Noah watched the entire sequence unfold with a calm, almost placid expression on his face. Though outwardly he appeared relaxed, his mind was anything but. He had already stabilized his Core by the time the battle was over, allowing his default emotional state to settle back into place. Inwardly, though, he could only marvel at the complexity and mystery of the Essence Core. Its ability to resonate with his subconscious thoughts had always intrigued him, and this time was no different. There was something almost mystical about how it intertwined with his innermost feelings, allowing him to access deeper levels of power when he least expected it.
As he regulated his breathing, he became aware of a slight soreness creeping across the nape of his neck and spreading down to the sides. The sensation wasn't entirely unfamiliar. He recognized it as a sign that his beast bloodline had taken another step forward alongside his recent advancement. Soon, his silver scales would likely start appearing more frequently, not just on his arms but now extending all the way to his neck. He couldn't help but wonder what other transformations lay ahead as his bloodline continued to evolve.
"Damn, bro. Are you planning on leaving us all behind at this rate?" Leonel spoke, his tone filled with mock irritation, though the expression on his face hinted at genuine frustration. Leonel remembered, not so long ago, when he had first met Noah. Back then, he'd been two whole levels ahead of him, and now Noah had not only caught up but was on the verge of surpassing him.
It was a hard pill to swallow, but not entirely unexpected. If Leonel thought about it seriously, this made perfect sense. Even with the mediocre Essence-gathering techniques Noah had initially received from the Mercenary Association, his cultivation speed had been nothing short of extraordinary. Noah's natural talent had allowed him to grow at a pace far exceeding that of regular Battlesoul masters. He had nearly kept up with geniuses from powerful Houses—young masters and mistresses with access to deep reserves of resources. Now that he had access to the much higher-quality resources at Starlight Academy, his rate of growth was only going to accelerate further. It was an inevitability, really.
Emery and Argos stayed silent, but their expressions were telling. Both of them were mentally preparing themselves, making quiet resolutions to double down on their training as soon as they got the chance. There was a fire in their eyes, the determination to push themselves even harder. In fact, they couldn't help but wish for the competition to end sooner rather than later, so they could retreat to their villas and dive straight into intense training.
As if responding to their silent thoughts, the platform beneath them began to shift. The sudden movement startled them for a brief moment, pulling them forward with a subtle but unmistakable force. Their bodies instinctively tensed, each of them bracing for the possibility of an imminent battle. But then their expressions darkened as they caught sight of the platform being drawn toward them. Their eyes narrowed. It was **Arnold's team.**
"Fuck," Leonel cursed under his breath as his gaze locked onto Arnold's smug, arrogant smile. The deep-seated contempt in Arnold's expression was impossible to miss. It was like he didn't care who noticed his disdain, wearing it openly as though it were a badge of honor.
"It just had to be this bastard," Leonel muttered, his frustration growing with every passing second.
Argos groaned audibly, already pulling out his token. "We're going to have to forfeit while we still can. It's not going to be easy to do that once the match officially starts." He looked visibly annoyed, knowing full well that facing Arnold's team was a lost cause. "Fuck, we could've handled a weaker team, no problem. But this setup… this is way too convenient to be a coincidence."
Emery and Leonel both nodded in agreement, also reaching for their tokens. But then their eyes turned to Noah, waiting for his reaction. For a moment, Noah said nothing, simply letting out a heavy sigh as he reached into his pocket. They all knew they had no real choice. Arnold's team was on another level entirely, with each member at the 5th Level of the Adept Stage or higher. They would barely last a second against them, and the thought of being humiliated—possibly even tortured—before being allowed to use their tokens didn't sit well with any of them.
From the other platform, Arnold's boisterous laughter rang out, cutting through the tense atmosphere. "It seems you idiots know your place!" he shouted, his voice dripping with condescension. "Though I must say, you're all acting like cowards. I was planning to take you all on by myself—hell, I was even thinking of not using my Pseudo-Intent, just to give you a fighting chance. But it seems the top students of the first year are only worth this much!"
