening. It seemed that they were finally able to mix two of their energies without them going out of control. However, that was it and they didn''t go further than that.


    Until they were toofortable to be able to do that, they refrained from using their techniques. Seraphine also got experience as a teacher and was able to teach them well after a few days.


    Finally, the first student to use Dual Art appeared.


    "Hiro Ernest, well done! You''re the first person from ss to sessfully replicate the Art."


    Seraphine said. She was very happy that her ss had finally produced one person who could use Dual Art sessfully. While Hiro''s use of the Art was far from usable inbat, he could at leastbine two of them and use them inbat.


    From now on, Hiro only had to repeat the process until he could use this technique like any other Art. The moment that status gets updated with this Art, they can say that they have learned it sessfully.


    After that others also appeared to have gotten a slight idea about how to go on about the technique as they managed tobine their Art. They were also lousy and not really something that could be used in fights.


    Seraphine was happy that her ss was producing some kind of result. She herself was able to learn much about Dual Art as she encountered lots of problems with her students.


    Therefore, the time she spent teaching was also valuable to her. She feels that she was able to understand Dual Art more.


    They were constantly improving and many were showing results of being able to use Dual Art normally like Hiro and Mia Frostine. However, unlike Zero, they were also like Seraphine who could only unleash one or two techniques before getting exhausted.


    The reason for it was that they had to spend a lot of mana and concentration in order to make sure that the two energies did not get out of control. It was like needing to pay attention to math ss as well as English ss and do well in both.


    It was not easy for them, especially when they didn''t have two brains or two souls. Maybe someone who has two brains or is really an expert in mana control could only achieve perfection in such Art.


    It took all they had to create a single technique using Dual Art. The mana that was consumed was also on another level. If not for the incredible power that is achieved when the technique is sessfully unleashed, none of them would be spending their precious time there.


    Many find it incredibly difficult to learn. The pain that they need to go through if they fail is many times worse than getting stabbed. Moreover, the Art seemed to consume a lot of mana making this an incredibly difficult Art to learn.


    Nevertheless, it was an incredibly powerful Art that would help them be stronger. They diligently studied and practiced Dual Art.

 Chapter 340: Dark Guild Domination!

    Months passed since Seraphine started teaching about Dual Art. During that time, the world shifted its focus to the war between humans and devils.


    The war had officially started. There had been arge number of soldiers sent between two domains on the border between humans and demons.


    It was only at the initial stage that most of the Ranks of humans and devils were just at C and B. They had yet to send their main force and were just testing the water. However, it was the start of a war that would slowly engulf everyone.


    Because of that Rank-SS heroes were also called to be on standby in case the devils started sending their powerful devils. For that reason, Seraphine immediately went back to the headquarters of The Authority where decisions were being made.


    Hiro and others had also graduated from the Ace Academy. They had alreadypleted their studies before going to learn Dual Art. Though the graduation ceremony took ce a few weeks after they started taking lessons from Seraphine.


    Many of their ssmates had officially joined some guilds and were getting trained. Strength-wise, they don''t have much problem, however, they need to teach them about cooperation and the ability of their new teammates.


    Also, they appear to have been drafted into the army for the battle against the Devils. So, they were also trained on survival tactics and how to work well with others.


    On the other hand, Hiro and others had different agendas to handle. They still had to properly know how to use Dual Art. Many of them were able to have Dual Art appear on their status which meant that they had achieved a certain level of proficiency.


    Even though Seraphine had left, they were still practicing this Art. However, they were also keeping their ears open to any news about the war. They already knew that they were given time to practice Dual Art because they had to participate in war and create some kind of impact.


    Given they were young, The Authority would not really try to deploy them in the war. However, if the situation calls for it, they have to go. Thest war that was between humans and devils caused millions of casualties and even kids at the age of 16 were recruited into the army.


    Simrly, young devils also appeared on the battlefield. While young, they were already of old age. Devils take more time to be adults and their lifespan is also greater. However, their mentality and strength were simr to that of a human of age 16.


    The war only stopped when the human Rank-SSS killed the demon king of that time. The reason why humans didn''t take advantage of that victory is that the Rank-SSS legendary hero was also seriously injured.


    Moreover, casualties were already high on both sides. With other species also waiting for their chance, they had made a truce with each other. It seems that the truce of the hundred years was finally broken.


    However, it was not only the Devils that were causing trouble for humans. Humans themselves find that their enemies are not only others but also themselves.


    ******


    Somewhere in the back alley.


    "Did team A reach their destination?"


    Rank-S executive member of the Dark Guild asked.


    With many Rank-S and Rank-SS heroes busy, Dark Guild was making use of this opportunity to create trouble everywhere. Because of ack of personnel in The Authority and many of the guilds, they were not able to stop Dark Guild.


    And today, they were going to do something big that would change their status forever. For that many Rank-A Dark Guild members as well as Rank-S executives had been deployed.


    "Yes ma''am! Team-A had already reached the location and was waiting for further orders."


    The member responsible formunication responded.


    "Good! Let''s begin the party!"


    The executive said with excitement. At the time of these troubled days, no one in the Human Domain was as powerful as them.


    They could almost do whatever they wanted to do. However, they also knew their limits. While they did make more trouble than normal, they also had their limits. They didn''t want to force The Authority to divert their attention from the war to themselves.


    However, today they were going to do something that would certainly make The Authority pay attention to themselves. However, as long as their mission was aplished, they considered it worthwhile.


    All the Dark Guild members were deployed for this mission including all their executives. With such force, even a tinum-graded guild could not do anything against them.


    The Dark Guild members gave a wicked grin as they prepared tounch their attack. The Dark Guild had always been plotting and scheming, waiting for their chance to strike. And with the chaos of the war, they saw an opportunity to make their move.


    Meanwhile, Hiro and his friends were still practicing Dual Art, unaware of the impending danger. They were focused on honing their skills and preparing for the war, but little did they know that they would soon be facing a new enemy - one that was closer to home.


    That day, Hiro and many others who had learned Dual Art were training in the hall provided by Seraphine. In the absence of Seraphine, Professor Mia was given the authority to maintain order in that ce.


    "Zion, how was your practice?"


    Hiro asked as he breathed heavily. He had just gotten out of the training room when Zion had alsoe out.


    "It is okay!"


    Zion answered uninterestedly.


    Soon, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha also came out. They talked about how their training was going or some interesting news that they heard. And then the topic of the Dark Guild came.


    "We need to be extra careful nowadays! It looks like the crimemitted by the Dark Guild has been increasing."


    Sylvia said.


    "Yeah, I also..."


    -BOOOOM!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion interrupted Misha before she could finish her sentence. The ground shook, and the sound of screams and panic could be heard from outside. Hiro and his friends quickly rushed to the entrance of the hall, where they saw smoke rising from their building.


    Hiro and his friends quickly assessed the situation and saw that there were several injured people lying on the ground. They immediately went to help them, using their healing abilities to treat their injuries.


    The building that they were in was very secure as there are protective barriers protecting it. So if someone wants to sneak into it, they have to break the barrier. And it looks like somebody did.


    "SURPRISE!"


    A group of Dark Guild members suddenly appeared from the smoke, led by a powerful Rank-S executive member. Hiro and his friends immediately recognized them as they were wearing clothes with the Dark Guild logo on them.


    Though they were still wearing masks which made it hard to tell who was who. Despite working for Dark Guild, they have other identities that they don''t want people to know about.


    Dark Guild hadmenced their operation and it included taking over quite a few locations at the same time. One of the locations was this building where Dual Art users are trained.


    Hiro and his friends quickly got into their fighting stance, ready to defend themselves and the injured people. However, they were not confident about winning the fight at all.


    First of all, they all knew that there was someone who was capable of breaking through the barrier that could block even Rank-A Explorers. And they couldn''t tell who that person was.


    Thedy in the mask was not hiding her strength at all. Her mana aura was unleashed and Hiro and others knew that she was someone who is above Rank-A. Moreover, they could feel the many mana aura of Rank-A as well.


    They knew well that they had to escape from that ce. However, under the pressure of Rank-S, Hiro, and others were finding it even hard to breathe, much less run.


    Hiro quickly assessed the situation and knew that they needed toe up with a n fast. He turned to his friends and said,


    "We can''t fight them head-on. We need to create a diversion and escape while we still can."


    Hiro nned to create a diversion for them.


    However, it didn''t seem that the enemies were going to go easy on them.


    The Rank-S executive didn''t hesitate to attack them. Her goal was to prevent them from doing anything that might cause things to be irksome in the future. She seemed to know them well enough to not underestimate them even though she was Rank-S which was worlds apart from some Rank-B brats.


    [ "Raging mes Assault" ]

 Chapter 341: Dark Guild Invades

    [ "Raging mes Assault" ]


    "AH!"


    -THUD!


    Hiro and the others were on the verge of kneeling. They already felt too pressured due to her aura, however, the attack which contained powerful mana aura and heat had made it even more difficult for them to stay standing.


    Everyone could feel that this was not something that they couldpete with. In front of the huge fire attack, they felt like insignificant beings that should cease to exist.


    They didn''t even have the will to resist the attack.


    Even if they wanted to, they could not properly circte their mana which is required to conjure their skills.


    They closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable to happen. 1 second¡­ 2 seconds¡­ 3 seconds¡­ After waiting for the mes to hit them, they were still okay. Moreover, the intense heat that they were experiencing had also disappeared. Rather they were feeling cold instead of feeling hot.


    They opened their eyes to see the mes that were making their way toward them freeze. The attack had be ice just before it hit them.


    -PHEW!


    Many of them were feeling relieved including Hiro. It seemed that at thest minute, they were saved.


    "Are you guys okay?"


    Professor Mia asked. Fortunately, she was able to save them just in time. If she was even a few secondste, Hiro and the rest of the group would have been roasted.


    Seeing Professor Mia was a big relief for many of them. Previously, the presence of Rank-S Dark Guild women had really terrified their minds and made them panic. But with Professor Mia who is also Rank-S on their side, they had almost no fear.


    Almost no fear because even if Professor Mia could take care of their Rank-S executive, the Dark Guild side still had many Rank-A members. While on their side, not many were at Rank-A. They had many Rank-B including Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, and Lisanna, however, theycked Rank-A fighters.


    Professor Mia immediately rushed to the front. She had her guard up and was very vignt about the invaders.


    "Can you guys move?"


    Professor Mia asked while keeping her eyes on the Dark Guild. She was under great pressure because of the presence of a powerful enemy as well as having many people to protect. She can''t mess up or else lives would be lost.


    "Thank you, Professor Mia! We can move properly."


    Lisa answered. Due to Dark Guild''s executive mana aura, they were previously unable to move, but at the moment Professor Mia''s mana aura protected them. They were also not injured thanks to her timely arrival.


    Professor Mia nodded at her.


    "You should take the injured to a safe ce and stay there. I want you all to protect them and yourself. And I don''t want to make you hopeless, however, I have to tell you this. Dark Guild has surrounded this ce and reinforcement would bete."


    Professor Mia said.


    Just a few seconds before the explosion, she received a call about requiring reinforcement from other locations. She could guess that the Dark Guild was also attacking multiple other ces. That''s why she knew that there would be no reinforcements who woulde to help them.


    Many powerful people are already focused on the war. Despite calling reinforcements, it would take at least hours for them to arrive, and there are many ces that needed their assistance. Professor Mia knew that they could not rely on reinforcement in this situation.


    A lot of people became nervous as soon as they heard this. Without reinforcement, they were as good as dead. They didn''t think that against the Dark Guild member, they would even find surviving 10 minutes difficult.


    "Okay!"


    However, Hiro and his friends responded well without much hesitation. It wasn''t long before they started taking the injured people away from the scene.


    No reinforcement? Hopeless situation? That was something that they were used to. BloodyWolf Forest! Devil''s Invasion! And many such situations were all like this. They knew that in times of danger, it is not very good to rely on reinforcement and they needed to survive on their own.


    However, this was different for many people who had never faced real danger until this moment. The majority of people learning Dual Art were under the age of 20 and did not have much experience.


    Other people working there were even worse since they were never trained to even be Explorers. That''s why they were scared and panicked the moment Professor Mia said that reinforcement would not arrive.


    -WHOOSH!


    Amidst the panic, Hiro and others carried the unconscious people as they made their way toward other ces.


    Professor Mia smiled.


    She was proud of her students who grew up well. They didn''t hesitate while making a decision, and they knew how to digest information with a calm mind.


    Other people also followed them. They didn''t have much choice after all. The choice was either to stay here where Rank-S would fight or to run away from that ce, seeking a safe ce to hide.


    "Why are you targeting this ce?"


    Professor Mia asked. Unlike the other ce that Dark Guild had attacked, this ce only had students such as Hiro and there was no treasure or anything that might appeal to Dark Guild.


    "Hehe... That you don''t have to know!"


    The Rank-S executive said. Following this, she ordered other Dark Guild members to pursue Hiro and others by signaling with her hand.


    -WHOOSH!


    The Dark Guild members immediately followed hermand and rushed to chase after Hiro and others. They also don''t want to stay in a ce that would soon be a battleground for two Rank-S.


    "Icy Burst"


    It would be iprehensible for Professor Mia to allow them to do what they wanted in her presence, however. She used her AOE skill which would slow and freeze anyone who got hit by it.


    Gradually, the enemies grew slower and some even froze.


    "me Burst"


    However, the Rank-S executive was also not willing to let Professor Mia do what she wanted. With her extremely hot mes, she melted the ice and negated the effect of the Icy Burst.


    Professor Mia was extremely surprised. She looked at the Rank-S executive with a frown and asked.


    "Why?"


    Professor Mia was indeed surprised. However, not because her Icy Burst was negated by her enemy.


    "Why? Why is it you, Professor Frey?"

 Chapter 342: Identity Of Dark Guild Executive

    "Why? Why is it you, Professor Frey?"


    Professor Mia asked.


    Even though she was wearing a mask, Professor Mia easily recognized Professor Frey because of the me Burst technique that she used.


    There were only a handful of Rank-S women and only small people knew such powerful Fire Art. And Professor Mia only knew Professor Frey who could use the me Burst technique.


    Professor Frey was someone who is a teacher for Arcane Academy. If Zero was here, he would know why. At the time of Sophia''s birthday, he had met Professor Frey and knew the danger she posed. She was already a Dark Guild executive at the time and would cause chaos in the future.


    She is also someone who is extremely jealous of Professor Mia and has hated her ever since she became known as the Ice Enchantress. She had always tried to make trouble for Professor Mia and even sent some assassins to kill her, though she was unsessful.


    In this operation, Frey chose this location as she knew that is where Professor Mia would be. She wanted to end the life of Mia Frostine once and for all.


    Even though she became Rank-S -ter than Professor Mia, she believed that she was stronger than Professor Mia.


    Professor Frey smirked at Professor Mia''s question.


    "Why not? I was always one of the Dark Guild. For the sess of this operation, I will have you dead."


    She replied in a smug tone.


    Professor Mia realized that there was no reasoning with Professor Frey. It is clear from what Frey revealed that she has always been the enemy of humanity and was not forced to do this. There was nothing more to talk about.


    She never realized Professor Frey''s strong hostility toward her and maybe she would never as well. However, due to Professor Frey always finding problems with her, she also knew many things about Professor Frey. She was at least more aware of Professor Frey''s prowess than others. She knew that the enemy before her was no weakling.


    They stood still for a bit, staring at each other. They knew that the talk was over and that the fight had started.


    [ "Inferno Sonata st" ]


    Professor Frey was the one who made the first move.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    Professor Mia responded with her attack.


    Two of them had opposite elements. Frey wielded the power of fire while Mia Frostine was inmand of the ice. If onepares the elements, Frey had the advantage with her fire Art which is stronger against Ice.


    However, Mia Frostine is not called one of the most talented for nothing. Her Ice energy was extremely cold, capable of freezing the fire.


    -BOOM!


    Ice Spear had managed to easily extinguish Frey''s fire attack. However, Frey''s first attack was just a kind of diversion as she had already begun chanting for a big move.


    The air around her started to vibrate as she chanted the incantation for her ultimate technique. Professor Mia knew that she had to dodge it at all costs, or else she would be incinerated in the resulting explosion.


    [ "Pyro Rhapsody Barrage" ]


    Pyro Rhapsody Barrage is a powerful fire spell that involves shooting multiple ming orbs at the target. The orbs move at high speeds and can cause massive destruction on impact. The spell can be controlled to hit multiple targets or to focus on a single target, making it a versatile and deadly spell.


    There was no dodging this spell.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Wave" ]


    With a quick movement of her hand, Professor Mia activated her skill, trying to destroy all the orbs. Although the Ster Annihtion Wave destroyed most orbs, it did notpletely destroy them all.


    -BOOM!


    Professor Mia barely managed to dodge the st, but the heat was intense, and she could feel her clothes starting to singe. The area around the two professors quickly bes engulfed in mes as the battle intensifies.


    Professor Freyughed triumphantly as she saw her opponent struggle. She knew that she had the upper hand in this fight and was confident that she would emerge victorious. However, she was not prepared for what came next.


    [ "Frozen Surface" ]


    The ice moved towards Professor Frey, freezing everything in its path. The temperature dropped rapidly, and the ground beneath her feet started to crack and freeze. All the fire died as a result of the cold.


    Even the floor beneath Frey froze and it had even started to freeze her body. Professor Frey tried to counter her mes, but the ice was too powerful. Her mes were extinguished almost immediately, and she was left shivering in the cold.


    The two professors were now on equal footing, each trying to gain the upper hand in the fight. They exchanged blows, each one trying to outdo the other.


    *****


    "Quick!"


    At that time, Hiro and other people were trying to run away. Even though they could not see the enemy chasing after them, they knew that it would not be long before they managed.


    Even though Professor Mia was there holding the fort, they knew that she could not keep all the Dark Guilds from chasing them, especially when Dark Guilds had their own Rank-S.


    Sometime after, Hiro felt that some people were catching up to them. They knew full well who those people could be.


    "I think that Dark Guild people are closing in!"


    Hiro warned the group. It caused them to feel more nervous and scared, especially the non-fighters.


    Immediately, he transferred the person he was holding to another of the people around him.


    "You should all run and hide in Professor Mia''s training room. As long as it is not that Rank-S Dark Guild member, none of the other people would be able to break into the room."


    Hiro said. If they continue running, it is only a matter of time before they catch up. Someone needs to halt them and keep them busy.


    "What are you nning?"


    "Someone needs to hold them down!"


    Hiro said as he retrieved his sword from the storage ring. His eyes showed determination and he was ready to die for the right cause.


    However, he was not the only one.


    "Ah! Let''s do it!"


    "Humph! Those pesky guys are really seeking death."


    "Well, we can''t let Hiro do this alone."


    Sylvia, Zion, Misha, and Lisa were also ready to fight together with the Dark Guild.


    "As a senior, I could not let the burden fall on my junior''s shoulders. Let me see how powerful those Dark Guild people are."


    Lisanna also joined. Hiro didn''t reject them as he knew that he alone could hardly hold those Dark Guilds for others to escape.


    "You guys!"


    Others didn''t know how to respond. They were emotionally and guilty for making them choose this option. They were also helpless as they were too weak to help.


    Some of them were also willing to join them, however, they needed to go as not enough people would be there to take care of the injured if they also stayed to fight. They had to take them to the room beforeing back to join the fight.


    "How many people are there?"


    Lisanna asked Hiro. Hiro''s sense was much better than hers and she admits that Hiro was stronger than her as well even though she beat him in the tournament.


    "11, no, 12. One of them is just walking behind the group."


    Hiro said.


    "Okay! Let''s get ready then!"


    Everybody took out their weapon and prepared tounch their attack. Everybody knows this is going to be a tough battle.

 Chapter 343: Fight With Rank-A Dark Guild Members

    There were only 6 Rank-B fighters on their side while the iing enemies had 11 people of which 6 were Rank-A fighters. Although they are more talented than the average person, their vast gap in strength would not be diminished by their talent alone.


    Among the six of them, only Hiro could manage to fight with a Rank-A without much trouble. Others were not strong enough to fight Rank-A. More importantly, they were outnumbered by them.


    They could have handled it if the number of enemies was less than theirs even with Rank-A on their side. However, the situation was the opposite and not only were they outranked, but they were also outnumbered.


    [ "Athena Blessing: Heavenly Strengthening" ]


    Lisa cast her spell which raised the stats of 6 of them. While it was taxing on her mana to strengthen 6 Rank-B, however, if she doesn''t do that, they might not evenst for 5 minutes, much less until her mana is exhausted.


    [ "Sovereign Will II" ]


    [ "System Double Power Activate!'' ]


    [ "Shattering Flower Style: Bedonna Dance" ]


    To increase their power even further, Zion, Hiro, and Misha used their strengthening skills as well. They didn''t hold back with Zion unleashing his Sovereign Will II and Hiro with his system power.


    Ever since the battle with Hiro, Zion has been able to control much of his skills. With him ascending to Rank-B, his body could handle much of the power. There was no problem even if he activated Sovereign Will II for 5 minutes.


    Anyway, there was no reason to hold back when they knew that their enemies were much more powerful than them. Rather than saving mana or the trump card for thest minute, they should use everything they had to defeat their enemies.


    They didn''t use Dual Art that they had learned recently as it consumed too much enemy. If they used that they would not be able to fight even for one minute. And their objective of buying time would also fail which they don''t want.


    They wanted to fight everything they had but at the same time, they had to prolong the battle to a certain extent.


    -SWISH!


    Immediately, 10 of them arrived on the scene while thest one was taking his time just like Hiro had said. However, even with one of them missing, it was not any better as the current enemy force was still greater than them.


    [ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ]


    [ "Burning Phoenix Rain" ]


    [ "Chrysanthemum Blooms" ]


    Without any warning, just as they were in sight, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha released their strongest long-range attack. Because they had time to charge their technique, the power was incredible.


    [ [ "Fortification" ] ]


    Their Rank-A tanks came forward and formed a big shield to protect everyone.


    -BOOM! -BANG!


    As a result, their skill was incredible, far surpassing their rank and almost at the level of Rank-A. It is also important to note that the Dark Guild members were also prepared for everything and their tank was highly skilled. With their fortification skill, they negated their power.


    Although they indeed blocked their attack easily, none of this was surprising. And it was also not the only thing that they had prepared for.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    [ "Celestial Piercing Strike" ]


    [ "Unlimited Wind des" ]


    Hiro, Zion, and Lisanna soon followed with their ultimate technique as well.


    The tanks were still defending. They were confident that they could still block the attacks just as they did with Lisa, Misha, and Sylvia.


    -PANG!


    At first, Hiro was unable to make it past their barrier. However, with Lisa''s support skills and System skills, his power was already on par with Rank-A. Not to mention that Starfall Fracture is the technique from a level 8 Art.


    -CRACK! -CLANK!


    The shield made by two Rank-A tanks shattered soon after. The Dark Guild member was dumbfounded by the situation. They fully knew their teammates'' defensive prowess and trusted them to block the attack.


    Never in a million years did they think that a Rank-B+ kid would be able to break past that barrier.


    After the barrier broke, Hiro''s next target was the people of the Dark Guild. However, the one in front of the group blocked his attack with ease. Since Hiro used much of his power to break the barrier, there was not much power to confront that person.


    Zion and Lisanna were also attacking from behind Hiro. And unlike Hiro, they were still at their fullest power.


    -BANG!


    Hiro, Zion, and Lisanna caught the enemy off guard. Even if the enemies were Rank-A, they would still die if they dared to take the attack head-on without any preparation.


    -THUD!


    Zion hit one of the Rank-A. As he was taken by surprise, he was directly hit. With Sovereign Will II, Zion''s strength was no less than Rank-A -. With his technique, he managed to seriously injure one of their enemies.


    Lisanna''s attack has arge AOE. The "Unlimited Wind de" skill is a powerful offensive ability that involves the creation and maniption of sharp des made of wind. The user of this skill could potentially be able to summon an infinite number of these des, which would swirl around them and be at their disposal tounch at their opponents.


    Using this, Lisannaunched her thousands and thousands of des toward the enemy. The enemy was also not prepared for her attack. However,pared to Zion and Hiro, itcked the power to deal serious damage to Rank-A.


    Although Rank-A could destroy the sword or dodge it easily, Rank-B Dark Guild members were all seriously hurt by this technique.


    It might seem like Hiro and his friends were able to get an advantage over their opponent, however, that was far from the truth. It was their biggest chance and they used their strongest skill, however, they still failed to take down any Rank-A Dark Guild Member.


    "I am surprised!"


    One of the Rank-A Dark Guild members said. He also knew that the attack that Hiro and others did was only because they had time for preparation and there would not be any such situation again.


    He didn''t take them seriously even though some of them had be injured including one of the Rank-A members.


    "Looks like the bounty on your heads is really worth its price!"


    He continued. He seemed to be some kind of sub-leader since none of the others were interrupting him.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ "


    Hiro and the others could only listen as they heavily breathed in the air.


    They had pushed their stamina and mana to their limit in order to create the previous strong attack. However, it made them tired after using it. Moreover, thinking about the situation they were in, they could not feel any better.


    However, that didn''t mean they had given up. They were ready to engage in more difficult fights with them.

 Chapter 344: Fight With Rank-A Dark Guild Members [2]

    -WHOOSH!


    The sub-leader of the Dark Guild disappeared from their sight.


    -BANG!


    Before they could track him, Misha had been kicked in the stomach by the sub-leader, sending her flying backwards.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    [ "Wind Spirit: Astral Movement" ]


    Hiro and Lisanna immediately sped up and went to confront the sub-leader before he hurt Misha more. Luckily, this time they made it on time and were able to stop the sub-leader.


    [ "Hygieia Blessing: Compassionate Light" ]


    Lisa also immediately started to heal Misha.


    However, the fight had just begun and the sub-leader''s attack was just a signal for his subordinates.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro fought with the sub-leader who was also the strongest of them. Hiro could tell he was the strongest by using his Wild Sense which showed Red which means it is an opponent that is very difficult to defeat.


    However, difficult does not mean impossible, which is represented by the ck color. He still had hope as long as his opponent was red, though the chances of winning were extremely low.


    Lisanna also had to fight a Rank-A AX user. Zion and Sylvia were in a simr situation as they also had to fight other Rank-A members.


    Lisa and Misha confront the rest of the Dark Guild members which include 5 Rank-B and one Rank-A. Lisa has to stop healing Misha as they prepare to fight them.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The situation was not looking good for Hiro and the others. Hiro with his System double power was barely able to keep up with the Dark Guild sub-leader who is in Rank-A. He was an assassin whose speed exceeded his by a lot.


    On the other hand, Lisanna was fighting a Rank-A tank. Her speed was high and she could keep up with her opponent. However, except for speed, her opponent was superior in everything.


    Simrly, Zion, Sylvia, Lisa, and Misha found themselves at the mercy of their enemies. In spite of this disadvantage, they put up a good fight and were able to buy enough time for other people to escape.


    -SWISH!


    The sub-leader smirked as he dodged Hiro''s attacks effortlessly.


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    He taunted. Sub-leader really didn''t seem to think he would be defeated and it was backed with a reason as well. With all the factors, there was no way that they could lose.


    "I expected more from you as you are hailed as the greatest talent in the world."


    He was also thrilled that he would get to capture someone as famous as Hiro. Who was Hiro? His bounty in the underworld was as high as some of the Rank-S heroes. Everybody would be ecstatic to capture Hiro.


    Zion and others also had their bounty as they were also sons and daughters of big guilds. With admirationes hatred and they don''tck an enemy who would do anything to bring them down including capturing their child.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Hiro and the others gritted their teeth, not willing to back down. They knew they had to find a way to defeat the Dark Guild members, but they were too strong and they had more numbers. The most that they did was take one of Rank-B out and Zion hurting one of Rank-A in the start.


    Other than that, they could not do anything more against their enemy. While at the same time, they were getting exhausted more and more and their injuries also kept increasing.


    They were fighting with all their power and using mana like crazy. On the other hand, their opponents were not using such mana-consuming techniques or anything which is why they didn''t exhaust their mana.


    It was only a matter of time before Hiro and his friend were defeated by them. They were also aware of that fact as their mana level kept on decreasing.


    They were getting desperate but their opponent was too strong and even by utilizing all they have, they could not defeat them.


    And what made Hiro more hopeless was the appearance of thest Dark Guild member.


    ( Is this it? Do we have no hope? )


    Hiro thought.


    As previously mentioned, Hiro''s skill Wild Sense could detect the strength of the opponent. Sub-leader was red which already meant a very strong enemy, however, thest Dark Guild member that appeared was pitch ck.


    His senses were also tingling and telling him that the person that appeared was someone that he could not defeat even if he teamed up with others to fight him alone.


    They were already in a bad state, with the appearance of another Rank-A enemy, even Hiro felt some kind of despair. Others also felt that the situation was going to be more dire.


    Although they don''t have Wild Sense to know how strong he was, they could at least tell that he is Rank-A and the situation could not be better with the enemy force having one more Rank-A.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    The Dark Guild member that appearedst was casually walking as if he was not involved in the battle at all.


    This pissed off not Hiro or his friends but Dark Guild members. Even though they were winning, they were also suffering somewhat and there is this teammate who is like he is on tour.


    "JESTER! Why the F**K are you so slow?


    One of the Rank-A said angrily. His fight with Lisanna was paused for a second as he pushed her backwards. However, instead of taking advantage of the situation, he rushed towards the member who was casually walking.


    -THAK!


    He hit the guy on the head as he scolded. He didn''t hold anything back and used his Rank-A strength. Surprisingly, Jester didn''t have much reaction.


    "Jester, did you get lost or something? Why didn''t youe faster? I am fed up with yourck of seriousness."


    Just because they were all from the Dark Guild, it didn''t mean that they had a good rtionship with each other. Rather it was the opposite. If one were to let their guard down, it would not be the enemy who would kill you but your own allies.


    The Rank-A tank asserts his authority as he gets physically with people weaker than him. Other Dark Guild members also didn''t say anything as it was reasonable since Jester camete and made them suffer.


    "Sorry! Sorry! This will not happen again!"


    Jester apologized. However, he didn''t seem to bother about Rank-A hitting him on the head or anything. He was just smiling as usual.


    "Humph! That is what you saidst time. I don''t think you really respect my words."


    However, the Rank-A tank was bing more aggressive with how submissive Jester was. That was the type of human he was. When others show weakness, he would be bolder and more aggressive.


    "Just let him off this time! We have an important mission toplete."


    The sub-leadermanded. He knew well that the Rank-A tank would not stop if he didn''t interfere. And he normally would not interfere as well but today they were on an important mission that he couldn''t afford to mess up.


    "Sorry! This will really be thest time you need to say this."


    The Jester apologized.


    "Humph! Better be careful next time!''


    The Rank-A tank said. He had to listen to the sub-leader who was more powerful than him. He is a typical person who is strong against weak and weak against strong.


    However, the next thing that happened surprised everyone including both the Dark Guild and Hiro and his friends.


    -SLASH!


    "You! YOU!"


    The Rank-A tank turned its head back. His eyes were bloodshot as he grazed his eyes on Jester with both anger and fear. He didn''t expect that he would get backstabbed by this guy.


    "This would be thest time because you wouldn''t live past today! "

 Chapter 345: Jesters Intention

    "This would be thest time because you wouldn''t live past today! "


    In a careful gesture, Jester slowly removed the sword from the body of the Rank-A tank.


    -THUD!


    The sound echoed throughout the hall as the Rank-A tank''s lifeless body fell to the ground. His eyes showed intense anger even though he was dead.


    "What the hell Jester? Why did you do that?"


    The Dark Guild members asked. In this turn of events, they had lost one of the Rank-A. They could understand that they had enmity but for Jester to kill one of the Rank-A members on importance like this one was inconceivable.


    Even if one hates the other, they would usually settle it privately or maybe silently assassinate the other. No one would tantly kill each other as they would be heavily punished.


    "Do you know the consequences of what you did?"


    The subleader asked.


    "What consequences? You''ll probably not be alive to report me, anyway!"


    Jester said as he pointed his sword at them. He wore a smile that seemed innocent which contradicts his actions.


    !!!


    Then only did they realize what Jester was nning to do. He not only nned to kill the Rank-A tank but was also betraying the whole organization.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro and the others were still fighting but their attention was also on the one who killed his own teammate. Additionally, they heard their conversation in which one of them betrayed them. While it was good news for them, it was no time to celebrate as they didn''t know whether the guy called Jester was their ally or not.


    There is a chance that he wants to take all of the credit for killing or capturing them. Because of that, they will have to be more cautious about Jester as he may not be their friend.


    "This guy! You two go and handle him before he makes things moreplicated."


    The sub-leadermanded one Rank-A and one Rank-B who was fighting with Misha and Lisa. Subleader didn''t bother to ask for a reason as it was meaningless.


    Furthermore, he didn''t think much about Jester and just thought that he was a greedy and foolish man who was overconfident.


    Killing them all?


    That was thest of his worries. He thought that the only reason that the Rank-A tank died was that he was backstabbed by the Jester. Or else he would not have been able to do that.


    "Sure!"


    The Rank-A archer and Rank-B tank that the sub-leadermanded obeyed his order and proceeded to kill their betrayer.


    "I thought you were clever, but I was wrong!"


    As he charged his arrow, the Rank-A archer spoke. Even though he knew he could win, he was aware that his opponent was also the same rank as him. This is one of the reasons that he was asked to cooperate with the Rank-B tank.


    -WHOOSH!


    Jester rushed to the archer position at full speed. It was a speed that surpassed Hiro, not only Hiro, it has also surpassed the speed of Subleader.


    Jester was intercepted by the Rank-B''s shield immediately.


    -SLASH!


    "AHH!"


    Jester was able to sh both his shield and his body with ease, allowing him to bypass his defense. It was as smooth as a knife cutting butter. The Rank-B tank couldn''t offer any kind of resistance to the Jester.


    The Rank-A archer panicked at that. He saw Jester rushing there to kill him but due to the presence of a Rank-B tank, he thought that the tank could prevent him from advancing further.


    He was nning to slowly exhaust the Jester and kill him when he is all tired and worn out. Never did he think that Jester was so fast as well as strong to be able to get past the tank in seconds.


    [ "Explosive Arrow Barrage " ]


    The Rank-A archer shot several explosive arrows. Even though he knew that it could not defeat a Rank-A, he knew that it could buy him enough time to retreat and get help. As an archer, in direct confrontation, he knew that he could not win.


    -SWISH!


    However, Jester had not slowed down at all. He easily dodged the arrow while slicing some of it. In a matter of seconds, Jester was before him.


    "W-We are f-friends right? Please spare me!"


    The Rank-A archer asked, his voice quivering with fear.


    Jester didn''t answer. Instead, he swung his sword. Archer wanted to dodge the attack, but his speed was nothing in front of Jester who severed his head.


    Within one minute of killing the Rank-A tank, Jester managed to kill another Rank-A on the Dark Guild''s side, as well as one Rank-B. This caused the subleader and others who were fighting to be stunned momentarily.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Hiro took advantage of this to strike at the subleader. He is also surprised but not as much as Dark Guild members. After all, he already knew that Jester was strong, unlike the Dark Guild who thought that Jester was not more powerful than any other Rank-A.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    However, Subleader soon regained hisposure. He fought with Hiro while also thinking about taking care of the betrayer. As Jester was much more powerful, he had to change his focus on him to Hiro.


    "Ray, support me! We will take care of this betrayer first."


    Subleader said.


    Ray was a spear user who was fighting Zion. They soon rushed to fight with Jester while other Dark Guild members took their ce and fought with them.


    Right now, Subleader and Ray, who are in Rank-A, are battling with Jester. Other than them, there was only one Rank-A who took the subleader ce and was fighting with Hiro. Other than them, it was only Rank-B Dark Guild members who were fighting Lisa, Zion, Sylvia, Misha, and Lisanna.


    Previously, Dark Guild outnumbered them, but now they outnumbered them. They quickly tried to take advantage of this situation. However, they had already spent much of their mana and stamina which made it difficult to defeat their opponents.


    At the same time, Subleader and Ray fought Jester together.


    -CLANG! -CLANK! -SLASH!


    Subleader thought that he and Ray would quickly take care of the Jester before going back to capturing Hiro and others. However, it seems that they had underestimated the Jester too much.


    Even after teaming up, they were on the losing side. Jester''s speed was much faster than his own, while his attacks were all strong. Their injuries kept increasing.


    "Y-YOU! You were hiding your strength all this time?"


    Ray asked, with both frustration and fear. Subleader was somehow able to keep up with Jester''s speed but he was not. He was just getting beat up in this fight. Moreover, he remembered how Jester used to be the lowest authority in their Rank-A group.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    There was no reply as Jester kept striking at them. Subleader could not take this any longer. He was losing miserably and his subordinates fighting Hiro and others also didn''t seem to be doing any better.


    "I am not going to hold back anymore! Ray, buy me some time."


    Subleader ordered. He then retreated back as he began charging his mana.


    Ray had no choice but to fight Jester by himself. As expected, he just keeps on getting beaten up by Jester. However, Ray was also a Rank-A fighter. He was not going to lose easily and he was also sessful in preventing Jester from attacking the subleader.


    [ "Chaos st Wave" ]


    A skill that unleashes a chaotic st of energy, creating a wave of destruction that engulfs everything in its path. The subleader used the skill without waiting for Ray to move.


    He knew that with Jester''s agility, he could easily dodge the attack. Therefore, he had to use Ray to keep Jester busy when he was firing this skill.


    !!!


    Ray saw a powerful wave of energy directed in his direction. The Subleader had used his ultimate attack and he was not even spared. Subleader nned to kill him along with Jester. Ray could only stay still in hatred.


    Jester also saw the powerful attack that Subleader unleashed. However, he didn''t panic and was rather moving toward the attack instead of dodging.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    Jester used Shadow Dance to be a shadow who quickly escaped through the small gap and appeared behind the subleader.


    -BOOM!


    "Yes!"


    Subleader eximed in excitement. The man believed he had killed Jester and wasn''t aware he was standing behind him.


    "Sorry!"


    The subleader heard a voice from behind. His expression changed from excitement to horror. He quickly tried to get away from that ce.


    -STAB!


    However, a sword passed through his heart. He moved his head to look at the sword that had pierced his heart and at the attacker who had killed him. His eyes closed soon after.


    -THUD!


    Jester had managed to kill the subleader. He looked at Hiro and the others fighting which was in favor of Hiro''s group.


    "Looks like they don''t need my help anymore. I expected them to be much weaker. Guess they had also grown in the time I was away."


    Zero said as he slowly disappeared into the shadows.

 Chapter 346: Zero Is Back!

    A few weeks ago!


    Zero continued to climb the Tower Of Obelisk as he tested his limits. In a ce thatcked no monsters, Zero had killed hundreds of thousands of them by now.


    He had reached his limit on Floor 31 where Rank-S monsters roam such as Ice Griffin, Wolfram Tortoise, Kraken, and many more. Strangely, those monsters who are usually the strongest in dungeons were not even the strongest on Floor-31.


    The Boss monster of Floor-31 that Zero encountered was Chaos Dragon. Zero tried to defeat the monster but was unsessful a couple of times. Knowing that this was his limit, he retreated from the Tower Of Obelisk.


    "Fresh air!"


    Zero said as he took a deep breath. He was also stretching his body.


    "So Lilith, are you sure you want to go back?"


    Zero turned his head and asked Lilith.


    "Yes! I should probably take care of the problem before it gets any bigger."


    Lilith replied.


    "Mmm ¡­ "


    "Don''t worry about me! I won''t do anything dangerous."


    Lilith said.


    Even though she said that Zero didn''t really believe her words. In a world where wars are being waged, how can it not be dangerous, especially in the domain of the Devil. However, it was not like the human domain was any safer.


    "I will be back before you know it! That time, make sure you take me to interesting ces likest time."


    Lilith said with a bright smile. She was not like Lilith who was emotionless or a killing machine.


    "... If you need help or are in any kind of danger, message or call me. I will definitely rush to your ce."


    Zero said.


    "Haha¡­ Sure!"


    Lilithughed. When Zero was little, it seemed like she was the one doing the work of protecting him but with the situation changing, she couldn''t help butugh.


    Of course, she was not making fun of him or anything. She was grateful to him and even more so because he cared so much about her. However, she also had her own set of responsibilities to bear.


    "I guess this is where we go our separate ways."


    Lilith said.


    "Don''t do anything dangerous!"


    Zero had warned her again.


    "Did I ever?"


    "When did you not?"


    "Haha¡­ I guess so. Zero, you should also be careful."


    "Sure, though I don''t think that I get into trouble like someone."


    Zero replied.


    They were making small talk as their destination was going to be different and they had to separate from each other. It is also unknown what type of danger they would encounter.


    "Goodbye!"


    Lilith waved goodbye as she disappeared into the distance. Zero stood there for a moment, watching her go before turning and walking away himself.


    Zero felt kind of sad because Lilith had been by his side for 2 years and not having her by his side was kind of awkward.


    Anyway, he needed to go and check the situation back home. Even though he''d done everything to keep his parents safe, he wasn''t sure whether they were okay after 2 years.


    Furthermore, ording to his memory, many kinds of problems would have already arisen in the human domain during the war between Devil and Humans. It might have also gotten his family involved which was one of his biggest worries.


    One problem was due to the Dark Guild and the other one is the Gate which has been increasing in recent years. There is also an increase in the number of monsters with Gates.


    With all kinds of problems together, The Authoritycked the human resources to solve them all. That''s why Zero was worried that something might happen to his parents even with the preparations that he had made.


    There was no use getting worried as he would know the situation after getting back to the human domain.


    -WHOOSH!


    As he ran, Zero noticed a group of adventurers walking in front of him. There were 10 people with the strongest beings at Rank-B.


    They looked like they had juste back from a fight, covered in dirt and sweat. Well, he was not better, maybe even worse since he was in the Tower Of Obelisk for almost 2 years.


    "Hey, boy where have you been? It''s pretty dangerous around here."


    One of them noticed Zero and called him. It was unusual to see a boy of Zero''s age in this part of the area as it was near the border of Devil''s Domain. It was especially dangerous since there was a war between humans and Devils.


    Zero slowed down.


    "I was just exploring the area when I got lost."


    Zero gave some fake exnation. Anyway, it was better than saying that he was in the Tower Of Obelisk. And they would not even believe him because nobody dares enter there alone.


    "Boy, you are really brave to be exploring in the current situation. It would be best to keep your adventurous spirit hidden before the wares to an end."


    One of the adventures suggested. The current world was very dangerous and The Authority had no time to focus on monsters or other problems as they had to deal with Devils.


    "Would you like to join us? It''s safer with us, especially in the current situation. It would be bad if you encountered a strong monster."


    The second adventurer suggested. He seemed pretty friendly even though he was carrying a big ax.


    "Sure, that would be great. Thank you."


    Zero said, grateful for the offer. It was not really dangerous for him as he was stronger than their whole group. However, he was definitely interested in gaining some kind of information from them.


    "I am Marcus Ironheart, the leader of the Ironheart Guild. What is your name?"


    The leader asked. He was a slender guy with two knives. He was possibly an assassin. He was the strongest in that group.


    "Zero Elea"


    Zero replied honestly. He was not like some criminal or some kind of famous person who would need to hide their name.


    They continued to walk together, sharing stories and experiences. Zero found out that they were a group of experienced adventurers who are stationed around here to look out for any possible invasion from the Devil.


    Of course, they are not the only ones as there are at least 20 groups who have been sent to OutCast town to keep an eye out for Devils. Additionally, they were to hunt the monsters surrounding them.


    "Damn the devil! I don''t understand why they would wage war even though they always ended up defeated."


    One of the adventurers said in annoyance.


    "Devils have always been like this. I am angrier at the Dark Guild who is causing chaos and destruction at such a time."


    Angrily closing his fist, he said.


    Zero began analyzing the information that he had received. As per what he heard from the adventures, he could say that the world is moving in a simr direction as in the novel. There was some difference but not that many.


    From that, what caught his ears was about the Dark Guild.


    ( ording to the novel, this is the time that they would start to make a mess out of human society because powerful people have all been called by The Authority. )


    It was simr to what the adventures were talking about. He was aware that the Dark Guild would be making problems for humans to the point that The Authority would shift their focus to them from the war.


    "They seemed to also be targeting Tech Genesis! They might be targeting their technologies."


    The adventures continued talking.


    !!!


    This immediately caught Zero''s attention. He didn''t think that the Dark Guild would also start attacking Tech Genesis. In the original novel, there was no Tech Genesis, and he had forgotten that Tech Genesis might be targeted by the Dark Guild.


    "Did something happen to Tech Genesis?"


    Zero immediately asked them. He was quite anxious as he knew that if what the Dark Guild had nned were sessful, most of the people working for Tech Genesis would die.


    The Adventurer was surprised by Zero''s reaction. The things that they were talking about were nothing new. Even so, they began telling Zero what they knew.


    "Nothing really happened!" Their branch was captured once but it was taken care of by the NightShade Guild. Even so, it happens twice or thrice. Fortunately, Nightshade Guild members were prepared for it. However, from that, we could see that Dark Guild is targeting thepany. I have also heard that ¡­.


    The adventure began sharing everything he knew. He was a guy who really liked talking.


    Zero pondered for a minute. He was relieved that nothing much had happened to the employers. However, he also knew that these attacks were just to test the water and they must be nning something big.


    ording to what he knew, he was aware of some of their ns though some small details must have changed. He wanted to rush back to the city and check the situation himself.


    However, before that, he needed to obtain more information and n carefully as to what he would need to do.


    "Dual Art was really powerful. I hope that we get the chance to practice this."


    "Aie ya, we are already old. Where in the world would we get the energy to practice two more Arts? Better focus on what we already know. You can''t teach an old dog new tricks."


    Zero also came to know that Dual Art was being taught just as in the novel. He was sure that Hiro and the other main characters were learning this Art at this moment.


    At the thought of that, he also began to wonder how strong they must be currently.

 Chapter 347: Back To OutCast Town

    Zero reached Outcast town and he thanked the Explorers for their help.


    The OutCast town has changed from thest time he was there. The number of shops has increased, and it is more crowded than before.


    Zero assumed that it must be because of the Explorers that were sent to this area for surveince and protection that the atmosphere had changed for the better. However, this ce was still filled with many criminals and Zero also knew that some of the Dark Guild branches also operated from there.


    Anyway, Zero did not think much about that as he had other things that needed to be addressed as soon as possible.


    Nevertheless, he had to do a very important thing before that. Eat! Not dried meat or anything but something with spices and vegetables. He was sick of eating all those dried meats that he had stored in his storage ring.


    As for the cooking, both his and Lilith''s cooking skill was nothing that they were proud of. When they were in safe areas, they would asionally prepare good meals, but they were always simple dishes and he missed his mother''s cooking a great deal.


    He quickly found himself in a fancy-looking restaurant before ordering a bunch of items from the menu.


    He quickly gulped down the mountain of food that was brought in front of him. He didn''t care what others thought about him gulping down the food as he was too tired of eating only meat.


    Only after finishing the mountain of food was he sated. He felt like he had eaten the most delicious food there was. He happily paid the very high bill but he didn''t think much about it as he felt it was worth it.


    He then quickly went to one of the Inns and got into his room. He quicklyy down on the soft bed that he had missed for years.


    Now that he was alone and had eaten, it was time to investigate what was happening to his world in his absence.


    He had an overall idea of the big events that had been taking ce. Additionally, with his memory of the novel, he could kind of guess what was happening and what would happen.


    However, he still needed to know many other things and also the details of those events. And the biggest ce to get those kinds of news was TwitFlick. Most people use TwitFlick, which is the most popr social media tform.


    Here, people can get ess to all kinds of things and news. People would upload everything that was happening, especially unusual events. It was perfect to get every kind of news.


    Zero flipped through his social media ount where he saw lots of different things. News about the situation with the devils and other species, Gates, monsters and most importantly Dark Guild running rampage across the Human Domain could be found easily.


    He was especially curious about Dark Guild making trouble for Tech Genesis. He was worried about the people working there and also that Dark Guild might target his parents and their guild if they figure out the rtionship between Tech Genesis and Shadow Genesis.


    For now, there was nothing that had happened to his parents or their guild. But Zero was worried as the Dark Guild had many spies across the Human Domain, so obtaining information became easier.


    ording to what the Dark Guild did, Zero was sure that they might target his parents'' guild, in order to get what they wanted from Tech Genesis.


    "Looks like I need to infiltrate the Dark Guild."


    Zero thought that was what he needed to do. After going through all the various events across the world and from what he knows from the novel, he knew that the Dark Guild would be one of the organizations that would start problems for humans.


    [ "Status!" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: A


    Strength: A -


    Speed: A +


    Stamina: A -


    Mana: A +


    Luck: B +


    Charm: A


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotions and personality of the alternative self.


    [Rank SS+: Ancient Dragon''s Wrath]


    Ancient Dragon''s Wrath is an incredibly powerful offensive skill that allows the user to summon a torrent of mes in the shape of a dragon. The mes are so intense that they can easily incinerate even dragons. The skill requires arge amount of mana to use.


    [ Rank A: Insight Perception]


    Insight Perception is a skill that allows an individual to discern the status and other information of other people. With this skill, one can easily determine the rank, status, and other relevant information about others.


    [ Rank S: Mana Maniption]


    Mana Maniption is a powerful skill that allows an individual to control and manipte the flow of mana, the magical energy that exists in all things. With this skill, a person can harness the power of mana more efficiently. The skill is said to have originated from Elves.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style: Expert]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword''s sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using shadows.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Expert]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice effective and the user will gain tolerance to cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Proficient]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    "This would be enough, right?"


    Zero asked himself when looking at his status. He has grown a lotpared to when he first decided to go to the Tower Of Obelisk.


    He gained lots of things inside the Tower Of Obelisk, of which the Ancient Dragon''s Heart was the most precious and also one of his primary objectives which he achieved. He had umted all the power that he could from the Ancient Dragon''s Heart and his mana had increased to A +.


    With such a stat for mana, even a Rank-S mage would easily envy him. Not many people have Rank-S stat for mana including Rank-S magicians. Not only does one need to train and rank up but one also needs to consume a lot of mana-imbued herbs to advance their mana level. It was the most difficult stat to rank up among all the other stats.


    Not only that, but he also obtained two more skills from the treasures. One was called Insight Perception with which he could see information about other people or monsters. However, it would not work on monsters who are much stronger than Zero himself.


    Besides that, there are also skills that can block such skills as well as some that can manipte their data.


    For example, his other skill called Mana maniption is a Rank-S skill which makes his control of mana much more easier and efficient. Not only that, but he could also change his mana aura to be weaker than it really is.


    He could easily manipte his mana aura to exude that of Rank-B with fire energy even though he uses Ice energy. It was a good skill to fool your enemy and give false information to the opponent.


    With this skill and the Ancient Dragon''s Heart that Zero consumed, handling mana was like child''s y. He could use half the normal mana to produce twice the powerful skill and technique. It was all thanks to the increase in his control of mana.


    Even the Dark Energy that would rampage in his body would be controlled like any other mana without it resisting. With such control, Zero might be able to be the greatest mage in the world.


    Anyway, he had grown a lot stronger. He had be so strong that even infiltrating the Dark Guild''s headquarters wasn''t as dangerous. Even if he was found out, he could escape from the ce.


    After thinking for a while, he decided that infiltrating the Dark Guild would be a good choice. There was a war between humans and devils. However, he knew that the Dark Guild would do something that would cause a lot more destruction than war.


    Moreover, he knew that the war was just in its starting phase and he would not need to interfere at the moment. And he could just do that after handling the Dark Guild.


    "Now, how should I do that?"


    Zero opened a map of the Human Domain. He marked all the ces that had Dark Guild branches and also the Dark Guild headquarters.


    He knew that going inside the Dark Guild headquarters was very hard, so he nned to first go to one of the branches before aiming for the headquarters.


    And luckily, he was also in one of the ces where the Dark Guild branch is located.


    Zero smiled as he put the map inside the storage ring. He wanted to know how the Dark Guild leader would feel after he messed with his ns.


    Dark Guild messed with hispany, so Zero had to pay him back.

 Chapter 348: OutCast Towns Dark Guild

    "Pub number 47 was it?"


    Zero stood near a pub that had the name number 47.


    ording to what he remembers, this was the pub which was also the secret location of the Dark Guild. The novel mentioned having a secret room in this pub where Dark Guild members are stationed.


    For confirmation, he checked the status of several people that were going inside the building.


    Name: Jack


    Rank:...


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 5: Chaos Fire: Proficient]


    ¡­..


    Name: Das


    Rank:...


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 4: Soul Sucking: Proficient]


    ¡­..


    ( yes, this is the ce! )


    After checking the information of almost 10 people, he was sure that this was the correct ce. In spite of the fact that he could not see the organization to which they belonged, he was able to see their art and skill, which made it easier for him to know whether they were from the Dark Guild or not.


    Members of the Dark Guild are taught certain Art and skills. As someone who had much knowledge about them, Zero could immediately find out which Art belonged to which guild.


    And looking at the people stationed there, he knew that most of them belonged to the Dark Guild. There were also those who did not belong to the Dark Guild. Perhaps they are working with Dark Guild, or they are unaware this is the Dark Guild branch.


    Anyway, I entered inside and sat down at one of the tables, and ordered food. It does not seem out of the ordinary and not many were paying attention to me.


    ( I guess they run a normal business on the outside. )


    In order to fool others who did not know, they carried out business as usual without any suspicious behavior. However, those who he identified as Dark Guild members would be taken to the back of the pub.


    Zero was sure that they would be taken to their secret hideout from there. Anyway, he was thinking about how he could infiltrate the Dark Guild headquarters through this branch.


    He thought about all the useful artifacts that he got in the Tower Of Obelisk and he remembered one artifact which seemed very useful in this situation.


    *********************


    Name: Morphic Mirror


    Rank: B +


    Description: The Morphic Mirror is an artifact that holds the power to transform the user''s appearance into that of any person they desire. The artifact is capable of modifying the user''s facial features, hair, and skin to match the desired appearance. However, it cannot change the user''s height or make any drastic physical changes, such as altering his body shape or structure.


    *********************


    The Morphic Mirror is a magical artifact that has the ability to alter one''s physical appearance in real-time. It is a sleek and sophisticated-looking mirror with a silver frame and arge, clear ss surface.


    ( This artifact should be enough! )


    I could easily go inside the ce after I take the appearance of one of them. My main concern was that the person needed to have a simr height and size to mine. Morphic Mirror would take care of the appearance while with Mana Maniption, I could copy their mana aura.


    Zero had decided on his course of action, however, he still needed to select which person he would rece. He scanned through the ce and marked many people who had simr physiques to him.


    ( Hmmmm... Not him! Not him either! )


    There were not many people with the same physique as him. However, even those with the same physique as him were not exactly what he was looking for.


    His main aim was to use this branch to go into the Dark Guild headquarters. Due to this, he knew Rank-D and Rank-C weren''t really people to be called to headquarters. There was no point in him taking their ce.


    He needed to find someone with a significant position so that he would get the opportunity to get into the Dark Guild Headquarters. Even if he could not get there, he thought that he could at least obtain some information in the OutCast branch.


    !!!


    Zero noticed the person that the shopkeeper, who is also a Dark Guild member, was showing respect to. He was immediately ted when he saw the guy.


    Through his Insight Perception, he could see that the person that entered the pub was at Rank-A -. Being at such a rank would mean that he is either the person in charge of this branch or has some high position here.


    The restaurant owner giving respect to him also shows that his observation was correct. He doesn''t remember the owner showing that kind of respect to other people.


    Furthermore, his build was also simr to his which meant that he could easily take that guy''s ce. Zero knew right away that he should probably target him.


    ( Jester! )


    That was the name of the person who entered the back of the restaurant. Zero kept his appearance in mind as he went to pay the bill.


    He could not kill Jester in front of so many people. Moreover, he wanted to observe Jester for more days, in order to know what kind of person he was.


    So, for the next few days, Zero stalked the pub. With his Mana Maniption, it was easier for him to blend in with the surroundings, making it nearly impossible for others to notice him.


    Zero would wait for Jester to make his appearance and every time he woulde out of the pub wearing a dark cloak. It would be suspicious for anyone to wear a cloak in other ces but in OutCast town where many criminals roam, this was normal.


    Zero could only identify using his Insight Perception.


    Anyway, Zero would follow Jester sneakily. It seemed that Jester was not a cautious person as he would not pay attention to his surroundings and directly go into the forest.


    Zero tried to find out what he was trying to do but he could not guess Jester''s intention even after several days. Jester would go into the forest, kill the monsters he encountered ande back to the pub.


    Zero could not guess what he was trying to do. Moreover, it was weird that Jester was always alone. Well, that made things easier for Zero who had decided to kill him. He kind of grasped his behavior and the way he talked and he no longer thought that waiting was a good idea.


    Zero had memorized the route that Jester always takes andid traps for him when he came back. Having been fighting some monster, he knew Jester would be weaker when he returned.


    Even though Zero was technically stronger, he didn''t want to underestimate his enemy. Furthermore, having weak enemies was much better than having strong ones.


    Zero waited for Jester and he appeared at his usual time.


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Zero activated all the traps that heid on the ground previously.


    "What?"


    Jester was startled by the sudden attack. His legs started to freeze quickly as they spread throughout his body. He tried to resist by creating a barrier with his mana but it was toote.


    Zero appeared after he had activated his technique. The Shadow Cryomancy Bomb would only freeze Jester for a bit. Therefore, Zero needed to finish him off with another move.


    -BANG!


    However, before he could make the move, the ice suddenly broke apart and Jester emerged from it. It seemed that Jester burst open the ice by overloading the mana. Judging by the injuries sustained by Jester, Zero knew that Jester kind of blew himself up to escape.


    While a reckless move, it was indeed the only way to escape the ice faster. If he stayed frozen then he would be dead instead of just getting injured.


    However, the oue would be the same even if Jester escaped.


    Jester was already weaker than Zero by a lot. Now that he got injured even before the fight meant that he was even less likely to win than before.


    "Who are you?"


    Angry and scared, Jester asked.


    "You don''t need to know!"


    Zero answered.


    Jester didn''t say anything. But it looks like he is preparing to do something. Zero noticed it and decided to end this before something unexpected happened.


    If his n fails, then his time observing Jester would be wasted. He didn''t want that to happen.


    -SLASH!


    Using his overwhelming speed, Zero reached before Jester and cut off his head. Jester had no way to defend himself against such an overwhelming opponent.


    Zero carefully observed the man''s features, before turning to the Morphic Mirror. He held the artifact in front of him and focused his mana on it. With a soft glow, the mirror shimmered and transformed Zero''s appearance to match that of Jester.


    ( Perfect! )


    Zero said as he looked at the mirror andpared it to the person lying on the ground. He also changed his clothes, which are the same as Jester''s. He also took his storage ring and searched for something useful but the most precious thing that he got was his Rank-A sword.


    It was a good artifact but not that useful for Zero who already had a weapon. It was necessary for him to use his weapon instead of his own in order to y the role as Jester.


    Zero then buried Jester so that he could not be found. He felt guilty about killing Jester, however, knowing the crime that Dark Guildmitted, he stole his heart.


    Anyway, it is nothing new for him to kill humans, especially for the Emperor Of Destruction!

 Chapter 349: Infiltrating Dark Guild

    After that, he tried to move and speak the way Jester spoke. He was practicing not to make any mistakes when in front of other Dark Guild members.


    After all, he had to stay with them for several days or maybe months. He can''t be found out just after taking Jester''s ce.


    So, to see whether he could pull this off or not, he headed to the pub.


    He walked with confidence, mimicking the way Jester moved and spoke, so as not to raise any suspicions.


    As he approached, the man looked up and nodded in recognition.


    "Ah, Jest you are back! The key to your room is here!"


    The man said, leading Zero to a back room. Jest was kind of a nickname for Jester.


    Zero followed, his heart racing with excitement and apprehension. He was relieved that at least the restaurant did not seem to find him suspicious.


    As they entered the room, Zero''s eyes scanned the surroundings, taking note of the exits and any potential threats. The man sat down at a desk and motioned for Zero to do the same.


    "Boss, how was your hunt?"


    The man asked, looking at Zero expectantly.


    Zero took a deep breath and began to speak, careful to maintain his disguise and not reveal his true identity.


    "It was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary."


    The man listened attentively.


    "I believe that Boss Jester will achieve the goal and you can have your revenge on those guys at headquarters... "


    Zero just listened to the restaurant owner and nodded slightly. He was able to obtain some kind of information about Jester through him.


    ording to what he heard from the restaurant owner, Jester appeared to be dissatisfied with him being sent to this remote area. His move to this office seems to have been prompted by some kind of bullies at headquarters.


    Therefore, Jester was always training and trying to get stronger to get his revenge. The restaurant owner also seemed to be close to Jester as he knew about this.


    However, the restaurant owner obviously was trying to tter Jester as he was significantly stronger and was in a higher position.


    The restaurant owner politely opened the door for Zero. There was a hidden room inside the back room of the restaurant just as Zero thought.


    The restaurant owner went back after they had reached the area where the Dark Guild operates and also where there is a resting area for them.


    Conveniently, the resting rooms all had their names outside. So, he wouldn''t need to spend time figuring out which room was his.


    "Good evening, Leader."


    "Good evening, Boss." ¡­


    As Zero predicted previously, Jester was the boss of this branch and others didn''t go out of there to speak to him other than greeting him asionally. Therefore, it was kind of relieving since even if he acted out of normal, they would not really question him.


    As Zero walked into the room, Zero''s mind raced with ns and strategies for gathering more information. He had sessfully infiltrated the Dark Guild branch, and he was determined to use this opportunity to its fullest.


    The room that he had been in was very big for one person but that just goes to show how a boss is treated there. However, despite therge room, there were not many things there.


    Zero went through the whole room as he searched for any secret information that he could get. However, there was no such thing as a secret letter or anything that was hidden. Though there was aputer which Zero was sure had some important information.


    -TYPE! -TYPE!


    "Password?"


    Though before he could have ess to all the information that was lying on theputer, Zero first needed to know Jester''s password.


    -TYPE! -TYPE!


    However, who was Zero? He was the one who brought a lot of technological advancement to this world using his Earth''s memory. It was not very hard to hack such aputer that does not even have two-factor authentication or anyplex encryption.


    "Done!"


    After 10 minutes, Zero sessfully managed to get into hisputer.


    -CLICK!


    After that, he browsed through all his files. And as Zero thought, much of the information andmunication Jester did with the Dark Guild headquarters was all there. With Jester''s position, he seemed to have ess to much of the important information about the Dark Guild.


    There was one website that seemed to be for only Dark Guild. All kinds of information can be obtained from this information. As Rank-A, Jester''s ount has many privileges and ess permission on this website.


    Through this website, Zero could see many of their ns. Even the ces that they are nning to attack next.


    Zero went through his history and tried to get as much information as possible. He stayed like this until it was 3:00 AM. He realized that he should get proper rest before continuing in the morning.


    ******


    He woke upte as a result of stayingte. However, no one came to disturb him even though he had slept for so long. Guess it is a perk of being a boss.


    In any case, he washed his face before going for breakfast or lunch.


    As soon as he came out of his room, he was greeted by people who had spotted him. He would asionally nod or sometimes even that he wouldn''t do. It didn''t seem that they mind that even if Zero ignored them.


    "Good Morning, leader! What would you like to eat?"


    The restaurant owner asked. He didn''t seem suspicious that Jester/Zero came outte and didn''t dare to ask the reason foring outte. For people like him who are just subordinates, it is better to just do everything that they are asked and not ask anything unnecessary.


    As Jester was a person of high ranking, they know that Jester has lots of things to do that were secret to them. They would only do things when they weremanded by their superiors.


    "The usual!"


    Zero answered. He had stalked Jester previously and knew what kind of answer he would give, especially when asked what he wanted to ask.


    "Right away!"


    The restaurant owner replied as he quickly went to bring a te full of prawns and crabs. Zero ate the meal and found it quite tasty. In spite of the fact that he doesn''t like seafood much and prefers vegetables, he didn''t hate the food that was served to him.


    After eating, he nned to head back and explore the information that was on Jester''sputer.


    "I will be in the room today. Don''t let anyone disturb me unless it is an important matter!"


    Zero said to the restaurant owner.


    The restaurant owner nodded obediently and replied


    "Of course, leader. Your wish is mymand. If anyone asks, I''ll tell them that you''re not avable."


    The restaurant owner thought that Jester was doing something confidential that might be rted to the Dark Guild headquarters n. Their supreme leader clearly was nning somethingrge, so he assumed Jester was being called for that reason.


    In any case, even if the reason wasn''t that, he knew he had to obey Jester no matter what the reason was.


    Zero went back after lunch. He was not in a rush as he knew that he would be here for a long time. He could take time to adjust to the ce as he collected all the information he could.


    "Raiding Aquarius Guild for the Water pendant¡­ Killing Rank-A Irina¡­ "


    Zero read all the missions that were posted on the website for the Dark Guild. Many of the missions included Jester''s name which meant that he participated in those events.


    However, the most important information that he was able to get from this website in Dark Guild was to attack Seraphine''s training ground. The mission objective was also given which was to capture all the students there which also included Hiro.


    Most importantly, he was also one of the participants in that attack. What should he say about it? Good luck or bad luck? In c


    Anyway, it seemed that it would be easier for Zero to infiltrate the Dark Guild Headquarters than he thought. Before attacking, all the members had to gather at the headquarters and the date was one week.


    Which meant that in about one or two days, Jester would have actually gone to headquarters. Luckily, Zero was able to kill and rece Jester before that happened. Or else he wouldn''t have gotten the opportunity again.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    He scrolled through the members that were included in that group. One Rank-S and almost 10 Rank-A members with many Rank-B were in the attacking group.


    "Frey!"


    Zero was surprised to find Frey''s name on the list. She was appointed as the leader of the group. Zero knew who that person was and also saw her in person.


    It was not a good memory and if possible he wouldn''t want to meet her. Though for his objective, it didn''t seem that he could avoid her for now.

 Chapter 350: Infiltrating Dark Guild [2]

    Zero spent the rest of his days going through the Dark Guild website and the chat history of Jester. He is working on getting as much important information as possible.


    He was also trying to see how Jester''s rtionship with other members of the Dark Guild was. He had to know who his friends and enemies were in order to act like Jester. However, honestly, judging by the fact that he didn''t have any friends on his social media or happy chat with other members of the Dark Guild, it showed how his social life is.


    Connecting this with the fact that he was also sent to a remote ce to work meant he was a lonely person or an introvert who got bullied by others. This also worked in favor of Zero as he could not be easily identified as suspicious if there were not many people who knew Jester.


    Moreover, considering Jester was stationed at OutCast Town for many years, it wouldn''t be weird even if Zero acted differently from how he used to. They would not be suspicious of him as they might think that Jester had changed after staying at OutCast Town.


    Anyway, with Zero having taken the identity of Jester, it was very easy to infiltrate the Dark Guild headquarters. Jester as a person has no friends, so there are not many who could tell Zero was acting differently.


    Then the day came when he had to go to the Dark Guild Headquarter. He came early by a few days as he wanted to explore Dark Guild Headquarter. His mission would only begin in three or two days.


    The dark Guild Headquarter was neither hidden nor was it in some remote area. It was in the middle of the city with plenty of other buildings surrounding the area. However, just like the Dark Guild branch in OutCast town, it was also hidden inside another building.


    So, to enter the dark Guild Headquarter, Zero had to first go to the Bright Sky Guild and show his token. His identity would be verified by the people working there and he would be taken to the secret location after passing through the security check.


    From the outside, Bright Sky Guild is regarded as a normal working guild with a Gold grade. The guild is located at the edge of Star City. While it appears that the guild is not the strongest in the city, it can be ranked among the top-5 guilds.


    However, if wepare the real strength of Bright Sky Guild which is the Dark Guild, there was no way that the Top Guild of that city which is a diamond-graded guild couldpare to the Dark Guild. Dark Guild''s power wasparable to or even greater than a tinum-graded guild.


    Anyway, the Bright Sky Guild is seen as a humble and good guild that would fulfill its duties diligently. Nobody would think that the Bright Sky Guild is hiding hundreds and thousands of Dark Guild members hiding in their building.


    With its reputation being good, no one could suspect that Bright Sky guild was actually the secret hideout of the Dark Guild.


    Zero entered the secret hideout which was like entering another world altogether. It seems that the secret hideout is protected and hidden by some kind of artifact. If not, so many S-Rank and A-Rank Dark Guild members cannot go unnoticed by The Authority agents.


    Zero looked around in awe. He assumed that the secret location was created by Earth magic as it was so big that it would be impossible even with thetest technologies from Earth.


    The crowd was quite big and people were moving back and forth continuously. There were also many different shops inside the secret hideout. It is honestly closer to an underground city than some secret bat cave.


    Zero/Jester was a big shot at the OutCast town, however, here he could not act as he liked as there were many who were higher than Jester''s rank. Even so, Jester''s position was not so low that he would get pushed around by other Dark Guild members.


    He was still a Rank-A member with a quite high position and even without telling other weak Dark Guild members would not act haughty in front of him and show respect.


    Dark Guild was also quite efficient at working in his room and everything was already prepared for him as soon as he arrived. On the way to his room, Zero scanned his surroundings and people with his Insight Perception.


    Many of the Dark Guild''s members were around Rank-B and Rank-A. It seemed that they were called for a simr mission as the Jester was invited.


    Zero could already guess their objectives as he had read the novel where the Dark Guild would blow up buildings and create a lot of chaos before their confrontation with The Authority and Hiro''s party.


    However, unlike in the novel, Zero was going to sabotage their n. Since he already knew their objective, Zero was nning to make their n unsessful. Though it was still not the time for that.


    Zero needs to first familiarize himself with the ce and obtain some crucial information for his n. He intends to do so in theing days.


    From the novel, the n that the Dark Guild devised is to weaken the power of humanity, especially the power of those organizations that are stronger than them.


    In order to rule the humans, the Dark Guild has to eliminate the strongest organization first. And no organization is as strong as The Authority in the human domain.


    The Dark Guild does not have enough power to destroy The Authority and they know it as well. Therefore, they want to make use of the Devils to eliminate their opponents.


    However, even with the war with devils, Dark Guild is still not sure that The Authority''s power would weaken.


    Therefore, they wanted to help the Devil a bit by reducing The Authority''s power. And they want the Devils to reduce The Authority''s power as much as possible.


    In order to do so, they wanted to destroy the supply center, intelligence department, and also other organizations who are an ally of The Authority.


    And no time was better than the current one when most of the powerful people had been called for the war.


    They knew that it would bring The Authority''s attention to them and they would be pursued by The Authority but they still believed that with the ongoing war with the Devil, they would not be able to pursue them for a long time.


    This is also what happened in the original novel. Hiro and his friends also help The Authority when they are destroying the Dark Guild. However, in the end, many of them would be able to escape and their organization would still be safe and powerful.


    If the Authority continued to seek and destroy the dark guild, they would not have enough resources to defend the human domain against the devils.


    In order to avoid that even though they were reluctant to let Dark Guild do so, they had to as they focused their attention on war once again.


    That''s why Zero had to stop them or else the Dark Guild would only prolong the war and cause more destruction.


    He was the only one who knew that and it was kind of his responsibility to stop their n especially since he had the ability to do so.


    If he wasn''t capable of doing so, even if he knew the oue, he would not have risked his life to do such a thing.


    It is only because he had be stronger and was confident in sabotaging their n that Zero infiltrated their headquarters.


    Zero had already thought of a solution to their n. It didn''t require Zero to fight the top brass of the Dark Guild or anything.


    If the solution was to kill the Dark Guild top brass, Zero would not have sneaked into their headquarters. Even if he had be strong, he was not capable of destroying the Dark Guild which has many Rank-S Explorers plus a Rank-SS leader.


    His n was simple. To locate the mana explosives which would be used for blowing those supplies and the intelligence department and diffuse them. Mana explosives are different from normal explosives as they use mana for exploding, kind of like nuclear bombs.


    Dark Guild''s mana explosives were simr to therge-scale explosion magic of Rank-S magicians.


    Even with the power of the Dark Guild, it is impossible to destroy every supply and they were also nning to attack some of the tinum and Diamond Guild which are strong allies with The Authority. That''s why Dark Guild wanted to use mana explosives.


    However, Zero was not going to let them have their way. The only problem with his n was that Zero didn''t have the slightest idea where those explosives were kept.


    Even Rank-A members like Jester didn''t have a message that said that they would make use of Mana explosives or anything.


    It was just written that their group would be attacking the Seraphine training center. Zero assumed that only the leaders of the groups were informed of the explosives.


    However, not every attack would make use of the explosives. Only the group whose mission is to destroy the intelligence group and the supplies should be given this information.


    As for groups like Frey''s group whose mission is to kidnap talented students, they don''t really need to know those kinds of things.


    Zero started to walk around the Dark Guild''s headquarters and try his luck on finding the explosives.


    Maybe with his luck, he might easily have stumbled upon the mana explosives.

 Chapter 351: Meeting The Bullies

    Not really!


    Mana explosives that are not even known by many of the Dark Guild members. It should have been hidden somewhere very secure and not in in sight.


    Zero also didn''t consider that he could easily stumble upon it.


    Maybe only someone with the luck of Rank-SSS might get everything that he wants easily. However, there have been very few beings who have surpassed the Rank-S luck stat, much less having Rank-SSS.


    Zero casually strolled around looking at the Dark Guild Headquarter structure. He was also looking at the Dark Guild''s members through his Insight Perception.


    "Yo, if it isn''t Jester?"


    While walking around, Zero felt a group of 4 people behind him and one of those guys called out to him. Zero had be alerted as he feared that the guy who called out might be someone who is close to Jester and would find out that he is not the real Jester.


    Zero looked at him without saying anything. He was not sure about the rtionship between Jester and this guy and how Jester acted with them.


    -SLAP!


    One of the other guys tried to hit Zero/Jester, however, Zero with his fast reaction speed managed to catch his hands before he could hit.


    Zero quickly twisted the guy''s arm and pinned him to the ground with ease. The other guys were surprised by Zero''s quick reflexes and strength.


    The guy on the ground groaned in pain and tried to struggle, but Zero''s grip was too strong.


    "JESTER! How dare you rebel against us? Did you forget who we are after we sent you to OutCast Town?"


    One of them bellowed.


    Zero was already able to tell who they were and what their rtionship was with Jester. It was clear to him that the guy who tried to hit him was not holding back at all and used his Rank-A-strength to do so.


    If he got hit, it would not have been a simple injury. Now, with the guy yelling at him, he was 100 percent sure. The only people who cared about Jester other than his friends would be his bullies who sent him to OutCast Town.


    *Release!


    After Zero released his hand, the guy who attacked quickly ran and hid behind the other guys.


    "Humph! Jester, you had trained hard to be able to block August but do you think you stand a chance against us? You should know your ce."


    The man who was bulky and the strongest out of the group said. His rank was A and it seemed that he was some kind of tank.


    Seeing that Jester''s rank was lower than the tank person called Grizz, Zero was certain that Jester would have gotten beaten up if he had tried to take revenge against him. Jester was only at Rank-A - while Grizz alone could have overpowered him, not to mention he had help, unlike Jester.


    Anyway, Zero decided to put on the mask of weakness and try to act like he was weaker than Grizz. Zero thought that things would probably escte if he fought with him.


    "Yes, boss! I understand! I didn''t know it was you and did it mistakenly. Please ept my apology."


    Zero said.


    "Hmm¡­ Haha¡­ I''m d it was just a misunderstanding. If not I would have reminded you of who you are. If you had thought that you could beat us, you were probably dreaming. You should just follow whatever I say from on or else you will face my wrath."


    -PAT! -PAT!


    Grizz said while hitting Zero''s head with his big hand.


    ( This Giant! I swear that the moment Iplete my goal, I would first kill you.)


    Zero thought as he endured Grizz''s hit. While friends usually pat one another, it was a different story when a strong Rank-A did that without holding back his strength.


    Anyway, Zero thought that maybe with this option, he might not be suspected of not being Jester. Grizz seemed pretty convinced that he was Jester. Zero didn''t think that there were any other people who were closer to Jester than those bullies.


    It was helpful that Grizz was a simple man who loved to just assert his dominance. As long as one acts like they are under their control, it is easy to deceive such a man. He was feeling quite satisfied with the result even though he didn''t like Grizz and his gang.


    On the other hand, Grizz was also happy. He thought that he was really powerful to be able to convince Jester due to his strength. He was also surprised that Jester was able to resist August''s power but that was the reason why he was happier.


    He felt that even if other people became powerful, his power was the real deal as he could easily make them subordinate to him.


    Following his meeting with Grizz and his gang, Zero was always called by them. They would always order Zero like their servant and make him bring drinks and snacks even though there were other people that they could order around.


    Zero was bing pretty annoyed by those people especially when Grizz hit him on the head. They would also make fun of him and push him around thinking that he would not dare do anything.


    Although Zero was unhappy, he had to keep enduring as he searched for the location of those Mana explosives. However, the location was pretty big and also he didn''t have permission to enter every ce there was.


    And in the middle of his search, he was called by Frey who happened to be the leader of the group, and was given a mission to attack the Seraphine Training center.


    Coincidence or maybe it was fate, the bullies were also in the same group as him. Although Zero already knew it was neither. Zero assumed that they had pulled some strings so that Jester would be with them. So that they could keep on bullying him even while on a mission.


    Anyway, he had no time to worry about those guys as he was going to meet someone more problematic. Professor Frey was Rank-S - and someone who is very strong. There was a chance that she could tell Zero''s disguise from her senses.


    It would be difficult for him to get out of the ce if Frey and several other Rank-A people were to chase him. Anyway, he would not know the oue until he went and saw it for himself.


    As Zero made his way to the meeting with Professor Frey, he tried to keep hisposure and not let his nerves get the best of him. He knew that he needed to stay focused and keep his disguise intact if he wanted to seed in his mission.


    Before meeting Frey, he met with Grizz and his gang who are also going to meet with Frey. They didn''t act like usual and maintained a good attitude. They are also aware of the Professor''s erratic temper and how easily she kills her subordinates if they annoy her.


    Zero thought that maybe he was lucky to have Grizz and others going with him as he might seem less suspicious of Grizz and his gang.


    When he arrived at the designated meeting ce, he saw Frey waiting for them. She was a tall woman with long ck hair and piercing blue eyes. Despite her intimidating presence, Zero tried his best to act naturally and blend in with other people.


    There were around 30 Dark Guild members with most being in Rank-B.


    "You should know that we have been assigned an important mission by the head."


    Frey said, her voicemanding and authoritative.


    "This is all information about the target and the location that we are going to attack."


    Dark Guild''s worker handed the file to all the participating members containing information about the Seraphine Training Centre, the target of their attack, and their information.


    "We will be responsible for infiltrating the facility and capturing those students. Most of them are at Rank-B and below, however, don''t underestimate them. They are extremely talented and it seems that our leaders are interested in them."


    Frey said.


    "In addition, I should also warn you that Ice Enchantress is probably going to be at the Seraphine training center."


    Frey said.


    Many of them showed fear and were discussing her. Ice Enchantress is a world-famous Ice Magician and everyone knows how powerful she was including Dark Guild. It is also no surprise that Professor Mia had defeated and captured many of the Dark Guild members.


    "However, there is no need to fear her. I was specifically assigned to this mission to deal with her. You only need to focus on capturing those brats while I defeat her."


    Frey said, exuding confidence.


    Zero knew that Frey must have intentionally chosen to participate in this mission to get a chance at fighting Professor Mia. However, he felt likeughing as he could easily see who would be the winner between the two.


    ( Winning against Professor Mia? Dream on! )

 Chapter 352: Searching For Mana Explosives

    ( Winning against Professor Mia? Dream on! )


    I was not underestimating Professor Frey who is a Rank-S -. However,pared to her, Professor Mia is much stronger. It is already hard for Professor Frey to win against Professor Mia if they were of the same rank but Professor Mia has advanced to Rank-S - earlier than Professor Frey.


    It wouldn''t be weird if Professor Mia had advanced to Rank-S after all these years. If so, then the chance of Professor Frey winning is almost zero.


    Rather I am worried about Hiro, Lisa, and others who would be the targets of Rank-Bs and Rank-As Dark Guild members.


    I was not sure how strong they had be but ording to the novel, most of them would be around Rank-C in this period of time with Hiro bing Rank-B -. However, I could not be certain as they had been growing faster than what is depicted in the novel.


    Even so, I didn''t believe they were strong enough to defend against so many Elites of the Dark Guild.


    It might be fortunate that I had reced Jester whose mission is to infiltrate and capture Hiro and others. I could help them if they were in trouble.


    However, before that, I still had to find those Mana Explosives. There was still time before the Dark Guild made their move.


    So, after I was given the meeting was over, I started my quest to find those Mana explosives again.


    After spending quite a bit of my time here, I had an idea about the ces in Dark Guild''s headquarters. There were many ces that I, as Rank-A - guild member would be allowed, however, there were still some ces that were only allowed for those Rank-S members.


    And through the knowledge of my novel andbined with the fact that Jester didn''t receive any information regarding Mana explosives, I was sure that the Mana Explosives were in those locations. Especially that one location that had many guards even though no one knew what was inside that room.


    The guards were not ordinary either. They were all Rank-B and quite strong. Keeping Rank-B as a guard signifies how important that ce was.


    I had been spying on that ce for quite a bit and saw only some Rank-S going through that area. With my power, I could not really see their stats. However, just based on how I couldn''t see their stats, it is enough to say that they were Rank-S and above.


    So, I devised a n to go and check that ce. I was nning on using Shadow Dance to go inside the room.


    For that, first I had to make sure that no S-Rank was inside the room. And secondly, it needs to be done at night when it is easy for Shadow Dance to mix in with the environment. And using Mana Maniption I could try to make my technique undetectable by those guards.


    Unless it was someone of Rank-S or someone very sensitive to the mana, they would have no chance of discovering me.


    *****


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    I used Shadow Dance to turn into Shadow and with Mana Maniption, I tried to conceal all the mana aura and blend into the surrounding.


    The night was dark and quiet, with only the asional sound of crickets chirping in the distance. The guards stood outside arge, nondescript building, their eyes scanning the perimeter for any signs of danger.


    *YAWN!


    One of the guards, a tall, burly man with heavy eyelids, yawned loudly and stretched his arms.


    "I can''t believe we have to stand guard here all night."


    Heined.


    "I don''t even know what we''re protecting."


    Hispanion, a shorter, skinny man with a stern expression, shrugged.


    "Our supervisor told us to guard this building, that''s all I know."


    He replied.


    "We''re not supposed to ask questions, just follow orders."


    The sleepy guard rubbed his eyes and let out another yawn.


    "But don''t you want to know what''s inside?"


    He asked.


    "I mean, so many of us had been deployed. Not even the treasure room has as many guards as us. And the number has been increasingtely as well."


    The other guard sighed.


    "Look, it''s not our job to know what''s inside."


    He said.


    "We''re just here to make sure no one breaks in. Now, stay alert and keep your eyes peeled."


    The sleepy guard rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know!"


    He grumbled.


    "But it''s so boring. I''d rather be at home sleeping."


    Suddenly, a rustling sound caught their attention. The guards straightened up, their hands on their weapons.


    "What was that?"


    The sleepy guard whispered.


    The other guard shook his head.


    "I don''t know."


    He said.


    "Stay alert."


    They waited, their eyes scanning the darkness. After a few tense moments, a small animal scurried across the pavement and disappeared to another ce.


    The sleepy guard let out a sigh of relief.


    "Phew, just a rat"


    He said.


    "I thought we were under attack or something. The number of rats has been increasingtely. I think we should call someone to handle those rats."


    The other guard chuckled.


    "You''re jumpy tonight,"


    He said.


    "But that''s a good thing. It means that at least you''re taking your job seriously."


    The sleepy guard smiled.


    "Even though I mightin and bezy, my ears are still better than all of you. I just don''t like the fact that I have to protect something that I am not even aware of."


    The other guard shook his head.


    "Don''t worry about it."


    He said.


    "Just focus on your job and keep your eyes open. I don''t want to lose my head just because of some careless mistake." ...


    *Phew!


    I thought I had been discovered. I didn''t expect that a rat would be making his appearance at the same time as me. Fortunately, the guards had their focus on that rat rather than some shadow.


    I had managed to sneak into the building. I quickly stopped using Shadow Dance. Shadow Dance is a good technique but the mana consumed is too much. As the situation is unknown to me, I didn''t want to waste too much mana on unnecessary things.


    However, I was not without any camouge as I took the appearance of one of the Rank-S that I saw entering this building. I was afraid that I might encounter someone inside the room. Who knows what I will encounter? It is always good to be cautious about these things.


    I moved through the dark building, my steps light and cautious as I scanned the area for any signs of danger. The silence of the ce was almost suffocating, broken only by the sound of my own breathing and the soft padding of my footsteps.


    As I moved through the dimly lit hallways, I noticed that there were strange symbols etched into the floor ahead of me. I paused to examine one of the symbols, recognizing it as a type of warding spell used to protect against intruders.


    ( Interesting! )


    I carefully examined the symbols.


    ( It seems the Dark Guild is taking extra precautions to keep these explosives safe as expected.)


    The symbol that wasid before me was some kind of explosion made with a special artifact. Using the monster''s core and connecting the circuits, explosives were made like this. However, it is very rare, albeit it has been said to be used quite extensively in the past.


    It is the same method that is used to create those Mana explosives though Mana explosives were more difficult and needed more resources than the explosives before me.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    However, to make it explode, someone needs to step on it. I guess that those Rank-S who are allowed here know which tiles are not explosives. I could also find it if I tried to focus and carefully examine each tile.


    However, there was no time and well, Shadow Dance could do the job. I could see a room. The room was dimly lit, with a row of small, cylindrical objects, about the size of a hand grenade, with a metallic exterior stacked against one wall.


    I cautiously approached them, my eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. I reached out to touch one of those objects and felt a faint hum of mana emanating from it.


    I stepped back, my mind racing.


    "These must be the Mana Explosives."


    I had never seen one myself. But judging by the shape and the mana that I could feel from it, I knew this was it. And there was no other thing in this ce other than those cylindrical objects.


    I examined the Mana Explosives more closely, looking for any signs of a trigger or mechanism that would set them off. It seems that there were no traps attached to those Mana Explosives.


    ( Time to get started! )


    I started to absorb the mana from the monster core in those cylindrical objects. I could have also just taken these Mana Explosives but it could only dy their attacks, and it would alert them. To make their n unsessful, I had to reduce the power of explosion which I could by absorbing most of the Mana.


    The Dark Guild members would attack those ces while cing these Mana Explosives thinking that they hadpleted the mission. Not only could they not destroy those ces, they wille under the attack of The Authority and other guilds.


    It is the perfect n to reduce the damage caused by the Dark Guild while also taking care of them.


    I could absorb a lot of mana without being overloaded due to my Mana stat being at Rank-A. However, it was still a bit too much. The monster core was mostly from Rank-S and it has a lot of mana.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    However, I used Shadow Dance to consume that excessive mana. I had Mana Maniption to make my mana aura undetectable so I was not worried. Moreover, this building has some kind of mechanism to stop the mana aura inside to be concealed.


    If not, with so many Mana Explosives made of Rank-S monster cores, I could have easily sensed something from this building.


    Zero let out a sigh of relief.


    ( Completed! )


    "But now I need to get out of here before someone else shows up."

 Chapter 353: The Dark Guilds Mission Starts

    "But now I need to get out of here before someone else shows up."


    I was feeling quite confident after I had snuck inside andpleted my objective. I then quickly but carefully snuck back from the way that I hade.


    The guards were still there, but they were not very alert. Even if they knew that they were doing some important job, it was quite boring to guard something for the night especially when everyone is asleep.


    However, I didn''t want to make any mistakes and was more careful than before. I actually got scared when one of the guards yelled at the rat as I thought he had sensed me.


    Whether it was the rat''s fault or my own, I was extra careful when keeping my aura concealed. I quickly snuck out.


    After that, I quickly went back to my room excited. I had managed to disarm those Mana explosives and the Dark Guild couldn''t produce as much destruction as in the novel. I slept through that night with peace of mind.


    All I got to do for theing days was cater to Grizz and his gang''s needs. Every now and then, they would hit me and try to show their dominance, especially August who had suffered at my hands.


    It seemed that he had regained his confidence and was making up for the cowardice that he showed when I had gripped his wrist and scared him off previously.


    Honestly, there were times when I was going to unleash my anger, however, thinking positively about how this was to camouge my identity, I calmed down.


    Anyway, with them always surrounding me and bullying me, there was no suspicion that fell upon me. Maybe it was due to my superb acting or it could be because of Grizz and his gang making other people avoid me.


    Anyway, it was going well for me and all I could do was wait for that fateful day when I could see Hiro and the main characters again.


    It had been many days since I hade out of the Tower Of Obelisk and gained news and information about all that was happening in the world. Especially about Seraphine discovering Dual Art which I already knew.


    I also knew that Hiro, Lisa, Sylvia, and Zion would get to attend her ss. What did surprise me though was Misha who was able to increase her power exponentially.


    I thought that she might be able to achieve something extraordinary and even though she was not one of the main characters in the novel, I thought that she had pretty good potential. That''s why, I told mypany to give Misha if she ever was searching for another Art.


    Never did I expect that she could really grow to this stage where she would bepeting with those talented main characters.


    Anyway, I don''t know whether it is a blessing or a curse. Being this talented and being with the main character would always attract danger the same as what is about to happen. If she could get through it, she would have obviously be stronger, however, in case of a wrong move, she might even end up dead.


    I was especially worried about Misha. Others were main characters and I knew that even If something happened to them, they would be able to handle it eventually. But it was different for Misha as she was not one of them. She was the same as me, an insignificant character though she had more screen time than me.


    ( Think positively! )


    I said to myself.


    Even if I found that the situation that Misha was in was dangerous, it might not be like that at all. The state of the current world is dangerous and she might even be in more danger. She would be in the future where the Devil would invade with their full force.


    Therefore, her getting powerful should be a good sign. At least, she wouldn''t die easily if she met devils in the future.


    I could also protect her if she is in danger. I might not be able to do that every time but at least when the Dark Guild attacks them, I could protect her if needed.


    *****


    Finally, the day when the Dark Guild would attack hade. I was also prepared for what was toe.


    Moreover, I was really curious to find out how powerful Hiro and the others had be. From the news, I could see that they were really powerful and were continuing to grow stronger.


    However, the reality is far different from what is depicted in the news. They might say that they were this powerful, they had done this, but it is impossible for them to determine their strength. Only by seeing them with my two eyes could I judge their power.


    "Get Ready!"


    Frey said.


    She was in charge of 10 Rank-As and 10 Rank-Bs that were going to attack the Seraphine Training center.


    The strategy was simple for this mission. Follow themand of Frey at all times. And there was also a second inmand who would manage us when we separated from Frey.


    The sub-leader was stronger than Grizz as his rank was A which is one sub-rank higher than Grizz. Grizz had no problem obeying him as his mentality was to obey the strong and rule the weak.


    Other Rank-A had also no problem with himmanding them. Power was everything in the world and one''s rank would most of the time determine your power. Which meant the higher the rank, the higher the position.


    Anyway, even if he was stronger than Grizz, he was no problem for me. The only opponent who could pose some problem was Frey and she also would be taken care of by Professor Mia.


    "Hehe. Finally!"


    "Those weaklings would have no idea what hit them."


    "I can''t wait to receive the bonus for this mission." ...


    The Dark Guild members were pretty excited about the whole attacking thing. They were already thinking that the mission would seed and that those people that they were attacking were prey in the trap.


    One of the members was alwaysmunicating with the other Dark Guild team as they had to attack together at the same time.


    We reached the area where Seraphine''s training center was and were waiting on top of one of the buildings near Seraphine''s training center. We were waiting for the signal from themunicator as well as analyzing the power of the barrier.


    The Dark Guild had already investigated the area and knew about that. Frey has also alreadye up with the idea.


    She could blow up the barrier if she wanted but she didn''t want to. If she used her power here, she thought that she might be decreasing her power before her battle with Professor Mia. So, the idea was to have 4 Rank-As use their strongest attack and break the area.


    Those 4 Rank-As will then go secure the perimeter along with 10 other Rank-B. They had to make sure no one escaped and also to prevent anyone from entering the ce.


    As for me and others, we were capturing Hiro and all the other students that were inside the building.


    Soon after, we got the signal from themunicator that all the teams were ready and we could start too.


    "Good! Let''s begin the party!"


    Frey responded excitedly. It was time for Frey to finally get a chance at beating Professor Mia, at least that was what she thought.


    "Let''s go!"


    Freymanded.


    -WHOOSH!


    All the members followed excitedly. As a matter of fact, right now there was no force as powerful as them in the Human Domain. They had no fear and could do whatever they wanted.


    -BOOM!


    First, those 4 Rank-As broke the barrier protecting the ce. Then the Dark Guild members split into groups as nned. We followed Frey and entered the building.


    There were several people lying injured or unconscious due to the tremor.


    "SURPRISE!"


    One of the Dark Guild members said to them. I was also closely following behind them.


    I could also see people lying there. Not only that, but the targets of the Dark Guild were also there. By that, I meant Hiro and others who seemed to be helping those people.


    I involuntarily smiled. You could easily tell that time had passed when you saw them.


    Unlike thest time that I saw them, they had all matured and be adults. Zion and Hiro had grown taller and more muscr. They were even more handsome than they were.


    On the other hand, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha had blossomed into beautiful young women. Sylvia''s oncenky frame had filled out, giving her an enviable hourss figure. Lisa''s long, flowing hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her striking features had be even more pronounced. Misha, who had always been petite, had developed a graceful poise that made her seem taller than she actually was.


    However, their physical appearance was not the only one that had grown.


    [ "Insight Perception" ]


    ( WOW! )


    I was genuinely shocked when I saw their ranks and stats. They were all in Rank-Bs with Hiro almost reaching Rank-A. They were stronger than their novel counterparts by arge margin.


    I had no idea but they had experiencedrge growth when I was not here. They were really the main characters of this world.


    Give them a few more years and they would be the strongest in the world!

 Chapter 354: Zeros Mission Starts!

    They were very talented andpared to their generation, they were extremely powerful. However, even so, the Dark Guild members that were sent here were stronger than them. They stood no chance against the group of Dark Guild members.


    Not to mention, Rank-S - Frey was also here.


    They were already struggling with the mana aura that Frey was releasing. And Frey didn''t seem to go easy on them either.


    [ "Raging mes Assault" ]


    Frey had used her technique on them. It seemed that she nned to finish the mission quickly.


    I was hesitant between saving them or staying hidden. Some of them might die if the attack hit them since it was so powerful. They had no ability to resist the attack.


    However, I calmed down after sensing a familiar mana aura. I knew that I didn''t need to make a move myself as Professor Mia had reached there. She immediately put an end to the giant fire attack. She seemed to have gotten even stronger than thest time I saw her.


    I tried to see her strength using Insight Perception but couldn''t. She was too strong for me to use Insight Perception. But I could sense that she had broken through to Rank-S and was stronger than Frey.


    Hiro and others quickly fled the area after Professor Mia rescued them. Then Frey and Professor Mia started talking to each other before the Dark Guild members were ordered to follow Hiro and others.


    I followed them.


    [ "Icy Burst"]


    However, Professor Mia didn''t make it easy for them. She froze many of them and even I got hit by her attack, though due to my high resistance to ice, I was not affected. Although I was not affected, I did act like I was getting frozen and moved slowly beforeing to a stop.


    I even used my own ice magic to cover my body.


    At that moment, I felt Professor Mia staring at me. I didn''t know whether it was my illusion or not as it was only for a second. I looked carefully at my body and it was still that of Jester. There was no way that I gave myself out.


    [ "me Burst"]


    Anyway, Frey used her skill to free the Dark Guild members. My ice also melted. Though Frey did manage to free us with her technique, she had also given her identity away.


    Well, I had no time to find out the oue of their battle as I followed others in pursuing Hiro and others.


    I could sense a huge outburst of mana from behind me. Professor Mia and Frey were going at each other with their full power.


    I slowly made my waypared to others who went at it at full speed.


    ( IDIOTS! )


    It made me think when I saw what they were doing. They are unnecessarily using their mana before a battle. They might be underestimating Hiro and the others and think that they could easily defeat them.


    I also followed behind. Anyway, I was not in a hurry as I knew that the Dark Guild''s objective was to just capture them. Even if they seed, they would still be alive. And I didn''t think that Hiro and the others would lose so quickly.


    Furthermore, I couldn''t just stand there doing nothing if I was there. And attacking Hiro and the others was also not an option.


    Consequently, I thought that going slowly and showing up when they needed help would be the best course of action.


    Soon, I sensed Dark Guild members stopping. And the reason was that Hiro, Lisa, Sylvia, Misha, Zion, and Lisanna were blocking the path. Well, rather than blocking, it might be correct to say baiting them as they were the prime targets all along.


    The battle began almost immediately as Hiro and others had set up traps and the Dark Guild members had to defend themselves. Hiro, Zion, and Lisanna also came forward to strike at the enemy.


    The barrier that was shielding the Dark Guild members was broken apart by Hiro and others fought with them.


    The battle only intensified, however, the six of them were all okay while the Dark Guild members had been decreasing. Even so, the Dark Guild members were winning.


    Hiro and the others'' mana had been decreasing crazily since they were giving their all.


    I had also reached the area.


    Anyway, Grizz and his gang were in a shameful state with all the bruises and cuts on their bodies. They must be very upset to have been made in this state by some young boys and girls.


    Thinking about how they are full of pride, and like to bully the weak, they might be regretting a bit for underestimating others.


    ( I think I should help them a bit! )


    Hiro and the others had done a great job. Not only did they buy time for others to run but had also injured them while some of them were even defeated.


    However, they were hanging on a thread and they would soon lose.


    "JESTER! Why the F**K are you so slow?"


    Grizz yelled at me. He seemed to want to vent his anger of not being able to easily defeat a bunch of kids on me. Anyway, he doesn''t seem a bit scary with the state he was in. He even had the guts to show his back to the enemy ande to me.


    -THAK!


    Not only that, but he also hit me on the head.


    ( This MF is really asking for it! )


    "Jester, did you get lost or something? Why didn''t youe faster? I am fed up with yourck of seriousness."


    Grizz started to scold me as usual. He still thinks that he is the boss and can act however he wants with me. I was even finding the situation a little funny as Grizz had no idea that his life would be finished the moment I swung the sword.


    I could have at least felt guilty if he was a good human being or showed a good attitude towards me. But for thest time, he gave me no reason to spare him. Even at thest moment, he came to show his anger to me and scolded me even though he was a weakling and couldn''t defeat his enemy.


    "Sorry! Sorry! This will not happen again!"


    "Humph! That is what you saidst time. I don''t think you really respect my words."


    Grizz seemed to think that I was being obedient to him like usual and became even more arrogant. He was really a lost cause. He can''t understand that one should not make trouble with teammates when facing an enemy. Though I was never his teammate.


    "Just let him off this time! We have an important mission toplete."


    The sub-leadermanded. Grizz stopped asmanded.


    "Sorry! This will really be thest time you need to say this."


    I said as I took out my sword.


    "Humph! Better be careful next time!''


    Grizz said as he was going back to fight with Lisanna. He seemed to think that I was apologizing to him or something. Well, it can be seen as an apology, an apology for killing him.


    -STAB!


    I pushed my sword through his heart. There is no way that he could get out of this ce alive. As a matter of fact, none of the Dark Guild would survive after this incident.


    "You! YOU!"


    Grizz slowly turned his head while yelling. He didn''tprehend what had just happened. I smiled and said,


    "This would be thest time because you wouldn''t live past today! "


    -SLASH!


    I removed my sword. Grizz''s body fell to the ground.


    "What the hell Jester? Why did you do that?"


    His gang started to yell, especially August. Despite yelling, August did not take any action. If they had any affection for Grizz, they should at least attack me and take revenge for Grizz. However, they just shouted without taking any action.


    They might seem like someone who is focused on a mission without letting any emotion get in their way. However, the truth was that they didn''t care about Grizz and were only afraid of me.


    They were just cowards!


    "Do you know the consequences of what you did?"


    The subleader asked. He was still calm. The sub-leader must be thinking that I am Jester and that I was betraying them.


    "What consequences? You''ll probably not be alive to report me, anyway!"


    Subleader must be thinking that I would be punished by the Dark Guild. There would be a way that they could know that I betrayed them as they would be dead. Well, even if he could leave there alive, he could not find me. Jester is already dead and I would be taking this mask off after today. Even if they sent every member of the Dark Guild, they could not find Jester.


    Anyway, it is more likely that the subleader and the other Rank-A would get out of this ce alive. They had be weaker and they couldn''t win against me even if I went easy on them.

 Chapter 355: Zeros Mission Starts! [2]

    "What consequences? You''ll probably not be alive to report me, anyway!"


    They might have been thinking that I was just taking my revenge against Grizz for bullying me. However, after this word, I am sure that they knew that I was nning to kill them.


    "This guy! You two go and handle him before he makes things moreplicated."


    The Sub-leadermanded one of the Grizz''s gang members and one Rank-B. Sub-leader didn''t seem to take me seriously and wanted to buy time, maybe even thinking that they could win against me.


    Anyway, he made a bad decision. He should have gathered all the Rank-A members and taken care of me first, however, then also I wouldn''t lose.


    Anyway, it was easier for me that way. I could take care of them one by one without much effort.


    "I thought you were clever, but I was wrong!"


    One of the Grizz gang members said. He seemed pretty confident hiding behind a Rank-B. He must think that he couldfortably fight me by staying in that position.


    -WHOOSH!


    -SLASH!


    I quickly took care of the Rank-B protecting him and headed towards him. Only did he realize that he was in serious danger. Did he think that Rank-B would be able to protect him from me?


    ( Did he still think that I was the same as Jester who he used to bully? Did he just forget that I killed Grizz just now? What an idiot! )


    [ "Explosive Arrow Barrage " ]


    -SWISH!


    His attacks were nothing difficult to dodge at my current speed. Even though it was pretty destructive, it was far from being able to hit me. Even if he hit me though, there was no way that his attack could break past my mana barrier.


    "W-We are f-friends, right? Please spare me!"


    He said as I stood before him. He was trembling in fear.


    ( ??? Friends? Did he get hit in his head? He used to enjoy ordering and hitting me when he was with Grizz. It seems that he is suffering from Alzheimer''s. What a poor guy! I hope that next time you will at least remember your sins. )


    -SLASH!


    I hold no mercy on these guys. They are nothing but greedy bastards who would do anything to just be in power.


    They hadmitted an atrocious crime. Killing and destroying others'' things are their norms.


    Not only that, but they also wanted to take advantage of the war to instill even more destruction and even dared to capture and kill kids for their ambition. They were sick bastards who needed no pity.


    I knew what they had done and what they would do. There was nothing that would make me spare them.


    Having taken care of them, I looked at the fight that was going on. Because of the loss of theirrades, it seems that the Dark Guild side was suffering.


    It was truly impressive that a bunch of Rank-B was able to hold down so many Rank-A and they were even winning with a little assistance from me. If the number of fighters on the Dark Guild side was equal to Hiro and his group, I think that they would have won by themselves.


    "Ray, support me! We will take care of this betrayer first."


    The Sub-leader said. It seemed that he was finally going to take the action himself. However, I would say that it was toote and he was stillcking the power to defeat me.


    Not only that but he and Ray hade to fight me. The number that was already low on their side would decrease even more which would lead to Hiro and the others winning.


    Anyway, the sub-leader must be thinking that as long as he takes care of me, he will win. He must still be thinking that he could take care of me quickly with the help of Ray.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -SLASH!


    They indeed posed some problems for me, at least more than the other three who died without being able to do anything. However, if I wanted to kill them, they would already be dead.


    The only thing keeping them alive is that I don''t want to use my Art and expose my identity to my former ssmates. That''s why I was using just a sword to defeat them, even though it took time to take care of two Rank-As.


    "Y-YOU! You were hiding your strength all this time?"


    Ray asked. It seemed that he was shocked to find out Jester was this strong. Even now, they still think that I am Jester. What a pity! They would be cursing Jester when it was me who killed them.


    Sorry, Jester! Maybe he would be pleased to know that his bully was killed using his identity. Well, I could never know as he is already dead.


    However, I didn''t have any reason to answer his question. He could ask me anything that he likes but there was no way that I would answer that.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANG!


    "I am not going to hold back anymore! Ray, buy me some time."


    The Sub-leader ordered Ray to retreat. It looks like he wants to use his strongest attack. I wanted to go interrupt him, however, Ray had blocked my path.


    Since he was not going to let me go, I thought that I should take care of Ray first and then go and defeat the Sub-leader.


    [ "Chaos st Wave" ]


    However, it seems that I don''t need to take care of Ray. Sub-leader fired off his ultimate attack without giving Ray enough time to dodge. He wants to make sure that I get hit by his attack by having Ray fight me.


    Ray had already lost his hope and knew that he would die. Well, I was not going to save him.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    I immediately used my technique and quickly dodged the attack. Additionally, I sneaked behind the sub-leader quickly and sneakily.


    "Yes!"


    The sub-leader seemed to think that I had gotten hit by his technique. Too bad that the only person that would die would be Ray.


    "Sorry!"


    I said as I thrust my sword through his heart. There was no way that I would keep the subleader alive. I stared at the man who was ring at me in hisst moment. I didn''t feel guilty knowing that the blood on my enemy''s hand was much thicker than mine.


    There was hardly any Dark Guild after I had killed Ray and the Sub-leader. I checked whether they were in need of help, however, they were already on the verge of winning.


    "Looks like they don''t need my help anymore. I expected them to be much weaker. Guess they had also grown in the time I was away."


    I left the ce knowing that they were safe. I had already checked for any possible enemies but sensed no one ahead.


    ******


    "Hah... Finally!"


    Sylvia said as she sat down. It was a very tiring fight and her stamina and mana are already drained. She felt like sleeping in a nice bed for the rest of her life at the moment. However, she didn''t have that luxury as enemies could be near.


    -GULP!


    They quickly took mana and a health potion. They wanted to rest a bit before they left the area. Right now, they were finding it difficult even to stand.


    "Phew! We had really escaped death. I saw my death too many times today."


    Lisanna said. She was already ready to die when she knew that she was fighting with a group of Rank-As Dark Guild team. Against all odds, they were the final victor and no one from their team died.


    "It was really close! If that mysterious guy had not killed those enemies, we would be in deep trouble."


    Hiro said. Even for him, who had gone through many life-and-death situations, the situation was extremely dangerous. He also knew why they were safe. If the guy called Jester had not helped them in time, they could have been killed.


    Not only that, he was already gone without doing anything to them. It was a big relief for them when they didn''t see him after they had finished their battle. Although it did increase their curiosity more.


    "Yes! Who was he anyway?"


    Lisa asked. She felt some familiar kind of aura from the person who just saved them. However, she was sure that she had never seen the person called Jester. She did feel that she had known that person for quite a long time.


    -SHAKE!


    Everybody shook their heads. There was no way that anyone could know a person from Dark Guild. Lisa thought that maybe he knew someone from their group which led to him changing sides. However, that was the wrong reason.


    "Anyway, we should be grateful that he was not after us. If not, I don''t think we could have won against him."


    Hiro replied.


    He had sensed an overwhelming powering from Jester. He knew that the probability of winning against him was lower than the one with the other Dark Guild members.


    They were all talking about Jester except for one person. That person was Misha. She was lost in her own thoughts


    ( It can''t be! Was he Zero? )


    Among the people there, only Misha was the person who thought the person who helped them was Zero. The reason?


    She had seen Shadow Dance performed by Zero''s dad. When Zero used that technique to dodge the Sub-leader''s ultimate attack, Misha felt that it was quite simr to the Shadow Style technique that Zero''s dad used.


    However, that was only spection and she could not be certain. She refrained from saying it to others as it was only an assumption. However, she also was not about topletely forget about that either.


    She was thinking about the thing that she needs to do after this situation is over.

 Chapter 356: Mia Vs Frey: Conclusion

    -WHOOSH!


    Since the Dark Guild members sent to capture Hiro and the others were all defeated, he headed back so that he could take care of the other Dark Guild members who were securing the building.


    However, before that, he had to check on Professor Mia and Frey''s fight.


    *****


    Professor Mia and Frey have been fighting for quite a long time without any apparent winner. Both would quickly counter with their techniques.


    Frey has an advantage over Mia as her element fire is superior to Mia''s element ice. Despite that, Mia''s art and rank were both higher than Frey''s.


    "Mia Frostine, aren''t you worried that your students would be killed?"


    Frey asked. She wanted Mia tomit some kind of mistake by making her anxious.


    "I wonder? Maybe it should be you who should be worried about your subordinates!"


    Mia replied.


    Contrary to what Frey expected, Mia Frostine was not worried about Hiro and the other students at all. It was not because she was underestimating Dark Guild but because she knew that there was someone who would help them.


    Yes! She knew that Zero was among one of the Dark Guild members that went to capture the people who learned Dual Art.


    She was certain at the time when Zero was not affected by her Icy Burst and used his Ice energy to cover himself in ice. She knew that the person was not frozen by her ice and moreover, she found the ice energy to be extremely familiar.


    Even if Zero''s ice energy had be stronger, its essence remains the same and as someone who had trained him many times, Professor Mia was certain that it was Zero in disguise. It is one of the reasons that she allowed the Dark Guild to pass through her.


    If not, even if she was facing Frey, she would have gone all out to stop others from pursuing Hiro and the others.


    As for doubting Zero''s motives? She never had one. She believed that he was good at the right thing and that he would definitely help Hiro and others when in danger.


    She also has no doubt about his strength. Being Rank-A and also being able to resist her technique easily showed how strong he was. That is the reason that no matter how much Frey tries to sweep her attention, it would not work.


    "Humph! Don''t regret it!"


    Frey said. It was disappointing that Mia was not distracted by her talks, however, no matter she was not going to give up on defeating her. She also felt that Mia Frostine was just keeping up her confident face to not let her take advantage.


    Frey believes that she would soon have the advantage after her subordinates captured Hiro and the others. At that time, she believed that she would win. She just needed to wait for her subordinates'' sess.


    [ "Inferno Sonata st" ]


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    -BOOM!


    Frey and Mia Frostine exchanged a couple more moves with each other¡­


    ( Where are they? )


    Frey thought!


    Frey waited and waited for her subordinates to show up, however, they never did. She was thinking about making Mia give up using Hiro and the others. However, her subordinate was not showing any sign ofing any time soon.


    And she was at a disadvantage. Even if her element was advantageous against Ice, Mia''s Ice quality was more than her fire could handle. Furthermore, with Mia Frostine''s higher mana stat, Mia was overwhelming Frey.


    She couldn''t wait anymore. It was either do or die. Wait any more and then she would have no mana to do anything and Mia would win naturally.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    On the other hand, Mia Frostine has no intention of letting her escape. If Frey tried to escape and show her back to Professor Mia, she would get attacked by her.


    Furthermore, Mia had used her ultimate technique and there was no escaping that. The area inside her pce was all in her control. If Frey wished to escape now, she had to destroy Mia''s technique.


    [ "Raging mes Assault" ]


    Frey used one of her weaker skills. She just wanted to see what Professor Mia would do or see what her Primordial Ice Pce could do. However, what she witnessed waspletely terrifying.


    Professor Mia used no other technique and just waved her hands to put off Frey''s fire attack. Furthermore, the ice energy in the area where the Ice pce was has increased. It was disadvantageous for Frey, especially since she was a fire user.


    *TCH!


    Frey knew that the situation was not looking good for her. She didn''t care whether her subordinates were able toplete the mission or not. She had to escape now or she would have no chance at all.


    Keeping Professor Mia in check was her work and she insisted on taking this mission. However, she had failed miserably. She knew that this mission was important and that abandoning this would get her a harsh punishment. However, she knew it was better than staying there.


    Moreover, she had the perfect reason to run away. She could just say that her subordinates were all defeated and she had no choice. Whether it was true or not didn''t matter as she knew that the moment she escaped, they would be defeated by Professor Mia.


    And as a Rank-S executive, there was also no way that she would be treated badly even with her mission''s failure.


    [ "ze Strike" ]


    Freyunched her attack. She had to somehow distract Professor Mia before she took the chance to escape.


    However, without much trouble, Professor Mia blocked it. She raised her hand and 2 pirs of ice moved and blocked the iing attack. Not only that, but she had also created multiple ice shards which were heading toward Frey.


    [ "Raging Fire Assault" ]


    She tried to melt the ice that was heading toward her but the power of her attack was not enough. She immediately tried to dodge but was unable to and sustained quite a bit of damage.


    [ "Pyro Rhapsody Barrage" ]


    Frey didn''t hold back and used her strongest attack. And she quickly began to run in the opposite direction. She didn''t want to prolong her escape and did everything to run.


    15 pirs hade to protect Professor Mia and 5 pirs were sent to block the path of Frey. Professor Mia knew that Frey''s escape would be disastrous for humans and she knew to defeat her once and for all. She can''t afford to run away.


    -BOOM!


    Frey''s attack hit Professor Mia''s ice pir, however, it could not break past the defense made by the pirs. Frey''s escape path had also been blocked by 5 pirs.


    [ "ze Strike" ]


    Frey tried to break the pir and then escape. However, she was incapable of doing so. Her fear was increasing and she knew that she would lose.


    ( Dammit! Dammit! Where are they? )


    Frey thought worriedly. She had no way to defeat Mia nor any way to escape from that ce. Therefore, she was once again putting her hopes on those who had gone to capture Hiro and the other students.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Just when she was thinking that Zero, who is a Jester, appeared. He hade to check the status of Frey and Professor Mia and also to go out of the building.


    She was sure that Frey would lose and it was indeed the case as Frey looked as if she had been run over by cars multiple times. Though in truth, she might have gone through worse to end up in this state.


    Anyway, she was very excited when she noticed Jester. She thought that her team had seeded and that she had the advantage now.


    "Haha¡­ Mia, you lose! Your students had all been captured. If you don''t want them dead, surrender to me!"


    Frey said confidently. Sheughed and threatened Professor Mia immediately.


    "¡­"


    [ "Frozen Surface" ]


    Professor Mia continued to attack Frey. She had also seen Jester arrive, however, she already knew that he was not one of the Dark Guild. If he appeared, it only reassured her that Hiro and the others were okay.


    "What? WHAT? Did you not hear what I said?"


    Frey panicked. She didn''t expect her threat to fail, especially when one of her subordinates hade.


    [ "ze Strike" ]


    She tried to escape while also trying to melt the ice. She was once again back to her weak self where she could only run and protect herself.


    "Hey, YOU! Help me!"


    Frey ordered. It was shameful for her subordinates to see her in this state and more shameful to ask for help but she was in no position to bargain.


    However, Zero stood there doing nothing. He just watched as Frey was getting frozen by Professor Mia''s ice.


    "HEY, CAN''T YOU HEAR ME?"


    Frey yelled again.


    However, Zero stood there doing nothing even with all her shouting. Then only did Frey realize that something was wrong. It was already unexpected that Professor Mia was attacking with her threat and her subordinate was also not helping her.


    She looked at her subordinate''s face. Zero smiled. It was thest face that Frey saw before being frozen by Mia''s Ice.

 Chapter 357: Plan Failed: Dark Guild Destruction!

    Frey stood no chance as she slowly froze.


    Her only hope of escaping has also turned into her despair. In herst moment, she knew that she had lost everything.


    Zero was looking at her before making an attempt to escape the ce. He thought that he might be attacked by Professor Mia. He still had the appearance of Jester and it wouldn''t be weird for him to be considered an enemy by Professor Mia.


    "Zero Elea!"


    However, much to his surprise, Professor Mia called him by his real name.


    "Yes?"


    He involuntarily responded.


    -PAK!


    He immediately closed his mouth. He still did not want others to know that he was there as he still had something to do. However, contrary to what he wanted to do, he turned around and responded to Professor Mia as before.


    He knew that Professor Mia had already confirmed his identity much to his dismay.


    He was really surprised that Professor Mia could guess that he is Zero even though he is perfectly camouged.


    Professor Mia couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw Zero walking towards her after two long years.


    She was still not sure that he was Zero as he had a different face. However, the voice that Zero responded in was still simr to what she remembered.


    "Zero?"


    She said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "Is it really you?"


    Zero smiled, and his face lit up.


    "Yes, it''s me."


    He said while scratching his head. He had also stopped using the Morphc Mirror and showed his real face.


    He didn''t know what to say after he had not seen her for so long. She was as beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than before.


    Zero, who was not very good at talking, found the situation very awkward. He believed that this was not the best ce to get found out. However, what can he do? Professor Mia has already found out about his identity.


    Professor Mia felt a rush of emotions - joy, relief, longing - all mixed together. She had always cared for Zero deeply, and it was even stronger when she met him again. She was always worried that he would be in danger or that she might never see him again.


    Therefore, knowing that he was okay was a big relief for her. She also noticed many differences in him. He had be more handsome and stronger. He was no longer the kid that she remembered and had be a proper adult.


    Professor Mia took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. She calmed down and asked.


    "Where were you for the past 2 years? What have you been doing?"


    "Hmmm... Training, I guess!"


    Zero answered. It was a fact that he had gone to the Tower Of Obelisk for training though he didn''t explicitly say that he was in the Tower Of Obelisk.


    Professor Mia nodded, understanding his situation.


    "I see."


    She said. She knew that being weak and the desire to get strong was normal, especially after the Devil''s Invasion. She thought that Zero had gone to train because of that incident.


    "Had the Dark Guild members been taken care of?"


    "Yes!"


    "Did you get injured?"


    "No. They were nothing. I could have handled them with my left hand."


    Zero said. Though he was left-handed and had actually taken care of them with his left hand only.


    "How have you been for the past 2 years?"


    Zero was like some criminal getting interrogated by some cop. However, he knew that she was only asking because she was concerned about him.


    He would love to talk more with her but he knew that he still had something that he needed to do. Moreover, he doesn''t want to be seen by others.


    He changed his face back to that of Jester. Professor Mia also knew that he still had something to do before he coulde back.


    She didn''t stop him but she couldn''t help but be worried.


    "Professor Mia, goodbye! I will be back soon."


    -WHOOSH!


    With that said, he disappeared from Professor Mia''s side.


    Professor Mia just watched as Zero disappeared from her sight. Honestly, she didn''t want him to go away and was about to stop him. However, she believed that as he had said, he would be back soon.


    She then went inside the building to check on Hiro and the others. Since Zero had already told her that there was no problem, she knew that she could trust him.


    However, to ensure that there was no mistake, she had to go and check on them. Also, they had to get out of this ce as she felt that it was not very safe.


    ******


    -SLASH!


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    Zero quickly took care of the Dark Guild members who were stationed outside. They thought that their mission wasplete when Jester came out.


    However, the next moment, he killed every one of them.


    Today, Zero had no ns to let any of the Dark Guild members escape. He was going toplete what he had been nning for the past few weeks.


    The first step in his n was to disarm the Mana explosives which would ruin their ns. And the second one was to let The Authority eradicate all of them.


    With their mass destruction, The Authority should have already deployed many high-ranking Explorers to handle the Dark Guild.


    In the novel, Dark Guild survives because they have many hideouts and those high-ranking are called back for the war. However, this time Zero was not going to give the opportunity to the Dark Guild.


    For the past few days, not only had he infiltrated the Dark Guild headquarter, but he had also hacked their system and obtained a lot of information that is only in the hands of executives and higher people of Dark Guild.


    And he was going to make this public. Most importantly what he wanted to separate was the map containing the location of all the hideouts of the Dark Guild including the headquarters.


    He also mailed it to The Authority, so that they could verify the information. While I also had to send it to those explorers that are pursuing the Dark Guild. While not all of them would believe the information, there would be certain people who might believe and go.


    And this would give the Dark Guild no time to hide nor would it be possible to run away in such a short period of time. The only option avable to them is to be annihted by The Authority and other guilds.


    "And send! I hope that The Authority responds quickly and verifies the information."


    If The Authority could verify and give it to the Explorers, they could go and destroy those hideouts Moreover, the faster they act, the less time they are giving to the Dark Guild to escape.


    Furthermore, Dark Guild has provoked many guilds with their attacks. Now was the perfect time to eradicate this organization.


    *****


    Just as Zero thought, Dark Guild had ced the Mana explosives and went into hiding. They were excited as they thought that they hadpleted their mission.


    However, the Mana Explosives that they ced were already disarmed. They waited for the explosion to happen but all that happened was produce a loud sound without any actual destruction.


    This puzzled many of the executives who assumed that the product was defective. While disappointed by the result, they were at least happy that they had escaped.


    On the other hand, the Explorers who were sent for reinforcement were very furious by what Dark Guild did. While Mana Explosives had failed, they had taken many lives and some had stolen the artifacts of many guilds.


    Not only that, they had indirectly disrupted their war preparations. Many of them had been called when they were going to war with the Devils.


    On top of that, they just disappeared out of nowhere. They knew that the Dark Guild was hiding, however, they had no idea where they were. This led to them having nowhere to vent their anger.


    That day, they hade there with the full intention of destroying the Dark Guild. And many more were on their way toe.


    A day passed and many reinforcements and forces hade to destroy the Dark Guild but there was no sign of them.


    Just when they thought that Dark Guild had triumphed, The Authority revealed information on all the locations of the Dark Guild hideout. The group near those locations was ordered to gather and attack that location.


    Dark Guild members were pretty startled when they were discovered. They ran away in fear, however, with the numerical advantage that the attacks had, they had no chance of escaping.


    The reason why The Authority was able to verify the information so quickly was because of some group of Explorers who believed in that map and went to destroy the hideout. In such cases, The Authority was made to believe in the information and sent it to the teams that were responsible for annihting the Dark Guild.


    The nightmare began for Dark Guild as one after another, their hideout was destroyed.

 Chapter 358: Devils Full-Scale Invasion!

    Dark Guild couldn''tprehend what was happening to them at all as their hideout was simultaneously attacked.


    Many of them tried to escape, only to be tracked down and killed. They couldn''t escape and only hid, which was the reason that they were safe as long as they couldn''t be found out. However, with their hideout exposed, they had nothing that could save them from The Authority and Explorers from different guilds.


    Even their Headquarter was being raided by an army of Rank-A and Rank-S. As they had gotten the information that the ce was a headquarters, they were more than prepared.


    However, there was nothing for them to worry about. Most of their strong fighters were gone and only a couple of people were left behind.


    It was easier to destroy their headquarters than other hideouts where Rank-S executives were present. However, they didn''t find the head of the Dark Guild. He seemed to have already abandoned the ce and ran away.


    Nevertheless, even if Dark Guild''s boss has escaped, they know that Dark Guild is no longer the threat that it used to be. Most of their executives had either been killed or captured.


    The ones who survived could only be considered at the level of a gold-graded guild excluding their boss. They could no longer create the trouble that they used to.


    They had almost eliminated all Dark Guild members, however, they didn''t spend much time hunting down the survivors. They could have possibly annihted everyst one of them if they tried, however, they had another much more important crisis that they needed to handle at the moment.


    After having destroyed much of the Dark Guild''s force, they were all called back by The Authority. The Dark Guild was no longer a threat that needed attention.


    Now, their focus was once more shifted to the war with the Devil. Not only that, but the real reason why The Authority immediately called them after they were done with their mission is because arge-scale attack from the Devil wasing.


    Several reconnaissance teams had been stationed on various parts of the battlefield and near possible Devil attacks, and they had spotted arge number of Devils heading their way.


    The Devils were getting serious and were nning tounch big-scale attacks on humans. In the report, it was also stated that Rank-S devils were also seen. Which shows that the Devils wereing at them with their full force.


    It seems that the situation has taken a serious turn. The Authority and their army must act quickly and effectively to prepare for the impending attack from the Devil. They must gather their forces and resources, and n their defense strategy carefully.


    This is why The Authority immediately called all the people that were sent to destroy the Dark Guild.


    The Authority had also had to search for the reason for such a big change. They know that the Devils did this for a reason, but they could not figure out why.


    However, the Authority believed that it might be connected to the problem that they had with Dark Guild. The Authority and many others believe that Devils had heard about their problem with Dark Guild and wanted to take full advantage of that situation.


    Fortunately, the problem with Dark Guild was solved easily and they could call back their forces who were sent to subdue Dark Guild. They thought that the Devil''s n had failed and they were ready to respond to their attacks.


    They even though they might retreat knowing they had already taken care of the Dark Guild.


    It turned out that Devils had already begun their attack, contrary to what they thought. And the attack pattern was different from what they had previously predicted.


    There were arge number of Devils gathered along the border between the two species, and arge number of armies of Devils were present. However, Devils only pushed in from one direction and others were just slowly moving forward without any serious attack.


    The humans that were defending the border didn''t have any problem handling them as they were prepared and the number of attacks from devils was quite lowpared to their expectations.


    However, the situation in one part of the human defense waspletely different from the other parts. There, Devils had attacked in numbers beyond their expectations, and the guards that were assigned there were mercilessly killed.


    The Devils began their attack, and those defenders were caught off guard and were forced to scramble to react. The suddenness and scale of the attack left them struggling to mount a coordinated defense, and many were caught in the open and quickly overwhelmed by the Devil''s force.


    The Devils were relentless in their assault, showing no mercy or hesitation as they pressed forward with wave after wave of attacks. The guards stationed there fought back valiantly but were quickly pushed back by the sheer numbers and ferocity of their attackers.


    The Authority was also taken by surprise. The part where the Devils attacked was of little importance. Even if the Devil managed to break through, they would have no real advantage in the war.


    The Devils will only lose their number with the reckless attack they were doing. The Authority was discussing the countermeasure against the devils who had managed to break through their defense.


    However, it was not really something that made them think that they failed. Instead, they thought Devils were dumb and attacked randomly without thinking about the consequences.


    What left them thinking was the aim of the Devil''s force. They don''t want to think that they are sacrificing such arge number of devils just so that they could capture one meaningless fort. If that was real, then the Devil would be dumb.


    However, they had to think like that looking at how those Devil forces were advancing from that geographical area where humans would be at the advantage.


    The ces the Devil was heading towards were where mountains and forests were. In such ces, humans were at an advantage. If Elves were involved, they would have more advantages than humans.


    Anyway, humans are used to such areas and their traps and weapons are also more effective in such terrains. On the other hand, Devil''s domains seldom have trees and mountains and they are not used to fighting in such terrain.


    Devils were more proficient at fighting in rocky areas or caves.


    That''s why The Authority was surprised when Devils were advancing more in such terrain. They would only be at a disadvantage if they fought with humans in those ces.


    They were recklessly pushed from one side without any purpose, at least that is what the people from The Authority thought. If they kept on like this, they would only be destroyed by human reinforcement that would be waiting for them on their path.


    The Authority was unable to figure out why the Devil was being reckless at this stage of the war. However, no matter what, they thought that it was their chance to give a big blow to the Devil''s forces.


    A coalition of defense teams was called in by the Authority and gathered at where the Devils were heading in. They had alreadyid various traps and ambushes. They were adamant about leaving no devil alive in that ce.


    Many people thought that the devil would suffer serious damage because of their dumb decision.


    However, they would soone to know how they had failed to notice the Devil''s n which would change the course of the war.


    The idiots were not the Devil but those who couldn''t see through the Devil''s n.


    At least that was what was going to happen but there was no way that Zero could let that tragedye to pass.


    ******


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero was moving in the direction in which the Devil was advancing. While The Authority and many others thought of usingrge reinforcements to surround them and kill them off, Zero knew that in the process of that, humanity would lose one of its best fighting forces against the Devil.


    Saintess!


    The same saintess that healed Zero when he was dying.


    Saintess might be some kind of goddess to humans but they are like demons to those devils. Seriously! While humans do get healed by her holy power, it had the opposite effect on the Devils. They would lose power and die when the Saintess used her power on them.


    That''s why Saintess is one of the main forces when fighting Devils. Having Saintess was more effective than having Rank-SS when fighting Devils.


    She was like poison to those Devil. At every ce where the Saintess is present, Devils would drop dead like flies. Therefore, it was necessary that before attacking humans, Devils had to kill the Saintess first or at least keep her away from the battlefield.


    That''s the reason that Saintess is targeted every time by the Devils. Even though The Authority and others couldn''t see through their ns yet, however, Zero knew because of the novel.


    And he can''t have Saintess Amelia die yet! He still owes her.

 Chapter 359: Devils Scheme!

    If it was any other Saintess, I would have not risked my life to save her. Even if Saintess were important, would it be more important than my own life? for me, it is a no!


    At most, I would have warned The Authority or the church about the attack. No matter how important that character was, if I don''t have power or time, why would I save them?


    I was far from being a Hero who would save everyone that needs help. It was difficult to even protect one''s life, not to mention others.


    However, it was Saintess Amelia, someone who had saved my life at the cost of her life span.


    At the time when I was dying due to using Dark Energy, she saved me using one of the forbidden skills exclusive to only Saintess. I know for a fact that those forbidden reduce lifespan and are used only in extremely rare cases.


    Even though we don''t share the best of rtions. Still, it was a fact that I owed my life to Saintess Amelia.


    Even if I say that we don''t get along well with each other and even found her personality not that good, our rtionship was definitely better than some stranger. She also helped me on more than one asion.


    Even if we look at the bigger picture, she is someone who has helped and would help many people. She is a big threat to the devil and having her killed would surely affect the whole of humanity.


    Therefore, I had to save her even at the risk of my life.


    I could have informed The Authority in hopes that they could see through the Devil''s n and maybe hope for help from them. However, having read the novel, I knew that it would work.


    The problem with The Authority and others at the top was that they were so hasty about winning the war that they forgot that the Devils usually try to eliminate the Saintess before a big fight. For them to forget that and focus on finishing the war was all due to their hastiness and also their arrogance.


    They wouldn''t listen to some strangers'' information without evidence. The only reason why they believed the map with Dark Guild''s hideout was because many explorers found that the map was reliable. If not, they might not have even bothered to look at that information.


    And if we wait for them to validate the information I send, it would be toote to save Saintess Amelia and her team.


    And moreover, I can''t fully trust The Authority to save Saintess Amelia. As Church and The Authority don''t share a good rtionship because of them both being powerful organizations, they might even want Saintess to be gone.


    They are only working together because of themon threat that they share. Moreover, Churches view the Devil as their enemy or more like the enemy of the god that they serve.


    Not only that, they might even use her to lure more Devil and Devil Contractors. That''s why I didn''t want to reveal such sensitive information, especially when it involved the life of my savior.


    Anyway, thinking about that, isn''t deploying Saintess so early kind of stupid? Saintess is usually deployed only during a critical time and for her to deploy so early. I can''t help but feel some kind of scheme was going on.


    However, without anything of such being mentioned in the novel, I could be sure of that. Anyway, I should first focus on destroying the Devil''s n and then look for the truth.


    The Devil''s n was to lure Saintess into the battlefield. With how lucrative it was to finish the war, The Authority and other decision-makers at the top would definitely call upon the best weapon against the devil, Saintess.


    However, that was what the Devil''s wanted as well. They were willing to get all those Devils killed just to lure out Saintess.


    Now, all the people would normally think that it is stupid to think that those Devils could kill Saintess on the battlefield, especially with all the other fights and Saintess herself backing them up.


    If she was so easy to kill by the Devil, she would be called the devil by the devil themselves.


    However, the Devils had never nned to make her appear on the battlefield or go and kill her themselves. They were going to lure her out to know her exact location and they were going to send their best assassins against Saintess.


    And no, their best assassin is not some Rank-SS Devil who has mastered darkness or has resistance against Holy power. The best assassins against Saintess would be Devil Contractors.


    Devil Contractors are like ves to the Devil and are not considered as much of a threat as the Devil themselves. However, they also got an advantage and that''s why Devil tries to also lure weak-minded people to be Devil Contractors.


    One of their perks was being able to withstand the Saintess'' power. Despite gaining powers from the Devil, they were still human, at least had human bodies. Therefore, they don''t be weak or die when they are exposed to the Saintess'' power.


    That''s why, the best assassins against Saintess were Devil Contractors. If they send Devils, they would only be weaker and there are chances that they might lose their strongest Devils which is detrimental for them.


    Anyway, I believe that I could take care of those assassins sent to kill Saintess Amelia. Devil''s Contractors at most are only at Rank-S, there was never a Devil Contractor beyond that. Even Rank-S Devil Contractor is a rare thing.


    However, knowing how important it is for the Devil to eliminate the Saintess, the Devil must have sent only the best they have.


    Although there is a chance that they might even send a Rank-SS, however, with Saintess, I could have a chance against him as well. And I doubt that Devil wants to lose Rank-SS Devils if they foolishly send him to fight against Saintess.


    "Anyway, let''s see what I can do!''


    If I can''t kill the enemies, I was at least confident in escaping with Saintess Amelia. If pushes to shove, I would just save Saintess Amelia.


    However, I knew that wouldn''t happen. Amelia is surrounded by holy knights who are at least Rank-B and she also has her maid Adeline. I was not sure how powerful she is but at this point in time, I was sure that she is at least at Rank-A.


    She was one of the strongest or at least one of the strongest in the future. Anyway, with such conditions, I didn''t think that I would fail. Or more like, I can''t fail.


    -WHOOSH!


    ******


    At the same time, the Saintess was going in the direction in which they were ordered to. They were told about therge invasion of the Devil that had been able to prate the human defense.


    They were prepared and they had more than 50 holy guards responsible for the Saintess'' safety.


    Holy guards were pretty excited thinking about all the devils that they could kill and the glory that they would earn. They were not concerned about facing strong Devils either. Against the Saintess'' power, they firmly believe that all the Devils will eventually end up dead.


    Even so, the protagonist herself, Amelia, was quite scared. She is scared of Devils, which is why she was afraid of Zero when they first met. Zero had a simr kind of Dark Energy that only Rank-SS devils possess which scared her a bit.


    It was only to do with the trauma that she experienced when she was just a kid. She was training to be a devil and was sent to defeat Devils. She was afraid at the time but that was because she was weak and inexperienced unlike now.


    At that time, she met Rank-S Devils who killed every guard, every person who was sent to protect her. They thought that they had gone to a ce where weak Demons and Devil roam but they encountered a strong devil.


    That Rank-S Devil was specifically there to kill Saintess Amelia who was just going through training. They wanted to kill her before she became a threat to them.


    Luckily, she was saved but she developed a trauma and she bes scared when she sees Dark Energy. With years of training, she could at least manage to be calm in front of weak Devils, however, when she senses Dark Energy from a higher level of the devil, she trembles.


    Even with such a big mission ahead, she was afraid that she would mess up. Unlike the holy guard who was excited, only bad memories were remembered when she was going down the road.


    However, Saintess Amelia was a very hardworking and serious person. She knew that it was all to save people. That''s why she can''t be scared, she can''t run away, and she has given her all.

 Chapter 360: Devils Scheme! [2]

    "Saintess Amelia, do you need any more tea?"


    "No! Thanks, Adeline."


    Amelia said to her maid. While she was a maid, Adeline was more than that. She was also like her personal bodyguard. While she might seem weak and fragile, she was a Rank-A+ Rapier user. She could be regarded as one of the strongest in the current group that she was leading.


    Even so, Adeline didn''t forget her duties as a maid and would make sure that Saintess Amelia wasfortable.


    And also unlike the holy knight, she was extremely cautious when proceeding toward where the Devils were. She had an uneasy feeling ever since they departed from the church like some kind of danger was lurking around.


    However, the orders were from the pope and Saintess Amelia couldn''t refuse the order, much less a maid like her.


    However, because of her feelings and also because they were going to a dangerous area, she stayed close to Saintess Amelia, just in case of any attack. Others also didn''t have a problem with Adeline taking the position of Saintess'' personal bodyguard as she was stronger than them.


    "How many more days before we reach Misty Grove?"


    Saintess Amelia asked.


    "It might take two or three days depending on the road condition. If we have no problem, we should be able to reach there in two days."


    Adeline replied.


    "Thanks!"


    *******


    "Hehe¡­ I have gotten the message that Saintess has passed through Emberwood. They should be here in two hours."


    Kaito said. He is one of the assassins sent to kill the Saintess. He was a Rank-A Devil Contractor and was responsible formunication with various people surveying the area.


    "Kekeke¡­ Finally! I have waited for ages."


    "The opportunity to kill one of the so-called messengers of the goddess. What a thrill!" ¡­


    Other Devil Contractors were excited to hear the news. They were all kinds of people who hated humanity. For power, wealth, and fame, they sold their souls and became the Devil''s ves. They had nopassion nor regret when doing something that could lead to human destruction.


    It was rather that they were looking forward to seeing human beings wiped out.


    "Keep the excitement forter! We need to execute this mission perfectly or else Lord Aamon would spare no one."


    The S-Rank Devil Contractor said. He was the leader of this operation and also one of the rare Rank-S Devil Contractors that is valued by Devil prince or Rank-SS Devil. He was even respected by some of the Devils, and his position was very high for a Devil Contractor.


    One of the reasons why he is valued is also because he could be a key person that could eliminate Saintess. Therefore, he has also been provided with many resources in addition to being given a good position.


    If he manages toplete his mission today, his position will only increase further. However, he also didn''t want to mess up and get killed by his master.


    Although he thought like that, he was also excited thinking about the promised reward that Lord Aamon promised him. He had big ambitions and just getting to Rank-S was not enough. He wanted to be the strongest there is.


    " " YES!" "


    All the devil contractors replied. They know that their leader is stronger than them and also that he is valued by Devils unlike most of them. Not to mention that Lord Aamon was a scary demon who would kill anyone who failed his assignment. There was no mercy and they didn''t want to be the next.


    Despite that though, they didn''t think that they would fail with their mission. There were 50 or so Devil Contractors with most being in Rank-A and they had their leader, Kurtis, a Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    ording to the intel that they had, they were pretty sure that Saintess and her group had only 50 Holy Knights with most being in Rank-B and Rank-A. There was no one who had reached Rank S.


    With Kurtis by their side, they knew that victory was inevitable.


    ******


    Two hours had gone by and Saintess and her team were reaching where Devil Contractors was waiting for them.


    "STOP!"


    Saintess Amelia immediately told her men to stop.


    "What is the problem, Saintess?"


    Captain of the Holy Knight, Zain asked. Zain had not noticed anything abnormal though he did be more cautious after the Saintess told him to stop.


    "I sensed some powerful mana up ahead. I think they are waiting to ambush us."


    Saintess Amelia said. She had always been sensitive to mana and could sense mana even if one tried to conceal it. That was one of the reasons that she discovered Zero''s powerful dark energy even though it would normally be impossible to find out.


    She was resting in her carriage when he sensed the powerful mana. There were also signs of them being many which could be a problem.


    "Attention! Everybody get ready forbat. It seems that some people are waiting to ambush us."


    Zainmanded immediately. He knew better than to doubt the Saintess'' words. As someone serving Saintess for so long, he knew that he could believe in her words. Although it was very shameful that he could not sense anything despite being very powerful.


    Their captain warned them of danger, which caused the Holy knights to be tense.


    -WHOOSH!


    "Kekehe¡­ I didn''t expect the Saintess to detect us."


    Immediately Dark Contractors made their appearance one after another. Actually, their n was to sneak in and finish their job. However, they didn''t expect that they would be discovered so easily.


    Therefore, before they call for reinforcement, they want to finish the job. Which is why they showed themselves.


    "It seems that she does have some ability though she would still be dead today."


    Even though Devil Contractors were discovered, they were very casual about their behavior. Their ambush failed, however, they didn''t need to ambush them in the first ce.


    *GULP!


    Many Holy Knights were scared. Although the experienced ones didn''t let their fear show, young people were frightened.


    In front of them, the Devil''s Contractor had stopped concealing their mana and had instead disyed it. That meant that Holy Knight sensed their Rank-A aura which is terrifying considering the number.


    There were also some Holy Knights of Rank-A, but not as many as Devil Contractors.


    "Surrender yourself! You would suffer less that way!"


    Kurtis, who appeared atst said. His words were very dominant.


    Zain, who is the leader of the Holy Knight, had also be scared. It was okay if there was more Rank-A, even if they were all Rank-A Devil Contractors, he thought that they could take care of them.


    Holy Knights are selected very carefully. Only the most talented would be selected. If the other side had more Rank-A than them, they had high hopes of winning, especially with him leading the knights.


    However, that all changed when Kurtis appeared. No matter how talented they were, they could not possibly handle a Rank-S. And he had experienced this personally when Mia Frostine barged into the church.


    It might have been possible if Kurtis was alone, however, there are many Rank-A apanying him which made it impossible for Zain to think about their victory.


    "Adeline! Escape with the Saintess. We would buy time."


    Zain said. He knew that the chance of winning was very slim. Even so, he knew his priority and was willing to sacrifice his life for Saintess.


    With war being waged between humans and devils, it is not hard to see that Saintess were their biggest weakness. For humanity, for his duties, he had to take the risk.


    "No! I will not run. The chance of winning would increase if I helped you."


    Santess Amelia rejected Zain''s n. She was also in Rank-A. While battling directly was difficult for her, she could heal and support the Holy Knight. She was, after all, the best healer in the world.


    She was thankful that the Holy Knight captain was thinking about her. However, she could not leave the knights just so that she could escape to safety.


    "But-"


    "No buts! Prepare to fight."


    She ordered.


    Zain had many things to say but he could not possibly change Saintess'' mind. He was also her subordinate and could not just order her.


    Adeline, who is by Saintess'' side, was also worried about her safety. If possible, she would have preferred to follow Zain''s n. However, she also knew how stubborn Saintess Amelia was. So, she took out her rapier and got ready to protect Saintess Amelia.


    "Hehehe¡­ Seems like the Saintess wants to act like a hero. She is not running as we had expected. I guess it was useless to prepare Team B who are waiting for the Saintess."


    "Call them back!"


    Kurtis asked the one responsible formunication. Actually, they had already thought of many scenarios including where the Saintess escaped leaving the Holy Knight behind. Of course, with Kurtis there, the chances were very low. However, they could not fail and it was always good to be cautious.


    In order not to fail the mission, another team was already sent to the escape route. However, it seems that Saintess Amelia had no intention of running away.


    If so, then it was better to call back Team B and strengthen their power.

 Chapter 361: Zain Vs Kurtis: Fight Rank-S Devil Contractor

    Kurtis asked theirmunicator to call Team B back.


    However, he was not going to wait for them. It would be a disaster if someone came to rescue Saintess. Therefore, it was not good for them to waste any time.


    "Make sure to kill the Saintess if you get a chance. The one who managed to do so will be heavily rewarded."


    Kurtis announced. It didn''t matter to him who killed the Saintess. The sess of this mission meant that he would be rewarded even if he had not personally killed the Saintess. It wasn''t a big deal to give some of that reward to the one who killed the Saintess.


    "Yes Sir!"


    The Devil Contractor answered excitedly at the mention of rewards.


    -WHOOSH!


    "They areing! Prepare yourself! Protect the Saintess at all costs."


    Zain said. Their priority was Saintess'' safety and they knew that Devil Contractors would aim for her life.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    Devils Contractor Mage had fired off many spells, while their fights had already gone, and were engaging with Holy Knight.


    Kurtis didn''t join the fight immediately as he stayed back,manding his men. Even for Kurtis, who is S-Rank Devil Contractor, it is not impossible for him to die where many Rank-A were. In spite of his overwhelming power, Rank-A Holy Knights were not something that he could underestimate.


    Zain, the captain of the Holy Knight, was doing the same thing, however, for a different causepared to Zain. One is that he had to protect the Saintess, the second is that he was good atmanding andstly, he was saving his strength for when Kurtis made his move.


    Among them, only he had a chance against Kurtis in a one-to-one fight.


    After the fight went on for 30 minutes or so, the result was already apparent. The Saintess group was losing. Holy Knights were strong, much stronger than their peers, however, with the difference in rank, they were on the losing end.


    Luckily, Saintess was on their team. Whenever someone is defeated or seriously injured, she would easily heal them and they would go back to fight as if nothing had happened. This meant that even if Devil Contractors were overpowering them and winning, the Saintess side was not decreasing in number due to the support of the Saintess.


    Killing Saintess would solve the problem but that was what they couldn''t. Holy Knights were giving their all to prevent them from reaching the Saintess. Moreover, with the Saintess'' power, they gained confidence and were not afraid of getting injured.


    "Saintess'' power is really annoying!"


    Kurtis said. The victory should have already been theirs, however, with Saintess'' power, the Holy Knights were not going down.


    -CLICK!


    Kurtis summoned his giant spear. He was already bored of waiting and wanted to finish this mission. And his target was clear, the Saintess.


    Not only would the mission beplete with Saintess dead, but the Holy Knights also wouldn''t be standing without Saintess'' healing. Now that many of the Rank-As Holy Knights were either preupied or tired, he knew that he could make his move without worries.


    -WHOOSH!


    !!!


    When Kurtis was making his move, Zain was already alert. The speed of Kurtis was beyond what Zain was capable of. Even so, he didn''t back down and was ready to receive his attacks.


    "Saintess, Rank-S Devil Contractor is making his move. I think that you should escape with your maid!"


    For thest time, Zain said. He knew that without Saintess'' support, they would be annihted. However, considering the power that they showed, there was not much chance of winning even with Saintess'' support.


    At most, they couldst for a few more minutes. Moreover, from the momentum that he sensed from Kurtis, he was sure that he could not stop him. Even with other subordinates helping him, he might fail.


    "No! I will be where my people are."


    Saintess Amelia was adamant about staying.


    Zain also had no choice. He had to focus on the Rank-S that was making its way through the battlefield. He pushed aside everyone, be it his allies or enemies. Kurtis has only one objective and doesn''t care about other things.


    "Kaiyo! Minho! Set up the Formation!"


    Zain ordered the two subordinates who hade to support the captain.


    Zain had already lost to Professor Mia who was Rank-S. That incident gave him a solid idea about S-Rank power. It was not something that he couldpete against.


    He was embarrassed. If it was an enemy attack, the Saintess'' life could have beenpromised. Therefore, for two years, he was working with his subordinates to fight Rank-S.


    And this was the result. By working together with his close subordinate, they came up with a formation where Zain would gain the power of the two of them. While they had not perfected the skill, there was a hope that with this Zain couldpete with Rank-S.


    -WHOOSH!


    At the moment, Kurtis made it past the defense and was on the verge of reaching the Saintess. The only obstacle was Zain which Kurtis didn''t care about. He lifted his giant spear as he prepared to fling them aside.


    -CLANK!


    However, Zain blocked the attack with his shield. With the formation granting him more power, he was able to withstand the blow from Kurtis.


    "Huh?"


    Kurtis was surprised when someone had finally managed to block his attack. That surprise soon turned into excitement.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Kurtis struck a few more times but Zain managed to hold on. However, it took quite a troll on his body to block a few strikes from Kurtis.


