What is his goal?!
Watching Tyr up there, Vax saw a reflection of his own earlier humiliation.
On the arena, Tyr felt like a marionette, casting spells mechanically on autopilot.
Humiliation coiled around his heart like a vine, squeezing tight.
But he dared not stop, and he dared not surrender.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment, Ethan heard the sweet notification sound he'd been waiting for.
Trait 2 effect activated successfully. You have acquired the talent: Myriad Forest Domain (S-rank)!
Successfully copied!
A cool, life-giving energy flowed through his body, forming a perfect balance with the blazing fury of Blazing Hellfire Rage.
Focusing his mind, he could faintly sense the subtle flow of energy within the boundaries of the arena floor—a perceptual enhancement granted by Myriad Forest Domain.
Now that his goal was achieved, Ethan lost all interest in prolonging the match.
With a casual flick of his staff, Tyr felt the world spin. An irresistible force slammed into his abdomen.
"Ugh!"
He grunted in pain, his body flying backward uncontrollably before crashing off the arena.
The match ended so abruptly that the audience didn't even have time to react.
One second, they'd been watching a back-and-forth battle—the next, Tyr was flying off the stage!
Tyr stumbled to his feet, clutching his aching stomach.
But instead of despair, his face showed a look of… relief?
He shot a complicated glance at Ethan on the arena before lowering his head and silently melting back into the crowd.
The referee stared in shock for a moment before raising his voice.
"Winner—Ethan! Champion status successfully defended!"
The referee scanned the crowd, calling out once more. "Are there any more challengers?"
This time, the silence in the stands stretched on even longer.
Especially when it came to Ethan!
Having defeated three S-rank talents in a row, and in such a thorough, bizarre fashion, he had successfully intimidated the vast majority of the remaining contestants into submission.
Seconds ticked by, but no one stepped forward to challenge.
The referee exchanged a look with the teachers on the podium before finally making the announcement.
"Since there are no further challengers, the five defending champions of this year's school tournament are officially confirmed: Amy, Nero, Bruen, Vax, and Ethan! Congratulations to these five students on earning the right to represent our school in the Seven Schools Joint Training Camp!"
The announcement was met with a mix of joy and disappointment.
In the stands, Kane's face turned ashen, his fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms.
He stared at Ethan with venomous hatred in his eyes.
Tyr let out a long, complicated sigh, silently accepting his fate.
The school tournament had come to an end, but the ripples it caused were far from over.
On the podium, Principal Zhou Mingyuan looked out at the students below, their faces a tapestry of emotions.
His gaze lingered on Ethan for a moment before he slowly stood up, his voice ringing out clearly.
"I hereby declare the conclusion of this year's school tournament! The five champions, along with one recommended student, will represent our school in the Seven Schools Joint Training Camp, which begins three days from now!"
"The training camp will be held at the Black Iron Mountain military base outside the city. There, you will train and compete alongside the elites from the other six top high schools. This is not only a test of your individual strength—it will also determine our school's share of provincial resources in the years to come!"
"May the six of you," Principal Zhou's eyes swept over Amy, Nero, Bruen, Vax, Ethan, and Ella, "work together with sincerity and unity to bring glory to our school!"
"Dismissed!"
The crowd erupted into noise as people began to disperse, a cacophony of voices filling the air.
Kane shot one last venomous glare at Ethan before letting out a cold snort and storming off, his back looking grim and defeated.
Tyr sighed once more, melting into the departing crowd silently.
Ethan paid them no mind. He shot a smile and a nod of acknowledgment toward Amy, who stood on the first arena not far away.
Amy leaped down from her stage and landed beside him, a mischievous glint in her icy eyes.
"So? Not a bad little assist, right?"
"Thanks for speaking up for me, class monitor," Ethan replied with a bright smile.
He'd only been half-serious about goading Tyr into challenging him.
Without her timely intervention, he never would have gotten his hands on the Myriad Forest Domain talent.
"Want to form a party tomorrow?"
Ethan invited.
Amy tilted her head slightly, curiosity sparking in her cool, aloof eyes.
"Form a party? Which dungeon are you planning to run? I have no interest in the usual ones."
The Jones family controlled access to most of the dungeons in the city.
The only ones open to the public were either too dangerous to explore or too worthless to bother with.
"Yes! Yes! Why don't we go to one of the Jones family's dungeons? Safe, reliable, and full of monsters!"
Ella said, bounding over as soon as the tournament ended.
"It's not a dungeon," Ethan shook his head, lowering his voice.
"I want to scout out Black Iron Mountain in advance. The principal said the training camp will be held there, but the terrain around the military base is probably not as simple as it seems."
Surprise flickered across Amy's face, followed by understanding.
The Seven Schools Training Camp was never just about arena duels.
Wilderness survival, team coordination, and intelligence gathering were all crucial to success.
Scouting the terrain beforehand would give them a significant head start.
"You certainly have a lot of nerve," she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Trespassing in a military-controlled area?"
"Just a quick look around the perimeter—not going deep," Ethan smiled.
"Interested? More people mean more backup."
Amy and Ella nodded in unison almost immediately.
"Deal."
