The gymnasium fell silent when Ethan Jiang's voice rang out.
Tang Xia quickly reached out and pinched Noah's back.
"Wake up! It's over—time to grab some food!"
Noah jerked awake from his brief nap, rubbing his eyes as if nothing had happened, about to stand up.
The entire hall erupted in laughter. Even Tang Xia covered her face in embarrassment, and their teacher, Mr. Wang, could only sigh helplessly. Ethan Jiang himself looked at Noah with an unreadable smile, and at that moment, Noah instantly understood.
"Damn it, I knew it." His heart sank. From the second Ethan Jiang spotted him, Noah had guessed how things would unfold. This was a setup.
Before he could process it further, mocking voices rose from the class beside them.
"Senior Ethan, forget about it. Noah's just dead weight. He has no talent whatsoever! If you want a proper demonstration, let me go up instead."
"Yeah, exactly! Putting him up there has no teaching value at all. He's a waste of time!"
Ethan's smile disappeared. He straightened his posture, his tone suddenly sharp.
"Why do you think like that? Reality isn't merciful. In the Land of Divine Punishment, you don't get spared because your talent is good or bad. Victory means survival. Failure means death. That's the truth of battle."
Thunderous applause filled the hall again. Even the students who had mocked Noah lowered their heads in shame. Ethan's charisma was undeniable—his words could stir a crowd with ease.
Noah smirked. He's really good at talking his way through anything.
"Alright, fine. I'll go up. Happy now?" Noah shrugged and rose to his feet. He wasn't afraid. If anything, he wanted to see exactly what Ethan planned.
Tang Xia grabbed his sleeve, her face pale. "Noah, what level are you now? Can you handle this?"
He gave her a reassuring gesture and whispered, "Relax. Inside this gym, I'm untouchable."
She glared at him. "Seriously? This isn't the time to joke around!" To her, his words were just more of his cocky bravado.
Noah walked to the center of the basketball court. Ethan's lips curled into a sinister smirk before he called out loudly, "Who wants to spar with Noah?"
Almost every hand in the gym shot into the air. Some even jumped up in excitement—including Tang Xia herself.
Ethan chuckled. "Looks like everyone thinks Noah is easy prey. In that case… I'll choose." His gaze turned cold as his plan reached its climax.
"Jacob Jiang, you go!"
The gym exploded in noise.
"What? Jacob Jiang? This isn't even a fight, it's a slaughter!"
"Yeah, Jacob's already level 20! He's geared head to toe in B-rank equipment. What chance does Noah have?"
"This isn't training—it's a public execution."
"Wait… isn't this personal? Jacob literally argued with Noah earlier today."
The whispers carried across the hall, reaching Tang Xia. She froze, realization dawning on her face. Earlier that day, she remembered Ethan's cold look toward Noah. So that's what this is about…
Her expression twisted in panic. Jacob had already reached level 20, while she, with her B-rank fire talent, had only managed level 15 after working herself to exhaustion. As for Noah? She didn't even know if he had reached double digits.
"Noah's in danger…"
She immediately pushed through the rows toward Mr. Wang, desperate to beg him to stop this so-called sparring match.
Meanwhile, Noah and Jacob stood twenty meters apart on the court.
Noah kept his hands in his pockets, his face calm, eyes half-lidded with indifference.
Jacob sneered arrogantly. "Don't say I bullied you. I'll give you three moves. If you can land even one hit, I'll admit defeat."
Noah raised an eyebrow and replied lazily, "How about this—I'll give you three moves. If I even lift a finger, I lose."
"You arrogant bastard!" Jacob growled. "Fine. Don't blame me when you regret it!"
He clenched his fist, fire bursting forth, and charged forward like a flame-fueled beast. His lips curled with cruel amusement. Noah, do you even realize you're about to die? No… you'll find out soon enough.
With a roar, Jacob unleashed his skill.
[Skill Activated: Blazing Fist — A-rank!]
His fist ignited in searing fire, leaving behind burning afterimages as he closed the distance. He wasn't holding back—this was a killing blow.
The old principal, who had been smiling in his seat, suddenly froze. His face turned pale.
"An A-rank skill?! In a sparring match?!"
He snapped his gaze toward Ethan, who stood at the front, watching coldly. Ethan's eyes twitched with irritation. Idiot. I told you to make it look like an accident, not to openly murder him in front of the entire school.
"Stop—!" the principal shouted.
But it was already too late.
Jacob accelerated, his body blurring into afterimages as he appeared in front of Noah. His blazing fist crashed forward, aimed straight at Noah's head.
BOOM!
The air rippled with explosive heat.
And then—
A hand shot out.
Noah hadn't moved a step. He simply raised his hand and caught the punch.
The flames sputtered against his palm before freezing in place, trapped, unable to move.
Jacob's eyes bulged wide in disbelief. "Impossible! That's… impossible!"
He was level 20, fully equipped, using an A-rank combat skill—and yet Noah, a supposed worthless talent, had stopped it barehanded.
"What's impossible?" Noah's voice was calm, but his eyes were glacial, his tone carrying a killing edge sharper than steel.
Because in that brief moment, he had seen it clearly. Jacob hadn't intended to spar. He had aimed to kill.
You wanted my life? Who gave you the courage? Ethan Jiang? Or the whole Jiang family?
Fury boiled inside him, endless and merciless.
His hand tightened.
Crystalline frost erupted from his palm, devouring the flames instantly, spreading across Jacob's arm like wildfire in reverse—cold fire of ice.
Jacob screamed, a high-pitched shriek that echoed through the gym. His flaming fist crumbled, his arm shattering under the pressure, blood bursting into icy mist.
"STOP, NOAH!"
Ethan's voice thundered as he lunged forward, lightning-wrapped sword materializing in his hand.
But Noah ignored him. His gaze stayed locked on Jacob, who was already trembling, his face ghostly pale, eyes filled with nothing but terror. For the first time, Jacob felt like an insect in the presence of a predator.
Noah's eyes narrowed. His fist drew back, gathering frost into a dense core of lethal power.
"You wanted me dead?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
BANG!
His fist smashed into Jacob's skull.
Blood, bone, and ice exploded together in a spray of crimson mist, splattering across the polished floor.
The gym erupted in screams. Students covered their mouths, their eyes wide with horror.
"NOAH!"
Ethan's roar split the air as his sword slashed down, arcs of lightning cutting toward Noah's head.
But before it could strike, a figure burst from the side. A staff swung forward with a resounding CLANG, blocking the blade.
"Back off, Ethan! Don't you dare touch my student!"
It was Mr. Wang. His hands trembled from the impact, blood seeping from his lips, but he stood firm.
"Move!" Ethan snarled, pouring power into his sword, forcing Mr. Wang back several steps.
Noah's eyes widened slightly. "Mr. Wang…" His chest tightened with something unspoken.
The hall had gone silent, save for the crackle of electricity and the echoes of Jacob's death.
Noah finally straightened, turning to face the stunned crowd, his voice calm, almost detached.
"I slipped. Punish me however you want."