Riding the psychokinetic hovercar, Zhang Wen and Agate reached the Kemal Arena building in Kasares in no time. However, as they passed through the entrance of the arena, Zhang Wen was quite surprised to find the usually bustling lobby nearly deserted, with almost no one in sight.
“What’s going on here?” Zhang Wen, clearly puzzled, hurriedly brought Agate up the psychokinetic floating stairs straight to the manager’s office on the top floor of the arena.
“That bunch of damned fools—if they all want to die, fine! Rushing out at the same time to become bodyguards for others—when someone challenges the arena, they can all go blow in the wind! Short-sighted idiots!”
Standing outside the manager’s office, Zhang Wen and Agate could already hear the furious voice of the arena’s beautiful female manager, Angelique.
“Cough!” Zhang Wen coughed deliberately and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Angelique asked irritably. Moments later, the door opened, revealing Shura standing helplessly in front of them.
“Oh! It’s you?” Seeing Zhang Wen’s face, Angelique immediately realized that he had overheard her outburst. Her previously flushed face, already red from excitement, now deepened with embarrassment.
That loud rant had been meant only as a private grumble to her boyfriend, Shura. She certainly hadn’t intended for anyone else to hear it.
“You finally came,” Shura, in contrast to Angelique’s discomfort, showed a look of “finally being rescued” upon seeing Zhang Wen and Agate.
Within the arena, nearly everyone regarded Angelique as the kind-hearted older sister type. However, perhaps only Shura knew how completely different she was when alone with him. In fact, Shura quite enjoyed this other side of Angelique.
Compared to her usual self, Angelique was much more genuine and straightforward when she was with Shura alone. Besides, as long as he wasn’t the target of her anger, watching a beautiful woman throw a tantrum right in front of him was actually quite enjoyable.
“Alright then, what exactly happened? Who upset our dear Miss Angelique so much?” Zhang Wen smiled and walked into the manager’s office without beating around the bush.
“Who else but those damned adventurers,” Angelique sighed to Zhang Wen.
“What’s wrong with the adventurers?”
“It seems there’s been some trouble in the adventure zones of Kasares recently. The adventurers are desperate for manpower and have hired nearly all of our arena’s bounty fighters as bodyguards,” Shura quietly explained to Zhang Wen.
“All of them?!” Zhang Wen was startled.
“Not all, but nearly. Do you know how much the daily wage for an eighth-tier bounty fighter has risen to now?” Shura continued in a hushed tone.
“How much?”
“This much.” Shura gestured with his fingers.
“Two thousand Empire Marks a day?” Zhang Wen frowned.
“Twenty thousand.” Shura’s voice remained steady as always.
“What?!” Zhang Wen’s eyes widened.
“That much money?!” Agate’s breath quickened beside them. The man nicknamed “Inferno Demon,” who had once been dirt poor, knew exactly how valuable money was.
“No wonder the customers have all disappeared. When I came in, I saw almost no one in the lobby. Still, twenty thousand Empire Marks a day is no small sum! With that kind of money, I’d be tempted to become a bodyguard myself!” Zhang Wen exclaimed in disbelief.
“Shh!” Seeing Angelique’s eyes flash dangerously after hearing Zhang Wen’s words, Shura quickly gestured for silence and handed Zhang Wen a glass of water as a distraction.
“Ah! Cough!” Immediately catching on, Zhang Wen coughed loudly and turned to Angelique, “Angelique, what do you need the two of us for regarding this matter? Why not talk to Ironface? He’s the spiritual leader of the arena. If he stepped in, they wouldn’t dare act so disrespectfully, right?”
“Hmph! Ironface? Don’t even mention him! That guy suddenly told me he’s planning to get married recently!”
“Marry… marry?!” Zhang Wen nearly spat out the water he had just taken into his mouth.
“That’s right! And I guarantee you won’t guess who Ironface is marrying!”
“Hard to imagine…” Zhang Wen shook his head in defeat.
“Oh, by the way, the person Ironface is marrying has something to do with you,” Angelique added, pointing at Zhang Wen.
