Linda scanned with her eyes through the students. "Since everyone has chosen a weapon and is here, let's start."
Clap!
She clapped her hands. "Before we start, I must tell you the rules of my class.
First. When in my practical lessons class, your life is threatened. So you may use whatever tricks you have to survive. Poisons, beast pets, hidden weapons, whatever means you can think of. The most important thing is to survive.
The same rule applies when sparring against your classmates or students from other classes. With me here, you do not have to worry about killing the other person. Do not hold back.
Second. I will not interfere in your fight, and you are not allowed to give up. The only way to win the fight is to knock out the other person or throw him out of the arena.
Third. I will interfere to stop the match only if one's life is at risk. I can heal you. So you can fight to your heart's content."
The students could not help but gulp hard. Of course, the students who were afraid of this were the weak students. Though Linda's rules allowed all the students to not hold back during practice, it also meant that the weak students will become a punching bag for the strong to test out their moves.
Chatter immediately spread among the students, many criticizing the rules.
"If you have any complaints, feel free to voice them," Linda said sternly but with a slight smile.
In the eyes of the students, it was more like the smile of the devil.t sent shivers down their spines.
The students criticizing her rules shut up instantly as If a cat had eaten their tongue.
"The first ones to spar today are..." Linda paused for a moment as she carefully looked at all the students. "Owen Lakspur and Carol Martin."
"I fu.cking knew she was going to target me." Carol voiced his dissatisfaction as he stepped forward.
However, as he turned to see the boy he was about to face, the corners of his mouth curled up in an evil smile.
"Or maybe I should thank her." He muttered quietly, tightening his grip around the spiked mace.
Holding the dual chain scythe, Owen walked awkwardly and stood beside Carol. Owen was trembling in fear.
"Go up on the arena," Linda said.
Without a choice, Carol and Owen started climbing up the stairs leading to the arena.
"Hehehe." Carol laughed. "You are that weakling who hangs out with that guy Neo. I could not do anything to him earlier, but I will make sure you pay for everything he said." Carol said to Owen.
This made Owen feel even worse and more afraid.
"Teacher." Alden walked up to Linda.
Neo followed closely behind.
"What is it?" Linda asked, not even sparing a glance at Alden and Neo. All of her attention was on Owen and Carol.
"Teacher, you have to stop this fight," Alden spoke. "Owen can not fight. He is not that kind of a guy. He is easily scared and weak. Please stop this fight." He pleaded with her.
Linda looked at Alden, annoyed. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"
Hearing this, Alden could not help but clench his fists and grit his teeth in regret. He felt pained in his heart. But Linda was right. Who was he? A nobody. He had no power to help Owen. He could only watch as Carol viciously beat his friend.
"You are unreasonable," Neo complained. "Stop this battle immediately. Owen can not fight. He is only going to get badly hurt."
"It does not matter." Linda did not show any signs of backing down. "I can heal him."
"Bit.ch! Stop this fight." Neo lost his temper. "He only got the cultivation technique today. I doubt he had even had time to read it. It is too early for him to..."
"It's too early for him to fight?" Linda looked at Neo, her gaze sharp and her expression dead serious.
She did not let Neo's insult pass unpunished. Under her gaze, Neo felt like a building crashed on top of him. The pressure brought him to his knees. 'Ohh?' Linda's eyes widened, and a slight smile curled up her mouth.
"Then, according to you, when will be the right time for those children to fight? When they die to a beast?" She asked sternly, but the pressure on Neo had disappeared, and he raised back to his feet.
Neo had no reply to this. It was indeed better for Owen to get hurt now than die to a beast in the future. Thus, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and back down.
"I am sorry." Neo bowed his head. "I overstepped my boundaries."
"What is your name?" Linda asked.
"Neo. Neo Walker." Neo replied.
"I will remember you and your insult," Linda said and then returned her attention to the arena.
In the arena, Owen and Carol had already taken their positions, standing opposite each other.
Swoosh!
Linda appeared on the arena and stood between Owen and Carol.
"Take your fighting stance." She ordered.
This was Carol's first time holding the spiked mace, so he knew of no fighting stance for the spiked mace, but even if he did know, he would not get in a fighting stance. Not for Owen. He did not take him seriously at all.
Carol only tightened his grip on the spiked mace in excitement.
