?


    The canteen of the first year dorms buzzed with students enjoying their meals, the clinking of cutlery, and animated conversations filling the air. Amidst this mundane scene, the sudden sharp voice cut through the atmosphere that interrupted the tranquil ambiance.


    "So you finally came out of your room, huh? Now, fight me."


    The words hung in the air like a challenge, causing heads to turn and curious nces to be exchanged.


    Leon, who was silently eating, minding his own business, thinking about ways to improve his strength and stabilize his rank, when someone interrupted his meal.


    He looked up and nced at the boy, who was wearing the same academy uniform as him, with a golden band tying his curly ck hair. Leon remembered him as Zirix Drakkar, ranked 8th in the first year academy exams. He had seen him during the practice grounds at exams and he could tell he was strong.


    After seeing his face, Leon ignored him and focused on eating his food.


    Zirix, growing agitated by Leon''s apparent indifference, couldn''t conceal his irritation.


    "What''s wrong, rank one? The genius is too scared to fight me? Weren''t you confident when you walked up to that stage, what''s wrong now?" Zirix taunted.


    Leon wiped his mouth and began to stand, choosing to exit the situation rather than engage in stupid fights. The surrounding students, who had been eavesdropping on their exchange, leaned in closer, their curiosity piqued.


    Everyone was curious about the first rank in their year and wanted to see his skills for themselves. As the only impression they had of him was through those video recordings. Even in this whole week, many have tried to look for him to befriend him or to challenge him, but he had always been holed up in his room, so no one could see him.


    But now he was out, and there was even a chance that a fight might happen soon.


    Poor souls didn''t know that just because of a certain anomaly, Apollo had increased Leon''s growth rate by a lot. While in the novel, at this time Leon was supposed to be D- rank, currently he was C- rank. One whole major rank higher. (Other than the rank nothing has changed, as the plotline of breakthrough atst moment aftering to academy, is still the same.)


    Leon, who was going to throw out his te, stopped, as Zirix came in front of him and pulled out a staff from his storage ring, and pointed it menacingly to his face. "Don''t worry, I''ll go easy on you. No mana and artifacts too."


    Leon looked at the staff and the headband and remembered something, his thoughts were cleared as the God in his head confirmed his doubts.


    [He''s one of the avatars. You should befriend him.]


    Knowing that, Leon was even in less of a mood to challenge him. It wasn''t that he was scared or that he couldn''t win, but he simply didn''t want to entertain these guys. He knew that many students woulde flocking him for fights, after his rank was announced. Because his reputation was much lower than anybody else in the rankings, many would be dissatisfied and doubtful of the results, so he was prepared for this, that''s why he wanted to rank up before the sses started.


    so he changed the topic "We''rete for ss, you should go there instead. We can _ "


    Leon, who was speaking, stopped as the te in his hands was thrown away by the staff in Zirix''s hands. "Don''t tell me what to do, boy. Lesser ones should do what they''re told." Zirix dered, a hint of superiority in his tone. "Don''t worry, I''ll leave you alone once I''m done, you won''t be a cripple again."


    Zirix said in a serious tone. The corners of his lips curled up in a smile, as he saw Leon finally showing the expression of anger after hearing the word cripple again. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sun Wukong, the monkey King of the Chinese pantheon, and one of the most famous Gods of Chinese myths in Arcadia. He was the one who had chosen Zirix as his avatar.


    Unlike other gods, his personality wasn''t the patient and smart kind, he simply was the most carefree and barbaric god toe to Arcadia. That''s why, where other gods over the years chose less and less avatars, so they don''t lose their precious skills after the avatar''s death. He for his fun simply made lines of his avatars everytime one died. He wasn''t scared of losing his skills, as he simply recreated them in his head. Having an unlimited number of clones mastering the same technique again and again is such a simple feat for him.


    (He always makes a demand while choosing an avatar that he won''t teach him the skill of cloning. So he never lost that and any of his other skills for that matter)


    Being chosen by such a carefree God, who crushed the army of heavens for his fun, Zirix has always maintained a simr personality too.


    ''In entire heaven and hell, only I am supreme.'' That''s what he always heard and started to believe over time.


    Now how can someone with that mindset believe someone else superior, so in this one week he challenged everyone, whom he considered an opponent to him. His God had given him a task to set a target and surpass it, if he wanted to learn his next skill.


    So in a hurry to prove himself to his God he even participated in public exams, even though he had a rmendation to join the academy, but the results he got only made him look like a joke. Forget rank one that he envisioned himself to get, he wasn''t even in the top 5, that''s why he wanted to beat Leon.


    Looking at the scattered remains of food around him, hearing his arrogant tone and the word cripple, Leon lost his patience. Since he had just ranked up, and didn''t have time to stabilize his increased mana pool, his mana began to leak out, causing the room''s atmosphere to change.


    Everyone in the canteen shifted their attention to the brewing conflict after sensing the mana.  Even the girls sitting on the side, turned their eyes towards themotion.


    "So he''s the rank one huh." Rubina said, looking curiously at Leon.


    Reba looked at Leon and remembered him at a nce. A merely nced briefly at the scene before turning her gaze away. She always hated fights and violence, especially which was done for no cause.


    Unlike them, Amelia didn''t look at them and turned her eyes at the ss door, where she could see her brother standing silently, watching both of them, lost in his thoughts.


    Rio, who had just arrived in the canteen, was hoping to avoid this scenario and leave, but seeing everything inside, that was now impossible. His eyes turned towards the girls trying to see their reactions, but stopped when he found Amelia was staring at him.


    Knowing there was no way to call the girls out, he just took a deep breath and decided to interrupt the fight that was about to start.


    Zirix on the other hand, seeing Leon''s reaction showed a serious expression and swung his staff at him.


    But before the staff could hit Leon, someone grabbed it from behind. Zirix turned his eyes to look back, and saw Rio holding it with his left hand -


    "Stop blocking the door monkey."


    ###


    A/N - I''ll tell u what was supposed to happen in the novel and what he did and why he did it in next chapter.