…Caribe merely pouted and smiled. He turned to Austin and asked, "Austin, can I play with him for a bit?"

Austin gave a faint smile, effectively granting Caribe’s request. "Don't take it too seriously!"

Neither he nor Caribe had classes that day. Caribe had been clamoring to check out the Monster Forest, purely because he’d heard a mercenary band from out of town had been frequenting the woods daily, seemingly searching for something. Figuring they might be after treasure, he wanted to seize the opportunity for a look.

Coincidentally, the out-of-town mercenary group he’d heard about was none other than Charlotte’s party, and what they were looking for probably didn’t need spelling out for anyone to guess.

Returning to the main event, Caribe was already walking toward the center of the arena, a smirk playing on his lips as he regarded Laurent, clearly not taking him seriously at all.

Laurent fought to suppress his boiling rage, glaring at this strange and arrogant newcomer! To be honest, besides Austin, Laurent didn’t believe there was anyone here he couldn't defeat! He thought, Now is the perfect chance to test just how much I’ve improved against this arrogant fool! As he thought this, he unconsciously gripped his sword tighter.

In stark contrast to Laurent's seriousness, Caribe seemed utterly relaxed, his sword hanging loosely by his side, showing no sign of preparing for combat.

Laurent assumed Caribe wasn't ready, so he held back. However, Caribe merely beckoned him over then, his expression seemingly saying, Don’t be scared, kid. I’m just going to play around with you; I won't be serious!

This action utterly infuriated Laurent. He stopped wasting words and lunged forward with his sword.

"Your place truly suffers from a drought of talent. Hmph, you managed to snag second place like that!" Caribe scoffed, smoothly parrying Laurent's attack with a gentle flick of his own blade, defusing it with ease.

Laurent was momentarily stunned, realizing this kid wasn't all surface flash. Knowing he couldn't afford to be careless, he immediately sharpened his vigilance.

Yet, after dozens of exchanges, Laurent gradually found himself on the losing end. His swordsmanship began to falter and break down. While Caribe's strength was genuinely superior, the larger factor was the barrage of contemptuous remarks Caribe kept spouting.

After a few more rounds, Caribe seized an opening, accelerating his sword swing suddenly. Laurent reacted with alarm, trying to block with his longsword, but lacking follow-through power, he was struck and sent flying away by the sheer force.

Watching Laurent’s pathetic state, the disdain on Caribe's face deepened. He sneered again, "Trash like you even participates in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament'? Go back and practice some more!"

Laurent’s eyes felt like they were about to spew fire. He scrambled up and attacked Caribe again, as if only cleaving him in half could quell the hatred in his heart!

But the more desperate he became, the more openings he exposed. He was struck down repeatedly, his entire body quickly resembling a mud statue, and now even standing up required immense effort.

Solomon, watching nearby, had long been fed up. If he hadn’t been mindful of Laurent’s pride, he would have charged in long ago to silence that arrogant brat! Seeing Laurent completely incapable of continuing, Solomon drew his own sword, blocking Caribe’s path, and said coldly, "Trying to run already? Isn't that a bit premature?"

Caribe seemed slightly surprised that Solomon had suddenly intervened and instinctively turned to look at Austin, as if seeking approval.

Austin chuckled and walked over, adopting an infuriatingly mild tone. "That doesn't seem quite right! Caribe just exerted a lot of energy. Are you hoping to fight while rested?"

Solomon shot him a withering look. Truthfully, he loathed both of these men; they were an insult to the dignity of a swordsman!

"If you’re scared, then scram!" Solomon managed to sound equally arrogant.

Caribe’s expression shifted, and he was about to speak, but Austin cut him off. Austin maintained his easy smile and his infuriatingly calm tone. "Do you fancy yourself very strong? In that case, perhaps I can entertain you for a while!"

"Big Brother Austin, you don't need to step in yourself. I can handle him..." Caribe sounded somewhat agitated.

"You lack restraint when striking. I’ll do it instead!" Austin interrupted Caribe again.

The way the two argued back and forth, treating him as an afterthought, nearly made Solomon draw his sword and attack immediately—as if he were truly that fragile!

The final decision was made: Austin would spar with Solomon.

Five minutes later, Solomon collapsed onto the ground, his face bloodless, his eyes wide with terror. Even more unbelievable, his entire body seemed to be trembling faintly!

What in the world had happened? Why was he like this?

