Chapter 47 - First Step

Cheering and applause followed Fang as he climbed the stairs—although no one truly believed he could emerge victorious, it was bound to be an interesting fight.

Richard’s eyes fell on Fang, sizing him up.

Judging by his appearance, it was likely that Fang wasn’t nobility, he thought. However, the relationship between Valeria and Fang was certainly suspicious. From what he had discovered, she had repeatedly invited Fang for the weekends, and he knew that recently Valeria had been in the market for rare materials.

There was no doubt that she wasn’t buying the materials for herself; she couldn’t advance her skills. It was likely all for this boy. The reason was obvious: she wanted to cultivate a powerhouse to take revenge for her dead family. Richard paid close attention to the events within the college, and this kid wasn’t ordinary. After all, how could a weakling from the lowest class defeat someone from Class Two?

So, Valeria, let’s see how your gamble turns out. If it proves successful, well, it won’t be difficult to change that.

“Begin!”

With the start of the fight, Fang released his energy—it was at the 4th grade intermediate level.

In the past months, his energy had grown. When he first entered the college, he was among the weakest, but now he had surpassed the average level of his class.

Mirroring Fang, William also lowered his energy to the 4th grade intermediate rank. However, the metallic sheen of his energy contrasted sharply with Fang’s pale glow.

*Metal Element!*

Though no combat had yet occurred, a gasp rose from the audience. Displaying an elemental property at this level was no small feat.

As if testing each other’s strength, two balls of energy appeared and collided in mid-air.

*Bang!*

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Startled, Richard looked on in astonishment. His son had received the best education in the city, and with constant energy baths and elixirs, William’s physique and abilities were strong. Moreover, William’s control over his energy was relatively precise, and the infusion of the metal element should have given him the edge. Fang’s energy shouldn’t have resulted in a draw. This boy wasn’t simple—no wonder Valeria chose him!

William knew Fang’s mastery over his energy was exceptional, as Ray had already lost to him. Still, seeing this result left him unsatisfied.

A certain section of the crowd broke into applause. It had only been a quick exchange to test their skills, but unexpectedly, Fang had matched William in power!

The sound grated on William’s ears. Frowning, he condensed a golden spear in his hand and hurled it toward Fang.

Quickly, Fang bent down and swung his leg upwards just before the spear could impale him. With the momentum of a heavy hammer, his kick crushed the spear into pieces. Although Fang wasn’t harmed, his expression darkened slightly.

His kick was a 4th grade yellow skill, but the energy spear that William had thrown was of a lower grade.

William’s mouth curled upward. *Well, Fang, it seems you don’t have the advantage.*

Even if their mastery over energy was equal, the strengthening properties of William’s element gave him the upper hand. Silence fell over the arena as a barrage of spears rained on Fang, who skillfully used his melee abilities to shatter and evade the salvo.

William didn’t expect Fang to be so tenacious, but it didn’t matter. There were no rules limiting how much power one could use in the competition—everyone was allowed to go all out.

A mad smile spread across William’s face as the swirling energy around him intensified—his power surged to the 5th grade. Another golden shape formed in his hand, but this time, it was different.

A spinning scythe shot forward, menacingly advancing toward Fang.

As before, Fang attempted to meet the attack with a full kick, but this time, his energy shattered.

William looked on in contempt. This technique had been passed down through his family, and it far exceeded the strength of the previous spears. The deadly secret lay in its form—interruption wouldn’t dissipate it. The scythe’s curved energy retained its shape even when broken.

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In the audience, Blue’s face paled. She immediately recognized the power of the technique.

The crescent edge, supplemented by the metallic element, significantly increased the sharpness of the energy. If it struck Fang, it would tear through his body, even with a parry.

As Fang’s leg swung back down from his earlier kick, his body was left vulnerable. The shattered blade arced toward his neck. But at that moment, he twisted his torso and swung his leg back down fiercely like a crushing weight.

*Thud!*

Two halves of light gold pierced the ground on either side of Fang.

William was stunned.

This move was something he had never seen before. After all, most people’s hammer kick would end after the initial upward swing. However, during Fang’s practice fights with Valeria, he often received counterattacks after his powerful kicks left him off-balance. This hook kick was his solution, taking advantage of the gap in the enemy’s assault.

Applause even erupted from Class Two—despite the rivalry between the classes, Fang’s reversal of the dangerous situation was a sight to behold.

Although it seemed simple, executing such a move was far from easy. A frightening amount of energy was required to counter the inertia of the original kick, and the practice needed to time it perfectly was tremendous.

Seeing this, Blue relaxed slightly.

Fang certainly had the energy to back up his skills, but his lack of combat experience had been a concern. She had nearly laughed during his match against Garret—it was so straightforward: attack, counterattack, repeat. He had improved in his fight against Ray, but his battle instincts seemed limited.

But now, after weeks of practice, it seemed that combat was not his weakness—it was his strength!