"It's impossible!!!"
At the moment when Char raised his right hand high and uttered those words, Rode and Sitar, sitting in a corner of the spectator stands, suddenly stood up, their eyes filled with disbelief.
The two of them exchanged glances, seemingly conveying the message: What is this kid joking about?
It wasn't just them. Even Mevis, who was preparing to leave the arena, halted in her tracks, gazing absentmindedly at the scene unfolding in the arena.
This included Headmaster Lucius, who was ready to intervene, and Archbishop Edmund, who had stopped him.
In the audience, a few students who understood the significance of this moment also shared a profound sense of shock in their eyes.
"Boom--"
"Boom, boom, boom, boom—"
Accompanied by five consecutive loud noises, the five Ice Prison Wolves that were about to pounce on Char seemed to be pulled by an invisible force. In the previous second, they were poised in mid-air, and in the next second, they crashed to the ground with a resounding impact!
Shards of ice splintered on the surface, and the Ice Prison Wolves appeared as if they were being crushed under an invisible mountain. They crawled on the ground, their bodies twisted and broken, trembling slightly.
Beneath them, intricate cracks spread in various directions like a spider's web, indicating the immense power of the invisible force.
"Thud—"
With a muffled burst, Char emerged unscathed, moving his body freely after breaking out of the ice cocoon. He stepped on the shattered ice beneath his feet.
After freeing himself, Char turned his gaze towards Angelica, who was standing motionless in the distance. His expression remained calm, as if the life-and-death crisis just now was nothing more than child's play to him.
"What was that just now?" Angelica asked in return.
Her gaze seemed unfocused, as if she couldn't accept this reality.
If in the beginning of their confrontation, Angelica had approached the battle with a playful attitude, fighting somewhat casually, then in that last exchange, she had clearly given it her all. She even resorted to using the unprecedented "Blessing of the Wood Sprite." to restore her magical power.
And indeed, even against such a powerful combination technique, an extraordinary knight would be thrown into disarray and likely sustain serious injuries.
But Char's appearance, apart from some minor damage to his knight's attire, was hardly affected.
At the same time, numerous doubts arose in her mind.
Gravity magic? Dual cultivation of magic and martial skills?
No, it couldn't be.
But how could a knight possibly produce such an effect?
A slight tremor ran through Angelica's body...
Suddenly, she thought of another possibility.
A similar situation... It seemed to have been witnessed on her brother's side as well.
But why?
On what grounds?
How could a small noble from the countryside be compared to the Captain of the Radiant Knights?!
Angelica lifted her head, quickly scanning the spectator stands for her brother's figure, as if seeking an answer to this perplexity.
At this moment, Char did not launch an attack but instead took slow steps forward.
On the ice surface, the five Ice Prison Wolves trembled as if they had encountered their natural enemy. As Char approached gradually, the ground sank once again, and the spider-web-like cracks rapidly spread in all directions.
The grating sound of crushing echoed relentlessly.
The mighty and domineering summoned creatures from earlier now seemed like newborn wolf cubs, curled up on the ground, unable to move, emitting pitiful whimpers.
Around Char, it felt as if there was a domain, a territory. It seemed that once someone entered this range, they would be oppressed by a powerful force, even experiencing mental intimidation.
"Actually, you should have some guesses in your own mind," Char said with a smile as he walked. "From initially thinking of me as a mere insignificant attendant to realizing I might be a quasi-knight after investigating, and then encountering a Grand Knight who could withstand your attacks just now... Well, the boundaries have been constantly pushed, so why does this seem so unbelievable?"
Angelica clenched her fists tightly, keeping them at her sides.
Although she wished to tear apart Char's smug face, it seemed that the situation was not unfolding as she had imagined.
She stared fixedly at Char and finally asked the deepest question in her heart, "Is that the King's Knight Forcefield? A three-star, no, perhaps a four-star knight... How on earth can you wield it?"
Angelica uttered a term that sounded unfamiliar.
From the ease with which Char effortlessly broke free from the ice prison earlier, it was evident that his true power exceeded that of a one-star knight. He was at least a three-star or even a four-star knight.
However, at this moment, Angelica's astonishment went beyond Char's true realm. It delved into the significance behind his mastery of this ability.
The King's Knight Forcefield?
Char was somewhat puzzled but remained silent.
When the assassin from the Night Shadow saw him employ this forcefield, even before dying, they incredulously asked if he was a King's Knight. But they quickly dismissed the idea.
However, the system provided the name as "Knight Forcefield," evolved from the skill "Knight's Will."
There seemed to be no difference.
At this moment, the majority of the audience in the stands remained in a state of confusion.
What just happened?
How did the five giant wolves suddenly end up pinned to the ground like dogs?
These were the deepest questions in their minds.
They looked at each other and discussed for a while before some students who had some understanding of the truth explained it in a very perplexed tone. However, deep down, they still found it hard to believe.
Ephie Dominic was among them.
His face was filled with incredulity. "Damn... How is that possible? Him? A high-ranking senior knight?"