    "You are pretty good!"


    Kurtis said. Not every Rank-A could block his strikes. With one attack from him, many of the Holy Knights and Devils Contractors were already dead. So, Kurtis said that as apliment.


    "How about you join us? Your life would be spared and you might even ascend to Rank-S."


    Kurtis offered.


    "Sorry, but I don''t want to be a traitor to humanity like you."


    Zain replied. There was no way for him to ept such nonsense. Although ascending to Rank-S might seem tempting, it was for nothing if you were just a ve to some Devil. In addition, he would not abandon his subordinate, Saintess, and his responsibility as a human being.


    "Heh. You will change your mind when you are about to die."


    Kurtis sneered. Humanity traitor? That was all bullshit for him when you are dying. He made this choice so he could live and would gain power.


    Thinking about how righteous Zain was acting, he became a little annoyed and angry.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -STAB!


    Kurtis continued his assault. Most of his attacks were blocked, however, he could asionally overpower Zain and managed to hit him. Moreover, Kurtis didn''t seem to be giving his all even when Zain was using his full power.


    Furthermore, using such a formation to increase his power, his mana was depleting. The same was the case for Kaiyo and Minho.


    -ZAAAANNNK!


    Zain lifted his sword. His sword was a Rank-A + sword bestowed by the church. It works great against evil entities like the Devil and Devil Contractors.


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    He poured a lot of mana and struck Kurtis. Not only was it amplified by the sword, but it was also enhanced by his subordinates'' mana. It was the strongest attack that they could use. They needed to defeat Kurtis with this attack as they had no time.


    !!!


    Even Kurtis felt threatened when Zain attacked. He knew that he could not let the attack hit him.


    [ "Demonic Impale" ]


    Kurtis was made to showcase his real power. He also uses one of his strongest attack skills.


    -BANG!


    Two powerful attacks on each other. Their forces even managed to stun people who were fighting with each other. Kurtis''s technique was obviously powerful as he was Rank-S, however, Zain''s attack also didn''t lose in terms of power.


    "Hehe... I have truly underestimated you. YOU HAVE ANGERED ME!"


    Kurtis said. His body was injured and blood was pouring out of his shoulder. Between the two, Zain had an edge with his holy power which is superior to Dark Energy. His attack had managed to hit Kurtis on the shoulder.


    However, Kurtis wasn''t dead or seriously injured. He could still fight even though his left hand couldn''t be moved. On the other hand, it was Zain who had lost all his power.


    With that attack, they had almost no mana. They had used everything and it had indeed produced results as Rank-S Kurtis was injured. However, it also means that they couldn''t kill him with their most powerful attack and have lost their fighting chance.


    Kurtis also seemed to realize that. He was ready to kill them. He could have offered to spare them earlier but now that he was injured, he was angry and wanted them dead. He swung his Giant spear and tried to sever Zain''s head.


    -CLANK!


    However, before he could, his spear was deflected.


    "Huh?"


    Kurtis was surprised once more. Before him, a small petite girl stood. She pointed her rapier to Kurtis as a challenge.


    Adeline had joined the battle!

 Chapter 362: Adeline Vs Kurtis

    "Saintess, I don''t think we can win this fight! Saintess, it is better if you escape."


    Adeline asked again. She is extremely worried and knows that healing so many Holy Knights was exhausting the Saintess. If she stopped healing, their army would all lose.


    However, Adeline was more concerned about her safety than the Holy Knights. She felt that the Saintess could still escape, otherwise, she could even lose the chance to escape after Zain was defeated.


    "No, I will not go!"


    The Saintess was very adamant. Even when her death was so near, she had no n to run away by herself.


    "Hah!"


    Adeline was getting very worried about Rank-S being so close. It was a matter of time before he reached them.


    Adeline admired Saintess Amelia for her bravery and selflessness, but she couldn''t bear the thought of losing her. She knew that if they didn''t act fast, they would be overpowered and defeated.


    "Saintess, please reconsider! Your safety is important too. You need to stay alive to lead humanity in the future."


    Adeline pleaded. But Saintess Amelia remained resolute.


    "I cannot abandon my duty and my people. I will fight until the end."


    Adeline nodded, knowing that it was useless to argue further. Instead, she focused on the approaching enemy and readied herself for the impending battle.


    Kurtis and Zain were fighting. Adeline knew that if Zain were to be defeated, then there was no chance of survival. She had to go help him for the sake of the Saintess.


    However, she was also afraid that someone would sneak attack the Saintess. She was thest line of defense. If she was gone, the Saintess wouldn''t have any guards. Adeline looked around the surroundings to see whether there was any enemy.


    "Go! I don''t think that there are any enemies approaching right now!"


    Having a clear understanding of Adeline''s thoughts, Saintess Amelia said. She could also see that Zain would lose to Kurtis. And with him gone, she would die.


    While she didn''t want to sound arrogant, she knew that without her, the rest of the Holy Knights wouldn''t survive. Therefore, she had let go of Adeline and had her support for Zain.


    As for the assassination attempts, she was not someone that would easily die. Despite looking fragile, she was after all Rank-A and even though she excels at healing, she also has some defense skills.


    Adeline nodded.


    At the moment, Zain and Kurtis were shing over their most powerful techniques. Adeline couldn''t interfere as she would get injured as a result. She waited for the moment when their sh ended.


    Right after that, Kurtis lost in their sh, however, Zain had lost every bit of power and was powerless. At that moment, Kurtis swung his spear and tried to decapitate him.


    -CLANK!


    Adeline used her rapier to deflect Kurtis'' spear.


    "Huh?"


    Kurtis was surprised.


    "Zain, go and protect Saintess. I would fight him instead."


    Adeline said not taking her eyes off Kurtis.


    Zain, who thought his life was over, understood that he had been saved. He nodded his head and retreated with his subordinates. They were powerless against Kurtis, however, they could still protect Saintess by sacrificing their lives if needed.


    "Haha¡­ First, it was three knights and now, even a little girl wants to challenge me? Has the Saintess run out of men?"


    Kurtis said. He was certainly finding the situation funny as Adeline half his size stood in his way. However, he was also not underestimating her as his attack was deflected by her.


    "..."


    Adeline didn''t say anything and focused on him. She knew that she can''t afford to be distracted. If he made it past her, the Saintess would die. She needed to be very careful.


    Kurtis again made his move. He swung his spear. This time it was harder than before. He wanted to see whether what Adeline did was a fluke or whether she was really that strong.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Adeline parried each of his attacks with precise movements, her rapier glinting in the sunlight. She was faster and more agile than Kurtis had anticipated.


    As the battle wore on, Kurtis grew more and more excited and his hit was also hitting heavier and heavier.


    Meanwhile, Saintess Amelia watched the battle from a distance, her heart racing with worry for herpanions. Adeline''s enemy is too strong and she knew that Adeline was risking her life for her.


    The situation was as it was, and not just for Adeline, other people were in the same boat. Holy Knights were risking their lives and fighting with other Devil Contractors.


    "Sorry, Saintess! We failed!"


    Zain apologized along with Kaiyo and Minho. They were ashamed to show their face to Saintess, however, they needed to be there in order to protect her.


    "Don''t worry! You did your best. Take this time to recover."


    Saintess Amelia said. After that, she healed them of their injuries, though it didn''t mean that they had recovered their strength.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    "Argh!"


    Adeline still managed to parry Kurtis''s attack, however, she was struggling and her hand hurt. The attack only got stronger and Adeline couldn''t just focus on defense.


    Her strategy was to buy as much time as possible by only defending, but it looks like she would be defeated if she only focused on defense.


    -WHOOSH!


    Adeline disappeared from Kurtis'' sight and reappeared behind him. Adeline used her rapier and struck his neck.


    -CLANK!


    However, Kurtis was able to block it with his spear. Moreover, now she was in a vulnerable position. Kurtis swung his spear hard and flunk Adeline to the ground.


    -THUD!


    "Pui!"


    Adeline ended up vomiting blood. Although she was injured, there was no time to cry. When Kurtis attacked her, she quickly got up and dodged his iing attacks.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Saintess Amelia immediately healed Adeline who had been injured. If Adeline had fought in her injured state, she could have easily been killed by the Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Adeline attacked once more and it was easily blocked by Kurtis. In terms of strength, Adeline knew that she could notpete with Rank-S Devil Contractor. However, even when trying to use speed and overwhelm him with her speed, she was not able to.


    Kurtis was better than Adeline in every way. The only thing that was helping her was that Saintess was helping her which allowed her tost more than she could.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ "


    Even so, Saintess could not eliminate the exhaustion that she felt. She had to be 100% active and had to use all her power in order to just survive against Kurtis. Even if her injuries were healed, it could not stop her from the exhaustion of facing the S-Rank Devil Contractor.


    "It seems that you have reached your limit. It was a good fight but you couldn''t possibly win against me!"


    Kurtis said. It was true that Adeline had no chance. She was much stronger than an average Rank-A + being able to fight with him for so long. However, she could not win no matter how much she tried as she didn''t have the necessary power.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    Kurtis used one of his skills. While not as strong as his Demonic Impale, it was still a very powerful technique that could easily annihte a rank-A person.


    Adeline held her rapier stronger. Even if she were to die, she refused to give up. Even though she knew that she could not win against that power, she still wanted to give her all. Moreover, she could not fail.


    In the event that she fails, the Saintess would be killed next.


    [ "¨¦p¨¦e de Lumi¨¨re" ]


    The bright light emitted from her sword as it contained holy power. She used every bit of mana she could muster. One side was dark and sinister and another attack was bright and holy.


    -BOOM!


    "ARGHHH!"


    However, there was no need to wait for the result as Adeline was flung back with a big cut on her abdomen. She could no longer feel her body and seemed to be sinking into darkness.


    "Adeline! Adeline!"


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    "Adeline! Adeline! Wake up!"


    Saintess Amelia who was witnessing all this shouted and tried to heal Adeline. However, even if her injuries were closed, Adeline was in no state to stand up.


    "Impressive! You managed to stay alive even after getting hit by a Diabolic Skewer!"


    Kurtis said as he closed the distance. He was telling the truth as he had not expected her body to be intact much less for her to still be breathing. However, he has toplete his job by killing her once and for all.


    -THUD!


    Saintess Amelia tried toe down and help Adeline. However, unexpectedly she fell down. Saintess Amelia had already gone beyond her limits by healing so many Holy Knights. There was nothing left inside her and that was the reason that she fell down when trying to go and help Adeline.


    "No!"


    Saintess Amelia shouted as she saw Kurtis dealing his final blow to Adeline. She felt very powerless, the same she felt when Rank-S Devil had ambushed her team years ago. It was a repeat of the same scenario.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    -SHIIIING!


    However, before he couldunch his attack, he was frozen on the spot. The attack had been too quick for him to notice or to react. Before he could sense the attack, he had been frozen.


    Saintess Amelia and Zain were surprised for a moment. And then relieved as they knew that reinforcement must have arrived.


    They looked in the direction that the attack hade. There was a group of people wearing armor and all. They also recognized the symbol on their armor. It had the symbol of the La-Minnings family.


    "ADELINE!"


    Christian shouted as he quickly made his way toward Adeline. He checked her body and was relieved to see that she was alive.


    His men also followed him.


    "Sir Christian thanks for your timely support!"


    Zain said. He had lost all hope when even Adeline had been beaten. Thankfully, La-Minings had arrived to help them. However, Zain was surprised to think that they had the firepower to even stop Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    As far as he knows about La-Minings, while they had money, they didn''t have many strong people on their side. One of the reasons for them wanting to form a connection with the Church is to use their connection to get strong people to join them.


    Nevertheless, they were thankful that they had someone who could actually contend with the Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    "No need! It is not me but that gentleman you should thank!"


    Zain turned to the man that Christian had pointed at. Although Zain felt some kind of familiarity with him, he could not remember who he was.


    However, it was different for Saintess Amelia. She clearly knew who he was. And she could not believe that she just got saved by him.

 Chapter 363: Devil Contractors Team-B

    -WHOOSH! -THUD! -THUD!


    I was jumping from one tree to another as I tried to quickly reach my destination. I could use My FrostWing, however, that would alert monsters and enemies. Moreover, it takes too much of my mana to use that skill.


    I don''t want to reach my destination just to be exhausted. And I didn''t sense any fight happening. Or so I thought when I saw a huge energy spike just a few kilometers ahead.


    -WHOOSH!


    I speed up.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    I thought that Saintess and her team might be fighting with Devil Contractors. However, when I reached the location of the fight, Saintess was not there.


    "Quick! We need to retreat."


    "Sir, we can''t! We have been surrounded!"


    "Dammit!" ¡­


    I looked at the group of people who were surrounded by the Devil Contractor. I knew that those people were not associated with the Saintess as they didn''t have Holy Knights. However, there was one person that I recognized.


    "Christian La-Minings"


    He was the brother of Adeline who is currently serving as the maid of Saintess Amelia. I met him after I had recovered all my injuries at the church.


    During that time, Christian acted arrogantly just like any other young master. However, he didn''t seem hostile to me even knowing that I was spending my days in the Saintess'' room.


    Later, I knew that Christian had never cared about wooing Saintess and was justing to check on his half-sister. I felt that he was a good guy and judging by the situation he was in, I could see how Christian met those Devil Contractors.


    I assume that Christian was following Saintess'' team because he was worried about Adeline heading to war. At that time, they must have encountered one of the Devil Contractors groups which led to this situation.


    -SHING!


    I brandished my sword. If I left them be, I am sure that they would get themselves killed. However, I also made sure to change my appearance to that of Jester. It would be better for me if my identity was not revealed.


    "Keke¡­ I thought that it was reinforcement for Saintess, however, it was just a bunch of weaklings!"


    One of the Rank-A Devil Contractors said.


    Christian and his group only had Rank-B which was the mercenaries that Christian had hired. His family was wealthy but didn''t have the actual power. At most, he could hire Rank-B which he thought would be enough.


    However, he encountered a Devil Contractors group that had a couple of Rank-As. Many of the mercenaries had been killed and only a couple of them had survived this far.


    "Kill them! We don''t have time to y. I don''t want to miss the chance of killing the Saintess. Keke¡­"


    Hemanded.


    At that time, he was already called back by Kurtis. It was at that moment that they saw Christian and their group. Thinking they might be reinforcements, they attacked them.


    [ "Blizzard Storm" ]


    -SWISH!


    I first used Blizzard Storm to spread the Christian team with Devil Contractors.


    "What is this?"


    "Who interferes with us?"


    The Devil Contractors were obviously confused by what was going on. Some of their weaker members had even been frozen to death.


    Christian and the mercenaries were also confused. However, judging by the situation, they thought that their savior might have appeared.


    While I had obstructed Devil Contractors'' vision with Blizzard Storm, I could know their position through Blizzard Storm.


    -SLASH!


    I took care of the nearest Devil Contractor who didn''t even realize that I was right behind him. And I moved on to take care of another one.


    -CLANK!


    However, it was not as easy as the first one. While his movement was sluggish, he was definitely a powerful Devil Contractor. Zero assumed that the person was a Rank-A Devil Contractor.


    "I won''t die easily!"


    He said as he tried to counterattack.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    I easily parried his strike. However, I also lost the chance to kill him sneakily. With the fight so intense, it had alerted another Devil Contractor who came to support the Rank-A Devil Contractor.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    I immediately retreated and went to find another prey. While Devil Contractors were still in shambles, I had to reduce the number of Devil Contractors as much as possible.


    "Where is he?"


    The one who came to help the Rank-A Devil Contractor asked. He was also the leader of Team B. However, when he reached the location of the fight, Zero had already gone to find another Devil Contractor.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    I targeted all the Devil Contractors who were alone. With them being inside my Blizzard Storm, I could pinpoint their location. Some had managed to survive while many had died under my sword. Most of them were Rank-B Devil Contractors.


    But the effect of the Blizzard Storm soon passed. I could have kept it for a longer period of time but it was not worth the mana consumption. Devil Contractors who survived were in a group and I could not take advantage of Blizzard Storm as before.


    I had to save the mana for the confrontation against those Rank-A Devil Contractors. And I also managed to save Christian and his team which was my objective. Devil Contractors who were trying to kill Christian had already retreated.


    -SWISH!


    The snow that was blocking their vision was slowly being removed. And I went to check on Christian while also protecting them in case Devil Contractor fired some spells at them.


    "Are you okay?"


    I asked.


    "Who are you?"


    Christian asked instead of answering my question. He was more cautious than I thought and didn''t jump on me excitedly. Well, that is obvious as he is converging on getting killed.


    And he has also never seen my current face which is that of Jester. Well, even if I didn''t change my appearance, I don''t think he would remember my face because of just one encounter.


    "My name is Jester. I sensed some fighting going on here and came to help. I did not expect that La-Minings'' heir would be here."


    I gave my reply.


    "Ooo¡­ Thank you!"


    After knowing that I was indeed an ally, Christian thanked me. The mercenaries also thanked me with their faces showing relief.


    "Don''t thank me now! There are still enemies and I would need your help."


    I said.


    - GLUP!


    At the mention of that, many of the mercenaries were nervous. They had lost a lot of theirrades today and they knew that they were not powerful enough.


    "Don''t worry! It will be nothing difficult. You just need to appear when I call you. Before that, I think it would be better for you to hide."


    I said while turning and pointing towards Devil Contractors who were rushing towards us. Nodding to my instructions, Christian and his group immediately ran away from the ce. I don''t know whether they would do what I want but when the n that I thought happened, I knew that they would cooperate.


    At least they would if they didn''t run away and hide close to the battlefield. Anyway, even without their help I could defeat the enemies. Only it would take more time which I don''t have.


    I stood there waiting for Devil Contractors.


    -WHOOSH!


    "Who are you?"


    The Rank-A Devil Contractor who seemed like a leader asked. He seemed angry though I could understand him. I interfered and killed his subordinates. Though considering he is a Devil Contractor, he must be angrier about interrupting his n than his subordinates being killed.


    "And why do you want to know?"


    "I thought that I could at least keep your name in my memory before you are dead."


    "OOO! Even though you are the one getting killed?"


    "Humph! I will remember your name as an arrogant human who didn''t know his ce."


    The leader took out his Ax and hurled it toward me. It is almost like a Destruction Disk. And he was also not the only one, others were also making their way toward me including two Rank-A Devil Contractors.


    "Sorry, but I have no time to waste!"


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Icy Surface" ]


    I made the ground unstable for the iing attackers. Though the Ax was still making its way toward me.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    I dodged the attack as I merged with the Ice surface. I appeared behind one of the Rank-A Devil Contractors.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    "ARGH!"


    The Rank-A Devil Contractor cried out in pain as my de cut through his body, instantly freezing his wound. The other Devil Contractors paused for a moment, surprised by my quick and deadly attack.


    "You are quite skilled."


    The leader said, eyeing me warily.


    "But you cannot defeat us all."


    "I don''t n on fighting you all."


    I replied, smirking. The distance was okay and I also had support from Christian as I noticed they were hiding just as I instructed.


    [ "Dual Art: Ice Prison" ]


    I was surrounded by Devil Contractors. They thought that they had managed to corner me, not knowing that they were all inside the range of my Ice Prison.


    "Argh! I can''t move!"


    "Help! It''s freezing me!" ¡­


    The reason why I needed Christian and their help is that while using Ice Prison, I needed to concentrate fully so that they couldn''t escape, especially when there are Rank-A Devil Contractors.


    "NOW!"


    I shouted. I hoped they would know what to do in this situation. However, there was also a chance that they would not help me out because of fear.

 Chapter 364: Devil Contractors Team-B

    "NOW!"


    Christian and his group heard the signal. They had seen the situation and knew that they were called to give the final blow to those Devil Contractors.


    "Let''s go! We should probably be able to kill them now that they are being stopped by Sir Jester."


    Christian said.


    However, many of them were scared. Even if they know that right now, the enemy cannot move, they fear that Devil Contractors might escape and kill them.


    This fear was especially strengthened when they remembered Devil Contractors killing their friends.


    *INHALE!


    "Let''s go! We can take our revenge against those bastards."


    One of the mercenaries spoke. He was also scared but it was not time for that. He remembered hisrade sacrificing his life in order to save him. If he couldn''t even take revenge when they were sealed in Ice, he knew that he could not face his friend in the afterlife.


    "Raze! They are Rank-A Devil Contractors. They could easily take our lives. Don''t you remember them killing Jin?"


    One of them said, trembling. He was only alive because of luck. He could not imagine going back to die.


    "THAT IS EXACTLY WHY! If we don''t kill them now, we might not get the chance ever again. Anyway, I am going to help that man."


    Raze said as he quickly went to take care of the Devil Contractors. Christian also went to support him, although he was not much use because he was only at Rank-C.


    The other mercenaries kept looking at each other but in the end, decided to follow Raze.


    *******


    Christian and others soon appeared from their hiding.


    I was relieved when they showed up. I could not keep so many Rank-A Devil Contractors frozen for a long period of time as it was extremely taxing on my mana. And if no one wasing to support me, then there was no use keeping them sealed in ice.


    If that happened, I had to stop using Ice Prison and I would need to fight longer and spend much more mana. Additionally, there was also a risk of injuries.


    However, thankfully they showed up. That way it would be faster to take care of them.


    "What should we do?"


    Christian asked.


    "Just kill them. I can''t move if I have to focus on keeping them sealed in ice."


    I said. They nodded. It seems that they had already guessed my intention beforeing here. However, their expression showed fear.


    "Don''t worry. As long as I am alive, they can''t touch you."


    I said to reassure them.


    I don''t know whether they believed my words or not but they did go toward the Devil Contractor.


    *STAB!


    Then they quickly used their weapon to stab in their heart which is their weakest part. One by one, the trapped Devil Contractors lost their lives.


    "Hah... Hah¡­ "


    Raze let go of her dagger after having stabbed Rank-A Devil Contractor''s heart. He couldn''t believe that he really did that.


    The Devil Contractor was the one who killed Jin, the one who killed many of theirrades. Now, he simply died by his hands. It felt surreal when he let go of the dagger.


    "Haha¡­ SNIFF!"


    Razeughed for a moment before crying thinking about all the friends that were killed.


    "Jin¡­ I have avenged you!"


    Raze said, his head facing toward the sky.


    A simr scene was happening with other people. Fear and excitement after having killed their enemy, but also remembering the reality of their friend being dead. A lot of emotion was felt by them at once.


    "Phew! Finally!"


    After the Devil Contractors were killed, I could finally rx. I looked around seeing peopleughing, and crying and some were acting crazy.


    Well, I could understand what they were feeling. However, I don''t have time to wait for them to calm down.


    I went to Christian and asked.


    "Mr. Christian, what are you nning to do after this?"


    If they want to go back, then this is where they will part away. If not, I thought it might be good to go with them. Even though they were weak, they could be helpful just like


    "..."


    Christian thought for a while. Judging by the state of his team, he should probably retreat. However, because of the danger he faced, he was even more worried about his half-sister.


    However, he prioritizes his team life and decides to retreat.


    "Thank you for saving our lives!"


    Christian thanked again.


    "I think we will go bac-"


    "Christian, let''s go and help your sister!"


    Christian was about to announce his decision when Raze interrupted.


    "Raze!"


    "It is not my own decision but all of us agree on that. Our mission is notplete yet. And I know that you still want to continue."


    Razed said. Others also nodded their heads in agreement. They had lost theirrades, which made them more convinced that they shouldplete the mission, especially since it was theirst mission together.


    "Thank you!"


    Christian said. He would regret it if something had happened to his sister just because of his decision. However, it was also true that he couldn''tmand the mercenaries to risk his life further.


    Thankfully, they also want to do what he wants.


    "Mr. Jester, Would you also like to join us? My sister is ahead of us and I fear that she is also in danger."


    Christian asked Zero in anticipation. He had witnessed for himself the power of Jester/Zero. With him apanying them, they would be safer and additionally, if his sister was in danger, he would be a big help.


    ( Looks like I can travel in stealth. )


    I had no problem traveling with them. Even if I went to save the Saintess, it would not look odd as I would see the Christians'' group who happened to be after the Saintess team.


    "Okay! If it is in the same direction as I am going, I would go with you."


    I said. Though I knew that their destination was the same as mine. However, he didn''t want to say that he came to save Saintess. If he said that he would be asked a lot of questions like how he knew or who he is which he didn''t want to exin.


    "Really! Thank you!"


    Christian said happily. The mercenaries also seemed happy with me traveling with them.


    ******


    "So, where are we going?"


    I asked. We were running through the forest under the direction of a Christian.


    "My sister works for a Saintess and I believe that they might be in danger. We are going to that ce."


    Christian said.


    "So how are we going to know where they are? Is there someone tracking them?"


    I asked. Looking At how confidently he was leading us, I knew that he knew where they were. Though, the question is how he knows.


    "Oh, that!"


    Christian showed what seemed to be apass.


    "This is a Rank-B artifact. It could detect a person whose bloodline is connected to the user."


    Christian exined. That''s how I understood. Christian followed behind Saintess'' group even though he didn''t know where Saintess and their group were.


    After that, we just rushed in the direction that Christian is leading. Along the way, Christian and the mercenaries asked various questions.


    Some personal things about my family and what I''m doing here. And some about how to get stronger, to which I say training intensively.


    The atmosphere was rxed until I felt huge manaing from a location a few miles ahead. And this level of mana was way above what I felt when I sensed Christian and their group.


    I instantly knew that the Devil Contractors who were probably fighting Saintess were way stronger than those who I defeated.


    "I sense huge mana ahead. I think the Saintess and the Holy Knights are fighting ahead."


    I told them straight away. As they were weaker than me, they might not have sensed the mana.


    "Huh? Really?"


    Christian asked in surprise. He then looked at his artifact and he nodded.


    "Yes, it seems that we are close!"


    He announced it to the others.


    "We should be wary. I think that our enemies are stronger than what we had fought earlier. It would be best if you all could escape with Christians'' sister and Saintess."


    I said. If what I feel is real, then the enemy has a Rank-S Devil Contractor. In such a fight, a Rank-B would be useless. However, the n that I have said is only in case Saintess is losing. If they are winning then it might not even need my intervention.


    However, I couldn''t really sense any Rank-S from Saintess'' group. The strongest was probably Rank-A +. Although he has the chance of winning, it is only if he/she is as talented as Hiro with all the right skills and experiences.


    Without that, it is very hard for Rank-A to challenge Rank-S. If Rank-A was an Ak-47, then Rank-S were like tanks in a battle.


    Anyway, I hope for the best.

 Chapter 365: Zero Gets Found Out?

    -CLANG! -CLANK! -BOOOM! -BANG!


    The sound of the battle could be heard clearly as we got closer to the battlefield.


    I enhanced my sight with mana. With that, I could see the battlefield much clearer. The Holy Knight and Devil Contractors were fighting.


    Searching through the huge battlefield, I tried to find Saintess Amelia as quickly as possible. Well, it was easier to spot her as she had a carriage made of gold.


    "Follow me. I have spotted the Saintess and also Christian sister."


    I said to them. I took the lead and sped up further.


    The situation is not the worst but also not good. At the moment, the Saintess'' only guard was Adeline. Zain, the captain of the Holy Knight, seemed to be injured. And only Adeline was fighting.


    Therefore, we needed to increase our speed as they might lose their speed if we were any slower. Others didn''tin and just followed me. Well, if they didn''t I would have just left them behind.


    -WHOOSH!


    *******


    We reached the battlefield. Luckily Saintess and Adeline were both alive. However, the situation didn''t look good. Adeline was on the ground and the Rank-S Devil Contractor seemed to want to finish the job.


    Fortunately, I arrived on time.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    Rank-S Devil Contractor was about to use his technique.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    Fortunately, his attention was not on me. Otherwise, it would be difficult to freeze Rank-S. Although he would easily get out of the ice. Well, it did save Adeline.


    "ADELINE!"


    Christian shouted as he quickly rushed towards Adeline. The mercenaries also followed him. I slowly followed them, keeping an eye on the Rank-S Devil Contractor who looked angry.


    The Saintess and Christian were having a conversation with each other.


    "No need! It is not me but that gentleman you should thank!"


    Christian said as he shifted all of their focus to me.


    "Hello!"


    I said. I don''t think Ie as suspicious and I even help them.


    But then why the hell is Saintess Amelia ring at me like that?


    I nced at her for a moment.


    ( Yup! Definitely ring! )


    Did I miss something or did I get discovered somehow?


    I looked at my current appearance which is that of Jester. Maybe she knows Jester? Anyway, she wouldn''t do anything, right? I came to help her.


    "Who is he? Did Sir Christian hire him?"


    Zain asked. He was thankful for the help but he had to be cautious of everyone, especially powerful people.


    "His name is Jester. He saved us from Devil Contractors. You can trust him!"


    Christian said immediately. He was afraid that Zain might anger Jester which would not be good in the situation that they were in.


    In that case, he would have felt responsible as he thought that he dragged Jester here. Even though Zero was already nning toe here without him.


    "Okay! Since Sir Christian says so. Thank you, Sir Jester. I would definitely pay you back for your help."


    Zain said. While Zain was cautious, he also understood that rudeness to their savior would be unwise. And he could not sense the Dark Energy from Jester.


    *Phew!


    Christian was d that there was no misunderstanding.


    "Oh ho! Your name is Jester? Since when?"


    Just when Christian thought that he had handled the situation perfectly, Saintess Amelia chipped in.


    And unlike Zain who is just asking because he was cautious, Saintess seemed to be sure of something.


    "I don''t know what you are saying."


    Zero replied. He was just doubting earlier, but with that statement, Zero knew that Saintess had seen through his disguise.


    He didn''t know how as in the novel Saintess Amelia is short-lived and the novel does not really describe her abilities.


    "I think you know what I''m saying. Though Zain, you don''t need to be on guard against this guy."


    Saintess Amelia said. Zain was cautious after the Saintess said that he was in disguise. He thought that it was the enemy and was tense. Which is why the Saintess had said that he didn''t need to be on guard.


    "Understood!"


    Zain said.


    She knew Zero was not a threat. She has once saved him and got to know him. Even though she can''t say that she likes him, she at least knows what type of person he is. Moreover, he just saved Adeline which proves her point.


    As for how she knew he was Zero. Simple! She could see mana inside everyone, even the Dark Energy that Zero has. She couldn''t know one''s identity through that mana.


    ( Zero! I thought that he was missing since the Devil''s Invasion. )


    Saintess Amelia thought.


    "I can''t understand! I real-"


    -CRACK! -BANG!


    Just when Zero was going to make up some story and exin, Rank-S Devil Contractor broke the ice.


    "Bloody Hell! How dare you sneak attack me?"


    Kurtis said. He was extremely pissed off. He was ashamed of being caught off guard and he was even sealed in ice.


    -BANG! -WHOOSH!


    Kurtis quickly elerated. He was going to kill Zero as soon as possible.


    "I will exin another time!"


    Zero said. Well, there was no reply as they were scared by the Rank-S Devil Contractor who is giving an odd pretty scary aura. While others were frightened, especially the mercenaries, Zero was pretty calm.


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Zero used Ice Embodiment as armor made up of Dark Ice to cover him. Actually, Zero wears a Rank-A defense artifact which is tougher than his Dark Ice. However, it was better to have more defense when facing Rank-S.


    And Dark Ice Embodiment is not only for defense but also makes it easier for him to control his mana.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero didn''t wait and went to confront Kurtis. Kurtis didn''t change his path and just smiled, thinking Zero was just another fool who overestimates himself.


    [ "Ice Creation" ]


    When he and Kurtis were about to sh, Zero used Ice Creation to make a huge fist. Maybe the size of a building.


    !!!


    Even Kurtis, who is about to sh with Zero, was surprised. Whether it was strong or not was not important, just the size was intimidating. Though Kurtis still went on.


    Zero swung this huge Ice Fist toward Kurtis. Kurtis used his spear to prate the ice and make his way toward Zero.


    The ice broke apart as Kurtis slowly made his way with his spear. He continuously broke the ice as he continued proceeding closer to Zero. However, his momentum was slowly fading and the force from his spear was also decreasing.


    And it reached the point that he could no longer prate the ice. He had also made the way halfway through the Ice fist. And when he could no longer resist the force of the fist, he got hit and was flung into the sky.


    "ARGH!"


    Kurtis was thrown toward the sky. While the Ice Fist had managed to do so, he was not that injured.


    [ "FrostWing'' ]


    However, Zero was not going to let Kurtis recover. When he was still in the air, not being able to control his movement because of the force of the Ice fist. Zero appeared in front of him and punched him in the face and knocked him down from the sky.


    -BANG!


    Kurtis crashed onto the ground, causing arge impact and shaking the entire battlefield. The Holy Knight and Devil Contractors were stunned by the disy of power.


    Zero flew back to his original location and deactivated his FrostWing.


    He knew that it was not enough and was gathering mana to attack Kurtis when he got up. He looked at his surroundings and was shocked by the reaction.


    Saintess Amelia, Zain, and everyone that was there were surprised. What they saw was surreal. Zero was making a Rank-S Devil Contractor seem like a kid. It would already be shocking if one could even fight a Rank-S, not to mention being so dominant.


    "You! When did you be so strong?"


    The one to break the silence was Saintess. Others might not know, but how could she not? Just three a few years back, Zero was at Rank-D and now he was beating up a Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    "Can we please talk about this another time?"


    Zero said as he focused on gathering mana on his sword. The Saintess kept her mouth shut as she calmed down and thought about the situation.


    Others also didn''t say anything and waited for Zero to make his move.


    Kurtis was lying on the ground. He got hit hard in the face and was knocked down. However, he could still fight and waited for Zero to take advantage of his situation. However, Zero didn''t approach him and distanced himself.


    It seemed that he couldn''t trick Zero into getting close to him. He gave up and was about to get up.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    At that exact moment, Zerounched his attack.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    However, Kurtis defended himself immediately. However, because Zero had condensed his mana for quite a while, his attack was stronger than Kurtis'' attack. It managed to destroy his attack and was going to hit his neck.


    Fortunately for Kurtis, he quickly dodged the attack. Though he couldn''t fully dodge his attack and got cut in the face.


    "Keke. You are strong! However, you shouldn''t have pissed me off! I am really going to kill you now!"


    There was a tremendous increase in Kurtis'' mana aura. It seemed that he was finally showing his full power.

 Chapter 366: Fight Rank-S Devil Contractor Kurtis

    -WHOOSH!


    Kurtis once again rushed towards Zero. However, this time he was faster and he exuded a much stronger mana aura than before.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero tried to halt his steps by freezing the ground. However, Kurtis''s body was covered in his Dark Energy and he destroyed the ice effortlessly. He didn''t slow down a bit and still continued to rush toward Zero.


    Before anyone could react, Kurtis was already in front of Zero. He raised his spear and attacked Zero. Zero avoided the attack, however, Kurtis'' attack was much more destructive than he expected. Even so, he managed to defend against Kurtis'' attack.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The twobatants shed, their weapons colliding with a metallic ng. The sound echoed through the area as the two exchanged blows. Zero was fighting defensively, blocking Kurtis''s attacks with his sword and trying to find an opening to strike back.


    Kurtis was relentless, his attacksing in quick session. He was using his dark energy to enhance his physical abilities, making him faster and stronger than before. He aimed for Zero''s weak spots, trying to find a gap in his defense.


    However, Zero who had fought continuously for two years has honed his fighting skills to its maximum potential and left no such gap. He countered precisely and gave Kurtis no advantage.


    However, there was a big gap between Kurtis in terms of strength. Kurtis had very powerful attacks with every strike having the power to destroy Zero. However, Zero with his superior fighting skills was able to avoid or deflect those strikes.


    Zero tried to counterattack by trying to freeze Kurtis. Despite Zero having powerful skills, he was not able to ovee the defense of Kurtis. Kurtis also knew that being frozen would be dangerous so he was using his mana to always have some kind of barrier on his body.


    That''s why Zero''s n to slowly freeze Kurtis was not working.


    But Kurtis was the same. He has high strength and would sometimes even hit Zero. But Zero has Ice armor which is always protecting him. And even when it is damaged. It would immediately regenerate with Zero''s mana.


    It was a stalemate. But Kurtis was pushing Zero back while Zero maintained his defensive position.


    Though Kurtis seemed to have a slight advantage over Zero, it is clear that Kurtis would not be able to defeat Zero anytime soon either. However, Kurtis could take his time to defeat Zero but it was not the same for Zero. The more time he wasted, the more likely Devil Contractors would win this battle.


    On his side, Saintess Amelia is almost exhausted. The moment she is out of the battle, Holy Knights would be defeated and Zero would have to fight with other Devil Contractors. At that time, he wouldn''t be able to survive.


    To avoid such an oue, he had to defeat Kurtis before the Holy Knights were defeated.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    Zero tried to overpower Kurtis with his speed. However, despite hitting Kurtis multiple times with his sword, Zero could hardly deal serious damage to Kurtis.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ] ¡­


    Zero fought, utilizing every skill possible but Kurtis was not so easy to defeat. Even if he managed to seal him with his Ice, Kurtis could easily break from it. So it was just a waste of mana trying to freeze Kurtis.


    After having exchanged blows many times, Zero understood that he didn''t have the necessary power to defeat Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    Even if he could defeat a Rank-S person, it would take much more time. And that is what he doesn''t have right now.


    Now, his only choice was to use Dark Energy. However, looking at the surroundings, it doesn''t look like a very good situation to use that.


    If he did that, there was a 90% chance that he would be seen as the enemy. Using Dark Energy was essentially telling everyone that he/she was a Devil Contractor. He couldn''t use it when everybody could see him.


    However, Zero nned to use it without having them know about it. Anyway, Saintess Amelia already knew that he could use Dark Energy and if she helped him to deceive others, he could hide the fact that he could use Dark Energy even if otherse to know about it.


    Anyway, it was important that he took care of Kurtis as soon as possible.


    [ "Blizzard Storm" ]


    First, Zero used Blizzard Storm to block the sight of others. In a ce where so many Devil Contractors are fighting, even if they use Dark Energy, it wouldn''t be easy to tell that he is using Dark Energy unless one sees him personally use it.


    The only one who might sense and pinpoint the person would be Saintess. With her extraordinary senses, she could even see Dark Energy even when he didn''t use it.


    The scale of Blizzard Storm was much smaller as it only covered the area where he and Kurtis are fighting. He would only lose more mana if he used it to cover a bigger area.


    "Hehe¡­ What? Resorting to tricks again. Even if you limit my vision, I would still be able to sense you. It is of no use."


    Kurtis said. For Rank-S, their other senses are also good apart from sight. Even if it is fighting in the dark, they could do that by sensing the other party''s mana or listening to their movement. Anyway, in a fight at a higher level, relying only on the eye is never an option since they had to use every other sense so that they could figure out what the opponent was going to do.


    However, Zero had other ns for him. It was not to limit his vision but to the vision of the other people who were watching them.


    Right after having the area covered, he didn''t hesitate to unleash Dark Energy and attack Kurtis using his Dark Energy.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    After Zero had used Blizzard Storm, Christian, Zain, and others couldn''t witness the fight anymore. However, Saintess Amelia could with her extraordinary sight which enabled her to see through mana.


    However, the moment Zero unleashed his Dark Energy, Saintess Amelia began to tremble. Previously when Zero was dying, she was already terrified of Zero because she sensed a very powerful Dark Energy inside Zero.


    Now, Zero had unleashed that Dark Energy. Her trauma was once again acting up even though she knew that Zero is not her enemy. Her body involuntarily trembled as she felt simr to when she met that Devil Princess.


    However, she shouldn''t be med as the Dark Energy that Zero was unleashing was almost the same as a Demon King.


    Not only her, even Kurtis who is a Devil Contractor was terrified of the energy that he was sensing. As somebody who could use Dark Energy himself, he knew that the Dark Energy that he was sensing from Zero was no joke.


    Even he was trembling as Zero gave a simr aura as that of Lord Aamon. He didn''t dare underestimate the attack of Zero.


    [ "Demonic Impale" ]


    He blocked the attack with his strongest skill. Now, he was sure that Zero was indeed using Dark Energy. Earlier, he thought that it might be just simr to Dark Energy but with his sh with Zero''s attack, he knew that it was Dark Energy.


    "Y-YOU! You are a Devil Contractor!"


    Kurtis said. The only humans who could use Dark Energy were Devil Contractors.


    "Tch! Don''t bring me to the same level as you. I am not stupid enough to sell my soul to the Devils!"


    Zero said irritated. He doesn''t really want to be associated with the people who betrayed their own race.


    -WHOOSH!


    [ "Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    He didn''t argue with him the next instant, he attacked Kurtis. He extended the shape of the sword and swung it in his direction like a whip.


    [ "Diabolic Skewer" ]


    Kurtis tried to block the attack with his technique, however, when he blocked one strike, another two immediately followed. And the speed of the attack just kept on increasing as Zero got nearer to him.


    However, he was powerless to do anything. He was already upied trying to handle his attack and had no way to stop Zero. Furthermore, the power of Zero''s strike had increased and it was almost difficult for him to block.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    When Zero got close enough, he sent another big wave of destructive attack.


    [ "Demonic Impale" ]


    Kurtis responded with his strongest attack. He could cancel out the attack with his own technique. However, the difference between them was that Kurtis'' mana was draining fast while Zero''s mana was also draining fast, he had a muchrger mana capacity than Kurtis.


    Zero had also noticed that. Zero had arger mana capacity than Rank-S mage, not to mention the fact that Kurtis was a spear user. He knew that if there is one thing that he is superior to Kurtis, then that was his mana capacity.


    And Kurtis seemed to have also used quite a bit of mana before he fought with him.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    [ "Demonic Impale" ]


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    [ "Demonic Impale" ] ¡­


    Zero took advantage of that fact and kept on making Kurtis spend his mana. Kurtis was cursing at Zero as his mana was reaching its limit. He was cursing because though he was struggling to pump out more mana, Zero was using one attack after another without showing any signs of exhaustion.


    He didn''t know whether Zero was acting or whether he still had more mana, but one thing was pretty sure he couldn''t stay there if he wanted to live.


    He was thinking of doing something to distract Zero and kill Saintess. As long as he did that, he could retreat and get rewarded by Lord Aamon.


    However, Zero had no intention of letting Kurtis go. He felt that Kurtis was running out of mana and decided to use one of his strongest attacks.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]

 Chapter 367: Fight Rank-S Devil Contractor Kurtis [2]

    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]


    Zero used Cataclysmic Destruction when he felt that Kurtis was having a hard time keeping up with him.


    Cataclysmic Destruction used to be one of the strongest attacks that would really stress his body. However, thanks to Ancient Dragon''s Heart, he could easily use it without experiencing any kind of side effect.


    !!!


    On the other side, Kurtis who was hatching some n to distract Zero was surprised when Zero was using Cataclysmic Destruction. He could feel it deep inside his bones that Zero''s next attack would be very terrifying.


    Despite his mana depleting quickly, he decided to strengthen his mana barrier and then gathered Dark Energy to counter it. Not only that, he decided to use his final Trump card.


    He took out a Devil Fruit from a storage ring and ate it. It was a Rank-A Devil Fruit that could increase his strength and mana. It was an extremely rare resource and even a Rank-S Devil coveted it.


    Never did he think that he would need it here. However, he didn''t hesitate to eat it as his life was in danger.


    His body''s exhaustion and injuries began to recover quickly and he even regained some of his mana. And his power had almost increased by one sub-rank.


    When Zero finally attacked, it was absolute chaos. Whichever path it travels to, everything in its path would disintegrate into nothing.


    [ "Demonic Impale" ]


    Kurtis drew in whatever Dark Energy he had. He felt that he had to give everything that he had if he wanted to stop Cataclysmic Destruction. Even with the help of Devil Fruit, he was not very confident as Zero''s attack gave off a very powerful feeling.


    -BOOM!


    The two attacks collided with each other, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and fissured, and the surrounding trees were uprooted and sent flying.


    It was apparent that both attacks had canceled each other out. The area where the two attacks had met was now a barren wastnd, with no sign of life remaining. However, except for the Saintess, nobody actually knew what was happening as two of them were inside the Blizzard Storm.


    Saintess Amelia was horrified at the level of destruction that Zero had caused with his Dark Energy. She knew that he was powerful, but this was beyond anything she had ever seen before.


    Kurtis stood, panting heavily, recovering from an intense battle. He gave everything he had and it worked. He knew that he had survived.


    ( Haha¡­ I have survived! Do you have any more tricks? Do you think killing me was easy? )


    Kurtis thought. He was feeling happy and excited.


    However, he almost kneeled when he saw what Zero was doing next.


    Zero raised his sword again for another same attack.


    Kurtis thought that the attack had taken everything from Zero and he couldn''t do this again. But the reality was that Zero was preparing for another attack while he had nothing left.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]


    Zero did another attack. For the current him, it was nothing to use Cataclysmic Destruction four to five times. His body is strengthened, he has good mana control and his mana has increased. These were some of the things that Zero had managed to increase in the Tower Of Obelisk.


    "T-This is unfair! How could he have the mana to use such a powerful attack again and again."


    Kurtisined and was already on the verge of giving up. He couldn''t handle another of Zero''s attacks. However, he was not willing to and strengthened his defense with whatever little mana he had.


    -BOOOM!


    The ground shook as Zero''s attack hit the area, causing a huge explosion. The force of the attack was so strong that it sent Kurtis flying and destroyed everything in its path. The smoke cleared, and Zero stood in the center of the destruction, staring in the direction of the explosion.


    Kurtisy on the ground, barely conscious. A quarter of the right side of his body was blown away without even keeping it intact. He looked at Zero who was before him.


    Zero stared at his face and Kurtis knew that he couldn''t live. He knew that Zero was not the kind of person who would pity him or let him live. He knew as he exuded a simr aura to that of Lord Aamon who just cared about destruction.


    "Devil! Y-You are a Devil!"


    Kurtis said involuntarily. A power simr to the Devil, an aura that of the Devil, he thought that Zero was simr to the Devil than them.


    "Is that yourst word?"


    Zero asked.


    "Hehe¡­ Don''t be arrogant! You might have defeated me but Lord Aamon would send more powerful assassins next time. You can''t protect the Saintess!"


    Kurtis said, showing hisst bit of pride as Rank-S Devil Contractors. He was fearful of Zero a second ago, however, knowing that he would definitely die, he was calm.


    "I don''t need to protect her at all. I would soon send this Lord Aamon to apany you in hell."


    Zero replied.


    "What? Impossible! You could never aplish that. You don''t know who Lord Aamon is. When you see him, you will be begging for your life."


    Kurtis said.


    "We''ll see!"


    -SLASH!


    Zero killed Kurtis. He soon sealed his Dark Energy and also stopped using Blizzard Storm.


    Outside the Blizzard Storm, Holy Knights were fighting with other Devil Contractors and they were on the verge of annihtion.


    Saintess Amelia was trying her best but she was also exhausted and could no longer support the Holy Knight. On the other hand, Zain, and others were waiting for the result from Jester and Kurtis.


    They could feel incredible power from that area but didn''t know more than that. However, suddenly after feeling very powerful mana, the sound from the area where Jester and Kurtis are fighting became quiet.


    "What happened? It had be so quiet. Did they reach the conclusion of the battle?"


    Christian asked. Everyone was nervous because if the fighting between the two was over, then whoever won would have the advantage. And many believed it would be Rank-S Devil Contractors.


    They only believed that Jester could at most hold Rank-S Devil Contractors for a few minutes, which was already very good.


    "I sensed a powerful collision of mana and then simrly powerful Dark Energy. I believe that Jester has been defeated."


    Zain said. He could not really be sure but this is the conclusion he came up with after he sensed the mana. The mana he sensed was Dark Energy and it was more powerful than what he felt from Kurtis during his fight.


    He slowly got up.


    "I know this is a hard request but can I entrust you to escape with the Saintess!"


    Zain said to Christian and the mercenaries. Saintess could no longer fight and he thought that she would agree as she was useless even if she stayed. He was going to try to buy them time, even though he didn''t think he could.


    They agreed. They knew that if Jester had failed then their only option was to run.


    "No need!"


    Saintess Amelia said.


    "What? Saintess, please you need to escape! Even if you stay, you are nothing more than a burden. Please run away with Sir Christian."


    Zain said. Others nodded. While they wanted to save themselves, the biggest reason was that the Saintess was too valuable to be dying here. With no chance of fighting back, it was better for Saintess to run.


    "No, I mean that there is no need to run because that guy beat the Rank-S Devil Contractor!"


    Saintess Amelia said. She had seen everything from start to finish, and Zero had won, almost too easily even though his opponent was Rank-S.


    Only then she thought about the time when Professor Mia said that Zero is incredibly talented, maybe more than Hiro who is hailed as the greatest genius. She had doubts back then, but she could see why Professor Mia had such a high evaluation of him.


    Even without Dark Energy, he was a Rank-A. An 18-year-old Rank-A. He was the youngest to reach Rank-A, beating Professor Mia''s record. It also meant that he had beaten Hiro as he is yet to reach Rank-A.


    As soon as she revealed that, there was a moment of pause before the words came out of their mouths.


    "What?"


    "Sir Jester won?"


    "How is that possible? Wasn''t Jester only at Rank-A? Did he really manage to beat Rank-S Devil Contractor?" ¡­


    Many couldn''t believe it, despite thising from the saintess'' mouth. The gap between Rank-S and Rank-A was huge. No matter how talented, or how skilled one was, Rank-A had never beaten Rank-S in the history of the world.


    Despite the fact that it was unbelievable news, they were happy to hear it. They immediately turned their heads toward the direction of the Blizzard Storm which was slowly fading away.


    And finally, a man appeared. It was Jester standing tall. And next to him was S-Rank Devil Contractor who waspletely dead!

 Chapter 368: Saintess Savior

    Seeing the scene, they didn''t know how to react. The scene is as unbelievable as it can get. Not only was Rank-S beheaded, but the time it took was also only a few minutes.


    This kind of thing is unbelievable even when two Rank-S were to fight. It would take hours before the winner is dered.


    And the winner would also not be dead. At most, he/she might escape, and only die if he/she continues to fight even when he is at a disadvantage, which is a rare case. Most of the time, they would prefer to run away.


    That''s the only way one could kill a Rank-S person is to be much stronger than him. So strong that he wouldn''t be able to escape even if he wanted to.


    And that was exactly the case! Zero killing Rank-S Devil Contractor doesn''t mean he is on par with him, but that he is much stronger. And looking at the time taken to kill S-Rank Devil Contractor, it was for certain that he was indeed much stronger than Kurtis.


    "T-This¡­ How?"


    "I-I can''t believe this!"


    "Who is Sir Jester? Is he a Rank-SS and hiding his mana aura?" ¡­


    They had many questions that they wanted to ask Jester, however, when he finally appeared before them, they couldn''t. They were afraid that they might identally offend him or say something wrong.


    "YOU! You have really grown stronger."


    The one to say was Saintess Amelia. Others might be scared of him, however, she was not. She obviously was when he used Dark Energy because of her trauma but she was not afraid of Zero personally.


    She looked at Zero in doubt. While many people might find Zero''s strength unimaginable, Saintess Amelia found it a lot more unbelievable. She knows Jester is 18 years old.


    "How did you know?"


    Zero asked. He didn''t really know much about Saintess Amelia. Not much is described about her in the novel other than saying that she was an extremely beautiful person with a kind heart. Though Zero agrees with the first point, he would rather argue with the second point.


    "Hmph! Of course, nothing can hide from my eyes."


    Saintess Amelia replied. She was thinking that Zero trying to deceive her would only happen in his dream.


    When the two of them were having a conversation, the others were confused at how close they sounded. However, they thought that Jester was someone who is an acquaintance of the Saintess. They felt relieved knowing that.


    "Your eyes?"


    Zero asked as he stared at her eyes.


    ( Does she have abilities simr to X-ray? )


    Zero thought.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Saintess Amelia said. Her face blushed a bit. Of course, it was because Zero was staring at her eyes so intensely that it had embarrassed her.


    "Saintess Amelia, is he your friend?"


    Christian asked. He was confused about their rtionship and inquired. Christian believed that Jester was just some random person who happened to save his life. He never thought that Jester was someone that a Saintess might know.


    "Ummm¡­H-He is-"


    Saintess Amelia didn''t know how to answer. Zero was a student of her best friend. But what was her rtionship with him? Friends? That was out of the question. She still remembered how Zero insulted her by saying that she was an old woman.


    "She is my savior. I was on the way because I heard that she was going to war. I was worried that something like this might ur."


    Zero said instead of waiting for Saintess Amelia''s answer. He replied because he thought that it might be hard for Amelia to exin about him. He was just a student of her friend. But his appearance was not exactly that of a student right now.


    "Ah! So, it was something like this."


    Christian nodded. He could understand Jester''s motivations then. He owed her, so he came to pay her back.


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia didn''t say anything. She did save Zero''s life at Mia''s request. However, it was weird hearing Zero say that she was his savior. And more so, when he said that he was worried about her.


    ( Maybe he is not that bad! Mia does have good eyes! )


    Saintess Amelia said approving of Zero a bit. Zero seemed much better in her eyes now.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    The battle between Zero and Kurtis indeed concluded, however, it was not the end. There was still a Devil Contractor who had been fighting with the Holy Knights.


    There was a little chaos among Devil Contractors as they had also seen the dead body of their leader, Kurtis.


    "Kurtis has been killed! What do we do? Should we retreat?"


    One of the Rank-B asked. He was one of the weaker Devil Contractors without any authority. He asked as he was scared of dying. If even their Rank-S Devil Contractor has been killed, doesn''t it mean that people like him would be killed easily?


    He was thinking of running away but he couldn''t as there were still his superiors who were still fighting.


    "Humph! Kurtis has been killed but we will not retreat. Him dying just means that we would get all the rewards. As for that guy, he must be pretty exhausted after fighting Kurtis."


    One of the Rank-A + said excitedly. He was the strongest after Kurtis. Kurtis being killed meant that he would be in charge of the group. He was cautious of Zero but as he said, he thought that Zero used everything and couldn''t fight anymore.


    He was the strongest at Rank-A + and Zero was just Rank-A. He just thought that Zero might have used some one-time artifact or used some tricks to kill Kurtis. Moreover, there were many Rank-A Devil Contractors.


    "In any case, we can''t retreat. If we did, Lord Aamon would definitely kill us. Betterplete the mission."


    Another Rank-A said. He was not thinking about rewards but punishment if they retreat. As for Zero, his mentality was simr to Kurtis''. Even Zero''s Rank-S status did not deter them since they had more than 20 Devil Contractors.


    Another reason was that they didn''t know what happened in the Blizzard Storm. They could not feel scared unless they felt the mana aura of Zero using Dark Energy. If they did, they would have already escaped.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The Holy Knights were losing one after another. Without the Saintess'' support, most of them couldn''t contend against the Devil Contractor.


    "I have to help them!"


    Saintess Amelia said.


    "No! Saintess, you can''t! It is dangerous and you have already used all your mana. We can''t have you push yourself."


    "But-"


    The Saintess wanted to refute. She couldn''t sacrifice her men for her life.


    "You stay here! I will go!"


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero said as he went to fight off. He didn''t even listen to what she had to say and left the ce.


    Unlike what most people were thinking, Zero still had plenty of mana to spare. He could even fight for another half an hour with the Kurtis if needed.


    However, to others, he had used everything and barely won against Kurtis.


    On the battlefield, many had noticed Zero approaching their location. However, they acted as if it was not a big deal.


    Two of the Rank-A Devil Contractors even went to confront him on their own.


    "Keke¡­ I don''t know who gave him the courage to attack on his own!"


    "This person should be worthy of some rewards. I wonder what Lord Aamon would give me for this head."


    They approached. One of them uses ws while the other one has Karambit. They seemed very good at the close battle.


    Zero didn''t waste his time waiting for them to get close to him.


    [ "Shadow Ice Shard" ]


    Zerounched multiple attacks.


    The two of them halted their steps and got ready to defend themselves against the iing attacks. They used their weapons to wlessly destroy the attack without incurring a single scratch.


    However, the attacks were numerous and the attack power was also high. Their weapon even showed some kind of wear and tear after Zero finished his attack.


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Zero threw the bombs and those two tried to defend themselves just like when they did with the Shadow Ice Shard. But just at the moment they were going to strike the bombs, Zero activated them and froze those two on the spot.


    -CRACK!


    Zero took advantage of that and finished the job.


    The fight ended as instantly as it started. One of the reasons was obviously those two underestimating Zero, however, more than that it was also because they two had been fighting for quite a bit and Zero didn''t hold back using Dual Art right from the start.


    !!!


    This disy of power alerted quite a lot of Devil Contractors. If previously, they were wary of Zero''s power then now they were scared.


    There was a lot of spection about Zero winning against Kurtis because of tricks, Zero being exhausted, and him being overconfident. However, when Zero entered the battlefield, he already proved that he was not someone that they could just ignore and underestimate.


    Zero didn''t care about what they were thinking at the moment. He quickly entered the midst of the battlefield and when he thought that the range was enough, he used his technique.


    [ "Nightfall Shackles" ]

 Chapter 369: Massacre Devil Contractors

    [ "Nightfall Shackles" ]


    Many Devil Contractors who were near Zero shifted their focus to Zero and were going to attack him, but Zero already used his technique Nightfall Shackles which trapped them in their position. They couldn''t move at all.


    The Holy Knights were confused for a second before realizing that the Devil Contractors that they were fighting with are constricted by the shadows. They could easily guess the culprit for such an event.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    They didn''t hesitate and lunged their sword into their body. Rank-B Devil Contractor had no chance of escaping from the shadows while some Rank-A did manage to resist and block the attack from Holy Knights.


    [ "Ice Prison" ]


    However, right when they thought that they were safe, they were captured in a strong seal made of ice. This time, they had no chance of escape and were killed by the Holy Knights.


    -WHOOSH!


    After having taken care of one group of Devil Contractors, he quickly moved to the next and did simr things.


    [ "Nightfall Shackles" ]


    [ "Ice Shard"'' ]


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ] ¡­


    He would either constrict the Devil Contractors with Nightfall Shackles or use Shadow Ice Shard to kill them directly. For Rank-A, it took Zero much stronger techniques. And with the help of the Holy Knights, he could easily finish them off.


    At the center of Zero, the battlefield waspletely overturned. Devil Contractors who once pushed the Holy Knights were getting pressurized. Their number kept on decreasing and even Rank-A Devil Contractors couldn''t do anything to Zero.


    Now, even the Strongest Rank-A Devil Contractor was scared and lost confidence in victory.


    Before he thought Zero had killed their leader purely by luck and tricks. However, after Zero wiped out many groups of Devil Contractors, he knew that they were finished.


    The assumption that Zero''s mana is low was also thrown out of the window. With how much Zero is pushing, he realized that Zero had more than enough mana to kill them


    No matter how arrogant he was, the Rank-A+ Devil Contractor knew that he could never defeat as many Rank-A Devil Contractors as Zero had done in a short period of time. And to add insult to injury, Zero didn''t seem tired at all.


    "R-Retreat!"


    One of them. said He was the same Devil Contractor who had previously suggested running. Now, he didn''t even care about the Rank-A Devil Contractormand and started running after having said retreat.


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    There was also no objection from others as one by one, many began to run away. At the time, they feared Zero more than Lord Aamon''s punishment. As the saying goes, "A sword near is more deadly than a sword far away."


    Right now, they couldn''t think of anything other than running away from Zero. Even the strongest Rank-A+ Devil Contractor was thinking about running. He stopped fighting and started to move into the deeper forest.


    However, before he could make a move, Zero was already near him. Even though he tried to escape, he was nothingpared to Zero''s speed.


    "DON''T THINK I AM AS EASY AS OTHERS!"


    He asked as he swung hisrge morning star. He was desperate and cornered, he had no choice but to fight back. However, there was little to no chance for him to win.


    Not only did he have to fight with Zero but the Holy Knights who wereing to help Zero. On the other hand, Rank-A+ Devil Contractor allies were busy making a run for their lives. Most of them didn''t even care about his life and were d that he was there to buy some time for them.


    There was no help for him at all. But he was not willing to go down easily.


    -CLANK!


    Zero used his sword to block the attack. The morning star was heavy and could have shattered most weapons. However, Zero had a Rank-A artifact sword which is also enhanced by Shadow Style.


    The Zero also counterattacked.


    [ "Shadow Style: Shadow sh" ]


    Seeing that Zero was attacking, the Devil Contractor went into full defensive mode. Although he managed to block the strike, it was nothing to be happy about because many Holy Knights had reached out to help Zero.


    Zero was just keeping him at bay so that Holy Knights would reach here and help him.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    Zero attacked from a distance, making the Devil Contractor unable to leave his defensive position. Then, the Holy Knights who came to help Zero would attack along with Zero. They hit the Devil Contractor left and right without giving any chance of retaliation.


    Don''t say that they were bullying him! Nothing is fair in Love and War. Previously, they were bullying them and now it was their chance.


    Even though Zero was already too much for him to cope with, he still had no chance with Holy Knights in the fray.


    -STAB!


    He died at the hand of Rank-B Holy Knight which might be his biggest shame. Despite the fact that he is no longer alive to experience the shame.


    However, his death was not in vain. By the time they managed to kill him, most of the Devil Contractors had managed to escape. Some of the Holy Knights wanted to pursue them.


    "Stop! We don''t know whether there is a trap or not. Better focus on protecting the Saintess."


    Zero said. His mana level has dropped to a very low level and as he said, he needed to protect the Saintess.


    Furthermore, who knows, retreating might be a ploy to attract them but have someone secretly go around and kill the Saintess.


    Anyway, it was not good to go too far and corner them. If they did, they might retaliate with everything they got and might even sacrifice their life in order to kill someone. That''s why Zero let them run.


    On the other hand, he targeted the Rank-A Devil Contractor as he felt that he was strong and might get stronger. At that time, it might be toote, and therefore, to reduce the power level of Devils, he killed him.


    The Holy Knights looked at each other and nodded. They were too excited and forgot that they were weaker than Devil Contractor. They wanted to kill as many of them as possible. However, agreed to Zero as their job is to protect Saintess, not kill Devil Contractor.


    Secondly, Zero was their savior, and listening to him only made sense. And without him, they could not possibly kill them.


    They quickly returned to where Saintess and the others were. Zero took the lead. He was also vignt about the sneak attack and something unexpected happening.


    Fortunately, none of them happened and it seems that Devil Contractor has indeed escaped.


    "Are you okay?"


    Zero asked Saintess Amelia. She looked very exhausted and it looked like she could copse at any moment.


    "Yes, thank you! I owe you one."


    Saintess Amelia said. She was very grateful that Zero saved the Holy Knights. She would have been devastated if all her guards were to die just like when she was training. Luckily, there was Zero this time who prevented that misfortune.


    "No need! I am only returning the favor."


    Zero replied. As he said, it was only because she saved his life that he was willing to risk his life. If not, even though he knew about the ambush, he would at most warn them or send a text to The Authority about a possible attack.


    "No, you have done more than that. You have saved many lives today, including mine!"


    "Don''t worry, what you did previously is the same as what I did today."


    Zero said. He was implying that his life is more precious than all the life here. And it was true for him, as his being saved is not as good as her saving 50 people. If the choice came for him to choose whether to be saved or save 50 Holy Knights, he would obviously go for the first option.


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia didn''t know what to say. She didn''t know whether Zero was being arrogant or telling her not to worry about his help. In any case, she also cast aside owing him a favor.


    "Sir Jester, I would like to thank you once again. You not only saved Saintess and my life but also the lives of my subordinates as well. In the future, if you need help, I will definitely do my best to fulfill your request."


    Zain said. Other knights also kneel on one leg and bow their heads to show respect.


    "It''s fine! Don''t worry about that."


    Zero replied. He was not interested in others owing him. He also didn''t like owing others.


    They rested for a moment. They drank the Health potion and Mana potion and recovered some of their strength. Zero was acting like a guard as he had the best vision after Saintess and was good at detecting danger.


    After resting for a bit, they were to move to another. Despite needing more rest, they couldn''t stay in that ce as it is known by Devil Contractors who escaped. They fear that they might return with more reinforcements.


    "Let''s go!"

 Chapter 370: Lord Aamon, Rank-SS Devil!

    -SHATTER!


    Lord Aamon, a Rank-SS devil, was livid with rage.


    "TRASHES!"


    Lord Aamon yelled as he threw the cup on the ground. Right now, the team of Devil Contractors that he had sent was back and he was feeling very happy and excited.


    He thought that they hadpleted their mission and killed the Saintess. For existence like Aamon who is Rank-SS Devil, there was no fear except the Saintess.


    It is not like Saintess would be able to kill him but with Saintess'' help, he would be very weak and if Saintess had help from a Rank-SS human, he would be killed. That was the reason that they were willing to sacrifice theirrge army of Devils, to lure the Saintess out.


    However, when the Devil Contractor gave their report, what he heard was that they had failed and ran away in fear.


    "You all only had one job! Only one job! And that also you failed! Tell me why I should keep you alive."


    Aamon roared.


    Just as he said, the reason why he was willing to give resources and assemble Devil Contractors under him was ultimately for them to kill Saintess.


    *TREMBLE!


    All the Devil Contractors were kneeling down and trembling in fear. Lord Aamon was fully disying his ferocious aura. It is such that even Kurtis, a Rank-S can''t withstand it.


    They all felt the crisis and felt that they would be killed.


    "L-Lord A-Aamon!"


    "We were winning but then -"


    "SILENCE! I don''t want to hear your excuse."


    -CRUSH!


    Lord Aamon grabs hold of the souls of those Devil Contractors.


    *INHALE!


    "ARGHHHH!"


    "AHHHH!" ¡­


    The Devil Contractors screamed in pain and some had even passed out. Lord Aamon tightened their soul which is equivalent to their whole body being crushed by heavy pressure.


    After having calmed down his anger for a bit, he let go of their souls. Many of them had already been passed out and only two or three were still conscious.


    "Who has interfered with the n?"


    Lord Aamon said. His voice is still threatening.


    "Argh!"


    The strongest of them who was still conscious used all his willpower and energy to stand up. He knew that if Lord Aamon was unsatisfied, he would suffer again.


    Therefore, even though his whole body was screaming in pain, he held on and stood up.


    "Lord Aamon! Under the leadership of Kurtis, we were overwhelming them. We had also isted them from others and there was no way for them to receive reinforcement."


    He said. They had ambushed a Saintess group where humans don''t usually travel.


    "Leader Kurtis was on his way to kill the Saintess and had even managed to neutralize all her guards. However, before he could finish the job. A group of humans came to rescue them." ¡­


    He continued narrating the whole story. He was scared as to when Lord Aamon might attack him. When he finished telling the story, he slowly looked up as Lord Aamon was saying nothing.


    Lord Aamon at the moment was in deep thought. Despite his over usage of violence, many of the Devil and Devil Contractors forget that even though he likes to use force, he is one of the most intelligent Devil in the whole world.


    He was thinking about the person that his ve talked about. While he didn''t consider any one of them to be useful, he still knew Kurtis'' strength. He was the strongest Devil Contractor that he had and also something akin to a trump card against Saintess.


    He was thinking about the possible identity of the one who came to rescue the Saintess. After having heard the story, he knew that there were only a small number of people who could achieve the result of the Jester/human that his ve described.


    "Ice and Shadow!"


    Lord Aamon thought about a possible person with the Art that he was using. There were only a couple of people who wield Ice Art among whom he knew Mia Frostine was the most famous one.


    He knew that she wasn''t the one as it was a man and if it was her, his ves would have recognized them. Moreover, his ve had told him that the man was only at Rank-A.


    TAP! TAP! *TAP!


    He began to go through his memories of a mid-30s man who uses Ice and Shadow and is talented. However, no matter how much he thought, he didn''t know the person.


    He stopped tapping on his throne and looked at the person who answered him.


    "You have failed me," he said, his voice low and dangerous.


    "But I will give you one more chance. Find out everything you can about this person who interfered with my n. I want to know who they are, where they came from, and why they chose to stand in my way."


    The Devil Contractors nodded nervously, understanding the severity of their failure. Lord Aamon was not known for his leniency, and they knew that their lives were on the line.


    As they left the room, Lord Aamon sank back onto his throne, his mind racing. He couldn''t shake the feeling that this person who had interfered with his n was dangerous, and he needed to eliminate them as soon as possible.


    Lord Aamon was Rank-SS and very strong. Despite that, he felt that the guy who interfered with his n of killing Saintess was dangerous for his n. He didn''t know why but he felt that he needed to take out that person as soon as possible.


    Although he had nned to kill the Devil Contractors for running away, he still needed them. Therefore, he decided to spare them for the time being.


    "I want to know everything about him, his strengths, weaknesses, and anything else that you can find. And also, inform Drold that I wish to speak to him."


    The Devil Contractors nodded their heads, knowing that their lives were on the line if they failed again. They quickly left to carry out their orders.


    Lord Aamon sat back on his throne, deep in thought. He knew that he needed to be cautious now. Despite being one of the strongest in existence, he never forgets to be cautious and take things safely.


    He called upon his most trusted advisors, hoping to gather more information about this mysterious figure. As they discussed the situation, Lord Aamon couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. He had always been one step ahead of his enemies, but this time, he felt like he was in the dark.


    "I want you to put together a team to track down this person."


    He said, his voice firm. He was going to use Devil Contractors as bait but had another team who would spy on that person. He had already given up on the Devil Contractors to do a good job.


    "I don''t care how much it costs or how long it takes. I want this person found and eliminated."


    His advisors nodded, knowing better than to question Lord Aamon''s orders. They understood the gravity of the situation and knew that failure was not an option.


    As the team set out to gather information, Lord Aamon couldn''t help but feel a sense of impatience. He wanted this person found and eliminated as soon as possible. He couldn''t afford to have anyone standing in his way, especially not someone who had already interfered with his ns.


    Moreover, he also called devil Drold who had been keeping his eyes on the information on the Devil that had invaded the human domain, especially the group that was used to lure the Saintess.


    He wanted to know what the status of that army was. He had essentially sacrificed this army of Devils, just to lure Saintess. Now that the n had failed, he knew that he had called back the Devils and also that he was going to be scolded by the Demon King.


    ******


    On the other hand, the Saintess and the Holy Knights were in a good mood as the City soon came into their view.


    These past two days, they were wary and alert. They didn''t want to be ambushed for the second time. They only felt relieved because Zero apanied them.


    Having witnessed his strength and knowing that he was the Saintess'' acquaintance, they were not wary of him anymore. They knew that the Saintess would be okay as long as this man was there.


    Many Holy Knights respected and showed a good attitude to Zero who was disguised as a Jester. There was also a time when they all offered food to him when it was dinner. Though he declined as he couldn''t eat that much.


    Zero didn''t know how to handle their enthusiasm and just went along with them. They treated him as an older and more powerful guy but the reality was that he was younger than their youngest Holy Knights.


    He felt ufortable but endured anyway. It was not like they were doing it intentionally and only out of goodwill.


    Adeline had also woken up and thanked him. She was obviously cautious at first but seeing that Saintess'' attitude, she let down her guard.


    Anyway, after having walked for two days, they finally reached the city!

 Chapter 371: Sanctum Aurea

    "Tell me truthfully, where have you been for thest two years?"


    Saintess Amelia asked. They were inside the carriage with the only other person being Adeline.


    "Somewhere you can''t reach!"


    Zero replied.


    "Tsk! There is no ce that I can''t reach. You don''t seem to know my privilege as a Saintess."


    She said. Since people show different behaviors when she is identified as Saintess, Saintess Amelia doesn''t normally like being associated with the title of Saintess.


    However, it was a different case for Zero who despite knowing that she is the Saintess, doesn''t really show that kind of behavior. She might have thought that it might be his pride as he is powerful, but she knows it isn''t as even as Rank-D, Zero never really ttered her.


    Rather than ttering her, he would at times insult her. Sometimes, even look down on her which had pissed her off in the past. She needs to constantly remind Zero that she is Saintess, though Zero doesn''t seem to care.


    From Zero''s perspective, Saintess Amelia, despite being one of the most influential people, is just a minor character. For him, characters like Sylvia, and Hiro were far more important.


    "Saintess who was just dying, you would really be dead meat even if you reach there. Though I doubt that you would reach there."


    Zero said. He was on Floor 31 of Tower Of Obelisk and Saintess Amelia is bragging that she could reach there, even though she was having trouble with one Rank-S Devil Contractor. Floor-31 of Obelisk Of Tower was literally filled with Rank-S - monsters and even one of them could easily kill Saintess.


    "Humph!"


    She turned around not wanting to talk to him. From her perspective, Zero was just bragging to her about how powerful he is and how he could survive anywhere. She didn''t think that Zero was on the dangerous floor of the Tower Of Obelisk.


    She thought that Zero just didn''t want to tell her. As a Saintess, she could really be weed anywhere in the human domain.


    "Anyway, how did you get so strong so quickly? You are progressing quicker than even Mia."


    She asked even though she didn''t want to talk to him. She is really curious about how Zero managed to grow this strong. To the point where he could even defeat Rank-S. For her, Mia Frostine was the most talented person that she had seen and the world agreed with her.


    Youngest person to reach Rank-A and then Rank-S. She might even reach Rank-SS before turning 30. In that case, she has the potential to reach legendary Rank-SSS. However, her achievement seems pale inparison when Zero''s achievement is bought out.


    Rank-A at the age of 18 which makes him the youngest person to reach Rank-A. Killing Rank-S Devil Contractor at this age while also being in Rank-A. This achievement is an impossible one even for geniuses like Mia.


    That''s why Saintess was wondering what Zero had been doing for the past 2 years.


    "Training! Just train and you will also get stronger."


    Zero answered casually.


    "Huh? Do you think everybody can get strong like you just because of training?"


    The Saintess asked.


    "Well, that''s how I became stronger."


    Zero replied.


    Zero had spent thest two years training relentlessly. He had traveled to different parts of the Tower Of Obelisk, seeking out the strongest opponents he could find and fighting them to improve his skills. He had also spent a great deal of time studying his Arts, trying to find new ways to integrate them into his fighting style.


    All in all, he depended on training though there were also treasures like Ancient Dragon''s Heart which boasted his strength. But even with those treasures, he wouldn''t be who he is without intense training.


    "Ha! If it were that easy, then everyone would be as strong as you. You must have done something else."


    Saintess Amelia said, unconvinced. The Holy Knight would always get into gruesome training and they were much weaker than Zero. She knew that Zero had gone through much harder training as he was Mia''s student, but the difference was too much.


    Even the one who would train everybody was weaker than him. This hurts her pride as a genius which most people hail her as. Rank-A at the age of 25 was worthy of being called a genius, however,pared to Mia and Zero, she was nothing.


    "Well, I did do some other things. But training was the main thing. I focused on improving my skills and abilities every day."


    Zero replied.


    Saintess Amelia raised an eyebrow.


    "What other things did you do?"


    "I ate, drank, and slept!"


    Zero said.


    Saintess Amelia rolled her eyes.


    "I don''t believe you. There must be something else."


    Zero shrugged, "Believe what you want. I don''t really care."


    Saintess Amelia sighed.


    "Fine. I''ll stop asking."


    She said. She wanted to know because she also wanted to get stronger. She realized how weak she was. If she is weak, then her subordinates will get killed as she had experienced.


    To avoid that, getting stronger is the only choice. Devils will always target her whether she likes it or not.


    To live up to the expectation of others, she needed to get stronger. However, it doesn''t seem like she could rely on Zero.


    She had been training hard since she was a child and this was the result. She was still stuck in Rank-A+ and there was no sign of breaking through to Rank-S.


    After a few moments, Saintess Amelia spoke up again.


    "Regardless of how you got strong, I must say I am impressed. Maybe you are not as useless as I thought."


    Saintess Amelia said. She felt that the lifespan she lost for reviving Zero was good. At least he was getting powerful and even saved her. Even if she died, she thought that Zero might be able to help humanity with its war against the Devil.


    Zero smirked, "d to know I''ve finally earned your approval."


    Saintess Amelia snorted.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself. You still have a long way to go before you can catch up to Mia."


    She said not liking Zero''s reaction. Professor Mia was Rank-S and it was not wrong for her to say that Zero still has a long way to go before he reaches Rank-S.


    "I''m not trying to catch up with anyone."


    Zero said.


    "I just want to get stronger."


    "Well, in that case, I wish you luck!"


    Saintess Amelia said, before turning to speak to Adeline. However, she remembered something and turned around.


    "Are you really sure that you want to apany me to Sanctum Aurea? I will be safe and I don''t think I should waste your time."


    She asked. They had already gone through the human city but their destination was Sanctum Aurea, where the main church is located. They had to report what they had encountered.


    It was a safe path as there were human cities in between the path and Devil Contractors couldn''t easily target them like previously.


    "Don''t worry! I have nothing to do anyway."


    Zero replied.


    Zero also knew that it was unlikely for Devil Contractors to ambush Saintess Amelia again. However, despite knowing that there would be no Devil Contractors ambushing them, Zero decided to go with them.


    The Devil and Devil Contractors were not the only enemies. The Church themselves have people who might be targeting Saintess Amelia and he knows that.


    There were many reasons for Zero to think as such.


    For one, the ambush on Saintess and her team would not be possible unless someone from The Church side decided to betray them. The path that Saintess takes, the time she departs, and the information about whether she would even join the war was confidential.


    For Devils to get that information would only mean that someone had leaked the information. And that someone is obviously from the church as only they have such information. And that someone would also need to be in a high position to be able to get their hands on the information.


    For a second, Saintess joining the war so early suggests that someone wants her to die. Well, that is Zero''s assumption but a possible reason.


    The war had not even reached its climax, so why would a Saintess be deployed then? One might say that it is to reduce the casualties, however, there was never a Saintess who had to go to war as early as Amelia.


    They would only be deployed when Rank-SS Devil decides to join the war. And if it was to take care of one army of devils, there was no need to risk by deploying Saintess.


    Anyway, even if there were no conspiracies, Zero liked to be more careful. And as he said, he had nothing to do. The main characters were safe and Saintess was also safe for the time being.


    He hadpleted the task. While there was another thing that he needed to pay attention to, it was not urgent. That''s why he decided to stick with Saintess Amelia, at least for a few more days.


    When he is sure that there is no danger, he would naturally leave. But for now, he decided to stay with Saintess.

 Chapter 372: Priestess Helena

    They traveled through various human cities and monster forests before finally reaching the Sanctum Aurea.


    There was no problem with the journey except for some monsters who asionally ambushed them. However, with the Holy Knights, they were easily taken care of.


    "Sir Jester, thank you once again! I couldn''t have lived without your help!''


    "No need to worry about that. I did what I had to do. Anyway, be careful on your way."


    Christian and his team bid goodbye to Zero and the Saintess group.


    Christian and his team were going to a different location than Saintess''. Although Christian would like to stay together and look after Adeline, Sanctum Aurea does not allow outsiders. He has to return back to his La-Minings territory for now.


    As for Zero, Saintess Amelia said that she could give him ess to the Sanctum Aurea as a guest. With her status, it was nothing that difficult, especially considering that he saved her.


    As Zero made his way through the Sanctum Aurea, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the grandeur of the ce. The Sanctum Aurea was the sacred ce where the Holy Knights and Goddess devotees gathered to worship and train. It was a massiveplex that spanned several acres, with towering spires, sprawling courtyards, and winding corridors.


    The Sanctum Aurea was a ce of great significance to the Holy Knights and other members of the church, and only the most devout and skilled members were allowed to enter. The training and discipline required to be qualified enough were rigorous, and only those who showed exceptional skill and dedication were epted into their ranks.


    As Zero made his way through theplex, he saw Holy Knights, each one adorned in shining armor and carrying a weapon of their choice. There were also many priests meditating on the ground.


    The Sanctum Aurea was also home to some of the most advanced magical technology in the world. The Holy Knights had ess to powerful spells and enchantments that were capable of protecting entire cities from harm.


    They also had ess to vast libraries filled with ancient tomes and scrolls, which contained the knowledge and wisdom of the greatest mages and schrs who had ever lived.


    Zero was particrly impressed by the Sanctum Aurea''s grand cathedral, which was the centerpiece of theplex. The cathedral was a massive structure with towering pirs and soaring arches, all adorned with intricate carvings and frescoes. The altar at the front of the cathedral was made of pure gold, and it sparkled in the dim light of the candles that lined the walls.


    As Zero walked through the cathedral, he felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over him. He had never been a religious person, but there was something about the Sanctum Aurea that made him feel like he was in the presence of something greater than himself.


    However, despite that, there was also a sense of great anger from inside him. He hated this kind of hypocritical organization and felt anger in his heart. It was the Emperor Of Destruction''s hatred!


    His other self had fought fiercely against the Church for many years. The Church in his world was supported by angels and gods, however, he managed to make them submit to him after the course of many years.


    Anyway, these memories made it difficult for him to fully appreciate the Sanctum Aurea''s beauty and grandeur. He couldn''t help but feel a sense of disgust at the hypocrisy and corruption that he believedy beneath the surface of the church.


    He wondered whether it was the same for the church of this world. Thinking about the possibility, it was not impossible as the bigger the organization, the more greedy they are for more power.


    It was also one of the main reasons that Zero decided to apany Saintess Amelia. To find out whether she would be safe here or not.


    "You don''t look good? Are you okay?"


    Adeline asked. She seemed to sense the difort that Zero had of the church. For Zero, who has mastery over Dark Energy, even though Holy Energy doesn''t affect his power, it seems to affect his mood.


    "I am fine!"


    Zero answered. He got hold of himself and contained the hatred of the Emperor Of Destruction. Adeline didn''t ask for anything further.


    "Let''s enter!"


    Saintess Amelia said. She led the Holy Knights and entered the Sanctum Aurea. The Holy Knights guarding the ce didn''t stop her as they knew who she was. Nobody who serves the church wouldn''t know who Amelia is.


    There were lots of people chatting when they saw Saintess Amelia. Some were happily pointing their fingers at Saintess while others were excited and looking at her. Some even went to the extent of kneeling in front of her.


    For them, the Saintess is the person closest to the Goddess. Seeing a Saintess is almost equivalent to seeing the Goddess.


    Saintess Amelia just smiled and waved at them.


    As they walked deeper into the Sanctum Aurea, the crowds began to thin out, and they entered a quieter and more peaceful part of theplex. The walls were lined with stained-ss windows, which let in streams of colorful light that danced across the floor.


    They arrived at arge silver door, which was guarded by two heavily armed Holy Knights. Saintess Amelia exchanged a few words with them, and they nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to enter.


    Inside the room, Zero saw arge circr table with several chairs around it. Saintess Amelia took her seat at the head of the table, and the Holy Knight who had apanied them stood guard at the door.


    "Wee, Zero. Please have a seat."


    Saintess Amelia said, gesturing towards one of the chairs.


    Zero took a seat and looked around the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and there were several maps and charts spread out on the table. It seemed like this was some kind of meeting room.


    "Thank you for allowing me ess to the Sanctum Aurea, Saintess Amelia."


    Zero said.


    "It was the least I could do. You helped us in our time of need, and for that, we are grateful. Rather I should thank you for apanying me."


    Saintess Amelia said. She talked with Zero for a bit, exining the history and different ces in the Sanctum Aurea. The servant also brought tea for them.


    "I should probably go and report to the pope."


    Saintess Amelia said before standing up to leave.


    -THUD!


    However, before she left, the door to the room was busted open. Entering was a woman with many followers. She appeared to be some kind of priest with a very high ranking.


    Saintess Amelia''s expression changed and she doesn''t seem to wee the guest.


    Zero observed the situation with interest, wondering who this woman was and why her sudden appearance seemed to have unsettled Saintess Amelia. He watched as the woman strode confidently towards the table and took a seat in one of the chairs.


    "Greetings, Saintess Amelia. I hope you don''t mind me dropping in at your meeting with the gentleman."


    The woman said with a smirk.


    "What do you want, Priestess Helena?"


    Saintess Amelia asked, her tone cold and clipped.


    "Oh, nothing much. Just thought I''de and see what all the fuss is about. After all, you don''t often invite outsiders into the Sanctum Aurea."


    Priestess Helena said, her eyes flickering over to Zero.


    "He saved my life, and I felt it was only right to extend my gratitude and offer him a chance to see our sacred halls."


    Saintess Amelia replied, her voice still icy.


    "Of course, of course. No need to get defensive, my dear. I''m just here to pay my respects."


    Priestess Helena said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    Zero could sense the tension between the two women, and he wondered what their rtionship was. It seemed clear that there was some kind of power struggle going on within the church.


    "And also the pope is asking for you toe! And no outsider is allowed as you know!"


    She continued.


    Saintess Amelia turned around to check for Zero''s status. She didn''t want to leave Zero alone as he might be bullied or made ufortable by Priestess Helena.


    However, Zero was casually drinking his tea without any change in his expression. He didn''t seem to even bother to be wary of Priest Helena even with all those followers following her. He didn''t seem to care who Helena was.


    She only felt stupid for worrying about Zero. Zero is a guy who would even infuriate her who is a Saintess, not to mention a priestess. As for being beaten by them, it was impossible as she knew how strong Zero was. It would already be good if Zero didn''t bully them.


    Since Zero didn''t seem ufortable, Saintess Amelia decided to go and meet the Pope.


    "Sir Jester, I would be going. Call the servant if you need anything."


    "Okay!"


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Saintess Amelia went away. Priestess Helena watched her go with a smirk. And then her attention shifted towards Zero.

 Chapter 373: Cardinal Hildred

    "I heard that you are the one to save Amelia. Did you really kill the Rank-S Devil Contractor? I don''t think you can with your abilities."


    Priestess Helena said while approaching Zero.


    Zero nced at her before drinking his coffee.


    "Yeah!"


    He answered.


    "Is that so?"


    Priestess Helena said. Her voice was filled with irritation. Even though she was not Saintess, her position was very high in the church and she had never been treated as such.


    However, she soon calmed down and smiled at Zero.


    "I think that rather than working for Saintess, it would be better for you to work for me."


    Priestess Helena said.


    "I don''t think so!"


    Zero answered casually.


    ( What do you mean by work for you? Do you think I am working for Amelia? )


    Zero thought. He was neither working for Saintess Amelia nor did he want to. He has all the money he needs and the resources that any person can give. He is protecting Saintess because she saved his life.


    He can''t work for Priestess Helena, obviously when she is against Saintess Amelia. Saintess Amelia is his savior, so he needs to do things that are favorable to her. Furthermore, even without him being saved by Saintess, he was a student of Professor Mia who happens to be friends with Saintess Amelia.


    Considering all those things, he has no reason to work for Priestess Helena.


    "Y-You! You don''t seem to know me. I can give everything that Saintess could give and I also have the support of many Cardinals. It would be beneficial if you work for me."


    Priestess Helena said. She didn''t seem to give up recruiting Zero. However, Zero didn''t have a slight interest in her or the church. If not for Saintess Amelia, he would have never bothered with them.


    "No! And I have no interest whatsoever in the benefits that I could get."


    Zero said. He was not polite with his words and rejected her once more.


    "Y-You! You don''t really know what is good for yourself. I am giving you a chance to serve me. You don''t know how many people would be dying to be in your ce."


    The priestess said.


    She was starting to be annoying to Zero. Zero didn''t like saying things more than once, and this priestess in his eyes was an idiot who couldn''t understand humannguage.


    "If so, ask those people. Why are you being so annoying?"


    Zero said. He stared at Priestess Helena with a cold expression.


    Priestess Helena''s expression turned sour as she realized that Zero was not going to budge. She took a deep breath and tried topose herself.


    However, her followers couldn''t stay calm after Zero was not showing any respect to Priestess Helena.


    "You! How could you be so disrespectful to the Priestess? You are just a nobody. How dare you act like this with our Priestess?"


    One of her Holy Knights came up and said. He was very angry and tried to intimidate Zero. His Rank-A mana aura was at full disy.


    Zero didn''t seem to be affected by the Holy Knight''s outburst. He simply continued sipping his coffee and ignoring the knight.


    "I''m not interested in showing respect to someone who doesn''t deserve it."


    Zero replied calmly.


    The Holy Knight''s face grew red with anger. He felt humiliated as he was getting ignored by Zero


    -THUD!


    He jumped out and tried to punch Zero.


    Zero''s reaction was swift, as he easily dodged the punch and stood up, his own Rank-A aura ring up. He grabbed the Holy Knight''s wrist and twisted it, causing the knight to cry out in pain and drop to his knees.


    "I don''t have time for this nonsense. If you and your followers want to fight, I''ll be happy to oblige. But don''t forget, I am the one who took down a Rank-S Devil Contractor. Do you really want to test your luck against me?"


    Zero''s words wereced with a dangerous edge, and the Holy Knights and her other followers could sense the power emanating from him. They backed down, knowing that they were no match for him.


    Priestess Helena, who had been watching the scene unfold, was shocked by Zero''s disy of power. She had never seen anyone so strong before. She realized that she had underestimated him and that he was not someone to be trifled with.


    Previously, she had got the information that the guest was only at Rank-A. She thought that he might be someone who got lucky and defeated Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    However, looking at the scene where he quickly subdues a Rank-A Holy Knight, she knew that Jester/Zero is an incredibly powerful person.


    "I-I apologize for my follower''s behavior. Please forgive us."


    Priestess Helena said, bowing her head in respect to Zero.


    Zero released the Holy Knight''s wrist and sat back down, his aura fading away. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at the priestess.


    "Apology epted. But let me make this clear. I am not interested in working for you or anyone else."


    Zero''s tone was final, leaving no room for argument. Priestess Helena knew that she had no choice but to ept his decision.


    "My offer still stands. If you feel like working for me one day, you can look for me."


    Saying so, Priestess Helena along with her followers went out of the room. The Holy Knight looked at Zero in anger, but thinking about what happened, he quietly left with the priestess.


    Zero drank the coffee and watched her leave. He didn''t care and wouldn''t join her.


    Priestess Helena!


    Zero thought that she might be one of the possible traitors. He didn''t know her motives but looking at the rtionship with the Saintess, she was a possible candidate. But he was not hasty to conclude that it was certain.


    He still needed to observe the situation before he could make a decision.


    ******


    Saintess Amelia arrived in the grand hall where the Pope and other high-ranking officials were gathered. As she walked towards them, she could feel their gazes fixated on her, observing her every move.


    The Pope, a frail-looking old man, greeted her warmly.


    "Wee, Saintess Amelia. I''m d to see that you''re well."


    "Thank you, Your Holiness," Amelia replied with a gentle smile. "I''m grateful for your concern."


    "Saintess Amelia!"


    One of the cardinals said icily. Her name is Hildred, who is one of the most powerful people in the church. Her position is just below the Pope.


    "I must say, I find your recent actions to be quite concerning. You had abandoned your duties and came running back."


    Saintess Amelia bristled at the usation.


    "Cardinal Hildred, I apologize for not participating in the war. However, it is not because I had abandoned my duties but because the Devil Contractor attacked our team and killed many of the Holy Knights."


    "Excuses! Just because you were stopped by some Devil Contractors, you decided to retreat? Isn''t that demeaning to our church?"


    Cardinal Hildred spat.


    Saintess Amelia''s eyes narrowed.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I mean that your actions have shown ack of respect for the church and its teachings."


    Cardinal Hildred said sharply.


    "You have be too focused on your own agenda, and you are neglecting your duties as a member of the church."


    Amelia felt a surge of anger rising within her.


    "How dare you use me of such things? I have always acted in the best interests of the church and the people. Do you want all of us to die then? I have already told you that most of the Holy Knights had been killed and you want us to go join the war nevertheless?"


    The two women red at each other. The tension between them is palpable.


    "Enough!"


    The pope said.


    "I didn''t call for you two to fight. And Cardinal Hildred, I hope that you stop using Saintess of abandoning her job. She already did her best and it is our luck that she was able toe out alive."


    Cardinal Hildred sneered. However, she didn''t say anything and stopped fighting with Saintess Amelia.


    The Pope then turned to Saintess Amelia.


    "Saintess, we have received reports that the Rank-S Devil Contractor who attacked you has been eliminated. Is it true?"


    "Yes, Your Holiness!"


    Amelia replied with a nod.


    "I am happy that you got out of there alive! However, how did you do that? I remember the Holy Knight that we sent with you was all Rank-A."


    The Pope asked.


    "Sir Jester, the one who saved me, was able to defeat him."


    "Sir Jester? Is he the person that you brought as a guest?"


    "Yes, Your Holiness!"


    The Pope looked relieved.


    "That is good news. I''m d to hear that you''re safe and that the threat has been neutralized. I would like to meet that savior of yours someday."


    Amelia smiled gratefully.


    "Thank you, Your Holiness!"


    The meeting ended soon after, and Amelia left the grand hall feeling relieved that she didn''t have to argue with Cardinal Hildred anymore. Though before leaving, Cardinal Hildred did end up giving her a re.


    Saintess Amelia felt very stressed being with those people from church, especially Cardinal Hildred who showed animosity towards her. And she didn''t even know what she did wrong for her to receive Cardinal Hildred''s hatred.

 Chapter 374: Saintess And Her Problems

    As she made her way through the corridors, Amelia couldn''t help but ponder on Cardinal Hildred''s words. She had always believed that she was doing the right thing for the church and that her actions were guided by her faith.


    She also believed that the Church would always do the right thing and fight for people''s lives rather than pride and wealth. But hearing Cardinal Hildred''s usations had left her feeling uncertain.


    She doesn''t want to have hatred for anyone nor doubt others'' integrity, especially people from the Church but Cardinal''s usation really made her unhappy.


    She and her team had already suffered from Devil Contractors'' hand. Now, they are being used of abandoning their responsibilities.


    Lost in her thoughts, Amelia didn''t notice the figure that stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path. It was Zero.


    "Jester! I didn''t expect to see you here."


    Saintess Amelia said with surprise. She called Zero as Jester because that is how she introduced him to other people in the church and she didn''t want to risk others finding out that he is in disguise.


    "I was getting bored and came outside for some fresh air."


    Zero said. Though his real motive was to check for any abnormality in the church and also take action if Amelia was in danger.


    Although he didn''t find out something right away, he has seen Cardinal Hildred''s anger towards Saintess Amelia. This might help him narrow down the possible traitors in the Church who might have plotted against Saintess Amelia.


    "What has caused you to wear a displeased expression on your face?"


    Zero asked. Even though he had seen Cardinal Hildred showing hostility towards Amelia, he didn''t know what happened inside the grand hall.


    "Just some disagreements with someone. Sometimes, I wish I could just abandon my responsibilities and be a normal person."


    Saintess Amelia said.


    "Then just do it!"


    Zero said casually. For him, there was nothing great about being a Saintess or anything. If you can''t do it and don''t like to do it, then just don''t do it.


    Saintess Amelia stared at Zero. If it was someone, she might have considered it a joke but knowing Zero, she knew that he was serious. It was because others would envy her position, but Zero was not jealous of her position and she knows it from the conversation she had with Zero.


    If not for saving his life, she knew that he would not even bother to give her any attention. Her Saintess position was not worthy enough.


    *SIGH!


    "If only I could be as carefree as you."


    Amelia replied with a soft smile. She thought that Zero probably didn''t understand the weight of being a Saintess.


    Zero studied Amelia''s face for a moment before speaking again. For him, if it was something that he didn''t like, he would not do it. However, judging by her helpless expression, he knew that it was different for Saintess Amelia.


    She probably cannot imagine abandoning her responsibilities as Saintess and not following the Church''smandments.


    "You can be!"


    Zero said seriously. Zero knows how easy it is to change one''s fate. What one needs is faith and the willingness to change.


    "How?"


    Amelia just asked.


    "Just get as strong as me. Then no one would dare to order you. Even if they did, they would not be able to force you. If being strong as me doesn''t work then get even stronger. In this world, strong has the final say."


    Zero said.


    He did understand Amelia''s problem and why she longed to be a normal person. She was taken away to train at a young age and as the Saintess candidate, she must have no friends.


    Now that she is a Saintess, she has responsibilities and even though many are jealous of her, they don''t understand that what she wants is not position but freedom.


    The Church might be strong and might not agree with Saintess abandoning her title as Saintess. However, if she was stronger than the church, would they dare offend her?


    That''s why Zero told her to get stronger. The only way to get out of this situation is to be strong.


    Though Zero doubts that she would do what he thought as Amelia was a good girl. She probably thinks that she is what she is because of the church and wouldn''t betray them even if she had the skill to. She must be thinking that she should pay back what she owes.


    However, from my perspective, there is nothing that Amelia owes to Church. It was the other way around. The Church has kidnapped Amelia just for their objective of making a Saintess.


    Maybe the Church is not as bad as he thinks but because he hates it, he is skeptical about it.


    "... Nobody could get as strong as you quickly!"


    Saintess Amelia said. Even if what Zero said was true, she didn''t think that she would be able to do what he said. For her to wield power equal to Zero, that means that she needs to ascend to Rank-S or maybe higher than that. It was impossible at the moment.


    "Well, you are right! I am a genius after all!"


    Zero bragged.


    "Right, a genius who is known by no one.."


    Zero chuckled at Amelia''sment, but his expression turned serious again.


    "But that doesn''t mean you can''t get stronger. You''ve alreadye a long way, Amelia. You''ve been fulfilling your duties as the Saintess with unwavering dedication. But you need to realize that you have the power to make choices for yourself, too."


    Amelia looked at Zero with a mix of admiration and uncertainty. Zero was an abnormality in her eyes. He was someone who could control Devil Energy despite being human and also someone who had left the school to get stronger. He was someone who was able to make his own path, unlike her path which was all decided by the church.


    She thought that maybe one day, she might be just like Zero. Living the life that he wants and doing things that he would want to do.


    But the idea of abandoning her responsibilities as the Saintess felt daunting and almost sacrilegious to her.


    "But what about my duties, my faith, and the people who rely on me?"


    Amelia asked, her voice wavering slightly.


    Zero ced a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes with a gentle yet firm gaze.


    "Saintess Amelia, being strong doesn''t mean you have to abandon your responsibilities or lose your faith. It means being true to yourself and making choices that align with your values. It means standing up for what you believe in, even if it goes against the expectations of others. You can be strong and still fulfill your duties but on your own terms."


    Amelia listened to Zero''s words, feeling a sense of rity wash over her. She realized that she didn''t have to conform to the rigid expectations of the church or sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her title as the Saintess. She could find a bnce between her responsibilities and her own desires, and make choices that resonated with her heart.


    "Thank you, Zero!"


    Amelia said softly, her resolve strengthening.


    "I needed to hear that. I will continue to fulfill my duties as the Saintess, but I will also strive to be true to myself and make choices that align with my values."


    Zero nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. He didn''t know whether Saintess Amelia epted everything that he said but he didn''t ask.


    In his other life, Saintess and other members of the church were only puppets of the angels and without their own judgment, they would do whatever their so-called god asked them to. Zero didn''t want to see Saintess Amelia be just a puppet of the Church and lose her life just because of that.


    He couldn''t force her to abandon her responsibilities as a Saintess nor can he say that she would be happy as a normal person. He could only give some advice that might help her. However, no matter the option, Zero was adamant about keeping her safe.


    For that, first he needs to find out the traitor who is aiming for her life. He has yet to say that she is being targeted, possibly by her fellow members of the church. He would only say that after he gathered enough evidence to prove that the said person was a spy from Devil Contractors.


    Anyway, he has a suspicion about Priestess Helena and Cardinal Hildred. It could be that one of them is a traitor, though it is also possible for them to be innocent. It would all be known after he did some investigation on them.


    As she and Zero walked side-by-side through the corridors of the church, Amelia felt a sense of gratitude toward Zero. He had opened her eyes to a different perspective, one that empowered her to make her own choices and live a life that was true to herself.

 Chapter 375: Dark Guild Aftermath!

    After their heartfelt discussion, Amelia and Zero decided to go to the church''s dining hall for dinner. It was a big hall with high ceilings adorned with intricate murals depicting religious scenes, and long wooden tables with cushioned chairs neatly arranged for the church members to dine.


    As Amelia and Zero entered the dining hall, they were surprised to see that the holy knights were already gathered at the tables, engaged in lively conversation andughter. It seemed like they were eagerly waiting for Amelia''s arrival.


    Gabriel, who was already seated at the table, spotted Amelia and Zero and stood up immediately, his eyes lighting up with excitement.


    "Saintess Amelia! Sir Jester! Please join us."


    Zain eximed, gesturing towards the empty seats beside him.


    Amelia and Zero exchanged surprised nces but were pleased by the warm wee. They approached the table, and Amelia took her seat at the head, while Zero sat on her left.


    The other holy knights greeted Amelia and Zero with nods and smiles, showing their respect and admiration for the Saintess and their savior. They were all the holy knights that served the Saintess.


    tes were quickly filled with delicious food, and the knights eagerly engaged Amelia and Zero in conversation.


    "Sir Jester, if you don''t mind asking, for how long do you n to stay here?"


    Zain asked.


    "I might stay here for a week or so. I don''t n on staying here more than needed."


    "If Sir Jester doesn''t have anything to do, you can train with us in Holy Training ground. They have 30x the gravity."


    Zain said. Other members also excitedly nodded their heads. They wanted to know how Jester had be powerful. Many of them were Rank-A, same as Zero but they were unable to fight with S-Rank Devil Contractor. They wanted to know the secret to Zero''s strength.


    "If I have time, I would be grateful if I could train with you all."


    Zero said. Although he said that, he knew that he would not have such luxury. He needed to find whether there are any traitors in the Church or any people that want to hurt Amelia and take them down.


    After dinner, Amelia took Zero to his room.


    "This is the guest room that you will be staying in. If you need something, you can ask the guards. I will stay in that room."


    Saintess Amelia said. She had arranged Zero''s room to be near her, just in case Zero needed something from her.


    Zero nodded and entered the guest room. He took a moment to inspect the room, which was simple yetfortable, with arge bed, a small seating area, and a window that overlooked the church''s courtyard.


    He didn''t go to rest immediately and took out his phone. He wanted to go through some of the news and check about the situation with the Dark Guild.


    ''Head of Dark Guild nowhere to be found!''


    ''Dark Guild has beenpletely destroyed! Citizens can sleep in peace now!''


    ''Ice Enchantress took down Dark Guild Executive and their minions without the help of reinforcement.'' ¡­


    There were many headlines covering the news regarding the destruction of Dark Guild. Many were happy as one of humanity''s biggest problems had been solved. Others were worried because the boss of Dark Guild was still free and could reestablish the Dark Guild.


    Zero looked at some of them and then scrolled to find some information regarding Hiro and others.


    ''Hiro once again shows his power!''


    ''Graduated students fought with Rank-A and won?''


    ''The Golden Generation is truly amazing!'' ¡­


    While many covered Dark Guild''s destruction, there was fairly a good amount of news about Hiro and others who are also involved in Dark Guild Invasion. They were also popr and many people paid attention to them. So it was natural that some of the journalists would cover their story, especially after knowing that they had defeated some of the Rank-A Dark Guild.


    There was even an interview with them. Zero clicked on the video.


    As Zero watched the video, he saw Hiro, along with others, being interviewed about their involvement in the Dark Guild invasion. They were asked about their experiences, strategies, and how they managed to defeat powerful opponents.


    "It was due to the teamwork that we managed to survive."


    Hiro answered. He doesn''t look nervous probably because he has gotten used to it.


    "WOW! And you all are just 18 years old right? To be able to defeat so many Rank-A, you all are really talented."


    The interviewer said.


    "Thanks for the praise! However, we didn''t do this alone. If not because of some help, we would have died."


    "Can you exin what happened? Did someonee to rescue you? Was it Ice Enchantress?"


    "Yes, someone helped us. It was not our professor but someone we don''t recognize." ¡­


    Hiro and the others continue to exin the situation. They didn''t hesitate to say that the aplishments that they are given were not solely because of themselves. If it were some others, they might have hidden the fact and bragged about being powerful.


    Anyway, he looked up at interesting news and then he came across something that caught his eyes.


    ''Reason for Dark Guild''s Invasion?''


    It seemed interesting, so he clicked on the news.


    '' This time the Dark Guild''s Invasion seemed arbitrary and useless. They aplished nothing and got themselves destroyed. But is it? Let us delve into it. First, let''s see the location that they had attacked and see what their motives would have been.


    At first, they seemed to have no motives and attacked and just left. However, behind that they had also kept some kind of core which contained explosives. While they did detonate them, they were not powerful enough.


    So, was the bomb just a prank or was it the real objective of the Dark Guild. If so, was the bomb just a deficit? That can be one of the possible reasons. Their bombs might have malfunctioned or could someone have intentionally done so.'' ¡­


    The news talked about all the suspicious points about Dark Guild invading and having aplished nothing.


    Zero was impressed that they were able to think of such a conclusion, especially that someone had interfered with Dark Guild''s n. But he knew that it was just spection and they would never find out that he had interfered with the Dark Guild.


    Anyway, after having read some more news articles, he fell asleep.


    ******


    The next morning, he woke up and met with the Saintess Amelia. He went with her and ate breakfast which he found very delicious. It seemed that after having spent 2 years in Tower Of Obelisk, Zero likes every food that is cooked well.


    Anyway, Zero followed Saintess after breakfast also. She also didn''t seem to have a problem with that.


    Zero sat down with Saintess Amelia for breakfast, enjoying the delicious spread of foodid out before him. The aroma of freshly baked bread, the sizzle of eggs on the skillet, and the rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Zero couldn''t help but feel grateful for the simple pleasures in life, especially after spending two years in the Tower of Obelisk where food was basic.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    Saintess Amelia asked when he was eating.


    "Yeah! I had a great sleep."


    Zero replied. Compared to sleeping in a tent, he found sleeping in church a much better choice.


    "That''s great then. I was worried that you wouldn''t like it."


    Saintess Amelia said. In her eyes, Zero was some kind of young master or someone with a lot of money. Why she thinks so is because without money and resources, nobody can grow as strong as him.


    Moreover, most people who can enroll in Ace ACademy are rich. So she drew the conclusion easily. And she thought that for such a young master, they wouldn''t like the cheap bed here which is contrary to what Zero thought.


    However, the truth was very different from what Saintess Amelia thought. Zero was indeed rich now, but before that he was poorpared to others. Even if he was rich now, he didn''t delve into any luxury.


    Anyway, Saintess Amelia was happy that Zero has no problem with sleeping and food here.


    As he savored each bite, Amelia filled him in on thetest news and events happening outside the tower. She mentioned that the aftermath of the Dark Guild''s invasion was still being discussed in various news articles and that there were spections about the motives behind the attack.


    She also told him about the situation with the Devil who managed to enter the Human Domain. Zero listened while also thinking about the situation carefully. He tried to connect what was happening to the world with the chapters in the novel.


    Even though certain things have changed, many events still remain the same. He needed to take advantage of those.

 Chapter 376: Meeting The Pope

    While eating, one Holy Knight approached our table. He was stopped by Adeline who had recovered and was back to being Saintess Amelia''s maid.


    It seems that he was there to pass on some message and after having talked to Adeline, he went back.


    Adeline then approached us.


    "Saintess Amelia, Holy Knight, wants to pass on the message to Saintess Amelia and Sir Jester."


    ???


    Zero was confused. It was okay if the message was for Saintess Amelia, but for him?


    "Adeline, what was the Holy Knight saying?"


    "Saintess Amelia, the Holy Knight was carrying a message from the pope. He sent a message requesting your and Sir Jester''s presence."


    "Pope!"


    The Saintess was startled and thought about the conversation that they had yesterday where the Pope talked about wanting to see Zero. She thought that might be the reason for calling them.


    Zero had also listened to the message and quickly lost interest. He thought that it might be some information that might help with finding out who is the traitor from the church, but it was just someone calling him.


    Though he knew that the Pope was the head of one of the strongest and most influential organizations, he didn''t have much interest.


    He shifted his focus back to food and continued eating.


    "Hey, what are you doing?"


    Saintess Amelia asked. Both are confused and surprised by Zero''s behavior.


    Zero looked up from his food, his expression unchanged.


    "I''m eating."


    He replied casually.


    Saintess Amelia was clearly taken aback by Zero''s indifference. Many people want to meet with the Pope and don''t get the opportunity, and here was Zero who found the food to be more important than going to meet the Pope.


    "The Pope specifically requested your presence, Sir Jester!"


    Adeline said, her voice tinged with concern. She was afraid that Jester/Zero was ignorant of church power.


    "Yes, we should probably go meet him!"


    Saintess Amelia said.


    "Just eat! If it was urgent, he should havee to me. Since he had called me when I was eating, I will go meet him after breakfast."


    Zero said, not showing any will to move unless he finished eating.


    Saintess Amelia also had no choice and sat down and continued eating breakfast. Anyway, even if she goes, she knows that it would not be good as the Pope probably wants to meet Zero.


    ¡­..


    "I''m stuffed! It seems that my appetite has increased a bit"


    Zero finally pushed his empty te away and stood up, wiping his mouth with a napkin.


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia and Adeline didn''t know how to react. He first ignored the message from the Pope and continued eating. After eating around 10 servings, he said that his appetite had increased by only a bit.


    They didn''t know what to say to Zero. It even urred to Saintess Amelia that Zero might have forgotten that they were ordered to meet him by the Pope.


    "Alright, let''s go meet the Pope."


    He said, with a hint of annoyance at the interruption of his meal. Zero was not really interested in meeting the Pope but knew that he couldn''t ignore orders. And he thought that it might be his chance to also see whether the Pope was a good man or simr to the Pope of his world.


    Saintess Amelia and Adeline were relieved after hearing that. Judging by Zero''s act, they thought that he might just ignore the order.


    They were escorted inside by the Holy Knight, and after going through a series of corridors and chambers, they finally reached the Pope''s private audience chamber. The Pope was seated on a throne-like chair, his regal robes and imposing demeanormanding respect.


    Along with him, there was also a woman called Hildred who is a cardinal. Saintess Amelia was not very happy to see her but didn''t show it on her face. As for Zero, he was rather excited to see Cardinal Hildred.


    He thought that maybe if she was the traitor, she would show something that he could investigate. It was much easier to know one''s enemy when he/she picked the fight first. If the traitor stayed hidden without doing anything, there was not much Zero could do.


    With them, there were also many Holy Knights of high rank and one of them even seemed to be Rank-S.


    "Your Holiness!"


    Saintess Amelia greeted respectfully, bowing before the Pope. However, Zero didn''t bow and stood while staring at the pope.


    Saintess Amelia also noticed that and tried to urge Zero to bow with her stare. However, Zero ignored all the states even though he saw them.


    The Pope acknowledged Saintess Amelia''s greeting with a nod and then turned his attention towards Zero, noticing hisck of respect. However, he didn''t say anything and had a smile on his face.


    "Jester, show some respect in the presence of the Pope. Saintess Amelia, is this how you teach your servant?"


    Cardinal Hildred interjected, her voice sharp with disapproval. She was indirectly attacking Saintess Amelia.


    Zero raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.


    "I think I have already shown respect by responding to the Pope''s request."


    He said, his tone neutral but his eyes locked onto the Cardinal Hildred.


    Zero''s words seemed to catch Cardinal Hildred off guard, and her expression faltered for a moment before she regained herposure.


    She never expected that a meremoner would actually dare to speak that way to her and that also in the church where they had all the forces ready.


    "Respect goes beyond mere responses."


    She retorted, her voice tinged with annoyance.


    "It includes showing proper reverence for the Pope, the leader of our faith, and not standing defiantly before him. How can you show such behavior to the Pope who is working for the Goddess?"


    Zero smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "You don''t need to teach me who I should respect and who not to. I show respect to those who deserve it!"


    He replied, his tone challenging.


    "And as for the Pope, I will judge for myself whether he is worthy of my respect."


    The Holy Knights were frowning, however, they didn''t overstep their boundaries. As long as the Pope doesn''t give themand, they would take no action. However, they felt anger and didn''t like Zero.


    Saintess Amelia worriedly nced at Zero and then the Pope. She never expected that Zero would behave in such a way. However, she didn''t intend to me Zero for anything, rather she was thinking of how to mend the situation so that he doesn''t get affected by today''s event.


    "YOU! Do you know where you are? Who am I?"


    Cardinal Hildred burst into anger. She was never treated like this. She was the second most powerful person after the Pope and every person had to show respect to her, even if that person was a Saintess or a powerful person.


    She wants to order the guard to capture Zero and teach him a lesson. However, before she could, the Pope raised his hand tomand the Cardinal to stop speaking.


    Cardinal Hildred unwillingly stood down and kept quiet. However, inside she was burning with anger and her eyes were ring at Zero with hatred.


    The Pope remained calm andposed. There was still a smile on his face and he didn''t seem to be affected by what Zero said.


    The Pope looked at Zero with a keen gaze.


    "Sir Jester, I have been wanting to speak with you."

 Chapter 377: Rank-SS Artifact As Reward?

    "Sir Jester, I have been wanting to speak with you."


    He said, his voice deep and resonant. His eyes looked as if he could see through everything and nothing could hide from him.


    Zero raised an eyebrow but didn''t say anything. He waited for the Pope to continue.


    "First of all, I want to thank you for saving our Saintess and Holy Knights from the Devil Contractors. I have received reports from Captain Zain and without you, it seemed that they would have been dead."


    Zero nodded, acknowledging the Pope''s gratitude.


    He was notfortable dealing with the Pope because of his life experiences where the Pope was the main person casting and telling everyone that he was the devil and hunting him down. That Pope was a hypocrite man, using the name of god to do what he pleases.


    And the Angels were also supporting such a man. That''s why he has bad memories of the Pope and doesn''t really want to make a good impression.


    However, even though he was skeptical because of that, it didn''t mean that he didn''t know that the Pope in front of him was different from the Pope he was dealing with in another world.


    He could feel the sincerity in the Pope''s words and he seemed to have a different personality than the Pope that is in his memories.


    The Pope''s expression softened, and he leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze still fixed on Zero.


    "I genuinely appreciate your efforts in saving our Saintess and Holy Knights, and I want to express my gratitude by offering you a reward of your choosing."


    Zero raised an eyebrow, surprised by the Pope''s offer. He had not expected such a gesture. From this, it could be seen that the Pope indeed appreciates Saintesses and Holy Knights, unlike Cardinal Hildred.


    Cardinal Hildred argued that I don''t have good manners even though I saved their precious Holy Knights and Saintess.


    If someone had saved my loved one, even if I was a god, I would show a good attitude even if the savior showed me bad manners.


    From this one could easily guess that Cardinal Hildred doesn''t care about Saintess Amelia''s life. Although it doesn''t mean that she is necessarily a traitor, she was one of the candidates.


    Zero took a moment to ponder, thinking about what he truly desired. However, the church was incapable of providing what he wanted. For now, what he needed was a good artifact.


    He has some Rank-A and Rank-S artifacts, but what he would like is a Rank-SS artifact and that was very rare. So rare that it could count on one hand. And the church would hardly have such artifacts.


    Even if they had, they wouldn''t have given it to him. Even though he saved Saintess Amelia and many Holy Knights, the Pope might consider giving him such an artifact as a reward. However, other high-ranking members wouldn''t allow it.


    For decisions such as giving precious treasure like Rank-SS artifacts, it would need the approval of other high-ranking members as well. That''s why he knew that he would not get what he wanted.


    As for Art, Churches have only high-ranking healing Art and not muchbat Art. The only Art is the one that Holy Knights use which is only at Level-5.


    After a moment of contemtion, Zero spoke up.


    "Your Holiness, I appreciate your kind offer. However, there is no need as I saved Saintess Amelia because I wanted to. She saved my life previously and I was only paying her back."


    Zero replied.


    The Pope looked taken aback by Zero''s response, his brows furrowing slightly. He seemed genuinely surprised by Zero''s refusal of the reward.


    "But Sir Jester, it is customary for us to show our gratitude to those who have rendered us a great service."


    The Pope said, his tone earnest.


    "I understand your sentiments, but you have not only saved the Saintess but also many Holy Knights. For that, I need to provide you with a reward."


    "I appreciate your offer. But I don''t need anything."


    "You don''t need anything? Or do you want everything?"


    Cardinal Hildred said, sneering. The Pope frowned at Cardinal Hildred but didn''t say anything. He doesn''t want to be disrespectful to the Cardinal. But he is indeed not pleased with her attitude.


    "Even if you give me everything, I don''t want it."


    Zero replied to the Cardinal.


    "Humph! You seemed to be ignorant about the Church''s power. There is nothing in this world more powerful than the Church. We can fulfill any desire you might have. Anyway, tell us what you want quickly."


    Cardinal Hildred said. She was already not liking Jester/Zero but after this short confrontation, she was sure that she hates Jester/Zero more than the Saintess.


    "Since it seems rude after the Cardinal said so. I would then like to ask for a Rank-SS artifact as my reward."


    Zero said casually. His tone was as if asking to give him cabbage.


    "What?"


    Cardinal Hildred shouted in surprise. Saintess Amelia also looked at Zero in surprise. The Pope also looked surprised by what Zero was asking.


    "You asked me what I desire. I want a Rank-SS artifact. It seems that Ick one, so I want to ask whether the Church could provide me with one."


    Zero said calmly.


    "Y-you! You are mad! Rank-SS artifact? Even if we had such treasure, we would never give it to someone like you."


    Cardinal Hildred said angrily. She was sure that Jester was making fun of her. Lack a Rank-SS artifact? 99.99999999999999999% of the poptioncks that.


    "Wasn''t it you who told me that the Church is very powerful and it can fulfill all my desires?"


    "Your desire is too much. Who would ask for Rank-SS as a reward?"


    "Me!"


    Zero replied. Cardinal Hildred seemed angered and surprised by Zero''s shamelessness.


    "Sir Jester as much as we appreciate your services, a Rank-SS artifact is a significant request."


    The Pope said, his tone cautious. Judging by the Pope''s words, it seems that the Church indeed has a Rank-SS artifact.


    Zero was a little surprised but didn''t think it was abnormal as the Church is one of the most influential organizations in the world.


    "And even if I gave you the Rank-SS Artifact, you would not be able to wield it. The item is specifically for the Saintess. Other than her, no one would be able to use it."


    The Pope said.

 Chapter 378: Holy Knight Commander?

    "And even if I gave you the Rank-SS Artifact, you would not be able to wield it. The item is specifically for the Saintess. Other than her, no one would be able to use it."


    The Pope said.


    Zero was stunned momentarily. Not only did the Pope casually reveal that they indeed had the Rank-SS artifact, but he also told him the limitations. While the limitation might be a lie in order to reject him, however, the fact that he revealed that the Church possesses such treasure didn''t change.


    However, after thinking for a while, Zero thought that the information might not be as secretive as he thought. It could be that it is a well-known fact in the church.


    "Such a pity!"


    Zero blurted out his thoughts. If he could get his hands on a Rank-SS artifact other than the Rank-SS enemy, he would need to be wary of any other people.


    "Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts but I don''t really need anything. As I told you before, I saved Saintess because I am indebted to her."


    The Pope nodded, understanding Zero''s sentiment.


    "I see. Well, your selflessness ismendable, Sir Jester. We are truly grateful for your assistance in saving our Saintess and Holy Knights. My offer still stands. If there is anything else you need in the future, please do not hesitate toe to us."


    The Pope said.


    "Sir Jester, we would also like to make a deal with you."


    The Pope said. Zero thought that he was done here but it seems that Pope has something more to say.


    "We were thinking of giving the position of Holy Knightmander to you."


    Zero was taken aback by the Pope''s unexpected offer. He had not anticipated such a proposal. It was typically given to Rank-S Holy Knights and it is one position above the Holy Knight captain position.


    In this position, you are also given a battalion tomand. A battalion with several Rank-A Holy Knights, it was a very powerful position. It is simr to being the guild leader of a Gold-graded guild.


    "Me? Holy Knight Commander?"


    Zero asked, his voice tinged with surprise.


    "I am honored by your offer, Your Holiness! However, sorry but I don''t want to join the church."


    Zero rejected the offer without much thinking.


    The position was a great thing with many Rank-A being your subordinate and there must be a high sry for such jobs. One might even get fame.


    However, these things were not for Zero. If he wanted tomand so many people, he could easily use TechGenesis to establish a guild with simr power as the battalion that he would get.


    Zero also thought that for him, it was just a waste of time. He has no interest in being dragged down by them.


    The Pope looked surprised at Zero''s rejection, but he maintained hisposure. However, the mood was different for Cardinal Hildred who once again burst out in anger.


    Cardinal Hildred, however, was not as gracious. She mmed her fist on the table, her face red with anger.


    "This is preposterous! How dare you reject such an esteemed position of the Church?! You are nothing but amoner, Jester! You have no right to refuse!"


    Cardinal Hildred said. Her face was red with anger.


    "If you think that the position is so esteemed, you can be one. Why are you so upset just because I rejected the offer?"


    Zero asked. While he had some respect for the Pope because the old man seemed to have a good personality, it was a different story with Cardinal Hildred.


    He knows that she doesn''t get along with Saintess and might even be against Saintess Amelia.


    Not only that, Cardinal Hildred was, again and again, trying to threaten him by mentioning the church and its power. And it was a request from the Pope to join the church, and not like it was something that he was begging for.


    But Cardinal Hildred is acting as if she was doing Zero a great favor by giving him the position.


    Cardinal Hildred''s face turned even redder at Zero''s response. She clenched her fists, visibly seething with anger.


    "How dare you speak to me like that, you insolentmoner?"


    She spat out, her voice dripping with venom.


    "You are nothing but a lowlymoner who stumbled upon some luck. You have no right to reject an offer from the Church, and you will regret this decision!"


    Zero remained calm, unfazed by Cardinal Hildred''s outburst. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, maintaining hisposure.


    However, even he has his limit. He even thought that he should teach her reality. Even though she held power in the church, she was nothing special to him. But he stopped thinking as such an action would only create problems for himself.


    "I have made my decision, and it stands," Zero said firmly. "I appreciate the offer, but I am not interested in joining the Church or epting any positions within it. I have my own path to follow."


    The Pope intervened, trying to diffuse the tension between Zero and Cardinal Hildred. The Pope raised a hand to calm the Cardinal down.


    "Cardinal Hildred, please calm down!"


    The Pope said in a stern tone.


    "Sir Jester has the right to refuse our offer. Let us not forget that he has already done us a great service by saving Saintess Amelia and our Holy Knights. We should be grateful for his assistance. This was just something like a reward that you want to give him. If he doesn''t want it, we can''t force it."


    Cardinal Hildred reluctantly nodded, but her re at Zero did not waver.


    "Fine, have it your way," she said through gritted teeth. "But mark my words, Jester. You will regret this decision. The Church does not take rejection lightly."


    Zero simply nodded, not intimidated by her threats. He had dealt with worse enemies in his life, and he was not about to be intimidated by a haughty cardinal.


    Cardinal Hildred left the room after having said that. It seems that her aim was for Zero to work in the Church by having him as Holy Knightmander. Zero didn''t know why she wanted to do so but assumed that it wouldn''t be for any good reason.


    *SIGH!


    The Pope couldn''t help but shake his head at the behavior of the Cardinal. While he was indeed the head of the Church, Cardinal Hildred also had authority in the church.


    No matter how much he disliked her behavior, the Pope couldn''t just expel or punish Cardinal Hildred easily.


    Anyway, he didn''t continue pandering about hisck of power. He shifted focus once more toward Zero.


    "Sorry for Cardinal Hildred''s behavior. It has been some stressful days for her and she was in a bad mood."


    Pope said, trying to save Cardinal Hildred''s face.


    "So, do you really reject the position of Holy Knight Commander? Not only would you get the resources, authority, and protection of the Church, but you would also have a chance to serve the Goddess and get her blessing."


    The Pope said.


    "Thank you, Your Holiness, for the offer."


    Zero said respectfully to the Pope.


    "But as I mentioned before, I have no intention of working as a Holy Knightmander."


    The Pope nodded solemnly, understanding Zero''s stance. He respected Zero''s decision and did not press further.


    "Very well, Sir Jester! I respect your decision. Should you ever change your mind in the future, the Church will always wee you."


    The Pope said.


    "Thank you, Your Holiness," Zero said.


    "I appreciate your kindness. If there is nothing, I would be leaving."


    The Pope nodded in acknowledgment.


    Zero turned to leave the room.


    As he left the room, Saintess Amelia approached him with a kind smile on her face. She had been observing the situation from a distance and was impressed by Zero''s courage. Although he had made her nervous multiple times.


    "Zero, you really scared me back there. How can you confront the Cardinal and also show no respect to the Pope? Do you have nerves of steel?"


    Saintess Amelia said. While she told him this, she didn''t mean that Zero was being disrespectful or anything but she was telling him because she was concerned about him.


    "Especially Cardinal Hildred. She was deliberately picking on you. It must be because you seem like someone working for me. Sorry!"


    Saintess Amelia apologized. She felt that Cardinal Hildred might target Zero because of her.


    "No need to worry! It would already be good enough if she could even touch one of my hairs."


    Zero said confidently.


    Saintess Amelia was stunned by Zero''s shameless im. Though she knows that Zero is powerful, for him to brag about it to the point that he even undermines a Cardinal was funny.


    However, she knew that it was Zero''s way of telling her not to worry too much about it. She was relieved about that but thought that she should warn Zero again.


    "Please be cautious, Zero. Cardinal Hildred is a powerful figure in the Church, and she may not take your rejection lightly."


    Zero nodded, acknowledging her words.


    "I will remain vignt!"

 Chapter 379: Uneasy Feeling

    Two women were seated in a room which was adorned with intricate tapestries and paintings depicting scenes from religious lore, and the walls were lined with shelves filled with ancient scrolls and holy texts. Soft, flickering candlelight illuminated the space, casting a warm glow across the opulent furnishings.


    "So, what is the progress of our n? Did that bodyguard of Saintess Amelia agree to be Holy Knight Commander?"


    Priestess Helena asked.


    "That damnmoner! He actually refused my offer."


    Cardinal Hildred roared.


    "Not only that, he dares show such disrespect to me. Who gave him such courage? It must be that woman. Just like the owner, that ve is equally ignorant."


    Cardinal Hildred continued yelling. She was pretty angry with Zero, even more so than the Saintess.


    "So, our n failed?"


    Priestess Helena asked, disappointed. She seemed neither angry nor hateful for Saintess and Zero, but she was indeed disappointed.


    The Cardinal''s face turned red with anger as she clenched her fists. She mmed the table.


    "Yes, our n has failed!"


    She spat out, her voice seething with frustration.


    "That insolentmoner has actually refused to be the Holy Knight Commander and has shown disrespect towards me, all because of that woman."


    "I have underestimated that man. Never did I expect that he would refuse such a position. I thought he was just some pretentious bastard."


    Priestess Helena looked surprised. She thought that she was rejected by Jester/Zero because he didn''t know her position but even when he was offered a higher position, the response was the same.


    "Humph! Just an ignorant guy!"


    Cardinal Hildred said with hatred in her voice.


    "Anyway, in the first ce, it is all those Devil Contractors'' faults! If they had done their job, we wouldn''t need to do anything. Even after giving every information, they still failed to kill the Saintess. What a bunch of useless people!"


    Cardinal Hildred yelled. Good thing that they were inside a room that blocked sounds and vision from outside. Other than the people inside the room, no other information would go outside.


    If not, people would have known that Cardinal Hildred, the second most powerful person in the Church, is a traitor who nned to kill the Saintess.


    "What do we do now, Your Eminence?"


    "Execute the emergency n! We will kill the Saintess as soon as the Pope goes out. I thought we should do things discreetly but it looks like we have no choice."


    Cardinal Hildred said. Her eyes burned with hatred and determination.


    "O-Okay!"


    Priestess Helena replied nervously. She didn''t think that they would need to resort to this. If their n was known by others, she knew that she could no longer live in the Human Domain.


    *******


    After the meeting with the Pope, Zero wasn''t disturbed by anyone anymore.


    During that time, he tried to investigate Cardinal Hildred but couldn''t find anything. The room of the Cardinal was protected by some strong spells that he couldn''t infiltrate. And there was also a guard of Rank A. So, he can''t carelessly use his Shadow Dance as it would be detected by them.


    Even though he was confident about his abilities, he didn''t underestimate the Church which probably had around 10-20 S-Rank Holy Knights. Even if he could run away, he shouldn''t do that before making sure that Saintess Amelia was safe.


    Aside from that, he also tried his best to monitor Saintess Amelia, in order to see whether she is being approached by someone suspicious. However, it seems that Saintess Amelia is really loved by people as many people would approach her just to see her.


    And among that, Zero could not see anyone who has abnormal status or someone who is strong. Anyway, Sanctum Aurea is filled with Holy Knights so it was unlikely that assassins could infiltrate the city unless the Holy Knights themselves are traitors, which is likely.


    Although with Zain, there would not be any lunatics who would attack Saintess in his presence. Even if there was, Zero was confident that he could reach Saintess in time to save her. With him monitoring her, her life was guaranteed.


    Anyway, that was what his usual day at the Sanctum Aurea was.


    He would also look around the city. It was a very peaceful city with not much busy activity like in other cities. One could see Goddess believers praying around while at the training ground, Holy Knights would be training.


    This situation made him think that maybe he shouldn''t need to protect Saintess Amelia anymore. However, there was an uneasy feeling in his heart and he continued to stay by Saintess Amelia''s side.


    He wants to stay with her until she moves to another Church or after he knows that Cardinal Hildred is not a danger to Saintess Amelia.


    During this time, Saintess Amelia was preparing for the farewell of the Holy Knights who died protecting her from Devil Contractors.


    Zero kept a vignt eye on Saintess Amelia as she prepared for the farewell ceremony for the fallen Holy Knights. He couldn''t shake off the uneasy feeling in his heart, knowing that danger could still lurk around. He remained by her side, always watchful and protective.


    That feeling only grewrger when the Pope announced that he would be away from the Sanctum Aurea. It seems that all the Devils that had invaded the Human Domain had been taken care of and now high-ranking people are having some kind of meeting which includes the Pope.


    The Pope left with guards who were all Rank-A and Rank-S Holy Knights. It was unlikely for him to be killed unless someone sent Rank-SS which would not happen because Rank-SS would never stoop low to be an assassin who would work for others.


    Anyway, even with the Pope gone, there was no unusual movement from Cardinal Hildred. Zero expected that she would make a move if she nned to during the absence of the Pope. However, his worries were all for naught because nothing happened during that time except the preparation for the fallen Holy Knight had finished.


    As the day of the farewell ceremony arrived, the Sanctum Aurea was filled with a somber atmosphere. The fallen Holy Knights were honored with prayers and tributes, and Saintess Amelia led the ceremony with grace and dignity. Zero stood nearby, keeping a keen eye on everyone around, scanning for any signs of suspicious activity.


    During the ceremony, Zero noticed Cardinal Hildred''s presence, and his suspicions deepened. He couldn''t shake off the feeling that the Cardinal was up to something, but he couldn''t do anything as he was not sure. But he did keep his eyes on her just in case she showed any suspicious behavior.


    Saintess Amelia stood at the front of the altar, surrounded by the grieving Holy Knights and the solemn crowd. She closed her eyes, sped her hands together, and bowed her head in deep prayer.


    "O Goddess, we gather here today to honor the brave souls who have fallen in the line of duty, protecting our faith and our people. May their souls find peace in your divine embrace, and may their sacrifice never be forgotten." ¡­


    Her voice was soft, yet resonant with emotion, as she offered her prayers for the fallen Holy Knights. The ceremony was proceeding well, however, Zero felt that something was wrong. He didn''t see anyone suspicious but felt that something was wrong.


    As the farewell ceremony continued, Zero couldn''t help but notice something unusual about the families of the fallen Holy Knights. Despite their loved ones being honored and sent off with prayers and tributes, their families showed no emotion. They stood there with nk expressions, not shedding a tear or disying any signs of grief. It was as if they were unaffected by the loss of their family members.


    Even the Holy Knights who wererades of the fallen showed no sadness nor did they cry.


    Zero''s suspicions were aroused. He had encountered many grieving families and their emotions were always raw and palpable. But thisck of emotion from the families of the fallen Holy Knights seemed unnatural.


    He thought that maybe dying for the Saintess might be considered an honor by the people who work for the Church. Maybe it would be rude if they showed their sadness and broke down in tears. However, Zero didn''t want to assume things when they could potentially be a hazard to Saintess Amelia''s life.


    He discreetly approached one of the families, trying to gather more information. He offered his condolences and asked if they were okay. The family members looked at him with vacant eyes and replied in monotone voices, "We are fine. Thank you for your concern."


    Zero''s instincts told him that something was amiss. That something would happen.


    As time passed, Zero''s unease grew stronger. He couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was amiss, and he couldn''t let his guard down. He remained vignt.


    That was when Cardinal Hildred approached him with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 380: Cardinal Hildreds Scheme!

    -THUD! -THUD!


    Cardinal Hildred approached Zero with a smile on her face.


    While he was paying attention to her, he didn''t explicitly do anything since he knew that Cardinal Hildred could do no harm to him. The most she might be able to do was scratch his face maybe.


    Anyway, she looked confident and stood before Zero.


    "Haha¡­ Stupid! Idiot!"


    Cardinal Hildredughed and cursed.


    ???


    Zero was totally confused by her behavior. He knew that she was a wretched woman but he didn''t think that she would show her real personality in front of so many people.


    However, even if she was cursing and insulting him, he didn''t do anything to her.


    He thought that maybe she was trying to get him to hit her so that she could have a reason to prosecute him. In any case, he decided to watch her for a longer period to get a better understanding of the situation.


    "Pathetic fool!" Cardinal Hildred spat at Zero, her eyes gleaming with malice. "You thought you could defy me? You''re nothing but a weakling, a pawn in my grand scheme!"


    Her voice rose in volume as she continued her tirade, hurling insults and curses at Zero without restraint.


    Zero remained calm, his expression was unreadable as he watched Cardinal Hildred''s outburst. What surprised Zero was that even when Cardinal Hildred was showing such behavior, none of the other people were paying attention to it.


    ( Is this normal? Maybe everyone knows her real personality? )


    Zero thought. However, they were too calm to the point of being eerie. And Cardinal Hildreding out and provoking was also a weird thing. He had a feeling that something was going wrong here.


    "You still have that stupid expression. Do you still think that you are high and mighty?"


    Cardinal Hildred said angrily. She got closer to Zero and it seemed that she was going to p him.


    -SLAP!


    Anyway, Zero simply blocked her attempt and pped her instead.


    The sound of the p echoed, however, people were still not looking at them. Cardinal Hildred staggered back, her hand on her cheek, a look of shock on her face. She hadn''t expected Zero to retaliate.


    "Y-You! How?"


    Cardinal Hildred said in shock.


    "What do you mean? Did you think that you can just p me whenever you want without me retaliating?"


    Zero asked.


    "This is not possible! How? I should have controlled your mind!"


    Cardinal Hildred said in anger.


    Zero narrowed his eyes when he heard that. He didn''t know what was weird about this atmosphere earlier but now he has some spection.


    He immediately looked towards the Saintess who was busy with her prayer. However, one could see that even though she was praying, other people were not really listening to her. Even Holy Knights Captain Zain and Adeline seemed out of their minds and not concentrating on protecting the Saintess.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero knew that he had to immediately take Saintess Amelia out of this ce.


    While moving around, he looked closely at the faces of the people and they were all emotionless. Zero thought that it might be them trying to put on a brave face but guess it was because their mind has been manipted by someone or something.


    ( But the scale of the effect is toorge. And I didn''t sense any mana being emitted. Was it in the food? )


    There were thousands of people present here who were attending this farewell ceremony and all of them seemed to be affected by some kind of spell.


    However, Zero knew that it was not done by some magician as he didn''t sense the change in mana nor sense any fluctuation in mana. As for the food, many Holy Knights who are guarding the area hadn''t eaten but they also seem to be affected.


    That being said, the only option is that Cardinal Hildred or whoever is helping her has used some kind of Artifact that should be of Rank-S.


    Zero didn''t know why that Artifact didn''t affect him or Saintess but he knew that with the situation being as such, it was dangerous for Saintess to continue the ceremony.


    Cardinal Hildred, who was still in shock because of the p, got angry and stood up.


    "HEY! Did you do it properly?"


    Cardinal Hildred yelled. She seemed to bemunicating with someone.


    "Yes, the whole area should be under our control. Except for the Saintess who is full of Holy Mana, nobody should be unaffected."


    The voice was of Priestess Helena and she replied to Cardinal Hildred.


    "Dammit! Then how did that person escape its effect? Don''t tell me that he is also overflowing with Holy Mana like a Saintess?"


    "T-That I don''t know! The Lord has given this artifact to be used in an emergency and I still don''t have much practice."


    Priestess Helena replied.


    "Damn! I wanted him to kneel down and follow my orders just like the dog he is. Dammit!"


    Cardinal Hildred was angered.


    "He might mess up without a n. Let''s kill Saintess and Jester quickly!"


    Cardinal Hildred ordered with hatred visible in her eyes.


    ********


    Zero quickly approached Saintess Amelia, who was still lost in her prayers and gently grabbed her arm to get her attention.


    "Saintess Amelia, we need to leave now!"


    Zero said urgently, trying to break her out of her trance.


    Amelia blinked in surprise, her eyes unfocused for a moment before she seemed to snap back to reality. She looked at Zero in surprise.


    "What''s happening?"


    Amelia asked, her voice filled with concern.


    "No time to exin but I believe that someone is controlling the mind of people around here. Luckily, you and I are unaffected."


    Zero said that before quickly taking her out of that ce.


    As they made their way through the area, they encountered a group of Holy Knights who were under Cardinal Hildred''s control.


    "Stop right there!"


    Cardinal Hildred yelled as she quickly followed Zero and Saintess Amelia.


    "Don''t think you can escape!"


    Zero frowned, his mind racing with possibilities. He didn''t want to harm the Holy Knights if possible, but he couldn''t let them stand in their way either.


    "Stand aside!"


    Zero said firmly, his voice filled with authority and a threatening mana aura. However, maybe because their minds were under control they didn''t feel fear. So, none of them left.


    "Haha¡­ Your little intimidation is useless! Unless you are to kill them, they won''t disobey me."


    Cardinal Hildred said excitedly.


    "Then how about this?"


    -WHOOSH!


    Instantly Zero closed the distance between himself and Cardinal Hildred. Even if he can''t attack others, he could definitely do that with Cardinal Hildred.


    He thought about threatening Cardinal Hildred to make everyone normal. As a B-Rank, Cardinal Hildred could do anything against him.


    When Zero changed his direction toward her, Cardinal Hildred became scared for a moment. However, she didn''t panic.


    Instead, she smirked, her eyes glinting with confidence.


    "You darey a hand on me? A meremoner like you!"


    Cardinal Hildred said with disdain, her voice dripping with arrogance. Even with a Rank-A personing to potentially kill her, she was full of arrogance.


    -CLANK!


    Just before Zero could capture the Cardinal, two Rank-S Holy Knights appeared and blocked Zero.


    !!!


    Zero was indeed startled. However, it was nothing surprising as the second most authoritative person in the church would indeed have some Rank-S Holy Guard as their protector. And they also didn''t seem to be mind controlled.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Zero tried to sneakily approach Cardinal Hildred, however, Rank-S Holy Knight easily saw through his ns and blocked them.


    Seeing that he didn''t have much chance of sess, Zero retreated.


    He quickly assessed the situation. He needed toe up with a new n to save Saintess Amelia and stop Cardinal Hildred. He couldn''t rely on brute force alone, especially with the Rank-S Holy Knights guarding her.


    And he couldn''t also rely on others since they were all under his mind''s control.


    Zero looked at Saintess Amelia, who was watching the events unfold with worry. Luckily, Cardinal Hildred seemed to be obsessed with beating him rather than taking care of Saintess Amelia.


    "Saintess Amelia, If you have some Trump card, this might be the time to use it."


    Zero said. He was just making sure that Saintess Amelia doesn''t have a solution in case he had to make a drastic decision.


    "I don''t think I can cure all of them with my skills."


    Saintess Amelia replied. If given time, she might be able to heal one or two people, but healing a thousand people would be impossible, especially if they had the intention to kill her.


    "Haha¡­ Stop thinking and surrender! You two will never be able to escape from our grasp."

 Chapter 381: Cardinal Hildreds Scheme! [2]

    "Haha¡­ Stop thinking and surrender! You two will never be able to escape from our grasp."


    Cardinal Hildredughed.


    "Why? Cardinal Hildred, why are you doing something so sinful?"


    Saintess Amelia asked. She couldn''t believe that one of the most powerful figures in the Church was a traitor.


    "Why you ask?"


    Cardinal Hildred sneered at the question.


    "It''s simple! For more power."


    Cardinal Hildred said.


    "What? That''s absurd! How can betraying the Church give you more power? Even if you did, how could you easily betray the people who believed in you?"


    Saintess Amelia almost shouted. For her, it was inconceivable how one could harm others just for power.


    "Humph! What would you know? You are simply an obstacle on my path. Everyone! Capture the Saintess."


    Cardinal Hildred ordered all the people who had been mind-controlled to capture the Saintess. While the two Rank-S Holy Knights were cautiously approaching Zero.


    Despite Zero being in Rank-A, they didn''t underestimate a guy who is said to have killed Rank-S Devil Contractor.


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia didn''t know what to do. She felt immeasurable anger inside her because Cardinal Hildred was ordering people to do something against their will. Among the people, there were also Zain and Adeline who were trying to catch her.


    Zero, on the other hand, remained calm as he faced the approaching Holy Knights. It was neither unexpected nor was it an umon thing.


    Even if the Pope had decided to kill Saintess, Zero wouldn''t have been surprised much less Cardinal Hildred who was tantly showing disdain toward Saintess.


    Now the problem was what to do next.


    He had failed to capture Cardinal Hildred which meant that he could not ckmail her to turn the people back to normal. Without first defeating those two Rank-S Holy Knights, it would be impossible to capture the Cardinal.


    It was even more impossible to win against two Rank-S Holy Knights. Moreover, his priority was Saintess Amelia''s safety. If he kept fighting with them, it was certain that Saintess Amelia would be killed.


    So, the only solution was to run. Zero knew that he had to first escape from this situation and then think about a possible solution.


    "Amelia, right now it is better for us to escape!"


    Zero said.


    "Don''t think about running away! If you do, I swear that I will kill everyst one of them. Just surrender and you will be saving a lot of lives right now."


    Cardinal Hildred threatened. She knew that if Saintess Amelia escaped, her mission would fail and her life would be in danger. So to make sure that Saintess Amelia didn''t run away, she threatened her with the people who she had mind controlled.


    She knew that a girl as kind as Saintess would rather die than abandon people.


    Saintess Amelia hesitated. She couldn''t possibly abandon innocent people just because she wanted to save herself.


    "Jester, run. I''ll hold them off!"


    She said with determination. She knew that Cardinal Hildred''s goal was to kill her. Zero could still survive.


    As long as she doesn''t hold back Zero, she believes that Zero could easily escape from that ce. She would feel much better if one of them at least escaped.


    Zero looked at Saintess Amelia with a mix of concern and determination in his eyes. He understood her selfless nature, but he couldn''t let her sacrifice herself for the sake of others.


    As much as he would like to save others, right now he needs to guarantee Saintess'' safety. For him, her safety was more important than others.


    He knew that Cardinal HIldred was ying mind games with Saintess Amelia. Even if Saintess Amelia surrendered herself right now, he knew that there is less chance of people being brainwashed to be able to survive.


    "Amelia, I won''t leave you behind," Zero said firmly. "We can find another way to save these people. But right now, we need to get out of here!"


    But Saintess Amelia was not willing to listen to Zero.


    "Thank you for your concern. However, I can''t escape knowing that they are going to be killed because of me."


    Saintess Amelia said helplessly.


    Zero knew that saying anymore wouldn''t be able to convince her. He forcefully took her hand and started to run away.


    Despite Saintess Amelia''s initial resistance, Zero didn''t let go of her hand as he pulled her along. He also used ice energy to slowly make Amelia unable to resist him.


    ( If the word doesn''t work then just use force! )


    He didn''t know how to pursue someone and he didn''t want to either. So he just did what he had to do. And if the Saintess hated him because of this, he didn''t mind either.


    !!!


    "Quick! Capture her!"


    Cardinal Hildred said after recovering from being stunned. She thought that her words were working and the Saintess would surrender herself. Never did she expect that a servant (Zero who she believes is just some kind of servant of Amelia) would not listen to the Saintess and forcefully take her away.


    Judging by his actions, she believed that Jester was someone who didn''t care about the lives of innocent people. In this case, she didn''t even threaten him with others but instead ordered everyone to capture Saintess.


    -WHOOSH!


    "Please let go of me! I can''t let those people die because of me."


    Saintess Amelia said her voice was desperate. She didn''t know what she wanted to do but she knew that she couldn''t run away.


    "Listen carefully! If you get captured by them, you would shorten the time that they get killed."


    Zero said while keeping an eye in front of him. He couldn''t afford to look away because currently Zain and Adeline were in his path.


    However, he took time to exin why she shouldn''t listen to Cardinal.


    "Right now, Just trust me and stop thinking about others'' lives!"


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    Zero deflected their attacks. With their mind being controlled, even though they still have the same strength, their attacks, and movements were simple.


    However, Zero was being held back. And two Rank-S Holy Knights and many people were quickly approaching Zero and the Saintess.


    After listening to Zero, Saintess Amelia didn''t know what to do. If she didn''t surrender, people would die and now Zero was telling her that even if she surrendered, they would die. However, she decided to trust Zero.


    She had no choice but to trust Zero. She didn''t resist, although she already couldn''t because of Zero''s ice energy.


    Seeing that Saintess Amelia had calmed down to a certain extent, Zero decided to escape. However, before that, he thought about something.


    -CLANK! -BANG!


    Using his full strength, Zero first knocked back Zain by overwhelming him with his strength.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    Zero used Shadow Dance and then appeared behind Adeline. Adeline couldn''t react and with her mind being controlled, even when she detected Zero behind her, she could not respond.


    -TUCK!


    Zero swiftly struck Adeline with a precise and powerful blow, knocking her unconscious. He caught her before she fell to the ground. Then he quickly took her and the Saintess''s hand.


    [ "Dual Art: Shadow FrostWing" ]


    The ice crystals on his wings grew sharper and more menacing, while his shadow seemed to envelop him like a cloak, enhancing his speed and agility even further.


    "Attack them!"


    Cardinal Hildred after seeing them fly. If they flew, she knew that none of them had the capabilities to catch up to them.


    [ "Sacred sh Wave" ]


    [ "Sacred sh Wave" ]


    The two Rank-S holy Knights immediately used their long-range attack. The Holy Knight performed a swift and precise sword sh, sending out a wave of sacred energy that traveled through the air toward Zero.


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Zero conjured many huge Dark Ice walls to protect them.


    -CRACK!


