Seething in fury, I scurried toward the VIP stand, occasionally grunting and groaning in response to the jolting pain arousing through my chest and lower back.
God, that was a difficult fight. 𝒩𝒪𝑽𝗅xt.𝗇𝓔t
While accepting the challenge at first, I didn’t think much of it.
Thirteen side characters against me? Sure. I can handle that.
However, they were strong. Each and every one of them was ridiculously powerful. As expected from Mount Hua, I guess.
But the reason my mood was so sour was because of that damned brat, Alfa Zenith.
First, he provoked me, then he stepped down from the challenge?! I would’ve lost just because I wasn’t in my top state?! Hmph, sure!
Coward.
I’ll get him next time.
Clicking my tongue in frustration, I soon arrived in front of the entrance of the VIP stand. Yes, I was in a hurry.
Why wouldn’t I be?
The promised six months of my stay here in Mount Hua had finally come to an end, and I could alas go back to the academy.
I remember that at the start of my training, I said I was happy about the prospect of growing stronger and training in one of the four great sects in the world.
However, after enduring six grueling months of arduous training, all I wanted was to go back home, lie down on my bed, and relax a little. Perhaps, sleep in until late noon and read a short novel or two.
I didn’t know. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Part of the reason for it was that my fractured memories had begun to slowly heal, falling into place like pieces of a puzzle.
Yeah…
I could finally remember details from my past– from Lucas’s past– that I couldn’t recall before.
Though I still couldn’t access the memories of any other timelines if they truly are in my head, I know I will be able to do that soon.
So, I guess the antidote is working, then?
However, the thing is…
Remembering so much so soon is straining my mind. And if that wasn’t enough, I also have the future to think about.
The Third Arc was about to begin soon after the first-year final exams.
And after the third arc…
“Arghh,” a shiver ran down my spine, and my knees felt weak from just thinking of it.
It was going to be chaotic.
Actually, now that Spider’s existence has come to light much earlier than it did in the novel, the situation would become even more troublesome.
Slowly but surely, the future was deviating from the original plot of the novel… from other timelines.
I just don’t know if it’s a good thing or not.
The last time I talked to Joe, he mentioned how I couldn’t truly change the course of Fate.
The Mock War ended as it did in the novel.
The Massacre of Silveserine was also carried out exactly as it happened in the novel.
In fact, Liz also suffered the same injury as she did in the novel.
If anything, each of these events was only hastened or spiraled out of control because of my involvement somehow.
So, was I truly changing Fate? Yeah, I don’t think so. Until now, everything was fine, but slowly and surely things will start to get grim.
The stakes won’t be as low anymore once the third arc begins. One misstep… Just one miscalculation and my very life could be in danger.
And if I’m really one of the three chosen ones, then once my death would mean the end of this fucking world.
Yeah, I won’t let that happen. Not only because I don’t want the world to end, but more importantly… I don’t want to die.
Ahem.
It’s fine. I’ll figure it out, as always. Adapting, persevering, and conquering challenges, that’s my forte.
Shaking my head, I swung open the door to the VIP stand and stepped inside.
While the stand was spacious enough to easily accommodate numerous spectators, I only saw two people inside right now.
One was my master, Leo, while the other, to no one’s surprise, was Selena Zenith.
The novel barely touched on it, so I never knew until coming to Mount Hua that Leo and Selena were intimately close.
In fact, at times they seemed almost like a couple.
I hate to sound like old man Ifa, but it’s painfully obvious that they have feelings for each other.
The problem is that both of them are way too prideful to admit such a thing and be the first one to confess.
Haaa.
…It’s not a good situation for me, though.
I’m still clueless as to why Leo is with Spider, but it doesn’t seem like he is with them unwillingly. He won’t on his own.
Before I hoped to convince him to switch sides in the future, but I don’t think that option is possible anymore.
Haa, I just hope I won’t have to fight him, not now or ever. After all, what folly would it be to wage a war against the God of War?
“Why are you just standing there like that, Lucas?” Leo turned his head to look at me as I came in and pointed to the empty spot on the lavish sofa he shared with Selena. “Come, sit with us.”
I nodded and walked over, taking a seat on Leo’s empty left.
“Whoa, you look really rough,” Selena was the one who commented that.
She was right. My robe was torn and stained, bruises adorned my skin, and there were various wounds scattered across my body.
I definitely wasn’t in my best condition.
Selena flashed a smile capable of captivating the hearts of countless men in an instant and stood up.
She circled the sofa, coming to a stop behind me.
“Your hair has grown quite a bit,” she remarked, summoning an ornate comb from her dimensional ring.
Gently grasping a handful of my disheveled silver locks, she began to run the comb through them.
“Let me help you tidy up,” she said. “You’re looking quite girly.”
“Please don’t the old man hear you say that or he’ll start crying,” I quipped, eliciting a laugh from both Leo and Selena.
“You performed excellently,” Leo praised, patting my shoulder.
“Indeed,” Selena added, still brushing my hair. “It’s been ages since I witnessed such flawless sword skills. Are you sure you’re a spearman and not a swordsman?”
