Sophia glared at the group in front of her, her frustration evident. These were her former teammates from Capital Academy, who had now become her attackers. This wasn't the first time Sophia had faced aggression.
Almost every few days, she was ambushed by hired mercenaries under the guise of a "three-on-three battle." In the Heaven-Reaching Tower, if a warrior refused a challenge more than ten times, they had to accept at least one battle per day.
Failure to comply would lead to a deduction of battle points, and if these points fell into the negative, the warrior would be expelled from the tower and required to complete ten daunting tasks before returning.
For Sophia, the seemingly fair format of three-on-three battles was a nightmare.
She was always alone against three opponents, usually facing enemies who used fire or ice attributes to counter her plant-type beasts. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, victory was almost impossible.
The worst part was the constant harassment from mercenaries hired to drain her energy and limit her summoning capabilities, forcing her to fight with just one War Treant.
One of the tall, sly-looking men from her former team stepped forward, feigning ignorance of her plight. "Oh, did you encounter trouble in the Black Stone Labyrinth? We just wanted to catch up with our dear Sophia and have a friendly spar!" His smirk betrayed his insincerity.
Sophia had been close to completing the Black Stone Labyrinth and earning the "Heart of the Oak." However, five mercenaries ambushed her, sabotaging her tasks and attacking her when she fell into the water.
Forced to use a precious teleportation scroll, she escaped, only to be immediately confronted by her ex-teammates at the Warrior's Guild.
Without a moment's rest, they bombarded her with challenge cards, leaving Sophia no choice but to engage in this dishonorable battle to protect her summoning tome's rank.
She knew these mercenaries were hired by her ex-teammates. Sophia couldn't understand what she had done to deserve such relentless hostility.
Since entering the tower, she had been in an almost constant state of combat. They had once been comrades, respectful in their teacher's presence, but now revealed their true colors.
She had always felt sidelined in the team, her War Treant used as mere labor while they reaped the benefits. After their falling out, the attacks from hired mercenaries had never ceased.
Facing her former team members from Capital Academy, now her attackers, Eddie's sister, Sophia, was filled with anger and disbelief. These were people she once trusted, now relentlessly attacking her.
Her frustration stemmed from being constantly targeted by hired mercenaries, exploiting the Heaven-Reaching Tower's rules to keep her in a state of defeat, preventing her from leveling up her summoning tome and improving her life guardian beast.
James, the imposing captain of the Rose Team and the eldest grandson of the Shentu family, denied his involvement in the scheme. "Sorry, the challenge was initiated by Daniel, it has nothing to do with me," he said, distancing himself from the confrontation.
Daniel, known for his droopy eyes, mocked her predicament. "Oh, Sophia, you can refuse the three-on-three challenge. But don't worry, I have plenty of challenge cards. How many points do you have left? "
"Haha, if I don't kick you out of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, I wouldn't be living up to my nickname 'Ghost Eye Prince'."
Sophia's gaze then shifted to two individuals standing slightly behind in the group.
Although related to the Yue family, they had never extended a helping hand to her. Instead, they often added to her troubles.
She couldn't help but wonder about the status of her family's fourth branch within the Yue household.
Despite moving out of the Yue family castle, it seemed that the main and second branches were still bent on oppressing her.
Containing her anger, Sophia summoned her tome and called forth her life guardian beast, the War Treant.
The towering, dark green War Treant, now at bronze level three, had been her steadfast protector.
Without it, she might have already faced a fatal outcome in the Heaven-Reaching Tower.
Daniel's next move caused an uproar among the watching mercenaries. He summoned a Fire Guard, a tactic seen as dishonorable and exploitative in the context of the Heaven-Reaching Tower's dueling etiquette.
The Tower had a rescue rule allowing warriors to join battles in emergencies to prevent unnecessary deaths.
However, employing this rule in a duel was considered a violation of the unwritten code of honor among the warriors.
Daniel, with his distinctive droopy eyes, summoned a Fire Guard and commanded it to hurl fireballs at Sophia's War Treant.