    However, the attacks from two Rank-S Holy Knights were not to be underestimated. The impact of the "Sacred sh Wave" was powerful, shattering Zero''s "Icy Shadow Wall" and hitting him with the force of sacred energy.


    Even his Rank-A artifact was destroyed. His body got hit by an incredible force.


    -SPLURT!


    Zero grunted as he was momentarily knocked back, the sharp ice crystals on his wings cracking and splintering from the impact. His wings were almost shattered, but he managed to reform quickly, enhancing his speed and agility as he regained his footing.


    "ZERO!"


    Saintess Amelia shouted with concern. Even though Zero acted as if he was fine, his whole back was bleeding, and even his mouth.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Saintess Amelia immediately used her healing spell. Zero injuries were healing, however, very slowly because the injury was from a powerful Rank-S and it was very severe.


    "Quick! Please heal quickly!"


    Saintess Amelia prayed. Even though Zero was not in any kind of danger, she knew that it was painful to endure such injuries.


    While Saintess Amelia was healing, Zero was still paying attention to Cardinal Hildred and others. He had no time to care about injuries as he would be dead if he didn''t do something.


    While he survived after having gotten hit by the attack of two Rank-S Holy Knights, it was partly because of his artifact and the other was because his body was strong.


    Now, with his artifact destroyed and his body in a vulnerable state, he knew that he could not afford to be hit by another simr attack.


    [ "Blizzard Storm" ]


    Zero immediately used a Blizzard storm to cover Sanctum Aurea. With this, he believed that it would be harder for the enemies to hit him. And it would also make it difficult for him to be tracked.


    Cardinal Hildred fit in anger. She knew that she had lost that chance to track the Saintess or the Jester. However, she had not yet lost.


    "Saintess, I will give you one day to make your decision. If you don''t appear at the Sanctum Aurea Holy ground at the exact time as now, I will kill everyone starting with your precious Holy Knights captain."


    Cardinal Hildred yelled.


    Saintess Amelia''s expression turned grim as she listened to Cardinal Hildred''s ultimatum. She continued to heal Zero while Zero took them out of that area.

 Chapter 382: Nexus Scepter

    As Zero flew away from the Cathedral with Saintess Amelia and the unconscious Adeline, the blizzard storm he had conjured continued to hinder their pursuers. Amelia focused on healing Zero''s injuries, her hands glowing with a soft, warm light as she channeled her healing magic.


    "Zero, what should we do now?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with worry. "Cardinal Hildred''s threat... I can''t let innocent people die because of me."


    Zero, still in pain but recovering, replied, "We need to find a safe ce to hide. I know how to make everyone normal."


    As they continued to fly, they found a secluded house on the outskirts of Sanctum Aurea. Zero didn''t want to go further in case Cardinal Hildred kept some guard at the border. Additionally, his mana was running low with him using Dual Art and Frostwing, plus therge-scale Blizzard Storm.


    Zero carefullynded, ensuring Adeline and Amelia were safe. They decided to use this house as their temporary hideout. Zero was not worried about the ownering and kicking them out as he suspects that the owner is mostly likely mind-controlled by the Cardinal.


    Inside the house, Amelia continued to heal Zero while he thought about their next move.


    ( The scenario of the Sanctum Aurea is just like the scene where Hiro finds that the entire army that he was assigned to had been turned into Devil''s ves. )


    Zero thought. He knew about the artifact that Cardinal had probably used was the ''Nexus Scepter''.


    The Nexus Scepter is a powerful artifact of Rank-S+, capable of influencing even Rank-S people''s minds. Legends speak of it being created by an ancient civilization for the emperor who made everyone obey him with the artifact.


    Anyway, Zero believed that Cardinal had used that artifact. With this one fact was revealed that Cardinal was indeed working for the Devils. In the novel, the same artifact would be operated by the Devils.


    ( But why did I get exempted from mind control? )


    Zero thought. Typically, even Rank-S Holy Knights were not spared from being mind-controlled by the artifact, despite that he was okay.


    In the novel, Hiro is only spared because he would be away from his team due to chasing after one Devil. So, he gets out of range and does not get affected. But he was different. He was there when everyone got their mind controlled.


    ( No, not only me? )


    Zero turned to Saintess Amelia. Even she was not mind-controlled, he thought. If Cardinal Hildred''s objective was to capture or kill Saintess Amelia then she would actually target Saintess Amelia to be mind-controlled.


    However, she was not affected by the artifact. Zero thought about what was the problem and also thought about specific information about the artifact in the novel.


    ( Ah! I got it! )


    Zero was deeply in thought about the Nexus Scepter and why Amelia and he were not affected. Then he got the answer.


    ( In the novel, it is said that the artifact does not work on Devils and Devil Contractors. Therefore, when Hiro manages to subdue the Devil and get the artifact, he destroys it rather than keeping it with him. )


    That means the Nexus Scepter probably uses Dark Energy in some form to control an individual''s mind. Since Devils and Devil Contractors could control Dark Energy, they are not that affected by the Nexus Scepter.


    As for why Saintess Amelia is okay, it must be because of the opposite reason. Her being is made up of Pure Holy Energy. It is impossible for Dark Energy to have any kind of interference with Saintess. In front of Saintess, Dark Energy is mostly useless. Which is why her power could weaken Devils who are made up of Dark Energy.


    It was all an assumption but that was most likely the case. Zero believed that his conclusion made sense and it is also backed by the information from the novel.


    But now the next question was what to do. Zero thought about possible ns of which one was to have Nexus Scepter under his control.


    However, it would be difficult as he knew that to get Cardinal Hildred, he had to first defeat the two Rank-S Holy Knights. Then the other n would be to destroy the artifact like Hiro did in the novel.


    But that was the problem. He didn''t know where it was. And he couldn''t do what Hiro did in the novel.


    In the novel, he would defeat the owner and then force him to reveal the location. That is something that he couldn''t do.


    That meant that his only option was to search for the location of the Nexus Scepter. However, he didn''t have much time, as Cardinal Hildred told him she would kill the people if Saintess Amelia didn''t show up.


    And looking at the Saintess'' attitude, he knew that she would not let that happen. So he got less than 24 hours to search for that artifact and then destroy it.


    Zero''s mind raced as he considered his options. He knew that time was of the essence, and he couldn''t afford to waste any more time. He needed toe up with a n quickly to locate and destroy the Nexus Scepter before Cardinal Hildred carried out her threat.


    "Amelia, I am okay!"


    Zero told Saintess Amelia who was still using her healing spell.


    "A-are you really fine?"


    Saintess Amelia asked. There were still traces of worry and concern in her voice as she looked at Zero with a mixture of relief and skepticism.


    "Yes, I''m fine now. Thank you for your healing," Zero assured her, offering her a reassuring smile.


    "Anyway, can you see whether you can heal Adeline?"


    Zero asked.


    One of the reasons why Zero brought Adeline was to check whether Saintess Amelia could heal her. If she could, that means that Zero could slowly recover the mind of Zain and other Holy Knights.


    However, that n was obviously scrapped as he didn''t have the time to deal with Cardinal''s threat. But he still wanted Amelia to try and heal Adeline.


    If she recovers her mind, then he will gain a bodyguard for Saintess Amelia. In that case, he would be able to go alone to find the Nexus Scepter.


    Saintess Amelia nodded.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Amelia chanted a healing spell, her holy energy glowing brightly as she focused her power on Adeline.


    After a few moments, Adeline stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked around in confusion before her gazended on Zero and Amelia.


    "What happened, Saintess?"


    Adeline asked, her voice weak but clear. Her mind was nk and she couldn''t remember anything properly.


    "Let me exin!"

 Chapter 383: Nexus Scepter [2]

    "Let me exin!"


    Zero chipped in. He wanted to give Adeline a summary of what had happened and also to exin his n.


    First Zero exined to Adeline about the situation at the Cathedral and how she and others had been brainwashed by Cardinal Hildred. Adeline looked very guilty and immediately apologized to the Saintess.


    "I-I am so sorry, Saintess! I-I ¡­"


    Adeline med herself. Even though it was something out of her control, she couldn''t believe that she was trying to kill someone she had vowed to protect.


    Amelia gently ced her hand on Adeline''s shoulder and said, "Adeline, it was not your fault. Even the Rank-S Holy Knights were affected by whatever Cardinal Hildred did. And I am okay, am I not? You should stop thinking about that."


    Saintess Amelia reassured Adeline. Adeline felt a little relieved though she was still feeling guilty. Then she turned toward Zero.


    ''My apologies, Mr. Jester! Even though it was something that I didn''t want to do, I did attack you."


    Adeline apologized.


    "It''s okay! I believe that Cardinal Hildred used an artifact called ''Nexus Scepter'' to control the people at the Cathedral. It is something that even Rank-S is helpless against."


    "Nexus Scepter?"


    Saintess Amelia asked confusedly. She didn''t know any artifact named as such. With the effect achieved by the artifact, she knew that it was a very powerful artifact. Most powerful artifacts are already well-known. Even if it is something not used often, one would know about the artifact once its name was revealed.


    The fact that she didn''t know meant that it was a new artifact that was never used before or some secret artifact that was kept hidden.


    However, how could Cardinal Hildred get such a powerful artifact? Saintess Amelia thought. It was not an artifact of the Church and it is unlikely that the Cardinal bought it from some shop.


    "Yes, ''Nexus Scepter'' is a Rank-S + artifact capable of controlling the mind of people in a certain radius. It uses a lot of mana, so many mana stones are needed to operate one. It makes use of Dark Energy, which is why those weak against or have no resistance to Dark Energy are easily mind-controlled."


    Zero exined.


    "That¡­"


    When Zero said that it uses Dark Energy, Saintess Amelia had already assumed something that was not looking very good. She didn''t want to believe it even though all the evidence is pointing towards that.


    "Yes, as you are probably thinking, Cardinal Hildred should be connected to Devils in some way. She should be the one who was responsible for revealing your location and having those Devil Contractors ambush you."


    Zero said, leaving no doubt that Cardinal Hildred had not only betrayed her and the Church but also humanity.


    "Cardinal Hildred! How could she?"


    Saintess Amelia angrily said. She still couldn''t believe that the Cardinal could do such a thing. She knew that Cardinal Hildred didn''t like her but for her to help Devils, Saintess Amelia didn''t know how to feel about that.


    Adeline was even angrier. She already pretty much wanted to slice Cardinal Hildred for making her attack Saintess. If she could, she would have already gone to beat up the Cardinal.


    "Anyway, we can deal with Cardinal Hildredter. First, we have to do something about the artifact. I was thinking about destroying the Nexus Scepter. By destroying the artifact, Holy Knights and other people should regain their minds again."


    Zero continued.


    "After the Holy Knights regain their minds, it would be easy to deal with her and any of her aplices."


    Saintess Amelia thought for a second. Then she asked,


    "Do you know where the artifact is located?"


    "For now, no! But I have some ideas of where it could be."


    Zero said. If the artifact was used in the war like in the novel, he could have easily found it but it was different for his current situation.


    "Anyway, the ce that Nexus Scepter should be in needs to be close to the Cathedral for it to be effective."


    Zero exined.


    While he didn''t know the exact location, he knew where to begin his search. However, he knew that there were many enemies in that location, and even with his abilities, it would be tough to search for the artifact safely.


    Although he didn''t say those things to the Saintess. Zero thought that there was no need for her to know that.


    "I need to find the artifact within a day. So, I will leave this ce soon. You two should stay hidden here until I get back."


    "Huh?"


    Saintess Amelia looked surprised by Zero''s statement.


    "I can''t stay here for long. I need to find the artifact and destroy it before it''s toote. And also, I need to find out who gave the artifact to Cardinal Hildred and why."


    Zero continued.


    "No! I mean, wait a minute!"


    Saintess Amelia said, waving her hands at Zero who was still talking. Only when Zero stopped talking and looked at her did she stop. Then she immediately asked,


    "What do you mean by going alone? Shouldn''t I and Adeline apany you?"


    She thought that they were going to do it together. She believes that with their side already being low in numbers, Zero would definitely include her and Adeline.


    "I appreciate your offer, but I can handle it alone. It''s too risky to bring you both along. And it will be much faster if I go alone."


    Zero replied. Certainly having Saintess Amelia and Adeline would be a big boost to his power, however, his objective was not about fighting and killing.


    It was fast and stealthy which was better when alone. Moreover, he was afraid that Cardinal Hildred would use some kind of psychological word against Saintess Amelia to surrender if they were found out by the Cardinal.


    If that happened, his whole mission would have ended up as a failure. That''s why the most logical choice was to go alone. That was also the reason why he wanted to heal Adeline, so that she could be there to protect Saintess.


    It would have been not good if he left Saintess alone but now there was Adeline. He believed that Adeline would protect Saintess even if it meantpromising her or others'' lives.


    "B-But ¡­"


    "There is really no need. You should already know how strong I am!"


    Zero said. He was referring to him using Dark Energy and being able to defeat Rank-S Devil Contractor. Others might not have seen that but Saintess Amelia certainly saw that.


    Saintess Amelia nodded reluctantly. She knew that Zero was skilled and capable, but she couldn''t help but worry.


    "I understand! But promise me that you will be back safely. If not, Mia will kill me!"


    Zero gave her a small smile and a nod before leaving the room. His first destination was going back to the cathedral.

 Chapter 384: Nexus Scepter [3]

    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    ( As expected! )


    I was on the outskirts of the Cathedral and there were lots of guards surveying the area. Most of them seemed to be mind-controlled.


    The good thing was that they couldn''t utilize their full abilities. Even if the person is Rank-A, he/she can''t detect me unless it is really obvious.


    If not, with the capabilities of Rank-A and Rank-S Holy Knights, they should have been able to detect the mana when I used Shadow Dance.


    But it seems that they are not capable of that since their mind is controlled and could only rely on their eyesight and sound.


    Though with me manipting my mana, even if they were not mind-controlled, they would have a hard time detecting my mana.


    Even so, I made sure that I didn''t make any mistakes. I made sure to check every ce to see whether there was a trap or not.


    [ Insight Perception ]


    I checked the surroundings, looking for traces of Dark Energy. As I thought, the people who were being controlled had a trace of Dark Energy on their bodies. With that, it was undeniable that Cardinal Hildred used the Nexus Scepter.


    "Now that I made sure it is Nexus Scepter, I had to find the artifact."


    The most obvious location is the area near where the ceremony took ce. To have a better effect, they should have ced the artifact near that area.


    Even if they had moved the artifact, there should still have been some traces. Anyway, my best bet was that it is not moved or anything.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    I silently made my way to the location where I had fought Cardinal Hildred before. To my surprise, there were fewer guards there than I had expected.


    ( Is it not around here? )


    This made me doubt whether the artifact was actually located in that area. I for one thought that the closer I got to the location of the artifact, the more guards I would encounter. I thought for a second whether I should continue or check other ces.


    ( No, let''s inspect the ce. )


    Despite my doubts, I decided to inspect the area thoroughly. It was better to investigate the suspicious location first, as I had no other leads on where the artifact could be hidden.


    I approached the task with the utmost caution, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign that could lead me to the artifact. I scoured every nook and cranny, determined not to miss any vital clues.


    To avoid detection, I employed my signature technique, the ''Shadow Dance,'' which enabled me to move stealthily and evade most of the guards. My conviction grew stronger that the artifact was indeed in this location, although its exact whereabouts still eluded me.


    I noticed that the mana levels in this area were remarkably highpared to other ces, and I deduced that it was because of Nexus Scepter''s usage.


    As I had exined to Saintess and Adeline, the Nexus Scepter requires an enormous amount of mana to operate, and its usage often leaves behind a powerful mana aura that is difficult to miss. This was a crucial piece of information that brought me one step closer to locating the artifact.


    Though it still confused me why Cardinal Hildred didn''t employ more guards in this area. Was it to throw me off? But she shouldn''t know that I know about the existence of Nexus Scepter.


    Maybe she thought that I wouldn''t think that she used the Nexus Scepter. After all, without the knowledge of the novel, it is impossible toe to that conclusion.


    Although I was confused about Cardinal Hildred''sck of guard presence in this area, it worked in my favor.


    I went to the ce where I sensed the most mana. I thoroughly searched for anything suspicious or something that might be an entrance to some hidden location. I still couldn''t find the location or anything close to it. However, I was sure that it was somewhere in this area.


    Nexus Scepter was still active as it had to still control the minds of everyone that was taken hostage by Cardinal Hildred.


    I continued my search, exploring every nook and cranny of the cathedral. Finally, after what seemed like hours of searching, I came across a hidden room that was tucked away in a corner of the cathedral.


    "Finally!"


    I didn''t know where the artifact was located. But it was something that I came across after such a long period of search.


    I took a deep breath and began walking forward, my senses on high alert. The room was dimly lit, and I could barely make out the shapes of the objects around me. The sound of my own footsteps echoed through the empty space.


    I didn''t see any guards but I was sure that if the artifact was here, there would be a lot of guards.


    As I walked deeper into the room, I noticed that there were several shelves and cabs lining the walls. The room was much bigger than I had expected and I had walked quite a bit with no end in sight.


    As I cautiously made my way further into the dimly lit room, I suddenly saw a faint glow emanating from a pedestal in the center of the room. My heart began to race with excitement and anticipation.


    ( Could this be a Nexus Scepter? )


    I had never seen the artifact so I can''t be 100% sure but looking at the situation, this could be nothing more than an artifact.


    I could see that the artifact was wrapped in something. The material surrounding the Scepter was a thick, ck substance that seems to be both viscous and solid at the same time. It clings to the Scepter like a second skin, obscuring its mana aura and making it difficult to discern the artifact''s true power.


    It seems that there was another artifact that was used in order to hide the mana aura emitted by Nexus Scepter. Unfortunately, it couldn''t conceal all of the mana aura and I was highly sensitive to mana.


    "S-Stop!"


    The sound came from behind the Scepter and slowly a figure appeared. I saw Priestess Helena appear, nked by several guards. Her expression was a mix of surprise and fear.


    "I-If you don''t want to get hurt, stop where you are!"


    Priestess Helena said. However, there was fear in her voice even though she had a guard with her.


    I observed the power of the guard and they were at Rank-A. While she was indeed guarded by several Rank-A Holy Knights, there was no Rank-S guard. It seems that the Rank-S Holy Knights who obeyed them are all guarding Cardinal Hildred.


    Anyway, Priestess Helena didn''t really seem confident by the sound of her voice. It was shaky which is obviously because she is scared of me.


    "Give me the Scepter and I will not do anything!"


    I said. Anyway, I don''t want to bully Priestess Helena when she looks so scared. Enemy or not, I don''t have the habit of hurting someone who doesn''t have the will to fight.


    "I-I can''t! You should leave when I ask nicely."


    Priestess Helena said. She looked scared, probably because she knew that she was no match for me. Previously when I met her, she looked arrogant with her followers and asked me to join her.


    Maybe at the time, she thought that the rumor about me killing Rank-S Devil Contractor was fake. But when I escaped with Saintess Amelia, she should have seen that even two Rank-S Holy Knights couldn''t kill me easily.


    "Umm¡­ I will take it myself!"

 Chapter 385: Nexus Scepter [4]

    "Umm¡­ I will take it myself!"


    I said as I moved forward.


    "Guards! Attack him! Don''t let him take the Scepter!"


    Priestess Helena ordered.


    -WHOOSH!


    There were 6 Holy Knights with Priestess Helena and they all came to confront me. Though Priestess Helena herself stayed behind near the Nexus Scepter.


    The first Holy Knight charged at me with his sword raised high, but I swiftly sidestepped and countered with a powerful punch to the knight''s gut. The knight stumbled back, gasping for air.


    -GAK!


    Despite the two of us being in Rank-A, my speed was higher than his. And his moves were easily predictable which made it easier for me to counterattack.


    -CLANK!


    The second knight came at me from the side, but I saw himing and blocked his attack with my sword before delivering a swift kick to the knight''s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.


    If it was an individual fight, the two of them would have already been killed by me. However, I couldn''t take advantage of their situation because the other four knights were still there.


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    The third knight tried to take advantage of the situation and attacked when I was upied with the first two knights. Unfortunately. It didn''t take much time for me to take care of two of them. Otherwise, if I was still fighting with them and he attacked, I could not have responded.


    [ "Shadow sh" ]


    I canceled out his attack with my own. They were really good at taking advantage of the number and were attacking me one after another giving me no time to rest.


    However, I was not the one to just stand and keep on being attacked. After taking care of the third knight''s attack, I immediately switched from my defensive position to an attacking position.


    -WHOOSH!


    I quickly closed the distance and tried to take out the third knight with my sword. He tried to block my attack but was overpowered. He stumbled and I tried to finish the job.


    -CLANK!


    However, before I killed him, another Holy Knight came and saved him.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!


    The fourth Holy Knight did not stop at blocking my attack but continued to attack me with a series of quick strikes. But I dodged and weaved around them, moving with lightning-fast speed.


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    I must say that taking on Six Holy Knights was not very easy. Even if I had the upper hand in the fight, I couldn''t take them outpletely because other knights woulde and save them when they were about to be killed.


    However, I could still win. They were all Rank-A Holy Knights but individually they were weaker than Captain Zain.


    Their stats also don''t seem very high, though of course as Rank-A fighters they are strong. However,paratively, my stats were much higher than them. And don''t forget that Cryomancy Art is the highest level in this world.


    Compared to that, they were using standard level-4 Holy Art and their stats were also average for Rank-A.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    I attacked six of them at the same time. While they could easily block this attack, it did manage to buy me some time and disrupt their formation.


    -WHOOSH!


    I then quickly grabbed the closest knight''s arm and twisted it behind his back, causing the knight to cry out in pain.


    -SLASH!


    Before the others could help him, I quickly took him out.


    The fight continued, and I faced the remaining five Holy Knights. They were bing more nervous with each passing moment, but they refused to give up.


    The first knight charged at me again, but I was ready for him. I blocked the attack and quickly counterattacked. I delivered a swift punch to his jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground again.


    [ "Holy sh" ]


    The sixth knightunched a powerful strike at my midsection, but I was too fast for him, and I dodged the attack with a graceful spin. It seems, however, that he is using this move to surround me with hisrades and surround me with them.


    Other knights were all lined up for a simultaneous attack on me at the same time.


    [ "Ground Freeze" ]


    I immediately unleashed my Cryomancy Art and tried to freeze every one of them. However, with their powerful mana barrier, they managed toe out unscathed.


    However, I didn''t give them time to surround me again.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    I appeared behind the second knight. Not only did I manage to get out of the situation where I would be surrounded, but I would also be able to take out the second knight. Although he immediately detected my presence and turned around.


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    I struck him with a powerful strike. The knight tried to block the attack, but the force of the st knocked him off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground. He should be unable to get up anytime soon.


    Unless a healer helps him which luckily they did have. But Priestess Helena was staying out of the battle and even though she could help the knights who were injured, she didn''t dare enter the battlefield.


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    The fourth and third knights immediately pounced on me and tried to take me out with a sudden attack. However, I already expected an attack from them and reacted quickly.


    -WHOOSH!


    I quickly got out of the fight with the two of them. It was disadvantageous for me to be stuck with two of them. Only four of them are left now.


    The sixth and fourth knights were starting to look nervous now. Their confidence seemed to have shaken as their number was being reduced. But they refused to give up, and they came at me with a flurry of blows.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    I created walls of ice, blocking their attacks and buying myself a moment to catch my breath. Anyway, it also made it so that they couldn''t see my next move.


    As they tried to break through the ice wall, Iunched a surprise attack, striking them with a burst of freezing energy.


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    It seems that one sword is not enough to deal with so many strong enemies. On the one hand, was my usual sword and on another, I created sharp ice on my right hand which has a simr length as my sword.


    -CRACK!


    The Holy Knights burst open the Ice Wall and began making their way toward me.


    -CLANK! -SLASH! -SLASH! =CLANG!


    The fight between me and the four of themsted quite a bit. I will confront them and attack them whenever I can.


    However, they would always try to support them and try to make the fight four vs one. But I avoided fighting them at the same time.


    When the situation is bing four vs one, I quickly retreat or make some distractions. I still shed with them many times. I had injured them at the same time, but they also managed tond a few attacks which were negated by my Dark Ice armor.


    The four of them were starting to get slow, although I had also spent quite a bit of stamina and mana.


    However, because of my situation in the Tower Of Obelisk, I learned how to fight many enemies while limiting my stamina and mana. Moreover, I have the Mana Maniption skill which helps me to save mana.


    That''s why even though the situation looked disadvantageous to me, in reality, I was doing better than my enemy.


    [ "Shadow Cryo Bomb Generation: Activate" ]


    When the four of them seemed to have let down their guard, I activated the Shadow Cryo Bomb that I nted when I was fighting them.


    "Chance!''


    With that move, I managed to find a gap in their defense and make a surprise attack. The attack was devastating, freezing the fourth knight in his tracks with a hole in his chest. Usually, others would have saved him but they were trapped in the Shadow Ice, though soon after they got out.


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    [ "Holy sh" ]


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    The remaining three Holy Knights tried their best to quickly kill me. They panicked and were thinking of taking care of me quickly. Although rather than killing me, they were just depleting their mana quickly.


    I used the Dark Ice Wall to block their attack. Sometimes they would get past the barrier but I had my armor which protected me.


    After waiting for a bit more time, their mana soon became empty and I quickly took care of them.


    With all six Holy Knights defeated, I stood triumphant, my body slick with sweat and my breathing heavy.


    It would have been a lot easier if I used Dark Energy but I don''t want to use Dark Energy unless I want to. Even though my body can handle Dark Energy, it seems to affect my mind somewhat.


    Anyway, there is no need to reveal your Trump card when it is not needed.


    I walked to the Nexus Scepter. Priestess Helena stood there shivering with a wand in her hand.


    She seemed to be trying to prevent me from taking the artifact. Though I doubt she could or even had the determination to.


    I walked past her and held the Scepter in my hands.


    ( Should I destroy it? )


    It was undeniably a powerful artifact but the fact that it can only be used on humans means that this artifact will also be something that is always used against humans. If in the future, it falls into the wrong hands, it might cause more chaos.


    -SHIIIING!


    Before I could decide, something shone from the hands of Priestess Helena. I thought she was nning something or using an artifact to attack me but the next thing that appeared was a hologram of Cardinal Hildred.


    I widened my eyes in surprise.


    Not because of the image of Cardinal but because beside Carindal Hildred was Saintess Amelia tied up.

 Chapter 386: Cardinal Hildreds Grand Scheme!

    Prior to this incident!


    "Let me exin!"


    Zero said to Saintess and Adeline as he exined all the events that happened during the ceremony.


    "..."


    Cardinal Hildred was listening to all the conversations between Saintess and Zero.


    Adeline''s mind control was not healed even with Saintess'' healing. The only thing that made them believe that Adeline recovered was because Cardinal Hildred made it that way.


    There was one function of Nexus Scepter that Zero was unaware of. The reason for that was because, in the novel, not much is said about Nexus Scepter as it gets destroyed by Hiro after finding that it is disastrous for humanity. There was only information about the artifact being able to control the minds of people inrge numbers.


    Anyway, while Zero was aware of some of its functionality, he had not personally used the artifact so he didn''t know everything about it.


    So, the functionality that Cardinal Hildred made use of was advanced mind-control which enabled the user of Scepter to be able to control how the people that they had controlled would behave even if they were not directly ordered.


    It was different from simplemands like ordering to attack someone or asking them to stand guard.


    The orders were much moreplex but it took too much time to do that. In addition, the mana needed was also huge. So, she could do that to only a couple of people and one of them was unfortunately Adeline.


    Cardinal Hildred has controlled Adeline to the extent that she ordered Adeline to behave like usual but she was actually under her control all along. Adeline behaved as normal but she was mind-controlled andmanded to monitor Saintess.


    "Yes, ''Nexus Scepter'' is a Rank-S + artifact capable of controlling the mind of people in a certain radius. It uses a lot of mana, so many mana stones are needed to operate one. It makes use of Dark Energy, which is why those weak against or have no resistance to Dark Energy are easily mind-controlled." ¡­


    "How did this person know about this?"


    Cardinal Hildred muttered to herself. She was startled that Jester/Zero knew about the existence of the Nexus Scepter as well as its effects and what rank it was.


    She knew that the Nexus Scepter is something that had always been possessed by Devils and was at the hand of the Devil she serves. Its information was unknown to others except for some like herself.


    "Is he someone who is working for the Lord? No, if so he shouldn''t have interfered with my ns."


    "Then does he have someone working as a spy?"


    Cardinal Hildred thought about many possibilities but still couldn''t figure out how Jester got all the information about Nexus Scepter. She became more cautious and thought carefully about the n to take care of Saintess.


    "There is really no need. You should already know how strong I am!"


    Cardinal Hildred patiently listened to their conversation. Only when she heard that Zero was leaving did she stand up and order her men.


    "Gather with all the other guards! We will go and capture the Saintess."


    Cardinal Hildred ordered.


    "Yes!''


    Her personal guard replied and immediately followed hermand. He left the room to call the other Holy Knights.


    "As for Jester, let him search for the artifact. That way, there would be no one to protect the Saintess."


    She said to herself.


    Cardinal Hildred thought that moving the artifact would be counterintuitive to her n. If Zero was alerted and then went to help Saintess, then it would be harder to kill Saintess.


    So, she decided to keep the artifact where it is and go and capture Saintess first.


    Moreover, she thought that if there was indeed a spy among her subordinates then they might notify Zero if she were to move the artifact.


    So, she decided that the best way was for her to capture the Saintess as quickly as possible. Then she will take care of Zero next.


    As for the possibility of Zero destroying the artifact before she captured the Saintess, she knew it was impossible.


    Firstly, you have to find the hidden room for the artifact, which can be challenging. She thought that without information about the location, Jester would be stuck trying to locate the hidden room for hours.


    Secondly, even if Jester were to locate the location somewhat, there were guards who could buy her some time.


    Thirdly,pared to Jester who would need to take a lot of time before getting to the artifact, she had an easier time capturing Saintess. With Adeline giving all kinds of information, locating the house that Saintess is hiding was easy.


    Moreover, with all her guards, she believed that it would even take a few minutes to subdue her.


    Anyway, she immediately gathered all the Holy Guards that she called for. She gathered 5 Rank-A Holy Knights and two Rank-S Holy Knights who were working for her. They were not mind-controlled and were on her side from the beginning.


    By that time, Zero was already at the Cathedral scanning through the area and checking on the Holy Guard.


    Cardinal Hildred didn''t bother with Jester and quickly went towards the location of Saintess.


    She also kept Priestess Helena in the dark and didn''t tell her that Zero wasing to get the artifact. She just asked her to guard the artifact as usual with her guards. Despite being herrade for many years, Cardinal Hildred couldn''t even trust Priestess Helena.


    Anyway, for her, everything went smoothly. With Adeline, given her location, it was nothing difficult to locate Saintess.


    However, to avoid Saintess'' from running away, Cardinal Hildred slowly surrounded the house from all sides. So that, even if Saintess managed to escape the house, she couldn''t run away


    ******


    "Adeline, I''m so worried about him. Do you think he''ll be okay?" Saintess Amelia''s anxiety was evident, barely 20 minutes had passed since Zero set out on his mission. She couldn''t help but feel responsible for putting him in harm''s way.


    She regretted not running away when Zero had suggested it. But her conscience wouldn''t allow her to abandon those people who were being controlled by the artifact. She made the tough decision to stay and help them, which led to Zero being tasked with destroying the artifact.


    Now, Saintess Amelia was consumed with guilt. She couldn''t stop ming herself for the danger Zero was in. Her heart was heavy with the weight of her decision and she couldn''t shake off the feeling of responsibility.


    "..."


    Adeline stood and didn''t reply. She was unable to receive any new orders from Cardinal Hildred and just stood still.


    If Saintess Amelia was not anxious about Zero and observed Adeline carefully, she should have found that Adeline was behaving a little differently. However, because of the situation she was in, she couldn''t see that.


    "Should I go and help him? But he said that he could do that alone. Ahhh! I don''t know what to do."


    Saintess Amelia walked back and forth. She felt that she should go and help Zero but thinking about how she was only being saved by Zero, she thought she would be a burden. Moreover, Zero had already told her to stay there.


    -BANG!


    As she weighed her options, a sudden loud bang sound startled her. The door to the house had opened abruptly.


    "Hehe¡­ Saintess Amelia, how are you doing?"


    Cardinal Hildred entered with her S-Rank guards.

 Chapter 387: Cardinal Hildreds Grand Scheme! [2]

    "Hehe¡­ Saintess Amelia, how are you doing?"


    Cardinal Hildred said with a sarcastic tone.


    "Cardinal! How did you find us?"


    Saintess Amelia asked confusedly. However, she didn''t panic and was already thinking about how to get out of that situation. With her hand, she gestured for Adeline to run away.


    Saintess Amelia believed that Cardinal wouldn''t chase after Adeline even if she ran away as she knew that she was their primary target. Even if she couldn''t get out of this situation, she wants at least Adeline to survive.


    "Haha. You will know soon. Adeline!"


    -SLASH!


    As soon as Cardinal Hildredmanded, Adeline attacked Saintess Amelia. Adeline shed at Saintess'' back which prompted Saintess to fall to the ground. Without any protection, Saintess'' back was seriously injured.


    Amelia looked at Adeline in surprise. There was aplex emotion in her eyes and she couldn''t understand the situation for a moment.


    "Haha¡­ You didn''t expect that, did you?"


    Cardinal Hildred said as she came closer to Saintess Amelia.


    "Adeline had already betrayed you. She was working for me all along."


    Cardinal Hildred said. She was lying but she said it so that Saintess Amelia would be devastated. Her personal maid whom she had known for many years, betrayed her. Wouldn''t that crush Saintess Amelia''s heart?


    Cardinal Hilderd hoped for that oue. However, contrary to her expectations, Saintess Amelia didn''t react in the way that she expected.


    She just red at Cardinal Hildred.


    "Didn''t you hear me? Your maid Adeline, whom you consider your closest friend, has betrayed you."


    Cardinal Hildred said it again. This time, even louder.


    *SIGH!


    "Cardinal Hildred, you can stop lying. Do you think that I don''t know what you are doing? Even if I don''t, do you think I don''t about Adeline? She will never betray me. It must be rted to the artifact that you used to control everyone at the farewell ceremony."


    Saintess Amelia said firmly. She might have been confused when Adeline suddenly attacked her from behind. However, she never thought about Adeline having betrayed her.


    After some quick thinking, she knew that it might be rted to the Nexus Scepter.


    Cardinal Hildred''s face flushed red with anger as her lies were seen through instantly.


    "So what? You are still backstabbed because of your trust. It is because of your naivety that you are in this situation. You should have never been the Saintess."


    Cardinal Hildred said as she pulled Amelia''s hair back.


    "Humph! You will know what it means to cross me as well as that Jester."


    Cardinal Hildred continued. She let go of Saintess'' hair and ordered Adeline to carry her. Her hand was also handcuffed in a special handcuff which made using mana difficult.


    Saintess Amelia became worried as soon as Cardinal Hildred mentioned Zero. She knew that if Cardinal Hildred had controlled Adeline from the start then she would also know about Zero going to destroy the artifact.


    "Let him go! Aren''t I your target? He has nothing to do with me."


    Amelia eximed.


    "Humph! Never! Who told him to disrespect me? I could have spared him but not only did he insult me but also pped me. He has to pay the price for that."


    Cardinal Hildred said arrogantly. Even though she didn''t capture Zero, she acted like she did.


    Afterward, they returned to the cathedral with Saintess Amelia. Saintess was kept captive in Cardinal Hildred''s personal chamber.


    Cardinal Hildred then took out her orb tomunicate with Priestess Helena who was in the hidden room.


    ******


    Cardinal Hildred appeared on the Hologram with Saintess Amelia tied up with her hands behind her back. A more shocking scene was that Adeline was the one keeping a watch over Saintess.


    Zero could already guess the situation to a certain extent.


    ( I messed up! )


    He thought. He should have probably stuck to protecting Saintess himself. If he did, he thought that this wouldn''t have happened. Now the enemies have what they want and it was difficult for him to do anything.


    "Helena! Helena! Do you hear me?"


    The sound came from orb-like artifacts. Why Cardinal was using an artifact tomunicate was because phone signals were not working there as the barrier of Sanctum Aurea blocked that kind of signal. So, they had to use a special kind of artifact formunication.


    "C-Cardinal Hildred! H-Help me!"


    Priestess Helena said, shivering. With Zero before her, it was like a person being beside a tiger. If a tiger wanted to, he would easily kill the person next to him. She didn''t take her eyes off Zero as she was afraid that he might attack him.


    Priestess Helena couldn''t do anything but beg for help from Cardinal Hildred. Her fear was at its maximum as she personally witnessed Zero tearing through her guards like nothing.


    "Huh?"


    Cardinal Hildred noticed something different about Helena''s voice. Then only did Cardinal Hildred look at the hologram on the orb properly and notice Zero with the Nexus Scepter in his hands. She narrowed her eyes.


    She was surprised that Zero had managed to get his hands on the Scepter so quickly. Her expectation was that Zero would be wandering around the cathedral trying to locate the Scepter. But unexpectedly, Zero had already got his hands on the Scepter.


    However, she was not at all anxious about that. She already got Saintess with her and with that her mission wasplete.


    "I didn''t expect that you could find the artifact so quickly. However, even so, what? The Saintess'' life is already in my hands. If you don''t want her to die, bring the Scepter safely to me."


    Cardinal Hildred spoke with arrogance, fully aware of her advantage.


    Even if Zero destroyed the artifact and freed the Holy Knights and Church followers from her mind control, it woulde at the cost of the Saintess'' life.


    While the Nexus Scepter was precious, it had done its job of creating an opportunity to take Saintess'' life. So, if Zero didn''t bring the Nexus Scepter, then Cardinal Hildred was prepared to kill Saintess and escape from Sanctum Aurea.


    However, even if Zero did go and give the artifact back, there was no guarantee that Cardinal Hildred would spare the Saintess. More like if Zero surrendered, not only would the Cardinal have the Saintess'' life in her hands, but also all the people who have their minds controlled by the Cardinal.


    Looking at the bigger picture, Zero should destroy the Nexus Scepter which will save the lives of all the Holy Knights and other people.


    "... Fine! But you should keep your promise, otherwise, you will bear the consequences."


    Zero conceded to the Cardinal''s wish. If he looked at the bigger picture, he would have chosen to save thousands of lives at the cost of Saintess Amelia.


    However, as he had previously said, only the Saintess'' life mattered to him. Others were strangers to him and were of little importance to him. If he had to choose, he would choose the Saintess'' life over other people''s.


    Unlike other people, he owed Saintess for saving his life after all.


    "Helena, bring him to my chamber!"


    "Y-yes!"


    -SHING!


    The orb turned off and once again it was only the Priestess and Zero in the hidden room. Zero looked pretty pissed off and tightened his grip on the artifact.


    Priestess Helena looked at Zero warily. She agreed to Cardinal Hildred''s order immediately because of her natural response. However, at the moment she was regretting it.


    It was like telling her to escort an angry tiger who could easily shred her to pieces. Even though she had seen the hologram and knew that her side had won the fight, she was scared.


    Unlike Cardinal Hildred, she was not protected by a Rank-S guard and even if she did, she didn''t think that she would ever be arrogant in front of a person who could easily kill so many Rank-A Holy Knights.


    "T-This way, please!"


    Priestess Helena said in a small voice, almost like a whisper. She appeared very polite to the person who was her enemy.


    Zero didn''t say anything and just followed her.

 Chapter 388: Zero Captured!

    -THUD! -THUD!


    Priestess Helena was relieved that Zero/Jester didn''t attack her and was obediently following her. And she also just did what she was told which was to show Zero the way to Cardinal Hildred''s camber.


    She didn''t try to be arrogant and provoke Zero in any way. It doesn''t matter whether Saintess was captured or not as she was truly scared of Zero attacking her.


    She quickly led Zero to Cardinal Hildred''s chamber.


    "So you came!"


    Cardinal Hildred said with a smile. She slowly stood up from the throne-like chair. Saintess Amelia was kept at her side with Adeline''s sword at her neck.


    Zero red at Cardinal Hildred. However, Cardinal Hildred was not intimidated.


    "Give me the Nexus Scepter!"


    Cardinal Hildred ordered Zero.


    Zero looked at the artifact in his hand. He knew that the moment he gave away the Scepter, Cardinal would win and that she might even kill Saintess. His only advantage was having the Nexus Scepter which would be able to revert the minds of everyone who might help him to defeat Cardinal Hildered.


    However, his advantage was nothing in front of Cardinal Hildred''s advantage. She could kill Saintess before he could do anything and even with the help of others, Cardinal Hildred could easily escape with the help of her Rank-S bodyguards.


    "NO! Don''t give her the artifact!"


    Saintess Amelia who is tied up shouted. Her beautiful hair had be messy because of her blood and her body was pale due to the loss of blood. She seemed to be on the verge of copsing.


    She was getting weaker due to blood loss and her mana being sapped away. Even so, she managed to yell loudly at the moment.


    She knows what will happen if the Nexus Scepter is handed over to Cardinal Hildred. She would rather have her life taken away than others. Her eyes showed determination and a willingness to sacrifice herself.


    Adeline was directed to make the Saintess quiet by Cardinal Hildred.


    Adeline restrained Saintess Amelia''s movement and she was pinned down on the ground to stop making any sound.


    "Give me the Nexus Scepter or else I will kill her immediately."


    Cardinal Hildred threatened.


    "First promise me that you won''t kill her!"


    Zero said.


    "Humph! You are in no position to demand things from me. Just hand me the Nexus Scepter or else the Saintess will die."


    Cardinal Hildred said. Adeline pressed her sword against Saintess'' neck and blood bled out a little.


    Zero had no choice but to hand over the artifact.


    "Capture him!"


    However, Cardinal Hildred was not done with just being able to get back the Nexus Scepter. She ordered Rank-S Holy Knight to handcuff Zero.


    Zero didn''t resist as he knew that if he did, Cardinal Hildred would threaten him again with the Saintess'' life.


    He looked for the opportunity to save Saintess but failed. The problem was the two Rank-S Holy Knights who could react faster than him even if he used Shadow Dance. Second was Adeline who was close to Saintess and could take her life any time she wanted.


    If he did something wrong, then the Saintess might lose her life. In the end, he did nothing and, now that he was handcuffed, he lost the ability to resist. Despite his best efforts, he could barely circte his mana.


    Cardinal Hildred''s smile became wider.


    Finally, even the variables in her n were captured. She was truly unstoppable now.


    She got closer to Zero and kicked him in the face.


    -BANG!


    "Haha¡­ I thought that you would pose some problems for me. Who would have thought that you were naive just like the Saintess? Haha¡­"


    Cardinal Hildred eximed. Zero couldn''t resist and fell to the ground with blooding out of his mouth.


    Normally, Cardinal Hildred''s kick wouldn''t be able to do much damage to Zero but without mana, he was powerless and was very weak. Although his physical body was still stronger than many, he could resist the strength of the Cardinal who is Rank-A.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    "Haha¡­ Why aren''t you arrogant? Where did your arrogance vanish? Haha¡­ Take this!"


    -BANG!


    "ARGH!"


    Zero got more and more injured. He was as helpless as he could be.


    Cardinal Hildred continued to kick Zero, who was now lying on the ground, helpless. She even strengthened her attack with mana.


    The Saintess watched in horror as Zero was beaten and bloodied.


    ''NO! Stop! Please stop!"


    The Saintess Amelia screamed as she watched Cardinal Hildred beat Zero with her mana-enhanced kicks. Cardinal Hildred was so high from the excitement of getting revenge and didn''t hear the Saintess scream.


    Right now, her mind was filled with only torturing Zero. Her hatred simply stemmed from the fact that she was in a higher position than Zero and that he should have respected her. Although a little of her anger was also because of Zero ruining her n but most of her hatred came because of Zero not respecting her position.


    "Haha¡­ After I take care of you two, that old geezer will be next!"


    Cardinal Hildred dered. Her ultimate n was to control the church and she knew she could with the help of the Devils.


    Zero was helpless and could not do anything to defend himself. He was kicked and kicked until he was lying on the ground, barely conscious. However, despite being in pain, he didn''t beg nor did he show any kind of helplessness on his face.


    -BANG! -CLANK!


    !!!


    Cardinal Hildred used everything and kicked Zero on his face which forced the Morphic Mirror toe off and reveal his real face.


    Cardinal Hildred stopped in her tracks and was startled. So were Priestess Helena and Rank-S Holy Knights. They were more surprised than Cardinal Hildred.


    As someone who personally witnessed his ability upfront, they couldn''t believe that it was just a boy who seemed to be a teenager.


    Cardinal Hildred was startled to see Zero''s real face. She had also never seen him without the Morphic Mirror before.


    "T-This is the real Jester? Was he in disguise?"


    Cardinal Hildred said while turning her head towards Saintess Amelia. If there was one who might have an idea of who it could be, she believed that it was Saintess Amelia.


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia couldn''t pay attention to what the Cardinal was saying. She just looked at Zero''s face which was older than she remembered when he was brought by Mia in his injured state.


    His state was simr with all bodies full of injuries. Just that, this time she was helpless and couldn''t help him. Tears fell from her face as she continued to me herself.


    If only she had escaped and didn''t argue with Zero. If she hadn''t been so selfish, Zero wouldn''t be in this state, Saintess Amelia thought.


    "S-Sorry! This is all my f-fault! I am the one who put you in danger!"


    She said in a low voice. She was also losing energy and barely staying conscious.


    Saintess Amelia was filled with guilt as she watched Zero being beaten by Cardinal Hildred. She knew that it was her fault that Zero was in this situation. If she had just listened to him and escaped, he wouldn''t have been hurt.


    If she had not been adamant about saving everyone without having the ability to do so. She pushed everything on Zero and now because she was captured, Zero is getting beaten.


    "..."


    Cardinal Hildred got no answer from Saintess Amelia.


    "Humph! Anyway, it looks like I have got two treasures this time. The Lord will appreciate me more if I give him such a talented boy. My position will rise even further. Haha¡­"


    Cardinal Hildred didn''t know who Zero was but was happy that he was young.


    The reason was because Zero was a genius. Previously, she knew Zero was powerful and even tried to recruit him as a Holy Knight so that she could control him.


    However, she wouldn''t consider him a genius because of his age. There were many Holy Knights that were Rank-A at the same age as Jester. She just thought about adding him to her force.


    But now that his real face was revealed, she knew that she had hit a jackpot.


    Even without knowing Zero, she knew that he was very young. A person as young as Zero who managed to get Rank-A was a genius that anyone would envy.


    But she was not happy because she thought about recruiting him or anything. It was because of The Lord, the Rank-SS devil that she works for who likes to collect talented people.


    She didn''t know full well but knew that The Lord rewards those who capture and bring geniuses to him. And now that she had caught one of the greatest geniuses, she was sure that The Lord would be very pleased with her and give her more rewards.


    Moreover, she had also fulfilled her initial mission given by The Lord to capture the Saintess.


    "Haha¡­ I wanted to kill you just now, but you saved yourself."


    Cardinal Hildred happily said.


    "Helena, go bring me some mana stone."

 Chapter 389: Controlling Zero?

    "Helena, go bring me some mana stones!"manded Cardinal Hildred, her eyes fixed on Zero.


    "Understood!" Priestess Helena replied quickly, scurrying out to retrieve the precious mana stone.


    As soon as the stone was brought back, it was fed to the Nexus Scepter, which began to glow with renewed power.


    Cardinal Hildred then ced the artifact on Zero''s head.


    "Haha¡­ You had rejected me once, but you won''t be able to this time. Consider this your honor!"


    She dered triumphantly.


    Zero felt the dark energy coursing through his body and struggled to resist, even though he was normally able to control such effects. However, he was handcuffed which disrupted his control and Cardinal Hildred was using the artifact in close proximity, making it impossible to fight back.


    Cardinal Hildred pushed the power of the Nexus Scepter to its limits, determined to break Zero''s will and be her loyal ve. He felt his body and mind slipping away, and he knew he was in danger.


    ( Tch! )


    Zero tried to resist, but it was toote. Another consciousness seemed to take over, and he slowly lost consciousness.


    Cardinal Hildred and her followers waited eagerly, while Saintess Amelia watched in horror. She was powerless to stop what was happening. She was devastated and she had given up on any hope.


    "Haha¡­ Looks like everything is going well. Jester, stand up!"


    Cardinal Hildred happily ordered. She waited for Zero to obediently obey her order.


    "..."


    Time passed but there was no movement from Zero. Cardinal Hildred was as confused as everyone else.


    "Is his body in that bad shape? Or is it the handcuffs?"


    Cardinal Hildred wondered aloud, and then send a Rank-A Holy Knight to check on Zero''s physical state. After all, even if he was mind-controlled, if his body was broken, he wouldn''t be able to follow hermands.


    -CLANK!


    -BANG!


    But before the knight could even reach him, Zero suddenly burst forth with an explosion of Dark Energy, breaking the handcuffs effortlessly and sending the knight flying into the wall with a deafening crash.


    "KEKEKE¡­ THIS BOY IS TOO SOFT! GETTING HIS ASS KICKED BECAUSE OF SOME GIRL. HE SHOULD HAVE JUST KILLED EVERYONE!"


    Zero''s voice was chilling,ced with a terrifying murderous intent. Heughed like a psycho and with his body in a bloody mess, it fitted his image.


    !!!


    Everyone present was shocked and terrified. They had never seen such raw power before, and moreover, they realized that Zero was using Dark Energy.


    "What? How?"


    They whispered in disbelief, as Zero stood there, a dark aura surrounding him.


    Cardinal Hildred was at a loss for words. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Nexus Scepter had failed to control Zero''s mind, and he was now radiating with dark energy, a power that only Devil Contractors and Devils possessed.


    ( Is he someone sent by The Lord? Or someone working undercover like me? )


    She began to doubt whether he was on her side or not. Only Devils and Devil Contractors could use Dark Energy and they were servants of the Lord, so she thought that Zero might be the same as her.


    "Who exactly are you? Did The Lord send you here?"


    She asked, her voice trembling with fear. But Zero paid her no attention. He seemed to be talking to himself, lost in his own world.


    "You don''t mind if I kill everyone here, right?"


    He asked, his voice cold and menacing.


    ( ¡­ Whatever! They are just some insignificant characters. Do what you want. )


    Cardinal Hildred was startled by Zero''s deration. She wanted to know whether Zero was on her side or not but she was certain that Lord had not sent him. Even if he did, she was sure that he was a danger to her life.


    "Keke... Then let me show you how to do the job properly!" The Emperor Of Destruction eximed, his voice filled with an intense excitement that made the Cardinal''s blood run cold.


    With a look of horror on her face, the Cardinal watched as Zero''s eyes bore into hers with deadly killing intent. The Dark Energy around him surged and intensified, sending shivers down her spine as she realized the grave danger she was in.


    But instead of backing down, Cardinal Hildred resorted to threatening. "Stop! Don''t you care about Saintess'' life? You better stay down or else she will be killed!" she shouted, her voice trembling with fear.


    Adeline was ready to strike at Saintess'' throat. However, the person whose life is being threatened was not afraid nor was she paying attention to the knife below her neck. She looked at Zero in surprise.


    As a person who could see through people and their mana, Saintess had never seen Zero''s Dark mana so intense before. Even when Zero used dark energy, it was always mixed with his other elements.


    But this time, it was different. Saintess couldn''t detect any other elements, and she wasn''t even sure if it was the same Zero as before. His mana was vastly different from his usual mana, and if she hadn''t seen him change in front of her, she might have suspected that it was someone else in disguise.


    "YOU DARE THREATEN ME!"


    The Emperor Of Destruction growled, his voice dripping with menace and sending a cold shiver down Cardinal Hildred''s spine.


    She remembered the first time she met the Lord and how tiny she had felt in his presence. And now, she felt just as small and helpless in the presence of Zero. She was now certain that Zero was not working for The Lord at all. With this kind of strength, one wouldn''t work for another unless they were stronger than Rank-SS.


    Zero red at her with such fury that she felt like she might be ripped apart at any moment. If there was one thing that the Emperor Of Destruction hated, it was being threatened with the life of others.


    "Kill her immediately!"


    Cardinal Hildred yelled nervously. She knew that it was impossible to have Jester/Zero now. It also didn''t seem like threatening him with Saintess'' life would work.


    And with Zero showing a somewhat dangerous level of power, she knew that she might need to retreat. However, before that she had toplete one of the missions which was killing Saintess.


    Capturing Saintess would have been better but with the situation at hand, she didn''t think that was possible. So, her best move was to kill Saintess and escape.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Abyssal Riftde" ]


    The Emperor Of Destruction used a technique that seemingly broke reality into two. The people around Zero didn''t know what had happened but felt that something around them broke apart.


    And the next second you know, Zero disappeared from his initial position and reached where Adeline was.


    This left everyone bewildered.


    Even the two Rank-S Holy Knights didn''t have the time to react or felt that he moved at all. For others, they didn''t know what had happened at all.


    -BANG!


    In a millisecond, before Adeline even cut one millimeter of Saintess'' flesh, she was knocked out by Zero. Her sword fell out of her hand and she fell to the ground as well.


    *CRUSHED!


    Then he proceeded to break the handcuff allowing Saintess to regain her abilities.


    "Heal yourself!"


    Zero said almost as if ordering her to do so.


    Saintess'' Amelia stared at him surprised. She couldn''t process what was happening and nodded her head.


    "Kill them!"


    Cardinal Hildred ordered her men immediately. The two Rank-S Holy Knights and the other Rank-A Holy Knights immediately charged at Zero and Saintess.


    Zero didn''t even seem to see them as a threat. He just sneered and then proceeded to swing his sword with Dark Energy cloaking the sword.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    The Emperor Of Destruction unleashed a st of Dark Energy.


    All the Holy Knights stopped in their tracks and proceeded to protect themselves while the two Rank-S Holy Knights went to protect Cardinal Hildred.


    Cardinal Hildred looked startled and scared. Despite her arrogance, she was also someone who knew that there are people that you shouldn''t mess with, and in her mind, Zero was also one of them.


    Priestess Helena''s body was trembling hard and she couldn''t maintain her sanity. She also remembered the time when she had to meet with The Lord who is a Rank-SS Devil. It had be somewhat of a trauma and she couldn''t stop trembling.


    However, Priestess Helena''s instinct was quick to react. She quickly hid behind Cardinal Hildred as she knew that Rank-S Holy Knights would protect her.


    -BOOOOOOOOM!


    The sound of the st echoed through the Cathedral, shattering windows and knocking over walls. The force of the explosion was immense, and the ground shook beneath their feet.


    The two Rank-S Holy Knights used their powers to shield Cardinal Hildred and Priestess Helena from the brunt of the attack, but the other Holy Knights were not so lucky. They were thrown back by the force of the st, their bodies mming into walls and crumbling statues.


    Cardinal Hildred''s gaze locked onto Zero and the others. Her usual arrogance was reced with a deep-seated fear that caused her to tremble uncontrobly. In her terror, she fumbled the Nexus Scepter, dropping it to the ground with a loud tter.


    Before them stood the man responsible for the chaos, his body smeared with blood and gripping a sword tightly in his hand. The air around him crackled with a dark aura, making Zero appear as the very embodiment of destruction.


    The Emperor Of Destruction!

 Chapter 390: Massacre The Church

    As the smoke cleared, Cardinal Hildred looked around in horror. The once-beautiful Cathedral was now a scene of devastation, with rubble and debris strewn everywhere. The stained ss windowsy shattered on the ground, and the walls were ckened from the st.


    The bodies of the Holy Knightsy scattered throughout the Cathedral, their once-bright armor now dented and bloodstained.


    Cardinal Hildred couldn''t help but feel that at that moment, Zero was the epitome of destruction. A person who, in his wake, would devastate an entire country. She awakened something she should have never.


    The Holy Knights, who had been slowly standing up, were paralyzed by fear. They had never witnessed such power before, and they knew that they were no match for Zero.


    Zero turned to face them, his eyes filled with a cold, merciless killing intent.


    "You should have never crossed me," he said, his voice low and dangerous.


    Cardinal Hildred watched in horror and was a littlete in responding. However, she forced herself to regainposure as she looked at the situation carefully.


    The situation had totally stacked against her. The hostage that she had been threatening Zero was freed and she had to fight Zero who seemed stronger than Rank-S.


    But she was far from giving up. She assumed that Zero''s unexpected power was temporary and he would soon lose that power.


    "You can keep bluffing! You should''ve used most of your mana for that attack."


    Cardinal Hildred said. The more she thought, the more usible she thought it was.


    If he was already that strong, why didn''t he kill me during the ceremony and run away? Why sneak around if you are so powerful? There is only one answer. He can maintain this power for only a short period of time. Cardinal Hildred excitedly thought.


    She still believed that victory was in her hands. She still had her guards and the Nexus Scepter. She believed that she still had her advantage.


    "..."


    .


    Hearing no response from Zero, Cardinal Hildred thought that Zero was basically confirming what she had said.


    "Holy Knights! Attack him together!"


    Cardinal Hildredmanded.


    Rank-A Holy Knights hesitated for a moment. Even if what Cardinal Hildred said was right, they couldn''t forget what had just happened. An exhausted tiger was, at the end of the day, still a tiger.


    "Follow me!"


    However, one of the Rank-S Holy Knights led the attack. This reassured them as even if Zero were fired off the same attack, they believed that Rank-S Holy Knight should be able to protect them.


    Cardinal Hildred, despite thinking that Zero lost most of his power, was still scared. She didn''t dare stay without any protection from the Rank-S Holy Knight.


    Even so, she didn''t just stand by and watch the Holy Knights attack Zero. She picked up the Nexus Scepter and transmitted a message for all the Holy Knights and believers toe to where she was.


    "Charge!"


    The Rank¨CS Holy Knight yelled as he lunged forward to attack Zero. Rank-A Holy Knight also followed closely behind.


    Saintess Amelia who was healing herself looked nervously at the enemies charging toward them. Then she looked at Zero who didn''t seem to think much about the situation.


    She was worried but didn''t know what to say or do. The Zero in front of her was too different from the one she knew. Anyway, despite Zero unleashing Dark Energy that might have even surpassed what she felt during her childhood, she didn''t feel scared at all.


    Rather there was a sense of safety when being beside Zero even if his Dark Energy was ring like crazy.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero took action. He disappeared from sight and appeared before the Holy Knights.


    And the first one to notice that was the Rank-S Holy Knight that was leading the charge. It was because Zero appeared before him in that instant.


    He was startled but didn''t let that stop him. He quickly lifted his shield and tried to protect himself. He positioned himself to protect the swing from Zero''s sword which wasing from his left hand.


    -BANG!


    However, he was sent flying. Zero actually used his sword to distract the Rank-S Holy Knight and aimed to attack with his right hand all along.


    While Rank-S Holy Knight did manage to stay alive because Zero just used his hand. But that put him out of battle for a few seconds which was enough for Zero to reduce the number of enemies.


    Zero stared at the bunch of Rank-A Holy Knights who were shivering in fright.


    Just now, they thought that the Rank-S Holy Knight would protect them and the next second, they were too left to face the beast themselves.


    *GLUP!


    "Ahhhh!"


    One of the Rank-A Holy Knights lifted his sword and proceeded to swing his sword at Zero.


    -SLASH!


    But he suddenly stopped, leaving his fellow members confused as to why he had halted his attack.


    And the next second, his head was on the ground followed by his body.


    !!!


    Then only did others realize that their fellow Holy Knight was already dead. His head was already severed from his body. They couldn''t see nor sense any movement from Zero at all.


    Then only did they finally realize that they were of no match to Zero. They had no chance at all. If they couldn''t even see his movement, how could they defend or attack? It meant that the opponent far outssed them.


    "What are you doing? Attack him!"


    Cardinal Hildred ordered. She didn''t know why her guards were there just because one of the Holy Knights died. Even though she was surprised that Zero sent her Rank-S Holy Knights flying,


    She didn''t think much as the Rank-S Holy Knight was not very injured, showing that Zero indeed had lost the power that he showed earlier.


    "AHHHH!"


    One of the Holy Knights began running away. He was scared! As were the other Holy Knights who were standing still trembling.


    -SLASH!


    The one running away had his head severed as well. That movement was also something that they had failed to see through.


    -WHOOSH!


    They thought that they would be the next victim, but luckily the Rank-S Holy Knight managed toe back.


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    Rank-S Holy Knight didn''t hold anything back and poured his all into his attack.


    Zero also raised his sword which was enhanced by his Dark Energy.


    -CLANG!


    The sh of two powerful swords echoed through the cathedral, sending shockwaves in all directions. Other people could feel the intensity of the battle as they watched from a safe distance.


    The Holy Knight knew that their being there made no difference. They couldn''t do anything to help Rank-S Holy Knight.


    Zero''s sword shed with the Holy Knight''s, sending sparks flying in all directions. The force of the impact was so strong that it caused the Rank-A Holy Knight to stagger backward.


    -CLANNNNG!


    Rank-S Holy Knight gritted his teeth and pushed harder, pouring even more energy into his attack. However, Zero still stood, not moving an inch from his initial position.


    Rather than affecting Zero, it was the Holy Knight who was suffering because of Zero''s destructive energy.


    [ "Divine Strike" ]


    Once again, he tried to attack Zero from a different direction.


    -SLASH!


    Zero countered with a swift movement, deflecting the attack andnding a strike on the Holy Knight''s armor.


    The armor cracked under the force of the blow, and the Rank-S Holy Knight stumbled backward, his sword arm trembling with exertion.


    "What? How can he still be so strong?"


    Cardinal Hildred eximed in disbelief. She could also tell that Zero was easily winning against the Rank-S Holy Knight. Her previous assumption about Zero weakening was totally wrong.


    "Damn it! Where did this monstere from?"


    Cardinal Hildred cursed. Everything was going perfectly for her and now it was in ruin because of Zero.


    "Hey! You all! What are you doing? Attack him!"


    Cardinal Hildred yelled at the Rank-A Holy Knights. She knew that they couldn''t do anything to salvage the situation but she still insisted.


    The Rank-A Holy Knights looked at each other, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty. However, they knew that standing still would only get them killed.


    -SLASH!


    Just when they thought ofunching an attack, another Rank-A Holy Knight died.


    What are we thinking? Win against him? That is impossible! The Rank-A Holy Knight thought. They knew that they were going to die today.


    -SLASH!


    Within seconds, Zero killed the remaining Rank-A Holy Knights. The Rank-S Holy Knights who fought Zero only stood up after they were dead.


    "Haha¡­ "


    Then suddenly Cardinal Hildred beganughing hysterically. This confused Priestess Helena who was hiding in the corner without showing her face at all.


    ( Did the Cardinal finally lose it? Was the fear too much? )


    Priestess Helena thought but she did not think there was anything wrong. She was also so frightened that she was on the brink of pissing herself as well.


    Saintess Amelia, who had recovered from her injuries to a great extent, gazed at Cardinal Hildred with bewilderment. Then, she began to feel something ominous and then saw the mana signature of many people. She instantly alerted Zero.


    "Zero! She has led the entire Church here!"

 Chapter 391: Massacre The Church [2]

    "Zero! She has led the entire Church here!"


    Saintess Amelia warned.


    The sheer size of the enemy army was staggering, with over 50 Rank-A Holy Knights and countless lower-ranked ones, totaling nearly 300 soldiers. Normally, the numbers are even higher, however, many had left the Church to go with the Pope.


    Though still the number was very high. Almost 300 hundred or maybe more.


    "Haha¡­ You lose!"


    Cardinal Hildred eximed. Cardinal Hildred''s tauntingughter filled the room as she gloated over her supposed victory. She felt that she had finally regained the control that she lost.


    She had ordered everyone that she had controlled toe to the Cathedral. She was going to overwhelm Zero with numbers.


    Most were those people who are mind-controlled by Nexus Scepter while others were those who were on Cardinal side from the start.


    "So what if you are strong? In front of so many of us, you don''t stand a chance."


    Cardinal Hildred continued.


    "You have underestimated me too much!" Cardinal Hildred sneered. "You were so focused on fighting them that you didn''t even realize you were surrounded."


    Cardinal Hildred said.


    "The Church and their hypocrites. Even if the world changed, there would always be people like you who think that one can win with numbers."


    Zero said. There was no worry on his face. He waited casually for Cardinal Hildred and her army to make a move.


    "Attack!"


    Cardinal Hildred gave themand.


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    With Cardinal Hildred''smand, the army charged forward with thunderous footsteps, led by the fast and powerful Rank-A+ Holy Knights.


    Rank-A + Holy Knights were one of the strongest among the Holy Knights. Despite them being weak as they could not use Art and Skill due to the mind control, they still had the same stats as before their mind got controlled.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    But Zero was ready. With a swift and powerful strike, he unleashed his "Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption," cutting off the limbs of the five Holy Knights who had reached his attacking range.


    They had no time to react and before they knew anything, the attack got them.


    "So?"


    Zero said casually as he stood in the same position. There was no mercy from him as he brutally cut their limbs despite them being mind-controlled.


    "ARGH!"


    Only one of the Holy Knights whose legs were cut off screamed. Among the five of them, only he seemed to be the loyal dog of Cardinal Hildred. Others were all people who had their mind controlled by Nexus Scepter.


    !!!


    This disy of ruthless power frightened many of the Holy Knights who weren''t under the influence of the Nexus Scepter, but the controlled ones continued to attack without any regard for their own lives.


    They only had one thing to do and that was to listen to Cardinal Hildred''smand. It was advantageous for Cardinal Hildred who didn''t want the attack on Zero to stop.


    Cardinal Hildred was not too surprised as she had already seen the same scene before. She continued to order her men to attack Zero. She believed that sooner orter Zero would be weak and vulnerable.


    -SLASH! -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Zero didn''t care and cut up those who dared to attack him.


    Most people didn''t stand a chance against Zero and with them not being able to use their Art and Skill, they were basically just a moving target for Zero.


    It was especially true for those followers that were not even Holy Knights and specialized in healing and support spells.


    But Saintess Amelia could not bear to watch any longer. "P-Please, can you spare them?" she begged, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.


    She knew that Zero was only defending himself but she couldn''t bear to see innocent lives being taken.


    Earlier, she was scared that Zero would die because of the huge number of Holy Knights but unexpectedly, Zero took care of them easily. Now, she has to worry about the people who are brainwashed.


    "I-If you can, can you try to not kill them?"


    Saintess Amelia requested. She didn''t want to burden Zero after all that happened was her fault. But she also couldn''t just watch as Zero started killing innocent people as well.


    She couldn''t help it if Zero had to kill someone because of his life being in danger but those believers and Rank-B and below Holy knights posed no threat to Zero at all. She wants, if possible for Zero to spare them.


    Though of course, even if she was rejected, she would understand. She wants to Zero''s life a


    "..."


    Saintess Amelia looked at Zero, hoping for a positive response to her request. But instead of a clear answer, Zero just stared at her without saying a word.


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    Meanwhile, he continued to fend off the attackers with brutal efficiency, cutting them down one after another.


    "..."


    Zero didn''t immediately reject Saintess Amelia.


    ( Oh ya? Is The Emperor Of Destruction listening to a girl? )


    A voice asked amused.


    ( ¡­ )


    Zero/The Emperor Of Destruction didn''t reply to the voice in his head.


    ( But she really resembles that girl. She also seems to have the same personality. No wonder you are hesitating. )


    However the voice continued talking.


    "Stop reading other peoples'' memories!"


    The Emperor Of Destruction spoke in a disgruntled voice.


    ???


    This confused Saintess Amelia who was hoping for a positive response. She couldn''t understand what Zero meant by saying that.


    ( You know that it is not in my control. )


    -SLASH!


    Meanwhile, Zero continued to fight off the attackers, but this time it seemed like he was holding back his strength. The injuries inflicted on the attackers were less severe, as if Zero was trying not to kill them.


    ( She might be this word version of her just like you and me. )


    ( ¡­ )


    -WHOOSH!


    -CLANK!


    Finally the Rank-S Holy Knight who Zero had previously beat had recovered and once again came to battle him.


    -CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANG!


    At the same time, other people had also taken this opportunity to attack Zero. Because Zero was upied with S-Rank Holy Knights, they were fairly safe. However, that was Rank-A and Rank-B + people.


    Weaker people were swept away from the force of their sh. They were not even allowed to stay close to them.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    "This is getting annoying!"


    Zero disgruntled as he red at the S-Rank Holy Knight. There were also all other people who had been attacking him which made the situation irritating. Though they were hardly doing any damage to him, it was bing annoying for him to defend.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    He increased his power and forced the Rank-S Holy Knight to back away a bit. Then he proceeded to increase his power even more. He channeled Dark Energy into the sword even more.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction"]


    A destructive sh wasunched. Compared to Extermination st, the attack was not impressive in size at all. However, it was several times stronger than the Extermination st.


    At first it looked as if he was aiming the attack at the Rank-S Holy Knight and other people surrounding him. However, when he fired off, the direction of the attack was heading toward Cardinal Hildred.


    !!!


    The Cardinal was obviously startled. She thought that she would be safe as there was quite a distance between herself and Zero.


    However, at hoc, Zero attacked her.


    "Quick!"


    She ordered other people toe and shield her. But with the speed of the attack, they could hardly have time to be there.


    Even so, Cardinal Hildred was not very powerless as she still had Rank-S holy Knight guarding her.


    The Rank-S Holy Knight stood before Cardinal Hildred and readied his shield. He was ready to block anything thates his way.


    [ "Holy Shield!" ]


    Knowing the danger, the Rank-S Holy Knight pulled off his strongest defensive skill. He poured all the mana he could to manifest a giant shield protecting him and the Cardinal.


    -BANG!


    His shield took on the full force of Zero''s attack. It felt like the Rank-S holy knight had managed to stop Zero''s sh but the power had not decreased at all.


    The Rank-S Holy Knight poured in even more mana, in order to block the attack.


    -SWIISH!


    Zero''s attack was not the one to halt easily. It continued despite shing with the Rank-S Holy Knights strongest defensive skill.


    "AAAAAHHHH!"


    The Rank-S Holy Knight screamed as he tried to fend off the attack. He poured even more mana. The shield became even bigger.


    *CRACK!


    There was a sound of something breaking. However, the Giant Shield manifested by the Rank-S Holy Knight was still there and with no cracks.


    *CRACK! *CRACK!


    However, the sound continued.


    *CRACK!


    It was not the sound of shield breaking rather the sound of the Rank-S holy knight''s bones breaking. The force of the sh was too powerful and his body was mmed into the ground.


    "AAAAAHHHH!"


    Even so, he persisted. He persisted as his life was on the line. Sweat was dripping like rain and he could not feel his hand and leg.


    -SLASH!


    However, despite his best effort, it was of no use. His shield was split in two as was his body. Then Zero''s sh made its way toward the terrified Cardinal Hildred.

 Chapter 392: Massacre The Church [3]

    The Rank-S Holy Knight, which is one of the strongest, was killed immediately. He tried his best to protect himself but in the end, got himself killed.


    Not only that, Zero''s attack made its way toward Cardinal Hildred. Cardinal Hildred was terrified but she didn''t stand still. She believed that Zero''s attack should have been weakened as a result of Rank-S Holy Knight.


    [ "Holy Protection" ]


    Cardinal Hildred conjured a strong barrier. She tried to protect herself with some defensive skills and there was also a Nexus Scepter which made her stronger. She channeled all her mana into it and tried to desperately protect herself.


    -BANG! *CRACK!


    Her barrier was broken immediately by the attack, and it was time for her body.


    She used a Nexus Scepter to block the attack. The Nexus Scepter was a Rank-S + artifact, made with rare material. It was better than many defensive artifacts.


    *CRACK!


    However, the artifact had also begun breaking. s, Nexus Scepter, though durable, was not meant to be used as a shield. It couldn''t break easily but that didn''t mean that it wouldn''t.


    *CRACK! -BANG!


    Nexus Scepter, which is a Rank-S + artifact, one of the rarest artifacts shattered into pieces.


    As a result of the defense of the Rank-S Holy Knight and Nexus Scepter, Cardinal Hildred was fortunate that Zero''s attack intensity had decreased considerably.


    -SLASH!


    So, it only managed to cut her abdomen. Otherwise, her fate would have been the same as the Rank-S Holy Knight whose body was cut in half.


    "ARGHHH!..."


    Cardinal Hildred screamed in pain. She immediately used her healing spell but the destructive energy from Zero''s attack refused to be healed easily. She groaned in pain and anger.


    Zero red at her.


    He achieved what he wanted. From the moment he decided to attack Cardinal Hildred, his aim was to undo mind control. It didn''t matter whether the Nexus Scepter broke or if it was Cardinal Hildred who got destroyed by his attack.


    The result would be what he desired, which was to free every one of their mind-control.


    Cardinal Hildred''s subordinates immediately came to help the Cardinal. They immediately started healing Cardinal Hildred.


    Cardinal Hildred red at Zero in hatred. She had lost everything. Everything she had built up had been destroyed. Her n was going perfectly but he ruined her.


    She wanted to kill Zero more than anything else. Though that was just wishful thinking as she couldn''t even stand up right now.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    All the people who Cardinal Hildred controlled had copsed. With the Nexus Scepter destroyed, they were now free from its effects. They were unconscious but very much alive.


    "He should also wake up soon! Let''s wrap up here!"


    Zero said to himself.


    Now there were only a couple of people standing against him. They were people who sided with Cardinal Hildred from the start without having their mind-controlled.


    The strongest was the Rank-S Holy Knight who had been fighting with him from the start. There were also 2 Rank-A Holy Knights, though they were not much of a threat. And many lower-ranked Holy Knights and followers which Zero didn''t care about at all.


    Only the Rank-S Holy Knight could do something to Zero. And he was also not looking to be in great shape with the constant beating he took.


    "AGH! Dammit!"


    Cardinal Hildred slowly got up with the help of her followers. Her injuries were healed with their help. She was angry and her hatred just kept on increasing.


    "Don''t be happy yet! I have not lost yet!"


    Cardinal Hildred said as she red at Zero. Her allies looked at her confusedly. If there was any time to surrender, then it was now. They had already lost many people from their side and had no more Trump cards.


    They were afraid to confront Zero and were even thinking about surrendering. And they also thought that Cardinal Hildred might surrender. After all, they had lost everything.


    Surrendering was much better than dying.


    -SWISH!


    Cardinal Hildred took out a potion of some kind. It was ck and emitted sinister energy. It radiated energy simr to that of Rank-S Devils.


    Zero kept looking at her direction but he didn''t make a move. He seems to want to see what Cardinal is nning before killing her.


    On the other hand, Saintess Amelia was busy looking after the people that had copsed. They were all the people that were caught up in the fight between her and the Cardinal. She felt sorry as she knew that they didn''t choose to fight on their own.


    She started to heal those severely. Among them were people who had attacked Zero.


    -GLUP! -GLUP!


    Cardinal Hildred drank the potion quickly. Her mana aura quickly rose and it seemed that her rank had also increased from B to A. But not only was her rank changed, but her mana also turned from Holy Mana to Dark Mana.


    "Haha¡­ I should have done this sooner!"


    Cardinal Hildred eximed. She felt her strength increase by several times. She was ecstatic by the power that she got. She felt like she could take anyone she likes.


    "But this is not enough! I need more!"


    The Cardinal stated as she looked at each and every person around her. Her followers shivered in fright. They didn''t know why but they felt some kind of danger from the Cardinal.


    *GRAB!


    Cardinal Hildred grabbed the nearest person to her. And she seemed to have absorbed her mana and life energy.


    "AAAAAHHHHH! Please spare me! I am on your side!"


    The person screamed and begged for her life. However, Cardinal Hildred wasn''t affected by that. All she cared about was the power that she was getting. Her mana was increasing and she was bing increasingly powerful.


    -THUD!


    She then threw the body which was lifeless. She dried up like all her blood was sucked.


    "You don''t mind either, don''t you?"


    Cardinal Hildred asked as she eyed her allies.


    "Run away!"


    Their immediate reaction was to flee. They didn''t waste a second thinking about sacrificing themselves to the Cardinal.


    -WHOOSH!


    Cardinal Hildred immediately caught up with them and absorbed their life energy and mana. They couldn''t resist at all as they were much weaker than the Cardinal. Her Mana aura rose further and it seemed to have broken through to Rank-S -.


    Her final target was also the Rank-S Holy Knights who had been fighting for her since earlier. But now, he also was just one of the foods that the Cardinal wanted to consume.


    The Rank-S Holy Knight was much stronger than others but he had be weaker because of his fight with Zero. On the other hand, Cardinal Hildred was powerful and her mana was at full capacity.


    It didn''t take long for her to even suck up all the mana and life energy from the Rank-S Holly Knight. And her power increased further, breaking into Rank-S from Rank-S -.


    "Hahahahaha¡­ "


    It seemed that she had lost her mind with the increase in her strength. She then began to re at Zero. She was finally going to fight with her enemy. She didn''t forget the humiliation and all the things that Zero had done to her.


    "I will kill-"


    Cardinal Hildred was about to say that she will kill Zero and make her move. But even before she could finish the sentence, Zero appeared above her and then he mmed her face on the ground.


    -BANG!


    As Cardinal Hildred''s head mmed into the ground, a shockwave of energy rippled out, causing the ground to shake and dust to fly everywhere. For a moment, everything went silent. The person shouting all the time had her face eat the ground.


    Cardinal Hildred tried to lift her head up.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    Then Zero grabbed her hair and then mmed her head into the ground again and again. Her face was distorted by pain. But with the power of the potion, she recovered quickly.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    Zero increased his power and continued to m her face on the ground until even her recovery power couldn''t keep up with the damage.


    Cardinal Hildred was angry and she tried to resist but was powerless. She tried to use her power but before Zero''s power, her power was nothing.


    After a while, Zero stopped mming her head.


    "Y-You!"


    Cardinal Hildred angrily yelled. She tried to get up again.


    -BANG!


    Zero, not wanting to listen to her nonsense, again mmed her head into the ground.


    Cardinal Hildred groaned in pain and tried to get up, but Zero had already pinned her head down with his foot. He looked down at her with a cold gaze.


    "You''re done!" he said, his voice low and menacing.


    Cardinal Hildred snarled and struggled, but she couldn''t break free from Zero. She thought that she had be stronger and more powerful enough to defeat Zero. Who knew that the power that she thought was invincible was broken in no time?


    Her power was useless. She had no one to support her. She had lost.


    "What are you going to do with me?" she spat out, her voice filled with venom.


    Zero didn''t answer.

 Chapter 393: Endless Despair!

    "What are you going to do with me?" she spat out, her voice filled with venom.


    Zero didn''t answer.


    Cardinal Hildred, who had already lost her mind, seemed to have also lost the sense of fear. She didn''t fear and she only had destruction in mind.


    Even if her head was bleeding or she lost a limb, she wouldn''t care.


    Zero looked at Cardinal coldly. He put his hands on her face and then muttered.


    [ "Endless Despair" ]


    Endless Despair, a skill that creates a constant stream of nightmare-like illusions or visions that the target is unable to escape from. These illusions would be tailored to the individual fears and vulnerabilities of each target, making them particrly effective at sapping their will to fight.


    Using their fears and showing them hundreds of times would mentally break them. A perfect skill when wanting to exact revenge on others. Even if the target wants to kill themselves, they can''t as it is just an illusion.


    A torture that one couldn''t escape. Truly an endless despair!


    Even the devil had something to fear. Even if one had forgotten their fear, this skill would let them remember it. The only w of this skill was that it was a mental skill and needed to be in contact with the target for a period of time to activate.


    "ARGHHHHH!"


    Immediately Cardinal Hildred began screaming in fright. In a second, tens and hundreds of nightmares were shown to Cardinal Hildred repeatedly. In spite of Zero''s inability to control what he showed to her, the skills automatically showed them pictures of their worst nightmares.


    "ARGHHHHH!"


    Cardinal Hildred could only scream in fear. She couldn''t resist and she didn''t even know whether what she was seeing was real or fake. From her perspective, everything happening to her was real and she didn''t know that she was trapped in an illusion.


    And she couldn''t get out of the illusion either. She was powerless and helpless. No matter what she did, the nightmare would continue again and again.


    Tears dripped from Cardinal Hildred''s face. However, Zero didn''t stop and continued using the skill on her. Only after she was mentally broken did Zero stop.


    "Looks like time is up!"


    The Emperor Of Destruction muttered as he felt Zero''s consciousnessing back. He also didn''t fight back the consciousness.


    Before that, he nced at Saintess Amelia who was helping people. He looked at her feeling kind of nostalgic. He gave a rare smile, as if relieved of something, then closed his eyes.


    "ARGH!"


    Zero opened his eyes. He then looked at the surroundings and was startled.


    Thest thing he remembered was being captured by Cardinal Hildred in the Cathedral. And the next thing he saw was the Cathedral being destroyed.


    There were also many bodies lying around. He scratched his head as if something was missing. But no matter how much he tried to remember, he didn''t remember anything other than getting beaten by the Cardinal.


    "Just what happened?"


    He muttered in confusion. His body was hurt but his condition was much better than when he was handcuffed.


    He looked around searching for someone who can fill in some information about what transpired.


    He saw Saintess Amelia helping around. He immediately approached her and asked, "What happened?"


    ???


    Saintess Amelia looked at him in confusion.


    ( What happened? Isn''t that what you did? )


    She wanted to say that. However, with her eyes, she saw that Zero''s mana seemed to have reverted back to normal. She didn''t fully understand what was happening with him but she exined to Zero about the event that had happened.


    "What?"


    Zero eximed. He had no idea whatsoever of what had happened. However, he knew that Saintess Amelia wouldn''t lie to him. Moreover, he could already guess what might have happened.


    ( Looking at things done, The Emperor Of Destruction might have taken over my consciousness. )


    Zero thought. After having lost himself to the Nexus Scepter power, Zero thought that his consciousness might have been controlled by The Emperor Of Destruction.


    There was also the possibility of the Earth-self having taken over his body but looking at how things were handled, he was certain that it would have been The Emperor Of Destruction. Only he could have such control over the Dark Energy.


    Even so, the scale of destruction doesn''t match what he was capable of. If Zero remembers right, then most of the Church people should be dead by now. However, they were not, which meant that he spared them.


    ( Why? I mean it is good that he didn''t kill all the innocent people but why did he spare them? Was it really him? )


    Zero thought in confusion.


    "So what happened to you? You seemed to have lost yourself or something there."


    Saintess Amelia asked. She looked at him strangely though not with hatred.


    "I''ll exinter!"


    Zero said.


    He could not really tell her the truth and it was not like he knew what really happened. So, he decided toe up with somethingter. Moreover, this was really not the time to talk as some people seemed to be dying.


    Although with the help of the Saintess, they were getting better.


    -THUD! -THUD!


    Zero looked at the rumble trying to search for something.


    "Oh, I finally found it!"


    Zero took out the Morphic Mirror from the rumble. He was searching for the Morphic Mirror as he needed to change his appearance before others woke up.


    However, looking at the appearance of the artifact, he didn''t think it was usable. It was already quite damaged when Cardinal Hildred hit it and it seems to have taken more damage when Zero fought with the enemies.


    Zero felt it was a pity as the artifact was very helpful but didn''t think much about it.


    Zero reached into his Spatial Ring and pulled out a small, intricately crafted mask. The mask was made of a deep blue metal, with intricate silver designs etched into its surface. The eye holes were narrow and nted, giving the impression of a fierce, almost predatory gaze.


    It was the Rank-A Mask crafted by an elder dwarf. It has good endurance while also hiding the appearance of the wearer.


    Zero wore the mask. Even though he couldn''t change his appearance, he could at least hide his identity with this mask. Although he looks quite shady but with Saintess Amelia exining, he could easily hide his identity.


    Moreover, with the enemies gone, he didn''t think that he would need to be around Saintess much longer. He needed to find out what was happening to him.


    Anyway, before that he still needs to make sure that the danger around Saintess Amelia is gone. He slowly approached Cardinal Hildred.


    Her appearance had drastically changed from what he remembered and she was also giving off Dark Energy. And it seemed that she was not only broken physically but mentally also.


    "Hey!"


    Zero called her. However, she didn''t respond. He lifted her head and tried to check whether she was even alive.


    ( She is still breathing! However, her condition- )


    "Looks like asking her would be out of question!"


    Zero thought it was a pity. However, not so much as he had an alternative. He nced at the side where one woman was lying on the ground, trying to hide herself.


    "Priestess Helena!"


    Zero called out. Luckily for him, Priestess Helena who had been helping Cardinal Hildred from the start had survived.


    "Eh!"


    Priestess Helena was startled. It was clear that she was afraid of Zero so much that she didn''t even think about running away from him. She just shivered and quietlyy on the ground.


    "..."


    ( Now this is awkward! )


    Zero thought. He looked like a bully who likes to beat women. If someone were to see the scene, they would call The Authorities about women''s abuse.


    "Don''t be scared! I will not do anything as long as you answer some questions."


    Priestess Helena slowly lifted her head and looked at Zero. She clearly remembered his face from minutes ago, where he was ughtering people left and right. His killing intent was so intense that she didn''t dare look at his face.


    Though Zero didn''t have that same aura, she was still scared. Even so, she couldn''t dare ignore him as she was scared of losing her life in the process.


    Priestess Helena nodded her head.


    "Good! Answer all my questions honestly otherwise, you will end up in the same situation as the Cardinal!"


    Zero said. Even if she looked pitiful, Zero didn''t forget who his enemies were.


    Priestess Helena looked at Cardinal Hildred in horror before nodding her head.


    She had seen what had happened to Cardinal Hildred though she didn''t understand the situation clearly.


    She had seen Zero grab Cardinal Hildred''s face before Cardinal Hildred started screaming like crazy. After a minute or so, she seemed to have lost her mind and also all her energy. She couldn''t even scream and she looked like she had aged to 100 years old.


    If possible, she didn''t want to end up like her at all.


    After she agreed, Zero immediately went down for business and asked,


    "So, who are you working for?"

 Chapter 394: The One Called The Lord

    "So, who are you working for?"


    Zero directly asked about the mastermind behind all this mess.


    "... The Lord! I don''t know what his real name is but this is what other Devils call him."


    Priestess Helena answered.


    Zero was in deep thought. He couldn''t remember anyone with that name. He knew the name of most of the Devils who are strong due to the knowledge from the novel but he had not seen anyone with a name or nickname of The Lord.


    It meant that Hiro and the others never fought with him. It was possible that he had already been defeated by the time Hiro and the others encountered the devils, or perhaps he would appearter in the story.


    "Can you tell me about his appearance? Or maybe something that could give me an idea of his identity."


    Zero asked.


    Priestess Helena shook her head, fear visible in her eyes. "No, I don''t know anything. He emanated an aura of death that made it impossible for me to even look at him."


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Zero pondered over the vague description, but it didn''t yield any useful insights. The only thing that was clear was that The Lord was a Rank-SS devil. He was potentially one of the enemies that he believed he would need to face in the future.


    However, currently he stands no chance against such an entity. He would be lucky to even be able to escape from such an opponent, not to mention defeat.


    "Why did you work for him? Power? Status? Or did he promise anything else?"


    Zero asked.


    "Wrong!!!"


    Priestess Helena answered in a loud voice. It seems like she felt wronged by Zero.


    "It was all because I wanted to live! I just wanted to live so I did what he asked."


    Priestess Helena continued.


    "The Lord promised many things and provided resources. However, all I wanted was to live in peace."


    Priestess Helena answered.


    "However, I could not refuse and Cardinal Hildred had already agreed to his proposal. She wanted to make use of his assistance to be head of the Church. She was blinded by greed."


    Priestess Helena said. She was scared of The Lord, but on the other hand, Cardinal Hildred thought that it was an opportunity given to her to finally be Pope.


    She nced at her body which was neither dead nor alive. Maybe this is the retribution for betraying everyone, Priestess Helena thought.


    "Hmmm¡­ How did you even meet this Lord?"


    Zero asked. Just listening to her story, it was certain that Priestess Helena and Cardinal Hildred were not the ones searching for them. Rather at one point, they seemed to have been threatened by the so-called The Lord.


    Priestess Helena slowly began to tell the story.


    It all began with the selection of a Saintess candidate. The previous Saintess was reaching her limit and was soon to die. Before that, the next Saintess was to be selected and trained by the current Saintess.


    Then began the hunt for the Saintess Candidate, of which one was Priestess Helena. Priestess Helena was found by Cardinal Hildred and obedient to Cardinal Hildred. Cardinal Hildred hoped that Helena would get selected by the Saintess.


    She would gain much more influence if she had a future Saintess who is on her team.


    However, there was a strong candidate from another camp who was Amelia. Her capabilities were greater than Helena and other candidates and she was often praised by the Saintess herself.


    Unless something happened, it was certain that Amelia was going to be chosen.


    However, that was something that Cardinal Hildred couldn''t stand.


    Therefore, she devised a n! A n for Helena to get recognized by the Saintess and the Church. It was for Helena to create a legend or something that would point to her as the reincarnation of the goddess herself.


    To do that, Cardinal Hildred decided to have Helena kill a Rank-S Devil. Yes, a Rank-S Devil!


    However, it was all going to be fake. She was going to make use of Rank-S Holy Knights and beat the Devil to death and then have young Helena give the final blow. And she was going to capture all this in ''Eye of Wyvern'' which captures images of all that it sees just like an advanced camera.


    With this evidence, Cardinal Hildred wanted to push the idea that Helena was talented and better suited for the Saintess role.


    However, all that changed when they went to hunt for the Devil. They obviously didn''t go to the Devil''s Domain but went to the monster territory which was unexplored.


    This is a territory where you can meet all kinds of species. Be it elves, dwarfs, or devils. It didn''t belong to any domain and was dominated by monsters.


    They were going there to try their luck! Find a Rank-S Devil, beat him up, and have Helena kill it.


    It was a rather bad n but Cardinal Hildred decided to follow it anyway. Along with a team of elite Holy Knights, they entered Monster territory.


    Helena met one horrifying creature after another. She was young and the weakest member of the team. However, she had no choice as Cardinal Hildred dragged her from one ce to another for months.


    They met quite a lot of Devils but they were weak and not something which would help with their ns. Even so, she didn''t leave them alone and killed them all.


    This was a mistake!


    Having so many of their Devils dead, the Devils became alert. They knew something was going on in Monster Territory. After finding out the cause, they sent a much stronger Devils team after them.


    Cardinal Hildred and their team stood no chance as the Devils had multiple Rank-S Devils. The Rank-S Holy Knight that they had trusted stood no chance against them and was killed easily.


    However, rather than getting killed, Cardinal Hildred and others were captured and taken away. And that was when Cardinal Hildred and Helena met this Lord. However, Helena, who was terrified, had her head down on the ground and didn''t dare lift it up.


    The Lord offered salvation to them on themand that they had to give them the Saintess dead or alive. With such demand, Helena knew that bing Saintess was not good as she would end up dead in the future.


    While she was thinking about surviving, Cardinal was thinking about all the benefits that she would get. She didn''t care whether she was betraying the Church or humanity. All she cared about was the power and status that she would get after fulfilling the Lord''s order.


    They were escorted back by the Devils. And the incident was covered up as the Monsters ambushed them and only she and Cardinal Hildred survived. Others were deemed useless, so they killed everyone except them.


    By the time they managed toe back, the next Saintess was already announced. It was candidate Amelia who was going to be the next Saintess.


    The opposite camp who supported Amelia to be the Saintess took advantage of Cardinal Hildred being absent and managed to push Amelia as the number one candidate. In addition, the final decision was because Amelia was much more talented than all the other candidates, so there was not much resistance.


    Cardinal Hildred didn''t like that her rival team managed to get what they wanted. But thinking about the new backing she got, she wasn''t much against Amelia bing Saintess.


    Then Amelia began training under the Saintess. At the time, Cardinal Hildred devised all kinds of ns to have the Saintess given to the Devils and obtain all the Church power.


    She shared all the information she knew with the Devils.


    When Saintess Amelia was training and was sent to Monster Territory to fight with Devils, Cardinal Hilderd leaked information that prompted them to send Rank-S Devils. Luckily, before the Devil got to her, she was saved.


    Then Saintess Amelia was guarded heavily after that incident. And she was rarely allowed to go outside. The Church feared that the same thing might happen, so they did everything to protect her.


    Now that Saintess Amelia was protected. Cardinal Hildred began targeting the other people in her rival''s camp.


    She slowly began utilizing devils'' support to kill one after another, and fully eradicated the camp that supported Saintess Amelia in the next 5 years. Besides the Pope, Cardinal Hildred became the most influential person in The Church and Priestess Helena helped her with that.


    Then not much happened for the next few years, and all Cardinal Hildred had to do was give information about the Church and all that is happening in the human domain.


    Then the war between Devils and humans started. That was when The Lord sent an order to kill the Saintess.


    However, since the Pope and all the people were there to protect the Saintess, she couldn''t make her move.


    That''s when Lord Aamon, one of the strongest devils came with the n to lure the Saintess out. All the Cardinal had to do was have the Saintess join the war and then give her location to the assassins.


    And the rest was all that Zero knew!

 Chapter 395: After The Chaos

    "I had to listen to Cardinal Hildred or else I would have also ended up dead like all the others."


    Priestess Helena said.


    Listening to Priestess Helena, it was certain that she was just someone who got dragged into everything by circumstances. That is if she was telling the truth.


    One could even sympathize with Priestess Helena as her situation was really not good. A girl who didn''t know anything got dragged into one of the biggest conspiracies and she tried to stay alive by just listening to Cardinal Hildred.


    Even so, Zero didn''t have time to feel pity for her. She was one of the unfortunate and she was one the luckiest as she had at least managed to stay alive. Rather than pitying someone, Zero had to concentrate on the new information that he obtained.


    He didn''t think that Cardinal Hildred was in cahoots with the Devils for so long. If so, the information that the Devils got from her wouldn''t be small.


    Cardinal Hildred was fairly in a high position and had ess to much sensitive information. If so, it was certain that Devils had ess to those information.


    Moreover, ording to Priestess Helena, it also seemed that the reason behind many of the high-ranking people from the Church disappearing was all her responsibility.


    ( Anyway, The Lord should be a scheming person. )


    He had someone spy on The Church and even have her kill Saintess. Even so, he never showed himself. Moreover, from the fact that such a Devil was not mentioned in the novel, Zero was sure that he was someone who would just stay back and have others do his job.


    He was very cautious despite being very strong. A coward one might say or you could call him smart.


    Anyway, such people were difficult to deal with. They would never show themselves until the end.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Just when he was in deep thought, Saintess Amelia began healing his body.


    "Saintess Amelia!"


    He was startled by her.


    "Stay still. I will heal you."


    Amelia said.


    "I am okay. You should heal other people first."


    Zero said. While his body was not in great condition, he could manage it.


    "I have healed most of the priests. They will help others. Now just stay still and let me do my job."


    Amelia insisted, her voice trembling with emotion as she reached out to touch Zero''s wounds. Amelia considers this wound to be all her fault.


    Zero could only give up and let Saintess heal him. He looked around to see that many people had regained their consciousness and even started helping others.


    Zero sat there and started to recover with the help of Saintess Amelia''s healing skills. His pain was gradually decreasing.


    "Zero, thank you! Thank you!"


    Amelia said, her voice filled with overwhelming gratitude and relief.


    Tears streamed down her face as she thought about the danger Zero had to face, and how he had risked everything to keep them safe.


    Amelia reached out and took Zero''s hand, holding it tightly as she looked into his eyes with deep gratitude.


    "Thank you, Zero! You have given us all a second chance at life, and I will never forget the sacrifice you made for us," she said, her voice filled with sincerity and reverence.


    Others might not know, but she knew the full truth about Zero''s sacrifices. How much he had to suffer because of her. It was to the point that she knew that he could have been controlled by Cardinal Hildred.


    Amelia''s gratitude and emotion made Zero feel uneasy, as he wasn''t used to receiving such heartfelt thanks. He quickly tried to downy his actions, not wanting to be in this situation any longer.


    "It''s fine, Saintess Amelia," he said, trying to ease the tension. "As I said, I owe you one. Take it as me paying you back for saving my life before."


    He hoped that his words would be enough to shift the focus away from himself, but Amelia wasn''t about to let it go so easily. She looked at him with sincere appreciation, unwilling to let him off the hook so easily.


    "Zero, what you did today was more than just paying me back. You risked your life to save us all. You are a true hero," she said, her voice filled with conviction.


    Zero felt a sense of embarrassment wash over him as he heard her words. He didn''t consider himself to be a hero.


    ( This title should be given to someone like Hiro! )


    Zero thought. He didn''t think of himself as a hero nor did he want to be one. The title was reserved for someone like Hiro, who had a selfless spirit and a natural inclination to help others in need.


    If it wasn''t for his life being saved by Saintess Amelia, Zero doubted whether he would have taken the risk to save her. Unlike Hiro, who would have gone to the aid of anyone in trouble without hesitation, Zero didn''t have the same innate heroism.


    But he knew that Amelia''s words came from the heart, and he couldn''t help but feel somewhat happy to hear her say that.


    As they sat in silence, Amelia couldn''t help but steal nces at Zero every so often. But every time Zero caught her looking, she would quickly avert her gaze and pretend she hadn''t been staring.


    Zero couldn''t help but feel confused by Saintess Amelia''s behavior. He even began to wonder if there was something on his face that was causing her to act so strangely.


    Desperately, he reached up and wiped his hand across his face, hoping to remove whatever it was that was causing Amelia to act so oddly. But to his disappointment, he found nothing.


    Zero couldn''t understand Amelia''s behavior. He wondered if she was still worried about him or if there was something else on her mind.


    ( Maybe she is still in shock finding found out about Cardinal Hildred and others betraying the Church. )


    Zero thought.


    He thought that perhaps Amelia was still processing the news and trying toe to terms with the fact that those she had trusted and looked up to had turned out to be traitors. It was understandable that she might be a bit distracted and distant as a result.


    Zero decided to give her some space and not push the issue any further. He believed that she would be normal after some time.


    But anyway, he didn''t think assuming things were good and for rification decided to ask her directly.


    "Saintess Amelia, is everything alright?" he asked, breaking the silence.


    Amelia looked up at him.


    "Yes, everything is alright!"


    Zero didn''t believe that as she was obviously acting weird. But he didn''t say anything as he thought that they were not close enough for her to share her problem with him.


    Saintess Amelia nced at Zero again and couldn''t contain herself any longer. She turned to Zero and asked, her voice fraught with emotion, "Zero, you said that Mia is just your teacher right?"


    ???


    Zero was confused as to why she brought this up now.


    Zero nodded. "Yes, she is just my teacher. Why do you ask?"


    Amelia hesitated for a moment before speaking. "It''s just that... I thought maybe there was something more between you two. The way Mia cared for you seemed more than what a teacher would for a student. I thought that maybe you two are dating or something."


    Zero was startled by what Saintess Amelia said. Then he quickly calmed down and answered.


    "No, there''s nothing like that between us. Professor Mia is a very kind and caring teacher. She may mean more to me than just a teacher, but we are definitely not dating. How could someone like her ever be interested in someone like me?"


    Zero''s words were tinged with a mixture of sadness and self-deprecation, as he couldn''t help but feel inferior whenpared to the stunningly beautiful and aplished Professor Mia.


    He didn''t think of himself as very ugly but he was talking about that whenpared to the most beautiful women in the world. Despite having somewhat good looks, he totally looked like an NPC when ced near Professor Mia.


    Amelia nodded, seeming relieved. She even appeared a little happy.


    "I see. I''m sorry for assuming things."


    "It''s alright," Zero said, smiling. He didn''t think much about what she said and only thought that she was worried about Professor Mia just like when he first met her.


    They fell into afortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Zero couldn''t help but think about Professor Mia after Saintess Amelia mentioned her. Last time, he didn''t have the opportunity to talk to her but maybe he thought that he should talk to her.


    He got a headache thinking about the exnation that he might need toe up with after being gone for 2 years. Meanwhile, Amelia seemed lost in her own happy and excited thoughts, oblivious to the pain and turmoil that Zero was going through.


    After a while, Amelia stood up. "I should go check on the others. Thank you again for everything, Zero."


    "Anytime," Zero said, nodding in acknowledgment.


    He just sat there and looked at the destruction that had been brought about by the conflict between Cardinal Hildred and him.

 Chapter 396: Spying On Zero!

    Zero sat there for a while longer, lost in thought.


    Many things have happened and many things will happen in the future. The battle with Cardinal Hildred was just the beginning of the conflict between him and the Devils. He still had to take care of the mastermind.


    There were many things that he needed to do. However, right now, he decided to forget all those things and take the time to rest.


    Being worried was going to yield no result. Anyway, one of the problems was solved and he believed that Saintess Amelia would be safe, at least from The Church.


    Nothing could be said about the Devils as they would surely send assassins to kill Saintess Amelia. However, they would surely have a harder time killing Saintess Amelia as their spy had been killed.


    Even so, for the time being, Zero believes that The Lord who had lost his connection with Cardinal Hildred wouldn''t be impulsive to send someone to kill Saintess Amelia. He would first take the time to gather information and then he might send an assassin.


    As far as Zero knew about his personality, he thought that was what was going to happen. In that case, Saintess Amelia should be safe for now.


    "ARGH!"


    "Where am I?"


    "What happened here? Where is the Cathedral?" ¡­


    People were regaining their consciousness and they looked in shock at the state that their once beautiful Cathedral is in.


    Many even thought that they were still dreaming or something. But the reality was that the cathedral was destroyed to the point that it was unrecognizable. Not only that, many people were injured and some were even killed. Though the ones killed were all the traitors, they didn''t know that and thought some unknown enemy attacked them.


    They just thought that something had happened to them and at that time, many people were killed.


    Despite that, they were asked to help by other people who were currently helping other people who were still unconscious.


    Saintess Amelia seemed to have the greatest authority at the moment and she led the people. She worked hard to heal people who were seriously injured while alsomanding other people.


    Without her, it was certain that there would have been chaos. But with her in charge, others continue to do what they are told to without much argument.


    Zero nced at Priestess Helena and Cardinal Hildred. He has been keeping an eye on them, though there doesn''t seem to be resistance from them.


    Priestess Helena didn''t do anything and just kept staying where she was. It seems that she didn''t have any thoughts about escaping at all. As the person who remained a puppet for all her life, she didn''t have much choice but to stay as a prisoner or to do as she was told by someone.


    Even if she escaped, she had nowhere to go. As for going to The Devil''s Domain, she would be even more dead there than here. With Cathedral Hildred dead and their betrayal is known, she was useless to The Lord.


    She would only be killed if she went there.


    As for Cardinal Hildred, it didn''t seem like she would be able to do anything in the state she was in. It would be even a miracle if she could stand.


    Having rested, Zero stood up and went to help others. Anyway, he didn''t have anything to do for now.


    Unbeknownst to Zero and Saintess Amelia, they were being watched the entire time. The group of Devil Contractors who had been defeated by Zero had been using an undetectable drone-like artifact to spy on them from a distance.


    They had been sent by Rank-SS Devil Aamon to obtain information about Jester/Zero. They had no problem being able to infiltrate the Church with the help of information from Cardinal Hildred.


    Though they were afraid of Zero and stayed as far as possible from him. They used artifacts to collect information and refrain from going near Zero, in case he detected them.


    After having seen Zero ughter Rank-A Devil Contractors, this group of Devil Contractors had no courage to even be in one km radius of Zero. They maintained at least a distance of 2 km and used artifacts to monitor Zero.


    As they watched the two of them, one of the followers spoke up. "What should we do, Leader? Should we attack them now?"


    He was a very greedy person and thought It was a good opportunity for him.


    Both Zero and Saintess Amelia were in a weak state and they might be able to defeat them easily. If they do that, they would not only be able to obtain the reward for killing Saintess but also for killing Zero.


    The Leader watched the drone''s feed intently, a sly grin spreading across his face. It was indeed an opportunity but then he shook his head.


    "No!"


    He firmly rejected his idea.


    Although he was eager to avenge his previous defeat and get rewards, he rejected the idea of attacking Zero. He knew that Zero was extremely powerful and feared that they would end up dead like Cardinal Hildred.


    He had seen the limitless power that Zero had shown. As a matter of fact, he even thought Zero might even be on their side, but Zero mercilessly killed Cardinal Hildred and protected Saintess leaving no doubt that he was their enemy. He feared that he would need to face the same power.


    Even if he was 10x stronger, he didn''t think that he would even be capable of hurting Zero who had unleashed his Dark Energy.


    The other Devil Contractors nodded in agreement, their eyes glued to the artifact''s feed. They had been following Zero''s movements for days now, collecting all kinds of information about him.


    But what they got today changed all the information that they had. They had for the first time seen the real face of Jester.


    Now, all the information that they collected about Jester was useless. All the information that they managed to collect for weeks was all about Jester who is one of the Dark Guild members.


    But earlier, they managed to get the information that Jester/Zero was just in disguise. They captured the image of his real face.


    They need to collect the information about the boy that they saw after his face was revealed and discard the information about Jester.


    Anyway, their mission was not to kill Saintess or Zero. They thought it was better for them to concentrate on their job which is to collect information and give it to Lord Aamon.


    "Let''s collect information about him and give it to Lord Aamon. Honestly, I don''t want to mess with this monster."


    One of them said. He said what many of them wanted to say. Even if rewards were good, they need to first have the ability toplete the task. And he for one was scared to even think about going against Zero even if he was extremely weak.


    Many agreed with him. The rewards were great for killing the Saintess but nothing was more important than their life.


    Although the greedy Devil Contractor had something to say, seeing many Devil Contractors already disagreed with his idea, So he gave up.


    "We should leave now! We got the information that we needed."


    The leader said. He didn''t think he would get more information about Zero. And there was also a risk of exposing themselves to Zero if they decided to stay any longer.


    Other Devil Contractors nodded to the Leader''s decision.


    They got a lot of information about Zero and now they just need to research and find more information about Zero. And then give that information to Lord Aamon. As for how to deal with Zero, that was for Lord Aamon to decide.


    Let a monster deal with another monster!


    They thought. Zero was as much of a monster as they thought Lord Aamon was. They didn''t know who would win in a fight, nor were they interested in finding out.


    -WHOOSH!


    They retreated! They knew that they would be found out if they continued to hide there. With all the Holy Knights regaining consciousness and Zero present, they would be killed if they were to be found out.


    Moreover, they already got what they wanted. They discovered the secret of Zero''s identity and it would be enough to satisfy Lord Aamon.


    "..."


    Zero gazed up at the sky, a deep sense of unease gnawing at his gut. It was as if a sinister force was lurking above him, waiting to strike. He scanned his surroundings, but nothing seemed out of ce. Yet, the feeling of impending doom persisted, making his heart race with fear.


    ( Maybe I am thinking too much? )


    Zero thought. With how cautious he had been for the past few days, he thought that it was affecting his mentality. He needed to learn to rx.


    He chose to ignore the unease in his heart and continued helping Saintess Amelia.

 Chapter 397: Rebuilding The Sanctum Aurea

    Zero worked tirelessly alongside Saintess Amelia and the other volunteers to help with the cleanup and reconstruction efforts. The destruction caused by the battle with Cardinal Hildred had left the once-beautiful cathedral in ruins, with debris and rubble scattered everywhere.


    Saintess Amelia worked tirelessly to help those in need, organizing relief efforts and providing healing to those in need. Her efforts earned her the respect and admiration of the people, who looked up to her as a beacon of hope in their darkest hour.


    If not for Saintess, they knew that they would be in chaos. Luckily, Saintess Amelia showed amicable leadership in this situation.


    As for Zero, he continued to assist with the relief efforts, using his skills to help rebuild the damaged buildings and infrastructure.


    In the days that followed, the city slowly began to recover from the devastation. Buildings were rebuilt, people were given shelter and basic services were restored.


    Despite the daunting task ahead of them, Zero felt a sense of satisfaction in helping those in need.


    After the situation was under control, Saintess Amelia gathered all the people and decided to exin what had happened.


    Most of them had no idea what happened and even though they were curious, with their fellow people dying, they had to concentrate on saving them instead of asking questions.


    Now with all the people saved, there was one question lingering in all of their minds, "What the hell happened?"


    As far as memory goes, all they could remember was attending the ceremony for the dead who died protecting the saintess. And when they woke up, the number of people killed just increased. They didn''t know the culprit or the reason why they didn''t remember anything.


    Saintess Amelia also didn''t want to dy any longer as she could see confusion in their eyes. It was better to exin and ease their tension.


    "During the ceremony of death, many of us had fallen to the effect of the artifact called Nexus Scepter which controlled our minds. It is the reason why you don''t remember what happened after that event."


    Saintess Amelia said.


    "T-This-"


    "Is this why I don''t remember what happened that day?"


    "Dammit! How could we? What were the guards doing? Letting the enemies in!"


    "Who was the one to control our minds? Is this destruction caused by us? B-by any chance, did we kill our own people?" ¡­


    Saintess Amelia''s answer only caused more chaos among the people. Their doubt began to grow and some were even afraid that they had killed those Holy Knights that Zero had killed previously.


    More importantly, they wanted to know the person behind the mind control. Who is their enemy and did they already deal with him?


    Many questions remained to be answered and they waited for Saintess Amelia to give them the answer. Only she was the one who knew all the answers to their questions.


    "The culprit has already been taken care of. You don''t need to worry about being mind-controlled again as the artifact is destroyed."


    Saintess Amelia continued. She did try to tell everything but kept some things hidden like the betrayal of Cardinal Hildred and others.


    It was to keep the people from panicking and also because the thought of getting betrayed by someone so prominent would not be good for the Church.


    Anyway, Saintess Amelia decided to discuss this issue with the Pope first, before deciding whether to reveal it to others or not.


    "It is with the utmost reverence that I must bring to your attention that Sir Jester, without any hesitation or regard for his own safety, ced his life on the line in order to ensure our survival. I implore you to consider expressing your sincerest gratitude to him for his heroic actions."


    Saintess Amelia said while pointing towards where Zero was sitting. She didn''t forget to mention Zero who had saved them all.


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The words spoken by the Saintess were met with resounding agreement from the rest of the crowd, who were already in the process of expressing their appreciation for Sir Jester. The cheers and apuse grew louder and more enthusiastic as they recognized the bravery and selflessness that he had disyed in the face of danger.


    "Thank you, Sir Jester!" someone yelled from the back, while others echoed simr sentiments. "We owe you our lives!" and "You''re a hero!"


    They already knew that Sir Jester was strong but being able to handle things that even Rank-S Holy Knight failed, their evaluation of Jester increased. They already had a good impression of Jester because of him saving Saintess and other Holy Knights, now that only increased because of him saving their lives.


    Not only that, but Zero was also helping everyone with clearing rumbles and saving people for the past few days. Their impression of Zero only got better and better.


    Zero was bowing in acknowledgment of the crowd''s apuse. He did not enjoy being the center of attention.


    "The cathedral is destroyed but luckily most of us are alive. Nothing matters more than our lives. We can rebuild any building we have lost. The Pope is also on his way back."


    Saintess Amelia said.


    She was able to contact the Pope and she shared what happened here. She didn''t know how the Pope reacted to the story but after waiting for a while for the Pope''s reply, the Pope said that he woulde back as soon as possible.


    Anyway, Saintess Amelia said that the danger had been taken care of. Only the aftermath of the destruction was left. But it seems that the Pope is very concerned about what happened there so he decided toe back quickly.


    He seemed quite shaken by the fact that Cardinal Hildred had betrayed them.


    The Pope''s voice trembled with a mix of anger and grief as he spoke, "I can''t fathom that Cardinal Hildred would have been betraying our Church for so long. How could she do such a heinous thing? After all the trust we ced in her, all the power we bestowed upon her, this is how she repays us? It''s unforgivable."


    The Pope had known Cardinal Hildred longer than anyone else. He had always taught her when they were younger and he was not a Pope.


    "I am responsible for all these deaths! All these innocent lives were lost because of my blindness! How could I have been so foolish? How could I have let this happen?"


    Saintess Amelia wanted to say something but she didn''t know what to say. Even she was shocked and felt betrayed when she found out about Cardinal Hildred''s betrayal, not to mention Pope who had known Cardinal Hildred for years.


    "I have sinned! I have failed the Church and all those who trusted in me. How can I ever make amends for the blood on my hands?"


    Hemented his ability to manage the Church which caused many innocent deaths.


    "Saintess Amelia, I cannot express the depth of my gratitude towards your friend for the aid he provided us in our darkest hour of need. The debt I owe him shall forever be etched into my very being, never to be forgotten or overlooked. The bravery and selflessness he disyed on that day have left an indelible mark on my heart, and I shall forever remember him as a hero in my eyes."


    The Pope said. The weight of his failure was crushing, and he struggled to find a way forward. But in his heart, he knew that he could not give up. He had to find a way to make things right, to redeem himself in the eyes of those he had failed to.


    Their conversation ended.


    *SIGH!


    Saintess Amelia was relieved that the Pope and others wereing back. With them, it would be easy to ease the uneasiness that people were feeling.


    People were also feeling quite relieved to hear that the Pope wasing back. With him and the Holy Knights, they would be much safer.


    "Let''s endure for a few more days. I assure you that everything will be alright!"


    Saintess Amelia ended her talk with these words. She knew that right now, the situation for Sanctum Aurea was not looking good. But it was improving and soon it would recover to what it was.


    People went back to their shelters. Everyone was deep thinking and was worried about their future. They believed, however, that the Saintess and Pope would get everything sorted out.


    "Jester!" Saintess Amelia called out to Zero, her voice tense with worry. Her heart raced as she tried to express her thoughts, but before she could form aplete sentence, a deafening explosion interrupted her.


    -BANG!


    The sound echoed through the air, startling both of them. They both assumed it was the work of their enemies and quickly sprang into action, ready to face whatever dangery ahead.


    However, contrary to what they thought, the person who caused such a loud noise was someone that both of them knew well.


    "Zero! Amelia! Is everything alright?"


    Mia Frostine arrived!

 Chapter 398: Mia Frostine & Amelia

    In the days leading up to Zero''s showdown with Cardinal Hildred, Professor Mia, Hiro, and theirrades were bustling with activity. They had been hailed as heroes for their valiant efforts in repelling the Dark Guild''s assault, and Mia had gained particr notoriety for her defeat of the formidable Rank-S member, Frey.


    Frey had once been regarded as one of the most talented women at the Arcane Academy, where she had held a prestigious teaching position. Yet her true identity as a member of the Dark Guild had been uncovered, and Mia''s victory over her only reinforced her own reputation as the Ice Enchantress.


    The revtion of Frey''s treachery had sparked an investigation into the Arcane Academy, prompting many to question how such a figure could have been harbored within its walls. Though the authorities had issued warnings, little else was done, as it was discovered that many of the Dark Guild members who had been in held influential positions within high-profile organizations.


    Punishing the Arcane Academy for Frey''s actions would mean punishing other powerful guilds and jeopardizing their ongoing war against the Devils. Though the authorities were eager to take action, they had to consider their own employees, some of whom were also secretly aligned with the Dark Guild.


    Frey, one of the Dark Guild''s strongest members, was defeated by Professor Mia alone, without any assistance. This was a remarkable feat.


    Furthermore, Professor Mia continued to support others while relentlessly pursuing the Dark Guild, making a significant contribution to its extermination.


    There were also others who had defeated simr opponents as Frey, but it was with the help of others and they were not as popr as Professor Mia. And the media likes to cover only those news stories that will sell to the public.


    Although there was some news talking about their feat, none was talked about as much as Professor Mia''s feat. The only one that came close to media coverage of Professor Mia was Hiro and others being able to defeat many Rank-A Dark Guild members.


    Many people would envy the fame that Professor Mia was getting. But Professor Mia was burdened by the constant interviews and reporters following her. It was amon urrence for her, but it still bothered her deeply. She also wants to have some kind of privacy.


    Moreover, she was also concerned about Zero''s whereabouts but was too upied to search for him.


    Last time, she didn''t stop Zero as she knew that forcing Zero to stay would be counterintuitive to what she wanted. However, that didn''t mean that she was not curious about what his objective was and where he was heading.


    The relief of knowing he was safe was immense, but she couldn''t shake her curiosity about his actions.


    If possible she would like to help him. However, she also has her own set of responsibilities. And one of them was to ensure that her students or former students were safe. It was not enough to just check on them but to keep protecting them as they were injured and there were high chances of being attacked again.


    "I will see you again. Then you will have to reveal everything you''ve been up to," Professor Mia muttered to herself with intense determination.


    At that time, another big news broke out.


    The beloved Saintess Amelia had been viciously attacked by a horde of ruthless Devil Contractors! This devastating revtion was the third most significant piece of news to hit the town, after Professor Mia and Hiro''s incredible aplishments. The only other event to top it was the unspeakable terror of the Devil''s Invasion of our very own Human Domain.


    Mia Frostine, being a close friend of Saintess Amelia obviously became worried about Saintess Amelia. Even though she was reported to be okay, Professor Mia called her to make sure that she was okay.


    -RING! -RING!


    The phone rang and rang, until finally, a voice answered, and Mia let out a sigh of relief.


    "Hello?"


    "Amelia, thank goodness you''re okay," Mia eximed with a quiver in her voice.


    "Yes, I''m alright!" Amelia replied.


    The news of Saintess Amelia being attacked hade inte. By the time Professor Mia heard about it, Amelia had already returned to Sanctum Aurea.


    Amelia considered reaching out to Professor Mia to ease her worries, but her mind was preupied with Cardinal Hildred''s summons and the preparation for the Ceremony to honor the fallen Holy Knights who protected her.


    Anyway, Amelia felt guilty for having worried Professor Mia. But then she thought about Zero.


    Inparison to how much Zero had caused Professor Mia to worry, she didn''t think she had caused much worry for Professor Mia.


    "Who attacked you?"


    Mia asked. Her voice obviously was filled with rage. Even if her friend was alright, it didn''t mean that she forgave those who attacked her. She asked in order to make sure that if she met or got a chance, she wouldn''t show mercy to them.


    Amelia could sense the fury in her friend''s tone and knew that Mia was not someone to be trifled with. She replied, "It was Devil Contractors, but don''t worry, most of them have been killed."


    Mia''s anger did not subside, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I''m d that you''re safe, Amelia. If you need anything, just let me know. I''ll be there for you."


    Amelia appreciated Mia''s offer of support and replied, "Thank you, Mia. I''ll definitely reach out if I need anything."


    "Wow, I''m astonished that your group managed to take down those Devil Contractors. Looks like they seriously underestimated your strength."


    Mia remarked with surprise. The first rule of any sessful ambush is to gather intelligence and only strike when certain of victory.


    Moreover, considering the history of how Devils spared no effort to eliminate Saintesses, it''s remarkable that Amelia seeded in surviving their assassination.


    "Actually, we were in an extremely dangerous situation. I could have been killed if it wasn''t for the bravery of a certain gentleman who saved our lives."


    Amelia exined, holding back the fact that Zero was the one who rescued them. She respected his decision to conceal his identity and believed it was up to him to reveal himself. Even though Saintess Amelia knew that Professor Mia was worried about Zero for the past two years, she made sure to prioritize Zero''s intention first.


    She believes that Zero had some kind of intention for hiding his identity, in addition to being missing for the past two years. As her savior, the least she could do was respect Zero''s choice.


    Unbeknownst to Amelia, Mia was already aware that Zero had returned and also that he was in disguise. However, Mia also chose not to reveal this to Saintess Amelia.


    Mia''s eyes widened in surprise as she heard Amelia''s words. "A gentleman saved your lives? Who was he?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.


    Amelia exined the summary of what had happened. But she didn''t reveal that the one to save her was Zero.


    "And then the rest of the Devil Contractors were easily taken care of with his support."


    Mia''s concern was palpable as she spoke. "But how did he know you were in danger? It seems too convenient, Amelia. Are you sure you can trust him?" She was grateful for the stranger''s intervention, but the details of the rescue made her uneasy.


    The Saintess had been traveling on a remote path, rarely used by anyone else. For someone to appear at just the right moment to save her seemed almost too perfect. Mia couldn''t help but wonder if there was something more sinister at y.


    Amelia almostughed at Mia''s words. If Mia knew that it was Zero, Amelia knew that she would have never said those words. Zero was one of the people that Mia trusted most and Amelia knew that.


    Mia Frostine being skeptical about Zero seemed to be one of the biggest jokes that she heard. But she was well aware that it was only because Mia didn''t know that Zero was the one to save her.


    "Please don''t worry," Saintess Amelia said, trying to sound reassuring. "I''m sure that if you ever meet him, you''lle to trust him just as I have. He is a good person, and I''m in a safe ce too, so there''s no need for concern."


    Mia was still concerned but didn''t press further as it would seem rude. He/Zero indeed saved Saintess Amelia''s life, and it would be inconsiderate of her if she asked her friend to be wary of her savior.


    The conversation came to an end after some casual chatter. They talked about mundane topics like their daily routines and recent activities, just like any regr individual would.


    However, if anyone were to overhear their conversation without knowing their true identities, they would never guess that they were far from normal girls.


    They exchanged their farewells. As soon as the call was over, Mia''s heart was filled with concern for Amelia. She knew that she had to visit her friend soon.

 Chapter 399: Mia Frostine & Amelia [2]

    After speaking with Amelia, Mia felt relieved, and knowing that Amelia was at Sanctum Aurea eased her worries.


    However, she was still skeptical of the person who saved Amelia. But she believes that he could not do anything to Amelia as The Church has many strong people.


    But then a few dayster, another shocking video had her worrying about her endless.


    She had been going through TwitFlick in her free time and she came across one short clip. It seems that the clip was gaining poprity rapidly.


    It was a short clip of Dark Explosion that seemed to have been caught on camera and shared by the owner on TwitFlick.


    What concerned her even before the video began was that the location of the Dark Explosion was Sanctum Aurea, where Amelia was residing. The video thumbnail depicted a destroyed cathedral and its surroundings.


    "What? Is it Sanctum Aurea?"


    Mia was taken aback when she saw the thumbnail of the video. Having visited Sanctum Aurea numerous times, she could not mistake the ce for any other. She scrutinized the image closely to confirm its location.


    "Yes, this is indeed Sanctum Aurea. Don''t tell me something happened to Amelia!"


    Mia thought to herself.


    She was certain that the video that had been trending on TwitFlick was shot at Sanctum Aurea. And the first thing on her mind was Amelia who was staying there.


    She clicked on the video, hoping that it wasn''t actually Sanctum Aurea, or that she had made a mistake. Anyway, she believed that she would know more after watching the video.


    The clip began with breathtaking shots of the forest and surrounding nature. It appeared to have been filmed using a drone, or possibly by someone who could fly and record from above.


    As the footage progressed, it captured a massive dark explosion, and the camera changed direction to investigate.


    Mia was utterly shocked by the next scene in the video she watched. She was certain that not only was the location Sanctum Aurea, but it also involved her friend.


    Although the attack seemed somewhat familiar to her, she did not focus on that as she was mainly concerned about Amelia.


    In the scene, Mia could vaguely make out a figure that looked like Amelia. Although the video was shot from a great distance and was not very clear, Mia was able to recognize her friend.


    The people in the video were unrecognizable to most people. It was very difficult to notice them unless one had sharp eyes.


    However, Mia was fairly certain that the girl standing beside the person who seemed to have caused the attack was Amelia.


    Mia continued to watch the video which depicted the devastation caused by a dark explosion. The once recognizable cathedral was now reduced to rubble, and the surrounding area was unrecognizable, as though it had been hit by a meteor.


    But the most shocking scene of all was next, the video vaguely showed people who might have been responsible for that attack.


    "WHAT?"


    Suddenly, Mia''s reaction to the video caused her to almost break her phone. In the subsequent scene, the perpetrator responsible for the attack was shown, although not clearly. However, Mia immediately recognized him.


    "Zero! What is he doing there?"


    Mia eximed.


    Mia was certain that the person was Zero. She had already seen his real face, so there was no doubt. Moreover, she was familiar with the attack he used, though the scale of the attack seemed muchrger than what she had previously witnessed.


    The video concluded with a blurry image of the location. It appeared that whatever drone or device the perpetrator had used was destroyed or had stopped functioning.


    "..."


    Mia Frostine stood there lost in deep thought. She quickly pieced together the situation and realized what Amelia meant when she said that the person could be trusted. She was confident because the individual who had saved her was Zero.


    Finding Zero would have been good news, but given the current situation that appeared to be quite dire, Mia''s concerns were multiplied. She was not only worried about Amelia but now also about Zero.


    Observing the circumstances, Mia was certain that they were engaged in a battle with an extremely powerful opponent. Otherwise, she knew that Zero would not have beenpelled to use his Dark Energy.


    -RING! -RING!


    Mia promptly dialed Amelia''s number in an attempt to reach her but received a message indicating that the number was out of range. Despite trying multiple times, she was unable to establish contact with Amelia and eventually gave up.


    In addition, she tried to get in touch with Zero by calling his previous number, hoping he still had it. However, she received the same message indicating that his number was also out of range.


    "How aggravating!"


    Mia muttered to herself. The situation was not looking good and she couldn''t contact the people that she is worried about.


    -WHOOSH!


    She decided that she would need to go to Sanctum Aurea immediately. She didn''t waste any time and immediately set out for Sanctum Aurea.


    She was quite fast but it would take her days before she reached the ce. She just prayed that Zero and Amelia would be alright.


    After days of running, she finally arrived at Sanctum Aurea. Upon surveying the area, she observed that despite the signs of destruction, people were not in chaos and were working together to rebuild the ce, indicating that things were returning to normal.


    However, her concerns remained unabated, prompting her to quickly proceed to the location.


    Perhaps due to the long period of running, she lost control of her strength, leading to a forcefulnding that created a shockwave upon impact.


    -BANG!


    With a loud noise, Mianded ungracefully, causing a disturbance. She felt embarrassed and regretful that she had been unable to control hernding, resulting in a mess.


    Unable to articte her predicament, Mia was grateful when Amelia and Zero suddenly arrived on the scene.


    Approaching them anxiously, she inquired, "Zero! Amelia! Is everything all right?"


    Her tone was one of deep concern, evident even amidst her disheveled appearance, indicating the effort she had made to reach them.


    "Mia!"


    Amelia eximed in surprise. Both Amelia and Zero were taken aback by Mia''s sudden appearance. Amelia had not expected her to arrive so quickly.


    Saintess Amelia thought that Mia was there because of their call a few days back. She had no idea about the video circting on TwitFlick. She had been busy helping others and rebuilding the church and had no time to pay attention to other things.


    Mia and Amelia hugged each other. Mia seemed relieved to see Amelia was okay. Then she looked at Zero who was wearing a mask.


    Despite what he did, it seems that Zero couldn''t hide his identity from Professor Mia. Even though Zero had a mask, it was not a big deal for Mia to recognize him as she already knew that he was there.


    Zero felt a pang of unease in his chest as he saw Mia''s gaze rest on him. He had hoped to keep his identity hidden from her. But it seemed that Mia was too perceptive for that. She already called his name as well, so there was no doubt that she knew it was him.


    "Professor Mia, it''s good to see you!"


    Zero said, trying to sound as calm as possible.


    Mia looked at him for a moment, her expression inscrutable. Then she nodded as ifing to a decision.


    "Nice to see you too! I hope you don''t run away again."


    Mia''s words were charged with yful sarcasm, her intention entirely lighthearted.


    Zero smiled wryly at Mia''s remark. He knew he had caused her a lot of worry when he disappeared without exining anything.


    "I''m sorry about that, Professor Mia," he said, keeping his tone light. "I assure you that I will not go anywhere, at least for now!"


    Mia nodded, a small smile ying at the corners of her lips.


    "Good to hear that! I hope that you are able to keep these wordster!"


    Mia said she was nning something.


    - GLUP!


    Zero couldn''t help but gulp nervously as Mia''s yful threat hung in the air. Even after getting stronger, he still remembers those difficult training sessions that he had with Professor Mia.


    He would almost always get his ass whooped by her. Even if he could resist now, it seems that mentally he was scared.


    But despite the underlying sense of unease, Zero couldn''t help but smile at Mia''s words. It had been two years since thest time they had a conversation like this. Previously, he was tight on time, so he couldn''t talk much.


    But this time it was different.


    Amelia nced at the two of them.


    ( Look! How exactly is this the expression of a normal teacher and student? )


    Amelia thought to herself.


    "Mia, what brings you here? Is everything alright?"


    Amelia asked, initially thinking that Mia came because of a previous incident, but she changed her mind after observing Mia''s demeanor.

 Chapter 400: Mia Frostine & Amelia [3]

    "Mia, what brings you here? Is everything alright?"


    "I was worried about you two!"


    ???


    Zero and Amelia didn''t understand what Mia meant by that.


    "Mia, what do you mean? Did you know that we were attacked or was it because of me being ambushedst time?"


    Amelia asked.


    "I saw a video."


    ???


    Amelia and Zero were still confused.


    "There is this video that has been going viral around TwitFlick. It was Zero using his Dark Energy and I instantly knew that something had happened here."


    Mia said while disying that video for them to see.


    Amelia and Zero widened their eyes in surprise. The video was not very clear but it showed the moment when Zero used Cataclysmic Destruction.


    They finally understood why Mia hade here. She found out about the situation in Sanctum Aurea from the video.


    "So, what exactly happened here?"


    Mia asked.


    "Mia, let''s go inside first!"


    Amelia said. As she knew that she had to tell Mia everything, it was important that it remained a secret.


    Mia nodded and followed Amelia. Zero also followed along.


    Then Saintess Amelia began to tell the whole story. From the incident that urred when she was on the way to the battlefield and how one of the Cardinals had betrayed her and tried to kill her.


    Then how Zero went to help but was captured because of her. She seemed to still feel guilty about that. But she still continued talking and how it all ended.


    "After that, we focused on recovering and rebuilding the houses! We are in the midst of recovery."


    Amelia finished telling everything to Mia. She trusted Mia and even told her about Cardinal Hildred betraying them, something that she didn''t even tell the people from Church.


    Mia had her eyes closed and seemed to be in deep thought. Then she opened her eyes and turned towards Zero and said, "So? What about you?"


    Zero looked confused when Mia asked him. He didn''t understand what Professor Mia was asking.


    "So, did you know this was going to happen?"


    Mia asked.


    "..."


    "Isn''t this the reason why you disappeared even after seeing me in the Seraphine Training Center?"


    Mia said.


    Professor Mia listened to the whole story that Amelia narrated. But there was one thing that she was confused about. And that was the action of Zero.


    She didn''t think it was a coincidence that Zero happened to stumble across Amelia and save her. From how hasty Zero was in escaping, Mia was sure that he knew Amelia was in danger.


    Moreover, she knew that Zero''s objective seemed to have been Saintess Amelia all along. If he had something else to do, he would have gone to do that after saving Amelia.


    But he remained with her for weeks. This showed that he even knew that she might be attacked in the Church. Mia was not sure but she knew that her assumption was almost correct.


    "..."


    Zero was deep thinking. If you asked him, he indeed knew that Saintess Amelia would get attacked but he was also not very sure. The events were simr to the novels but at the same time, changed as easily.


    When Devil started being reckless and advanced into Human Domain, Zero because of his knowledge of novels, had an idea about what the Devil are trying to achieve, However, it was not certain that they would target Saintess though chances were high at that time.


    So, Zero went to where the Saintess was in order to help her in case she was in trouble like in the novel. Unfortunately, the event happened just like what happened in the novel.


    Zero was not sure what to say to Professor Mia. He couldn''t say that he had an idea because he had memories from his parallel self.


    So, he decided to make something up and tell them.


    "I wasn''t entirely certain, but I had a feeling that something like this might ur. When you examine the history of warfare between Devils and Humans, you''ll notice that the Devil always attempts to eliminate the Saintess. It urred to me that they may be employing a simr tactic with their reckless advance into the Human Domain."


    Zero said. He tried to say something that sounded quite reasonable. He was trying to depict someone as a smart person who was able to read the n of the Devils.


    However, it didn''t seem that his words had entirely convinced Mia. She looked at Zero with doubt but didn''t think of it as lies either.


    There had been many smart individuals who could easily uncover any scheme but Professor Mia felt that his action was just not something that came from assumptions like those smart people. It was almost as if he knew it would happen.


    Even so, she didn''t ask further about this subject. If he didn''t tell her the truth, that was his decision. And as he said, it might be just because he thought that Amelia was in danger.


    Amelia looked at the two in confusion. She didn''t quite understand what Mia was asking. She did end up getting saved by Zero but she thought it was all coincidence.


    Zero was with Christian La-Minings when he came to save her. She thought that Zero stumbled upon Christian who was following Adeline, and ended up saving her. She didn''t think that much about that situation.


    After all, she was in trouble and Zero did save her, so she didn''t think that there was any problem being saved. But thinking about the situation, it did seem odd for Zero to be there.


    "Let''s say what you said is true for now!"


    Mia said.


    "So, where were you for 2 years? Not only did you quit the school, you seemed to have basically disappeared from the world!"


    Mia said. To be honest, it didn''t matter to her how Zero came to know that Amelia is in danger.


    "I went to Tower Of Obelisk for training!"


    Zero answered. He didn''t think it was something that he needed to hide. If it was before he went into the Tower Of Obelisk, then it was something that he needed to hide.


    He didn''t want his enemies to know what he was doing and also because there was a risk of ambush. What if Xalvar or someone like Professor William who hated himid traps there? What if they had tried to kill Zero before even entering the Tower Of Obelisk?


    Moreover, he also had Lilith at that time. She might have been attacked by other people if they came to know her real identity. So, he had to keep quiet about his objective.


    Now, it was different. He had already done what needed to be done. It was not necessary to hide the fact that he went into the Tower Of Obelisk.


    !!!


    "You went there? Alone?"


    Mia asked in surprise.


    "You could say that I had a friend."


    Zero answered. He might have climbed the Tower Of Obelisk alone for the most part, but Lilith did help him after she regained her consciousness. If not for her, Zero doubts that he would have lived on Floor 30.


    "That was a stupid decision! Don''t you realize how dangerous that ce is? You could have died!"


    Mia eximed angrily.


    She had also climbed the Tower Of Obelisk but with many of her friends. She knew how dangerous it was and it was definitely not a ce for one person or two. It needs a well-coordinated party if one wants to survive there.


    The number of dead while climbing the Tower Of Obelisk was staggering. Even if the ce is considered great for getting treasures, hardly anyonees out alive. It is easy to get greedy and further climb the Tower, not knowing one''s limits.


    That caused many deaths. Even if the person is powerful, he/she would try to climb higher and higher in order to get more valuable treasure and in the process ends up getting killed by monsters.


    And the danger only increases for those without a good party.


    Mia was angry because Zero could have died because of going to the Tower Of Obelisk.


    Zero was taken aback by Mia''s reaction. He had expected her tomend him for his hard work during the training. After all, she had always appreciated those who put in the effort.


    However, instead of praise, he received a scolding from Professor Mia.


    "I''m sorry," Zero could only apologize. Reflecting on his actions, he realized that anyone who cared about him would have been rightfully angry. His decision had been reckless and could have easily resulted in his death.


    Furthermore, he knew better than to argue with Professor Mia when she was upset because she was only worried about him.


    Perhaps he should have exined his intentions clear to her before heading to the Tower of Obelisk. But there was no point in regretting his actions now since it was something he had to do.


    "Humph! Next time, inform me if you n to do something like this. I understand that I cannot stop you, but at least have the decency to inform me before heading to such a dangerous ce. You should be aware that you could have lost your life, and no one would have known."


    Zero could feel the intensity of Mia''s concern for him, which made him feel guilty for worrying her.

 Chapter 401: Mia Frostine & Amelia [4]

    Zero only gives a slight nod to Mia.


    "Please be careful in the future!"


    Mia said in a tone filled with worry.


    *SIGH!


    She only understood now why there had been no sign of Zero for the past two years. No wonder that despite her best effort to find him, she has yet to stumble upon a single clue about his whereabouts.


    ( That also exins his insane growth! )


    Mia thought. Greater the risk, the greater the reward. By putting yourself in constant danger, you can grow stronger but it is also very risky. That''s why Mia had to reprimand Zero.


    ( I will have to keep my eyes on him all the time! )


    Mia thought.


    She was sure that Zero will again go into some dangerous situation. The incident here with the church was a prime example of that.


    So, to keep Zero safe, she believed that she had to look after him all the time. Otherwise, she fears that he would once again disappear and get himself involved in something dangerous.


    Saintess Amelia, who had been listening to the entire conversation, also gained insight into how Zero had be so powerful.


    "Which floor did you reach?"


    Saintess Amelia asked curiously. The Tower Of Obelisk was potentially dangerous if you were to climb the floor which is beyond your limits. As long as one knows their limits, one would not die unless they are careless.


    Rank-A could easily go into the Tower Of Obelisk and just fight on the lower 10 floors and he would survive easily. Though there would be no gain in doing that.


    The treasures on those floors are worth nothing to Rank-A Explorers and it would also not be considered training as the enemies are very weak.


    That''s why Saintess Amelia asked which floor Zero reached in order to assess how difficult his training was. Looking at his progress, she obviously knew that Zero wouldn''t have stayed on the lower 10 floors.


    "Guess?"


    Zero said.


    "20? Maybe 25?"


    Saintess Amelia replied. Looking at Zero''s current strength, she thought that there was a possibility of Zero reaching Floor-25. Though she thought it would be difficult.


    It might be easy if he had a team with him with simr power but alone, she didn''t think that Zero could climb higher than Floor 25.


    "Try higher!"


    Zero said.


    "27?" asked Amelia, her eyes widening in surprise. She was already impressed that Zero had made it to Floor 25, so reaching any higher would be nearly impossible.


    "Close, but no," Zero revealed. "I actually made it to Floor 31 before leaving."


    Amelia and Mia were shocked and eximed, "What?"


    Amelia and Mia were both astonished by Zero''s achievement. They had never heard of anyone climbing that high in the tower alone. Even if 10 people of Zero rank went, they would have hardly been able to reach that floor.


    "Really???"


    Amelia said. She couldn''t believe that Zero managed to reach such a high floor in the Tower Of Obelisk.


    This was something that even the Gold Graded Guild struggled with. Even if an elite team from the Gold Graded Guild were assembled, they would not necessarily make it past Floor 30.


    Floor 30 was very dangerouspared to other lower floors because it''s the floor that has Rank-S - monsters roaming around. Not to mention, the boss should have the strength of Rank-S or above.


    Even Mia and Amelia had never reached such a high floor. They were only at Rank-B when they entered the Tower Of Obelisk and the floor that they managed to climb is Floor-24 and 23 respectively.


    "How did you manage to reach Floor 31 by yourself?"


    Amelia asked, her curiosity piqued. She was certain that she would not reach that ce with her current strength even if she brought 9 other simr people with her.


    So, she was naturally curious as to how strong Zero was to be able to reach Floor 31 on the first try.


    Zero smiled, "Just like other people!"


    Zero''s response left Amelia and Mia puzzled. They couldn''t understand how he managed to climb that high on his own.


    "Can you borate a bit more, Zero?" Amelia asked, thinking that he might have done something unusual for him to reach that floor.


    She already thought that Zero''s im was impossible but she knew that Zero didn''t have any reason to lie. So, they never suspected that Zero was lying.


    "Well, I just kept climbing," Zero said, shrugging. "I fought the monsters, avoided the traps, and kept going. There''s not really a secret to it."


    "But how did you deal with the Rank-S monsters and the boss on Floor 30?" Amelia asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.


    Zero grinned, "I fought them, of course. It wasn''t easy, but I managed to take them down."


    Amelia and Mia exchanged nces. They knew that Zero was strong, but they had no idea that he was this powerful.


    Yes, beating them and advancing was the way to go but could one person really fight hundreds and thousands of monsters which have Rank-S monsters as well? Even a group of Rank-A led by Rank-S Explorer would have a hard time, not to mention doing that alone.


    It could be said that from what Zero said that he was more powerful than Mia. While Amelia wasn''t sure, she could tell that Zero was stronger than Rank-S when using Dark Energy.


    Amelia''s heart fluttered as she gazed at Zero with adoration in her eyes. "You''re amazing, Zero!" she eximed, unable to contain her admiration any longer.


    Not everyone could climb to Floor 31. Even Diamond Graded guilds struggled to reach it.


    Zero had already mesmerized Amelia with his strength. This story only helped further draw her admiration.


    Mia was taken aback by Saintess Amelia''s unusual disy of admiration. She had known Amelia since they were young and knew that she rarely showed such emotion towards men.


    She was always reserved in her praise and she would rarely show her real emotion in front of men but this time, Mia felt that Amelia was acting out of her norms.


    But Mia believed that it must be because Zero saved her.


    Zero acknowledged Amelia''s words with a nod of appreciation. While he had embarked on his journey to bing stronger for himself, the recognition of his hard work and achievements from someone like Amelia felt like a validation of his efforts.


    "Yes, that is a real achievement. I think that none of the geniuses could ever reach your level."


    Mia chimed in with her own words of admiration. She couldn''t help but feel proud of Zero for achieving something that would be impossible by most.


    Although Mia was concerned about Zero''s safety and didn''t necessarily agree with his decision to climb to such a dangerous floor, she couldn''t deny the significance of his achievement.


    The conversation between Amelia, Mia, and Zero continued for a while longer until the sun began to set, signaling the end of the day.


    ******


    There was no spare room for Mia and the reason was obvious. So, she was to sleep with Amelia and they had a problem with it.


    Amelia and Mia couldn''t stop thinking about Zero and his incredible feat of climbing to Floor 31.


    They talked and casually talked about Zero.


    "Hehe... Zero was absolutely cool when he saved me!"


    Amelia eximed, her eyes sparkling with excitement and admiration.


    Mia listened to her friend. She felt that the change in attitude of Amelia was for the better. Rather than her friend fighting Zero, it was good that she understood Zero.


    This was a significant improvement from the past, where Amelia would always try to make Zero looks like the bad guy. She never believed him and thought he was a danger to Mia because of his Dark Energy.


    But now, her attitude had changedpletely and she couldn''t stop singing Zero''s praises, which was weird to Mia, who had only heard Amelia cursing Zero before.


    "¡­"


    Then there was a brief moment of silence.


    "Mia, I have to tell you something," Amelia said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Mia turned to her friend, noticing the serious look on her face. She thought that she must have something important to say.


    "What is it, Amelia?"


    Mia asked. She was ready to lend her ear to her friend and help her if the need arises.


    "I¡­I think I''m in love with Zero," Amelia confessed, her cheeks turning red.


    Mia''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "What?"


    ( Why Zero? )


    Mia was taken aback by Amelia''s confession.


    She had never expected her reserved and stoic friend to develop feelings for someone, especially for someone like Zero whom she had previously been wary of. Amelia had never been in love with anyone and had rejected thousands of proposals from all kinds of men.


    It should have been a happy asion as her friend was able to finally feel love but Mia was not very happy. And the reason was obviously that she didn''t like the thought of Zero dating Amelia.


    Mia took a deep breath and tried topose herself. "Why Zero?" she asked her friend, trying to understand the situation properly.


    Amelia looked down, ying with her fingers. "I don''t know," she admitted. "I used to hate him, but the more I got to know him, the more I realized that he''s not a bad person. I just misunderstood him."

 Chapter 402: Mia Frostine & Amelia [5]

    "I used to hate him, but the more I got to know him, the more I realized that he''s not a bad person. I just misunderstood him."


    ( EH? )


    "I thought that I hate everything that emitted Dark Energy but when Zero used Dark Energy, he looked so dashing. He seemed totally different and was giving off a dangerous aura but even so he protected me."


    Amelia said as she was blushing with a red face. She seemed excited talking about the time when she got saved by Zero.


    ( EHHHHH? )


    Mia listened to her and acted calmly though her mind was not so calm.


    "Amelia, hold on for a second!"


    Mia finally interjected, unable to contain herself any longer.


    "I believe we need to have a serious discussion first. Remember, Zero is barely 18 years old. How can you develop feelings for someone so young?" Mia asked.


    Her voice was a little frustrated, maybe because it was a problem that she was dealing with. Anyhow, Amelia didn''t seem bothered by the question.


    "I know, Mia, that Zero is young. And I''m new to all of this love stuff. But... but love doesn''t always follow rules or logic, does it? It''s a feeling thates from deep within, and it doesn''t care about age or any other barriers. I never expected to feel this way, and I can''t exin it perfectly, but when I''m with Zero, it''s like everything else fades away."


    Her voice quivered with genuine emotion as she continued.


    "He may be just 18, but he has a maturity and strength that goes beyond his years. And I see goodness in him, Mia. It''s not about what power he possesses or the dangers he faces. It''s about the person he is, the way he treats others, and how he makes me feel. Love is above everything else, and I can''t deny what I feel in my heart, even if it doesn''t make sense."


    Amelia''s words hung in the air, a vulnerable admission of her first experience with love. Despite this being her first time feeling as such, she was certain that it was love that she felt towards Zero.


    In the past few days, whenever she sees Zero''s face, she experiences joy, and her heart flutters. During this time, she has also learned a lot more about Zero.


    Despite being incredibly powerful and somewhat arrogant (ording to her previous beliefs), Zero does not show contempt for the weak and respects others, regardless of their power or position.


    Most individuals who possess the same level of power and talent as Zero tend to be arrogant, considering themselves superior to others. They rarely engage in conversation or try to understand people who are not on their level.


    However, she believes that Zero is different. Aside from their incredible strength, Zero behaves like an ordinary person when ites to everyday life.


    This realization further intensifies Saintess Amelia''s excitement. For the first time, she experienced such feelings.


    In the past, when others imed to be in love with her, she always rejected them because she didn''t understand what they meant. But now she knows how it feels, and she is determined to let Zero know about her own feelings.


    However, before she can do that, there is someone else she needs to talk to. Amelia gazes at Mia, hoping to find understanding in her friend''s eyes, despite her initial concerns.


    Amelia wanted to know what Mia thought about this and how she truly felt about Zero. Despite Zero being someone she loves, Mia was also someone important to her. And she also knew that the rtionship between Mia and Zero was strong but wanted to know whether it was only as a teacher and student or if there was anything more.


    "..."


    Mia didn''t know why but felt that she was defeated by Amelia. For the time ever, Mia felt a little jealous towards someone and it was her friend who made Mia jealous.


    Mia''s initial concerns were rooted in her own feelings for Zero that she couldn''t understand. She had been a teacher for years and had never been biased except for Zero. She felt Zero was much more to her than just her students.


    As Mia listened to Amelia pouring out her heartfelt emotions for Zero, a mix of emotions welled up within her, including a tinge of jealousy towards her friend.


    "Do you truly like Zero?" Mia inquired.


    "Absolutely! I''ve never felt like this before," Amelia immediately confessed.


    "Alright then, what do you want to do?" Mia asked, understanding the sincerity of her friend''s feelings. Mia was convinced and knew that her friend had truly fallen in love with Zero.