“Yes,” I scoffed. “I prefer not to get close and personal with my opponents. Using a spear lets me attack from a safe distance.”
“Fair point,” Selena nodded. “Hey, how about you ditch Leo and come become my disciple?”
“Oh, really! Trying to poach my one and only disciple right in front of me!” Leo said while teasingly glaring at the alluring woman.
Selena chuckled. “Haha! I’m just kidding!”
Haaa, and this is yet another thing that I don’t like.
Selena… she’s not as terrible as the novel portrayed her to be.
At first, when I came here, I was cautious and a bit scared to be around her.
But after spending some time with her, I saw that she wasn’t as evil as it was shown in the novel.
No, that’s not quite right. I should rephrase. The novel only showed her evil side.
She may come across as arrogant and tough, but beneath it all, she’s also gentle, kind, and soft.
Haa, I truly hope I won’t have to fight her in the future either.
Why… Just why did she have to be the leader of Spider? Why did they start the War of Union?
If only I could find that out, maybe… just maybe… I can stop it. Maybe I can stop the Civil War.
In the next moment, Selena’s voice broke through my train of thought, pulling me back to the present.
“How do you wanna wear your hair?”
“Ah, just make a high pony.”
As she began to band my hair, Selena inquired, “So, Lucas, what major will you be taking in your second year?”
I sighed. “I’m thinking of joining the Space Defence Force. So, I’ll take space war tactics and classes related to that.”
“I see,” Selena nodded and I could almost swear I saw a relieved expression on her face. “Good, it’s better to stay away from Earth for a few incoming years.”
Huh, of course, it is. Unfortunately, I have a gut feeling that I won’t be as lucky.
In the next moment, Leo spoke up. “By the way, I have a present for you, Lucas.”
He took out a dimensional ring from his pocket and handed it to me. I examined it with a puzzled expression and asked, “What’s in it?”
“Do you remember the bike we were working on?” he asked.
A bright gleam flickered in my eyes. “Wait! Did you manage to fix it?”
“Well… no,” Leo said, looking away in embarrassment. “I tried to fix it, but I only ended up breaking it even more. As it was meant to be my birthday gift for you, I had no choice but to give you something else. So I got you this instead.”
I glanced at the dimensional ring in my palm and then back at my master before asking again, “Okay, and what is this?”
“A cutting-edge, top-of-the-line military-grade hoverbike. Four cylinders, eight propellers, AI-assisted autopilot, land and even underwater capabilities. That, my dear disciple, is the future.”
?
“I have failed you! Forgive me, my grand disciple! I have failed you!”
“Oh please, old man! You’re making a scene! You’re embarrassing me!”
“Indeed, I have embarrassed you! For I have failed in my duty as your master!”
Outside the gates of the great Mount Hua Sect, a monstrously tall elderly man wept his eyes out, clinging to the hands of his grand disciple.
Yes, it was Ifa, and he was breaking down into a sobbing mess, holding onto my hands tightly to the point where my arms had begun to hurt.
He was crying because, in his words, he failed to make me more <nullb><nulli>manly under his training.
“Instead of growing more masculine, you’ve become a girl! Look at those long hair and small frame!” He lamented through sniffles and sobs.
Small frame?! Small?! Just because you’re huge doesn’t mean I’m small, damn it!
I rolled my eyes. “Grandmaster, perhaps my body and bone structure aren’t inclined to develop more muscle mass. Maybe this is my natural limit. Don’t cry, I still made considerable progress, right?”
The old man stopped crying, scanning me with his eyes for a second before furrowing his brows and nodding.
“You’re right.”
“Of course I am. But don’t worry, I’m still strong enough to–”
Before I could finish my sentence, the old man interjected.
“You’re right, it’s not me. It’s you. You’re the problem.”
“What… What?”
“Failure… You’re a failure! A disgrace! A disappointment! I will never give my dear angel’s hand to you for marriage!”
“What?!” I furrowed my brow in confusion. “I’m not asking for it either!”
The old man blinked, then frowned like a puzzled puppy. “But… But why?! Isn’t she beautiful?! Think of the beautiful babies the two of you could make!”
“Oh my god! I’m leaving now, old man!” I yelled with a shake of my head and turned to walk away.
As I walked away, the old man continued to shout at my back, “If you think she won’t agree to marry someone like you, then you’re wrong! Just get her pregnant, and she’ll have to marry you!”
“Oh my god!” I yelled back as passersby started giving us strange looks. “You’re a terrible adult, old man!”
With that, I ran as fast as I could, eager to get away from this maniac and also return home.
Trish was already back at the academy. She was on the Disciplinary Committee, so she was allowed to take leave as long as she wished.
However, even she had to perform her duties from time to time and complete some missions that the academy could only entrust to its top cadets.
As for Leo, he had to go visit the Northern Border.
He was only on leave from the military for one year. Now that the year was coming to an end, he would have to complete the retransfer procedure.
The procedure included filling out forms, interviews with the general, a deep psych evaluation, and things like that.
So since I had to go back alone, I decided to first visit NWO’s hideout and meet Kai.
“Okay,” I nodded. “Let’s do this.”