*YOO YEONHA’S POV*

{What’s… Happening?}-I thought, as I couldn’t believe what was happening in front of my own eyes.

Everyone around me was completely silent. There was nothing that could be said…

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

It was like a maniac was laughing in the arena… While Shin Jonghak was trying to cut him with his spear… But he couldn’t. Not even one hit connected, while Cristopher only laughed and laughed, evading as if it wasn’t anything more than a game to him.

“Just… How is this possible?”-Chae Nayun muttered from beside me.

“I… Don’t know… He doesn’t use any unnecessary movement… He’s just… Playing with him… While using a perfect evasion as if Shin Jonghak wasn’t anything in front of his eyes… He’s making a joke out of him…”-Kim Suho also said, answering Chae Nayun.

{I knew… I knew that both he and Kim Hajin aren’t as simple as they seem… But this… This isn’t something I expected… I couldn’t even imagine something like this happening… I know Shin Jonghak’s strength… But how? How is he playing with him as if playing with a child?}-I thought to myself, before turning to look towards Kim Hajin, who was seated with that girl that’s usually with Cristopher and him, and also the same red-haired beauty that came yesterday… {Orphanage… he said…}

Along with the same red-haired beauty, who was awestruck, as if she never imagined what’s happening right now possible, there were two grown kids, probably not that younger than any of us… They were smiling while staring directly towards the arena, as if not missing any movement of Cristopher.

{Just… What is him…? Coming out of nowhere, and beating one of the best cadets of Cube as if it was child play…}-I thought while looking towards the arena {And him…? Is he the same? A monster in sheep’s clothing?}-I thought, looking again towards Kim Hajin.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT STAY THERE!!!”-Shin Jonghak suddenly shout woke me out of my thoughts, making me look towards the arena again.

Jonghak tried and tried again to connect a hit, but it doesn’t matter how many times he brandished his spear, he couldn’t connect even one hit.

“You’re slow… At this rate, you won’t be able to even touch me.”-I could barely hear Cristopher saying.

“SHUT UP!!!!”-Jonghak shouted, spinning the spear over his head and making one of his best techniques, Half-Moon Slash.

{W-what…!?}-I couldn’t even talk. My mouth is wide open.

“…Weak.”-Cristopher said after stopping a full-force Half-Moon Slash. As if it was nothing.

“It’s not… possible…”-I mutter unconsciously.

But next time, my mouth just went even wider. Shin Jonghak was sent back with a punch to the face.

“He’s… strong… I couldn’t even see his fist moving… It was like a blur…”-Chae Nayun blurted out.

“Yes… It was really fast… If I wasn’t paying attention to his movement, I wouldn’t have noticed the punch. I went flowing right from the shaft towards his face in just one swift moment… *gulp*”-Kim Suho said.

“How… How did someone like that pass undiscovered during the Agent Military Academy…”-I asked unconsciously.

Right then, Jonghak’s Gift activated, and his magic power undulated out of his body and from the blade of his spear. He rushed in and tried to cut at his neck. But… the next thing that happened was, at least for me, impossible…

His spear… Full of magic power and strength was stopped by a mere finger…

“What!?”-Chae Nayun exclaimed.

“…”-Kim Suho was also open-mouthed.

It was normal. In nobody’s mind, Shin Jonghak… The second-ranked cadet’s full power attack, could be stopped by a mere finger. And… a finger from the 915th ranked cadet…

“You know, I’ve always wanted to do this…”-Inside all this silence, Cristopher’s voice resonated.

Immediately after, his finger, the same finger he used to stop the spear, touched the spear blade’s spine. And something that shouldn’t be possible, happened. Shin Jonghak was cut all over his body… As if an invisible blade went and cut him everywhere, just before Cristopher sent him flying with a kick…

Moments after… It was as if he finally decided to attack… Because Cristopher just went in and started hitting Shin Jonghak…

{Huh? Oh… That’s right… He wasn’t attacking before… He was just evading or blocking…}-I thought, moments after I saw what could be perfectly described as a barrage of fists delivered towards Shin Jonghak… Just to be sent flying with one last punch.