    "Naturally, I want to pursue my love and have him reciprocate my feelings," Amelia replied. "However, before I do that, I want to know what you think about it."


    Amelia''s gaze was locked with Mia''s as if she could see right through her thoughts.


    Mia also looked back at Amelia and let out a sigh. Amelia had been honest with her from the beginning, openly discussing her feelings.


    It didn''t make sense for Mia to keep hiding her own emotions.


    "I understand your concerns, Amelia. To be honest, I feel incredibly jealous of you. You''re so sure of your feelings and know exactly what you want."


    "On the other hand, I''m still uncertain about my own emotions. I''ve only thought of Zero as my student, nothing more. We may have grown closer due to our shared experiences in the Gate, facing life and death together, but he will always be my student."


    Amelia, the Saintess, listened attentively to Mia.


    "Or so I thought!" Mia eximed, turning to Amelia.


    "But when you professed your love for Zero when you began sharing your feelings for him, I''ll be honest with you¡ªI felt both jealous and scared."


    Mia admitted her true feelings.


    *SIGH!


    She truly didn''t want to admit something like this. As Zero''s professor, she knew that those feelings that she kept ignoring were inappropriate for teachers and students.


    If not for her friend Amelia expressing her feelings, she would have never opened up those feelings. Even so, Mia truly didn''t understand her feelings as she kept ignoring them.


    It might have been love, it could have been care that she had for Zero as a student or it could also be gratitude for saving her life.


    However, no matter what her feelings were, it was true that she didn''t want Zero to be taken by other women including her friend.


    Mia realized then that her feelings for Zero were those of a woman towards a man. It had nothing to do with him being her student or being her lifesaver. She simply loved him.


    As Mia''s confession hung in the air, Amelia''s expression softened, and she reached out to grasp Mia''s hand reassuringly.


    "Mia, thank you for being honest with me," Amelia said, her voice filled with empathy. "I can understand why you feel that way. I also didn''t want to admit that I love Zero as I was sure that you loved him. B-But love is like this I guess. Even knowing that I shouldn''t, I had already fallen into its grasp."


    Amelia said. Her heart fluttered but her reasoning didn''t. She tried her best to ignore her feelings for the past few days, believing that Mia was surely in love with him though she never did admit that.


    But it was just like inting a balloon and keeping it closed until it finally exploded. Her love only increased when trying to keep it bottled up.


    So, she decided toe clean. Harboring such an emotion and keeping it hidden was not only a betrayal to Mia but also to herself.


    And the opportunity came as Mia hade to Sanctum Aurea to help. Taking the courage, she decided to share her feelings.


    Mia shifted her gaze downwards, her eyes momentarily fixating on their intertwined hands. She couldn''t help but appreciate the sce that Amelia''s touch provided, offering a sense of reassurance amidst the turmoil within her. Summoning courage, Mia took a deep breath and ventured to share her thoughts. Her voice carried a delicate undertone of vulnerability.


    "I''ve been so dedicated to my role as a teacher that I never allowed myself to have any other feelings toward him," Mia confessed, her words tinged with a hint of regret. "Even if there is fondness within me, I''ve forced myself to suppress those feelings, burying them deep within."


    Her admission hung in the air,den with self-doubt and a profound sense of conflicted emotions. Mia''s voice quivered as she continued, "Perhaps, with such emotions clouding my judgment, I may no longer be suited to fulfilling my duties as a teacher."


    Amelia''s eyes widened in disbelief, her brows furrowed as she processed Mia''s words. With a mixture of concern and conviction, she firmly responded, "That''s nonsense! You have always carried out your responsibilities as a teacher with the utmost dedication. Zero is no longer your student, and you need not burden yourself with worries about maintaining professional boundaries."


    Amelia''s unwavering support resonated with Mia, momentarily easing the weight that rested on her shoulders.

 Chapter 403: Love Rivals

    403 Love Rivals


    Amelia was right!


    In the past, she could have argued that, as a teacher, she shouldn''t entertain such emotions.


    However, the situation had changed! Zero was no longer a student at Ace Academy. He had dropped out two years ago, and if that weren''t the case, he would have already graduated. Furthermore, he was an adult now, capable of making his own decisions.


    While it doesn''t mean that she would stop caring about Zero as a student. She still wanted to be his teacher and look after his growth and well-being.


    However, she didn''t want to limit herself to just being his teacher.


    A person can y multiple roles in someone''s life. Just like being a father while simultaneously being a friend and arade in battle can also hold true.


    "Thank you, Amelia!"


    Mia eximed, finally realizing what she needed to do with her emotions. Amelia''s words had shattered the barriers she had ced around her feelings.


    "And I''m sorry! I should have been honest from the beginning instead of waiting for you to share your feelings. I can imagine how difficult it must have been for you."


    Mia apologized. She understood that Amelia had likely faced some difficulties because of her. If only she had been forting from the start, they wouldn''t have needed to have this conversation.


    This all happened because she was always trying to avoid her feelings but Amelia saw through her.


    Amelia could have easily ignored Mia''s feelings and gone after Zero without talking to Mia. They might even have fewer rivals for her. But she still decided to talk to her, showing how much she cared about their friendship.


    "It''s fine! Just know that I don''t intend to back down from this fight."


    Amelia said.


    "Me neither!"


    "Me neither!" Mia replied, their eyes locking with determination. They felt an even stronger bond between them than before.


    Amelia gazed at Mia with joy in her eyes. She could have easily pursued her own romantic desires without considering her friendship with Mia.


    However, she chose not to do so, fearing that it would jeopardize their bond. Even if she were to seed in her pursuit, she knew deep down that she would regret such a decision.


    As Mia''s friend, Amelia didn''t want Mia to experience any regrets either. Despite being aware that her actions were merely creating obstacles to her chances with Zero, she believed it was necessary.


    Even though Mia stood before her as a rival, Amelia remained steadfast in her own feelings and was determined to seed in confessing her love. She was confident that Zero would be captivated by her.


    "While you may currently hold a special ce in Zero''s heart, I will easily rece that position. I will be the only woman who Zero will talk about!"


    Amelia dered resolutely. This statement reflected her firm intention to pursue Zero romantically, while also acknowledging that Mia held a higher ce in Zero''s heart than she did.


    She was uncertain whether Zero''s affection for Mia arose from their student-teacher rtionship or as men and women. Nheless, regardless of Zero''s sentiments towards Mia, they were undoubtedly stronger than those between Zero and herself.


    "I don''t know! As far as I know, he already had someone he loved."


    Mia said, sounding somewhat discontented. Amelia had no knowledge of Zero''s past during his school days, but how could Mia forget the asion when she first conversed with Zero? It was when he was pursuing Lisa.


    "What?"


    Amelia asked in surprise. She doesn''t really know how Zero lived and who he is associated with, unlike Mia who was his teacher.


    However, based on what she had observed, if there was any woman Zero appeared to be in love with, Amelia was certain it was Mia.


    She never anticipated that Zero would have feelings for someone else. Contemting that, there was indeed a possibility that Zero was involved with someone aside from Mia.


    "Are you sure?"


    Amelia inquired, expressing both a possibility and her underlying skepticism. She contemted whether Mia shared her belief that there was someone significant in Zero''s life, akin to the girl Amelia had presumed to be Mia.


    ( Maybe it was just some assumption. )


    Amelia thought.


    "I cannot say that is the same at this moment, but Zero did confess his feelings to a girl," Mia responded.


    "What? For real?"


    "What? Seriously?" Amelia eximed in shock. This revtion disappointed her greatly. It was no longer a mere assumption, but rather a confirmation that Zero held affection for someone else.


    This newfound information highlighted Amelia''sck of knowledge of Zero. Based on Zero''s behavior, Amelia had mistakenly assumed that he had yet to experience love.


    Such an assumption stemmed from her personal experiences. Amelia herself had never fallen in love until this point in her life, and the same was true for her friend. Thus, she hadn''t anticipated that Zero, being so young, would already have someone he liked.


    "Who is she? Did she reject his confession?" Amelia asked anxiously. If Zero was alreadymitted to someone else, then what was the point of her conversation with Mia? Zero belonged to someone else now, and Amelia believed she had no right to interfere in his rtionship.


    However, Amelia found it unlikely because she had never heard anything about it. Her hope was driving her thoughts more than any logical reasoning.


    Finally, she had found love, and she didn''t want it to crumble before it even had a chance to begin.


    Observing Amelia''s distress, Mia shook her head. Amelia let out a sigh of relief.


    "Who is she? Someone was able to move Zero''s feelings?"


    Amelia asked, feeling a bit more at ease, as there was still a glimmer of hope. Her question was also valid, considering she knew that winning Zero''s love wouldn''t be an easy feat.


    Amelia''s confidence was founded on Zero''s consistent behavior throughout the days they spent together. If Zero were an ordinary individual, Amelia believed that he would have already confessed his love for her at this point.


    Moreover, Amelia''s confidence was bolstered by the fact that, even after spending many years with Mia, Zero did not disy the same level of infatuation that most men exhibit after a single encounter with Mia. Most men, if they were given the same attention that Mia gave to Zero, would have already sumbed to lovesickness.


    The information also sparked her curiosity about the person who could make Zero fall in love. Discovering the identity of this person might offer some insight into how she could make Zero fall in love with her as well.


    "Her name is Lisa, and she happens to be a former ssmate of Zero," Mia replied.


    *SIGH!


    At that moment, Mia didn''t know how to feel. The idea ofpeting with her former student for someone''s love didn''t sit well with her.


    "So, how did this happen, and how did you find out?" Amelia asked. She never expected Zero to openly confess his feelings to someone (which he did), and she thought it might be a mere rumor or something.


    "Everyone in the ss was aware of it. He would even bring her flowers, and I scolded him for doing so."


    Mia responded.


    "Really?"


    Amelia''s eyes widened in surprise. She was taken aback by the revtion that Zero had feelings for someone, and it was even more astonishing to learn that Zero would go to such lengths for that person.


    Amelia contemted that it couldn''t be just a simple admiration. She believed that for someone as solitary as Zero, his actions indicated a deep love.


    "But he was rejected, right?"


    Amelia inquired once again. The presence of such a rival was intimidating. Although Amelia didn''t know who the other person was, she was certain that if she had shown interest in Zero, she might not have even had the opportunity topete for his love.


    "Yes, I heard that Lisa rejected his advances. And it seems that Zero has also moved on from her," Mia remarked. She wouldn''t have recalled Zero''s pursuit of Lisa if Amelia hadn''t brought up the subject of the girl who holds Zero''s affection.


    However, she forgot about that because Zero stopped those antics after a while. He did a total 180-degree turn and didn''t chase after Lisa.


    Upon reflection, Mia realized that Zero might not harbor the same emotions for Lisa anymore.


    "Haha... That''s great!" Amelia eximed withughter. If Zero was still fixated on Lisa, it would pose a considerable challenge for Amelia. However, even if that wasn''t the situation, Amelia was resolute in fighting for her own love.

 Chapter 404: Love Rivals [2]

    404 Love Rivals [2]


    The next morning, Mia felt bashful upon seeing Zero. The conversation she had with Amelia the previous day had stirred up emotions within her, leaving her feeling self-conscious in Zero''s presence.


    "What''s the matter?" Zero asked, noticing Mia''s change in behavior. He sensed that something was amiss with her.


    "N-nothing," Mia replied hesitantly.


    She was feeling shy after admitting her own feelings and didn''t know how to approach Zero. In the past, she would interact with Zero as teacher and student. Now, she was confused as to how tomunicate with Zero.


    Zero nodded understandingly, though he couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was more to Mia''s uneasiness than she was letting on. He respected her boundaries and decided not to pry further, but a part of him wished he could help alleviate whatever was troubling her.


    Mia seemed to be struggling to know how to act around Zero. On the other hand, Amelia was very proactive.


    "Hey, what are you two talking about?" she asked, wrapping her arms around Zero. Zero felt slightly ufortable with Amelia''s sudden disy of friendliness but decided to endure it.


    He already noticed that Amelia was acting differently with him. Zero assumed it was because he saved her and she no longer has the previous prejudice against him.


    Moreover, thinking about what Amelia went through, Zero didn''t say anything to Amelia and let her do whatever she wanted. Though even if the situation was different, it would have yielded different results.


    Saintess Amelia is a beauty and having such beauty trying to be close who would ignore it?


    But her friendliness went beyond friends and she would do things like wrapping her arms around his. Well, it was better than being hated, Zero thought.


    But her friendliness went beyond mere friendship, as she would do things like wrapping her arms around his. Well, Zero thought, it was better than being hated.


    As Amelia had dered the day before, she was going all out to get Zero''s attention. And with this gesture, she was demonstrating to Mia that she was ahead of her when it came to making such moves.


    Mia was startled for a moment by Amelia''s behavior, but she soon realized that Amelia had begun making her move while she was contemting how to approach Zero herself.


    Seeing Amelia''s hand wrapped around Zero obviously soured Mia''s mood. Unconsciously, Mia even unleashed her Ice energy, causing Amelia to shudder. Zero was unaffected since he was immune to Ice Energy.


    "Let''s go have breakfast!"


    Zero said.


    "Okay!"


    Just like that they went to have breakfast. Along the way, Amelia obviously stayed beside Zero making Mia quite upset. However, there was nothing Mia could do.


    Unlike Amelia who could change her behavior immediately, Mia couldn''t. She believed it would be incredibly awkward for Zero if she began behaving simrly towards her former students.


    Furthermore, Mia herself was incapable of such actions. Even if she felt jealous of Amelia, there was no way she could behave in the same manner. Her only option was to endure the situation for the time being.


    However, Amelia''s actions made Mia realize that she needed to step up her game if she wanted to win Zero''s heart.


    (Hehe... I''ve won!)


    Amelia thought to herself.


    Just as she had mentioned yesterday, Mia was more significant to Zero than Amelia. They had both decided topete for his affections, but they were starting from different points.


    Mia was already familiar and close to Zero due to their teacher-student rtionship. Furthermore, they had experienced life-threatening situations together and had even sacrificed their lives for each other.


    Amelia knew that if she remained passive, there was no chance she could surpass Mia or any other girls who might be her rivals.


    Therefore, without much thought, she did her best to capture Zero''s attention, even if it was just on a physical level. Of course, her n would have failed if Zero had immediately dismissed her.


    Nevertheless, even though they were not as close as Mia and Zero, Amelia at least knew that he would not treat her that way. Despite her being useless in the incident involving Cardinal Hildred and the ambush by Devil Contractors, she had faced the problem alongside Zero.


    They were at least close to each other and she knew that Zero wouldn''t mind a simple touch.


    And not to mention that she was by no means ugly. Even if she doesn''t want to know, she was at least aware that her physical appearance was good and that men find her attractive.


    Thus, she wanted to leverage this advantage, although it wasn''t muchpared to Mia, who was also beautiful. Though she can''t use that to win against Mia, she could use it to get closer to Zero.


    Regardless, Amelia herself was inexperienced in matters of love andcked knowledge about rtionships. All she possessed was the determination to do anything to win over Zero''s heart.


    Moreover, this movie was the advice from her friend Adeline.


    "Mistress, if you wish to capture a man''s heart, seduce him with your beauty. You need to be more proactive and use every opportunity to get near him."


    Saintess Amelia recalled Adeline''s guidance.


    Amelia was just like Mia, clueless about how to approach Zero and make him fall in love with her. She discussed this with her maid, Adeline, who enthusiastically offered her assistance.


    Adeline was aware that it was the first time her mistress had experienced love. She perceived it as a princess who had finally discovered her prince. Adeline felt an overwhelming excitement in assisting the princess in attaining the love she truly deserved. She likened herself to a fairy godmother, simr to the one who aided Cindere.


    "Mistress, as long as you make an effort, you can easily charm any man. Stick by his side and be kind to him, and he will be head over heels for you in no time," advised Adeline.


    It should be noted that Adeline herself had never been in a rtionship and acquired her knowledge solely from the novels she read in her free time.


    Unbeknownst to Saintess Amelia, she was unaware of Adeline''sck of experience and blindly followed her every word.


    But she believed it. And it also seemed to have worked!


    On the breakfast table, there was enough food to satisfy three people. The scarcity of food was due to the destruction that had urred, and even Saintess Amelia had the same amount and variety of food as everyone else.


    However, Mia and Zero didn''t mind theck of extravagance. Zero had grown ustomed to eating only jerky, and Mia had also experienced simr situations during long expeditions.


    Nheless, as they began their meal, they engaged in conversation.


    "Amelia, when will the Pope return?" Mia inquired.


    The presence of Saintess Amelia had improved the situation at Sanctum Aurea, but for a more significant impact, the leader, the Pope, needed to be present. Furthermore, with the Pope''s return, the safety of the sanctum would be greatly enhanced.


    They were still unaware of whether there was any ongoing danger in Sanctum Aurea.


    "Perhaps in a day or two! They should have already made their way to Sanctum Aurea," Amelia replied.


    Pope had already been on his way to Sanctum Aurea before Mia had even known about the situation. However, unlike Mia, they couldn''t run full speed all the way back to Sanctum Aurea.


    They had to match the slower pace of the Holy Knight apanying them, and conserving energy was crucial to avoid any potential encounters with enemies. Consequently, they were much slower than Mia, who ran unrestricted all the way to Sanctum Aurea


    "That''s better!"


    Mia said.


    "Professor Mia, may I ask something?" Zero inquired, once their discussion about the Church had concluded.


    "Certainly," Mia replied.


    "What happened to Hiro and others?" Zero wanted to know if the main characters were still following the events of the novel.


    "Hiro, Sylvia, Zion, Lisa, and Misha have been called upon to join the war."


    Mia answered.


    "What?"


    Amelia was the one who voiced her concern. Even though she was aware of Hiro''s genius reputation, she never expected that they would send such young individuals to war.


    Zero, on the other hand, appearedposed. He had already anticipated that and the novel also tells that they joined the war.


    "How could they do such things?"


    Amelia asked.


    "How could they make such a decision?" Amelia asked.


    "Sigh! I understand. I tried to intervene and alter this hasty decision, but it seems that The Authority has already reached their verdict," Mia replied. As their former teacher, she was well aware of the strength possessed by those kids. However, she still believed that they were not emotionally mature enough to be sent off to war.


    She had attempted to revoke the decision, but it appeared that The Authority had already arrived at a final judgment.


    "They exined that it was intended to enhance their capabilities and that they would be relocated to a safer region under the protection of capable individuals," Mia added.


    Zero listened with interest! It appeared that the given exnation was carefully crafted to deceive unsuspecting individuals. However, in reality, it was a cunning ploy orchestrated by influential figures within The Authority who held a grudge against Hiro and sought to eliminate him.


    (Those individuals are truly despicable and inviting their own demise!)

 Chapter 405: War At Stalemate

    405 War At Stalemate


    (Those individuals are truly despicable and inviting their own demise!)


    Zero thought disdainfully.


    Zero already knew theplete truth behind the decision to send Hiro and the others. While the stated reason may have been to help them grow stronger, the truth was that some people actually wished for them to die.


    However, there were also others who genuinely believed that they needed to experience such a war in order to exponentially grow and assist in maintaining peace for humans. Without a convincing reason, those with malicious intent toward Hiro would never have seeded in sending them to the battlefield.


    Naturally, Hiro''spanions¡ªLisa, Zion, and Sylvia¡ªwould apany him since they always worked together. They didn''t want to abandon him, and they also believed that they were contributing something valuable to humanity.


    Furthermore, there was their collective hatred towards the Devils. Hiro had always despised the Devils due to the incident involving his parents, and the others didn''t hold a better opinion of them either, considering they had been invaded by Devils resulting in the deaths of many students.


    Although, as Professor Mia had mentioned, Zero knew that Hiro and the others would be assigned to a rtively safe area.


    But when the Devils received information that human geniuses were gathered in that region, do you think that they will just sit back and watch? No, they send their forces to that area and cut the problem before they be a threat.


    That is one of the reasons that Zero thought that people around the MC were unfortunate. Though not his fault, MC does end up attracting troubles like this and endangering others'' lives.


    However, Zero also knew that this n would only backfire. Hiro would indeed grow stronger in this circumstance and gain an influence in the army. He would only be a great obstacle in their path.


    "If so, then the war with Devils must be at a stalemate?"


    Zero asked.


    If The Authority could deploy fresh graduates to train, that means that there was no great threat from Devils.


    The Devils had been pushing forward relentlessly, seemingly intent on destroying humanity and even managing to invade human territory from one side. The war seemed to have escted to its peak.


    But unfortunately, that group of devils who had managed to enter the human domain were annihted and the other side of human borders were not invaded by the Devils.


    From that point on, humans attempted to capitalize on their great victory, but the Devils stationed to guard the area proved to be no joke. They were prepared, and the advantage gained from annihting one group of Devils was almost non-existent.


    So, the war had returned to a stalemate.


    The two sides would asionally engage in battles but on a small scale involving only 50 to 100 humans and devils.


    Mia nodded in acknowledgment.


    "At the moment, it appears that the war is at a standstill. However, it may not remain that way for long, and I will soon need to join the war as well," Mia replied.


    She also nced at Amelia and Zero. If it came to that point, Amelia would undoubtedly be called upon. She was the most powerful weapon against the devils, after all.


    And Zero! If he returned home, there was a high chance that he would also be deployed. He might even be sent earlier for training, just like Hiro and the others. Although that all depends on what Zero decides to do.


    Zero pondered for a bit!


    Thinking about the situation, Hiro and others would spend at least three months in the army and fight with Devils most of the time.


    However, he was not sure about now. One of the conflicts that Hiro faced was because of Nexus Scepter but he had already destroyed it. Hiro would no longer need to deal with his teammates losing their minds and having to fight with Devils.


    Though Zero believes that the MC would still go through simr things. They would need to deal with arge number of Devils that are going toe to take his head.


    They would be safe even though they might face difficulties. So, Zero knew that he wouldn''t need to go and watch over them. They could defend themselves and they also have the luck of MCs.


    Though on the other hand, Zero had free time to decide what he needed to do. He can always go to dungeons and train harder. But with all the training he had done in the Tower Of Obelisk, he didn''t think that he could learn anything inside the dungeon. Only if he gets extremely precious treasures would there be a worth.


    Anyway, Zero didn''t n to go to any of the dungeons for now!


    "Other species must be happy that the war is being dragged on for so long."


    Zero said.


    Even if the conflict with the Devils was resolved, there were still other species that viewed humans as dangerous species. If the war were to continue, both the Devils and humans would experience a significant loss of power, and other species might seize the opportunity to expand their territories into the domains of humans and Devils.


    Currently, the possibilities were endless, and despite Zero''s knowledge of the future events throughout the novel, he remained uncertain. Just as the Devils invaded Ace Academy at a faster pace than depicted in the novel, anything could happen.


    "For now, it appears that other species are observing the unfolding war. If not, they might have alreadyunched an attack against the Devils or humans," Mia replied.


    "Are the Devils being cautious because of the other species?" Amelia asked.


    In the past, the Devils did not concern themselves much with the consequences of their actions. They would initiate attacks without considering other species. One of the reasons for this behavior was that, apart from humans, other species were not perceived as a threat.


    However, due to the ongoing conflict between Devils and humans, these two species were growing weaker while other species were growing stronger.


    Furthermore, unlike in the past, other species had formed an alliance to counter humans and Devils. Individually, these species were far inferior to humans and Devils, but their collective strength posed a potential threat.


    "Yes, but not solely for that reason!"


    Mia answered.


    "Then why?"


    Zero asked curiously. Such information was not even in the novel, just that Devils were awfully taking their time with the war and didn''t justunch one attack after another.


    "It is confidential and information is not really reliable but some of the informants told us that because Devils are having internal conflict!"


    Mia answered. As she was Rank-S, she had ess to much of the information from The Authority.


    "Internal Conflict!"


    ( Devil having conflict? Is Lilith in trouble? )


    When Professor Mia mentioned the internal conflict among the Devils, Zero''s mind immediately turned to Lilith, and a sense of worry washed over him. She had returned to the Devil''s domain, iming she had some matters to settle.


    Zero thought that it might be something to do with Xalvar and he told her that he would be the one to take care of him. But Lilith shook her head and said that she had something else to handle.


    At that time, Zero didn''t worry too much since Lilith was quite powerful, and it was also impossible for him to bring her into the human domain.


    However, now his concern grew.


    ( Should I infiltrate the Devil''s Domain? )


    Zero contemted the idea. With his Dark Energy and proficiency in Mana Maniption, it might not be difficult for him to disguise himself as a Devil. The only obstacle would be acquiring something to change his appearance, as the Morphic Mirror had been destroyed.


    "Although that might not be the reason either," Mia added, breaking Zero''s train of thought.


    "The number of Gates seems to have troubled the Devil Domain as much as it has affected the Human Domain and other ces."


    Gates, which possess the ability to trap individuals within dungeon-like locations, have been on the rise recently, causing headaches for humans. The frequency of Gate appearances has escted from one or two per year to one or two per month.


    This issue is not exclusive to the Human Domain; other realms are also grappling with the same problem, with the Devil Domain being no exception. It is widely believed that even the Devils are struggling to cope with the escting number of Gates.


    "Gate! That can''t be the reason, right?" Amelia eximed. She believed that a problem like the Gate wouldn''t stop the advancement of the Devil army. They had never cared about the weak and would only see the Gate as a test for the strong to survive.


    "It may not have been a concern before, but the number of Gates has increased significantly, and the monsters inside the Gates are also very powerful. Even some Rank-S individuals have died there! So, it seems that even Devils may need to address this problem," Mia exined.


    "Furthermore, I heard a rumor that one of the Rank-SS Devils was killed in one of those Gates."


    it seems that even Devils may need to address this problem," Mia exined.


    "Furthermore, I heard a rumor that one of the Rank-SS Devils was killed in one of those Gates."

 Chapter 406: The Gate Again?

    406 The Gate Again?


    "Furthermore, I heard a rumor that one of the Rank-SS Devils was killed in one of those Gates."


    "What? Rank-SS Devil?"


    Zero and Amelia exchanged worried nces as they absorbed the news of the rumored Rank-SS Devil''s death inside one of the Gates. The implications were significant, and it exined why the Devils seemed to be shifting their focus and disying caution


    "Then that might exin their behavior!"


    Amelia said understandingly.


    Rank-SS, the strongest entity in the world, being killed within the Gate. If that were the case, it suggested that the Gate is more dangerous than many think, potentially harboring Rank-SS monsters or even Rank-SSS monsters.


    Such a revtion would undoubtedly cause panic everywhere. If even the mightiest Devils couldn''t survive, how could others?


    If that was the truth, Devils might indeed shift their attention toward Gate and try to curb the problem. Rank-SS death was a big deal and it was almost like snapping away one of the trump cards of Devils.


    "Anyway, these are mere spections. Devils had been doing things differentlypared to the past. We might not be able to predict what they will do."


    Mia said.


    They talked for a bit. Mia had all kinds of ess to information and she didn''t hesitate to share them with Zero and Amelia. Zero and Amelia were now more aware of the situation.


    They finished their breakfast and proceeded to assist with the reconstruction. Although not an expert in construction, Zero was immensely helpful due to his strength. He effortlessly carriedrge stones and swiftly cut down trees for the building process.


    Furthermore, he never needed to rest, making him a valuable asset.


    Mia also joined in, providing whatever assistance she could. Together, they worked diligently throughout the day.


    During that period, Amelia seized the opportunity to get closer to Zero and took advantage of the situation. Sometimes, under the pretext of assisting him, Amelia would engage in conversations and flirtation with Zero.


    Mia noticed this as well. She couldn''t understand how Amelia, despite being inexperienced in rtionships, managed to make such advances. Nevertheless, it was evident that Amelia was putting in considerable effort to establish a close connection with Zero.


    Mia watched the scene unfold with a mixture of bitterness and longing. She still hadn''t figured out the best way to approach Zero, so for now, she remained passive.


    One afternoon, afterpleting her work, Amelia spotted Zero. With a mischievous smile ying on her lips, she walked up to him, holding a tool in her hand. "Hey, Zero, do you need any help?" she asked, her voice carrying a yful tone.


    Zero looked up, appreciating the offer. "Actually, an extra pair of hands would be great. Care to lend me a hand?"


    As they worked together side by side, Amelia subtly incorporated flirtatious banter into their conversation. "You know, Zero, I have to admit, your dedication and attention to detail are truly admirable. It''s inspiring to see someone so passionate about their work."


    A faint smile appeared on Zero''s lips as he replied, "Thank you, Amelia. I''m just doing what I can. It''s something anyone could do."


    "Hehe... Oh, really? You could still act arrogant, you know!" Amelia teased, referring to a time when Zero and Amelia didn''t get along. However, that was all in the past.


    "What? Don''t you know that I am a humble guy. How can you say that I was acting arrogantly?"


    Zero retorted.


    Mia, who had been observing them from a distance, couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy. The way Amelia flirted with Zero, even if it wasn''t too obvious to him, was enough to make Mia''s heart ache. She clenched her fists, contemting whether to approach them or keep her feelings to herself.


    ( No, I can''t stay like this or I will lose him. I went through this two years ago, and I refuse to repeat the same mistake again! )


    Ma''s determination grew stronger as she approached Zero.


    "Zer-"


    *SHUDDER!


    !!!


    Just when Mia was about to call Zero, they sensed something unusual. The same feeling was experienced by the highly ranked Holy Knight guarding the ce.


    "What is this disturbance that I am sensing?"


    "It is like space itself getting broken."


    "Is someone attacking us again? Or is it the effect of some artifact."


    They felt a disturbance, as if something was tearing through space. Spection arose that it could be another attack from the Devils or Devil Contractors.


    "That is-"


    However, Zero and Mia have a much deeper understanding of the situation. They personally experienced what was about to happen and knew it all too well.


    "It''s a Gate!" eximed Zero.


    He didn''t have a pleasant experience with Gates. It was the ce where he first gained memories of the Emperor of Destruction, and it was also a treacherous location that required extreme caution just to survive.


    If it weren''t for Mia, who was also pulled into the Gate, Zero was certain he would have perished. Even with Mia''s presence, they were already on the brink of death.


    Had it not been for Elixir''s sudden appearance, Professor Mia would have died, and Zero''s body would have sumbed to Dark Energy.


    Their survival was purely a stroke of luck!


    "Everyone, retreat from this ce!" Mia shouted.


    There were many people who were unaware and vulnerable. If they became trapped in the Gate, their chances of survival would be extremely low.


    !!!


    Mia''s shout immediately startled many of the people.


    It wasn''t just Mia, but also numerous Holy Knights who urged and assisted the others in retreating from that ce.


    But it was only for a few seconds before the Gate manifested itself.


    Zero could sense its power. He couldn''t quite recall the sensation from the previous Gate he and Mia were trapped in, but he felt that the newly manifested Gate held a simr level of power.


    This meant that the Gate contained Rank-A monsters and perhaps even Rank-S monsters. It was one of the most perilous Gates that could have appeared.


    Of course, neither Mia nor Zero found it dangerous anymore. They have grown stronger since then. Either one of them could easily handle those Gates alone, but it posed a significant threat to the other people present.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]


    [ "Ice Creation" ]


    Zero immediately attempted to prevent people from being sucked into the Gate by conjuring an Ice Wall. This measure sessfully prevented many individuals from being pulled into the Gate, but it was not entirely effective.


    Due to the immense gravitational pull exerted by the Gate, it was only a matter of time before both the Ice Wall and the people near it would be dragged in.


    Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Zero employed Ice Creation to push those individuals out of the Gate''s influence. Fortunately, there were also Holy Knights who assisted in rescuing and escorting them away.


    However, the most heavily impacted individuals were undoubtedly Zero, Amelia and Mia, who were positioned at the center of the chaotic scene. They were still focused on preventing others from being drawn into the Gate, leaving no time for their own safety.


    Moreover, they did not appear to require immediate assistance.


    Zero attempted to escape using Shadow Dance, but it became evident that even in his shadow form, 19:20


    he was being drawn into the Gate. The Gate had fully materialized, resembling a ck hole that "Mia! Zero! What should we do?"


    Amelia eximed with concern. However, unlike Mia and Zero, she was worried as it was her first time. She was scared that maybe something dangerous would happen to them.


    "We should also go out!"


    Amelia eximed.


    Yet, by that time, the suction power of the Gate had be too overwhelming for them to escape.


    [ "Shadow Dance" ]


    Zero attempted to escape using Shadow Dance, but it became evident that even in his shadow form, he was being drawn into the Gate. The Gate had fully materialized, resembling a ck hole that allowed nothing to escape.


    "Amelia, we will be fine," reassured Mia. She also made an attempt to escape, but it was toote. However, the situation wasn''t as dire as it seemed.


    They had managed to prevent others from being pulled into the Gate. Now, only the three of them remained, possessing the power to defend themselves.


    Amelia was the only one who raised concern, but as long as she avoided encountering the boss monster, she would generally be safe.


    "Amelia, we might be transported to different locations. Just remember to find us first and avoid getting into fights," advised Mia.


    Amelia nodded. But she was still worried.


    "Yes, Amelia! It will only be a few days before we defeat the boss and find our way out," Zero reassured her. Naturally, they were worried about her, but the chances of survival were much higher than the chances of dying.


    Amelia stared at them in worry. The one to get caught in the Gate, one was her best friend, other was someone she loves. And then herself.


    It would be weird if she was not worried.


    However, the two of them exuded confidence and remainedposed. Just as they had said, perhaps things would turn out alright!


    And she also knew that they were someone who had experienced this already, so she trusted them. Moreover, they were indeed powerful and didn''t need to worry about surviving.


    "Okay! I will believe you!"


    Amelia said. Then she brace herself for the impact.


    -SWISSSH!

 Chapter 407: The Gate Again? [2]

    407 The Gate Again? [2]


    -SWISSSH!


    The three of them got sucked into the Gate.


    -THUD!


    "ARGH!"


    Zero groaned.


    "This is why I don''t like teleportation!"


    Zero yelled discontentedly. He had been teleported and unceremoniously dropped onto the ground. Being dizzy from the teleportation, he couldn''t react in time tond properly, resulting in him falling on his backside.


    Despite his disoriented state, Zero didn''t waste any timeining. He immediately scanned the surroundings for potential danger. It was not the time to worry about a headache when you might be in territory inhabited by monsters.


    But before he could even start investigating, he heard a loud scream.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Saintess Amelia seemed to have teleported above him and was falling down.


    Zero quickly reacted, extending his arms to catch Amelia as she plummeted towards him.


    -TUCK!


    He managed to catch her just in time, preventing her from crashing into the ground. Although even if she didnd on the ground, nothing serious would have happened.


    Rank-A body was tough and a simple fall from 20 meters would also not be enough to kill them. Moreover, even if Saintess Amelia was injured from falling, she could easily heal herself with her healing skill.


    Amelia closed her eyes tightly as she fell, bracing herself for impact. But when she felt strong arms wrap around her, she couldn''t help but open her eyes in surprise. And there he was, Zero, her savior, holding her securely.


    "Are you alright, Amelia?" Zero asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he gently set her back on her feet.


    Amelia''s eyes widened, and a bright smile spread across her face. Overwhelmed with relief and happiness, she couldn''t contain her emotions any longer.


    "Zero!" she eximed joyfully, unable to contain her happiness. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.


    Zero stood frozen for a moment as Amelia embraced him tightly, caught off guard by the sudden disy of affection. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he shifted ufortably, not entirely sure how to respond to the situation.


    "AH!"


    Realizing what she had just done, Amelia quickly released her grip.


    Amelia blushed, her heart racing from the hug. She looked up at Zero with a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment. "Th-thank you, Zero. I''m fine!"


    Zero snapped back to reality, choosing to ignore the hug and simply replied, "No problem!"


    He didn''t think much about the hug as he thought that Amelia was just excited to see him in the Gate.


    Amelia nodded, feeling a rush of emotions from the encounter. She couldn''t deny that Zero catching her had made her heart skip a beat, prompting her to embrace him.


    "But we certainly are fortunate. Last time, Professor Mia and I were separated in the Gate and it took us days to reunite," Zero remarked.


    Now that his primary concern, Amelia, was with him, he believed the Gate would be less worrisome. With her healing and support skills, he might not even need Dark Energy to defeat the boss monster, likely a Rank-S creature.


    Taking a moment topose themselves, they noticed a bull-like monster emerging nearby. The creature, named "Bovorax," was merely a Rank-C monster.


    It seems that the territory belonged to Bovorax and they don''t seem to be happy to see guests on their territory.


    "Look, a monster!"


    Amelia warned.


    "It looks like we havended in a fairly safe ce."


    "It seems we havended in a rtively safe area," Zero responded. He was familiar with the capabilities of Bovorax and was relieved to encounter it. Its presence indicated that they were in the territory of a Rank-C monster, which meant a safer environment.


    The creature red angrily at Zero and Amelia.


    GRRRR!


    Growling ferociously, it charged toward them, intent on attacking.


    When it came within range, Zero simply flicked his hand and sent the monster hurtling through the air.


    -BANG!


    Itnded several meters away, incapacitated.


    For Zero''s current level, Rank-C monsters posed little challenge. Amelia watched in admiration as Zero effortlessly disyed his strength. She already knew he was powerful, but it seemed she still underestimated his limits.


    Although they held the same Rank, Amelia couldn''tpare to Zero''s power. Her specializationy in support and healing, notbat. However, even among average Rank-A individuals, her fighting prowess exceeded their fighting power.


    "We should probably locate Professor Mia or the Gate''s boss," Zero suggested. Normally, finding Amelia would be the top priority, but now that she hadnded near him, that concern was alleviated.


    -SWUSH!


    However, Zero''s search for Mia was cut short as she joined them,nding a short distance away. With her flying ability, she easily touched down unscathed.


    "It appears luck is on our side this time," Zero remarked as he and Amelia approached Mia.


    Mianded on the ground safely. She wasn''t sure of the situation before Amelia and Zero came towards her.


    She looked at Zero and Amelia, relieved to see that they were safe. "I''m d you both made it out alright."


    Mia nced around, assessing their surroundings. They appeared to be in a dense forest, with tall trees and foliage obscuring their view.


    "We seemed to be on the territory of Bovorax which should be safe! We can stay here for a few days and see the situation of this ce!"


    Zero suggested to Professor Mia and Amelia.


    Mia nodded in agreement.


    Securing a safe ce was a good n. They could slowly start to explore the ce after having a good and safe ce to rest.


    Amelia, still feeling a bit shaky from the teleportation, also nodded in agreement. She held onto Zero''s arm, seekingfort and reassurance.


    This gesture didn''t go unnoticed by Mia, causing her to feel intense jealousy. She could no longer remain silent when confronted with such a situation. Without much thought, Mia gently tugged at Zero''s shirt.


    "Professor Mia?"


    Zero was startled when Professor Mia caught his shirt. He thought that Professor Mia had something to say.


    Realizing her impulsive action, Professor Mia found herself unsure of how to proceed in that moment. She considered exining that it was a mistake, but then she noticed that Amelia was still holding onto one of Zero''s arms.


    "Lend me your arms. I am still feeling dizzy from teleportation."


    "Huh?"


    ******


    Zero stood there, sandwiched between Amelia''s grip on his left arm and Mia''s hold on his right arm. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he remained uncertain about what was happening.


    If the situation was known by any other people, they would have died in jealousy. One was called the most beautiful woman and the other is the revered Saintess which is a person blessed by the goddess herself.


    Despite feeling ufortable, he didn''t dare protest or pull away, not wanting to cause any further awkwardness.


    Amelia, still holding onto Zero tightly, looked up at him with a hint of gratitude in her eyes. She whispered, "Thank you for being here, Zero. Your presence gives me strength."


    Amelia didn''t mind Me being there. She has nothing to hide and has told her already about her feelings. Even though the situation was dangerous being stuck in the Gate, Amelia didn''t forget to use the situation in her favor.


    Zero managed a weak smile, trying to hide his unease. He nced at Mia, who was still clutching his shirt, her expression a mix of jealousy and embarrassment. He couldn''t help but wonder how he ended up in this bewildering situation.


    Professor Mia was embarrassed. She never thought that she would do such a thing, not to mention to one of her former students. But she had to as she didn''t want to lose to Amelia.


    If she kept being passive, she was afraid that she would really lose Zero. Now that Amelia has thrown everything in order to win Zero''s heart, she also couldn''t hold back.


    Together, they ventured further into the forest, their footsteps echoing through the quiet surroundings. The air felt heavy with an unknown presence, making them alert and cautious.


    However, there was nothing to be afraid of! The monsters were all in Rank-C or Rank-B, most of them being Bovorox.


    All they had to do was unleash their mana aura, and the monster would immediately flee.


    After a while, both Amelia and Mia had to let go of their hug. They didn''t want to release each other too quickly, but upon realizing that Zero was ufortable, they both seemed to unconsciously agreed to let go together.


    It was also not beneficial for them to cling to Zero while navigating.


    Nevertheless, the ce was safe for them. The monster appeared weak, and the environment was not overly challenging. It felt like camping in an unfamiliar location.


    When traveling, Amelia took every opportunity to flirt and strengthen her bond with Zero.


    Mia observed their interactions with mixed emotions. She couldn''t deny the growing connection between Zero and Amelia, and it pained her to witness it unfolding before her eyes. She was tired, and unlike Amelia, she struggled with effectivemunication.


    Anyway, as Zero attempted to find the way back, it seemed that the two girls had another n in their mind!

 Chapter 408: The Gate Again? [3]

    408 The Gate Again? [3]


    Although it wasn''t as if Amelia and Mia werepletely fearless or careless, only that the gate they had opened was not as powerful as theirbined abilities. It only required 20% of their strength to defeat the monster in the vicinity. Instead of fixating on the creature and sumbing to worry, they decided to focus on getting Zero''s attention.


    But with how much amateur they were, the things that they were capable of were just at the level of middle school kids.


    While their flirting skills were rtively unseasoned, Amelia and Miapensated with sincerity and authenticity. They aimed to showcase their genuine personalities, hoping that their infectious energy and genuine interest in Zero would be enough to capture his heart.


    Unfortunately, their intentions seemed unclear, and Zero didn''t fully grasp what they were trying to do. Moreover, he was preupied with finding a way to escape the gate.


    Although there was no need to rush, Zero had enough food stored in his Spatial Ring tost for months. At least they wouldn''t starve, and the ce was rtively safe.


    While they weren''t particrly anxious, the duration of their stay in the gate was uncertain. One could never be sure of its size, and it could take several months or even years for someone unlucky to find the Boss Monster.


    Therefore, despite being rtively safe in the gate, they needed to constantly locate the Boss Monster.


    -BANG!


    *PUNCH!


    As Zero, Mia, and Amelia left the Bororav territory, Rank-B monsters started to appear and attack them. However, it only took one move from Zero and Mia to settle the fight. Amelia has also no trouble defeating the Rank-B monsters.


    If Zero and Mia used their flying skill, they could easily be able to traverse to different areas easily and much faster. However, they refrained from doing so.


    Given the unpredictability of the Gate, Zero and Mia refrained from using their flying abilities, preserving their mana in case of danger. Furthermore, Amelia didn''t possess any flying skills.


    "Ah! Look! It is Whispering Willow!"


    "And that must be Silvervine Vineyard. I never would have imagined that I would get to see the actual flower I used to see in pictures when I was a kid."


    Amelia excitedly said as she went to bring the flower. It was a flower that is very rare on Eds. The Gate has many such nts which are almost never seen back on Eds.


    They walked and explored the area, enjoying the many captivating sceneries they encountered.


    If they weren''t trapped in the gate, one could mistake them for tourists.


    Anyway, after spending weeks in the Gate, they had a better understanding of the ce that they were in. In addition, Zero has made a rough sketch like a map of the ce and marked the ce with monsters encountered.


    "If we keep moving from this direction we should be able to encounter the Boss Monster."


    Zero said.


    They had been exploring the area and noticed that the closer they got to the center, the more powerful the monsters became. They also found more valuable herbs in those territoriespared to the outskirts.


    With such resources there, many strong monsters would stay in those ces.


    Hence, the conclusion was that the closer they approached the center of the Gate, the closer they were to encountering the Boss Monster.


    Mia and Amelia nodded in agreement.


    "We''ve onlye across Rank-A monsters in this vicinity. It must be the area closest to the Boss Monster," Mia added.


    "Although I would like to go and defeat the Boss Monster, we might not be able to do so easily."


    Mia said worriedly.


    The more dangerous the Gate, the stronger the Boss Monster. Even though they hadn''t explored the core area of the Gate yet, based on their encounters so far, it wouldn''t be wise to underestimate the danger.


    Despite not being at the center, they had already battled countless powerful monsters. This indicated that the monsters in those regions were exceedingly strong. At the very least, the Boss Monster''s rank would be Rank-S.


    "Hmmm¡­."


    Zero thought for a while.


    ( For me and Professor Mia, even if the Boss Monster is Rank-SS -, we might be able to escape but it would be difficult for Amelia. She might even be in danger with Rank-S+. )


    There was also an option for Amelia to be outside the battle. She could join them after they have beaten the Boss Monster.


    But the chances of defeating Boss Monster would certainly be higher with Saintess Amelia helping them. She was as useful as a Rank-S healer. Even if they got seriously injured, with Saintess Amelia, they would be immediately healed.


    But it was indeed dangerous for Amelia! By mistake, if the monster gets to her, then she would have no chance if the monster was Rank-S.


    Amelia looked slumped. She was feeling bad as she knew that only she was a liability when fighting the boss.


    "I''m sorry, both of you! If only I were at Rank-S, I could contribute more," Amelia expressed with remorse.


    Amelia eximed in frustration.


    19:25


    Rank-S potions had been recently discovered, and the ingredients had be highly sought after, ( I would be able to fight well like Zero and Mia and moreover provide more support. Then we wouldn''t need to think of facing any danger.)


    With the support from Rank-S, Mia and Zero wouldn''t have to fear dying. Even if they were at deathbed, with her skill and Rank-S power, she could easily recover their injuries.


    Moreover, they wouldn''t need to protect her and could focus solely on battling the Boss Monster.


    "If only I had a Rank-S potion!"


    Amelia eximed in frustration.


    Rank-S potions had been recently discovered, and the ingredients had be highly sought after, driving the prices through the roof. Many people who had been stuck at Rank-A+ for several years didn''t hesitate to use all of their fortunes for a chance at Rank-S.


    Although the sess rate of breaking through to Rank-S- after consuming the potion was only 10-20%, it was still better than having no chance at all.


    Saintess Amelia had also attempted to acquire these potions, but they were incredibly rare on the market, and one had to pay an astronomical sum of money to obtain them.


    She knew that if she had the potion, she would have achieved Rank-S a long time ago.


    !!!


    ( Ah! Right! )


    Suddenly, Zero rummaged through his Spatial Ring, his face filled with excitement.


    "Found it!"


    Zero eximed joyfully, pulling out an object from his Spatial Ring.


    ???


    "What did you find?"


    Mia and Amelia were perplexed by Zero''s sudden outburst. They had been contemting the problem at hand and feeling down, but now Zero was shouting with excitement.


    Curious, they nced at what had captivated Zero''s attention.


    "Ah! T-This is-"


    Amelia eximed in surprise.


    "Yes! This is the Rank up potion for Rank-A!"


    Zero said.


    It had been many years since Zero had stored this potion in his Spatial Ring. He had continued to collect the ingredients for Rank-up potions, knowing how valuable they would be in the future. While he had already given many of them to his parents and their guild, he still had three left.


    He had kept them for himself, intending to use one when he reached Peak Rank-A+, allowing him to breakthrough to Rank-S.


    Now, it seemed that the time hade for one of those potions to assist him!

 Chapter 409: Breaking The Limit: Amelias Path To Rank-S

    Amelia gazed at the potion given to her by Zero, her eyes filled with awe and disbelief.


    The Rank-S Rank-up potion held immense value, something that even the most prestigious guilds would struggle to obtain. It had the potential to bankrupt a silver grade guild.


    "Can I really take this?" Amelia asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.


    "For the hundredth time, yes! Who else could I give it to but you?" Zero replied. Amelia had been asking him this question for quite some time now.


    Amelia stood speechless, her mind struggling toprehend the enormity of the gift in her hands.


    -THUD!


    Mia ced her hand on Amelia''s shoulder and said, "Just take it! I don''t think Zerocks those potions."


    Mia had also taken one of those potions when the Rank-S Rank-up potion was still unknown. Although she is still not sure how Zero was able to acquire the potion.


    She knew that although the ingredient and the potions itself had be expensive and rare, Zero should have more since he had been collecting the ingredients long before anyone else knew about them.


    Furthermore, even if he didn''t know that, he was the owner of Tech Genesis, apany that generated millions of Ethan every day. Professor Mia didn''t think it was anything for Zero to take out a couple million Ethan.


    Amelia looked at Mia and then at Zero.


    "Thank you, Zero! I will find a way to repay you," Amelia expressed her gratitude, determined to show her appreciation.


    She needed the potion to advance to Rank-S so that she wouldn''t be a burden to Zero and Mia in the Gate. In a normal case, she might have refused such a huge favor but she couldn''t right now as she knew that she needed the strength most right now.


    "No need to think too hard about it. It''s nothing for me, and you don''t need to thank me," Zero reassured her.


    As Professor Mia said, for Zero, giving her the potion was a trivial matter since he had an abundant supply of the required ingredients and also the potion itself.


    Amelia nodded, understanding his perspective, but her admiration for Zero only grew. It wasn''t just because of the potion itself, but because she could see that Zero wasn''t driven by materialistic desires or a thirst for wealth and fame.


    Having made up her mind, Amelia decided to take the potion right away. The potion was meant for those who had stabilized their power at Rank-A+ and Amelia was already at that stage.


    She had been at Rank-A+ for many years and only needed a good opportunity to break through to Rank-S.


    Moreover, the area they were in was rtively safe, thanks to the protection provided by Zero and Mia.


    Most of the roaming monsters were of Rank-C, and encounters with Rank-B monsters were rare.


    With a determined resolve, Amelia brought the potion to her lips.


    *GLUP!


    She drank the potion, embarking on a new chapter of her journey towards the coveted Rank-S.


    As the potion coursed through Amelia''s body, a surge of energy enveloped her. She could feel her inner power resonating, awakening from a dormant state. The effects of the concoction were potent, amplifying her already formidable abilities.


    Amelia closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations within her. She could sense intricate changes happening at a cellr level as her body absorbed the essence of the potion. It was a transformative experience, as if a door to untapped potential had been opened.


    Amelia''s body was filled with mana and it seemed to be breaking something like a wall which had been withholding the mana till now in her body. Amelia seized the opportunity to push for a breakthrough.


    -BANG!


    "It seems these monsters are attracted by the mana released by Amelia," Professor Mia remarked.


    Numerous monsters had attacked them since Amelia had taken the potion and was in the process of breaking through.


    Though with Mia and Zero, it only took them a couple of seconds to annihte thempletely. Even so they didn''t let their guard down and stayed vignt.


    Amelia was in an extremely vulnerable stage and if they got past them then Amelia would be in serious danger.


    Zero looked at Amelia with concern. Many hours had a;ready passed, and she still hadn''t finished.


    "Professor Mia, Do you think she can do it?" Zero asked.


    Unlike Mia, he was uncertain about Amelia''s chances. In the novel, the Saintess had died without any further information. In the novel, Mia had sessfully broken through to Rank-S, so Zero was certain about her.


    "She will!" Mia replied without hesitation. Her confidence in Amelia stemmed not only from their friendship but also from her knowledge of Amelia''s potential.


    As the hours ticked by, the air around Amelia became charged with anticipation. Her body shimmered with a faint aura as the mana within her surged and pulsed, pushing against the confines of her being. It was as if invisible mes licked at her skin, bathing her in a mesmerizing glow.


    Amelia''s closed eyes twitched, and her brows furrowed in concentration. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, evidence of the immense strain she was enduring. Every muscle in her body trembled with the effort to contain and control the explosive power building within her.


    Then, in an instant, the pent-up mana erupted from her like a raging tempest. The air crackled with electricity as a brilliant surge of radiant energy engulfed Amelia, illuminating the surrounding area with its brilliance. The sheer intensity of the spectacle left Zero and Mia momentarily speechless.


    Colors danced within the maelstrom of mana, intertwining and swirling in a mesmerizing disy.


    The mana re-up reached its climax, causing shockwaves to ripple through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet.


    Amelia''s body underwent a profound transformation. Her physical features seemed to radiate a divine aura, her once vibrant hair now flowing and shimmering like liquid gold. Her eyes, once filled with awe and uncertainty, now gleamed with unwavering determination and an inner strength that seemed to defyprehension.


    The bond between Amelia and the mana was solidified, merging seamlessly as if they were one entity. She had broken through the barriers of Rank-A+ and transcended into the realm of Rank-S, a league of extraordinary individuals who possessed power beyond imagination.


    As the torrent of mana subsided, the glow surrounding Amelia began to dim, revealing her transformed state. She stood there, a beacon of strength and resilience, a true embodiment of the potential hidden within her all along.


    Amelia slowly opened her eyes, revealing orbs of ethereal blue, now filled with a profound understanding and newfound confidence. She took a deep breath, relishing in the newfound power coursing through her veins.


    She gazed at Zero and Mia, who watched her with anticipation. A radiant smile graced Amelia''s face, her eyes sparkling with determination.


    "I can feel it," she whispered in awe. "The power... It''s like nothing I''ve ever experienced before. I made it! I have broken through Rank-S!"


    Amelia eximed happily.


    Zero and Mia exchanged nces, relief evident on their faces. Zero couldn''t help but smile, proud of Amelia''s aplishment.


    "Congrattions, Amelia! You did it!" Zero eximed, his voice filled with genuine happiness.


    Mia pped her hands in excitement. "I knew you had it in you! You''ve reached Rank-S!"


    Amelia beamed with pride, fully realizing the weight of her achievement. She had surpassed the limits of Rank-A+ and broken through to the coveted Rank-S, a milestone that many Explorers only dreamed of.


    "Thank you, both of you," Amelia said gratefully.


    With her newfound power, Amelia felt an indescribable surge of confidence. She knew that she could support Mia and Zero more effectively without worrying about being a burden.

 Chapter 410: Rank-S Monster: Lightning Leopard

    Amelia has sessfully advanced to Rank-S!


    However, the three of them didn''t storm into the Boss Monster territory recklessly.


    Before they could do that, they had to first make sure that Amelia adjusted to the power well.


    -BANG! -BANG!


    They were at the area where Rank-A and Rank-B monsters roam. And currently, Amelia was checking out her powers.


    Although she was not an attacking mage, she did know some attacking skills.


    Previously, although she could defeat Rank-A monsters, it was difficult and took a lot of time. But now, with her advancement to Rank-S, she could one shot most of the Rank-A monsters.


    And even when she is surrounded by multiple Rank-A monsters, she could protect herself with barriers which the monsters couldn''t break.


    "Oh WOW!"


    Amelia looked at herself in disbelief after having tested her new profound powers. It was not a matter of getting stronger but everything that she does feels so easy and every attack she uses feels so powerful.


    She feels like a different person!


    Maybe she was.


    Anyway, now she was relieved that she wouldn''t be a burden to Zero and Mia. And there was no need for them to watch her backs.


    "Thank you Zero!"


    Amelia thanked again.


    "No problem!"


    Zero replied.


    After that, they had also tried Amelia''s other abilities as well which included support and her healing ability.


    With her support, Zero and Mia could effortlessly kill Rank-A monsters. Even if the numbers wererge, they had no trouble at all.


    And her speciality, healing was enough to be said as revival at this point. As Zero and Mia hardly get injured, they tested this ability on the monster which Zero beat to a death-like state.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Amelia used her skill and immediately, the monster that was going to die had returned to its prime state with no sign of injuries.


    The monster seemed confused about what was happening but seeing the chance, immediately ran away from Zero in fear.


    "With this, we are practically immortals!"


    Zero said.


    Judging by what he had seen, even against the injuries from Rank-S, current Amelia could easily heal it. With her by their side, it was indeed difficult for them to die.


    Even if the Boss Monster was Rank-S+ peak, the chances of dying with Amelia''s ability were practically nil.


    The three of them slowly moved closer and closer into the Gate Boss Monster. Or at least that is what they believe from what they have seen.


    They are not certain that Boss Monster would be at the center, but ording to how the monster seemed stronger the more they were at the center, they believe that to be the case.


    Slowly as they got closer, Rank-C monsters were not seen anymore, instead more and more Rank-A monsters were there.


    There were all kinds of monsters in the Gate ranging from elemental monsters to flying monsters. They were also rare Mountain Crushing Goris.


    Anyway, no matter what type of monster they encountered, they all fell in the hands of three of them.


    -WHOOSH!


    Just as they were resting, they got alerted after sensing a huge mana aura of a monster. They knew a strong monster was approaching them.


    And indeed when it appeared, it was Lightning Leopard, A Rank-S Monster.


    Lightning Leopards were weak, that is if we are talking about strength. However, their power lies in their speed which gave them the name of Lightning.


    They were fast and most people wouldn;t be able to see them. Their speed was akin to teleportation.


    It could have easily annihted the group of elite Rank-A Explorers. Luckily, the three of them were not just some average person that the Lightning Leopard could easily kill.


    "That is- Lightning Leopard!"


    "So we finally met a Rank-S monster!"


    Amelia was still nervous since she has never fought with Rank-S monsters. Mia was just surprised to see the monster but rtively very calm.


    She had killed many Rank-S monsters since her ascend to Rank-S. Although she never had the chance of fighting with Lightning Leopard, she didn''t think that she would lose to them.


    Zero also noticed the Rank-S Monsters. In terms of power, their strength was at best, only at Rank-A. However, their strength could exceed and reach up to Rank-S+, making them the fastest creatures under Rank-SS.


    Zero had fought with the monster multiple times in the Tower Of Obelisk! And although at first, those cats were able to deal significant damage to him, heter learned how to deal with them.


    "Let me handle this!"


    Zero said as he took off with his sword.


    [ "Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    Lightning Leopard were fast and could kill someone easily if that person happens to be unguarded. With their speed, it was easy to get to someone''s weak part instantly.


    And although Rank-A strength is not enough, with their surprise and sneak, they could one hit kill even Rank-S monsters. That''s why, Zero used and covered himself in armor, so that even when the Lightning Leopard managed to get past his guard, he wouldn''t die.


    -WHOOSH!


    Immediately the Lightning Leopard vanished and appeared behind Zero''s back.


    -CLANG!


    However, the Lightning Leopard didn''t get a chance to injure Zero as he blocked the attack with his sword.


    Zero tried to freeze the Lightning Leopard, but before that could happen, the Lightning Leopard was already a few meters away.


    Lightning Leopard was obviously agitated that he was not able to kill his prey in one go. And he seemed to have gone into serious mode.


    Blue Aura was released and lightning spark could be seen surrounding the Lightning Leopard.


    -WHOOSH!


    The Lightning Leopard had be even faster and even Mia and Amelia were not able to track its movement. It was even hard to sense its presence with the mana aura as it was too fast.


    -SLASH!


    The Lightning Leopard attacked with its ws, Zero tried to defend but failed as the Lightning Leopard immediately changed direction and attacked from the other side.


    -CRACK!


    The Lightning Leopard managed to hit Zero though with the Dark Ice Armor, Zero was not physically hurt.


    Zero tried to capture the beast but the Lightning Leopard had already moved away. To win, Zero only had to take away the Lightning Leopard''s speed and it is just a sitting duck.


    But the Lightning Leopard is not easily caught in a trap.


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Zero scattered the hidden bomb around the ce. As long as one of them hits the Lightning Leopard, he is dead.


    -WHOOSH!


    However, with its keen sense, it dodged every one of them and managed to get to Zero.


    -SLASH!


    Bit by bit, the Lightning Leopard slowly tore apart Zero''s armor. The Lightning Leopard took advantage of its speed and was on verge of winning.


    Amelia was visibly worried while Mia looked at the fight calmly.


    Not able to keep her cool anymore, she asked, "Mia shouldn''t we help? What if Zero gets hurt?"


    She asked worriedly. The fight had been going for a while and it didn''t seem like Zero had a chance of defeating the monster.


    Mia smiled and said, "I think he has a n. And even if we don''t do anything, Zero will die!"


    Mia could see that Zero was nning something. He has not once lost his cool and seemed to be smiling whenever the Lightning Leopard attacked.


    Moreover, if Zero wanted to win, he could always use Dark Energy to easily kill the Lightning Leopard.


    And yes, just like Mia thought, Zero indeed had a n.


    Ever since he was being attacked left and right, Zero had been grinning and looking at Lightning Leopard as if he was an idiot.


    -WHOOSH!


    -SLASH! -SLASH!


    As the Lightning Leopard attacked, his speed was visibly slower.


    "Haha¡­ You got trapped!"


    Zero said.


    It was not that Lightning Leopard was easily able to hit Zero but that Zero was not doing anything to resist his attacks.


    He had deliberately taken on the attack, and was slowly injecting the Ice Energy in the Lightning Leopard''s body whenever he touched Zero''s armor.


    Now, Zero began to counterattack.


    -WHOOSH!


    -CLANG!


    The Lightning Leopard, although became slower, was still fast and was able to react to Zero''s attack.


    However, he was pressed on by Zero''s attack and couldn''t escape like when he had his full speed. The Lightning Leopard can only manage to dodge or block.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero tried to freeze Lightning Leopard. If sessful, the fight would have ended there. But, Lightning Leopard quickly jumped in the sky and was going to retreat.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    However, Zero was not going to give an opportunity for the monster to escape andtere back for revenge.


    Zero used the frozen surface to merge and quickly appeared to where the Lightning Leopard was about tond.


    -THUD!


    The Lightning Leopardnded quite far back and was going to escape.


    However, Zero was alreadyying in wait for him.


    "You are already dead!"


    [ "Ice Prison" ]

 Chapter 411: Traveling Through Desert

    "You are already dead!" the chilling words echoed in the air.


    [ "Ice Prison" ]


    The Lightning Leopard found itself trapped in the Ice Prison without any chance of escape. Despite its strength being at Rank-A, the absence of its greatest advantage, speed, rendered it helpless.


    Without its lightning-fast movements, the Lightning Leopard was no different from a regr Rank-A monster.


    [ "Shadow Ice Shard!" ]


    Unable to resist, the Lightning Leopard sumbed to its fate. Zero swiftly ended its life and stored its valuable body parts in his Spatial Ring. As a Rank-S monster, the creature''s remains were quite valuable.


    Though Zero was already wealthy, he couldn''t resist the opportunity to earn some extra cash.


    Professor Mia remarked, "It seems even a Rank-S monster is no match for you!"


    She marveled at Zero''s ability to effortlessly defeat the strongest monster they had encountered so far. However, she knew he had yet to reveal his full potential.


    Amelia wasn''t as surprised, having witnessed Zero''s prowess in battles against even the Rank-S Holy Knights.


    Nevertheless, killing a Rank-S monster without sustaining any injuries was no small feat. Zero had toyed with the creature until the very end.


    "We must be getting closer to the center if we''ve encountered a Rank-S monster," Zero stated.


    Amelia scanned their surroundings, her keen eyes attuned to detecting mana. Despite her exceptional senses, she found no sign of a stronger monster or the Boss Monster they sought.


    "It seems that it is not near this area. We might need to travel even further."


    Amelia said.


    "It appears we need to exercise more caution. If we''ve encountered a Rank-S monster, it''s likely the Boss Monster is at least Rank-S+ or stronger. We may also encounter other Rank-S- monsters roaming the area," Professor Mia warned.


    She feared that the Gate''s Boss would surpass the strength of the Ice Griffin, given the presence of the Lightning Leopard. If even the Rank-S- monster wasn''t the Boss, it meant their ultimate target was someone not to be underestimated.


    Fortunately, Amelia had recently ranked up, providing them with an advantage in facing a Rank-S+ monster. Without her growth,bating such a creature would have been much more challenging.


    And even without mentioning the Boss Monster, the area was still very dangerous if Rank-S Monster were there. Rank-A Monster has little to no chance of killing them but it was a different story with Rank-S Monsters.


    The trio continued their journey toward the center of the Gate, bing increasingly cautious with each step. Most of the monsters they encountered were of Rank-A, with rare encounters of Rank-S creatures like the Lightning Leopard.


    While they would at times encounter groups of Rank-A monsters, Rank-S monsters were typically solitary and would attack them alone. Otherwise, the trio would have faced even greater difficulties in defeating them.


    Zero was also able to make use of his experience and knowledge in dealing with the monsters from Tower Of Obelisk.


    Zero had faced all kind of monster when he was at Tower Of Obelisk. Thanks to that, he knew most of the monster''s weaknesses and also how to easily deal with them.


    As they delved deeper, the temperature began to rise dramatically. The scorching heat made the environment unsuitable for human habitation. An ordinary person would sumb to the extreme temperatures within an hour.


    However, the trio''s resilient bodies allowed them to endure the difort of traversing the desert. Nevertheless, the relentless heat made walking through the barrenndscape unbearable.


    And the sand was also draining their energy faster than in other ces.


    After days of walking and not encountering their objective, Amelia couldn''t help but question their progress and direction, "When will we reach the center? Are we even heading in the right direction?"


    Zero chimed in, "It would have been easier if we were on an icy mountain!"


    The heat didn''t agree with him, and he suffered greatly. If the extreme conditions had been cold instead of hot, Zero wouldn''t have felt a thing.


    Mia nodded in agreement, also possessing resistance to ice. If they were in a ce with temperatures as low as -200 degrees, neither she nor Zero would have been affected.


    !!!


    Suddenly, Amelia sensed something in the distance. Utilizing her enhanced eyesight, augmented by mana, she peered toward the source of her unease.


    "I sense something!" she eximed.


    Zero asked eagerly, "Is it the Boss Monster?"


    She looked at the mana aura and then quickly responded, "Yes!".


    Though she couldn''t be certain, the mana aura she detected far surpassed any other monster they had encountered. She was sure that such a kind of mana aura would onlye from the Boss Monster.


    "Really? Where?" Mia inquired. She was also eager to return as the heat was unbearable.


    Amelia pointed in the direction and the three of them set off excitedly. If this had happened months ago, encountering a Boss Monster wouldn''t have thrilled them as it did now.


    But the harsh desert conditions made them eager to return home as soon as possible. They had no desire to traverse the sand or endure the scorching heat any longer than necessary.


    However, they weren''t foolish enough to charge blindly toward the enemy. They maintained a safe distance, carefully observing their opponent.


    "It''s Ifrit!" Zero identified the fearsome creature.


    Ifrit''s eyes zed with an intense glow, reflecting the inferno within. mes danced along its jagged horns, protruding from its head, and its sharp, elongated teeth glowed with fiery hues. Smoke encircled its body, crackling with sparks, while flickering tongues of fire licked at its fingertips.


    Each step it took caused the ground to tremble, and its mere presence emanated a scorching aura, causing the air to shimmer with heat.


    Ifrit''s mastery over fire was evident as it conjured mes effortlessly, enveloping its body in scorching heat.


    It possessed the ability to manipte fire, shaping it into deadly projectiles or unleashing devastating waves of inferno upon its enemies.


    Zero spected that Ifrit might be the reason for the intense heat in the area, or perhaps the environment had naturally been this way, which is why Ifrit resided there.


    Either way, it was almost certain that Ifrit was the Boss Monster of the Gate.


    Ifrit is a Rank-S+ monster and extraordinarily powerful. Its fire abilities made it particrly effective againstrge groups. Thus, having numerical superiority meant little in the face of Ifrit''s might, as anyone without strength would merely be reduced to ashes.


    Furthermore, Ifrit was the bane of ice-based magicians like Zero and Mia. Fire held the elemental advantage over ice, making it challenging to freeze or defend against Ifrit''s attacks. Ice armor or walls would easily melt before its onught.


    Essentially, everything ice abilities were known for became useless in the face of fire abilities.


    Previously, Mia had managed to defeat Frey, despite her fire-based Art. However, Mia''s superior rank and higher Art level had tipped the scales in her favor.


    Now, they were about to confront Ifrit, the strongest fire monster below Rank-SS. Even Professor Mia''s abilities were practically useless against it, let alone Zero''s Cryomancy.


    The trio was acutely aware of this fact.


    Zero inquired, "What now?"


    They had several options, not limited to engaging Ifrit inbat. They could retreat to a previous area and train further, challenging Ifrit again when they were stronger.


    Alternatively, they could wait for reinforcements from the outside. However, they had no way of knowing how long they would have to wait, as the time inside the Gate differed from that outside.


    Moreover, the chances of receiving reinforcements were low, given that they were trapped alongside other Rank-S and Rank-A individuals. Sending reinforcements would likely require the gathering of at least 10 Rank-S individuals or the participation of a Rank-SS.


    The most likely choice, and the one they ultimately decided upon, was to face Ifrit head-on. Although their opponent was formidable and their disadvantage apparent, they still held hope of emerging victorious.


    "Unexpectedly, our opponent is Ifrit! But there''s no problem. With ourbined strength, we should be able to handle him," Professor Mia reassured.


    She mentioned that although her primary Art was disadvantageous against Ifrit, she possessed a secondary Art that she had been practicing. While not as potent as her Ice Art, it was still a usable skill.


    "And as for Zero, I don''t need to say much," Mia continued.


    Zero was skilled in Cryomancy, but he also possessed the Shadow Sword Style and the Demonic Emperor Sword Art.


    With these additional techniques at their disposal, Professor Mia believed that their disadvantage against Ifrit was not insurmountable.


    "We will win!"

 Chapter 412: Rank-S + Monster: Ifrit

    "We will win!"


    Professor Mia dered.


    Zero and Amelia also had no problem with her decision. Among the three of them, Professor Mia had the most experiences and even though Zero might have fought countless fights in the Tower Of Obelisk, Professor Mia was better at judging the situation than him.


    Zero was uncertain about his ability to defeat a Rank-S+ Monster. He had attempted it in the Tower Of Obelisk before but had failed.


    He had firsthand knowledge of the immense strength possessed by monsters of that level, and he knew he couldn''t defeat them alone.


    However, with the assistance of Professor Mia and Saintess Amelia, and having grown since then, he believed the oue would be different.


    And since Professor Mia said that they could win, they would be able to.


    The trio deliberated on the strategy to confront the Ifrit. They recognized that Ifrit had the advantage of fighting on its home turf.


    Additionally, Ifrits, being spirit-like entities, possessed the ability to regenerate their bodies instantly. To kill them,plete annihtion along with the destruction of their core was required.


    Mia revealed her other Art.


    ''Level 6: Thunder Beast Fist''


    "I might not be as good as Zero in closebat but my strikes are powerful and could deal a serious blow to Ifrit."


    Professor Mia said.


    Her skill with the Art was not bad but she had only trained with this Art for about 4 months. Still against Ifrit, rather than using Ice Abilities, using this Art was much better.


    And using Dual Art, when shebines the Lightning aspect of Thunder Beast Fist and Ice Energy, it produces a very destructive power.


    As long as Professor Mia is able tond a hit on Ifrit with that technique, she was certain that it would kill the Ifrit.


    ******


    Having made their strategy, they waited for a few more days to learn about the beast and look for the perfect opportunity to fight.


    After knowing that it was the perfect moment, Zero and Miaunched their assault on the Ifrit.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" ]


    Zero right away used Dark Energy. Mia and Amelia were already aware that he could use it, so there was no need to conceal it.


    Moreover, Ifrit was not an opponent that Zero could fight by holding back his power. And his other Art was not effective against Ifrit.


    Even the Dual Art. Dual Art heavily relied on Ice Energy for dealing damage, it would be less effective against the Ifrit. Thus, to quickly defeat it without exhausting himself, Zero utilized the Demonic Emperor Sword.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    Professor Mia also started with her strongest skill. Ster Annihtion Waves is a Rank-S skill which is light based attack.


    Simultaneously, Professor Mia unleashed her Rank-S skill, "Ster Annihtion Waves," a light-based attack. Both of them opted for long-range attacks, hoping to inflict significant damage on the Ifrit before their confrontation.


    -BOOM!


    Thebined force of Zero''s "Demonic Emperor Sword: Extermination st" and Professor Mia''s "Ster Annihtion Waves" unleashed a powerful explosion that shook the surroundings.


    The impact of their attacks sent shockwaves rippling through the air, creating a momentary burst of blinding light.


    As the smoke cleared, they could see the Ifrit standing amidst the aftermath of their assault. Ifrit stood there showing no sign of having gotten damaged.


    "He''s tough!" Zero remarked. Although he expected it, witnessing the fact that their powerful attacks, which could annihte a group of Rank-A Monsters, did nothing to the Ifrit was disheartening.


    -KIIIIIII!


    Ifrit, unfazed by the powerful assault from Zero and Professor Mia, let out a menacingugh. Its fiery aura intensified, and the temperature in the vicinity soared to unbearable levels. The Ifrit was ready to retaliate.


    Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet cracked open, and moltenva burst forth, creating a barrier between Zero, Professor Mia, and the Ifrit. Theva flowed rapidly, surrounding them and cutting off any escape routes.


    [ "Divine Shield" ]


    Amelia immediately used her skill to protect them from theva.


    -WHOOSH!


    As the Ifrit advanced, its ming ws shing through the air, Zero and Professor Mia prepared for the imminent confrontation.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Zero defended against the Ifrit''s attacks with his sword, each strike heavy and scorching. Zero wished he could control Ice Energy in addition to Dark Energy, but harnessing the chaotic nature of Dark Energy was already challenging enough, let alonebining it with Ice Energy.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    While Zero was shing with Ifrit, Professor Mia conjured her Ice Pce. The size of the pce was smaller than normal and felt less powerful in front of the scorchingva and Ifrit.


    As the Primordial Ice Pce materialized, it provided a temporary respite from the searing heat of theva. The icy structure acted as a shield, protecting Zero and Professor Mia from the Ifrit''s relentless heat.


    However, the Ifrit''sva attacks relentlessly hammered against the frozen fortress, gradually weakening its integrity.


    -CLANG! -CLANK!


    Zero and Professor Mia fought with Ifrit. With Professor Mia''s help, Zero was able to cope with Ifrit heat and Professor Mia also provided support.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Demonic Force Maniption" ]


    Using the strengthened sword, Zero once again went to confront Ifrit.


    -CLANK! -CLANG!


    However, despite using his full power, in the confrontation, Zero was at a disadvantage. The only saving grace was that Zero had eaten Ancient Dragon''s Heart which made her mana capacity very high.


    Despite burning mana which could have exhausted an average Rank-A human, Zero was still fine and had more than 80% of his mana.


    Amelia also raised barriers and shields whenever Zero and Mia were in a dangerous situation. And she would also heal them whenever they received injuries.


    Professor Mia continued employing her Ice Art to bolster Zero while seeking the perfect opportunity to unleash her Dual Art.


    However, her mana reserves were limited, unlike Zero''s vast pool, allowing her to employ Dual Art only once or twice.


    "Found it!


    Professor Mia eximed upon discovering the location of the Ifrit''s core. Without hesitation, she dispelled her Primordial Ice Pce and prepared to unleash her Dual Art.


    Purple electricity emanated from her body as she concentrated her mana into her fist, augmenting it with her Ice Energy.


    "Zero, evade!" Professor Mia signaled Zero.


    With her gaze fixed on the Ifrit''s core, Professor Mia focused her energy, merging the lightning aspect of her Thunder Beast Fist with her icy abilities. Surrounded by a crackling purple electric aura, she unleashed her Dual Art technique.


    [ "Dual Art: Frozen Lightning Devastation" ]


    With a powerful thrust, Professor Mia''s fist connected with the Ifrit''s core, sending a surge of electrified ice energy through its fiery essence. The impact was immense, causing a momentary freeze in the air around them.


    -KRRRRRR!


    The Ifrit let out a deafening roar of agony as thebined power of the Thunder Beast Fist and Ice Energy prated its body and was making its way towards the core.


    Sensing weakness, Zero seized the opportunity and channeled all his remaining mana into his Dark Energy.


    [ "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" ]


    Zero swung his sword with tremendous force, unleashing a torrent of dark energy that crashed into the damaged Ifrit.


    -BANG!


    As Zero''s "Demonic Emperor Sword: Cataclysmic Destruction" collided with the damaged Ifrit, a cataclysmic explosion shook the surroundings. The sheer power of the attack sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the fiery beast to stagger momentarily.


    But to everyone''s astonishment, the Ifrit quickly regained itsposure. Its burning aura red even brighter, radiating intense heat that seemed to scorch everything in its path. With a deafening roar, the Ifrit unleashed its ultimate attack.


    -ROOOAAARRR!


    A massive inferno erupted from the core of the Ifrit, enveloping the entire area in an all-consuming ze. The temperature skyrocketed to unimaginable levels, turning the battlefield into a hellishndscape.


    [ "Ice Wave" ]


    Professor Mia attempted to block the attack with her Ice Wave, but her ice-based attack was immediately destroyed by the Ifrit''s overwhelming heat.


    [ "Sacred Barrier: Divine Nova" ]


    A brilliant, radiant barrier formed around Zero, Professor Mia, and herself. The barrier pulsated with holy energy, acting as ast line of defense against the devastating mes.


    Zero and Mia missed this opportunity as they failed to destroy the core. However, they were now witnessing the full power of Ifrit.


    Zero had the answer to whether the ce was turned to desert because of Ifrit or whether he stayed because it was suitable for him.


    It was definitely the fromer looking at this skill that he used. Everything in the vicinity was burning and this skill could easily turn a forest to a barren desert.


    Despite Amelia''s efforts, the Ifrit''s overwhelming power began to breach the barrier. The scorching mes licked at their defenses, threatening to engulf thempletely. The trio knew they had to take action swiftly to turn the tides in their favor.


    If the situation continues for a few more seconds, the barrier would bepletely destroyed and they would be burned to crisp.


    Considering the gravity of the situation, Zero made a decisive choice.


    "Give me one minute! I have a skill that will definitely kill him."

 Chapter 413: The Ultimate Skill!

    "Give me one minute! I have a skill that will definitely kill him."


    With those words, he consumed a mana potion and began gathering mana with unwavering determination.


    Observing Zero''s actions, the two of them didn''t question him. They had faith that Zero had a valid reason for his actions, so they could only choose to believe in him and protect him from Ifrit.


    The intense heat emanating from Ifrit was so extreme that even the sand seemed to ignite. And Ifrit was continuing to increase the me to a much higher degree.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    [ "Sacred Barrier: Divine Nova" ]


    Within the scorching heat of Ifrit''s mes, Mia and Amelia deployed their skills, "Primordial Ice Pce" and "Sacred Barrier: Divine Nova," respectively.


    Mia''s Primordial Ice Pce was quickly overwhelmed, unable to withstand the onught. Although it managed to reduce some of the heat, it proved insufficient topletely halt Ifrit''s mes.


    The Sacred Barrier provided temporary protection against Ifrit''s heat, but it was evident that the barrier''s durability wouldn''tst much longer.


    Amelia poured a significant amount of her mana into strengthening the barrier further. Despite her ascension to Rank-S-, her shield was no match for Ifrit''s fiery attacks.


    Unlike Mia, whose ice abilities were at a disadvantage against fire, Amelia should have had no trouble fighting against any opponent, be it fire or water.


    However, it was clear that her power was not yet at the level where she couldbat a Rank-S+ adversary.


    Nheless, her barrier bought Zero the necessary time toplete his preparations.


    With a swift motion, Zero condensed nearly all the mana within him. He needed to gather as much mana as possible to unleash his most potent skill, Ancient Dragon''s Wrath.


    Ancient Dragon''s Wrath was a Rank-SS+ ability, one of the strongest skills below the pinnacle Rank-SSS. Its power was more than sufficient to eliminate beings of Rank-SS and even surpassing Rank-S+ like Ifrit.


    However, the mana required to activate the skill was staggering. Even with Zero''s Rank-A+ mana capacity, he couldn''t activate the skill casually. In the past, he had used it only once by risking all the mana within his body, leaving him in a critical state.


    Therefore, Zero had refrained from using Ancient Dragon''s Wrath again until he could do so without risking his life or when there was no other choice.


    "It''splete! Amelia, Mia, keep a distance from me. And Amelia, use the Sacred Barrier to protect Mia and yourself!"


    Zero cautioned them. Although they weren''t the primary targets of his attack, the sheer power of Ancient Dragon''s Wrath was so great that even those in its vicinity could be harmed.


    !!!


    Mia and Amelia didn''t know what Zero intended, but upon seeing the condensed mana, they realized that an immensely powerful attack was imminent.


    Following Zero''s warning, they distanced themselves from him while erecting barriers for protection.


    Ifrit, enraged and determined not to let them escape, advanced even as he noticed Zero charging his attack.


    Ifrit''s mes engulfed everything in sight, reducing them to ashes. He drew closer to Zero, intensifying the scorching heat of his mes. However, Zero''s mana had reached its peak, and with unwavering determination, he unleashed his Ancient Dragon''s Wrath.


    [ "Ancient Dragon''s Wrath" ]


    As Zero raised his hands, a zing surge of fiery energy enveloped him, taking the form of a majestic dragon. The immense power radiating from the dragon''s fiery body was awe-inspiring, capable of incinerating anything in its path.


    -ROAAAAAAR!


    With a mighty roar, the Ancient Dragon''s Wrath soared through the air, leaving behind a trail of scorching heat and devastation.


    The ground trembled as the mes licked at their surroundings, consuming anything unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.


    The Ancient Dragon, with its fiery form, lunged forward, heading straight for Ifrit.


    The shockwave sent Mia and Amelia sprawling backward, despite the protection of the Sacred Barrier. The force was immense, causing the ground beneath them to crack and groan under the pressure.


    Although the attack targeted Ifrit, they still felt the effects of the incredibly powerful assault. If not for the barrier, they would have been harmed simply by its intense heat.


    Ifrit, the formidable Rank-S+ opponent, could only watch in horror as the zing dragon descended upon him. His once fearsome mes paled inparison to the overwhelming might of Zero''s skill.


    Even though Ifrit was the king of Fire, the Ancient Dragons were undoubtedly the Emperors. Its mes could annihte almost anything, regardless of its form.


    -KIEEEEEE!


    Despite his fear of the Ancient Dragon''s me, Ifrit decided to confront it. He unleashed waves of scorching mes in an attempt to counter the onught.


    The collision was cataclysmic. The Ancient Dragon''s Wrath tore through Ifrit''s defenses, engulfing him in a tempest of searing mes.


    -KIIIEEEEE!


    The sheer intensity of the attack reduced Ifrit''s formidable form to ashes, eradicating his presence from the battlefield.


    As the mes subsided, Zero stood amidst the aftermath, his body still tinged with residual heat. The strain of wielding such immense power was evident on his face, yet there was also a sense of fulfillment.


    He had unleashed the full might of Ancient Dragon''s Wrath, obliterating his foe with overwhelming force.


    The irony of Ifrit''s demisey in his fiery nature. To witness the annihtion of a creatureposed entirely of mes showcased the power and destructiveness of the Ancient Dragon''s skills.


    -THUD!


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..."


    Zero copsed onto the ground, utterly drained of mana. At that moment, even Rank-E creatures could easily overpower him.


    "Zero!" Amelia and Mia rushed to his side, concerned for his well-being.


    "Fortunately, it appears that he has simply exhausted his mana," reassured Saintess Amelia after having checked Zero''s condition.


    She began using her healing skills to tend to Zero. While his injuries were not life-threatening, he had sustained significant damage during his confrontation with Ifrit.


    Under Saintess Amelia''s care, his injuries immediately began to heal.


    "Zero, how could you be so reckless? What if you had failed? You could have died!" admonished Professor Mia.


    Initially frightened by the possibility of something happening to Zero, she now felt the need to reprimand him for risking his life.


    It had been an extremely perilous choice. If Ifrit had survived, Zero could have paid the ultimate price, considering his weakened state after utilizing the skill.


    "Haha..." Zero attempted tough it off, but Professor Mia wasn''t having any of it. She had experienced a near heart attack when Zero copsed.


    Zero sheepishly scratched his nose as he exined, "You witnessed the immense power of my attack. There was no way Ifrit could have defended against it."


    That was his reasoning for taking such a risk. He firmly believed that Ifrit would not have survived the onught.


    If Ifrit had somehow endured, it would indicate that Ifrit possessed power equivalent to Rank-SS, and in that case, they would have already perished. Additionally, given Ifrit''s determination for revenge, Zero wasn''t concerned about Ifrit fleeing.


    However, Zero hadn''t taken Mia''s feelings into consideration, unaware of the distress he had caused her.


    "Next time, you better inform us in advance, or else I''ll subject you to hours of lectures," warned Professor Mia.


    ******


    They proceeded to examine Ifrit''s remains, but there was nothing left of him. His body, as well as his cores, had beenpletely annihted. Even the area where he resided had been reduced to ruins by the devastating power of the Ancient Dragon''s Wrath.


    The skill was so destructive that it left nothing in its wake but utter devastation.


    They couldn''t help but feel a sense of regret. If they had managed to retrieve Ifrit''s cracked cores, they could have sold them for an astronomical amount of Ethan. However, due to Zero''s skill, nothing remained.


    Nevertheless, none of them were truly in need of money. As Rank-S individuals, they could hunt and sell Rank-A monsters for profit. Furthermore, Professor Mia earned a substantial sry at Ace Academy.


    Saintess Amelia was in a simr situation, having umted a significant amount of wealth as the Saintess.


    And Zero, despite being the lowest rank among them, was the wealthiest. He could spend millions of Ethan every day without any issues.


    Now that the Gate''s Boss monster was defeated, all they had to do was wait for the Gate to open.


    -WISH!


    However, before that, they received the reward for vanquishing the Gate''s Boss. A treasure chest materialized before them, resembling the one Zero had encountered in his previous Gate.


    They opened the chest and were greeted by rare and incredibly powerful Rank-S+ artifacts.

 Chapter 414: Raijins Edge!

    *********************


    Name: Raijin''s Edge


    Rank: S+


    Description: Raijin''s Edge, a legendary de infused with the raw power of thunderstorms, stands as a testament to the fury and might of lightning. Crafted by master artisans who harnessed the very essence of lightning itself, this awe-inspiring weapon is a force to be reckoned with.


    The de of Raijin''s Edge crackles with electric energy, emitting a constant hum that echoes with the power of thunder. Its surface is etched with intricate patterns resembling lightning bolts, adding to its visual spectacle. Whenever it is unsheathed, small arcs of electricity dance along its edges, casting an otherworldly glow.


    Attack: +80% Speed: +30%


    *********************


    Overwhelmed by the rare and potent Rank-S+ artifacts before them, Zero, Mia, and Amelia couldn''t contain their excitement. The discovery of these treasures served as an unexpected bonus following their triumph over Ifrit, and they eagerly examined the contents of the chest.


    The first treasure they uncovered turned out to be the exceptionally rare and powerful Raijin''s Edge. The remaining items paled inparison, hardly worth mentioning. However, obtaining a Rank-S+ artifact alone was a blessing.


    "This is incredible!" Mia eximed, her eyes shining with excitement.


    "The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the enchantments on this sword surpass anything I''ve ever seen. It possesses immeasurable potential as a formidable weapon."


    As Mia grasped the hilt, she felt powerful mana surging within Raijin''s Edge. This artifact had the potential to elevate an average Rank-B Explorer to the capability of ying Rank-A monsters effortlessly.


    "I think it''s clear who this belongs to," Amelia nodded, and the sword was entrusted to Zero.


    Although Zero expected to receive the sword, given his role as the group''s swordsman, he remained immensely grateful to Mia and Amelia.


    "Thank you! I will undoubtedly find a way to repay both of you," Zero expressed his gratitude.


    However, he was aware that simply taking the artifact and considering it his due would be shameless. Zero vowed to acquire artifacts for Mia and Amelia of equal power, acknowledging the favor they had shown him.


    "There''s no need for that, Zero. If it weren''t for you, we would have suffered severe injuries from Ifrit. You made the most significant contribution, and this sword suits you perfectly. You needn''t dwell on it," Mia assured him.


    Zero fell silent but had already made up his mind to acquire a suitable artifact of simr caliber for Mia and Amelia.


    He felt a deep affinity for Raijin''s Edge, as it not only increased the power of his attacks but alsopensated for his weaker attribute: speed.


    Although Zero''s previous sword was respectable, Raijin''s Edge was on an entirely different level. Rank-A artifacts were already rare and expensive, but Rank-S+ artifacts were exceptionally scarce, with only a few appearing at auctions andmanding exorbitant prices.


    Thus, discovering such an artifact proved to be a formidable challenge, even with substantial wealth at hand.


    ( This sword is almost as good as the sword that Hiro would obtain inter part of the novel. )


    An artifact that propelled Hiro to be near unstoppable, enabling him to confront and escape from even the clutches of a Rank-SS Devil.


    Possessing such an artifact was a lifesaver, as obtaining powerful artifacts corrted directly with bing stronger.


    The three of them took a moment to rest before they escaped from the Gate. The exit portal of the Gate had already materialized right after the treasure chest appeared.


    "Let''s go!" Zero eximed as they ventured into the Gate''s exit portal, having fully restored their energy. Zero ensured to wear his mask, stored within his Spatial Ring.


    Curiosity coursed through them, wondering how the outside world had transformed. Although they had spent a few months within the Gate, it was possible that only a few minutes or a few hours had passed on the other side.


    The temporal disparity between the Gate''s interior and the outside world remained an enigma until experienced firsthand.


    Time ratios differed, with some instances featuring one month inside equating to one hour outside, while others observed a ratio of one week inside equivalent to one month outside.


    Regardless, they were about to discover the truth soon enough!


    With a resounding whoosh, the trio was immediately drawn into the portal, teleporting them back to Sanctum Aurea in the next instant.


    -THUD!


    A loud thud echoed as Zero, once again, found himself sprawled on his back.


    "ARGH! These damn portals!"


    It seemed that the portals of this world held a grudge against him. Dusting himself off, he noticed Mia and Amelia standing nearby, their expressions frozen in stunned awe.


    "Professor Mia! Amelia!" Zero called out, but there was no response from either of them.


    Mia and Amelia remained fixated on something before them, wearing expressions of utter disbelief. Zero, growing increasingly perplexed, surveyed his surroundings, and what he witnessed left him dumbfounded.


    "What... what happened?" Zero eximed in shock.


    When they had been sucked into the Gate, the area it upiedy in ruins, devoid of any intact structures.


    Yet now, everything has undergone aplete transformation. They found themselves surrounded by grandiose buildings, resembling a bustling metropolis rather than the former Sanctum Aurea.


    "How long were we trapped inside?" Zero questioned, realizing that constructing such monumental structures required far more time than a single hour or week.


    It appeared that either the time difference between the Gate and the outside world was negligible or non-existent.


    Zero believes that at least one month must have passed for such transformation to take ce.


    Fortunately, the area surrounding the Gate had been cordoned off, with Holy Knights standing guard. Theirmotion indicated that they had noticed the trio''s arrival.


    Some rushed to inform the Pope, while others approached Zero, Amelia, and Mia. The Holy Knights wore expressions of both relief and excitement, with Zain, their leader, disying particr joy.


    "Saintess Amelia, you have returned safely!" Zain eximed, his voice brimming with relief. "We were worried when the Gate transported you."


    "Haha... Zain, you should have trusted the Pope''s word. I told you everything would be fine."

 Chapter 415: Unforeseen Trust Or Knowledge?

    "Haha... Zain, you should have trusted the Pope''s word. I told you everything would be fine," chuckled another Holy Knight, who appeared to be as strong as Zain.


    Respectfully bowing before the Saintess, the knight addressed her, saying, "Saintess Amelia, it brings me great joy to see you well!"


    Curious about the Pope''s message, Amelia inquired, "Captain Gray, what did the Pope say?"


    Standing tall andposed, Captain Gray replied, "Upon my return a day after the three of you were transported into the Gate, the Pope, recognizing the formidable strength possessed by all three of you, decided to temporarily halt the rescue operation. He assured us that there was no need to rush and that you would eventually find your way out."


    Amelia felt puzzled as she couldn''t understand how the Pope knew about their situation. Was it due to his belief in their abilities, or did he possess some other knowledge? She couldn''t discern the truth.


    Zero, listening attentively, shared Amelia''s curiosity. It seemed that the Pope had arrived soon after the appearance of the Gate. Despite initially assembling a rescue team, the Pope had changed his mind and halted the operation.


    Based on the progress of the construction in the city, Zero deduced that months had passed. The Pope must have had unwavering faith or some knowledge that the Saintess would safely return, as he hadn''t sent a rescue team.


    Zero couldn''tprehend the Pope''s confidence, but it seemed to be a wise decision. Sending a rescue team consisting of individuals ranked A and below would have resulted in casualties within the treacherous Gate.


    Fortunately, it had been him, Amelia, and Mia who had been sucked into it. Otherwise, the oue could have been much worse.


    After Captain Gray''s exnation, the trio exchanged perplexed nces, trying to grasp the reasoning behind the Pope''s actions.


    Although their impressive strength and abilities seemed to have reassured the Pope, they couldn''t help but question if it was enough for him to halt the rescue operation.


    Zero pondered whether anyone could truly have such unwavering faith that they wouldn''t send a rescue team for their Saintess.


    Saintesses held immense importance within the Churches, and the faithful would go to great lengths to protect them. It didn''t seem likely that someone would refrain from taking action when the Saintess was trapped in a dangerous Gate.


    Sensing their confusion, Captain Gray intervened once again. "The Pope has requested your presence at the Church as soon as you exit the Gate. He wishes to meet with you personally and discuss the events that have unfolded. It seems that there are answers waiting for you there."


    Amelia''s confusion deepened, but she nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Captain Gray. We will head to the Church immediately."


    Apanied by Captain Gray and Zain, the trio embarked on their journey through the bustling streets of Sanctum Aurea towards the Church.


    As they walked, they couldn''t help but marvel at the astonishing changes that had urred during their absence.


    The once-devastated streets were now adorned with vibrant streets with cheerful people.


    New buildings had emerged, showcasing architectural beauty and symbolizing the progress achieved in their absence. The city thrived with energy, with people going about their daily lives, their faces filled with hope and anticipation.


    Amelia, Zero, and Mia exchanged amazed nces, awestruck by the transformation that had taken ce. Sanctum Aurea seemed to have awakened from a dormant state, revitalized after the destruction.


    Amelia experienced a mixture of emotions. On one hand, she felt immense joy witnessing the city''s revival and the resilience of its inhabitants.


    On the other hand, she couldn''t shake off the lingering questions about the Pope''s decision. Although it appeared to be a good decision, she couldn''tprehend why the Pope hadn''t initiated a rescue operation.


    After experiencing betrayal from Cardinal Hildred, Amelia found herself slightly skeptical. She even feared that the Pope might be under some form of control, leading him to make such a decision with the intent of ensuring her demise.


    Lost in her thoughts, Amelia quickened her pace, leading the group towards the Church. With each step, her curiosity grew stronger. What answers awaited them within the hallowed halls of the Church? What truths would be revealed?


    Approaching the Church, they beheld its towering spires reaching towards the heavens, a symbol of unwavering faith and devotion.


    The Church had been rebuilt, grander than ever before. It appeared evenrger than its previous incarnation, constructed with stronger materials.


    There was no trace of the destruction caused by Zero''s attack. The previously ruined buildings had been reced with new ones.


    As the doors swung open, they entered, greeted by a serene and reverential atmosphere. The familiar scent of incense permeated the air as they made their way through the grand halls towards the Pope''s chambers.


    Inside the Pope''s chambers, they found him seated behind a majestic wooden desk, surrounded by ancient tomes and sacred artifacts. His presence exuded wisdom and power, yet his eyes carried a glimmer of warmth as he looked upon them.


    "Wee, Saintess Amelia, and both of you," the Pope greeted them, his voice resonating with joy andpassion. "I am pleased to see your safe return. Please, have a seat, for there is much to discuss."


    Taking their seats, they fixed their gaze upon the Pope, eagerly awaiting the answers that had eluded them for so long. The room fell into a hushed silence, the weight of impending revtions palpable.


    "I am aware that you three have many questions, such as why I didn''t send a rescue team or how I was so certain that you woulde out alive," the Pope addressed them, acknowledging their curiosity.


    The three of them nodded. They were indeed curious and wanted to know the answer. It is not that they don''t trust the Pope but it seems like the Pope has a strong reason for his belief that the three of them woulde out alive.


    "Do you know about the Elven prophet?

 Chapter 416: Elven Prophet, Elara!

    "Do you know about the Elven prophet?"


    The Pope''s question caught them off guard. The mention of an Elven prophet had piqued their curiosity, and they exchanged intrigued nces before nodding their heads.


    The Elven prophetess, known as ra, is said to have foreseen everything that will be happening in the future.


    She was the reason why Elves despite being the weaker races had been hailed as almost equal to Devil and Human in recent decades.


    During the third war between Devils and Human, other races had interfered and even attacked the two Domains thinking that they could easily win.


    However, Elves refrained despite being one of the strongest races because ra has told them to.


    And that was the right decision as despite being in war with each other, Devil and Human were simply too strong. They annihted the species that attacked them and established themselves as the superpower of Eds.


    With this, ra established herself as the wise and true prophet. In the future after that, she has hands in every big decision that Elves take.


    That''s why, most of the decision made by Elves were right and they hardly do things that would cause their race to be extinct


    With such terrifying power, she has also gained immense fame. Her presence made it difficult for even Devils and Humans to scheme and attack Elves.


    There was no such thing as a surprise attack for Elves as ra would have already foreseen such things. No things as faking attacks as that also would have been seen through.


    And relying on brutal force was not good against Elves. They would have already put traps as they would know where the attackers would attack.


    And as Elves were mostly bow users, they would slowly reduce the number of attackers from long distance, making them invincible in defense.


    In the time that ra took her ce as minister, Elves had never lost battles.


    Even the new generation like Zero has at least heard about ra, the Elves prophet. She was someone who is to be feared and respected.


    "Yes, we are aware of her. But does that have to do anything with us?"


    Zero asked confusedly. Yes, we all know who the Elven prophet is and what her abilities signify.


    ( You don''t mean to say that you also possess such abilities. )


    Zero thought. He didn''t think the Pope had such abilities or else how could he miss Cardinal Hildred betraying the church and killing off so many loyal believers.


    "Haha¡­ No! It would be great if I did have such abilities."


    The Pope said. Popeughed off like it was a joke but internally he was jealous of such abilities.


    Just as Zero thought, the Pope also thought that if he had such abilities, he could have saved many lives and avoided so many casualties.


    Anyway, he shook off such thinking and focused on what he has to do.


    "She sent a message to us."


    The Pope said.


    "Message?"


    Saintess Amelia was confused. She didn''t think that they had any connection with Elves or the Elven prophet.


    Most importantly, while not as much as Devil, the rtionship between Elves and Humans was not that great.


    While Devils are symbolized as being greedy and given all kinds of sinful names by Humans, from Elves perspective, Humans were no different.


    Humans are greedy and can betray their own race for their selfishness. Some humans'' thirst for blood and powers were greater than even Devils.


    So, from their perspective, humans were truly simr to the Devil and someone that they don''t want to associate with.


    If that were the case, and if the devil were regarded as the sole adversary by every species, Devils would have already be extinct by now, having united with other races. But the reality was Devils and Humans were no different to other species.


    "Yes, I was truly surprised by that and it even had the seal of the Elven Royal family embedded with their mana. So, I am sure that it was from ra."


    The Pope continued.


    Unlike humans, Elves have kings and queens who rule over their domain. It is not necessary that they were the most powerful of Elves but because of bloodlines that they are allowed to rule the Elves.


    ra is someone who works for the Royal Family, so she would be able to get their seal and mana signature to be sent as the message. And the reason for this was simple, to tell that the message is authenticated.


    "The reason why I knew that you all would be alright is because ra said in the message that the three of you will be alright!"


    The Pope said.


    "What?"


    The Pope''s revtion about receiving a message from the Elven prophetess, ra, left Zero, Saintess Amelia, and Mia astonished.


    This revtion truly shook their hearts. They knew that the Elven Prophet could see the future but that was just a rumor and it didn''t seem like she could see everything.


    The most that they thought that ra sees are some hints or just some fleeting images of the future. And that also if the user wants to see something.


    "How can that be? Does she really see everything that is happening to the world, past, present and future?"


    Saintess Amelia asked.


    She couldn''t believe that there would be someone with such omniscient abilities. If so, then it meant that there was nothing that could hide from her eyes.


    "That I don''t know. I don''t think her abilities are to that extent though it certainly is more powerful than expected."


    The Pope replied.


    ( Even so, it is a really ridiculous abilities! )


    Zero thought.


    The distance between the Elves Domain and the Sanctum Aurea was very distant and even the fastest messenger would take at least a few weeks before they reached here.


    So, that meant that the Elven Prophet had already seen this present, months before that happened and sent a message to the Pope.


    And the reason why Pope had believed might also be because he received the message just after the Gate appeared and it also knew that three people were sucked in. The Pope had no choice but to believe in the message.


    The message also stated the date that they would appear so the Pope waited for them and it turns out, it was all true. Even he was surprised.


    "So, why would they send such a message? I don''t think it is just to inform us about our safety, is it?"


    Zero asked straightaway.


    The revtion about ra''s true power has shocked them but that was not the biggest question. The biggest question was why send the message to the Pope.


    Even if ra had seen their future, why would they go through so much trouble and send a message to the Pope.


    "Indeed! The information about your safety is our secondary concern. They have another objective and I hope you three listen to it carefully."

 Chapter 417: Cataclysmic Prophecy

    "Indeed! The information about your safety is our secondary concern. They have another objective and I hope you three listen to it carefully."


    The Pope''s expression turned serious as he addressed Zero, Saintess Amelia, and Mia. It was evident that the message from the Elven prophetess held a significant purpose beyond mere safety precautions.


    Zero, Saintess Amelia, and Mia exchanged puzzled nces, their curiosity piqued by the Pope''s cryptic statement.


    The Pope, his voice filled with both urgency and caution, spoke again, breaking the silence that enveloped the room.


    "The Elven prophetess has foreseen a cataclysmic event that poses a threat to the entire world. They say that a looming darkness seeking to devour everything in its path is soon going to be born. They believe that in the near future, something capable of extinguishing every living being wille into existence."


    The Pope revealed the information contained in the message. However, Zero, Mia, and Amelia did not react much to the horrifying content.


    "And you believe it?"


    Zero asked skeptically. He didn''t believe the message.


    The reason behind theirck of belief became apparent ¨C Elves were not known for attacking other races like Devils, but they were not entirely benevolent either.


    Even if the Elven prophetess foresaw the destruction of another race, they would never warn them. They had not warned anyone when thousands of Gates opened 200 years ago, engulfing the world in monsters and destruction.


    While they didn''t warn other races, they were aware of the impending disaster and made preparations. During that incident, the Elves undoubtedly gained the most advantage, surpassing Devils and Humans in power.


    Although they had be one of the strongest races at that time, they refrained from attacking other races. Many believed this was because ra, their prophet, could see the consequences of attacking Devils or Humans.


    If the Elves truly cared about others, they would have warned everyone two centuries ago. Thus, the message of the world''s destruction appeared to be nothing more than a fabrication.


    Zero, though skeptical, acknowledged that there was still a chance the prophecy could be true. The destruction witnessed a hundred years ago was immense but not world-ending.


    If the impending cataclysm reached that level of devastation, there was a possibility that it could be genuine.


    After all, if there were some form of annihtion capable of wiping out the entire Eds, the Elves, for their own survival, would warn and try to prevent it.


    The main question remained though was "Is there really something that could bring about the end of the world?"


    Even if the Devils and Humans decided to go on a rampage and destroy everything in their path, it would be nearly impossible for them.


    Even Rank-SSS creatures would find it difficult to obliterate the entire world. Although given enough time, it might be possible to extinguish everything, history had shown that even they were not capable of such a feat.


    Even the mighty dragons were in if they were deemed an enemy by the world.


    So, was there any creature capable of such destruction? Or was the cataclysmic event something caused by a group of people?


    Hence, Zero asked the Pope whether he believed the prophecy. If the Pope did, there must be a reason behind his belief, something that Zero was unaware of.


    However, even with his knowledge from the novel, Zero had no information about events beyond that point. Hiro and his team were merely challenging Duke-level Devils and were on their way to confronting the Demon King.


    He had no idea what happened after that. Based on what he had read, there was no mention of this cataclysmic event that would bring about the world''s destruction. Thus, Zero believed that the Elves might be lying.


    "I understand that such information cannot be trusted, especiallying from the Elven nation. However, we cannot dismiss it entirely," the Pope solemnly stated.


    "I have been informed that a simr message has been sent to The Authority and many other races. It would be strange if this message were merely an borate prank."


    Zero contemted the new information he had received.


    It came as a surprise, but it also added ayer of validity to the message.


    If the Elves had indeed informed many other races, it wouldn''t simply be a falsehood to deceive them. There had to be some truth in their words, even though it couldn''t bepletely trusted.


    "So, why did they have to include the message about our safety? And why wait for us? Does this involve us in some way?" Zero inquired.


    The message might be true or false, but what connection did it have with them? Why did the message mention their safety?


    "I believe that by sharing this information, they are attempting to gain our trust. To demonstrate that ra does possess the ability to foresee the future. Moreover, it does indeed involve the three of you," the Pope continued.


    "Not only does the message contain information about the cataclysmic event, but it also states that the three of you are to be sent to the Elves'' Domain."


    ""Huh?" "


    The three of them eximed in surprise. They could understand the message being sent to the Pope, but they couldn''tprehend why the three of them were being called to the Elven nation.


    (Do they expect us to save the world?)


    Zero jokingly wondered, drawing parallels to novels and games where heroes were prophesied to save the world.


    Alternatively, it would make more sense if they summoned Rank-SS and other powerful individuals tobat the impending catastrophe.


    "Your Holiness, does the Elven prophetess foresee that we would be capable of saving the world, or is there another reason?"


    Saintess Amelia asked. She shared Zero''s thoughts. Why mention them and summon them if the world was in danger?


    There could only be one reason, and that was if they were the ones who could potentially save the world. However, Saintess Amelia found it hard to believe, as she didn''t see herself possessing such abilities.


    Although she thought it was imusible for her, Mia, and Zero, who were all exceptionally talented, to surpass the capabilities of a Rank-SS hero.


    "If it were solely based on this, I would dismiss such a message. While I have no doubt about your talents, they are still insufficient to handle an event of cataclysmic proportions, as described by the Elven Prophetess," the Pope exined.


    "And it''s not just the three of you. It seems that the Elves have requested the immediate transfer of all talented individuals to the Elven Domain."

 Chapter 418: Luminary Spring

    "And it''s not just the three of you. It appears that the Elves have made an urgent request for the immediate transfer of all exceptionally talented individuals to the Elven Domain."


    The Pope received news of this message being sent to The Authority and other influential organizations housing gifted individuals.


    "Why would the Elves want to take all the talented individuals?"


    Mia questioned skeptically.


    "Could it be a ploy to hold them hostage?"


    Mia asked because the talented young people were what the future of humans are. If Elves decided to gather them and kill them off then it would be a huge loss for humanity and humans might annihte powerful people or be weak as they age.


    Zero nodded in agreement. The true motives of the Elves remained mysterious, and their sudden demand for talented individuals raised concerns.


    Additionally, Zero found himself perplexed by his own inclusion. While Mia and Amelia were renowned enough for ra to be aware of their presence, Zero wondered if ra knew about his true identity as Zero.


    Even if she saw Zeroing out of the Gate, he was wearing a mask all the time. His age, talent and identity were all hidden.


    He had no way of knowing unless ra disclosed it herself.


    But setting that aside, returning to the matter at hand, Mia had a valid point. If we were to send all our prodigies to the Elves, wouldn''t they potentially keep them captive? What need did they have for talented individuals in the first ce?


    Were they superior in teaching and nurturing talentpared to other races? The answer was a resounding no!


    If that were the case, the Elves would reign as the most dominant species. And given their significantly longer lifespans, they could have easily amassed a formidable legion of powerful Elves over the past millennium.


    However, that was not the reality. Elves never possessed individuals of Rank-SSS in their ranks, with even Rank-SS beings being a rarity.


    Listening attentively to Mia''s skepticism, the Pope acknowledged her concerns.


    "It is true that sending our young talents to the Elven nation would be akin to severing our own future. However, considering that they have extended this request to every species, it is highly unlikely. If the Elves were to harm or threaten them, they would have to face the collective fury of all races."


    The Pope stated.


    "We would have dismissed such a request even if that were not the case. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity here."


    "An opportunity?"


    Amelia, Mia, and Zero failed to grasp the Pope''s meaning. Were the Elves nning to impart their knowledge of the arcane arts or something of that nature?


    Although no one could deny the Elves'' prowess in mana control and archery, they hardly seemed like an opportunity that couldn''t be missed.


    The Pope''s expression turned serious yet contemtive as he looked at his team.


    "Yes, indeed, an opportunity," he reiterated.


    "There is something within the Elven nation that every race secretly envies. Even the Devils have made multiple attempts to acquire it, but only the Elven royals possess the knowledge of its location."


    Zero''s eyes widened in surprise as the Pope began to unveil the truth. While Mia and Amelia seemed clueless about what the Pope was referring to, Zero knew all too well.


    "Have any of you ever heard of the ''Luminary Spring''?"


    The Pope queried.


    Mia and Amelia exchanged puzzled nces, but Zero''s eyes widened with recognition. His earlier assumption was now confirmed¡ªit was indeed the Luminary Spring that the Pope was talking about.


    "Your Holiness, what is the Luminary Spring?"


    Amelia admitted her ignorance on the matter. The Pope understood Amelia''s confusion.


    The concept was more of a myth, and even the Pope himself had doubts about its existence. However, since it was mentioned in the message, the Pope entertained the possibility that the Luminary Spring might truly exist, given its historical references.


    Regardless, he decided to share the information he knew from the books that he read.


    "The Luminary Spring is a sacred wellspring of power concealed deep within the heart of the Elven Domain. Its waters possess extraordinary properties that can unlock the dormant potential within individuals, amplifying their abilities and endowing them with unparalleled strength."


    He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.


    "Legend has it that those who immerse themselves in the Luminary Spring''s shimmering waters forge an indelible bond with mana¡ªthe life force of magic. It is said to awakentent talents, expand magical aptitude, and enhance physical attributes."


    Amelia''s eyes widened in awe as the significance of the Luminary Spring began to dawn on her.


    "So, by sending our talented individuals to the Elven Domain, the Elves intend to offer them the chance to tap into the power of the Luminary Spring and unlock their full potential?"


    Amelia asked.


    The Pope nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips.


    "Exactly, Amelia. The Elves, recognizing the imminent threat we all face, have chosen to share this ancient secret with the other races. They believe that by uniting our gifted individuals and empowering them through the Luminary Spring, we stand a fighting chance against any forces that may seek to harm us."


    Amelia couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement mingled with apprehension. The prospect of unlocking her full potential and gaining such extraordinary abilities was undeniably enticing.


    However, she couldn''t shake off the lingering doubts regarding the Elves'' true intentions. Such great benefits wouldn''t be given to other races so easily.


    Adding to the conversation, Zero expressed his skepticism.


    "But if the Luminary Spring is such a potent resource, why haven''t the Elves used it to establish themselves as the dominant race?"


    While Zero was aware of the Luminary Spring''s existence from the novel, hecked knowledge of its actual effects. He only knew that it was a closely guarded secret of the Elves, capable of unlocking an individual''s potential.


    The Pope''s expression turned pensive.


    "That is an excellent point, Zero. There may be limitations to the power, or perhaps the Elves'' own potential is restricted."


    The Pope''s words hung in the air, leaving the team to contemte the mysterious nature of the Luminary Spring and the potential constraints it might possess. Zero''s curiosity gnawed at him, yearning to uncover the truth behind this ancient secret.


    Sensing Zero''s intrigue, the Pope spoke once again.


    "The Elves have always been a reclusive race, devoted to preserving their traditions. It is possible that they have their own reasons for not fully exploiting the potential of the Luminary Spring. Maybe they believe in maintaining a bnce of power and wish to empower others, fostering harmony among the races."


    Zero nodded, absorbing the Pope''s words. The idea of unlocking his full potential held an undeniable allure, but he couldn''t ignore the lingering doubts in his mind. He had personally witnessed the consequences of unchecked power corrupting the mind.


    While he understood that he and the Emperor of Destruction were not the same entity, he had still experienced the atrocitiesmitted by his alternative self.


    The Emperor of Destruction, despite being his alternate persona, had caused immense suffering and imed countless lives.


    Zero knew all too well that it was the result of gaining more power than one could handle.


    "Nevertheless, The Authority has decided to ept their request and send our young geniuses. I hope that the three of you will also join the others who are going."

 Chapter 419: Luminary Spring [2]

    "Nevertheless, The Authority has decided to ept their request and send our young geniuses. I hope that the three of you will also join the others who are going."


    The Pope said.


    If The Authority has already decided then Zero was sure that they would send Hiro who is their most talented person. And with him would be Zion, Slyvia and Lisa.


    Amelia and Mia exchanged looks and knew what the other was thinking. They nodded to each other.


    "I ept their request." Amelia dered with a determined expression. "If there''s a chance to enhance my abilities and help humanity in the process, I can''t let it slip away."


    Mia smiled warmly at Amelia''s decision. She knew her friend well and understood Amelia''s desire to grow stronger and help others.


    "I''m with you, Amelia," Mia said, cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.


    "We''ll face whateveres our way together."


    Their rtionship only grew stronger because of the incident at the Gate.


    The Pope happily nodded at their decision. Although he and otherscked information about Luminary Spring and were skeptical, they couldn''t miss on the opportunity of strengthening the next generation.


    The Pope ''s gaze fell upon Zero who was still pondering. Mia and Amelia also looked at Zero and hoped that he coulde along.


    Although somewhere along their heart, two of them felt that there was no need for Zero to go as his potential already seemed to be on the level of a monster.


    Zero was trying to remember the novel and the future events. However, there was not much information even from the novel about the Elven nation and their objectives.


    They couldn''t be called enemies but they were no allies either.


    However, it seemed that every important character was going to go. Then there was no need for him to think much.


    "I will go as well," Zero said.


    The Pope warmly smiled at Zero''s choice. "I''m d to hear that," he said.


    "The gathering ce will be at Etheron two weeks from now. The Authority has decided that the chosen people will gather at the Gate of Etheron in two weeks." the Pope informed them.


    The message had arrived at their locations one month before, and after two weeks of discussion, The Authority and other organizations agreed to the Elves'' request.


    They had one month to gather, but as the three of them were trapped in the Gate, they were unaware of the time left.


    Now, only two weeks remained before they needed to leave for Etheron City.


    The Pope continued to exin the detailed n and who would escort the geniuses to Elven Domain.


    After their conversation, the three of them shared a meal and went to bed. They had many things to ponder, but first, they needed rest.


    Many things have happened and they were tired after having battled Ifrit and having to talk about being sent to Elven Domain.


    They slept soundly, grateful for the soft bed and great meal, a luxurypared to their time in the Gate. Moreover, they didn''t need to be alert, as they were protected by Holy Knights.


    ******


    The next day, Zero woke up feeling refreshed. Although he had no problem in the Gate because he was already used to such an environment, he must say, nothing beats sleeping peacefully on a soft bed.


    He went to take a bath, and when he came back, his breakfast was ready for him.


    After having a hearty breakfast, Zero decided to go to the library and check some information about the Elves.


    And it seems he was not the only one who thought about that. Mia and Amelia were already there with mountains of books in front of them.


    Other people were also helping them search for relevant books and information.


    As Zero approached, they greeted him warmly.


    "Good morning, Zero!" Amelia said, smiling brightly.


    Zero returned the smile, "Good morning! Did you sleep well!"


    "Much better than sleeping with a monster!"


    Amelia answered jokingly.


    He sat down and asked, "Did you find anything about Luminary Spring?"


    "It is the same as the Pope told us. There doesn''t seem to be much information about the Elven domain in general."


    Mia said. She and Amelia along with 5 more people had already been reading the books for more than one hour and all they found was information simr to the Pope.


    Zero thought that he could gain new knowledge from here but it seems that there was not much information about Elves just like in the novel.


    "So when are we going to depart?"


    Zero asked.


    "In a week."


    Amelia answered.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    Zero thought for a second before saying, "I would like to go home before going to Etheron City."


    It seems that another journey is inevitable but he wanted to go and visit his parents, which he hasn''t seen for so long.


    And he was also worried about them although he got information from NightShade Guild that they were safe and well.


    Mia looked at Zero and knew about his circumstances. She knew that Zero had not told his parents about him returning.


    "Well, we still have two weeks. You can spend one week with your family ande back."


    Mia said.


    Amelia also has no problem though there seems to be envy in her eyes.


    Amelia has not seen her parents since she was 7 years old. It could be said that her parents have sold her to Church and although it was not bad considering that she is a Saintess.


    Mia, on the other hand, didn''t share the family bond as Zero did with his parents. Although she had a mother and a father, they never treated her as their family.


    And it was not their fault either. Because of their family Art, their emotions also grew cold and they hardly experienced emotions like normal people.


    And that''s why, even though they were parent and child, their conversation and feelings were like that of Guildmaster and guild member.


    That''s why Mia and Amelia didn''t want to go visit their parents like Zero and were focused on gathering some information.


    After talking with the Pope, Zero flew towards his hometown.


    With his Flying skill, it would take Zero only one day to reach his home. Although it could be shortened if he could fly indefinitely, he didn''t have mana capacity to sustain such high consumption.


    He would use FrostWings for a few minutes and when his mana capacity was left with 40 %, he would deactivate and run.


    The reason for leaving 40 % mana was because you would never know what one would encounter in their journey.


    Although he was traveling in a fairly safe area where only Rank-D and E monsters appear, there is always a chance of encountering high ranking monsters.


    Fortunately, it seems that he was very lucky that day as he encountered only a few Rank-E monsters who escaped after detecting his mana aura.


    Soon he reached Star City. It had been years since he was there.


    He stopped using his FrostWings as it might attract unwanted attention. He decided to walk and entered after having his identity verified.


    He walked towards his house and he could see all the ces that he used to hangout.


    There are some changes to the ce but it still looked simr to what he remembers. The yground where he used to y, the aquarium that he used to visit and the Cinema hall were all the same.


    Soon he reached his house which remained the same.


    Even with all the money that he has given to his parents, they seem to have kept their house the same.


    Zero stood before the door and was about to knock but stopped.


    "What should I say to them?"


    Zero muttered to himself.


    He has without their consent left them for 2 and half years. He didn''t leave any information. It wouldn''t be a surprise if they already considered him dead.


    And even when returned from Tower Of Obelisk, he didn''t inform or call them.


    Not to mention that, he will leave again in about one week. And he might be gone for more than two months.


    It would be a miracle if his parents didn''t do anything to him.


    He knows that he has made his parents worried and will make them worry again when he leaves.


    ( Should I just leave? )


    Zero thought to himself. After thinking a bit, it seemed that he had be somewhat of a coward.


    He didn''t know what to say and how to exin his situation. Moreover, he was going to leave again. If his parents stopped him, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to leave.


    He stepped back and thought about leaving without meeting them as he feared what they would say to him.


    *THUG!


    "Zero?"


    However, he already lost the chance as he heard a familiar sounding voice from behind. It was the first voice that he heard when he was born and there was no way he was going to be mistaken.


    "Mom!"

 Chapter 420: Reunion Embrace: After 2 and a Half Years

    "Mom..." Zero said softly, surprised and guilty to see her standing there.


    Zero''s voice caught in his throat as he locked eyes with his mother. Emotion welled up inside him, a mix of joy, guilt, and longing. He had prepared himself for a difficult conversation, but now, seeing his mother''s face, all the words he had rehearsed vanished from his mind.


    His mother, with tears welling up in her eyes, rushed forward and embraced him tightly. The years of separation melted away in that moment, reced by the warmth and familiarity of a mother''s love.


    "Zero, my dear, is it really you?" his mother whispered, her voice choked with emotion.


    "Yes, Mom, it''s me," Zero managed to say, his own voice trembling. "I''m sorry for disappearing without a word. I never meant to cause you so much worry."


    Zero felt a lump in his throat, struggling to hold back tears himself. He hugged his mother back tightly, feeling the warmth of her embrace.


    "I''m sorry, Mom. I didn''t mean to worry you," he said, his voice trembling.


    His mother pulled back slightly to look at him, her hands cupping his face. "Oh, my dear child, all that matters is that you''re here now. You''re safe, and that''s all a mother could ask for."


    They stood there, holding each other, the weight of their unspoken words hanging in the air. It was a bittersweet reunion, for Zero knew that he would soon have to leave again. But in this moment, he allowed himself to savor the love and warmth of his family.


    Zero''s mother stepped back, wiping the tears from her eyes, and took a moment topose herself. She had so many questions, but she knew this was not the time for that. What mattered now was being with her son, even if it was just for a little while.


    "Come, let''s go inside," she said, leading Zero into the familiar surroundings of their home. The house had changed a bit since he left, but the essence of it remained the same.


    Zero looked around, memories flooding back to him. The living room where he used to spend evenings with his family, the kitchen where his mother cooked his favorite meals, and the hallway adorned with pictures capturing the moments of their lives together.


    It felt like stepping into a time capsule of cherished memories.


    "Zero, I have heated the water. You can take a bath and I will prepare your favorite dish."


    Zero''s mother said.


    Zero nodded as he went to take a bath.


    *******


    Inside Shadow Genesis Guild.


    Shadow Genesis guildmaster, Warren Elea was busy handling all the business expansion that the guild has.


    Zero has poured in a lot of resources so that Shadow Genesis could grow, and in 2 years they had managed to go from Silver graded guild to High Gold graded guild.


    In the process of bing a powerful guild, the number of numbers that they had made had also increased. There were many guilds who were not happy with Shadow Genesis''s growing power and wanted to stop them.


    However, they could not as they were not capable. With their strong alliance with NightShade and ShiverSong guild who are both Gold graded guild, they could even rival even Diamond graded Guild.


    With their growing influence, the number of people and organizations wanting to work with them had also increased. As such, he as the guildmaster has also gotten more tasks.


    However, it was a good thing for him. If not for work, Warren might have spent all his time worrying about Zero who disappeared out of nowhere. Although due to the message left by Zero, they knew that Zero didn''t die at Devil''s Invasion, they were very worried.


    Warren, as Zero''s father, felt very guilty. He didn''t know the reason why Zero left but felt that it was because he was weak.


    He doesn''t know the reason for the change but Zero had be very strong and knew that his disappearance might have to do with bing stronger.


    Warren thought that if he was powerful then there wouldn''t be a reason for Zero to leave. He felt the same helplessness as when Zero lost all of his friends and were used of murdering them.


    Zero''s personality changed and he became quiet. He tried to help and even tried to find evidence to prove that his son was innocent but there was no clue.


    To feel less guilty, Warren started to concentrate and spend all his time making the guild stronger.


    *RING! *RING!


    Warren Elea''s phone rang loudly on his desk, momentarily pulling him away from the pile of documents he was reviewing. He quickly reached for the phone and nced at the caller ID. It was his wife''s number.


    "Hello?"


    Warren answered.


    "Warren, you won''t believe who just showed up at our doorstep!" his wife eximed, her voice filled with excitement.


    "Who? What happened?"


    Warren asked worriedly. He thought that it might be some enemies who wanted to kidnap his wife.


    "It''s Zero! Our son, Zero, he''s back!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.


    Warren couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Zero, his son who had disappeared two and a half years ago, had returned? He felt a rush of emotions flood through him - relief, joy, and a tinge of sadness for the time lost.


    "Are you sure it''s him?" Warren asked, trying to contain his emotions.


    "Yes, it''s him! He looks a bit different, but it''s him." his wife replied, her voice now filled with tears of happiness.


    Warren had a smile on his face as his eyes were getting a little blurry. However, to keep his dignity as guildmaster and father, he didn''t cry.


    "I''ll be there right away," Warren said as he ended the call.


    He immediately stopped looking at the documents and stood up.


    "Osian!"


    Warren called out in a very loud voice.


    "Guildmaster, you called?"


    Osain Mitchell soon appeared after hearing Warren call him.


    "I will be going home. You can handle the rest of the work."


    Warren said.


    ???


    Osian didn''t know what was going on but seeing Warren in a hurry, Osian agreed without asking anything. He was also relieved to see Warren head back home early.


    Warren was an extremely serious person who took his responsibility seriously. His dedication to the work only increased after Zero left and even when Osian advised Warren to go home and rest, he would continue to work hard.


    It was like he was trying to distract his mind and focus on something. Fortunately, Warren was a strong man and they had great Mana herb to keep him healthy, otherwise, an average person would have died long ago.


    So, Osian was rather relieved when Warren left the work early.


    ******


    As Warren rushed home, his mind was filled with a mix of emotions. He couldn''t believe that his son, Zero, had returned after all this time. He felt a sense of relief and immense joy.


    As he reached the doorstep, his heart was pounding with anticipation. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then pushed the door open.


    Inside, he saw his wife standing with Zero, their faces glowing with happiness. Warren''s eyes met Zero''s, and he saw the guilt and uncertainty in his son''s eyes.


    "Wee home, Zero!"


    Warren said, his voice filled with fatherly affection. He didn''t want to ask why or the reason he left. What he wanted was for his son to know that his father missed him and that this was his home.


    As Zero stood in front of his father, the guilt inside him intensified. His parents have always sacrificed everything for him but he couldn''t do anything for them.


    Rather than repaying what they had done, he had left without a word, causing them so much pain and worry.


    "Come here, son," Warren said, opening his arms invitingly.


    Zero hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward and embracing his father. It was a long, heartfelt hug, and in that embrace, all the unspoken words and emotions flowed between them.


    "I missed you so much, Dad!"


    Zero finally managed to say, his voice breaking.


    "I missed you too, son," Warren replied, his voice filled with both joy and sadness. "But you''re here now, and that''s all that matters."


    Warren''s wife joined the hug, and for a moment, it was as if time stood still. The family was together again, and they cherished this moment.


    Zero looked at his father and mother''s face. Both of them had more wrinkles than in his memories but the warmth he felt was the same.


    He knew that he was not a good son. There were many things that he did and would do that he couldn''t exin to them but he didn''t think that was important right now.


    What was important is that he was home now!

 Chapter 421: Reunion Embrace: After 2 and a Half Years [2]

    Inside the warmth of their home, the family sat around the dining table, sharing stories of the time they spent apart. Zero told them about his journey and the challenges he faced. He carefully avoided mentioning certain dangerous situations he had been in, not wanting to worry his parents further.


    He talked about going into the Tower Of Obelisk due to which he couldn''t contact them for 2 years.


    And the reason why he couldn''t properly exin to them about his circumstances was because his mentor who wanted to train him had some issues and was in a rush.


    He didn''t say that he was going around climbing the Tower oF Obelisk and even reached floor 31 st. Rather he lied about being around the 20th floor and being protected by strong mentors who were apanying him.


    When he released his mana aura, both Warren and his wife were surprised. Their son was Rank-A.


    In the history of humanity, they could swore that there was no one who was as talented as their son. The one who is hailed as the greatest talent of humanity, Hiro was also only said to be at Rank-A - and their son was one minor rank higher than him.


    Even knowing his power, they were incredibly worried as they listened to his story.


    Warren and his wife listened intently, hanging on every word, grateful to finally hear from their son about his experiences.


    They could sense that there were certain parts of his journey he was choosing to keep to himself, but they didn''t press him for more details. They were just happy to have him back.


    Zero knew that his exnation had a lot of holes but his parents didn''t ask him any questions. He was feeling both guilty and grateful. If possible he didn''t want to lie to them but he couldn''t do anything other than make up some things.


    He has also noticed that his parents have broken through to Rank-S. Rank-S could be considered the elite of the human nation who are only behind the humans strongest rank, SS.


    Although humans could break through to Rank-SSS, currently there was no Rank-SSS. Thest Rank-SSS human had died after defeating the Demon King.


    Anyway, it was a big relief that his parents had be powerful. Knowing the future, he can''t help but be worried.


    Although the future has changed a lotpared to the novel, it was still dangerous. He couldn''t predict and handle everything, so the solution that could guarantee survival in the future was to be more powerful.


    Zero and his parents then started talking about recent events including Elves inviting talented young geniuses to their nation.


    As they finished their meal, Zero''s mother looked at him with concern in her eyes.


    "My dear, are you nning to leave again?"


    Knowing their son''s talent and potential, they knew that the Elven nation must have mentioned him. It would be weird if they somehow miss him.


    Zero hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded.


    "Yes, Mom, I can''t stay for long. As you have guessed, I got invited by the Elven nation toe there."


    Warren spoke up, his voice tinged with worry, "Zero, we want you to stay. But I know that a man has something that he must do. I won''t stop you but remember that this is your home."


    "Okay, Dad," Zero replied.


    His parents exchanged nces, understanding the determination in their son''s eyes. They knew that Zero has his own life with his own aspiration and n.


    As his parents, they couldn''t help but be worried. However, they knew better than to force him and let him regret his decision.


    His mother reached across the table to hold his hand.


    "Just promise us that you''ll take care of yourself and that you''ll keep in touch. We worry about you, Zero."


    "I promise, Mom," Zero said, squeezing her hand. "I''ll stay in touch."


    "Haha¡­ Don''t think about such sad things anymore. Zero, is not going anywhere right now."


    Warren said as he tried to stop worrying his wife.


    The day continued with Zero helping his father and mother at home and talking with them.


    "Did you tell Misha that you are back?"


    Zero''s mother asked Zero one afternoon when they were preparing lunch.


    ???


    Zero was confused by his mother''s question.


    "No! I don''t think that I have ever told her. Why did you ask?"


    "Hmmm¡­ Nothing! She hade to meet us one day and asked whether you had returned."


    Zero''s mother continued.


    "I was surprised by her question and said no. Then she said that you should be back. I don''t know why she said but it seems that she was certain."


    ( It must be when the Dark Guild attacks them. Did she see me or was it only her suspicion? )


    Zero thought. He didn''t know how but it seemed that Misha might have figured out that the guy who helped them out was him.


    Zero pondered and finally remembered something that might have caused her to recognize me.


    ( I think I used Shadow Dance once when I was fighting with a Dark guild''s member.)


    Zero thought that others wouldn''t recognize the technique but forget that Misha was also with him. With their family rtionship, it wouldn''t be a surprise if Misha saw this technique.


    ( So she thought I was back and came to investigate? Looks like I have also worried her by disappearing. )


    "You should take care of Misha when going to the Elven nation!"


    Zero''s mother said.


    "Huh? She is also going?"


    Zero asked.


    "Of Course! Do not underestimate Misha. She has be quite strong and has even broken through to Rank-B."


    Zero''s mother said.


    Shadow Genesis and ShiverSong had been growing at an insane rate. Additionally, the resources that Warren received were also given to Diego who is the father of Misha and guildmaster of Shiversong.


    Plus, Zero had also helped Misha by having prepared a high level Art as she thought that she might get selected to learn Dual Art which she did.


    With such resources, Misha was able to showcase her true talent andpete with other geniuses including Sylvia and Lisa.


    "Ohhh!"


    Zero was surprised at the progress of Misha. He knew that Misha was talented and had a lot of potential, he didn''t think it was that strong.


    "Mom, don''t worry! I will definitely take care of Misha."


    Zero replied.


    Five days passed quickly, and the time came for Zero to bid farewell to his parents once again. As he stood at the doorstep, his parents looked at him with mixed emotions, pride for their talented son and worry for the dangerous path he was about to embark on.


    "Take care of yourself, my boy. Remember, strength is essential, but wisdom and discernment are equally important. Stay vignt, and don''t underestimate any challenge thates your way."


    Warren advised.


    Zero nodded, appreciating his father''s advice. "I will, Dad. I''ll be cautious and make sure to think things through."


    His mother embraced him next, tears glistening in her eyes. "Promise me you''lle back safe, Zero."


    "I promise, Mom," Zero said, wiping away her tears gently.


    His parents held him for a moment longer before finally letting go. With a heavy heart, Zero stepped away from his home, but he felt a strong sense of determination to grow stronger and protect his loved ones.


    Although Zero parent''s seemed to know that geniuses were being sent to Elven nation, they didn''t know about the content of ra''s message which was a big relief to him.


    They think that he was just going there to be stronger and he hoped that they would never find out.


    .


    As he walked away, his parents watched him until he disappeared from their sight. Inside their home, they couldn''t help but worry about their son''s safety.


    "Don''t worry, honey. Our son is intelligent and strong. And there would be many powerful escorts for them. He will be safe and sound."


    Warren tried to console his wife.


    She nodded her head. She also knew that along with Zero would be ''Ice Enchantress'' who was called the most powerful Ice Mage.


    Although she knew that, she was still worried and continued praying for her son''s safety.


    Zero walked through Star City gate and for thest time turned around.


    "I will be back!"


    Zero muttered.


    He knew it would be a very long journey with a lot of uncertainties but was determined to be back, safe and sound.


    [ "FrostWing" ]


    With that, he flew and headed to Sanctum Aurea where Mia and Amelia were waiting for him.

 Chapter 422: Etheron City

    Chapter 422: Etheron City


    As Zero flew towards Sanctum Aurea, thoughts of his family lingered in his mind. He couldn''t help but be grateful for their love and understanding, yet a pang of sadness tugged at his heartstrings, knowing that he would be away from them once more. Still, he was determined to make them proud and ensure their safety in the unpredictable future.


    No unexpected problem was encountered and the monster he encountered wouldn''t dare to attack Zero who released his mana aura.


    Before the sun set, Zero was safely able to reach Sanctum Aurea. He put on his mask and entered the area.


    The Holy Guard spotted him but knew of his identity. They let hime in.


    Zero walked towards the Church and soon enough he noticed Amelia and Mia talking with Zain.


    "You are back!" Amelia said noticing Zero approach them.


    "Yeah, thanks for waiting for me!"


    Zero said.


    "No problem! Did you have a good time?"


    Amelia asked.


    "Yes! I think I can go to Elven Domain without worrying now."


    Zero answered with a bright smile.


    "Is that so!"


    Amelia said with some sadness in her voice. She was jealous of Zero for being able to have such a good rtionship with his parents.


    "Now that he is here, we can move to Etheron City as nned."


    "It seems that there should be no change in the n. I will tell the guards to prepare the carriage and we will travel tomorrow as nned."


    Zain said. He was discussing with Mia and Amelia about the possibility of Jester ( He doesn''t know the identity of Zero. ) not returning. He wanted to discuss whether they should go and another team wait for Jester, in case of him noting on time.


    However, since Zero hase as he has said, there is no need to change anything and they will depart tomorrow.


    Mia and Amelia then began talking to Zero about Elves. The two of them had discovered and learned a lot about Elves and their culture, so they wanted to tell Zero and let him know.


    As the evening descended upon Sanctum Aurea, the trio, Amelia, Mia, and Zero, engaged in a lively conversation about the elves and their culture.


    Amelia eagerly shared the knowledge about thews of Elves. Since they are going to their nation, it is only right for them to be aware of their rules and follow them.


    There were a lot of simrities between thews of humans and Elves but there were also some rulespletely different.


    First of all, Elves have royalty and their words must be followed at all times. Although as humans, they might not need to but it shows that they can''t disrespect them even if they were weaker.


    As Amelia continued to enlighten Zero about the elvenws, he listened attentively, absorbing every detail. He understood the importance of respecting their customs and traditions while he visited their nation. Despite the differences between humans and elves, Zero recognized the need for mutual understanding and cooperation.


    "Elven royalty carries great significance in their society," Amelia exined. "Their rulers are not just figureheads but y a crucial role in maintaining the bnce of power and harmony among the various elven ns andmunities."


    Mia added, "Also, in elven culture, the concept of ''Elders'' holds immense importance. They are the wise individuals who have lived for centuries and are highly revered for their wisdom and knowledge. Their guidance is sought in matters of great importance."


    Zero nodded. In human domains, more than wisdom or seniority, what matters is power. As long as one was powerful, it didn''t matter whether he was good at other things, he was considered talented and given a high position.


    That''s why most of the heads of guilds were aged around 40-70 where humans are strongest. Beyond that, humans could live but they are no longer able to fight as well as when they were at that age.


    Even though there are humans who are aged 100 and have much higher wisdom, they wouldn''t be given a good position because they were no longer as strong as they used to be.


    "Another crucial aspect is their connection to nature. Elves have a deep bond with the natural world, and they strive to protect and preserve it. Their magic is often derived from the elements and the Mia said.


    energies of thend."


    Mia said.


    As their conversation continued, Zero became increasingly grateful for the knowledge Amelia and Mia shared with him. He knew it would be instrumental in navigating the elven culture and ensuring a sessful journey.


    As the saying goes, ''When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do''.


    The night passed peacefully in Sanctum Aurea, and the next day, the trio was ready to depart towards Etheron City with Holy Knights.


    "Saintess, make sure to keep yourself safe. You are the chosen one, and your safety is of utmost importance to us. May the divine protection of the goddess be with you on your journey."


    The Pope said with a concerned voice. However, he considered this as a trial for the Saintess from the goddess.


    Amelia nodded respectfully, acknowledging the Pope''s words. "Thank you, Your Holiness. I will do my best to fulfill my duties and be stronger to be able to help more people."


    With the Pope''s blessing and well-wishes, Amelia, Mia, Zero, and the Holy Knights set off on their journey towards the Etheron City.


    Though three of them were able to fly, they chose to go from a carriage which was protected by the Holy Knight. Although three of them could fly, it was not true for Holy Knights who were mostly in Rank-A and B.


    Moreover, they could reach Etheron City on time even by Carriage. Why work hard when there is no need.


    As they traveled through the lushndscapes, Amelia couldn''t help but be amazed by the breathtaking beauty of nature that Being the Saintess, she was held to a higher standard and not exactly allowed to venture outside as she pleased. So, every surrounded them.


    Being the Saintess, she was held to a higher standard and not exactly allowed to venture outside as she pleased. So, every opportunity she got to travel was a cherished moment for her, and this journey was no exception.


    Apanying Amelia on this journey were her best friend Mia, and Zero, whom Amelia had developed a crush on.


    Mia, though supportive of Amelia, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of jealousy every time Amelia tried to get closer to Zero. She was certain about her feelings but didn''t know how to act on it unlike Amelia who had the help of Adeline.


    As they rode in a beautifully crafted carriage, Mia and Amelia would spend their time sharing their vast knowledge of elven customs and traditions.


    They spoke of ancient rituals, magical ceremonies, and the intricate history of the elven ns. Amelia, being the Saintess, had an even deeper understanding of the elven spiritual beliefs, and she shared captivating tales of their connection to nature and the celestial realms.


    During their discussions, Amelia seized every opportunity to sit near Zero, hoping to steal some fleeting moments of closeness with him.


    She would often find herself blushing as their eyes met, and she tried her best to maintain herposure. Mia, sitting across the carriage, noticed Amelia''s subtle attempts and felt a mix of emotions within her.


    She was happy for her friend''s happiness, yet the pang of jealousy still gnawed at her heart.


    They went from city to city until they reached Etheron City.


    They reached Etheron City, two days before the scheduled date. It was because of how strong the three of them were.


    Normally, people would avoid dangerous paths and take longer paths to be safe. But for them, it was no problem.


    One of them had to release Rank-S mana aura and most monsters would avoid them. And for those courageous monsters, they would immediately get killed by Mia.


    Etheron City, situated within the Human Domain, stood as a bustling metropolis at the border with the vast and mysterious Elven Domain. While the two races rarely interacted directly, the city''s strategic location allowed for some trade and limited cultural exchange.


    As Amelia, Mia, and Zero entered the city, they were greeted by a diverse and vibrant atmosphere. The architecture bore a predominantly human influence, with towering buildings constructed from stone and wood, adorned with colorful banners and gs representing various human factions.


    The streets were busy with humans going about their daily activities. Merchants shouted out their wares, selling everything from magical artifacts to finely crafted weapons.


    The scent of freshly baked goods wafted through the air from nearby bakeries, enticing passersby.


    However, despite theck of significant elven presence in the city, there were some subtle signs of elven influence. Elven artifacts and enchanting trinkets could be found in select shops, catering to a niche clientele with an appreciation for the elven arts.


    They also noticed the human guards patrolling the streets. It was evident that Etheron City valued security, especially given its proximity to the Elven Domain.


    The guards appeared vignt, ensuring the safety of the city''s inhabitants and visitors alike.


    Although there had been no war with the Elves, it didn''t mean that they could treat them as friends. Etheron City was a border between humans and Elves, so they needed to practice cautiously.


    Etheron City stood as a fragile bridge between the two realms, and any misstep could potentially spark tensions.

 Chapter 423: Etheron City [2]

    Chapter 423: Etheron City [2]


    The following day, Zain and his team returned to Sanctum Aurea.


    Zero, Amelia, and Mia were eager to explore the city since it was their first time visiting. Etheron City, situated on the border of the Human Domain, had previously been a sparsely frequented location.


    However, the situation had changed due to Elves extending invitations to human geniuses to visit their nation. As a result, the city was now bustling with activity, teeming with numerous visitors.


    The geniuses didn''t travel alone; they were apanied by a team of protectors, much like Holy Knights who were assigned to escort Mia, Amelia, and Zero. While the Holy Knights had left as they weren''t needed considering their strength, it was not the case for other geniuses who still had their guards with them.


    Mia and Amelia could recognize most of the geniuses that were present there and it was the same for them. The moment they noticed Mia, their eyes would inevitably stare at them.


    "Haha, it seems that we garner a lot of attention because of you."


    Amelia said to Mia teasingly.


    "I don''t think you can say that with so many people staring at you."


    Mia replied. Although Mia got most of the attention because of her fame, people staring at Amelia was no less.


    Amelia''s appearance could easily contend with Mia who is regarded as the most beautiful woman. Men can''t help but be mesmerized by her looks.


    Zero on other hand was like a weed in between flowers. Although his charm was good, considering he was with Mia and Amelia, he was no less than a goblin.


    But the re he got might be twice that of the two of them. Many people were jealous of Zero who was with two beauties. They could help themselves but curse at him.


    "Who is he? Why is he with Ice Enchantress?"


    "I look much better than him. How could such a person deserve to have two beautiful girls?"


    "It should have been me, not him!" ¡­


    Zero had the urge to wear his mask which he put inside the Spatial Ring. He couldn''t feel hatred being directed at him even though he didn''t do anything.


    Mia seemed less bothered by attention as she was used to it. Since she was little, she was treated as such because of her talent and looks.


    Anyway, the three of them continued to go around and explore the ce. And in front of them, a small crowd seemed to have formed.


    The guy who was surrounded by people was holding a spear. He looked pretty handsome and looked strong.


    "He is Orion! He reached Rank-A at the age of 22 and is said to be one of the strongest in his generation. His sword Art is pretty powerful and people of the same rank could barely receive three of his attacks."


    Mia exined to Zero.


    "Oh, so he is Orion! The one who is said to have saved a town from Dungeon Outbreak. No wonder people are surrounding him. He seemed to have been hailed as Hero in that town."


    Amelia added. The reason for Orion''s poprity was because of a recent deed where his name was spread across the world.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    Zero stared at Orion but couldn''t remember anyone with such a name. bing Rank-A at age 22 was an incredible feat and something that even talented people rarely achieve.


    Orion was talking with the people when he noticed Mia and immediately came towards her. The people out of respect seemed to give way to Orion and looked in his direction where they noticed the trio.


    Many could recognize Mia Frostine but not many could recognize Amelia and Zero. However, Mia was enough to shift their focus to her.


    As Orion approached the trio, he wore a warm smile on his face, exuding an air of confidence and charm.


    "Mia Frostine, the renowned Ice Enchantress! It''s an honor to meet you," he said, offering a handshake.


    "Likewise, Mr. Orion. It is nice to meet you!"


    Mia replied, although she didn''t shake his hand. It didn''t bother Orion as he knew Mia was not touching men.


    It was not because Mia hates male or anything but because men would always try to pursue her and seem to want to take advantage of her, so she avoids having to touch them even if they are handshakes.


    "And these are?"


    Orion asked, turning his attention to Zero and Amelia.


    "These are mypanions," Mia introduced with a smile. "This is Amelia and Zero, who are mypanions."


    Amelia and Zero nodded politely, acknowledging Orion''s presence.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you both as well," Orion said, turning his friendly gaze towards them, although Zero felt a bit self-conscious under Orion''s prating gaze.


    Orion seemed to dislike Zero and he knew why. He had already seen a simr gaze from all the people that he had seen before.


    It was surprising that even a genius such as Orion seemed to act the same way as others.


    "So, Ice Enchantress should also be here because of the Elven invitation, right?"


    Orion said.


    "Yes!"


    "And they are?"


    "Also invited by the Elven nation."


    Mia said.


    Orion looked surprised, especially at Zero. He tried really hard to remember Zero but no matter what, he couldn''t remember him.


    The people who were invited by Elves were all geniuses who are famous throughout the world. And most of them who he met, he could recognize them.


    However, it was a different story for Zero who he didn''t recognize. Orion might have heard Zero''s name or seen him in Tournament Of Academies but he didn''t win the tournament, so he was not so popr that Orion would remember his face.


    Moreover, Zero had grown up since then. Even if the person knows him, he wouldn''t be sure it was Zero unless they were close to each other.


    So, Orion had no idea how strong or talented Zero was. But from the appearance, he concluded that Zero might be around B rank.


    "Ice Enchantress, if you don''t mind, would you like to go with me? I, along with some of thepanions, are going to meet with other people who are going to the Elven nation."


    Orion asked. Mia was really beautiful and no matter whoid their eyes on her, they would like to make her theirs.


    Orion was the same and the moment heid his eyes on her, he wanted to make Ice Enchantress his.


    Orion didn''t think that there was anything wrong with his intention. Orion was also proud as he was hailed as geniuses throughout his life and even hailed as Hero.


    He has also won Tournament Of Academies when he was a student. So, he didn''t think there was anything wrong with him trying to woo Mia.


    As much as Orion''s offer was ttering, Mia politely declined, "Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Orion, but I''m here with my friends to explore the city. Perhaps some other time."


    The crowd was also watching the interaction between the two. Even though there was Amelia and Zero by Mia''s side, their focus was on Mia Frostine.


    From their conversation, they could see that Orion was trying to flirt with Ice Enchantress. Girls who like Orion cursed at Mia and were jealous of her.


    They tried to invite Orion to walk with them but were rejected. So, they were jealous when Orion invited Mia when he rejected them.


    "Looks like Orion was rejected!"


    "Haha¡­ What did I say? Although Orion is good, how could hepare to Ice Enchantress? Be it her background or talent, Orion is lower than Ice Enchantress. He should have known his ce."


    "He is too arrogant! Did he think Ice Enchantress was like other girls? How can she easily give in to his requested." ¡­


    Although the girl was not happy about the situation, men were all happy at Mia rejecting Orion''s invitation. They also made sure to mock him, though in a low voice as they didn''t want Orion to find them.


