Inside the basketball arena of Jiangnan Second High, silence reigned for only a heartbeat before it erupted into absolute chaos.
Noah's actions had shaken the entire school. He hadn't just defeated Jacob Jiang—he had killed him.
The students gasped, their voices clashing into a storm of disbelief.
"How's that even possible?!"
"Wasn't Noah the one with the useless talent?"
"He was supposed to be a dead weight, and now he just crushed Jacob like an ant!"
The uproar threatened to spiral out of control until the school's leaders hurried onto the court, dragging Noah away from Ethan Jiang, Jacob's older brother.
Ethan's eyes burned red as he fought against the arms restraining him. His gaze locked onto Noah, brimming with fury and murderous intent.
"You call that a mistake?! You call that an accident?!" he roared, his voice splitting the air.
Noah smirked, completely unfazed. "Yeah, I call it an accident. What are you gonna do about it?"
The casual defiance was like oil on fire.
"Enough, Noah, keep your mouth shut!" Teacher Wang hissed under his breath, his face pale with dread. Then, louder, he addressed Ethan with steady resolve:
"This wasn't Noah's fault. Jacob struck first and went in for the kill. Everyone here saw it. What Noah did was nothing more than self-defense."
Ethan's jaw clenched, veins bulging across his temple as his voice dripped venom.
"You'd better think carefully before siding with him. Do you have any idea what happens to those who cross the Jiang family?"
Wang flinched at the threat, fear flashing in his eyes. But then he straightened his back and spoke with an unshakable tone.
"So be it. I stand by what's right. Noah acted in self-defense. No matter who asks, my answer will remain the same."
Gasps rippled through the audience. Few dared to speak against the Jiang family, yet Wang stood firm.
Another teacher, Jacob's homeroom instructor, barked with outrage.
"Wang! Are you insane? Even if Jacob struck first, did he actually harm Noah? You call that self-defense?"
"What, you expect Noah to stand there and take the punch first? That's absurd!" Wang snapped back.
The arena plunged into chaos again—accusations, defenses, curses. The shouting spiraled until—
"Silence!"
The booming voice of the old principal thundered across the court, carrying the weight of authority. The noise died instantly, as though cut with a blade.
Ethan Jiang's bloodshot eyes locked on him. "My brother lies dead in your school's gym! Killed by your student! You will give me an explanation—or the Jiang family will take one themselves!"
The principal, usually calm, paled. He nodded quickly. "Rest assured, this matter will be explained."
Then his eyes turned sharply toward Noah. They narrowed, filled with suspicion and curiosity.
"Noah, what was that power just now? Those ice elements—what are they?"
The students fell silent again, staring at Noah with wide, unblinking eyes. He was supposed to be talentless. He had awakened a useless S-grade ability on Awakening Day. Yet just now, everyone had witnessed his hand wreathed in frost, shattering Jacob's flaming punch with terrifying ease.
Noah met their stares calmly, his voice steady.
"Principal, the ice element you just saw is my talent."
"What?" The principal nearly stumbled forward. "But… but you awakened a useless S-grade talent!"
Noah's lips curved into a faint smile. "That's true. But I had another awakening."
The crowd exploded once more.
"Another awakening?!"
"That's impossible!"
"No one in Jiangnan has ever…"
The principal's voice trembled. "Another awakening? How?"
Noah shrugged casually, though the corners of his eyes glimmered with mockery. "I went to observe the Permanent Sword Insignia left by Demon-Slayer in the Wolf King Valley dungeon. By sheer luck, I was granted a second awakening."
The arena fell into pin-drop silence before shattering into chaos louder than before.
"Did he just say he saw the Demon-Slayer's mark?!"
"And he awakened again?!"
The principal's hands shook with excitement. "Noah… you're still low-level. Who guided you into the dungeon?"
At this, Noah decided it was time to reveal just enough truth to shatter everyone's assumptions. He smiled faintly and said a single name.
"You've all heard of Snow, haven't you?"
The name struck like thunder.
"Snow? You mean the prodigy from last year—the one who awakened an S-tier combat talent, topped the national exams, and now studies under the legendary War God instructor at Imperial Capital University? That Snow?!"
"Noah, what's your relationship with her?"
The voices overlapped, curiosity and disbelief spilling everywhere.
Noah's eyes glinted with mischief as he glanced at Ethan's livid expression. Perfect. Time for another strike.
"Snow? She's my girlfriend."
Boom!
The gym nearly collapsed under the weight of shrieks and gasps.
Tang Xia stood frozen at the front row, her face pale, her mind blank. Snow—the untouchable goddess, the idol of countless students—was Noah's girlfriend?
The school leaders were equally stunned. They had speculated many possibilities, but none of them had expected something this outrageous.
After a stunned silence, the old principal finally burst out laughing.
"Excellent! Excellent! To win over a genius like Snow, that alone proves your ability! Noah, you've done magnificently!"
The cheers of the students were deafening. They didn't even care about the logic anymore. The conclusion was clear: Noah had secured his place among geniuses because of his girlfriend.
From that moment on, a new nickname spread like wildfire: The King of Soft Rice.
Ethan's eyes twitched with rage. His lips trembled as he spat, "Noah, I don't care what you've awakened or who you're with. I won't let this go. The Jiang family won't let this go!"
Noah's smile sharpened, his eyes glacial. "Then I guess we're enemies now. Are you sure about that?"
"I'm certain."
"Good." Noah's voice rang clear, filled with icy dominance. "Then listen well. My second awakening was the S-tier talent: Wrath of Frost. If you have the guts, come and kill me yourself!"
The gym dropped into suffocating silence. Then came the sound of hundreds of people gasping in unison.
Noah opened his palm. Icy mist swirled and condensed into a crystalline blade nearly a meter long, gleaming like frozen lightning.
There could be no doubt. Only an S-tier combat talent could manifest such power.
The old principal's face lit with tears of joy. He raised his arms high, his voice breaking with exhilaration.
"Glorious! Our school has birthed an S-tier combat talent! Heaven has finally smiled on Jiangnan Second High!"
The arena exploded in cheers. Students stomped their feet, clapped their hands, and roared Noah's name like he was already a legend.
But Ethan Jiang's face turned ghostly white. He knew exactly what this meant.
The Demon-Hunting Institute's decree was absolute:
Any S-tier combat genius was to be protected at all costs. Anyone who killed one—or even attempted to—would bring annihilation upon their entire family line.
Once, even a powerful aristocratic clan from the Imperial Capital had dared to assassinate an S-tier prodigy. Within twenty-four hours, their family name was wiped from existence.
What chance did the Jiang family, a minor household in Jiangnan City, have against that kind of authority?
The principal clapped Ethan's shoulder with mock sympathy.
"Ethan, you're a smart boy. You understand the consequences of offending an S-tier genius, don't you?"
His words left Ethan trembling, speechless.
The principal turned back to Noah with a beaming smile and clasped his hand firmly. "From today, you're the pride of Jiangnan Second High! Fire the cannons! Let the entire city know that our school has produced an S-tier combat genius!"
A vice principal muttered nervously, "And… what about Jacob's body?"
The principal blinked, then waved dismissively. "Oh, right. Send the body back to the Jiang family. Offer our condolences."
His voice grew firm, proud. "But remember—our school now has an S-tier genius. We speak with strength from today onward!"
The gym roared again, the celebration drowning out even the scent of blood still lingering on the court.