Chapter 130: The Madman Who Challenged Three Calamities

The Madman Who Challenged Three Calamities

Evelyn glared at him.

Selena glanced back over her shoulder. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"You two really are impossible."

Evelyn folded her arms across her chest.

"You’re one to talk."

Selena blinked.

"Me?"

"You were blushing just now."

Selena’s smile vanished.

A faint warmth crept up her cheeks.

"I was not!"

Leon looked from one woman to the other. Their expressions were almost too entertaining to ignore.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Should I leave you two alone?"

Both women immediately turned toward him.

"No!"

Their voices rang out at exactly the same time.

Leon raised both hands in surrender.

"All right. All right. I won’t ask."

For several seconds, the three of them simply stared at one another.

Then Evelyn suddenly burst out laughing.

Selena tried to maintain her composure, but she couldn’t hold back her smile either.

Leon shook his head, amused by their reactions.

For a brief moment, the awkwardness between them disappeared. The tension that had been building within the group finally eased.

Unfortunately, the wilderness ahead had no intention of letting them enjoy the peace.

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the mist.

Another Calamity Boss had appeared!

ROAR!

The sound rolled through the forest like thunder.

Birds scattered from the treetops. Leaves shook violently, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Leon’s smile faded.

He turned toward the source of the roar, his expression sharpening as he extended his spiritual perception.

Then he paused.

"Wait. There’s another one to the east."

His senses swept farther.

"And one to the west?"

Leon narrowed his golden eyes.

Three powerful life signatures.

Three Calamity Bosses.

Each one carried an overwhelming presence. Even from a distance, their spiritual energy was impossible to ignore.

For a moment, Leon studied their positions.

Then his expression relaxed.

"Let’s lure them all here. We can finish everything in one fight and save ourselves some time."

Selena stared at him.

Her golden eyes gradually brightened with excitement.

"You want to fight three Calamity Bosses at once?"

Leon grinned.

"Why not?"

Evelyn closed her eyes and sighed.

"Of course you’d say that."

What else had she expected?

Ever since meeting Leon, she had gradually learned that his idea of a reasonable challenge was completely different from everyone else’s.

Most students would run for their lives after sensing even one Calamity Boss.

Leon, meanwhile, was practically inviting three of them to dinner.

He glanced at the two women.

"The exam is almost over. We might as well go out with a bang."

Selena’s smile widened.

"Then let’s make it memorable."

Evelyn adjusted the green sash around her purple robe. She gave Leon a resigned look, though the determination in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Fine. But don’t blame me when I complain about this later."

Leon chuckled.

"I’ll listen."

"You’d better."

With that settled, the three moved forward.

Their figures soon disappeared into the thick mist, leaving only the faint sounds of their footsteps behind.

Elsewhere in the inner zone, another group of students was fighting desperately for survival.

"Feifei! Watch your position! Circle around behind it!"

A young man shouted as he watched the battle unfold before him.

He had black hair and emerald-green eyes. Dust covered his clothes, and sweat trickled down the side of his face.

Despite his ragged breathing, his gaze remained sharp.

Nolan Hawthorne.

Fourth place in the placement matches.

He had entered the examination hoping to prove himself. So far, things had gone better than expected.

But the inner zone was quickly teaching him just how far his abilities could take him.

Standing before him was a monstrous demonic ape.

Its massive body towered several meters above the ground. Thick, dark fur covered its muscular arms, and its enormous fists looked capable of crushing boulders.

Every time the beast moved, the earth trembled beneath its feet.

Even worse, its speed was far greater than Nolan had anticipated.

Nearby, Kithra was struggling to keep it occupied.

The beast-girl’s honey-blonde hair whipped around her face as she dodged another crushing blow.

The ape’s fist smashed into the ground beside her.

BOOM!

Dirt and broken stones flew in every direction.

Kithra barely escaped the impact. She stumbled sideways, gritting her teeth as she fought to regain her balance.

"Nolan! Hurry up!"

"I know!"

Nolan’s eyes darted between Kithra and the enormous beast.

He had a plan.

He just needed the right opening.