    Orion was angry at Mia refusing his invitation. He could hear all kinds of insults being hurled at him after Mia refused his invitation.


    He was angry both at the crowd and Mia. But his expression remained the same with a smile on his face.


    "Of course, I understand. If you change your mind, feel free to find me. It would be an honor to get to know you better."


    Orion said before leaving with his otherpanion.

 Chapter 424 Reunion With Main Characters

    424 Reunion With Main Characters


    Orion was not happy at all and hispanion could feel it, although he kept a smile on his face.


    Hispanions were nervous as they knew Orion being angry is not a very good sign. Every one of them, except one guy kept their mouth in order to avoid ring his anger.


    "Boss, should I force her toe with us?"


    One of the guys said. He was a talented person, who was invited to Elven Nation, however, he was weaker than Orion and considered Orion his boss.


    In order to make Orion happy, he thought of getting Ice Enchantress to join their group. Although he was not stronger than Mia, he did have a very good backgroundparable to Mia.


    Orion''spanion, whose name was Alex, was a bit of a bully. He didn''t think that Mia would refuse if he revealed his background.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea," Anotherpanion said. "She''s not interested in joining our group, and it would be a problem if we anger her."


    "Huh? So what? Are we afraid of her? She might be strong but we are not weak either. Moreover, would she really offend me considering I am also an heir to Diamond Graded Guild?"


    Orion said. In the group, he only respects Orion and doesn''t care about others and even looks down upon them.


    "Y-you!"


    The other guy was angry because Alex wasn''t respecting him at all. He was only advising but Alex just had to say like he was wrong and make him seem like a coward.


    But he calmed down as he didn''t want to argue with Alex.


    "You should know who Ice Enchantress is. She is a lot stronger than you think and she was also with two other people. We might be able to fight with her together but what if herpanion is also as strong as her?"


    He exined.


    "So you were afraid of two unknown people? They wouldn''t dare to make a move after knowing who I am!"


    Alex proudly dered.


    "STOP!"


    Orion said.


    "Like Dante said, we can''t force her. And don''t underestimate the other two people."


    Orion continued.


    "The other one is probably the Saintess Amelia. Just like Ice Enchantress, I couldn''t see her rank and the boy she was with was peak Rank-A."


    Orion revealed. At first he didn''t know who Amelia was but he did seem to see her somewhere and finally remembered.


    Moreover, he couldn''t see through her rank. This only happens if she is the same or higher rank than him or if she has some skill that lets her hide her rank.


    And he was inclined to believe it was former as Saintess Amelia was said to be in Rank-A. Orion assumed that she might have broken through to Rank-S.


    Anyway, if they fought or angered that group, he knew that they would suffer. He would like to beat Alex for suggesting something so stupid but considering his background, Orion refrain from doing so.


    "Saintess!"


    Alex was surprised by that information. He also remembered Saintess appearance and was sure that the girl that was Ice Enchantress was Saintess.


    Alex was a bit scared as if he did what he suggested, he would get killed by his father. Although his guild was strong, it was nothing in front of the power of the Church and if his father knew that he offended the Saintess, he might have gotten himself killed.


    "So the other one was Saintess Amelia. She must be strong then but is that boy really at the peak of Rank-A? He looked like someone who has justpleted his school, how could he be that strong."


    The one who advised Alex said.


    "He might just be someone who looks young."


    Alex said, not believing that someone so young would be so powerful. Others also agreed with Alex.


    "Anyway, don''t try to start a fight with them!"


    Orion said. Although he always appeared powerful to others, there was one person that he couldn''t defeat and that was Mia Frostine.


    Although he was also in Rank-S - but that was only recently and Mia was one minor rank higher than him. He didn''t think that he could win against her, though he was sure that he could against Zero and Saintess Amelia.


    ******


    Meanwhile, Zero, Amelia and Mia were trying to get away from the crowd that had formed. Luckily, they were significantly faster than them, so they were able to get away quickly.


    Then they continued to go from ce to ce and also ate many things along the way. Mia also introduced some of the geniuses that they saw on the way.


    "She is Cassandra and she should be in Rank-A. Her spear technique is quite good. Although you might be stronger than her, don''t underestimate her as her attack power could even rival that of Rank-S."


    There were many geniuses who were a lot stronger than your average person but none seem as strong as Mia. Even those rare geniuses who were older than Zero by 10 years were in the same rank as him.


    From the geniuses that he saw, only Orion was a bit strong as he was in Rank-S - like Amelia. Others were not a match for him, much less Mia who is in Rank-S.


    But Zero didn''t underestimate them as they were geniuses with great backgrounds. Every geniuses has one or two trump cards which could even defeat those who are above their rank.


    Who knows that in actual fights, if the other person really wants to kill you at any cost, they might activate forbidden techniques like Zion. So, it was best that one doesn''t make enemies with them, though if the other party provoked him, he was not going to stay quiet either.


    Anyway as Zero was going around the ce, he was also looking to check whether he could see Misha or any of the main characters around.


    He was sure that they would be here considering many talented people are gathering here.


    And he did see them!


    But the main character doesn''t seem to be in a good situation as expected.


    Zero, Mia and Amelia were strolling across a townbridge that overlooked a picturesque waterfall statue in the center of the town.


    As they reached the middle of the bridge, their attention was caught by amotion down below. They saw a group of familiar faces engaged in a heated argument with another group.


    One group was obviously the main characters. Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and also Misha were included in that group.


    Zero and Mia obviously recognize them and because of their argument, they attract all kinds of attention.


    Moreover, two of them could also recognize the person who was arguing with Hiro. It was one and only, Professor Wiliiam.


    Zero was surprised that Professor William was still alive after fighting with the main characters all the time. Typically he should be dead by now. Although Zero knows that Professor Willian doesn''t die, he thought that he might have been dead.


    Anyway, Mia didn''t have a good expression when she saw Professor William.


    She didn''t know why he was even here. Those who are gathered here were all talented and Professor William was far from being qualified.


    Although she could see that Professor William had advanced to Rank-A - but he was already around 30 years old.


    Moreover, advancing in rank was not only needed to be considered a genius, one Art should also be of high mastery which Professor William doesn''t have.


    He was a person who only grew stronger because of Elixir and even some talented person in Rank-B could defeat him.


    Professor William was even worse than the average person if one considers their fighting power. However, Mia didn''t spend time pondering about that as she focused her attention on the esction.


    "What''s going on down there?"


    Amelia asked, observing the escting argument.


    She saw that two groups were arguing, although she didn''t see who they were. She would have recognized Hiro if she did see his face.


    Hiro was perhaps one of the most popr people and almost everyone has heard at least one rumor about him.


    "It seems like Professor William has crossed paths with my students. He always hated Hiro and it seems his hatred has not died down even after Hiro has graduated." Mia replied, her voice tinged with irritation.


    Zero''s eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation. He thought that Professor William might get humiliated if he fought with Hiro.


    It was what always happens with viins who mess with MC. He noticed that Professor William had broken through to Rank-A but it was also true for Hiro who was also in Rank-A.


    And considering Hiro, Zero didn''t think he would lose against people of same rank.


    "Let''s go down and see what''s happening. We can''t let things escte any further."


    Mia said worriedly.


    Amelia and Zero followed quietly behind Mia.

 Chapter 425: Genius Through Hardwork

    I couldn''t believe what was happening!


    I, Misha Kanon, was chosen alongside other prodigies like Hiro. We were running through the dungeon as usual when an agent from The Authority approached us and invited everyone to meet their leader.


    To our surprise, we were informed that we needed to travel to the Elven nation. Apparently, we were granted the chance to ess the Luminary Spring, which would enhance our potential.


    The leader didn''t disclose why they trusted the Elven race, but assured us that powerful individuals would apany us for protection and that we can trust the Elves.


    We were also cautioned about other races who would be attending the event and wished us good luck.


    I wasn''t afraid to go to the Elven nation. Instead, I was excited. It was a testament to my hard work and an opportunity to be stronger.


    Over the past year, my standing had risen, and I was recognized as one of the most talented individuals. I never expected to bepeting with geniuses when I was in middle school.


    However, I knew that my sess wasn''t solely because of myself. My parents, sister, and even the ShiverSong guild members had supported me. Zero Elea, in particr, has helped me in countless ways.


    He even prepared a Level 7 Art for me. I was unsure how he knew or predicted such circumstances, but he assisted me.


    I was shocked to discover his disappearance after the Devil''s Invasion. I had no idea what had happened to him or how he had gone missing.


    Some students spected that he might have perished at the hands of devils. There was even a rumor, spread by Professor William whom I despised, iming that Zero had died while fleeing from the devils.


    I knew that the professor held a grudge against Zero, but it was uneptable for him to condemn a student with lies. Luckily, many students had witnessed Zero fighting the devils and saving others.


    Nevertheless, I was more concerned about Zero than the rumors. I thought about how worried and saddened his parents must be, but they appeared to be alright, albeit a bit worried.


    They assured me that Zero was fine but would be gone for a while. I didn''t know how they knew, but being his parents, I believed it. Even Professor Mia confirmed that Zero was absent rather than deceased.


    Although I was curious and worried about where Zero had gone, I was less anxiouspared to when I believed he was dead.


    The same couldn''t be said for my sister, Eleanor, who couldn''t ept that Zero had left. Sheined and argued with Zero, but deep down, I knew she genuinely cared about him.


    I tried to exin that he might have gone somewhere temporarily and would return soon, but she refused to listen and stormed off to investigate.


    I didn''t intervene because if she could find out where Zero was, it would be for the best.


    After some time, she returned, but her expression was grim.


    "Did you find any clue about where Zero could be?" I asked. However, all I heard was her muttering something.


    "That girl! It''s that girl again. Damn!"


    I didn''t understand what my sister was saying, but she was incredibly angry. I inquired about her words, but she refused to exin and imed it was a secret.


    Well, I hadn''t expected anything different, but it seemed that even my sister had failed to gather any information.


    Nevertheless, despite his absence, Zero had prepared a Level 7 Art for me.


    Even when he wasn''t around, it felt like he was still helping me. I was immensely grateful to him and hoped to repay his kindness someday.


    Furthermore, Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia took me along as we conquered various dungeons, further boosting my experience.


    By joining them, I realized that talent alone wasn''t enough. The four of them were hailed as geniuses, but I witnessed their dedication and hard work firsthand.


    They took risks, nned meticulously, and worked tirelessly. It was easy for others tobel them as talented, but nobody truly understood the extent of their efforts.


    I didn''t want to fall behind them and pushed myself to work diligently, eventually catching up to their level.


    We continued to train and conquer one dungeon after another until Seraphine decided to teach us her Art.


    However, another peculiar event urred during our training.


    A Dark Guild attacked our training center, and the person who killed the sub-leader of the Rank-A Dark Guild seemed strangely familiar. He even utilized Shadow Dance, one of the advanced techniques of Shadow Genesis.


    I suspected that it might be Zero, although his appearance was different and his mana aura gave off a distinct vibe. But my instincts told me it was him.


    Unfortunately, I was too exhausted at the time to question him, and our lives were in danger, so I couldn''t act recklessly.


    But deep down, I was certain it was Zero!


    To confirm my suspicions, I needed to ask Zero''s parents, as they would have information about him. If Zero had returned, I assumed he would visit his parents first.


    Instead of calling, I decided to go to Star City and inquire in person. Plus, I wanted to meet my own parents, whom I had missed.


    I temporarily left Hiro''s party and went to meet Zero''s parents. However, the response I received was disappointing, and it seemed I had been mistaken about that person''s identity.


    During that period, I helped both my parents and Zero''s parents. My sister had made the decision to join the army and fight against the devils, even though our father opposed it.


    I wasn''t sure of her reasons, but it seemed she was determined to join. Our parents couldn''t dissuade her, and the same went for me.


    I spected that it might be because of Zero''s departure. I couldn''t be certain, but my sister''s behavior had changed since Zero left, and it appeared she was searching for a particr girl.


    Before my departure, she told me to work hard and be stronger.


    After a few days, I left as well, receiving well wishes from my parents, Zero''s parents, and many others from our guild. I was grateful to all of them.


    That''s why I dedicated myself to rigorous training because numerous people had high expectations of me, and I didn''t want to let them down.


    And now, I''ve been presented with the opportunity to use the Legendary Luminary Spring of Elven Nations.

 Chapter 426: Confrontation Between Hiro and William

    Over the past three weeks, Misha, Hiro, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia had undergone training by agents from The Authority while receiving detailed information about the Elven nations.


    Now, the time hade for them to travel to Etheron City, where they were scheduled to meet with other talented individuals and go to Elven nation.


    Fortunately, their journey to Etheron City was uneventful, and they arrived without any problems. Since their arrival, they had been busy exploring the city and meeting other people who were also heading to the Elven nation.


    Many of the people they encountered were of Rank-A, but they were older than Hiro and his group. Hiro and his batch were the youngest ones invited to the gathering.


    Everyone seemed to be friendly towards Hiro and his friends. It appeared that they wanted to avoid bing enemies with Hiro, who was hailed as the greatest human talent.


    Furthermore, the backgrounds of Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia made it difficult for anyone to cause trouble for their group. Even those who seemed to have a strained rtionship with Hiro and the others avoided any confrontation.


    However, the problem arose when Hiro and his friends encountered their former professor, William. They noticed him but tried to avoid him because they didn''t have a good rtionship with him


    But it seemed that Professor William was determined to create problems for them. The moment he spotted them, he made his way towards their group with a yful smile on his face, apanied by his friends or subordinates.


    "Well, well, look who we have here! I didn''t expect to see you in this ce!"


    Professor William eximed as he approached them. It was more perplexing why he was there than their own presence.


    One of Professor William''s friends chimed in, saying, "Hey, William, why don''t you introduce us to them?" His gaze towards the girls felt unsettling, making them ufortable.


    In response to his friend''s suggestion, Professor William mockingly said, "Introduce you to them? Why, of course!" He turned towards Hiro''s group, gesturing theatrically as if presenting a spectacle.


    "Everyone, feast your eyes! These are the former students of Ace Academy. We have Hiro, the so-called greatest genius of humanity," Professor William sarcastically announced, pointing at Hiro.


    His friends chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation. They were a group of people from distinguished backgrounds who held reservations towards Hiro. They believed his achievements were exaggerated.


    "And here we have Zion, the prodigious child of Guild Royal Vanguard with unparalleledbat skills," Professor William continued, indicating Zion. He didn''t show the same disrespect as he did with Hiro.


    "Next, we have Lisa, the member of Guild Elemental Nexus. And this is Sylvia, the child of Master Marksman," Professor William continued his introductions.


    "Andst but not least, we have Misha Kanon. I''m not quite sure why she is here," Professor William concluded, pointing towards Misha. He held a low opinion of Misha, considering her unworthy of being called a genius.


    Misha stood her ground, maintaining herposure despite the provocation.


    Professor William''s words dripped with mockery and disdain, but Misha refused to let them affect her. She knew her worth and cared only about her friends and family.


    However, Lisa, Sylvia, and Hiro couldn''t brush off Professor William''s remarks as easily. They were angered by his derogatoryments. Hiro, in particr, couldn''t remain calm when it came to his friends.


    As Professor William finished his sarcastic introduction, one of his friends fixed his gaze on Misha, wearing a mischievous smile.


    Stepping forward, he remarked, "Well, well, Hiro, it seems you''ve gathered quite an interesting group. But I must say, the real jewel here is the lovely Misha. Why not leave your friends behind and join our group instead? I can offer much more than them."


    He was eyeing the girl of the group but knew his ce. He couldn''t make a move on Sylvia and Lisa as their background was greater than him. However, he could see that Misha didn''t have such a background


    "Hey, Lucus! Why would you want amon girl? She is filthy and would taint your bloodline!" Professor William interjected. He held disdain formoners and considered Misha to be one of them.


    "True! But I could have some fun with her for a few days!" Lucus replied, openly demeaning Misha.


    William and his group continued to humiliate Misha, further enraging Hiro, Lisa, and Sylvia, particrly Sylvia and Lisa, as they were also girls.


    Taking a step forward, Hiro, standing beside Misha, addressed Professor William with a steady yet angry voice.


    "Enough, Professor William. Your words and actions are disgraceful, especiallying from someone who ims to be a professor."


    Professor William''s smug expression wavered slightly as Hiro confronted him. He hadn''t expected Hiro to stand up to him so boldly. The surrounding onlookers watched, curious to see how the situation would unfold.


    Undeterred, Hiro continued, his voice carrying authority. "And I suggest you reign in your friend over there. Misha isn''t someone he could easily disrespect."


    Professor William''s smirk momentarily faltered, reced by a hint of annoyance. He looked at Hiro with a mixture of frustration and amusement.


    "Ah, Hiro, always trying to y the hero. But I don''t see anything wrong with what I said or what Lucus proposed. In fact, it should be considered an honor that Lucus has taken an interest in her," Professor William retorted.


    Sylvia''s eyes zed with anger as she replied, "An honor? Are you joking, William? There''s nothing honorable about belittling and objectifying someone. Your words and actions reflect your own character, not Misha''s."


    The onlookers observed the escting confrontation, murmuring among themselves or watching with anticipation. Many recognized Hiro and the others, believing they were about to witness something interesting.


    "Haha... I didn''t expect the graduates of our school to be so impudent. It must be because you''ve been associating withmoners all day," Professor William sneered, unwilling to back down. He seemed ready to engage in a fight with Hiro and his group.


    Tensions between the two groups continued to rise, and it appeared that a confrontation was imminent. The crowd watched, eagerly awaiting the oue.


    Suddenly, amanding voice boomed from the crowd, cutting through the tension.


    "That''s enough!"


    Professor Mia emerged from the crowd, capturing the attention of both groups and the onlookers.


    Hiro, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha were surprised to see Professor Mia. However, what surprised them even more was someone familiar standing beside her.

 Chapter 427: Reunion With Main Characters

    Zero had no other option but to apany Professor Mia, who wanted to intervene in the conflict between Hiro and William.


    He knew he would be meeting the main characters, which made him feel a bit awkward. However, he didn''t think it was a problem and believed that his rtionship with them wasn''t so close that he needed to exin his disappearances.


    It was simr to running into a middle school ssmate in college or at the workce.


    Zero spected that there was a high chance they might not even remember him, except for Misha.


    ( Well, maybe Sylvia would remember me too, since we used to talk quite often. Or at least I hope so. )


    Zero thought.


    In any case, the tension between the two sides was escting.


    "Excuse me, please!"


    Professor Mia said, and the people made way for us as we walked through the gathering crowd. It seemed that people naturally followed Professor Mia''smand.


    "Ah, Hiro, always trying to y the hero. But I don''t see anything wrong with what I said or Lucus''s proposal. In fact, it should be considered an honor that Lucus has taken an interest in her,"


    Due to our enhanced hearing, we were able to overhear the conversation between Professor William''s group and Hiro''s group.


    Zero grew angry as it appeared that Professor William and his gang were targeting Misha.


    ( If Eleanor were here, that guy would already be dead for speaking to Misha in such a manner. Since she isn''t here, maybe I should be the one to do it. )


    Zero thought with anger.


    "That''s enough!"


    Professor Mia intervened, and Zero and Amelia followed suit. Amelia also seemed disgusted by Professor William''s group after overhearing their conversation.


    Now, all eyes were on Professor Mia. The crowd was curious about the person who had intervened in the conflict, and they were also captivated by Mia''s appearance.


    The two groups also looked towards the source of the interference. The people on Professor William''s side appeared annoyed and eager to say something, but when they saw Professor Mia, they fell silent.


    They knew who the Ice Enchantress was, and even if they didn''t, her presence alone was enough to quell any dissatisfaction.


    On the other hand, Hiro''s group wasn''t angry about someone intervening. It was expected, considering themotion they had caused. However, they were surprised when they saw who had intervened.


    Although their attention quickly shifted from Professor Mia to the person behind her, he seemed oddly familiar to them.


    Misha immediately recognized Zero, who had grown since thest time they had seen each other.


    He had gotten taller and appeared to have be an adult. Well, it was natural, as she had also grown up. However, since she hadn''t seen him in almost two years, it felt strange.


    Contrary to Zero''s thoughts, Lisa, Sylvia, Hiro, and Zion were also able to identify him. They widened their eyes in surprise.


    (It''s Zero!)


    That was the thought that crossed their minds the moment theyid eyes on him.


    "Mia!"


    Professor William eximed happily. He was d to see Professor Mia and didn''t mind her interruption.


    However, his demeanor changed when he noticed she was apanied by someone else. He squinted his eyes, ring at Zero, and yelled,


    "Who the hell are you? And why are you with my Mia?"


    Professor William shamelessly asked, further infuriating Professor Mia, who was already angered by Professor William''s behavior.


    Although she knew Zero wouldn''t misunderstand her rtionship with Professor William, she still grew angry at someone iming her as his when she was standing in front of the person she liked.


    Zero was initially surprised because Professor William already disliked him before recognizing him. However, he calmed down after realizing it was Professor William he was dealing with.


    Professor William was someone who believed he was superior to everyone and made enemies wherever he went.


    Zero wore a mocking smile and chose not to respond to Professor William''s question. He knew exactly what to do to provoke him further.


    Instead of ying along with Professor William''s demands, Zero knew that ignoring him would only make him angrier. It would challenge his sense of superiority.


    "YOU!"


    And just as Zero expected, Professor William grew even more furious at being ignored, especially because of Zero''s mocking smile.


    "I don''t care who you are, but how dare you ignore me! AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"


    Professor Williammanded.


    Still, Zero refused to budge and continued to ignore him. He didn''t even look in Professor William''s direction.


    "THAT''S IT!"


    Professor William eximed as he channeled his mana into his leg.


    -WHOOSH!-


    Professor William rushed forward to attack Zero. He didn''t even recognize Zero, but he attacked because Zero was with Mia and due to her behavior.


    He didn''t bother assessing the strength of the other party. Professor William was truly beyond redemption, and it was a miracle he had survived this long with such behavior.


    Zero looked at Professor William yfully. Although Professor William held the rank of A, his speed seemed more like that of a B-rank.


    (Let''s have some fun!)


    Zero thought. He disliked Professor William, of course. If Professor William had changed, Zero wouldn''t have cared about him. But based on his actions, it seemed he had only gotten worse.


    "Humph! Huh? Scared to even move. Who told you to ignore me earlier!"


    Professor William taunted when he saw that Zero wasn''t making any move, despite preparing to attack. However, that didn''t mean he intended to hold back. Even if it meant potentially killing the other person, he was willing to do it, convinced he could avoid punishment.


    Professor William threw a punch at Zero''s face, or so he thought. However, he felt nothing upon impact, even though he should have made contact with Zero''s face.


    When he looked again, Zero had disappeared!


    "Huh?"


    Professor William was confused. He was certain that the person he had punched was still there.


    "William, behind you!"


    Lucus shouted, feeling somewhat nervous.


    Being farther away from Zero, he witnessed the entire sequence of events.


    He smiled at the sight of Zero not moving, thinking the person was about to get beaten up. However, just before William attacked, Zero vanished from his sight and reappeared behind William.


    Lucus yelled to warn William. From that disy alone, he could tell that the person William was fighting was powerful and frightening.


    Professor William quickly turned his head and saw the most infuriating sight of his life.


    Zero, who had evaded his punch, didn''t even spare him a nce. He was treated as if he didn''t exist.

 Chapter 428: Humiliating Professor William

    Zero gazed at the sky, seemingly unperturbed by Professor William''s failed attempt to strike him. Professor William, filled with humiliation and rage, seethed with anger.


    Zero''s sudden disappearance and reappearance, catching everyone off guard, even surprised Hiro''s group, who were well aware of Zero''s exceptional abilities.


    They had momentarily forgotten just how skilled he truly was and it seems that in the time that they had not seen him, he had grown even stronger.


    When Professor William was attacking Zero, Hiro had an inclination to intervene, feeling responsible for involving others in the conflict. However, before he could act, Professor William had already made his move.


    To Hiro''s astonishment, Zero effortlessly dodged Professor William''s attack with a level of ease that even Hiro himself hadn''t anticipated.


    On the other hand, Zion watched the unfolding events with aplex mix of emotions. He clenched his fist tightly, disying signs of anger.


    Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha couldn''t contain their delight at witnessing Zero dodge the attack. Like Professor William, they had briefly entertained the notion that Zero might be unable to react in time, but he had once again reminded them who he was.


    Meanwhile, Professor Mia and Amelia stood by, observing the confrontation without worry or interference. They hadplete faith in Zero''s abilities and knew he was more than capable of handling the situation.


    "YOU! I underestimated you and held back! Don''t you dare think you''re stronger than me!" Professor William dered angrily.


    His friend brought his lie and thought that was why Zero was able to dodge William''s attack. Otherwise, how can someone as young as Zero be able to easily dodge William''s attack.


    The onlookers, who had initially been surprised by Zero''s evasive maneuvers, began to calm down and consider Professor William''s im.


    If someone of Professor William''s caliber, who held a Rank-A status, had truly unleashed their full power, they didn''t think Zero could have effortlessly dodged the attack.


    However, Zero merely wore a mocking smile on his face. He could easily discern whether Professor William had utilized his full strength or not.


    Professor William''s realization that Zero was looking down on him only fueled his anger. As someone who habitually looked down on others, how could he ept being treated with the same disdain?


    "HAAAAH!"


    Professor William released a surge of mana, causing difort among the onlookers. However, Professor Mia countered with her own mana aura, shielding the crowd from any harm.


    -WHOOSH!


    In a sh, Professor William lunged forward, aiming a powerful punch directly at Zero''s face.


    Yet, with remarkable grace and precision, Zero effortlessly sidestepped the attack, evading it with ease. His movements were so fluid and swift that they seemed to slow down time itself.


    Professor William''s face contorted with rage as his attacks continued to miss their mark. Growing increasingly desperate with each failed attempt, he resorted tounching a flurry of strikes and kicks.


    Yet, Zero seemed to possess an uncanny ability to anticipate every move, effortlessly dodging, ducking, and weaving with an almost supernatural ease.


    The crowd watched in awe and disbelief as Zero wlessly evaded Professor William''s attacks. It was evident that Zero held a power far surpassing his opponent''s.


    "Who is that young man? How could he overpower Professor William, who holds a Rank-A status? Could he possibly be in Rank-S?"


    "I have no idea! I''ve never heard of such a talented individual before."


    "I thought that young man was surely doomed, but it seems that it was the other way round." ¡­


    As the battle raged on, it became increasingly clear that Professor William was outmatched. Zero''s skills eclipsed his own, and no matter how hard he tried, Professor William couldn''tnd a single blow.


    With every missed strike, Professor William''s frustration grew exponentially. His attacks became increasingly wild and reckless, fueled by a mixture of anger and embarrassment. With each swing, Zero gracefully evaded, as if guided by otherworldly intuition.


    Zero''s serene expression remained unchanged throughout the confrontation. He didn''t seem to even try his best yet Professor William was out of breath.


    "Let''s see how you dodge this!" Professor William eximed, summoning his sword. It was evident that he intended to utilize one of his powerful Arts.


    Though strictly forbidden to employ Arts in public, Professor William discarded such concerns in the face of his humiliation. His sole focus becamending at least one hit on Zero, even at the cost of breaking the rules.


    -SWISH!


    As Professor William gathered his mana to unleash his Art, Zero swiftly appeared in front of him and delivered a forceful p.


    -PAK!


    The resounding sound reverberated through the area, cutting through the noisy crowd and leaving everyone stunned.


    Professor William staggered backward, disbelief etched on his face as he clutched his cheek. The humiliation he felt was undeniable, further fueling the mes of anger within him.


    "YOU!"


    Professor William didn''t believe what just happened. He was a proud noble that had never suffered a single time and he was pped in front of a crowd.


    Zero''sposed demeanor persisted as he maintained his gaze on Professor William, a hint of amusement lingering in his eyes. The crowd murmured among themselves, their astonishment blending with a newfound respect for Zero''s abilities.


    "You know, I don''t really care about why you suddenly attacked me. But resorting to Art is taking it too far, wouldn''t you agree?" Zero finally addressed Professor William.


    "YOU!"


    Professor William was about tounch another attack.


    -PAK! -PAK! -PAK! -PAK!


    Zero relentlessly pped Professor William, each strike resonating strongly. Though the ps were strong, Zero refrained from amplifying their impact with his mana. While it may have seemed merciless, Zero showed enough restraint to prevent inflicting severe harm.


    With each resounding p, the once proud and intimidating professor appeared disheveled and defeated. His face reddened and swollen from the repeated blows, his hair disarrayed and sticking out in all directions.


    His tie hung loosely around his neck, the knot askew. Professor William''s typicallyposed demeanor crumbled, reced by a mixture of frustration, humiliation, and disbelief.


    Bloodshot eyes narrowed with burning fury, he clenched his teeth, enduring the stinging pain in his cheeks from Zero''s ps.


    Despite his disheveled state and the overwhelming sense of defeat radiating from him, a stubborn determination remained etched on Professor William''s face. He adamantly refused to ept his current condition, clinging desperately to the tattered remnants of his wounded pride.


    The onlookers watched in awe and disbelief as Zero continued to strike Professor William, the sound of each p resonating through the air. Some felt a sense of satisfaction, witnessing the once arrogant professor being put in his ce. Others couldn''t help but pity Professor William, witnessing the merciless pping he endured.


    Zero''s expression remained cool andposed, devoid of any malice or vindictiveness. It was as if he were calmly imparting a lesson rather than engaging in a physical confrontation.

 Chapter 429: Humiliating Professor William [2]

    As Zero continued to strike Professor William, his friend, who had been watching the confrontation with a mix of shock and anger, couldn''t bear to see him being humiliated any further.


    Lucus stepped forward, his face contorted with rage, and shouted at Zero.


    "Stop it, you insolent brat! How dare youy your hands on William like this!" he eximed, his voice filled with authority.


    Zero paused for a moment, his hand raised mid-p, and turned his gaze towards Lucus before focusing on William again and pping him.


    Lucus''s face turned even redder with anger as Zero ignored hismand and continued to p Professor William. Frustration and desperation surged within him, and he made a quick decision.


    "You don''t know who you''re dealing with. Our family has an immense influence, and if you continue this assault, you''ll regret it!"


    Lucus shouted, his voiceced with a threatening tone.


    "Is that so?"


    Zero replied, his voice calm andposed.


    -PAK! -PAK!


    Though his hands were still busy pping someone.


    "You don''t understand. We can ruin you, your reputation, and everything you hold dear," Lucus hissed, his voice filled with venom. "Apologize to William and beg for forgiveness, or you''ll face the consequences!"


    Zero''s expression remained unchanged. Rather than being scared of Lucus''s warning, he was smiling at him like he was looking at a fool.


    ( Look at him acting like a small-time viin! He don''t know about me but started to threaten me like he has the strongest backing. )


    "I don''t know where your confidencees from though you are right, I had enough of beating WIlliam."


    Zero''s words sent a shiver down Lucus''s spine. The confidence in Zero''s voice and the unwavering smile on his face made Lucus doubt his own threats.


    Before Lucus could say anything else, Zero turned his attention back to Professor William, who was now on the verge of copse. The repeated ps had taken their toll, both physically and emotionally. The once proud professor was now a broken man.


    Zero slowly lowered his hand, ending the assault. The crowd watched in silence, waiting to see what would happen next.


    "Here take this!"


    Zero said as he threw Professor William towards his group of friends. They tried to catch him but failed in the end.


    Professor William fell on the ground and there was nothing that resembled the previous arrogant William with the current one.


    "William, Are you okay?"


    William''s friends immediately went to help him up.


    Professor William hesitated for a moment, his pride wounded and his face still burning from the ps. Slowly, he reached out and grasped one of his friends hands, allowing himself to be helped to his feet.


    Professor William red at Zero in hatred but there was also some fear in his eyes.


    "Now that I took care of him, I think that there was another one who needed some beating."


    Zero said smilingly as he red at Lucus. He has heard what Lucus said to Misha and Zero was not going to let him off easily.


    !!!


    Lucus felt a chill run down his spine as Zero''s gaze locked onto him. The once-confident aura around him began to crumble, reced by a growing sense of unease.


    He was weaker than William and there was no way that he could win against Zero.


    "What? What do you want?"


    Lucus said, trying to maintain hisposure. He didn''t want to end up like WIlliam and didn''t try to attack.


    Lucus''s mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of the situation.


    ( Why did I have to help William? If I didn''t interrupt him, I wouldn''t have been targeted by this monster! )


    Lucus thought regretfully. He didn''t know that whether he interrupted Zero or not, he was going to get himself beaten. But he thought that it was because of him running his mouth and threatening Zero that led to Zero shifting his focus on him.


    In ast-ditch effort to salvage his pride, Lucus mustered his courage and tried to save face.


    "I am feeling generous and will let you off!" Lucus said, his voice shaking slightly.


    Zero''s smile widened, revealing a glint of amusement in his eyes. . It was the first time a prey was trying to let go of the predator. Zero thought that Lucus was still not seeing the reality here!


    Zero chuckled softly, his amusement evident in his voice. "Let me off? You truly have no idea who you''re dealing with, do you?"


    Lucus''s face paled, his bravado waning as he realized his attempt to save face was falling t.


    His mind raced for an escape n, but deep down, he knew he was outmatched.


    Zero took a step closer, his gaze intense and prating.


    -SWISH!


    Before Lucus knew it, Zero, who was a few meters away from him, stood in front of him.


    -GLUP!


    Lucus was startled and scared when he realized that Zero was before him. His fear was so great that he was unable to even move from that spot.


    -SLAP!


    Zero also gave a good p to Lucus.


    The force of Zero''s p sent Lucus sprawling to the ground, his cheek stinging from the impact. The onlookers gasped in disbelief, witnessing the sessive ps Zero had delivered to both Professor William and now Lucus.


    Lucus struggled to regain hisposure as he pushed himself up from the ground. Fear and humiliation clouded his expression as he faced Zero, who stood tall and unyielding.


    "Y-you can''t do this! You''re making a big mistake!" Lucus stammered, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and anger.


    The crowd watched the unfolding scene in stunned silence. They couldn''t believe what they were witnessing¡ªa single individual effortlessly overpowering two highly skilled individuals.


    Zero''s disy of power and skill was beyond anything they had ever imagined.


    Lucus''s friends didn''t want to incur anger from Zero to themselves. So, they just watched as Lucus fell from Zero''s p.


    Hiro, Zion, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha, who had been spectating the entire confrontation, were taken aback by Zero''s relentless disy of strength.


    Professor Mia and Amelia, who had maintained theirposure throughout the entire ordeal, exchanged a knowing nce. They had anticipated this oue, knowing full well Zero''s capabilities.


    Zero took a step forward, his voice firm andmanding.


    "Consider this a lesson to you all. Your actions have consequences, and I hope that you understand that or else I would not be kind like today."


    Lucus''s face contorted with a mix of anger and fear. He couldn''t stand the feeling of being humiliated, especially in front of so many people.


    However, because Zero seemed to want to spare him after one p, he didn''tin. William''s other friend also has nothing to do with Zero and didn''t do anything to him.


    If it was any other time, just a little provocation was enough for these groups of young masters to do everything that they could to beat down the person who provoked them.


    However, this time they met someone who didn''t care who they were and was significantly stronger.


    Some of them were thinking about taking revenge using their family power while others were happy to be let off by Zero.


    Professor William red at Zero, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and humiliation. He struggled to stand upright, using his friend for support.


    Slowly, he regained hisposure and straightened his tie, attempting to regain some semnce of dignity.


    "Mark my words!" Professor William said, his voiceced with a bitter tone. "This is not over. I will not forget this humiliation, and I will make sure you pay for it."


    ( Can you please stop provoking him? Are you secretly a masochist! )


    His friends all thought. The person was letting them go but William had to say something to him even after getting beaten up.


    They didn''t want to get beaten up due to the consequences of William.


    Zero just smiled at Professor William''s words. He just couldn''t understand why William had to say the dialogue of a small-time viin.


    ( Are you that eager to die? )


    Zero thought.


    Williams was dragged by his friends while Lucus, while angry, didn''t think of revenge. This one p was enough for him to know that he couldn''t mess with that person.


    "We won''t let this slide," William muttered to his friends, his voice filled with determination.


    "We''ll find a way to bring him down, no matter what it takes."


    He said as his friend could only nod. Although they looked like they were agreeing with Professor William, inside none of them wanted to mess with Zero again.


    It was the same for Lucus who was pped by Zero.


    *SIGH!


    Hiro''s group was relieved to see Professor William and his friend go away. Although the oue of the battle was disastrous, they couldn''t me Zero as Professor William was the one to attack Zero.


    "Thank you Professor Mia!"


    Hiro said. If not for Professor Mia, he knew that he would have to fight with Professor William. Although the situation did turn to the worst possible scenario, he had to thank Professor Mia who came to help them.


    "It''s nothing! I didn''t even do much!"


    Mia replied.


    "Professor Mia, why are you here and with him?"


    Sylvia asked. When she said him, she meant Zero wasing towards them.


    "This is exactly a good ce to talk. Let''s go to a cafe!"


    Professor Mia said. She was talking about the crowd that was around them.


    "Okay!"


    They replied but their eyes glued onto Zero. Zero couldn''t feel stares from them but tried to avoid making any eye contact with them.

 Chapter 430: Talk At Cafe With Main Characters

    As Hiro and his friends followed Professor Mia to a nearby caf¨¦, their minds were filled with questions about Zero.


    They also kept looking back and forth towards Zero. They were sure that he was Zero, although he had grown taller and looked a bit different than in their memories.


    On their way towards a cafe, they wanted to ask him some questions but found it incredibly awkward for them to ask Zero questions. After all, it had been two and half years since theyst saw each other.


    Moreover, even the year when they were ssmates, they didn''t really speak with Zero much. The only one who was in a good rtionship was Sylvia and Misha.


    And what would they even ask him? Why were you gone? Where have you been for the past two and half years?


    Who are they to probe into what he did? He could do whatever he wanted and he wouldn''t need to exin it to them.


    Although they wanted to know and wanted to ask him how he became so strong.


    Anyway, they quietly followed Professor Mia who was walking alongside Amelia and Zero. They could see Zero asionally speak with Professor Mia like they were friends.


    They were surprised by Professor Mia who was smiling at Zero.


    For the past two years, she was their professor and taught them. However, they never saw her smiling like today.


    Their eyes also fell on Amelia. Hiro could detect powerful energy from Amelia and could tell that she was stronger than him.


    "She is the Saintess, right?"


    Sylvia whispered to them.


    "I think she is. I had heard that Professor Mia was friends with the Saintess before."


    Lisa replied.


    "And he is Zero, right?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "He should be!"


    Misha answered.


    "What is Zero doing with them?"


    Sylvia asked.


    They all thought for a second but couldn''te up with an answer. Until 10 minutes ago, they didn''t even know that Zero had returned from wherever he was. How could they know why Saintess and Professor Mia were so friendly with him?


    Although they could understand Professor Mia as she always seemed close to Zero even at Ace Academy.


    "Who knows!"


    Hiro answered.


    "Hehe¡­ He has be somewhat handsome now. What do you say, Lisa?"


    Sylvia teased Lisa.


    Lisa blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. She shyly nced at Zero, who was engrossed in conversation with Professor Mia and Amelia.


    It was true that he had grown more attractive over the years that she hadn''t seen him.


    Flustered by Sylvia''s yful remark, Lisa stammered, "Uh, well, I guess he does look attractive... though he looked cuter before."


    "Hehe¡­ So you prefer younger Zero? Unexpected, isn''t it Misha?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "Well, I don''t know about preferences, but he certainly has changed a lot. From the conversation, it seems that you like his current appearance."


    Misha replied.


    "I do like his current appearance but he is still far from the look that I am looking for in a man. He needs to be more handsome if he wants to have me."


    Sylvia jokingly replied.


    As Hiro and his friends entered the caf¨¦ with Professor Mia, they found a secluded corner to sit and talk.


    Hiro and his group kept their eyes on Professor Mia while asionally ncing at Zero.


    "Would you like to order something? My treat!"


    Professor Mia said as she called for the waitress.


    "ck Coffee for me,"


    "I just need a ss of water." ¡­


    "I have not seen you for months and it seems like you all have grown even stronger, especially Hiro. Congrattions on ascending to Rank-A!"


    Professor Mia said.


    "Thank you, Professor Mia!"


    Hiro replied politely.


    "So, I assume that all of you are here because of the Elves'' invitation."


    Professor Mia asked.


    They all nodded their heads. She thought it was natural as this group of students was one of the greatest talents she has taught.


    "Well, we are also here because of that. Let me introduce her, she is Amelia and the Saintess of the Church."


    Professor Mia gestured towards Amelia, who smiled warmly at Hiro and his friends. They exchanged greetings, and the girls couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe in Amelia''s presence.


    She was pretty looking, something that even they had to admit. Amelia''s aura overflowed with kindness and grace, embodying the qualities the girls admired and aspired to possess.


    "Nice to meet all of you," Amelia said graciously.


    "I''ve heard a lot about your aplishments from Professor Mia. It''s impressive for your age to reach such a rank."


    "Thank you, Saintess Amelia."


    Hiro replied, trying to maintain hisposure.


    Amelia smiled warmly, her eyes ncing briefly at Zero before returning her attention to the group.


    Saintess Amelia thought that maybe they were Zero''s friends although they didn''t really behave like friends. Anyway, she could see that they were interested in Zero and were asionally ncing at him.


    ( Are they perhaps scared of Zero and his power? )


    Amelia thought to herself. She was curious why they seemed to be interested in Zero.


    "And I don''t think that I need to introduce him."


    Professor Mia said as she gestured towards Zero.


    Zero sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the table in front of him. He didn''t say anything nor did Hiro''s group say anything for a brief period.


    Professor Mia was confused by the silence. She was certain that Zero had a good rtionship with them. Other than them, she has never seen Zero associated with other students.


    She even had a thought that maybe they didn''t recognize Zero. After all, even if one were ssmates, you might forget each other after 2 years of not seeing each other.


    After a brief silence, Sylvia mustered up the courage to break the ice. "Um, Zero... It''s been a while since west saw you. We were surprised to see you here with Professor Mia and


    Saintess Amelia."


    Zero looked up, meeting Sylvia''s eyes for a moment.


    "Yes, it has been a while."


    Zero replied.


    There was another silence.


    "So, how did you encounter William?"


    Saintess Amelia asked after not being able to bear the silences.


    "This ¡­"


    Hiro and Sylvia began telling the entire story about how they met and how they created trouble for them.


    "William and his friends are too evil. Zero did a nice job teaching them a lesson!"


    Amelia said. She felt a bit pity towards William as his face was swollen by Zero''s p. But it seems that there was no need to feel pity for that scumbag.


    "Anyway, why were you staring at Zero?"

 Chapter 431: Talk At Cafe With Main Characters [2]

    "By the way, why were you staring at Zero?"


    Amelia inquired. She hadn''t intended to ask the question initially, but their constant nces at Zero piqued her curiosity. They seemed to asionally fixate on him without actually saying anything.


    "..."


    The group appeared awkward, unsure of how to answer. Hiro, in particr, felt that he wasn''t close enough to Zero to ask him anything.


    Zion, on the other hand, held a deep-seated resentment towards Zero and was merely intrigued by his strength. Although over the years, his hatred was also gone but he still had no desire to engage in conversation with him or pose such questions.


    Misha hesitated momentarily, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she gathered her thoughts and spoke softly, "Well, Zero, we were taken aback to see you here because... because you suddenly vanished from the school. Can you tell us where you''ve been all this time?"


    Zero''s gaze shifted, locking onto Misha''s eyes. He could sense her genuine concern for him throughout his absence.


    "I apologize for disappearing without a word. The truth is, after leaving Ace Academy, I went to the Tower of Obelisk to train," Zero revealed.


    "I-Is that so?"


    Misha responded, finding it difficult toprehend why Zero would choose such a ce for training. From her perspective, Zero was already exceptionally strong, surpassing even the most gifted individuals of their age group and possibly even those ten years older.


    She couldn''t fathom that his disappearance was driven by a desire to be even stronger. To her, it seemed absurd for Zero to go to such lengths to enhance his abilities.


    "What? You wanted to be stronger? Are you kidding me?" Sylvia blurted out, unable to believe the reasoning.


    "Did you really want to be an even bigger monster?"


    Sylvia asked, observing Zero with a perplexed expression. She wasn''t the only one; everyone present shared the sentiment. In their eyes, Zero was already a formidable entity, surpassing even the most talented individuals. It seemed inconceivable for him to be concerned about bing stronger.


    Little did they know that Zero possessed knowledge of future events, which made him believe that his survival was uncertain.


    Furthermore, being a minor character, he felt vulnerable and believed he could be disposed of at any moment, unlike the main characters.


    While his primary motive for leaving was driven by Lilith and the Dragon''s Heart, he had already been contemting a visit to the Tower of Obelisk prior to Devil''s Invasion.


    "Putting aside your questionable remark, I indeed desired to be stronger, and for that, I had to depart," Zero responded.


    "But why so suddenly?" Sylvia inquired.


    She believed that Zero could have achieved considerable growth even if he had remained at Ace Academy. Although it might not have been as efficient as his current methods, it would have entailed fewer risks.


    And he could have gone to Tower Of Obelisk after having graduated from the school. There was no need to be in such a rush.


    "I had already been thinking about visiting that ce, and the Devil''s Invasion only further solidified my determination," Zero exined.


    Hiro and the others found his reasoning convincing. They understood the feeling of helplessness when confronted by vastly superior enemies. Many students had perished, and they themselves would have suffered a simr fate had luck not been on their side.


    The incident had only reinforced their resolve to be stronger. Although they had never considered visiting the Tower of Obelisk, as the professors at Ace Academy were already aiding their growth through their teachings.


    "I see!" Hiro eximed.


    He had initially perceived Zero as a genius, much like others saw him. Zero was just like any other individual constantly seeking growth and relentlessly training to be stronger.


    While they were curious about Zero''s current strength, they refrained from asking, as it would be impolite to inquire about someone''s abilities unless there was aplete trust between them.


    Having discussed Zero''s situation, they shifted their focus to their current circumstances.


    "So, you''re aware of why we''re heading to the Elven nation, right?" Amelia asked.


    She posed the question to gauge the extent of the information provided to Hiro''s group by The Authority. For their own group, the Pope had revealed the impending cataclysmic event and the reason for their journey.


    Although the details had been thoroughly exined to them, there might be some aspects withheld in the message. Amelia doubted that Hiro and his group had been informed about the cataclysmic event, as it would have spread throughout human nations if that were the case.


    At present, people believed that the geniuses were traveling to the Elven nation to establish diplomatic rtions andpete with the young Elven prodigies.


    If news of the cataclysmic future foreseen by ra were to be public knowledge, chaos would ensue.


    Hardly anyone knew about Luminary Spring, let alone the cataclysmic future ra had seen.


    Sharing this information with the general popce would only lead to negative consequences. Only the higher-ups and the geniuses had ess to this knowledge.


    "Of course, we''re going for Luminary Spring!"


    Sylvia replied. This information was meant to remain a secret to others, but it wasmon knowledge among the geniuses required to undertake the journey.


    "Oh!"


    Amelia understood from their conversation that Hiro and his friends were either unaware of ra''s future vision or maybe she knows but doesn''t want to disclose.


    Nheless, Amelia sensed Sylvia''s sincerity and didn''t believe she was concealing anything. This provided insight into how the information was disseminated among the geniuses by The Authority.


    Amelia, Mia, and Zero made eye contact and silently agreed to keep the information confidential. If Hiro''s group wasn''t aware, there was no need to divulge it.


    In any case, it didn''t matter to Hiro and his group; they had to go to the Elven nation regardless. Moreover, even if they were aware of the information, there was little they could do at the moment.


    The main focus for everyone should be to be stronger.


    "Do you have any ns?"


    Sylvia asked.


    "No, we were simply exploring Etheron City as we arrived only yesterday," Amelia replied.


    "We still have two days before we depart, so why don''t you join our group? I''m sure it''ll be more enjoyable than traveling in a small group," Sylvia suggested to Amelia.


    She didn''t dare ask Professor Mia, as she still viewed her as a teacher and felt slightly intimidated by her strict demeanor.


    Professor Mia had always been firm with her students, and while Sylvia held great admiration for her, there remained a boundary between teacher and student.


    As for Zero, Sylvia still felt a certain unease around him. He appeared different, and his quiet nature made her hesitant to approach him.


    Therefore, Sylvia felt more at ease asking Amelia, whom she had only met today but seemed friendly. She believed it would be less awkward than approaching the other two.


    "Hmm... I don''t mind! Do you two have any objections?" Amelia pondered for a moment. Hiro and his friends seemed amicable, and she didn''t have any specific ns of her own. So, she saw no issue with joining them.


    "I have no problem!"


    "Me either!"


    Mia and Zero replied. Thus, it was decided that the two groups would explore the city together!

 Chapter 432: To The Elven Nation!

    During that time, not much urred except for encountering other geniuses who were also headed to the Elven Nation.


    With the addition of Professor Mia and Amelia, Hiro and his group garnered even more attention. However, unlike before, they weren''t approached by others.


    This was likely because Professor Mia was the strongest person going to the Elven Nation, aside from those sent to protect the young geniuses.


    Therefore, there would be no more individuals like Professor William bothering them. Zero couldn''t understand why Professor William and his friends were even there.


    Two days passed, and it was time for them to go to the Elven Nation.


    Many geniuses gathered at the Gate of Etheron City, some Zero recognized from his time in Etheron City, while others were unfamiliar to him.


    And to his surprise, Professor William was there too!


    ( Does that mean Professor William is also one of the selected people to go to the Elven Nation? )


    Zero wondered. As he had mentioned before, Professor William''s power was below that of an average person, let alone a genius. Though he had reached Rank-A, a level not attained by many, he was still far from being called a genius.


    Professor William red hatefully at Zero. It seemed the effects of their previous altercation had worn off, and he was back to being fearless.


    Lucus appeared much calmer and avoided looking in Zero''s direction. He knew well enough which battles were worth picking.


    "It''s already 8:00 am. When are we going?" Sylvia asked impatiently. She was eager to visit the Elven Nation and experience its uniqueness.


    "Just be patient!" Lisa replied, briefly ncing at Zero before looking away. Although she had reunited with Zero, she still hadn''t spoken to him.


    "Apologies for the dy! Is everyone here?" A person arrived apanied by several agents from The Authority. The leader was a well-known SS-Rank Hero whom everyone recognized.


    It was Unbreakable Guardian, Nock Fletcher, one of the top five heroes who served The Authority. He was apanied by a group of strong-looking Rank-S agents from The Authority.


    However, with someone like Nock Fletcher present, all eyes were on him. While a Rank-S hero might be revered and dreamt of by many, the geniuses gathered here held different aspirations.


    They saw reaching Rank-S as a natural progression and only cared about Rank-SS, which they aimed to achieve. Nock Fletcher, being at the top of the Rank-SS, earned their respect.


    "Hello, I believe most of you recognize me, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Nock Fletcher! The Authority has sent me to ensure your safety," Nock stated.


    "And rest assured, it''s not just me; this team of Rank-S individuals will also be responsible for keeping you all safe."


    Nock gestured toward his team.


    "Before we proceed, let me confirm whether you are the individuals invited to the Elven Nation," Nock said, pulling out his phone, which disyed a list of names and pictures.


    "Orion!"


    ...


    "Mia Frostine!"


    "Amelia!" ...


    He called out the names, and Orion raised his hand. Nock checked his identity, confirmed it, and continued calling out the names.


    "Zion Maxwell!"


    "Lisa Kyelpas!"


    "Zero Elea!"


    "Hiro Ernest!"


    "Sylvia Mavis!"


    "Misha Kanon!"


    The list seemed to be in order of age, with Misha being the oldest and Orion being the youngest.


    Zero nced at Professor William, who wore a dumbfounded expression.


    ( I guess he still remembers me! )


    Zero thought to himself. His name was called, but apart from a few individuals, nobody knew who he was. Among this group, he seemed to be the least recognized, as others were geniuses whose names were known worldwide.


    Professor William was shocked when he recognized the person who had humiliated and pped him mercilessly.


    "How is that possible? Wasn''t he dead?" William muttered. All these years, he had believed that Zero had been killed in the Devil Invasion, and he found sce in that thought.


    Turns out, it was merely a false assumption, and Zero was very much alive. If there was anyone William hated more than Hiro at Ace Academy, it was certainly Zero.


    Professor William red at Zero, and his hatred only intensified. His friends were unaware of what had transpired and assumed that William was in a bad mood once again, so they remained silent.


    After confirming thest name on the list, Nock Fletcher pocketed his phone and addressed the group again.


    "Alright, now that we have verified your identities, we will proceed with the journey to the Elven Nation. Please follow me, and my team will ensure your safety along the way."


    "Unbreakable Guardian, please wait!" one of the geniuses called out just as they were about to depart.


    "Yes?" Nock replied.


    "I don''t understand why William and his group are here! Their names weren''t called, and I don''t believe he deserves to be among us," the genius spoke straightforwardly.


    Others nodded in agreement. As an arrogant group of geniuses, they were not pleased to have someone like William, who was deemed worthless, apanying them.


    "YOU ALL!"


    William fumed. It was the first time he had been looked down upon and humiliated like this.


    "Just you wait, I will have my revenge on all of you!"


    William muttered angrily.


    He wasn''t invited to the Elven Nation like the others.


    William''s father and other influential figures understood the benefits of the Luminary Spring and used their authority to ensure that their children were sent to the Elven Nation.


    In addition to those geniuses demanded by Elves, they also said that they will send some geniuses that they want.


    The Elves had no issue as long as the number of people was limited to ten. However, they also warned that untalented individuals wouldn''t benefit from the spring.


    Nevertheless, that message was disregarded, and the ten individuals with the most influence managed to send their children, regardless of theirck of talent.


    "This arrangement was made by higher-ups. Just ignore them if they bother you. Remember that we are entering another race''s territory and be sure to protect yourselves," Nock Fletcher advised.


    He understood the reasons behind it and disliked how those people were using their influence in such a manner.


    His concerny with the geniuses who would one day be pirs of humanity, much like himself. However, he couldn''t change The Authority''s decision, and looking after an additional ten people was a minor annoyance.


    He also has no consequences even if he treats William like garbage. After all, while WIlliam''s father was Rank-SS, he was also the same.


    Would his father fight with him just because he didn''t treat William like some geniuses? The answer was no!


    The individual who had raised the question remained silent, but his gaze remained fixed on William. He held a strong dislike for him and didn''t hesitate to show it.


    There were others who were equally unafraid of William. While his background might intimidate ordinary people, it held no weight among geniuses like them.


    The geniuses, apanied by their newly assigned protectors from The Authority, began their journey towards the Elven Nation.


    Nock Fletcher had been specifically instructed to protect Hiro, the greatest talent of humanity. However, he refrained from doing so since Ice Enchantress was with Hiro''s group.


    Mia Frostine, the second strongest in the group, was just slightly below Nock in terms of strength. Even if a Rank-SS opponent attacked, Nock believed Mia could hold her own for a few minutes.


    Nock had high hopes for Mia, even more so than Hiro. While he believed Hiro would undoubtedly be one of humanity''s guardians, he saw the same potential in Mia.


    She held the record for being the youngest to reach Rank-A, though Hiro recently broke that record. Nheless, she still held the record for Rank-S.


    But rather than someone who might one day reach and surpass you, Nock believes in someone who is already on the verge of reaching their power and that was Professor Mia. She is still below 30 years old and has reached Rank-S.


    There was no doubt that she would be Rank-SS in a few years toe. Though he hoped for Hiro to do well as well because more the better for humanity.


    Whether Hiro or Mia or any one else, Nock had sworn to protect them all. After all, he was the Unbreakable Guardian, and there was no one better at protecting than him. This was also the reason why he was dispatched among all the other Rank-SS.


    The crowd dispersed, leaving only a few curious individuals lingering to catch a glimpse of the renowned geniuses and the famous hero. Reporters took photos and recorded videos, unaware of the Luminary but aware that the geniuses were heading to the Elven Nation.


    With that, the group of geniuses began their journey. There were no extravagant carriages or means of transportation. They had to walk and fend for themselves through the jungle until they reached the Elven Nation.

 Chapter 433: Fighting With Sylvan Shadowscale

    It was a long journey from Etheron City to Elven Nation, however, for those who were fast, it would only take a few days.


    Moreover, Nock Fletcher was nning on taking the shortest path avable no matter what type of monster they encountered.


    This journey was not only going to be to reach Elven Nation but also for Nock to truly see the potential and talent of these geniuses. It could also be treated as training for them.


    With him and so many S-Rank Heroes, there couldn''t really be any danger. At least, not so much that they would immediately lose their lives.


    Anyway, they sprinted lightly. It was not too fast even for Rank-B but definitely not too slow. As for Rank-S, this was barely like a walk to them.


    However, they needed to match the pace of B-Rank who are the weakest in this group of geniuses.


    In this group, aside from the agents from The Authority and a group of bodyguards of Williams and his friends who are hired by their parents, there were 5 Rank-S, a dozen of Rank-A and the rest were Rank-B.


    Although Zion, Misha, Lisa and Sylvia were also in Rank-B, they were also the youngest. Their age was around 5 years younger than the average age of the group.


    Nock Fletcher wanted to see whether they really had the capabilities to fight off monsters or were they just unting their rank like William.


    Without training and experiencing danger, Nock didn''t believe that being high-rank was any help. Rather it was those who are brave and survived many dangers that were able toe on top.


    Nock Fletcher led the group and at the end were those Rank-S agents.


    As the group pressed on, their journey took them through dense forests and treacherous terrains. However, with the group having already experienced a harsher environment, they had no problem traveling through it.


    Though the same could not be said about William and his friends. They could be seenining and whining while their bodyguard would at times help them.


    Hours of traveling, they met with a few monsters but nothing too dangerous. They were just some Rank-C and D monsters who would run at the sight of humans or would get killed if they tried to attack.


    The atmosphere grew increasingly tense as they neared a notorious area known for its dangerous monsters.


    Nock Fletcher remained vignt, his senses attuned to any signs of an impending threat. With his extraordinary senses, he could sense the strength of the monsters that were ahead before anyone else.


    He stopped running and turned around to the group.


    "Listen up, everyone," Nock Fletchermanded, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the group.


    "There is a group of Sylvan Shadowscale ahead. They are known for their stealth and coordinated attacks. Stay alert and be prepared to fight as a unit. Me, and those agents would not be helping you all. Take this as an experience."


    Nock said. Sylvan Shadowscale were perfect enemies for the group of geniuses. While Sylvan Shadowscale were Rank-A monsters, they were cunning and attacked from unexpected ces.


    Moreover, it was a rare monster that would rarely appear in the dungeon, so it was good for them to fight and experience their strength.


    The mention of the formidable Sylvan Shadowscale elicited a mixture of anticipation and trepidation among the group.


    Rather being frightened, they seemed raring to go. They were bored because they were sprinting for many hours without being able to do anything.


    They were also already formed groups. Most of them were geniuses who belonged to one group and those who weren''t were able to be friends in their stay at Etheron City.


    As they ventured deeper into the forest, the dense foliage and the ethereal hush added to the suspense. Suddenly, the air grew thick with an eerie silence, a sure sign that danger lurked nearby.


    Nock Fletcher has hidden his aura and stayed hidden. Though he kept his eyes on everyone, so that they don''t get themselves killed.


    Other Rank-S agents also followed Nock and kept their aura in check while keeping their eyes on the group that they were responsible for protecting.


    Mia''s trained eyes assessed the situation quickly, recognizing the need for swift action. She signaled to Amelia and Zero who were in one group.


    Simr were the case for other three Rank-S geniuses who signaled their group members about the monster. With their keen sense, it was easier for them to see the situation clearly.


    Others were also able to read the situation and knew that the enemy was here. Hiro and his group also were vignt.


    -SWISH!


    From the shadows, the Sylvan Shadowscale emerged, their sleek forms blending seamlessly with the dimly lit surroundings. The pack consisted of hundred of the creatures, their eyes gleaming with an otherworldly glow as they encircled the group.


    Two S-Rank heroes lunged forward, engaging the Sylvan Shadowscale with precision and skill. Their weapons shed with the agile creatures, their strikes attempting to disrupt the pack''s cohesion.


    Mia also used her long distance attack and immediately killed two Sylvan Shadowscale. Amelia didn''t immediately engage with the monster as she focused more on protecting and healing others.


    The Rank-A and Rank-B geniuses watched in awe and anticipation. Rank-A monsters were being killed by them as if they were no big deal.


    The battlemenced with a flurry of lightning-fast strikes and powerful spells. The S-Rank heroes showcased their immensebat prowess, weaving through the frenzied attacks of the Shadowfangs. Their movements were a dance of deadly precision, each strike aiming for a vital spot.


    However, Sylvan Shadowscale attacked from all sides and Rank-A and Rank-B geniuses also had to fight them.


    Without hesitation, Hiro sprang into action, swiftly unsheathing his sword. Hiro fought with one of the Sylvan Shadowscale.


    Sylvia showcased her archery skills, firing arrows that found their mark with remarkable uracy, temporarily disorienting the creatures.


    Lisa channeled her mana, strengthening their group and making them even stronger. Misha also went and engaged with one of the creatures though she struggled to handle them.


    Zion also went and fought with one of the monsters. Lisa and Syvlia made sure to support the two of them. As for hiro, he was able to handle the monster even without their help.


    The battle intensified, each side unleashing their full potential. The forest echoed with the sh of weapons, the hiss of magic, and the defiant roars of the Sylvan Shadowscale.


    The group remained resolute, their collective strength shining through as they fought with unwavering determination.


    "This is a surprise! I didn''t think that Hiro and his friend would be able to handle three Sylvan Shadowscale."


    One of the agents was surprised by them who maintainedposure and executed good teamwork.


    "I thought that they wouldck teamwork and experience but they are doing good for someone who has recently graduated."


    Another one added. Other Rank-B were also doing good as they were not called geniuses for nothing.


    Even in the face of a Rank-A monster, they were able to fight with them without much problem.


    "Hiro is even more impressive. He has already killed one and is fighting with another. Even those geniuses in Rank-A are not as good as him."


    "In a few years they should be able to be unstoppable. Hiro might even surpass Ice Enchantress and be the strongest in the future."


    Rank-S agents proudly discussed. As Hiro was going to join The Authority like them, they were proud of him. More talented he was, the more good it was for The Authority.


    "Haha¡­ I wouldn''t be so sure!"


    Nock Fletcher intervened.


    "What do you mean sir Nock?"


    One of them respectfully asked.


    Nock was also from The Authority and shouldn''t have had a problem with Hiro. Hiro was hailed as the greatest geniuses and would be the strongest in the future but they knew that Nock might have some reason that they don''t know about.


    "He does have the talent but look at that, isn''t he doing better than Hiro?"


    Nock said while pointing at Zero who was easily subduing Sylvan Shadowscale.


    -SLASH!


    That was the fourth Sylvan Shadowscale that Zero killed. Beside Rank-S, Zero was definitely the one with highest kills here.


    Many of them had never fought with Sylvan Shadowscale but it wasn''t true for Zero. He fought with a lot of Sylvan Shadoscale even when he was at Rank-B. He knew their weaknesses well and their habits.


    He had no problem fighting with them and could easily take care of them.


    However, it didn''t take long for others to also quickly take care of the monster. They were not called geniuses for no reason.


    They could immediately know the fighting style of Sylvan Shadowscale and then it was nothing more than repeating those processes to kill more monsters.


    Rank-S though didn''t even need to rely on such things. They could easily overpower the monster and kill them.


    Finally, after a fierce and relentless struggle, thest Sylvan Shadowscale fell to the ground, defeated.

 Chapter 434: Fighting With Sylvan Shadowscale [2]

    The battle had concluded, and the group emerged triumphant. They had faced a formidable adversary and emerged unscathed, proving themselves to be exceptional geniuses.


    Had it been anyone else, they would have suffered serious injuries or even perished. Most people would have depleted a significant amount of mana and relied on their trump cards to defeat creatures of such caliber. However, this group of geniuses handled the situation with ease.


    Their expertise, technique, statistics, and teamwork set them leagues apart from average individuals.


    "Excellent work, everyone!" Nock Fletcher praised the group, his eyes shining with pride.


    "You all performed admirably. I''m impressed by your teamwork and your ability tobat the Sylvan Shadowscale."


    The group exchanged smiles, their confidence soaring. While they were a proud bunch, they respected Nock Fletcher and were pleased to receive hispliments.


    "Some of you could benefit from further training," Nock Fletcher continued. "But most of you handled the situation perfectly. I hope you maintain the same spirit for the rest of our journey. We still have a long way to go, and we will undoubtedly encounter more monsters. I trust you will rise to the challenge."


    Nock Fletcher spoke.


    During the battle, there was a group that chose not to participate at all. William and his friend avoidedbat altogether, hiding behind their bodyguards and waiting for others to y the monsters. Some were so afraid that they couldn''t bear to witness the scene.


    Not only were theycking in skill, but they alsocked the courage to confront the monsters. They were truly pampered individuals who had grown up under the constant care of their parents.


    Nock disregarded them and addressed the remaining individuals.


    "Now, let''s continue our journey."


    The group set off, their spirits high. They had faced a challenging ordeal and emerged victorious, eager to proceed to the Elven Nation.


    As they walked, they discussed the battle, sharing their thoughts and experiences. They were all eager to learn from one another and grow as fighters.


    Particrly for the group of individuals who had only met in Etheron City, it was crucial for them to understand each other''s abilities and execute effective teamwork.


    However, there were also those who believed that working together and learning from others were unnecessary. They considered themselves to be the best and saw no need for further improvement.


    This mindset was not umon among geniuses who had been hailed as number one. If Zion had not been defeated by Hiro, he might have fallen into the same line of thinking as he grew up.


    They continued their journey, and Nock Fletcher found himself pondering about Zero. Zero''s exceptional strength and fighting style intrigued him.


    He looked up Zero''s information on his phone. The Authority possessedprehensive knowledge about individuals in the human domain, and as a Rank-SS member, Nock had ess to almost all the information.


    As he perused the information, he found nothing remarkable. It stated that Zero hailed from a fairly prominent guild that was rising in Star City and appeared to possess talent.


    However, there was one aspect that puzzled him as he delved deeper into Zero''s information.


    (This doesn''t make sense!)


    Nock thought as he nced at the information on his phone and then at Zero. The issue at hand was Zero''s rank, which was listed as Rank-B.


    There was a possibility that the information had not been updated, but Nock sensed that Zero was not someone who had recently ascended to Rank-A but rather someone on the verge of reaching Rank-S.


    Yet, he couldn''t be certain as he couldn''t urately assess Zero''s mana. It could be due to a skill that Zero possessed, but Nock was surprised that it even managed to evade his Rank-SS perception.


    However, based on what he had witnessed during the battle, he was confident in his assumption.


    (Otherwise, how could a Rank-B so effortlessly dispatch the Sylvan Shadowscale without utilizing any techniques?)


    Nock pondered. Even Rank-A individuals had to employ their unique abilities and exert considerable effort to defeat the Sylvan Shadowscale.


    Yet, Zero precisely struck at the creature''s weak points with his sword. He didn''t appear to exert his full strength, relying solely on normal attacks to eliminate five Sylvan Shadowscale.


    It was reminiscent of the actions of Rank-S geniuses who didn''t need to rely on any special abilities to dispatch the Sylvan Shadowscale.


    Thus, Nock was certain that Zero was not a Rank-B. However, considering Zero''s appearance, Nock believed that attaining Rank-S would be impossible, although he couldn''t state it definitively.


    For now, the most likely scenario was that Zero was at least a Rank-A, possibly even at Rank-A+.


    (But howe I''ve never heard his name!)


    Nock wondered. A young individual at Rank-A would have caused a sensation in the world, much like Mia and Hiro, who had broken the record as the youngest Rank-A achievers.


    Even if Zero hadn''t attained Rank-A before the age of 20, it would still have been remarkable if he achieved it before the age of 25. From Zero''s appearance, Nock was certain that Zero was not older than 25.


    He continued reading Zero''s information.


    (So, he is indeed the same age as Hiro Ernest. I initially thought his youthful appearance was a disguise, but he truly is young.)


    Nock thought, surprised by Zero''s real age.


    Someone as young as Hiro but stronger ¡ª Nock wondered how a person with such talents could fly under The Authority''s radar.


    Not only that, someone of this caliber would have garnered attention and made headlines in the news. Yet, contrary to that expectation, Nock had no recollection of ever hearing Zero''s name.


    He couldn''tprehend the discrepancy between Zero''s talent and the level of recognition he received. In a world where strength determined survival, talented individuals were always in the spotlight. However, Zero seemed to be an exception to that rule.


    Nock was puzzled but continued reading the information provided by The Authority. Fortunately, several agents had collected substantial information on Zero.


    "Wait! I think I''ve seen him!"


    Nock muttered quietly as he examined a picture of a young Zero. The information and image of Zero from the Tournament of Academies appeared, and memories started resurfacing in Nock''s mind.


    During Zero''s first year as a participant in the tournament, Nock had attended as a guest to observe thepetition.


    Although Zero hadn''t emerged as the victor, Nock remembered witnessing him defeat numerous talented students ranked as Rank-B and Rank-C from various academies.


    It was during the final round that Zero''s dominance astonished many, including Nock himself. At that time, multiple gifted students were made to appear feeble as Zero effortlessly vanquished them.


    (So, that monster was him!)


    Even from his perspective, Zero''s actions at the time were incredible and seemed unattainable by anyone else.


    Regrettably, the referee deemed Zero''s actions to be in vition of the rules and disqualified him. Based on his strength, Nock believed that Zero would have been the winner that year.


    Recalling the event, Nock widened his eyes in surprise. As he had mentioned before, the greater the genius, the more attention they would attract.


    Although news of Zero''s achievements had been overshadowed by Lisanna''s victory in the Tournament of Academies, which marked the second decade of Ace Academy''s dominance.


    "He is worth keeping an eye on!"


    Nock whispered to himself.


    Days passed, and the group of geniuses faced various monsters on their journey to the Elven Nation.


    Enemies of Rank-A posed no significant challenge for them, especially with five geniuses ranked at Rank-S.


    However, trouble arose when they encountered monsters led by Rank-S creatures. In usual circumstances, Nock would have stepped in to protect them, but the capabilities of the geniuses surpassed his expectations.


    To truly gauge their power, Nock needed to observe how they fared against monsters led by Rank-S creatures. Therefore, he allowed them to handle the situation themselves when faced with Rank-S monsters.


    Fortunately, while the leading monsters were Rank-S, the apanying ones were of Rank-A. If hundreds of Rank-S monsters had attacked together, even with Nock Fletcher''s presence, it would have been challenging to protect everyone.


    Particrly since individuals ranked at Rank-B were essentially useless against Rank-S monsters. However, the geniuses seemed to handle their fear and the pressure of Rank-S monsters more easily.


    The strategy to deal with Rank-S monsters was simple.


    Rank-S geniuses engaged with the Rank-S monsters, and if their numbers exceeded five, Rank-A geniuses would coborate to stall or, if possible, eliminate the Rank-S monster.


    Zero''s group could effortlessly handle three Rank-S monsters. However, Zero didn''t wish to reveal his full capabilities, so he appeared to support Amelia and fought alongside her against the Rank-S monsters.


    This approach didn''t arouse suspicion since Amelia, despite being Rank-S, served as a support role. She could provide assistance and attack the Rank-S monster from behind while Zero appeared to engage and stall the creature.


    The Rank-B geniuses refrained from directly confronting the Rank-S monsters and instead focused onbating their minions, who were either Rank-A or asionally Rank-B.


    Overall, while the battles against Rank-S monsters were challenging, they didn''t reach an rming level.

 Chapter 435: Elven Domain

    The journey was harsh, filled with monsters and constant fighting, however, none of the geniusesined.


    Well, almost none. William and his friends who were with them would constantlyin saying that it is boring, that food is not good or that sleeping is notfortable.


    It could be seen how much sheltered life they lived. Anyway, despite theirints, there was nothing that anyone could do.


    It was not like they could eat five-star restaurant food in such a dense forest. And they had to sleep in their tents.


    Anyway, they continued to venture deeper into the treacherous territory.. The bond between the geniuses grew closer.


    They had to rely on each other''s strengths and supported one another during battles. The geniuses understood the importance of teamwork, and acknowledged their peers'' power.


    Almost all, some were still thinking that they are the greatest talent and that they were above others. However, no problem arises as they were in the presence of Nock Fletcher.


    During their travels, they encountered more formidable adversaries. The monsters became increasingly cunning and strategic in their attacks.


    Hiro''sbat prowess continued to astound the group. His swordsmanship was unparalleled, and he seemed to possess an innate talent of finding opponents'' weaknesses instantly.


    Each strike he made was precise and efficient, incapacitating even the most formidable monsters with ease.


    Despite being one of the youngest, he was one of the geniuses who killed the most monsters. Even the other three S-Rank geniuses were observing Hiro duringbat.


    Some praised them while others looked at Hiro with jealousy. The title of greatest talent of humanity was something to be jealous of and such a title brought envy and anger from other geniuses.


    Because such a title meant that Hiro was more talented than them which was true but as geniuses some of them couldn''t ept it.


    Nock Fletcher also couldn''t help but be intrigued by Hioro''s abilities. Although he still found Zero to be stronger, it didn''t stop him from being surprised by Hiro and others'' skill.


    Sylvia, Misha, Zion and Lisa looked weak because of their rank, however, considering their age and skill, they were not to be underestimated.


    And during this journey, they all knew why this junior of theirs was in the limelight. They were indeed more talented than they were though most of them wouldn''t agree with that.


    As the group of geniuses made their way through the dense forest, the magnificent Elven Cities slowly came into view. The sight took their breath away. The cities were a stunning fusion of nature and architecture, seamlessly blending with the surroundingndscape.


    The buildings stood tall and elegant, adorned with intricate designs that showcased the Elven craftsmanship. Elven gardens, vibrant with colorful flowers and exotic nts, added a touch of ethereal beauty to the surroundings. Bridges crafted from enchanted wood spanned crystal-clear streams, connecting the different parts of the city.


    Sylvia, her eyes wide with awe, eximed, "Look at this ce! It''s like stepping into a dream. The beauty of the Elven Cities is beyond words."


    Lisa, equally mesmerized, added, "I''ve read about the Elven architecture and their connection to nature, but seeing it in person is truly astounding. It''s like nature itself has be a living part of the city."


    Misha, her voice filled with excitement, chimed in, "I can''t wait to explore every corner of this ce. Just imagine the knowledge and magic we will encounter within these walls."


    Other groups were equally surprised and excited by the sight of Elven city. They might be the first humans in centuries toe to Elven City.


    "Listen up! The Elven City is just before us, however, I want to remind you that this is not a vacation and that we are a different Nation. They have their ownws and I hope you all will keep them in mind."


    Nock continued as he needed to remind them.


    The group of geniuses nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of respecting thews and customs of the Elven City. Nock''s reminder served as a stern yet necessary caution to ensure they didn''t inadvertently cause any trouble or disrespect the elves and bring trouble to themselves.


    "STOP!"


    As the group of geniuses approached the entrance of the Elven City, a stern voice echoed through the air,manding them to halt. Startled, they turned to see a group of Elven guards standing before them, their weapons drawn and ready.


    One of the guards, a tall and imposing figure with piercing green eyes, stepped forward and scrutinized the group. His gaze fell upon Nock, who stood at the forefront of the group. With a hint of suspicion in his voice, he addressed Nock directly.


    "You, human. What business do you have in Elven Domain?" the guard asked, his toneced with authority.


    Nock stood tall, meeting the guard''s gaze without hesitation. "We havee because of the invitation of Elven''s Royal Family," he replied respectfully.


    The guard''s expression shifted, showing a mix of surprise and understanding. He exchanged a brief nce with hisrades before stepping back.


    "Can you show me the proof?"


    The guard asked.


    "Sure!"


    Nock hands over the letter from the Elven''s Royal Family. The guard checked the mana of the letter and confirmed its authenticity.


    "Very well," the guard said, his tone less stern. "If you have been invited by the Royal Family, we shall escort you. But be warned, any misbehavior or disrespect will not be tolerated."


    "You!!!"


    "How dare you!"


    "You were the one to invite us? Do you think you could control us?" ¡­


    It seems that the guards'' tone made many of the geniuses ufortable. Only a small guard dared to order them and they didn''t like that.


    They didn''t like some guards who are weak to tell them in such a tone.


    As the guard''s words hung in the air, a mixture of surprise and annoyance rippled through the group of geniuses.


    They had expected a warmer reception, given their esteemed status and the purpose of their visit. Some of the geniuses exchanged nces, their expressions betraying their discontent.


    Orion couldn''t help but voice his frustration. He didn''t like some weaklingmanding him in such a way.


    "Excuse me, but we are weak like you. We are geniuses from our respective nations, invited here by the Elven Royal Family. We deserve to be treated with respect."


    The guard''s gaze hardened, his authority evident in his response.


    "Being geniuses does not grant you immunity from following our rules and customs. Your talent may be impressive, but it does not entitle you to special treatment. Here, only the Royal family has the authority to do what they like. If you don''t want to get in trouble, I hope you do as we say."


    "You! Who do you think-"


    Orion couldn''t take the disrespect anymore. He didn''t expect that Elves who is just a guard would treat him as such.


    He was going to fight with him and show him who is superior here.


    "Stop!"


    Nock interfered.


    "Remember why we came here!"


    Nock continued. "You don''t need to worry. We came here to build a good rtionship with Elves and listen to you all."


    "Very well, but remember, you are guests here. Behave ordingly, and all will be well."


    With the tension eased, others breathed a collective sigh of relief. It wouldn''t have been good if they had conflict with Elves in their territory.


    Although they also didn''t like the way they were treating them. Although they were humans, they were invited by the Royal Family of Elves, so they needed some sort of respect. Instead, the guards were treating them like some criminals.


    They felt looked down upon. However, that was only because they couldn''t sense the guards mana aura. They thought that those guards were weak and weremanding them. However, it couldn''t be more different.


    The reason why Nock stopped Nock who seemed to want to fight with the Elven guard was because the Elven guard was Rank-S. Orion would have gotten himself beaten up if Nock didn''t stop him.


    Rank-S geniuses, Nock and Zero could sense the guards power. Although their mana were hidden quite well with the environment, they had the good sense to tell that the Elven guard who Orion wanted to fight with was at the peak of Rank-S.


    It wasn''t weird for such strong Elves to look down on them except for Nock who is more powerful than him.


    Anyway, whether they liked it or not, they had to endure it.


    With the guard''s permission granted, the group of geniuses followed the escort of elven guards, entering the magnificent Elven City.


    The bustling streets greeted them with a sense of enchantment. Elven residents, d in elegant garments, moved gracefully through the city, their ethereal beauty and tranquility a stark contrast to the harshness of the outside world.

 Chapter 436: Elven Domain [2]

    As the geniuses made their way through the streets, they couldn''t help but be captivated by the Elven City''s atmosphere. The air was filled with melodic whispers and the scent of blooming flowers, creating an enchanting ambiance that seemed to seep into their very souls.


    The Elven architecture was truly a sight to behold. Tall, slender towers intertwined with the surrounding trees, their branches seemingly reaching out to touch the sky.


    Each building was adorned with delicate carvings and intricate patterns, showcasing the elves'' meticulous craftsmanship.


    As the group of geniuses continued to walk through the Elven City, they couldn''t help but notice the curious nces from the elven residents.


    Although curious, they made sure not to approach them and look from afar. Even those on the road quickly went to another ce when they saw humansing towards their direction.


    It was evident that their presence in the city was causing quite a stir among the locals.


    "Are they humans? What are they doing here?"


    "Did the guards catch them? Those humans are always up to no good!"


    "I heard that his majesty has invited other races. I don''t know but my friend said that dwarfs have also entered the country. Maybe they will talk about peace between the races!"


    "What peace! These humans only know how to wage wars. They even fight amongst themselves. There will never be peace with them."


    "Let''s just hope that they came with good intentions!" ¡­


    Whispers and hushed conversations followed in their wake as the geniuses passed by. They could catch snippets of discussions about who they were and what brought them to the Elven City.


    Some elves seemed intrigued by their presence, while others wore expressions of skepticism and confusion.


    It was apparent that they were not trusted by the Elves. The only thing that kept these Elves from attacking the humans were the Elven guards who were guiding them.


    "Wow! Elves are really pretty as said in the book. They looked just like us though they had long ears and had different aura."


    Sylvia muttered as she looked around.


    "Look, they are staring at us!"


    Sylvia whispered to her group. She was excited and ingrite to be in an unknown ce, however, those stares were unbearable for her.


    "Shhh, Let''s not talk about that for now!"


    Lisa warned Sylvia. The atmosphere of the ce was tense due to their presence, and it seemed like they were being stared at as some rare animal by Elves.


    Amelia was simr to Sylvia and was excited by the ce that they were in. It was different from her usual routine and the ce was beautiful.


    Zero also looked around but was not really interested in Elves. It wasn''t unusual for Elves to treat them like this as humans were hated as much as Devils by other races including Elves.


    Rather it was an unusual choice for the Royals of Elves to invite them.


    The group of geniuses followed the elven guards through the winding streets of the city until they arrived at a quaint inn nestled among the trees.


    The inn''s exterior boasted the same intricate designs seen throughout the city, showcasing the elves'' attention to detail in every aspect of their lives.


    "We are here! This will be the ce where you will be staying for tonight. Tomorrow, we will escort you to the Royal capital."


    The Elven guard said.


    "Stay here for tonight and don''t go wandering around. If you get attacked or get lost, we will not be responsible."


    The Elven guard warned. He was saying this not because he didn''t want humans to go outside or hated them but because he didn''t know whether some insane Elves might attack them.


    Although the Elven guard talked to them in an imposing manner, it didn''t mean that he disliked them or anything. He was always like this and only did what he was told.


    And his job right now was to keep the human visitors safe. He knows that if something happened to them, the rtionship between the human nation and Elves would sour and there was a chance of them attacking them.


    Although Elves are said to have never lost in war and were strong, it was because Devils and Humans never paid attention to Elves and fully went to war with them. If they did, there was a 90 percent chance of being destroyed.


    However, thanks to ra''s wisdom and the Royal family who kept the Elves away from the conflict between Devils and Humans and never fought for supremacy.


    Though he warned them out of his responsibilities and goodness, some of the geniuses didn''t like what he said. It felt like they were being looked down upon and that they would get killed by some Elves.


    Though with Nock, they didn''t show their dissatisfaction.


    "You want us to sleep in such a ce?"


    However, rather than the word said by the Elven guard, one of them was dissatisfied with the inn that they were staying in.


    And obviously, he was one of William''s friends. He seemed dissatisfied with the inn that they were told to stay in.


    "Don''t Elves have better establishments than this?"


    He asked.


    The Elven guard calmly replied, "This is the best inn we have in this city. You would get a better establishment in the capital."


    He replied without being angry at his words. Although William''s friend insulted the Elves'' ce and acted rude, the Elven guard didn''t get angry.


    He was someone who just followed what was asked of his job. He didn''t have meaningless pride like some people who would argue just because they think that the other party is rude to you.


    "TSK! What a poor ce! I never knew that you Elves were so poor!"


    He said. This made some of the Elven guards angry but their leader kept a calm face without being bothered.


    The geniuses looked at William''s friend who wasining. They neither stopped him nor were in support of his manner. They hated both William''s friend and the Elven guard.


    "Stopining! We are not here to y. Rest for tonight and we will continue our journey tomorrow."


    Nock said.


    With Nock interfering, William''s friend kept his mouth shut but was not very happy.


    The geniuses entered the inn and were greeted by an elven hostess who led them to their rooms. She seemed wary of humans but continued to do her job.


    The elven hostess, her demeanor cautious but polite, showed the geniuses to their respective rooms. She gestured to thefortable furnishings and the window overlooking the serene forest outside.


    "If you need anything during your stay, please do not hesitate to call for assistance. The inn''s staff is here to ensure yourfort," she said, her elven ent lending an enchanting quality to her words.


    "Thank you," Nock replied with a nod, appreciating her efforts to make them feel wee.


    "Sleep early and wake up early! Tomorrow is going to be another long journey."


    Nock reminded them.


    The geniuses settled into their rooms, the weariness of their journey starting to catch up with them.


    The rooms were simple yet cozy, with soft beds and a serene atmosphere that provided a wee respite from their arduous journey.


    Amelia was captivated by the room''s ambiance, took a moment to admire the delicate artwork adorning the walls. "These carvings are exquisite," she remarked, running her fingers gently over the intricate patterns. "The attention to detail is astounding."


    Mia, always the pragmatic one, checked the windows and the door, ensuring their security.


    "Amelia, don''t let your guard down! We are in others'' territory. We must exercise full caution!"


    Mia warned her. Although she didn''t feel like Elves were nning something towards them, one might never know what others are nning behind their backs.


    "Don''t worry! I will protect myself."


    Amelia reassured Mia.


    "I can''t help but wonder what awaits us in the Royal capital. It''s a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the Elven culture and perhaps we can foster a good rtionship with them. Anyway, it is a good opportunity for me."


    *SIGH!


    Mia couldn''t help but be helpless against Amelia who is naive. Though it was true that this invitation could evolve into something else like an alliance between humans and Elves.


    However, the chances of fighting with one another are greater than alliance. Elves might choose to end their lives and go on war with Humans.


    Who knows that the invitation to other races might be to lower the vignce of humans and kill them when they least expect it.


    Anyway, Mia just kept her guards up.


    Same was for Zero. He has no idea about the motives of Elves. Although he was less concerned than Mia because in the novel, Elves never really did anything to humans, so he was


    confident that Elves are not nning to do anything to them.


    Though of course, he would rather be cautious than regret itter. However, with Nock, Zero didn''t think that they would dare to attack them.


    Although Elven guards were Rank-S and their leader was at peak Rank-S, they couldn''t win against the agents from The Authority and Nock.

 Chapter 437: Trouble At the Elven Breakfast

    Morning arrived, bringing with it a renewed sense of anticipation and excitement. The geniuses gathered in themon area of the inn, where a hearty breakfast awaited them.


    The aroma of freshly baked bread and fragrant herbs wafted through the air, enticing their senses. tes were filled with an array of delicacies, each dish a testament to the elves'' connection with nature and their meticulous attention to detail.


    Sylvia''s eyes widened with excitement as she took in the sight before her. The table was adorned with dishes that showcased vibrant colors and unique textures. Her gaze settled on a te of golden pancakes like shaped which had a subtly vored with wildflowers, giving them a delicate floral essence.


    "These pancakes are unlike any I''ve seen before. The vors are so beautifully bnced,"


    Sylvia eximed, reaching for one with a sense of wonder.


    Lisa observed the spread with a mix of curiosity and caution.


    "Look at these sd greens. They are so fresh and vibrant. The elves truly embrace the essence of nature in their cuisine," Misha remarked, carefully selecting a few leaves to sample.


    Sylvia, always intrigued by new culinary experiences, marveled at a bowl of shimmering fruitpote. The fruits were exotic, their vors a harmonious blend of sweetness and tanginess. Each spoonful brought a burst of refreshing vors to her pte.


    "I''ve never tasted fruits quite like these. They''re so juicy and vorful. It''s like nature''s own symphony in my mouth," Sylvia eximed, savoring each bite.


    Lisa, known for her refined pte and appreciation for fine cuisine, savored the elven breakfast with a discerning eye. She found himself drawn to a te of miniature mushroom tarts, their golden pastry shells filled with a savory mushroom medley.


    "These mushroom tarts are a masterpiece of vor and texture. The elves have a deep understanding of how to bring out the best in natural ingredients," Lisamented, savoring the intricateyers of vors.


    Others were also enjoying their meal. It was different from the meal that they had in the human nation. Although different, the taste was delicious to them, at least better than anything they had on their way to Elven nation.


    As the geniuses indulged in the elven breakfast, they couldn''t help but appreciate the skill and creativity that went into every dish. The vors were subtle yet vibrant, showcasing the elves'' reverence for the natural world.


    Although the breakfast was great, there was one thing that bothered them. It was the stares from the Elves working there.


    Some even looked angry at them though the reason is unknown.


    Sylvia turned to others with a worried expression. "Do you think they hate us because we''re humans? I don''t understand why they are ring at us."


    Sylvia whispered.


    Lisa sighed, her face reflecting a mixture of concern and weariness.


    "It''s not umon for different races to have prejudices or misunderstandings about each other. We can''t let it discourage us. Remember, our purpose here is to get stronger."


    Misha chimed in, her voice filled with optimism. "I think we just need to give them a chance. Maybe they''re skeptical because they''ve never had much interaction with humans. If we show them our intentions are genuine, they mighte around."


    Zion, who was quietly observing the dynamics in the group, interjected with a more cautious tone. "While it''s good to remain hopeful, we should also be vignt. Elves are known for their aloofness and guarded nature. We mustn''t let our guard down too easily."


    Zion felt weird in this Elven Nation. His senses were not working properly and he couldn''t discern mana like he could in human Nation.


    It was difficult for Zion to distinguish the trees from Elves and other things. Elves seemed to have the same presence as their environment. Zion felt that it was dangerous if they were to ambush them or assassinate.


    Hiro, who had been silently contemting, finally spoke up.


    "I agree with Zion. It''s crucial that we remain cautious and observant. We don''t fully understand their motives or the underlying dynamics of this invitation. We must be prepared for any situation that may arise."


    "You all have valid points. We can''t let our guard down, but I feel that it would be better to have a good rtionship with them."


    Sylvia said. Others nodded their heads. If possible, they also want humans to have a good rtionship with Elves.


    This was the same for other races as well except for Devils. Majority of humans, including them who suffered most from the Devils, hated the Devils.


    It was not that they hated Devils because they were of different races but because they had seen them attack and kill their friends. In addition, Hiro had even seen Devils who had made his parents in the current state.


    Anyway, except for the Devils, they didn''t feel any animosity towards other races. However, that does seem to be true for Elves who are wary of them even though humans are in their territory.


    *CLATTER!


    "What''s this drink? Why does it taste so bad?"


    The one whoined yesterday said, He threw the cup on the ground. This attracted everyone''s attention including the Elves.


    "Where is the meat? And where is the wine? Is this how Elves treat their guests?"


    He continuedining.


    "What is he doing?"


    "Doesn''t he know that meat is prohibited to eat for Elves?"


    "Who drinks wine in the morning?" ¡­


    The geniuses muttered amongst themselves. They learned some of the customs and rules of the Elves before going there. But it seems that it was not true for William and his friends, though it might be intentional as well.


    Nock was not here, so he might be aiming to do something in his absence. Maybe take revenge for yesterday.


    Whatever it may be, at least, it seems to have attracted hatred from Elves. The Elves present in the inn all looked at him with anger and hatred.


    However, despite his words, they didn''t do anything. Maybe they were instructed to do so as fighting would escte the situation, especially since humans are guests invited by the Elven Royal Family.


    "Don''t Elves learn any basic ethics? Why are you all so bad at everything? Your inn looks crappy, your bed is small and hard."


    He continued without any restraint. He said everything he wanted.

 Chapter 438: The way to a mans heart is through his stomach

    "Don''t Elves learn any basic ethics? Why are you all so bad at everything? Your inn looks crappy, your bed is small and hard."


    William''s friend startedining again.


    "What are you saying? If you don''t want to eat it, don''t eat it. Why are you disturbing everyone?"


    Sylvia said. Along with there was some other who couldn''t tolerate William''s friend and shouted at him. They all told him to keep quiet.


    "Humph! You all poor people might be satisfied with such crappy service but I am not."


    He said, not scared of offending the geniuses at all. He was protected by a Rank-S bodyguard hired by his family along with the bodyguards from his friends.


    Of course, when he said that he was referring to others who were yelling at him rather than Sylvia who has a bigger background than him.


    "Mrs Sylvia, try to understand it. I am doing this for all of us. If we don''t say it now, they are going to treat us like dirt. There should be a standard for how they treat us."


    Lucus supported his friend. He made it seem like they are doing this for all of them. Although this didn''t convince many of them, some of them were swayed by his words.


    After all, yesterday, seemingly a guard disrespected them. Although they don''tin about the inn, they do agree that they were geniuses that needed to be respected.


    "Even if they don''t eat meat, they should prepare one for us. We were invited by them. How could they expect to establish a good rtionship with us if this is how they treat us."


    He continued. His statement further increased the anger of Elves and also Sylvia and her group.


    They could see that they are just trying to create trouble for Elves working at the inn.


    With Lucus'' support, he felt more confident as he continued his rant.


    "Sit down and keep quiet! You are disturbing everyone!"


    A voice interfered with William''s friend and Lucus. He was irritated by the one who dared tomand him. He tried to tolerate it once but he was not willing to do it the second time.


    "Who do you think-"


    He wanted to argue and fight with the one who was ordering him but when he turned to the direction of the voice, his eyes widened and he became quiet.


    Of course he couldn''t argue and fight with him. He was Zero, the one who beat even William until his face swell.


    Inparison to William, he was weaker and had a less powerful background. If he argued with Zero, wouldn''t he get killed or so he thought.


    Lucus also doesn''t have any intention of going against Zero. One p was enough to tell whether he should provoke him or not.


    Even William didn''t help them. Not because he was scared, well he was a bit scared after that beating but that was not the reason, he thought that it was not the time for his revenge.


    The whole room went silent after this. They don''t know what happened but knew that for William''s group to be scared of Zero, there would be a big reason.


    It was not everyday that you see those spoiled young masters be quiet after someone warned them like this. Not even adults like Nock could fully convince them like this.


    They didn''t know about the incident of Zero beating up William and Lucus and were surprised that such a young boy could scare them.


    It was especially for Orion and his friends. They had met with him once and didn''t think much of him but looking at the attitude of William and his friend, they understood that Zero was far from a normal person.


    "Who is he? Why is William and his friend so scared?"


    "Is he the child of The Authoritymander? But even that wouldn''t exin their reaction."


    "Shh. Don''t speak loudly. What if he hears you?" ¡­


    The geniuses discussed among themselves after such a turn of events. They would asionally nce at his direction. They thought that Ice Enchantress and Saintess being with him was weird but now that thought that maybe he is someone special.


    Even the Rank-S geniuses couldn''t help but be curious about him. Usually they wouldn''t care about anyone else unless they are at their level but this incident had managed to attract their attention.


    Zero didn''t care and continued eating his food.


    He was not thinking of interfering but they were making such amotion in the middle of his eating that he had to yell at them. What he dislikes is someone disturbing his eating, especially when eating something so delicious.


    William''s friends wereining about not having meat but Zero liked vegetables more than meat. For him, meats are just emergency food that he would need to eat when on a long journey.


    Rather than that he likes good stew made of potato and other vegetables. And the vegetables used by Elves were extraordinary and more rich in taste than in Human Domain.


    He was thoroughly enjoying the food when someone had toin and disturb. Not only disturb his breakfast time but also insult the food he liked.


    But he didn''t think that his one statement would make the atmosphere so weird. Anyways, it was peaceful, so he continued to eat without giving a damn.


    Others also settled down seeing that Zero was just eating. William''s groups also quietly ate their food, much to the relief of the Elves.


    Unlike the guards, they were normal citizens of the Elven Nation without anybat power. They wouldn''t be able to defend themselves if Williams or any other person there attacked them.


    Mia and Amelia looked at Zero in surprise. He would usually try to not stand out but was surprised with his outburst.


    Before that he was happily eating the food.


    ( Does he likes the food so much? )


    Mia thought to herself.


    ( Maybe I should learn to cook? )


    Mia thought. They had to stay here for quite a while, so she was nning to learn their cooking method before leaving.


    Amelia also understood that Zero liked the Elven dish. Although she didn''t know how to cook at all, she was willing to learn.


    "The way to a man''s heart is through his stomach."

 Chapter 439: Journey Towards Eldoria!

    The atmosphere in the room had calmed down after Zero''s intervention. The geniuses and other guests watched him with curiosity, intrigued by the reaction of William and his friend.


    -TUCK!


    The door to the inn swung open, and Nock Fletcher, apanied by S-Rank agents, walked in.


    ???


    As he entered the inn, Nock couldn''t help but notice the unusual atmosphere. The usual chatter and bustling activity had been reced by an eerie silence.


    The geniuses, who were typically engaged in animated discussions, sat in hushed tones, stealing asional nces at Zero.


    Even the William''s gang who he thought would beining were silently eating their breakfast.


    ( Is this the people that I know? )


    Nock thought to himself. He expected William''s gang to be making a fuss as soon as he came inside. And also the noise of geniuses who would be talking and making noise every time they eat.


    But all he got was an eerie silence with everyone focusing on their food.


    ( Is the food so good that they became quiet? )


    Nock made some assumptions. He already ate the breakfast and had to admit that it was good though he prefers meat over some greenies.


    Anyway, it was good! He liked the peaceful atmosphere rather than dealing with troubles.


    "Good morning, everyone," Nock greeted, breaking the silence with his energetic voice.


    "I hope you''re all enjoying the fine cuisine provided by our Elven hosts."


    The geniuses replied with polite nods and murmurs of agreement.


    Having gotten their attention, Nock continued, "I had discussed with Mr. Aranis and it seems there is no problem with us traveling today towards the Elven Capital, Eldoria! So, after breakfast, get ready to move!"


    "Yes sir!"


    "Okay!"


    "Sure!" ¡­


    They replied excitedly. It was a pity that they couldn''t explore this town but knew that the Capital city of Elves would have far more things to do and explore than here.


    Moreover, there would be other races that would have arrived there as per the schedule. Although they knew about the conflict between humans and other races, they, as the new generation who had nothing to do with conflict, were excited.


    "So, we are going today after all! I am excited! The books about Elves said that they had beautiful fountains that had been built thousands of years ago."


    Sylvia excitedly said.


    "True! I also want to learn how their mana control is better than us humans. It is said that Elves are twice as efficient at controlling mana than us."


    Lisa said. As Mage, she was naturally curious about the Elves'' method of handling mana.


    "Moreover, most of their methods are said to be the same as the ancient period. We might be able to learn many things to increase our strength,"


    Lisa added further. Elves are those who respect culture and history and little to none has been tempered even after thousands of years.


    Humans on other hand have advanced further and further. Their Art, Skill and everything about them were different from their ancestors.


    Even the dress, housing and way of life is far different. On the other hand, while Elves have also progressed by implementing technologies in their way of life, most of their building, Art are simr to their ancestors.


    Misha, Hiro and Zion were also interested, albeit not as much as Sylvia. They were also thinking about possible conflict between them and other races.


    To begin with, different races don''t get along with each other. And if there are people like William and his friend, it is highly likely that a conflict would arise.


    Though they thought that maybe Elves have methods to prevent them or maybe they just don''t care?


    After finishing their breakfast, the geniuses and the S-Rank agents prepared for their journey to Eldoria, the Elven Capital.


    Nock gathered everyone outside the inn, where they found their carriages and horses ready.


    As they loaded their belongings onto the carriages, Nock addressed the group, "Alright, everyone, let''s make our way to Eldoria. Remember, although there are us and Elven guards to protect you, it''s essential to remain vignt. And Mr. Aranic also as something to share with you, so listen carefully."


    Yesterday''s Elven guard also appeared along with his team. The human geniuses didn''t have good expression when they saw him because of how he addressed them yesterday. Even so, they kept their mouths shut asmanded by Nock.


    "Before we set off, I have a couple of things that I want to address to you all. First of all, the road to Eldoria is dangerous, so don''t wander off if you don''t want to die."


    Aranis said. This statement made some of them angry, especially those with high pride as they thought that Aranis was looking down on them.


    Dangerous?


    They were geniuses that were also fighting with danger. Moreover, even though they were Rank-A and Rank-B, they didn''t think they would die easily even in the face of monsters ranked higher than themselves.


    "Secondly, I know you humans like destruction, however, refrain from it. Even if you are fighting a monster, remember to keep your power in check. If you destroy our forest, there is a heavy price to pay."


    Aranis continued.


    "What? Do you mean that we keep standing even when monsters attack?"


    "What heavy price? Are trees more important than our lives?"


    "What kind of bullsh*t is this?" ¡­.


    Of course, the geniuses were angry. What do you mean by keeping power in check? When being attacked by a monster, it ismon to use your power to retaliate. What about the trees and grass, they can get destroyed for all that they care for.


    However, it was different in the Elven nation where nature is respected. Even fighting with monsters, it was essential to minimize the damage. And if the damage is more than what is allowed, they are fine.


    So, Aranic warned the humans that he would be escorting. He was over 500 years old and had met a couple of humans in his lifetime.


    And one particr thing about them that he noticed was that they wouldn''t care about nature and destroy them.


    So, he had to warn them early.


    So how do Elves fight while minimizing destruction to the environment? It was through precise control of power. Just use enough power to kill the monsters and also because they don''t use AOE skill.


    And most of the Elves use Bow and Arrow which is perfect to have precise and high attacking power while having less chance to destroy the environment.


    "Thirdly, if you are weak, stand behind us. Don''t try to be a hero or run away from monsters. We guarantee your safety till we reach Eldoria. For the betterment of us, we hope you cooperate with us!"


    Aranic said.


    His words caused many to be angry but those who looked beyond their pride could see that the journey to Eldoria would be far from safe. Otherwise, there was no need to say so much considering the strength of the group.


    The Elven guard warning could only mean that they might be encountering some dangerous monsters and the road was not safe.


    Hiro also understood that from Aranic warnings. Though they had Nock Rank-SS Hero, it wouldn''t guarantee one''s safety.


    His friend understood that and had prepared themselves for another dangerous journey. Of course, this was going to be shorter than the time taken to reach Elven nation from Human Domain.


    It was estimated that it would take them two days to reach the capital. That meant bidding farewell tofortable beds and delicious food for the next two days again.


    After ensuring everything was in order, they embarked on their journey toward the Elven Capital, Eldoria.

 Chapter 440: Journey Towards Eldoria! [2]

    The road to Eldoria was scenic, surrounded by lush forests and the asional glimpse of wildlife. The geniuses were in awe of the natural beauty around them, and they engaged in conversations, discussing various topics and sharing their knowledge.


    As their carriages rolled along the winding path towards Eldoria, the geniuses and S-Rank agents couldn''t help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension.


    The dense forest enveloped them, its ancient trees casting elongated shadows across the road. The air felt crisp and infused with the essence of nature, reminding them of the Elven presence that awaited them.


    As they traversed through the dense forest, Nock Fletcher led the way with the geniuses and S-Rank agents following closely behind. The Elven guards, known for their exceptional tracking skills, scouted ahead, ensuring a safe path for the group.


    They were also more likely to know of danger if any than humans who had never been here. Nock also trusted their judgment and even if they were wrong, he was there to protect the young geniuses.


    On the first day of their journey, they encountered a few minor skirmishes with forest creatures and some low-level monsters.


    Although it was the only weak monster that even geniuses could take care of, they didn''t get a chance since the Elves already took care of them.


    Most of the monsters were already killed by the scout and if the number of monsters or their strength was too much for the scout, they warned the group and the Elven guards will take care of them.


    Their skill surprised many of the geniuses. Their control over mana and power was way higher than them. They only use enough power to kill the monster and keep the damage as minimal as possible.


    If one sees the ce where the battle took ce, he/she may not even tell that a battle has taken ce due to how little the ce had changed.


    Their respect for the Elven guards also increased. They never imagined that the guards were so powerful, especially Aranic who they spected to be Rank-S after they witnessed his strength.


    Their previous hatred was reced with slight respect. They only felt hatred and anger towards him because they thought that he was beneath him but then realized that he has strength to indeed look down on them.


    Of course, some of them were still not convinced and felt humiliated previously by his words.


    Anyway, they could already see the difference between Elves and Humans. For humans, if they were as strong as Aranic, they would never agree to work as guards to escort some kids from other races.


    This was one of the reason why they looked down of Aranic. Him being guard could only mean that he was weak with no real status.


    However, unlike in Human Domain, even if someone was as strong as Aranic, he/she would need to do everything that is asked by the Elven Royals.


    As twilight descended, they reached a clearing adorned with a sparkling river. It was an ideal spot to rest and set up camp for the night. The geniuses and S-Rank agents disembarked, stretching their legs and breathing in the crisp evening air.


    Nock, his gaze fixed on the flowing water, broke the silence.


    "Tomorrow, we shall arrive at Eldoria if there are no major problems. I would once again like to remind you that you are not the only one arriving there. Many other geniuses from other races will also be there!"


    Nock continued, "You will need to coexist with them for this period. Don''t start an unnecessary problem. Remember, other races'' opinions of humans are not good and this is our chance to mend our rtionship through the younger generation."


    Nock said. He thinks that this could be a chance towards creating a peace alliance with other nations.


    Unlike in the past, other races have started getting powerful, especially Elves and Dwarfs. If they decide to wage war on humans, humans will suffer a great deal.


    "I wonder which races will be there. Do you think we''ll get to interact with them and learn about their unique abilities?"


    "I heard that some races possess innate abilities or talents that are different from humans. It would be fascinating to exchange knowledge and techniques with them."


    "I want to see whether they are as strong as me! I bet that my Ax Art is the best in the world." ¡­


    The geniuses were rather excited to meet other races and they also didn''t feel inferior to them. There was no need because from small, they had grown by knowing that humans are the greatest and strongest race in Eds.


    "Humph! Those people should know my power. I will let them know why they are the greatest race."


    William snorted. He didn''t think that those races were any threat to them, unlike Nock. He was sure that he could make them obey him easily.


    However, then he nced at Zero and got angry again. He never felt humiliated when Zero pped him and he had to even stay quiet when Zero asked them.


    He thought he was not scared of Zero but when Zero warned his subordinate, he had no courage to stand up to him. This made him feel even more angry.


    Even if he thought that he was not scared, his body instinctivelyid low when it came to confronting Zero. If that incident didn''t happen, he would have stood up and threatened Zero of not messing with his subordinate.


    However, the scene of Zero pping him appeared again and again, which prevented him from standing up.


    Moreover, the scene in front of him was infuriating. The guy who beat him was happily talking with the women he likes.


    "Zero! I will make sure that you die in the Elven Domain!"


    William muttered with killing intent.


    Zero, who had been rtively quiet since his intervention at the inn, sat near the campfire with a thoughtful expression. He talked with Amelia and Mia, sometimes but was most of the time thinking.


    He was thinking about the encounter with the other races.


    ( If Elves are gathering geniuses from other races, then it is possible that even he would be there. )


    Zero thought. From the memories of the novel, he remembered a young geniuses from another race who was as strong if not stronger than Hiro in the novel.


    Of course the encounter between Hiro and him will happen some time in the future, however, now there was a chance for them to meet at Eldoria.


    And there were also some significant characters from the novel who are from other races. He predicts that those characters will also be there at Eldoria.


    "Looks like things will get interesting!"

 Chapter 441: Encounter With Voracious Arboreal Beasts

    The night passed uneventfully, and the group woke up early the next morning to continue their journey.


    The second day of the journey proved to be more challenging than the first. The forest terrain became more treacherous, and they encounteredrger and more aggressive monsters.


    The Elven guards once again disyed their exceptionalbat prowess, impressing the human geniuses with their precise control of power and natural grace.


    With such strong people protecting them, it didn''t seem like they needed to be involved in any kind of fighting.


    However, one of the Elves sent a message which alerted Aranic. The massive creature that is known as a "Voracious Arboreal Beast." is spotted to be heading towards their direction.


    Voracious Arboreal monsters are terrifying monsters. Standing at least 10 feet tall, it had a stout, muscr body covered in thick, dark-green scales that acted as natural armor, protecting it from most conventional attacks.


    Its limbs were sturdy and ended in sharp, wed appendages, allowing it to traverse the forest terrain with incredible speed and agility.


    The Voracious Arboreal Beast was a territorial creature, known for its aggressive nature and relentless pursuit of intruders in its domain. It had a powerful jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth that could crush bones effortlessly.


    Its glowing red eyes seemed to emanate malevolence, making it clear that this creature was not to be taken lightly.


    Before the message could be processed by Aranic, the monsters had already reached their proximity.


    The number of Voracious Arboreal Beasts was huge, approximately 100. Their ranks ranged anywhere from B to S+.


    The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, as the sheer size and strength of the creatures were enough to send shivers down the spines of even the bravest among them.


    Nock Fletcher and Aranic exchanged a worried nce, realizing the severity of the situation. With the way it was, it didn''t seem like they could stop the geniuses from getting involved in the fight.


    Unlike previous fights, it would be too much even for this team of Rank-S to fight with so many Voracious Arboreal while also protecting the geniuses.


    As the pack of Voracious Arboreal Beasts closed in, Nock took the lead, barking out orders to the group of geniuses.


    "Form a defensive perimeter! Stick together and cover each other''s backs."


    The geniuses and the Elven guards quickly followed Nock''s instructions, forming a tight circle.


    As the beasts charged at the group, some of the geniuses felt a shiver of fear run down their spines. The creature''s strength was evident as it crashed through the thick underbrush with ease, its movements fluid and coordinated.


    The Authority agents and the Elven guards took immediate action, forming a protective formation.


    Aranic stepped forward with grace and confidence. His bow was drawn, and an arrow of pure mana materialized, ready to be unleashed.


    The Rank-S Voracious Arboreal lunged at Aranic, but he dodged with incredible agility, smoothly evading the creature''s attack.


    With a quick, fluid motion, he released the arrow, and it flew with tremendous speed and uracy, hitting the beast''s vulnerable spot on its neck.


    The Voracious Arboreal Beast let out a ferocious roar of pain, causing the ground to tremble. But it was far from defeated. And it was only one monster. Others still continued to charge despite one of them nearly dying.


    The creatures attacked with savage ferocity, lunging at the group from different directions. The Authority''s agents and Elven Guards fought back with all their might, using their abilities to create defensive barriers andunch counterattacks.


    Those who were able to slip through had to fight the geniuses. Rank-S geniuses easily took care of some of them but when Rank-A + and Rank-S attacked, they were upied by them.


    The remaining Voracious Arboreal beasts who made through them were ranked at B to A. Monsters higher than those ranks were kept at bay by the Elven Guard and The agents.


    Even with such a great number, it didn''t seem like monsters would be able to do much damage to them. With Nock Fletcher by our side, Rank-S Voracious Arboreal were taken care of and their numbers were slowly decreasing.


    And the geniuses could also handle Rank-B and Rank-A Voracious Arboreal by themselves.


    Hiro along with his group were fighting with around 7 monsters with the mixture of Rank-B and Rank-A. They were able to handle them easily.


    William and his group have their own bodyguard who protects them. They didn''t really try to help and were just trying to protect themselves.


    Zero was on his own. Amelia was supporting Mia who was fighting with three Rank-S Voracious Arboreal. Mia needed more support than Zero.


    Zero could have also gone and helped them but it could seem suspicious for Rank-A to help Rank-S and they didn''t need his help either.


    Zero moved with extraordinary speed and precision, cutting down the beasts that came too close to him. His swords, Raijin''s Edge, danced through the air like a deadly symphony, striking with lethal uracy.


    They were warned of not using excessive force. He could have killed most of them together using his AOE skill but refrained from using it as it would have also destroyed the environment..


    Although monsters were many and strong, it was not to the point of pushing him to a corner. He could handle them easily, at least the ones who were at Rank-B and Rank-A.


    However, it didn''t seem like not everyone was finding it easy like Zero.


    "GET AWAY FROM ME!"


    One of the geniuses shouted. He seemed to be overpowered by Rank-A Voracious Arboreal.


    In a moment of desperation, he decided to ignore the warning about not using excessive force. He unleashed powerful Fire attacks that not only damaged the creature but also caused coteral damage to the surrounding forest.


    However, though the surrounding had almost been destroyed, the monster was still alive and was going to attack the person.


    Luckily, Nock immediately appeared before him and killed the monster. Before the person knew that he was saved, Nock went off to another ce, fighting with the monsters.


    The person breathed heavily in relief as he survived. He thought that he was done for.


    As the intense battle raged on, more and more Voracious Arboreal Beasts fell under thebined might of the geniuses, S-Rank agents, and the Elven guards.


    *PHEW!


    Atst they were able to kill thest monster. The geniuses and the agents were happy that it ended without any casualties.


    However, the mood was not the same for Elven Guards. The Elven Guards were angrily ring at the person who almost died!

 Chapter 442: Guardian Deity Of Elves

    "I warned you! Such reckless actions could have dire consequences!"


    One of the Elven Guard scolded the person. The person didn''t know what to say to them as they were emitting Rank-S Aura while he was measly Rank-B.


    ( I WAS DYING!!! WHAT COULD I DO? )


    He wanted to shout those words but under their pressure, he couldn''t.


    The group of geniuses also noticed that and were not happy with the Elven Guard attitude. Yes, he might have destroyed some trees and grass, but it was not intentional.


    For them, their lives were more important than some trees or grass. Moreover, it was not how one would treat their guest.


    "Stop it!"


    Aranic was the one who stopped his colleague.


    "But Aranic! He destroyed a part of our forest. He shouldn''t-"


    "It is our fault to begin with! If we didn''t involve them in the fight, this could have been prevented."


    Aranic said.


    Although they were still angry that a human destroyed a part of their forest, they didn''t saything further.


    The Elven Guards red at the person who destroyed the surroundings before looking away. As Aranic was their leader, they had to listen to him.


    "They couldn''t even fight with such monsters. I don''t know whether they are truly geniuses or just some weaklings sent by the humans."


    He said it loud enough for other geniuses to hear.


    The group of geniuses immediately became angry at his words.


    Nock Fletcher stepped forward, his voice firm yet calm. "You should watch your words, my friend. They are a lot stronger and talented than you can imagine."


    Nock Fletcher, although a calm and rational person, couldn''t just let the Elven guard insult the geniuses who worked hard.


    He knows that one of them had made a mistake and destroyed their forest but that didn''t give them the right to insult them.


    He already gave a leeway to them by not doing anything while they scolded the person but insulting everyone there was a bit too much for him.


    "Humph!"


    The Elven guard didn''t say anything as he didn''t want to fight with Nock who is Rank-SS. Moreover, Aranic was also staring at him.


    The atmosphere between the humans and the Elves became somewhat tense. The geniuses felt a sense of resentment toward the Elves'' strict rules and their words, while the Elves were exasperated by the humans''ck of consideration for nature.


    They continued their journey, their mood soured. However, they didn''t have time to be angry at each other as a loud and powerful roar was heard.


    ROARRRRR!


    A mighty roar echoed through the forest, sending tremors through the ground and instilling fear in the hearts of all who heard it.


    The geniuses couldn''t even sense the strength behind the roar but knew that it was stronger than anything that they had faced or seen. It was so much that it made them helpless before even knowing whose roar it was.


    But they were not the only ones. Even the Elven Guards were sweating from the roar and they also couldn''t muster their courage to fight.


    Nock was also on the alert. He could sense that the beast who roared was even stronger than him.


    ( Is it Rank-SS + or something stronger? )


    Nock thought worriedly. He was sure that it was something stronger than him. The thought of encountering such a monster sends shivers down his spine.


    If it was indeed Rank-SS +, he might be able to win with the help of the Rank-S Elven guards and the agents. However, Rank-SSS was a different story. They were legendary monsters who had lived for thousands of years.


    Though Nock didn''t think that the monster was Rank-SSS as they are very rare but just in case of worst case, he thought of ways to safeguard the geniuses.


    Aranic, on the other hand, was much calmer than Nock.


    "Why is it awake now?"


    Aranic muttered to himself as he looked at the direction of the roar.


    At the end of the roar, only three people were in their normal minds. Nock, Aranic and then there was Zero.


    Although Zero also felt the roar powerful, he wasn''t scared. However, his heart was pumping at a rapid rate which was more akin to excitement than fear.


    -ROOOAAARRR!


    There was another roar which was even stronger than thest. However, after that roar, there was an eerie silence in the forest like everything had stopped.


    The group of geniuses couldn''t help but be worried. Some of them seemed to have passed out from fear. Others were also not in a very good state as they thought about running away.


    "Calm down everyone! There is nothing to be scared of!"


    Aranic said. His words made others calm down a bit as they thought that maybe Aranic could take on the monster who roared.


    "Aranic, what was that?"


    Nock asked. Since Aranic seem to know something, he asked. He felt that it was the right time to feel scared. That monster was something beyond his strength, that was for sure.


    "... It is something like a guardian deity of Elves!"


    Aranic answered.


    "Guardian Deity?"


    "They have something like this? And it seems to be very powerful!"


    "Will it really not attack us? What should we do if it decides to attack us?" ¡­.


    After hearing Aranic answer, they discussed over the roar that they just heard.


    Elven Guard seems to have realized what that roar was. They wiped their sweat off their face.


    Although they knew the existence of the guardian seity, they never had the chance to see him. It is only something that he heard from elders and even its existence was questioned as he had never shown himself.


    However, a person like Aranic seemed to have seen him. Or perhaps have more information than them regarding their guardian deity.


    "Guardian Deity? It would attack us, right?"


    Nock asked. He was worried that although it might not attack Elves, it might show hostilities to humans. Otherwise, what was the reason for his roar?


    "Don''t worry, our Guardian Deity is a wise being. He also doesn''t attack as long as we are not in his territory."


    Aranic reassured Nock.


    "Then what was that roar? Why did it roar?"


    Nock asked, still not convinced.


    "That- That I don''t know!"


    Aranic replied while wondering the same thing. Their guardian deity had been asleep and not showed any sign for 300 years. Why was it suddenly roaring?


    While he was thinking about that, he heard something in his mind.


    [ "Are you the Elve leading this group?" ]

 Chapter 443: Guardian Deity Of Elves [2]

    [ "Are you the Elve leading this group?" ]


    Aranic was taken aback when he heard the voice in his mind. It was a powerful telepathic message, one that seemed to originate from the very depths of the forest.


    He immediately knew the identity of the being who sent the telepathic message and bowed down before answering.


    "Yes, I am," Aranic respond politely.


    Others who didn''t know that he was talking to someone were confused as to what he was saying.


    [ "Hmmmm¡­ " ]


    The being seemed to be looking around before he sent the message again.


    [ "What are humans doing here?" ]


    The voice asked in his head.


    "The Royal Family has invited them."


    Aranic answered.


    "Hey, what are you saying? Who are you speaking with?"


    Nock asked, feeling that something was up with Aranic. He was quite shaken by the roar and now Aranic was acting somewhat crazy.


    "Shhh! I am speaking with the Guardian Deity! Please be quiet!"


    Aranic warned him. From his serious expression, one could know that he was not joking.


    Nock, not wanting to offend the Guardian Deity, kept quiet as asked. He realized that maybe the being was using a telepathic message.


    He looked around but couldn''t sense anything. That meant that even when the Guardian Deity was using telepathic messages, he couldn''t sense the mana.


    This means that the Guardian Deity control of mana is so delicate that even Rank-SS like him couldn''t detect it or maybe that the Guardian Deity uses some unknown technique which enables him to hide his mana.


    Anyway, he listened to Aranic warning and kept his mouth shut while waiting for Aranic and the Guardian Deity finish their conversation.


    It was the same for others who were making noise earlier because of the roar. With Aranic warning, they became as quiet as a puppy.


    Even for geniuses, there were some things that they could never offend. The Guardian Deity seems to be one of them.


    "May I kindly ask the reason for your awakening?"


    Aranic asked while bowing down. Although the Guardian Deity was very far away from his position, he still needed to show his respect.


    [ "I sensed a familiar scent!" ]


    The voice replied.


    The Guardian Deity of Elves, which is an Ancient Dragon, felt a simr presence as him, entering his territory which awakened him.


    He thought that maybe some Ancient Dragon was visiting him or maybe attacking his ce.


    He roared to ask what was his intention. However, no reply came which made him ask again. But there was no reply again.


    He thought that he might have been mistaken because he was sleeping. Then tried to scan the area where he found a group of Elves along with humans.


    He didn''t really care whether Elves were friends or enemies with humans as long as they left his forest alone. But he was indeed curious as he had never seen them together.


    He also felt that the group of people might have something to do with the presence that he felt.


    He scanned through the group of Elves and humans. Before his eyes, nothing could be hidden.


    ( It seems that I made an error! Undoubtedly everyone of them is human. )


    The Guardian Deity thought but then fell his eyes on Zero.


    ( That human seemed different! Is the presenceing from him? )


    His sense focused on Zero as he thoroughly checked for any abnormalities.


    Zero, at that moment felt stares all over his body. He felt like someone was looking at him inside and out. He looked around but saw that all the people were paying attention to Aranic.


    ( Was it my imagination? )


    Zero thought. But that uneasy feeling won''t go away.


    The Guardian Deity haspleted looking through Zero and sensed different types of mana including Dark Energy that only Devil possesses inside Zero. However, he himself seemed human and not Devil nor their ves.


    But he also felt some kind of simr energying out from him. This really confused the Ancient Dragon.


    However, seeing how abnormal Zero already was, he thought that maybe he was mistaken by such a unique scent.


    ( Familiar Scent? )


    Aranic thought when the Guardian Deity answered. Aranic was confused by the reason.


    He looked back a bit and scanned through the human geniuses. He knows that the reason might be something to do with humans as Guardian Deity has no reaction when they went through the forest previously.


    Though he didn''t find out who or what it was.


    ( Could it be someone possess Artifact made up of Dragon''s body part? )


    Aranic thought of a reason. The artifact made with dragons would emit a dragon''s presence even if it was just one part of the body. So, he thought that maybe someone possess an artifact made out of Dragon.


    "Would you mind if I looked that up for you?"


    Aranic asked politely. It was his duty as Elves to fulfill everything that the Guardian Deity needs. So, he was willing to help the Guardian Deity even if he had to abandon his duty of escorting the human.


    [ "No need! You may leave!" ]


    The voice said. He stared at Zero before seemingly going back to sleep.


    Aranic felt a bit relieved. He knows that the Guardian Deity will not harm him but it didn''t mean that he wouldn''t be nervous while conversing with someone as strong as Ancient Dragon.


    Moreover, Even though the ELves gave him the title as Guardian Deity, it didn''t mean that he would help Elves when in trouble. They just gave him this title as for hope of establishing a peaceful coexistence with the Ancient Dragon who has been dwelling in the Forest.


    After the telepathic conversation with the Guardian Deity, Aranic turned back to the group, his expression now rxed.


    Nock and the others were still waiting silently, curious about what had transpired between Aranic and the powerful being.


    "Everyone, let''s continue our journey!"


    Aranic announced. Although the Ancient Dragon said there was no need to find out the person who likely has a familiar scent as the Ancient Dragon, Aranic was curious.


    However, he didn''t let his curiosity run wild. He will report what had happened to his superior and they could investigate that. For now, his priority was getting the human geniuses to the Eldoria.


    With the tension slightly lifted, the group resumed their journey, led by Aranic once again. They continue to walk, thanking their luck for being alive.

 Chapter 444: Eldoria: Capital Of Elven Nation

    Zero felt that presence disappear but couldn''t understand the feeling that he got. However, he assumed it might have something to do with Guardian Deity.


    ( Is this because of Ancient Dragon''s Heart that I ate? )


    Zero thought to himself. He didn''t fully understand the situation well but thought that Guardian Deity was looking or at least assuming he was looking at him, it was because of the Ancient Dragon Heart that he ate.


    Zero already knew that the roar was that of Dragon, though he couldn''t differentiate between different Dragon species. But since the presence was of a powerful creature, it must be at least Rank-SS Dragon.


    So, the chance of the Guardian Deity being an Ancient Deity was high. Zero thought that perhaps he might want to exact revenge as Zero had eaten its species heart.


    He has his guard up but fortunately nothing happens and they resume their journey as normal. The journey was smooth and almost had zero encounters with monsters.


    Because of the roar, it seems that most monsters have gone into hiding and they encountered no monster.


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, the group finally arrived at the outskirts of Eldoria. The Elven Capital, now under the starlit night, appeared even more enchanting¡ªan ethereal city adorned with ancient architecture, lush gardens, and the soft glow of mana flowing through its veins.


    Approaching the outskirts of Eldoria, a sense of anticipation and wonder filled the air. The human visitors were in awe of the Elven Capital''s beauty and grace, a ce they had only heard about in tales and legends.


    At the gate of Eldoria, Elven guards stood watch under the moonlight. As they noticed Aranic and the humans, their vignce eased. Word had reached them that humans wereing, so they greeted the group with less caution than before.


    "Wee to Eldoria, the heart of our Elven Kingdom. We are d to have humans visit our beautiful city."


    One of the guards came and said with a smile. He seemed to have a different personality than Aranic who has a stoic expression all the time.


    "Thank you for the warm wee," Nock replied, feeling a bit more at ease with the friendly greeting. "We''ve heard tales of Eldoria''s beauty and magnificence, and it''s an honor to finally set foot in your marvelous city."


    The elven guard nodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Though of course, we must remind you that there are rules in ce. So, you mustn''t behave inappropriately or else we might need to detain you."


    "You may proceed. Enjoy your time in Eldoria, and if you need any assistance or guidance, don''t hesitate to ask for help."


    As the group ventured further into the Elven Capital, they were enveloped in an atmosphere of tranquility and magic. Tall trees with graceful branches lined the streets, forming a natural canopy that shielded them from the moon''s gentle light.


    The soft sound of water trickling from nearby fountains added a soothing melody to the ambiance. Eldoria was a bustling metropolis, where nature and architecture coexisted in perfect harmony.


    Mia and Amelia were mesmerized by the Elven architecture, which harmoniously blended with nature. The buildings seemed to have grown seamlessly from thendscape, adorned with ancient runes and symbols that reflected the Elven affinity for magic and the mystic arts.


    Nock and the other humans were equally captivated by the rich Elven culture. They were introduced to Elven art, music, and dance, all of which celebrated nature and the wonders of their magical world.


    They were soon led to one of the biggest buildings that was in Eldoria, that is of course excluding the giant building with a wall surrounding them. It was apparent that it was the castle for the Elven Royals.


    The Elven Royal Castle stood as a magnificent testament to the ancient and mystical heritage of the Elven race. Nestled within the heart of Eldoria, the castle seemed to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings, as if it had been grown from the very earth and trees that surrounded it.


    Its architecture was a mesmerizing fusion of nature and craftsmanship, exhibiting the Elven affinity for artistry and magic. The castle''s structure was predominantly made of an opalescent white stone that shimmered softly in the moonlight, giving the impression of an otherworldly glow.


    "We will inform you of the time when you will be granted an audience with the king. Until then, you may do whatever you like but don''t break anyws. If you are thinking about exploring the ce, one of the elves will be apanying you."


    Aranic said before leaving with other Elven Guards.


    Nock nodded as he along with others entered the inn.


    The inn they arrived at was known as "Starleaf Haven," a renowned establishment in Eldoria known for its exceptional hospitality and breathtaking view of the city''s central garden.


    As they entered the inn, they were greeted by the innkeeper, a friendly Elvendy with long, silver hair and eyes that sparkled like stars.


    "Wee to Starleaf Haven," she said with a warm smile. "We''ve been expecting you. Aranic has informed us of your arrival."


    The innkeeper continued, "You must be tired after your journey. Please, make yourselvesfortable. We have prepared rooms for all of you. If you are hungry, you may go to the dining hall."


    The interior of the inn was as enchanting as the exterior. Elven motifs adorned the walls, and soft, melodic music yed in the background, creating a serene atmosphere.


    They were shown to their rooms, each decorated with elegant simplicity and a touch of magic.


    Zero along with Mia and Amelia hade to the dining hall as they were pretty hungry. Zero, in particr, was excited as he really liked Elves cooking.


    As they settled into the cozy dining hall, the tantalizing aroma of Elven cuisine filled the air. The smell has not disappointed Zero at all.


    Zero''s eyes widened with excitement as he scanned the menu, filled with dishes he had never even heard of before. Obviously, all of the dishes were going to be vegetarian and some of the people were not exactly happy with that.


    However, remembering Zero''s and Williams'' reaction, they didn''tin. What if they were to get beaten up? When even William, who is unrestrained, kept quiet, they were at least sensible enough to know that they shouldn''t mess with Zero.


    The innkeeper, still with a warm smile, approached their table.


    "Wee, esteemed guests. What will you be eating?"


    "The name is unique and we don''t really know what it is."


    Mia said. Even if the dishes were simr to humans, the name was different. So, even reading the menu, the only thing that they got was confusion.


    "Allow me to rmend some of our finest dishes to savor tonight."


    The innkeeper graciously listed a variety of dishes, each sounding more mouthwatering than thest. She described the dishes that she rmended.


    They settled on a diverse assortment, including delicately seasoned roasted vegetables, enchanted fruit sds that glimmered with a magical essence, and many others.


    As they dined, Zero couldn''t help but marvel at the culinary artistry before him. The vors burst in his mouth,bining in ways he had never imagined.


    "Would you like to explore the city with us?"


    Amelia asked Zero. Zero, who was savoring the vor from the food, paused for a second and nodded.


    There was nothing he had nned to do and exploring the ce seemed interesting.

 Chapter 445: Exploring Eldoria

    <h4>Chapter 445 Exploring Eldoria</h4>


    The next day, as the sun gently bathed Eldoria in its golden rays, the group gathered in the inn''smon area, ready to embark on their exploration of the Elven Capital.


    However, when Zero reached the area, he was surprised with the unexpected guest.


    "They were also going to explore the city, so I thought that we could do it together. Zero, you don''t mind right?"


    Amelia said. Hiro and his group were also waiting for Zero. He nodded his head as it didn''t matter to him.


    Although it was surprising how quickly Amelia became friends with Lisa, Sylvia and Misha. Mia was also getting along well with them but there was this boundary of Mia being their teacher, so they couldn''t make themselves asfortable as they did with Amelia.


    Anyways, Lisa, Sylvia and Misha were Amelia''s first friends since Mia and Adeline, which is why she wants to spend time with them.


    Outside, they were greeted by a friendly Elven guide named Lyria, who had a radiant smile and an air of grace about her. She introduced herself warmly and expressed her delight in showing them around Eldoria.


    "Wee, honored guests. I am Lyria, and it''s my pleasure to be your guide today. Eldoria has much to offer, and I hope you will enjoy every moment of your time here."


    Since we needed to be apanied by Elves if we wanted to go outside, Lyria seemed to be our guide. Every Elves as rumored seemed to be beautiful, it was even the case for Aranic who seemed to be more on the beautiful side than handsome.


    With that, they set off on their exploration, with Lyria leading the way through the winding streets of Eldoria. The city was a living testament to the Elven appreciation for nature, with lush gardens and majestic trees adorning every corner.


    The Elves who lived there when they noticed them would gazed curiously at the humans apanying Aranic. Some seemed to just be curious while others were on guard and even had their kids go inside the house.


    "Please, don''t be offended by them. It is their first time seeing humans and they don''t know how to act when they see one."


    Lyria said, trying to exin the behavior of Elves. Even with them already knowing that humans wereing, not everybody was okay with that.


    Under the guidance of Lyria, thebined group of humans and Elve embarked on an enchanting journey through the iconic ces of Eldoria.


    As they strolled through the city, Lyria shared the rich history and significance of each location, making the experience all the more immersive and captivating.


    Their first stop was the Great Tree of Eldoria, a colossal ancient tree that stood at the heart of the Elven Capital. It was said to be the very first tree that the founders of Eldoria had nted when they settled in thend centuries ago.


    The Great Tree was not only a symbol of life and nature but also held immense magical power. Its roots spread deep into the earth, drawing mana from thend and infusing it with the city''s protective barrier.


    Zero could see that there was arge barrier surrounding the city. Although at the moment, it didn''t seem strong enough to even withstand his power. Zero thought that maybe it was something like a surveince system.


    As they admired the majestic tree, Lyria shared tales of the ancient Elven heroes who had defended their homnd against various threats, protecting the city and its citizens.


    Next, they visited the Crystal Lake, a pristine body of water known for its crystalline rity and magical properties. Theke shimmered with hues of blues and greens, reflecting the surrounding flora and the radiant Elven city.


    Lyria exined that the Crystal Lake was considered sacred, believed to be a portal to the realm of spirits. It was a ce where the Elves came to meditate and seek guidance from the ancient spirits that watched over their people.


    Amelia and Mia were particrly fascinated by this concept, as it resonated with their connection to magic and the unseen realms. They spent some quiet moments by thekeside, feeling the serene energy that emanated from the waters.


    They could feel their mana being regenerated faster. Maybe there was really something in the Crystalke though they didn''t ask as it would be impolite to do so considering how Elves considered it sacred.


    From there, Lyria guided them to the Hall of Whispers, an extraordinary building with shimmering, translucent walls that seemed to carry whispers of forgotten knowledge. It was a repository of Elven wisdom, where the most skilled schrs and sages gathered to share their insights and discoveries.


    Girls were enjoying themselves and talking with each other happily. They even became somewhat of a friend with Lyria. They seemed to be having the time of their lives exploring the new ce.


    On the other hand, the three boys in the group were as silent as dead. They followed behind them, however, there was not much conversation going on between them.


    Zero doesn''t speak much and the same is the case for Zion. Moreover, the Zion and Zero rtionship is not exactly the best. Hiro tries to speak, however, met with silence or just a slight nod.


    Anyway, they continued exploring the ce. But it seems like it was not only the human race that was out there today.


    Aasimar, often called the Descendants of celestial beings, was also roaming Eldoria with a Elve guide. Of course, they self-proimed themselves as the descendant of celestial beings with humans not really acknowledging them.


    Since, humans worship gods and angels are said to be messengers of gods. However, even if Aasimar has the appearance simr to angels, they are not acknowledged as such.


    There was even a conflict with Aasimar as humans thought they were being there to deceive them. Because of that, there was a train in the rtionship between Aasimar and humans, although in this age there doesn''t seem to be any hatred.


    Well, they also noticed Zero and his group. Although a bit surprised, they seemed to already know that they were here. Same was the case for Zero and his group.


    However, instead of avoiding each other, Assimar made their ways towards Zero and his group.


    As the Aasimar approached Zero and his group, their radiant presence was undeniable. They exuded an otherworldly aura, with faint glimmers of divine energy enveloping them. Zero''s group, though somewhat reserved, was curious about Aasimar as they were in small numbers and also because they somewhat looked divine to them.


    The leader of the Aasimar, a figure with striking silver hair and ethereal blue eyes, greeted them warmly.


    "Greetings, thou humans! I am Seraphina, and in thepany of Uriel and Gabriel, we chanced upon thy presence in our venture through the city and deemed it most fitting to extend our salutations unto thee!"

 Chapter 446: Encounter With Other Race

    "Greetings, thou humans! I am Seraphina, and in thepany of Uriel and Gabriel, we chanced upon thy presence in our venture through the city and deemed it most fitting to extend our salutations unto thee!"


    Seraphine said.


    Seraphina was a vision of ethereal beauty, with an otherworldly presence that captivated those around her. Her most striking feature was her silver hair, cascading down in silky waves to her waist.


    Her eyes were the color of a clear summer sky, a mesmerizing shade of ethereal blue that seemed to hold the wisdom of ages within their depths.


    Seraphina''s entire presence exuded grace and poise, as if she were a celestial being walking among mortals.


    In the presence of Seraphina, one couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe and reverence. Zero also sensed immense power from her. She was at least Rank-S or maybe even higher.


    The group reciprocated the greeting, somewhat taken aback by the eloquence and formality of Seraphina''s speech.


    Hiro responded, "Uh, hi there! I''m Hiro, and these are my friends. Nice to meet you, Seraphina, Uriel, and Gabriel."


    "Oh! Hiro Ernest! I have heard of thee!"


    Seraphine replied with excitement in her face. Hiro, as the someone who has been hailed as the greatest talent in the human domain was obviously also known to other races. Although they didn''t know about Hiro as much as humans.


    Hiro, feeling a bit overwhelmed but trying to maintainposure, asked, "You''ve heard of me?


    Seraphina smiled warmly at Hiro''s surprised expression. "Indeed, young Hiro, thy reputation as a great talent precedes thee. Stories of thy prowess and achievements have reached our ears even in the far realms where the Aasimar reside."


    Hiro blushed slightly, feeling a mix of pride and humility at the recognition. He was used to his fame among humans, but encountering beings from other races who knew of him was a new and somewhat surreal experience.


    "Oh, well, I''m honored that you''ve heard about me. But please, call me Hiro."


    Seraphina''spanions, Uriel and Gabriel, also greeted the group warmly. Uriel had a regal presence, with golden hair that seemed to glow softly and eyes that sparkled like stars.


    "Indeed, it is an honor to make thy acquaintance."


    Gabriel, on the other hand, had a warm and gentle demeanor, with a soothing aura that put the others at ease


    Gabriel''s gaze fell upon Amelia, Mia, Lisa, Sylvia, and Misha, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Thou art apanied by quite a charming group of maidens, it seems."


    Sylvia stepped forward, introducing herself and the rest of the girls. "I''m Sylvia, and these are Lisa, Amelia, Mia, and Misha. We''re just a group of friends exploring Eldoria together. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Seraphina, Uriel, and Gabriel."


    "It doth delight me to make thy acquaintance, all!"


    Gabriel replied.


    Seraphine also looked towards the girls and looked especially longer at Mia. She may see Mia as a threat just like Zero had a feeling of threat from Seraphine.


    Amelia, on the other hand, looked at them with curiosity as she had learned about them in Church. She was told that Aasimar are beings that have disguised themselves to look like the messenger of goddesses and should beware of them.


    Amelia indeed could see why they were taught as such. Seraphine looked just like the angel that is described in the book.


    "Anyway, we shall cross paths once more! At the moment, We art on our way to the Great Tree!"


    Seraphine said.


    As Seraphina and her Aasimarpanions continued on their way to the Great Tree, the two groups bid each other farewell.


    "They were all so kind! I hope that other people are also so kind! I would like to talk with them more."


    Sylvia said. She thought that her encounter with other races would be cold and filled with tension, however, her encounter with Seraphine and others had changed her mind.


    Now she was looking forward to knowing other races and making friends with them. Who knows, in the future, they could all live in peace with each other. Or at least that is what she thought.


    "Don''t let down your guards! They were very powerful and could kill you easily. Although they seem friendly, don''t forget that our races had once gone to war with them. The Aasimar poption is very low and it was because humans once tried to annihte them. I don''t believe that they had any good feelings towards our race."


    Zero warned Sylvia, pouring cold water on her head. He didn''t want to sound harsh but their appearance has rather made him remember some nasty memories.


    "Huh? Zero, are they powerful? They didn''t seem that strong to me! And it had been so many years since it had happened, they must have forgotten about that."


    Sylvia said.


    She didn''t sense much power from Seraphine. If it was someone who is strong like Professor Mia, she could already tell that Professor Mia is absolutely stronger than her.


    However, she didn''t feel so by Searphine''s presence, rather her presence showed she was weaker than her.


    And she didn''t think Searphine would mind the past as they appeared to be very kind and nice.


    "She is likely Rank-S! Though I can''t tell her actual rank. She must be using some kind of skill to hide her strength."


    Zero exined.


    "Really?"


    Sylvia still couldn''t believe Zero and looked at others.


    "Zero is right! She was incredibly powerful! Maybe even stronger than me, however, she was definitely not weaker than me. Don''t forget what type of people are gathering here!"


    Mia added.


    She, despite being Rank-S couldn''t really measure Seraphine''s rank. It could be because Searphine is ranked higher than her or she has some kind of skill to help her hide her rank.


    Anyway, considering that only geniuses of each race were invited excluding Willian and his group, it made sense if Searphine was a super strong genius from Aasimar.


    "So be careful! And they might appear nice but we will never know what they are thinking about. So, always be cautious around others."


    Sylvia nodded. Same for others who also thought that maybe the races that they will meet will be friendly like Aasimar.


    They had also forgotten where they were. It was not their home where they would be protected. And it was also not easy to forget the past when it involves almost being extinct.


    Anyway, although the meeting with Aasirmar went without any problem, one thing that they realized was that the people sent by other races are also extremely strong!

 Chapter 447: Encounter With Other Race [2]

    "Princess, why did you approach those humans?"


    Gabriel asked, confused as Seraphine didn''t seem interested in humans. She only approached Zero''s group and ignored other humans who they encountered.


    "They are strong! I never expected that so many humans, despite being young, would be so strong. In a few years, they might surpass me!"


    Seraphine replied. When Seraphine saw Zero''s group, she was surprised at how strong they were.


    In their domain, she was considered the most talented and everybody revered her like a god. However, for the first time in her life she encountered someone who would make her feel threatened.


    She felt Mia to be around simr strength and her age also seemed to be younger than her. Not only her, others always seemed to be very talented.


    Seraphine was obviously curious about them as she felt that they could be her rivals.


    She was right in her choice as not only she came to meet with Mia but also Hiro who was considered the greatest talent of humans.


    She had heard about him before, though didn''t consider him to be anything more than just a rumor. But meeting with him, she felt that those rumors were justified.


    Rank-A - at his age was an incredible feat that even she couldn''t help but be impressed. Right now, she was stronger but felt that Hiro might be stronger than her.


    "Seraphine is still the strongest!"


    Uriel said, not believing that there could be anyone stronger than Seraphine.


    For the younger generation of Aasimar, Searphine was invincible who never lost. She even fought with the greatest geniuses who was 10 years older than her and emerged victorious.


    Although Seraphine was praising Zero''s group, they felt that Seraphine would still be stronger than them.


    Seraphine smiled at Uriel''s remark.


    "Of Course! I can''t be defeated, not unless they are Rank-SS!"


    ********


    Zero''s group continued to explore the ce after their encounter with Seraphine. But despite going around different ces, they didn''t meet other races.


    It could be that only Aasimar and humans have reached at the moment or it could be that they don''t want to explore the ce.


    Anyways, Zero''s group did meet other human groups who were also exploring Eldoria. They would at least be polite in front of them as they had Mia and Amelia with them who are both S-Rank.


    Although Zero and his group tried to talk with many Elves, they found it incredibly difficult to hold a conversation with them. Some would outright ignore them while others would speak a bit but not much.


    However, they couldn''t me them as it was their first time interacting with humans just like how it is with them. Fortunately, Lyria was there with them tomunicate with others.


    Lyria showed them a great ce to have lunch and as expected it was great. Other customers who were also Elves looked ufortable and some even left the ce. However, those who were underage looked at Zero and his group with curiosity.


    Well, even though they were underage, most of them were around 80 years old. Their bodies were that of humans at age 16 or 17. Elves consider themselves adults only after age 100.


    Anyway, while their lifespan was very longpared to humans, their growth was also the same. Elves whose age is 100 might only be at Rank-D or C just like humans are at age 18.


    They returned to the Inn after it turned dark. Zero continued to mediate as he wanted to break through to Rank-A +. He felt that he was very close to breaking through to that.


    Zero was not the only one, others also spent their time training. Meeting with Seraphine was a testimony to how strong other races could be.


    There was no conflict at the moment with them but who knows what the future holds. If one wanted to be safe, getting strong was the only way.


    In the days that followed, they continued their exploration of Eldoria with Lyria''s guidance. They learned more about the Elven culture, their harmonious rtionship with nature, and the profound magical knowledge they possessed.


    There were many things that Eldoria offered which were unique to them.


    Finally, time hase for them to meet with the Elven King who had invited them. They knew that it was going to be about Luminary Spring and the geniuses could help but be excited about it.


    Even William and his friend were looking forward to it. The only reason that they came was for this spring.


    Aranic was with other Elves guards. They hade to bring them to the Royal Castle.


    "Now, before we meet with the Elven King, I must warn you all about the customs and protocols of our society," Aranic began.


    "Elves ce great importance on respect and discipline, especially in the presence of our king. In the presence of the King, you must show the utmost reverence and humility. Avoid any unnecessary gestures or actions that may be perceived as disrespectful."


    He looked at the group of humans sternly, making sure his words were sinking in.


    "When addressing the King, use formalnguage and refer to him as ''Your Majesty.'' Do not speak out of turn or interrupt him during the audience. If you have questions or requests, wait for the appropriate moment to present them."


    "Furthermore," Aranic continued, "There are other races that will join you. Make sure you don''t fight with them. Those who break this rule will be excluded from using the Luminary Spring."


    Elves couldn''t recklessly punish the guests from other races, however, they could prevent them from using the Luminary Spring for which they came for.


    "Listen, everyone, this meeting with the Elven King is of utmost importance not only for us but for all of humanity. We are representing our entire race here, and it''s crucial that we conduct ourselves with the utmost respect and decorum."


    He paused to let his words sink in before continuing. "So, let''s be on our best behavior, show them the utmost respect, and remember that we represent not only ourselves but also our entire race. Let''s make a positive impression and keep the doors open for future cooperation."


    He took a deep breath before concluding, "Those who make trouble will be punished when we get back. The Authority will detain them for months to rehabilitate you. So, if you don''t want to be punished, better behave properly."


    The geniuses nodded. Even if they don''t like it, they knew that for the opportunity to get stronger, they had to do what they were told.


    Nock was not very worried about them, however, there was one group that made him very worried. It was William and his group.


    Nock could make others obey what he said by threatening him with punishment, however, it was difficult for William and his group to follow any rules.


    However, there was nothing he could do. At least, he thought that because they were not powerful, even if they made trouble, it wouldn''t be a big one.


    With Aranic leading the way and Nock''s warning in mind, they made their way to the Royal Castle, ready to meet the Elven King and other races.

 Chapter 448 Tension Between Humans And Other Races

    <h4>Chapter 448 Tension Between Humans And Other Races</h4>


    The group followed Aranic as they made their way to the Royal Castle. The beauty of Eldoria''s Royal Castle architecture was mesmerizing, with intricate designs blending harmoniously with nature.


    Compared to when looking from outside, the royal castle was even bigger than it seemed. And the quality of material was of very high rank. Maybe even Rank-SS would have trouble bringing down the castle easily.


    As they entered the castle, the geniuses were led to the waiting room. While their guards were escorted to different rooms.


    At first, Nock seemed hesitant and William and his friend were even more reluctant.


    However, Aranic reassured them and also exined the reason. From that point, only the geniuses from each race will be there and others should interfere with their audiences with the king.


    He also said that they will make sure nothing happens to human geniuses. Nock has no choice but to follow what he says.


    He also knew that thest thing that Elves want should be a war with the human race.


    Inside the waiting area, the geniuses found themselves in thepany of representatives from other races.


    Dwarves, known for their craftsmanship and mining expertise, were conversing with the Dryads, who were guardians of the forest and its mystical energies.


    A few Druids, deeply connected to nature and its magic, were engaged in discussions with the Aasimar, who possessed celestial heritage and were often seen as paragons of virtue.


    Among the representatives of the humanoid race was a group of shape-shifters known as the Therianthropes. They could transform into animal forms, making them skilled hunters and trackers.


