“To provoke my freshman class and then just walk away like that, doesn’t seem quite right, does it?”
A voice like sudden thunder reverberated, startling every awakened present.
The numerous first-year students were at first shocked, then their faces quickly lit up with joy as they turned towards the direction of the sound.
Almost all of them had been schooled by Howard, aware of his superior strength; naturally, they placed their hopes on him.
“Howard, you’ve finally arrived!”
Abby, Judy, and others exhaled a sigh of relief, even going so far as to overlook Ying Chan at Howard’s side.
“Howard! You coward, you’ve finally shown your face, huh?”
To Matthru Anthony, the sight of Howard sparked excitement; after all, Howard was the target he had intended to challenge.
He knew that if a mentor had personally taken Howard out for training, his talent must be exceptional. To target Howard, it had to be done shortly after his awakening; otherwise, once Howard grew in strength, he would no longer be a match for him.
Facing Matthru Anthony’s taunts, Howard remained undisturbed, stepping steadily towards the stage.
The students from previous years quickly cleared a path for him.
“Go Howard!”
“Show that damn guy that we first-years are not to be underestimated!”
“Howard, you must win, smack him down hard!”
Cheers and shouts of encouragement rose.
As for the upperclassmen, their faces wore a look of surprise.
There had been first-year students who had challenged Matthru Anthony before, but the cheers and support for Howard were incomparable!
This left them puzzled, questioning what sort of talent Howard possessed to command such respect from the new students.
“This guy, just walking up there so ordinarily? He doesn’t look like much!”
“It’s not how you should fight. Back in our days, when we climbed into the ring, we used to soar up, not showing off a couple of tricks – how do you expect to suppress your opponent’s spirit?”
“I reckon this fellow will lose too.”
Many murmurs arose, prompting the first-year students to roll their eyes and then shout even louder in response.
Howard paid no mind to these comments; with a thought, his Soul Nurturer quietly appeared in his hand as he walked steadily onto the stage.
The mentor surveyed Howard and nodded, “If you are a magus, then both parties must maintain a distance of over 20 yards. Please step back!”
At these words, Matthru Anthony flashed a grin, made a throat-slitting gesture at Howard, and then quickly retreated.
This gesture also elicited shouts from countless students.
The provocative intent was too strong!
Normally, as students of the same academy, one wouldn’t go to such extremes.
In an instant, all the students understood that there must be bad blood between Howard and Matthru Anthony. This meant that in this arena battle, neither side would hold back — promising a spectacle indeed!
Of course, this was also because they knew the mentor would protect the students from serious harm, which gave them the liberty to be spectators.
Outside the academy, as classmates, they would certainly have intervened.
Once a sufficient distance was established, the mentor immediately commenced the countdown.
“3… 2… 1!”
Almost the instant the countdown ended, Matthru Anthony burst upwards, fists clenched and radiating brilliance.
His speed was incredible; it took just a breath for him to smash a fist down onto the platform before Howard.
Bang!
In that moment, the stage trembled violently, an invisible shockwave surged towards Howard with relentless force.
Before the shockwave could even reach Howard, Matthru Anthony’s body coiled like a spring, and he shot forth like an arrow released from its bow, closely following the shockwave’s trail.
This scene elicited exclamations from countless students.
They could tell that if Howard were hit by the shockwave, he would likely be unable to evade the subsequent punch.
Moreover, Matthru Anthony was a martial artist, a profession whose strength lies in close combat and rapid strikes, often accompanied by controlling effects. If one were caught in his combo, it was very possible they wouldn’t even manage a single counterattack before defeat.
The first-year students soon realized that Matthru Anthony hadn’t been serious when fighting them!
In an instant, many students began to worry for Howard.
Even Abby felt a chill in her heart, unaware that Howard, at this moment, had reached level 33 and was even donned in a Supreme Artifact.
Furthermore, it was night!
Howard was blessed with the Kiss of the Moon Goddess, which granted him immunity to six attacks under the cover of darkness. 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ
With the ability to negate attacks, Howard, aiming to showcase his own strength, didn’t retreat but instead advanced. Gripping his Soul Nurturer, he took bold strides to meet his opponent head-on.
