"Haha, did you guys see that? That guy in the suit really put on a show. If he hadn't said his daughter was in our class, I might have actually been tricked!" Alex rubbed the back of his head, giving a sheepish laugh, trying to divert the conversation.
Tim nodded in agreement, saying, "Yeah, that guy was doomed the moment he ran into you."
Alex coughed awkwardly, unable to withstand their stares any longer, so he suggested, "Stop looking at me like that! You should all enter the arena, too. You get 3,000 points for winning!"
Without waiting for a response, Alex quickly selected to rejoin the match, disappearing from the field in an instant.
This time, Alex faced off against a monster. It wasn't the scythe monsters he was used to, though. It was something else entirely—a "Lancer Knight."
Much like the scythe monsters, this creature also had four powerful, muscular legs for its lower body. But instead of wielding scythes on its arms, it held two long, jagged spears, each over a meter long. They were not only sharp but also lined with serrated edges, meaning a strike from these could have devastating consequences.
The creature's purple-hued body hinted at its dangerous potential, and Alex wasn't about to take any chances. He raised his purple blade, ready for any sudden attack.
As soon as the signal bell rang, the Lancer Knight charged forward, both spears aimed directly at Alex.
Staying calm, Alex locked his eyes on the creature. The moment it thrust its spears toward him, he swung his sword in a fluid, practiced motion.
*Crack!*
The sound of metal breaking filled the air as one of the creature's spears shattered under the force of Alex's blow, and his blade continued its trajectory, cutting into the Lancer Knight's body.
-400!
The now-familiar red damage number floated in the air as the Lancer Knight fell lifeless to the ground, not even able to scream before it died. This was real death—Alex knew because a new R-level awakening stone had appeared in his inventory.
When he returned to the school field, the atmosphere was even more intense. Clearly, Quinn had broadcasted Alex's latest fight again. The second time seeing that massive damage number had left the onlookers in a stunned silence.
After a brief pause, someone in the crowd let out a cheer, and the entire field erupted into celebration!
The truth was, for most of the students at the school, these past two days had been far from easy. For many, this "game" wasn't a fun adventure—it was a nightmare, an apocalyptic disaster. Monsters were everywhere, and death loomed over them constantly. Few had the courage to fight back.
Even those who did awaken an ability felt hopeless, as the awakening process was cruel. It heavily favored the lucky few, while the majority—those with poor luck—were left struggling.
The hundreds of deaths that had occurred on the first day left many too terrified to face the monsters. Even if they had awakened an ability, their low-level attributes discouraged them from taking action.
But now, seeing Alex with his insane damage output, effortlessly slaying even powerful monsters, gave them hope. It wasn't just that monsters could be killed—there was someone among them who could destroy even the strongest creatures with a single blow.
For many, Alex became a beacon of possibility. If he could do it, maybe they could, too. His overwhelming strength didn't just awe them—it inspired them.
People who had been too afraid to act now felt a surge of determination. They, too, wanted to become stronger. They wanted to kill monsters and level up!
Alex, feeling a little overwhelmed by the roaring cheers, decided to dive back into the arena to escape the attention.
But whether it was because the system recognized his immense strength, the next three matches pitted him against even more powerful monsters, each stronger than the last.
One of them was faster than Alex, so much so that he could barely keep up. The creature struck him twice before Alex managed to land a single blow. Even though those two hits dealt over 60 damage to him, Alex's 400-damage strike was too overwhelming. The monster didn't stand a chance and was swiftly killed.
Alex became the first person in the arena to achieve five consecutive victories, earning a total of 15,000 points and acquiring four R-level awakening stones.
Each of his five matches had been broadcast live by Quinn, turning Alex into the undisputed hero of the school outpost. To many, as long as they had Alex, their safety was almost guaranteed. After all, hadn't every monster fallen before him in just one blow?
While Alex breezed through his matches, others had a much harder time. It took Tanya, Charlie, and Tim over two hours to win five matches each, and many of their classmates were defeated at least once.
In the end, only Tanya, Charlie, and Tim managed to go undefeated with five consecutive wins. Even then, their maximum attack output with their 1.5x multiplier barely reached 20 points of damage per strike. It wasn't even close to Alex's 400.
Though some won and some lost, the event provided invaluable combat experience. The players also learned more about the other outposts. They now knew the locations of outposts like Anvil Tower and Central Park, and some people had even reunited with friends or family members they hadn't seen in days.
However, there was a downside. Even neighboring outposts were at least five kilometers apart, according to the quest scroll maps. Crossing through areas infested with monsters was no small task, even for Alex. While his damage output was incredible, sheer numbers could overwhelm anyone. And if Alex were to be swarmed, his 200 health points wouldn't last long under focused attacks.
When the event ended at 11 PM, the mood in the outpost remained high. Seeing so many of their fellow students succeed in the arena boosted everyone's morale. Seventy people had completed the event with five wins, and their success gave the entire school a sense of security.
People also took comfort in knowing that other outposts were still surviving. The knowledge that they weren't alone reignited hope for many.
As for Alex, he didn't feel much different. The only highlight for him was selling the four R-level awakening stones to Quinn, netting him an additional 800,000 points.
That brought his total to a staggering 1.35 million points. With that kind of wealth, Alex thought to himself, "If they keep having events like this, I could get used to it."