19

The arrival of the monks felt like a breath of fresh air, lifting the gloom and giving everyone in the school a glimmer of hope. Suddenly, a seemingly unimportant wooden board outside the school was quietly pushed aside, revealing a dark gap. Out popped Principal Zhang, leading the remaining villagers from a narrow underground passage.

This passage had been secretly built when the school was constructed, leading to a small but sturdy basement. Inside, long wooden benches were lined up, enough to hide around twenty people. The villagers emerged one by one, like sardines packed in a tin, pale and shaken but alive.

Caron raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes,"So, they've been hiding right under our noses?"

Sebastian, uninterested in the villagers, locked his gaze on the old monk at the front, a playful smirk on his lips,"Are you the strongest fighter here?"

The old monk shaked his head slightly, his voice calm,"I only chant scriptures, not fight."

"Then who among you is the best fighter?"

From the back of the crowd, an elderly man walked forward, holding a corn cob pipe, looking indifferent,"That would be me."

This was Elder Yang. Jordan had found his grandfather trapped in a dry well on his way back to the village. He had rescued him, but instead of returning to the village, the old man insisted they go back to the school, determined to teach Jordan something. Jordan had no idea what he could learn from a granddad who'd been stuck in a well.

Back at the school battleground, Sebastian sized up Elder Yang, his eyes full of contempt. He sneered,"You? The strongest? Why are you so short?"

Elder Yang chuckled,"You asked about skill, not height."

Sebastian snorted, more disdainful,"Ha, ancient techniques, all outdated, just for show. Real combat isn't your thing."

He pointed to Nyx's armour,"See his armour? No matter how hard you hit, you can't damage it."

He then pointed at Caron's antique master's robe with a slight smile,"And this robe has an embedded smart system that calculates the best attack and defense moves instantly. What can you do against that?"

Caron frowned, obviously displeased with Sebastian revealing their secrets but kept silent since the boss was the boss.

"But—" Sebastian drew out the word, his smile widening,"What you should really be afraid of is him."

He nodded towards the towering man beside him, a hint of amusement in his tone,"Mars Canon, his true weapon is not just strength but immense—mental power."

The crowd was stunned.

In the next moment, Mars Canon merely stared at Elder Yang, who suddenly floated into the air! An unseen force squeezed him like a giant hand.

"Urgh—!" Elder Yang groaned as he was compressed into a ball and flung into a tree with a dull thud.

Sebastian's group burst into manic laughter.

The monks rushed to help, but the villagers looked grim. Their strongest fighter was defeated instantly... how could this battle continue?

-----------------

"Let's settle this with one round," Sebastian said with a casual wave, seemingly bored. He yawned and glanced around, finally fixing his eyes on Caron.

"Caron, you go."

With a slight smile, Caron stepped forward, striking a pose like a martial arts master, his sleeves fluttering dramatically. But instead of acting, he turned to someone else.

"Nyx, you go," he said nonchalantly.

A silver figure stepped out. Nyx, clad in alien battle armor, looked like a sharp, deadly sword. He walked to the center of the arena, his armor glinting in the light, white hair swirling like wild serpents.

"Wait, we need some ceremony," Sebastian waved his hand, and a low hum filled the air. Everyone felt an invisible force, freezing them in place.

In a flash, a blue beam enveloped them, transporting them to a massive arena inside the invisible spacecraft. Lights shone brightly, as if it was daytime, and in the audience, the old monk sat down, despair etched on his face. The technology was so advanced that they didn't stand a chance.

In the arena, cherry blossoms silently fell, creating a beautiful yet cruel atmosphere. Nyx scanned the crowd, his gaze icy.

"Who's first?" he asked, his voice like a blade cutting through the air.

"I am." A black-haired boy stepped out.

Alex!

His short spear glinting in the light, the tip like the brightest star.

In the corner, Brooke's eyes lit up briefly, then dimmed.

Nyx sneered,"Your skills... not bad. But still far from enough."

He said it calmly, but his tone was dripping with disdain. His hands slowly tightened, short blades in his sleeves gleaming, yet he didn't bother drawing them.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, trying to learn about his opponent.

Nyx's lips curved into a mocking smile,"Me? Like you, I'm an Earthling."

"Earthling?" Alex frowned.

Nyx's smile faded, replaced by a murderous look,"But now, I just want to kill all Earthlings, including you."

"Why? We don't even know each other!"

