How could anyone achieve anything in the span of ten days? That was the question that boggled Antony. He did not have to be a superior fighter himself to know all about it because the people he interacted with on a daily basis were all superior class fighters. Antony knew that once one achieved the perfect class, every next step became harder, every improvement almost negligible. A fighter could spend ten months or even ten years and still never make any significant improvement—let alone ten days!This was why Antony was so boggled and skeptical.Paxton smiled. “Here’s what you didn’t know, Hoffman. Zayn had the ambrosia fruit’s immense wealth of life energy. Ten days are more than enough for him to digest and incorporate every single drop of it into his own. His powers have much to grow, and when the waiting period is over…let’s just say that Raiden’s no match for him.”“Hold on a minute. Didn’t Zayn give that fruit to his ailing wife? Are you suggesting that he lied to us? That hi
“Caelum has lived for more than a hundred years though! How could someone live this long and still remain at his prime?” Antony cried out in disbelief. He was already stunned by the news that Zayn had obtained two ambrosia fruits rather than one, but this? This was even more unbelievable!Caelum had always been Rheasia’s homegrown demon, her nightmare in the flesh. He was the only reason why Rheasia had not dared touch his little cabal despite it being a threat to the wider society for so long.“Now, now. Let’s not pretend that age means anything to those who have achieved Invincibilis. To a bloke with prolonged lifespan, what are a hundred years?” Paxton said, “I wonder if Caelum will intervene this time. Someone like Zayn must ring his alarm bells like crazy.”Antony considered Paxton carefully before letting out a prolonged sigh. “Paxton-goddamned-Brooks, you crafty, scheming old fox, you only let Zayn go because he fits into your future plan, didn’t you? He’s the bait to lure Ca
“Er, has Mr. Larson come out of his isolation training yet?” Sean asked with a worried frown.Outside of Zayn’s secret chamber, a large, buzzing crowd had gathered. Luke was among them. He was pacing back and forth along a narrow strip when he shook his head and answered, “Not yet.”“W-what should we do, then? Today’s the day of the duel. If Mr. Larson doesn’t show up, he loses by default,” Sean muttered in concern.Ten days had passed, and the day of the epic battle was nigh. The elite upper-class had heard all about the duel by this point, and the date had mutated into the event du jour hundreds had waited eagerly for. Missing the fight would deliver a gut-twisting punch to Zayn’s overall reputation!“I don’t think he’ll do that. We’ve been with Mr. Larson for so long…And has any of us ever seen him backing out of a fight?” Luke rebutted grimly.Gordon nodded in assent. “Jones has got it right. Mr. Larson has always been dependable. He will never back out of a fight! I believe i
Zayn meant the world and more to Faye, and so she could not bear imagining any harm befalling him at all. Doubtless to say, her tension and anxiety were running high.Zayn could feel her worries and consternation. Holding her hand tightly, he beamed reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I’ll win this.”“But, Zayn—”“No buts, honey. We’ve been together for too many years for you not to believe me.”The words were loaded in Faye’s mouth, but she swallowed them and looked Zayn in the eyes before nodding slightly. She chose to have faith in him.There were more well wishes from his friends and family. They were cheering for him, worrying about him, and hoping the best from him. It was the first time he had ever noticed just how many believed in him. While he soldiered through his life, he had forgotten just how much he had grown. He had a family at home. He was the patriarch of even more families outside. It was both an honor and a responsibility.In the past, Zayn would have felt immense pres
It had only been a few days since they last met, yet Lysithea looked as though she had not been eating well for days. She looked so much more pallid and frailer. When their eyes met, Zayn saw concern and melancholy, and he knew that she did not believe he could survive this fight after all.“You shouldn’t have agreed,” she sighed in a voice weakened by desolation.Zayn smiled. “Why won’t you believe me?”“Because Raiden isn’t just a typical no-name fighter,” she replied grimly. “His fighting capabilities are so profound that not even Ezra is confident about his odds against Raiden.”“That’s not necessarily true though. He’s a perfect class fighter; I’m a perfect class fighter. I don’t see any gap between us,” Zayn rubbed his nose as a show of confidence and answered.Lysithea hated his cavalier attitude. It was as though none of this meant anything to him. Why was he still smiling? Did he really think consuming an Aeon Karpos and attaining the perfect class through it was enough t
Zayn opened his mouth, planning to call out to Lysithea, but he could not bring himself to do so. This was because he knew she firmly believed he was no match for Raiden. No matter how hard he tried to explain himself, she would not believe him. The only way to prove it was by defeating Raiden and showing that he had not been overly prideful. Zayn composed his emotions and began to ascend the mountain. He could already sense Raiden’s formidable presence awaiting him on the top of the mountain. Zayn could sense countless eyes gazing at him along the way. If a lesser man had been there, their mood would certainly have been affected, but it was nothing for Zayn. Zayn saw many acquaintances and numerous comrades from Insurgent Trifecta such as Dick, Byleth, and Liam…Besides them, there were members of Insurgent Duofecta, Insurgent Unifecta, and some acquaintances from the business world, all looking at him with various expressions. Some were cheering him on and supporting him, wh
Raiden was sitting cross-legged on an enormous rock, his eyes shut and his body completely immobile. It looked as though he had fused with Mount Roi and was just a human-shaped rock. It was as if fighting against him was like battling the mountain itself.Raiden had arrived at Mount Roi the day before and had been sitting in that position the whole time. This was so he could fuse his essence with the entire mountain, which would enhance his abilities. At his current stage, his priority was his state of mind, while his physical movements would be secondary. Having successfully fused with Mount Roi, Zayn was even less of a match for him. Sensing Zayn’s arrival, Raiden opened his eyes, and a golden glint flashed through them. It was as if God had opened his eyes and every living soul in the world would yield to him. It was Raiden’s style and core value. He had always felt that he was the only worthy person on Earth and all the world was just waiting to be ruled by him. If even Th
Raiden announced the trial of Zayn like he was Zeus. There was no escape for Zayn anymore. One had no choice but to acknowledge how formidable Raiden was. He stood at the same height as Zayn, but the dominating presence coming from his body was akin to that of a king. It felt as if every living soul was a pitiful outcast except him. Even if Zayn was also a perfect-class master fighter, he was just as lowly as the rest. Every person present could feel his dominating presence. Those with weaker mental states even had an urge to worship the man. Zayn’s expression remained unchanged. He kept the faint smile on his face as if Raiden was just a human-shaped animal that posed him no harm. Raiden was indeed formidable, even more so than Jonah Hill, but he was no longer enough to give Zayn any trouble. Paxton was right. Raiden's biggest mistake was giving Zayn ten days’ time. In that period, Zayn digested the final remaining essence of life and turned it into energy within his body.