Chapter 485 484: The Martial Arts Conference Begins!

The mood inside the box soon grew lively again.

After Fenric revealed his true strength, everyone's attitude toward him shifted dramatically.

Even Old Man Xiao, who normally relied on his seniority, no longer dared to put on airs before Fenric and instead kept raising his glass to him.

Zohyan also played his part. Though his martial arts were limited, his emotional intelligence was high. Without that, he could never have managed to build such a large martial arts hall.

At the wine table, Zohyan kept the conversation flowing with flattering words that made everyone comfortable.

The result: Fenric ended up drinking quite a bit.

Fortunately, thanks to the Super Soldier Serum and his extraordinary self-healing ability, his liver cells broke down the alcohol almost instantly. Even so, no matter how well his body processed liquor, drinking so much still left him with one unavoidable problem—his bladder.

"Fenric, I'll drink this cup to you."

Xiao Ling'er suddenly rose to her feet, holding her glass. Her eyes locked on Fenric, hot with a mixture of admiration and curiosity.

"I owe you an apology for my rudeness before. I also want to wish you victory in the martial arts conference!"

Fenric smiled, lifting his glass in return.

"Very well, I'll drink with you. But you're still in the foundational stage—too much alcohol will only harm your training. Just a sip is enough."

He spoke lightly, but his words carried genuine concern.

It was true: for warriors at the basic stage, alcohol was poison to their progress. Only those who had reached higher levels could resist its effects. Fenric knew this instinctively, thanks to the inherited memories within his body.

After speaking, he drained his glass.

Xiao Ling'er stared at him, her heart skipping. Why does he care so much about me?

She couldn't be blamed for letting her thoughts wander. After all, Fenric had once publicly declared that he liked her and wanted to pursue her.

When she saw him finish his drink, she nervously took a small sip from her own glass—obediently stopping after just that.

Fenric set down his cup and suddenly felt the urgent pressure in his bladder. The private box had no restroom, so he had no choice but to use the public facilities outside.

"I'll step out to the restroom," Fenric said, standing.

To his surprise, Xiao Ling'er also rose. "I'll go too."

It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to follow him—she had also drunk plenty of water and couldn't hold it any longer.

The two left together.

Once the door closed, Zohyan leaned closer to Old Man Xiao.

"Master, I had someone look into this young man. The results are… strange."

"Oh?" Elder Xiao narrowed his eyes.

"In the past, his performance was unremarkable. Just a short while ago, he was so eager to train that he overdid it, injured his spleen, and was even hospitalized. Yet now, after leaving the hospital, he's suddenly become this strong. How do you explain that?"

Old Man Xiao's brows knit tightly.

"This is not the time or place to discuss it," he said. "Fenric could return at any moment. And remember—the hearing of true masters is exceptionally sharp."

—---

Outside the box.

"Fenric, I really didn't expect you to be so strong," Xiao Ling'er said, unable to hold back her curiosity. "Can you tell me how you trained?"

"Maybe I was just born with talent," Fenric answered casually.

Xiao Ling'er rolled her eyes at his perfunctory reply.

Soon, they reached the public restrooms. Without another word, the two split off—Fenric heading into the men's, Xiao Ling'er into the women's.

After a short while, Fenric stepped out and went to wash his hands at the sink.

"Fenric?"

A surprised voice called from beside him.

Turning his head, Fenric saw two sharply dressed young men. Their faces were familiar—classmates.

"It really is you!" one of them laughed. "I thought I was seeing things."

Before Fenric could answer, the other sneered:

"Wait, weren't you not invited to the class reunion tonight? What are you doing here? Crashing the party? You've got some nerve."

His words carried a clear note of sarcasm.

Fenric recalled then—yes, his predecessor had not gotten along with this one.

The other young man quickly interjected:

"Fenric, don't misunderstand. We didn't mean to leave you out. It's just… everyone heard you were still in the hospital, so no one notified you."

Fenric only smiled faintly. Whatever their true reasons, he had no interest in joining them anyway.

Just as the sarcastic youth was about to push further, the women's restroom door opened and Xiao Ling'er stepped out.

Both young men froze.

Their eyes went wide as Xiao Ling'er walked directly toward Fenric.

She glanced briefly at them, recognized them as fellow students, gave a polite nod, then said simply:

"Fenric, let's go."

Fenric nodded, and the two left together.

The two young men were left standing there, dumbfounded.

Fenric… and Goddess Ling'er? Together?

"D-did I just see that? Are they here on a date?" the kinder one whispered, disbelief in his voice.

The sneering youth's face turned dark.

"No way. There's no way Xiao Ling'er would lower herself to Fenric's level. He's a cripple, damaged inside and out. How could he possibly deserve her?"

"Then explain what we just saw," his friend countered.

The youth had no reply.

—---

A week later.

"The 177th Martial Arts Conference will soon begin!"

In this world plagued by evil spirits, the human government needed warriors to stand on the front lines. To encourage such strength, the Martial Arts Conference had grown into a grand event celebrated across all of mankind.

For days, every channel—online, in the news, and on television—blasted coverage.

The Martial Arts Conference dominated the headlines.

Excitement filled the air.

"Fifty-two hours remain before the opening ceremony."

In his apartment, Fenric sat browsing the internet. At the top of the webpage, a banner displayed the Martial Arts Conference's bold slogan.

"A national event," Fenric murmured to himself. "If I win the championship, I should be able to complete the mission… right?"

Thanks to Elder Xiao's arrangements, Fenric's spot in the competition was already secured. All that remained was to wait for the schedule.

But another thought crossed his mind.

"I wonder… will the other Samsara players take part as well?"