"I’ll use my soul skill, Rock Heart, to bind its right leg!" he shouted. "When it reaches for you, it’ll lose its balance. That’s when we’ll attack!"

Kithra glanced at him.

"Got it!"

Nolan took a deep breath.

He didn’t rush forward.

He didn’t waste his energy on an attack that might accomplish nothing.

Instead, he waited for the beast to make its move.

One second passed.

Then another.

The demonic ape let out an angry roar.

It raised its enormous arm and swung toward Kithra.

She immediately shifted sideways, drawing its attention away from Nolan.

Now!

Nolan slammed his palm toward the ground.

Golden light flashed beneath the ape’s feet.

A series of golden rocks burst from the earth. They twisted around its right leg, locking themselves into place like heavy chains.

The ape tried to lunge at Kithra.

Its trapped leg failed to move with the rest of its body.

The enormous beast lurched forward, its balance suddenly disrupted.

Nolan’s eyes lit up.

"That’s it!"

For the first time since entering the inner zone, he felt that victory was actually within reach.

"One more wave of damage, and we’ll get our first Starlight!"

His excitement was impossible to hide.

He had never expected to make it this far.

Originally, he had only hoped to secure a place in the top ten. Even that had seemed ambitious.

Then he had finished fourth in the placement matches.

The result had left him stunned.

Now, if he could obtain even a single Starlight in the inner zone, his performance would exceed everything he had imagined.

Perhaps he really could become one of the examination’s dark horses.

Perhaps he had a chance to stand alongside the strongest students.

For one brief moment, the future looked bright.

Then the demonic ape moved.

With a furious roar, it lifted its trapped leg and kicked.

CRACK!

The golden rock bindings shattered instantly.

Nolan’s smile froze.

Before either student could react, the beast swung its enormous fist toward Kithra.

The attack came too quickly.

BOOM!

A violent shockwave tore through the clearing, scattering dust and leaves.

The ape’s fist was nearly as large as a winnowing basket. If that blow landed squarely, even a strong student could be killed on the spot.

Kithra’s pupils contracted.

Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.

She twisted sideways at the last possible moment.

The massive fist swept past her, missing her body by a narrow margin.

But avoiding the direct hit wasn’t enough.

The force of the attack struck her like a rushing wall of air.

"Ah!"

Kithra was thrown off her feet.

She flew through the air before crashing heavily into the ground.

BANG!

Her body bounced once and rolled several meters across the dirt.

For a moment, she couldn’t move.

"Kithra!"

Nolan’s face drained of color.

He stared at the scene in horror.

He had underestimated the beast.

Not by a little.

By a lot.

His clever plan had barely inconvenienced it.

And now Kithra had nearly paid for his mistake with her life.

"Run!"

Nolan’s voice cracked.

"Get out of here!"

He didn’t wait for a reply.

Turning around, he bolted toward the trees.

Kithra clenched her teeth and forced herself to her feet. Her body ached from the impact, but she knew better than to stay where she was.

She immediately chased after him.

Behind them, the demonic ape released another furious roar.

Then it charged.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Every footstep shook the ground.

The enormous beast tore through the clearing, smashing aside anything unfortunate enough to stand in its path.

Nolan ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

His mind was a complete mess.

We’re finished. We’re absolutely finished!

He had never imagined that a demonic ape could be this powerful.

Why did I come here? What was I thinking?

Regret gnawed at him with every step.

He should have stayed in the middle zone.

He should have played it safe instead of chasing the chance to become a dark horse.

What good was ambition if he ended up dead?

His breathing grew increasingly ragged. His legs felt heavy, and his chest burned with every breath.

But he didn’t dare slow down.

He barely noticed the branches whipping across his face or the roots catching at his boots.

He simply ran.

Like a headless fly, he darted through the forest without even checking where he was going.

Kithra quickly caught up with him.

As she glanced at his pale face, disappointment stirred in her chest.

She had trusted his judgment.

She had believed that his confidence came from a careful assessment of their abilities and the danger ahead.

Now, she wasn’t so sure.

Had he really understood what they were getting into?