“Is that… Really… Shin Jonghak?”-Someone murmured from behind, but I couldn’t even turn to look...

“I… I… Yes…? I mean… That’s… the name… they announced… right?”-Another voice talked from behind.

But again… I couldn’t even turn to take a look… It was all just so… surreal…

{Surrender if you have to? Did I really say those words to him?}-I thought to myself while looking at how Cristopher took Shin Jonghak’s spear on his hands before kicking him away once again.

The way he brandished the spear… It feels like someone that has been using a spear for years… It even has a certain beauty to it…

“Wow…”-Beside me, both Chae Nayun and Kim Suho exclaimed, probably captured by the movement of the spear… Simples… yet full of a certain elegance… Something that couldn’t be explained…

After a quick combo from the spear, Shin Jonghak went flying away once again, and then Cristopher just threw the spear towards Jonghak… Piercing the floor beside him…

“*Gasp*”-I took a deep breath, thinking for a moment that the spear would pierce Jonghak. “*sigh…”-Only to release it after, when the spear safely landed close to him.

{This… This shouldn’t be possible… This has to be some kind of dream…}-That’s the only thought in my mind right now.

Shin Jonghak. The second-ranked cadet. Only slightly below Kim Suho in the ranks… A powerful cadet with a bright future and noble blood running through his veins… He… Was being totally crushed…

“SHUT UP!!!! YOU’RE ONLY TRASH!!!!”-Jonghak shouted.

“…Jonghak…”-I murmured to myself.

After that, Jonghak received a full flowing combo that sent him flying towards this side of the arena. Smashing against the barrier.

After that… He was left there… Squirming, trying to stand up… But he couldn’t…

*step, step, step, step*

It was then that the sudden noise of steps on the arena took everyone's attention from Shin Jonghak.

It was Cristopher.

He was walking towards his opponent. Until he stopped there over him, looking directly at Jonghak’s eyes.

I could also look into his eyes.

“*gasp…*”-I heard someone gasping somewhere around me. But… I could probably understand why…

“What’s… with his eyes…?”-Chae Nayun asked, almost stuttering, probably from shock, or maybe even from fear.

“His eyes… They are… empty…”-Yi Yeonghan also said…

“…”-Kim Suho just furrowed his brows.

It was a normal reaction… After all, Cristopher’s eyes were devoid of any emotion… As if he wasn’t looking at a human being… Just an insect… Something he could squish anytime he wished to…

{What… is he…?}-I thought while unconsciously trembling. {Huh? I’m… trembling? What’s… this…? Am I… Afraid? Of those eyes…?}- I thought, but still, I couldn’t stop trembling. It was then that I heard him talk after squatting.

In an equally emotionless voice.

“You know. You always go here and there, calling everybody that you deem inferior to you, trash. It’s funny. Looking at you like this, on the ground. Like trash. I hope this works as a lesson for you. That this stops your shitty act of being someone superior. Yes. Your grandfather might be a true hero. But you? You’re just a spoiled piece of shit with deliriums of grandeur. Stop being so entitled. It won’t end well for you if you keep it that way.”-Cristopher said.

After that, he merely looked at the referee, raised his arm, and surrendered.

*Hweeeee~*

The match’s over. Cristopher… Lose… But… In anyone’s eyes… This wasn’t a loss to him… It was utter humiliation towards Jonghak…

“I’ll let you keep your record of ‘victories’. But remember this. You better don’t mess with me again. Or next time. I won’t be this lenient with you.”-Cristopher said while flicking his head with a finger, before finally standing up and leaving. Grabbing his scabbard and going out of the arena while whistling.

Even after he left, and the host announced the end of the fight and the information of the next fight, everyone just stayed sitting… Not talking nor moving. Except for a few figures that left the place.

Looking at them I noticed that they were Kim Hajin, that girl Olivia, the red-haired girl I saw yesterday, and the two kids that were with her. Even from afar, I could see Rachel also standing up from her seat a little further away, and leaving.

And in the arena… Shin Jonghak being carried away by the medics of Cube…

“NO! He’s rank 915!!! Yes. He defeated the famous Shin Jonghak!”

“I’m telling you is no joke!! He really did defeat the second-ranked cadet!!!”

“You have to find everything you can about that cadet!! I’m telling you, he’s really strong!!!”

“FUCK!! FORGET ABOUT THE RANK!!!! HE BEAT THE SECOND-RANKED CADET!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WORRYING ABOUT RANKING AT THIS TIME!!!”

All around us, Guilds’ associates and members of the Tower of Heroes were making calls here and there. Talking about the dark horse from the rank 915 beating the second-ranked cadet, and one of the most popular cadets of the year.

{Jonghak…}-I thought to myself while looking towards the place where the medics took Shin Jonghak. {If only you weren’t so prideful… Nothing of this would have happened…}

My feelings were conflicted… In a way… He was one of the two people that saved my life… But… Doing this…

***

*CRISTOPHER’S POV*

I was going out of the arena, towards one of the benchs outside the place. My hands were already clean from the blood of Shin Jonghak.

{It’s not like I want to meet them with blood on my hands… I already made that mistake once.}-I thought to myself while walking towards the bench.

Just as I was about to sit down.

“Cristopher-hyung!!!”-Josh came running towards me. “THAT WAS AWESOME!!!! YOU DEFEATED ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL CADETS OF YOUR YEAR!!! AND WITH SUCH EASE!!!”-He shouted with excited eyes.

“Now, now, calm down… You don’t have to shout. I’m right in front of you.”-I said while rubbing his hair. “See? Now, next time you whine about the training I give you, think about you being able to do the same thing. Okay?”

“YES HYUNG!!!”-He answered excitedly.

“Oppa!” Right then, Laura got here. “You were awesome!! You won against the second-ranked cadet!!! I didn’t know you were so strong!!”

“And what? Do you think I would train you without being strong enough? I’m not that double-faced. *snort*”-I say while ruffling her hair too.

“*giggle* I know, I know, Cristopher-oppa! I was just messing with you.”-She said with a small giggle.

“Well. Now you can’t say I don’t know how to protect myself, right?”-I tell Fran who also got here.

“…”-She looked at me. “Well… I’ll accept it… Even if he was only a cadet…”

“Pfft… Sure… Well, I’m glad you can be more at ease with me out of the orphanage.”-I wink at her.

“*snort*”-She just snorted while averting her eyes.

“Man… I told you to go easy on him…”-Hajin said then.

“You told me not to kill him. I didn’t kill him; I kept my word.”

“You killed his reputation… You basically humiliated him out there…”

“Well… I wasn’t going to do that… But he just went babbling some shit, and I got a little carried away with anger.”

“You should look at that anger management issue you have there, man… *sigh…*”

“Hey…”-Then came Olivia.

“‘Supp? How went your fights from today?”

“They start in a few hours, but… I wanted to ask you… Why did you go easy on me? Looking at your fight today… You were basically playing with me…”-She said while glaring.

“Well… Because I told you it was a lesson. Not a fight. I taught you a few things while fighting. What would I get to fight you seriously? Heck, I didn’t fight him seriously either. It was just pure technique. As I tell you. The technique is as important as power, depending on the circumstances, even more important.”

“… Well… I guess I still have a long way to go…”

“Hyung… Are you training her too?”-Josh asked.

“Mm? Yeah, why?”

“Why haven’t you brought her to the orphanage the Sundays? That way we could all train together, right?”

“Yes, Cristopher, why haven’t you!?”-Asked Fran with a smile on her face.

“She’s just starting. And she’s stronger than you. So, what good would do to her to train with you?”-I say while lifting an eyebrow towards Josh.

“But… She still has to do physical training, right? Why not do it with us?”-Laura asked.

“Because Cube has better equipment for that, like a gravity chamber. So, it’s better for her to train here. If I could, I would also bring you all here. But it’s impossible, sadly, oh well, I’ll try to find something to do later.”

“Still… I wouldn’t mind going to train with them, you know? At least a little spar would sure be good for me, right?”-said Olivia.

“Oh well, whatever. Maybe this Sunday.”-I answered her.

While we were talking, Rachel came close to us.

“Hello, Cristopher-ssi. Congratulations on winning.”-She said with a smile. “I was shocked seeing you win against Shin Jonghak so easily. Still… I wouldn’t expect anything less from you… After all, I haven’t been able to win even once while sparring with you. In a sense, it makes me relieved.”-She said while smiling at me.

“Well, thank you Rachel-ssi.”-I answer her with a smile.

“No problem, also… I’ve already deposited the money from our training, I wanted to tell you that, and that we could train tonight at 8, it’s that okay with you?”-She asks.

“Sure. No problem.”

“*KUHUM* Weren’t you going to train me tonight?”-Olivia asked.

“Oh…? Ara!!! Are you maybe two-timing, Cristopher? Look at you!!! And I thought you wouldn't be the kind to do that stuff...”-Suddenly said, Fran.

“Stop. Don’t start anything here. I’m watching you. I’m not dating Olivia, and Rachel is someone I made a deal with, I’m training her, and she’s paying for it. Understood?”-I made things clear. “And you. Olivia. We always train at 11:30. And we’re officially starting tomorrow when the training center is open.”-I said to her.

“Mm… I’m sorry if I was interrupting something…”-Rachel said with a worried.

“Don’t worry. Fran just likes to mess around. And Olivia… Well, she’s crazy, don’t pay her any attention.”

After that, we were talking for a while, until midday, when we went to eat, except for Rachel and Olivia, who both went away, as they still had two more duels to do.

While we were eating, we were talking about the duels and stuff like that. A funny thing was, that during the first duels, Hajin talked about how someone called Li Xiaopeng approached him to give him a card to enter Desolate Moon.

Of course, I knew immediately that it was Boss, trying to approach him. Though I didn’t saw her among the spectators, I did see the brute Cheok Jungyeong, who was, actually, giving me a bloody smile, I think that big muscle head wanted to fight against me or something.

Though, I don’t actually expect him to notice my power or something. After all, both Natural Energy and Draconic Energy were difficult to detect, and I had perfect control over all three energies, including my Magic Power, and both Natural Energy and Draconic Energy helped me cover my own Magic Power.

Either way, if that brute came towards me. I’ll go all out. While I won’t be able to easily win against him. He won’t be able to end with me either. So, we would end in a tie. It’s just a matter of suitability.

About Boss… Well, I could probably stop her shadows with my Spirit Fire… But that would leave me really tired out…

After eating and buying food for Fran and the kids to take back to the orphanage, we went our separate ways. Hajin told me he wanted to see the rest of the fights, while Olivia said she was going to her room for a moment.

I did the same and went with her towards the rooms.

***

At 8:00 PM, I went towards the forest with Rachel, who was a little tired from her fights, still, she was one of the few cadets that won all their fights, including Kim Suho, Shin Jonghak, and someone named Joo Youngho. Funny thing is, I could break Shin Jonghak’s record and be one of the ones to be undefeated. Though, it was a greater humiliation to surrender after beating his sorry ass.

“You told me that after this week… We would be able to actually start training in how to use this energy you call Natural Energy… It’s that true?”-Rachel asked while we were walking.

“Yes. Why would I lie to you? Also, I haven’t thanked you for the payment.”-I answered her.

“Don’t worry. I’m actually improving really fast thanks to you. And… Well, it all helped me today… The training, I mean…”-She said.

“Well, I’m glad I could help you. I really don’t like to take someone else's money when it’s not earned.”