    Then there was a group of Elves who were also there to partake in the event. The rtionship between those races didn''t seem bad.


    As they were considered minor races and at times needed to be allied, they were of course in good rtionships.


    It seems like humans were thest race to arrive in that room.


    As soon as Zero and other humans entered the room, everyone shifted their focus on them. However, it didn''t seem like they were weed there and some people even showed their hostility directly.


    Seraphine was waving her hands towards Zero and his group. Only she seemed to be friendly towards the human, well at least appeared to be.


    "I can''t believe that they really invited humans!"


    Dwarfs who are known to be straightforward said. Dwarfs are intrigued by the technologies that humans came up with, however, because of humans'' destructive nature, they don''t think highly of them even though they admit that they are good at creating stuff.


    There was no need to borate on the hatred from Druid and Dryad whose home is nature itself. And the races thate up as the number one destroyer of nature were surely humans.


    Therianthropes were the races that humans would associate them with monsters because of their appearance and their abilities. They were also hunted by humans in the past because they considered them monsters.


    So, to speak of the rtionship between the two races, it was not very great. It was like no matter the races, humans had once messed with them in the past.


    "What do you mean old man? Are we not weed here?"


    Orion said angrily. Human geniuses definitely didn''t take their words lightly.


    "What old man? I am only in my 20s!"


    The dwarfs replied angrily. Dwarfs always looked way older than they appeared, just like how Aasimar and Elves look way younger than they are.


    As for the other races, it was hard for humans to see any difference in their ages. Even if two of them were apart by 100 years, they wouldn''t know as they all looked simr.


    However, that was only from a human perspective. Who knows how they determine who is old or not as they would have their own perspective.


    Anyway, right after the entry of humans, the peaceful atmosphere seemed to have changed.


    "20s? Don''t lie! I can''t believe that Dwarves sent their oldest man toe here. Aren''t you ashamed to hide your age like this?"


    Orion said.


    The Elves responsible for keeping the ce in order didn''t know what to say. They knew that humans would definitely bring in some problem but didn''t anticipate that to happen just as they entered.


    One of the Elves'' representatives, trying to keep the situation from escting any further, stepped forward and said, "Let''s all calm down here. We are here as representatives of our races, and it''s essential that we maintain respect and understanding towards one another."


    As they were the ones to invite everyone, it was their duty to make sure that the ce was in harmony.


    However, the dwarves weren''t willing to back down. One of them, with a gruff voice, retorted, "Respect? Humans have shown little respect for the natural world and its inhabitants. Your kind has caused destruction and turmoil wherever you go."


    The druids and dryads chimed in, their voices filled with disdain, "He''s right! Humans have disrupted the harmony of nature for their own selfish gains. They even tried to annihte many of us. You cannot expect us to wee you with open arms."


    The therianthropes, who had been silently observing until now, couldn''t contain their pent-up anger.


    One of them growled, "Humans have hunted and feared us for centuries,beling us as monsters. Now you can''t expect us to treat you with kindness, can you?"


    The Aasimar and elves remained silent, seemingly caught between their sympathy for the other races'' grievances and knowing the importance of forgetting the past in order to move forward.


    Seraphine, attempting to mediate, spoke up, "I understand that there are historical conflicts, but this gathering is an opportunity for cooperation and understanding. Let''s not start a conflict with each other for now!"


    Her words seemed to have calmed down the situation. However, they were not entirely convinced and wanted to continue.


    However, that was when the arrival of the Elven King was announced.


    "Please wee!"


    Finally, the doors to the audience chamber opened, and a herald announced, "His Majesty, Thranduil!"


    With the Elven King''s arrival, even if one had a grudge they would need to keep it in their heart. The one that may act arrogant in front of Elven King might be humans as they were a stronger race than Elves.


    However, with the warning received from Aranic and Nock, they remained silent.


    The Elven King entered the room, and a hushed silence fell upon the attendees. His regal presence demanded respect, and his ageless grace captivated all whoid eyes on him.


    "Wee, representatives of various races," King Thranduil spoke with a voice that seemed to carry the wisdom of centuries.


    "I am delighted to have you all here in Eldoria, thend of harmony and enlightenment."


    The Elven King, a regal and dignified figure, addressed the group with wisdom and warmth. He acknowledged the tensions that arose during the journey and emphasized the importance of mutual understanding and respect between races.


    "We may be different in many ways, but our diversity can be our strength if we learn to appreciate and learn from each other," the Elven King said, his voice carrying an air of authority that demanded respect. Anyway, it is incredible to be able to host various races at the same time."


    "I wee you, young talents of different races," he said in a melodic voice. "Your visit to Eldoria has been eagerly awaited, for we too have heard of your remarkable achievements and strengths."


    He continued, "I know why you all are here. And I promise to honor my words. However, before that we have a small ritual that we need to do before I allow you all to enter Luminary Spring."


    "The Luminary Spring is a sacred ce for the Elves, and we have guarded its secrets for centuries."


    Everyone listened to his words as it entailed the thing that they wanted. Of course, the Elves already knew what it was.


    The Elven King continued, "Before I grant you ess to the Luminary Spring, we must perform a ritual to establish a bond of trust between our races. It is a tradition that has been followed for generations, and it serves as a symbol of unity and cooperation."


    The geniuses from each race looked at each other, uncertain of what the ritual would entail.


    "There is going to be a small contest for all of you to show your strength. I hope that you all will participate in it!"

 Chapter 449 King Tranduil

    <h4>Chapter 449 King Tranduil</h4>


    30 minutes ago!


    Before King Thranduil went to meet with the geniuses, he was looking through the Magic Ball which shows everything that is happening in the Royal Castle.


    It was an SS-Rank artifact with the ability to sense and see through everything in a designated ce. Any assassin wishing to sneak attack would have already been found before they even got inside the castle.


    King Thranduil was with ra, the person who is able to see the future. She was also someone who has been advising the king of Elven for many decades.


    "ra, do you think that this will work? Can we really protect Elves because of those kids?"


    King Thranduil asked. Although she believes in ra, he couldn''t help but feel skepticism when said that their lives and future were in the hands of young kids from different races.


    "Your majesty! I am not sure! I could see danger looming in the future and Elves being killed. However, further than that, I couldn''t see anything. Perhaps, it is telling me that I met my end there."


    ra answered. Although she was talking about dying, she didn''t seem scared nor did she seem like she thought anything of it.


    *SIGH!


    "I hope that your idea works or else we have no choice but to face destruction."


    King Thranduil as the ruler of the Elves has to ensure their survival.


    "Don''t worry your majesty! Future could be changed. I am pretty sure that those young geniuses had abilities to fight off this cmity. Some of them could even kill a Rank-SS Devil general when he was just Rank-S."


    ra replied. She wanted to gather young geniuses because she saw a future where she saw them be ridiculously powerful.


    It was not only Elves younger geniuses but also humans and other races younger generations who were all far stronger than their predecessor.


    Maybe it was a period where geniuses were born!


    Although she could see them be stronger, recently she was seeing this future world burning and going into darkness.


    She never saw her there as she had said, she might already be dead by that time. However, maybe something changed and she was getting this precognition of world burning and many lives being ended.


    However, she couldn''t see much of it either. Maybe because in this future, she would inevitably die.


    Anyway, this information was enough to change what she saw. Now, all she got to do was use this information to save everyone.


    And the reason why she decided with the King Thranduil to gather the geniuses was because, for one, it will be difficult to gather strongest people of different races and they were adults with resentment due to past rtionships with each other.


    So, it was reasonable to get their younger generation toe with the bait being the Luminary Spring.


    Moreover, in the future she saw, she had seen many Rank-SS being killed off easily. Then that means that the entity that they are going to fight will be stronger than Rank-SS, possibly Rank-SSS or Rank-SSS+, maybe something beyond that.


    So, even if all the Rank-SS of different races fought together, she couldn''t say that the future that she saw will be different.


    But she was willing to bet on the younger generation who would get very powerful in the future. She thought that if they were fully nurtured well with every resource, then perhaps they will get even stronger.


    Strong enough to fight off the cmity!


    She discussed this with Elven King and they decided to trust ra. Although the information that they got was unbelievable, they knew that ra was not joking around.


    After much discussion, they decided to use Luminary Spring as bait to gather the geniuses. King Thranduil wanted to see whether they are capable of entrusting their future or should he opt for another solution.


    With their decision made, King Thranduil and ra set their n in motion. They sent emissaries to different races, inviting the most talented and gifted young individuals to the Luminary Spring, promising them ess to knowledge, training, and power of Elves.


    They also sent out the information about the future that they saw but not many believed that information. .


    However, since they were willing to send the message to other races and also give their precious Luminary Spring, they at least were willing to send their younger geniuses.


    As for the cmity, well they were also waiting whether Elves are really willing to nurture their future generation and prepare for that cmity. Or do they have another n in mind?


    Anyway, King Tranduil and ra looked through the magic ball as the younger races of different generations began to enter.


    "The one who killed the Rank-SS Archduke in the future is called Hiro, right?"


    King Tranduil asked. He has heard of Hiro as he was hailed as a very talented boy in Human Domain. But King Tranduil didn''t care about it as he was still a fledgling.


    Anyone could say that they were great talents as a child, however, how many of them truly stand at the peak of strength? Only some!


    Hiro was a child with potential, however, he needed to experience many things without dying before he could really be strong.


    However, ra''s prediction about him changed his perspective. If Hiro could indeed kill Rank-SS when he was just Rank-S, no matter what he did or used, it meant that Hiro was truly incredible.


    Defeating Rank-SS was tough, but killing them was almost impossible. Even between the fight between two Rank-SS, dying was very rare until you fought till death.


    If Rank-SS was losing, they would flee instantly. If they want to escape, nobody could stop them, not even another Rank-SS unless there were more than one Rank-SS.


    "Yes your majesty! That boy is incredible with a very bright future. If we help him, he might even be the one who would save all of us from this cmity."


    "Hmmm¡­ It seems like you trust this boy."


    King Tranduil said as he had never seen ra say things like this.


    "Your majesty, if you can see the future, you would know how incredible that boy is. Not only his strength but his character itself is like Hero!"

 Chapter 450 King Tranduil [2]

    <h4>Chapter 450 King Tranduil [2]</h4>


    "Your majesty, if you can see the future, you would know how incredible that boy is. Not only his strength but his character itself is like Hero!"


    ra said with confidence. She had probably seen many instances of Hiro doing hero-like things in the future.


    "I''m sure that if we can at least nurture him properly, there will be a change in the future."


    "Hmmm¡­ Let''s see for myself just how talented this boy is!"


    King Tranduil said as he looked through the Magic Ball where he could see the geniuses of different races enter.


    As more and more young geniuses from different races arrived at the Royal Castle, King Thranduil and ra observed them closely through the Magic Ball.


    "Hmmm¡­ That girl from the Aasimar race seemed strong. ra, have you seen her in the future?"


    King Tranduil asked as he pointed towards Seraphine. Among the races that arrived, she was among one of the strongest.


    Moreover, ording to her appearance, she didn''t seem to be much old. He had never heard about Aasimar having such genius.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    ra looked through the Magic Ball where a woman who stood out from her peer was standing.


    "She definitely bes strong. At least, she reaches Rank-SS. However, she gets killed by one of the humans."


    ra said, telling what she knew about Seraphine of the future.


    *SIGH!


    "Why are humans and Aasimar fighting? Shouldn''t they all band together to fight with the cmity. If only we could put our differences aside and help each other."


    King Tranduil was a bit irritated. Even if the world was ending, some people were still busy killing each other. They didn''t know what they should prioritize and protect, instead let negative emotion take over.


    "Do you know why they will be fighting?"


    King Tranduil asked.


    ra shook her head to King Tranduil''s disappointment. Unlike what others think, ra didn''t possess the power to look into any future she wanted.


    She could only see what was shown to her naturally. Mostmon urrence was when she was asleep. At that time, she will see the events of the future and what that future will be is unknown to her.


    However, it was not useless as most of the time, the future that she sees was usually connected with big events. Be it survival of races, or the war that might happen.


    "Then we might not be able to stop them from fighting. But at least, we might be able to make it so that Aasimar girl doesn''t die fighting that human."


    King Tranduil said. As someone who wants to save the world from cmity, he wanted to preserve as many strong people as possible.


    "Your majesty, that might not be possible!"


    ra said, knowing that her king''s hope might be hopeless.


    "What?"


    "The human that killed her, I suspect that he will be one of the young geniuses that humans sent over!"


    ra replied. Certainly, if Seraphine became stronger she might not be killed as she saw in the future, however, the result might be the same if her killer also gets stronger.


    "Are you sure? Did you see his face?"


    King Tranduil asked.


    "Your majesty, it is just my assumption. Unfortunately, in the future that I saw, I couldn''t clearly see his face. However, from his body stature, it was easy for me to know that he was young, very young, probably younger than Seraphine."


    ra continued, "Someone like that would definitely be a genius and he might be one of the people invited to Luminary Spring."


    "...."


    King Tranduil found it a bit unbelievable. He could see that Seraphine was at Rank-S + which was very strong. In a few years, just as ra said, she will be Rank-SS, almost an invincible being.


    Apart from Cmity, no one should be capable of taking on that girl. But a human, someone younger than her would be able to kill her.


    Doesn''t that seem familiar?


    "Is it Hiro?"


    "I am not certain, your majesty! However, it didn''t seem like it would be him. HIs stature didn''t match that of Hiro that I know."


    ra answered.


    "Maybe we will get the answer from this gathering!"


    King Tranduil said. ra also hoped so.


    The young geniuses continued to talk and the atmosphere was harmonious. Although some races didn''t get along very well, however, the grudge between them was not very severe. At least, not like with Devils and Humans who tried to annihte them.


    ra shared some of her info to King Tranduil, like how strong some of them might be in the future she saw.


    Then after some time, even thest human race which was human arrived. That''s when the atmosphere of the reception area changed.


    Humans were a race that had done many despicable things in the past including annihting some of the races. And some races, although not annihted, had been on the verge of annihtion.


    Of course, that didn''t mean that it was only their fault. Some races brought this upon themselves by attacking them first or taking theirnds. However, in the process of either defending themselves or invading others, they had managed to make enemies with many races.


    Aasimar was one of those races which humans tried to annihte.


    However, contrary to what they should feel, they were the one who was the least hostile to humans. Seraphine, who King Tranduil kept his eyes on, was even waving her hands to humans like they were friends.


    Anyway, the Aasimar race was a special case. As for other people in the room, they all seem to be hostile towards Humans.


    Elves and Dwarfs were once captured by humans to be ves. Therianthropes werebeled as monsters and even hunted. Dryad and Druid''s home were razed to the ground.


    So, it can''t be said that they don''t have good reasons to hold grudges. However, those young human geniuses were not the one to do so and King Tranduil hoped that they could get along for a brighter future.

 Chapter 451 Contest Between The Geniuses

    <h4>Chapter 451 Contest Between The Geniuses</h4>


    One of the objectives of King Tranduil was to have all the races get along with each other. So that, they can work together to fight off against the disaster that will fall on them.


    However, considering the scene in front of him, he knew that it was far from easy. Even the younger generation who should have least hatred was fighting as soon as they saw each other.


    This was testament to how fragile the rtionship between human and other races are.


    It might have been easier for him if he didn''t invite humans. However, considering how ra was borating on how powerful Hiro and his friends will be in the future, and also the fact that humans have more geniuses than any other races, they couldn''t just exclude humans who could be the greatest power in the battle with the cmity.


    However, it might not be easy to achieve, especially when ra foresees a human killing Seraphine. That just got to show that in the future there might be some conflict between the two races or maybe it was just a personal issue.


    "ra, can you check whether the killer of those Aasimar girls is with the group?"


    King Tranduil asked. ra nodded and looked at them carefully.


    "Any luck?"


    ra shook her head and said, "It happened in the future and there would be changes in their body. At the moment, none of them seemed to match."


    *SIGH!


    King Tranduil was disappointed. If he knew who killed Searaphine, there was a chance to change the future. If not, then they could only pray that it changes naturally.


    "Looks like time hase! If I don''t show myself, these brats might fight with each other!"


    King Tranduil said as he stood up.


    ********


    "There is going to be a small contest for all of you to show your strength. I hope that you all will participate in it!"


    King Tranduil said after having given a small introduction.


    This is what was traditionally done for more than centuries and considered a ritual by the Elves.


    Through the fight, you could show that you are capable and someone who deserves to use the Luminary Spring.


    This had turned into a ritual for Elves and an opportunity to prove themselves. And fighting was one way for people to acknowledge each other and bond.


    King Tranduil wanted to use this to see whether the geniuses from other races are worth using their scarce resources. And as with Elves, he thought that after fighting, maybe they mighte to acknowledge each other''s strength.


    "Of course, the contest is a friendlypetition where participants will showcase their skills and abilities. It will not be a fight to the death, but rather a test of your strengths, agility, and strategic thinking."


    "We have a lot of strong guards who will stop you if one were to go too far."


    King Tranduil said.


    Others quietly listened to him. Other races held the Elven King in high regard and excluding humans and Devils, he was the most powerful person. They couldn''t afford to go against him.


    As for the humans, well for the Luminary Spring, they kept quiet. Otherwise, some of them who were arrogant would not be listening to the Elven King at all. After all, most of them view themselves as superior to other races.


    "The rules are simple. Each participant will be matched with another in a random draw. You will engage in a series of one-on-onebat trials, testing your proficiency in various disciplines such as swordy, archery, magic, or any other abilities unique to you."


    King Tranduil could feel that they were not particrly excited about this. After all, they all wanted to use Luminary Spring and not waste their time on other things. They just hope that the fightpletes quickly.


    "Haha¡­ Looks like it was boring just talking about some contest!"


    King Thranduil chuckled. He was also like them who didn''t want to listen or do things other than what he wanted.


    "How about this? First round, you will need to fightpulsory, however, starting from the second record, there is no need!"


    King Tranduil announced.


    This caused many of them to be a bit happy. If thepetition was shortened, then the faster they got to use the Luminary Spring.


    "From the second recond, only those who want topete, will need topete. But remember that there will be a reward for those who perform well."


    King Tranduil continued, "For those who get a good ranking will be given extra days to use Luminary Spring!"


    As the announcement settled in, some of the participants seemed more intrigued. The promise of extra days to use the Luminary Spring motivated them topete.


    One should know that the more one soaks inside Luminary Spring, the better the effect. However, it was a scarce resource and they can only use it for a limited period.


    Those extra days might be something that would help them in the long run. Moreover, this might be the only chance for them to get to use Luminary Spring. This was a rare opportunity.


    Those powerful and arrogant people are already thinking that the reward is theirs. And it was the opposite for those who were weak.


    They felt that it was a bit unfair as there was a difference in age between them and those powerful people.


    In terms of talent, they might be better than those Rank-S that was present there, however, at the moment they were weakpared to them.


    King Tranduil seemed to have understood this as he continued, "I know that there is a vast difference in strength because of your age. However, I will not only be rewarding to the winners but also to those who fought well."


    With that statement, even those who were around Rank-B felt that they had a chance. If not, no matter how talented they were, they couldn''t have won considering the number of Rank-S that were present there.


    Maybe even Rank-A wouldn''t be able to get to Top-10 unless you are very lucky and you don''t encounter Rank-S as your opponent.


    "I hope that you all can show us what you''ve got!"


    King Tranduil spoke and was going to go back when his daughter entered the room with a loud bang.


    *BANG!


    Everybody''s attention was on the door which swung open loudly. A young Elve with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes walked up to King Tranduil.


    Everyone except the Elves were confused as to who it was. No one thought that anyone would have the audacity to enter the room where King Tranduil was.


    "Daddy, what''s all this fuss about a silly contest?" Elenia said, her tone full of disdain. "Why should we even bother with these so-called geniuses from other races? They''re all just a bunch of show-offs."


    King Tranduil sighed and affectionately ruffled his daughter''s hair. "Elenia, my dear, when will you act like princess? And don''t underestimate others! Some may be more talented than you."


    King Thranduil looked at Elenia as he didn''t know how to discipline this child of his. The statement that she said might cause fights as geniuses were usually very arrogant and had very high pride.


    Only when King Tranduil addressed his daughter did the geniuses know that it was the Elven princess who entered the room. No wonder that she had the audacity.


    However, as expected her insult didn''t go well with them especially for human geniuses. There were those that didn''t care what they said to them like Zero and Mia. Or like Hiro who didn''t take negative things to his heart.


    But most of them seemed to be seriously affected by Elven Princess calling them so-called geniuses and Show offs.


    And of course, there were Elves who could only listen to their princessment and agree with it. As for the reason, only they knew!


    "Hah? That can''t be! I don''t think these weaklings could even touch my hair."


    Elenia insulted as she looked down upon the geniuses in front of her. She could feel re from many people but didn''t seem to care. Rather she had a devious smile on her face which further irritated those groups of geniuses.


    Elenia rolled her eyes, clearly uninterested. "Fine, whatever. But these geniuses won''t stand a chance against me. I bet they can''t even hold a candle to my powers."


    "Enough, Elenia," King Tranduil''s voice held authority, making her stop. "I expect you to be on your best behavior during the guests stay. You may be powerful, but that doesn''t give you the right to belittle others."


    Elenia huffed, crossing her arms, clearly unhappy with her father''s scolding. "Fine, I''ll behave," she muttered, but her eyes still carried a spark of mockery as she nced through the geniuses.


    King Tranduil turned back to the participants and addressed them. "Please don''t mind my daughter''s antics. She''s spirited, but deep down, she means well. Now, let''s proceed with the contest, shall we?"

 Chapter 452 Princess Elenia

    <h4>Chapter 452 Princess Elenia</h4>


    "Please don''t mind my daughter''s antics. She''s spirited, but deep down, she means well. Now, let''s proceed with the contest, shall we?"


    When the geniuses heard this statement from the King, they were even more furious.


    ''What do you mean that she means well? She is just mocking us!''


    They thought but they didn''t dare to say that loudly. Well, there are always some exceptions.


    "What do you mean by that? I wouldn''t tolerate getting insulted just because she is the princess of Elves. No matter how little she is, she needs to know at least a bit about respect."


    Lucuis stood up and said. He could have endured this insult if it was from someone like Zero. However, he couldn''t bring himself to ept that even a little girl like that was insulting him.


    ''NIce!''


    ''Yeah! Teach her a lesson!''


    ''Tell her!'' ¡­.


    Many thought as Lucuis stood up for himself. They were rather happy that someone stood up against the unfair treatment they are getting.


    Lucius unexpectedly had many supporters who supported his statement that included even the people from different races. Even the Dwarf who was about to fight with them were cheering for Lucuis at the moment.


    Maybe that moment was when everybody was united as they all had the same goal.


    ''Teach this bratty princess a lesson!''


    Only Elves had different expressions. Rather than an excited or cheering face, they looked at Lucius with pity. It was not even angry that they felt for Lucuis disrespecting their princess but pity!


    "Look here princess, you might be little but know that there are people you can''t offend even if you are a royal. You might think you are powerful because of your guard but that doesn''t mean you can just insult me."


    Lucuis said.


    The guards who were at the entrance and beside the king wanted to arrest Lucius for his disrespectful behavior but King Thanduil signaled them to not interfere.


    The King of Elves didn''t seem angry by Lucuis statement. Well, only the king was not angry, but it was a different story for the Elven Princess.


    She could definitely insult but it seems like she didn''t like it when it came back to her. She was the definition of a selfish princess.


    "Huh? What did you say?"


    The Elven Princess asked with a pissed expression. She red at Lucius and even Lucius felt some kind of pressure when she said those words.


    However, he just shook his head a bit as he thought that it was just his imagination. He gathered up his courage and opened his mouth.


    "Little Princess, I said- "


    *DUH!


    Lucuis was still arrogant and wanted to say something when suddenly there was an increase of mana aura around his body.


    "GAAK!"


    Lucuis felt his body be heavy and he fell on the ground. He didn''t know who did this but he was very angry.


    He thought that someone was messing with him. He was going to call his guard and retaliate against anyone who had made him in this state.


    "I said you are weakling but you denied it. Then let me give you a chance to prove me wrong!"


    Elenia said. She increased her aura even further. It seems the one who had seemingly attacked Lucuis was the Princess of the Elves.


    Lucuis widened his eyes in surprise. He didn''t think that the little princess who could be half his age was stronger than him. And the worst part of it was that he couldn''t sense at what rank Elenia was.


    It was true for others as well. They never expected that the princess who was mocking them was this strong.


    Only Rank-A + and above people could tell at what rank Princess of Elves were. She was at Rank-S, specially Rank-S +. One of the strongest beings in the world!


    True to her word,pared to her, most of the people gathered there were weaklings. Only a couple of them could truly fight against her!


    Some of them were thinking about how lucky they were! If they had confronted the princess, their fate might have been the same as Lucuis.


    King Thanduil finally spoke, his tone stern butposed, "Elenia, that''s enough. We must maintain decorum and he is our guest. Release him immediately."


    Princess Elenia sneered, but she obeyed her father''smand and lifted the oppressive aura, allowing Lucuis to get back on his feet. However, her eyes were still filled with disdain as she looked at him.


    "Your actions speak louder than your words. If you can''t even handle a little pressure from my aura, how can you im not to be a weakling?" she taunted.


    Lucuis gritted his teeth, trying to maintain hisposure despite his rising anger. He knew that provoking the princess any further would only worsen his situation.


    "Hmph! You all are weaklings. Weaklings should act like weaklings!"


    Elenia said. However, this time, there was not much anger directed at her words. Seeing that she was this strong, they knew that her words were true.


    *SIGH!


    King Tranduil couldn''t help but not know what to do with this daughter of his. She was way more talented than anyone and with her status as princess, she had grown up hearing praises andpliments.


    Now, she was on the verge of breaking apart everything that he worked for.


    But he looked around and saw that the geniuses from other races were not that angry at her as he expected.


    ( The strength really determines everything! )


    King Tranduil thought. For Elves, even if Royals were weak, they were respected and others followed everything that they said.


    However, it was different for other races. The only one they thought could act arrogant and do everything they liked was the strong ones.


    So, even if Princess Elenia said those words, although it was problematic, they could ept it much more easily because she was strong.


    Just as the tense atmosphere settled after Princess Elenia''s disy of power, the grand doors of the hall swung open, and a beautiful woman entered with an aura of grace and authority.


    She had a crown on her head indicating that she was the Queen of Elves, Thssa.


    The geniuses couldn''t help but be mesmerized by her appearance. She was definitely royal and one could know from her presence, unlike Elenia.


    Her presence alone demanded respect, and Elenia panicked when she saw her mother.


    "I''ve that someone has escaped from the Etiquette ss and created trouble for our guest."


    Queen Thssa said with a smile. However, the aura she was giving off was definitely that of an angry person.


    Elenia who was acting dominant was sweating with fear. She looked up at her mother and knew that she would be punished severely.


    "M-Mother! You know how people were talking about how strong other races'' geniuses were. So, I came to check on them! I was definitely not causing a problem!"


    Elenia said quickly.


    ( Huh, right! )


    They all thought. She was causing problems the moment she entered. She was tantly lying in front of everyone. It was definitely not the behavior of a princess.


    *SIGH!


    "Everyone, Sorry for all the trouble my daughter has caused. I will make sure that she is disciplined after this!"


    Queen Thssa said with a bow. Her words seemed to contain a calming effect as the geniuses no longer felt anger for what Elenia said.


    "We understand your majesty!"


    "There is no need for you to apologize!"


    "Yes, your majesty! Princess Elenia was just joking around!" ¡­


    They all felt that there was no need for Queen Thssa to apologize. With the Queen''s bow, they felt that they didn''t need to pursue Elenia''sments.


    Everyone was satisfied, except for one!


    "But Mother-"


    Elenia wanted to protest against her mothers word. She didn''t like being punished and she knew that her mother was going to make her clean the whole castle or make her meditate without letting her move for a week.


    She knew that her punishment was not going to be small!


    Queen Thssa red at Elenia, making her flinched and stopped wanting to protest. If she continued causing her mother problems, she knew that her punishment would just increase.


    In any case, her only choice was to ept the punishment given by her mother.


    "I apologize for any inconvenience caused by my daughter''s actions. Please, let us continue!"


    Queen Thssa said.


    King Thanduil nodded as he addressed the geniuses, "Let us proceed with the contest. Do your best!"

 Chapter 453 Princess Elenia [2]

    <h4>Chapter 453 Princess Elenia [2]</h4>


    "Let us proceed with the contest. Do your best!"


    With a collective sigh of relief, the atmosphere in the grand hall began to lighten. The tension that had been building up due to Princess Elenia''s antics was now dissipating, thanks to Queen Thssa''s presence and her willingness to take responsibility for her daughter''s behavior.


    The geniuses refocused their attention on the uing contest. This event was a significant opportunity for them to showcase their talents and prove their worth to the various races present in the hall.


    They can show who among these races were superior and it was especially true for humans who were discriminated against. They were eager to show why they were the strongest race in the world and have others respect them.


    However, if there was one thing that they learned from their encounter with Princess Elenia is that they couldn''t underestimate their opponent. They were reminded once again that the ones gathered in that hall were all Top geniuses of their race.


    King Tranduil left the hall along with his wife and daughter. Princess Elenia turned around and stuck out her tongue before leaving with them.


    Soon, servants came to escort the geniuses to another ce for each race. The ce was where the guards of the geniuses were gathered.


    Servants and attendants bustled around, preparing for the feast that would follow. Long tables adorned with fine linens and exquisite dishes were set up in the adjoining chamber. A tantalizing aroma wafted through the air as chefs meticulously crafted dishes that catered to the varying ptes of the participating races.


    "What do you think? Do you think we can win the contest?"


    Mia asked Zero and Amelia.


    "Well, I am not particrly good at fighting, so I don''t really have a chance to win! Although I will try to get in the Top-10."


    Amelia replied. She wasn''t particrly bad at fighting, however, when faced against geniuses, it was not enough. However, with her S-Rank, there was a chance to get into Top-10.


    Mia nodded understandably.


    "What about you, Zero?"


    Mia asked. Although Zero''s rank was A, she had never underestimated him. She still didn''t know his full power. Although Zero will not use Dark Energy, he still has many trump cards that allows him to win against even Rank-S.


    "I am also not sure! I can try but I am not particrly interested in winning."


    Zero replied. He will certainly try but if he was faced with a tough opponent, he would rather give up.


    ( Maybe I should quit if I do end up winning in the first round? )


    Although the extra days in Luminary Spring sound great, it was not to the point that he wanted to show his full power in front of everyone.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    Seeing Zero was also not interested in winning, it seemed that it was up to her. The contest was not just for the rewards but also a matter of pride for the race.


    Although Mia didn''t particrly care about winning, however, this was something that will affect the opinion of others race towards humans. So, she had to do her best.


    Maybe winning the contest might create a favorable impression towards other races. Anyone, there needs to be someone from the human race to do well in the contest.


    As the one of the strongest from the human race, it was her responsibility that her ranking was high, maybe number 1 if possible.


    If she were topare thebat power of the group of geniuses there, she reckon she was number 1 or maybe number 2 since Zero had that powerful attack that killed Ifrit.


    Anyway, such discussions are happening all around. Many were excited since they could get extra days as a reward. Rank-A and below didn''t have much hope of being in the Top-10, however, they hoped that they could impress King Tranduil and get rewarded.


    "Hiro, do you think that you can get a good ranking?"


    Sylvia asked. They were the lowest ranking among the group of geniuses. However, ording to King Tranduil''s words, there was a chance that they could get rewarded by fighting well.


    Although their ranks were lowest, in terms of fighting they were leagues ahead, at least whenpared with people of the same rank. However, all the people gathered were also geniuses, so there was a chance that they could lose miserably even against the same rank.


    "If our luck is good, there is a good chance!"


    Hiro replied.


    As long as they don''t meet Rank-S, there is a good chance of grabbing the rewards. However, he couldn''t underestimate other races, especially after witnessing Princess Elenia''s power.


    "We should be careful not to underestimate them. If we are cautious, we can win this!"


    "Humph! Just beat them. Rather I am hoping that I could fight with you!"


    Zion said. Since it was a contest with random draw, there was no rule saying that you wouldn''t be fighting against the same race and Zion hoped his opponent would be Hiro or Zero.


    Zion had never forgotten Zero who seemed to be an unreachable wall, even greater than Hiro. Although at the moment, he wasn''t sure how strong he was, he still knows that at least he was powerful.


    As for Hiro, he was his eternal rival. He has fought with hiro multiple times as training. Although the number of losses of his were greater than win, he still managed to win sometimes. However, when it came topetition and no training, his win rate was still 0.


    So, he hoped that he could fight in this contest against him and win. As for the reward promised by Elven King, that was secondary to his fight with Hiro.


    "Well, if luck permits!"


    Hiro replied.


    "Lisa! Misha, what are your thoughts?"


    Sylvia directed her question to the other twodies.


    "Considering my strength, I don''t think I could get very far. If I am lucky, maybe I might advance a couple of rounds!"


    Misha replied. She was confident in her strength but as much as she was confident, she was also well-aware of her strength. She didn''t think that against so many Rank-A and Rank-S, she could get very far.


    "I will try my best. As for the result, only god knows!"


    Lisa replied. She was not that optimistic either. But since she was there, representing the human race, she could at least do her best to not humiliate the human race.


    The responsibility of winning the contest fell on the five S-Rank in that group of geniuses. As for the rest, all they could do was try their best.

 Chapter 454 The Fight Amongst The Geniuses

    <h4>Chapter 454 The Fight Amongst The Geniuses</h4>


    Meanwhile, in the background, a crew of skilled artisans and stagehands worked diligently to prepare the contest stage.


    Soon enough, it was the start of the contest that was announced ad hoc.


    The grand hall was packed to the brim with dignitaries, spectators, and participants. Most spectators were those Elves that were working for the Royals as others were not allowed in.


    Apart from them were the people who tagged along with the geniuses. They were mostly bodyguards or people who were sent to protect the young geniuses.


    The atmosphere was electric, and all eyes were on the stage. King Tranduil, standing tall and regal, addressed the crowd.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed representatives of the races, and most importantly, our brilliant geniuses," He began, her voice ringing clear throughout the hall.


    "Today, we gather to witness a contest that transcends borders and biases. A contest that will determine not just individual superiority, but the unity and strength of our world."


    As the King''s words echoed through the hall, a sense of anticipation and excitement filled the air.


    "Each one of you gathered here represents the pinnacle of your respective races," King Tranduil continued, his gaze sweeping across the assembled geniuses. "Your talents and abilities have brought you to this stage. I hope that you show us something amazing, worthy of your title as geniuses."


    The participants below were already sizing up their opponent. Others couldn''t wait to show their power. Each race wants to show that they were superior to others.


    "The rules of the contest are simple. Each participant will be randomly paired against another geniuses. The battles will take ce on the stage before you, and the oue will be determined when you lose consciousness or surrender. Apart from them, the referee will also interfere if the fight gets too dangerous."


    "To the victor of each battle goes the honor of moving forward in the contest, and to those who prove themselves most exceptional, we have many rewards!" King Tranduil dered, his tone carrying a sense of grandeur.


    With a wave of his hand, King Tranduil signaled for the contest to begin. The stadium had some kind of artifact which randomly showed the names of two contestants. It was spinning and slowly came to a stop.


    "Then, for the first match, Lucuis from the Human race and Balin from the Dwarf race."


    The referee announced the name that was disyed.


    It is unknown whether Lucuis has good luck or not for being the first one to go but he seemed eager enough. It seems that because of all the humiliation caused, especially by Princess Elenia, Lucuis was eager to prove himself.


    Well, that seems difficult with Balin as his opponent.


    Zero could already predict the result. Although he didn''t know much about Balin, he did know Lucius well enough.


    Balin was one sub-rank higher, which meant Balin was B+. However, Balin should be a genuine genius sent over here rather than like Lucuis who used his background.


    Lucuis could hardly win against a genius of the same rank, not to mention someone who is ranked higher than himself.


    The most positive result would be Lucuis surviving at least a minute on the stage.


    However, unlike what Zero thinks, Lucuis was thinking the opposite. It seems that he is so confident that he didn''t think that he would lose.


    "I am off!"


    Lucuis said confidently to his friend.


    "Lucuis, don''t hold back!"


    "Show them what we are made of!"


    "That pesky man has no chance at all!" ¡­


    It was not only Lucuis, it seemed that his entire group believed that he would win. Zero could only sight looking at those ignorant groups of people.


    "Oh! So the first match is between Dwarf and human. This is going to be interesting!"


    "I had seen Dwarf fight before. Their defense is almost imprable and they have immense strength. But I don''t know what to expect from a human."


    "The human seemed very confident. Maybe he has something hidden in his arsenal. I heard that each human fights differently and they all fight differently than each other." ¡­


    The spectators were also excited. For most, it is their first time seeing other races fight. It was also an opportunity for them to know different races'' fighting styles.


    The moment had arrived. The grand hall held its collective breath as the first pair of contestants, Lucuis and Balin, stepped onto the contest stage. The tension in the air was palpable, and the gazes of the spectators were fixed firmly on the two geniuses. The referee stood ready, a stern expression on his face.


    Lucuis, his determination apparent in his eyes, faced Balin, who exudes an air of quiet confidence.


    "This will be over in a second!"


    Lucuis dered arrogantly. His confidence made the dwarf Balin cautious. As humans were considered stronger, Balin couldn''t help but be on his guard even though his rank was higher.


    Lucuis confidence only further solidified that notion.


    The referee raised his hand, ready to signal the beginning of the battle. A hushed silence fell over the crowd as the anticipation reached its peak.


    And then, in an instant, the battle began and ended!


    "..."


    The audience didn''t know what to say!


    Balin moved with astonishing speed, a blur of motion. Before Lucuis could fullyprehend what had happened, Balin had closed the distance.


    With a swift, precise strike, Balin incapacitated Lucius with a single, well-ced blow. The crowd gasped collectively, their astonishment mingling with shock.


    ( This was it? )


    That was what was on everybody''s mind. The battle had only gotten started and victor was already there.


    It would be understandable if the difference in strength was too much but it was just one sub rank. And with Lucuis arrogance, they thought that he had something up his sleeve. But this was it.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed representatives of the races, I hereby dere the victor of this match to be Balin of the Dwarf race!"


    The referee hurried forward to confirm Lucuis''s defeat and ensure his well-being. The crowd erupted into a cacophony of whispered conversations, exmations, and murmurs of surprise.


    "Wasn''t that human too weak?"


    "Yeah! How could one get knocked out by one hit?"


    "Are humans weaker than we thought? Howe they are the dominant race?" ¡­.


    The audiences began wondering. Lucuis was too weak and that made it seem like humans as a whole were weak.


    Lucuis was carried out of the stage as the name of the second round was announced!

 Chapter 455: Humans Humiliating Defeats

    The name for the second round was being determined and then it happened!


    It was between Human and Dryad!


    And unfortunately for humans, the name was someone from William''s group. William, who was boosted to be second strongest in that group, has already lost miserably.


    Zero didn''t expect some miracle to happen with someone who is even weaker than Lucius.


    ( Looks like Humans are going to be humiliated again! )


    Other human geniuses also wore a gloomy expression. Maybe other races didn''t know but they knew well enough to know that anyone from William''s group would be devastated by any opponent there.


    They were already humiliated because of Lucius, now another clown took the stage. He also walked confidently and talked about how he is going to take revenge for Lucuis.


    ¡­


    "Winner! Elowen Swiftleaf from Dryad Race!"


    Another battle that ended in a first strike. William''s friend tried to go all out but was instantly caught in the illusion casted by the Dryad.


    The moment he got caught, he already lost!


    Another humiliating defeat for humans. Even other races were discussing what was happening. They all thought that as one of the dominant races, humans would be strong. But one after another, they were defeated easily.


    They began to doubt whether Humans are even strong!


    "Humph! Look at those humans. They can''t even fight properly. Dad, I don''t know why you invited them."


    Princess Elenia said. As a prideful princess, she thinks that Elves are a powerful race, more powerful than even Devil and Human.


    "My dear daughter, when will you learn to be patient. It was only two matches and you already concluded that humans are weak. Even if they are, you shouldn''t speak about them like this."


    King Tranduil said. He wants his daughter to learn to never underestimate others and moreover, look past just power.


    Elenia kept quiet but her dads words didn''t change what she was thinking.


    ( Why do we need to rely on those races? )


    Elenia thought. From her perspective, every race was weak and useless. She didn''t believe that increasing the strength of those geniuses would prevent the cmity that ra speaks of.


    And through this contest, she was going to prove it. There is no need to rely on them and they only need her to save everyone.


    ( I am going to easily crush every one of them! )


    Elenia thought. Not only win but win so effortlessly that it would change the mind of her dad and ra.


    The contest continued for quite a while. Among the race, the one who was getting bash around was human.


    Among the ten fights, five of them had humans. And every fight, humans have lost. One of the reasons was because of how lucky they were.


    Of five human participants, 4 were from William''s group and as for thest person, his opponent was Rank-A which was one major rank higher than him.


    This opted other races to look down on humans. And Humans were frustrated by all the losses that they incurred.


    "If it was me, I would have shown them!"


    "Calm down! Our turn wille and then we will show them!"


    "Curse this Damn Luck!" ¡­


    Humans were not having a great time with how they looked.


    The name for the 11th round was spinning and everyone waited for the name to be shown. The human geniuses were particrly waiting for their turn as they wanted to show how powerful they really were.


    "Hiro Ernest from Human Race and Lydonn from Therianthrope Race!"


    The referee announced!


    Hiro was excited when his name was called.


    "Good Luck!"


    "Do your best!"


    "Show them what you got!"


    Lisa, Sylvia and Misha cheered for Hiro. Three of them believed that Hiro would be able to win the fight.


    Hiro nodded and then said, "I will be going then!"


    He took out his sword and then walked towards the arena. His opponent was already in the arena, seemingly eager to fight.


    Zero looked at Hiro''s opponent and then became uninterested in the fight.


    HIs opponent was also the same as Hiro with Rank-A -. Although one might think that the fight''s result would be difficult to determine because both of them are geniuses with the same rank, however, as someone who knows Hiro, Zero could already predict the future.


    With System''s help even a super genius stands no chance against Hiro. And even without System''s help, he is strong enough to defeat even geniuses.


    The name of Hiro interested many parties. Hiro''s name was not only famous in Human Domain but with other domains, his name was spread.


    Of course, all they knew was that humans have a very talented person named Hiro. Other than that, most of them had no idea who Hiro was.


    However, because of previous matches of humans, they didn''t hold high expectations for this match. They thought that this fight might also end in an instant even though both of them are in Rank-A.


    ( Oh! It looks like I will see it early! )


    King Tranduil thought when Hiro''s name was announced. Because of all thepliments from ra, he was more eager than anyone to watch Hiro''s fight.


    Even though humans'' fight had been disappointing, King Tranduil knew that it would be different.


    "Watch this match carefully and let''s see whether you think the same as before about humans!"


    King Tranduil said to his daughter. It was a good chance for him to let his daughter learn a lesson about never underestimating others.


    Princess Elenia was surprised by what her dad was saying.She didn''t think that her dad would have so much expectation of the human who just entered the arena.


    "Sure!"


    ( Let''s see what''s special about you! )


    Elenia thought as she directed her concentration towards Hiro.


    At the arena, Lydonn and Hiro had arrived. Lydonn was obviously looking down on Hiro because of all the previous fights of humans.


    "Hehe¡­ Why don''t you just surrender to make this easier for each other?"


    Lydonn said. He acted as if he was giving a chance to Hiro.


    "Thanks for your offer but I would like to try winning before giving up!"


    Hiro replied.


    Unlike others, he didn''t mind others underestimating him. He just had to do what he had to do whether his opponent is underestimating him or not.


    "I gave you the chance but you refused. Don''t me me if you broke your limb!"


    Lydonn said while showing his sharp teeth.


    "Are you ready?"


    Referee asked and both Lydonn and Hiro nodded their heads.


    "Then let the fight begin!"

 Chapter 456: The Genius Of Human Race

    "Then let the fight begin!"


    -WHOOSH!


    As soon as the referee signaled the fight, Lydonn rushed towards Hiro with his full speed. Lydonn wanted to end this fight as soon as possible.


    From what he had seen, humans were weak and he believed that Hiro wouldn''t be able to take a single hit from him.


    -CLANK!


    However, different from what he expected, his advance was easily stopped by Hiro. He used his sword to stop Lydon''s w.


    "W-What?"


    Lydonn was surprised. Not only did Hiro stop his attack but he was surprised by his speed. Lydonn is most proud of his speed which is even greater than other geniuses of the same rank.


    However, now he met someone for the first time who had managed to surpass his speed despite being the same rank as him.


    Not only him but the spectator was also surprised. First of all, their expectation of the fight was low and secondly what urred just now happened so fast that most of them didn''t even see Hiro until he was face to face with Lydonn.


    -SLASH!


    Hiro swiftly shed his sword which was aimed towards Lydonn''s arms. Lydonn tried to dodge it but was a bitte, prompting him getting a cut on his shoulder. However, it was only a light cut and nothing to worry about.


    -WHOOSH!


    Lydonn swiftly retreated, creating some distance between him and Hiro. He licked his wound and assessed Hiro more carefully. He could no longer underestimate Hiro and knew that he was a threat.


    -SWISH!


    Hiro didn''t waste any time. He knew that he needed to maintain his momentum and keep Lydonn on his toes. With a swift motion, Hiro dashed forward again, his movements almost a blur.


    Lydonn had expected this and had prepared himself this time. He dodged Hiro''s attack and countered with a series of quick strikes. However, Hiro''s reflexes were just as fast. He parried each blow with precision, his sword dancing in the air.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANK!


    The two fighters engaged in a fast-paced exchange, their movements a mesmerizing disy of skill and agility. The spectators were drawn into the intensity of the battle, witnessing a human genius holding his own against a skilled opponent from another race.


    "How? How could a human keep up with me?"


    Lydonn questioned after realizing that he couldn''t overwhelm Hiro with his speed. As for the power, he has less strength than Hiro and with every confrontation, it was him who was pushed back.


    "Then I will no longer hold back!"


    Lydonn said. It seems that he still has something up his sleeves and Hiro kept his guard up. He has never underestimated Lydonn, just as he never underestimated any opponent he has fought till now.


    "AAAWWWWWOOOO!"


    Lydonn decided to up the stakes. He began to channel his innate therianthrope abilities, his body morphing into a more beast-like form. His ws grew longer and sharper, his senses heightened. With this transformation, he looked almost like a monster wolf.


    -WHOOSH!


    Once again, Lydonn approached Hiro at his full-speed. However, this time he was almost 1.5 times faster than he was at first.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    Realizing how fast Lydonn had be, Hiro also used Star Swift to increase his skill.


    -CLANG!


    Once again Hiro blocked Lydonn''s attack. However, Lydonn didn''t stop and continued to press on.


    -CLANK! -CLANK! -CLANG!


    Hiro faced the challenge head-on. He continued to use his impable swordsmanship to deflect and counter Lydonn''s attacks. Hiro was easily able to take on Lydonn''s attack without much trouble.


    The sh between Hiro and Lydonn escted into a whirlwind of steel and fury. Their movements were a blur, each strike and parry resonating through the arena. The spectators were on the edge of their seats, captivated by the intensity of the battle.


    Lydonn''s transformation had indeed increased his speed and power, making him a formidable opponent. But Hiro''s power was beyond what Lydonn had and soon enough it was clear that Lydonn couldn''t defeat Hiro.


    Lydonn continued to get weaker and slow, on the other hand there was no such sign from Hiro.


    "You''re no ordinary human," Lydonn growled, his beast-like voice carrying a tinge of respect. After having fought with Hiro, he had a new profound respect for humans.


    However, that didn''t mean that he was giving up. To show his respect, he was going to use hisst trump card and also his strongest attack.


    "Thanks! You are also strong!"


    Hiro replied. Although in reality, if Hiro fought with everything he had, he could have ended the fight in seconds, even so he knows that Lydonn is quite strong.


    [ "Savage Fang Assault" ]


    Lydonn used his strongest attack and Hiro also didn''t hold back.


    [ "Void Destruction" ]


    Although not his strongest skill, it was still very powerful. If Hiro used something more powerful, he felt that Lydonn might die, which he obviously doesn''t want.


    -BOOOM!


    The arena was engulfed in a storm of energy and force, the very air trembling with theirbined might.


    The spectators watched in awe as the two attacks collided, creating a shockwave that rippled through the arena. Only then did they know why they were called geniuses.


    The ground beneath them trembled, and the force of the impact sent a burst of wind and debris in all directions.


    For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the sh of power reached its peak. The arena was bathed in blinding light, obscuring the view of the battle for those watching.


    And then, the light began to fade, revealing the aftermath of the sh. The ground around Hiro and Lydonn was scorched and cracked, evidence of the sheer force they had unleashed.


    "I-I have lost!"


    Lydonn muttered before losing consciousness and falling to the ground. He gave everything but still wasn''t able tond a single hit on the human geniuses.


    It became clear that Hiro had emerged victorious. Lydonnid unconscious on the ground while Hiro was standing without a single cut on his body. It was like Hiro didn''t even fight.


    This was a big shock to every spectator and also a lesson for them to never underestimate Humans. After watching this fight, it would be a surprise if they still thought that humans were weak.


    Amidst the shock, the referee''s voice echoed through the arena, "Winner! Hiro Ernest from the Human Race!"

 Chapter 457: The Genius Of Human Race [2]

    "Winner! Hiro Ernest from the Human Race!"


    With the announcement of Hiro''s victory, the arena erupted in a mix of cheers, gasps, and whispers of disbelief.


    The spectacle they had just witnessed was beyond anything they could have imagined. The battle had shattered preconceived notions and demonstrated the incredible strength and potential of humans.


    Typically Therianthrope''s races are faster than other races and that includes Humans as well. Well that was what was believed and known, however, Hiro disyed speed surpassing even the genius of Therianthropes race.


    Moreover, with the previous disy of strength by humans, they thought that Hiro wouldn''t be any different. However, Hiro managed to overturn their thought and easily won against Lydonn.


    Therianthrope''s races were the one who was most surprised. Lydonn was someone who even among the geniuses was considered the fastest and the strongest, and Hiro had managed to defeat him without a single scratch.


    King Thranduil smiled. He was delighted that what ra told was true. Although he still can''t be sure, that single fight was enough to tell that Hiro would be one of the strongest.


    "...."


    Princess Elenia was also stunned. She didn''t think of Hiro as anything even with what her father had said. However, Hiro was much stronger and she knew that she wasn''t as strong as him when she was at his rank.


    ( Is this the real power of human? )


    She thought. Now, she grew interested in humans, particrly Hiro.


    "Oh! So this is the human considered the most talented in the Human Domain! He truly deserved the title!"


    "It seems that he has not shown everything he has. I don''t believe that it was his full power."


    "We might be in for a treat for his future fight. I look forward to seeing his full power." ¡­


    Other races'' guardians talked with each other. They had all heard about Hiro and his feat but it was their first time seeing him. They were naturally fascinated by his strength while also wary of it.


    Although they appeared to be in alliance or some sort, the different races gathered didn''t particrly have a good history with each other, and it was especially true for humans.


    Anyway, Hiro had finally managed to make a good impact on other races and regained the dignity of humans. The human geniuses all cheered for Hiro''s victory.


    Hiro sheathed his sword and took a deep breath, allowing the adrenaline to subside. He walked over to Lydonn''s unconscious form, concern in his eyes despite the fierce battle they had just waged.


    He knelt beside him and checked for any signs of severe injuries. Finding none, he sighed in relief.


    Medical personnel rushed onto the field to tend to Lydonn''s wounds and carry him off on a stretcher. Hiro stood up and looked around at the crowd.


    The spectators'' gazes were filled with admiration, respect, and a newfound understanding of the capabilities of humans.


    As Hiro exited the arena, he was met with a mix of apuse and cheers from his fellow human geniuses.


    "Nice work!"


    "You did great!"


    "Finally! We can lift our heads a bit. I was really frustrated by all the losses. Now, they know ont to underestimate humans."


    "Congrattions on your victory!" ¡­.


    Other human geniuses said to Hiro as he came back to his seat. Hiro nodded with a smile.


    His friend also congratted him.


    "Hiro, that was a good fight. Lydonn of Therianthropes was really fast. I could barely see him."


    Sylvia said. She could barely see Lydonn movement even from afar, however, as for Hiro''s movement, it was impossible for her to see any of it, especially after he used Star Swift.


    "Yeah! He was really strong. If I wasn''t very careful, I might have gotten serious injuries!"


    Hiro said, acknowledging his opponent''s strength. However, anyone could see that it would have been very difficult for Lydonn to do so as Hiro was much faster than him.


    Anyway, the next round has already started when he was busy talking with his friend. It was between a Dwarf and Elves.


    Both were in Rank-A and seemed fairly powerful. As usual, The dwarf used a hammer as a weapon and the Elves used the bow.


    The match was the longest fight among all the fights. The Elves maintain distance while attacking the dwarf while the dwarf tries to get closer to the Elves.


    With dwarf defensive abilities, most of the Elves'' attacks were negated but the Dwarf couldn''tnd a solid hit on the Elves.


    At the end of the fight, the dwarf has exhausted itself and as a result won the fight.


    The dwarf was not necessarily weaker than the Elve, it was just that the fighting style of Elves held advantage over the Dwarf which resulted in the Dwarf loss.


    Anyway, the contest continued and humans were finally winning. After Hiro, there had been three more humans who fought and they all won.


    By this point, it was made clear that humans were not weak.


    And one thing that made it difficult to deal with humans was their variety of Art and different fighting styles. Unlike Dwarf and Elves, who all use the same weapon, depending on different humans, they use different weapons and fighting styles.


    This made it very difficult for the opponent to know how to deal with the human opponent until they fought.


    On the other hand, it was much easier to guess what type of fight to expect depending on the race that humans get to fight.


    If you get Dwarf as your opponent, keep your distance. If you get Elves as an opponent, try to close the distance as soon as possible.


    If Therianthropes is your opponent, focus more on defense and counter attack.


    However, despite knowing this, it didn''t mean that it was easy to defeat them. Although simr, they also have their own unique way of fighting and if you are not careful, you could easily lose despite knowing their weaknesses.


    And one thing that was disadvantageous for humans was that although they have a variety of Art, they could never excel like the other races.


    For example, let''s say a human whose Art is closebat which was to increase one''s strength. Although he will be much stronger than other humans who practiced different Art, he will never be stronger than Dwarf.


    Dwarfs were born with extraordinary strengthbined with the Art that was designed to increase their strength. Simr was the case for archery and other Art.


    Humans were jack of all trades but master of none.


    It was both a good and bad thing!


    Anyway, the next match''s name was decided and it was the turn of one of the strongest people from Elves side.


    It was Princess Elenia!

 Chapter 458: Whispers of Hope: Sylvias Determination!

    "Sylvia Mavis from the Human Race and Princess Elenia of the Elven Race!"


    The next match was between one of the strongest ranked beings, which is S and the other was the lowest ranked in that group of geniuses, B.


    The match result had already been decided before it even began!


    "Humph! Dad, I was impressed by what that little human could do. However, that still doesn''t change what I think. I think that it is useless to rely on other people. And I will prove to you by winning this contest."


    Princess Elenia said before heading towards the stage.


    *SIGH!


    King Tranduil wants Elenia to think like a princess as in a hundred or so years, she might take his ce.


    He hoped that in this contest, someone might teach her that there is more to a person than simply power.


    Anyway, in any case, she was his daughter and he also hoped that she would win the contest and prove her talent to the world.


    It was really tough to be a father and a king at the same time!


    With the name announced, the Elven races got into a frenzy and cheered for their princess.


    As Princess Elenia walked onto the stage, a wave of cheers and apuse erupted from the Elven spectators. Their voices carried a mixture of excitement and pride, as they showed their support for their beloved princess.


    "Princess Elenia, show them your strength!"


    "Go, go, Princess Elenia!"


    "We believe in you, Your Highness!"


    The cheers grew louder and more fervent as Elenia made her way to her designated spot. Her radiant presence and the anticipation in the air were almost palpable. Since most of the spectators were Elves, their cheer filled the whole arena.


    On the opposite side of the arena, the atmosphere was very different. The humans all know the strength of Sylvia and despite being one of the most talented people, they didn''t hold any hope of winning.


    "I will be going then!"


    Syvlia said as she stood up. She tried to act asposed as possible but the opponent she got was really strong. So strong that she knew that she couldn''t win even if she was 10 times stronger.


    Despite that, she refused to give up and decided to challenge one of the strongest.


    Misha and Lisa looked at Sylvia with concern. They wouldn''t have said anything even if she decided to give up as the difference in strength was too much.


    They didn''t even know how to cheer her up.


    "Sylvia, do you really want to go?"


    Hiro asked worriedly.


    Sylvia put on a brave expression and replied confidently, "Don''t worry! I am not thinking about winning. I will give up when it gets tough."


    Hiro felt a bit relieved. It wasn''t a bad idea to go and challenge one of the strongest. She could surrender when she couldn''t fight and Hiro was convinced that she would surrender if she got hurt.


    "Good Luck!"


    Misha and Lisa managed to say.


    Sylvia nodded her head as she also headed towards the stage. On her way, she met Zero who stood there silently looking at the stage.


    "Hey, Zero! Don''t you have anything to say to me?"


    Sylvia asked teasingly.


    Zero turned his gaze toward Sylvia, his green eyes locking onto hers. His voice, usually calm and measured, carried a rare intensity as he spoke, "Go there and win!"


    Sylvia blinked in surprise, taken aback by the unexpected seriousness in Zero''s words.


    "Haha¡­ You should stop joking! Don''t tell me that you forget I am just Rank-B?"


    Sylvia said.


    Zero still looked into her eyes with seriousness. It was for sure that Zero was not joking.


    "Why?"


    ???


    "Why do you think you are not going to win?"


    Zero asked.


    "Huh? I mean Princess Elenia is rank-S and I am just Rank-B. She is above me by two major ranks. I couldn''t possibly win this fight!"


    Syvlia replied with a bit of anger in her voice. She was probably angered at her own self for being weak.


    "Maybe!"


    Zero replied.


    Sylvia felt a mix of emotions. She was disappointed as Zero was alsocking confidence in her. But she wasn''t angry with Zero as she didn''t believe that she would win.


    "However, that doesn''t mean that you can''t win."


    ( You are one of the main character after all! )


    Zero thought. Well, she didn''t think that it was impossible for Sylvia to win considering that even he had managed to kill a Rank-S monster at Rank-B.


    Of course, there were a lot of variables but that didn''t change the fact that he managed to kill it. With Sylvia being the main character, who is to say that those variables wouldn''t assist her.


    Moreover, there was one more reason why he believe that Sylvia could win and that was-


    "Huh?"


    Syliva was once again surprised as it seems that Zero still believes that she could achieve victory.


    "How?"


    "Princess Elenia seemed like a prideful Elves. And with how prideful she is, I don''t think she would use her full power. Moreover, she seemed to like to show off based on how she acted earlier."


    Zero continued.


    "There is a high chance that she will underestimate you and let her guard down, at that time if you can deal a finishing blow to her, she will lose. Even if she is Rank-S, as long as she lets her guard down, she is vulnerable as any other being after all."


    "..."


    Sylvia was surprised that Zero thought of all this. When confronting a powerful enemy, most would just think that they will lose just like her. They wouldn''t think about all other variables like this which might change the oue.


    As Zero''s words sank in, Sylvia found herself pondering the possibilities he had presented. His perspective was different from hers, and it made her think about the situation in a new light. A glimmer of hope began to stir within her.


    "Zero, you really think there''s a chance?" Sylvia asked, her voice tinged with a mixture of uncertainty and determination.


    "I wouldn''t say it if I didn''t believe it. Remember, battles aren''t just about power. Strategy, timing, and exploiting weaknesses matter too. Princess Elenia might be strong, but that doesn''t mean she''s invincible."


    Sylvia''s gaze shifted back to the stage, where Princess Elenia stood confidently, waiting for the match to begin.


    The contrast between their attitudes was stark¡ªElenia''s pride and confidence versus Sylvia who is unsure and scared.


    However, with Zero word, Sylvia felt some kind of reassurance that maybe she could win. At least, she wouldn''t know until she tried.


    "Thank you, Zero! Then I will be going!"

 Chapter 459 Defying The Odds: Sylvia鈥檚 Courageous Stand

    <h4>Chapter 459 Defying The Odds: Sylvia''s Courageous Stand</h4>


    With newfound determination ignited by Zero''s words, Sylvia stepped onto the stage, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement.


    She nced back at her friends, Misha, Lisa, and Hiro, who were all watching her with varying degrees of concern. She offered them a reassuring smile before turning her attention back to the task at hand.


    Princess Elenia, on the other side of the stage, exuded an air of confidence that matched her esteemed rank. Her elven elegance was entuated by her ornate armor and flowing garments, and she held herself with an aura of regality that seemed almost unassable.


    "Ah! Why is she even fighting? The result is obvious!"


    "The human should just surrender and stop wasting our time. Anyone could see that she is going to lose!"


    "This is going to be over in a second." ¡­.


    Looking at the difference in the strength, no one had any interest or hope in the match. For them, the match has already been decided the moment, the name Elenia was announced.


    "Ha? You really want to fight me?"


    Princess Elenia asked arrogantly. She thought that the other person would give up and never expected Sylvia to make her appearance.


    "Humph! A Rank-B dares to challenge me. I don''t know whether to call you foolish or brave. Either way, the result is not going to change."


    Princess Eleina said.


    Sylvia didn''t do anything back.


    ( Indeed it might be foolish of me to expect to win but I will never know until I try. Zero, watch me! I will show you how powerful I have be in these two years. )


    She summoned her bow and arrow. It seemed to be an artifact of very high rank, probably Rank-S.


    It could have been a big advantage for Syvlia if not for her opponent being Princess Elenia who is Rank-S herself. No matter how high ranked weapons one wield, it could be difficult to close the difference in power between Rank-B and Rank-S.


    Syvlia focused her attention on Elenia, analyzing her opponent''s stance, demeanor, and the way she stood.


    Sylvia had prepared herself for a tough fight while on the other hand, Elenia didn''t seem to even think of this whole thing as a fight. She just casually stood there without really thinking about fighting.


    The match was about to begin!


    "You can still surrender, you know!"


    Princess Elenia said. She found it funny that Sylvia was taking the fight seriously as she thought that result was already predetermined.


    Sylvia took a deep breath, pushing aside her insecurities. "I may not be as strong as you, Princess Elenia, but I won''t back down without a fight."


    Elenia''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Very well, then! Show me what you can do! Don''t expect mercy from me!"


    Elenia said while exuding a threatening aura. It did manage to make Sylvia a bit scared, however, she was determined to fight and wouldn''t give up.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked and both of them nodded their heads.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    As the match began, Sylvia swiftly notched an arrow and drew her bowstring, her fingers trembling slightly from nervousness..


    Princess Elenia, seemingly rxed and unthreatened, watched Sylvia''s movements with a raised eyebrow. She still didn''t bother to draw her own weapon, a sign of her confidence.


    Sylvia took a deep breath, centering herself, and then she unleashed her arrow with precision.


    The arrow streaked through the air, aimed directly at Elenia, who finally decided to move. With a flick of her wrist, Elenia redirected all the arrows effortlessly.


    The crowd chuckled at the spectacle. Sylvia''s attack had been thwarted without much effort, reinforcing their belief that this fight was already decided. But Sylvia wasn''t deterred. She didn''t think that her normal attack would do anything to Elenia.


    Once again, Sylvia was preparing to attack when suddenly the target, Elenia, had disappeared from her sight. She looked left and right, but she couldn''t see her at all.


    "You should seriously just give up. There is no shame running away from me."


    Elenia''s voice sounded from behind. In the time that Syvlia was preparing for her next attack, it looks like Elenia had gone behind Sylvia.


    Sylvia immediately turned around andunched a series of attacks.


    [ Moon Blitz ]


    The distance between Sylvia and Elenia was so short that it was very difficult even for Rank-S to dodge all the attack that Sylviaunched.


    However, Princess Elenia was no ordinary opponent. Even among Rank-S, she was at the very top. Elenia had used a mana barrier to block out all the attack.


    "Nice try! Your techniques are no less powerful than us Elves. But this is not enough to defeat me."


    Princess Elenia said with a smile. Elves are expert in archery but Sylvia was also as good as Elven genius which surprised Elenia a bit. But that was it!


    Even if thousands of such attacks hit her, she would still be alright.


    Sylvia''s heart sank as she watched her Moon Blitz technique being effortlessly repelled by Elenia''s mana barrier. Her attacks, while powerful, had proven ineffective against the princess''s formidable defenses.


    Elenia''s smile only widened as she observed Sylvia''s reaction. "You''re quite skilled, I''ll give you that. But you underestimate the difference between us," she taunted, her voice dripping with condescension.


    Sylvia''s grip on her bow tightened, and even with Elenia''s word, Sylvia was determined.


    ( Unless I break her defense, no matter how much I attack, it will be useless! )


    Sylvia thought. Her mind was always searching for a way for her to win but looking at the Elenia''s imprable defense, she knew that she had to focus all her strength into single attack which could breakthrough Elenia''s defense.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Princess Elenia suddenly appeared before Sylvia. Sylvia couldn''t even react before she was flung back by Elenia''s finger flick.


    Sylvia crashed into the ground, skidding a few feet beforeing to a halt. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, gritting her teeth against the pain.


    As Sylvia struggled to her feet, her friends in the audience exchanged worried nces. Misha clenched her fists, Lisa looked on with a mix of concern and hope, and Hiro''s eyes narrowed as he watched the unfolding battle.


    Sylvia''s vision cleared just in time to see Princess Elenia approaching, a self-assured grin on her face. "I must admit, you''vested longer than I expected. But I grow tired of this charade. It''s time to end this farce."

 Chapter 460 Sylvia Fights To Till The End

    <h4>Chapter 460 Sylvia Fights To Till The End</h4>


    "I must admit, you''vested longer than I expected. But I grow tired of this charade. It''s time to end this farce."


    Princess Elenia said as she released her Rank-S mana aura. It was enough for her to just release her mana aura to immobilize any Rank-B.


    However, Sylvia was no ordinary opponent and she managed to resist Rank-S mana aura. Syvlia also seemed to have an artifact on her ne which helped Sylvia resist the pressure.


    Elenia then raised her hand, and a swirling mass of mana began to form above her palm. The energy condensed, forming a dazzling sphere of power that crackled with raw magic.


    Elenia shot out her attack directly towards Sylvia. Although it looked very powerful, for Elenia it was just a casual attack. And that casual attack was as powerful as Rank-As attack.


    [ "Inferno Crescent" ]


    Sylvia draws her bow in a wide arc, releasing an arrow that''s surrounded by swirling mes. The arrow ignited the air as it traveled, leaving behind a trail of fire.


    It directly hit Elenia''s magic sphere. Sylvia was trying to destroy that magic sphere before it reached her.


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    Sylvia''s attack caused a series of explosions on its impact with Elenia''s attack. However, Elenia''s attack made no sign of stopping and made its way towards Sylvia.


    -WHOOSH!


    Sylvia dodged the attack, however, Elenia flicked her finger and redirected the attack back to where Sylvia was and it was even faster than before.


    !!!


    [ "Ster Leap!" ]


    Sylviaunched a series of arrows and she uses those arrows as steps to propel herself higher. It was as if she was flying.


    When she reached a certain height, Sylvia looked at Elenia rather than the attack which was just following behind her.


    [ "Inferno Crescent" ]


    Sylvia attacked Elenia with her skill. A series of fiery arrows made its way towards Elenia.


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    While Elenia was getting hit by Sylvia''s attack, Sylvia also had to deal with Elenia''s magical sphere. Instead of running or dodging, Sylvia attacked Elenia. Now, she has to face Elenia''s attack without any chance of dodging.


    Sylvia immediately used her mana barrier. But s, the mana barrier was not strong enough to withstand such a powerful attack. It instantly smashed her mana barrier even though the attack was weakened by Syliva''s initial attack on it.


    On the other hand, Elenia seemed to have been protected by her mana barrier without any problem.


    Anyway, outside the arena, the spectator watched the fight with interest. The fight which many thought would be over the moment it started had turned very captivating.


    Aside from the fact that Rank-B was challenging Rank-S, they found that Sylvia was very powerful for her rank. Despite being Rank¨CB, her attacks were no less than that of Rank-A fighters.


    Moreover that persistence has managed to capture many of their hearts. It would have been much easier to give up in that circumstance but Sylvia continued to fight back courageously.


    "Sylvia!"


    Lisa shouted when Sylvia got hit by Elenia''s attack. Considering Sylvia''s strength, she knew that Sylvia wouldn''t die but nheless she was worried.


    "Shouldn''t she surrender by now?"


    Misha was also getting worried. With the things heading, Sylvia will only get more injured if she continues to fight.


    Sylvia already showed what she was capable of and there was no need to risk her life for a smallpetition.


    Hiro and Zion also didn''t have good expressions but there was nothing that they could do. It was Sylvia''s fight and whether to fight or not should be decided by her as well.


    "Oh!"


    Zero was surprised at the strength disyed by Sylvia. It was indeed worthy of being called the main character.


    However, he also knew that if Elenia had used her full strength, she could have already ended the fight in a second.


    ( The reason she didn''t is either because she is very prideful or wants to probe the power of Sylvia! )


    Zero thought.


    In any case, Zero feels that Sylvia still has something to show.


    "Do you really think Sylvia has a chance?"


    Amelia asked Zero who was still watching the fight. She heard Zero''s conversation with Sylvia. She didn''t know why Zero was encouraging Sylvia to fight with Elenia, rather than asking her to give up. Anyone could see that the result was predetermined.


    "Of course!"


    Zero answered. He never thought that there was any fight that couldn''t be won. People make mistakes and if you have your guard down, even if you were stronger, you would die in the hands of a weaker person.


    "Hmmm¡­ Really?"


    Amelia was doubtful. The fight might have already been decided. She didn''t know where Zero''s confidence came from.


    "Just keep watching! Maybe she will surprise you!"


    Zero said as his focus soon shifted back to Sylvia and Elenia.


    Back at the arena, Princess Elenia survived Sylvia''s attack without a speck of dust on her body.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­. Hah¡­ "


    On the other hand, Sylvia was heavily panting. She was covered in blood after receiving Elenia''s attack. Although she survived the attack, she didn''t look very good.


    Princess Elenia looked at Sylvia in amusement.


    "Why go so far? Even abandoning your defense just to attack me."


    Princess Elenia said. By now, she thought that Elenia should give up the fight and surrender.


    Sylvia looked at Elenia, her mind still searching for a way to defeat Elenia. Her reason for attacking Elenia just now was because one''s defense will be weak while attacking.


    So when Elenia was controlling her Magical Sphere, her defense was low which was an opportunity for her. However, Elenia had quickly switched to defense.


    Elenia''s control over Magical Sphere has disappeared due to which despite Sylvia taking the hit, she wasn''tpletely defeated.


    However that gamble was a failure and she suffered. Anyways, Sylvia didn''t think that she could win without taking risks.


    If Elenia''s didn''t abandon attacking then Sylvia''s attack might have done some damage.


    Anyway, it was not looking good for Sylvia. Her mana will be exhausted and she really will have no chance of defeating Princess Elenia.


    "Since you are willing to go so far, then I will send you off honorably!"


    Princess Elenia said as she summoned a bow and arrow made up of mana. Then she began loading up her mana, indicating that she was going tounch a pretty powerful attack.


    Sylvia''s heart raced, her mind racing to find a way out of this dire situation. She knew she had to act quickly, or that devastating spell would obliterate her. But how could she break through Elenia''s defense and mount a counterattack?


    Then, in a split second, an idea sparked in Sylvia''s mind. Princess Elenia was going to use her powerful attack, didn''t that mean that her defense would be even weaker than earlier?


    Of course, she would also be vulnerable. But Sylvia didn''t care!


    If she didn''t risk this, she wouldn''t have another chance. She was going to take down Princess Elenia with her.


    [ "Aurora''s Grace" ]


    As Elenia hurled the charged arrow towards Sylvia, Sylvia had also made her move. With a burst of determination, Sylvia summoned all her mana, focusing it into a tiny, concentrated point. She channeled her energy into her bow and arrow, imbuing them with her willpower.


    [ "Spectral Annihtion" ]


    Time seemed to slow as Sylvia drew her bowstring back, her arrow glowing with a brilliant light. She directly aimed at Princess Elenia and not at Elenia''s attack.


    !!!


    This of course surprised Princess Elenia who thought that Sylvia was trying to destroy her attack. She didn''t think Sylvia would be willing to attack her at the expense of her own life.


    Elenia quickly deployed her mana barrier. However, she could only deploy little mana because the attack came right after she attacked.


    -BOOM!


    When Sylvia''s attack touched Elenia''s mana barrier, it caused a huge explosion. So huge that it was 10x the previous attack of Sylvia.


    Sylvia watched her attack hit Princess Elenia.


    After having used all her mana for that attack, Sylvia had exhausted all her mana. She just copsed and watched Elenia''s attack make its way towards her.


    She simply closed her eyes, satisfied with all she had done. She delivered her strongest attack when her opponent had the least time to prepare for it.


    Anyway, it seemed that this was it for her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the attack to hit her.


    ¡­


    But nothing happened! She waited and waited but the attack just didn''t seem to hit her. She slowly opened her eyes only to see herself in someone''s arm.


    "Sylvia, you''ve truly shown me the extent of your power. I''m amazed!"

 Chapter 461 The Conclusion Of Princess Elenia and Sylvia鈥檚 Fight!

    <h4>Chapter 461 The Conclusion Of Princess Elenia and Sylvia''s Fight!</h4>


    Zero''s heart raced as he watched the intense exchange between Sylvia and Princess Elenia. He knew that Sylvia was giving it her all, pushing herself beyond her limits to face an opponent of such overwhelming strength.


    As Elenia''s and Sylvia exchanged devastating attacks, Zero prepared himself. He could already see that Sylvia''s mana was running low but chose to wait and see if Sylvia had any other trick up her sleeves, however, there was none.


    Even he didn''t expect that Sylvia would pour everything into her attack and abandon defense altogether.


    He couldn''t just stand by and watch Sylvia get annihted. Judging by the power of Elenia''s attack power, there was no way Sylvia would survive. Without hesitation, he swiftly used his skill.


    [ Frozen Shadow Dance ]


    He quickly reached where Sylvia currently was and swiftly pulled her into the shadow. And narrowly dodged the attack. Fortunately, Elenia''s attack flew past the ground and went straight to the reinforced wall.


    If the attack was directed towards the ground, even if he had pulled Sylvia inside the shadow world, she might have gotten injured.


    Anyway, after having dodged the disaster, he and Sylvia went back to the ground. Of course, Zero carried Sylvia in his arms as Sylvia seemed to have lost all her strength.


    ( What should I say? )


    No matter what, Sylvia had lost the match as he had interfered. With this result, Zero knew that Sylvia would be feeling down as she wanted to win.


    So when Sylvia opened her eyes, Zero immediately thought of something and said, "Sylvia, you''ve truly shown me the extent of your power. I''m amazed!"


    This is what he thought when he saw Sylvia fight with determination.


    Zero said while looking in Sylvia''s eyes.


    "Zero!"


    Sylvia was surprised to see Zero when she opened her eyes. She was not stupid and knew that Zero had interfered to save her life. She was grateful for it.


    "Ah, Zero- "


    She was grateful, very grateful but- it was indeed embarrassing for her to be held by him. She wanted to shrug him off and stand on her own feet.


    However, she couldn''t muster any strength. It seemed like she had really given everything she had at thatst moment.


    "Don''t move! I will take you to the healer!"


    Zero said sternly. Sylvia''s body was injured in the battle and more than that because she went beyond her limits, her body at the moment was not in a good state. It was not good for her body to do anything at the moment.


    Sylvia blushed in embarrassment and slightly nodded her head. The fact that they were being watched by thousands of spectators didn''t make it any better.


    After a brief moment, Sylvia was able to keep herposure and turned her head slightly to look at where Elenia was.


    "What had happened to Princess Elenia?"


    Sylvia asked. She had given everything she had in that attack and wanted to know the result.


    "The dust is blocking the view at the moment! We need to wait for a second to know."


    Zero said as he also looked at the area where Princess Elenia was at. He also didn''t know what happened to her as he was solely focused on saving Sylvia at that moment.


    *******


    *PHEW!


    "Looks like Sylvia is fine!"


    Misha said after having noticed n carrying Sylvia. The thing happened so fast that even if she wanted to go and save Sylvia, she didn''t have the ability.


    It was the same for others in the group. They only realized that Sylvia poured everything in thest attack and they weren''t able to react fast enough to do anything.


    When they realized what Sylvia was doing, Elenia''s attack was already in Sylvia''s face.


    "You are right! I''m d that Zero protected her!"


    Lisa replied with a relieved sigh. She couldn''t see Zero going to save Sylvia and only noticed him when Zero was already in the arena carrying Sylvia in his arms.


    The other spectator also began noticing Zero who had barged into the contest. They also didn''t know what had happened.


    The Referee also stared at Zero dumbfounded! He saw what had happened, then also was quite surprised.


    He was talking to King Tranduil through telepathy about whether he should interfere. He has yet to receive the answer when he already saw someone else make a move.


    He thought that someone wanted to interfere with the fight and as the referee, he needed to stop it. However, King Tranduil stopped him.


    "No need to do anything!"


    King Tranduil said to the referee who quickly obeyed.


    But what surprised him was not that he was stopped by the king but the speed at which Zero made the move. Even for Rank-S like himself, he was difficult to move at Zero''s speed.


    Even if he had tried to stop Zero, he might not have been able to. This was quite embarrassing for him to have such thought as he was Rank-S and the person that interfered was only Rank-A +.


    "Huh? Who is this person?"


    "Did he just interfere with the fight?"


    "How could such a person defend against Princess Elenia''s attack?"


    "Looks like the girl got lucky. If that kid didn''t save her, she would most likely be killed."


    "What happened to Princess Elenia?"


    "She should be alright, right?"


    "She is Rank-S! Of course, she will be alright! There is no way a Rank-B + could even scratch her skin."


    Now that everybody saw Zero interference, they knew that Sylvia had already lost the fight.


    But now the question was what happened to Princess Elenia. Did she survive after taking on Sylvia''s attack?


    Although everybody knew that Sylvia was just Rank-B+ but the power of the attack was nothing less than a powerful attack from Rank-A +. Even for Rank-S, if they got hit by it, there was no guarantee that they would be alright.


    And if Elenia got knocked out by that attack then the match could be considered a draw!


    The spectator didn''t need to wait for long to find out. The dust cleared slowly but they saw Princess Elenia''s silhouette. She was still standing, confirming that Sylvia had lost the match!


    "Look! Princess is still standing. That means that she has won the fight!"


    "Congrattion Princess Elenia!"


    The Elven spectators all cheered as they began to see Princess Elenia who was apparently standing. They even forgot that this was just a match between Rank-S and Rank-B, and that the result was already predetermined.


    However, because of Sylvia''s profound power and determination, the Elves had to admit that they were worried that the result might be different than what they thought.


    When Sylvia saw the scene, she was disappointed. She gave her all but it was indeedcking. She has lost this fight!


    "Haha¡­ Seems like that little attack did nothing. As expected of Princess Elenia!"


    "That human was pretty good. But she has overestimated herself."


    "Who gave her courage to think that she could beat Rank-S?" ¡­


    Then some who didn''t like humans, began to insult Sylvia who gave her all. For them, it was a perfect opportunity to show how ignorant humans were.


    "Yeah! It would be a miracle if that human girl could even hur-"


    "Stop! Look at Princess Elenia carefully before making that statement."


    Someone cried out in shock and stopped the insult.


    Previously, the dust was not fully cleared and they only saw the silhouette of Princess Elenia. However, that silhouette was enough to tell that Princess Elenia was standing which meant she had withstood those attacks.


    Many believe that Sylvia''s attack just looked powerful and it was nothing for Princess Elenia to defend herself from it.


    "How?"


    "This is impossible!" ¡­


    As the dust settled, revealing Princess Elenia''s form, a gasp swept through the crowd. What they saw was unexpected and astonishing ¨C Elenia was indeed standing, but her left arm hung limply by her side, clearly injured. The sleeve of her elegant gown was torn, and blood seeped through the fabric, staining it a deep crimson.


    The atmosphere shifted from triumphant cheers to a stunned silence. The spectators exchanged incredulous nces, unable to fathom how this could have happened. Princess Elenia, a formidable Rank-S elf, had actually been injured by Sylvia''s attack. The implications were staggering.


    Elenia herself stood there, her breathing a bit ragged, her gaze locked onto her injured arm. Her pride andposure wavered for a moment, reced by a mixture of disbelief and anger.


    She had underestimated Sylvia''s power and determination, and it had led to this unexpected oue.


    One should know that even Rank-A would have difficulty to injure Rank-S, not to mention a genius like Princess Elenia.


    Elenia was startled by what Sylvia did. She never expected that there could be anyone who has the guts to abandon their defense against her attack just to attack her.


    Due to this, she was unprepared to receive the powerful attack that Sylvia did. However, Rank-S genius like her was not so easily defeated by such a mistake. In thest second, she managed to deploy a mana barrier which should be sufficient to deal with Sylvia''s attack.


    Just that it seemed that she had underestimated Sylvia''s attack. In thest second, the attack had managed to break through her barrier and slightly injured her arm.


    She red in Sylvia''s direction. She didn''t care about Zero who was carrying Sylvia and was focused on Sylvia.


    "Hey, you! What''s your name?"

 Chapter 462 Sylvia Has Lost!

    <h4>Chapter 462 Sylvia Has Lost!</h4>


    "Hey, you! What''s your name?"


    Princess Elenia asked. She didn''t even care earlier about who her opponent but after what had happened, Princess Elenia had acknowledged Sylvia.


    Sylvia, still catching her breath and recovering from her drained state, looked up at Elenia with a mixture of surprise and determination.


    "I''m Sylvia Mavis!" she replied, her voice steady despite her exhaustion.


    "I see!" Elenia said, her tone still stern but less hostile. "I will certainly keep the name in my mind."


    Princess Elenia said before leaving the stage with her injured hands.


    "Winner! Princess Elenia of the Elven Race!"


    The referee announced the result.


    However, there was no cheering or such from the audience. What had happened was too shocking for them to be excited about what had happened.


    Although Sylvia had lost, no one can deny that she is one of the most talented people that they had ever seen. For a Rank-B to injure a genius like Princess Elenia was a very big achievement.


    "That girl is too strong for her rank. She might have won if she was Rank-A!"


    "She was able to injure Princess Elenia. Looks like humans do have lots of tricks up their sleeve."


    "Yes, it seems that they do. However, I didn''t expect that such a young girl would have such resolution. She would definitely be stronger." ¡­


    Everybody began discussing the fight that had just happened. A sense of respect seemed to ripple through the crowd. Despite the oue of the match, Sylvia had earned the admiration of many by standing up against such overwhelming odds.


    However, not everyone was like that.


    "Humph! She was just lucky!"


    "She should have already given up! Wasting everybody''s time like this."


    "What talent! She would have already died if Princess Elenia didn''t show her any mercy." ¡­


    Amid the murmurs and divided opinions among the spectators, Zero continued to carry Sylvia as they made their way off the arena floor.


    Sylvia''s body felt heavy, her muscles aching from the intensity of the battle.


    "Sylvia!"


    As Zero carried her out, Lisa, Zion, Misha and Hiro made their way towards him. They looked at Sylvia with concern.


    "I''m fine guys!"


    Sylvia managed to say when she saw her friends being worried about her. Although in reality, she is far from fine. Anyways, Zero had managed to at least stop the bleeding using his Ice magic.


    "Here! You can take her to the healer."


    Zero said as he handed over Sylvia to Lisa. Considering that they were there, he didn''t think it was necessary for him to carry Sylvia.


    "S-Sure!"


    Lisa shuttered a bit but took Sylvia without a problem. With their strength, carrying somebody of Sylvia''s weight was nothing.


    Lisa nced over Zero for a bit and was disappointed when Zero was already leaving.


    "Zero! Thank you for saving me!"


    Sylvia said.


    Zero nodded and turned around to offer Sylvia a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t worry about it!"


    Zero left after saying those words.


    Lisa held Sylvia gently, and the others gathered around, their worry palpable but also their pride evident. Sylvia had shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of a formidable opponent, and her friends recognized and admired her for it.


    Together, they made their way towards the healer''s area, where Sylvia could receive the care she needed to recover from her injuries.


    As they reached the area designated for the contestants to rest and recover, a healer was already waiting, her hands glowing with a soft, healing light. She approached Sylvia.


    "Let''s get you seated," the healer said gently, guiding Sylvia to a nearby bench. Lisa carefully helped Sylvia lower herself onto the seat, his touch gentle and reassuring.


    The healer''s hands hovered over Sylvia''s body, the healing energy radiating from her palms. Sylvia closed her eyes, allowing the soothing magic to work its way through her exhausted and injured form. Gradually, she felt the pain ease, and her strength began to return.


    After a few more moments, the healer''s healing magic did its work. Sylvia felt remarkably better, though she knew she would need more rest to fully recover.


    "You were amazing out there!" Misha eximed, hugging Sylvia tightly.


    "Yeah, you really gave it your all. I didn''t know you had be so strong." Hiro added.


    Lisa nodded in agreement.


    "You really did an amazing job out there. You showed incredible strength and determination."


    Sylvia managed a weak smile, her gratitude evident in her eyes. "Thank you, guys. Your support means a lot to me."


    Amid the words of praise and encouragement, Sylvia''s internal struggle remained hidden. She appreciated her friends'' kind words, but deep down, she battled with aplex mix of emotions.


    As the others continued to express their admiration, she found herself mustering the strength to share whaty beneath her brave fa?ade.


    "Hey," Sylvia began, her voice quieter than before. "I... I appreciate everything you''re saying, truly. And I am okay!"


    The group fell silent, sensing the change in her tone. Lisa''s hand gently squeezed her shoulder, offering silent support.


    Sylvia took a deep breath, her gaze shifting slightly as she spoke. "I want you all to go back and watch the rest of the tournament. I want to stay alone for a bit."


    They all exchanged nces with each other and knew that they should give Sylvia some space.


    "Sure! Call us if you need something."


    Hiro said as they began leaving together. However, Lisa didn''t move.


    "You go and watch the match. I will stay with Sylvia!"


    Lisa said, adamant about staying with Sylvia.


    "Lisa-"


    "I will stay."


    It didn''t seem that she would change her mind even if Sylvia said something. Lisa just stopped Sylvia from pursuing Lisa.


    "That would be great!"


    Hiro said. He would feel better if there was someone with Sylvia.


    As her friends began to head back to the arena to catch the rest of the tournament, Lisa remained beside Sylvia. The others might have seen her as a warrior who faced challenges head-on, but Lisa knew her better than that.


    Once they were alone, Sylvia''s smile faded, and her eyes welled up with tears she had been holding back. The pressure she had put on herself, the frustration of falling short even after giving her all¡ªit all caught up to her in that quiet moment.


    Lisa wrapped her arm around Sylvia, offering aforting hug. "It''s okay to let it out, you know!"


    And as Sylvia buried her face in Lisa''s shoulder, her silent tears finally flowed. In that vulnerable moment, she let go of the facade she had shown to the world and allowed herself to feel the disappointment and sadness that losing had brought.


    "I don''t want them to see me like this," Sylvia whispered, her voice cracking as she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "I don''t want them to know how much this loss hurts."


    Lisa''s hand gently rested on Sylvia''s shoulder, offeringfort and understanding. "Sylvia, it''s okay to feel this way. You''re allowed to be disappointed. You''ve put so much of yourself into this, and it''s natural to feel frustrated when things don''t go as nned."


    Some might encourage her or praise her that she did well against Princess Elenia. Others might say that she lost because of her rank.


    However, she didn''t care about that!


    In the end, no matter what the reason was, she lost!

 Chapter 463 Frozen Beauty Strikes

    <h4>Chapter 463 Frozen Beauty Strikes</h4>


    "Elenia, you are back! So, what are your thoughts?"


    King Tranduil asked.


    Actually, he was also surprised by Sylvia but knew it was for better. It was even better since his daughter was the one fighting her.


    King Tranduil hopes that Elenia understands now why they needed to bring in every geniuses. It was precisely to make geniuses like Sylvia stronger.


    At the moment, Elenia was stronger but who knows for how much longer. Humans get stronger faster than Elves and based on Sylvia''s strength, Rank-SS might not be her limit.


    "..."


    Elenia thought of her battle with Sylvia. Although she had won but was Sylvia as insignificant as she initially thought.


    "Okay, Okay, I''ll admit that I was wrong. They don''t seem as useless as I said. Even so, I am sure that nobody is stronger than me!"


    Princess Elenia said confidently. Although she realized the potential of other people, she still held the belief that no geniuses could defeat her.


    King Tranduil smiled. Although Elenia was still a bit arrogant but he felt that it was a progress. Anyway, it was only one battle, maybe after battling more geniuses, he thought that Elenia might mature and understand the situation.


    At least, he did! Although he was doing what ra has said to prevent the disaster on this world, he was still skeptical about the method.


    Even if they want to work together to save the world, would other races agree? Would those arrogant humans really have the resolve to save the world?


    But after seeing Sylvia and her determination, King Tranduil worries were almost all erased. He felt more confident in the n that ra devised.


    ******


    "Is Sylvia alright?"


    Saintess Amelia asked Zero. Both of them had be very close friends and she seemed worried about Sylvia''s injuries.


    Moreover, she asked Zero because if the injuries were very serious and couldn''t be healed by the Elven healer, she was going to go there and heal Sylvia herself.


    "No need to worry! Her injuries are not very serious. The healers should have healed all her injuries."


    Zero replied. If it was very serious, then he would have already gotten Amelia toe and heal her.


    *PHEW!


    "That''s good!"


    Amelia was relieved.


    "But Zero, you didn''t have to carry Sylvia like that, did you?"


    Amelia asked with her eyes staring at Zero with a dead look. Zero shivered when he saw her eyes.


    "E-EH?"


    He didn''t think that he did something wrong. Sylvia has exhausted all her strength and if he didn''t carry her, Sylvia would have copsed there.


    Anyways, the contest continued after that thrilling battle between Sylvia and Princess Elenia. Other than Sylvia, there was also one more match between Rank-S and Rank-B.


    It seems that the Rank-B fighter got confidence after watching SYlvia''s fight and didn''t give up, however, almost instantly got destroyed by his opponent.


    All kinds of skill could be seen in the arena and every race has their own fighting style. Zero also observed the battle carefully.


    It was a good opportunity to witness the fighting style of different races. It was also beneficial for the fight that he will eventually take part in.


    "The next fight is between Mia Frostine of the human race and Lucian of the Aasimar race."


    Finally it was the turn of Mia who can also be said as the strongest person among the human race.


    "I''ll be going then!"


    Mia gracefully walked down on the stage.


    Her opponent also walked in confidently. Her opponent seemed to be at the peak of Rank-A +. And although he is very close to the power of Rank-S, he was still far from being able to achieve victory.


    Mia stood at the center of the arena, her icy blue eyes calmly surveying her opponent, Lucian. He exuded an air of confidence, his golden wings shimmering in the sunlight.


    The crowd murmured in anticipation, knowing that this battle could be yet another disy of the diverse talents and techniques each race possessed. They also believed that the match could have potential to be that of Rank-S vs Rank-S since Lucian was peak Rank-A +.


    As Lucian stepped forward, he raised an eyebrow and looked Mia up and down with an appraising smirk. "Well, well, if it isn''t the so-called beauty of the human race," he quipped, his tone dripping with arrogance.


    Mia''s expression remained unfazed.


    "I''ve heard rumors that Aasimars are blessed with celestial grace, but it seems someck the courtesy that apanies it," she retorted calmly.


    Lucian''s grin widened, revealing a hint of his confidence. "Confidence suits you, my dear. It''s a shame that your beauty will be marred by defeat."


    Whether it is Lucian ignorance or confidence, it seems that he greatly overestimated himself especially considering that his opponent is Mia Frostine.


    "Sure! You can try!"


    The tension in the arena escted as they prepared to engage. The two fighters assumed their stances, and the energy in the air became palpable.


    "Are you two ready?"


    Mia and Lucian gave a nod.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The signal was given, and the battlemenced with breathtaking speed. Lucian lunged forward, his movements graceful and precise. He summoned divine energies that crackled around him, enhancing his attacks.


    He summoned his spear with which his speed and strength greatly strengthened. Lucian seemed to be on the border between Rank-A and Rank-S.


    Even if it was Rank-S, if they were careless, they might get seriously injured by Lucian''s attack.


    Mia''s eyes remained steady as Lucian closed the distance, his spear poised to strike. His movements were impressive, and his divine energy radiated power, but Mia''sposure didn''t waver.


    At thest moment before Lucian''s spear could reach her, Mia''s body seemed to blur. She sidestepped with an uncanny swiftness that caught Lucian off guard. Before he could react, Mia was behind him.


    Time seemed to slow for Lucian as he realized his vulnerability. In an instant, Mia''s hand moved, her fingers lightly brushing against Lucian''s back.


    In that fleeting touch, a frigid energy surged into Lucian''s body, numbing his limbs and freezing his divine energies. It was as if Mia''s touch had sapped his strength, leaving him paralyzed.


    Lucian''s eyes widened in shock as he tried to move, but his body refused to respond. The crowd gasped in disbelief, witnessing the seemingly impossible turn of events.


    They were expecting a series of skill and intense fight but Lucian whom many thought was powerful was immediately immobilized by his opponent.


    Mia gracefully stepped back, leaving Lucian immobilized on the arena floor. His divine energies faded, and his spear dropped from his hand.


    The referee''s voice broke the spell that had fallen over the arena.


    "Mia Frostine of the human race is the winner!"

 Chapter 464 Swift Victory!

    <h4>Chapter 464 Swift Victory!</h4>


    "Mia Frostine of the human race is the winner!"


    The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and hushed whispers. Mia''s victory had been swift and astonishing, a testament to her skills and mastery of her abilities.


    "What? That was it?"


    "Weren''t the guy from Aasimar bragging like he would win it easily?"


    "Even against Rank-S, that was a humiliating defeat."


    The spectator started to insult Lucian after having all their expectations down the drain. Moreover, the effect was amplified because of how arrogant Lucian initially was.


    "''Tis an embarrassment!"


    "How could Lucian lose so easily?"


    "We told him how important this fight was." ¡­


    The other Aasimar alsoined. They were not happy at all with Lucian''s performance. It was like Willian''s group who had embarrassed the human race.


    "Seraphine, how was it? Could you defeat her?"


    Gabriel asked Seraphine who had been seriously concentrating on the fight, though it ended in one move.


    Seraphine shook her head.


    "Mia Frostine ended the fight with haste. I cannot say for certain."


    Seraphine said.


    "However, judging by how quickly she dispatched Lucian, we can say that she is no weaker than I."


    Seraphine analyzed. She didn''t know the strength of Mia but knew pretty well about Lucian who is one step away from ascending to Rank-S. Even Seraphine didn''t know whether she could defeat Lucian in one move.


    Amidst all the shock, Mia Frostine walked calmly towards her seat. There was neither joy nor sadness, only the same expression she always had.


    The contest continued after a huge letdown by Lucian. In the meantime, Sylvia and Lisa were also back. It seems like Sylvia wanted to observe the fights and also to cheer on her friend who has yet to make an appearance.


    Zero watched the fights carefully and what caught his eyes were the fighting style of Dryads.


    Their movements were as fluid as a gentle breeze rustling through leaves, and their presence seemed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding nature almost like when he uses Mana Maniption to hide.


    Their fighting style was a mesmerizing blend of illusion and nt-based skills. The Dryad could summon vines and other forms of nt that help them with their battle. With a mere thought, the Dryad could control every part of the nt that they summoned.


    If they want to block the attack, they will summon a huge tree and if they want a quick attack, they summon vines which are flexible and deadly.


    In addition to that, they seem to be able to cast an illusion on their opponent. Most opponents were mostly defeated without the Dryads doing anything.


    They could also be imbued with an illusionary magic that yed tricks on the senses with their nt based attack. Like one person had been hit by the vines and despite being just a light attack, the opponent didn''t do anything suggesting he was caught in their illusion.


    However, it seems that people with good mental strength can avoid being caught in their illusion. Some of their opponents were caught in illusion but broke it off in a matter of seconds.


    Anyway, Zero has already seen how the Dryads catch their opponent in their illusion.


    For them to be able to do so, they need to have some kind of contact with the opponent. One of which was using those nt based attacks.


    However, mostly it is through the pollen. They are very small but it seemed to be imbued with mana and whenever the opponent touched it, Dryad could send them into an illusion world. Of course, the bigger the contact, the stronger the illusion.


    Furthermore, whenever they summon nts, they will always summon pollen as well. That is how they caught most of their opponents in illusion without them even knowing what happened.


    Though with all the battle, many might have already figured out the trick. Even so, it is tricky to fight Dryad even if one knows the secret behind their attack.


    After some time, once again one of the humans was selected for the fight and this time, it was Zion. He walked towards the arena with a stern expression.


    Luckily for him, his opponent was also in Rank-B +. His opponent was an Elve and the moment the referee signaled the start of the fight, the Elven fighter started to shoot arrows at Zion.


    Zion took the attack head on and destroyed them. It seems that Zion wanted to win the fight with his overwhelming strength and speed.


    The Elven attacked tried his best to break past Zion defense but Zionpletely destroyed every one of his attacks with his spear. Moreover, Zion was also moving towards the Elve slowly.


    Once the Elven lost his distance, it was certain that Zion would defeat him. After all, in close range, Spear was much more powerful than bow & arrows.


    Despite both of them at the peak of Rank-B +, it seems that Zion was the stronger one. As time passed by, the Elven fighter also lost his advantage which was the distance. And he didn''t have any ce to run to as well because Zion had cornered him.


    The Elven tried to fight back, however, when he was in the attacking range of Zion, he was immediately knocked unconscious by him.


    ZIon then arrogantly returned to his seat. Despite having done a great job, Zion didn''t seem to think anything of this victory.


    "Zion has also grown strong! He has learned to be patient."


    Miamented on Zion''s battle. She had taught Zion and others for three years. And after not seeing them for a year, they had be stronger and more mature.


    As for how Mia knew that Zion had be more patient was because of how he handled his Elven opponent. If it was in the past, Zion would have tried to end this battle quickly and started to run off to attack the opponent.


    But now, instead of that, he kept blocking the opponent''s attack. It was better because that way not only are you exhausting your opponent mana but it is also easier to defend that way.


    The match continued. On average the matchsted for 5 minutes while the fastest ended in seconds like with Mia.


    Zero waited for his turn and then it finally happened.


    "Zero Elea of Human race Vs Elowyn of Dryad Race!"

 Chapter 465 Zero鈥檚 Turn~!

    <h4>Chapter 465 Zero''s Turn~!</h4>


    "Zero Elea of Human race Vs Elowyn of Dryad Race!"


    His name was finally up!


    "Zero, Good luck!"


    "Do your best!"


    Amelia and Mia said to Zero. Zero nodded with a smile.


    He was up against the trickiest race. If one had to choose which one of the races couldn''t be beaten by force then the answer would be Dryads. Most of their battlessted for more than 10 minutes.


    It was because they would hole up in their trees if the opponent is aggressive and wait for their pollen to affect the opponent. Even if the Dryads were stronger than his opponent then also they will use simr tactics.


    They hardly use brute force to win!


    However, Zero was confident. He already had thought of a way for him to win easily. Although if his opponent was stronger than the n he devised might not work.


    Nheless, he will soon find out!


    Zero walked down calmly as all the people''s eyes were on him. While he didn''t generate as much interest as when Hiro or Mia came, they were indeed interested in Zero.


    It was because of his earlier action where he had managed to save Sylvia from the attack of Rank-S Princess Elenia. For him to be able to do that, many knew that Zero was capable.


    His opponents also walked towards the arena as her race cheered for her. Compared to his opponent''s cheer, Zero almost has none from his side. He didn''t seem very popr among the human geniuses, at least that could be concluded whenpared to Elowyn.


    Well, another reason could be that Elowyn was a beautiful woman, so the men cheered for her.


    King Tranduil also watched with interest. However, it wasn''t as much as his daughter, Princess Elenia.


    ( He had managed to save Sylvia Mavis from my attack unscathed. He should be worthy of me paying attention to her. )


    Princess Elenia, although most of her attention was taken by Sylvia, she also remembered n who saved Sylvia. She didn''t think that Zero was Rank-S but nheless felt that it was praiseworthy to be able to dodge her attack.


    Hiro''s side was also focused on the battle that was going to take ce. They already saw the glimpse of Zero''s power and they hoped to see more.


    Zion particrly was staring at the arena like a stalker. For him, it seems that his biggest opponents are Hiro and Zero who had both surpassed him during the school days.


    "It is finally Zero''s turn!"


    Misha said.


    "He should be able to win the fight if the opponent is weaker than S-Rank."


    Sylvia said.


    Lisa nodded to her prediction. Judging by how easily he defeated the monsters during their journey to Eldoria, they can safely say that Zero is at the Top of Rank-A and none can truly threaten him.


    Well, that was if other races didn''t have the same monster as Zero.


    Anyway, in the arena, Zero and his opponent Elowyn were face to face with each other. His opponent looked at him with interest.


    [ Insight Perception ]


    Zero used his skill to check on his opponent''s rank. His opponent rank was A - which was one sub rank below his. Moreover, her speed was only at Rank-B + which meant that she was very slowpared to her.


    Although it could be fast ifpared to other Dryads of the same rank. It was because Dryads mostly summon trees to block the attack while using pollens and vines to attack their opponent. So, for their fighting style, speed was not really needed and for that reason their speed stat was not as good as their other stat.


    However, their other states were much higher because of this. They speed most of the time, strengthening their mana and stamina which is needed for long fights. Her mana was Rank-A - which could be considered very high.


    In any case, Elowyn looked very confident. She might feel that it was lucky to have Zero as her opponent.


    Elowyn might think that the fight is easy since humans are greedy and easy to manipte. Human geniuses who fought with Dryads have mostly lost as they were truly vulnerable to desire and easily gave in to those illusions.


    Because of that despite knowing the rank difference, she believes that she could win. She was also top among the geniuses of her race and had won several fights against even the geniuses who were ranked higher than her.


    The air crackled with anticipation as the referee raised his hand, signaling the imminent start of the battle between Zero Elea and Elowyn of the Dryad race. The spectators leaned forward, their eyes locked onto the arena, eager to witness the sh between these two formidable contenders.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked.


    Zero summoned his sword as he nodded towards the referee. The Dryads were the same as she also nodded her head with a smile.


    "Begin!" The referee''s voice echoed through the arena, and the battle was set into motion.


    Elowyn stood confidently before Zero, her eyes fixed on him with a sultry gaze. She knew the power of her race''s illusion magic and believed she could easily manipte his desires to gain an advantage.


    With a soft smile, she began to weave her seductive illusion, attempting to draw Zero into her magical web.


    Her surroundings seemed to shift and transform into a mesmerizing garden, the air filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers.


    Elowyn''s appearance became even more enchanting, her features ethereal and captivating. She moved gracefully, her every motion calcted to entice and allure.


    As the illusion took hold, some of the spectators, especially the men, started to show signs of being affected. Their gazes turned dreamy, and faint smiles yed on their lips. Even some of the women seemed momentarily lost in the illusion''s charm.


    However, Zero was unaffected as he was protected by his mana barrier. Elowyn already knew that Zero wouldn''t sumb to her illusion magic instantly and was ready to prolong the fight as long as she needed to.


    She was going to summon her trees to protect her from Zero''s attack. However, Zero had already moved by that point.


    In an instant, his sword was unsheathed, its de gleaming in the arena''s light, and before Elowyn knew what had transpired, it was at her throat.


    "Winner! Zero Elea of the Human race!"

 Chapter 466: Zeros Shocking Speed

    "Winner! Zero Elea of the Human race!"


    The referee announced and the announcement was made in less than 10 seconds since he signaled the start of the fight.


    Elowyn herself stood frozen, disbelief etched across her face as she felt the cold touch of Zero''s sword against her skin.


    Time seemed to freeze as Elowyn''s illusion shattered like fragile ss. Her eyes widened with shock as she found herself facing the cold, hard reality of Zero''s power.


    The spectators, who had been caught up in the illusion''s charm, were now fully awake and watching in confusion along with other spectators who were equally in confusion.


    "Wait! What? I mean what happened?"


    "Huh? The battle only started and what?"


    "Did the human win?"


    "What just happened? I closed my eyes for a second and a winner had already emerged. Don''t you think it was a bit too fast?" ¡­


    The spectator didn''t know what had happened either. Most of them were weaker than Rank-A and there were only some who had their speed stat to A.


    Even for them, Zero''s movement was very fast, not to mention other people who didn''t even realize that Zero had moved until the referee''s announcement.


    Zero withdrew his sword and took a step back, his expression calm and collected. He nodded to the referee and then directed his gaze toward Elowyn.


    "Thank you for the match," he said, his voice carrying across the arena.


    Elowyn''s lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but fear had tightened its grip around her throat, rendering her speechless.


    She was confident and all confidence was shattered in a minute. She stood no chance and she greatly underestimated humans, no, she had greatly underestimated Zero.


    There was nothing to say. It was herplete defeat!


    Only when Zero withdrew his sword did the spectator begin to realize that the fight had really ended.


    *CLAP! *CLAP!


    They didn''t get to see anything but even so, they pped their hands. They knew that the reason why the fight ended quickly wasn''t because Elowyn was weak but that her opponent was too strong.


    Elowyn''s defeat was unexpected, given her reputation among her own race and her rank. But Zero had proven that even against the trickiest opponents, his skill and determination were formidable.


    "He is too strong!"


    Misha eximed. She thought that she might get a glimpse of Zero''s strength but the fight ended in seconds. They hadn''t even fought properly.


    "What exactly is his speed stat? Even Rank-A - could react!"


    Hiro said. He could barely see Zero move and that was also a blur.


    Zion was also dumbfounded. His target, which was Zero, seemed to be too far away. He couldn''t even see him make a move, much less think that he could win against him.


    Lisa was also fairly surprised but didn''t think much about it. She had always found Zero to be ridiculously strong even whenpared to the likes of Hiro.


    Anyways, if your peer exhibits such power, anyone would feel a bit disappointed in themselves. Even if they were Top of the Toppared to their peers, when they look at Zero, they only feel inferior.


    King Tranduil looked at Zero with a surprised expression. He wasn''t expecting much from this fight but got to see another super genius from the human race. Although he knew that Zero Elea was Rank-A, he believed that his speed was not inferior to that of Rank-S -.


    ( Such talent! He should also be someone who canrgely impact in the future war. )


    King Tranduil thought. He thought that maybe he should consult with ra about Zero.


    Princess Elenia also widened her eyes in surprise. She already believed that Zero was fast as he was able to save Sylvia from her attack but turns out, she still underestimated Zero.


    "His speed is almost equal to my base speed."


    Princess Elenia muttered. Her Speed stat was Rank S -, which was greater than Zero. However, Zero speed stat wasn''t far behind with A +. And the biggest reason why she was shocked was because Zero was in Rank-A while she was Rank-S.


    Anyway, she took a mental note to remember Zero. Although she doesn''t want to admit it, she has to admit that if she was the same rank as Zero, she wouldn''t be able to defeat him.


    Well, she does believe though that she could defeat him at the moment.


    ******


    Zero left the arena under the curious gazes of spectators and geniuses alike.


    Elowyn also left the arena but with her head held low. She was ashamed of herself and that she was defeated so easily.


    At Dryad''s side, they didn''t know how to react. Should they criticize Elowyn but even they couldn''t see what really happened. They didn''t think it was Elowyn''s fault but getting defeated in one second when the opponent was Rank-A was a bit humiliating.


    Cyrrinthia, a powerful Rank-S Dryad, approached Elyown as she reached her seat.


    "Elowyn," she said, her voice gentle. "I know you''re disappointed, but you shouldn''t me yourself. That human is a very powerful opponent, even for me. I couldn''t even see his movements properly."


    Elowyn looked up at her, her eyes filled with disbelief. It was the same for other Dryads who only understood how ridiculous Zero was.


    If even their strongest fighter has trouble seeing Zero''s movement, you can understand why Elowyn - who is just Rank-A - lost so miserably.


    "But... I thought I was ready for him," Elwoyn said. "If I had used a different tactic, I might have had some chance."


    "You were ready," Cyrrinthia said. "But that human is just that fast. He could have easily counterattacked even if you had used some other skill. There''s no shame in losing to him."


    Elowyn took a deep breath and nodded. "I know," she said. "But it''s still hard to ept."


    "Of course it is," Cyrrinthia said. Who could ept that you are beaten in a second, especially if you are a genius like Elowyn. However, you could only ept as that was the fact.


    "But there is no need to be sad about it. You could only work harder so as to not lose next time."


    Elowyn smiled weakly. "Thank you," she said. "I appreciate that."


    The Cyrrinthia put a hand on Elowyn''s shoulder. "Now,e on," she said. "Let''s cheer for our other fighters!"


    With Cyrrinthia speech, it seem that the mood of the Dryads has been lifted. However, under Cyrrinthia joyous expression, she was actually worried.


    ( Would I have defeated him? )

 Chapter 467 The End Of Round 1

    <h4>Chapter 467 The End Of Round 1</h4>


    ( Would I have defeated him? )


    Cyrrinthia couldn''t help but wonder if she would have fared any better against Zero in a fight. As a powerful Rank-S Dryad, she was known for her exceptionalbat skills and speed.


    Her confidence as a genius had always been unshakable, but witnessing Zero''s astonishing speed had left a lingering doubt in her mind.


    There was no doubt that she couldn''t properly handle his speed. Maybe if she had been the one to fight against Zero, she might as well have lost in the same way as Elowyn.


    But now that she knew about the threat, she began thinking of a way to counter it. For Elowyn, it was okay for her to lose but she, as the strongest person from Dryads, cannot afford to lose, at least not to someone from Rank-A.


    Meanwhile, Zero had returned to his designated area, where others looked at him with caution. Only then did they understand why William and his friend seemed to have been scared of Zero.


    "Congrates!"


    Amelia and Mia said. They already knew that Zero would win the fight, though even they didn''t expect Zero to finish it within seconds.


    Though Mia has to admit that against Dryads, Zero''s way was the most efficient. As battle prolongs, Dryads be stronger while their opponent gradually loses their strength. So, the best way was to go all out at the start when you are at your strongest.


    Well, even so, it wasn''t as easy as it is to say. It is difficult to break past Dryads defense unless the difference in speed is like Zero and Elowyn.


    "Thanks!"


    Zero replied.


    As the tournament continued and more battles unfolded in the arena, geniuses were showing their all. Their fight didn''t only depend on the rank of the person but also on other factors such as patiences and experience.


    Many people had also lost to the other person due to the advantage in fighting style. Like against Dryads, Elves had an easier time as they could use bow and arrow to attack from a distance and their tactic of hiding behind the trees didn''t work.


    Then Misha''s turn came and she headed out to fight with another human. And who could have guessed, it was one of William''s minions.


    Well, it could be considered Misha''s fortune to have gotten them as her opponent. If there was someone who was weakest in this contest, it was William''s group who couldn''tst more than 5 rounds against anyone.


    But it seems that her opponent also considered himself lucky to be able to get Misha as his opponent. As Misha was Rank-B+, she could be considered the one of the weakest present there, though she was still far stronger than the likes of William and his friends.


    As expected, the battle ended very quickly.


    Misha''s opponent made the first move as he tried to utilize his ax. However, Misha easily parried it and counterattacked.


    But it wasn''t enough to end the fight. Misha''s opponent persisted for a minute before Misha finally overwhelmed him.


    The fight was as easy as it gets for Misha who returned without a single scratch.


    The only one to advance to the next round from William''s group was William. And that was because he was Rank-A while his opponent was Rank-B.


    Even so, the battle was incredibly difficult and William could have very well lost the fight. But luck was on his side and the first one to be exhausted was his opponent.


    Anyway, watching him struggle so much against Rank-B just shows how muchcking he ispared to a real Rank-A genius.


    Then Amelia''s turn also came. Her opponent was fortunately Rank-A Dwarf.


    Because Amelia is primarily a healer, it took her some time to take out her opponent. Although she didn''t struggle and the only reason the fight was prolonged was because Amelia didn''t have a powerful attack and also because Dwarf had tough defense.


    The dwarf had focused on defense until she could no longer take it and copsed.


    Frankly speaking, it was a bit disappointing that none of the Rank-S had fought with each other. If they did, the spectators might have been able to witness a truly great fight.


    But they knew that they would get the chance from the next rounds.


    Anyway, Humans have the most Rank-S fighters with 5. Elves were second as they had 3 Rank-S geniuses in this contest.


    Afterward, it was the time for Lisa to make her appearance. Her opponent was Rank-B + Aasimar.


    If one had to describe the fight, it would be elegance. Lisa had her enemy in her palm and she won wlessly despite her opponent being as powerful as her.


    One advantage was her opponent didn''t have a good understanding of Lisa''s skill while Lisa had already seen how Aasimar fought and already thought of ways to deal with them.


    She gradually weakened her opponent using sma Discharge and using Violent sh, she avoided having to fight head on with her opponent.


    Then when her opponent was at his weakest, she finishes him off with Thunder Baptism.


    ( She had be stronger! )


    Zero thought. Although obvious, Lisa had made great progress over the years that he didn''t see her.


    Although he only got to witness the tip of her power, Zero could already feel the change she underwent from 2 years ago.


    Now, she has more experience and was decisive in her actions. Moreover, her control of the skill was on another level. If not for her appearance, nobody would believe that Lisa is a teenager with that kind of skill.


    As the sun began its descent on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the tournament arena, the battles of the first round slowly but surely came to an end.


    With thest rays of daylight illuminating the arena, the announcer''s voice echoed through the air, dering the conclusion of the first round.


    "That''s the end of round one. The contest will continue tomorrow!"


    As the contestants left the arena, some victorious and others nursing their wounds, there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. The first round had been a tantalizing taste of the talent and diversity of the geniuses assembled for the tournament.


    The night was a time for rest and reflection, as each participant contemted their experiences and strategized for the uing battles in the second round.


    The contenders from various backgrounds and ranks knew that thepetition would only intensify from this point onward.

 Chapter 468 Reflecting On The Battles

    <h4>Chapter 468 Reflecting On The Battles</h4>


    Thepetition ended and the geniuses were back to their respective Inn. However, instead of resting, most of them were busy discussing the potential opponent that they need to look out for.


    "I think that I will lose if I get a Rank-S opponent. Maybe I might even lose to Rank-A if they are as strong as you."


    Amelia said. She was with Zero and Mia, and discussing about the geniuses who they think could be a difficult enemy.


    Amelia wasn''t very confident that she could win after having fought with her opponent earlier. Of course, she won but she thought that she performed patheticallypared to Zero and Mia who one-shot their opponent.


    "That is practically impossible! So, you don''t need to worry about it."


    Mia reassured Amelia.


    She didn''t think that there was another monster like Zero out there. And it was from the perspective of Mia who many consider a monster.


    Anyway, she didn''t think there was anyone like Zero even at the gathering of geniuses. Who could kill Rank-S Ice Wyvern when they are in Rank-B or someone who could st and kill Rank-S Ifrit?


    If there was, she believed that even she might lose.


    "I think there was one!"


    Zero said. Although he didn''t know about others, but he believed that there was at least someone in Rank-A who might give him some trouble. And of course, he was talking about Hiro, the protagonist of this world.


    He saw him fight and although he didn''t need to use even one of his trump cards to win. From the memories of the novel, n could guess that if he fought seriously, he could even give trouble to Rank-S.


    Anyway, it was best to be cautious of the main character or else one might lose even if they were stronger than Hiro.


    "Who?"


    Amelia and Mia looked at Zero and asked.


    "Hiro Ernest!"


    Zero replied.


    "Ohh¡­ "


    Mia and Amelia then remembered Hiro. Indeed if one had to give credit for being one the strongest at Rank-A, Hiro''s name woulde at the top despite being at Rank-A -.


    "But I don''t think he is as scary as you!"


    Amelia said. She remembered Hiro fighting with Therianthrope''s opponent earlier but his power was nowhere as powerful as Zero who killed Ifrit.


    And this was not the only time. Even when they were on their way to Eldoria, she had seen Hiro fight and although strong and very skilled, she found Hiro to be much weaker than Zero.


    "Huh? What do you mean scary?"


    Zero questioned, not letting thatment pass by without exnation. He believes that he is a calm and collected person who never fights or provokes someone. So, how can he be described as scary?


    Amelia chuckled mischievously and said, "Well, Zero, it''s because you always have this super stern expression when you''re fighting. You know, like this..."


    She proceeded to mimic his intense, focused expression, furrowing her brows and squinting her eyes in an exaggerated manner.


    "Haha¡­ "


    Mia chuckled. The face expression that Amelia made was too simr to what Zero really had when he fights.


    "It''s like you''re challenging the entire universe with that look."


    "I suppose I do tend to look a bit serious when I''m fighting."


    Zero admitted. This was because for the past two years, he couldn''t make a single mistake in the fight or it might have cost him his life. So, he made a point to always be focused when fighting.


    "But that''s just my way of staying focused."


    Zero exined.


    Amelia continued her teasing, giving Zero a yful nudge. "Come on, Zero, you should try smiling during your next battle. Maybe then you can get along with others well."


    Amelia couldn''t resist the urge to yfully push her teasing even further. She moved closer to Zero, a mischievous glint in her eye as she devised a n to prove her point about his stern expression.


    With a sly grin, she gently cupped his face in her hands, her fingers pressing against his cheeks.


    "Come on, Zero, just a little smile," Amelia coaxed, her voice filled with feigned seriousness. She began to stretch his cheeks outward, attempting to reshape his stoic face into a smile.


    Zero''s eyes widened as he found himself subjected to Amelia''s unexpected antics. His cheeks stretched unnaturally, his lips pushed upwards into an awkward, forced grin.


    "Haha¡­ You look even more scary. Maybe you were right in not smiling. Your opponent might get scared even before the fight."


    Amelia and Mia burst into uncontrobleughter, unable to contain themselves any longer. They couldn''t help but be amused by the sight of Zero''s face transformed into something between a grimace and a forced grin.


    "Leave my face alone!"


    ( Does my face look that bad? )


    Zero questioned himself. He didn''t have a very high stat like Hiro, Lisa or Mia. But he was definitely above average with A in charm stat, at least that is what he believed.


    Anyway, after having calmed down, they began discussing their opponent though Amelia would tease again about how they would be defeated if he smiled at them.


    They were not the onl;y one who was discussing the fight but also other people including Hiro and his group.


    "Dryads are a bit difficult to handle. If we want to win, then we might need toe up with a strategy."


    Hiro said.


    "Can''t you do what Zero did?"


    Sylvia asked. She was out of the contest but was helping her friends ining up with strategy.


    "... It would be impossible for most of us. I think that if I used my skill, I might get to that speed."


    Hiro replied. The reason why Sylvia asked was because even she didn''t know how fast Zero was. That was why she thought that maybe Hiro, who is also in Rank-A might be able to do what Zero did.


    "Ohh¡­ "


    Sylvia didn''t know that Zero was that fast. Only when Hiro said about how it might need him to use his skill to be as fast as Zero, did she understand.


    "And even if I had that same speed, they should now be wary and wouldn''t leave their back exposed."


    Hiro said.


    "Anyway, Zero is too strong. We shouldn''t do what he did because it will be very difficult to achieve it."


    Misha said. There was no way that they could copy Zero''s way of fighting. To do so, they need to be as strong as him. And for Misha, nobody could be that strong at that rank.


    "Well, just pray that you don''t get him as your opponent then!"


    Sylvia said. She was already out of the contest and needn''t be worried unlike her friends.


    Sylvia only meant that as a joke but it seemed like her friend had taken it a bit too seriously. They began pondering about how they should go about fighting Zero if they do get him as your opponent.

 Chapter 469 Strongest From Each Race!

    <h4>Chapter 469 Strongest From Each Race!</h4>


    Zero as an opponent, that was literally having topete with Rank-S, at least that is what they feel.


    Unlike others, Hiro and his group had witnessed Zero''s strength on several asions. And even if the opponent was way beyond him, they had never seen him lose.


    Moreover, in the two years they had not seen Zero, he had grown considerably stronger and his rank was now higher than them.


    "Guys¡­ "


    Sylvia wanted them to just think of that as a joke. Anyway, she didn''t think that Zero would lose, at least not to anyone under Rank-S.


    "Seriously, Zero doesn''t have many weaknesses. He wields both Ice Magic and Sword Art. Additionally, he has ridiculously powerful attacks. And who knows what kind of trump card he is hiding."


    Hiro said. Although he will not give up if he needs to fight against Zero but by thinking rationally, you cannot exploit Zero''s weaknesses as he has almost none.


    The only chance of winning is if you were more powerful than Zero! That means that your speed, strength, mana stat should all exceed Zero''s.


    And Hiro knows that it is impossible since he saw Zero''s speed. It wasparable to Rank-S, and his strength stat also was very high. But he cannot be sure that it was Zero''s best since he hasn''t used Art and skill.


    "Anyway, Zero is not the only thing you should look out for."


    Sylvia said. She has to admit that Zero was very powerful but in the gathering of geniuses, there were many who seemed invincible.


    "Yeah, Lupin of Therianthropes Race. His speed might have been faster than Zero. And he was literally toying with his opponent like a prey."


    Misha said. The only reason why she knew how fast Lupin was because of Lupin''s way of fighting. He could have ended his opponent in one move like Zero but he yed with his opponent.


    He would always appear from his opponents back and make his opponent scared of him. He never dealt lethal or serious damage and every one could see that Lupin was just ying around.


    "Gimli from the Dwarf race is a very difficult opponent. He took a Rank-A + powerful attack like nothing."


    Zion also chimed in.


    Gimli was the Rank-S Dwarf and someone who is almost like Nock. His defense was very tough and his opponent immediately gave up after his strongest attack failed to do anything to Gimli.


    "Then there was also Cyrrinthia of the Dryads Race. She might be one of the trickiest opponents in the contest. I don''t think Rank-B like us would stand a chance."


    Lisa said.


    Cyrrinthia has an easier opponent to deal with but how the match ended was baffling. Her opponent seemed to be in control of Cyrrinthia as he gave up voluntarily the moment match.


    The evidence that he gave up because of Cyrrinthia and not because of her own vition is the fact that the opponent didn''t seem like himself until an hour after where he was asking what happened to his fight.


    It seems like Cyrrinthia used some kind of advanced illusion magic. Anyway, she was also the one with the highest chance of winning.


    "Stonew of Druid has unbelievable regeneration. I don''t think that without any special skill, he will be injured."


    Hiro also has someone in his mind who could be the strongest in the contest.


    For Hiro, it was Stonew of the Druid Race whose regeneration surpassedmon sense. In the earlier fight, he fought a Rank-A and despite the Rank-A fighternding many hits, all the cuts and scratches had been healed in a matter of seconds.


    Moreover, his strength was also high. Stonew punched his opponent and managed to shatter the weapon which prompted his opponent to give up.


    "Also don''t forget Princess Elenia."


    Sylvia warned. She didn''t want to say just because she lost to her, but Sylvia believes that among the geniuses, Princess Elenia was one of the top.


    Princess Elenia''sst attack was enough to prove that if she wanted to end the battle quickly, she could have been able to.


    Being an expert in archery, she could be quite annoying to deal with. After all, she can stay far away while attacking at the same time.


    "And Seraphine of the Aasimar Race is also strong. She didn''t seem to use much of her power earlier, so I can''t be so sure. However, she is definitely someone that we need to look out for. Mia and Zero had also warned us previously."


    Misha said.


    They didn''t know when they first met her but now they know what Mia and Zero meant when they said that Seraphine was strong.


    They inherited flight skills, so they always have that advantage. Moreover, Seraphine defeated her opponent without any skill or weapon. It was purely one-sided even though her opponent was also a genius of Rank-A.


    "However, no matter who, I don''t think we humans would lose. After all, no one is as strong as Professor Mia."


    Lisa said with a hint of admiration.


    All races Rank-S were strong and powerful. However, even amongst them, Mia Frostine stood out. She was beautiful and very strong.


    Her control of mana was on another level and she could immediately think of a way to defeat her opponent using the least amount of effort and the least amount of time.


    There wasn''t anyone who could do what she did. She didn''t use much mana to defeat Lucian who was at the peak of Rank-A +.


    They all nodded to Lisa''s statement. While the geniuses of other races had their own monster but it was not like humans didn''t have any. Rather, they had more. With Mia being one and Zero being another.


    With them, the chance of humans winning the contest was high!


    Although if they talked about them winning then the chances were very low. Zion and others were Rank-B, so it would be very very difficult to defeat the Rank-S opponent that they mentioned.


    Although they might be able to win against Rank-A, there were also some geniuses in the Rank-A who were almost impossible to defeat such as Zero and Hiro.


    But there was a chance that Hiro, theirpanion, might win. In the Rank-A category, apart from Zero, there were not many who could threaten Hiro.


    While defeating Rank-S might be hard, there was also a small chance that he might be able to. Well, fights are always unpredictable and there is always a chance as long as one doesn''t give up.


    Hiro and others just want to give their all and want to show that they are also a proud genius of their race. They can''t give up after seeing Sylvia who gave her all against Princess Elenia.


    Just like that they were discussing the geniuses from other races. And it was the same for other races geniuses.


    They were also discussing counter measures and of course, their biggest enemy was the human race. After all, they had 5 Rank-S and also other powerful fighters in Rank-A.


    "That Zero did disy great strength!"


    The Aasimar race were also gathered to discuss the geniuses that caught their opponent and might get in their way to championship.


    "True, his swiftness did astound and awe. Yet, he''s a feeble match for Seraphine''s grace, For she outshines him in her radiant drawl."


    Another Aasmar replied. For them, no one was a match for Seraphine. Of course, that was from their perspective.


    "..."


    Seraphine was also there but in a deep thought. Althoughmon sense would have it, she as Rank-S should easily be able to win against Rank-A without trouble.


    But she didn''t feel that way. In reality, she was sensing more danger from Zero than any other fight she saw that day.


    ( Why?)


    That is what she has been asking herself. True that Zero''s speed was absolutely insane for his rank, but she was also as fast as him.


    Could speed justify what she was feeling? It was not a simple feeling of facing a strong opponent but like the threat of being killed.


    ( Methought he was but a mere anon! )


    Seraphine at their previous encounter in Eldoria city didn''t really pay attention to Zero. She didn''t even think that he would be strong.


    Mia, Amelia and Hiro were eye-catching and someone that she had to pay attention to.


    For the rest, Seraphine considered them as very talented but didn''t think they possessed any kind of threat to her.


    But when Zero fought, she definitely was surprised and her sense began telling her that she should avoid him as much as possible.


    "Thou shouldst not too lightly undervalue human race, For there be amongst them those of stalwart might, And with circumspection we must approach such souls."


    Gabriel said. She remembered what Seraphine said previously and also when observing Mia Frostine''s battle. Moreover, one should always remember that humans are one of the dominant races in this world.


    "I think we must ponder upon the manner in which to confront Hiro Ernest. Though Seraphine shall undoubtedly triumph o''er such as he, ''tis a knotty quandary for others."


    Gabriel said.


    Just like that, they began pointing out difficult opponents in Rank-A and how they could use their skill and fighting style to their advantage. As for the Rank-S opponent, it was better to leave it to Seraphine.


    Lucian already proved that Rank-A stood no chance against Rank-S geniuses. Lucian, despite all the humiliation he brought, was the strongest in Rank-A. So, for him to be defeated so easily, they gave up the idea ofpeting with Rank-S.


    Though they did share what they know and seen, so that Seraphine can develop countermeasures against them.


    All in all, everyone was getting ready for the next battle which will be even more intense than that day!

 Chapter 470 Battle Between S Ranks

    <h4>Chapter 470 Battle Between S Ranks</h4>


    The next day, the excitement of the spectators was even higher than yesterday.


    King Thranduil, resplendent in his regal attire, stood before the gathered crowd in the grand arena. His voice echoed with authority as he addressed the excited spectators and the talented geniuses.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants, and honored guests," King Thranduil began, his words carrying weight and gravitas. "Today, we gather once again to witness the extraordinary talents of the geniuses from various races. The contest has already shown us the remarkable abilities and indomitable spirits of these individuals."


    A hushed silence fell over the crowd as they listened intently to their monarch''s words.


    "We have witnessed acts of valor, disys of unmatched skill, and the forging of new understanding across races," the king continued, his gaze sweeping across the arena.


    "Let''s hope that we see the same! Good luck to the participants who managed to make it past the first round!"


    With those words, the king raised his hand in a grand gesture, signaling the resumption of the contest. The crowd erupted in cheers and apuse, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.


    The referee appeared in the arena and the participants for the first match were selected.


    "Elrond Of the Elven Race Vs Mia Frostine of the Human Race!"


    The referee announced the name of the fighter.


    Yesterday, there was no battle between Rank-S but today, the first match itself was between the two Rank-S.


    *CHEER!


    "WOW! Didn''t expect that two Rank-S will be fighting in the first match. I was waiting for this!"


    "It is Elrond! He will surely win!"


    "Don''t say that. Remember yesterday''s match. That girl from the human race is very strong. Though I doubt she will be a match for Princess Elenia. Anyway, I also hope that Elrond wins this fight." ¡­


    The Elven discussed with enthusiasm. One of their best geniuses is going to appear and it was also going to be a fight between Rank-S.


    It was also true for the participants as well. They would get to see the power of their opponent who is in Rank-S.


    Since most of the spectators were Elves, Elrond got a huge support behind him. Well, Mia also didn''tck support from her fellow humans.


    "Show him what you got Ice Enchantress!"


    "That guy will have no idea what hit him!"


    "I saw his match yesterday. He is nowhere as strong as Ice Enchantress. She will definitely win!" ¡­


    The human geniuses cheered but weren''t worried. For them, they considered Mia as one of the strongest even in Rank-S, and didn''t think she would lose to her opponent.


    "Good Luck, Mia!"


    "Beat him to pulp!"


    Zero and Amelia said.


    Mia nodded and walked confidently towards the arena. Her opponent was also heading towards the arena.


    Mia took out her wanted from the storage ring and Elrond did the same. Yesterday, none of the Rank-S used their weapon but it was different when your opponent is Rank-S.


    However, despite being in Rank-S, Elrond was one sube-rank lower than Mia.


    "Good day, Mia Frostine," Elrond said in a melodious Elven ent. "I am Elrond of the Elven Race. It is an honor to stand here as your opponent today."


    "Thank you, Elrond! I''m also looking forward to a challenging match."


    Mia replied respectfully.


    With their brief exchange of greetings, the two Rank-S fighters stepped back, ready to demonstrate their extraordinary talents and abilities in the grand arena. The crowd''s excitement reached new heights as the battle between these two formidablepetitors was about to begin.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked and both nodded their heads.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The moment the referee''s voice faded, the grand arena fell into an anticipatory hush. All eyes were fixed on the two Rank-S fighters standing at opposite ends, their presence radiating power and determination.


    Both Mia and Elrond released their Rank-S aura making the pressure in the arena unbearable for weak people.


    Good thing was that the arena was covered in some artifact that prevents aura and attack from slipping through. Otherwise, most of the people might have fainted from the pressure of their aura.


    Mia Frostine raised her hand, and a sudden chill swept through the arena. A shimmering aura of frost enveloped her, and the ground beneath her feet turned into a sheet of ice.


    Elrond, the Elven genius, responded with grace and finesse. He drew his slender, ornate bow, an elegant masterpiece crafted by Elven artisans.


    With a swift motion, he notched an arrow made from the finest materials, infused with ancient Elven enchantments. His ethereal beauty and poise contrasted sharply with the icy battlefield Mia had conjured.


    The crowd''s breaths were held as they watched the sh of two unparalleled talents. Mia unleashed a barrage of ice projectiles, each sharper and more lethal than thest.


    Elrond, moving with preternatural speed, skillfully deflected the projectiles with his arrows, showcasing his extraordinary archery skills.


    Each of those attacks were very destructive as felt by the spectator. Any of those attacks might be enough to kill dozens of Rank-A monsters.


    The spectators erupted into a frenzy of cheers and apuse for Elrond''s masterful disy of archery and precision.


    [ "Frozen Surface" ]


    Mia froze in the arena so that Elrond couldn''t move properly. But Elrond seems to have a lot of fighting experience in different terrain. Despite the ground turning to ice, there was not much effect on Elrond who continued fighting like he was on the normal ground.


    As the battle between Mia Frostine and Elrond unfolded in the grand arena, it became clear to all in attendance that they were witnessing a sh of titans. The spectators were on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued to the breathtaking disy of skill and power.


    Mia continued her relentless assault, conjuring ice storms and freezing winds, trying to catch Elrond off guard. Her control over the element of ice was awe-inspiring, and the arena was transformed into a wintry battlefield. Yet, Elrond remainedposed, his movements fluid and elegant as he deftly countered each of Mia''s attacks.


    The Elven spectators watched in admiration as their genius, Elrond, showcased not only his archery prowess but also his agility and reflexes.


    He moved with the grace of a dancer, a true embodiment of Elven elegance. Each arrow he released found its mark, shattering the ice projectiles with pinpoint uracy.


    Seeing how Mia''s attacks were failing, the Elves thought that Elrond had the upper hand and might win.


    But underneath, Elrond was having trouble counter attacking because of Mia''s barrage of attack which prompted him to go defensive.


    [ "Ice Throne" ]


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    Mia used two of her strongest skills. This skill will enable her to have better control and is very much effective for crowd control.


    The arena was plunged into darkness as a blizzard of ice and snow swirled around her. In an instant, a massive ice throne materialized beneath her, lifting her high above the battlefield.


    Elrond was also trapped inside the wall of the Ice Pce.


    Not wanting to be sitting suck, Elrond thought of using this opportunity to attack. He assumed that Mia used a lot of mana looking at the sheer size of the ice pce.


    As Elrond drew the bowstring, the arrow began to glow with a radiant light.


    [ "Ster Arrows of E?rendil" ]


    With unparalleled precision, he let the arrow loose, and it was aimed at Mia who was sitting on top of the Ice Throne.


    Mia waved her hands and many Ice Pirs stood before her and defended her from Elrond''s attack.


    Although his attack failed, Elrond remained calm. SInce one attack was not enough, he decided to attack more until Mia''s defense failed.


    Elrond, in response, disyed his full array of archery techniques, shooting arrows that left trails of glittering light in their wake.


    However, every attack of his was intercepted by Mia. No matter whether he used a stronger attack or faster one, it was always blocked by the Ice Pir.


    Mia Frostine, perched atop her icy throne, watched with a serene confidence as Elrond continued to unleash a barrage of arrows.


    Her mastery over ice and her control of the battlefield gave her a distinct advantage. She could feel the strain in Elrond''s attacks, and with each arrow that she effortlessly deflected, her conviction grew stronger.


    The crowd was in awe of Mia''s power and control. The sheer scale of her abilities was breathtaking. As the battle raged on, it became evident that Elrond was growing weary, while Mia showed no signs of fatigue.


    Sensing an opportunity, Mia decided it was time to bring an end to the battle. With a graceful sweep of her hand, she summoned a blinding blizzard that enveloped the entire arena. Visibility plummeted as the swirling snow and ice obscured everything.


    Elrond, caught in the midst of the blizzard, struggled to maintain hisposure. He couldn''t see, couldn''t aim, and his movements were hindered by the biting cold. Mia, on the other hand, was in her element. She glided effortlessly through the blizzard, her steps leaving a trail of frost behind her.


    And then, with a final, decisive motion, Mia raised her hand high above her head. The blizzard responded to hermand, coalescing into a colossal, crystalline structure that descended upon Elrond like a relentless avnche.


    The entire arena gasped in awe as they witnessed the grandeur of Mia''s ultimate attack. It was a breathtaking disy of power and control, a testament to her mastery over the element of ice. Elrond, trapped and overwhelmed, had no chance to evade the impending catastrophe.


    The crystalline avnche crashed down upon Elrond, encapsting him in a frozen prison. Mia lowered her hand, and the blizzard dissipated as quickly as it hade. The arena fell into silence, broken only by the soft sound of cracking ice.


    The referee approached the frozen figure of Elrond, and with a solemn voice, he dered, "Mia Frostine of the Human Race is the winner of this match."

 Chapter 471 Challenge From Princess Elenia!

    <h4>Chapter 471 Challenge From Princess Elenia!</h4>


    "Mia Frostine of the Human Race is the winner of this match."


    The crowd erupted into thunderous apuse, their admiration for Mia''s incredible talent and skill evident.


    On the other hand, the Elves didn''t know how to respond. They believed in their Rank-S genius Elrond but he was defeated quite easily by the human genius.


    The fight took 20 minutes and while it was quite longpared to average fighting time of yesterday, in the fight between two Rank-S, it was incredibly quick. That just goes to show how strong Mia waspared to Elrond.


    Mia descended from her icy throne, her demeanor humble and gracious. She approached the frozen Elrond and, with a wave of her hand, released him from his frozen prison.


    Elrond had a disappointed expression on his face. He couldn''t believe how easily Mia defeated him. His attacks were all useless and the difference could be seen in the state they were in.


    Mia didn''t even seem tired and was just as how she appeared before the fight. Elrond on the other hand, however, was visibly exhausted and injured.


    As he stood there, feeling the weight of defeat, the crowd fell into a contemtive hush. The Elves in the audience exchanged uneasy nces, their faith in Elrond''s invincibility shaken.


    "How strong is that girl from the human race? I still don''t think she gave everything she had!"


    "She must be the strongest in the human race. Her control over her mana is extraordinary. Elrond had no chance."


    "How could someone even defeat someone like her? She could just hide behind her Ice Pce and control the area." ¡­


    The spectator and other geniuses couldn''t find any w in Mia''s fighting. Whether it was a close fighter or long ranged one, her crowd control skill was too strong. As long as you get trapped into the Ice Pce, you could only find yourself toyed by Mia.


    And there was no way to escape the Ice Pce. Its range covers the whole arena, so as long as one is fighting in the arena, they will be caught inside the Ice Pce which is controlled by Mia.


    "ra, don''t you think she is the strongest? She might be the person we are looking for! I know how strong Elrond is and I never thought he would be defeated so easily."


    King Tranduil asked ra who had alsoe to watch the fight.


    "Indeed! She is very talented but there might also be others who are more talented than her. We can just wait for the contest to end before deciding."


    ra responded.


    "Elenia, what do you think? Do you think that you can defeat her?"


    King Tranduil asked Princess Elenia who was beside him.


    "Hmmm¡­ "


    Princess Elenia was a very confident person but it didn''t mean that she looked down on her opponent, especially the strong ones.


    "She is indeed a powerful opponent but before my arrows, her Ice Pce can only be destroyed. If that is all she has, then I will win!"


    Princess Elenia responded.


    She also had fought with Elrond and had always won against him. She would take 10 minutes to defeat him, much less 20 minutes like Mia did.


    King Tranduil looked at Princess Elenia and then at Mia Frostine. He felt that Mia Frostine could give his daughter a hard time. Then he thought for a second and then said, "If you win against her, I will give you that artifact you wanted!"


    "Really?"


    Princess Elenia excitedly eximed. She had begged her father several times, but she was never given that artifact. She didn''t think her father would be willing to let go of that artifact.


    "Then I will definitely win!"


    Princess Elenia dered as she stared at Mia Frostine.


    Other Rank-S geniuses were also wary of Mia. They already were but after this fight, they might put Mia at the top of the geniuses.


    As Mia and Elrond stepped out of the arena, the tension that had filled the air began to dissipate.


    People praised Mia as she walked towards her seat. Even the other Rank-S human geniuses praised Mia. They were also in Rank-S like Mia but had to admit that Mia was much stronger than them.


    And another thing was that Mia was much younger than them. Even so, they were the ones who needed to show respect. After all, in the human domain, strength is what matters most.


    "Nice job!"


    Amelia said as she hugged Mia.


    "You were incredible!"


    "Congrattions!"


    Zero said


    Mia nodded with a smile. She was only soft in front of Amelia and Zero. For others, it will be met with her cold response.


    "Okay then! Let''s move to the next battle!"


    ******


    After Mia''s fight, there wasn''t any particr fight that was as good as them. And the one person who fought from Hiro''s group was Zion.


    Zion wasn''t very lucky as his opponent was Rank-A -. However, despite the difference in the rank, Zion managed to win.


    His opponent was from the Druid race. With his incredible regeneration, the battle had continued for an hour. It was the longest fight of the contest.


    And the reason for this was because of Druid, who kept regenerating his injuries which enabled him tost longer. While on the other hand, Druid wasn''t really able to deal any serious damage to Zion.


    Zion with his spear would destroy any attack that came his way. And because of his patience, he never threw powerful attacks unless he was sure that his opponent would be defeated.


    At the end, Zion used his ultimate skill Celestial Piercing Strike at the time when Druid mana seemed to be exhausted which has slowed his regeneration.


    Despite being one rank lower, Zion had won, which managed to attract a lot of attention to him. While the Druid obviously was humiliated as he was defeated by Rank-B.


    Even Zero was surprised by Zion''s strength. As far as he knows, it was not time for Zion to know that move but considering how the Main Characters have been growing stronger than said in the novel, he could understand it.


    And it was good for him that Zion was strong. There was nothing wrong with Main Characters being stronger.


    After that fight, there were a few battles before it was lunch time. The lunch was served by Royals to the participants and everyone was gathered together.


    Well, lunch was an awkward time for them. But at least, it seems that through the fights, different races do acknowledge each other.


    Unlike their first time, other races didn''t argue with humans which could be considered progress. However, the amount of stares that Zero received was insane.


    Though they were not really looking at him but rather Mia. Other race''s geniuses would asionally nce at Mia, though Mia ignored all of it.


    After that awkward lunch, there was still some time for the contest to resume. Other races were talking with each other while humans were a bit outcast.


    *THUCK!


    At that moment, Princess Elenia also entered the room. It seems that it is Princess Elenia''s style of entering by such loud noise.


    She scanned the area, looking for someone. Then she stopped at where the humans were gathered and quickly made her way towards them.


    Princess Elenia approached the group of humans with an air of confidence, her gaze fixed on Mia Frostine. As she reached them, she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.


    "Mia Frostine, right?"


    Princess Elenia asked with arrogance.


    Mia met Elenia''s gaze with aposed expression. "Yes, that''s me," she replied calmly.


    "I''ve been watching your fights, Mia! You''re good, I''ll give you that. But don''t think for a moment that defeating Elrond makes you invincible. I intend to prove that. So make sure that you don''t lose any other person."


    Princess Elenia said.


    Mia remainedposed. "I wee the challenge, Princess Elenia! As long as you win, we will definitely meet in the future."


    "Humph! I will!""


    As the two strongest women challenged each other, the rest of the participants and spectators watched with anticipation.


    The rivalry between Mia and Elenia added anotheryer of intrigue to the contest, making their uing battle one of the most highly anticipated events of the tournament.


    After having said what she wanted to, she was about to leave. However, her eyes fell upon Zero.


    ( This was the guy who saved Sylvia from my attack! )


    Princess Elenia remembered.


    "You!"


    She pointed to Zero.


    Zero, who was just watching from the sidelines , looked left and right and didn''t see anyone.


    "Me?"

 Chapter 472 Confrontation With Princess Elenia!

    <h4>Chapter 472 Confrontation With Princess Elenia!</h4>


    "Me?"


    Zero was confused as to why Princess Elenia was pointing her fingers at him.


    The people who were near Zero naturally stepped aside as they didn''t want to bring their attention to themselves.


    Previously, they didn''t know how powerful Princess Elenia was, so they dared to argue and even fight against her. Now all they want is to avoid her.


    "Yes you! You are pretty good!"


    Princess Elenia said with a sneer. She thought that for Rank-A to save someone from her attack, he/she would need to be very talented.


    Zero didn''t know why Princess Elenia was saying this, but decided that his fight might have impressed her or something. Anyway, he was d that it wasn''t for something else.


    "Well, thanks! You aren''t bad yourself!"


    Zero replied.


    Zero was alsoplimenting back but the word he chose made it seem like he was the stronger one, which if thought carefully might be true.


    He has a skill that allows him to even kill Rank-SS and with Dark Energy, it might not be hard for Zero to win against Princess Elenia.


    Anyways, Zero never thought Princess Elenia was someone stronger than him and someone he needs to respect.


    So, he replied like how he would to any strong Rank-S fighter.


    However, it was different from the perspective of others. For others, it just seems like Zero was telling the strongest person that she was not that bad, like it seems a bit disrespectful.


    Princess Elenia raised an eyebrow at Zero''s response. She also took Zero''s word as if she was being underestimated.


    She didn''t think of anyone as her equal and someone at Rank-A replied like he was her equal which obviously didn''t go well with her.


    "You''ve got quite the attitude," she retorted.


    "Huh? What makes you think so?"


    Zero asked confusedly.


    ( If you are talking of having attitude, then you should look at yourself. )


    Zero thought. He didn''t understand why Princess Elenia said that. Moreover, he thought that Princess Elenia was not eligible to talk about attitude considering how bad her attitude is.


    Anyway, Zero was confused as to why Princess Elenia''s mood became bad. He didn''t think he had done anything wrong here.


    "Humph! Don''t act like you are confused. You''re obviously looking down on me, aren''t you?"


    Princess Elenia said a bit angry now. She wasn''t used to having someone look down on her, at least not by someone as weak as Zero.


    Moreover, she thought that Zero was faking by acting confused.


    "*TSK! Princess, I don''t know what your problem is but I think you should go to a doctor or something."


    Zero was annoyed by how Princess Elenia was treating him. She thought that there might be something wrong with her brain for her to say that he was underestimating her even though he never said something that would imply that.


    Zero was also not the one who can stand someone like her who is being unreasonable. He was confused and Princess Elenia was saying that he was looking down on her, even though he didn''t.


    "WHAT? Y-YOU¡­"


    Princess Elenia was lost for words. This is the first time anyone has said something like this to her. She was a princess and a very talented person. Nobody dares to spew insults like Zero.


    The exchange between Zero and Princess Elenia was growing increasingly tense. The onlookers, both humans and members of other races, watched with bated breath, sensing that a confrontation was brewing.


    They never expected there to be someone who would confront Princess Elenia, at least not a Rank-A person. They all assumed that Zero was dead or something.


    "Can''t you just be rational and try to understand what I am trying to say. You get angry because of something and me me. Aren''t you crazy?"


