*Tap tap.*
The afternoon sun had already begun its slow descent when Zhang Wei finally returned from the village. Golden rays filtered through the forest canopy, warm but no longer burning like they had at midday.
Zhang Wei lifted his head, droplets of water still clinging to his dark hair from his earlier swim. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and looked ahead at the winding forest path.
Earlier he had told Mei Yan and Ela the news and everything he had heard, instructing them to gather at the city tomorrow.
*CRACK!*
A sharp sound echoed through the trees, like stones splitting apart. Zhang Wei froze mid-step.
"Is someone fighting?" he whispered to himself.
He tilted his head and closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds drifting through the forest. The noise came again - rhythmic, powerful, but controlled.
"No... someone is training."
Curiosity sparked in his chest. Who would practice combat techniques this deep in the wilderness? Zhang Wei found himself crouching low, though he wasn't sure why stealth seemed necessary. His feet moved carefully over the fallen leaves as he crept toward the sound.
Through a gap in the thick bushes, Zhang Wei spotted a clearing bathed in afternoon light. A young man stood in the center, shirtless except for a gray vest, wearing simple black shorts. His back was turned, but Zhang Wei could see the defined muscles of his shoulders and arms, slick with sweat.
*SWOOSH!*
The stranger's fist cut through the air with deadly precision.
*Jab! Cross! Elbow strike!*
His movements flowed like water, each technique blending into the next. Legs planted firm, then shifting with perfect balance. The sheer force of his punches stirred up clouds of dust from the packed earth.
Zhang Wei watched in amazement. Every strike carried enough power to shatter stone. This wasn't ordinary training - this was the work of someone preparing for serious combat.
*WHOOOOSH!*
A piercing sound split the air as the young man's fist shot forward faster than Zhang Wei's eyes could follow.
Then, without warning, the stranger spun around. His eyes burned with killing intent, dark and dangerous.
"How dare you spy on me!" the young man snarled, his voice carrying through the forest like a blade.
"Die!"
*BOOM!*
The stranger stomped his foot with explosive force. The rock beneath his heel cracked and shattered, sending jagged pieces flying like arrows toward Zhang Wei's hiding spot.
Zhang Wei's heart pounded. He had only wanted to watch, but this person clearly saw any witness as a threat to eliminate.
The young man launched himself forward, his feet barely touching the ground as he closed the distance with frightening speed.
"Wait!" Zhang Wei shouted, scrambling to his feet. "I'm not your enemy!"
*WHOOOOSH!*
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept across the clearing, lifting the charging fighter off his feet and stopping him mid-attack. The wind felt unnatural, controlled.
"A mage?!" the stranger gasped, his eyes going wide. "Adept level?!"
But instead of backing down, his expression grew even more dangerous. His muscles tensed, veins standing out along his arms and legs like cords.
"So you've awakened magic," he growled, his voice low and threatening. "That makes you my competition!"
His mind raced with dark thoughts. *Magic users always have connections. What if he tells others what he saw here? What if the nobles find out about my training and try to stop me from entering the Crimson University trials?*
*THUD!*
Zhang Wei stumbled backward, his face pale with shock. All he had done was take a curious look. How had that turned into a death sentence?
"Wait, you've got this all wrong!" Zhang Wei called out, raising his hands. "I was just passing by!"
But the young man's eyes held no mercy, only the cold calculation of someone who would kill to protect his secrets.
"What a murderous young man!" Zhang Wei muttered under his breath, but he didn't want to get tangled up with this guy anymore.
He jumped back and retreated quickly.
Although this stranger was strong, he wasn't as fast as Zhang Wei when it came to running.
It didn't take long before Zhang Wei's figure disappeared, leaving the stranger far behind.
"Damn! Damn!" the stranger cursed in frustration.
"I'm screwed!"
Behind him, the stranger could only watch Zhang Wei's fading figure with helplessness. The wind kept getting in his way, forcing him to retreat and preventing him from catching the fleeing mage.
He grabbed his head in anger.
"What do I do now? Surely those nobles, businessmen, and rich families must already be planning to get rid of me!"
*Whoosh!*
He punched the air beside him fiercely.
Suddenly, a lion made of pure energy leaped out from his fist and charged toward the direction he had punched, then disappeared several meters into the air. The wind from his blow had broken small branches in that direction.
"I need to hide!" he said desperately.
"Just one day... Tomorrow no one will stop me from participating!"
He murmured, then slipped away from this place like a thief, hiding his figure deep in the forest.
---
On the wide stone road, a figure could be seen running with small cyclones surrounding his body.
*Tap!*
Zhang Wei stopped and looked behind him. Fortunately, he didn't see that crazy guy anywhere.
"I was just looking for a while. Was it really necessary to react so violently?" he complained, dispersing the wind magic that had made him faster but also consumed his mana.
But then he narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful glint appearing in his pupils.
"That guy... he looked strong."
Recalling the force from that guy's fists and his explosive power, Zhang Wei felt genuinely threatened.
"Who is that guy? Is he a noble? A rich family's son?"
Then, recalling the earlier details, he came to a surprising conclusion.
"That guy is a commoner?!"
With surprise in his eyes, the more he thought about it, the more everything connected.
"But why is he so murderous?"
Puzzled, he decided not to think about it anymore and continued walking.
"You're lucky, boy. You met a kind noble son like me. Otherwise, if you had met any other with a bad temper, your life wouldn't be guaranteed."