After King threw the white towel, he ceased all movement and waited for the head elder to announce the results. The head elder seemed momentarily lost in thought before finally declaring, "The battle is over. Mo is the winner since King has admitted defeat." Mo left the arena and made his way to where Alvin was waiting.
"Monster!" Alvin exclaimed before Mo could say anything. "I was lucky. If King hadn't admitted defeat, I would have been the one defeated. I barely made a move, only dodging his attacks. How can that be considered a win?" Mo said with a smile.
"No need to be modest. A win is a win. Although you were on the defensive throughout, I couldn't land a single strike on you. How can one claim victory if they can't even hit their opponent?" Mo and Alvin were taken aback when they heard King's voice behind them. Alvin instinctively took two steps back upon noticing King's presence, revealing the extent of the unease he felt, his instincts compelling him to retreat without conscious thought.
"You bastard! I don't eat humans. What's with that look on your face?" King cursed upon seeing Alvin's reflexive reaction. Mo wore a wry smile as he looked at the embarrassed Alvin. "You should be the top student in the academy. Even I can't defeat you. I hope that one day I will, though. In less than three months, I promise I'll be able to defeat you," King said with unwavering confidence.
"I'll be waiting," Mo replied with a smile.
After saying this, King fell silent. Suddenly, an Asian man in his sixties appeared in the arena from seemingly nowhere. "Kid, you're now famous in the academy. Hehe, defeating the strongest student here is quite an achievement," said the man with a smile.
"You old bastard! What do you want now? You brought me to this lawless place, and now you dare to show up in front of me!" Mo shouted.
The head elder was taken aback, thinking, 'Old bastard? Does this kid know who he's talking to?' The Asian man was the guardian, a figure so esteemed that even the president had to show him respect. The man disregarded the disrespectful words and stared at Mo with keen interest.
Shua! Another six men appeared in the arena, their eyes fixed on Mo, their faces barely concealing their grins.
'Who are these old men?' Mo wondered, as he had never seen any of the six. Most of them were older than Feng, with only one looking younger. "Why are these old men staring at me like that? I'm not a girl. Could they be… But they look like decent men. It seems I'm in big trouble," Mo said aloud for many to hear.
"You little rascal! What nonsense are you spouting? Are you asking for a beating?" Feng shouted.
"Are you guys angels, or how else would you know what I was thinking?" Mo replied with an awed expression.
"What you're thinking? Do you usually use your mouth to think? Everyone heard what you said, and now you're trying to justify yourself with that lame excuse? Are you trying to insult everyone's intelligence?" Feng shouted. The old men's faces were filled with a terrifying expression. Being called such names was intolerable, and the kid was really pushing his luck.
"Seems like they can truly read my mind. This is bad. I need to escape as quickly as possible. Run!" Mo shouted in his mind as he bolted away at high speed. "That fellow is interesting. Daring to call the guardian, principal, and elders gays, he has guts," King muttered to himself.
The students dispersed, continuing to discuss Mo's battle with King. Mo found a violet badge and uniform on his bed and changed into them. In a single battle, he had gone from being one of the weakest to becoming the strongest student in the academy.
After the competition, students had two days to rest before resuming their studies. Alvin showed Mo around the academy since Mo had not visited many places within it.
"What do you think of the kid?" Feng asked, directing his question to the oldest among the eight in the principal's office. The old man, whose hair was completely grey and who appeared to be in his mid-eighties, fixed his eyes on the projection on the wall showing the battle between King and Mo.
"Excellent. The kid's moves are impressive, but he has one noticeable issue: he doesn't seem to have much strength, which might explain why he avoided direct confrontation with King. However, he may be withholding his true strength. His perception is extraordinary; he managed to replicate every single move King made. His speed is also remarkable. I would say there are very few individuals under twenty-five worldwide who can match him," the old man, named Chu, said brightly.
Chu was the eldest among those present, and even Feng had to show him respect. "I plan to groom him into the next guardian, but these fellows think otherwise," Feng said with a snort.
"The next guardian? I hope his perception is sharp enough to allow him to gain strength quickly. If he were as strong as Alvin, he might have been able to confront King head-on. In that case, he would be the best candidate for the position of the next guardian. His opinion on this matter is crucial, and he needs to understand the country's power hierarchy. I doubt his potential alone is the reason you want him as your successor. Why are you so keen on him? Also, is his background clean?" Chu remarked.
"Since you're all curious, I'll explain. Although his background appears ordinary, it is shrouded in mystery that I cannot decipher. As for why I want him to be the next guardian, you should ask how I came to know him. My master showed me his picture and suggested that befriending him would be beneficial," Feng said.
"Your master!" Everyone was shocked. Feng's master was known to be the strongest man in the world. Just who was this kid to be recognized by the world's strongest man?
"Since that's the case, we need to hear his opinion," Chu said. Principal Lee sent for Mo, and within a few minutes, Mo was standing outside the principal's office.