    Zero continued. Once his trigger was triggered, it wasn''t easy for him to calm down. Since he had already begun, he wants to finish telling everything he wants.


    Princess Elenia''s face flushed with anger, she tightened her fist in anger. She wasn''t ustomed to being spoken to this way.


    She had a reputation to uphold, and thought that this insolent Rank-A human was tarnishing it.


    The surrounding onlookers watched in a mix of shock and anticipation, unsure of how this confrontation would unfold. Whispers and murmurs rippled through the crowd as the tension between the two escted.


    "Listen here, you insolent brat," Princess Elenia seethed through gritted teeth.


    Zero rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Oh, yeah! I am listening. What do you have to say?"


    Zero taunted Princess Elenia.


    The crowd gasped at Zero''s audacity. Nobody had ever dared to speak to Princess Elenia in such a manner. It was as if he had lit a fire in the heart of a storm.


    "Huuu¡­ I am done with ying games with you. You will know what will happen when you anger me."


    Princess Elenia eximed as she began releasing her mana aura. Although angry, she obviously knew that she couldn''t really beat Zero as it would tarnish the royal family''s image and moreover create problems for human-elves rtionship.


    But she wasn''t going to let this slide either. She was going to use her mana aura to suppress Zero and make him understand her power.


    The air around her crackled with energy, and the ground beneath her feet trembled slightly. It was a disy of power that few had witnessed before, and the onlookers watched in awe.


    Zero, however, remained unfazed. For him, Rank-S mana aura couldn''t do anything to him. Not even Rank-SS aura would be able to make him tremble, not to mention a Rank-S mana aura.


    Princess Elenia''s mana aura was concentrated on Zero, so others weren''t affected much. Even so, they could feel how powerful it was. They knew that if they were the targets, then they would have kneeled before Princess Elenia in submission.


    However, then they saw Zero who doesn''t seem to be affected by that energy. He just stood there like nothing happened.


    Elenia''s eyes narrowed, realizing that Zero was not as ordinary as he appeared. It wasn''t easy maintaining one''sposure against her aura.


    *YAWN!


    "Is this the best you can do, Princess? I thought you were going to show me something impressive."


    Zero said.


    Elenia''s frustration grew, and she pushed her mana aura harder, trying to overpower Zero. But it was no use. What frustrated more was that Zero was provoking her more by acting like he was falling asleep.


    The tension in the air was unbearable, and it seemed like a confrontation between two titans. The crowd watched with bated breath, unsure of what would happen next.


    "Enough!"


    Mia intervened. If it goes further, it seems like it will break into a fight.


    She wasn''t really worried about Zero, who she knows could defeat Princess Elenia, but because of how it will affect the rtionship between the two races.


    She could already see how hostile other Elves had be. They didn''t interfere, probably because they aren''t allowed to disturb their princess.


    Zero has certainly made an enemy out of the Elven Race.


    "Zero, you should stop provoking her!"


    Mia said.


    Zero calmed down a bit after Mia intervened. He wasn''t nning to make a big deal but he thought that the spoiled princess needed to be taught a lesson. He was even prepared to beat her up if needed.


    Well, thankfully he didn''t!


    "Princess Elenia, I also hope that you take back your mana aura. If you want to fight, you can do it at the arena."


    Mia said.


    "Humph!"


    Princess Elenia retracted her mana aura. But her re never left, Zero. She wasn''t satisfied with what happened.


    However, she also knew that she couldn''t make it bigger than it already was. If her mother finds out, she knows that she will be punished.


    "You! I will remember this. Pray that you don''t encounter me in the contest."


    Princess Elenia said angrily.


    With that, Princess Elenia turned and left, her confident stride carrying her away from the group of humans and then out of the dinning hall.


    As she walked away, many let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the confrontation had been defused for now.


    Zero also stared at Princess Elenia as she left the ce.


    "Crazy Princess!"


    Zero muttered. He also prayed that Princess Elenia doesn''t get him as an enemy or else he will make her cry.

 Chapter 473 Confrontation With Princess Elenia! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 473 Confrontation With Princess Elenia! [2]</h4>


    As the tension dissipated with Princess Elenia''s departure, the atmosphere in the dining hall gradually returned to normal.


    However, now that the princess was gone, their attention naturally shifted to Zero who boldly faced off against Princess Elenia.


    Many felt that Zero was being stupid arguing with Princess Elenia while some like Dwarf races thought that it was courageous of Zero to face off against Elenia.


    Dwarves are honest people and whether it be friends or with enemies, they like to be honest. They felt that Zero was brave for doing and saying what he wants just like them.


    But obviously, he would also earn hate from some, especially the Elves. They didn''t do anything since they were the host and other races were guests. But many vowed that they will make Zero regret his arrogance.


    Mia turned to Zero with a concerned expression. "You really know how to stir up trouble, don''t you?"


    "Hey, I didn''t start it. She''s the one who pointed fingers at me and used me of looking down on her."


    Mia sighed, shaking her head. "Well, let''s try to avoid any more trouble, shall we? We''re guests here, after all."


    Zero nodded his head though he felt that it wasn''t his fault.


    Anyway, the break time was over and the contest was going to resume.


    *******


    "Elenia, where did you go?"


    King Tranduil asked when Princess Elenia was back.


    "Humph! I just went to check on the contestants."


    Princess Elenia replied, with an obviously bad mood. She couldn''t stop thinking about Zero who disrespected her. It was her first time, and also going to be thest.


    ( Just you wait! )


    She also hoped that she would quickly get Zero as her opponent. And even pray that he doesn''t get eliminated until he meets her.


    "Y-You- You didn''t get into another fight, did you?"


    King Tranduil asked. He was able to guess that something was up by looking at Princess Elenia''s behavior.


    He was concerned about the trouble that his daughter might have caused.


    "Dad, it is not my fault. There is someone from the Human Race who disrespected me and even called me crazy."


    Princess Elenia eximed. She felt wrong because her father was using her of making trouble when clearly she was wronged by Zero.


    "Huh?"


    King Tranduil was surprised to hear something like that. Never did he think that anyone would call her something like this.


    ( But daughter, I think that you really are crazy! )


    King Tranduil thought. He wasn''t offended by what was said to his daughter and even agreed.


    After raising Elenia for so many years and all the trouble she caused, he would hardly think of his daughter as normal.


    "But Elenia, you didn''t do anything to him, right?"


    King Tranduil asked worriedly. He wasn''t worried about anything happening to Elenia but rather what she might have done to the person who said she was crazy.


    "DAD!"


    Princess Elenia yelled as her father seemed more concerned about Zero than her. She was here telling her father about the insult she received, and her father was more worried about the person than her.


    *Tch!


    "He is fine!"


    "Oh! Thank God! Elenia, no matter what, don''t forget that they are our guests. You are not allowed to attack them."


    King Tranduil was relieved but also advised Elenia. He was still worried that Elenia might go and attack the person afterwards.


    "Dad! Why are you siding with that person? He insulted your daughter and¡­ and I don''t think something will happen to him even if I attack him."


    Princess Elenia said. Since Zero was able to survive from her mana aura, she didn''t think that an ordinary attack from her would cause any serious damage to Zero.


    "Elenia, you didn''t attack him, right?"


    Once again, King Tranduil was worried because of Elenia''s statement.


    "I only released my mana aura. But he was fine!"


    Princess Elenia said. Although she would make trouble all the time, she had never lied to her father.


    "Oh! So, you had a conflict with Rank-S from the human race. Don''t take it to heart. Like you, they have their pride and wouldn''t shy away from confronting you."


    King Tranduil thought that the person who argued with Elenia must be Rank-S since he could withstand Rank-S mana aura.


    Moreover, he thought that maybe it might be because of the ego that Princess Elenia and that person fought. As human, King Tranduil knew that they considered themselves superior and that might have caused some problem with his daughter who equally has that ego.


    "No, dad! He was just a Rank-A human!"


    Princess Elenia replied.


    "Rank-A!"


    King Tranduil widened his eyes in surprise. His daughter was strongest in Rank-S and even Rank-SS might have some trouble fighting her.


    So, he couldn''t believe that Rank-A person not only confronted Elenia but could also withstand her aura.


    "Who?"


    King Tranduil asked. He was already thinking of many candidates including Hiro Ernest. He thought that the person might be very talented.


    "His name is Zero. The one who saved Sylvia from my attack."


    Princess Elenia answered.


    "Him?"


    He also has a good impression of Zero and also someone he has kept an eye on. With Elenia''s statement, that interest only grew.


    "Dad, I can use my full strength against him, right?"


    Princess Elenia asked.


    "...."


    King Tranduil thought for a second. He has previously been told to never use her full power against lower ranked people.


    However, if what Elenia told was true, then Elenia might need to use her real strength even against Rank-A.


    "You can! But don''t overdo it!"


    "Sure!"


    Princess Elenia replied while thinking about how she was going to toy with Zero.


    ******


    The geniuses were back to the stadium after the lunch hour was over. The fight has resumed as normal.


    There were not many changes until Zero''s name was revealed.


    "Zero Elea of the Human Race Vs Aricen of the Elven Race!"


    The announcement has made many people interested including Princess Elenia and King Tranduil. Princess Elenia was obviously upset that her name was not called up against Zero.


    Other geniuses were also paying attention to Zero after what has transpired.


    They wanted to know whether he was really that strong for him to withstand Princess Elenia''s aura.


    Zero walked towards the arena, not caring about all the stares he was getting. He only had little support even from Human Races.


    On the other hand, Aricen walked towards the arena with much support from his fellow race.


    "Aricen, beat him until he cries!"


    "Aricen, you gotta avenge Princess Elenia. Let him know what it means to offend Royals of Elves."


    "Don''t spare him! You need to make him regret it. Don''t end the fight quickly!" ¡­


    All kinds of support was given to Aricen for him to beat Zero. And most of them believed that Aricen will be able to win because Aricen was Rank-A+ while Zero is Rank-A, one sub-rank below Aricen.


    [ Insight Perception ]


    Zero checked his opponent who seemed to be Rank-A +. However, he wasn''t worried as he knew that he was stronger than his opponent.


    As Zero and Aricen stood face to face in the arena, the tension in the stadium reached a new level.


    Aricen obviously didn''t have a good feeling about Zero who insulted Princess Elenia.


    Aricen sneered at Zero, his voice dripping with condescension. "Today sure is my lucky day. I have to put the person who insulted our princess back to his ce." He chuckled.


    Zero remained calm, not rising to Aricen''s taunts.


    But Aricen wasn''t done yet. He still has to insult and provoke Zero further.


    Aricen spoke in a low, mocking tone, making sure the audience could hear every word.


    "You know, it''s a pity Princess Elenia didn''t get to be your opponent. It would have been much more entertaining to watch her put an arrogant human like you in his ce."


    Zero raised an eyebrow but maintained hisposure. He wasn''t sure what gave Aricen so much confidence.


    Aricen continued, his words dripping with condescension. "But it is okay! I will do the deed in her ce. It is a waste of time for her to fight you. I alone am enough!"


    Aricen wasn''t finished. He took a step back, his expression smug. "But don''t worry, human. I''ll at least keep you alive. But if you beg for forgiveness now, I might go easy on you."


    *YAWN!


    "Are you done yet? If so, let''s get the battle started. I don''t have time to waste on you!"

 Chapter 474 Zero Vs Aricen

    <h4>Chapter 474 Zero Vs Aricen</h4>


    "Are you done yet? If so, let''s get the battle started. I don''t have time to waste on you!"


    Zero''s calm response seemed to catch Aricen off guard. The crowd fell into a hushed silence, surprised by Zero''s unwavering confidence in the face of Aricen''s provocation.


    The geniuses felt that Zero really was arrogant. He wasn''t really afraid of Rank-S Elenia and it was the same for Aricen, both of whom are stronger than him, at least in terms of rank.


    Aricen, not used to his taunts being met with such indifference, felt a twinge of frustration. He had expected Zero to react with anger or fear, but Zero''sposed demeanor was getting under his skin.


    "Very well, human. You''ll regret your arrogance soon enough!"


    Aricen said. He didn''t think that wasting any more words on Zero was going to yield anything. He gave him the chance to apologize but he didn''t. So, Aricen was going to teach n a lesson that he will never forget, or at least that is his intention.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked, not really caring about their dispute.


    "Yes!"


    Aricen replied as he summoned his bow and arrows. Zero gave a nod.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The signal was given, and the duel began. Aricen swiftly drew his bowstring, sending an arrow flying toward Zero with incredible speed and uracy. His elven archery skills were legendary, and he aimed to overwhelm Zero with a barrage of swift and precise shots.


    Even though Aricen was confident, it didn''t mean that he was underestimating Zero. He still remembers Zero''s incredible speed and the geniuses of Elves also discussed countermeasures.


    Although they couldn''t say for sure whether it would work or not, they knew that their long-range attack was the worst type of enemy for Zero who relies on his speed to overwhelm the opponent.


    So, as long as they could preupy Zero at a distance with their attacks, and not let him utilize his speed, they thought that they could win.


    So, Aricen started with his rapid attack giving him no chance for Zero to utilize his full speed.


    However, for Zero, those attacks were nothing difficult to handle.


    He gracefully dodged Aricen''s arrows, his movements fluid and efficient. It was clear that attacks like this would not be able to defeat Zero.


    The crowd watched in amazement as Zero deftly parried the arrows with his de, countering with powerful but controlled strikes of his own. Each sh between their weapons and projectiles sent sparks flying, showcasing their impressive martial prowess.


    But it was certain that those attacks were doing nothing to Zero. But it was also true that Zero had to defend himself and he couldn''t defeat Aricen like Zero had previously defeated his Dryad opponent.


    Aricen thought that his tactics were working and Zero couldn''t utilize his biggest strength which he considered was his speed.


    But he also knew that his attack wasn''t inflicting damage to Zero. So, he decided to attack with his more powerful skills.


    [ "Arcane Arrow Torrent" ]


    Aricen attacked with multiple arrows which were impossible to dodge, plus all the arrows were very powerful and would implode on impact.


    This was a technique that was both difficult to defend and dodge. The only downside is the mana that is consumed.


    Zero also knew that it was impossible to dodge since it covered almost every ce that he could go. However, unlike Aricen, he didn''t think it was anything difficult to defend against.


    Zero stood still as he gathered mana.


    "Aricen has used his favorite skill. That human is done for!"


    "That is what he gets for insulting our princess. He must have been arrogant because of his speed. Now let''s see how he defends against this."


    "It is boring. I thought that he had something for him to fight with the princess. Guess, he was just talking and no action."


    "Humph! He was so scared that he couldn''t even move. At least, try to dodge, and that way we might at least acknowledge your determination." ¡­


    The Elves began discussing with the majority thinking that this was it. They all believe that Zero''s only strength is his speed and that without it, he would lose.


    King Tranduil and Princess Elenia also watched the whole fight. King Tranduil expected more and didn''t think that Zero was going to lose easily as he could see that Zero was still calm.


    Moreover, he thought that someone who could withstand his daughter''s aura wouldn''t be that weak. In any case, King Tranduil wasn''t a person who drew conclusions hastily.


    On the other hand, Princess Elenia was disappointed thinking that the person who disrespected her was only worth this much. She thought that it was a pity that she couldn''t fight against Zero herself.


    The human side was a bit nervous. Although not many supported Zero, they didn''t want Zero to humiliate the Human Race like this.


    Hiro and his group were also worriedly looking at Zero fights. Despite knowing that Zero had many hidden cards up his sleeve, they felt how powerful the attack was.


    Though Mia and Amelia weren''t worried at all. They had seen Zero take a much stronger attack like it was nothing.


    Aricen grinned thinking that he won but then Zero started to use his skill as well.


    [ "Ice Wall" ]


    Instantly, a thick, translucent wall of huge ice materialized in front of Zero, forming a protective barrier just in time to intercept the iing arrows.


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    The torrent of arcane arrows collided with the ice wall, creating a spectacr disy of exploding magical energy and ice shards. However, that still failed to prate Zero''s Ice wall and Zero was unscathed behind the Ice Wall.


    Aricen''s confident grin faded as he realized that Zero had not only defended against his attack but had done so effortlessly. His magical barrage had been effectively nullified by the ice wall, leaving Zero unharmed.


    "Huh? This¡­ "


    "Wasn''t this guy using a sword yesterday? Howe he is using Ice magic?"


    "Humans and their endless tricks. He must have learned other Art as well!" ¡­


    The audience didn''t understand what had happened. For the most part, an individual will either choose magic Art or maybe weapon Art.


    They all thought Zero used a Sword because that is what he used yesterday, although he only used it to point at his opponent''s neck.


    "Is that all?"


    Zero casually asked. Well, he did this because his opponent was saying a lot of things before the match and he thought that maybe he had something to show for it.


    Aricen gritted his teeth as he felt humiliated by Zero''s question.


    "Humph! That is just a start. Don''t think that was my full power."


    Aricen replied.


    "Oh¡­ Then let me see!"


    Zero said.


    [ "Shadow sh" ]


    Zero had now begun attacking. But his opponent was also not someone who would go down easily.


    He easily dodged the attack but Zero had moved closer and was still moving closer to Aricen. Since Aricen was an archery user, he will be weak at closed ranger fights which Zero is good at.


    [ "Ice Shard" ]


    Zero attacked continuously while also moving closer. Aricen has also seen through Zero''s intention and isn''t going to let Zero seed.


    Aricen knew he had to maintain distance to have the upper hand, so he quickly conjured a defensive spell.


    ["Gale Barrier"]


    A powerful gust of wind encircled Aricen, forming an invisible barrier that repelled Zero''s advances. The wind barrier created a buffer zone between the twobatants, preventing Zero from getting too close.


    Zero''s de sliced through the air, but it couldn''t breach the barrier of swirling winds. Aricen seized this moment to regain hisposure and assess the situation.


    The audience watched in awe as the two opponents shed, their skills and abilities on full disy. It was a mesmerizing duel between two individuals of top talent, each showcasing their unique talents.


    The wind barrier provided Aricen with much-needed breathing space. He took a deep breath and focused on his mana once more.


    Aricen channeled his mana into his bow, infusing his arrows with an even more potent magical energy. With a swift motion, he released another volley of arrows, this time aiming not just to overwhelm Zero but to also make Zero back off.


    Since Zero was closer than before his arrows were stronger and also shot at a much rapid pace.


    Zero dodged and deflected his attacks but the situation became like the earlier where he was forced to go on defense.


    [ "Ice Embodiment" ]


    Zero''s body was now covered in Ice Armor which protected him from Arisen''s attack. Zero pushed through Arisen''s attack and was going to get closer to Aricen.


    Aricen, noticing how his attacks were not working, decided to once again shoot Zero with his Arcane Arrow Torrent attack.


    But Zero was not going to let him do that. Arcane Arrow Torrent attack could indeed break his ice armor and Zero didn''t want to spend his time on defending, so he decided to intercept his attack.


    [ "Blizzard Storm" ]


    Using Blizzard Storm, Zero was able to obstruct Aricen''s view, though only for a limited period of time.


    Aricen lost track of Zero and knew that he couldn''t attack him before he could deal with the Blizzard Storm.


    ["Gale Barrier"]


    Aricen immediately used the Gale barrier to not only protect himself from Zero''s sneak attack but also to counter the Blizzard Storm.


    He soon regained some vision in his vicinity as his gust of wind had blown away the blizzard storm but then was shocked by what was in front of him.


    Zero had already broken through his defense and was now standing before him with the sword on his neck!

 Chapter 475 Zero Vs Aricen [2]

    <h4>Chapter 475 Zero Vs Aricen [2]</h4>


    The spectator couldn''t see much after Zero had used Blizzard Storm. The whole arena was covered and they could only see the snow.


    "What is happening?"


    "This should be that human''s skill. What an AOE skill! It could cover the whole arena."


    "His mana should be depleting. This would definitely be released quickly. And Aricen will defeat him."


    "This must be his trump card. Once this fails, Aricen will defeat him." ¡­


    They discussed with each other about the current situation as they couldn''t watch the fight anymore. They could only patiently wait for the skill to subside or cancel by Zero.


    Most Elves believed in Aricen and predicted that he would win. They thought that this was Zero''sst struggle before he was defeated.


    Others who didn''t side with either also believed that Zero would lose. After all, Aricen was Rank-A + and the skill wasn''t particrly an offensive move, so they assumed that Zero was just trying to buy time.


    However, everyone was interested in what was going on. But soon after, a gust of wind blew which blew away the Blizzard Storm.


    Everyone recognized this skill of Aricen and knew that he might have used it to defend himself or to counter the Blizzard Storm of Zero.


    Still, they could see anything as most of the area was still covered in Blizzard Storm. The referee also has no way of knowing what was happening despite being inside the Blizzard Storm.


    As he wasn''t allowed to interfere, he couldn''t do anything other than protect himself.


    But they didn''t need to wait much as Zero released the skill soon after and the arena was turning back to normal.


    "The skill is going away. Looks like this is the end!"


    "That human should be defeated. I thought he mightst a little longer but who cares. He was just some human with a really big attitude."


    "The skill is released, so I guess Zero lost." ¡­


    They thought that since Zero skill had been released so quickly, it must be that the caster had lost.


    But when the stage became normal, they were shocked by what they saw.


    Aricen was on his knees with Zero''s sword at his neck. They didn''t what happened but one thing was sure, Aricen had lost.


    "Winner! Zero Elea of the Human Race!"


    The referee announced the result which was obvious to anyone.


    Zero put his sword back into his Spatial Ring and walked back.


    The spectator was stunned for a second and didn''t know what to say until the referee''s announcement.


    It was final! Aricen has really lost.


    "What? I can''t believe it!"


    "Did Aricen lose in those seconds when we were unable to see them? How is this possible!"


    "That human should have used an underhanded method. There is no way Aricen could lose so easily." ¡­


    The supporters of Aricen which are mostly Elves couldn''t believe the result and they couldn''t control their emotions. They didn''t think that Aricen would lose to someone like Zero.


    They didn''t think that it was possible for Zero to defeat Aricen who is in Rank-A +, in that short period of time.


    As for how he quickly managed to win the fight, he first used Blizzard Storm not only to stop Aricen from attacking but also so that he would be caught off guard by what he was going to do next.


    Zero used the Frost Wing, which enabled him to fly above the Gale Barrier andpletely ignore his defense. Then it was what it was.


    Zero quickly appeared before Aricen and kept his sword pointing at Aricen''s neck before he could react.


    Aricen couldn''t react as he was unable to sense and see Zero and when he did, Zero''s sword was at his neck.


    Aricen was shocked and realizing that he lost, he dropped to his feet. His confidence was shattered and he could only admit defeat.


    And that was what the spectator saw after the Blizzard Storm was released. The referee didn''t need to think much as Zero emerged victorious.


    Zero walked away after the referee had announced the result. Everybody looked at Zero with a bewildered expression.


    They didn''t know what happened but seeing how Aricen seemed so defeated that he couldn''t move, one could tell that Zero had overwhelmed Aricen.


    Although both Zero and Aricen didn''t have many injuries, Aricen''s spirit was broken by how easily he lost and anyone could see how much impact it had on Aricen.


    "That Aricen wasn''t strong at all! Looks like all had was his big mouth."


    "It''s a pity that we were unable to see what was happening."


    "Zero, huh? Looks like he wasn''t acting tough. He could be a worthy opponent."


    While Elves couldn''t believe the result, other races epted the result and also began showing more interest in Zero.


    Previously, it was his speed and then his bravery to confront Princess Elenia. And now, with his victory over Aricen, they understood that Zero was a formidable opponent.


    "*PHEW! Looks like he has won the fight."


    Sylvia said relieved to see Zero okay. She was a bit worried seeing how Zero had been pushed to defend and thought that he might lose.


    "Well, we already know he is strong. He should still have many trump cards. I don''t think he was even struggling against Aricen much."


    Hiro analyzed and shared his thoughts. Apart from Dark Energy, Hiro knows that Zero could also use Dual Art. He has used none and he was able to win against someone of Rank-A +.


    This has given him a new understanding of Zero''s power. And even though he thought he knew about Zero''s strength, that didn''t mean that he could win against him.


    Using everything he has, Hiro assumes that he only has around a 20-30 % chance of beating Zero.


    The geniuses gave way to Zero and looked at him in a new light. Zero was perhaps one of the strongest humans under Rank-S. Being able to defeat Rank-A + meant that apart from Rank-S, no one stood a chance of defeating him.


    Even the Rank-S geniuses looked at Zero warily. They were already guarded against his speed but now found that he still had many powerful techniques under his belt.


    "Impressive!"


    King Tranduil eximed.


    Unlike others, he saw almost everything that had transpired. He not only was impressed by Zero''s strength but also by the tactic he used to defeat Aricen.


    He finally understood the reason why someone in Rank-A could stand up to his daughter who is in Rank-S. He thought that Zero was worthy of that.


    "Humph! Looks like you are unlucky."


    On the other hand, Princess Elenia still didn''t acknowledge Zero. She just felt that since Zero won, he might now have to fight her which is pretty unlucky of him.


    She thought that if he had just lost, he would be spared of all the humiliation and suffering that she was going to put him through.


    "Elenia, you should probably be careful of this guy."


    King Tranduil warned Elenia. He felt that Zero might be one of his biggest enemies of Elenia. Not because of Zero''s skill but because of his mindset.


    Unlike his daughter who fights on impulses, Zero is the kind that analyzes their opponent and makes use of their weakness.


    Princess Elenia, because of her strength, doesn''t really think much when fighting. It is because she doesn''t need to. She could win against any opponent without needing to rely on any tactics.


    Elenia was surprised that her father was warning against someone who was as weak as Zero. Even if Zero was talentedpared to his peers, she didn''t think that he would stand any chance against her, a Rank-S fighter.


    "Dad, you don''t need to worry about someone like her. I will easily crush people like him."


    Elenia said confidently.


    King Tranduil sighed, knowing that his daughter''s overconfidence could be her downfall. He had seen countless talented fighters fall due to arrogance andcency. Still, he hoped that Elenia would heed his advice.


    But he also knew that failure was the mother of learning and Elenia might learn something if he lost or maybe struggled against Zero.


    Well, there were many things that he needed to teach Elenia before she could be the ruler of Elven Domain.


    But that didn''t mean that he didn''t love her or wish for her to lose. As the father, he obviously wants his daughter to win and also likes her childish behavior but he also knows that as the royal family of Elves, Elenia needs to learn many things.


    "Elenia, I hope that you mature a bit through this contest."


    King Tranduil muttered.

 Chapter 476 Against Stronger Opponent

    <h4>Chapter 476 Against Stronger Opponent</h4>


    Amidst all the shock, the contest continued on. But most of them had etched Zero''s name in their mind. Other participants knew that they had toe up with a method to defeat him, especially Rank-A + who couldn''t afford to be defeated by a lower-ranked fighter.


    And among the lower-ranked fighters, Zero who is at Rank-A is the one who got the highest chance of beating them. So, naturally, they were wary of him, especially after defeating Aricen who is Rank-A+ like themselves.


    Aricen had be an embarrassment. Not only did he lose to a lower-ranked human than himself but by how he was behaving after his loss.


    It was like he lost his mind. He had to be carried away to the hospital even though his body was perfectly fine.


    Anyway, the contest got a lot fiercer than before. Many fights were now between Rank-As. Rank-B had mostly been eliminated in the first round and almost every Rank-B was getting demolished in the second recond as their opponents were mostly Rank-A.


    The only rank B to get past this round was Zion who defeated a Rank-A opponent.


    Still, Rank-S were very powerful and most of their fights ended in one minute. Although some were doing good against Rank-S as their opponent, others were just getting one shot.


    It seems like after Zion and Zero had defeated someone above their rank, other participants all became wary of their opponents regardless of rank. So, they went all out including some Rank-S from the start.


    "Misha Kanon of the Human Race VS Gabriel of the Aasimar Race!"


    Then was the turn of Misha. Her opponent was Rank-A + Aasimar which was very unlucky of her.


    Hiro and others cheered for Misha.


    Misha knew that they were worried as she was herself. But just like Sylvia, she didn''t want to give up without a fight.


    Misha stepped into the arena, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation. She was a Rank-B+ fighter facing off against an Aasimar who was ranked much higher at Rank-A+.


    The Crowd didn''t think much about the fight. Even though the two humans were able to ovee the rank difference and win, the difference between Misha and Gabriel was just too much.


    Gabriel also entered the arena with a confident expression. She was also warned by Seraphine to not take the fight lightly and be on guard against Misha.


    Gabriel had met Misha on the street of Eldoria, so she greeted Misha politely. Misha did the same before they got ready to fight.


    "AWWW! Misha is really unlucky. She got Rank-A + as her opponent."


    Amelia eximed. She felt that Misha might have some chance against Rank-A - or even Rank-A + but Rank-A + was a different story.


    "Misha Kanon! She made incredible progress during her school days. Before everyone''s eyes, she went from mid-range ranking to bing one of the strongest. I think she will do well."


    Mia added.


    "What do you think, Zero?"


    Amelia asked Zero. She knew that Zero was Misha''s childhood friend and probably someone who knew her better.


    "Hmmm¡­ Misha is indeed strong and might even win. But her opponent also doesn''t seem to be easy to deal with. Nheless, Gabriel also wouldn''t have an easy time against Misha."


    "Let the battle begin!"


    The referee signaled the fight and the match began.


    -WHOOSH!


    As soon as the match began, Gabriel immediately rushed to attack Misha with her spear.


    Misha''s heart raced as Gabriel lunged at her with incredible speed. The crowd watched in anticipation, expecting a swift victory for the Aasimar.


    But Misha was not about to back down without a fight. She had spent years honing her skills, oveing numerous challenges, and pushing her limits.


    With quick reflexes, Misha dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Gabriel''s spear thrust. She could feel the wind rush past her as the sharp de missed her by inches. This near miss only fueled her determination.


    Misha quickly drew her sword, its polished de gleaming under the arena''s bright lights. She knew she had to be fast and precise to stand a chance against the Aasimar opponent who had already demonstrated impressive agility.


    With Gabriel''s spearing at her in a swift thrust, Misha parried the attack skillfully, deflecting the weapon''s point away from her. Gabriel, undeterred, followed up with a series of rapid strikes, her movements a blur of calcted precision.


    Misha danced backward, her feet moving gracefully across the sandy arena floor. She could feel the pressure from the audience, but she remained focused, her eyes locked onto Gabriel''s every move.


    As Gabriel lunged forward with another attack, Misha countered with a swift and well-timed strike of her own. Their weapons shed with the sh of steel against steel resonating throughout the arena. Misha''s determination and training were on full disy as she held her ground against the formidable Aasimar opponent.


    The crowd watched in awe as the two fighters continued their intense battle, their skills and techniques on full disy.


    They were once again surprised by a human who surpassed the boundary of rank and was fighting with an opponent who was far higher ranked than herself.


    Misha''s friends, Hiro, Amelia, Mia, and even Zero, cheered her on, their voices rising above the arena''s din.


    "Misha is incredible! She''s not giving up at all!"


    "Indeed, she''s holding her own against a higher-ranked opponent. That takes incredible skill and determination."


    "Maybe like Zion and Zero, she might win!" ¡­


    The human geniuses all cheered and thought that Misha would win. That would be great for human prestige.


    Back in the arena, Misha and Gabriel continued their exchange of blows, neither willing to yield. Sweat dripped from their brows as they pushed their limits, testing each other''s skills and endurance. The fight was far from over, and the oue remained uncertain.


    As they shed once again, Misha''s determination burned brighter than ever.


    The battle between Misha and Gabriel raged on, eachbatant pushing their limits to the extreme. The arena echoed with the ng of steel meeting steel and the swift footsteps of the fighters as they danced around each other.


    Misha had surprised everyone with her resilience and skill, holding her ground against an opponent ranked higher. But Gabriel, too, was a force to be reckoned with. Her Aasimar heritage granted her extraordinary speed and strength, and she was a master with her spear.


    As the fight continued, Gabriel''s experience and finesse began to shine. She anticipated Misha''s every move, countering with calcted precision.


    Misha, though determined, was starting to feel the strain. The crowd watched in tense silence, fully aware that Misha was fighting an uphill battle.


    With a sudden burst of speed, Gabriel closed the distance between them,unching a relentless barrage of strikes. Misha struggled to defend herself, her sword deflecting the majority of the attacks, but she couldn''t keep up with Gabriel''s unyielding assault.


    Misha knew that her experience, strength, speed, and everything was pale inparison to Gabriel. If she continued, she would obviously be defeated.


    So, in her desperation, she was willing to give a final attack containing her strongest attack.


    [ "Ephemeral Fleur-de-lis Fury" ]


    As Misha Kanon channels her inner strength and the principles of her martial arts, she bes a mesmerizing whirlwind of petals in the wind. "Ephemeral Fleur-de-lis Fury"bines the fluidity of dance with the deadly precision of a warrior.


    With each step, she weaves aplex pattern of strikes, evoking the elegance of a blooming rose. The technique involves intricate footwork, high-speed spinning, and seamless transitions between attacks, making it nearly impossible for opponents to predict or defend against.


    The withered petal aspect of the style adds an element of surprise and unpredictability. Just when her adversaries believe they have a moment of respite, Misha Kanonunches a final, devastating assault, like thest gasp of a fading flower.


    But Gabriel wasn''t going to let her do that.


    [ "Radiant Lacewing" ]


    Gabriel also used her power and it was clear that hers was stronger than Misha. They shed with their powerful attack but Gabriel''s attack was more powerful and was able to prate through Misha''s attack.


    However, Misha didn''t back off or more like she would definitely lose if she stopped. So, in an instant of stopping, she pushed forward with her attack.


    Misha was heavily injured due to taking Gabriel''s powerful attack. However, Gabriels wasn''t safe either. She was also injured by Misha''s desperate attack.


    There was a collective gasp from the audience as Misha staggered back, a red mark forming where the spear had made contact.


    Misha gritted her teeth, pain coursing through her side. She couldn''t afford to back down now. She thought she was exhausted and had no strength, she was determined to push forward.


    With newfound determination, she lunged back into the fray, her strikes bing more aggressive and precise.


    But that wasn''t good for Gabriel who although injured has still more strength and stamina than Misha.


    She sidestepped Misha''s attacks with grace and delivered a powerful kick that sent Misha sprawling across the arena floor.


    The crowd held their breath as Misha struggled to get back on her feet. She was battered and bruised, her body aching, but her spirit remained unbroken.


    As Misha rose, she locked eyes with Gabriel, a silent promise to continue the fight burning in her gaze. Gabriel nodded in acknowledgment, respecting Misha''s unwavering determination.


    Their battle continued, but it was clear that Misha''s injuries were taking a toll on her. Her movements were slower, and her attackscked their earlier precision. Gabriel, sensing an opportunity, pressed her advantage.


    In a final sh of des, Gabriel''s spear connected with Misha''s sword with a resounding impact. Misha, already weakened, couldn''t hold her ground any longer.


    With a powerful shove, Gabriel sent Misha tumbling backward, her sword slipping from her grasp.


    The arena fell into a hushed silence as Gabriel stood victorious.


    Misha, battered and bruised,y on the ground, unable to continue the fight. The referee stepped forward and dered Gabriel the winner.


    "Winner! Gariel of the Aasimar!"

 Chapter 477 Fight continues

    <h4>Chapter 477 Fight continues</h4>


    "Winner! Gariel of the Aasimar!"


    The referee announced the result. Gabriel had won though she also looked like she had been through a difficult opponent.


    But it was nothingpared to Misha who was covered in bruises from head to toe. There wasn''t anywhere on her body which wasn''t injured.


    *CLAP! *CLAP!


    As Gabriel''s victory was announced, the crowd erupted into apuse.


    The Aasimar fighter had proven her dominance, but it was Misha who had captured their hearts with her incredible disy of courage and determination.


    Misha struggled to rise from the arena floor, her body battered and bruised, and her spirit was also broken.


    With the help of the medical team, she was carefully escorted out of the arena, receiving a standing ovation from the spectators. Even her opponent, Gabriel, approached her with respect and offered a hand to help her up.


    "You fought valiantly, Misha," Gabriel said with a warm smile. "You have my respect."


    Misha nodded, epting Gabriel''s hand and managing a weak smile. "Thank you, Gabriel. It was an honor to face you."


    Although she didn''t feel very good at the moment, she still had to be courteous to others.


    As Misha left the arena, her friends rushed to her side, offering words of encouragement and admiration.


    Hiro and others were there to support her, their belief in her abilities unwavering.


    Everybody told her how powerful she was and how it could have been her victory if she had been in Rank-A.


    Then led by Sylvia, others left Misha alone. Sylvia knew that Misha was feeling bitter just like she was when she lost.


    Sylvia thought that it was best for them to leave her alone and sort out her feelings.


    "WOW~! Misha is so powerful. She could injure Rank-A + genius. Pity that she is still young and only at Rank-B +. Otherwise, the result will be very different."


    Amelia said.


    "Indeed! She is one of the finest students I had. Her improvement was nothing short of a miracle. If she continued to grow at this pace, she might even surpass me."


    Mia also chimed in. She was proud of her former student who had managed to grow so well. Misha has shown just why people shouldn''t underestimate someone based on rank and appearance.


    ( She is a genius alright! )


    Zero thought as well. He was the person who knew Misha well and was surprised by the progress that she made.


    Being able to show such strength at such age and rank, Zero thought that she wasn''t far if not stronger than the Main Characters. It was surprising since Zero knew that in the novel, there wasn''t any mention of Misha being so talented.


    At most, she was just an average person in the novel.


    Anyway, he was also proud of Misha. He believes that Misha will be stronger than ever after this loss.


    He wasn''t the only one who was acknowledging Misha. Even her opponent and other races thought so.


    "What dost thou opine?"


    Seraphine asked Gabriel. She thought that Gabriel now knew the potential of humans after having battled one.


    "Verily, she doth possess great strength and mastery of skill. Had it not been for the privilege of my rank, she might hath vanquished me with ease."


    Gabriel understands now why Seraphine said the humans that they met were powerful and strong. Only did she understand fully after having fought one.


    "Methinks ''tis a year wherein humans doth boast many a genius. Yet, in spite of such, we may not suffer defeat. We shall, withal, restore our domain to its erstwhile splendor."


    Ureli said. She watched the fight and could see what Seraphine was talking about as well. They had many talents who could fight against higher ranks and the most ridiculous had to be Zero who managed to defeat Rank-A +.


    Aasimar couldn''t think of a way to counter him after having disyed even more power than they initially disyed.


    "But lo, they boast of Zero and Hiro''s might, Though lowly in their rank, they are strong."


    "Yet Seraphine, with power immense and grand, Shall likely crush them with a mighty hand. ''Tis fortune''s favor that they thus far hold, Especially Zero, in stories yet untold." ¡­


    They discussed. There were only a few Aasimar left in the contest and most of them were at Rank-A +. Rather than believing that Zero was very strong, they rather believe that Zero was lucky and won with his luck.


    "Hold, I prithee! Let us discourse on this matter anon, when we are returned hence. For the nonce, turn your mind wholly to the contest at hand."


    Seraphine stopped her fellow people to concentrate on the fight that had begun. Zero and Hiro were not the only enemy and they needed to be wary of other participants as well.


    The contest resumed and everybody was now focused on the new fight. It wasn''t as fierce as Misha and Gabriel but nheless being geniuses, they disyed extraordinary power and used unique powers to win.


    Soon after Misha also came to the stadium to watch the rest of the fight. Her eyes were slightly red which was an indicator that she had cried.


    Anyway, her physical body was back to normal. It seems that the healers employed by his highness were all very strong, being able to heal such a brutally beaten person.


    The fights ended after nothing major happened after Misha''s battle with Gabriel.


    Then was the fight of Lisa. Her opponent was a Rank-A - which was rtively weakpared to what Misha had fought.


    Even so, she was fighting an enemy much stronger than her and needed to use her full power.


    After 15 or so minutes, Lisa had barely managed to win against her opponent.


    Her opponent could easily dodge Lisa''s attack but instead of being frustrated over it, Lisa took advantage of it.


    She would use minimum mana but attack and make him lose his stamina. At the same time, she had her movement technique to teleport out in the distance where she would utilize the strategy again.


    Lisa had strategically focused on wearing down her adversary, utilizing her cunning and finesse topensate for the difference in raw power.


    With a burst of determination, Lisa executed a dazzlingbination of spells, weaving intricate patterns in the air with her fingertips.


    [ Lightning Strike Apocalypse ]


    With the crowd holding their breath in anticipation, Lisa unleashed her ultimate spell, "Lightning Strike Apocalypse."


    A blinding bolt of lightning shot from Lisa''s fingertips, surging toward her opponent with unmatched speed and precision.


    The Rank-A-foe, already fatigued from Lisa''s relentless strategy, had no chance to evade this onught. The lightning engulfed him in a brilliant disy of crackling energy, leaving him paralyzed and scorched.


    The referee hurriedly stepped forward, his arm raised high, ready to dere Lisa the victor. But before he could make the announcement, the opponent, charred and beaten, conceded defeat with a nod of his head. The crowd erupted into thunderous apuse, recognizing Lisa''s brilliance inbat.


    As Lisa descended from the arena, her friends and fellow contestants congratted her on her hard-fought victory. Hiro, in particr, praised her clever tactics and noted how she had used her opponent''s strengths and weaknesses against him.


    The tournament continued with more intense battles, each showcasing the unique talents and abilities of the participants. While some had the advantage of higher ranks, others, like Misha and Lisa, demonstrated that with the right strategy and determination, they could ovee even the most formidable opponents.


    But that statement wasn''t very true when your opponent is Rank-S. They still won matches easily and dominated their opponents.


    The Amelia match was also simr. Her opponent was Rank-A and he was even weaker than her opponent yesterday''s opponent.


    Amelia was able to win against her opponent effortlessly. But because she is a healer, it did take a bit longer, maybe much longerpared to other Rank-S.


    Nheless, it was a perfect victory for her!


    There were still some fights before the end of today''s contest.


    The participants exited the stadium, some sad, some happy, and some excitedly for tomorrow.


    Like yesterday, geniuses of the same group gathered together to review the participants who advanced and would likely be troublesome to face.


    Many names were from human races including Zero and Mia who are seen as the highest threat in their ranks.


    With the participants remaining around 32, there were high chances that Rank-S will fight frequently now!


    Most of them had no idea about their opponent''s technique and power. It meant that from tomorrow onwards, the fight will be even more intense.


    Even Rank-A + wouldn''t have a high chance of advancing to the next round!

 Chapter 478 Third Round

    <h4>Chapter 478 Third Round</h4>


    Just like yesterday, the geniuses of their respective races gathered around and started discussing their opponents.


    Two of the most discussed people were Mia and Zero which had shown power beyond what they initially thought they were capable of.


    Aricen, who was the opponent of Zero that day, had recovered and he shared what happened inside the Blizzard Storm. However, as much as he wanted to help, he also didn''t see different things than his fellow geniuses.


    He didn''t know Zero used Frostwings or anything and he only saw the sword which was at his neck after using his Gale Barrier.


    Anyway, the Elves considered Zero as the person that they had to beat. Not because of what happened to Aricen but because of the disrespect that he showed to Princess Elenia.


    And Princess Elenia didn''te to meetings like this. She didn''t think it was necessary nor would she be able toe. With her status, it would be difficult for others to speak like they do now.


    She hardly thinks anyone is her opponent and she is a person who likes to fight instinctively rather than to use tactics and strategy.


    The night was lively and many were excited for tomorrow''s match. The fight tomorrow had 32 fighters and around 50 % were Rank-S and others were Rank-B with only Zion and Lisa being in Rank-B.


    They were excited as most fights would now be Rank-S VS Rank-S. Though even in that category, there were vast differences in power.


    Like Mia and Princess Elenia were Rank-S and their battle would be the fiercest of them all. But there were also newly ascended Rank-S - which should be an easy target for Princess Elenia and Mia.


    However, it will still be much better than Rank-S Vs Rank-A which had obvious results.


    Many Rank-A will be eliminated in the third round and by the time it was time to fight among Top-8, many thought that all Rank-A and below would be eliminated.


    Zero was also discussing Amelia and Mia. Two of them had advised Zero against Princess Elenia and to be careful of her.


    It wasn''t like they asked him to surrender, which might be what Hiro and others would suggest. Since two of them knew more about Zero''s power than the other, they didn''t think Zero would necessarily lose to Princess Elenia but still then they had to admit that she was very powerful.


    The morning came and people were all excited as theft gathered in the stadium. The King addressed the crowd as usual andmanded the start of the third round.


    *CHEER!


    The third round of the contest started and people were very excited!


    And they weren''t disappointed!


    The first match itself was the fight between Rank-S - Dryad and Rank-S - Therianthropes. The match was won by the Therianthropes.


    Even though the Dryad was Rank-S, its fighting style was the same as their Rank-A counterpart and just like what Zero had done, Therianthropes made use of his speed to overwhelm the Dryad.


    Therianthropes should already have seen how to handle Dryads through Zero and thoroughly discussed it.


    But Rank-S - Therianthropes wasn''t able to finish the job in one move like Zero. And Rank-S - Dryad was also prepared, so that she doesn''t end up like how her fellow geniuses did with Zero.


    But even so, Therianthropes won!


    Therianthropes converse its mana as he only used it to protect itself from the spores and waited for Dryad to run out of mana before delivering the final blow.


    With its speed, Rank-S - Therianthropes was also able to dodge Dryad''s other attacks.


    So with the loss of Rank-S - Dryads, now there was only one Rank-S Dryads and that was Cyrrinthia who was the strongest of them all.


    Therianthropes race looked proud and howled loudly. The spectators also pped for his wonderful fight and Rank-S - Therianthropes walked with head held high.


    It was opposite for Rank-S - Dryad who walked with her head low and looked ashamed. She apologizes for losing, especially to Cyrrinthia.


    Cyrrinthia looked worried. From her race, now it was all up to her to hold their dignity. The other Rank-A participants from her race will likely be eliminated in this or next round, and she needs to be the one who will determine the overall rank of their race.


    If they were eliminated in just Top-32 or 16, it would be pretty embarrassing and humiliating for their race. They might even be seen as the weakest race.


    She prayed that she doesn''t get Rank-S as her opponent and also not Ice Devil Zero as well.


    The second round was also between Rank-S fighters. And the spectator watched in awe at the power of these individuals.


    This was once in a lifetime for them to witness such a thing. Powerful and talented geniuses from different racespeting against each other.


    After quite some time, the winner was dered!


    However, looking at the condition, the winner didn''t seem to be in his best form and needed to be taken to hospital just like the person he defeated.


    It was a close fight and the audiences enjoyed it a lot. Though most of the time they couldn''t even see what was going on.


    Only when both of them were very exhausted and fought, did they see them fighting clearly. Other than that, most of them could only see the destruction left by their attacks.


    Even so, it was interesting and they hope for more!


    "Princess Elenia Of the Elves Vs Hiro Ernest Of the Human Race!"


    Finally, it was the first battle between Rank-S and Rank-A of the day but it was Princess Elenia who was one of the strongest in the whole contest.


    And even though Hiro had managed to earn a name for himself, no one thought that he could defeat Princess Elenia.


    "So unlucky! Hiro would have been at least able to go to the fourth round."


    "Such a pity! That human genius is strong but he would stand no chance against Princess Elenia."


    "Let''s see how the greatest genius of the human race fares against Rank-S. Hope he doesn''t disappoint me too much!" ¡­


    They discussed and were excited even though the match was between Rank-S and Rank-A. And the reason was because of Hiro''s fame.


    Misha and others were worried about Hiro. But even so, knew that he wouldn''t give up like how they would have also not.


    So, instead they wished him luck rather than stop him.


    "Best of luck!"


    "Do your best!"


    "Don''t lose pathetically! We still need to fight each other."


    "Go and take revenge for me."


    They encouraged Hiro. Hiro nodded and walked away with a smile. But internally he was thinking of many things including how to defeat Princess Elenia.


    Many people looked at Hiro who was walking up to the arena and in their eyes, it was the same as going to their death.


    On the other side, King Tranduil and Princess Elenia also saw the names of the participants.


    "It looks like I will be the one to take out the one hailed as the greatest talent by the Human race."


    Princess Elenia eximed. She would have been even more happy if the opponent was Zero but still it was better than other participants.


    King Tranduil looked and was thinking deeply. Hiro is the one that he has been keeping his eyes on because of ra''s words and he was indeed impressed by him.


    However, until now, he still has yet to see anything that suggests that Hiro will be the strongest and at max was someone who is a bit more talented than other geniuses.


    But he thought that with Elenia as his opponent, he might be able to see the depth of his talent.


    "Dad, I will go for a second!"


    Princess Elenia said.


    "Wait!"


    But King Tranduil stopped.


    "Elenia, don''t use your full power. Help me check how powerful he is and force him to use everything he has."


    King Tranduil said. He didn''t want to risk having lost the opportunity to see Hiro''s full strength. If Elenia was serious and attacked him with her full power, she would defeat Hiro quickly which he wants to avoid.


    ???


    Princess Elenia was surprised by her fathers unusual request.


    "If he is interesting, I will be willing to y with him a bit longer."


    Princess Elenia answered. Even if it was her father''s request, Elenia wasn''t the type to listen or do boring things like extend a fight just for the sake of something. But was willing to do so, on her own terms.


    "But if not, then I cannot do anything about it"

 Chapter 479 Hiro Ernest VS Princess Elenia

    <h4>Chapter 479 Hiro Ernest VS Princess Elenia</h4>


    King Tranduil watched Elena leave.


    He wanted Elenia to know the importance of checking Hiro''s skills but didn''t say anything more.


    If Hiro was truly as ra said and one that might save them all then he believed that Hiro would be able to show him something even if Princess Elenia didn''t go easy on him.


    The anticipation in the arena was palpable as Hiro and Princess Elenia made their way to the center of the arena.


    "Princess Elenia! Do your best!"


    "We love you! Show them what you got!"


    "Princess! Princess!" ¡­


    The spectators had overwhelming support for Princess Elenia. After all, most spectators were Elves and it was their princess who waspeting.


    As they stood across from each other, Hiro couldn''t help but feel a surge of nervousness.


    He could feel any overwhelming pressure from Princess Elenia and knew that she was stronger than anything that he had ever fought.


    *GULP!


    However, he wasn''t going to go down without a fight.


    Princess Elenia, on the other hand, exuded an air of confidence and nonchnce. She didn''t look down on Hiro and knew how capable he was but still didn''t think that he could win against her.


    However, she was curious about this human who had garnered so much attention.


    Hiro took out his sword and was ready to fight.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked and both gave a small nod.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The referee announced the fight.


    [ "Star Swift" ]


    Hiro immediately utilized his skill to increase his speed. He knew that if he didn''t increase his speed, he would be defeated easily with the speed that Princess Elenia had.


    -WHOOSH!


    Like he thought Princess Elenia approached quickly and within a second reached within the attacking range of Hiro.


    Princess Elenia didn''t bring out her weapon. She hasn''t since the start of the contest and defeated most of them using her handbat.


    The only time she used her skill was in thatst moment to attack Sylvia. So, Hiro and others were all ignorant about what Princess Elenia was capable of.


    -WHOOSH!


    Hiro instantly dodged Princess Elenia''s attack. Luckily, Hiro was using Star Swift and Princess Elenia wasn''t using any other skill, although it is not known whether she even knows movement skills.


    Even so, it was so close that if Hiro was one millisecondte, he would have ended up on the ground.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Starfall Fracture" ]


    Not wasting any time, Hiro instead focused on counter-attacking. Princess Elenia was very near to him after she attacked and was defenseless. It was the best time for Hiro to attack.


    And he didn''t hold back either!


    As Hiro lunged forward with a swift strike, his sword gleaming in the arena''s bright lights, he aimed for Princess Elenia''s exposed nk.


    But just as Hiro''s de was about to make contact, Princess Elenia moved with astonishing speed and agility. She effortlessly caught Hiro''s sword between her slender, delicate fingers.


    Of course, her fingers were strengthened by her mana which enabled her to be able to catch the sword.


    Even so, it was incredible that she was able to stop Hiro''s attack with just her fingers.


    The gasps from the spectators echoed through the arena. No one had expected such a disy of skill and dexterity. Elenia''s eyes bore into Hiro''s, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.


    Hiro, now weaponless, was momentarily stunned by Elenia''s grace and strength. He tried to pull his sword free, but her grip was unyielding.


    With a faint, enigmatic smile, Elenia let go of the sword. She was impressed by Hiro''s speed but that was it.


    Now, Hiro got a grasp on just how terrible Princess Elenia''s power is. It didn''t look like he would be able to do anything unless he threw everything he had at her.


    Hiro immediately stepped a few steps back. Princess Elenia let him go and watched with amusement. She wanted to know what Hiro would do after she showed such a huge power gap.


    Most people would have already given up!


    Hiro took a deep breath and channeled his mana throughout his body.


    [ "Devoted Star: Limit Release" ]


    His mana red and he could feel his power increasing rapidly at the expense of his mana.


    Princess Elenia was still watching in amusement. She could feel that Hiro was bing stronger but she didn''t care as she knew that no matter what, she would prevail.


    [ "Star Swift"]


    -WHOOSH!


    This time, Hiro went on the offense. He quickly rushed towards Princess Elenia with the speed increased by his limit release and Star Swift.


    Princess Elenia was quite surprised by the speed disyed by Hiro. It was at the level of Rank-S - and truly astonishing.


    Unfortunately for Hiro, the one he was facing was Rank-S and someone was faster than that. She was able to keep track of Hiro and wasn''t caught off guard.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Stardust" ]


    Hiro used a Stardust attack which is a series of quick attacks. Hiro thought of using speed as a means to injure Princess Elenia.


    -CLANK! -CLANK!


    However, Princess Elenia merely deflected those attacks with her hands. With such speed, Hiro might have been able to overwhelm a Rank-S - fighter but she was different.


    She could see his attacks easily and no matter how fast Hiro attacked, Princess Elenia easily defended against his attack.


    Hiro continued attacking, trying to find some kind of weakness but found none. Instead, he got a bit slower since he couldn''t always keep his top speed.


    At that moment, Princess Elenia dodged his attack and got a bit closer, and then with her palm, she hit Hiro on his chest.


    -BANG!


    Although it was nothing fancy, her attack was heavy and Hiro ended up rolling on the ground. Fortunately, at thest moment, Hiro had tried to defend himself with a mana barrier but it only reduced the damage and wasn''t able to block everything.


    *PUH!


    Hiroy on the ground, gasping for breath. Pain seared through his chest, and his vision blurred.


    The spectators all believed that the fight was over. They were fairly surprised by what Hiro had shown but Princess Elenia was just on another level. They believe that if Hiro was in Rank-S -, he would have a chance to win it but not at the moment.


    "Surrender now!"


    Princess Elenia said. She thought that she had seen everything Hiro was capable of and wasn''t interested anymore.


    Hiro''s body trembled as he tried to push himself up, his fingers gripping the arena floor. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to speak.


    "N...no," he managed to choke out between painful gasps. "I...I won''t give up."


    "Very well!"


    Princess Elenia thought that if nothing else, humans were very persistent, at least her opponents who were humans were.


    Hiro struggled back to his feet, swaying unsteadily. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes locked onto Elenia.


    [ "System Double Power Activate" ]


    Hiro power which was already strengthened by Limit Release was further increased. If previously, his power was at the peak of Rank-A + then it was Rank-S - now.


    Elenia watched with mild interest as Hiro''s power surged. The power that she felt from Hiro was truly astonishing, especially considering Hiro was Rank-A -.


    "Looks like you hide your power well. Well then, I will respond back with my power as well."


    Princess Elenia said as she extended her hands. Then her bow appeared which should be her weapon. It was covered in golden color and gave off a powerful aura.


    As Princess Elenia summoned her bow, the crowd fell silent in anticipation. It was a weapon no one had seen her use before, and the sight of it added an extrayer of intrigue to the already intense battle.


    Hiro, despite his injuries, didn''t waver. His determination burned brighter than ever as he faced the formidable Princess Elenia and her newfound weapon. With the power boost from his "System Double Power Activate," he knew he had to make every moment count.


    Princess Elenia pulled the bowstring and the arrow manifested. It was shining brighter than anything and looked to be containing pretty destructive power.


    Princess Elenia aimed at Hiro and attacked. Although it seemed to be a casual attack from Princess Elenia, it was pretty powerful.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void destruction" ]


    Hiro instantly destroyed Princess Elenia''s attack with an attack of his own. The sh of two attacks caused the space to vibrate.


    But this wasn''t the end. Princess Elenia was already ready for her next attack. She casually shot another two attacks.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Complete Annihtion" ]


    Hiro used his techniques to stop Princess Elenia''s attack. Despite Hiro''s giving his best, it looks like the most he could do was handle some attacks from Princess Elenia and he was already on the verge of being exhausted.


    Hiro knows that if he doesn''t do anything, he will likely lose. He still defended himself from Princess Elenia''s attack and waited for a chance to unleash his strongest attack.

 Chapter 480 Hiro Ernest Vs Princess Elenia [2]

    <h4>Chapter 480 Hiro Ernest Vs Princess Elenia [2]</h4>


    The arena was filled with tension as Hiro continued to defend himself against Princess Elenia''s relentless onught.


    Each sh between their attacks sent shockwaves through the arena, and the spectators were on the edge of their seats, not daring to blink for fear of missing a single moment of the intense battle.


    They didn''t even think that Hiro would survive for one minute but he did. They could only now know why Hiro is called the greatest genius of the Human Race as he was truly worthy of that title.


    As Hiro struggled to keep up with Princess Elenia''s attacks, he knew that he had to find a way to turn the tide of the battle. His "System Double Power Activate" had boosted his strength, but it wouldn''tst forever. He needed a n, and he needed it fast.


    Moreover, looking at the mana consumption, he was already burning through the mana with Limit Release and then using powerful techniques to defend against Princess Elenia''s attack.


    Whereas, Princess Elenia has yet to make any powerful technique and should have plenty of mana.


    With a burst of inspiration, Hiro decided to change his tactics. Instead of solely focusing on defense, he began to weave and dodge, using his enhanced speed and agility to evade Princess Elenia''s attacks. He had to conserve his energy for the perfect moment.


    The spectators watched in awe as Hiro disyed incredible agility, narrowly avoiding the destructive arrowsunched by Princess Elenia.


    His movements were so swift and precise that it seemed as though he were dancing through the battlefield.


    Princess Elenia was surprised. Her attacks were deadly and very fast. She was using her weapon and not holding back at all.


    For Hiro to dodge them, Princess Elenia has to at least acknowledge his speed if nothing else.


    As Hiro continued to evade and deflect Princess Elenia''s attacks, he noticed a pattern in her shooting. She had a brief moment of vulnerability right after releasing an arrow. That was his chance.


    Timing his movements with precision, Hiro waited for the moment when Princess Elenia shot an arrow. Just as she did, he lunged forward, his sword shimmering with power.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Celestial Strike" ]


    With a lightning-fast strike, Hiro aimed directly for Princess Elenia. His sword sliced through the air, closing the gap between them in an instant.


    Celestial Strike was not only Hiro''s most powerful technique but also it was very fast and very difficult to dodge.


    Upon impact, the Celestial Strike can release a burst of energy, creating shockwaves that can deal very huge damage even to those with high defense.


    Princess Elenia''s eyes widened in surprise as Hiro''s de neared her. She tried to evade, but it was toote. Hiro''s attack made contact, and a burst of energy erupted from the impact point, sending shockwaves through the arena.


    [ "Tempest Veil" ]


    As Hiro''s de descended upon her, she summoned her formidable skill, the "Tempest Veil".


    A swirling vortex of wind materialized around Elenia, forming a protective barrier. Hiro''s Celestial Strike struck this barrier with incredible force. However, the impact of his attack was redirected away from Princess Elenia to the ground behind her.


    The arena quaked as the force of Hiro''s attack was directed at the ground, creating a breathtaking spectacle for the spectators.


    For a moment, it seemed as though Hiro''s attack might break through the Tempest Veil, but Elenia''s control over her technique was absolute.


    She channeled her mana into the barrier, reinforcing it. The Tempest Veil held strong, preventing Hiro''s de from reaching its intended target.


    Hiro was momentarily stunned by the Tempest Veil of Elenia. He had hoped that his Celestial Strike would be enough to turn the tide of the battle, but it seemed that Princess Elenia was not to be underestimated.


    However, he wasn''t going to let that stop him. He had the advantage since they were in close range and Princess Elenia was originally a bow user.


    But that was what he thought. Hiro wanted to take advantage of him being a sword user to battle Princess Elenia at close range.


    He thought of attacking until Princess Elenia took down her barrier but Princess Elenia didn''t keep her barrier up and seemed to be wanting to fight with Hiro.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Void Destruction" ]


    Hiro didn''t care what Princess Elenia was thinking and knew that it was his chance, so he went and attacked.


    With the Tempest Veil dissipating, Princess Elenia''s eyes glinted with determination as she decided to engage Hiro in closebat.


    As Hiro prepared to strike again, Princess Elenia''s hands began to move with astonishing speed and grace, almost as if they were transforming into des themselves.


    She channeled her mana into her hands, a radiant aura surrounding them as they began to take on a shimmering, sword-like form.


    [ "Tempest de" ]


    With this new technique, Princess Elenia''s hands became her weapons. She moved forward with lightning-fast strikes, her hands cutting through the air like a whirlwind.


    Hiro attacked but his sword was being blocked by Princess Elenia''s hand. She pushed Elenia back with her strikes.


    Each strike was precise and deadly, a testament to her incredible mastery over this unconventionalbat style.


    Hiro was taken aback by Princess Elenia''s newfound abilities. Her attacks were unpredictable, and the speed at which she moved made it difficult for him to react in time.


    He found himself on the defensive, desperately parrying her strikes with his sword.


    As the sh of their powers continued, the arena trembled with the intensity of their battle.


    The spectators watched in awe as the two warriors shed in a mesmerizing dance of des and fists. The arena was filled with the sounds of their battle, a symphony of shing metal and crackling energy.


    Hiro''s mind raced, searching for a weakness or an opening in Princess Elenia''s formidable defense.


    He couldn''t afford to waste any more mana, and he needed to find a way to exploit her vulnerability.


    Hiro knew he couldn''t keep up this defensive battle for much longer. He had to find an opening in Princess Elenia''s defense, but her Tempest de technique was proving to be a formidable challenge. With every strike, she seemed to anticipate his moves, blocking and countering with grace and precision.


    As the battle raged on, Hiro''s body was covered in injuries. Although he made sure that none of the attacks hit his vital spot, he was still getting injured here and there as he couldn''t ovee the insane speed of Princess Elenia''s attack.


    On the other hand, Hiro could hardlynd a hit. Even with all the power up he had, his speed and strength were still below that of Princess Elenia.


    Hiro had already pushed himself to his limits, and his body was beginning to feel the strain of the intense fight. But he couldn''t give up. He had to find a way to make a breakthrough.


    Amidst the sh of their weapons, Hiro noticed a slight slowness in one of Princess Elenia''s strikes. It was a tiny opening, but it was all he needed. With lightning reflexes, he shifted his stance and made a swift counterattack.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Celestial Strike" ]


    His sword descended with incredible force, aiming for the small gap in Elenia''s defense. The strikended, and Hiro''s de cut across Elenia''s arm, leaving a deep gash.


    A gasp of surprise escaped from the spectators as they witnessed the first injury of the battle.


    Princess Elenia immediately backed off a little bit. Hiro should have pushed on but his fatigue was catching up and he couldn''t attack simultaneously, missing the chance to seal the deal.


    Hiro gritted his teeth in anger. This was a chance but his body had failed him at such an important part.


    "Hiro Ernest, you definitely deserve your fame. However, it will still not be enough if you want to win."


    Princess Elenia said.


    Hiro still looked determined. Princess Elenia grinned looking at Hiro''s determined expression.


    "Do you think that you had a chance because you injured my arms?"


    [ "Regal Renewal" ]


    She extended her injured arm outward, and a radiant aura enveloped it. The deep gash on her arm began to mend and heal before Hiro''s eyes.


    Hiro was stunned as he didn''t think that Princess Elenia would have healing abilities. That meant that all the hard work that he did to injure Princess Elenia was a waste.


    [ "Aurora''s Grace" ]


    Wasting no time, Princess Elenia decided to end the battle. She let go of her bowstring as a powerful attack made its way towards Hiro.


    [ "StarShatterer Style: Celestial Strike" ]


    Hiro unleashed his Celestial Strike once more, this time not as an attack but as a desperate defense. His de intercepted the surge of energy that erupted from Princess Elenia''s attack, creating a blinding sh of forces.


    The arena was filled with blinding light and a deafening roar as the two energies collided. Hiro strained with all his might, trying to hold back the overwhelming power of Princess Elenia''s devastating technique.


    But it was in vain!


    Slowly, the Celestial Strike began to crumble under the immense pressure of Princess Elenia''s attack. Hiro''s strength waned, and he was pushed back, his sword shattering into pieces. The force of the attack mmed into him, sending him flying across the arena.


    He crashed to the ground, his body battered and broken. The spectators watched in stunned silence as Hiroy defeated, unable to rise.


    "Winner! Princess Elenia!"

 Chapter 481 Hiro Lost!

    <h4>Chapter 481 Hiro Lost!</h4>


    "Winner! Princess Elenia!"


    The referee announced. There was a moment of silence as what happened was too quick and too astonishing.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    Then slowly the spectators began to apud for the wonderful fight that they got to witness.


    No one had any hope for Hiro from the start but Hiro proved that he wasn''t someone to look down upon. At times, he was able to overwhelm Princess Elenia which isn''t an easy task considering Princess Elenia was Rank-S and Hiro was just Rank-A -.


    And in thest sh, Hiro gave his all and his attack was tremendously powerful. Pity that his opponent was Princess Elenia who is significantly stronger than him.


    Still, everyone can see that Hiro was very talented and very strong for Rank-A -. They also have no choice but to acknowledge that Hiro is the greatest talent that they have ever seen.


    King Tranduil also watched the battle with interest. His expectation was great for Hiro and Hiro had managed to deliver on those expectations.


    King Tranduil believed that Hiro was truly someone extraordinary. Although it was a pity that he lost against his daughter, he thought that he did pretty well.


    Other races'' geniuses have mixed feelings. Some acknowledged Hiro''s strength, others looked at the result and just scoffed at Hiro for wasting their time.


    The participants at Rank-As felt relieved that Hiro was eliminated and that he wasn''t their opponent. Otherwise, they knew that they had no chance.


    Although getting Rank-S might not have any different impact on their result, at least losing to Rank-S was better than losing to Rank-A - which is a lower rank than them.


    Zero, Amelia, and Mia were also watching intently.


    Zero was satisfied with Hiro''s strength which seemed to have increased dramatically since thest time he saw him.


    But he was also surprised by Princess Elenia''s power. Although he knew that her bow skill was high, he never thought that Princess Elenia also knew handbat and also had healing ability.


    And there was also her strong barrier whichpletely blocked Hiro''s attack.


    "So Close!"


    Amelia said frustrated. She didn''t like Princess Elenia and the reason was obvious. It was because of how Princess Elenia threatened Zero and also tried to fight with him.


    Moreover, Hiro was from the human race, so she as a human was also rooting for Hiro. But s, Hiro lost in the end.


    "Hiro has really be strong but he still falls short. Princess Elenia is not someone we can underestimate."


    Mia said. Although Hiro had a good chance, he was still far from being able to defeat Princess Elenia.


    Lisa and others went to tend to Hiro''s injuries. His injuries were worse than any one and the reason was his body going over the limit.


    More than Princess Elenia''s attack, it was his own skill which has messed up his body. However, it wasn''t a life-threatening injury and can be treated by the healers.


    Anyway, Hiro was unconscious and was carried out on a stretcher. Along with them were various healers tending to his wound.


    Princess Elenia watched as Hiro was being carried. She watched for a bit before returning to her seat.


    "Princess Elenia! Princess Elenia!"


    The cheers and apuse from the crowd continued as Princess Elenia made her way back to her seat.


    King Tranduil, her father, leaned in and whispered, "You did exceptionally well, my daughter!"


    Elenia nodded, still processing what had happened in the fight. She had won but she did exert most of her power in order to win. She never thought that she would need to in this contest, at least not against Rank-A -.


    "Thank you, Dad!"


    Although she had won, she didn''t look very satisfied. How could she when she who is known as the greatest talent, struggle against Rank-A?


    Anyway, the contest continued.


    Another match which was between two Rank-S happened but the excitement for that battle wasn''t as much as Hiro and Princess Elenia.


    They had truly gone beyond the level of mere Rank-S - during that fight.


    The fight was evenly matched and took a bit of time before the winner emerged.


    Then it was Zero''s turn.


    "Zero Elea of Human Race Vs Elin Ironheart of Dwarf Race!"


    It seems like his luck was still pretty great as his opponent was Rank-A.


    Zero descended from his seat to the arena. From the Dwarf side was a small girl who was apparently his opponent.


    Elin Ironheart, the female dwarf who stood as Zero''s opponent, was a striking contrast to male dwarfs who looked old despite their age.


    Her appearance was like Loli who is of age 10-12.


    Elin was particrly petite, even among dwarves. And she also walked towards the arena without much confidence.


    Zero even felt bad for having to fight such a fight but what can he do? He has to fight and win!


    Zero summoned his sword whereas Elin brought out her hammer which was twice her size. Even so, she effortlessly lifted the hammer showing just how strong she really was.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked and both of them gave a small nod.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    -WHOOSH!


    As soon as the referee''s words hung in the air, signaling the start of the match, Zero moved with lightning speed. He closed the gap between them in an instant, his sword shing through the air with precision.


    It was a blur of steel as he aimed for Elin''s hammer, trying to disarm her quickly.


    Elin reacted quickly. She already knew about Zero''s insane speed and seemed to have countermeasures against it.


    She swung her massive hammer with surprising agility for her size, attempting to block Zero''s attack.


    Zero''s de met the hammer with a resounding ng, and Elin was thrown off bnce by the force of the impact.


    Elin''s eyes widened in surprise. She thought that she would be able to stop Zero with her strength since normally the Dwarf would have higher strengthpared to humans but Zero''s strength overwhelmed her.


    In a split second, Zero capitalized on her vulnerability. He disarmed Elin with a swift, calcted move, sending her hammer crashing to the arena floor.


    The audience gasped in astonishment at the sheer speed and skill Zero had disyed. It was as if the battle had barely begun, and yet it was already over.


    The referee raised his hand and dered, "Winner! Zero Elea!"


    -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The crowd erupted into cheers and apuse, albeit mixed with a few surprised whispers. Zero''s victory had been so swift and decisive that it left many in awe.


    Elin''s eyes welled up with tears as she stood there, her massive hammer lying at her feet.


    Zero, standing a few feet away from her, watched not knowing what to do.


    As the crowd continued to cheer for Zero''s victory, Elin couldn''t hold back her tears any longer. She dropped to her knees, her small frame trembling with emotion.


    Elin was soon taken away by one of her fellow friends.


    "Look at that demon! Bullying such a small girl!"


    "That boy has no mercy even for such a little girl!"


    "If it was me, I wouldn''t have been that cruel. This Zero really only cares about victory." ¡­


    The crowd who sympathized with Elina began throwing insults at Zero. Zero red at those people.


    ( You think that girl is weak? Look at that hammer and speak again! )


    Zero thought. No matter the appearance, the people who are considered geniuses by their race and brought here were all strong and Zero wasn''t nning on underestimating them.


    And the spectator should also know that but was nheless criticizing Zero!


    When Zero red at those people, they looked away and pretended as if they were not the person who insulted him.


    Zero returned to his seat, a dissatisfied expression on his face.


    Mia leaned in closer to Zero and whispered, "Don''t let them get to you. You did what you had to do. It''s not your fault that the match was so one-sided."


    Amelia chimed in, "Yeah! They are just jealous of your power."


    Two of them tried to cheer Zero up.


    "I don''t really care about them. They can say what they want!"


    Zero said, although his mood was affected by that.


    "I am just disgusted by their behavior!"


    Zero said. He was talking about those people who were insulting him. They just find a way to criticize him even though what they said was not true at all.


    Zero had seen simr things in his other life where people find things to criticize you even if you did nothing wrong.

 Chapter 482 Elrond

    <h4>Chapter 482 Elrond</h4>


    Anyway, soon it was the turn of Amelia and luckily for her, her opponent was Rank-A +.


    The fight was long but Amelia did manage to win without any problem.


    Then it was the turn of Mia!


    Her opponent was Rank-S - Therianthropes. It seems she is not very good these days with her previous opponent also being in Rank-S -.


    However, more than Mia, the one who was more unlucky was obviously her opponent who got Rank-S as her opponent.


    You could see from Mia''s opponent''s face that she wasn''t very happy with Mia as her opponent.


    By now, everybody could tell who was the strongest in the contest. Though every Rank-S fighter was strong but Princess Elenia, Mia Frostine, and Seraphine took the cake as the strongest.


    Whether you are Rank-S or not, nobody wants to have them as their opponent. And it was true for Rank-S - Therianthrope.


    Mia stepped onto the arena, her eyes locked onto her opponent, the Rank-S - Therianthrope. The crowd fell into a hushed anticipation, fully aware that Mia Frostine was the stronger one.


    The Therianthrope''s fur bristled as she readied herself for the fight. It seemed like she was going to fight in full power which was a good choice.


    The referee''s voice broke the silence, "Are you both ready?"


    Mia nodded while Rank-S - Therianthrope, her ws extended, snarled in response.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    In an instant, the Therianthrope lunged forward with incredible speed, her ws slicing through the air like a whirlwind.


    But Mia was no ordinary opponent who could easily be overwhelmed by her speed.


    With a flick of her wrist, Mia conjured a barrier of ice, blocking her opponent''s ferocious attack. She proceeded to freeze the arena, taking away significant speed from the Therianthrope.


    Mia didn''t waste a second. She channeled her magic into her hands, forming sharp icicles that shot toward her opponent like deadly projectiles.


    The Therianthrope leaped and dodged, disying her agility, but some of the icicles grazed her, leaving frostbite in their wake.


    The Therianthrope growled in pain and frustration, realizing that she was being yed around by her opponent.


    She retaliated with a powerful swipe of her ws, creating shockwaves on the arena floor. Mia danced away, avoiding the deadly strikes.


    The battle raged on, eachbatant disying their unique skills. Therianthrope''s brute strength and speed shed with Mia''s precise control over ice.


    As the fight reached its climax, Mia used Ice Wave to end the fight.


    She extended her arms, and a freezing blizzard engulfed Therianthrope. Ice crystals formed on the Therianthrope''s fur, slowing her movements and encasing her in a frozen prison.


    The crowd erupted into apuse and cheers as the referee raised his hand and dered,


    "Winner! Mia Frostine!"


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    Mia stood there calmly without much reaction over her victory.


    The spectators were in awe of her abilities. Once again, it was a wless victory from Mia Frostine.


    King Tranduil and Princess Elenia also watched with keen interest. Princess Elenia hasn''t forgotten the promise of King Tranduil when she defeats Mia Frostine.


    Although more than her battle with Mia Frostine, she was looking forward to her fight with Zero.


    She was most of them imagining Zero begging at her feet for mercy. And she being the nice person she is will magnanimously forgive Zero in front of all the people.


    She thought that with that method, she would show what happens to people who mess with her and also how forgiving she was.


    It was a perfect n!


    Well, at least that is what she believed.


    The contest continued and the battle wasing to an end.


    It was then Zion''s turn! He was one of the two geniuses who were ranked B and managed to survive until this round.


    This was a testament to the talent that he has. However, it was a pity that his rank wasn''t any higher as that would have given Zion more chance to win the contest.


    Nheless, Zion achieved a difficult feat!


    But his luck seemed to have run out. For this round, his opponent was Gimli, the Rank-S - Dwarf and also the strongest of their race.


    Zion didn''t give up and went to challenge the Dwarfs'' strongest men. Gimli seemed impressed by Zion''s bravery and seemed to have taken the fight seriously since he took out his weapon.


    Anyway, the fight went as expected. Zion threw a lot of powerful attacks, even going as far as using his Sovereign Will II which exponentially increased his strength.


    While it was impressive and surprised many of the spectators, against Rank-S - opponent, it fell short. Gimili had very high defense and his strength was also top-tier.


    Sadly, none of Zion''s attacks worked and he was knocked unconscious by Gimli.


    However, Gimli didpliment Zion which might not have really affected Zion''s bad mood. He didn''t need counseling or anything as he knew how to take a loss.


    And for him, any words by Victor were more like an insult to him. Well, that is what he feels, after having listened to manypliments by Hiro even though he always loses.


    Although for Zion, it didn''t matter how he fought as the result was that he lost, it wasn''t the same for others.


    Others acknowledged Zion and it included King Tranduil. He thought that Zion was very talented for his rank and maybe even in the Rank-A category.


    Anyway, after some battle it was the turn of Lisa, thest Rank-B.


    Well, it seems that her hope of going to the next round was also not possible.


    Her opponent was Rank-S - Elve, Elrond.


    As Lisa stepped into the arena, she couldn''t help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over her. However, she refused to give up and also showed others what she could do.


    Elrond sauntered into the battleground with an air of superiority, her features marred by a condescending smirk.


    The crowd fell silent, knowing that they were about to witness a battle where the odds were heavily stacked against Lisa.


    "You," Elrond sneered, addressing Lisa with a contemptuous tone. "I can''t believe they paired me with a lowly Rank-B like you. Moreover, a dirty human to boot."


    Elrond said. He didn''t try to hide his hatred for the human race, though the reason for his hatred was obvious.


    One was because of Zero who dared to disrespect Princess Elenia which he still remembers. Another one was for personal reasons which was Aricen was his brother. The same Aricen who was defeated by Zero.


    So, he wasn''t trying hard to hide his hatred for humans. And since Lisa was his opponent, he insulted her.


    Lisa clenched her fists, trying to ignore the insults. She knew that she had to focus on the fight ahead and not let Elrond''s words get to her.


    Zero, who was watching the fight, wasn''t exactly thrilled by Elrond''s words. It could be seen by how he was tightening his fist and giving Elrond a death re.


    The referee''s voice broke the tension, "Are you both ready?"


    Lisa nodded, determination burning in her eyes, while Elrond responded with a dismissive wave.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The moment the signal was given, Elrond swiftly notched an arrow onto his bowstring, his movements so fluid that it was as if time had slowed down. With unparalleled uracy, he released the arrow, and it soared toward Lisa with deadly precision.


    Lisa barely had time to react. She summoned her magic, attempting to create a protective barrier, but before she couldplete the spell, Elrond''s arrow found its mark. It struck her shoulder, causing an intense and searing pain.


    Pain shot through Lisa''s body, but she refused to give in. She had endured worse pain and she wasn''t going to let Elrond underestimate her and the human race.


    Elrond continued to taunt her, his voice dripping with disdain. "Is that all you''ve got? I expected more from the arrogant human race."


    Despite the searing pain, Lisa gritted her teeth and focused her resolve. She couldn''t let Elrond''s insults break her spirit.


    She knew she had to fight with everything she had to prove her worth and show that humans were not to be underestimated.


    However, that proved to be difficult as she couldn''t defend against Elrond''s attacks. Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection wasn''t strong enough to block off his attack and there was no time for her to heal herself either.


    Everybody could see that Elrond was just ying around with Lisa. If he wanted, he could have ended the battle long ago but he continued to torture Lisa.


    Zero at the sideline seethed in anger. It was the same for Hiro and other humans.


    It would have been easy for Lisa if she just gave up but she still didn''t.


    Summoning her inner strength, Lisa channeled her magic once more.


    [ "Violet sh" ]


    She quickly teleported behind Elrond''s back, giving her the opportunity she needed.


    [ "Thundering ze" ]


    [ "Thunder Baptism" ]


    [ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ] ¡­


    Elrond was taken aback by Lisa''s sudden resurgence, struggling to keep up with her relentless assault. He realized that he had underestimated her, and his contemptuous smirk faded into a look of surprise.

 Chapter 483 Brutal Outcome!

    <h4>Chapter 483 Brutal Oue!</h4>


    [ "Thundering ze" ]


    [ "Thunder Baptism" ]


    [ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ] ¡­


    Even if he was Rank-S, taking on so many spells from Lisa wasn''t easy. Some of Lisa''s attacks managed to go through his defense and hit him.


    Although it was very powerful but it wasn''t enough to seriously injure him but that hurt his pride as Rank-S and also because he was looking down on Lisa.


    The spectator widened their eyes in surprise. Lisa''s attacks were very powerful for Rank-B, moreover, Lisa was continuously firing them.


    That meant that she was very good at controlling mana and also that she had a veryrge reserve of mana to be able to do that.


    However, there is always a limit and Lisa''s man was running out quickly.


    Lisa''s energy was waning, and her shoulder wound continued to throb with pain. She had given everything she had in thatst desperate assault, and it hadn''t been enough to finish Elrond.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ I will kill you!"


    Elrond was enraged by Lisa. He was literally backed into a corner by a Rank-B and that was seen by thousands of people. It was a truly humiliating situation for him.


    Now, it was Elrond''s turn to strike back. He unleashed a devastating attack, a wave of pure energy that sted Lisa off her feet and sent her crashing into the arena ground.


    The impact was brutal, and Lisa felt her bones ache as she crumpled to the ground.


    Gasps of shock and horror rippled through the crowd as they witnessed the power of Elrond''s attack.


    Elrond, with an unrelenting fury, approached the fallen Lisa. He was no longer taunting her; he was determined to put an end to this battle decisively.


    Without a hint of mercy, he unleashed a series of punishing blows,nding kicks and punches with precision and brutality.


    Lisa could barely defend herself. Every blow sent waves of agony through her battered body. She had given her all, but it was clear that she couldn''t ovee the overwhelming difference in power between her and Elrond.


    It seems like Elrond didn''t want to win instantly and wanted to torture Lisa for the humiliation he faced. He threw strong attacks but not something that would knock out Lisa.


    As Lisay on the ground, battered and bruised, the crowd watched in shock and disbelief. It was clear that Elrond had no intention of showing mercy, and Lisa''s situation grew increasingly dire with each passing moment.


    "Enough!"


    Hiro shouted, his voice filled with righteous anger.


    "This fight is over!"


    Hiro along with others appeared and stopped Elrond from further continuing the fight. Sylvia and Misha quickly went over to help Lisa.


    "Winner! Elrond!"


    The referee, seeing the interference of Hiro, dered Elrond as the winner.


    Earlier, Lisa didn''t surrender nor did she get knocked out, so the referee couldn''t interfere nor dere the winner despite the winner being obvious.


    The crowd was silenced by the brutal oue of the battle. No one in their right mind would cheer or apud after what had transpired.


    Zero watched with a mixture of anger and frustration, his fists trembling with rage. His mana was also leaking, reaching the limit of Rank-A.


    "Calm down, Zero!"


    Misa said as she grabbed hold of Zero''s shoulder so that he wouldn''t do anything.


    She was also angry at Elrond for torturing her student but since Elrond didn''t break any rule, she could only endure it.


    Zero didn''t try to resist Mia and just stood there ring at Elrond. He gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at the state that Lisa was in.


    Seeing Zero like this, Mia has mixed feelings. She was happy that Zero cared about his friends but also a bit sad that Zero seemed to still have feelings for Lisa.


    "Mia! I will go and help Lisa!"


    Amelia said as she quickly went to heal Lisa. As the Rank-S Saintess, her healing spells were much better than the healers of Elves.


    On the stage, although Elrond seemed unsatisfied, he didn''t continue the fight. He looked at Hiro and others with a disgusted expression.


    "Humph! Weaklings! Losers should just stay back and watch. Humans are always so pathetic just like her."


    Elrond spat out in disdain.


    Hiro''s eyes zed with anger as he confronted Elrond. "You take that back!"


    Elrond smirked, seemingly unfazed by Hiro''s anger. "Why should I? It''s the truth," he replied arrogantly. His words only served to further infuriate Hiro and the humans.


    Before the situation could escte further, Misha stepped in, trying to defuse the tension. "Hiro! There is no need to fight with such a man!" she urged, her voice calm and reasonable.


    She felt incredible hatred towards Elrond, however, it wouldn''t mean anything for them to argue and fight with Elrond.


    Hiro took a step back. Still frustrated by the insult that he gave to Lisa.


    "Humph! Every one of you is a coward! Don''t you dare overestimate yourself!"


    Elrond said loudly and was referring to the human race. He wanted to warn Zero, especially, and turned to look at his face.


    However, Elrond''s smug expression slowly faded as he locked eyes with Zero, who was seated in the spectator area. There was an intensity in Zero''s gaze that sent a shiver down Elrond''s spine.


    The intense re that Zero was directing at him was not one of anger or frustration¡ªit was a cold, calcting look that seemed to pierce straight through Elrond''s soul.


    Elrond couldn''t fully describe the feeling but felt that his death was just at his doorstep, staring down at him.? He couldn''t say what he wanted to Zero after that feeling.


    Elrond, feeling an unexpected chill in his bones, took a step back, his arrogance momentarily reced by uncertainty.


    The spectators were a bit surprised by how Elrond, who was acting so arrogantly, suddenly turned quiet.


    -THUD! -THUD! -THUD!


    Elrond turned away, making a hasty exit from the arena. This behavior surprised many of the audience once again.


    Meanwhile, Amelia had been working diligently to heal Lisa''s injuries. Her powerful healing magic began to take effect, and Lisa''s battered body slowly started to mend.


    Hiro, Zion, Sylvia, and the others gathered around Lisa, offering their support.


    Hiro felt a mixture of relief and anger. He was relieved that Lisa was going to be okay, but he couldn''t forget the brutality she had endured.


    "Thank you, Amelia," Lisa said weakly, her voice filled with gratitude. She was still in pain, but the worst of it had subsided, thanks to the Saintess''s healing abilities.


    Amelia smiled warmly at Lisa. "You''re wee. Just rest and recover now," she advised.


    Soon, they all exited the stage as well.


    Although the fight had been brutal, the contest had to be resumed.


    The third round ended with a bitter situation. The tension between the human race and the Elven race was at an all-time high.


    The humans couldn''t ept Elrond''s brutality and his mockery of humans.


    On the other hand, while some Elves didn''t like Elrond for what he had done, they agreed that humans deserve that. They thought that arrogant humans needed to be taught a lesson.


    Anyway, it seems like the next round of the fight will be much more brutal with animosity between the two races.


    As for the other races, they thought that what Elrond didn''t wasn''t very good but overall, there weren''t any other changes.


    That night was still the same as yesterday with every genius trying toe up with a n to defeat their potential opponents.


    However, Zero was different!


    He was thinking of a million ways to beat up Elrond. He was going to make Elrond cry and would break all his bones.


    Anyways, the fourth round was going to start and most of the participants were Rank-S - and above. There were only four Rank-As including Zero.


    After this round, it is expected that only Rank-S - and above would remain. As for the Rank-As, only if they were extremely lucky and got each other as their opponent did people think that they would advance.


    Otherwise, under the hands of Rank-Ss, they could only ept their defeat.


    King Thranduil, the wise and regal ruler of the Elven Kingdom, stood before the assembledpetitors and spectators in the grand arena. His silver hair shimmered under the soft glow of the arena''s magical lights, and his piercing green eyes held the attention of everyone present.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants, and honored guests," King Thranduil began, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "We have witnessed a day of remarkable battles, where the strength, skill, and determination of warriors from various races have been put to the test."


    The crowd fell silent, hanging on every word of their Elven monarch.


    "Today''s events have shown us that while strength is important, it should always be tempered with mercy and respect for one''s opponent," Thranduil continued. "It is not merely victory that defines us, but how we achieve it, and how we treat those who stand before us as rivals."


    King Tranduil was obviously talking about the battle between Elrond and Lisa.


    "In the heat of battle, it''s easy to forget that the one facing you is not just an adversary, but a fellow warrior," Thranduil emphasized. "We must remember that the Tournament of Unity is not just a test of physical prowess, but a celebration of the diversity and unity of our world."


    "As we enter the fourth round of this tournament, remember that the true measure of greatness lies not only in victory but in how we treat those who fall before us," King Thranduil reminded them.


    "Let us not allowpetitiveness to overshadow the spirit of mercy andpassion that this tournament represents."


    King Tranduil was trying to prevent another battle such as what happened with Elrond but Zero wasn''t interested. He didn''t care nor was he going to show mercy to Elrond.


    "May the battles ahead be not just tests of strength, but demonstrations of our capacity to show mercy towards our opponents."


    With a regal nod, King Thranduil stepped back from the podium, and the crowd erupted into apuse.


    Then the names for the first match of the fourth round were selected. After a few seconds, the name of the two participants came up.


    "Elrond of the Elven Race VS Zero Elea of the Human Race!"

 Chapter 484 Unlucky Fellow!

    <h4>Chapter 484 Unlucky Fellow!</h4>


    "Elrond of the Elven Race vs. Zero Elea of the Human Race!"


    As fate would have, the first fight of the fourth round was between Zero and Elrond. Two who couldn''t wait to fight each other.


    Elrond, although he felt scared yesterday, he wasn''t feeling the same today. Yesterday, after that event, he went and thought about why he was feeling pressure when he looked at Zero and concluded that it might be some trick of Zero or that it was because of Mia who was near Zero.


    After thinking logically, he concluded that there was no need to be scared of Zero who is just at Rank-A.


    Zero also smirks looking at the name of his opponent. He thought that he might not get the chance if Elrond was eliminated early by someone else but it seemed like god was giving him a chance.


    A chance to beat up Elrond!


    "Unlucky Fellow!"


    "He will suffer the same fate as the girl yesterday!"


    "I don''t like Elrond and want him to be eliminated. But it seems difficult for this round."


    "Maybe he will give up. There is nothing shameful about knowing one''s limits!" ¡­


    The other geniuses all thought that Zero would be defeated. And some even pity him because it has be a well-known fact that Elrond didn''t like humans after yesterday''s match.


    Moreover, it was Zero who had disrespected the Elven princess, so they knew his fate would be worse than Lisa''s.


    "Humph! Finally!"


    "Teach that bastard a lesson! Show him what it means to challenge the Elven Royals."


    "Elrond will teach that disrespectful bastard a lesson. I can''t wait to watch this!" ¡­


    On the other hand, Elves were excited to finally get someone to beat Zero.


    "This will be interesting!"


    Princess Elenia said while staring at Zero.


    ( But why is he smiling? )


    Princess Elenia found it odd that Zero was smiling knowing that his opponent is Elrond, A Rank-S - Elve who is merciless with his opponent.


    ( Does he have some n to defeat Elrond? )


    Princess Elenia thought. In any case, whether Elrond wins or Zero, for her, it would both be a great thing.


    Even if Zero wins, it would only mean that the chance of her getting to fight him will be greater. And obviously, she wants to teach Zero a lesson herself and like previously nned, have him beg for mercy from her.


    "Good Luck, Zero!"


    "Don''t show mercy to him! Pay him back for what he did to Lisa."


    Mia and Amelia said. Both weren''t worried about Zero losing as they considered Zero as someone who could even take on Rank-S Monster.


    Zero nodded as he had no intention of letting Elrond go.


    Elrond walked confidently and excitedly with the support of other Elves.


    Zero also headed towards the stage. He walked in without much hesitation and also seemed to be in a good mood.


    Many were surprised as they thought that either Zero would give up or maybe shudder in fear. But contrary to their assumption, Zero looked as excited as Elrond.


    "Zero!"


    Lisa was very worried about Zero. Although she didn''t hate Elrond for what he did as it was part of the contest but she didn''t like the idea of Zero going through the same experience as her.


    "Don''t worry! He will definitely not lose to that guy!"


    Sylvia assured Lisa. Although a bit worried, Sylvia was confident that he was powerful enough to teach Elrond a lesson for what he did to Sylvia.


    "Let''s hope that Zero wins this!"


    Misha prayed for Zero''s victory.


    Hiro and Zion also looked at Zero. Hiro also hoped that Zero could teach Elrond a lesson. He couldn''t as he was eliminated but hoped that Zero could.


    Zero and Elrond stood at the stage ring at each other. The tension in the air was palpable as the spectator watched with anticipation.


    "Looks like god doesn''t like you very much!"


    Elrond said.


    "Same to you!"


    Zero replied.


    "It looks like god wants you to die!"


    Zero continued. It wasn''t just his words though as Zero emitted a dangerous aura with killing intention.


    Elrond like yesterday, felt a bit scared but had been prepared. He thought that it was Zero''s trick and he wasn''t going to fall for it.


    "Humph! Big word for a weakling. Although Imend you for not running away from me but don''t expect mercy from me. Your fate will be the same as yesterday''s girl!"


    Elrond provoked. And it worked, Zero red at Elrond, and the smile vanished.


    "Let''s hope that you will be able to keep that word!"


    Zero said sternly.


    The referee raised his hand high and yelled, "Are you both ready?"


    Zero gave a nod as he summoned his sword.


    "Yeah!"


    Elrond said as he summoned his bow.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The moment the referee''s voice echoed through the arena, the tension between Zero and Elrond reached its peak.


    -WHOOSH!


    Zero wasted no time. In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between himself and Elrond with astonishing speed. Before Elrond could react, Zero swung his sword with incredible force, aiming to strike down his Elven opponent.


    "Ugh!"


    Elrond''s eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to bring up his bow just in time to block Zero''s attack. He already knew that Zero had incredible speed but this was beyond what he had expected.


    Elrond managed to block Zero''s sword in time but in the next second, his stomach was kicked and he was sent flying on the ground.


    "GAH!"


    Elrond''s breath was knocked out of him as he crashed to the ground, the force of Zero''s kick sending him sprawling.


    The crowd gasped in shock at the sudden turn of events. Elrond, the proud Rank-S Elf, had been taken by surprise and was now on the ground, eating dust.


    "Oh, proud S Rank Elve, what are you doing on the ground? Searching for a coin?"


    Zero mocked. He wasn''t just going to win butpletely humiliate Elrond. He was going to show that his pride is nothing against absolute power.


    As Elrondy on the ground, struggling to catch his breath and regain hisposure, some spectators in the arena couldn''t help but burst intoughter at Zero''s taunt.


    Elrond wasn''t only kicked to the ground but Zero was making fun of his state. It was quite funny considering how arrogant and boastful Elrond was.


    "Did you hear that? Zero just roasted Elrond!"


    "I can''t believe he had the guts to insult Elrond like that. This match is turning out to be quite the spectacle!"


    "It seems like Elrond underestimated Zero!" ¡­


    Theughter rippled through the crowd, creating a mixture of amusement and amazement at Zero''s boldness.


    Elrond, lying on the ground, gritted his teeth in frustration. He was not used to being in this vulnerable position, and Zero''s words only added insult to injury.


    His pride as an Elf and a Rank-S warrior had been wounded, and he was determined to get back on his feet and prove himself.


    With a determined expression, Elrond pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes locking onto Zero with renewed focus. He wiped the dust from his clothes and readied his bow once more, determined not to let this humiliation stand.


    "Y-YOU¡­ I will kill you!"


    Elrond threatened. He was being humiliated by Zero and his hatred had reached its peak.


    The arena fell silent once more, the spectators now watching with bated breath to see how the battle would unfold.


    Zero''s initial strike had been impressive, but Elrond was not one to be underestimated, and he was ready to unleash his own formidable abilities.


    [ "Arrow Storm Barrage" ]


    Multiple arrows rain down on Zero. It seemed quite difficult to defend against the arrow which were all powerful enough to pierce Rank-A defenses.


    [ "Peerless Strike" ]


    However, Zero didn''t have to do much to tackle such attacks. He strengthened his sword with his technique and continued to deflect the arrows that were shot at him while also moving towards Elrond.


    The sh of their weapons sent sparks flying, and the shockwave of their collision echoed through the arena.


    The audience watched in awe as the two warriors engaged in a fierce battle. Elrond as expected was very powerful with his arrows leaving a strong impact on collision.


    However, Zero''s strength and speed were unmatched and something that none of them expected. Zero casually handled Elrond''s attack like it was nothing despite it being very powerful.


    "I think you should stop ying these little games ande with full strength!"

 Chapter 485 Zero Merciless Beating!

    <h4>Chapter 485 Zero Merciless Beating!</h4>


    "I think you should stop ying these little games ande with full strength!"


    Zero provoked once again with a smirk. He made sure that Elrond felt lesser than him.


    The spectator was surprised that Zero was provoking Elrond more. They were sure that Zero must be regretting for mocking Elrond earlier but rather than regretting, he was taunting Rank-S Elrond.


    Princess Elenia and King Trnaduil were also surprised. The Rank-S genius Elrond which they knew was powerful was being treated like a weakling by a Rank-A human.


    It was so bizarre that even Princess Elenia couldn''t think of it. Even if she was arrogant, she wasn''t stupid. She never fought with Rank-S geniuses when she was Rank-A and had never underestimated them as well because she knew that they were stronger than her.


    However, Zero was doing that! He, a Rank-A person was provoking and mocking Rank-S - Elrond who is also a genius.


    Moreover, it doesn''t seem like Zero was struggling against Elrond either. Not only did he manage tond a solid hit on Elrond''s stomach but also wlessly blocked all of Elrond''s attacks.


    Zero''s taunting words managed to further enrage Elrond, who was determined to prove his superiority. He was going to beat Zero even if it cost him his life.


    With a deep breath, Elrond summoned his full power, channeling his mana into his bow and arrows. The very air around him seemed to crackle with energy as his eyes zed with determination.


    "You are going to regret underestimating me!"


    Elronmd bellowed in anger.


    [ "Sunbeam Strike" ]


    Elrond unleashed a devastating attack called "Sunbeam Strike." His bow glowed with a blinding, radiant light as he fired a single arrow imbued with the power of the sun itself. The arrow streaked toward Zero with incredible speed, leaving a zing trail in its wake.


    Zero stood firm in the face of Elrond''s zing Sunbeam Strike. As the arrow of scorching light streaked toward him, Zero''s eyes shimmered with confidence.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    [ "Dual Art: cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero also decided to respond to Elrond''s attack with his own.


    -BOOM!


    The impact of Elrond''s Sunbeam Strike meeting Zero''s cier Shadow sh created a blinding explosion of elemental forces. A shockwave rippled through the arena, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.


    Fortunately, the arena was protected by an artifact that protected the spectators from any possible debris or energy from the attack.


    For a moment, it seemed as if the two opposing energies were evenly matched, the blinding light of the sun''s power battling against the Ice Cold sh. The arena was bathed in a surreal blend of radiant light and eerie darkness, casting a mystical atmosphere over the battle.


    The attacks eventually cancel each other out!


    Elrond, who was fueled by anger, was now confused and surprised. He didn''t know how a Rank-A person could possibly match the power of a Rank-S attack such as himself.


    However, Zero wasn''t going to wait for Elrond toe up with an answer.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    Zero immediately went to further increase his advantage. He covered the whole arena with Dark Ice.


    Elrond did manage to dodge the attack and wasn''t frozen but Zero''s intention was never to freeze Zero. It was just to allow him to move freely while restricting Elrond''s movement.


    With the arena covered in the sinister embrace of Zero''s "Dark Icy Surface," Elrond found himself in a precarious situation.


    His agility, which was already his weakness, was severely increased by the slippery, freezing ground. He struggled to maintain his footing as he attempted to regain control of the battle.


    Zero, on the other hand, glided effortlessly across the ice, his movements graceful and calcted. He continued to taunt Elrond with a smirk on his face, clearly reveling in his advantage.


    "Is this all you''ve got, Elrond?" Zero teased as he dodged another one of Elrond''s arrows.


    "I expected more from a Rank-S genius like you. Didn''t you want to kill me? Teach me a lesson? I am still waiting!"


    Zero spared no chance to mock Elrond and used everyment that he gave to humiliate him.


    Elrond, who was already suffering at the hands of Zero, had to also deal with his venomous tongue which continued to insult him.


    Elrond wanted to take revenge for the humiliation but couldn''t do so.


    His attacks were easily dodged or blocked by Zero. Even his strongest skills were canceled out by Zero''s powerful attack.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    Elrond attacks were all useless and Zero was able to sneak on Elrond. Elrond being Rank-S was able to sense Zero''s presence behind him and defended against Zero''s attack.


    Elrond was able to defend against the attack but he wasn''t without any injuries as he couldn''tpletely block off the attack.


    However, he didn''t have time to worry about his little injuries as Zero had reached right before him.


    "Damn you!"


    Elrond tried to hit Zero as he released his arrow but Zero easily dodged it by shifting his head to the right.


    -SLASH!


    On the other hand, Elrond being close and defenseless after he attacked, Zero was easily able to injure him with his sword.


    "AAAAAAAH!"


    Elrond''s anguished cry echoed through the arena as Zero''s sword shed across his arm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash. The pain surged through him, intensifying his frustration and humiliation.


    The spectators watched in shock as the once-proud Elven genius now found himself wounded and cornered by Zero, a Rank-A human. It was a sight that none of them had expected to witness.


    Zero stood before the wounded Elrond, his expression was stern and unyielding. He had no intention of letting up on his assault.


    "How does it feel to get beaten by someone lower ranked than yourself, Elrond?" Zero taunted once more.


    "Not a very good feeling, isn''t it? Though I would never know!"


    Elrond seethed with anger and frustration. He couldn''t understand how he was in this situation even when he was giving his all against Rank-A.


    Gritting his teeth, Elrond summoned all his remaining strength and determination. He refused to go down without a fight, even if it meant facing the humiliation of defeat.


    [ "Arrow Barra-" ]


    -SLASH!


    Before Elrond couldplete his incantation for another powerful attack, Zero attacked his other arm with a sudden burst of speed.


    Elrond staggered backward, now defenseless and wounded. His pride had taken a severe blow, and he knew that he was on the verge of defeat.


    He was even thinking about surrendering even though it might be the most shameful thing that he had ever done.


    However, it seems like he doesn''t have the liberty of contemting Zero being so close by.


    -BANG!


    Zero didn''t use his sword but instead used his hand to punch Elrond''s face.


    Zero''s fist connected with Elrond''s face with brutal force. The sound of the impact reverberated through the arena, and blood spurted from Elrond''s nose as he stumbled backward, copsing to the icy ground.


    -BANG! -BANG! -BANG!


    Zero, his face devoid of any mercy, continued his relentless assault. He rained down blow after blow, each punchnding with precise and calcted force. Elrond''s once-proud visage was now marred by swelling and bruises, and his strength waned with every hit.


    The spectators couldn''t continue watching this, especially the Elves. They thought that Elrond would win and teach Zero a lesson. But now, Elrond was being beaten mercilessly by that human.


    "Elrond, you can do it!"


    "Get up, Elrond!"


    "Teach that ba*tard a lesson!" ¡­


    The spectators cheered for Elrond. They believe that Elrond will be able to turn this around. They all cheered for Elrond.


    However, unbeknownst to them, Elrond Had already given up. All he wants now is to stop being a punching bag. He couldn''t even hear the cheers from his fellow Elves.


    "I Surr- "


    -BANG!


    "Please, I -"


    -BANG!


    Zero continued hitting on his face, especially his mouth. Zero didn''t let Elrond surrender even though Elrond wanted to.


    Moreover, Zero precisely controlled his punch, so that it didn''t knock out Elrond but was able to hit him painfully.


    The spectators watched in horrified disbelief as the Rank-A human, Zero, continued to pummel the Rank-S genius, Elrond, without giving him a moment to even catch his breath, let alone surrender.


    The Elven''s cheer continued dwelling as more and more people realized that Elrond was getting beaten up and there was no way for him to retaliate.


    It was a gruesome and one-sided battle that defied all expectations.


    Elrond''s vision blurred as pain engulfed him. He tried to raise his arms to defend himself, but they felt heavy and unresponsive. He was trapped in a nightmare, unable to escape the relentless assault.


    Zero''s taunts continued unabated, each word a cruel reminder of Elrond''s helplessness.


    "Is this what a Rank-S genius like you amounts to, Elrond? Pathetic. I expected more from you."


    The arena seemed to hold its breath as the beating continued, and the once-proud Elrond''s face became an unrecognizable mess of blood and bruises.


    He had no way to retaliate or escape, and surrender seemed like a distant and impossible option.


    Finally, Zero decided that it was time to stop and said, "Remember! There are some people that you can''t mess with, particrly those who are dear to me!"

 Chapter 486 Shocking Result!

    <h4>Chapter 486 Shocking Result!</h4>


    "Remember! There are some people that you can''t mess with, particrly those who are dear to me!"


    As Zero''s relentless assault finally ceased, Elrondy on the icy ground, barely conscious, his body battered and broken. Blood oozed from his swollen face, and his breathing wasbored.


    Zero then gave ast punch to Elrond that knocked him out.


    The once-enthusiastic cheers of the spectators had turned into horrified gasps and murmurs of disbelief. No one had expected such a brutal and one-sided battle between a Rank-A and a Rank-S.


    Well, they did expect it but the victim that was on their mind was Zero and not Elrond.


    Princess Elenia and King Thranduil watched in shock. Even they couldn''t believe the oue of the fight.


    Zero stood over Elrond, his expression still cold and unyielding, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.


    "Winner! Zero Elea!"


    The referee announced, with a mix of anger and fear. Although he was angry that Zero had beaten Elrond to this state, he was also scared of Zero as his power was on par with Elrond.


    If Zero could do that to Elrond, then he could do the same to him.


    "He really won! Rank-A had a victory over Rank-S!"


    "Tsk! That is not even the point. Look at the state that Elrond is beaten into. It wasn''t even a proper fight! Zero had one-sidedly beaten Elrond!"


    "I reckon that he will never forget this humiliation. Though serves her right for what he did yesterday. This must be karma!" ¡­


    Zero''s victory was clear, and the crowd erupted into a mix of cheers, gasps, and whispers. It was a victory that defied all expectations, a triumph of skill and determination over rank and pride.


    "He really did it!"


    Hiro eximed. He thought maybe but Zero really was able to win and although he also thought that Zero might have gone a bit too far after thinking about what Elrond did to Lisa, those thoughts were reced with satisfaction.


    "Zero is really powerful!"


    Lisa is also happy about Zero''s victory.


    "Didn''t I already say that he will win?"


    Sylvia said proudly.


    "And did you hear what he said at the end?''


    Sylvia said in a yful tone while looking at Lisa.


    Lisa''s cheeks flushed slightly as she realized what Sylvia was insinuating. She looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    Zero did say hisst line loudly as a warning to others. And it was pretty easy to guess why Zero was merciless with Elrond while he wasn''t with his previous opponents.


    Sylvia grinned knowingly. "Well, it sounded like Zero was really angry and merciless, didn''t it? It seems like Elrond hurt someone who is dear to him!" She winked at Lisa, emphasizing her point.


    "Oh,e on, Lisa. We all know that Zero likes you. It''s clear that Zero was out for revenge because Elrond hurt you. And I have to say, it seems like he got his payback in quite a spectacr fashion."


    Lisa couldn''t help but smile, despite her embarrassment. She looked at Zero, who was still standing over the fallen Elrond, his expression still cold and unyielding.


    "He would have done this for you too. I had a feeling that someone liked it when someone carried her to the infirmary."


    Lisa teased back.


    Sylvia became a bit embarrassed at the thought of being carried by Zero.


    "You know that he was forced by circumstances. I was too exhausted to move, so he had to carry me. And I also didn''t want that to happen and of course, I didn''t like it but what could I do? I gave all my power and was exhausted. It was all because¡­ "


    Sylvia exined her circumstances in great detail and how she wasn''t the type to like being carried.


    As Sylvia continued to exin her situation and emphasize that she didn''t particrly enjoy being carried by Zero, Lisa couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Alright, alright, I get it," she said, trying to stifle herughter. "But you can''t deny that Zero is quite the gentleman when he wants to be."


    Sylvia rolled her eyes yfully. "Well, I suppose you''re right about that. He does have his moments."


    While Lisa and Sylvia were engaged in their light-hearted banter, Zero had finally turned his attention away from Elrond, who was still unconscious and sprawled on the ground.


    "It looks like I have greatly underestimated you!"


    Princess Elenia said.


    She was greatly surprised by the result and Zero''s prowess. However, even so, would an arrogant and powerful person like her be scared?


    She was rather d that she would get a chance to fight Zero herself.


    She wasn''t particrly upset about Zero mercilessly beating Elrond. She couldn''t care less as she thought that Elrond brought this upon himself.


    But she was still angry because of Zero''s underestimation. Though she could understand that Zero was powerful, so that''s why he was so arrogant but still, Princess Elenia wasn''t like Elrond and was vastly stronger than him.


    King Tranduil, on the other hand, while not happy about how the fight went, was still thinking rationally. What was the point of this contest?


    Wasn''t it to spot talent like Zero? Being able to defeat Rank-S - in Rank-A, King Tranduil had already considered Zero as the most talented person in this contest.


    Of course, being the most talented and most powerful was different. Zero still needs to defeat Rank-S if he wants to be considered as the strongest.


    Anyway, Zero returned to his seat. People all gave way to him as they stepped back in fear.


    Even though Zero only beat up his opponent, it didn''t change the fact that he was very ruthless. Even William didn''t dare make eye contact with Zero.


    He thought that Zero would finally be beaten up but the result was the other way around. He kept insulting Elrond, saying how useless of a Rank-S he was and that Elves are weaklings.


    But in his mind, he knows that it wasn''t Elrond who was weak but Zero who was too strong.


    Other race geniuses were also looking at Zero. The Rank-S who thought that they could beat Zero were all thinking of how lucky they were for not getting Zero as their opponent.


    Previously, they only thought of him as someone with great speed and who could use two different Arts. But with the defeat of Elrond, they knew that being Rank-S doesn''t mean you wouldn''t get defeated by Zero.


    Aricen, who got defeated by Zero in one move, was now somewhat happy. She was humiliated because of how easily she was defeated but now she has a justification.


    ''Look! Even Rank-S lost against him. So, it isn''t embarrassing for me to lose to him.''


    That was the justification that she thought.


    Anyway, amidst all the states, Zero calmly walked to his seat.


    "Congrattions on winning!"


    "Zero, nicely done! You taught that guy a good lesson."


    Mia and Amelia said. They were the only ones who believed wholeheartedly this whole time that Zero would win and were not surprised at his win.


    They were even not surprised by how ruthlessly he beat Elrond. They had seen worse!


    Zero acknowledged Mia and Amelia with a nod and a small smile. He appreciated their unwavering support throughout the match.


    Anyway, the first match of the fourth round ended!


    The contest still continued but no one could forget the fight that had just happened. It wasn''t just because of how ruthless Zero beat Elrond but also because of how he managed to twist their perception.


    They all believed that no matter how much of a genius you were, one could never defeat Rank-S - being Rank-A.


    Even if the genius was someone like Princess Elenia at Rank-A +, then if she fought with Rank-S -, she would lose.


    There is a great difference between Rank-S and Rank-A, and there was no instance of Rank-A defeating Rank-S.


    So, everybody couldn''t help but wonder how much of a monster Zero is. He was a monster never seen before.


    And for the participants, Zero had managed to be one of the great threats and they knew that they had to make a countermeasure against him.


    Anyway, the contest continued with many great battles being fought.


    Amelia, Mia, Princess Elenia, and Seraphine were all able to move on to the next battle with ease!


    Everybody knew that the next match would be more intense and there were only 8 participants left. Of those participants, Zero was only the one in Rank-A.

 Chapter 487 The Quarter Final

    Chapter 487 The Quarter Final


    The Quarter final of the contest has reached. From hundreds of participants to 8. There were 3 Rank-S, 4 Rank-S - and finally one Rank-A.


    The people predicted to win were Princess Elenia, Mia Frostine, and Seraphine. And although Zero was Rank-A, nobody dared to underestimate him, not after his win over Elrond. It was such that the four Rank-S - also wanted to avoid getting paired in the uing fights despite Zero being the lowest rank.


    Nevertheless, the excitement was at an all-time high with the contesting to an end.


    King Tranduil was also satisfied with the battle and was more confident in ra''s n after witnessing the power of various race geniuses.


    He had also written down the names of the geniuses who deserved to be rewarded with more time in Luminary Spring. As he said, he wasn''t just going to reward the winners but also those who had shown potential. Anyway, he was happy that one of the objectives of the contest was achieved, which was to find out the potential of the geniuses.


    But his second objective was seemingly bing difficult to achieve. Creating understanding between different races and having them get along with each other through this contest was bing difficult with what happened to Elrond.


    The Elves who were already angered by Zero for what they thought was being disrespectful to Princess Elenia had increased their hatred after what Zero had done to Elrond.


    There wasn''t much he could do. Even if hemanded the Elven geniuses to stop hating Zero, it wouldn''t solve the fundamental problem.


    They might appear to have stopped hating Zero but underneath, they will keep a grudge. Hismand will only increase the hatred and it wasn''t a solution.


    King Tranduil just hopes that in the remaining fight, maybe they will be able to resolve their feelings. Because of the disaster that will eventually hit the world, he knows that unity of every race is needed. The next day, as the contest resumed and the crowd gathered once more, King Thranduil took to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, geniuses, and spectators alike, as we stand on the precipice of the quarter-finals, I am filled with pride and excitement. This contest has showcased the extraordinary talents and abilities of every genius. Imend each of you for your remarkable achievements, and I urge you to continue pushing your limits. The world watches in awe as you showcase your skills, and I have no doubt that today''s battles will be nothing short of spectacr.


    May the contest resume with the same passion and enthusiasm that has brought us to this point. Best of luck to all, and let the quarter-finals begin!"


    The contest resumed after a short speech from King Tranduil. The name of the first contestant was being chosen and everybody eagerly waited for the names toe up.


    "Cyrrinthia of the Dryads Race VS Mia Frostine of the Human Race!"


    The first match of the quarter-final was between Cyrrinthia who is Rank-S - and Mia who is Rank-S. Judging by their rank, Mia was obviously stronger.


    Cyrrinthia sighed when her opponent''s name was announced. She knew her limit and knew that the chance of her victory was very slim.


    ( It seems this is as far as I can go! )


    Cyrrinthia thought. "Cyrrinthia, you can do this!"


    "Best of Luck!"


    "We believe in you!" ¡­


    Despite knowing that Mia Frostine is a formidable opponent, Dryads all cheer for Cyrrinthia and believe in her.


    Cyrrinthia was the greatest and most powerful genius of Dryads and she had earned the trust of every one of them.


    Listening to her fellow races encouraged her, she was determined and walked with confidence. Even if she were to lose, she wasn''t going to give up easily.


    "Mia, you can do it!"


    "Best of Luck!"


    Amelia and Zero said.


    Mia gave a small nod as she proceeded towards the arena. "Professor Mia, best of luck!"


    "Ice Enchantress, show them the strength of humanity!"


    "You''re the pride of our race, Ice Enchantress!" ¡­


    Other human geniuses also cheered for Mia as she walked towards the arena. She was the strongest genius in the Human Race and apart from Zero, she was only the one human genius left in thepetition.


    "This is going to be great!"


    "Who do you think will win?"


    "It should be the human girl! She is Rank-S, on par with Princess Elenia."


    "But Dryads have lots of tricks up their sleeves. Maybe she could turn this around."


    "Anyways, this is going to be a good fight!" ¡­


    Other spectators simply were excited about the fight and didn''t care who won. The atmosphere in the arena was electric as Cyrrinthia and Mia Frostine prepared to face off in the quarter-finals. The crowd, a sea of diverse races and backgrounds, watched with bated breath. As the two geniuses stood at opposite ends of the arena, they gauged each other up. Although two of them had seen the other person fight seeing and feeling for themselves were two different things.


    Cyrrinthia was a bit intimidated by the energy given off by Mia Frostine. Mia is probably the strongest opponent that Cyrrinthia has ever faced. "Are you both ready?"


    Two of them gave a small nod but their eyes never left each other.


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The signal to begin the battle was given, and the tension in the air was palpable. Cyrrinthia, with her deep connection to nature, summoned vines and roots from the ground, creating a formidable barrier of foliage to shield herself. She was determined to make this battle count, not just for her own honor but for the pride of her race.


    Mia Frostine, on the other hand, channeled her Ice abilities. Frosty winds emanated from her, freezing the moisture in the air and creating a shimmering ice shield around her. She knew about Dryad''s abilities and decided to freeze all the pores before they could even make it towards her body. Having protected against the illusion pores of Cyrrinthia, Mia Frostine decided to go on offense.


    However, Cyrrinthia wasn''t going to make it easy for Mia. She holed up in her protective ce while also using vines to attack.


    [ "Frozen Surface" ]


    Mia tried to gain advantage again by turning the stage into ice just like Zero, however, that proved to be difficult with Cyrrinthia''s abilities.


    Cryrrinthia''s nts which she summoned prevented the ce around her from being frozen. She wasn''t going to give advantage to Mia who was already stronger than her.


    Despite the odds stacked against her, Cyrrinthia disyed incredible resilience and creativity. She manipted the very earth beneath her opponent, causing ice formations to crack and crumble. Mia, in turn, turned all of Cyrrinthia''s vine attack to ice and shattered it. The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, neither genius willing to back down. As the intense battle between Cyrrinthia and Mia Frostine continued, the arena was filled with awe and excitement. The crowd watched in amazement as the two formidable geniuses shed, their powers on full disy.


    Cyrrinthia, feeling the pressure of facing an opponent as strong as Mia, knew that she needed to pull off something extraordinary to turn the tide in her favor. She had exhausted many of her nature-based abilities, but she had onest, powerful ace up her sleeve.


    [ "Arboreal Ascendance" ]


    With her heart racing and her connection to the natural world deepening, Cyrrinthia began to channel her energy into the earth beneath her. The ground trembled as roots and vines shot out in all directions, weaving together and forming a massive, towering structure that reached toward the sky.


    The crowd gasped as they witnessed the emergence of a huge Tree, a colossal embodiment of nature''s power. Its branches stretched high, its leaves shimmered with vibrant energy, and its roots delved deep into the earth.


    Mia Frostine, although startled by the sudden appearance of this magnificent entity, did not falter. She knew she had to act quickly. [ "Ice Spear" ]


    She intensified her control over ice, conjuring a massive ice spear and hurling it toward Cyrrinthia and the World Tree.


    The spear pierced the air, aiming straight for Cyrrinthia. But just before it could reach her, the World Tree came to life. Its branches moved with a graceful swiftness, intercepting the ice spear and shattering it into countless shards.


    Cyrrinthia, standing at the heart of the Tree, felt a surge of power coursing through her. She raised her hands towards the heavens, and the Tree responded by moving its branch which attacked Mia.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    Mia summoned her Ice Pce and began defending by using the Ice Pirs. -BANG!


    Mia was able to block Cyrrinthia''s first attack but the attack didn''t stop there and the tree branches fiercely continued to attack Mia.


    Mia knew she couldn''t just defend herself as her Ice Pir was getting rapidly destroyed. But she also knew that going on the offense would jeopardize her safety.


    Having no choice, Mia decided that she was going to use her most powerful skill.

 Chapter 488 Mia Vs Cyrrinthia!

    Chapter 488 Mia Vs Cyrrinthia!


    With her Ice Pirs crumbling and the relentless assault of the World Tree''s branches closing in, Mia knew she had to unleash her most powerful skill. Everybody watched the battle with interest. They thought that Mia Frostine would win easily but with Cyrrinthia showing such a powerful move, they were having a second thought.


    Previously, they would not believe that a Rank-S - would be able to defeat Rank-S but since the match of Zero and Elrond, they thought that if Rank-A can defeat Rank-S -, then it is also possible for Rank-S - to be able to defeat Rank-S.


    "It looks like Cyrrinthia is going to win!"


    "I believed in her! She is going to win against Rank-S!"


    "This is the power of Dryads! Cyrrinthia ultimate skill is nothing short of invincible. Victory is our!" ¡­


    The Dryads energetically cheered as Cyrrinthia was cornering Mia and her attacks seemed to be working. They thought that Cyrrinthia was winning!


    But Mia had other ns. She began gathering mana for her powerful skill.


    As Mia gathered her mana for the formidable skill, a hushed anticipation fell over the arena. They could all feel that Mia was trying to do something because the pressure in the air had be heavy.


    The very air seemed to tremble with the impending release of her power. Cyrrinthia, standing within the protective embrace of the World Tree, couldn''t help but feel a surge of unease. She tried to stop Mia before she could do anything but Mia while gathering the mana, but at the same time, she used the Ice pirs to block every attack from Cyrrinthia.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    As Mia unleashed her attack, brilliant streaks of celestial energy shot forth from her, racing toward Cyrrinthia and the World Tree. The waves were like beams of pure light, leaving a shimmering trail behind them as they traveled.


    The crowd watched in awe as the Ster Annihtion Waves collided with the World Tree''s. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena, causing the ground to tremble and the air to crackle with energy.


    Cyrrinthia, determined to protect her creation and herself, poured all her remaining energy into reinforcing the World Tree''s defenses. The colossal tree absorbed the initial impact, its branches crackling with energy as they strained to hold back the waves.


    But Mia''s power was relentless, and the Ster Annihtion Waves continued to surge forward, gradually breaking through the World Tree''s defenses. The crowd could see the strain on Cyrrinthia''s face as she fought to maintain control.


    Mia stood resolute, her eyes locked onto Cyrrinthia as she channeled her inner strength into the relentless assault of Ster Annihtion Waves. With each passing moment, the brilliant streaks of celestial energy grew more intense, piercing through the World Tree''s defenses like a hot knife through butter.


    Many of the World Tree branches were destoryed by the Ster Annihtion wave. Even if Cyrrinthia survived, she couldn''t use the World Tree to attack again.


    The dryads'' cheers turned into worried murmurs as the World Tree''s branches began to shudder and crack under the overwhelming force of Mia''s attack. The once-mighty guardian of Cyrrinthia''s sanctuary now stood vulnerable, unable to withstand the sheer power of Mia''s skill.


    Cyrrinthia''s desperation grew as she realized the inevitable. With a determined resolve, she tried to reinforce the World Tree''s defenses even further, but her energy was waning fast. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she strained to maintain control over her creation.


    -BOOM!


    The crowd watched in awe as the relentless assault of Ster Annihtion Waves finally broke through thest remnants of the World Tree''s defenses.


    A blinding explosion of light erupted at the heart of the battle. The shockwave radiated outward, shaking the arena and sending spectators stumbling back. The World Tree, once a symbol of unassable power, was now reduced to splinters and embers.


    As the dust settled, Cyrrinthia was left blown to the ground in the midst of the destruction, her clothes torn and her body bruised. She gazed in disbelief at the remnants of the World Tree, her creation, and her source of strength.


    She was determined to fight even without the support of the World Tree but she had exhausted all her strength and was no longer able to even stand.


    Mia, on the other hand, remained standing tall, her aura radiating with confidence. The spectators watched in silent awe as they realized the extent of Mia''s power. "Winner! Mia Frostine!"


    The referee announced the result after having confirmed that Cyrrinthia could no longer continue the fight.


    With a final nce at Cyrrinthia, who now knelt among the ruins, Mia turned and walked away from the battlefield.


    -CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!


    The crowd erupted into apuse, acknowledging the incredible disy of skill and power they had witnessed. Princess Elenia watched with a bit of a worry. The power that Mia shown was greater than what she have. But even so, she didn''t think that she would lose!


    So what if the attack is powerful? As long as you dodge it, you will be fine. King Tranduil also watched and seemed to be in deep thinking. Previously, he made a bet with his daughter that if she defeats Mia Frostine, she will get the artifact that she wanted.


    He made the bet because he felt that Mia Frostine was powerful and indeed he was right in thinking so. "Elenia, do you think that you can still win?"


    King Tranduil asked.


    "Humph! Indeed that skill of hers is powerful but don''t forget who your daughter is. I will defintely defeat her and im that artifact. Don''t you forget what you promised!"


    Princess Elenia said confidently. She felt her father was looking down on her and she was going to prove to her father that she was truly the strongest in her generation.


    "Sure! I will keep my word!"


    "Princess Elenia of Elven Race VS Zero Elea of the Human Race!"


    Admist their conversation, the referee announced the names for the next battle. "Oh, it''s your turn! And your opponent is Zero who you wanted to fight!"


    King Tranduil remembered that his daughter teeling that she wants to beat Zero. Although he was initially worried about it as Zero was Rank-A but after Zero fights with Elrond, he didn''t think he needed to worry about Zero.


    Maybe it should be the other way around!


    "Finally!"


    Princess Elenia eximed happily. She seemed to be more happy about getting to fight Zero than when she thought about getting rewarded with an artifact.


    "Looks like luck is on my side. I can personally teach him a lesson."


    Princess Elenia said excitedly. She had been nning this for days and even worried that Zero might be eliminated before he gets a chance to fight with her.


    But now, she didn''t need to worry and she could do what she nned.


    King Tranduil looked at Princess Elenia with a concerned face. ( My crazy daughter, please control your expression! )


    King Tranduil worriedly thought when he saw the face taht Princess Elenia was making.


    "Dad, I will be going!"


    ******


    "Princess Elenia of Elven Race VS Zero Elea of the Human Race!"


    When the name was announced, many Elves seemed to have gotten excited. In this contest, Zero seemed to have be the most hated person for the Elves.


    One was obviously for beating down Elrond. But the bigger reason was because of the disrespect that Zero showed to Princess Elenia.


    Inparison to that, beating Elrond was nothing.


    They were happy and excited to know that Princess Elenia could personally teach Zero a lesson and let him know the power of Elves.


    Despite the power shown by Zero, no one believes that Princess Elenia is going to lose. Not to some Rank-A human.


    Elrond was also among the crowd and he was happy when the name was announced. He was very angry at the thought of getting beaten by Zero. And even though of revenge but whenever he thought of taking revenge, he would remember the beating he got.


    His body would tremble and he couldn''t move properly. Therefore, taking revenge was very far. But he could at least watch him get beaten down and he thought that with Princess Elenia as Zero''s opponent, he would soon get to see Zero beaten down.


    Other races were also excited as they were curious about Zero and Princess Elenia''s power. Both of them were strong and other Rank-S - weren''t their opponent.


    As the announcement echoed through the arena, the anticipation reached a fever pitch. The crowd''s excitement was palpable, and all eyes were fixed on the arena where Princess Elenia and Zero Elea would soon face off.

 Chapter 489 More Misunderstanding!

    Chapter 489 More Misunderstanding!


    "Princess Elenia of the Elven Race VS Zero Elea of the Human Race!"


    "Then I am off!"


    Zero said as his name was announced. "Good Luck!"


    "Be Careful!"


    Amelia and Mia said worriedly. They were also a bit worried since Zero''s opponent is Princess Elenia whose power they still don''t know. Moreover, they also know about the conflict between Zero and Princess Elenia. It isn''t possible for her to go easy on Zero considering what had previously happened.


    Hiro and his group also looked at Zero with worries. Zero''s opponent was perhaps the strongest in the entirepetition. Sylvia and Hiro had also suffered defeat at her hands. "Do your best!"


    Sylvia said to Zero, although it might not have been heard by Zero.


    "Zero, Give it your all!


    "Zero, show them what you are made of!"


    Lisa and Misha also cheered loudly for Zero. Although Princess Elenia was the strongest, they still held hopes that Zero would be able to win just like his battle against Elrond.


    But other than them, not many were hopeful including the humans. They discussed the probability of Zero winning which wasn''t very high ording to them. Zero walked calmly amidst all the chatter around. He had heard Lisa and others cheer for him as there were only a small number of people doing that. Others were only talking about how inevitable his defeat was and that he should maybe give up.


    Anyway, he had no time to pay attention to other things as his opponent was a strong one.


    He was pleasantly surprised to know that his opponent was Crazy Princess.


    Although many were thinking about how unlucky Zero was and were pitying him, Zero wasn''t very worried.


    However, he is very annoyed that he has to face off against someone like Elenia who he thinks is crazy.


    Although he didn''t like Princess Elenia for what happened previously, but he was also thinking about why that happened.


    ( Is there some problem with my expression? )


    Zero thought. He was obviously not looking down on Elenia or anything but still, it seems like Princess Elenia thought as such.


    He began thinking that maybe his expression was a problem.


    He remembered his talk with Amelia about how his expression was stern and that maybe he should smile to get along with others.


    ( Maybe I should try that? )


    Zero thought as he walked towards the arena. As he stepped onto the grand stage, the crowd''s cheers and anticipation grew even louder. Zero noticed Princess Elenia standing at the opposite end of the arena, her expression a mix of determination and excitement. "It seems like fate for us to fight! I will finally teach you about what happens when you underestimate me."


    Princess Elenia said which showed how eager she was to fight Zero. Zero wasn''t very interested in that and thought that maybe he should try to clear his misunderstanding and let the crazy princess know that he wasn''t looking down on her.


    n decided to make an effort to appear more approachable and friendly, so he tried to muster a smile. However, what he thought was a friendly gesture came off as a smirk to the onlookers, including Princess Elenia.


    The crowd''s cheers were momentarily hushed, reced by a collective gasp. They were all surprised by how confident and arrogant Zero was.


    "Look! Zero is unfazed even as Princess Elenia is his opponent. He must have some hidden trick up his sleeves."


    "That Zero is indeed confident. As Rank-A, he is even looking down on Rank-S Princess Elenia."


    "Previously, he was mocking Princess Elenia. I thought that was because he knew that Princess Elenia wouldn''t attack him. It seems like that was not the case and he doesn''t really consider Princess Elenia as his opponent." "Zero''s arrogance knows no bounds. It''s like he''s not taking this match seriously at all. Princess Elenia deserves more respect. How dare he look down on our Princess."


    ¡­


    The spectators all began chatting after thinking about how Zero was looking down on Elenia. They all thought of his smile as a smirk.


    Elenia, who had been preparing herself for the battle ahead, saw his expression as an arrogant and mocking sneer.


    "You dare to mock me with that smirk, Zero? You''ll regret underestimating me again!"


    Princess Elenia yelled angrily. It was her second time having Zero look down on her. She was angry at Zero who was acting as if he was superior to her and mocking her with that smirk.


    "..."


    Zero blinked in confusion, not quite sure how his attempt at friendliness had backfired so spectacrly. He had expected a bit of tension given their previous encounter, but he hadn''t anticipated such a hostile response.


    Zero was also oblivious that his smile was looking like a smile and thought that Crazy Princess was having another misunderstanding even though he was trying to be friendly with her.


    "BUHAHA¡­ "


    Amelia couldn''t hold herughter. Among all the people, maybe only she and Mia knew that Zero was trying to smile. And hearing otherments about his smile was only making it worse for her. On the stage, there was a weird misunderstanding happening. Princess Elenia seemed to be angrier and Zero was oblivious to why.


    "You see, Zero," Princess Elenia said, her tone cold and threatening, "I''m not like Elrond. You might be feeling very confident after having defeated Elrond but don''t think that I am the same as him. Prepare yourself!"


    Zero, still trying to make sense of the situation, nodded slowly. He decided that the best course of action was to let his actions speak for him during the battle.


    "Are you both ready?"


    The referee asked.


    Zero and Princess Elenia nodded while taking out their weapons. This was the first time that Princess Elenia took out her weapon at the start.


    This showed how serious she was!


    "Then let the battle begin!"


    The referee finally signaled the start of the match.


    [ "Aurora''s Grace" ]


    As the referee''smand echoed through the arena, Zero and Princess Elenia sprang into action. Princess Elenia quickly notched an arrow to her bow, her eyes fixed on Zero. She wasted no time to use one of her powerful attacks on Zero.


    With the anger she felt, she was in no mood to y around and wanted to show Zero how strong she was.


    Zero, on the other hand, took a defensive stance with his sword, ready for whatever Princess Elenia had in store. [ "Dual Art: Peerless Ice Strike" ]


    The first arrow Princess Elenia released seemed to blur as it streaked toward Zero. But he was prepared. With remarkable agility and reflexes, Zero deflected the arrow with his sword, sending it harmlessly off course.


    The crowd gasped in amazement at Zero''s lightning-fast reaction. Even Princess Elenia was momentarily taken aback by his skill. Zero''s nonchnt smile had transformed into a focused and determined expression.


    He always has a stern expression on him whenever he battles since he was trained to take every battle seriously. In the Tower Of Obelisk, he could die whenever he battles, so he always has this stern expression.


    Elenia quickly followed up with a barrage of arrows, each one faster and more precise than thest. [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    Zero was forced to dance around the arena, expertly dodging and deflecting every arrow that came his way. It was a breathtaking disy of skill on both sides, with Elenia''s archery and Zero''s swordsmanship in perfect harmony.


    He also tried to sneak on Princess Elenia with this skill but it seemed like Princess Elenia was already ready.


    [ "Tempest Veil" ]


    She protected herself before Zero could sneak attack on her. Zero didn''t attack and created some distance, safe from the Tempest Veil.


    "Humph!"


    Princess Elenia watched Zero back off. Zero also kept his eyes on Elenia as she could attack him from anywhere.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero attacked in an attempt to distract Elenia. Princess Elenia took the bait as she was now focused on destroying Zero''s attack. She used her own attack to destroy cier Shadow sh.


    During that time, Zero gathered his mana for another attack.


    [ "Dark Icy Surface" ]


    He began freezing the ground of the arena. It was to give advantage to him while also having some chance that Princess Elenia would get hit by this attack.


    Princess Elenia destroyed Zero''s attack. She also saw Zero''s using another skill.


    After destroying his attack, Elenia channeled her mana and just floated in the air. She was easily able to avoid Zero''s Dark Icy Surface with that. Every Rank-S could fly and Elenia could as well. She looked down on Zero from the air. With her in the air, she has an advantage, considering she was a long-range fighter.


    She has a smirk on her face as she thought that Zero wouldn''t be able to do anything since she was in the air and he was sitting suck.

 Chapter 490 Princess Elenia VS Zero Elea!

    Chapter 490 Princess Elenia VS Zero Elea!


    One of the things separating Rank-S from other ranks was that they had the ability to fly. Others might be able to fly through special skill, but that wasn''t efficient due to the mana it burned.


    So, Rank-S always had an advantage over lower ranks.


    And for close-range fighters, fighting with a flying opponent is almost impossible. In addition, Princess Elenia could directly attack Zero from the above but Zero couldn''t do the same.


    Princess Elenia believed that with such an advantage, Zero was sure to lose.


    Moreover, she believes that Zero''s mana must be running low after having frozen the entire arena which isn''t an easy task. Pity that all that work was for nothing.


    Zero gazed up at Princess Elenia with a calm expression, seemingly undeterred by her aerial advantage. Princess Elenia was a bit annoyed that Zero still had that always calm face despite facing her.


    ( Humph! Let''s see how calm you are when you get defeated! )


    Princess Elenia thought.


    She pulled her bowstring as she got ready to throw a barrage of arrows at Zero.


    With a swift and graceful motion, Elenia released a volley of arrows, each arrow imbued with her formidable magical power. They streaked through the air, closing in on Zero, who remained grounded, seemingly defenseless against her relentless assault.


    [ "Frozen Shadow Dance" ]


    Zero quickly disappeared into the ground and dodged the attacks. However, Princess Elenia wasn''t going to give up and she has already seen through that skill. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    By imbuing mana into her arrows, she strengthened the speed of her arrows and attacked Zero. Even though Zero was able to dodge the attack, as long as mana skill hit him, he would get injured even if he was in shadow form.


    -BOOM! -BOOM!


    Princess Elenia was destructive. Every arrow, when it hit, exploded like someone had used a powerful explosion magic.


    Anyways, Zero was narrowly able to dodge the attacks. But being on defense wasn''t going to make him win the fight.


    He canceled his Frozen Shadow Dance.


    !!!


    Princess Elenia believed it was her chance and began bombarding Zero with even more powerful attacks.


    [ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]


    [ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]


    Elenia watched in astonishment as her arrows, once unstoppable, were now repelled by the Icy Shadow Wall.


    With Dark Ice Embodiment, Zero was able to control his mana more efficiently and that enabled him to strengthen his Icy Shadow Wall.


    But it was still not enough as the Icy Shadow Wall crumbled after taking the attacks of Princess Elenia.


    However, before his barrier waspletely destroyed, he was already with what he wanted.


    [ "Shadow Cryomancy Bomb" ]


    Sneakily, Zero was also nting the Shadow Cryomancy Bomb to catch Princess Elenia by surprise. With him never showing this skill in his previous fight, it was sure to catch Princess Elenia by surprise.


    Moreover, Icy Shadow Wall not only served him as a barrier but also as a way to preventZero from using this skill.


    [ "Shadow Ice Shard" ]


    Zero also attacked Princess Elenia with his long-range attack. But those attacks were nothing in front of Princess Elenia as she effortlessly destroyed it with her arrows.


    Princess Elenia smirked as she looked at Zero from above. From her point of view, Zero was sitting duck who was just resisting what is inevitable. Without him getting close to her, she knew that she would always have the advantage. "Zero Elea, just give up and apologize. Without-"


    She was going to urge Zero to give up but then her expression changed!


    Zero also knew that he was at a disadvantage because of Princess Elenia being in the air. But he still has a secret weapon that many have no idea about.


    [ "Frostwing" ]


    From Zero''s back, two Ice Wings which appeared to be that of Dragon appeared. The crowd in the arena gasped in amazement at this unexpected turn of events.


    Zero stretched his newly formed Frostwing wings wide and gracefully ascended into the air, matching Elenia''s altitude. Zero appeared before Princess Elenia with a sword in his hand. It was now time for the fight in the air!


    "What? He can fly?"


    "Dammit! That must take an insane amount of mana!"


    "Looks like Princess Elenia no longer holds the advantage of flying." ¡­


    As Zero soared into the air on his Frostwing wings, the entire arena erupted in excitement and disbelief. The spectators were on their feet, their cheers and gasps echoing throughout the grand coliseum. The battle had just taken an unexpected turn, and the crowd was captivated by the unfolding spectacle.


    Princess Elenia, once confident in her aerial advantage, now found herself on equal footing with Zero. Her earlier arrogance had turned into a look of surprise.


    "Indeed! It seems like you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve but don''t forget that your mana isn''t going tost if you keep using that skill!"


    Princess Elenia said. "Is that so? Then let''s end the battle before that happens."


    Zero replied. The two opponents were now engaged in an aerial dance, circling each other high above the arena. [ "Aurora''s Grace" ]


    Princess Elenia made the first attack since they were in the air. The reason was to check whether Zero was proficient in flying or not.


    There are many who could fly but most of them were slow and they couldn''t dodge properly or swiftly when in the air. But Zero swiftly dodged with his wings.


    [ "cier Shadow sh" ]


    Zero also attacked back. [ "Tempest Veil" ]


    Princess Elenia summoned her wind barrier and blocked the attack.


    There was more confrontation between the two and everyone looked up in the sky to watch their battle.


    The more the battle continued, the more surprised the spectator was with how much longer Zero was surviving against Princess Elenia.


    Princess Elenia was no longer the confident warrior she had been when she had the advantage of flight. Zero''s Frostwing wings allowed him to match her every maneuver, and he seemed to have an almost unlimited reserve of mana, a fact that surprised many.


    Elenia''s attacks were met with swift counters from Zero, and their shes sent shockwaves through the air, creating dazzling disys of magic and power that illuminated the entire arena.


    Each time she thought she had him cornered, Zero would slip away with a graceful twist and turn, using his newfound aerial prowess to evade her onught.


    Elenia''s frustration grew as Zero continued to hold his own. She had expected him to tire quickly due to the immense energy required to maintain flight andbat simultaneously. However, it seemed like it was she who was running out of mana due to her own flying skill.


    "Dammit!"


    Princess Elenia yelled angrily. It seems like she was the first one to give up on flying since her mana was critically low.


    Whereas Zero was still using all his skills without any concern about his mana. This just showed that he has a lot of mana reserve, a fact which hurt her pride since she is Rank-S and a lot stronger than Zero.


    She descended back to the ground which was still covered in Dark Ice. Zero also descended back. With the arena as Dark Ice, it was he who had more advantage in the arena.


    [ "Tempest de" ]


    With determination in her eyes, Princess Elenia made a decision. It seems like she wants topete in close range. She charged toward Zero, her footsteps crunching on the frozen ground. Her remaining mana surged through her body as she prepared to unleash her powerful attacks.


    "Activate!"


    Just as she was about to reach Zero, he activated the Shadow Cryomancy Bomb that he had nted earlier. The ground beneath them trembled, and a dark, icy aura enveloped the area. Princess Elenia''s eyes widened in realization, but it was toote to escape.


    The Shadow Cryomancy Bomb erupted in a blinding sh of cold and shadow, creating a shockwave that sent shards of frozen darkness in all directions.


    This surprise attack caught Princess Elenia by surprise and she wasn''t able to defend the skill in time.


    Her body was slowly getting frozen by the Shadow Cryomancy Bomb.


    "ARGH!"


    If this continues, her whole body will be frozen and she might get defeated. At the thought of that, she became angry.


    How could she lose to Rank-A? She? A Rank-S losing to Rank-A?


    "It can''t be!"


    Princess Elenia yelled as she forcefully broke through the ice while simultaneously injuring her body.


    [ "Regal Renewal: healing" ]


    But she wasn''t worried since she could always heal her body including those broken bones.


    [ "Ice Prison" ]


    Taking advantage of that small period of time when Princess Elenia was upied with his surprise attack, Zero managed to use his Ice Prison skill to immobilize Princess Elenia.


    Princess Elenia once again tried to break through with her brutal power without caring about her injuries, however, unlike Shadow Cryomancy Bomb, Ice Prison was very powerful, and as long as Zero had mana, he would be able to keep Princess Elenia immobilized.

 Chapter 491 Princess Elenia VS Zero: Conclusion!

    Chapter 491 Princess Elenia VS Zero: Conclusion!


    Zero watches as Princess Elenia struggles within the icy confines of the Ice Prison. Her determination was evident as she continued to exert her magical prowess, trying to shatter the frozen cage that held her captive. But despite her efforts, the ice held firm, and Zero had no intention of letting her escape.


    The audience in the grand coliseum was in awe of the battle they were witnessing. It had started with Elenia''s confidence in her aerial advantage, but now, it seemed like Zero had turned the tables. "Is it possible? Will Princess Elenia lose against Zero Elea?"


    "A Rank-A winning against Rank-S? This might be the first in history!"


    "Damn! I can''t watch it! Princess Elenia, please do something and defeat that human." ¡­


    The cheers and gasps of the spectators were deafening, and they couldn''t take their eyes off the intense showdown.


    Nobody thought that Zero would win but looking at the current situation, it seems like Zero had Princess Elenia cornered and only a hair''s breadth away from victory.


    Zero, however, was not reveling in the victory that seemed within his grasp. It was because although he seemed to be winning, he too was exhausted after all that happened. And he was barely able to contain Princess Elenia with all the mana and stamina he had. And just immobilizing Princess Elenia wasn''t going to get him the victory.


    ( Should I use Shadow Ice Shadow Shard? Maybe Shadow sh? )


    Zero thought of ending the battle byunching a long-range attack, however, he came to the conclusion that those attacks wouldn''t be able to defeat Princess Elenia.


    She has a regeneration skill that she could use to easily heal all those wounds. His only option to firmly defeat Princess Elenia from this position was either using Dark Energy or Ancient Dragon''s Wrath.


    But neither was something that he could do at the moment. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He couldn''t reveal Dark Energy and the answer is obvious. As for the Ancient Dragon''s Wrath, it takes too much mana and hecks that at the moment. Even if he did, he wouldn''t easily show that skill considering that it was his biggest trump card.


    As Elenia continued to struggle, Zero made a decision. He released the Ice Prison, causing the frozen bars to dissipate into mist. Elenia stumbled forward, her body bruised and battered from her efforts. But her injuries were all healed the next second, thanks to her healing skill. But more than her injuries, she was concerned about something else.


    "What are you doing?" She demanded, her voice a mix of anger and confusion. She was still trying to get out of the Ice Prison but Zero had released the technique before she could.


    She was still in her defensive position as she thought that Zero might be trying to do something with him releasing the skill.


    "I forfeit!"


    Zero raised his hands and surrendered. "Huh?" Elenia blinked in surprise. She hadn''t expected Zero to surrender, especially when he had the advantage.


    ¡­


    "What? Did I hear it right?"


    "Zero Elea is surrendering? What is happening? Wasn''t he winning?"


    "Why did he surrender?" ¡­


    The spectator was also shocked and confused. They all saw Zero winning against Princess Elenia and suddenly he wants to give up.


    It wasn''t something that they could understand. "Winner! Princess Elenia!"


    The referee announced after getting out of the shock. He also didn''t expect Zero to give up at such a pivotal moment when he was on the verge of winning. But since he surrendered, then that means that he lost.


    Even so, the confusion and dissatisfaction among the crowd was evident with some cursing Zero, especially human geniuses.


    "Dammit! You could have won! Why are you surrendering? Even if you can''t defeat her, at least fight to the end."


    "Humph! I thought he was a courageous person but it turns out that he is a coward."


    "He could have brought glory for the human race. Why did you just give up?" ¡­


    The human geniuses couldn''t understand why Zero was giving up on such an important match which would affect their reputation.


    "..."


    Zero looked at the crowd who was still making noise about his forfeit. But he didn''t care and just started to walk away from the stage.


    As for the insult of human geniuses, he didn''t care. What reputation? What Glory? This was just a small contest and even winning wouldn''t make much difference to anything.


    And even if he did, Zero wasn''t interested in the glory of humans or anything. He wouldn''t have given up if he could win but it shouldn''t be at the expense of him.


    Although it would be great to win he needs to work much harder to achieve that considering how determined Princess Elenia was. Ice Prison was good for restricting Princess Elenia, but not for finishing the fight. And once she gets out, it will be another intense fight.


    Considering the mana and stamina he had left, Zero didn''t want to continue.


    Moreover, even if he won, he thought that there were other powerful opponents that he needed to fight.


    He felt like he was already done with this contest. He already ranked high enough to receive rewards from King Tranduil and there wasn''t anything that he needed to prove.


    Although previously, he was angry at Princess Elenia and wanted to teach her a lesson but that feeling was long gone. He didn''t think much of it and he didn''t think continuing the fight was worth anything.


    If he wants to win against Princess Elenia, it seems like he needs to make use of Ancient Dragon''s Wrath or his Dark Energy which are both his trump card that he wouldn''t show easily. And to be ranked just a higher ce wasn''t worth it for him to show his trump cards. "What is Zero thinking?"


    Amelia said in confusion. She was sure that Zero was stronger than Princess Elenia. He also had the Ancient Dragon''s Wrath which instantly killed Ifrit.


    "He should be concealing his power. Moreover, Princess Elenia is very powerful and even though she seems to be cornered, she is still far from defeated."


    Mia replied.


    Although she also thinks that Zero gave up too easily like Zero, she also thought that he already ranked higher than most. Anyway, no matter what anyone says or thinks, the result has already been decided. "WAIT!"


    Princess Elenia yelled, bringing the attention to herself. She seemed extremely angry and there was no shred of arrogance in her expression after having battled with Zero.


