In a remote part of the forest, Gary Mo sat on a branch. He had just seen Dao turn an S-Level monster into a plaything in front of his companions.
"He really is a monster." The teacher climbed down and walked away with his hands in his pockets before anyone could sense his presence. "Just like the other Guild Leaders, they're not opponents you can underestimate."
But deep inside, what concerned him more was the presence of a young man who possessed an extraordinary strength that very few had ever witnessed.
Emrys Valestron.
You'd have to be insane not to question what the true power of that boy really was. If he could fight four Guild Leaders at once in the middle of a battle, then it's not impossible that he had many more astonishing abilities waiting to be discovered the longer he stayed in the institution.
Gary sensed some students coming toward his direction, so he quickly hid behind a tree. He waited for them to pass by, none of them even suspecting he was there.
He sighed in boredom and continued walking away. Many students here didn't seem interested in searching for the badges themselves.
It was as if they were simply relying on their Guild Leaders to find the badges so they could earn points without getting too tired.
Gary snapped back to focus when he felt a dark presence behind him.
It lasted only a moment, but it made the hairs on his neck stand as a sudden gust of air brushed past him. He quickly turned around.
The surroundings were quiet. He didn't see anything at all. It was impossible that he was imagining it—he was still cold from the sensation. And he knew that something terrifying had tried to harm him moments ago.
His jaw tightened as he sharpened his senses.
And soon, at the faintest rustle of leaves as if someone had stepped on them, Emrys suddenly appeared behind him with lightning-like speed.
Gary's badge was hanging at his side, and Emrys immediately reached for it, but Gary managed to grab his wrist.
Emrys froze mid-reach, his fingers only an inch away from the badge, and he secretly felt a pang of frustration.
In that position, their eyes met.
"Emrys Valestron. Good thing you finally showed yourself. I've been bored with these students, so I'm grateful you found me. You're the first—truly impressive."
Emrys smiled and scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, I just happened to come across you. I thought I could get the badge, but you still caught me. What a shame." He let out a soft laugh.
But Gary didn't buy such a shallow excuse. His curiosity only grew as he tightened his grip on Emrys's wrist.
"You're terrible at lying, little Valestron. What are you really?"
"What do you mean?"
Without answering, Gary suddenly swung a horizontal kick straight toward the boy's face, but even with its speed, Emrys managed to lean back just in time.
He dodged it, forcefully pulling his arm free from Gary's hold.
Gary launched a flurry of punches, but Emrys blocked or dodged each one while stepping backward.
A kick shot toward Emrys's stomach, but he shifted his body aside and countered with a punch toward Gary's face, which the teacher blocked with his arm.
Though Gary wasn't hurt, the impact pushed him back several steps, and Emrys followed up with another strong punch that struck Gary's side.
The teacher let out a groan but forced himself to endure it.
He attacked again, but Emrys dodged every hit.
Eventually, Emrys found another opening and reached for the badge again—but just as he was about to grab it, flames burst across Gary's entire body. The ground cracked, and the air exploded outward.
Caught off guard, Emrys was kicked in the stomach, sending him flying several meters away.
He clutched the spot where he had been hit, but even so, he remained standing—something that made Gary narrow his eyes.
As Gary moved in to attack again, Emrys looked up at him with a grin, revealing the badge now held between his fingers.
Gary froze and patted his waist, confirming the badge was gone.
He let out a deep sigh as the flames vanished from his body and shoved his hands back into his pockets.
"Unbelievable. I was hoping our fight would last longer, but you disappointed me, kid."
Emrys bowed slightly and walked away from Gary's sight.
From the viewing seats where the kings were seated, they heard the headmaster let out a soft laugh, but that wasn't where their attention was focused.
Only on Emrys—nothing else.