“Me? Impossible!” Zhang Wen thought hard but couldn’t recall any woman he knew who could possibly end up with Ironface.
“It’s Instructor Katerina from your academy!” Angelique’s gossiping spirit flared up.
“Spit!” Zhang Wen finally spat out the water.
“You’re really surprised that Ironface and Instructor Katerina are getting together?”
“No! Not at all. I just… didn’t expect it. No! I suppose nobody could have predicted this! I’ve been friends with Ironface for over a year and worked with Katerina for almost half a year, yet I never heard a whisper about them being involved!” Zhang Wen hastily grabbed the towel Shura offered him to wipe the water from his mouth.
“Pfft! Don’t mention you—me either! I started working at the arena at twelve and have known Ironface for nearly twenty years, yet I was kept completely in the dark!” Angelique scoffed.
“Alright, enough about that. Where is Ironface now? Even if he’s getting married, he wouldn’t just abandon his home, right?”
“Tch! If Ironface were still here, we wouldn’t have run into all these troubles! It was Ironface himself who went to the Imperial Capital with your Instructor Katerina to visit Principal Jackflit, and that’s when all those ungrateful bastards ran off!” Angelique’s fury flared again at the mention of the bounty fighters who had been hired away.
“Angelique, it’s unavoidable. Even if Ironface were still here, twenty thousand Empire Marks a day is a temptation few could resist,” Shura tried to reason with Angelique.
“Hmph?” Angelique glared at Shura murderously again.
“Sigh…” Shura could only helplessly smile through his sigh.
“Cough! Cough cough cough!” Zhang Wen started coughing loudly again.
“Just say what you want to say! Stop coughing like an old man!” Angelique’s face flushed slightly red again, though her expression remained fierce.
“Alright, I’ll just say it then. Can’t you two show affection when you’re alone? Now, please tell me quickly why you called me here so urgently. With all the bounty fighters gone, even if I’m here, I can’t do much.”
“Hmph! This time, I didn’t call you back to participate in any matches! Although, speaking of that, you’re really not ambitious at all! With your strength, you’re content to remain a planetary warrior. Didn’t you bring me back an Imperial Warrior badge from your last trip to Phira Planet?”
“Alright, alright! Forget that. Anyway, this time I called you back because there’s a new commission that needs manpower.”
“Oh?” Zhang Wen looked at Shura in confusion, silently asking why he was called if Shura was already here.
“Shura’s going too,” Angelique waved her hand impatiently, “With you and Shura together, they’re offering three hundred thousand Empire Marks per person per day. Interested?”
“Thir… thirty thousand…” Agate couldn’t help gasping beside them, already counting on his fingers.
“…The mission lasts ten days, and upon completion, each of you will receive three million Empire Marks.”
“Thir… three million!” Agate’s eyes seemed to swirl with dizziness.
Although the title of Society Executor No.3 sounded impressive, it was only superficial. The Society’s annual “execution fee” for executors barely covered Agate’s daily expenses and training. The number on his savings card had never exceeded four digits. Suddenly hearing about such a staggering sum as three million Empire Marks was almost too much for his heart to bear.
“Angelique, weren’t you just angry about the bounty fighters taking private jobs? How come you suddenly changed your mind?” Zhang Wen looked at Angelique suspiciously.
“Hmph! Since there’s no one coming to the arena anyway, I might as well send you two out to earn a little extra cash,” Angelique waved her hand impatiently, “Remember, I’ll take a ten percent commission from your rewards.”
“Of course, that’s no problem…” Zhang Wen was speaking when suddenly Agate jumped in front of him.
“I want to join too!” Agate shouted at Angelique, his face flushed red.
“Oh, right. I haven’t even asked who this is yet?”
Although Agate’s nickname “Inferno Demon” was well known, very few had actually seen him in person. Additionally, before coming to the arena, Agate had already grown tired of the harassment from the academy girls and had put away the giant sword on his back, which could almost serve as a symbol of his identity. Thus, it was understandable that Shura and Angelique failed to recognize him.