    "What do you mean forfeit? How can you surrender after this?"


    Princess Elenia asked Zero. She seemed dissatisfied with the result despite winning. Amongst everyone out there, maybe the one who is most dissatisfied with Zero''s forfeit is Princess Elenia.


    She wanted to teach Zero a lesson but failed and instead was on the verge of losing. Even though she won because of Zero''s forfeit, she still felt like she was the one who lost.


    Zero halts his step and turns around to face Princess Elenia. He thought that he ought to exin the reason to his opponent.


    "Princess Elenia, I used my full power and have exhausted my mana. I think it is fair that I surrender after that!"


    Zero replied.


    "You are lying! You should still be able to fight! Don''t run away and fight me again!"


    Princess Elenia said, not buying Zero''s exnation at all. She thought that even if what he said was true, he shouldn''t have just given up like this.


    *SIGH!


    Zero didn''t understand what the problem with Princess Elenia was. She won and still seems to have something toin about.


    Zero just decided topletely ignore her and just went back to his seat. "Hey! Come back!"


    Princess Elenia yelled as she was going to chase after Zero.


    "Princess, Please! Return to your seat!"


    Luckily the referee stopped her from going after Zero. *TCH!


    Princess Elenia watched Zero slip away and she also decided to stop pursuing Zero and went back to her seat.


    But you can see from her expression that she wasn''t exactly happy with that. It was the same for the other Elves. They expected a harsh beating from Princess Elenia to Zero and although PrincessElenia won, there wasn''t a single serious injury to Zero.


    Elrond was the one who was most angry. Zero had indeed lost but was it the same as him? No! He lost with dignity and also without any suffering. There was no satisfaction in watching Zero lose to Princess Elenia.


    Even so, there was nothing he or any other person could do. The battle between Princess Eleina and Zero already concluded with Zero''s surrender.

 Chapter 492 Amelias Fight!

    Chapter 492 Amelia''s Fight!


    The grand coliseum buzzed with chatter and confusion as the spectators tried to make sense of what had just transpired. Zero''s surrender had left them baffled, and the unexpected turn of events had only added to the mystique surrounding him.


    "Looks like even Zero lost!"


    Misha eximed sadly. These are the three people that Princess Elenia defeated that she knew of. First was Sylvia then Hiro and now Zero.


    Even though there was a huge power gap between them, it was still disheartening to see her friends lose.


    "Not Necessarily!"


    Hiro replied. If one looked at the result Zero indeed lost but looking at the fight, nobody would say that Zero is weaker than Princess Elenia.


    "For Zero to push Princess Elenia into a corner shows just how strong he is. And you should know that he still has another trump card up his sleeve. If he used that, he would have won."


    Hiro exined. Although he didn''t know about Ancient Dragon''s Wrath, he had seen Zero use Dark Energy. "Yeah! He really beat Princess Elenia like that. Although it''s a pity that he gave up like that, he must have his reasons."


    Sylvia said.


    "Anyone, let''s get stronger so that Zero doesn''t leave us behind!"


    Sylvia said. She was now looking forward to Luminary Spring which is said to bring out one''s full potential. Others all nodded to Sylvia. They didn''t want to get too behind Zero and were determined to get even stronger.


    "Good Work!"


    "Nice Fight!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mia and Amelia greeted Zero with smiles. Unlike others, they respected Zero''s decision and also knew the real reason for his surrender.


    "Sorry! I didn''t win!"


    Zero said.


    "Hehe¡­ No problem! I will defeat that Princess for you!"


    Amelia said confidently. However in reality, she knew that it wasn''t possible. Anyways, she has to first get through this round if she wants topete with Princess Elenia.


    "Anyways, you really humiliated that princess. Next time you see her, she will not be that arrogant."


    Amelia added. Amelia obviously held a grudge against Princess Elenia for the way she had treated Zero previously. "She should be seething in anger! Hehe¡­ "


    Amelia was happy at the thought of Princess Elenia who wasn''t able to beat up Zero like she proimed. And judging by her expression before she left the stage, Amelia knew that Princess Elenian wasn''t too happy about her win. She thought it served her right to treat Zero awfully.


    Meanwhile, Princess Elenia seethed with anger in her seat just like Amelia said. She couldn''t ept Zero''s exnation, and most importantly felt humiliated by the fight.


    "My daughter, why are you angry even though you won?"


    King Tranduil asked.


    "That human, Zero, has infuriated me. He surrendered before I could teach him a lesson, and it felt like a mockery of my strength," Princess Elenia replied, her frustration evident in her voice.


    "His strength was equal, no it has exceeded me. Even so, he dared to mock me by surrendering. I can''t ept this!"


    Princess Elenia said. She thought of her battle with Zero, and the entire time, the fight seemed to be going ording to what he had nned.


    Princess Elenia thought that she could easily win considering her Rank-S strength but instead ended up falling into Zero''s trap which enabled him to trap her.


    Princess Elenia gritted her teeth once again when she remembered that. She red at Zero who was casually talking with Mia and Amelia. And this further increased her hatred.


    If Zero showed at least some remorse or regret for losing or anything, she might feel that she really won. But looking at Zero''s expression, she could easily tell that Zero probably didn''t even care.


    "Just you wait! I will never forget this!"


    Princess Elenia muttered.


    King Tranduil knew why Elenia wasn''t very happy with her victory. She indeed didn''t look like a victor in that fight and the only reason she won was because the other party surrendered, at least that is what many thought.


    King Tranduil doesn''t believe that Zero would have won ultimately because Princess Elenia still had much of her strength reserved and could have fought for a few more minutes. However, that wasn''t the case for Zero and King Tranduil assumed that the reason he gave up was precisely because of that.


    King Tranduil had to admire Zero''s decision. He knew exactly when to give up and did it before he was beaten. To know one''s limit was essentially a skill as well.


    King Tranduil was also surprised by Zero''s strength. A power that surpassed his rank and even was able to overwhelm his daughter who is in Rank-S. Even though he ultimately gave up and lost, King Tranduil didn''t care much about it. More than the result, what he wanted to achieve through this contest was to see the potential and talent of various geniuses and Zero has indeed shown his potential with that fight.


    Judging by the talent, King Tranduil thought that Zero was definitely number one on his list. ( Why didn''t ra inform me about such a person? )


    King Tranduil wondered. He was told about almost all the talented people including Hiro and his group. But ra never mentioned Zero which was weird considering how strong Zero is.


    ( Let''s ask herter! )


    King Tranduil decided to keep that matter for when he was done with the contest. In the arena, despite the people still talking about the previous battle between Princess Elenia and Zero, the contest was to be resumed.


    This time, the fight was between two Rank-S!


    Although the fight was spectacr, it wasn''tparable to Zero and Princess Elenia.


    In any case, the victor was soon announced and it was time for another fight between Rank-S. This time also, Amelia''s name wasn''t called out which meant that she was thest person to fight.


    And her opponent was Seraphine!


    Only their name wasn''t announced, so it was easy to guess when the names of the secondst fighters were announced.


    "Look like I need to fight with Seraphine!"


    Amelia said, not very enthusiastic. After all, her opponent is Rank-S just like Princess Elenia.


    Amelia looked at Seraphine who was with her fellow Aasimar and she too was looking at Amelia with a smile on her face.


    "Don''t worry too much about her and just fight as usual. You can also choose to give up."


    Mia said. She did mean to discourage Amelia but was just telling her not to push herself as she was mostly supported and fighting with Rank-S fighters would be a bit too much for her.


    In addition, for a healer to reach this stage was already good. This showed just how strong she is despite her specialty being in healing.


    "You are right! Maybe I should give up like Zero!"


    Amelia said with a bright expression.


    If someone looked at her face, no one would think that Amelia was talking about giving up with that kind of bright smile.


    After half an hour, the battle concluded. It was not a very long fight for Rank-S -, but quite long if one considered the average time of the fight in this contest. Anyway, thest names for the round were announced.


    "Amelia of the Human Race VS Seraphine of the Aasimar Race!"


    The referee announced the names. The spectators were all looking forward to this fight, although not as much as the fight between Princess Elenia and Zero.


    Even so, the fight of Rank-S was very much anticipated, and knowing her opponent is also Rank-S -, many wondered whether they would be able to see Seraphine''s real strength.


    Up until now, Seraphine was the only one whose power was still concealed. She easily won against all her previous opponents without much effort.


    So, the spectators still don''t know just how powerful she is. With Amelia as her opponent, they believe that finally, they will be able to witness her power.


    "Good fortune, Seraphine!"


    "May the divine providence grace thy path!"


    "Triumph shall surely find its way into thine hands!" ¡­


    Other Aasimar all cheered for Seraphine as she was their strongest and also thest participant. "Farewell, then! Fear not, I shall not bring disappointment upon thee and all who look upon me!"


    Seraphine replied as she walked towards the stage.


    "Then I will be going! Wish me luck!"


    Amelia said.


    "Best of luck!"


    "Do your best and be careful!"


    Amelia also headed towards the arena with the well wishes of Mia and Zero.

 Chapter 493 Amelia VS Seraphine!

    Chapter 493 Amelia VS Seraphine!


    Amelia stepped onto the arena stage, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Seraphine, her opponent, stood calmly on the other side, radiating an aura of confidence. The crowd fell silent in anticipation of this Rank-S showdown.


    The arena was alive with anticipation as Seraphine, with her radiant Aasimar aura, and Amelia, her face determined, stepped onto the battlefield. The contrast between the two fighters was stark. Seraphine wielded a gleaming silver spear with a divine aura, while Amelia held her staff ready to cast spells.


    "Are you both ready? Then let the fight begin!"


    The referee''s voice echoed through the coliseum, and the battle began. Seraphine wasted no time, swiftly closing the gap between them with a burst of speed. Her silver spear shed, aiming for Amelia''s side.


    Amelia reacted quickly, her staff shimmering with magic. [ "Divine Shield" ]


    With a flick of her staff, she summoned a protective barrier that shimmered with a brilliant golden light. It encased her like a cocoon, deflecting Seraphine''s initial attack effortlessly.


    -CLANG!


    Seraphine''s silver spear struck the barrier with a resounding ng, sending sparks flying. Undeterred, Seraphine twirled her spear gracefully and sent forth a barrage of divine energy projectiles, each one aimed with precision. But Amelia''s barrier held firm, absorbing the onught without faltering.


    The fight was intense, with both fighters disying incredible skill and precision. Seraphine''s movements were graceful, almost as if she was dancing, while Amelia''s attacks were swift and calcted. The sh of their powers created shockwaves that reverberated through the coliseum, leaving the audience in awe.


    Amelia''s healing abilities yed a crucial role in sustaining her throughout the battle. Despite Seraphine''s skill and strength, Amelia''s resilience and determination to prove herself kept her in the fight.


    Slowly, they took the fight to the sky! However, Seraphine has more advantages than Amelia. First of all was the difference in the rank and then it was the fact that Aasimar has wings which made flying easier.


    Amelia could also fly but it wasn''t as agile and fast as Seraphine. So, Seraphine has more advantage in the airpared to Amelia.


    As the battle continued in the air, Seraphine''s advantage became even more apparent. Her Aasimar wings allowed her to glide through the sky with unparalleled grace and speed. She circled above Amelia, maintaining her aerial superiority.


    Amelia struggled to keep up. [ "Divine Radiance Burst!" ]


    As Amelia invoked her "Divine Radiance Burst," a blinding surge of holy energy enveloped her. Her staff emitted a brilliant, golden glow as she gathered the celestial power within her.


    With a triumphant cry, she unleashed the energy in a radiant burst that streaked toward Seraphine like aet. The burst of divine energy illuminated the arena, causing the crowd to gasp in amazement at the breathtaking disy of Amelia''s power.


    The attack hit Seraphine head-on, engulfing her in a dazzling explosion of light. The arena shook with the force of the impact, and for a moment, it seemed as though Amelia had gained the upper hand.


    However, Seraphine, with her indomitable will and incredible strength, wasn''t defeated so easily. As the blinding light began to fade, her spear red even brighter with a golden aura, and her wings pulsed with radiant energy.


    In response, Seraphine raised her silver spear high, channeling her divine power into it. With a swift motion, she thrust the spear downward, and it transformed into a radiantnce of pure celestial energy.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Celestial Judgment" ]


    The celestialnce shot forward with incredible speed and precision, slicing through the remnants of Amelia''s "Divine Radiance Burst" with ease. It closed the gap between them in an instant, aiming directly at Amelia.


    [ "Divine Shiel-" ]


    Amelia''s eyes widened in realization as she attempted to summon her protective barriers once more, but Seraphine''s attack was too swift and overwhelming. Thence struck her, causing a magnificent explosion of light and energy.


    The shockwave from the impact rippled through the arena, shaking its very foundations. The audience watched in awe and wonder at the cataclysmic sh of divine powers.


    Amelia was sent hurtling backward, her protective barriers shattered. She crashed into the arena floor, creating a small crater upon impact. Despite her injuries, she slowly began to rise, her determination unbroken.


    Seraphine, her radiant aura still aze, descended gracefully to the ground. She had countered Amelia''s powerful attack with her own, showcasing her incredible strength and resilience.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Amelia''s "Luminescent Aurorisea" spell enveloped her in a soothing, radiant glow. Her wounds began to mend, and her strength returned.


    Despite getting hit by a powerful attack, it seems like Amelia wasn''t injured at all. Seraphine, her wings fluttering gently, regarded Amelia with a newfound respect. The battle had been fierce, and she knew that she was facing a formidable opponent.


    This was the first time anyone had managed to make her use such a powerful attack since the start of this contest.


    As the two warriors stood facing each other once more, the atmosphere in the arena crackled with anticipation. The battle had taken a toll on both of them, but neither was willing to yield.


    -WHOOSH!


    The two of them once again engaged in the battle with Seraphineing in with her spear while Amelia had used her staff to protect and counter her attacks.


    Their movements were a symphony of skill and strategy. Seraphine''s divine spear danced through the air, while Amelia''s staff weaved intricate patterns as she channeled her magic.


    The audience watched in rapt attention, fully aware that they were witnessing a battle of epic proportions. The sh of celestial powers and mortal determination was a sight to behold.


    Amelia and Seraphine pushed themselves to their limits, each trying to gain the upper hand.


    They exchanged powerful blows and spells, the ground trembling beneath them with each impact. It was a battle of endurance as much as skill, and neither was willing to give in. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As the battle reached its climax, Seraphine''s wings red with blinding radiance. She channeled her celestial energy into a final, devastating strike.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Divine Eclipse" ]


    Seraphine''s spear transformed into a radiantet of celestial power, hurtling toward Amelia with unstoppable force. The arena was bathed in blinding light as the attack descended.


    Amelia, her heart pounding, knew that this was the moment of truth. She summoned every ounce of her magical strength and resilience, channeling it into her staff.


    [ "Sacred Barrier: Celestial Sanctuary" ]


    A brilliant, shimmering barrier formed around Amelia, a sanctuary of celestial energy that repelled Seraphine''s devastating attack. The sh between their powers created a shockwave that reverberated through the arena, shaking it to its very foundations.


    For a moment, it seemed as though the world held its breath. Then, with a deafening explosion of energy, the barrier shattered, and the twobatants were sent flying in opposite directions.


    As the dust settled, the arena fell into a hushed silence. Both Amelia and Seraphiney on the ground, battered and bruised, their strength spent.


    [ "Luminescent Aurorisea" ]


    Amelia once again healed herself though this time, she wasn''t able to fully heal herself.


    Seeing that Amelia was healing herself, the spectator once again thought that this was the start of another epic sh between the two. "I forfeit!"


    But contrary to their expectation, Amelia had surrendered. The words hung in the air, echoing through the silent arena. "I forfeit." It was a surprising deration from Amelia, given the fierce determination she had disyed throughout the battle. The spectators exchanged puzzled nces, unsure of what had led to this sudden decision.


    Amelia decided to give up because it didn''t seem like she would win even if she persisted. Her mana was running low and even if she poured everything into one attack, she didn''t it would be enough to defeat Seraphine.


    Sure, she could have fought for a few more minutes but that would have been pointless. Moreover, she had done her best and also made Seraphine show her true power which might be beneficial for Mia if she fought her in the next round. The referee raised his hand and dered, "Winner! Seraphine!"


    For a second, the spectator couldn''t register what had happened just like with Zero''s forfeit. But then realization hit upon them, especially the Aasimar Race who began cheering and celebrating.


    *CLAP! *CLAP!


    The cheers and apuse from the crowd filled the arena, echoing the exhration of the intense battle they had just witnessed. Seraphine, still recovering from the strain of her final devastating attack, managed a weary but triumphant smile.


    She hadn''t expected that she would struggle so much considering her opponent was Rank-S - and a healer to boot.


    She had a new profound respect for Amelia. She thought that humans were very strange and this was the conclusion after watching the fight between Hiro, Zero, and Sylvia who seemed to be disying power beyond their ranks.


    ( Does she also have some secret power? )


    Seraphine wondered as she nced at Mia Frostine who could be potentially her opponent. Anyway, she stopped thinking about it and went to celebrate with her fellow members.


    Amelia also returned to her seat. Other human geniuses were not very happy since they only got Mia as theirst participant.


    Although knowing that it was Mia, many felt relieved. She was the strongest of the human geniuses and many human geniuses felt that she should be able to win the contest!


    Now, there were only four contestants left and they were Mia Frostine of the Human Race, Princess Elenia of the Elven Race, Seraphine of the Aasimar Race, and Stonew of the Druid Race!

 Chapter 494 The Semi-Final!

    Chapter 494 The Semi-Final!


    It was the semi-final and only four races were in the contest.


    With the next battle being between Rank-S, the excitement was high. It was the first battle between Rank-S that was going to happen.


    And most of them already knew each other''s power. Princess Elenia showed almost all of her power when battling with Zero and Seraphine also showed her real power when fighting with Amelia.


    Mia also had shown most of her skills when battling with Cyrrinthia. As for the Rank-S -, he wasn''t at the level of three of them and whoever gets him as their opponent in the next fight could be considered automatically advance to the next round.


    Anyways, with most of them already eliminated, there was no need to worry about the fight and all they needed to do was enjoy the remaining fights.


    But it was different for the four participants who still had to fight. They were all nning on how to defeat their opponents.


    Zero and Amelia were also helping Mia by giving intel on Princess Elenia and Seraphine.


    "Princess Elenia is a very powerful fighter, but she''s also very reckless. She relies on her brute strength and speed to overwhelm her opponents, and she doesn''t often think about tactics."


    Zero said. If Princess Elenia heard that she would be boiling in anger. Anyways, Zero continued.


    "She has a huge mana capacity but it seems a bit lower than you. As long as you dy the fight, it will be advantageous to you. Or you can make traps for Princess Elenia. In any case, as long as you focus more on defense, there is a high chance of you winning."


    Zero said. He exined everything he knew and also how to defeat Princess Elenia.


    "Seraphine got some powerful attacks. Her attacks are lethal and very quick. However, you can use your Primordial Ice Pce to keep her at bay. In long-range battle, you should have the advantage."


    Amelia said.


    "Thanks, you two!"


    Mia was thankful for Zero and Amelia''s help. Even with Rank-S as her opponent, Mia felt confident about her victory, and with Zero and Amelia''s help, she was even more determined to win.


    ******


    "Who do you think will win?"


    "I hope it is Princess Elenia. She could shoot powerful attacks from a distance and could easily defeat anyone."


    "Defeat anyone? Why didn''t I see that yesterday? I think that Seraphine will win!"


    "Didn''t you all see the powerful skill of Mia Frostine? She is definitely the most powerful of them all." ¡­.


    The semi-finals of the Grand Tournament were set, and anticipation filled the air as the crowd spected on the winner.


    The stadium was packed with cheering audiences, all eager to witness the epic battles that were about to unfold.


    Meanwhile, in the royal box overlooking the arena, King Thranduil sat regally, his piercing eyes fixed on the battleground below. He had almost finished writing about all the potential candidates who deserved rewards and all that left was to decide the winners and distribute their rewards as well.


    King Thranduil rose from his throne, and the hushed murmurs in the stadium gradually died down as all eyes turned to him. The king was known for his eloquent speeches, and the crowd anticipated his words with bated breath.


    King Thranduil cleared his throat and began, his voice carrying a weight of authority that silenced the entire stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed citizens of our great kingdom, today we bear witness to not only a sh of strength and skill but a testament to the spirit of determination and resilience that defines our realm. These brave contestants have shown us what it means to strive for excellence, and they have earned our admiration." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He paused, surveying the crowd, and then continued, "In the face of adversity, they have risen to the challenge. In the pursuit of victory, they have pushed their limits. And in their unwavering dedication, they have set an example for us all."


    "In the end," King Thranduil concluded, "may the best warrior win, but may all of us be reminded that it is our shared bonds that truly define us. Let the battles begin!"


    With those words, King Thranduil returned to his seat, and the stadium buzzed with excitement once more. The semi-finals were about to resume, and the names of the first two contestants were being selected.


    "Seraphine Vs Stonew!"


    The referee announced the name.


    Stonew descended from his seat as he nervously approached the stage. He seemed to know that he couldn''t win but despite that, he wasn''t going to give up.


    As for Seraphine, she also headed towards the arena with her smile. She was truly the one who was lucky as her opponent was Rank-S -, the weakest in that round.


    Anyway, with Stonew being Seraphine''s opponent, that meant that Princess Elenia would be fighting Mia Frostine.


    And everyone was rather thinking about the next battle than being interested in the current one.


    "Oh! Zero, it seems like I can take revenge for you."


    Mias said, a bit jokingly and a bit serious. There wasn''t a need for her to teach anyone a lesson for Zero as he could do that himself if he wanted to.


    "Humph! Mia, teach her a lesson that she will never forget. She dared to challenge you and also tried to bully Zero."


    Amelia, on the other hand, was super enthused about Mia''s uing battle with Princess Elenia. Mia nodded, her determination unwavering. Mia looked at Princess Elenia who was also looking back at her with a smirk. Well, that smirk soon disappeared as she noticed Zero beside Mia. She still can''t forget what happened yesterday and even the rewards of an artifact weren''t enough to deter her from feeling angry at Zero.


    Meanwhile, in the arena, Seraphine and Stonew stood facing each other, the tension palpable. Stonew, though aware of his lower rank, refused to back down. He was the strongest in his race and it was up to him to keep the dignity of his race.


    Seraphine, while confident, didn''t underestimate her opponent. She had witnessed enough battles in this tournament to know thatcency could lead to defeat. "Let the battle begin!"


    As the battlemenced, Seraphine disyed herbat prowess, showcasing her mastery of her spear. She didn''t hold back and started with her powerful techniques which immediately overwhelmed Stonew.


    Stonew, on the other hand, fought valiantly but struggled to keep up with Seraphine''s speed and precision.


    He kept getting hit by Seraphine''s attack but because of his insane regeneration, he was able to keep standing.


    But even his regeneration seemed to be failing when faced with a quick and powerful attack from Seraphine. She already knew about the Druid''s special constitution and how good Stonew was at his regeneration. She keeps on pressing giving no time for Stonew topletely heal himself or to counterattack.


    As the battle between Seraphine and Stonew unfolded, it became increasingly clear that Seraphine''s speed and skill were a formidablebination. She darted around the arena, her spear a blur of deadly precision. Stonew struggled to defend himself against her relentless onught.


    The audience watched in awe as Seraphine''s attacksnded with precision, gradually wearing down Stonew''s defenses. Each strike left its mark, and despite his impressive regeneration, he couldn''t keep up with the pace of the battle.


    [ "Terraquake" ]


    Even so. Stonew was determined not to give up. He summoned all his strength and unleashed a powerful wave of earth magic, causing the ground to tremble. It was a desperate move, and it caught Seraphine off guard.


    Seraphine was momentarily thrown off bnce, but she quickly regained herposure and leaped into the air, avoiding the upheaval on the arena''s floor. Shended gracefully, her eyes locked onto Stonew.


    Stonew, exhausted but still determined, charged at Seraphine with renewed vigor. He swung his massive fists and created shockwaves of earth and rock, attempting to catch Seraphine off guard. But Seraphine''s agility allowed her to evade his attacks, and she retaliated with a powerful attack.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Celestial Judgment" ]


    Seraphine''s spear glowed with an ethereal light as she executed her ultimate technique. She thrust the spear forward with incredible speed and precision, aiming directly at Stonew. The arena seemed to hold its breath as the attack unfolded.


    Stonew, realizing the gravity of the situation, summoned all his remaining strength to defend against the impending strike. He created a protective barrier of solid earth, attempting to shield himself from Seraphine''s devastating attack.


    The sh was monumental. Seraphine''s Celestial Judgment struck Stonew''s earth barrier with a thunderous explosion. The shockwave rippled through the arena, sending shockwaves of dust and debris in all directions. The audience watched in awe as the two forces collided, creating a dazzling disy of power.


    For a moment, it seemed as though Stonew''s earth barrier would hold, but cracks began to form, and the pressure of Seraphine''s attack intensified. Stonew gritted his teeth and poured every ounce of his strength into maintaining the defense.


    Then, with a resounding boom, the earth barrier shattered, sending Stonew flying backward. He crashed to the ground, his body bruised and battered. Seraphine stood triumphantly, her spear still glowing with celestial energy.


    The referee raised his hand and dered, "Winner! Seraphine!"

 Chapter 495 Princess Elenia VS Mia Frostine!

    Chapter 495 Princess Elenia VS Mia Frostine!


    "Winner! Seraphine!"


    The crowd erupted in apuse, cheering for Seraphine''s impressive disy of skill and power. The first battle of the semi-finals had lived up to the expectations of the crowd, and it was clear that thest battle would be just as thrilling.


    The focus now shifted to the next battle, the one everyone had been eagerly anticipating: Princess Elenia versus Mia Frostine. The two powerful Rank-S contestants prepared to enter the arena, and the excitement in the stadium reached a fever pitch.


    As Seraphine exited the arena. She had secured her spot in the finals, and now all eyes would be on the next battle between Princess Elenia and Mia Frostine.


    "The next match will be between Princess Elenia and Mia Frostine!"


    The referee announced. The atmosphere in the stadium grew even more electric as the anticipation for the uing battle reached its peak. Mia stepped onto the arena, a determined look in her eyes. She knew she had a challenging opponent ahead, but she had Zero and Amelia''s advice fresh in her mind. Princess Elenia followed suit, her expression confident and haughty. She hadn''t forgotten her grudge against Zero, and she was determined to prove her superiority by defeating Mia.


    Mia and Princess Elenia stood at opposite ends of the arena, their gazes locked in a silent exchange of determination.


    "Are you both ready? Then let the battle begin!"


    The crowd watched with bated breath as the referee announced the start of the battle.


    Princess Elenia attacked Mia, her Arrows zing with fiery mana. Mia responded with a wave of her hand, creating a shimmering wall of ice that blocked Princess Elenia''s attack.


    [ "Aurora''s Grace"]


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    The battle raged on, and neither side was able to gain the upper hand. The audience was on the edge of their seats, their hearts pounding with excitement.


    [ "Zephyr Volley" ]


    The two Rank-S contestants traded blows, their mana shing in dazzling disys of powerful shes. Since both of them were long-range fighters, they traded blows from afar.


    The battle raged on, and neither side was able to gain the upper hand. The audience was on the edge of their seats, their hearts pounding with excitement.


    [ "Zephyr Volley" ]


    Princess Elenia, growing impatient, unleashed a barrage of powerful attacks. The charged attack, not only was powerful and many in number but also very fast as it was imbued with wind energy.


    [ "Icy Burst" ]


    Mia countered with her own magic, freezing the multiple arrows on its path. [ "Ice Wave" ]


    Mia raised her hand and summoned a wave of icy attack which froze everything in its path. She unleashed the attack on Princess Elenia, and the attack instantly made its way toward Princess Elenia.


    -WHOOSH!


    Princess Elenia dodged the attack by flying into the air. [ "Ice Spear" ]


    But, Mia wasn''t going to give Princess Elenia time to breathe. She immediately sends another attack towards Princess Elenia who is in the sky.


    [ "Tempest Veil" ]


    Princess Elenia immediately summoned a veil of wind to protect her from Mia''s attack. Having dodged Mia''s attack, Princess Elenia began charging her arrow with mana as she readied to shoot a powerful attack.


    [ "Aeloria''s Tempestuous Galestorm Shot" ]


    Princess Elenia summoned a devastating tempest of wind with her arrows. It was an attack of unparalleled force, where the arrows became like the raging winds of a powerful storm, capable of tearing through obstacles and opponents with incredible might and precision.


    This attack of hers was even more powerful than Aurora Grace''s and seemed to be her strongest attack. The range of her attack was also veryrge, and so it seemed almost impossible to dodge this attack.


    Mia also had finished gathering mana for her attack.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    -BOOM!


    The two opposing forces shed in a dazzling spectacle of magic and power. The tempestuous galestorm arrows collided with the ster annihtion waves, creating a breathtaking explosion of magical energy that lit up the entire arena. The shockwaves from the collision sent ripples through the air, and the ground trembled beneath the spectators'' feet despite the arena being surrounded by a protective barrier.


    Both Mia and Princess Elenia were pushed back by the sheer force of their attacks colliding. Their mana reserves were depleting rapidly, but neither of them showed any sign of backing down. [ "Regal Renewal" ]


    Princess Elenia immediately healed all the injuries she sustained during the sh of their attacks. On the other hand, while Mia couldn''t heal like Princess Elenia, however, she could use her ice energy to stop herself from bleeding.


    With that, they were back to fighting with each other.


    The two Rank-S contestants continued to trade blows, their mana shing in dazzling disys of power. The battle was evenly matched, and neither side was able to gain the upper hand.


    The crowd was on the edge of their seats, their hearts pounding with excitement. The battle was everything they had hoped for and more.


    After a few minutes of intense fighting, Princess Elenia decided to change her strategy. At the moment, she has to burn more mana than Mia and she knows that her mana capacity is less than Mia''s. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although she thought that she would take advantage of her healing spell to slowly exhaust Mia, but it seem that before that happens, her mana will run out.


    [ "Tempest de" ]


    Princess Elenia decided that since she couldn''t win in a long-range fight, she would change her tactics to closebat.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    However, Mia wasn''t going to let Princess Elenia do that. Mia immediately attacked Princess Elenia to prevent her froming near her.


    [ "Zephyr Stride" ]


    -WHOOSH!


    Princess Elenia activated her Zephyr Stride ability and disappeared in a blur of movement. Princess Elenia then appeared behind Mia Frostine, ready to strike her from behind.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    But Mia seemed to have already realized what Princess Elenia was nning and immediately summoned the Primordial Ice Pce.


    Mia''s eyes glowed with a piercing blue light as she unleashed her ultimate technique. A massive dome of ice erupted from the ground, enveloping the entire arena.


    Princess Elenia''s strike was not only blocked by the Ice Pirs, but now Princess Elenia found herself trapped inside the Ice Pce.


    -CLANG! -CLANG!


    Princess Elenia tried to break free from the Ice Pce but her attacks proved ineffective against the thick ice. Moreover, all the damage that she gave to the wall was immediately healed.


    It seems that as long as she doesn''t defeat Mia, there is no way for Princess Elenia to escape that ce.


    Mia, on the other hand, was able to move freely within the pce, her ice magic granting her dominion over this icy realm.


    [ "Ice Throne" ]


    Mia, now seated on a magnificent ice throne at the center of the pce, surveyed her captive opponent with a calm and confident demeanor. Her blue eyes bore into Princess Elenia''s with an unspoken challenge.


    Princess Elenia was still determined and wasn''t willing to give up. She tried to attack Mia several times from a long distance but was all blocked by Ice Pir.


    As the battle progressed, the audience had gone from gasps of amazement to hushed whispers, and now, they watched in awe as the icy battle within the Primordial Ice Pce continued to unfold.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    Mia extended her hand, conjuring a long, gleaming ice spear in her grasp. With a swift, calcted motion, she lunged towards Princess Elenia. The princess barely had time to react as Mia''s attack pierced through the icy prison, narrowly missing her.


    Princess Elenia countered with a volley of fiery arrows, hoping to weaken the ice that held her captive. But Mia''s control over the pce was absolute, and her magic effortlessly repaired the damage, making it seem as if her domain was impervious to outside forces.


    The battle between the two skilled contestants continued within the confines of the pce. Mia had full control of everything that was happening in the Ice Pce and she effortlessly cornered Princess Elenia. Princess Elenia, on the other hand, struggled to adapt to the frozen environment, finding it increasingly challenging to maintain her fiery attacks.


    Mia''s ice magic was relentless. She conjured blizzards and freezing winds that assaulted Princess Elenia from all directions. Ice shards darted through the air, and Princess Elenia had to summon her barriers repeatedly to protect herself.


    But as the battle wore on, Princess Elenia''s stamina dwindled, and the realization that her chances of escape were slim began to set in. Desperation fueled her attacks as she unleashed her most potent spells, attempting to break free from the icy prison that held her.


    [ "Aeloria''s Tempestuous Galestorm Shot" ]


    Mia, however, remainedposed and focused. She knew that her victory was within reach, and she just countered Princess Elenia''s attack like before.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    Just like before the two attacks shed and exploded but unlike before Mia was prepared and she had her Ice Pir protecting her from explosion.


    On the other hand, Princess Elenia had no mana left which meant she had to take the impact of that explosion without any protection.


    -BOOM!


    With a final, resounding thud, the ice cocoon shattered into a million glittering fragments, and Princess Elenia fell to the ground, defeated and exhausted. Mia stood victorious, her icy pce dissolving into a shimmering mist that faded into the air.


    The referee raised his hand and dered, "Winner! Mia Frostine!"

 Chapter 496 Mia Frostine Victory!

    496 Mia Frostine Victory!


    "Winner! Mia Frostine!"


    Mia''s victory sent shockwaves through the stadium, and the crowd erupted into thunderous apuse. Her strategic brilliance and mastery over ice magic had triumphed over Princess Elenia''s fiery arrows and tempestuous wind. It was a battle for the ages, and Mia had emerged as the victor.


    As the cheers and apuse continued, Mia gracefully descended from her ice throne, her demeanor poised and collected.


    She nced at Princess Elenia who had fallen unconscious after the hard battle. Although Mia didn''t like Princess Elenia for her attitude but she acknowledged Princess Elenia as a worthy enemy who had given her all.


    She, unlike her bratty attitude, showed in the battle with more determination than anyone. Even at an absolute disadvantage, she refuses to give up which is worthy of respect.


    She turned around and headed to her seat.


    "Ice Enchantress! Ice Enchantress! Ice Enchantress!"


    "This is the power of humans! Don''t underestimate us!~"


    "Only one more fight and we will win!" ¡­


    The humans cheered for Mia''s victory. They were over the moon when the referee announced the result.


    On the other hand, Elven spectators had be a little quiet.


    "I can''t believe this! Princess Elenia lost?"


    "How can this be? She is the strongest and has never lost. There must be something going on here!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Damn! We really lost! I never imagined Princess Elenia would lose!" ¡­


    They couldn''t believe the result as their greatest genius had lost at the hands of Mia. However, the referee had already announced the result and they knew that it was real. *SIGH!


    King Tranduil sighed as he watched his daughter lose. He didn''t know what his daughter would think when she came to know of the result.


    As the greatest genius, it was the first time that she lost against someone of her generation. Among Elves, there was no one who couldpete with her and she always won every battle.


    King Thranduil muttered. Although it was sad that his daughter lost, more than that he hoped that she could learn something from this loss and not take this loss very hard.


    "Congrattions, Mia!"


    "Mia, you did it! I was worried for a second there!"


    Zero and Amelia congratted Mia.


    "Thanks! The fight was tough but it seemed like I was one step ahead of Princess Elenia."


    Mia replied.


    "So, now your next opponent is Seraphine! You need to be careful with her."


    Amelia warned. Although Mia won, there was still one more formidable opponent that Mia Frostine had to defeat to be crowned the ultimate champion.


    "We will have a break before the grand final battle between Mia Frostine and Seraphine!" The referee''s voice boomed through the stadium, bringing everyone''s attention back to the uing showdown.


    Since there was still plenty of time left, the final was also going to be held on the same day as the semi-final.


    However, it would be unfair to Mia if the battle was to start right after her fight with Princess Elenia.


    So, there was a break so that Mia could fully recover her strength and mana. As for her injuries, most of them were already healed by Amelia.


    In the meantime, Seraphine watched the previous battle''s conclusion with keen interest. She had been quietly observing both Mia and Princess Elenia, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Since she knew that one of them would be her opponent, she had to carefully watch the whole battle and make sure to find the weaknesses of both of them.


    She had been analyzing Mia''s battles and was impressed by her opponent''s skills. She already felt that Mia was powerful when they first met and that had been proved again and again by her during this contest.


    Seraphine knew she couldn''t afford to underestimate Mia, especially after witnessing her victory over Princess Elenia.


    "Fear not, fair Seraphine! Thou shalt assuredly emerge victorious!"


    "Aye! Thou must simply draw nigh and assail her without relent. I hold firm belief that victory shall be thine!"


    Uriel and Gabriel said. They believe in Seraphine and that she will be victorious over Mia.


    Seraphine nodded her head but she still couldn''t help but be worried. Her opponent wasn''t like her previous opponent and she knew that she would give her all to win the uing fight.


    The final was going to be held after lunch. It was plenty of time for both the finalists to recover to their best shape.


    The lunch for the geniuses was all arranged by the Elven Royals and like previous times, they gathered to eat.


    However, the amount of attention towards Mia and Seraphine was very high, especially Mia as she defeated Princess Elenia.


    In any case, Mia Frostine was well-versed in ignoring things. Even in the Human Domain, the amount of attention she garnered was very high.


    Seraphine also didn''t seem to be bothered by the amount of attention she got.


    After they had their lunch, they were surrounded by the geniuses of various races. They allplimented and praised them and hoped that they would do well in their uing fight.


    -BANG!


    That''s when the door was forcefully opened with a loud bang. They don''t even need to think as they already know who did that.


    Princess Elenia entered the room and unlike before, she didn''t have any injuries on her body.


    She looked around for a while and then her gaze locked onto Mia Frostine. She immediately headed towards Mia and every person made way for her.


    They don''t want to see what Princess Elenia, who is obviously angry, would do to them if they pissed her off.


    "Congrattions on winning!"


    Princess Elenia said.


    "Thank you, Princess Elenia!"


    Mia replied.


    "I have indeed lost. But don''t think that I am weak. In our next fight, I will definitely defeat you!"


    And her gaze turned to another person and that was obviously Zero.


    "You too, Zero Elea! I will definitely make you cry next time!"


    "Sure!" Zero answered. Though he didn''t think there would ever be a need for him to fight her again.


    Princess Elenia gritted her teeth, getting a nonchnt response from Zero. She still believes that Zero is looking down on her.


    "Humph!"


    Princess Elenia left after saying those words. It seems that even after losing, she had changed at all!

 Chapter 497 The Final Round!

    497 The Final Round!


    The sun had reached its zenith in the sky, casting a brilliant radiance over the arena as the time for the grand final battle between Mia Frostine and Seraphine drew near. The anticipation in the stadium had reached its peak, and the entire world seemed to hold its breath in suspense.


    Mia Frostine, the strongest from Human geniuses and Seraphine, the strongest from Aasimar geniuses, stood at opposite ends of the arena, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of determination. The crowd''s cheers and chants filled the air, creating an electric atmosphere.


    The two finalists were ready to showcase their incredible talents and magical prowess in a battle that would determine the ultimate champion of the tournament.


    Hiro''s group also watched with interest. Their professor was in the final and just one battle away from being called the greatest genius in the whole world.


    She has also defeated Princess Elenia which Sylvia and Hiro were unable to. That just showed just how powerful their former homeroom teacher is.


    "Seraphine is also so powerful!"


    Sylvia said. Previously, she didn''t think much of Seraphine and thought that she was a nice person. And even though both Zero and Professor Mia said that she was powerful, she had no idea until yesterday when Seraphine battled with Amelia.


    "But Professor Mia should be able to win!"


    Lisa said. Her admiration for Professor Mia was great and she also considered Mia Frostine as her role model.


    But even without that admiration, at the moment, Mia had more momentum as she had defeated a fellow Rank-S and showed more power than Seraphine.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and fellow contestants, wee to the grand final of this contest! This is the final battle to determine the winner of the contest. Are you ready?"


    The crowd erupted in a deafening roar, their excitement reaching a fever pitch. The anticipation was palpable as Mia and Seraphine faced each other with unwavering determination.


    "Are you both ready?"


    Searphine took out her spear as she gave a small nod. Mia also took out her staff and gave a nod to the referee.


    The referee raised his hand and dered, "Let the final battle begin!"


    Mia and Seraphine wasted no time. Their mana surged, and their auras radiated power as they prepared for the sh. The audience watched with bated breath as the two contestants made their initial moves.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    With Mia being the long range fighter, she was the one to make the first move. Her strategy was to keep Seraphine away and to utilize her advantage as a long range fighter.


    -WHOOSH! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seraphine effortlessly dodged Mia''s attack as if she had already predicted it. Her strategy was to get close to Mia where her advantagey.


    But it didn''t seem like Mia would make it easy for her.


    [ "Icy Burst" ] ¡­


    [ "Ice Wave" ] ¡­


    Miaunched a barrage of attacks toward Seraphine, her aim precise and her attacks relentless. Seraphine danced gracefully among the attack, also using mana barriers as protective barriers to ward off the chilling assault.


    Slowly but surely Seraphine was closing the distance between herself and Mia. And Mia also knew that. Her attacks were only slowing down the process.


    [ "Frozen Surface" ]


    Mia used Frozen surface skill, instantly transforming the ground into a slippery and treacherous surface. Seraphine didn''t want to stay where she was disadvantageous and flew in the sky. [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    Mia attacked with her powerful skill.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Divine Eclipse" ]


    It was toote for Seraphine to dodge the attack, so she decided to confront the attack with her own attack. -BOOM!


    The two opposing forces shed in a dazzling spectacle of magic and power. The ster annihtion waves and Seraphine''s divine eclipse collided in a cataclysmic explosion that lit up the sky. The audience watched in awe as the titanic sh continued. The battle was evenly matched, and neither side was willing to yield an inch.


    Seraphine didn''t wasn''t any time. Seraphine descended from the sky, her spear glowing with divine energy. She took advantage of the explosion to hide the fact that she wasing towards Mia.


    She closed the gap between her and Mia, determined to engage in closebat where she held the advantage.


    [ "Primordial Ice Pce" ]


    Mia, having no choice, summoned her primordial Ice Pce. Since Seraphine was going to close the distance, Mia decided to trap her in her Ice Pce where she held the advantage.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Celestial Judgment" ] Seraphine tried to injure Mia with her attack but her attack was blocked by the Ice pirs. Not only that, the Ice Pir also restricted Seraphine''s movement, making her an easy target.


    [ "Ice Spear" ]


    But Seraphine was no ordinary foe. With a burst of divine energy, she shattered the frost chains and lunged forward, spear in hand. She closed the gap with incredible speed and precision. However, her attempt to engage in a fight with Mia was stopped by the Ice Pirs.


    [ "Celestial Smite" ]


    Seraphine''s spear glowed with radiant energy as she delivered a crushing blow to those Ice Pirs and crushed them. [ "Ice Wave" ]


    Mia didn''t panic and tried to stop Mia from advancing with her attack. Even if the attack didn''t hit Seraphine, it would slow her down.


    [ "Astral Ward" ]


    However, it seems that it isn''t enough to stop Seraphine advance nor did it slowed her down. She covered herself in a protective barrier which prevented her from getting frozen by Mia''s Ice Wave.


    It seems like ordinary skills are not enough to stop Seraphine who seemed determined to win the fight. Mia gathered her mana and a vortex started to appear within Ice Pce. The vortex didn''t do anything for the moment and seemed harmless.


    Seraphine was wary of it but still didn''t stop. She knew that her victory was within her grasp as long as she could get near Mia Frostine.


    [ "Frostbite Chains" ]


    Mia''s voice echoed through the Ice Pce as she conjured chains of frost that shot out from the swirling vortex. They wrapped around Seraphine, restricting her movements further. The Aasimar genius struggled to break free, her divine energy ring as she attempted to shatter the icy bonds.


    However, Mia Frostbite Chain was very strong and with Mia being inside Ice Pce, her skill was more powerful.


    But Mia wasn''t finished yet. With a determined look in her eyes, she raised her staff high and channeled Vast amounts of mana into one devastating spell.


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]

 Chapter 498 Conclusion Of Geniuses Contest!

    498 Conclusion Of Geniuses Contest!


    [ "Ster Annihtion Waves" ]


    The arena trembled as Mia unleashed her ultimate spell, the Ster Annihtion Waves. Beams of frigid, starry energy erupted from her staff, creating a dazzling radiant of destruction that filled the Ice Pce. Seraphine was trapped within this icy maelstrom, unable to escape as the relentless waves of power battered her.


    She tried to reduce the damage as much as possible through the mana barrier but Mia''s attack was just too strong. And with her being trapped by the icy chain, she was also unable to dodge the attack.


    Despite the overwhelming force of Mia''s attack, Seraphine refused to give up. \


    "A-ARGH!"


    Her Aasimar bloodline granted her incredible resilience, and she drew upon her divine energy to endure the onught. Her wings, suffused with mana, spread wide as she attempted to shield herself from the onught.


    The audience watched in awe and tension, as the sh between Mia Frostine and Seraphine reached its zenith. The grand final had transformed into an epic battle between two extraordinary geniuses, each pushing themselves to their limits.


    As the Ster Annihtion Waves raged on, Seraphine''s determination shone through. She started to push back against the onught, her spear glowing brighter with each passing moment. With a resounding cry, she channeled her mana into a counterattack. It was all for nothing as she decided to give up on her defense and counterattack.


    [ "Heavenly Spear: Divine Eclipse" ]


    Seraphine''s counterattack sent shockwaves through the Ice Pce, creating a sh of titanic forces that threatened to tear the very fabric of reality. The audience could hardly believe their eyes as the two geniuses battled on, their powers colliding in a breathtaking disy of magical prowess.


    The protective barrier surrounding the arena also showed signs of breaking apart by the force of their collision.


    Mia, though surprised by the intensity of Seraphine''s counterattack, held her ground. She poured even more mana into the Ster Annihtion Waves, determined to overpower her opponent. The very air crackled with the sh of their energies, and it seemed as though the fate of the world rested on this final confrontation.


    18:53


    But Seraphine was not to be outdone. With a burst of divine energy, she broke free from the Frostbite Chains that had ensnared her. Her wings unfurled fully, and she soared into the heart of the Ster Annihtion Waves.


    "AHHHH!"


    Seraphine''s spear shone brilliantly as she thrust it forward, aiming directly at Mia. However, she was also directly taking the hit, so there were injuries everywhere on her body.


    But Seraphine didn''t give much attention and continued to proceed and try to hit Mia. Seraphine''s spear shone with a surge of divine power, shing head-on with the Ster Annihtion Waves. The collision between Seraphine''s Heavenly Spear: Divine Eclipse and Mia''s Ster Annihtion Waves sent shockwaves rippling through the Ice Pce, shaking its very foundations. The audience watched in breathless anticipation as the battle between these two extraordinary sorcerers reached its climax.


    The sheer force of the sh created a blinding explosion of light and energy, blurring the line between magic and reality. -CLANG!


    The protective barrier that surrounded the arena cracked and splintered, unable to contain the cataclysmic power that raged within.


    As the blinding explosion of magic and power subsided, a hushed silence fell over the stadium. The spectators watched with bated breath, awaiting the oue of the epic battle between Mia Frostine and Seraphine.


    As the smoke and dust began to clear, it became evident that Mia Frostine was still standing, albeit with a look of exhaustion on her face. Her Ice Pce had dissipated, and her staff trembled in her hand. Despite the strain on her face, there was a triumphant glint in her eyes.


    Seraphine, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. The force of the sh had sent her hurtling backward, and she had crashed into the far wall of the arena. The impact had knocked her unconscious, and her divine energy had waned considerably. Everyone looked with widened eyes. The battle of the geniuses has finally ended and it seems like the winner is Mia Frostine!


    The referee, with a solemn expression, raised his hand and dered, "The winner of the grand final battle and the ultimate champion of the tournament is Mia Frostine!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    *CLAP! *CLAP!


    The crowd erupted into thunderous apuse, and cheers filled the air as Mia''s victory was celebrated. Hiro''s group joined in, their faces filled with pride for their former homeroom teacher. She had proven herself to be the greatest genius in the world, and her victory was well-deserved.


    "She did it!"


    Amelia said as she hugged Zero. She was very excited and happy that Mia had managed to defeat Seraphine and win the contest.


    Zero also smiled as he was equally happy for Mia. "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ "


    Mia Frostine stood in the center of the arena, her chest heaving with exhaustion. She had given her all in the battle, and the victory had note easily. She nced over at the unconscious form of Seraphine, a mix of relief and admiration in her eyes. Despite their fiercepetition, Mia respected Seraphine''s incredible strength and determination.


    "I-I won!"


    Mia muttered! The stadium continued to erupt with apuse, and the cheers for Mia echoed throughout the arena. The humans were overjoyed with Mia''s victory, and they celebrated with exuberance.


    "I always believed in the Ice Enchantress! She is the strongest!"


    "We won! I was really worried for a second."


    "As I have said humans are the strongest race!" ¡­


    Humans were cheering and happy, while on the other hand, Aasimar was disappointed and sad about the result. Uriel and Gabriel had gone to help and check whether Seraphine was okay. She wasn''t! Though Seraphine was breathing, she had suffered quite serious injuries due to her reckless act at thest moment.


    Her wings were almost clipped off and her body wasn''t in any better shape. It was only because she was Rank-S and had a strong body that she managed to stay alive.


    Other than the Aasimar race, other races, geniuses, and spectators all cheered. Although their race didn''t win, they knew when to acknowledge someone and Mia was worthy of their acknowledgment.


    Amidst the deafening apuse and cheers, King Thranduil approached the center of the arena to address the winner of the contest. With regal grace, King Thranduil extended his hand toward Mia and said, "Mia Frostine, you have proven yourself to be a truly remarkable mage and a worthy champion. Your mastery of ice magic and your unwavering determination have brought you victory in this contest of geniuses. I, King Thranduil, on behalf of the Elven Kingdom, offer you my congrattions."


    Mia epted the King''s gesture with a respectful nod. "Thank you, King Thranduil!" she replied. "It has been an honor topete in this contest, and I am deeply grateful for your kind words."


    King Tranduil nodded. King Thranduil turned to face the remaining geniuses who had participated in the contest, his gaze filled with a mix of respect and appreciation for their incredible talents.


    This contest has reassured him about ra''s n and he has great expectations for everyone out here.


    "Esteemed geniuses of various races," he began, his voice carrying through the hushed arena. "In this contest, I have witnessed a battle of unparalleled magnitude, a sh of intellect and power that has left us all in awe. Each of you has demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to your craft."


    As King Thranduil continued his address, the remaining geniuses gathered around, their expressions a mixture of exhaustion, pride, and anticipation. The arena was still buzzing with the energy of the epic battle they had just witnessed.


    "As the ruler of the Elven Kingdom, I am deeply impressed by the talents disyed here today," King Thranduil continued. "This contest has shown that the bonds between our races are not only strong but can be a source of great inspiration and growth. It is my hope that the friendships forged during thispetition will continue to thrive and bring our people closer together."


    "In just a few days, all of you will gain ess to the Luminary Spring. And rest assured, I haven''t forgotten my promise to reward those who have shown promise in this contest. The rewards wille when it''s time for you to visit the Luminary Spring!" assures the Elven King.


    As King Thranduil concluded his speech, the geniuses and spectators erupted into cheers and apuse once more.

 Chapter 499 Onto Luminary Spring

    Chapter 499 Onto Luminary Spring


    After the intense battle and the heartwarming speeches, the geniuses and spectators were invited to a grand celebratory dinner hosted by King Thranduil in the magnificent Elven Pce. The dinner hall was adorned with sparkling crystal chandeliers that cast a soft, enchanting light over the long, ornate tables. Elven musicians yed soothing melodies in the background, creating a serene atmosphere.


    The geniuses from various races, including Mia Frostine, found themselves seated at the center table, where they were joined by King Thranduil himself. The table was decorated with exquisite floral arrangements and intricate sculptures thatplemented the ce.


    As the dinnermenced, a sumptuous feast was served, featuring dishes made from precious mana herbs to other rare ingredients.


    The geniuses from various races talked with each other. With the contest, many were able to find geniuses from other races who were simr to them.


    There was also the fact that many geniuses who fought each other acknowledged each other, and there was also an understanding born that was able to make each race acknowledge the strength of other races including the Human Race.


    There were also many geniuses who conversed with talents like Hiro and Mia. They wanted to know them as they were undoubtedly more talented than even those who were considered geniuses.


    Zero wasn''t very popr and the reason was clear. Remembering the bloody scene caused by Zero, not many had the guts to talk with Zero.


    But there were still others who didn''t care about that and wanted to know him better. One of them was Elowyn of Dryads Race which was defeated by Zero.


    And Dwarf who were honest with their desire and didn''t think much of what happened at the contest.


    Although not everything was well and good. There were still some people who were arrogant and thought of themselves as superior but as losers, they had to keep their heads lower.


    The only one allowed to be arrogant was Mia Frostine, the undefeatable genius. She can feel superior because she was and in fact, is stronger than them.


    There was still Princess Elenia but strangely she was quiet at that moment. Well, not very strange considering her mother was by her side.


    It seems that the only one who could control Princess Elenia in this whole world was her mother.


    King Thranduil, a gracious host, toasted the unity and cooperation among the races, highlighting the importance of such gatherings in strengthening the bonds between their kingdoms. He also praised Mia Frostine for her outstanding performance and the dedication of all the geniuses.


    Amidst theughter and conversation, Uriel and Gabriel, the Aasimar guardians, entered the hall, escorting Seraphine, who had regained consciousness. Her injuries had been tended to by skilled elven healers, and although she was still weak, her determination and spirit remained unbroken.


    A hushed silence fell over the room as Seraphine made her way to the center table, supported by her friends from the Aasimar race. King Thranduil stood and weed her with a warm smile, recognizing her bravery and unwavering resolve.


    "Seraphine," he said, "your courage and tenacity in the face of adversity have earned you the respect and admiration of everyone here. You are a shining example of the strength and resilience that can be found within the Aasimar race."


    Seraphine blushed and nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. She knew that even in defeat, she had achieved something remarkable.


    But just like Princess Elenia, it seemed like she wasn''t very satisfied with the defeat and nced at Mia like she was determined to fight again.


    But it seems that, unlike Princess Elenia, she knew how to keep her manners and didn''t confront Mia in front of everyone.


    The dinner continued with renewed energy and enthusiasm, and the geniuses from all races, including Seraphine, shared in the joy and celebration. The Elven Pce echoed withughter, music, and the clinking of sses as the geniuses toasted to their newfound friendships and the promise of the Luminary Spring.


    *******


    The next morning, human geniuses were greeted by Nock Fletcher who was happy over the moon.


    Well, indeed he was still happy about Mia winning the contest. Not only was it with the reward of Mia being able to stay at Luminary Spring longer than others and getting strong but also a pride for the Human Race.


    The other agents from The Authority were also smiling. "Good Work, Everyone!"


    Nock continued, "Today, we will be guarding you all until we reach Luminary Spring."


    It seems like reaching Luminary Spring wasn''t an easy task. ''


    Led by Nock and the Rank-S guards, other geniuses followed them. They were soon taken to the outside of Royal Castle where other races'' geniuses were gathered along with their own guards.


    As the geniuses from various races and their respective guards gathered outside the Royal Castle, there was a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. The unity and camaraderie forged during the grand celebratory dinner had left a positive mark on everyone, and the journey to Luminary Spring was seen as the next chapter in their shared adventure.


    King Tranduil arrived soon after with a group of Elven guards. He smiled at the crowd and addressed them.


    King Thranduil, standing tall and regal, addressed the gathered geniuses from various races and their guardians with amanding yet warm presence.


    "My dear geniuses from every race," he began.


    "I cannot overstate the importance of our journey to Luminary Spring. It is a path fraught with peril, for the path to greatness is rarely without challenges."


    The geniuses and their guardians listened attentively, their faces a mix of anticipation and determination.


    "Once you leave the safety of Eldoria," King Thranduil continued, "You will venture intonds where the power of mana fluctuates unpredictably. The terrain is treacherous, with dense forests, towering mountains, and hidden dangers. It is a ce where the very essence of nature can be both a boon and a bane."


    He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "But the most dangerous of all is the Luminary Spring itself!"


    King Tranduil confused a lot of geniuses. They only knew some information about Luminary Spring, which is that it unlocks potential and makes them more strong.


    They had no idea what danger that kind of heavenly ce would possess.


    "Danger?"


    "I wasn''t told about this! Isn''t it like ake filled with mana essence?"


    "What can be dangerous about Luminary Spring? Is the Elven King trying to scare us?" ¡­


    There was a lot of discussion out of concern about their safety. There were also some who were quite calm about the situation like all the Even geniuses and Zero.


    Amelia and Mia also weren''t worried. Although they didn''t know what the danger that King Tranduil was talking about, looking at the Elves, they knew that it wasn''t something that would kill them or at least have some kind of solution to that danger.


    King Thranduil surveyed the geniuses and their guardians with a knowing smile, his ageless eyes filled with ancient wisdom.


    He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to hang in the air. The geniuses exchanged worried nces, realizing that Luminary Spring was more perilous than they had initially thought.


    "Indeed," he continued, "Luminary Spring is a ce of unparalleled power, but it is not without its challenges. The essence of mana that flows through it is so potent that it can overwhelm an unprepared body, causing it to burn with the very energy it seeks to absorb."


    He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to hang in the air. The geniuses exchanged worried nces, realizing that Luminary Spring was more perilous than they had initially thought.


    "But fear not," King Thranduil reassured them. "There is a solution to this problem. Each of you will be provided with special pills crafted with various rare mana herbs found only in the depths of Eldora. These pills will serve two purposes."


    King Thranduil took out a pill radiating some energy and continued, "These pills," the Elven King exined, "are designed to absorb and regte the overwhelming mana essence of Luminary Spring. They will protect your body from harm and allow you to harness its power safely." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The geniuses looked at the pills with a mix of curiosity and relief, realizing that they were a crucial safeguard for their journey.


    "But that''s not all," King Thranduil continued. "They also help your body absorb more mana from the Luminary Spring."


    The geniuses were relieved and once again excited. It means that as long as they took the pill, there wasn''t a danger in going to Luminary Spring.


    "The number of pills each of you will receive," King Thranduil continued, "will be proportional to your achievements in the contest. As I have already stated, those who showed good potential and those with good ranking will be allowed to stay more in the Luminary Spring."


    There was a collective nod of understanding among the geniuses. Only now did they know what King Tranduil meant by allowing more time to the geniuses who fought well. It had meant more pills.


    The aura that they can detect from the pill also indicates that it is a very precious pill, so it must be very hard to procure.


    King Thranduil then handed each genius a vial containing the precious pills. The vials shimmered with an otherworldly light, and the pills themselves seemed to pulse with energy.

 Chapter 500 Onto Luminary Spring [2].

    Chapter 500 Onto Luminary Spring [2].


    The geniuses received their vials containing the precious pills from King Thranduil. For most, the number of pills that they received was only one, and many were left disappointed.


    But they also know that they didn''t do very well in the Contest, so they could kind of ept it, especially when many others were also receiving the same amount.


    Even Rank-S -, got one pill only. So, they weren''t in any position toin about the amount of pills that they got.


    "WOW!"


    "Look! Mia Frostine got ten pills! I am so jealous."


    "Damn it! She is already powerful and doesn''t need that much pill. I need more than her." ¡­


    The geniuses eximed when they saw the number of pills handed over to Mia. Mia got 10 pills and this was her reward for getting first ce in the contest.


    Seraphine also got a hefty amount, which was 8 pills.


    Anyway, the geniuses couldn''t help but be jealous when they saw the number of pills that Mia got. It means that she can spend 10x more in Luminary Spring than most of them.


    They felt unfair as Mia was already powerful and didn''t think she needed to get any more powerful.


    But what can they say? Mia won the contest after all and she deserved it. Most importantly, she was the strongest and no geniuses wanted to be on the bad side of Mia byining.


    Hiro also got a surprising number of pills. He got 5 pills despite not even being in the quarter-final. Not even the genius who survived till that round got such a number.


    However, he was also someone who deserved it as he fought with Rank-S and even battled with her as an equal.


    Sylvia was very surprised by the amount of pills that she got. There were three, the same Lisa, Misha, and Zion. Despite getting eliminated in the first round, she was able to get a pill equivalent to those who battle in the quarter-finals. It looks like King Tranduil didn''t forget the Rank-B genius who was able to injure Rank-S, an impossible feat.


    Sylvia was very happy about it!


    But of course, she also wasn''t the one who seemed to luck out. Zero who got eliminated in the quarter-final against Princess Elenia got 7 pills which was even greater than Princess Elenia who won against him.


    There were only 2 people who got more pills than Zero and those were the first-ranked Mia and Second-ranked Seraphine.


    The geniuses examined the pill distribution, and a hushed murmur began to circte among the crowd. Some geniuses couldn''t help but express their dissatisfaction with the way the pills had been allocated, especially when it came to Zero and Hiro.


    "It''s unfair!"


    Professor William yelled. Who could be more unsatisfied than William who only got 1 pill while the two people he hated the most got 5 and 7 pills?


    "How could someone like them get so many pills while I got only 1?"


    Professor William''s outburst had ignited a spark of frustration, and soon others joined in, expressing their grievances.


    "It''s an outrage!"


    "I can''t believe this! I fought so hard, and this is what I got?"


    "There must be something going on here! Otherwise, howe even someone who got eliminated in the first round got 3 pills?" ¡­


    The room was abuzz withints, and some even began to question King Thranduil''s judgment in allocating the pills. "I mean, seriously, did you see this? Zero got 7 pills, while I got only 4 despite being in the same position as him," muttered Aster, a talented but slightly bitter Rank-S - genius. He had made it to the quarterfinals and was more than satisfied with the rewards until he saw what Zero and Hiro had gotten.


    That made him extremely jealous of Zero who has 3 more pills than him despite both of them being eliminated in the same round.


    As the discontent among the geniuses continued to grow, the atmosphere between geniuses became tense.


    Hiro looked a bit tense as he had gotten a lot of pills despite not ranking very high. The people dissatisfied with him are veryrge.


    Meanwhile, Mia Frostine, who had received the lion''s share of pills, wasn''t included in the batch of those who proimed this was unfair. Seraphine and Princess Elenia, too, weren''t included in that group. However, it was quite different for Hiro''s group who received many more pills despite their lower rank. The dissatisfaction with them seemed to be very high, especially Sylvia who was eliminated in the first round but still got three pills.


    Sylvia, the center of attention with his surprising allocation, found herself in an awkward position. She had no say in the matter and had received more pills than she had expected. It wasn''t like she did anything to get more pills but others could help but use her out of jealousy.


    Suddenly, Zero stomps on the ground causing a loud sound that attracts everyone''s attention. And then issued a challenge to everyone who seemed dissatisfied with the result.


    -BANG!


    "Who said that the pill distribution is unfair? Want to get the same amount of pills as me? Thene and fight me. I will give you all my pills if you win."


    Suddenly, Zero stomps on the ground causing a loud sound that attracts everyone''s attention. And then issued a challenge to everyone who seemed dissatisfied with the result.


    Zero''s cold gaze swept across the geniuses, locking onto individuals who hadined the loudest. Those who were makingmotion were now all silent. Even the Aster whoined that it was unfair since he was ranked the same as Zero kept his mouth shut.


    Although he was able to advance to the same round as Zero and was even higher rank than Zero, but knew that he was severelyckingpared to Zero.


    Zero was someone who even dominated people like Princess Elenia who is Rank-S and even though he ultimately lost, everybody knows that Zero was at least stronger than Rank-S - and no one was his opponent below Rank-S.


    Additionally, who could forget that brutal beating that Zero gave to Elrond? Would they really want to experience Elrond for pills?


    It wasn''t! At least, not when the chance of winning was almost Zero to none!


    The discontented geniuses exchanged nervous nces, torn between their desire for more pills and the fear of facing Zero in a battle. William, who had initially voiced his dissatisfaction, found himself retreating. He, despite not liking it, didn''t seem stupid to have noticed the strength of Zero.


    There was a sudden silence after being so noisy just a few seconds ago.


    "If not then stop crying like a baby! I don''t have the whole day to waste on yourints. If you don''t like what is given to you, then you won''t mind me taking what you have, right?"


    Zero said, with a smirk.


    They all shook their heads and said, "No, we are fine! Yes, I like my pills!"


    "Good then!"


    Zero said, seemingly ending theirints.


    "..."


    ( Aren''t you bullying us too much? Do you think we are afraid of you?... Well, we are! But there are others who are stronger than you. )


    Most geniuses thought like that and turned to Rank-S - geniuses to find someone who would stand up to Zero but there was none.


    They acted like they weren''t interested even though minutes ago, some of them were protesting with them.


    Then their only hopes were Rank-S but the three Rank-S didn''t seem very interested in this situation. So, in the end, they had to ept what they had and be happy with what they had. Otherwise, it looks like they will also lose what they have.


    With the distribution of the pillspleted, King Thranduil addressed the gathering once more. He was d that themotion ended quickly as that would have been quite a waste of time.


    Moreover, he wasn''t nning to address theint as he awarded the geniuses ording to their potential and rank. "Remember," he emphasized, "these pills are your lifeline in Luminary Spring. Use them wisely, for they will protect you and empower you. Now, embark on your journey to that sacred ce." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The geniuses, carrying their vials of pills, began their march towards Luminary Spring. The path ahead was uncertain, filled with challenges and mysteries, but they were united in their determination to harness the spring''s power and emerge stronger than ever before.


    As they set forth on their adventure, the geniuses from various races couldn''t help but wonder about the secrets and dangers that awaited them at Luminary Spring, and how this journey would shape their destinies.


    As the caravan of geniuses, guards, and their diverse races'' representatives set out, they encountered various challenges along the way. The journey to Luminary Spring was not without obstacles. They faced treacherous terrain, encountered strong, and navigated through enchanted forests. As they neared Luminary Spring, the atmosphere grew charged with anticipation. The power of the spring was palpable even before theyid eyes on it, and they could feel the unusual mana in the air. It looks like they will finally be able to achieve their objective!

 Chapter 501 Effect Of Luminary Spring

    501 Effect Of Luminary Spring


    "We are here!"


    Aranic said. Aranic was the one leading the group along with other Elven guards. Everyone seemed excited when they heard those words. Finally, they arrived at the sacred site, and the geniuses stood in awe of the breathtaking spectacle before them. Luminary Spring was a magnificent natural wonder, a crystal-clear pool surrounded by luminous flora. The water emitted a soft, ethereal glow, and the air was filled with a sense of purity and serenity.


    "WOW!"


    "It''s such a beautiful ce!"


    "Amazing! If not for all the monsters that we need to defeat to get here, this could be an ideal tourist ce." ¡­


    Everybody was amazed by how beautiful the ce was, unlike the road where it was hazardous and dangerous, especially the girls.


    "Remember that unlike what you see, the Luminary Spring is very dangerous. One shouldn''t casually go into the Luminary Spring without taking the pill given by the King."


    Aranic warned. The geniuses were once again reminded that what they see is not what is it. The Luminary Spring was a beautiful sight to hold but if not for the pills, one might not survive inside it.


    "How much time until the pill effect wears off?" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    One genius asked worriedly. "It depends! Although I said that the Luminary Spring is dangerous and one shouldn''t go inside without eating the pills, it is not entirely true."


    Aranic continued, "As long as you have a tough body, you would be able to stay inside the Luminary Spring much longer without harming the body. So, the pill''s effect will also depend on how powerful your body is."


    Aranic exined. It seems like it was not all death even if you identally fall into Luminary Spring as long as your body is strong.


    "So, when you feel pain after a few minutes, that''s the signal that the pill effect has worn off and that''s when you need toe out of the Luminary Spring."


    The clueless geniuses listened carefully to the exnation.


    "So, doesn''t that mean that even without pills, I can stay inside Luminary Spring."


    A confident Dwarf asked. Their species had a tough body and believed that if a tough body was all that was needed, then he could easily stay inside the Luminary Spring without the pill.


    "Don''t underestimate Luminary Spring. The longer you stay inside the Luminary Spring, the more powerful the effect. Even Rank-S could only stay inside the Luminary Spring for 1 minute without the pill."


    Aranic replied.


    *GLUP!


    The confident Dwarf was frightened by the answer. He was a Rank-A and although he had a tough body, it wasn''tparable to Rank-S.


    So, if even a Rank-S person can stay inside for only 1 minute, doesn''t that mean that he wouldn''t be able to stay even 10 seconds there?


    "Let me remind you again. If you feel pain, get out of the Luminary Spring as soon as possible."


    Aranic continued, "And one more thing, don''t use your mana under any circumstances. The moment you use it, your mana and life will both be sucked by the Luminary Spring. So, no fighting!"


    Hearing those words, the geniuses knew that Luminary Spring wasn''t a ce where they could mess around. "Any more questions?"


    Aranic asked.


    "Ah! So, on average, how long does the pill effectst? Like what is the average time anyone has stayed inside the Luminary Spring?"


    Someone asked.


    "As far as I know, one could approximately stay inside the Luminary Spring for 10 minutes with one pill."


    Aranic answered.


    "Anyone else who has any doubts?"


    Aranic asked.


    "Alright then, everyone," Aranic said. "It''s time to enter the Luminary Spring. Remember to be careful and don''t push yourselves too hard."


    The geniuses nodded in understanding and went into what seemed to be the entrance to the Luminary Spring.


    There were two sections. One for males and another for females. Aranic''s words echoed in their minds as they approached the spring, vials of precious pills in hand. This was their lifeline, their opportunity to unlock their true potential and achieve greatness. They took the pills and immediately jumped into the Luminary Spring.


    The water was cool and refreshing, and the ethereal glow immediately enveloped them. As soon as they entered the pool, the geniuses felt a surge of energy flow through their bodies. "WOW! I can already feel the effect of the Luminary Spring."


    "No wonder why my father wanted to send me here."


    "I think that I will break through to Rank-S if I stay here for one day!" ¡­


    The geniuses who had already gone inside said. Their words only encourage other geniuses to quickly take the pill and enter Luminary Spring.


    Zero wasn''t too eager like the others and first observed. He was truly intrigued by such a ce. He tried to touch the Luminary Spring with his bare hand, and for a second nothing happened. After quite a few more seconds, he could feel some stings but nothing major.


    It seems like the effect of eating Ancient Dragon Heart had made his body quite powerful. He didn''t know whether it wasparable to Rank-SS but at least, he knew that his body was stronger than Rank-S.


    Anyway, he stopped testing Luminary Spring and decided to jump into the Luminary Spring and try to break through. Hiro and Zion had already gone. Not only them but almost all the geniuses were already submerged into Luminary Spring and began training. *SPLASH!


    Zero also took the pill and jumped in. They closed their eyes and began to cultivate, absorbing the pure mana of the Luminary Spring. This has a profound effect on their mana stat and seems to be helping with increasing their mana capacity.


    Only a minute passed, when some of them were able to break through their bottlenecks and reach a new Rank. "That was incredible!" one of the geniuses eximed. "I''ve never felt so powerful before!"


    "Me too!" another genius added. "I can''t wait to see how much I''ve improved."


    The geniuses were all excited about the progress they had made in the Luminary Spring. They knew that they were now stronger than ever before, and they were eager to continue their cultivation, not wanting to waste even one second of their precious time in Luminary Spring.


    Zero was also concentrating on cultivating with the hopes of breaking through to Rank-A + and maybe even into Rank-S -.


    He was already at the bottleneck of Rank-A and wasn''t very far from Rank-A +. However, he wasn''t unsure about whether he could break through to Rank-S-, even with the amount of pills that he had.


    As Zero immersed himself deeper into his cultivation within the Luminary Spring, he could feel the energy coursing through his body. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if the very essence of the world was flowing into him, nourishing his soul and body.


    Seconds turned into minutes, and the geniuses continued their diligent cultivation, their determination unwavering. As time passed, Zero felt a profound change within himself. His mana capacity had expanded significantly, and he could sense that he was on the verge of breaking through to Rank-A+. After a few more seconds, he was easily able to ascend to Rank-A +.


    "I advanced!"


    Zero muttered satisfiedly. He felt like he was stuck at that rank for far longer than he expected. Anyway, finally he was able to break Rank-A +.


    The sensation was exhrating, but Zero knew that his journey was far from over. He still aspired to reach Rank-S, a goal that seemed more attainable now but still distant. Not wasting any time, Zero kept on cultivating despite breaking through. He kept the matter of looking at this status after he was done cultivating.


    "Finally!"


    Zion yelled excitedly. He has now ascended to Rank-A -. At the age of 19, he was able to break through Rank-A. A feat so difficult that Mia Frostine was the only one who achieved that feat before Hiro and Zero were able to do that.


    Anyways, Zion was happy that he broke through Rank-A - and looked at Hiro who was still cultivating.


    He knew that Hiro was still stronger than him but he was very determined. At least for now, he was now in the same rank as Hiro.


    It wasn''t long before he was thinking about that when Hiro, too, experienced a breakthrough. Hiro was far from reaching Rank A, but within the Luminary Spring, he felt a surge of power that pushed him to the next level.


    He was surprised but at the same time excited and happy for this unexpected event.


    "I did it!" Hiro eximed with a triumphant grin. He had ascended to Rank-A just like Zero, at least that is what he thought. The sense of aplishment and newfound strength coursed through his veins.


    Zion stared at Hiro in bewilderment. He was just thinking about how he was in the same rank as his rival when Hiro ranked up.


    He didn''t know what to say and just quietly continued cultivating. Determined to reach Rank-A and surpass Hiro.

 Chapter 502 Effect Of Luminary Spring [2]

    502 Effect Of Luminary Spring [2]


    As the geniuses continued their cultivation in the Luminary Spring, time seemed to lose its meaning. Not long after, the first one to exit the Luminary Spring was none other than William''s gang members. They weren''tparable to an average person in the same rank, much less a genius. It would have been a miracle if they could stay in Luminary Spring for 10 minutes like the average genius Elves who are given ess to.


    One by one, most of William''s gang had exited the Luminary Spring. Anyway, theysted only around 5 minutes and the benefit they gained seemed to be very lesspared to the geniuses.


    Anyway, while they left the Luminary Spring, the geniuses focused on their own training and reaping every benefit that they could.


    Soon enough 10 minutes passed and none of the geniuses went out. They pushed themselves to their limits, their determination unwavering.


    Zero, having achieved Rank-A+, felt the immense power surging within him. His control over his mana had improved significantly, and he could sense that he was closer to reaching Rank-S than ever before. Hiro, now at Rank-A, was equally driven. He had a goal and for that, he must be stronger. With newfound strength and rity in his mind, he honed his skills further, aiming to break into the next realm of power.


    Zion, although slightly disheartened by Hiro''s rapid advancement, remained resolute. He knew that he needed to use this opportunity as much as he could to close the distance between Hiro and himself.


    Meanwhile, the other geniuses also experienced breakthroughs in their ranks. Some reached Rank-A, while others surpassed it, each celebrating their newfound strength with joy and pride.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, some of the geniuses began to feel the effects of the pill wearing off. They slowly opened their eyes and stepped out of the pool.


    Approximately 15 minutes had passed since they submerged into the Luminary Spring and they could feel their strength by leap and bound.


    They couldn''t contain their excitement to find out how strong they had be. Their faces were lit with radiant smiles as they exchanged triumphant nces with one another. "Amazing! I think that I could easily be ranked among the Top 20 if I fought again!"


    "If I had some more minutes, I would have definitely broken through to another rank. Anyway, I can''t wait to show off my strength."


    The group of geniuses who were the first ones toe out chatted as they left. They were pretty excited about the situation but didn''t know that they were the first to be out.


    However, as they scanned the area around them, their tion began to wane. It became apparent that they were the first ones to exit the Luminary Spring, and the rest of the geniuses were still submerged in the pool, pushing their limits.


    "What?"


    "How can that be? I am the first one to leave?"


    "Does that mean that there are still many geniuses who are still at Luminary Spring? Dammit, they will surely reap more benefits than me." ¡­


    Confusion and disappointment crept into their expressions. They had expected that their rapid progress would ce them ahead of the curve, but now they felt like they had somehow missed out on something important.


    They knew that if they could be so powerful then those who would leaveter than them would probably be even more powerful than them.


    They thought they did quite well considering that the average minutes in LUminary Spring with one pill is 10 minutes and they managed to stay inside for 15 minutes. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But, s although it was incredible, there were many geniuses far tougher than them.


    Soon enough, most of the ones with one pill had to leave the Luminary Spring. They couldn''t help but feel jealous of the people who got more pills, especially after having experienced the increase in power that they had.


    As time continued to pass in the Luminary Spring, the geniuses who had taken two pills were experiencing an even more profound transformation. Their bodies thrummed with newfound energy, and their senses were sharper than ever before.


    Approximately 35 minutes had psed since they first submerged themselves in the mystical pool, and the first group of geniuses who had taken two pills began to emerge. These individuals had pushed themselves to the very limit, and as they stepped out of the Luminary Spring, their presence was almost overwhelming.


    Many who were stuck at the peak of Rank-A + had also broken through to Rank-S -. They feltpletely different than before.


    Those who only got one pill were very jealous of them and felt their own progresscking, especially when many who were in the same rank had broken through to Rank-S -.


    As more geniuses who had taken two pills began to exit the Luminary Spring, the atmosphere grew tense with anticipation. These individuals were not only stronger but had also spent a longer time within the pool, absorbing more of its mysterious energies.


    One by one, they emerged with confident smiles, and their power was palpable. Some had broken through to Rank-S, while others were closing in on it. The geniuses who had taken only one pill couldn''t help but feel a mix of admiration and envy.


    With each passing minute, it became increasingly clear that those who had received more pills were at a distinct advantage. The geniuses who had first exited the Luminary Spring with a single pill now watched as their peers achieved feats they had only dreamed of.


    Meanwhile, deep within the Luminary Spring, the remaining geniuses who have three or more pills continue to push their limits.


    Misha, Zion, Lisa, and Sylvia were all on theirst pill. And sometime after, Rank-S - and Rank-S also took their pills.


    However, Zero was still training without the need for a third pill. As he thought, his body was able to resist the power of Luminary Spring to a certain extent and he only had to take his second pill in like 20 or so minutes.


    That meant that he could probably stay under Luminary Spring for quite a long time. It was good for him as he was aiming to break through Rank-S -.


    Even if he wasn''t able to, he wanted to get to the limit of Rank-A +. And then when he gets out, he could take on Rank-S breakthrough potion which will be able to help him to reach Rank-S -.


    In any case, he was going to take advantage of his strong body to absorb as much mana as he could in this Luminary Spring.


    As the minutes ticked away within the Luminary Spring, the anticipation outside grew. The geniuses who had taken three pills were about to emerge, and everyone knew that their achievements would be nothing short of extraordinary.


    Around 50 minutes, even those who had taken three pills began exiting the Luminary Spring. The aura that they emitted was very powerful and every one of them had broken through to one sub-rank and some even two sub-ranks.


    Thest group of people who had taken three pills and came out were Lisa, Misha, Sylvia, and finally Zion.


    Despite them being the lowest rank among the ones who had taken, they were thest ones to leave. And they weren''tpeting with Rank-A only, it was also with Rank-S -.


    The geniuses outside couldn''t help but be astonished at their achievement. Moreover, they were no longer who they used to be and had advanced beyond their wildest dream.


    The four of them had broken through a major rank and even had one sub-rank advancement, making them Rank-A, the same as Zero before going into Luminary Spring.


    The crowd was in awe as they witnessed the incredible progress of these four geniuses. They had not only broken through to Rank A but had done so in a way that showcased their exceptional talents and determination.


    Zion, now a Rank-A, couldn''t hide his tion. He had finally achieved the level of strength he had dreamed of for so long. He looked at hispanions, Misha, Lisa, and Sylvia, and they exchanged knowing nces. The other geniuses, who had taken only one or two pills, couldn''t help but feel a mixture of admiration and envy. However, four of them weren''t thest one and they knew that there were also geniuses who had more than 5 pills.


    They couldn''t help to see their progress while also being extremely jealous of their opportunity.

 Chapter 503 Effect Of Luminary Spring [3]

    503 Effect Of Luminary Spring [3]


    The number of people in the Luminary Spring was extremely small now with the majority of them already left.


    Most of them were Rank-S - and only Hiro and Zero were of Rank-A -.


    Except for Hiro, everyone else was those who had advanced to the Quarter Final of the contest. The ones who got eliminated in the Quarter Final were given 4 pills except for Zero who got 7 pills.


    Zero was cultivating and trying his best to get into Rank-S -. This was an ideal environment and if he was able to make use of it, he would be able to break through Rank-S - which would usually take him months and years.


    Hiro was doing the same. Although he didn''t think he would be able to advance to Rank-S -, he wanted to break through Rank-A + and get to the peak of Rank-A +.


    It had been 1 hour since they had entered the Luminary Spring and it seemed like even those who had taken 4 pills had to leave the Luminary SPring.


    As the hours passed within the Luminary Spring, the anticipation outside continued to build. The geniuses who had taken four pills were reaching their limits, and It seemed like they had to leave the Luminary Spring.


    Finally, one Rank-S emerged and then another, until finally, the third andst Rank-S came out. Only three of them had gotten 4 pills as a reward.


    These individuals had broken through Rank-S. Although it was just one sub-rank after one hour, one should know that it takes years to even advance one sub-rank after Rank-S -.


    The onlooker can''t help but feel just how powerful they had be, especially Aranic who could tell that their power had surpassed his own.


    Previously, those three were weaker than him but now they all had be stronger than him.


    Now, back at Luminary, only 5 individuals were left. Mia Frostine, Seraphine, Princess Elenia, Zero Elea, and Hiro Ernest were the only ones who were still there.


    Hiro also took a pill soon after and hadpletely taken all his pills. While on the other hand, Zero had taken 3 pills in total and still had 4 pills left.


    That meant that Zero could still stay inside Luminary Spring for another hour and maybe even more.


    On the other hand, it was thest chance for Hiro to break through and if he can''t break through after this then he will miss the opportunity.


    But, it seemed like his hard work was finally going to be paid off as he felt like breaking through at thest moment. He could feel the power surging within him, and the barriers holding him back were starting to crumble. With every ounce of his willpower, he pushed himself to the limits.


    "I-I did it!"


    Hiro muttered in excitement. He was able to break through to Rank-A + which was a great feat. He never thought that he would be able to break through 2 sub-rank in one day.


    However, he didn''t waste time by being happy and continued to train further until the effect of the pill wore off.


    While Hiro had managed to break through to the peak of Rank-A +, Zero was on the cusp of reaching Rank-S -. In any case, unlike Hiro, Zero still had time and he had to break through to a major rank, unlike Hiro. Soon enough, it seemed like the effect of Hiro''sst pill had worn off and it was time to leave. He looked around for a second and saw Zero. He could sense that Zero was at Rank-A +.


    ( Is he going for Rank-S -? )


    Hiro thought and the answer was obvious. Still, it was hard to believe that someone at the age of Zero was trying to break through to Rank-S - when even breaking through to Rank-A was considered very rare.


    Anyway, Hiro didn''t have time to stare and had to quickly leave the Luminary Spring.


    Hiro exited the Luminary Spring and almost everyone was staring at him. Whether it be jealousy, awe, or anger, they all stared at Hiro with mixed emotions.


    Many felt unfair because Hiro wasn''t even in the Quarter Final but still got more pills than the quarter finalists.


    Others felt awe as they could sense that Hiro had broken through 2 sub-rank and was approaching the Rank-S -. Considering Hiro''s age, everyone knew how incredible this feat was. He could even be considered the strongest in his age group. Maybe no one under age 20 could beat him or so they thought.


    But then they remembered someone who was even more monstrous than Hiro who was still inside Luminary Spring. They couldn''t help but think of how powerful Zero would be when he came out of the Luminary Spring.


    "Hiro, you are out! And you have be Rank-A +. Congrattions!"


    Sylvia said excitedly. "Thanks! You have also be powerful! I can''t wait to see just how much power we have gained!"


    Hiro replied. He was happy to see that hispanions had all reached Rank-A. Although an incredible feat, Hiro wasn''t very surprised. Knowing their talent, Hiro already expected them to make such progress.


    "Humph! Hiro, don''t think you are going to win easily like before! It''s going to be different now."


    Zion said. Although there was still a rank difference between him and Hiro, it was on a much smaller scale than when he was Rank-B and Hiro was Rank-A.


    "Sure! I would like to see that!"


    Hiro answered. He was curious to see his own improvement and also Zions. He could see that Zion wasn''t that far from Rank-A + and if given more time, he might just have broken through.


    In any case, fighting with each other will be the best way to find out about their own and theirpanions'' new profound strengths.


    Only one other person got 5 pills and that was Amelia. She was also a Quarter Finalist but she got one more pill extra than the others.


    She had broken through to Rank-S + which was a very big achievement considering that it was very hard to improve when one is at Rank-S. Most people would have the same result despite having twice as much time as Amelia. This just goes to prove just how powerful the Saintess really is. The title wasn''t just for show and Amelia had to go through a lot to get to where she is.


    "Amelia, you be super powerful!"


    Sylvia said in awe. Now that she was in Rank-A, her senses were better and she could tell to a certain extent how powerful Rank-S people were.


    "Thank you, Sylvia! I see that you have also be stronger."


    Amelia replied.


    "Hehe¡­ Thanks!"


    They conversed with each other as they waited for the remaining people toe out. Another 30 minutes passed when Princess Elenia and Stonew emerged from the Luminary Spring. Stonew was Rank-S - when they entered but they had advanced to Rank-S after having gone into Luminary Spring. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Princess Elenia had broken through to Rank-S +.


    Although they only broke through one sub-rank despite being in there for 1 and a half hours, the improvement they had was definitely bigger than those other Rank-S. With two of them out, only three people were inside Luminary Spring.


    Everybody patiently waited for them. Princess Elenia was also curious about just how powerful Mia and Zero would be after they came out.


    After Amelia came out, another 20 minutes passed. Everybody thought that Zero would being out but he didn''t. They were even discussing whether he was forcing himself to stay inside. "What is taking Zero so long?"


    Misha was very worried. Although Luminary Spring was a great ce, it was also very dangerous if one didn''t have the special pills.


    "Maybe he has a very tough body. Anyways, don''t worry, Zero isn''t stupid enough to risk his life for Luminary Spring. He will eventuallye out!"


    Amelia reassured Misha. Knowing Zero''s full power, Amelia was stronger than many thought.


    Another 10 minutes passed and there was still no sign of Zero. But then someone shows a sign ofing out of Luminary Spring and many thought it must be Zero.


    However, rather than Zero, it was Seraphine who came out. While other people were astonished by Seraphine who had progressed to the peak of Rank-S +, Hiro''s group and Amelia were now worried about Zero.


    Even the one who had 8 pills hase out, so where was the person who only 7 pills gone to?

 Chapter 504 Ascension To Rank-SS???

    Chapter 504 Ascension To Rank-SS???


    "Aren''t we missing someone? Where is Zero, the guy who got 7 pills?"


    "Is he dead?"


    "He must have gotten greedy and stayed inside the Luminary Spring longer than he was meant to. Typical of a greedy human!" ¡­


    Other people also began noticing that Zero didn''te out even after Seraphine. This led to many believing that maybe Zero died.


    After all, even someone as strong as Seraphine with 8 pills came out but he didn''t. And they didn''t think his body was tougher than a Rank-S Aasimar.


    Murmurs and spections filled the air as onlookers debated the possible reasons for Zero''s extended stay. Many already believe he must have died and for many it was a good thing. Especially for people like Elrond and William who always wished for that.


    Sylvia and others listening to them talk about that, were obviously worried. Even Amelia, who reassured them, became a bit worried.


    She knows that Zero is stronger than he looks but still she wasn''t sure whether he would be that stronger than Seraphine, plus Seraphine has more pills.


    But still she believed that Zero must have his reason and he wouldn''t die that easily like many thought.


    While outside, there was a lot ofmotion, inside the Luminary Spring, it was peaceful with Zero upying the whole male section of Luminary Spring.


    And Zero was nowhere close to being done. Although he only got 7 pills, which is less than Seraphine, his strong body allowed him to stay inside Luminary Spring much longer than her.


    At the moment, he has taken 6 pills and was about to take hisst pills. With this, he could stay for around 20 minutes more. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In any case, this was hisst chance. He was still at the peak of Rank-A + and trying to break through to Rank-S -. ******


    Outside the Luminary Spring, the people were curiously waiting for Mia Frostine to appear. As for Zero, with many minutes passed since Seraphine emerged, they just kept it as Zero being dead.


    It had been 20 minutes since Seraphine hade out from Luminary Spring, and they knew that it was almost time for Mia Frostine, the person with the most pills, to appear. And they also know that if there was anyone who made the highest progress then it would be Mia Frostine for sure.


    With 10 pills and being the winner of the Geniuses contest, everyone was patiently waiting for Mia Frostine.


    As the minutes ticked away, the crowd outside the Luminary Spring grew increasingly restless. Spections and whispers filled the air, with many anticipating that Mia''s transformation would be nothing short of astounding. After all, 10 pills were a significant advantage over anyone else who had entered the Luminary Spring.


    But just when the anticipation reached its peak, the surface of the spring remained undisturbed. There was no sign of Mia emerging, and the murmurs among the onlookers grew louder.


    "Where is she?"


    "Is something wrong? Did she overexert herself?" ¡­


    The anxiety in the crowd was palpable, and even Hiro and hispanions, who had already exited the spring, exchanged worried nces. They couldn''t help but wonder if something had gone wrong inside. After all, not only Zero but even Mia Frostine showed no sign ofing out.


    Inside the Luminary Spring, Mia Frostine was undergoing an extraordinary transformation. With her exceptional talent and the tremendous boost from the 10 pills, her progress was nothing short of spectacr. As she continued her cultivation, her aura grew increasingly potent, and the water around her seemed to respond to her presence. The Luminary Spring itself began to ripple and shimmer with an otherworldly light, reflecting Mia''s unparalleled growth.


    Mia was determined to make the most of this opportunity. She already has reached the peak of Rank-S + and is now trying to break through to Rank-SS, the rank of the strongest individuals in the world.


    If she seeds, she will not only be the strongest person in the whole of Eds but also be the youngest to reach such rank.


    She was on the brink of a breakthrough that no one could have predicted. Outside, the crowd''s restlessness had turned into outright concern. Some were discussing the possibility of sending someone inside to check on Mia, while others believed she must have encountered a problem and needed help.


    Just when it seemed like they couldn''t wait any longer, the surface of the Luminary Spring finally stirred, and a figure emerged. Mia Frostine appeared from the Luminary Spring!


    Her appearance and presence leave everyone in awe. She had not only reached Rank-S+ but had surpassed it, ascending to a realm that was beyond anyone''s expectations.


    Mia Frostine has sessfully ascended to the rank of the strongest. She was Rank-SS -!


    Mia Frostine emerged from the Luminary Spring, her aura radiating an overwhelming power that sent shockwaves through the crowd. The onlookers were struck dumb by her transformation, unable toprehend the sheer magnitude of her newfound strength.


    "Holy... that''s Rank-SS!" someone whispered in disbelief.


    Mia''s arrival had silenced the crowd, but it was only a brief moment before the spectators erupted into a cacophony of cheers, gasps, and exmations of amazement. The news of a young genius reaching Rank-SS spread like wildfire among the gathered crowd.


    Hiro, Sylvia, Amelia, and theirpanions could only stare in awe at Mia''s incredible achievement. Even Amelia, who had just reached Rank-S+, was left astounded by Mia''s extraordinary progress. Mia had not only surpassed her but had reached a rank that was considered the pinnacle of power.


    She thought that she must have shortened the gap between herself and Mia, only to be left in dust by her.


    She wasn''t the only one. Princess Elenia and Seraphine also looked at Mia with widened eyes. They couldn''t believe just how powerful their rival has be.


    They knew that Mia would make incredible progress but never to this degree. Now, she was on par with some of the most powerful people in the world and even though they were almost equal in strength before, now they were no longer her match.


    Even the arrogant Princess Elenia didn''t think she could win against Mia, at least at this moment. Topete with Mia, they also need to be in the same rank but they were far from achieving that.


    "WOW!... She really is in Rank-SS!"


    "The Strongest! She is an unparalleled genius!"


    "Dammit! Looks like we are not geniuses but some trash!" ¡­


    The group of geniuses still couldn''t believe that someone from their generation has managed to ascend to Rank-SS. It was truly a shock, even for Aranic and Nock Fletcher!


    Nock Fletcher is a respectable Rank-SS and he viewed those groups of geniuses like his children. Their age was simr to what his daughter was and now someone from that group has managed to break through to Rank-SS, same as him.


    Now, he must view Mia as an equal rather than some genius who needs his protection. And of course, he was happy that Mia was able to achieve such incredible achievement and break through to Rank-SS.


    But at the same time, he was starting to doubt his capabilities. He was also a world renowned genius when he was younger and there were a lot of expectations on him which he delivered.


    He became Rank-SS which is the highest rank that the world has at the moment but it was only at age 40 that he broke through that rank.


    Whenpared to Mia, he is almost ashamed to have thebel of genius. In any case, he believes that it is great from humanity to have such geniuses who can protect the Human Domain in the future.


    "Mia, Congrattions!"


    Amelia continued, "I can''t believe that you have ascended to Rank-SS!"


    "Thanks, Amelia! Congrattions to you too!"


    Mia replied. She could sense that her friend has progressed a lot and if given the same amount of pills as her, maybe, just maybe, Mia thought that Amelia might have also broken through to Rank-SS.


    "Congrattions, Professor Mia!"


    Hiro and his group also congratted her. "Thank you!"


    MIa replied and she turned around like she was looking for someone.


    "Where is Zero?"


    Mia asked confusedly. She thought that Zero would be among the first to congratte her but he was nowhere to be seen.


    Amelia and Hiro''s group exchanged worried nces as they didn''t know how to answer that question.

 Chapter 505 Ascension To Rank-S!

    Chapter 505 Ascension To Rank-S!


    "Where is Zero?"


    "..."


    There was silence as they didn''t know how to answer that.


    ???


    Mia was confused looking at their confusion and a realization hit her. "Zero, didn''te out?"


    MIs asked.


    They all nodded their heads. "..."


    Mia turned around to look at the Luminary Spring. She wasn''t panicking as one would pick.


    She has seen many unusual things done by Zero and believes that he is okay.


    ******


    Inside the Luminary Spring, Zero was still trying to break through to Rank-S -. And he knows that his time is almost up.


    "Huuu¡­"


    The power of the Luminary Spring was surging through his veins, and he could feel the barriers holding him back beginning to crumble.


    With every ounce of his willpower, Zero pushed himself to the limits, channeling the energy from the pills he had taken. The water in the Luminary Spring rippled with his growing power, and he could sense that his breakthrough was imminent.


    As the seconds passed, Zero''s body underwent a profound transformation. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, and his mana surged to new heights. However, his time was also running out. It seemed like the pill''s effect wore off as he could feel a tinge of sting which was the sign.


    But he also couldn''t just stop as he could feel the breakthrough right at the corner.


    And then, at the veryst moment, it happened. Zero felt an explosion of power within him, a surge of energy so intense that it felt like he had shot his former self. The barriers that had held him back for so long shattered into pieces, and he transcended the limits of Rank-A +, entering the realm of Rank-S.


    "I did it!" Zero eximed with exhration. He had broken through to Rank-S, a feat that would have taken years under normal circumstances.


    Moreover, it looks like his body has also undergone a transformation as he can no longer feel any pain from being in the Luminary Spring.


    Of course, the longer he stays, the stronger Luminary Spring will have an effect on his body as he has no pills.


    So, he could only get out of the Luminary Spring!


    On the way towards the exit, Zero couldn''t help but be curious about just how much stats he had increased since beforeing to Luminary Spring.


    So, he just decided to look at his stats while walking. [ "Status" ]


    ===Status===


    Name: Zero Elea


    Rank: S -


    Strength: A +


    Speed: S Stamina: A Mana: S Luck: B +


    Charm: A +


    - - > Skill:


    [ Rank SS: Parallel Memory ]


    A skill that enables the user to get memories of their alternative self from another world.


    Side Effect: The user may sometimes be overwhelmed by the emotion and personality of the alternative self.


    [Rank SS+: Ancient Dragon''s Wrath]


    Ancient Dragon''s Wrath is an incredibly powerful offensive skill that allows the user to summon a torrent of mes in the shape of a dragon. The mes are so intense that they can easily incinerate even dragons. The skill requires arge amount of mana to use.


    [ Rank A:Insight Perception]


    Insight Perception is a skill that allows an individual to discern the status and other information of other people. With this skill, one can easily determine the rank, status, and other relevant information about others.


    [ Rank S: Mana maniption]


    Mana Maniption is a powerful skill that allows an individual to control and manipte the flow of mana, the magical energy that exists in all things. With this skill, a person can harness the power of mana more efficiently. The skill is said to have originated from Elves.


    - - > Art:


    [ LVL 3: Shadow Style: Expert]


    Art that enables the user to use the sword as if the sword is a shadow. The sword sh will be faster and stronger than a normal swing. After mastering the Shadow Style, the user will be able to move and attack using the shadow.


    [ LVL 9: Cryomancy: Expert]


    Magic Art is said to have been made by the strongest Ice mage in history after fighting the Ice Dragon. The user will be able to use ice magic to freeze the enemy to death. The Ice rted skill will be twice as effective and the user will gain tolerance to Cold. After mastering the Cryomancy, the user may be able to freeze the world.


    [LVL 6: Dual Art: Proficient]


    A unique Art created by Zero. The Artbines two Art into one. The power and effect depend on the Art that has beenbined.


    = = = = = = = =


    "..."


    For a second, Zero couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He closed his eyes and then checked again but there was no change.


    "Really? Is this really my stats?"


    Zero muttered.


    His speed has increased to Rank-S from Rank-A +. Not only that, his Mana has also increased from A + to S.


    His strength has also increased from A - to A +. Although it wasn''t as significant as his increase in Mana and Speed it was indeed an increase in two sub ranks.


    Moreover, his Stamina and Charm have also increased by one sub-rank. Zero''s heart raced with excitement as he stared at the newfound power within him. The transformation in his stats was nothing short of miraculous.


    His Mana Rank might even be one of the highest in the world. With this rank, he reckoned that using his Rank-SS + skill, Ancient Dragon''s Wrath would be much easier. He might even be able to execute his skill twice if his mana was in full.


    Anyway, he was so surprised and ted that he even forgot that he would need to get out of the Luminary Spring before its power killed him.


    *******


    Outside, with Mia out of the Luminary Spring, the group of geniuses and their guards were now ready to go back to Eldoria.


    "Wait! We can''t just leave right now!"


    Amelia said.


    "Yeah! Zero has still note out!"


    Misha said.


    Unlike others, they still seemed to believe that Zero was well and alive.


    Others turned around and looked at them like an idiot.


    "We have already waited quite a while. It will be better for you if you face the truth. Zero is dead!"


    "Why should we waste our time for some dead guy? You should know that he will nevere out."


    "Yeah! We can''t stay here forever!"¡­


    Others said. They were 100 sure that Zero was dead due to the fact that he stayed there for almost 2 hours.


    Aranic was the one who held the decision as to whether they would wait or go. Andmon sense says that he should leave. Although he would like toply and help with Amelia and their request, however, he also didn''t believe that there could be anyone who could stay in Luminary Spring longer than Mia.


    "My apologies but we can''t wait any longer! Zero would havee out much earlier if he could!"


    Aranic said.


    "You might be right! You all can go back!"


    Mia intervened. Hearing those words, many geniuses nodded their heads. They thought that Mia was agreeing with the fact that Zero was gone and that they shouldn''t waste time on him.


    "But we will stay here! I will wait for Zero toe out!:


    Mia said.


    Mia was Rank-SS, one of the strongest individuals in the world. And nobody wants to get on the bad side.


    "..."


    "But-"


    Someone tried to persuade Mia. They couldn''t displease Mia as they could with Amelia and Misha. Mia was Rank-SS, one of the strongest individuals in the world. And nobody wants to get on the bad side.


    So, nobody directly said anything that might displease her.


    "I know Zero," Mia said with unwavering conviction. "And I don''t need anyone telling me that he is dead!"


    Mia was definitely not pleased about people''s assumption that Zero was dead. Her words carried an authority that not many want to go against.


    But among thousands of people, there will always be fearless idiots who don''t care about their lives.


    "Come on, Mia," the man sneered, "You''re wasting your time waiting for that trash. Zero''s dead, and you know it. You should stop caring about him and move on."


    William said. He was perhaps the happiest man in the world. His enemy who he wanted dead had died without him doing anything.


    "Professor William, you can think what you like. I know for a fact that he is alive. And perhaps you should look at yourself before referring to someone as trash!"


    Mia''s words hung in the air, charged with a tension that seemed to thicken with each passing moment. William''s face contorted with anger, his pride wounded by Mia''s remark. But more than that, he was angry at the fact that the girl he liked was concerned about some other man.


    "Humph! So what? Even if he was a bit talented, he is in the end dead. I for sure would like to know what a dead person-"


    -BANG!


    A massive explosion of water erupted from the Luminary Spring, creating a towering column that reached into the sky. It sprayed droplets in all directions, drenching everyone nearby.


    As the water began to settle, a figure emerged from within the Luminary Spring, rising from the depths with an aura of awe-inspiring power. The air crackled with energy, and a wave of pressure washed over the onlookers, making it difficult for them to even stand. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The figure slowly stepped out of the Luminary Spring, revealing himself to be none other than Zero.

 Chapter 506 Ascension To Rank-S! [2]

    Chapter 506 Ascension To Rank-S! [2]


    Zero''s appearance had undergone a dramatic transformation since thest time they had seen him. His aura was significantly making him look charming, and his eyes shone with an otherworldly brilliance.


    Not only the looks but the mana that they felt were also very overwhelming to the point that it looked like Zero had surpassed Mia.


    Zero''s presence was awe-inspiring, and it sent shivers down the spines of those who had doubted his survival just moments ago. He stood there, bathed in the afterglow of his breakthrough to Rank-S, a living testament to his unwavering determination.


    But even for someone who didn''t care about others, he was bothered by all the eyes that were staring at him.


    "What? Is there something on my face?"


    Zero said confused about all the stares that he got just after getting out of Luminary Spring. He even looked behind to see whether there was something interesting behind him but everything pointed at them staring at him.


    At first, he was excited and didn''t care about the stares but it was just too much to be stared at by 100 people like he was some of the exhibition. "..."


    When they heard Zero''s words, they didn''t know what to say to him. They were already too shocked by Zero''s appearance to care about his little stupidment. Professor William also looked at Zero dumbfoundedly. He was thinking just how Zero gets this kind of timing right. He was just going to insult Zero and tell how he got killed stupidly when he came out and made him look like an idiot instead.


    ???


    He was just so focused on himself that he even forgot to look around. Only now did he realize that he was thest one toe out of the Luminary Spring which he thought might be the reason why everyone''s attention was on him.


    "He''s alive! And he''s... Rank-S!" someone in the crowd eximed in disbelief. They were all so shocked by his appearance and his presence that they even didn''t notice that Zero had broken through to Rank-S -.


    Zero stood there wondering just why they were staring at him. Only after he noticed Mia, did he realize what might have transpired for this group of people to have this kind of reaction.


    He was just so focused on himself that he even forgot to look around. Only now did he realize that he was thest one toe out of the Luminary Spring which he thought might be the reason why everyone''s attention was on him.


    "He''s alive! And he''s... Rank-S!" someone in the crowd eximed in disbelief. They were all so shocked by his appearance and his presence that they even didn''t notice that Zero had broken through to Rank-S -.


    The atmosphere shifted from uncertainty to awe as they realized that Zero had not only survived but had also achieved the coveted Rank-S. "What? Wasn''t he Rank-A when he got into Luminary Spring?"


    "Damn it! These human geniuses are not normal. One stayed and broke through to Rank-S from Rank-A and another broke through to Rank-SS."


    "I heard that he is even younger than Mia and Hiro. Damn, a person so young being Rank-S!" "Rank-S is my dream and knowing someone so young will achieve it. Just why is life so unfair!" "How did he even survive? He has way fewer pills than Mia but stays longer than her. Is there some trick to this?" ¡­


    The geniuses and guards stared in disbelief as Zero stood before them, alive and more powerful than ever.


    "What... How is this possible?" William stammered, his face pale with shock.


    Mia''s smile widened, and she said with a hint of smugness, "I told you, Zero is not someone you can underestimate."


    Zero noticed Mia and Williams. Zero didn''t know what had happened but looking at William''s expression he could tell that William wasn''t in his best mood probably because of his appearance.


    In any case, Zero smirked at William, making William even more infuriated. With his breakthrough to Rank-S -, Zero has nothing to fear.


    Even if William''s father was there, Zero believed that he could escape from his clutches. He wasn''t sure about defeating a Rank-SS but he knew that he could at least escape from them if he wanted to.


    Anyway, Zero wasn''t nning to do anything to Williams as long as he didn''t do anything to him. And Zero hopes that Professor Williams knows his own ce and avoids him.


    Aranic and Nock Fletcher were also among the people who were surprised by Zero. Although surprising, Zero''s survival wasn''t the one that surprised them the most.


    It was the threat that they felt from Zero. Aranic was sure that although his rank was higher than Zero, he would lose against Zero.


    On the other hand, Nock was surprised that he could feel threatened by someone in Rank-S -. He also felt threatened by Mia but that was only because Mia was Rank-SS -.


    Princess Elenia and Seraphine also looked at Zero. They were also surprised by Zero''s emergence and his increased powers.


    Princess Elenia already has some kind of grudge against Zero and she wants to fight with Zero again. Since Zero has also broken through Rank-S, Princess Elenia felt that defeating him would show that she is more talented than him.


    Elven geniuses and many other Elven guards were very happy with Zero and the progress that he made.


    Obviously, the biggest person feeling unhappy was none other than Elrond. He might not have felt this unhappy if Zero just made the progress.


    The fact that earlier, he believed that Zero was dead which made him happy was the reason why he felt so unhappy now that he knows Zero is alive. On the other hand, Amelia, Hiro, Sylvia, and the others couldn''t hide their relief and happiness. They were obviously relieved to see that Zero was alive. And of course, surprised by the progress that he made.


    They had always known that Zero was exceptional, but this surpassed all expectations. Zero had truly surpassed many of the geniuses with his ascension to Rank-S -.


    Additionally, Zero was already capable of defeating Rank-S - when he was just Rank-A. Now, they wondered just how strong he would be as Rank-S -.


    Would he be able to defeat Rank-S?


    Statistics and logic says that he can''t but many of their instincts tell them that he might just be stronger than Rank-S.


    In any case, many were jealous of Zero''s talent including Hiro and his group. Although very talented themselves, Zero was somehow able to always make Hiro''s group believe that they weren''t very powerful.


    "Congrattions, Zero!"


    "I can''t believe that you rose to Rank-S. Can''t you teach me the same trick to be powerful??"


    "Zero, good work!"¡­


    As Zero joined his friends andpanions, they congratted him on his remarkable sess. They weren''t the only ones but even some other geniuses congratted Zero. With Zero''s talent, they knew that it would be better to be on the good side of him.


    With Zero appearance, there was no longer any need for Aranic and others to wait, though they weren''t really nning to except for Mia, Amelia, and Hiro''s group.


    Anyways, Aranic once again said, "Now that everyone is here, we will head back to Eldoria."


    He surveyed the group of geniuses and thought why is he even the leader? Many had broken through to Rank-S and Mia had even broken through to Rank-SS.


    He felt that rather than him protecting them at the moment, it should be the other way around. Anyway, he wasn''t someone who would avoid his responsibilities.


    "I know that you all have grown stronger and much more powerful than us. However, keep in mind that you are still new to this power."


    "Don''t go thinking that you can defeat anyone just because of your increased power. There are still many powerful monsters on our way back and I need all of you to be cooperative and avoid acting on your own."


    Aranic warned. What kills most people isn''t because they are weak but because they are overconfident andck preparation.


    So, Aranic warned the group of geniuses.


    The geniuses for the most part nodded their heads though not all agreed. With them increasing their power, they obviously didn''t feel necessary to listen to someone who wasn''t very powerful.


    Moreover, they were itching to try out their power and who could be a better opponent than all the powerful monsters that they were going to encounter.


    Some have even begun nning on how to defeat the monsters who gave trouble to them when they were on their way to Luminary Spring.


    Hiro and Zero groups on the other hand weren''t that interested in that. More than fighting with monsters, they were excited to see just how much their friends had increased their power. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And what was better than doing duels?


    They thought of fighting each other in order to ess their own power and also their friends!

 Chapter 507 Returning To Eldoria!

    Chapter 507 Returning To Eldoria!


    As the group of geniuses began their journey back to Eldoria, the atmosphere was charged with a mix of excitement and confidence. Their newfound power had emboldened them, and some were eager to prove themselves against the powerful monsters they had encountered on their way to Luminary Spring.


    Even though they were going through a very dangerous road, rather than being scared, the geniuses were rather more excited.


    As they journeyed through the wilderness, the group encountered various monsters. Some were familiar foes from their earlier journey, while others were new and more formidable. "I will take him on!"


    "I want to try my new power against that Manticore!"


    "Humph! These monsters are so weak. I think we should hunt them all." ¡­


    The group of geniuses easily decimated the monsters which previously gave some trouble to them.


    Their power was apparent and not many monsters were their match. Even Rank-S monsters would be instantly met with their demise by this group of geniuses.


    Aranic tried his best to stop this group of geniuses from being so carefree and underestimating the monsters. They were currently in a ce where many powerful monsters reside and he wants geniuses to quietly finish them off rather than trying out their power on them.


    But against their new profound strength, Aranic''s words fell on deaf ears. No one was interested in being cautious when they were high on their increased power.


    They saw each monster they encountered as a mere nuisance, believing that their newfound powers made them invincible. They relished the opportunity to show off their strength, engaging in battles they had once shied away from.


    Hiro, Zero, and others also fought and tried to find out about their new power. But they weren''t behaving as recklessly as other geniuses.


    They were also excited when they found out just how easily they could defeat the same monster that they had trouble with previously.


    But even with their new profound powers, they made sure to limit their action and didn''t challenge monsters whom they were not sure they could defeat. They didn''t have a full understanding of their own power at the moment and didn''t just fight


    As they ventured, the monsters they faced grew progressively more formidable. But the group of geniuses weren''t the least concerned about that, rather they found it more exciting as they could get a stronger enemy to test their new strength.


    -GRRRR!


    A colossal Griffin with razor-sharp talons, a venomous Hydra, and even a massive Thunderw Dragon were among the challenges thaty ahead.


    "Haha¡­ That is my prey! Don''t you all dare get in my way!"


    "No! Let them get the taste of my power."


    "I will destroy them in a second! ¡­


    The overconfident geniuses, fueled by their belief in their superiority, challenged these monsters without hesitation. -WHOOSH! -BANG!


    It didn''t take long for reality to set in. Their first confrontation was with the Griffin.


    "I''ve got this!" proimed one of the geniuses, charging at the Griffin with unwavering confidence. "I want to try my new power against that Hydra!" another overconfident genius dered, his eyes filled with the same reckless confidence as the other guy. He charged towards the Hydra, expecting to overpower it with his superior strength.


    The Rank-A + genius who wants to fight with Griffin jumped into the air with its spears ready. He was so blinded by his new power that he didn''t even care that the monster in front of him was Rank-S.


    "HHAAAA!"


    He struck with everything he had and believed that the monster in front of him would be demolished.


    But the Griffin, a Rank-S creature with centuries of experience, was not to be underestimated. It swiftly dispatched the overconfident genius with a single swipe of its talon.


    -BANG!


    The geniuses who went to challenge the Hydra weren''t faring any better. Multiple geniuses had gone to fight with Hydra.


    However, the Hydra, with its multiple heads, proved to be an even greater challenge. As the group of geniuses reached the beast, the Hydra unleashed its devastating breath attack, releasing torrents of venomous gas from its multiple heads. The geniuses were caughtpletely off guard, and before they could react, the toxic fumes overwhelmed them. They screamed in pain as the venom seeped into their body, and they fell to the ground. It was only with the timely help of Aranic and the guards that the group of geniuses were saved.


    Aranic and other Rank-S took it upon themselves to fight with Hydra and prevent it from killing the unconscious geniuses.


    On the other hand, Amelia, Lisa, and some other healers went over to help those geniuses with the poison.


    In any case, it was good that the group of geniuses who were nning on fighting with Thunderw Dragon saw the state of their friend and realized who they were nning to fight that they stopped in their tracks.


    They watched in shock as theirrade fell. They realized that their new powers didn''t grant them immunity from danger. Panic set in, and they started to back off a little.


    It didn''t take long for the overconfident geniuses to realize that their new ranks didn''t make them invincible.


    Otherwise, with the Thunderw Dragon''s electrifying attacks, they would be dead in one move. It was a colossal beast, far beyond the capabilities of the overconfident geniuses. Their powers were meaningless against its might. Only one attack was needed from the Thunderw Dragon to end their lives.


    After all, Thunderw Dragon was Rank-S +!


    Nock Fletcher reacted well as he went over to confront the Thunderw Dragon. In that group, perhaps only he and Mia had the capabilities to fight off Thunderw Dragon.


    Although Amelia, Princess Elenia, and Seraphine were all in the same rank as Thunderw Dragon, they didn''t really know about their new strength.


    An experienced Rank-S + Vs a newly promoted Rank-S +, the result was easy to see. In addition, one attack is all it takes to seriously injure even Rank-S +.


    Nock Fletcher went to confront Thunderw Dragon while Mia went over to defeat Hydra. Against poison monsters, Ice was the most effective.


    Even if she was poisoned, she could significantly slow down the effect of the poison with her ice Energy.


    Not only those three powerful monsters but there were also many other monsters ranging from Rank-B to Rank-S +.


    In that fight, several geniuses struggled, and many sustained injuries. The fact that they were reckless and wasted most of their energies and mana in their previous fight also made it harder for them to fight those monsters at full power.


    Zero and HIro''s group also fought with the monsters. Zero didn''t really fight very hard previously as most of the time, other geniuses would defeat the monster before he had the chance.


    So, Zero still has his full strength. Zero effortlessly took care of any Rank-A monsters that came his way towards him. Even Rank-S - wasn''t spared as he could defeat them quite easily.


    His speed could overwhelm them and he would use his powerful attack. With Rank-S mana stat, there was no need to worry about his mana running out, so he could go full strength without worrying much.


    Of course, he also didn''t waste his mana like those reckless geniuses who would overuse their mana. But he also didn''t shy away from using it when he needed to.


    He was also able to somewhat gauge his own abilities. With his new profound strength, Zero didn''t think taking on Rank-S + monsters would be too much for him.


    Although he didn''t need to do that at the moment. They still had Princess Elenia and Seraphine who would handle most Rank-S monsters and as for Rank-S + monsters, it was only Thunderw Dragon.


    So, he still needs to wait before fully knowing whether he could take on Rank-S + monsters without Dark Energy and Ancient Dragon''s Wrath.


    Hiro and his group weren''t doing too bad. With their ascension to Rank A, Zion, Sylvia, and Misha could easily take on monsters of the same rank.


    Hiro was even able to defeat Rank-S - monster albeit he struggled a bit. Even so, he was able to defeat the Rank-S monster without the use of the System.


    Anyway, it took a while but the group of geniuses and guards were able to defeat almost every monster who attacked them.


    There were some monsters who managed to escape but it was not a big deal. Anyways, that fight was fierce and more brutal than any fight until now.


    If not for the advancement of the Ranks of the geniuses, maybe they would be dead. However, advancement of the rank was also the reason why they had to struggle so much.


    Nevertheless, the battle ended in their victory!


    N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 508 Returning To Eldoria! [2]

    Chapter 508 Returning To Eldoria! [2]


    Inside the Elven''s Royal Castle, there were only two people in the meeting room.


    "ra, what about Zero Elea?"


    King Tranduil asked ra. At the moment when the geniuses were out to go to the Luminary Spring, King Tranduil and ra were having a discussion.


    They talked about the geniuses and their potential. ra already knew about most of them and seemed to have an idea about their power and what they would achieve in the future.


    And of course, that includes Hiro and his group which will garner a lot of attention in the future due to their insane talents.


    ra already had a list that was simr to King Tranduil''s which kept a record of geniuses with very high potential.


    That''s when King Tranduil asked about Zero Elea, one of the people who was at the very top of his list.


    With his ability to defeat Rank-S - and fight with Elenia, King Tranduil had no doubt that he would be very powerful in the future.


    And he assumed ra would know exactly how strong he was and would be!


    "Zero Elea? Who is that?"


    ra, however, was rather confused and asked. Unlike King Tranduil, ra didn''t have the name Zero Elea on his list. "Huh? Didn''t you see anyone with that name?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    King Tranduil asked confusedly.


    "Not Really!"


    ra replied.


    "But he is very talented and better than many geniuses. In fact, he might be stronger than Mia Frostine when he returns. Even your Hiro Ernest didn''t seem as good as him!"


    King Tranduil said.


    He had a feeling that with the help of Luminary Spring, Zero might just end up bing the strongest person, however, that was just a feeling and he knew that it would all depend on his luck and talent.


    "Really? I don''t believe it!"


    ra answered. She didn''t think that anyone would exceed the talent of Hiro, this was because he had seen the future where Hiro became ridiculously strong.


    To the point that ra expects that Hiro might even go beyond the rank of SSS. Well, that was his guess and he couldn''t see that far in the future.


    In any case, because of what she had already seen, she was adamant that no one couldpare to Hiro and his talent.


    Another reason was that she wasn''t present most of the time to watch the battle of the geniuses and didn''t really see Zero''s real power. At most, she woulde to watch the battle of Hiro and others whom she knew and wasn''t really interested in other people. If she did then even with what she knows, she would have agreed with King Tranduil''s statement without any doubts.


    Anyway, she didn''t believe King Tranduil and thought that he was just ignorant of HIro''s power and what he would achieve.


    "I''m puzzled why you don''t know Zero Elea, even though you know many others. But I truly believe he''s got the talent to be one of the strongest. Maybe, just maybe, he''s the one who can save us when the cmity strikes."


    King Tranduil said. He didn''t know why but he just got that feeling.


    "In any case, we will know when theye back!"


    ra said. She was also curious to see just who was the person who could make King Tranduil say those words.


    "I am also looking forward to it. I hope they bring us some good surprises. Otherwise, all our effort will be in vain!"


    ******


    "What were you thinking?"


    Aranic yelled to the group of geniuses who previously rushed towards those Rank-S monsters and got beaten up. With Amelia and others healing them, they had recovered quickly.


    "..."


    Those geniuses quietly stayed quiet with their heads down. They couldn''t retort as they knew that it was their own fault and Aranic was the one who saved them. So withoutining, they were listening to Aranic scolding them. However, if they weren''t defeated, they wouldn''t have been willing to listen to any of this.


    Aranic''s stern gaze swept across the group of geniuses, his expression a mixture of frustration and disappointment. The aftermath of the battle against the formidable monsters left the once overconfident geniuses battered and humbled.


    "You all, have you learned nothing from the tournament? Always remember there is someone stronger than you." Aranic''s voice resonated with authority. "Your newfound powers do not make you invincible. There''s a reason we warned you to be cautious and not to act recklessly."


    He approached the group, his eyes fixed on those who had been particrly overconfident. The overzealous genius who challenged the Griffin and the others who thought they could easily handle the Hydra and Thunderw Dragon were now nursing wounds.


    The geniuses, who were once filled with arrogance, now shifted ufortably under Aranic''s scrutiny. They exchanged nces, without being able to say anything to make their action look better.


    "Understanding your own strength and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents is crucial."


    "Power without wisdom is a dangerous weapon," Aranic continued, his tone unwavering. "You were lucky this time that we were here to save you, but luck won''t always be on your side."


    The geniuses, who were once filled with arrogance, now shifted ufortably under Aranic''s scrutiny. They exchanged nces, without being able to say anything to make their action look better.


    "Understanding your own strength and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents is crucial."


    Aranic lectured.


    Aranic''s words were like a cold shower, waking the geniuses from their illusions of grandeur. Zero and others who weren''t so hot-headed, just stood by the side and waited for Aranic to finish lecturing them.


    Some found it funny, especially those who were weaker than those geniuses. At least, they knew their own limit and didn''t recklessly head charge like them and almost kill.


    Now those same arrogant geniuses were getting scolded. So they watched those arrogant geniuses getting lectured with a hint of smugness.


    "Please, keep this in mind and don''t make the same mistake again."


    *SIGH!


    Aranic wanted to scold some more but decided against it. Although they had eliminated all the monsters that had attacked them, it didn''t mean there wouldn''t be more.


    This wasn''t an ideal ce for him to take his time and lecture this group of geniuses.


    He could just hope that these words and the consequences of their action would prevent them from being reckless again.


    "Okay! Let''s move forward. We don''t have the luxury of time to dwell on this further," Aranic sighed, his frustration evident. "But remember, the next time you act recklessly, you might not be as fortunate."

 Chapter 509 Back To Eldoria

    Chapter 509 Back To Eldoria


    The group of geniuses, having received Aranic''s stern warning, nodded silently, their expressions a mix of embarrassment and realization. The air was tense as they continued their journey through the treacherous terrain. The once carefree atmosphere had been reced by a newfound sense of caution.


    Well, it was good as now they didn''t recklessly charge which previously caused a lot of headaches for Aranic and other guards.


    In any case, the journey has been smooth. Now with the geniuses being careful in addition to their increased power, there were not many things that posed a threat to this group.


    Even if the attack of the same level as earlier happened, they would not struggle as much as earlier and would be able to easily handle the situation. However, there were not many attacks on that scale and even though the road was considered very dangerous, at the moment, it was no different than a normal road for this group of people.


    "It looks like we are reaching Eldoria."


    "I can''t wait to hone my skills further. I never thought that I could be so strong in such a short period of time."


    "Hehe¡­ I can''t wait to brag to my brother about my new profound strength. He will die of jealousy." ¡­


    The group of geniuses was in a good mood since they were finally getting to Eldoria. As the group of geniuses saw the sight of Eldoria, the air was filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation.


    They were behaving like before though there was no arrogance and also seemed quite cautious which was a good thing. Aranic and others were also very relieved when they finally exited the dangerous terrain and all that was left to do was walk before they would reach Eldoria. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ******


    The gates of Eldoria swung open as the group of geniuses, led by Aranic, returned from their perilous journey. King Tranduil, Queen, and ra along with Royal guards and maids were waiting at the entrance of the royal castle to wee them.


    "Wee back!" King Tranduil eximed, his regal voice echoing through the courtyard. Aranic along with Elven guards and geniuses bowed down in the presence of the king.


    "Your Majesty!" Aranic spoke, "I am pleased to report that my mission has been fulfilled sessfully. The geniuses have safely reached the Luminary Spring and returned."


    King Tranduil nodded happily. He knew that the mission he assigned to Aranic was not easy. Not to mention the dangerous path and monsters that he needed to face, there was also the behavior of geniuses that Aranic needed to worry about.


    To be able to bring everyone back safely was worth an achievement!


    "Good Job, Aranic! You will be rewarded for your hard work."


    "Your praise is the greatest reward, Your Majesty!"


    King Tranduil, with a keen gaze, then proceeded to scan through the group of geniuses. He observed their expressions, noting the changes that had urred during their journey. He thought that they would be much more arrogant or would at least look more confident but it was the exact opposite. Although King Tranduil didn''t understand what the reason was, he thought that it was good since overconfidence wasn''t good.


    Not only the way they looked, but King Tranduil was also very happy with the progress that the geniuses were able to achieve. Almost everyone had broken through Rank-B and reached Rank-A. And the number of Rank-S has also increased considerably.


    But what surprised King Tranduil more was Mia who had broken through to Rank-SS.


    ( I didn''t expect anybody would be able to break through Rank-SS. It was really unexpected! )


    King Tranduil thought. Who would believe that someone in the group whom he was only betting on their future would be able to achieve one of the highest ranks?


    It was truly astonishing for King Tranduil but more than that he was happy that their n was working better than they expected.


    Of course, it was not only Mia that he was surprised by. Hiro and his group have also managed to surprise King Tranduil quite a bit though not as much as Mia Frostine.


    ( Oh ho! Hiro Ernest really is a rare talent. He was able to achieve so muchpared to others. Just like ra said, he might really be very powerful in the future. However, he still has a very long way to go.)


    Although Hiro Ernest is definitely someone one would want to keep their eyes on, however, it wasn''t veryparable to what Mia had achieved.


    Sure, Hiro could be very powerful, maybe the strongest. But that was ''could'' while Mia could already be considered one of the strongest and she still has a very long way to go before she would reach her limits.


    So between Hiro and Mia, King Tranduil was more confident in Mia. On the other hand, ra was only looking at the progress of the geniuses and was quite d. However, her focus was still on Hiro and his group.


    ( Hmmm¡­. As I thought, Hiro Ernest is the only hope to save us all from our doomed future. )


    ra thought. She was more than satisfied with what Hiro was able to achieve. She was also nning to further increase his power in theing days along with his friends who will also be pivotal for the future.


    ( Mia Frostine¡­ So she was able to reach Rank-SS! That is quite a surprise though she did seem to have such potential. )


    ra was also surprised by Mia''s new rank, however, it seems that in her eyes, she still didn''t consider Mia to have as much potential as Hiro.


    Although she knows that Rank-SS is quite powerful, but she knows that it is still not enough to save them from their future cmity. She knew that they needed power beyond that of Rank-SS and thought that only Hiro Ernest would be able to achieve that in the limited time that they had.


    She then proceeded to look at the group of geniuses. Although their progress was great, she wasn''t particrly impressed until her eyes caught sight of someone.


    "W-Wh-"


    ra almost yelled out but was able to contain her voice. ( WHO? Just who is he? )


    ra shouted in her mind as her eyes widened in surprise. The person she was talking about was Zero. She was casually just checking the progress of the geniuses and most of them were what she predicted.


    However, there was someone she didn''t recognize but was very strong, stronger than Hiro despite being younger.

 Chapter 510 Zeros Shocking Growth!

    510 Zero''s Shocking Growth!


    ra''s eyes remained fixed on Zero, someone who she didn''t recognize but was far more powerful than many of the geniuses including Hiro.


    Looking at the appearance, ra was able to make out that Zero was younger or was of simr age to Hiro. But Zero hadpletely outranked Hiro who she thought was the most talented.


    ra stared at Zero for a few more seconds before turning her head towards King Tranduil to ask about Zero.


    However, when she turned her head, she noticed King Tranduil having a stunned expression with his eyes widened. And the direction he was looking at was Zero.


    Despite huge expectation, even King Tranduil didn''t expect that Zero would go from Rank-A to Rank-S -.


    King Tranduil obviously wanted to know Zero''s progress since he wanted to prove to ra that Zero was also someone that they needed to keep their eyes on.


    However, Zero''s progress was far greater than what he thought which left him stunned. However, King Tranduil quickly regained hisposure. He couldn''t stay stunned with a dumbfounded expression in front of so many people. ra was also setting aside her curiosity and doubts for the moment. "Ahem! Esteemed geniuses, you have performed admirably in returning safely from your perilous journey," King Tranduil, regal in his bearing, addressed the gathered group with amanding presence.


    "In addition to the triumphant return, it is evident that each one of you has undergone remarkable growth and improvement. I extend my heartfelt congrattions to each and every one of you."


    The king''s words echoed through the courtyard, and a sense of pride and aplishment filled the air. The geniuses stood with a newfound sense of confidence.


    "As a token of our appreciation for your efforts and achievements, I dere a grand celebration in your honor. Let the festivitiesmence, and may this joyous asion mark the beginning of even greater aplishments for every one of you!"


    *******


    The geniuses dispersed as they needed to rest for a while before attending the celebration that King Tranduil prepared for them.


    Princess Elenia quickly went to her father''s side as his speech ended.


    "I have reached Rank-S + peak. It wouldn''t be long before I ascend to Rank-SS -."


    Princess Elenia excitedly talked about her progress and improvement while also bragging about how she killed some powerful monster on the way. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I just gave one punch and those monsters were trembling in fear." ¡­


    Despite Elenia''s bragging, King Tranduil felt that her bragging wascklusterpared to her usual ones.


    Usually she will talk about how powerful and talented she was and how she will eventually be the strongest. Although she was still bragging, there was no suchment as being the most talented or strongest. And it was obvious to see why as well. With Mia breaking through Rank-SS - and Zero breaking through to Rank-S -, it would be hard for even Princess Elenia to believe that she was the unparalleled genius she thought she was.


    Princess Elenia tried to act like usual, but in reality, she was still deep in thought, grappling with the realization that her two rivals were exhibiting a level of growth that far surpassed her own.


    Even if she was arrogant, she wasn''t stupid and knew that Mia at the moment could defeat her easily. And there was also a big chance that Zero might also be able to defeat her, now that he was at Rank-S -.


    This was a big hit to Princess Elenia''s confidence though she tried her best to hide it and not think much about it.


    King Tranduil, who knew his daughter well, obviously noticed this and was also able toe to a simr conclusion for her unusual behavior.


    He knew that Princess Elenia might be disheartened to see her growth being less than that of Mia and Zero. Even so, King Tranduil didn''t think that it was a bad thing. One should always ept reality and know that there is always someone better. However, he recognized the need to address the issue if it became bigger and Elenia were to lose confidence in herself.


    It wasn''t good to be overconfident but it was also not very good if one were to lose confidence in oneself.


    Princess Elenia chatted with King Tranduil for a few minutes before getting dragged away by the queen who needed to freshen up Elenia.


    After the queen took Elenia away, King Tranduil was finally alone with ra. They had already decided previously to discuss and share what they thought after seeing the geniuses progres.


    But when they were finally alone and it was time for discussion, they were silent instead of discussing about what they thought. It was because both of them were in deep thought about Zero''s new rank.


    ra doesn''t know about Zero and she didn''t even know the person she was curious about is Zero. King Tranduil, on the other hand, knew about Zero and was more surprised about his progress. To go from Rank-A to Rank-S - wasn''t easy and to be able to achieve it at that age was unheard about.


    King Tranduil didn''t think that even thest Rank-SSS of the Human Race was able to be Rank-S - at Zero''s age.


    "King Tranduil, just who is that child?"


    ra finally asked. In her lifetime, she had seen many people and heard of many things. There was also her ability to see the future due to which she hade to know many people.


    In her lifetime, at least three humans were able to be Rank-SSS and even among them, she couldn''t remember anyone who was able to achieve Rank-S - before the age of 20.


    Not only that, even the future Hiro was only able to be Rank-S - when he was in his twenties.


    Although right now, because of her intervention, Hiro''s progress has sped up and he might also be Rank-S - before the age of 20, still it was a big surprise that there is someone who was able to achieve that.


    ra asked King Tranduil and she didn''t need to mention any other thing as she knew King Tranduil would know who she was talking about.


    "He is Zero Elea. The one I mentioned before."


    King Tranduil answered.


    "Zero Elea?" she repeated, recalling King Tranduil talking about him. At that moment, she didn''t do much of it as she was pretty confident that there would be no one who woulde close to Zero in terms of talent.


    But now, she was having second thoughts regarding that.


    ( I can''t believe that there is someone who is more talented than Hiro Ernest. But why didn''t I hear anything about him in the future? )


    ra thought. If there was indeed someone who is more talented than Hiro Ernest, ra was sure that she would have at least heard about him once.


    But she couldn''t remember hearing that name at all.


    ( Maybe in the future something happened to him? )


    ra thought. This was the only conclusion that she coulde up with. Although talented, she thought that maybe in the future, Zero met some disaster which might have killed him or made him useless which could be the reason why he is unknown in the future.


    This was the case for many people. Not every talented person will be able to shine in the future. Although their progress might have been fast when they were young, it didn''t mean that every one of them will achieve something in the future.


    There were many unknown variables that would obstruct them inthe future. Which is why ra was very confident in Hiro as he would be able to achieve great things in the future.


    "So what do you think? Do you still believe that Hiro Ernest is unparalleled and we should solely rely on him?"

 Chapter 511 Zeros Shocking Growth! [2]

    511 Zero''s Shocking Growth! [2]


    "So what do you think? Do you still believe that Hiro Ernest is unparalleled and we should solely rely on him?"


    "..."


    ra pondered King Tranduil''s question for a moment, her mindparing the current strength of Hiro and Zero. "King Tranduil," ra began thoughtfully, "Zero''s emergence has indeed challenged my previous convictions. His rapid ascent to Rank-S - at such a young age is unprecedented, and it raises questions about the potential he holds. However, talent alone does not determine the course of one''s destiny."


    She knew that what Zero was able to achieve could make him perhaps even more talented than Hiro. But still, she was convinced that Hiro would outgrow Zero and eventuallye on top.


    "Hiro Ernest, despite the challenges he faced, has a unique set of qualities and determination that cannot be easily dismissed. He possesses resilience and adaptability that might prove invaluable in the face of unforeseen obstacles. It''s true that Zero has surprised me, but we must not discount the importance of character, experience, and the ability to navigate theplexities of the future."


    King Tranduil nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in ra''s words. "You raise a valid point, ra. Talent alone may not guarantee sess, and Hiro''s journey is still unfolding. However, we cannot ignore the potential that Zero brings to the table. We must consider all possibilities and be prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead."


    King Tranduil answered. He knows that ra knows more than him and has seen many things that he couldn''t.


    He thought that the fact that ra trusted Hiro meant that he would grow to be a very powerful individual and he was actually happy that ra thought like this as this meant that Hiro still had vast potential that he couldn''t see.


    However, that doesn''t mean that he will trust ra more than his gut either. He felt that Zero also has many potential that he has yet to show.


    "King Tranduil, I am not looking down on Zero or anything but I suggest that you don''t get your hopes up."


    ra said seriously. "As you know I have seen much of the future and know about most of the geniuses that have gathered here."


    King Tranduil nodded. He was skeptical at the start but now he was convinced that ra wasn''t wrong about these individuals.


    "However, in the future that I saw, I have never heard or seen Zero."


    ra continued.


    "This means that either in the future, he will get killed or maybe it means that his potential isn''t as good as his speed of ranking up. We might be able to prevent it if it is the former one but what if it is thetter?"


    "..."


    "If it ister, then maybe his limit is Rank-S and he might not be able to grow stronger than this.


    ra exined. Although rare, there are cases of some geniuses ranking up at the start of their childhood butter, they will stop growing.


    And of course, vice-versa was also possible. Although their growth might be slow during their childhood, eventually, they will reach Rank-SS and even Rank-SSS.


    So ra was pointing out that maybe Zero''s limit was only Rank-S because of which she didn''t hear about Zero in the future she has seen.


    "Hmmm¡­ Maybe what you say is correct but we cannot simply let go of such amazing potential just because of some spection. We shall observe these geniuses, especially Zero, Mia, and Hiro. And decide who shall receive that."


    ******


    King Tranduil, pleased with the sess of the mission and the growth of the geniuses, decided to hold a grand celebration in the castle for all the geniuses to enjoy.


    It was something that was in preparation since the geniuses left and many Elves have worked hard to make the celebration as grand as possible.


    The long tables wereden with a variety of delicious dishes, and the air echoed withughter and cheerful conversations.


    Many of the geniuses, despite being of different races seem to have be somewhat of a friend and rival.


    There were already a lot of geniuses who considered one another rivals after the tournament of geniuses and then they fought together during their journey towards Luminary Spring and became friends.


    Hiro was one of the most popr people at the celebration as always. He was not only one of the most talented people but he was kind and easy to talk to. And unlike Zero or Mia, Hiro was at Rank-A which meant that other geniuses werefortable talking with Hiro.


    As for Zero, his personality already hinders people from approaching him. And there was also the incident of him beating down Elrond mercilessly.


    To add to that, Zero has ascended to Rank-S. So, even if one wanted to talk to him, they were a bit scared to talk to him because of his strength.


    What if they pissed him off and he beat them down? Such questions were raised through many of the geniuses and they avoided Zeropletely.


    Of course, there are also exceptions like Gimli, the strongest dwarf.


    "Zero Elea! You have reached Rank-S -. How about a match with me? I want to see just how strong you have be."


    Gimli asked Zero. Despite not having any prior conversation or anything like this, Gimli was honest about what he wanted.


    It seems like he was impressed by Zero''s skill and wanted to check for himself. Dwarf is very self-center, doesn''t care much about others'' opinions, and just does what they feel like.


    Gimli was the same. He didn''t think about other stuff and directly talked to Zero about what he wanted.


    "M-Maybe if we get a chance!"


    Zero replied. He was surprised when he was suddenly called out by Gimli and even more so when Gimli talked about sparring with him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Gimli had advanced to Rank-S from his initial Rank-S - and although Zero didn''t want to really fight with Gimli, he didn''t think rejecting Gimli would have a very good oue since Dwarf are known to be very persistent.


    So, Zero neither rejected his request nor epted it.


    "Okay! That''s a promise. Let''s fight to our heart''s content!"

 Chapter 512 Opportunity!

    512 Opportunity!


    Although not many people approached Zero, it didn''t mean that others weren''t interested in Zero. Being Rank-S at that age plus being able to stay in Luminary Spring for a long period of time, he was someone that many thought was talent on par or even surpassed Hiro. So, there were definitely many people interested in Zero.


    Many were keeping their eyes on him and some even wanted to talk with him butcked the confidence. Even so, it didn''t seem like either Zero or Hiro were the main stars of the party. There was someone who had grabbed the attention of almost all the people and that was none other than Mia.


    Not only was she the winner of the tournament between the geniuses but also the only one to advance to Rank-SS. However, that wasn''t why many eyes were on her.


    "Wow, Mia is absolutely stunning. I can''t take my eyes off her."


    "Have you ever seen someone so effortlessly beautiful? It''s like she stepped out of a dream." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Her elegance is unparalleled." ¡­


    Even the Elves and Aasimars who prided themselves on being beautiful felt inferior when in front of Mia. It didn''t matter whether you were a boy or a girl, whether you were a human or a devil, anyone could be easily captivated by Mia''s beauty.


    It was all due to Mia''s grade SSS beauty. Previously, even though she was already very beautiful, she kept wearing her battle attire which diminished her charm.


    But this time, she wore a different outfit which suited the party. She wore a beautiful formal gown whichplements her beauty.


    Mia Frostine''s dress was a breathtaking ensemble that perfectlyplemented her ethereal beauty and the enchanting aura of ice magic that surrounded her. The gown appeared to be crafted from delicate, shimmering ice-blue fabric, with intricate frost-like patterns subtly embroidered along the edges. The dress flowed gracefully around her, creating an illusion of frozen elegance.


    The bodice of the gown was adorned with intricate crystals that sparkled like ice crystals catching the light. The neckline was modest yet alluring, framing her features with a touch of sophistication. As she moved, the hem of her dress seemed to trail behind her like a frosty train, leaving a subtle frosty mist in her wake. With her beauty plus the attire that suited her, people can''t help but asionally nce in her direction.


    "Hehe¡­ Mia, looks like even other races couldn''t withstand your beauty!"


    Amelia, while observing the crowd''s reaction to Mia, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of amusement mixed with a hint ofpetitiveness.


    Although she also received manypliments from other geniuses but it was not muchpared to Mia.


    Although she never felt the need topare her appearance to anyone, even so, she felt somewhatcking when standing next to Mia.


    This was especially true for her since even Zero seemed to have been charmed by Mia''s beauty. Amelia noticed Zero nced towards Mia twice and she was sure that even Zero couldn''t resist Mia''s beauty.


    As the night progressed, King Tranduil took center stage, raising his ss for a toast. The room fell silent as all eyes turned towards the elven king.


    "To the brave geniuses who have not only survived the treacherous journey but have also grown in strength and wisdom! May your achievements be a beacon for others to follow," King Tranduil proimed, and the hall erupted in cheers.


    During this, ra would asionally nce at Zero. She was still trying to remember whether she had ever seen Zero''s face in her memories but there was none.


    She tried to be subtle about her observation, however, she didn''t know that Zero already knew that she was staring at him.


    He could already think of why she was staring at him and although it was ufortable, he decided to ignore it. King Tranduil also took this moment to announce something. King Tranduil cleared his throat, and the cheers gradually subsided. The air was charged with anticipation as the elven king continued, "In recognition of your exceptional talents and the bond forged during this period, the Elves extend an invitation. We are willing to share our ancient knowledge, our Art, with those among you who seek to deepen their understanding of magic and wisdom."


    A murmur of excitement spread through the crowd. The prospect of learning from the Elves, known for their mastery of magic and ancient wisdom, was a rare and invaluable opportunity. The geniuses exchanged nces, some visibly intrigued by the proposition. It is not every day that one gets to learn from another race and it was Elven Art that was going to be taught.


    In terms of mana controls, no race was better than Elves. More so were their archery skills which are definitely the best in the world.


    However, as much as there was excitement, there was also disappointment. For many, archery wasn''t their main weapon. So, the excitement to learn that wasn''t great except for people like Sylvia who use them.


    As for mana control, although it would be very beneficial if they could learn, the question was will they be able to?


    Each race has its own way of learning and it was unknown whether other races could learn Elves Art. In addition, the time taken for one to learn those arts will be too long.


    Rather than trying to learn something new, it might be more advantageous if they focus on what they already know and enhance them.


    "If any of you wish to embrace this opportunity, you are wee to stay in Eldoria for a few more months," King Tranduil announced, his eyes scanning the room to gauge the reactions of the geniuses.


    King Tranduil concluded his announcement with a warm smile, "The choice is yours, brave geniuses. Eldoria wees you all to learn with us. May your time here be enlightening and fruitful."


    In any case, it seems like it is up to the geniuses to decide. As the geniuses deliberated on this unexpected opportunity, the atmosphere in the grand hall became charged with a new energy, a blend of anticipation and the promise of further growth.

 Chapter 513 Opportunity! [2]

    513 Opportunity! [2]


    The geniuses exchanged nces, their minds buzzing with possibilities. The opportunity to learn from the Elves was unprecedented, and the potential for growth was immense. For some, the prospect of delving into Elven knowledge was irresistible, a chance to unlock new depths of power and understanding. For others, the decision was moreplex, weighing the benefits against the time and effort required.


    "Should I?"


    "Ah! If only this was proposed by the Dwarven kingdom. Learning bow and control mana seem useless to someone like me who uses axe weapons."


    "I want to learn but I think that it would be useless since I am already quite used to the method taught by my elders." ¡­


    It seems like, after much thinking, not many geniuses seemed to want to take the offer. After all, unless they were using bow and arrow, they didn''t think that there was much merit in learning Elven Arts.


    Moreover, many believe that Elves wouldn''t be really willing to teach good things or those Arts which are really powerful.


    Hiro nced around at hispanions, a determined gleam in his eyes. "I think we should seize this opportunity, don''t you all agree? This chance may note again. Even if archery and mana control aren''t my specialties, the knowledge and skills I gain could prove invaluable in the future."


    Hiro said. "I''m definitely in. Learning from the Elves? That''s a chance I can''t pass up. Think about all the knowledge I could get. No way I am passing up this opportunity."


    Sylvia said. As an archer, the Elven knowledge was very much suited to her and it could elevate her already brilliant archery skill to the next level. After all, no race is better at archery than Elves.


    "Certainly! I was already fascinated by Elf''s magic. The chance to learn Elven magic doesn''te along every day. It would be a privilege to delve into their ancient knowledge and traditions."


    Lisa also didn''t have any objection. Having already seen how efficient and powerful Elven magic was in the fighting contest, Lisa knew that learning them would surely help her.


    Zion, although he wasn''t very enthusiastic about it as there wasn''t much he could gain, but he didn''t object. Zion thought who knows, maybe Elven Art might have something that might help him be stronger.


    In any case, Hiro and his group were fully nning to stay and learn Elven Art.


    Of course, for Hiro and anyone his age, learning such Art was a great opportunity. Unlike others, they were young and could make use of new knowledge.


    Even if the Elven teachings aren''t veryplimentary to their fighting style, there was no real loss for them to learn new things.


    Zero, on the other hand, remained stoic. While he acknowledged the value of the Elves'' knowledge, he didn''t think that there was any need for him to stay behind to learn Elven Art. Nevertheless, he observed the reactions of his fellow geniuses with a keen interest. He could obviously tell that Hiro and his group would stay behind. With the help of Elves, Zero predicted that their power would increase again, especially Lisa and Sylvia.


    Mia, radiant in her SSS beauty, appeared contemtive. The allure of mastering Elven magic was tempting, but her eyes flickered with a hint of uncertainty. However, whether she wants to or not, it seems like she would need to stay behind. If any of her students or former students stayed behind, she would feel responsible for their safety and there was no doubt that she would stay behind.


    Amelia didn''t seem to think much about what King Tranduil proposed. She wasn''t very keen on learning but the prospect of being able to explore Eldoria more certainly interested her. For Amelia, whether she wants to stay behind or not will solely depend on Zero and Mia. If they stayed, she was also nning to stay but if neither did, then she also wouldn''t.


    For someone like her who had been trained since young, there was no happiness in being able to get stronger.


    The Geniuses discussed and most of them seemed to have made a decision whether they wanted to stay behind and learn from Elves or go back home.


    King Tranduil, patient and wise, observed the room with a knowing smile. He understood the weight of the decision before the geniuses and respected their individual paths. He was ready to share Elven''s knowledge in order to strengthen the geniuses for the safety of the future. However, it didn''t mean that he would force them.


    "As I see the deliberations among you, it is clear that this decision weighs heavily on each of your hearts," King Tranduil spoke, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "Know that the offer to stay and learn from the Elves is extended to those who feel drawn to it. We do not seek to coerce or pressure anyone into this path."


    He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "For those who choose to embark on this journey, know that your time in Eldoria will be met with dedication and sincerity. We shallmence the teachings three days hence, allowing you time to prepare yourselves for the rigors of our training."


    A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd as the geniuses absorbed the King''s words. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We shall focus not only on Elven archery and mana control but also on our broader fighting arts and skills," King Tranduil elucidated, his gaze sweeping over the assembled geniuses.


    "Our techniques have been honed over millennia, refined through countless battles and trials. It is our hope that you will find value in what we have to offer."


    With a regal nod, King Tranduil concluded, "Those who wish to remain and learn, know that you are wee in Eldoria. May your time here be enlightening and fruitful, and may you emerge stronger for the challenges that lie ahead."


    King Tranduil said as he left the grand hall with ra and his guards.


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