"Don't ever claim to be my student out there! I wish you all the best."With that, Lennon waved his hand.Everybody opened their mouths as if they had something to say, but nobody dared to speak when they saw his closed eyes. They silently left the room."Grandpa, they're gone." Adam said softly next to Lennon’s bed, closing the door. Lennon nodded a little, and opened his eyes again."Frederick, the only worry I have has to do with this child."Lennon picked up Adam's hand, and spoke to Frederick.Adam was already over thirty."Grandpa, I have a family and a career. Why are you still worried about me?"Adam's eyes filled with tears when he heard what Lennon said. He forced a smile upon his face."A family and a career? You only managed to land a job in the Traditional Medicine Association because they respect me. Once I'm gone, who will still care?"Lennon glared at Adam, and scolded him without mercy."All my life, I've always been impartial. In the end, I still can't he
"Alright, you can see me off here. We'll meet again tomorrow," Frederick said with a smile after Adam walked him to the entrance.The Savant Arts Tournament held by Medisphere Pharmaceuticals was taking place the day after tomorrow. Frederick had already booked a flight for himself and Adam to return to Mirage City tomorrow."Take care and stay safe, Mr. Lester. See you tomorrow."Lennon initially wanted Frederick to spend the night there, but Frederick turned him down by saying he had other things to deal with.Frederick waved at Adam, and walked into an alley.After making a turn into a dark alley, Frederick's gaze turned dull. He looked down a little."Come out," he said casually.A dark figure appeared out of the shadows. "When did you notice me?"The figure was short, and had a weird accent."I noticed you ever since I arrived at the Campbells' residence. Skuira's ninjutsu is like a circus trick to me," Frederick snorted in disdain."How dare you insult Skuira's amazing
Thomas’s resolve was completely shattered.In Skuira, he was a revered advanced ninja, respected by thousands. Escape Art and Seven Deadly Darts were his proudest skills. Yet, none of it held up before Frederick!Did this mean everything Frederick had said was true?“What is this teleportation ability, exactly?” Thomas stared at Frederick, struggling to speak.“What? Do you thieves still want to steal even at death’s door? But with your inferior genes, I doubt you could steal anything even if we handed you our best secrets. Let me show you something to make you fully understand just how unworthy Skuira Ninjutsu is.”Before Thomas could react, Frederick took a single step and disappeared.Thomas was stunned.This movement felt similar to the Escape Art he had mastered, but despite his profound knowledge of it, he couldn’t even sense where Frederick had gone.“I’m right here.” Frederick’s voice echoed from above.Thomas instinctively looked up, and his eyes widened in shock.
This was one of the more basic Ninjutsu techniques—Water Escape. However, its potential was immense. To reach Thomas’s level of mastery, where he could cast it instantly at will, would typically take decades of training. In that sense, he could be considered a rare genius; after all, he was only around thirty years old. Still, every technique has its limits. No matter how talented Thomas was, there was only so much he could do with it.Yet, Thomas was still full of pride despite having a narrow outlook.He raced through the sewers, not even aware of where he was headed. Soon, he emerged in a stream flowing along the underground channels. He came out of the water in his human form, and laughed out loud.“Arrogant and foolish Drakonians! Your teleportation ability is nothing special! I barely had to lift a finger to fool you!” he sneered with contempt.He hurried back to Mirage City, as Regina Alderidge was waiting for him to report.Just thinking about that woman sent a shi
"What is it? Is there anything you couldn't tell me?" Regina narrowed her eyes as her tone turned cold. Thomas trembled, and quickly recounted his entire encounter with Frederick in detail."What did he do after entering the Campbells' estate?" Regina frowned, asking further."I don't know. As soon as he approached the Campbells, I sensed how powerful he was. I was afraid he'd notice me, so I observed from afar, but he still found me," Thomas lowered his head, feeling a bit ashamed."But don’t worry, once Soul Absorption is cast, there's no way to reverse it. That old fart is absolutely beyond saving!" he hurriedly reassured Regina."So, Drakonia has someone this powerful," Regina muttered while being lost in thought. Just then, there was a knock at the door.Regina was surprised. Only a few of her trusted subordinates knew where she stayed, and no one would dare disturb her without her calling for them at this hour."Go and see who it is. Kill them if it's someone you don't
Frederick’s figure flickered and vanished. He reappeared behind Thomas, and delivered a powerful punch.The punch landed squarely on Thomas, but instead of being hurt, Thomas dissolved into a pile of sand and quickly reformed into his body. Other than looking a little pale, he was completely unharmed.“Annoying little pest,” Frederick snorted, and burst through the roof.Thomas let out a long sigh of relief, and smiled. “Ms. Alderidge, I’ve driven off the enemy!”He looked eagerly at Regina. If she was willing to offer herself to gain Frederick’s loyalty, perhaps she'd reward him for defeating Frederick too, right? The thought made Thomas’s heart burn with excitement.Just then, a wave of intense heat surged through the hole Frederick had made. Both Regina and Thomas’s eyes widened in shock as they looked up. A massive fiery handprint crashed down from above. Boom!The entire ground shook violently.Regina's place was instantly crushed into dust. Before Thomas could
Bernard Bradbury rushed to the registration desk, roughly shoving Frederick aside. Caught off guard, Frederick stumbled to the side."Register me now!" Bernard slammed his ID onto the table while barking orders.The staff looked displeased by his rudeness, but since they were ordinary people, they could only swallow their frustration.“Didn’t your mother teach you about waiting your turn?” Frederick said coldly.Bernard was taken aback for a moment. He was surprised that someone dared to speak up to him.He whipped around, and glared at Frederick. “All I know is that whoever has the bigger fists makes the rules! You got a problem with that?”“You pushed me and cut in line, so yes, I do have a problem,” Frederick replied calmly.“Suck it up if you’ve got a problem! Or do you want me to smash your head and see what your brains taste like?” Bernard boasted; he raised his fist, which was the size of a sandbag.“Hey! No fighting outside the arena! Anyone who dares throw a punch wi
Frederick was assigned to Group Seven. The other contestants were already gathered when he arrived. A few individuals stood out, basking in the flattery of the others. These must be the top seeds of the group.Given the dangers of a free-for-all, it was no surprise that some contestants wanted to curry favor with these stronger participants, hoping that they wouldn’t be targeted too harshly.Frederick raised an eyebrow.Bernard, the man who had shoved him at the entrance, was among those being fawned over.He noticed Frederick, and immediately grinned menacingly. He pushed aside the contestants in his way, and strode toward Frederick.“You little punk! You’re finally in my hands!” Bernard cracked his knuckles loudly. He had been a bully his entire life, and no one had ever dared talk back to him. The fact that Frederick had dared to do so sealed his fate in Bernard’s mind.“Mr. Bradbury, you’ve got a problem with this scrawny guy? There’s no need for you to dirty your hands