After dozens of rounds, the audience slowly closed their gaping mouths as they watched the two panting figures separate on the field.
They all shared the same thought in their hearts.
Fred was a freak.
He could already hold his own against their elite in close combat.
And that martial art was simply unheard of.
The Chosen One...
Meanwhile, Alec, catching his breath while looking at the young man before him, sincerely bowed.
"You are very skilled."
"Mr. Alec, there's no need to be so polite."
Fred, having steadied his breathing, replied with lowered eyes, a faint, elusive smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Watching their exchange and noticing Fred's smile, everyone fell silent.
Hadn't Fred been hit quite a few times just now?
Wasn't he in pain?
How could he still smile?
Not the Chosen One, but the Chosen Freak...
However, Fred wasn't smiling because he enjoyed being hit, but because of the text before his eyes.
[Combat +0.06]
[Combat (Beginner) 89.74/100]
His combat skills were nearly reaching the proficient level.
Of course, skills like Wing Chun and others were likely integrated into the combat category.
This was just as well; having every detail listed would only be troublesome.
Moreover, based on current observations, combat skills improved faster through sparring with stronger opponents.
It was easier than seeking new knowledge.
This skill would probably be the next to level up.
With increased personal strength and rewards to come, it was hard not to feel happy.
"Alright, after greeting each other, go clean up, rest, and get some sleep. We'll be arriving at PLANT soon."
Andrew stepped forward, interrupting their mutual admiration.
"And the rest of you, stop staring. It's time for shift change."
At Andrew's command, the stunned crowd quickly dispersed.
"I'm looking forward to it."
After leaving this cryptic remark, Andrew turned and walked away.
...
Another half-day passed, and finally, the transport ship Fred had salvaged slowly arrived at PLANT's space domain at L5.
"So this is PLANT..."
Fred, having just finished sparring with Alec and taken a shower, gazed at the shimmering, hourglass-shaped space colonies before him.
It was undeniably magnificent and grand.
Several colonies were clearly under construction, with scattered welding sparks and red beacons on the colonies constantly asserting their presence in the young man's vision.
It was even more impressive than the current colony satellite group at L4.
As for Copernicus? There was no comparison at all.
After all, Copernicus was just a small lunar city.
Before him was a settlement composed of nearly a hundred space colonies.
The two were hardly comparable.
And this was where he would live for the next few years, replacing Copernicus.
Here, his horizons would broaden, whether in terms of the people he met or the knowledge he gained.
He would also see Lacus and those resilient individuals.
He might even suppress Creuset and Durandal's schemes early on, ensuring Creuset had no chance to harm his sister.
He would truly participate in shaping the future.
This time, he wouldn't passively accept things but take the initiative instead.
Just as Fred was filled with ambition, the steel door of the room slid open smoothly.
"Brother~!"
"You were so cool just now! Can you teach me?"
Outside the door, Flay's eyes sparkled as she spoke excitedly.
She completely ignored the beautiful scenery outside the window.
After all, she had just watched her brother's battle against that Coordinator.
It was absolutely amazing.
If she hadn't been worried about her brother's physical condition, she would have approached him right after the fight ended.
"Flay wants to learn?"
Fred didn't refuse but asked instead.
"Mhm!"
Hearing that there might be a chance, Flay nodded vigorously.
"Don't mind getting tired?"
"Mhm!"
"Then we'll start with the basics."
Looking at his petite younger sister, Fred didn't refuse.
Having self-defense capabilities was certainly a good thing.
After all, he couldn't always be by his sister's side.
Plus, more exercise would be beneficial too.
It strengthens the body, tempers the mind, and benefits both physical and mental health.
With so many professionals around, creating a scientific training plan wouldn't be too difficult.
Just as Flay was delighted that her brother had agreed, the communicator between them rang.
"Fred, come to my room."
Andrew said.
"Alright."
...
"This is what you asked for. It should be enough to cover your appearance."
In Andrew's Captain's quarters, the young man placed a mask that covered nearly half the head in front of Fred.
The metal-textured mask was adorned with some engraved metal lines.
It looked like an exquisite piece of artwork.
"You made it so well."
Fred laughed.
He had thought it would just be some random cover thrown over his head.
"Otherwise it wouldn't match the status of a genius like you."
Andrew chuckled along.
Then he continued.
"Part of the Julius 7 sector has been cleared. The Zodiac Alliance has completely taken over the plant zone there."
"The plant zone is full of our people, but you still need to wear the mask. As for your family, they haven't been on television, so it should be fine."
"Do you have any questions?"
Andrew asked quite politely at the end.
With ordinary people, he wouldn't ask further, but Fred was different.
He was somewhat overpoweringly strong.
"None."
Fred shook his head.
The arrangements were indeed without issues. The Zodiac Alliance's territory was large, and the neighbors included core members like Lenore.
The security protection was indeed top-level.
As for his mask, since he had been on television, it wouldn't be good for too many people to recognize him.
Some concealment was still necessary.
"You agreed just like that? I thought you wouldn't want to wear it."
Although the mask looked cool, telling someone they'd have to wear a mask for the foreseeable future would probably make anyone somewhat reluctant.
"I won't have to wear it for long."
Fred's fingers traced the metal edges of the mask before him.
In a few years, there would need to be a resolution anyway.
It wasn't like he had to wear it for a lifetime.
Besides, being a masked vigilante for a few years sounded quite fun.
But since he was going to be this masked vigilante, it would be better for Creuset to retire.
Thinking this, Fred's eyes narrowed to slits.
Danger should be nipped in the bud.
Although Creuset's background was tragic.
His madness in wanting to drag the entire world down with him wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
But it was equally true that he didn't want this world to be destroyed.
Talk therapy probably wouldn't work on Creuset either, so the only option was to kill him.
Now, before ZAFT was even established and Creuset hadn't yet enlisted, was the time to eliminate him.
He wasn't doing this out of revenge for his sister—it was simply that if he didn't remove the other party, Creuset would disrupt all his efforts no matter what he did, only making things harder for himself.
One of the reasons he had chosen to go to PLANT despite the difficulties was to eliminate the antagonist.
It definitely wasn't because of his sister, no.