"No… No… No… I can't do that…" Hector held his head in fear while looking around in nowhere.
Michael simply smiled as looking at Hector's humorous expression.
"I'll let you owe me."
"Damn it! That's not the point!" Hector yelled, his voice brimming with frustration.
"...You can… Now move on!" With those final words, Michael suddenly shoved Hector into the fighting yard.
Just like that, Hector gave in to his cursed fate and stepped into the broad dueling ground ahead, where many other students were cheering excitedly beyond the arena.
"Sighh! Hope the academy's potion is more effective than Kelth grass..."
His concern was understandable — the opponent waiting for him was someone he knew all too well.
It was the muscular guy who had bullied him at lunch earlier — Tom Wolfe.
***
"You think he can do that? Win?" Wren asked, doubt flickering in her eyes.
"You already saw him in the first challenge, didn't you? He's really too weak… no real combat skills. He must've been extremely lucky to pass the earlier test… but that kind of luck won't help in what's coming."
She then glanced at Hector with a touch of pity and sorrow.
"Based on the intel from my clan… the second trial will come sooner than expected. The opposing world is full of prodigies…
He won't have enough time to prepare… It's already too late."
Somehow, without anyone noticing, Wren had taken hold of Michael's left hand. Clearly, she'd seized her opportunity well.
But his hand instantly burst into flames and slipped from her grasp.
"Stop playing like a child…"
Michael sighed under his breath, then looked over at Wren, who was now pouting because he had pushed her away.
A moment later, his gaze returned to Hector in the arena.
"I'm not expecting him to win… I just want him to give it everything he's got… to survive.
And more than that… he kind of reminds me of myself. That's part of why I chose him."
Then, he let a faint smile tug at his lips as he looked at Hector once more.
"Besides, training a born genius is boring… Isn't that what being an instructor is really about?"
"…"
At that moment, Wren froze for a second. Then slowly, she curled into a seductive smile while glancing toward Hector.
"So… want to make a bet?"
…
…
Not only the instructors but also many students were enjoying the match. Some disliked him, others didn't. But most of them wished for his humiliating defeat.
"Do you think… will he win?" Wade asked eagerly, glancing at Violet, who didn't seem very thrilled by the spectacle.
But Violet gave no reply, not even the slightest twitch of her red lips. She barely appeared to be emotional on her face.
Seeing that, Wade just sighed softly and gently stroked the top of Violet's head.
"Don't worry about Tenny, I'll help you…"
She couldn't believe Violet would stay upset for so long over some ugly mutt — even if that damn beast had attacked Violet several times. She still couldn't understand why Tenny had given her such a useless creature. That thing had caused them all kinds of problems during the first trial.
Just imagine how much worse it could've gone if she hadn't planted a tracking device on Violet.
They might've failed the challenge altogether… So, honestly, she felt a strange sense of relief knowing that the dog was gone.
In fact, when she thought about it, she felt somewhat grateful to Hector.
Maybe… she'd help him one day. Maybe… the second challenge would be the right moment.
"Well… I guess his proficiency must be decent," Wade remarked as she observed Hector, trying to evaluate him.
Naturally, anyone would think the same when comparing their classes.
Hector was in Class A, while Tom belonged to Class B.
There were clear disparities between the two groups in many respects.
However, reality soon revealed itself to be the opposite of what everyone had assumed.
"Hmph…" Tom snorted mockingly, turning his eyes toward Hector, the opponent he was determined to crush.
He had joined the first challenge alongside Hector, so he was well aware of Hector's shortcomings. The thought of Hector's unexpected success filled him with both resentment and envy. That was why he had resolved to channel all his fury into this match.
Either way, he had no other option. If he backed out, Haley would certainly punish him, and just imagining that made his body stiffen with fear.
He stood ready, waiting for the signal to begin.
"Are you guys ready?" the instructor asked in a disinterested voice, clearly not thrilled to act as referee.
He added, "Since this is a match between students, I'll prohibit any lethal actions… but everything else is fair game. I can stop things easily — and if I can stop you, it means you've lost."
"Understood?"
"Now! Start!"
In a flash, the instructor vanished and reappeared at the edge of the arena. The center was left to only the two fighters.
"Ready to take my fist, you filthy little rat?"
Tom clenched his fists, eyes locked on Hector with fierce intensity. Under that piercing gaze, Hector couldn't help but feel a hint of unease.
The yard grew utterly still. Tension hung in the air, as if the entire world had narrowed to just the two of them.
"Sigh… all this for some damn money…"
Then, Hector gathered every bit of mana he had, letting it surge through his body, flowing into every cell, every vein.
Yet before he could react further, Tom suddenly vanished from his sight.
A streak of light shot toward him at blistering speed. Though his eyes caught the motion, his body couldn't respond—his mind lagged behind his instincts.
He managed only to squint and raise his right hand in a last-ditch effort to block before the strike landed.
A faint gust, yet carrying immense force, rushed at him—
BAMM.
The blow slammed directly into his raised arm, sending a jolt of searing pain through every nerve.
It felt as though a professional heavyweight fighter had kicked him.
For a terrifying moment, he was certain his arm was shattered-or worse.
His body flew backward, tumbling across the cold floor before coming to a complete stop.
Everyone around the arena was stunned. No one had expected it to end so fast—and so anticlimactically.
"F-Fuck… that bastard! … It hurts!" Hector groaned, his body trembling from the overwhelming pain that radiated through him, despite only one hand taking the hit.
Mustering all his remaining strength, he forced himself up using his left arm. His vision swam. His eyelids drooped—he was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
But… he wouldn't give in.
He still had one chance to turn the tide.