Afterlife Department

"What… what the hell happened?" the audience asked as they looked at the large screen, dumbfounded. The word 'Winner' in golden color displayed is glaring as a handsome face was displayed atop it.

They can still hear the person on the stage screaming in pain as he clutched his head hard while he writhed on the stage. On the other hand, the person standing across him looked cool and didn't even move an inch from his spot.

"I concede defeat!" the Chel Military Academy senior student shouted again. His eyes are bloodshot.

Meanwhile, Yi Bing and Huo Ling looked indifferent while Shi Jiu was grinning widely.

"He shouldn't have underestimated his opponent even if his opponent was only B in spiritual strength." Reine spoke and sighed emotionally. "How did he think Shawn reach this stage? Just by luck or only through his physique?" he frowned as he looked at Shou Ji's opponent with disdain in his gaze.

Finally, everyone recovered from their shock and the medical team has arrived. They took the student away.

"S – Shawn James wins by attacking his opponent with his mental strentgh!" the host announced with a shaking voice. He was near the stage so he felt Shou Ji's mental strength. Fortunately, he reacted fast and Shou Ji knows he isn't his opponent thus the host wasn't affected.

"OOH! This is a flash battle!" the audience roared and cheered. The battle only lasted for one to three minutes and the military senior student finally admitted defeat!

"Mental strength… damn, S mental strength! It is very scary!" someone said and rubbed the goosebumps on his skin.

"If this is S mental strength… then how much scarier would it be for SS mental strength?" somebody asked and everyone looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling.

"FCK!" everyone cursed loudly. "They are really monsters! And the four of them are friends! Even the weakest among them four has A physique, A mental strength but S spiritual strength!" they said.

"Just where did they come from?!" they exclaimed.

"Congratulations!" Reine spoke as Shou Ji returned to their side.

"Please wait, sir." A staff called. "The winner will replace the loser on that seat." he said and pointed the seat vacated by Shou Ji's opponent.

Shou Ji turned, as well as everyone.

"Wow! This is declaring that you really will become an official student!" the other waiting participants said. "Congratulations, man!" they added.

Shou Ji smiled. "Thank you." He said and then followed the staff to the seat.

"Everyone…" the staff coldly sweated when he saw the twenty-four military students looking at him.

"What are you looking at him at?" Alexus asked his schoolmates.

"A loss is a loss. It is Henry's fault that he underestimated his opponent." Dwinn said and smiled at Shou Ji. "Congratulations." He told him.

"Congratulations." Alexus nodded at him before he focused on the stage.

"Thank you." Shou Ji smiled back, neither arrogant nor humble.

"Tch." Loui Lene clicked his tongue and ignored Shou Ji.

Shou Ji's eyes slightly narrowed as he glanced at Loui. He remembered this young man was once introduced by Yu Yan as his 'friend'. But, looking at Loui Lene's arrogant expression, it is impossible for Yu Yan to befriend Loui.

"You are looking at Loui. He is Loui Lene." Someone spoke beside Shou Ji.

He turned and saw a gentle-looking young man. "You are…?" he asked.

"Hello. Nice to meet you. I am Uly Citri, also a beta." Uly introduced himself and raised his hand.

Shou Ji shook his hand. "Shawn James." He said. "You are talking about Loui…?" he smiled.

"Loui Lene is my classmate, as well as Alexus and Dwinn. That's them." Uly pointed the two young men who spoke earlier for the staff. One has a cold expression while the other one is smiling, looking approachable. "The one of the left is Alexus Febi, and the other one is Dwinn Lux." He explained. "Loui Lene is arrogant because he is an apprentice." He told Shou Ji.

Shou Ji's brow raised. "'apprentice'?" he muttered. Even if Uly didn't say the name, but he can guess that it was Yu Yan.

"This is really puzzling." Uly stared at Shou Ji. "You are strong, as well as your three other friends. Among the twenty-five of you, the four of you are the best and are undoubtedly promising. Yet, no one took you in as apprentices." He said before he paused. "Of course, there are others who are promising, but no one also took them in as apprentices." He added.

"There must be something…" Shou Ji just said.

