After the day of brutal torment in the match, I paid no mind to what they did next. Even when Sheng Guang Yi looked at me with weary eyes, as if having exhausted every means of violence and humiliation yet failing to subdue me, my indifference became an invisible weapon against him.
The Arrival of Hao Yan Ling: The one he loved most unexpectedly passed by our classroom to request a makeup physical education class. Hao Yan Ling—the Water System girl with long, jet-black hair, a face as delicate as a plum blossom in snow. For some reason, she always stayed by my side, inquiring about the wounds inflicted by Sheng Guang Yi's group—which now included a new member, Han Bing, the one who had won the match against me during combat training.
I remained indifferent to her concern. When Hao Yan Ling asked, "Are you alright? Do the wounds still hurt?", I didn't even bother to respond. Yet she persisted in walking beside me, making everyone in the class think we were lovers.
Sheng Guang Yi's Maddening Jealousy: Every gesture of affection and tenderness Hao Yan Ling showed me was witnessed by Sheng Guang Yi and his friends. He seethed like a pig being slaughtered. Never in his life had a powerless wretch like me driven him to such madness. He hurried over, wearing a fake smile:
"Brother Wang, are you well today? I see you have many wounds—you must have trained extremely hard, haven't you?"
Though he was the one who had ordered Minh Khai, Mutt, and Han Bing to beat, slap, kick, pull my hair, throw backpacks and stationery at me, spit on me, and fling food in my face...
He eagerly grasped my hand to shake it. But in that handshake, he channeled his power to create a small, yellow light sword. As my hand closed around his, the yellow blade pierced straight through my palm.
Fresh blood dripped onto the floor. I paid no mind to the pain, merely saying flatly:
"Let me go."
My reaction remained unchanged—like confronting a stone. No matter what you do to it, it feels nothing. This left Sheng Guang Yi weary and particularly disappointed.
Hao Yan Ling's Intervention: A moment later, Hao Yan Ling saw this and pushed his hand away. Sheng Guang Yi lost his balance and fell hard on his backside in astonishment. Then rage erupted. Hao Yan Ling turned back to touch my hand, using Water Arts to heal.
Suddenly, my wound transformed from painless to excruciating, then miraculously returned to normal. I didn't even know why my eyes brightened slightly. Seeing this, Sheng Guang Yi's eyes blazed like fiery pits, filled with killing intent as he glared at me. He called it the "benefit" I had spoken of before confronting Mutt—the ace up his sleeve.
Unwilling to lose face before the one he loved, Sheng Guang Yi offered a false apology:
"I couldn't control my abilities, so they erupted spontaneously."
Then he sneered:
"Because he's useless, with no elemental magic to heal himself. I only lost control of my magic slightly."
Hearing this, Hao Yan Ling's eyes darkened as she looked at Sheng Guang Yi like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Her gaze was filled with disgust and contempt. She took my hand—now healed but scarred—and pulled me away.
The Curse of the Enraged: Watching the one he loved leave with someone he considered worthless trash, Sheng Guang Yi went mad. Flames of fury erupted, blood rushed to his face, green veins bulged like venomous snakes on his neck and forehead. His pupils contracted to two points. He felt his colossal ego—built from others' fear—being slashed by a deep blade.
He roared:
"How dare that mouse look at me and shame me like this? How dare he not fear me?"
The scream echoed down the hallway:
"I will personally crush you, grind every ideal, everything you have! I will destroy it all, leaving no shred of mercy!"
Meanwhile, Hao Yan Ling and I had already walked away, leaving behind an enraged Sheng Guang Yi, his curse destined to shape the next tragedy in my life. The wound in my palm still throbbed, a reminder that the ideal of a peaceful life had shattered, and the storm was about to break.