Aaron returned to his team.
Ethan immediately lunged forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, his face flushed with excitement as he shouted,
"Aaron… you were amazing!!"
"I love you!!"
"That was way too intense!!"
"My blood was boiling the whole time—!"
As he spoke, he even leaned in as if to kiss him, only to be slapped away by Aaron so hard he might as well have been sent flying to the Arctic to play with polar bears.
"Aaron… nicely done!!"
Zane, who rarely smiled, patted Aaron on the shoulder with rare approval.
Aaron shot him a deadpan stare and said flatly,
"Thirty thousand…"
Zane's smile instantly froze, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
This kid isn't cute at all!!
Why does he hold grudges so damn well!?
Zane cursed inwardly.
Grace stepped forward and said to Aaron,
"Congratulations… on your victory!!"
Aaron smiled when he heard that.
"What are you saying? Don't congratulate me—congratulate us."
"We're a team. This victory belongs to all of us."
"We did this together!!"
He glanced at Simon, Victor, and Ethan, flashing a bright, sunny smile.
Off to the side, Zane curled his lips slightly.
"This kid…"
"He's got more vision than I do."
Simon paused for a moment, a complicated look flashing through his eyes. Victor, however, wore a look of disdain. He couldn't stand Aaron's showy attitude and let out an arrogant snort.
Still… this kid really knew how to talk.
Ethan's eyes welled up, tears trembling as he was so moved he nearly cried.
Grace's eyes flickered with something unusual as she smiled softly and said in a low voice,
"Aaron is absolutely right!!!"
"Alright… gather up!"
"Let's go claim what we've earned…"
Zane spoke first and headed out.
Aaron and the others exchanged glances, then walked shoulder to shoulder, following closely behind him.
...
Twenty meters beneath the battle arena, a shadow flickered with a blood-red glow.
Suddenly, the figure opened its crimson eyes and murmured to itself,
"The timing is almost right…"
"The leader was right. If you want to cripple a nation, you start by erasing its future."
"I've always enjoyed hunting geniuses…"
"Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh…"
In the darkness, a twisted, horrifying laugh echoed, sending chills down the spine.
...
In the plaza, all members of the seven training camps stood lined up.
On the podium sat the principals of the seven high schools, with Grant seated at the center.
Security personnel were stationed around the area.
The solemn atmosphere made many of the students tense, barely daring to make a sound.
Yet Aaron felt completely unfazed.
After all, in his previous life, he had already weathered far greater storms…
He curled his lips and stood there, utterly bored.
At that moment, the system's voice—tinged with excitement—rang in his ear:
"Ding~"
"Triggered Mission: Survive!!"
"Members of an evil organization are about to launch an attack."
"You're a man aiming to become the ultimate badass—there's no way you're dying here, right?"
"Fight, young man!!"
"Burn bright and survive this assault to complete the mission!!"
"Mission Rewards: Darkrai's Nightmare Stone ×3, Wood Release Kekkei Genkai (Skill Version) ×1, Pokémon Candy (Advanced) ×1, Energy Cube Canister ×5…"
"Hiss—"
Aaron's pupils shrank violently.
His first thought was simple:
Impossible!!
This place was practically the safest location in all of Sealine City—equipped with powerful weapons and advanced warning systems.
On top of that, Major Grant and the principals of all seven schools were present, every one of them Gym-level Trainers.
Who would dare come here seeking death!?
But Aaron knew the system would never lie to him or trigger missions without reason.
Which meant—
This was real.
He swallowed hard as his mind began racing at full speed, searching for a solution.
First option:
Rush up and tell Major Grant and the principals that someone was about to attack the military base!?
Aaron was certain he'd be dragged away on the spot and sent straight to a psychiatric ward.
And even if they somehow believed him, how was he supposed to explain how he knew about the attack!?
Option one—completely impossible.
Second option:
Have Frog Boss use the Flying Thunder God Technique to take him away. That was undoubtedly the safest choice.
But then…
Would the students here survive?
Grace.
Ethan.
Ian…
One familiar face after another flashed through Aaron's mind.
A bead of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead.
...