Logan squeezed through the crowd, laughing uproariously.
He was the one mocking Lucien!
Walking up to him with a face full of ridicule, Logan gloated as he spoke.
But as his laughter continued, it abruptly stopped,
as if someone had gripped his throat.
Lucien's expression wasn't what he had expected from someone being mocked.
There was no shame, no resentment, no anger.
Instead, Lucien looked at him with a gaze of playful amusement,
as if watching a clown perform.
Logan felt his face flush red.
He shook his head, forcing himself to regain composure,
and replaced his embarrassment with a fierce scowl.
He held up three fingers.
"Three years! Three full years! Do you know what I've endured for these three years?"
"I spent a fortune on special training, sought out famous teachers, and built up my body.
"And what did you do, Lucien? You used your fists to pummel me relentlessly for three entire years!"
Logan's voice cracked as tears welled in his eyes.
He recalled the past three years of high school,
each memory a vivid replay of climbing into the ring full of hope,
only to be mercilessly beaten down by Lucien.
And he wasn't the only one with such memories.
In the classroom, countless eyes glowed with predatory intent.
Even the cold Charlotte and gentle Durant weren't spared from the same recollections.
Both had faced numerous defeats at Lucien's hands.
Once, Lucien had been an invincible presence, an undefeated force in their world.
But now, he had fallen from the heavens, exposed and vulnerable.
As the famous Shadowblade Master Finn once said:
"If a monster dares to show its health bar, I'll dare to kill it!"
Today, that was the sentiment shared by everyone present.
They didn't believe the long night was coming,
because the torches were in their hands.
After today, who knew when they might cross paths again?
If they could, they wanted to settle all three years of grievances here and now.
"What are you all planning?"
Lucien, with his hands casually in his pockets,
seemed unfazed by the murderous intent in his classmates' eyes.
Logan wiped away his tears and glared viciously at him.
"It's simple. Fight me again, and after we're done, all grudges will be forgotten!"
"Otherwise… you know my family. With our resources, targeting you will be a breeze."
"Lucien, you wouldn't want to miss out on all those monster kills, would you?"
Lucien glanced at him, thinking to himself,
Are you a spy sent by foreign forces? Why do you sound so familiar with these threats?
He turned to the others and smiled.
"You all want to fight me too?"
Aside from a few who had awakened basic professions, most nodded.
After all, who didn't know that Summoners were the weakest profession early on?
Even if Lucien might grow strong in the future,
right now he was undoubtedly weaker than someone with even a basic profession.
No one wanted to miss this rare chance!
Lucien sighed.
"We've been classmates for years, and yet I never realized you held such deep grudges against me."
Logan and the others clenched their teeth, thinking to themselves,
Back when you were pounding us into the ground, did you care about 'classmate bonds'?
Lucien put on a face of resignation, his expression that of a martyr.
"Fine. If you all insist, I'll take you on."
"But with so many of you, fighting one by one will take forever.
"How about this? Each of you pays me ten gold coins as compensation for medical expenses,
and I'll take you all on at once. How does that sound?"
His words caused a few to hesitate.
Paying ten gold coins just to beat him up might feel satisfying,
but what about the days ahead?
Before anyone could speak, Logan burst out laughing.
"Lucien, you're scared, aren't you? You're trying to scare them off with money!"
"Well, I won't let you have your way!"
"Spread the word! Tell every senior in our grade to gather at the dueling arena.
"Today, I'll cover the cost for everyone who wants to fight!"
The class erupted into cheers.
"Boss Logan is the best! Boss Logan is awesome!"
Nina frowned, about to intervene in the escalating chaos.
The school encouraged practical combat, believing students needed to face real fights to be prepared for the outside world.
But this wasn't just combat—it was bullying.
She opened her mouth to speak,
but paused as she caught a glimpse of Lucien's expression.
He wore a bitter smile, his brow furrowed as if deeply troubled.
But as a seasoned teacher, Nina noticed something strange in his eyes.
Beneath the layer of feigned helplessness,
there was a flicker of excitement.
What is he hiding? Could it be… he really can handle all of them?
Nina was startled by her own thoughts.
She knew how many enemies Lucien had made.
His reputation as South City No. 3 Advanced School's bully wasn't for nothing.
He had earned it, one punch at a time, in the dueling arena.
But outside the ring, Lucien was a law-abiding citizen.
If Logan spread the word, Lucien would face over 300 newly awakened professionals,
a daunting number even for him.
Despite her worries, Nina decided to follow the group to the arena,
curious to see how things would unfold.
At the Arena
The dueling arena, as large as a stadium in Lucien's previous life,
was designed for battles between professionals.
Logan chose to disable the surrender option and set the defeat threshold at 10% health,
while also turning off damage virtualization, meaning injuries would be real.
Though virtualization prevented permanent injuries,
Logan's decision ensured that every blow would leave visible bruises.
To give everyone time to gather, Logan made them wait 30 minutes.
Lucien, after requesting to start sooner and being denied,
quietly stayed in place.
Soon, students who had been beaten by Lucien over the years arrived in droves.
Class 7 was the elite class, and those gathering from other classes were generally weaker.
But no one cared.
After all, who would see a Summoner as a real threat?
Logan tallied the participants and handed over 3,000 gold coins to Lucien,
securing his spot as the day's financier.
As both sides entered the arena,
Lucien stood alone on the west side, looking small and weak.
Meanwhile, the east side was a sea of bodies, radiating overwhelming confidence.
Though they only had beginner weapons and armor,
when the arena's barriers lit up,
Lucien quietly pulled out Blood Eye.
The crowd on Logan's side grew restless.
"Wait, how does he have equipment already?"
"Quiet!" Logan roared, silencing them.
"He's just a Summoner. So what if he has gear?
"Our starter weapons aren't for show!"
Reassured, the group remembered Lucien's profession was Summoner.
Even if he had legendary equipment,
facing over 300 opponents, he was still doomed.
Logan sneered at Lucien.
"Lucien, you're a Summoner. Why don't you summon a Goblin first? Go on, summon away!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Everyone knew the Summoner's first skill was Summon Goblin,
and Goblins were so weak they could be beaten barehanded by non-professionals.
Lucien chuckled. "You're too kind. Since you insist, I won't refuse."
He activated his skill.
Outside the arena, curious teachers and lower-grade students filled the stands.
Nina was joined by Charlotte, who sat beside her.
"Charlotte? Why aren't you down there?" Nina asked.
"I have no interest in bullying him," Charlotte replied coolly.
"Later, I'll challenge him one-on-one."
Nina shook her head.
"If he survives today, he might not want to fight anyone ever again."
Charlotte said nothing, but moments later, her eyes widened in shock.
Nina turned to the arena and froze in disbelief.
"So... fast!"
"Why is Lucien so fast?"