In an instant, Lucian felt an inexplicable sense of guilt as if his thoughts had been caught red-handed, his heartbeat quickening.
But upon reflection, he realized he hadn't done anything wrong.
He calmed himself quickly.
As he glanced toward Lady Mistdream, her voice echoed in his ears once more.
"Stop being so clumsy."
Her tone was cold yet carried an unarguable authority.
Lucian's expression twitched slightly, a mix of amusement and resignation.
After a moment of hesitation, he murmured softly, "Teacher, I already have a Hall of Heroes."
High above the cloud sea, Lady Mistdream's eyes flickered with surprise.
The existence of a Hall of Heroes was understandable. After all, it wasn't impossible for a newcomer to acquire one during a trial.
But to directly dismiss the first-place prize?
This clearly signaled that Lucian viewed the other participants as unworthy adversaries!
Was this arrogance?
Or simply absolute confidence in his strength?
Lady Mistdream couldn't help but chuckle softly. After a brief pause, she responded evenly, "If you win first place, I will grant you a special reward."
"Special reward?"
Lucian's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed, "Deal!"
Turning down such a reward would have been foolish.
With the matter settled, Lady Mistdream fell silent, and Lucian's mind refocused.
Initially, he had considered the special Arrow Tower as the only reward worth his time. But now, a more intriguing possibility arose.
Lady Mistdream's special reward would undoubtedly be something exceptional. With her resources, she could easily produce treasures far beyond Lucian's imagination.
Thinking this, Lucian couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement.
"Lucian, what's up?"
The voice of Alex brought Lucian back to reality.
Lucian glanced over, noticing Aelx looking at him with curiosity.
"You're up next!" Alex pointed out.
Lucian blinked and realized the teacher was reading out the match pairings.
His name had just been called—he would face none other than Ethan Force.
Moments later, a shroud of mist enveloped Lucian and Ethan, transporting them to the platform.
Lucian quickly noticed a peculiar change.
It felt as if his real body was hidden away in another dimension, and he now controlled a "mist avatar."
"This allows you to fight freely without risking actual harm," Lucian muttered, grasping the concept.
Ahead, Ethan Force had also acclimated to the shift. Cracking his neck, he grinned viciously at Lucian.
"Don't blame me for being ruthless, Lucian!" Ethan sneered. "It's just an illusion. Might as well let you taste the pain of defeat early!"
His aura flared as his body was encased in armor, his strength visibly rising.
Ethan's hero materialized behind him: a towering warrior wielding a massive axe radiating murderous intent.
The students on the sidelines erupted in excitement.
"Ethan! Crush him!"
"Show him the power of a genius!"
"Destroy the weakling!"
The shouting was so raucous it bordered on obnoxious.
Hearing the cheers, Ethan laughed heartily and turned back to Lucian. "One strike! That's all it'll take to finish you!"
With a deafening roar, Ethan leaped high into the air, his axe glowing a fiery red.
The ground beneath him cracked as he soared, the weapon exuding searing heat like molten lava.
Lucian stood motionless, his expression calm.
But as Ethan descended, his lips moved slightly.
"Fall."
Crack!
A bolt of purple lightning split the sky, crashing directly into Ethan mid-air.
BOOM!
The blinding light and deafening thunder immediately captured everyone's attention.
Even students engaged in their own battles paused, their gazes locked on the platform.
When the light subsided, Ethan lay sprawled on the ground, smoke rising from his charred armor.
Lucian stood in the same spot, completely unscathed.
"Not even worth one move," he said softly before his mist avatar dissolved into the cloud layer.
Both participants were returned to their original forms.
Ethan's face was ashen, his confidence utterly shattered.
His entourage, who had been cheering moments ago, now sat in stunned silence, unable to meet Lucian's gaze.
"Lucian, that was incredible!" Ethan exclaimed, his earlier arrogance replaced with awe. "Was that thunder magic? You're amazing!"
The other students also chimed in excitedly, their admiration evident.
Lucian smiled faintly but didn't respond.
Meanwhile, Lady Mistdream and the other teachers had been closely observing the match.
One elderly teacher stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Most students are arrogant in their youth, quick to declare themselves geniuses. They think a small amount of talent makes them heaven's favored children."
"But this boy…" He chuckled. "This one might truly be exceptional. A delightful surprise, isn't it, Principal?"
Lady Mistdream's expression remained unreadable as she nodded faintly.
The matches continued, with one Lord after another eliminated.
Lucian's progress was smooth and unyielding. He defeated his opponents effortlessly, each one falling to a single bolt of heavenly lightning.
Finally, after two hours, Lucian advanced to the finals.
His opponent?
The most hyped newcomer in Silver Moon High School—a prodigy with exceptional talent, a strong family background, and unmatched resources.
"The final match begins now!"
"Lucian versus Mason Carter!"