Or had he simply allowed his ambition to cloud his judgment?

She swallowed her frustration and focused on escaping.

There would be time to argue later.

If they survived.

Behind them, a tree snapped with a deafening crack.

The demonic ape had caught up to their trail.

Its raw strength was terrifying. Trees that would have taken several people to embrace shattered beneath its blows, and thick branches were tossed aside like weeds.

The forest offered almost no protection.

"Keep running!" Nolan shouted.

"I am running!"

Kithra shot him an irritated look.

Did he think she was out for a leisurely stroll?

She glanced over her shoulder.

Her stomach sank.

The demonic ape was getting closer.

Much closer.

Its enormous silhouette moved between the trees, and every furious roar seemed to shake the air around them.

Kithra’s heart pounded.

They couldn’t keep this up forever.

Their stamina was running out, while the beast showed no sign of slowing down.

Then Nolan suddenly stopped.

His entire body stiffened.

Kithra nearly crashed into his back.

"What are you—"

She followed his gaze.

The words died in her throat.

Ahead of them, the forest had descended into chaos.

Three enormous beasts were tearing through the wilderness, chasing a group of figures through the mist.

One of them smashed straight through an ancient tree, sending its shattered trunk crashing to the ground.

Another seized a massive branch and hurled it forward like a spear.

The third raised its head and roared.

The sound swept through the forest, stirring the mist and shaking the surrounding trees.

Nolan stared.

He blinked once.

Then again.

For a moment, his exhausted mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Wait..."

His voice came out weak.

"Three of them?"

His heart sank straight into his stomach.

Three Calamity Bosses.

He could barely survive one.

And now three more had appeared ahead of him?

Was the entire inner zone trying to kill him today?

Then he noticed the figures being chased.

His eyes widened.

He recognized the young man at the center of the group almost immediately.

Black hair.

A familiar figure.

The student who had dominated the placement matches.

"The top-ranked student..."

Nolan’s lips parted in disbelief.

"Leon?!"

Beside him, Kithra froze.

Through the gaps between the trees, she could clearly see Leon and the two women accompanying him.

Three Calamity Bosses were closing in on them from different directions.

The beasts had been drawn toward the area by the fighting, the lingering scent of blood, and the powerful spiritual energy released during the battles.

But there was something Nolan didn’t know.

Leon hadn’t stumbled into this situation by accident.

He had deliberately drawn the three beasts together.

From Nolan’s perspective, however, the entire scene was beyond comprehension.

His expression twisted in disbelief.

"Damn it! Is he insane?!"

His voice cracked as he shouted.

"Calamity Bosses can threaten entire cities! What the hell is he thinking?!"

He stared at Leon as though he were watching someone walk straight off a cliff.

Everyone knew how dangerous a Calamity Boss was.

Even powerful cultivators had to treat these creatures with caution. A single mistake could cost them their lives.

Yet Leon wasn’t retreating.

He wasn’t even showing any obvious signs of panic.

Instead, he appeared to be moving toward the approaching monsters.

Nolan felt his scalp go numb.

What is wrong with this guy?

He couldn’t understand it.

He didn’t want to understand it.

All he knew was that one Calamity Boss had nearly killed him and Kithra.

Now Leon was facing three at once.

Three!

"Madman!" Nolan shouted in despair. "He’s a complete madman!"

His gaze darted between Leon, the three approaching beasts, and the demonic ape still chasing them from behind.

His face turned even paler.

They were trapped.

If they ran forward, they would end up near three Calamity Bosses.

If they turned around, the demonic ape would catch them.

There was nowhere safe to go.

We’re dead. We’re actually dead!

Nolan wanted to scream.

He had entered the inner zone hoping to obtain a Starlight and improve his ranking.

Instead, he was about to witness the most absurd disaster of his life.

Kithra stared at the distant figures.

Her eyes widened, and all the color drained from her face.

Three Calamity Bosses.

One demonic ape behind them.

And Leon, who seemed determined to face the monsters head-on.

For the first time since entering the inner zone, Kithra felt genuine despair.

They were in serious trouble.