These people were mbers of the sa faction as the opponents Alex had just defeated. Likely dissatisfied with their own side's loss and eager for revenge, they charged at Alex's group the mont the battle ended, clearly intending to kill them to avenge their fallen comrades.
Upon seeing this, Ujir instinctively grew nervous.
But Alex, on the other hand, looked even more excited.
"Perfect timing."
However, he never got the chance to act.
Just as those people were about to reach Alex and the others, Ron sensed it—deep underground, a surge of power erupted and surged upward, appearing before the attackers in an instant. That power pierced directly into their bodies.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Before Alex's group could make a move, their enemies collapsed to the ground.
"Those who break the rules are killed imdiately?"
"No wonder the people of Minpo adhere to the rules of the Grand Martial Trials so strictly."
"So that's how it works."
Ron had found it strange before. Given Minpo's level of modernization, it was impossible that everyone was a noble-minded gentleman. Surely, the number of scoundrels and garbage people wasn't small.
Morality can only restrain oneself, but laws and rules exist to regulate society.
It was simple—maybe in so places, good people were the majority and bad people were few. But without rules to impose consequences, once wrongdoers act without punishnt, what will the victims feel? Naturally, they would begin to darken. The number of wrongdoers would grow. Like a disease, it spreads.
The battle was over.
All of Alex's opponents had been killed. Those who rushed in afterward were dead as well.
The surrounding spectators had mixed expressions.
Strange energy drifted up from the corpses, heading toward Alex and his team. But this ti, Ron noticed sothing different.
The energy didn't all flow into Alex's group. A significant portion sank into the ground.
"Is the underground rune array absorbing it?"
"But is it just for maintaining the array… or does it serve so other purpose?"
After receiving the influx of energy, Alex and the others instantly returned to peak condition.
Alex stepped forward to face the group that had previously stood as opponents—though they had never truly been rivals. Those who joined the Grand Martial Trials were on a completely different path from those who hadn't.
"Is anyone among you willing to join my team?"
His question surprised the group. After everything that had just happened, after the bloodshed and the deaths, Alex was still offering a chance?
Soone raised a hand.
"Good, you're in. Welco."
Alex smiled at the young man who had lifted his hand.
"We're going to keep winning."
The mont that youth joined Alex's camp, part of the energy that had sunk into the ground split off and flowed into his body.
"I'm Alex. This is Rondo, and that's Ujir and lissa."
The boy introduced himself in turn.
"My na is George."
George's gaze shifted across each of them, silently committing their faces to mory. But then his eyes fell on Ron.
"Captain, who's that?"
"He's part of our team, or rather…"
Alex hesitated, unsure how to explain.
"Recorder," Ron said calmly. "I'm not part of your team. I'm cooperating with Alex. My role is to docunt your progress through the Grand Martial Trials."
A trace of confusion passed through George's expression.
Alex chuckled.
"That's right. After all, we're going to beco the new kings of Minpo—soone needs to record our journey."
"Let's move. Ti for the next round of the Grand Martial Trials."
Ron walked at the rear of the group.
"Through combat, they grow stronger. And according to the intelligence Chii gathered, Minpo seems to have other Nen training systems in addition to the Trials."
"There are many fraworks, so not too different from Fiora's. But they all seem to co from external sources—not self-developed."
That inconsistency bothered Ron.
Other Nen systems were typically based on self-study, personal refinent, and inner developnt. But the participants in Minpo's Grand Martial Trials were more like players in a ga. They didn't need to understand Nen. They didn't need to train. All they had to do was win battles.
It was like defeating monsters or clearing dungeons in a video ga. As long as you won, you gained strength and new abilities.
They knew that it worked—but not why it worked.
And yet, Nen was supposed to be fair. The more you invested, the more you gained. Compared to what Alex and the others were putting in, the rewards they received were far too great. It didn't make sense.
This thod of gaining power felt flimsy to Ron.
Their strength didn't feel like their own. It felt borrowed—taken from soone else.
"Chii, search the network for past records of the Grand Martial Trials."
Chii imdiately began scanning, but oddly, most of the information appeared to have been intentionally erased or locked. Even with Chii's level of access, she could only retrieve fragnts—worthless scraps with no real value.
............
.......
.
As night fell, the group stopped.
They picked a relatively flat area and started a campfire.
Ron pulled out a manga volu and handed it to Alex.
"What's this?"
"Read and see."
Alex opened it. Within monts, he was fully absorbed.
"Grand voyage? One Piece? Rubber Fruit?"
"This looks interesting…"
"Was this Luffy guy based on ?"
"Hei! I'm not that goofy, am I?"
"But he seems like a good guy."
Alex's voice caught the attention of the others. Rondo, lissa, Ujir, and George all crowded around.
"This swordsman with the three blades—was he modeled after ? But seriously, is a three-sword style even practical?"
Rondo looked toward Ron for confirmation.
But Ron didn't answer directly.
"That's up to you. I'm just offering a concept. You can try it if you want. Or not—it's entirely your choice."
Rondo started visualizing it in his mind, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Then this Nami character must be ?" lissa said. "But her strength is way too underwhelming. And she's a thief? Also, I'm way stronger than that!"
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