“What the fuck!”
“Has this guy lost his mind?”
This tableau left every student petrified, and even the mentor was on edge, his eyes glued to Howard, ready to leap forward to intercept any injury.
Matthru Anthony’s eyes shone with fervor as he let out a roar, the strength within him swelling tumultuously, his right hand clenched into a fist, once again sparking with light.
Yet, when the shockwave blasted towards Howard, a moment unfolded that left every student agape.
A cascade of silvery-white brilliance fell, morphing into a shield that cocooned Howard.
The shockwave dissipated into nothingness, and there stood Matthru Anthony before Howard, his fist swinging through the air.
The next moment, Howard wielded the Soul Nurturer directly, swinging it like a club, fiercely smashing it towards Matthru Anthony’s incoming fist.
Bang —
A crisp resonance filled the air. Matthru Anthony felt as though his right hand had crashed against an iron slab, a tidal wave of pain assaulting his senses, forcing an involuntary howl from him.
Swiftly thereafter, Howard launched a kick, striking true to Matthru Anthony’s abdomen.
Thanks to the Soul Blood Pact and the boost from an SSS-level talent, Howard’s attributes had long surpassed Matthru Anthony’s. That kick, akin to a hammer blow to the belly, drained Matthru Anthony’s face of color.
His body recoiled continuously, hands clutching his stomach, his visage twisted in agony.
It was not just Matthru Anthony who was stunned; the entire field, with hundreds of spectating students, stood frozen, fixating on Howard with eyes filled with bewilderment.
What just happened?
Aren’t you supposed to be a magus?
How did one kick send a senior student staggering, unable to keep his balance?
“Is this guy seriously a magus?!”
“Or is he… deceiving us?”
“No, no, no, he’s definitely a magus. I’ve witnessed him casting magical skills!”
“Holy crap, is Howard that formidable? He can prevail over senior students without even casting spells, just using his fists?”
Exclamations echoed nonstop, yet Howard calmly walked towards Matthru Anthony. With an effortless grasp of his left hand, he astonishingly hoisted Matthru Anthony up.
He was no saint!
As long as the mentor didn’t declare the end, Howard wouldn’t stop his assault.
After all, so many students had been thrashed because of him; he had to claim some interest back!
“Tsk tsk tsk, weren’t you swaggering around earlier? Why aren’t you shouting now?”
Holding Matthru Anthony aloft with his left hand, Howard’s right hand viciously slapped him, leaving a crimson mark on his cheek.
Upon a careful glance, Howard slapped him again with the back of his hand, ensuring both cheeks bore marks, then nodded in satisfaction, “Now, that looks much better!”
No sooner had he spoken than Howard embarrassingly discovered that Matthru Anthony had fainted!
Howard’s attributes had risen too much compared to before, and he hadn’t controlled his strength well for a moment. But this turn of events rendered his prior preparations useless!
After all, one can’t keep pummeling an unconscious opponent, can they?
Boredly tossing Matthru Anthony onto the platform, Howard’s thoughts suddenly shifted. The last time they met, there seemed to be a group with Matthru Anthony. His eyes lit up, and he hastily scanned the crowd of students below the stage.
A single student would not likely have the gall to provoke an entire grade!
In other words, Matthru Anthony had accomplices.
With this thought, Howard quickly inquired, “Do any of the first-year students know who targeted you initially?”
As his words fell, a few of the upperclassmen couldn’t help but shiver internally.
Originally, they hadn’t taken Howard seriously, thinking that with his recently awakened talent, he couldn’t possibly be a match for them.
But those slaps had jolted them to reality.
In an instant, Matthru Anthony’s cohorts began to retreat.
It was at this moment that Howard’s gaze landed firmly on them.
Howard’s question had been a ploy to make that group reveal themselves.
With the corner of his mouth slightly upturned, Howard looked towards the group of students, his voice gentle yet carrying an undertone of command, “Gentlemen, don’t rush off. He lost, and as his comrades, shouldn’t you step forward?”
“Or is it that you’re afraid to face even me, a mere first-year student? Since when did the upperclassmen become so timid?”
This content is taken from 𝘪𝘳.𝘤𝑜