The reason was simple: he had lost, utterly and completely, with barely any chance to counterattack. What Solomon truly couldn't accept was that Austin had managed to imitate his signature move—the Gale Wheel Slash! This man was too monstrous. His strength must have already reached the level of a Great Swordsman, yet the swordsmanship he employed was so bizarre, battling him was like…

…being constantly constricted by a python, slowly draining your confidence and strength!

"I had a very good time. Thank you for your cooperation!" Austin left with a parting remark before walking away, though whether Solomon, in his current state, could even register the words was questionable.

Solomon and Laurent remained silent, motionless. For the two of them, this was undeniably the worst day imaginable. Not only had they been defeated, but they also had to endure that infuriating arrogance!

After an unknown period of silence, Laurent was the first to break it.

"Big Brother Solomon, are you alright?" Laurent asked with concern, as he had fought Austin twice before and knew just how terrifying that man could be.

Solomon looked up, his expression blank, and posed a single question: "Is he really in the same cohort as you?"

Laurent managed a self-deprecating smile. He understood why Solomon asked; with Austin’s current strength, he could undoubtedly attend any prestigious major academy. Yet, for some reason, he remained in this small town!

"Big Brother Solomon, don't take it too hard. I once heard a rumor that Austin comes from a prominent family, and his bizarre skills are supposedly hereditary!" Laurent, unsure how else to comfort him, simply said whatever came to mind.

Solomon fell silent again; Laurent’s words seemed to have had no effect.

Another stretch of silence followed.

"Damn it! Is there truly no one who can put those arrogant brutes in their place?" Solomon violently slammed the sword in his hand against a nearby rock, growing angrier the more he thought about it!

Laurent was slightly better off; his emotions had mostly stabilized now. After all, having fought Austin twice before, his recovery speed was understandable!

"Big Brother Solomon, don't worry. Soon enough, those two won't be so cocky," Laurent said, a smile suddenly appearing on his face as if he’d just remembered something.

Though Solomon didn't ask, he gave Laurent a look of confusion.

"Big Brother Solomon, you don't know yet—those two kids we met earlier might also enter this year's 'Academy Ranking Tournament.' When that happens, Austin will learn what it means when one mountain is higher than another!" Laurent smiled again. He was already beginning to fantasize about the scene of Austin being thoroughly thrashed by Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

"You... you mean those two children from before?" Solomon’s eyes widened, and his mind instantly conjured images of a battle between Zhong Shenxiu, Robin, and Austin.

"Big Brother Solomon, I know their names now! The boy is Zhong Shenxiu, and the little girl is Robin. You won't believe it—they attend the same academy as my sister, Ke Xin!"

In the past, thinking about this topic would have given Laurent a headache, but for some reason, mentioning Zhong Shenxiu and Robin now instantly energized him.

Solomon felt his mind spinning. He hadn't expected that accompanying Teacher Elena to select specialty students would lead to so many bizarre events, one after another!

Just as the two were heading back home, they ran into an acquaintance. It was none other than Charlotte and her group, who were searching the Monster Forest for the subpar Immortal Stones.

To be fair, Charlotte had been extremely busy these past few days. She originally thought finding the stones Zhong Shenxiu mentioned wouldn't be difficult, but the reality proved far harder than anticipated! Still, thanks to their sustained efforts, they had finally collected the required amount.

"It's you guys?" Laurent looked slightly surprised!

"Hello. Thank you again for telling me the address of those two children last time," Charlotte said with a smile.

"You... you didn't say I told you, did you?" Laurent was quite concerned about this.

"No," Charlotte smiled again, simultaneously feeling puzzled why Laurent cared so much about that detail. She had interacted with Zhong Shenxiu and Robin; aside from finding the children’s personalities hard to stomach, she didn't sense anything genuinely frightening about them!

"That’s good!" Laurent sighed in relief internally, yet curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help asking, "Uh, they didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

Charlotte blinked, baffled by Laurent’s strange question, especially the word "trouble," which left her slightly disoriented.

"No," Charlotte finally smiled. "The little boy just said he wanted to make a deal with us!"

"What?" Laurent and Solomon exclaimed almost in unison, their surprise evident.

This couldn't be blamed on them. Ever since Chelli returned from her transaction with Zhong Shenxiu that other day, she had changed completely—refusing to eat this or that, often staring blankly into space, giving the impression that she had been brainwashed!

"Wh-what’s wrong?" Charlotte was momentarily confused by their intense reaction. If you want to know what happens next, please log on to [Website Address], for more chapters, support the author, and read genuine content!