As for Owen, he took a fighting stance.
He held one scythe in his left and one in his right hand with the chain running behind him. He crouched his legs a bit and was ready to fight.
"Start!"
Linda announced the start of the fight, and in the next second, she was in the corner of the arena, out of their way.
Carol dashed forward, the spiked mace raised above his head. In no time, he arrived before Owen. "Blame your friend for this!" Carol shouted as he swung the spiked mace at Owen.
Owen could not move. As if he was glued to the arena. His legs trembled in fear. But still, he managed to cross the scythes in front of him in attempt to block the attack.
Clang!
The spiked mace hit the scythes.
The sheer power of the strike made Owen's arms tremble.
Swoosh!
Clang!
Clang!
Swoosh!
Carol did not stop and continuously swung the spiked mace at Owen.
Owen tried his best to block all the attacks, but he was slowly being pushed back. His palms were bleeding as the skin on his palms tore because of blocking so many attacks.
As for Carol, he was in perfect condition. And the more he attacked and saw Owen struggle and suffer, the more his smile grew.
"How do you like this?" Carol shouted happily as he swung the spiked mace down at Owen.
Smash!
Owen was too slow in blocking and could barely slightly change the trajectory of the attack. Unfortunately, the spiked mice hit him in the shoulder.
Crack!
A faint cracking sound sounded from Owen's shoulder. His shoulder cracked, and the spikes of the mace created a few holes in his skin.
"Aghhhh!" Owen howled in pain as blood started flowing out of the holes in his shoulder.
Down the arena, Alden clenched his fists tightly. He was pained to watch his friend get hurt, but he was relieved. With an injury like this, Linda was definitely going to stop the fight.
However, when he looked at Linda, his hopes got crushed. She calmly stood in the corner of the arena, watching the fight, without intention to interfere.
Anger rose in Alden's heart. Anger for Linda and even more for Carol, but he could do nothing. He was just a weakling.
Owen fell to the ground and dropped his weapon.
The fight was too one-sided. Since the beginning, Owen had no chance of winning, and now, it was coming to an end. Or that was what everyone thought.
Carol walked up to Owen and with a satisfied smile, spoke. "Don't worry, this is not the end. I will not end this fight this quickly." His smile grew wider. "At least not till I beat you to my heart's content."
Carol dropped the spiked mace and cracked his fingers and neck. "I will beat you with my fists till I knock you out."
"Fu.ck!" Neo cursed down the arena. "That bastard! He is taking it out on him. And that bit.ch of a teacher looks like she has no plans to step in."
No one of the students could guess what was Linda thinking. Every one of the students could not help but wonder If she truly had no intention of stopping the fight.
Yes, she said she would not interfere unless one's life is at stake. But this was enough. Owen was clearly not able to continue fighting. There was no point of continuing this fight.
'Is this all you amount to?!' Linda thought, looking at Owen. She could not help but feel disappointed. 'The so-called Heavenly Genius of the Military?'
"After I finish with you, I will destroy your friends!" Carol spoke.
"My...friends?" Owen looked at Carol blankly.
"What's this?" Carol's instinct took over. The hairs on his body stood up and he jumped back, his heart beating like crazy. He immediately picked up his weapon.
'What was that sudden change in tone?' Carol thought. 'I felt...afraid?'
"No! No! No!" Owen screamed in tears. "Don't hurt my friends! Don't kill them!" Owen's screams filled the whole room. His voice was breaking, and his screams were so loud that the eardrums of the students in the room started hurting.
"Don't kill my friends!" Owen let out another ear-piercing scream.
This behavior had all the students, as well as, Linda and Carol, left in shock.
"Has he gone mad?" Carol questioned, not afraid anymore.
However, the same could not be said for Linda. She stared at Owen intensely, her eyes wide open.
"I will not let you hurt my friends!" Owen stood up. Despite his injuries and cracked shoulder, he picked up his weapon and got into his fighting stance.
'Just what is this?' Carol felt fear again. He could not describe it, but he felt like Owen was a completely different person. And this new Owen kind of scared him.
'It's better to strike first!' Carol thought. "Take this!" He raised the spiked mace above his head and rushed at Owen.
"My beast, come to me," Owen called calmly, his expression deadly serious. In his voice, there was not a hint of his previous afraid and weak self.