“He’s… an old friend,” Zhang Wen thought for a moment and decided not to reveal Agate’s identity.
It wasn’t that Zhang Wen distrusted Shura and Angelique, but revealing Agate’s identity wouldn’t bring any benefits and would only create more complications for both sides. Therefore, it was better to keep it a temporary secret.
“Oh? An old friend… how strong is he?” Angelique scrutinized Agate carefully, asking Zhang Wen suspiciously. Frankly speaking, Agate’s shining eyes made it hard to associate him with the word “expert.”
“Hehe!” Zhang Wen smiled mysteriously and raised one finger at Angelique, “With Ironface gone, he alone could tear down your entire arena.”
“Transcendent?!” Angelique’s already large and beautiful eyes widened in shock.
“Exactly,” Zhang Wen nodded, then added with a grin to the proudly beaming Agate, “Though he might be the weakest among Transcendents.”
“You…” Agate was left speechless by Zhang Wen’s remark.
“Giggle!” Angelique covered her mouth and laughed.
“Don’t laugh. Angelique, I hadn’t finished speaking earlier. The reward for the mission you introduced is indeed generous, but for someone to offer such a large sum and require both me and Shura to go together, I imagine it’s not going to be an easy task. Also, don’t you think you should explain a bit about the client’s background?” Zhang Wen smiled and glanced at Angelique.
“Of course, I was just about to mention all that,” Angelique nodded naturally, “The person who approached us this time is a very famous figure in Kasares—Hassan Mohan. Have you heard of that name?”
“That infamous loan shark?” Zhang Wen raised his eyebrows.
“Hehe! Hassan is far more than just a loan shark. Do you know what the most profitable business is in Kasares?” Angelique continued asking Zhang Wen.
“The most profitable business… mining?”
Boarding the telekinetic car, Zhang Wen and Agate arrived at the Kemal Arena building in Casares in no time. However, as they passed through the arena’s entrance, Zhang Wen was surprised to see that the usually bustling arena hall was eerily quiet today, with hardly anyone in sight.
“What’s going on?” Zhang Wen, looking incredulous, hurriedly took Agate up the telekinetic elevator straight to the manager’s office on the top floor of the arena.
“Those damn bastards, don’t they want to live anymore? Huh? All rushing out at the same time to be bodyguards for others. If someone comes to challenge the arena now, I guess they’ll all be left drinking the northwest wind! Short-sighted idiots!”
Standing outside the manager’s office, Zhang Wen and Agate could hear the beautiful arena manager, Angelique, venting her anger inside.
“Ahem!” Zhang Wen coughed and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Angelique asked irritably. The door then opened, revealing Shura with a helpless expression.
“Ah! It’s you?” Seeing Zhang Wen’s expression, Angelique knew he had overheard her outburst. Her face, already flushed from excitement, now turned even redder with embarrassment.
That outburst was originally just Angelique’s private complaint to her boyfriend Shura; she hadn’t intended for anyone else to hear it.
“You finally came.” Contrary to Angelique, Shura looked relieved upon seeing Zhang Wen.
In the arena, almost everyone sees Angelique as the most understanding, big sister type of woman. But perhaps only Shura knows that when Angelique is alone with him, she’s almost completely different from her usual self. However, Shura quite likes this side of Angelique.
When alone with Shura, Angelique appears much more genuine and straightforward. Moreover, as long as he’s not the one being scolded, watching a beautiful woman vent her anger can be quite enjoyable.
“Alright. What’s going on? Who has made our Miss Angelique so angry?” Zhang Wen didn’t hide his curiosity and walked into the manager’s office with a chuckle.
“It’s those damn adventurers,” Angelique sighed to Zhang Wen.
“What about the adventurers?”
“There seems to be some trouble in the Casares adventure zone recently. Those adventurers urgently need manpower and have hired all the bounty fighters from the arena as bodyguards,” Shura explained in a low voice to Zhang Wen.
“Ah? All of them?” Zhang Wen was startled.
“Not all, but almost. Do you know how much the commission for an eighth-tier bounty fighter has risen to now?” Shura continued in a whisper.
“How much?”
“This much.” Shura gestured a number to Zhang Wen.
“Two thousand Empire Shields a day?” Zhang Wen frowned.
“Twenty thousand,” Shura’s voice remained as steady as ever.
“Huh?” Zhang Wen’s eyes widened.
“That much money?” Agate’s breathing became heavy. The executor known as “Flame Demon” had also experienced being penniless and knew the importance of money.
“No wonder the guests have all left. When I came, I saw hardly anyone in the hall. But twenty thousand Empire Shields a day is no small amount! With that much money, I’d want to be a bodyguard too!” Zhang Wen exclaimed in disbelief.
“Shh!” Seeing Angelique’s fierce gaze after hearing Zhang Wen’s words, Shura quickly made a silencing gesture to Zhang Wen and handed him a glass of water as a cover.
“Ah! Ahem!” Zhang Wen immediately understood and coughed loudly, turning to Angelique, “Angelique, what can Shura and I do about this? Why not discuss it with Iron Mask? He’s the spiritual leader of the arena; with him involved, people wouldn’t be so inconsiderate.”
“Humph! Iron Mask? Don’t mention him! He suddenly told me he’s planning to get married recently!”
“Get… married?” Zhang Wen almost spat out the water he had just sipped.
“Exactly! And I guarantee you’ll never guess who Iron Mask is marrying!” Angelique’s face lit up with gossip, her earlier gloom completely gone.
“Indeed, it’s hard to imagine…” Zhang Wen shook his head in admiration.
“By the way, speaking of Iron Mask’s fiancée, she has some connection to you,” Angelique pointed at Zhang Wen.
“Me? Impossible, right?” Zhang Wen tried to recall but couldn’t think of any woman he knew who could pair up with Iron Mask.
“It’s your academy’s instructor, Katerina!” Angelique’s gossip spirit was burning brightly.
“Pfft!” Zhang Wen finally spat out his water.
“What? Are you so shocked that Iron Mask and Instructor Katerina are a pair?”
“No! Of course not. I just… didn’t expect it. No! Probably no one could have expected this! I’ve been friends with Iron Mask for over a year and colleagues with Katerina for almost half a year, how come I never heard they were in such a relationship?” Zhang Wen hurriedly took the towel Shura handed him and wiped the water off his mouth.
“Tsk! Not just you! I’ve been working at the arena since I was twelve and have known Iron Mask for almost twenty years, and I was kept in the dark too!” Angelique scoffed.
“Alright, let’s not talk about this. Where is Iron Mask now? Even if he’s planning to get married, he wouldn’t abandon his home, would he?”
“Cut it! If Iron Mask were still here, we wouldn’t be facing these troubles! It’s because Iron Mask went to the capital with your Instructor Katerina to visit President Jackfleet that those ungrateful bastards all ran off!” Angelique couldn’t help but rage when mentioning the bounty fighters who were hired as bodyguards.
“Angelique, there’s no helping it. Twenty thousand Empire Shields a day, even if Iron Mask were still here, probably few could resist,” Shura continued to persuade Angelique patiently.
“Hmm?” Angelique glared at Shura with a murderous look.
“Sigh…” Shura could only smile wryly in helplessness.
“Ahem! Ahem!” Zhang Wen coughed loudly again.
“Speak up! Don’t cough like you’re seventy or eighty years old!” Angelique’s face flushed slightly again, but her expression remained fierce.
“Alright, then I’ll speak. You two lovebirds can flirt when no one’s around. Now, quickly tell me, why did you call me here so urgently? With all the bounty fighters gone, calling me alone won’t help much,” Zhang Wen said with a bitter smile.
“Humph! I didn’t call you back to compete this time! But speaking of which, you’re too complacent, aren’t you? With such strong abilities, you’re content to stay as a planetary fighter. Last time you went to Fila Planet, why didn’t you bring back an Empire Fighter badge?” Angelique complained increasingly, “Forget it! Let’s not talk about that. Anyway, I called you back because there’s a new assignment that needs manpower.”
“Oh?” Zhang Wen looked at Shura in surprise, implying, isn’t Shura here, why call me?
“Shura is going too,” Angelique waved her hand impatiently as if shooing a fly, “You and Shura, the other party is willing to pay thirty thousand Empire Shields a day each. Interested?”
“Th… thirty thousand…” Agate beside them couldn’t help but gasp and start counting on his fingers.
“…The task lasts ten days, and at the end, each of you will get three million Empire Shields.”
“Th… three million!” Agate’s eyes seemed to swirl with little stars.
Although the title of Executor No. 3 of the Assembly sounds glorious, it’s only superficially so. The “execution fees” provided by the Assembly each year are barely enough for Agate’s daily life and his training expenses. The number on Agate’s savings card has never exceeded four digits. Suddenly hearing about the terrifying “fortune” of three million Empire Shields, Agate’s heart could hardly bear it.
“Angelique, weren’t you just angry about the bounty fighters taking private jobs? How come you’ve changed your mind so quickly?” Zhang Wen gave Angelique a strange look.
“Humph! Anyway, keeping you two here won’t bring any guests to the arena. Might as well send you out to earn some pocket money,” Angelique waved her hand irritably, “Remember, I’ll take a ten percent commission from your bonuses.”
“Of course, no problem…” Zhang Wen was saying when suddenly Agate jumped in front of him.
“I want to join too!” Agate, his face red, shouted at Angelique.
“By the way, I haven’t asked, who is this?”
Although Agate’s nickname “Flame Demon” is well-known, few have actually seen his appearance. Moreover, before coming to the arena, Agate, unable to bear the harassment from the young girls of the Almisius Academy, had put away the giant sword on his back that almost served as his identity symbol. It’s even more understandable that Shura and Angelique didn’t recognize Agate.
“He’s… an old friend,” Zhang Wen thought for a moment and decided not to reveal Agate’s identity.
This wasn’t because Zhang Wen didn’t trust Shura and Angelique, but because knowing Agate’s identity wouldn’t benefit them and would only add many reservations, so it was better to keep it a secret for now.
“Oh? An old friend… how’s his strength?” Angelique scrutinized Agate a few times, skeptically asking Zhang Wen. Frankly, Agate’s starry-eyed look made it hard to associate him with the word “expert.”
“Hehe!” Zhang Wen smiled mysteriously and raised a finger to Angelique, “Without Iron Mask here, he alone could dismantle your arena.”
“Super-tier?!” Angelique widened her already large and beautiful eyes in surprise.
“Exactly,” Zhang Wen nodded, then added to the smug Agate, “Though he might be the weakest among the super-tier.”
“You…” Agate was left speechless by Zhang Wen.
“Giggle!” Angelique covered her mouth and laughed.
“Don’t laugh, Angelique. I haven’t finished speaking. The bonus for this assignment you introduced is indeed generous, but offering such a large sum and requiring both Shura and me, I guess it’s not going to be an easy task, is it? Also, aren’t you going to explain the background of the other party?” Zhang Wen also glanced at Angelique with a smile.
“Of course, I was just about to mention that,” Angelique nodded naturally, “The person who came to us this time is a very famous figure in Casares. Hasan Mohan, have you heard of him?”
“That famous loan shark?” Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow.
“Hey! Hasan is more than just a loan shark. Do you know what the most profitable business in Casares is?” Angelique continued to ask Zhang Wen.
“The most profitable business… mining?”
“Wrong. It’s gambling,” Angelique smiled and shook her head calmly, “Every year, tens of thousands of aristocratic families come to the adventure zone in Casares for exploration. Unlike ordinary adventurers, they’re not here to make a fortune but purely for the thrill. Throwing away thousands in the casino? They don’t care; instead, they compete with each other. The money these prodigals throw into the casinos each year amounts to an astronomical figure. And over seventy percent of the casinos on the entire planet of Casares are Hasan’s businesses. It’s just that this old fox knows how to keep a low profile and never seeks the limelight, so not many people know about it.”
