Vincent gripped the communication device firmly as Lin Feng desperately reached for it, his voice breaking with desperation.
"Please, I'm begging you," Lin Feng pleaded, his composure completely shattered.
"I can't afford to lose this event. I'll pay you anything—just spare me this one time."
Despite Lin Feng's pathetic appeals, Vincent remained silent, his expression unreadable. Though he understood well that every action carried consequences, he had long since stopped caring about others' desires for revenge.
A steely resolve hardened in Vincent's mind:
I've already experienced what it's like to be weak, to live in constant fear of those with influence. In this life, I refuse to take a backseat to anyone. Cross my path, initiate conflict with me, and you'll find no mercy.
His philosophy was simple:
A tooth for a tooth.
With a cold finality, Vincent uttered, "See ya later," and pressed the bail button on the device without hesitation.
Lin Feng's furious scream echoed through the air:
"Vincent Magnus!"
His form disintegrated into particles of digital light as he was forcibly transferred back to the arena.
Following this encounter, Vincent didn't waste time. He systematically hunted down two more peak Tier 1 competitors and several lower-tier primals. As the final seconds of the 'Primal Hunt' event ticked away, a satisfied smile crossed his face before he, too, dissolved into particles of light along with the other surviving participants.
Back in the school's Annual Battle Ceremony arena, a spectacular scene unfolded before the audience and the influential figures seated in the podium. Multiple figures materialized in bursts of light, revealing the state of the competitors.
Vincent observed with interest that most participants bore injuries ranging from minor to severe. Only a select few—the well-known top students—emerged unscathed:
Elric Baelius, the prodigy who had awakened an A-rank talent.
Sara Chen, whose B-rank talent specialized in healing.
Dmitri Volkov, another B-rank talent holder focusing on Physical Enhancement.
And several other elite students with equally formidable abilities.
To Vincent's mild surprise, the notoriously arrogant Greg Malcolm also appeared unharmed, sporting his typical smug expression.
When Greg noticed Vincent's gaze, his expression quickly morphed from smugness to rage. Vincent simply ignored him, which only served to further infuriate Greg.
Dean Augustus Thorne rose from his seat at the podium to formally conclude the first stage.
"Now that the first stage of the Annual Battle Ceremony has ended, we will announce the top 10 groups advancing to the next round. Please surrender your communication devices to the instructors."
The Dean's expression grew serious as he continued, "I must also address the matter of Team Leaders who abandoned and expelled their own members..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the participants.
In the audience, Lin Feng, who had barely recovered after consuming a healing potion, wore a dark expression.
His eyes remained fixed on Vincent as he muttered, "Just you wait, Vincent Magnus..." before departing, seemingly anticipating the Dean's next words.
Dean Thorne's voice carried clearly as he declared, "These individuals will be disqualified. The remaining team members' Primal Points will be counted individually. However, those failing to reach the minimum threshold of 100 primal points will not advance to the next round!"
The announcement sparked immediate outrage among certain participants who grasped its implications.
"This is absurd! We won't accept this!"
"There were no rules against removing team members!"
As protests filled the air, an overwhelming mental pressure suddenly descended upon the dissenters. Vincent, still standing in the arena, felt the suffocating force—far more intense than anything he'd experienced before.
The pressure brought the protesting students to their knees with heavy thuds, accompanied by their pained groans.
"I-I can't breathe..."
"Please... make it stop!"
Tracing the source of this overwhelming force, Vincent's gaze landed on Dean Thorne, who maintained his pleasant smile despite the cold fury in his eyes.
The Dean's voice cut through the chaos:
"I see no reason to justify my decisions in my own school. I am the Dean—I make the rules here! Remove these fools from the arena!"
As instructors dragged away the disqualified students, their pleas echoed futilely:
"Dean Thorne, please have mercy!"
"No, don't do this!"
After this dramatic interlude and the collection of communication devices, the ranking announcement began. An instructor, holding a holographic document, took center stage and began:
"With 242 primal points, the tenth and final group to advance is... Group 10, led by Michael Archons!"
The rankings continued, building tension with each announcement:
9th: Group 13 - Loy Mesins, 250 points
8th: Group 9 - Luke Collins, 270 points
7th: Group 16 - Franco Bullocks, 280 points
6th: Group 7 - Greg Malcolm, 320 points
5th: Group 3 - Sara Chen, 335 points
4th: Group 6 (Individual - Ana Blackwings, 340 points)
3rd: Group 2 - Dmitri Volkov, 350 points
2nd: Group 1 - Elric Baelius, 400 points
1st: Group 24 (Individual - Vincent Magnus, 815 points)
As the final rankings appeared on the floating screen, the arena erupted with a mixture of excitement and disbelief:
"Incredible! Vincent Magnus scored more than double Senior Elric's entire team!"
"I can't believe that snake Greg's team made the top 10!"
"Another solo qualifier? Who is this Ana person?"
The successful group leaders displayed various reactions, but most shared looks of curiosity and disbelief. The question on everyone's mind: How had Vincent amassed such an astronomical point total?
Greg, whose initial satisfaction at his team's placement had quickly soured, couldn't contain his shock and fury.
"How did that bastard pull this off?! HOW?!"