Ephie Dominic himself, who had enjoyed various high-quality resources from the Gold Gryphon Family since childhood and had decent talent, was still only a three-star quasi-knight
.
The difference between them was like night and day.
Sally cast a sneering glance. "What's the matter? Jealous? Jealous that Angelica 'cares' about him so much? Or jealous that as a man, he's much stronger than you?"
Tyrus beside them wanted to laugh but managed to hold it in.
It seemed that the Blood Rose wasn't as united as it appeared.
At least this girl in the purple dress had top-notch skills in taunting. Perhaps if Char were here, he could strike up a conversation with her.
Hearing this, Ephie became quite agitated, clenching his fist. He exclaimed with excitement, "Him? He's stronger than me?"
He had completely lost his previous demeanor as a charming nobleman.
Unfortunately, they had no way to deal with this sharp-tongued person.
After all, she was the designated fiancée of the Fifth Prince, the eldest daughter of the Violet family.
Ephie felt annoyed for a moment, then dejectedly punched the air. "You don't understand at all what it means to comprehend this forcefield at the rank of a Grand knight."
It meant... he probably had a high probability of becoming a King's Knight in the future!
He kept this thought to himself, driven by a pitiful sense of pride, and didn't speak it out loud.
On the other side.
Listening to the buzzing discussions around her, Sylvasta and the equally excited Dahlia exchanged a glance, and their eyes gradually lit up.
Is Char really that powerful?
At this moment, an unprecedented thought arose within them.
Could he win this duel?
.....
"Yeah, the two of us old folks really misjudged it." At the highest point of the stands, Headmaster Lucius smiled bitterly and looked at Char as if observing a rare creature. "To think that he possesses the kind of intimidating power that only King's Knights are qualified to wield."
King's Knight is not a realm but a title.
Those who possess this title are the cream of the crop within that realm.
Upon hearing this, Edmund shook his head and said, "It's not that exaggerated. This is clearly only a rudimentary form and lacks the destructive power to easily collapse buildings like the King's Knights."
"Moreover, many people who comprehend this forcefield are unable to advance to become King's Knights, at least within our church."
As a member of the Augustus Cathedral, Archbishop Edmund clearly understood more than Headmaster Lucius.
Even so, it was already astonishing enough.
Setting aside what it represented, the threshold to comprehend this ability alone had to start with a Transcendent Knight!
That is a rank above Grand Knights, a realm that can bring about a qualitative change in one's life level. Even in the capital, it could be considered the first step to becoming a strong individual.
Although Char's talent was unparalleled, the fact that he had a glimpse of this forcefield at his level... the word "monster" was no longer sufficient to describe him.
Because this goes beyond what talent alone can achieve.
Archbishop Edmund pondered for a moment, then asked the biggest question in his mind, "Generally speaking, this kind of forcefield can only be comprehended after countless battles between life and death, breaking through limits time and time again, and having one's will tempered to the extreme. But this young lad is only 16 years old... What has he experienced?"
"Perhaps it is related to his background," Headmaster Lucius recalled the rumors about Char and spoke.
Both of them couldn't calm their hearts for a long time.
Of course, for Lucius, it was more of a surprise that came out of the blue.
Norton Academy seems to have struck gold?
Lucius's graying beard trembled, his eyes filled with joy. He had already decided that no matter the cost, he would definitely win over this young boy.
Then, his gaze shifted to a distance.
In the corner on the other side sat several members of the Althia family, led by a handsome young man with golden long hair. He sat silently on the stands, quietly observing the situation in the arena.
He was the Captain of the Radiant Knights, Angelica's brother, and one of the King's Knights mentioned by Lucius and Edmund.
He was a strategic-level existence that could rival even the level of a divine magician.
Of course, this didn't refer to newcomers like Mevis in the field of divine magic, but to the cream of the crop within that realm, as there were differences in skill even within the same realm.
(note: this my bad. Miss Mevis lvup from (Archmage)=>(divine magician):-)
.....
"I think I understand now why you made me witness this duel," Rode said, still immersed in shock after returning to his seat.
But Sitar, sitting beside him, showed no less astonishment.
You understand?
I don't understand a damn thing!
How did he inexplicably become a three-star or four-star Grand Knight? And he even comprehended the rudiments of the King's Knight forcefield?
Where does that leave me as his teacher?!
"Have you... comprehended it?" Sitar finally broke the silence and asked.
"No," Rode sighed, shaking his head. "I'm at a weaker level among the nine Chief Judges. There's still a considerable distance between me and the King's Knights. Besides, having resided in the capital for so long, I've had far fewer life-and-death battles of sufficient intensity."
"And those esteemed King's Knights of the Empire, most of them rose to prominence a decade ago when the empire was waging wars everywhere. Which one of them didn't fight their way out of a bloodbath?"
Sitar ignored the latter part of his friend's sentiment and felt relieved upon hearing that Rode had also not comprehended this forcefield.
Fortunately, it's not particularly embarrassing.