Chapter 207

Just because someone is destined to save the world doesn’t mean they start as a good person. Some, due to their circumstances, are so distrustful of others that they exhibit extreme wariness. Others, like the lazy Delrogar, use their blessings to idly watch others struggle. Well, the boy Melin, a former member of a wandering band now living as a freeloader at the estate, was merely forced to kill by child abusers. At least their innate dispositions leaned toward goodness. Each of them had a reasonable excuse for ending up the way they did. But that wasn’t the case for Roan. Raised in a wealthy, harmonious family without any traumatic events, Roan’s twisted nature seemed unprovoked. “Stop showing off and get down here, Selberton.” Still, as one of the key players destined to save the world, I once hoped he might change as he grew. But his actions proved otherwise—a man who kills without hesitation for nothing more than trivial amusement, far removed from duty, affiliation, or survival instincts. To put it more plainly… “Such a cocky little beach rat.” If the morally bankrupt Hersel, before I took over his body, had possessed immense power, he would have been exactly like Roan. *** Roan pushed Selberton’s shoulder aside and took over the sparring ring. Clicking his tongue, Selberton descended without resistance. He might not have liked it, but Roan was ranked second in Valient, just below the top-ranked Ares. The appearance of the unpleasant Roan made the Ever Blaze students’ faces harden with tension. Amidst this, Roan’s gaze briefly swept over my face. He soon scowled, baring his teeth in a hostile smile toward Ever Blaze. “So, what kind of idiots are you?” The student council president replied in a displeased tone. “You should have been informed, shouldn’t you?” “Oh, Scarlett, was it?” Roan’s casual dismissal of Scarlett as a rival ignited a murderous glint in the eyes of the Ever Blaze students. As the tension escalated, Limberton murmured under his breath. “Is this what it means to be treated like dirt?” “It wasn’t intentional, but that guy crossed the line way too much.” That was likely the main reason for their fury, but there was more to it. Even in a practice match, a bit of interest in the opponent would have been polite. But Roan, treating them with disdain, hadn’t even made that effort. Given their noble lineage and pride in their influence at the academy, this was an unforgivable affront. “His rudeness knows no bounds.” Unable to endure any longer, Fiona, the strongest woman in Ever Blaze, stood up abruptly. “Fiona.” The student council president gave her a warning glance, prompting her to sigh lightly and nod. “Fine. I won’t go all out.” Still, she seemed intent on showing off a bit of her skill. Fiona’s weapon of choice was a rapier with a sharp point. Given the nature of the sparring, she wielded the thinnest wooden sword resembling a rapier. However, Roan didn’t even move toward the weapon rack, staying firmly planted in the sparring ring. “What are you doing, not preparing?” Fiona’s sharp question was met with Roan’s indifferent reply. “Show me some tricks first.” “What?” “You’re a dumb wench. If you want to face me with a sword, prove yourself first.” Roan didn’t stop there. Flashing a sly grin, he even made a lewd comment. “Of course, if we head to the bedroom right now, I can show you another sword.” Unintentionally, I found myself muttering at the sight of this madman. “…What trash.” Limberton nodded in agreement. “Exactly.” That’s when Selberton, who had approached unnoticed, chimed in. “You used to say things like that back in the day too, didn’t you? And Hersel, are you in any position to judge?” Selberton’s comment was ignored for a brief moment. Fiona closed in on the unsuspecting Roan and launched a sharp thrust. Swish! Her target was Roan’s chest. “Ha!” However, the wooden sword missed, sliding past Roan’s side, as he pressed his arm tightly against his ribs and caught it with brute strength. “Ugh!” Fiona exerted force to pull her wooden sword free, but it wasn’t easy. Roan, looking down at her, clenched his free hand into a fist. Then, smirking, he opened his palm. “Beating a woman with my fist feels a bit wrong, don’t you think?” Roan’s open hand arced through the air, aiming for Fiona’s left cheek. “I do love that satisfying sound, though!” Fiona, quick to react, ducked her head, avoiding the slap. In the process, her wooden sword was freed. Roan raised an intrigued brow. “Your aura skills aren’t too bad.” Moments ago, Fiona had activated her aura. She enhanced her power (strength) and speed (quickstep). True to her status as a playable character, Fiona was exceptionally skilled. However, her opponent was on another level entirely. “This time, I’ll use my left hand too.” As Roan spread both palms wide, the sound of Fiona grinding her teeth reached everyone’s ears. Grit! This time, aura began to form around her wooden sword. Although the student council president looked troubled, Fiona ignored him, fully forming her aura blade. Watching this, Ricks asked Riamon, “Do you think you could beat her?” “It’s a close call… but that’s just based on what I’ve seen