“You lost,” Mike’s voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed through the gym.
The entire gym was eerily silent, everyone’s brain scrambling to grasp just what had happened.
Many of the students hadn’t seen it clearly. In the blink of an eye, Ethan was smashed under Big Bertha, completely powerless to retaliate.
Who could have guessed that Mike, lugging around over 20 tons of Big Bertha, would use it not to blast someone, but to smash them!
“The winner, Mike!” Carson stepped forward, his voice steady and unemotional, announcing the result of the combat test.
Given that many hadn’t understood what had happened, and the fight held educational value with many details worth analyzing, Carson began to explain.
“You were all deceived by the appearance and supposed function of Big Bertha, overly cautious of its blast, yet you forgot about its sheer weight. After Mike smashed Big Bertha onto Ethan, he not only deactivated the rune but also used a wind element spell to disrupt Ethan’s balance…”
After analyzing the fight, Carson shifted gears, “Ethan, do you know where you lost?”
Under the weight of Big Bertha, Ethan’s expression was painfully awkward, unable to utter a word.
Carson’s question was directed not only at Ethan but at everyone present.
“If your opponent were Mike, do you really think you could do better than Ethan?”
“First, underestimating your opponent! Shaking hands with your opponent before the fight… Ha, what have your teachers been teaching you? Is this some kind of child’s play?”
Carson’s tone was harsh, his words deliberate, “Combat is battle, and battle is a fight to the death! On a real battlefield, there are no courtesies, no morals, no referees! Only the living and the dead!”
Continuing, Carson glanced at Mike and said lightly, “In this regard, Mike did well. Everything he did in the fight was paving his way to victory. If this were a real battlefield, Ethan, you’d be dead.”
Mike thought to himself: That doesn’t sound like a compliment. Is there a chance he’s calling me dishonorable?
“Kaelum, you’ve taught well.” Hearing Carson’s praise, Kaelum’s mouth twitched, his expression slightly embarrassed.
Carson, you’ve got it all wrong! I didn’t teach any of this; it was all Mike’s doing.
Carson pointed out sharply, “Ethan, underestimating your opponent was just one reason for your defeat, not the fundamental one. Your understanding of the combat rules, your grasp of the enemy’s psychology, your awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses… Mike outperformed you in every aspect. Even if you had another chance, your odds of winning would still be slim.”
Pinned under Big Bertha and subjected to Carson’s scolding, Ethan felt a double blow both mentally and physically, leaving him somewhat dazed.
Losing to Mike, who had a D-level talent, didn’t feel shameful to him. Winning and losing are part of the game. No one can win all the time, except maybe a Supreme Being.
Ethan just hadn’t expected… that a fight could be like this? That it could be done this way!
In less than half a minute, Mike had opened a door to a new world for Ethan. Whether he would step onto this path of no return and firmly grasp the key to becoming stronger was yet to be seen.
“Alright.” Having said all that needed to be said, Carson gave Mike a cold glance, “Carry your Big Bertha and fall back into line.”
Mike approached Ethan and reactivated the rune with a wind element spell. Ethan immediately felt much lighter, “Bro, put some muscle into it, this thing’s kinda heavy.”
With Mike’s prompting, Ethan helped him hoist Big Bertha back onto his shoulder.
“Thanks, man. You owe me a meal, and that’s settled,” Mike said, then carried Big Bertha back to the ranks, leaving a bewildered Ethan behind.
Did something go wrong?
Defeating Ethan, who had an S-level talent, wasn’t too hard for Mike. Even Carson, who particularly admired Mike, acknowledged that Mike’s apparent strength wasn’t on par with Ethan’s.
However, Mike’s ability to perform above his level and utilize every advantage in combat led to his ultimate victory. This recognition was exactly what Mike wanted.
He had won, but not completely.
The pace of the combat tests quickened considerably after that. Mike’s next opponent was Archer, who had an A-level talent. Once they had distanced themselves, Mike simply fired, blasting his opponent away.
“You… didn’t you say… you had no ammo?” The charred opponent was utterly confused.
Mike, righteous and unapologetic, declared, “Oh, I lied to Ethan.”
“Winner, Mike!”
“…”
…
Throughout the afternoon, Kaelum and the others watched the entire combat test unfold.
“Anderson, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Kaelum said, his expression downcast as he pointed towards the competitors below. “Isn’t Mike a bit too fierce? At this rate, not only will he avoid failing, but he might even secure a scholarship!”
Mike, transformed into the formidable Big Bertha boy, was all about merging man and cannon—wielding the cannon in close quarters and firing from a distance with deadly accuracy. His tactics were impeccable, unbeatable.
“There’s a real chance of that happening,” Elena chimed in, always one to enjoy a bit of drama. “I’ve heard a senior veteran has taken quite a shine to Mike.”
“That’s tough,” Anderson shook his head, sharing his thoughts, “The further we go, the bigger the gap becomes.”
Today, Mike managed to use the 20-plus-ton Big Bertha to overpower Ethan and clinch an easy victory. But in half a month? Not even 200 tons would be enough for Ethan to sweat. In the face of absolute power, everything else is just fluff.
“True, the gap in talent levels is huge, and it’s only going to widen,” Kaelum felt slightly reassured. It seemed his chances of repeating a year were still high. “It’s a shame, though. If Mike were an S-level, no, even an A-level talent… just based on his combat sense, he’d be no less than an S-level!”
“Who says Mike is any less than an S-level talent now?” Elena pointed down, “The strongest among the S-level talents just lost to Mike.”
It had to be said, Ethan’s skills truly stood out among his peers. After his defeat to Mike, he won all the remaining combat tests—clean and decisive victories without any doubt.
A sharp whistle cut through the air again, “Gather round!”
“The results of this combat test are now in. First place, Mike! …Twenty-second place, Ethan… Three hundred forty-first place, Cain…”
Today’s combat saw a total of eight undefeated participants. Under the ranking system, the lower the talent, the higher the rank. Thus, among the eight undefeated, Mike achieved the most dazzling result.
After announcing the results, Carson spoke again, “The day after tomorrow, there will be an exchange battle between Zone C and Zone A. The top 50 and the bottom 50 from today’s test, a total of 100 participants, will compete. Those in the bottom 50, if they don’t secure three victories, will be eliminated directly.”
Carson briefly introduced the upcoming exchange battle, “Resources at the summer camp are limited. How they’re distributed from here on out is up to you. Win, and you take more. Lose, and you give up your share.”
“Dismissed!”
…
In Zone A of the summer camp, a similar combat test had just concluded. In a corner, Michael was finishing up his guidance to the students.
“Just two more days…” Michael counted on his fingers, “After the exchange battle in two days, I’ll be free to head to the Abyssal Plane!”
Freedom was close at hand, and nothing scared him anymore. The thought brought a wide grin to his face.
Noticing Michael’s smile, a colleague casually asked, “Michael, why the big grin?”
Michael’s smile faded as he straightened his face, explaining, “I just remembered something happy. My wife, whom I haven’t seen in over a year, told me today she’s pregnant!”