“…”-She just walked while looking at the ground. “Hey… Will I be able to use that energy to fight like you?”

“Of course not. You and I are different. And, actually, I didn’t use Natural Energy in that fight. Just a few techniques involving the flow of movements. But that’s something really hard to teach. You, by the way, will have to learn your own fighting method. Of course, I’ll help you discover how to use your true potential, but it’ll depend on you to actually learn how to use that power to improve yourself.”-I said to her while walking towards one of the clearings of the forest.

“Huk… Huk…”

It was then that a crying sound came to us.

“Mm? What’s that?”-Rachel asked.

“Don’t worry. Let’s just keep walking.”

“But it sounds like someone’s crying…”-She said again.

“Well… I’m pretty sure that we would just make more wrong than right if we go towards her.”-I said a little loud, so the crying Chae Nayun could hear us and get a little bit quiet.

“…”-Rachel just looked at me while lifting an eyebrow. “I’ll go and check. Maybe someone’s hurt.”-She went towards the crying Chae Nayun.

{I forgot… That Chae Nayun came to cry to the forest because she lost against Rachel for using a bow and not a sword that’s more suited for her gift… And me bringing here Rachel to train don’t help at all…}-I thought while following her.

“Are you ok-”-Rachel asks, only to stop after seeing who was the one who was crying.

Behind a tree, Chae Nayun was sitting hugging her knees while crying, until Rachel got there, and she stood up.

“What do you want!? What are you doing here!?”-Chae Nayun shouted.

“I just… Heard someone was crying… And came here to see if there wasn’t something wrong.”

“What? Who was crying!? You must be hearing things.”-Chae Nayun answered before I got there.

“Come on, Rachel, let’s go. She’ll be fine.”-I said, noticing the small drone mosquito that was looking at everything.

“You? What are you doing here too?”-Chae Nayun asks while frowning.

“Well, I’m training her. We usually train here in the forest. So… If you excuse us, we’ll be going. Come on.”-I said while urging Rachel to follow me.

“Mhm…”-She nodded while following me.

“Hey! Wait!”-Chae Nayun asked after sweeping her tears. “You… How did you beat Shin Jonghak?”-She asked while frowning.

“Easy. He was weak, that’s all.”-I said while walking forwards.

“You…”

“Look. I don’t want to fight, okay? He was the one to nominate me. And he’s an asshole that thinks that everyone is under him. If it wasn’t for his loud mouth, I would just evade a few of his attacks and then surrender. But that guy… He has a shitty mouth. So, fuck it. And I don’t want to talk about it. Okay? Now… You keep doing whatever you were doing.”-I said while grabbing Rachel and pulling her towards somewhere we could train.

Not before hearing Chae Nayun’s smartwatch vibrated.

{That should be Kim Hajin… Trying to get her to change to a sword and not keep using a bow… I better leave.}

***

After we got somewhere, we could actually train, I and Rachel started to spar. We fought for a while until she was totally tired. After that, we just did what we used to do, wait for her to rest a little bit, until she could sit, after which, we just started doing the same as usual, I sent some Natural Energy inside of her, made a couple of cycles, and then let her expulse the energy through her breathing.

We were at it for a little while, a little more than half an hour, after which, we just went towards the dorms. On our way out we didn’t find anyone else. This means that Chae Nayun already talked with Kim Hajin, and Kim Suho already found him.

After I got to my room. I went to take a shower, and then directly to my bed.

{For the moments… I’ll train Rachel, Olivia, and the kids back at the orphanage. Adding to that, I’ll keep training every morning with my own energy. And tomorrow, since everyone in Cube should have heard about my fight with Jonghak, I guess it won’t be a problem for me to use the gravity rooms without erasing my records. With that said… I’ll train my energies in the morning, and my body at nights, I’ll also help Olivia train. That should be enough for the moments…}-I thought to myself. {I also hope that my victory against Shin Jonghak doesn’t bring too many troubles for me…}-With that last thought, I went to sleep.