The Fire Guard, an elemental beast, was a natural counter to the War Treant, and its fireballs, explosive and homing, were nearly impossible for regular beasts to dodge.
However, elemental beasts like the Fire Guard had a strict limit on their ability to use elemental skills - in this case, only five fireballs.
After exhausting its fireballs on the War Treant, Daniel aggressively directed the Fire Guard to charge at the charred and burning Treant.
Anticipating defeat, he cunningly played an emergency rescue card, calling for assistance from his two teammates. Upon their entry, Daniel smugly summoned his strongest beast, the Ghost Fang Evil Eye.
This shameful tactic was met with scorn from the onlookers. In the mercenary world, such a move would lead to a brutal beating, even in victory.
However, given that these were elite students from Capital Academy, dressed in their uniform, the mercenaries refrained from intervening. These students were either direct descendants or backed by major families, making them powerful enemies to make.
"Ha, ha, ha, Sophia, think you're so tough? ....Try taking on all three of us! ...Aren't you a proud member of the Yue family, one of the great four houses? ....Where's your family's prestige now? Go on, call for help. See if anyone comes to save you. You bragged about your loser third brother being so talented, didn't you? Call him, see if he'll help you! Ah, hahaha!" Daniel's mocking laughter echoed, dripping with malice.
Sophia, seething with anger, longed to punch his smug face but chose to remain silent. She focused on commanding her War Treant in battle.
Five minutes later, her War Treant, engulfed in flames, collapsed. Despite its bronze level three status, it was overwhelmed by six adversaries, each with elemental advantages. The final blow came from the Ghost Fang Evil Eye's pale ray.
Though defeated, the War Treant had valiantly taken down five elemental-countering beasts before succumbing, making its defeat a testament to its strength and Sophia's strategic prowess.
The mercenaries surrounding them were ready to applaud Sophia for her spirit and skill, which far exceeded their expectations. But the moment turned sour when a member of James's team, a short man with a sinister grin, pulled out a challenge card for another three-on-three tactic against Sophia. The crowd was in shock, witnessing such relentless, shameless behavior.
Sophia, pale and visibly shaken, reluctantly withdrew her burning War Treant and summoned a level one Thorn Flower. Despite its lack of combat strength, Sophia was determined to fight to the end, never to surrender or bow down to her oppressors.
Daniel, reveling in his triumph, announced his vile intentions to the crowd, "Don't kill the Thorn Flower immediately. Toy with it, exhaust her spirit and energy, let her spend herself into oblivion!" His words sparked anger among the mercenaries. The thought of these men bullying a young girl was infuriating.
James, maintaining his composure, summoned a bronze level three Scorpion Lion, which stunned everyone. The mercenaries, though enraged, dared not act against the fearsome beast or support Sophia openly.
Five minutes passed, and the Thorn Flower was destroyed, its demise sending shockwaves through Sophia's already drained spirit. Collapsing in agony, she was vulnerable and defenseless.
Seizing the opportunity, Daniel gloated and prepared to disfigure her. The mercenaries, horrified by the prospect, were paralyzed with fear and disgust.
At that moment, two bloodied figures, Lyqeen and Lyken, burst through the crowd, fiercely standing in front of Sophia, ready to defend her with their lives. James signaled discreetly, and Daniel, seizing the chance, accused them of attempted murder, rallying his team to attack.
The mercenaries were appalled at the cruel machinations of these privileged youths, using their power to crush and defame others.
Despite Lyqeen and Lyken's valiant efforts to protect Sophia, they were no match for the elite students and their powerful beasts. They were quickly overwhelmed, leaving Sophia exposed to Daniel's wrath.
As Daniel raised his foot to crush Sophia, a figure appeared in the distance, moving with lightning speed. In a blink, he sent the crowd flying and grabbed Daniel by the throat, lifting him high before slamming him down with such force that the ground shattered. Daniel was left lifeless, his skull crushed.
This furious savior was none other than Eddie, Sophia's brother. His eyes blazed with rage as he faced the Rose Team, "Who dares touch my sister?!" His presence alone sent a wave of fear through the crowd.