Chapter 162: Fist Fight, Seed of Suspicion

Solomon stepped through the ruined hole in the wall and crushed a fallen roof tile beneath his boot. He stared at the dented steel breastplate rising from the moonlit courtyard tiles.

He cracked his silver-coated knuckles and let a wide grin stretch across his face.

"What is your name?" Solomon took a casual step forward and rolled his shoulders. "Did Chenric think a bulky suit of armor would save you? You move like a crippled tortoise."

"I am Gong Fang." He spat a wad of blood onto the tiles and hoisted the iron mace over his helmet.

He lunged across the courtyard and brought the spiked weapon down in a crushing overhead chop. Solomon sidestepped the descending iron.

The mace struck the cobblestones and sent a spray of rock shrapnel into the night sky.

Suddenly, Solomon pivoted on his back foot and drove his left fist directly into Gong Fang’s ribs. The silver aura flared brightly upon impact and caved the side plating inward. Gong Fang stumbled sideways and gasped for breath.

Solomon chained the motion into a sweeping roundhouse kick to the back of Gong Fang’s knee.

’I spent fifteen years inside a mental void fighting a demigod. You are just a walking tin can.’ He grabbed Gong Fang by the helmet and slammed his armored skull directly into an unbroken stone pillar.

The stone cracked upon impact. "Come on." Solomon backed away and gestured for Gong Fang to stand up. "Swing that oversized toy at me again. I need to burn off the rest of my dinner."

[1Fizzy: the disrespect is actually insane.]

[User12: he is literally playing with his food.]

[Fatal_Beauty: punching through steel armor like it is paper.]

Gong Fang ripped his helmet off and tossed the dented metal aside. He wiped his mouth with his gauntlet and charged forward with a desperate horizontal swing.

Solomon dropped his center of gravity to slip underneath the whistling mace. He channeled his internal energy into his right fist and executed a devastating uppercut straight into the exposed jaw.

The upward strike lifted Gong Fang off his boots and snapped his neck with a loud pop. The lifeless body crashed onto the courtyard tiles and remained perfectly still. Solomon shook the blood from his silver-coated knuckles and let his aura fade into the shadows.

He turned his attention back to the gaping hole leading into the boys’ dormitory.

Solomon stepped through the ruined hole and entered the boys’ dormitory. The flashing lights of Eastern cultivation magic had faded into the night. Marco, Maximus, and Elizabeth stood amidst the scattered debris and defeated cultists.

Arthur slumped against the far wall and rubbed his neck. The poison from the earlier hostage situation kept him sidelined and gasping for breath. Elizabeth wiped blood from her sword and looked toward the shattered doorway.

"The threat is neutralized," Elizabeth stated, tracking the shadows outside. "We still need to secure the perimeter."

"The outside is fine," Solomon replied, resting his greatsword against a broken wooden bed. "We have a much darker problem in here."

Dozens of terrified first-year teenagers huddled in the corners of the room. Identifying the hidden cultists among the innocent students presented an impossible puzzle as the traitors wore the same uniforms and cowered in the exact same manner as the rest.

Solomon crossed his arms and analyzed the classmates. He knew every Live Streaming Academy student possessed a drone broadcasting their lives.

’An LSA student cannot easily betray the sect without getting caught,’ Solomon thought, scanning the trembling faces. ’Their viewers monitor their actions around the clock. Even the most unpopular students retain at least a handful of watchers.’

He rubbed his chin and weighed the logic. The system made secret meetings nearly impossible to execute under the constant gaze of the public.

’Then again, the Stream Shop sells Null Orbs,’ Solomon reasoned, his eyes narrowing at the crowd. ’They could easily purchase a few minutes of privacy to orchestrate a deal with the Nether Fiend Sect, or Chenric.’

He had used that exact loophole to execute the assassins in the bathhouse earlier. The realization chilled his thoughts. The mechanical owls provided an illusion of transparency, yet the system allowed anyone to buy a pocket of darkness.

[LazyCat: the paranoia is setting in.]

[BloodKnight: A hidden blade strikes deeper than an open sword. Trust no one.]

[User12: literally playing Among Us right now.]

[1Fizzy: how are they going to find the imposters?]

Solomon picked up his greatsword and walked toward the center of the room. He needed a reliable method to force the traitors out of hiding before the cultists launched another coordinated strike.

Just a second later, Pavilion Leader Jin walked into the ruined dormitory. Blood, torn flesh, and pulverized organs coated Jin’s deep blue robes. Jin stopped near a broken bed and inspected the dead bodies littering the floor.

Turning his head to face Solomon, Jin pointed a finger toward the breach in the stone wall. "Who defeated the sect commander out in the courtyard?"

Solomon rested his greatsword against his collarbone. "I had no idea that guy was a commander."

[1Fizzy: Solo Man just casually dropping a commander.]

[Mezz_3863: bro didn’t even check the name tag.]

[James_hayes: literally just another mob to him.]

Jin tightened his jaw. He shifted his gaze toward Marco for a brief second before scanning the huddled group of students cowering in the corners. His eyes finally locked onto Arthur slumped against the far wall.

Solomon pointed at Arthur’s neck. "He caught some poison from a hidden traitor."

Jin stepped over a shattered floorboard and approached the telekinetic boy. "Can you move your legs?"

Arthur nodded and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "The cut burns. I feel weak right now."

[Fatal_Beauty: Arthur needs a healer ASAP.]

[GoonLord: PROTECT THE SQUAD!]

[LazyCat: at least he survived the hostage situation.]

Jin turned his attention to Marco. "Take him to the infirmary immediately."

Marco sheathed his twin swords and hoisted Arthur onto his feet. Jin watched them leave the ruined room before shifting his gaze toward Elizabeth.

Her white silk nightdress stood out in the dim light, stained with fresh blood. "What are you doing here, and are you alright?" Jin inspected her ruined clothing.

Elizabeth lowered her steel sword. "Solomon saved me."

[Chi_Master: she admitted it!]

[BloodKnight: A warrior recognizes the shield that protected them.]

[Mezz_3863: Solo Man getting that royal acknowledgement.]

Jin tilted his head backward. He studied the gaping holes in the wooden ceiling and the shattered clay tiles. He lowered his gaze back to the terrified first-year teenagers.

Solomon furrowed his brow and grabbed the hilt of his greatsword. "Where were you during this attack?"

Jin kept his eyes on the cowering students.

"Why are you only showing up now?" Solomon took a step closer to the older man. "The administration enforces a strict lockdown curfew. How can the pavilion security be this bad that this many assassins get inside?"

[1Fizzy: ask the real questions!]

[User12: everything is suspicious right now.]

[Grim: someone definitely let them in.]

[Fatal_Beauty: the inside job theory gets stronger.]

Jin maintained his silence. He wiped a streak of blood from his cheek and turned his back on the group.

"Everyone needs to come out of the dormitory right now." Jin walked toward the shattered doorway. "Gather in the open courtyard."