so far. If she has hidden skills, I’d probably lose.” Ricks then turned to Erucel. “What about you?” “Hmm? Me? I’m absolutely confident I wouldn’t lose.” It wasn’t just bravado. In the current hierarchy of Frost Heart’s knight division, Erucel was ranked just below Mircel. Given his recently unveiled potential, he was now comparable to the elites of Valient. “But that man… Roan, I’m not so sure about him.” As Erucel studied Roan seriously, Mircel yawned and casually remarked, “Really? I’ve already figured him out. You’d lose to him.” “Don’t lie. He hasn’t even shown anything yet. How can you possibly know that?” “He hasn’t shown anything? You’re blind.” Mircel sneered and pointed at Roan. “Look at his footwork. It’s a bit unrefined, isn’t it? It doesn’t look like he’s formally trained. Yet his upper body muscles are well-developed, especially his right tricep, which is noticeably larger than his left. His weapon is likely a one-handed blunt weapon, something very heavy.” Sometimes, Mircel’s keen observations amazed me. As he said, Roan’s weapon of choice was a mace. Despite enrolling in Valient, Roan spent his time drinking like a delinquent rather than training seriously. “An amateur? And you’re saying I’d lose to him? That makes no sense…” “Feel his aura. It’s just pure talent. If you don’t believe me, close your eyes and focus.” While Roan waved his hands mockingly, Erucel closed his eyes. His eyes widened moments later as if he had discovered something. “The aura… it’s flowing out like a gentle stream.” “Exactly. He probably tried to suppress it, but he couldn’t. He doesn’t strike me as someone who’s worked hard on aura control.” I turned to Donatan and asked, ‘What do you think? Is it true?’ ‘Pathetic. A leader who can’t even sense that…’ Before Donatan could finish, Erucel coughed awkwardly and asked Mircel, “Ahem. So, could you beat him?” “Me?” Mircel shrugged and chuckled. “Why even ask? Of course I could.” But his expression soon turned serious, and his gaze wandered elsewhere. While they were busy chatting, Roan’s booming voice cut through the air. “Haah!” A heavy vibration swept through the entire arena, sending a jolt through everyone’s bodies. Fiona froze for an instant, and in that moment, Roan’s right palm struck her cheek. However, the result was minimal—a small scratch on Fiona’s face. She had activated her ultimate defensive aura, Indestructibility (不壞), which pushed her defenses to the extreme. The moment Roan’s smirk disappeared, Fiona chuckled. “Why? Your hand must be stinging, huh?” Indestructibility was Fiona’s most confident aura technique. Her fighting style was one of counters—fortifying her body and striking back with precise, sharp attacks. “And that slap stings a bit too,” she added. At some point, Fiona’s wooden sword had grazed Roan, and now blood was dripping from his cheek. Roan’s expression turned cold. “Shit.” After spitting out the curse, a faint breeze rippled through the air. “Do you even know why I’m participating in this trash tournament?” The sudden question made Fiona’s expression ask for an explanation. “It’s because I like the rules,” Roan said, grinning. “Out of bounds, unconsciousness, or a surrender from the opponent’s mouth—that’s how matches end, right?” As Roan described, the conditions for a loss were exactly those. The referee’s job was simply to ensure those criteria were met or check for rule violations. “That means I can keep beating you to the brink of unconsciousness as much as I want.” At that moment, a gust of wind swept through the arena, and Fiona’s eyes widened in shock. Roan’s hand was suddenly gripping her lower jaw. “Of course, it helps if I clamp your mouth shut like this,” he sneered. Fiona hurriedly swung her wooden sword, but Roan chopped down with his hand, forcing her to drop the weapon. What followed was a merciless slap. Smack! As the situation escalated, the Ever Blaze student council president protested. “The match is over! Release Fiona immediately!” “Didn’t you hear me before? These are the rules,” Roan replied with mockery. “Even so, this is a practice spar. We request a ceasefire. Now get your filthy hands off her!” Rather than comply, Roan laughed and slapped Fiona again. The Ever Blaze students collectively rose to their feet, weapons at the ready. On our side, though the hatred for Roan was palpable, no one stepped forward. “How can a scumbag like him be a starting member? It’s absurd,” Bellman muttered, turning to me. “Hersel, shouldn’t we intervene?” “Don’t forget our purpose, Bellman. Besides, this could spill over into the academy itself.” Frost Heart’s strength was meant to remain hidden. Revealing it now could entangle us in unnecessary conflicts. Ever Blaze would accuse us of dishonorable interference, while Valient would hide behind their rules, claiming no responsibility. Getting involved would only create headaches. But watching wasn’t so bad—Valient’s top fighter, Ares, would soon step in to stop Roan’s rampage. Despite it being time for him to show up, the main gate remained shut. Ever Blaze students stormed onto the sparring arena, weapons aimed at Roan. “Wow, look at you all ganging up on me. Can’t