Inside the lounge.
“Relax, I’m not here to rob you or anything.” Mike said, facing Jessica who was visibly tense, her face stiff and her hands fidgeting aimlessly.
For some reason, she always seemed as nervous around Mike as a mouse would be around a cat, completely overwhelmed by his presence.
“I need a favor from you.” Jessica was so nervous she almost stuttered, “You, you say.”
“You gave me a [Windstride Slash] skill book, understand?” Mike stated.
“Ah? Windstride Slash? I think they have it at the Mystic Market, I’ll go buy one right now…” Jessica said as she pulled out her Trade Secret Realm pass, ready to shop.
“You’re missing my point.” Mike explained patiently, “I accidentally got this skill book at the Tower of Truth, heard it’s quite valuable. I was thinking of selling it to improve my living situation. But Cain mentioned he really likes the Windstride Slash skill, so I thought I might as well give it to him.”
“Oh, then… why say it’s from me?” Jessica was confused.
Mike giving Cain the skill book directly would have been simpler, so why involve Jessica in the transaction? “I only have a D-level talent, suddenly pulling out an expensive skill book could cause trouble, and I hate trouble. Besides, Cain might not accept it directly from me.”
Mike provided a seemingly reasonable explanation and decided, “Let’s settle it this way then!” With that, Mike prepared to leave the lounge, but not before adding, “I heard from Cain about your trip to Thunder Valley, thanks. The roast beef was really good.”
As Mike stepped out of the lounge, he was surprised to find the entire corridor of the academic building crowded with people. A sea of heads leaned over the railings, necks stretched, all curious.
All eyes naturally fell on Mike. “Don’t you guys have classes to attend? What happened to discipline?” Mike shouted, and the crowd quickly dispersed, rushing back to their classrooms.
“All of you should study hard if you want to join me in conquering the Abyssal Plane someday,” Mike muttered as he climbed through a window back to his seat.
He hadn’t been sitting for three seconds when Cain approached him. “Mike, be honest with me, what exactly did you and Jessica do in there?”
The total time Mike and Jessica spent in the lounge was barely three minutes. If anything significant had happened in those three minutes, Mike’s sexual performance would be rated below F-level.
“Nothing much, she just thinks I’m handsome and gave me a gift,” Mike said as he tossed the [Windstride Slash] skill book in front of Cain. “I initially refused, but she insisted on giving it to me. I noticed it’s the skill you wanted to learn, so I brought it back for you.”
“What?” Happiness struck Cain so suddenly that he didn’t know how to react. He immediately threw the skill book back onto the desk as if it were too hot to handle. Then, he quickly picked it up again, the words [Windstride Slash] making his heart flutter. After a few seconds of admiration, Cain handed the book back to Mike, shaking his head, “Mike, I can’t accept this!”
“It’s too valuable!” Mike had anticipated Cain’s reaction. He picked up the book again, “If you don’t want it, then fine, I’ll give it back to Jessica.”
“No, don’t!” Cain panicked, grabbing Mike, “Why can’t you learn it yourself?”
“I’m a mage, have you ever seen a mage learn Windstride Slash?” Mike countered, leaving Cain speechless.
Mike took the opportunity to add, “Even Thor wouldn’t do something like a mage learning Windstride Slash, right?” Cain hesitated, then nodded, “You do have a point… But even if you don’t use it, selling it could fetch a good price, right?”
“It’s a gift from someone else, how could I sell it? I wouldn’t do such a thing!” Mike left the decision to Cain, “If you want to learn it, keep it. If not, I’ll return it.”
After a moment of hesitation, Cain finally decided, “I’ll learn it!” Holding the [Windstride Slash] skill book in his hands, he couldn’t help but admire it. Soon, he remembered something, pulled out paper and a pen from his messy desk, and quickly wrote a few lines.
“May 2146, Cain owes Mike $10 million, as proof, if I can’t pay it back, I won’t; if I can, I will…” After writing, Cain signed his name and was about to press his thumbprint.
“Childish.” Mike snatched the IOU, stuffing it into his pocket. “Alright, remember to pay me back when you earn $10 million! Wait, is this thing really worth $10 million? Cain, give the skill book back, I’m having second thoughts…”
After passing the basic tests, it quickly moved on to the combat ranking stage.
“I’ll announce the rules for the combat test!” The Berserker Instructor stood at the forefront, his voice booming so everyone could hear clearly, “To give everyone more opportunities to showcase their strengths, each participant will have three chances to fail, not just one!”
“No way, I’m using it right now! Too late for regrets!”
…
Afternoon.
After passing the basic tests, it quickly moved on to the combat ranking stage.
“I’ll announce the rules for the combat test!” The Berserker Instructor stood at the forefront, his voice booming so everyone could hear clearly, “To give everyone more opportunities to showcase their strengths, each participant will have three chances to fail, not just one!”
“Opponents will be randomly assigned to you, and after two losses, you can choose your own opponent. A third loss, and you’re out.”
“Got it?” After receiving affirmative responses, the Berserker Instructor began calling names.
Students called up donned their protective gear and entered the specially designed combat room, where the fight would commence under the supervision of a referee and a priest. Only weapons provided by the school were allowed; the use of items, scrolls, or puppets was forbidden. There were no other restrictions.
The first to have their protective gear breached would be declared the loser. Losers would exit the combat room and wait for their next call. Winners, after receiving treatment, would fight in the next round.
This round-robin rule ensured that the last person standing would be the strongest overall. Good luck might win you a fight or two, but not the entire competition. Similarly, bad luck might cause a loss or two. You can choose your opponent for the third fight, and if you lose then, there can be no complaints.
In such a system, when pushed to the brink, everyone would inevitably choose the opponent they perceived as the weakest to continue advancing. It was a harsh but true reality.
The gymnasium was packed with students from Magic High School. Mike and Cain were positioned towards the back. They had been waiting for over ten minutes and still hadn’t heard the Berserker Instructor call their names. Cain was growing impatient.
Some students had already fought two rounds, and Mike hadn’t even been up yet! However, Mike wasn’t in a rush; he only needed a spot for the summer camp, not necessarily the first place.
… ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
A boy with naturally curly hair, looking distressed, walked out of the combat room. He was frantically pulling at his hair, muttering, “It’s over, it’s over, I’ve already lost two matches, and I’m a B-level talent. If I lose one more, I’m out!”
He had faced two B-level talents, and both matches were intensely close. Luck was not on his side, resulting in two consecutive losses. He had to seize his last chance!
The curly-haired boy thought to himself, he must choose a sufficiently weak opponent. “Choose your next challenge,” the Berserker Instructor handed him a list, which briefly noted each candidate’s class and talent level.
“F-level talent, Jessica… forget it, she’s the Battle Chief’s granddaughter.” He immediately ruled out the weakest, Jessica.
Students with E, or F-level talents wouldn’t normally sign up for such a test. Their talents were too weak, and participating would only bring humiliation.
“Look for a D-level talent, preferably a mage. I’m a Warrior with anti-magic abilities, which makes me particularly effective against mages.” The curly-haired boy scanned the list of names and indeed found a target.
“I choose this one!” He declared resolutely, pointing at a name, his eyes already gleaming with the prospect of victory.
The Berserker Instructor glanced at the list and called out loudly, “Mike, step forward!”
“Check your gear, get ready to fight!”