“Wow!” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but whistle.
“And that’s not all! Loan sharking, underground arenas, gangs, mining… as long as you can think of an industry, Hasan has a hand in it. Oh, right! The only telekinetic car rental company in Casares also has a thirty percent stake from Hasan! To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that our Kemal Arena has too much influence and Hasan doesn’t dare to extend his hand here, it would probably have already been renamed Mohan by now.” Angelique shrugged very gracefully.
“Alright. I understand. The big employer of the arena this time is this Lord Hasan. So, what trouble has our Lord Hasan encountered that even Shura alone can’t solve?” Zhang Wen lazily continued to ask.
“It’s not that Hasan thinks Shura’s strength is insufficient, but that he definitely needs more than one person. Besides our Kemal, Hasan has also contacted several other arenas. You and Shura accepting the task is just agreeing to enlist. Once at Hasan’s place, you’ll probably have to go through another selection with bounty fighters from other arenas. The thirty thousand Empire Shields a day Hasan is offering now is just the fee during your participation in the selection.” After saying this, Angelique was satisfied to see Zhang Wen’s expression as if he had swallowed a whole egg.
“If that’s the case, why did those others run out to be bodyguards for someone else? They should all go to Hasan’s enlistment!” Zhang Wen, as soon as he closed his mouth, couldn’t help but say to Angelique again.
“Wow!” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but whistle.
“That’s not all! Loan sharking, underground arenas, gangs, mining… Hassan has his hands in every imaginable business. Oh, right! Hassan even owns thirty percent of the only psychokinetic hovercar rental company on Kasares! To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that our Kemal Arena has too strong a background for Hassan to dare meddle, it would probably have already been renamed Mohan.”
“Alright, I get it. So this time, the big client for the arena is this Mr. Hassan. Then, what trouble has our Mr. Hassan encountered that even Shura alone can’t handle?”
“It’s not that Hassan thinks Shura alone isn’t strong enough, but rather that he definitely needs more than one person. Besides our Kemal, Hassan has contacted several other arenas. Agreeing to the mission with you and Shura merely means you’ve signed up. When you arrive at Hassan’s place, you’ll probably have to go through another selection process with bounty fighters from other arenas. The thirty thousand Empire Marks Hassan mentioned per day is just the fee for participating in the selection process,” Angelique finished, satisfied to see Zhang Wen’s expression turn to one of shock, as if he had swallowed an entire egg whole.
“If that’s the case, then why are the others running off to become bodyguards for others? They should all just go and apply for Hassan’s job!” As soon as Zhang Wen snapped his mouth shut, he couldn’t help but say to Angelique again.
“Nonsense! Do you think three hundred thousand imperial coins a day is easy money? This time, Hassan only allowed our Kemal Arena to recommend two candidates. I saw this as a great opportunity to make some money, so I specifically sought you out,” Angelina shot two disapproving glances at Zhang Wen.
“What should I do? What should I do?” Agate nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard there were only two spots available.
“Hehe! Don’t worry! Our Kemal Arena holds some clout in Casares. You can go with Zhang Wen and Xie Luo. No matter how strict Hassan is, he wouldn’t dare deny the candidates I recommend.” At this moment, Angelina finally displayed the demeanor of a strong female leader as the arena manager!
“What do you think, Zhang Wen? Interested?”
“Well, since the academy competition just ended, Almace Academy should be quiet for a while. Why wouldn’t I want to earn an extra three hundred thousand imperial coins a day?” After a moment’s thought, Zhang Wen smiled and agreed.
“Great! Then it’s settled. Tomorrow morning, the three of you come back to the arena together. Hassan will send someone to pick you up.” Angelina nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing the business was concluded, Zhang Wen naturally and tactfully took Agate and left the arena, avoiding being a third wheel between Angelina and Xie Luo.
