Chapter 45: Unexpected
The aura around Alex faded with the particles of mana that mixed with the air, eliminating the somewhat unique characteristics he had in that state.
Like the hair that floated slightly, the electricity that surrounded him, or his bright blue eyes that returned to their natural shade after the aura disappeared.
*Sigh*
Alex let out a sigh, at the same time two figures rose from their seats in unison, Lars and Sarl, the two masked ones.
"The second round of the Duel Challenge has ended with Alex Gus winning -"
"I surrender."
"..."
Everyone was deadly silent, processing the words of Alex, who had conceded just as he was being declared the winner.
Is he stupid? They all thought about it, but seeing Alex's attitude and how he had fought with skill and determination, the last thing Alex could be was stupid.
Why then?
Even Nova looked at Alex strangely, but the strange look was quickly replaced by a look of surprise.
Unlike the others, who looked at him with eyes that seemed to judge his judgment, Nova looked at him with a look that seemed to say, "You're a genius.
Of course, he didn't say it out loud, but his eyes said it clearly, and that was because he had figured out Alex's plan.
'He doesn't want to go to the last round, which will be to the death with me, he just wanted to defeat Joseph and then surrender, this way he can show his power without sacrificing his life for good,' Nova said mentally, impressed by Alex's cunning strategy.
Gaining the respect of superiors without risking one's life was a very simple thing to do, but doing so in this situation required a determined and confident attitude.
This attitude was the opposite of what Nova had seen in the first challenge, but apparently, Alex had not revealed his true personality.
It was clear that he was afraid of insects, and that was why he couldn't cast his spells well, and why he used more mana due to fear and mental stability.
But that was fear of insects, the way he had treated Nova was that of a weak person, quick to trust others and also insecure, but now he seemed to be someone confident, intelligent, and cautious.
'I should have watched him more, a tiger in dragon's skin is not as dangerous as a dragon in sheep's skin,' Nova thought, laughing a little at his metaphor.
'But... if he doesn't want to face me in the last round, that means he has a lot of respect for me and also considers me dangerous,' Nova concluded. His analysis of Alex's strategy and tactics was at least 99% correct from his perspective.
Nova's eyes were fixed on Alex, trying to analyze him as much as possible, as he felt he would not see him again for some time.
While Nova watched Alex's every move and grimace, Alex himself was going through a somewhat complicated situation.
"Why are you giving up?" the white-masked man asked. "You've already beaten Joseph, it's only fair that you go to the finals for a big reward."
At Sarl's "juicy" offer, Alex showed indifference, slowly shaking his head from side to side.
"I don't want those benefits, I just quit because I'm too mentally tired, and in case you're asking, I don't want to take a mental health pill," Alex commented in a serious tone, waiting for the confirmation of his surrender.
Lars and Sarl, hearing Alex's words, especially the last part, looked at Nova.
They were very sensitive to mana, they are very powerful beings that can sense mana anomalies quite easily and acutely.
When Nova killed the fat guy, they knew that he had used a mental ability to deal with his thoughts and that it was a barely basic level 1 ability.
The seconds passed while the two masked men looked at each other and sometimes nodded without saying anything as if they were communicating.
"Okay, you can retire, let's give Joseph some drugs so that we can quickly reach the Challenge Final", Lars said in a serious tone.
The two masked men, after finishing their words, took a big jump that brought them directly to a few meters away from Joseph when they landed.
The two looked down at Joseph's charred body, which appeared dead, but with the enhanced abilities of both Nova and most of those present, the sound of a beating heart was still audible, albeit a bit slow.
*Sigh*, Alex sighed in relief. "Well, I'll be up for the next show."
The two masked men hadn't mentioned what would happen if you killed a contestant before the finale.
That made Alex a little uneasy, hoping that Joseph wasn't dead, because then Alex might have to face a punishment himself.
The two masked men nodded at the young man's words, finding them logical; after all, who wouldn't want to see the show they made?
Exactly, in their opinion, no one should miss such a show!
Alex, watching the confirmation of the two masked men, left the battlefield with slow steps, climbed up, and took a secluded seat.
Concentrating on the dying man again, Lars approached Joseph with a small vial containing a green liquid. It didn't seem to be very thick, but not very liquid either.
Lars opened the vial, and as Joseph's foaming mouth was open, Lars poured the entire contents of the vial directly into his mouth, hoping it would have an effect.
Sooner rather than later, a green aura surrounded Joseph, and gradually the senses of his previously disoriented eyes returned.
Watching the changes, Lars was satisfied. After all, it was a very expensive bottle of healing, and he was using it just this once to get the show on the road.
Before his eyes, Joseph's recovery was progressing rapidly. ....
Before what...
*Boom*
A mysterious golden flame struck Joseph, even its speed, for the two masked ones, who were respected among the High Command, did not have a chance to see it or to react.
The golden flame struck the man, but the next second there was no trace of Joseph's existence, not even ashes, even the flame had disappeared as if it had never existed.
Sarl and Lars were incredulous.
His rigid body turned like a robot towards the seat where Ivelisse was sitting, looking with a surprised face at the events that had unfolded with the complete elimination of Joseph.
The two masked men watched Ivelisse's shocked expression, then turned practically in the opposite direction, just as before, as if they were robots.
Their gaze fell on Nova, who was holding out his right hand with a mocking expression, and what the two masked men could observe was that he had just cast a spell because of the fluctuating mana in the area.
"I think I went a little too far... A little too far," Nova commented with an "innocent" look and wide "surprised" eyes.
Hearing Nova's words, Lars felt an uncontrollable rage in his entire being, so much so that without realizing it, he ran at Nova with all his speed, intent on the kill.
His mana was released into the air, freezing the wind itself, and soon the platform's temperature dropped drastically.
But Nova was relaxed, looking into the eyes of Lars, who was approaching at such a speed that he would leave Alex's displacement behind as far as possible.
"I'm going to kill you!" Lars shouted with all his might, his muscles flexing as he jumped towards Nova.
When he reached Nova, the two of them faced each other.
But unlike the first time, a friendly encounter, this time, murderous intent, and impending battle were all that was reflected in the current scenario.
However, Nova was smiling at the tablet in front of him.
[Player has copied two skills.]
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