The fight ended with Billy emerging victorious, and he was hailed by the students watching from the sidelines as he exited the raised tform. His triumph echoed through the dojo, and a few momentster, another match began.


    This time, the contestants were a male student wielding a Grade 2 mutant de—simr to the one Billy used—and Kevin, his opponent, who had no mutant weapon but was fully d in shiny silver armor. The armor glinted under the dojo lights, its high grade evident at first nce. Ss guessed it was likely a Grade 4 piece of equipment.


    ''Rich bastard,'' Ss thought with envy as he observed Kevin''s suit of armor.


    Kevin was well-known in the academy, not only because of his prowess but because of his affluent background. His family, exceedingly wealthy, provided him with everything he needed to seed in the academy. The shiny silver armor he wore, worth nothing less than a million tokens, was just another tool they had purchased for him, ensuring he could keep up his high scores.


    Despite his wealth, Kevin wasn''t a bully. In fact, he was liked by many for being humble. He often hung out with a small group of lower-grade students, and when his friends weren''t around, he kept to himself. It was one of the reasons some loved him—and also why others despised him.


    The fight started with both students swinging their attacks. The student with the katana was relentless, unleashing strike after strike in an effort tond a hit. Meanwhile, Kevin evaded each attack with fluid ease, swerving his body around gracefully as the de whooshed past him.


    Ss watched closely, noting how the armor enhanced Kevin''s agility, making it easier for him to dodge. The gap in their skill level was obvious, but Kevin was still holding back, choosing not to strike just yet.


    Several minutes passed, and the pattern continued. The katana-wielding student kept attacking with increasing desperation, while Kevin danced around the blows, never breaking a sweat.


    ''He''s trying to wear his opponent down,'' Ss realized, recognizing the strategy Kevin was employing. ''He''s waiting for the other guy to tire out before making his move.''


    Most of the spectators didn''t understand this, though, and many of them jeered at Kevin for what they perceived as cowardice.


    But Kevin ignored their taunts, his attention solely on his opponent. When he saw the katana-wielding student panting heavily, sweat trickling down his face, Kevin finally decided to act.


    ''Gotcha,'' Kevin smirked, closing the distance between them in an instant. He clenched his fist tightly and swung it forward, aiming for the student''s face.


    **BAM!**


    The sound of Kevin''s fist connecting with the student''s face echoed throughout the dojo. The impact was so forceful that the boy''s nose twisted in an unnatural way, and the force of the blow lifted him off his feet, sending him crashing several meters outside the tform. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.


    Kevin dusted off his hands, exiting the tform with the same grace and confidence he had exhibited during the fight.


    ''Damn... what a monster,'' Ss thought, staring at Kevin, who now stood a few meters away. ''I wonder if my current stats are as strong as his.''


    Kevin, sensing someone''s gaze on him, turned his eyes toward Ss. When their gazes met, Kevin shot Ss a cold, challenging stare, as if expecting him to look away. But Ss didn''t flinch. He held Kevin''s stare, unfazed by the intimidation.


    "Ss, it''s time," Angelica''s voice cut through the tension, and Ss broke eye contact with Kevin to look at her.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll hold back," Angelica reassured him with her usual warm smile.


    "Me too," Ss replied, his tone cold as he stepped onto the tform. His response left Angelica momentarily stunned.


    ''Err... what does he mean by that?'' she muttered to herself, climbing up after him.


    As they stood opposite each other, a red holographic screen materialized in front of Ss.


    [Optional quest has arrived]


    [Defeat the stronger opponent standing before you within 10 minutes]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Rewards: (hidden)]


    Ss scanned the notification, his expression unreadable. ''An optional quest... I can choose whether toplete it or ignore it.'' He mulled it over, eyeing the reward. It was hidden, but something told him it would be worth the effort.


    Still, he knew better than to act impulsively.


    ''There''s no way I can defeat a Grade 4 mutant like Angelica without going all out. But if I do, it''ll attract attention—and I can''t afford to draw too much attention to myself right now.''


    He dismissed the quest screen, deciding to y it safe. Going all out wasn''t an option today.


    Clenching his fists, he adopted a fighting stance, bracing himself for the match.


    Angelica stood still for a few seconds before suddenly charging forward, her fist shooting toward his face with incredible speed. Purple sparks of lightning crackled around her fist as she closed in.


    At thest second, Ss leaped back, causing her punch to hit nothing but air.


    Angelica didn''t hesitate. She quickly regained her stance and dashed toward him again, this time aiming for his chest. Ss reacted swiftly, raising his arms to block the iing punch.


    **BAM!**


    Her fist collided with his forearms, and though he managed to block the blow, the sheer force behind it sent him stumbling back.


    ''She''s using her lightning ability to increase the speed of her punches," Ss thought as he sidestepped her next punch with a graceful dodge.


    Taking advantage of the opening, Ss threw a punch of his own, deliberately holding back to avoid revealing too much. Angelica, however, ducked beneath the punch, avoiding it by a hair''s breadth.


    She leaped into the air and spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick aimed directly at Ss''s head.


    Ss saw the attacking but chose not to react, letting the kick connect. The impact sent him sliding across the tform, eventually causing him to fall off andnd on the ground below.


    Angelica''s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn''t expected the fight to end so quickly. She had purposely held back, expecting Ss to dodge the kick and prolong the match. But instead, he had taken the hit without any attempt to defend himself.


    ''Could it be that he''s too weak to even handle a light kick?''  Angelica wondered. ''Or maybe he''s stronger than he looks and let the fight end on purpose to avoid revealing his strength?''


    Her thoughts swirled as she made her way to the edge of the tform, watching as Ss slowly picked himself up from the floor.


    ''You interest me, Ss Griswold,'' Angelica mused, her eyes fixed on him as he dusted himself off.