Uly nodded and didn't say anything else. The second battle started and the military student won, regaining their confidence. Then, it was the third battle.

"Loui Lene against…" the host announced after everyone saw the match up.

This was undoubtedly Loui Lene's win.

"Show-off." They heard Loui spoke after he glanced at Shou Ji. The other military students coldly sweated, afraid that Shou Ji would get angry.

But, Shou Ji just smiled. "If you hate me, why don't we have a match?" he asked.

Everyone. "…"

Alexus Febi's brow raised while Dwinn grinned. "Oho?" his interest was piqued.

"You said it!" Loui said. "When?" he asked as he glared at Shou Ji.

Uly didn't stop Shou Ji, either. "That student you defeated was his follower… ehem, friend." He whispered.

"How about after the fifth match?" Shou Ji suggested.

Loui was taken aback. "What?" he didn't get it.

"Pft!" Dwinn suddenly laughed. "Interesting! This is interesting!" he said and immediately called the staff.

"What did you call the staff for?" Loui glared at Dwinn.

Dwinn turned back at him. "Don't you get it? This will be an exhibition match." He explained and winked at Shou Ji.

"What?!" Loui gnashed his teeth.

"Since you said I am a show-off, then I will live up to your expectation." Shou Ji said.

Loui's eyes are bloodshot.

After the fifth match, as expected, the host announced something.

"Oh, he did it! Haha!" Reine laughed while Yi Bing, Huo Ling and Shi Jiu just blankly stared.

"An exhibition match?!" the audience exclaimed.

"And they will be using weapons, too." Someone added.

"Yeah… now that I noticed, these four monsters didn't use any weapon and just won using strength. Do they really know how to use a weapon?" someone asked.

"Do you know how to use weapons?" Reine curiously asked.

"He does." Yi Bing answered, referring to Shou Ji.

"… and you three don't?" Reine's lip twitched.

"We do." Huo Ling calmly answered. "We still haven't used it in a real match." He explained. Against the natives of this world. He added in his mind.

Yi Bing and Shi Jiu didn't speak while Reine finally stopped asking. Everyone's attention is on the stage.

"Match… begins!" the host announced.

As soon as the host's voice fell, Loui acted first! He raised his gun and shot at Shou Ji. Everyone expected for Shou Ji to be shot since they saw that Loui is good with guns and is very strong. But, they underestimated Shou Ji.

Shou Ji's figure flashed and, in just a blink, he appeared before Loui! Loui was taken aback but, unfortunately, before he could react, he felt a sharp pain on his chest and his body went flying!

"Ack!" he cried, and then his body fell, just at the edge of the stage.

Everyone exclaimed. "Fck!" they cursed.

"So strong! But, why didn't he kick him directly off the stage?!" someone noticed it.

"Then, wouldn't this become a one-sided match? This is an exhibition match, you know!" somebody said.

But, only Yi Bing, Huo Ling and Shi Jiu know that Shou Ji is deliberate. Shou Ji is usually calm but this time, he is deliberately beating up someone. They can guess that this must be related to Yu Yan.

As expected, they heard Reine spoke. "That Loui is unfortunate. Even his master Yu Yan wouldn't underestimate his opponent!" he said. "His temper is also bad… unfortunately for him, he provoked someone he shouldn't provoked. His master definitely wouldn't help him this time." He shook his head.

Loui was shocked and tried to strike back but Shou Ji already grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder, and his body fell to the other end of the stage!

"This is crazy!" the audience screamed.

The military students blankly watched this exhibition match. They can't pity Loui this time, and felt fear towards Shou Ji, as well as Shou Ji's friends. In the end, the head of the military academy stopped the match and the medical team immediately took Loui who was beaten up. Shou Ji just calmly bowed before he went back to his seat. The sixth match then started.

"Good job!" Dwinn raised his thumb. "That Loui is an eyesore. Just because his master is the student of general Erich doesn't mean he is also the general's student. Pft." He laughed.

Shou Ji smiled. Of course Loui can't be his student, since he now doesn't acknowledge Yu Yan. The moment Yu Yan killed him, their master-student relationship was severed.