For half the day, Azaroth was with Sophie, talking about random topics, while drawing the encampment formation.
Sophie also explained to him how she came up with this formation. Actually, this theory lesson was somewhat useless for Azaroth, but he acted as if it interested him.
He asked appropriate questions at the perfect timing. Sophie happily answered the questions he asked. She felt thrilled as she taught him…
It made her feel superior in a positive manner. Like she was helping someone grasp the ropes of array formation.
Azaroth was thinking with some amusement 'She really is just a little girl. Gaining her trust will be really easy.'
This closeness with Sophie was not much appreciated by the other men from the Acadia School.
They knew that they weren't qualified to stay with Sophie, but many felt that if they weren't qualified, Azaroth was even less qualified.
Many people were thinking about how they should deal with Azaroth or split him from Sophie.
One of them was Myles Nelson. He clenched his fists in anger as he saw Azaroth roam around the encampment with Sophie.
Myles began remembering how they were pursuing Sophie in the Acadia School and when he finally surpassed him, he thought that he had left this guy in the dust. However, now, their positions were entirely reversed.
Firstly, he couldn't understand how Edwin had increased his cultivation to 4 Star Rank. Secondly, he never knew that Edwin studied array formations in Acadia School. At least, as far as he was aware of, Edwin had never mentioned it to him.
'Just what has he encountered that has changed his life so drastically?!'
Myles continued to think deeply 'What should I say to those seniors in Alchemy division. I did tell them that Edwin has some secret recipe for a pill… But now, it seems not so likely. It's as if he has encountered a treasure more precious than this.'
Myles didn't know how wrong he was. Edwin did find something, but it was far from a treasure.
After all, what treasure would destroy your consciousness and take over your body?
Azaroth split up from Sophie and began walking towards his cabin.
The formation was nearly complete, and he was getting slightly worried about the beasts…
If they did attack the encampment and Sophie activated this formation, the beasts wouldn't even be able to run away successfully.
It was because each one of these three-layered arrays was at Tier 5.
As Azaroth reached his cabin, he saw a few people standing over there.
They appeared to be waiting for him.
From their clothes, they were clearly the Palm Valley School's graduates.
"What are you doing here?" He casually asked them this question.
"I think you should be aware of the reason." A somewhat familiar guy with a robust body spoke to Azaroth. This was none other than Rudy, who had been beaten badly by Azaroth earlier.
"You think you are so awesome when you just bullied my brother, who is at a lower star rank than you? Why don't you fight someone of your level?!" The man next to Rudy was even larger than Rudy in size.
Moreover, there were a few other Palm Valley School graduates who looked at Azaroth with glee. They had come here to watch him get trampled by a senior from their school…
This would allow them to vent a bit as they would feel superior to the Acadia School's graduates.
"Are you sure you want to fight me? You should be aware that the beast raid is going to occur any time soon. It won't be a good idea for any of us to be injured at such a timing." Azaroth spoke with a neutral voice since he didn't feel like fighting against this weakling.
"Only the weak make excuses. When you bullied my younger brother using your higher-ranked cultivation, you should have known that there would be someone who would take justice on his behalf." The man spoke with a sneer.
He looked down on Azaroth since Azaroth was making excuses and not agreeing to a fight.
Azaroth sighed out. He really was mentally tired right now.
"You are right. Only the weak make excuses." Azaroth agreed with those words and then added, "That is precisely why I am asking you whether you really want to fight me or not."
The other party sneered at Azaroth's words and spoke, "You are too arrogant."
Azaroth sighed and spoke, "Come at me, all of you. If you want to have a chance against me."
"Hmph… Don't kid yourself. You aren't worth-" Before the man could finish his words, Azaroth blinked to his position with blue lightning flickering around his body and punched the man's face.
Azaroth hadn't held back in that punch. With that punch, he broke the nose of his opponent. However, that wasn't all he did. Half of his opponent's teeth also began falling down.
"Y-You bastard! You just caught me by surprise?!" The 4 Star Warrior tried to attack Azaroth as he gave that excuse.
Azaroth was still quicker and gave a kneed his gut very strongly and forced him to the ground.
"As I said, if you want to have a chance against me, all of you need to attack me," Azaroth said with a terrifying killing intent leaking from his body.
As they felt the brunt of his killing intent, the others fell down, not at all wanting to attack him now.
"See… This is what happens when I get slightly serious." Azaroth spat on that guy who was lying on the ground ahead of him.
But he didn't stop with that. He kicked that guy to his left side as if he was a football.
Once that Four Star Warrior was kicked away, Azaroth glared at the rest of the individuals near him and spoke, "You are going to scram now, or do I help you?"
