Mahesh entered the akhada and stood in the position opposite me.
Seeing this, Teacher Bijay signaled for the fight to begin.
Mahesh looked at me and said, "Today, I want to teach you a lesson. Why is it that you, being Level 5, are getting so many benefits? I am at Level 3, but my strength is equal to a Level 5, yet why am I only receiving Level 3 benefits?"
Hearing Mahesh's complaint, I was stunned. Is his brain made of iron just like his ability?
According to the college, levels aren't assigned to everyone based on stats, but rather based on their ability. I am the only exception; I was assigned Level 5 based on my stats because reaching Level 5 without an ability is nothing short of a miracle—something I achieved. That is why I am at Level 5.
And since these benefits are distributed according to level, why is he complaining to me? Why doesn't he go and tell the teacher that this is wrong?
The answer is simple: because he cannot speak to the teacher. That is why he has come to vent his frustration on me.
Does he think I am weak? Come and fight then; I will take good care of you.
As a vampire, my stats decrease by 20 percent in the sunlight, bringing me down to Level 5. However, since I was now inside the Weapon Hall where sunlight could not reach, my stats were currently equal to Level 6.5.
Mahesh transformed the hand gripping his Gada into solid iron and began to advance toward me.
As soon as he closed the distance, he swung his weapon down at me.
I quickly dodged the strike. The Gada slammed into the ground, causing a tremor to ripple through the impact zone. However, since the arena floor was constructed from a special beast material, not even a single scratch appeared on the surface.
After that single attack, Mahesh was already panting. His strength might have been far above his level, but due to his lack of stamina, he was tiring fast.
A pair of gauntlets made of sleek black metal appeared on my hands. There were five distinct holes at the knuckles, and sharp claws extended from the fingertips. The color scheme was a menacing mix of black and red.
These were my beast weapon—The Gauntlets.
The gauntlets were remarkably flexible. I clenched my hands into fists and began walking toward Mahesh.
When I reached him, I started raining punches upon him.
He tried to defend against my assault, but due to my superior power, he was helpless; he could do nothing but silently endure the beating.
"Ouch! Not there! Definitely not the face!"
I stopped my attack. Mahesh's face had swollen up like a balloon, and he glared at me with eyes full of rage.
This was because I had turned his handsome face into a balloon.
Seeing this, the students in the audience were fighting the urge to laugh, but in the presence of Teacher Bijay, they dared not let it out.
He was consumed by rage. In his fury, he lost control over his power, and his body slowly began to transform into solid iron.
He charged toward me like a raging bull—or perhaps calling him an "Iron Bull" would be more accurate now.
As he closed in, I leapt up with agility. I slashed at Mahesh with the claws of my gauntlets, and the moment I finished the swipes, I delivered a powerful punch squarely to his head.
Since Mahesh had turned entirely into metal, the impact didn't sound like flesh being hit; instead, a deafening CLANG rang out, like two heavy metals colliding.
The blow sent a vibration through his entire body, and he collapsed to the floor. As he fell, the loud noise echoed throughout the entire Weapon Hall.
Everyone instinctively covered their ears. When the sound finally faded, it became clear that Mahesh's clothes had been shredded to pieces—only his underwear remained intact. My claws had sliced through everything else.
Upon seeing this, Barsha, Gayatri, and all the other female students in the audience immediately covered their faces with their hands.
Just then, a notification from the System flashed in my mind.
[ Host has defeated a Level 3 opponent. You receive 150 EXP. ]
[ Level 2 ( 500 EXP / 2000 EXP ) ]
Upon seeing the System's message, I was astonished. I get EXP for defeating people?
But why hadn't the System mentioned this before? I had previously defeated Michael and an alien beast, yet I hadn't received a single point of EXP back then.
"Come out, System, and explain what is going on!" I angrily summoned the System.
[ Host, this function was unlocked only upon reaching Level 2. That is why you did not receive any EXP for defeating opponents previously. ]
Hearing the System's explanation, my anger finally subsided.
Mahesh's iron body slowly began to revert to its normal state. He stood up, but immediately realized something was wrong—he could feel the breeze against his bare skin.
When he looked down and saw that he was wearing nothing but his underwear, he turned beet red with shame.
He glared at me and shouted in rage, "I will definitely take revenge for this! Just you wait!"
I mocked him in response, "Save the revenge talk for later; go put some clothes on first."
A few medical workers arrived and took him away to the infirmary.
Seeing him leave, the girls finally uncovered their eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Your Beast Weapon class is over for today. You may all return to your rooms," Teacher Bijay announced.
I stepped down from the arena and walked over to Barsha.
"Aditya, was there really a need to do that? Why didn't you just defeat him cleanly? Instead, you humiliated him in front of everyone," Barsha said.
"What was I supposed to do? As soon as he entered the arena, he started running his mouth, claiming that it was all my fault he wasn't receiving his benefits. His words angered me, which is why I left him in that state," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"Your reasoning might be valid, but shredding someone's clothes to pieces in front of the girls... that isn't right. And even if you think it is justified, definitely do not do it in front of me," Barsha complained.
"Alright."
I nodded at her words, bade her goodbye, and we went our separate ways.
To be continued...