James's forehead was slick with sweat, and he swallowed nervously, trying to appear calm. "You are indeed strong, far different from the rumors, but don't think you can easily defeat me! I'm not like them; I am the true elite of the academy!" He first summoned a Bronze Level 3 Scorpion Lion to guard against Eddie's assault, then called forth a Black Armored Warrior.
Dark light surged from beneath the Black Armored Warrior, eventually turning into a smoke-like substance that enveloped James.
The Warrior embraced James, and within three seconds, merged with him, covering his body with thick black armor, even shielding his face and eyes.
Those familiar with James knew this was the famous Black Warrior of the Shentu family, an enhancement-type battle beast.
Once summoned, it could boost the owner's attack by five times and defense by ten times for an hour, its defensive power surpassing even that of 'Stone Skin' or 'Iron Hide' beasts.
"Ah, the Black Warrior!" an observant warrior recognized it first.
"My goodness! This battle is going to be tougher than expected!" the onlookers realized, surprised by the turn of events.
The Black Warrior, a rare enhancement-type beast capable of armoring its master, required at least Level 3 to do so.
To the mercenaries, James, with his brash demeanor, seemed to have some backing. Not only did he have a Bronze Level 3 Scorpion Lion, but also a similarly powerful Black Warrior for enhancement. Their combined power was far greater than the sum of their parts.
"If that strong young man also had a contracted beast to counter the Scorpion Lion, the pressure would be much less. Now, facing two formidable summoned beasts with just martial skills will be tough!"
"Be careful, the 'Black Warrior' is an armoring enhancement beast. Not only does it boost the host's combat abilities, but it can also evolve in battle, transforming its armor into bone spikes for counter-attacks!" Yehken, fearing Eddie might underestimate James's beast, shouted a warning.
"Without a beast, relying solely on martial skills is futile. No matter how strong your skills are, at best, you'll only be a hardworking mercenary," James was initially fearful of Eddie's swift attacks. But seeing Eddie calmly waiting for him to finish summoning, he regained a lot of confidence. He thought Eddie was intimidated by his composure and chuckled arrogantly, "Do you think it's over? No, no, this is just the beginning!"
James then smugly pulled out a shiny black crystal from his chest, flaunting it at Eddie with a mocking tone, "Do you know what this is? The 'Blade Puppet,' a Yue family product."
As he summoned, the crystal flickered, and a metal puppet over four meters tall appeared. Its mechanical arms were incredibly thick, with three sharp blades on each wrist.
The sight of the metal puppet immediately caused concern for Eddie among the onlookers. With the terrifying Blade Puppet supporting James, it seemed challenging for Eddie to win.
The battle tactics were clear: the Blade Puppet would lead the attack, the Scorpion Lion would ambush, and James, protected by the Black Warrior, would simply defend until his opponent was exhausted.
"See the difference between us? This is the gap between heaven and a worthless loser!" James boasted arrogantly, signaling the Blade Puppet to roll towards Eddie.
Its six blades on each wrist spun rapidly, forming two fearsome 'cutting blade wheels' on either side.
A slight touch from them would mean severe injury or worse.
Yehken's heart sank in worry. He had the combat experience but no beast to assist, rendering him helpless in this situation.
The best way to combat the formidable Blade Puppet was to destroy its wrist joints. Without its spinning blades, the puppet would be just a display. But without a beast, charging in was suicide.
All Yehken could do was anxiously watch Eddie in the battle, unsure if Eddie had any knowledge of puppetry.
If Eddie, a Yue family member, had only focused on martial skills and knew nothing about puppetry, he would be in danger.
It would be a bitter irony if a Yue family member was defeated by a puppet created by his own family.
Eddie didn't dodge; he watched as the Blade Puppet rolled toward him.
"Wow," the mercenaries clenched their fists, hardly bearing to witness the imminent gruesome scene.
Why didn't he move out of the way?
Everyone was puzzled. Had the young man been paralyzed with fear?
As a smug smile crept onto James's face, thinking he had won, Eddie suddenly leaped gracefully into the air.
He landed lightly on the shoulders of the Blade Puppet. The puppet reacted swiftly, its arms twisting incredibly to aim the spinning blade wheels at Eddie's legs.
Eddie didn't pause. He somersaulted nimbly like a swallow, jumping up and landing back on the ground.
Behind him, sparks flew as the blades cut through metal.
After a grating sound of cutting, several broken blades sprung up, flying high into the sky.
The Blade Puppet, with deep cuts on its neck, jerked spasmodically, sparks flying from its body, before collapsing in front of Eddie. Its metal head, detached from the neck, rolled to Eddie's feet.
Eddie casually stepped on the severely deformed and sparking metal head, showing a hint of disappointment: "This is a genius? Using a Yue family puppet against a Yue family member? Whoever came up with this idea, are they really a genius? Are they really an academy elite? Well, if this is what counts as genius, then I'd rather be called a loser!"
Yehken was so thrilled he nearly fainted. To him, a common warrior, defeating the Blade Puppet, which was deemed unbeatable, was nothing short of a miracle, especially for someone dubbed a 'loser' by the world.
"Great!" The mercenaries also pumped their fists in excitement, cheering for Eddie.
Although everyone knew that destroying the head of a puppet beast was the smartest move, almost no one could actually do it. Usually, warriors encountering puppet beasts would use the most primitive method – endlessly running away, because no one dared to get close to such deadly creatures.
They had seen warriors destroy puppet heads before, but never as effortlessly and effectively as Eddie did. Seeing the mocking expression on Eddie's face, they couldn't help but enthusiastically applaud the young man.
It was too cool, too effortless – he toyed with his enemy without breaking a sweat!
This wasn't just combat; it was art!
"Thrilling!" If there was one word to describe the uncontainable excitement in everyone's hearts, it would be 'thrilling.'
It had been a long time since they had seen such an exhilarating battle!
James, pale with shock, was speechless for a long time before recovering from his astonishment.
He yelled in a panicked voice: "Do you think you can defeat me like that? I admit summoning the Blade Puppet was a minor mistake, but let me tell you, my strength is far beyond just this."
Eddie nodded, then casually tossed a coin in front of James: "Clown, keep performing. I'm enjoying the show. Here's your tip!"