Leonel, Argos, and Emery froze for a moment, their hands still clutching their tokens. A sudden wave of anger surged through them, raw and unfiltered. What kind of shameless bastard was Arnold? Anyone with half a brain could see that he was baiting them, yet he made it sound as though he were doing them some kind of favor. The sheer audacity of it was infuriating.
They were just about to respond, their emotions boiling over, when Noah's voice cut through the tension like a knife. His tone was calm, but there was a coldness to it that made everyone stop in their tracks. "Do you know how foolish you are?" Noah asked, his gaze fixed on Arnold.
Arnold's expression faltered, confusion briefly flashing across his face before anger took over. His face reddened, his teeth grinding together as he spoke through clenched jaws. "What did you just say?"
"I said you were foolish," Noah repeated, this time with a sigh. As he spoke, his aura began to rise, steadily increasing in intensity. "Geniuses like you… you all like to think that you're above the world. It's because you're weak now, but you believe that given enough time, you'll gain the strength to crush anyone who tries to control you. You think you're destined to be free, don't you? That you'll be able to break free from any chains that try to bind you once you have enough power."
Noah's gaze hardened as he pointed directly at Arnold, his finger like a blade aimed at his heart. "But you… you're the most foolish of them all. While other so-called geniuses think they own their lives, unaware of the silent leash tightening around their necks, you… you know about the leash. You're fully aware that it's there, and yet, you're the one who put it on yourself. That makes you even more pathetic."
Arnold's face twisted with rage, but before he could respond, Noah pressed on, his voice colder than ever. "Let me ask you something. You're here, barking provocations under someone else's orders, aren't you?"
A tense silence fell over the platform as Noah's words hung in the air. Even though the two platforms had now fully merged, there was an eerie stillness. Arnold didn't respond immediately, and that silence spoke volumes.
Noah continued, his voice unwavering. "You were promised resources, power, maybe even more—whatever it is they use to bribe dogs like you. But deep down, you know that these promises will come back to bite you. You know that even after you've gained strength, you'll still be nothing more than a tool for your family. And yet, you willingly put yourself in that position. You didn't care, did you? You pushed those thoughts aside, arrogantly believing that somehow, you'd find a way to break free."
Noah's voice, now laced with an undercurrent of anger, rose in intensity. "That thought, that belief you had… that is the epitome of stupidity."
As he spoke, Noah's Essence surged out from his body like a tidal wave, enveloping him in a powerful aura. Three shining lights appeared within his frame, their brilliance drawing the attention of everyone present. Noah's Essence seeped into his organs, strengthening them one by one, while his entire body seemed to glow with newfound power. His Essence Core revolved within him, compressing and refining itself until a new quality of Essence emerged, signaling his advancement to the Adept Stage.
But what truly shocked everyone wasn't the advancement itself. It was the sight of the three distinct lights erupting from Noah's body. A blood-red light pulsed from his heart, signaling the formation of a Blood Essence Core. Meanwhile, his legs glowed—his right leg shimmering with silver and his left with khaki hues. A final light, pure white, appeared on his face as rune-like markings began to form around his eyes, radiating with the unmistakable energy of Soul Essence.
To top it all off, a long, serpentine azure dragon appeared to coil around Noah's torso, its ethereal form drawing in massive amounts of Essence with each subtle movement. This was the unmistakable sign of someone walking the Triad Path. And what was even more astonishing was the fact that Noah had begun this Path at the 1st Level of the Adept Stage!
This was a feat that left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
"Don't feel proud of yourself, Arnold Nolan. I don't do this because of your family, I don't do this because you managed to bait me. I do this for a simple reason." Noah's eyes apathetically gazed at Arnold as he drew his sword. "You are a dog who saw food within a cage and still jumped into it. And I don't like stupid and arrogant idiots like you."