When Zhang Wen and Agate returned to Almace Academy, Xiao Xi and Amylise had also completed their shopping trip in the city center and were returning laden with purchases. The two groups met head-on along the academy road, and Agate’s sister complex immediately kicked in, willingly becoming a porter for the two girls.
“Oh! Teacher Zhang, it’s so good to run into you here!” Amylise, with all the shopping bags hanging from Agate, stretched contentedly and smiled at Zhang Wen, her words carrying a double meaning.
“That’s right.” Zhang Wen helplessly glanced at Agate, who was buried under a mountain of bags.
“Teacher Zhang, did you hear? This morning during the Mind Arts Department meeting, Instructor Elyna attacked Grado and ended up suspended for reflection,” Amylise whispered conspiratorially into Zhang Wen’s ear as Agate and Xiao Xi caught up with each other nearby.
“Oh?”
“Hey! Zhang Wen, you don’t seem surprised at all! Don’t tell me you’re in cahoots with Grado?” Amylise eyed Zhang Wen suspiciously.
“Hey! What kind of person do you think I am?” Zhang Wen feigned displeasure, his eyes briefly sweeping over Amylise’s shapely backside.
“Um!” Instinctively covering her tender bottom, Amylise blushed prettily.
“Alright, tell me what really happened.” Zhang Wen chuckled and asked again.
“It was like this. This morning, the academy announced it would hold an open evaluation, right? The Mind Arts instructors gathered to discuss it. Grado suggested recommending Instructor Shimer as the chief evaluator. Elyna spoke out against it. During the argument, Grado said something, and Elyna attacked him.”
“What did Grado say?” Zhang Wen asked casually.
“Who knows?” Amylise shrugged indifferently. “Anyway, now that Elyna has taken physical action, whatever Grado said doesn’t matter anymore. I heard from Garite that Elyna looked like she wanted to kill Grado. There’s a clause in the academy’s first rule prohibiting private fights among instructors. Besides, now Principal Oudai and Instructor Shimer, who is the most likely candidate for the head instructor of the Mind Arts Department, both have poor relations with Elyna. I think this time, Elyna is in serious trouble!”
“What does Elyna’s trouble have to do with me?”
“Hehe! Teacher Zhang, you can’t say that. Many instructors in the Mind Arts Department are saying that although Elyna’s current predicament isn’t directly related to you, it’s all because you defeated Temis Academy and forced Teacher Kagelena to resign. Don’t you worry that Elyna might come looking for revenge?” Amylise grinned like a little fox.
“I don’t think so.” Zhang Wen smiled faintly, recalling the previous night’s events.
Thinking of how despondent Elyna had looked when she left his place last night, Zhang Wen felt she wouldn’t dare come looking for trouble again.
After finishing the conversation about Elyna, Amylise and Xiao Xi, eager to try on their new clothes, soon parted ways with Zhang Wen and Agate. The two girls ran back to their dormitory, laughing joyfully. Seeing Xiao Xi, Agate was also satisfied and returned to his hotel near the center of the academy.
Of course, whether Agate could maintain his good mood upon seeing the hotel bill was another matter entirely. In fact, the exorbitant accommodation fees at Almace Academy’s hotel were also one of the main reasons Agate was so upset about the bounty mentioned by Angelina.
As for Zhang Wen, he didn’t go home directly but first went to the Mind Arts Department. Agate’s enrollment at Almace Academy was already a done deal. With the indifferent Liria, Zhang Wen had no choice but to reluctantly go to the Mind Arts Department to try his luck.
However, with the Mind Arts instructors themselves in a state of anxiety, who had the time to deal with a mysterious transfer student? Moreover, even if it was Zhang Wen himself making the request, asking someone to take in a Mind Arts student at only the second stage was just too outrageous! As a result, Zhang Wen spent the entire afternoon in the Mind Arts Department, but barely anyone was willing to engage with him.
After searching the Mind Arts Department fruitlessly all day, Zhang Wen could only return empty-handed to the quiet little house by the back gate of the academy.