Those words appeared to be enough for them to immediately run away. They now realized that this guy was far more terrifying than they initially believed.
Meanwhile, Azaroth went inside his house and laid on the bed.
'Today was a tiring day…'
~~
In a mere hour, the information that Azaroth beat up the Palm Valley School's graduates spread to nearly every person in the camp.
Naturally, this information reached the ears of Sophie, Brynn Gaynor, Myles, and all other people in the camp.
All those from Acadia Academy who had a good or a neutral relationship with Azaroth now had a broad smile on their faces.
Did they care about the reason why Azaroth beat them? Not at all.
They were just happy that those Palm Valley School graduates were shown their place!
Meanwhile, the other Palm Valley School graduates had an ugly look on their faces. Many of them gathered in the infirmary and watched over their comrade who had been injured by Azaroth.
This guy was a 4 Star Warrior. And when they heard what occurred from the other students who were present there, the Palm Valley School's graduates' expression turned even more ugly.
The other 4 Star Warrior from their school was also present, and he was a little terrified of Azaroth just by hearing about him. He was aware of his own strength and knew that he would never be able to defeat his friend in such a manner.
"You have made us look like a fool!" The guy looked at Rudy and speaks with a glare, "Now, everyone in the camp despises us."
Rudy shrunk as he was glared at by this man.
"I-I never thought he was so strong…" Rudy spoke with some regret in his voice.
"Well, the opportunity has fucking passed now. There is no use in regretting. Now, I will take command of our group. Stop targeting that guy, or else, before he can kick you, I will do so!" His authoritative voice was left behind as the man walked out of the infirmary.
~~
From the next day, the Palm Valley School graduates kept their distance from the Acadia School graduates. In fact, they helped with all sorts of menial labor as if they wanted to regain some prestige for themselves.
Brynn Gaynor didn't mind this extra labor and made sure to take full advantage of them.
As for the Palm Valley School's graduates incident with Azaroth? Even Brynn Gaynor didn't precisely know what happened and why it happened.
However, he had already made up his mind to assist Azaroth if these Palm Valley School graduates try something else.
He was very grateful to Azaroth and would naturally assist him as much as he could.
Meanwhile, Azaroth was spending his day making the array formation along with Sophie.
Sophie was slightly curious about the incident she heard yesterday and asked Azaroth, "What happened? Why are they all saying that you bullied someone from the Palm Valley School?"
Azaroth waved off casually and replied, "It's nothing. Some of them were blocking the way to my house, and I just threw them away. The rest are just exaggerations…"
While he was saying this, he didn't slack off in making the array.
"Oh. It was a pity I couldn't see it myself. I wanted to see how you looked when you were angry." Sophie said with a lighthearted tone.
Azaroth lightly shrugged and replied, "If you were there, they wouldn't dare to block my way to my cabin."
"That's a pity," Sophie spoke with a smirk as she gazed at Azaroth for some time.
Soon enough, Azaroth noticed her gaze and raised his brow while looking at her, "Something the matter?"
Sophie shook her head and replied, "Nothing really. You have changed so much in this one year that you can now talk to me while looking at my face. Previously, you would always turn your face whenever I tried to talk to you."
Azaroth was somewhat jolted awake as he heard those words. He didn't let it show on his face, but he was now quite more alert.
He didn't think that she noticed such a small thing as well. And here he was thinking that he was perfectly imitating how Edwin would talk to her.
"Haha…" Azaroth lightly laughed over the matter and didn't try to give any reasons for it.
Sophie lightly smiled and added, "It's a good thing that you have grown more confident. It's fun talking to you."
"Likewise," Azaroth said before he continued working on the array formations.
~~
Meanwhile, the beasts within the Alpine Gerbil Woods were ready now. The Abyssal Hound was entirely healed, and it gave a loud howl, catching the attention of all beasts in the forest.
The beasts immediately gathered around that cave where the White Wolf and the Abyssal Hound resided.
"Prepare yourself, my comrades. Tomorrow, we shall ravage that human territory and lay it to waste before moving to the next one."
The beasts let out roars of excitement as they heard those words from the Abyssal Hound.
The one who appeared to be most excited was a group of apes.
If Azaroth had seen this group of apes, even he would have sweatdropped nervously.
Although they weren't the same as that brown ape at the 4 Star Rank, nearly all of them were at the 3 Star Rank, possessing the Golden Ape's Bloodline.
Their leader was the one who had previously fought against Azaroth and lost. That Ape looked ready for another battle against Azaroth… The injuries from his fight against Azaroth had already healed.
In fact, the ape felt as if his body was even stronger than before.