Nyx looked aside, his white hair wild in the wind, expression cold,"You lower beings, full of deceit, betrayal, slaughter... I'm sick of it. This planet doesn't deserve to exist."

"Don't you have any good memories on Earth?"

After a brief silence,"I did, but they're gone." A flash of pain crossed Nyx's eyes.

"Attack, I won't hold back!"

Without another word, he leaped like a predator from a cliff, aiming to crush Alex's skull with his fingers.

Alex took a deep breath and struck, his spear darting out like lightning towards Nyx's face.

"Foolish."

Nyx smirked, reaching to grab the spear tip, but caught only air!

"A shadow?"

Before he could react, the spear had struck his armor three times! Yet... not a scratch.

They separated quickly, staring each other down once more.

Alex felt a sinking feeling—this guy's armour was indeed impenetrable, except for one weak spot: his face! And his speed was incredible; his fighting style... was uncannily similar to Alex's own.

The battle resumed, both fighters moving like hawks in a storm, their clashes too fast for the eye to follow. The walls around the arena kept crumbling, and the ground was charred black.

The longer it went on, the more anxious Nyx became. Suddenly, he drew a short blade from his sleeve, a cold silver flash aiming straight for Alex's heart! Alex dodged sideways, his short spear splitting into two, forcing Nyx to change his attack path.

Their weapons clashed, sparks flying. The sound of metal against metal was constant, and in mere seconds, they'd exchanged dozens of blows!

Suddenly, Nyx let out a low grunt, a vicious look in his eyes. He raised his short blade high and swung it down, the blade slicing through the air, creating a terrifying wind pressure!

Alex felt a strong sense of danger, gritting his teeth as he gathered all his strength to create a protective barrier. A massive shockwave erupted, cracking the arena walls, sending debris flying—like the apocalypse had arrived.

When the dust settled, the two fighters were ten paces apart again.

Nyx stared at Alex, his cold eyes finally showing a hint of surprise.

This boy... was tougher than he'd imagined.

But what truly shocked him wasn't Alex's strength—it was his fighting style.

Why... can I predict Alex's attack patterns?

Even more alarming, he seemed to be able to predict my moves too!

The storm in the arena finally paused.

After a moment of tense standoff, Sebastian waved his hand, and an invisible force separated them.

"Take a break," his voice echoed.

The air still smelled of battle and blood. Alex stood on one side, leaning on his spear, pale and breathing heavily. Nyx knelt on the ground, his fingers stained with his own blood, frowning, his eyes dark.

Just then, a slender figure stepped into the arena, breaking the brief silence.

Brooke.

She carried a water bottle and a cup, walking towards Nyx with a calm expression, showing no emotion.

"Have some water,sir." she said, offering the bottle, her voice cool.

Nyx's gaze shifted, but he didn't take it. His eyes landed on the bottle, and then he grabbed Brooke's wrist.

"Did you poison my water?" he asked, his tone icy and full of suspicion.

Brooke frowned but didn't struggle. Instead, she calmly looked him in the eye.

"She works for me, you're being paranoid! You don't have to drink it!" boomed the werewolf from afar, a sly glint in his amber eyes.

Nyx noted Brooke's unusually calm demeanor, no denial, no panic.

His eyes roved over her face, his grip tightening slightly as he tried to detect any suspicious details from her expressions.

The air around the arena seemed to freeze, everyone holding their breath, watching the scene.

Brooke remained unafraid, allowing him to hold her wrist, her dark eyes clear and calm, with no sign of fear.

Time seemed to stretch, Nyx staring into her eyes for several seconds.

Finally, he released her hand, slowly took the bottle, and drank deeply, then gave her a complex look.

Without another glance at her, he didn't speak, but his expression was slightly surprised.

Alex's focus wavered for a moment, his thoughts briefly scattered.

"What's going on..." he muttered, confusion and unease flashing in his eyes.

The battle resumed, both fighters momentarily distracted, leading to a deadly mistake—

"Ugh—"

Nyx stumbled back, touching his neck, his hand coming away bloody.

He was hurt.

A thin wound ran from his neck down, nearly severing a major artery!

His face turned dark, white hair disheveled, blood oozing from his mouth, eyes fixed on Alex.

Across from him, the boy was also bleeding, breath ragged, but his eyes were still determined, showing no sign of retreat.

They faced each other, breathing heavily, murderous intent swirling in the air.

Meanwhile, in the audience, Sebastian frowned, his gaze deepening as if he had noticed something unusual.