To his surprise, upon returning, Zhang Wen noticed a white high-heeled shoe under his bed that hadn’t been there before. Soon, he remembered this must be something Elyna had left behind. Yesterday, Elyna had thrown one of them into the woods and had forgotten the other when she left Zhang Wen’s room.
Unfortunately, I’m not a prince, and the woman who lost her shoe isn’t Cinderella. The creamy white high heel stirred up many memories for Zhang Wen. Sighing, he casually tossed the shoe onto the table and began his daily Spring Water Technique practice.
Night soon fell over Casares. The quiet of the night sharpened Zhang Wen’s senses during his practice. The rustling of leaves in the breeze and the intermittent chirping of insects in the grass were all clearly audible to Zhang Wen’s ears.
However, amidst the peaceful and harmonious sounds, an unfamiliar and discordant noise suddenly intruded. It was a set of footsteps unfamiliar to Zhang Wen.
“Hmm?” Zhang Wen opened his eyes. From the weight and rhythm of the footsteps, he could already tell that a woman was cautiously approaching his cottage.
A woman approaching Zhang Wen’s cottage at this hour with footsteps he didn’t recognize—searching his memory, Zhang Wen could only think of one person.
“Did Amylise actually get it right?” Zhang Wen frowned deeply, while he heard the woman outside not heading for the front door but instead circling around the cottage and stopping at the back, only a window away from Zhang Wen’s bed.
There were two moons on the planet Casares. Through the gap in the curtains, Zhang Wen could clearly see Elyna’s face filled with hatred. Soon, a blinding white glow appeared between Elyna’s hands.
“This woman is really insane!” Zhang Wen looked on in disbelief as the white glow in Elyna’s hands grew larger and larger. Obviously, Elyna had made up her mind to kill Zhang Wen in one strike!
Because she was worried that making the mind bullet might make too much noise and wake Zhang Wen, Elyna had to slow down the charging process. As a result, the faint “buzzing” sound during the charging of the mind bullet was easily drowned out by the chirping of the night insects.
However, Elyna’s decision to slow down was convenient for Zhang Wen at this moment. Without hesitation, Zhang Wen took advantage of the moment when Elyna was halfway through making the mind bullet, channeled all his battle energy to the maximum, and rushed out fiercely. Using his Ghost Step technique, Zhang Wen shattered the glass window and suddenly appeared in front of Elyna!
“Ahh!” Elyna never expected that Zhang Wen would sense her sneak attack. Seeing Zhang Wen suddenly appear before her, Elyna’s first reaction was shock and panic. Before she could even throw the half-finished mind bullet, Zhang Wen had already struck her waist with one finger.
The Spring Water Technique battle energy erupted instantly, and half of Elyna’s body immediately lost sensation! Elyna screamed, and the mind bullet in her hand exploded uncontrollably. The violent gust of wind swept Elyna away, flipping her over onto the ground.
However, what made Elyna feel even worse was not the mind bullet that had only half its power. Because the creation of the mind bullet was interrupted, the moment Zhang Wen attacked, Elyna’s internal mind energy became a chaotic mess.
Elyna soon panicked as she found she couldn’t exert even a bit of strength throughout her body. The only remaining sensation was an unbearable ache that made her want to cry.
“Elyna, do you know what you’re doing?” After the gust from the mind bullet explosion passed, Zhang Wen appeared before Elyna.
“Heh… Hehe! Of course I know.” Elyna lifted her head, surprisingly letting out a scornful laugh at Zhang Wen.
“What else have you done?” Zhang Wen stared into Elyna’s eyes and demanded fiercely.
“What have I done? Haha! What’s the use of asking you now?” Elyna laughed wildly, her voice once again filled with the joy of revenge, “While you’re talking to me, the other side has already started! Hehe! I want you to taste what it’s like to lose the most important thing!”
“Elyna!” Zhang Wen’s eyes burned with a fury capable of incinerating everything. He practically spat out the three syllables one by one from his lungs.
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