"Aaaah!" Another scream rang out.The black mist couldn't withstand the attack and was obliterated into dust. The undead soldiers were now powerless to resist. With the monster king destroyed, eliminating the remaining undead soldiers was only a matter of time.As the gloom dissipated, Adrian's tense heart relaxed slightly. "It's finally over,” he murmured.This battle was the most terrifying Adrian had ever experienced. The enemies were unprecedentedly powerful, shocking him deeply. But fortunately, they were all eliminated. Although some dark auras lingered, their dissipation was only a matter of time. All he had to do was wait."Adrian."Just then, a voice called from afar. It was Nathaniel.Following the voice, Adrian saw Nathaniel and others running over, including some members of the garrison. Seeing them, Adrian asked in confusion, "Why did you come? Didn't I ask you to get to a safe place and stay there?"Nathaniel slapped Adrian’s shoulder and said, "We thought staying
“What? A fighting tournament?" Adrian felt quite surprised."Is there anything strange about that?" Nathaniel countered."Now that you mention it..." Adrian realized it made sense, curious about this so-called fighting tournament. He asked Nathaniel, "How does the tournament work? Do I need to prepare anything?""Ah, I almost forgot."Nathaniel took out a thick stack of documents out of his pocket. He handed it to Adrian, who took it and asked in confusion, "What's this? There are so many pages."Adrian started flipping through the documents. He found out that the fighting tournament was held every five years, and this year's tournament was in Exasword City. The city was located near Mapleston City, and fighters from dozens of nearby cities would be in attendance. It was the grandest event in the entire region."How about it? Sounds pretty amazing huh? I'm sure you’ll learn a lot if you come with me," Nathaniel said."Learn a lot? How so?" Adrian was puzzled."It’ll help to bro
Safiya joined Adrian and Nathaniel on the journey to Exasword, making Adrian somewhat puzzled. He asked, "One of you is the chief instructor of the garrison, and the other is the leader of the special ops team. Now both of you are reassigned, what about the garrison?""Don't worry, we’ve made arrangements for the garrison," Nathaniel said decisively."Alright..." Adrian nodded. After all, this was their private matter, and as an outsider, he needn’t worry about it.Safiya still seemed worried. Noting her furrowed brows, Nathaniel asked, "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"Safiya was lost in thought, and Nathaniel's question jolted her. "Sir, I..." She looked up at him with astonishment, her tension and helplessness apparent.Nathaniel smiled and said, "I know, you’re worried about Ash, right?"Safiya's cheeks turned pink. She neither admitted nor denied it, simply blushing and remaining silent.Adrian could guess what she was thinking as well. He chuckled and said, "Don't wo
But not long after, several people approached Nathaniel, bowed, and greeted him. "Hello, Captain Nathaniel.""You are…?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, trying to recall who these people were.One of the men stepped up and said, “Do you recognize me, sir? We met five years ago.”After closer inspection, Nathaniel recognized the man. Smacking his forehead, Nathaniel said, "Oh, I remember now. Arnold Huffton, right? I’m so forgetful. Sorry, it's been five years, and you've changed a lot.""That's right. If you hadn’t saved me back then, I might not be here now.” Arnold laughed."Why are you guys here?" Nathaniel asked."The road ahead is pretty backed up, so I was ordered to come and pick you up, sir. Follow me. We'll take a different route into Exasword." Arnold pointed ahead.Walking was indeed an option.Arnold's gaze then fell on Adrian. He examined the latter for a moment, then said in surprise, "You're Mr. Adrian, right? I've heard of you.""I'm that famous?" Adrian replied s
Nathaniel could still sense hesitation from Craig and found it somewhat unusual. "What's wrong? Is there something else?" he asked."Nothing much. I just feel it's a pity we couldn’t completely eradicate the Netherites. They’re the root cause of all this trouble," Craig replied with a weary smile.Nathaniel’s expression became troubled too. He looked like he was contemplating something, but he didn’t reveal his thoughts.Craig then asked, "By the way, I heard a level-nine powerhouse from Mapleston would be coming. Has he arrived?""Yes, he has. He's the great hero of Mapleston. Of course, we couldn't leave him behind," Nathaniel said smilingly. He looked toward Adrian, and everyone followed his gaze.Everyone looked surprised by the sight of Adrian, especially Craig, who commented, “I imagined you to be much older, Mr. Adrian. It seems your potential is truly promising."Adrian responded humbly, "You’re too kind, sir. I'm just an ordinary person doing what I can. I'm not worthy o
Late in the evening, Adrian was alone in his room when he heard a knock on the door. He rose to open it and found Nathaniel outside"Captain? What are you—”Nathaniel quickly gestured at him, signaling the need for quiet. He darted into Adrian’s room and closed the door behind him. "There’s something I need to talk to you about," he said."For you to come at such a late hour, it must be important. Please, go ahead," Adrian responded promptly."Yes, it is," Nathaniel confirmed as he sat at the coffee table. After a moment's pause, he continued, "Adrian, what are your impressions of Craig?""Craig?" Adrian was a little perplexed. During their brief encounter, he had formed a preliminary opinion of Craig. "I find him to be quite forthright. Is there an issue?" he asked."Exactly. You've only just met him, so you might not sense anything amiss," Nathaniel mused."Are you implying...""Craig is typically a serious man. I've known him for nearly ten years, and his behavior today seem
Following Arnold, the trio arrived at the Exasword garrison cafeteria. Along the way, many people took notice of Adrian and stared at him, clearly drawn to him."Wow, look. Isn't that the legendary level-nine fighter? He's so young and handsome.""Don't get infatuated. Did you see the girl next to him? She must be the one he's interested in."Some young female fighters couldn't take their eyes off Adrian. He seemed pretty popular around these parts.Seeing the reactions of others, Adrian smiled in frustration.After eating and drinking their fill, the group left the garrison."Isn't the fighting tournament being held in the garrison camp?" Adrian asked."Of course not. The camp is too small to accommodate thousands of fighters. The tournament is being held at Heaven's Peak Arena," Arnold replied.The group made their way to the venue—a magnificent stadium—and they arrived soon enough. Many cars were parked outside, and people got out in groups. Chatter and laughter filled the a
"Why you..." Arnold was instantly infuriated by the man’s words. He raised his fist, ready to charge at him. But at the critical moment, Adrian stopped him."Mr. Adrian, what are you…""Don't let him get to you, Arnold." Adrian gestured for Arnold to step aside, then approached the man in the military uniform with a stern expression.The man felt a tingle down his back. "What do you want, kid?" he growled. He could sense the hostile aura emanating from Adrian, making him wary.Adrian smiled. "I don't want anything. I just can't stand your behavior.""My behavior? What behavior?" The man showed no intention of being polite.The militant man stood tall before, fixing Adrian with a sharp look. Adrian took note that this person was pretty strong, at least at the pinnacle stage of level eight, possibly even stronger.Whoosh!Without warning, the man threw a heavy, cannonball-like punch at Adrian's face. However, Adrian didn't move aside. He simply raised his hand and caught the man'