handle me alone, huh?” Roan mocked. This scene was unfamiliar. By now, someone should have intervened. This was no longer a sparring match; anything could happen. Yet unexpectedly, Roan flung Fiona off the arena. “Oops, out of bounds,” he sneered, adding another layer of mockery toward Ever Blaze. I quickly realized this was a calculated move on Roan’s part. “The match is over. If you still have complaints, come at me,” he taunted. Roan’s misdeeds were confined to the practice sparring match. Now that it had officially ended, if Ever Blaze retaliated with force, it would escalate into an assault case. Roan would enjoy such an outcome—he could unleash violence under the guise of self-defense. “…Let’s end today’s sparring here,” the student council president finally said, calling off his team. Though they restrained themselves, their glares delivered a chilling warning. “We’ll file an official complaint with the academy about this incident.” “Go ahead, dumbass,” Roan shot back. Beside Limberton, Selberton ground his teeth and muttered, “That piece of trash… slipping out of trouble again like that.” His words carried deeper implications. To the virtuous main characters, Roan was a nuisance. Despite his misdeeds, professors turned a blind eye to him, solely because of his natural strength. He was a far cry from being a playable character. Without the players’ approval, Roan was closer to a villain designed to provoke the other protagonists. At first, I thought he was just passing by, but my back was against a wall. I waited in silence, and then he opened his mouth. What he said made me question my hearing. “Between us, I look better, don’t I?” That comment, coming from a brute who looked like an unfinished beast, was laughable. Still, since he wasn’t openly hostile, I held my tongue. But then, his gaze shifted to the women in our group, and a perverse smile spread across his face. “Wow, the girls here are top-notch. Are they all yours? So, I’ve got a request.” Pointing at Leana, he added, “Give me this one.” It was a blatant provocation. Perhaps Roan wanted to keep another brute beneath him, as if to assert dominance over a fellow troublemaker. “That’s fine, right?” he asked again, his tone mocking. Our side immediately bristled with killing intent, the air thick with hostility. Leana, in particular, had already gripped her longsword, making the situation precarious. They couldn’t afford to reveal their strength under any circumstances. But there was one exception—Mircel. Mircel had long since earned recognition for his abilities, making him the best option for stepping in. I quickly gave Mircel a subtle signal. But to my shock, Mircel was nowhere to be found. What? Roan boldly closed the distance, leaning his face uncomfortably close to mine. “If you’ve got a problem, then face me,” he sneered. I exhaled deeply and let the Embers of Noble Blood ignite. It should be fine. Letting him assume I belonged to the Magic Division with an absurd ability like Indestructibility wouldn’t hurt. Prepare yourself, Donatan. After sending that mental signal to Donatan, I unleashed the words I’d held back. “I can’t wrap my head around it. What part of your filthy mug is better than mine?” Roan’s lips twisted into a grin as he swung a fist at my face. Static electricity flared around my forearm as I swiftly intercepted his punch, half a beat faster than he anticipated. The impact triggered a familiar sensation. Naturally, One Second Invincibility activated. [Impact detected.] [Trait activated.] [One Second Invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds.] Roan’s eyes widened as he looked at his deflected fist. Then, his face contorted in rage, and he swung again with full force. “That hurt, you bastard!” A barrage of punches followed, but my cooldown timer hadn’t yet reset. [One Second Invincibility cooldown: 51 seconds.] Even so, I remained calm. It was thanks to the magic etched within me. This magic allowed me to recreate any previously cast spell or ability without a chant, encompassing even these “traits” people called supernatural. Rokefeller had named this magic Reversal. Though it came with the penalty of being unable to use spells or One Second Invincibility for the next hour, in situations like this, its brilliance shone. “Argh!” Roan screamed, clutching his hand, which had begun to swell and crack. *** Meanwhile, Mircel stood blocking the path of a man. The man had just finished training and was wiping sweat from his face with a towel. “Coming from that direction… it’s you, isn’t it? The one radiating that overwhelming aura,” Mircel said with confidence. He was certain. The man standing before him was none other than the infamous strongest warrior of Valient—Ares. To read Chapters ahead ???? CH 206-210 (Troublemaker Vs Troublemaker) $3 CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3 CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3 CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3 CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3 CH 231-235 (Frostheart Vs Wisdom) $3 CH 236-240 (I want to lose) $3 Prev I TOC I Next Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading...