Across the arena, cheers erupted from the Ebonveil side.
“We drew Virelia? Perfect!”
“Easy win.”
......
Christopher and Otis exchanged uneasy looks.
“…They’re a little full of themselves, aren’t they?” Otis muttered.
.....
“The match begins!”
Still simring with irritation, Christopher stepped onto the field first. Axel and Otis followed closely behind.
“Begin!”
The mont the referee gave the signal, Christopher exploded forward before Axel could even move. His body blurred as his fists flew like artillery shells.
Otis activated his psychic talent at the sa ti—icy mist spread outward, frost and snow forming around the three Ebonveil fighters.
Axel paused, watching the scene unfold.
“…Do I even need to step in?”
The three Ebonveil Awakeners barely moved, relying purely on their Force to endure the assault.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
All three let out muffled groans, staggered backward, then collapsed in perfect synchronization—sliding clean off the ring like it had all been rehearsed.
The arena fell into an awkward silence.
Christopher froze, stunned.
The referee’s lips twitched, his expression blank, as if a flock of crows had just flown overhead.
“Uh… Virelia Division wins.”
Axel stared at the scene, torn between laughing and sighing.
What the hell was that?
Christopher withdrew his Force, practically glowing with pride. He turned and waved enthusiastically. “Thank you for the honor—”
Before he could finish, the three Ebonveil fighters brushed right past him as if he didn’t exist.
They rushed straight toward Axel, their eyes shining with excitent.
“You’re Axel, right? The Academy Competition champion!”
“We’re seniors from Ebonveil War Academy—could we get your autograph?”
“You were insane back there, beating Terrence and the others.”
“You’re famous on the Awakened Forum now!”
Axel blinked, caught completely off guard.
Since when did I get this popular?
“Looks like I really am going to be famous this ti,” he muttered, rubbing his nose as he stepped off the arena.
Curious, he opened the Awakened Forum.
Post after post flooded his screen.
“Axel — 19 years old, from Dune.”
“Assisted local law enforcent in cracking a major infected-individual case while still in high school.”
“Achieved the highest Force reading in the city on Awakening Test Day; later joined the Whisper Syndicate.”
“Passed the Whisper Syndicate rookie trials and completed missions alongside official mbers.”
“Last autumn, assisted Bloodstone Warfare School in defending the city walls, personally slaying dozens of mutated beasts.”
“Participated in the defense of Northern Spiritual Town, successfully protecting civilians and property.”
“Led Bloodstone Warfare School to first place in the Academy Competition.”
Axel stared at the screen.
“…Who the hell dug all this up?”
......
At that very mont, deep inside a sprawling manor in the heart of Everton, Gabriel’s fingers were flying wildly across his keyboard. Snack crumbs dotted his desk as he shoveled food into his mouth between keystrokes. Only after slamming the final key did he lean back, satisfaction written all over his face.
“Perfect.”
He’d been casually browsing the Awakened Forum when he stumbled across a comnt from so so-called keyboard warrior trash-talking Axel.
Dare to criticize my brother Axel?
Without hesitation, Gabriel tapped into his access privileges, digging up publicly available records and achievents tied to Axel. He carefully selected the most representative—and most flattering—entries and dumped them straight into the thread.
As Gabriel basked in his own brilliance, the door swung open.
Two n walked in.
One was Jorvan. The other was an older man in his sixties, gaunt-faced, radiating an oppressive authority just by standing there.
“Dad,” Gabriel said cheerfully, “you’re here.”
Graham glanced at his overweight son, then at the snacks disappearing into his mouth, and shook his head without expression.
“You just used internal search privileges,” Graham said coldly, “to start a fla war on the forum?”
Gabriel laughed. “Yeah! Dad, check it out—over a thousand replies already. Pretty impressive, right?”
Jorvan leaned in and whispered urgently, sensing the danger. “Gabriel… is just bored.”
Gabriel waved him off. “Relax. Forums are fun.”
“You still have the nerve to say that?” Graham snapped, his voice dropping sharply. “You’re only a Level Two Awakener.”
Gabriel scratched his head awkwardly. “Okay, okay, my bad. I’ll go cultivate right now.”
He paused. “Axel’s your friend, right?”
At the ntion of Axel, Gabriel imdiately puffed out his chest. “My best buddy.”
Graham’s stern expression eased slightly. He turned to Jorvan.
“Include Axel in the selection for Krythos’s Top Ten Young Awakeners.”
Gabriel’s eyes lit up. “I’ll tell Axel the good news right now!”
Aside from prestige, the Top Ten would receive massive cultivation resources from the governnt.
“No need,” Graham said calmly.
Gabriel and Jorvan both froze. Jorvan, however, understood almost imdiately.
Gabriel stared at his father in awe. “Dad… I never realized you were such a saint. I suddenly feel so insignificant.”
Jorvan covered his face.
Graham snorted and turned away. “Idiot.”
“Hey! Why are you yelling at ? I was praising you!”
Jorvan sighed helplessly. “You misunderstood. No one does favors for free.”
Gabriel blinked, then nodded slowly. “Then… why didn’t you let tell Axel?”
Jorvan smiled faintly. “It’s better if he finds out on his own.”
“Oh.” Gabriel scratched his head, frowning, and said nothing more.
.....
“This round was too easy. We didn’t even get to see Lilith’s other tricks.”
In the second round, Hollow Fortress faced Ebonreach. Lilith led her team to an effortless victory, barely breaking a sweat.
“All matches for today are concluded,” the announcer declared. “The quarterfinals will begin tomorrow. Competitors, please adjust your condition accordingly.”
The crowd began to disperse.
Inside the central viewing room, several powerful figures stood up, so having just put away their phones.
“No wonder Mr. William chose the Virelia branch,” Maurice said with a faint smile. “He must’ve known sothing ahead of ti.”
“I’d never even heard of that kid before,” Orlando admitted openly, admiration clear in his voice. “Sha he’s tied to the military. Otherwise, he’d make one hell of a hunter.”
Soone nearby chuckled. “What a pity. William’s betting on the first tier—but Mr. Philip’s already on the second.”
Philip stroked his beard modestly and waved his hand. “Just an intelligence edge, that’s all. Hahaha.”
William turned toward him, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
“Mr. Philip, you knew Axel was competing, yet you still insisted on Hollow Fortress. Did you think Axel was guaranteed to lose?”
“Not guaranteed,” Philip replied slowly. “Lilith just has better odds.”
“Cultivation level, speed of advancent to Level Five, combat experience…” He paused. “She’s a few years older than Axel, after all.”
The others nodded in agreent.
“Maurice and I still have a chance,” William said calmly, a faint smile on his lips.
“Of course,” Orlando said. “There are always winners and losers.”
After a mont’s thought, he added, “But Mr. William, you’re still holding out hope. Axel’s young. He fights alongside the Whisper Syndicate—sotis he doesn’t even need to shine for his resu to look perfect.”
“Then,” William replied evenly, “we’ll wait and see.”
......
By the next morning, the Havoc Division arena was already packed to the brim.
“Our opponents are Mountain City,” Ynez said, waving Christopher and Otis over when she spotted Axel. “They have two low-tier Level Five Awakeners. But Edgar hasn’t officially shown his hand yet—I don’t know his Awakening Talent or his true strength.”
“With Axel on our side, Mountain City won’t be a problem,” Otis said cheerfully, stretching as if he were about to take a casual jog.
“Players, please prepare!”
Axel, Christopher, and the others stepped toward the arena.
“Yo, yo—look at that confidence!” a man in a baseball cap, his arms covered in tattoos, shouted as Axel walked past. “You’re gonna cry in a minute!”
The three of them exchanged confused looks.
“What’s that idiot doing?” Christopher muttered.
“No clue,” Otis replied.
Then, grinning, that man sung loudly, “You don’t even know who you’re up against! Careful, man—I’ll scare the shit out of you! Yo! Yo!”
Otis burst out laughing. “He looks like a washed-up rocker!”
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