"Then meet me at the South City Gate at seven tomorrow morning."
"It's a date."
After making their quick agreement, the two Jones sisters left together.
Ethan jumped down from the arena.
No sooner had his feet touched the ground than a gentle voice reached his ears.
"Congratulations on successfully defending your title, Ethan."
Ethan turned around and saw Bruen approaching, a simple and honest smile on his face.
"Thank you," Ethan replied.
"Congratulations to you as well."
"It was just luck," Bruen waved his hand modestly, then lowered his voice a little.
"Are you heading to Black Iron Mountain with the Jones sisters tomorrow?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
He and Amy had spoken in hushed tones, and Bruen had been quite a distance away—yet he'd still overheard them?
This guy's perception was far from ordinary!
"Just going for a stroll," Ethan evaded the question.
Bruen didn't press further, merely saying with a grin, "The area around the Black Iron Mountain military base is quite complicated. I heard even the outskirts haven't been peaceful lately. You three should be extra careful. I know the area fairly well—if you need any help, feel free to contact me anytime."
He handed over a slip of paper with a communication number written on it.
"I appreciate the offer."
Ethan took the note, his opinion of Bruen rising another notch.
This man seemed unassuming and simple on the surface, but he was actually quite the smooth operator, and knew how to conduct himself impeccably.
Bruen smiled and took his leave.
But soon another person approached.
"Ethan, wait a minute."
Ethan turned back to see his homeroom teacher Arnold hurrying over, a complicated look on his face.
"Arnold."
"Ethan..." Arnold hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"Your performance today was... stunning. The principal and several directors all saw it. However..."
He paused, seemingly searching for the right way to phrase what he wanted to say.
"Friendly sparring should be just that—point to point, no more. In the future... well, please be a bit more mindful of your methods."
He had clearly witnessed Ethan's borderline torturous fighting style, but didn't want to criticize him directly, opting instead for a veiled reminder.
"I was merely helping them temper their willpower," Ethan said earnestly.
"After all, a strong mind is also part of one's strength."
"That said, perhaps I did go a bit overboard. I'll definitely be more careful next time."
Arnold looked into Ethan's sincere eyes, unable to tell if he was being genuine or not. He could only nod.
"I'm glad you understand. Go home and prepare well. The Seven Schools Training Camp is full of hidden talents—it won't be easy at all. The school has high hopes for all of you."
"Don't worry, sir."
After bidding farewell to his homeroom teacher, Ethan walked home alone, his mood buoyant.
Elsewhere, however, Kane and Lillian were far from happy.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long, yet it could not dispel the heavy atmosphere between them.
Kane's face was as dark as thunder, the memory of his humiliation at Ethan's hands replaying over and over in his mind, searing his sanity.
"Ethan!"
He ground the name out through gritted teeth, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage and venom.
Lillian beside him was also gnashing her teeth in anger.
But as she looked at Kane's sorry state, and recalled Ethan's overwhelming dominance in the arena, a flicker of regret crept into her heart.
If only she hadn't dumped Ethan so quickly! If she'd kept stringing him along back then, she could now ditch Kane and go back to Ethan, resuming her role as his goddess.
Regret churned in Lillian's heart, but her expression quickly shifted to one of heartfelt sympathy and indignation.
She gently took Kane's arm and said softly,
"Kane, don't be so angry. That Ethan... he's nothing but a madman! He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's a bit strong, with no regard for honor or morality! We completely misjudged him!"
As she spoke, she carefully watched Kane's expression.
"Besides, the way he treated you—it's clearly because he's still bitter about me choosing you... he's taking revenge on us both!"
Her words struck Kane like a poisoned thorn, fueling his hatred for Ethan even further.
That's right! That loser—who did he think he was?
A failure whose woman he'd stolen should stay under his feet forever!
"Revenge?"
Kane's teeth ground together, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"Him? I was careless this time, underestimated him a bit. But the wilderness isn't an arena..."
There was no denying Ethan's displayed strength, but it was only impressive among newbies.
He seemed to think of something, a cruel sneer twisting his lips.
In the dangerous wilderness, it would be all too easy for an "accident" to happen.
Lillian felt a chill run down her spine at the look on his face, but quickly chimed in, "That's right! You're the strongest, Kane! You'll have plenty of chances to teach him a lesson! Make him kneel and beg for mercy!"
Though she said this, her mind was already spinning with schemes.
Maybe she should find an opportunity to "bump into" Ethan privately, to test the waters and see where he stood with her?
What if he still had feelings for her? After all, she was so beautiful...
Kane was completely oblivious to the thoughts swirling in his companion's mind. He was lost in his fantasies of revenge, his expression alternating between anger and cold calculation.
Yet he hadn't completely lost his reason.
Ethan was now a participant in the Seven Schools Training Camp, which was tied to the Provincial Resource Allocation Battle—he was being closely watched.
If anything were to happen to him, an investigation would be unavoidable.
Although the Carter family had some influence, they also had enemies.
The death of a Seven Schools trainee would be too big an incident for the Carter family to cover up!
Either wait until after the Provincial Resource Allocation Battle...
No, that would take too long. By then, Ethan might have grown even stronger, making him even harder to deal with.