"T—that's impossible! How on earth did you do that?" Gianna stuttered, utterly shocked. She didn't have time to process everything since it happened too quickly. "Are you going to accuse me of cheating again?" Dustin retorted. "I—" Gianna didn't know what to say. Earlier, Dustin might have cheated by using internal energy. But, using internal energy was allowed in the agility test. Anyone who safely got through the row of stilts naturally passed. There was no way she could accuse him of cheating anymore. Still, she couldn't accept it. "Hmph! So what if he's fast? He only passed because he used underhanded tricks!" Desmond grumbled dismissively. "The internal energy test is up next. I doubt you'll pass!""He's right! Internal energy determines a martial artist's strength. No matter how fast you are, you're useless if your internal energy is weak!" Gianna echoed stubbornly. "Hey, kid! I dare you to compete with Desmond and see who has stronger internal energy! The winner get
"Come on! You can do it!" Many people began to cheer for Desmond. Nearly half of the crystal ball had turned golden. He needed to hold out a little longer, and the crystal would turn fully golden. "Aargh!" Desmond gritted his teeth and continued channeling his internal energy into the crystal ball. His strength was draining fast. His face beaded with sweat.Seconds later, the crystal ball hummed as it turned fully golden. Desmond collapsed onto the ground. He was relieved and exhausted. "Hooray! He did it!""Good job, Desmond!"Everyone cheered excitedly. "You sure are strong. Well, congratulations! You get to advance to the next level!" The alliance staff praised with a smile. Few people could turn the crystal ball gold in one shot. "What now, punk? Do you accept the outcome yet?" Devon sneered. "Did you see that? That's how powerful Desmond is. He easily surpassed the limit and advanced to the next level. Can someone like you do that?" Gianna gloated. "What's the
Everyone was stunned when the crystal ball shattered into pieces. Their smiles disappeared and were replaced by looks of dismay and astonishment. Everyone had assumed Desmond would win since he had turned the crystal ball golden. They never imagined that beyond turning golden; it could turn red. What shocked them more was that Dustin had channeled so much excess internal energy after turning the crystal ball red that it exploded. Just how much internal energy did he have to do that?Everyone was speechless. Desmond, who had been full of confidence, was also shaken. He didn't expect his internal energy, which he had been so proud of, to be so weak compared to Dustin. "Is this considered cheating?" Dustin smiled mockingly. "Uh …" The crowd was at a loss for words. They weren't blind. They had all seen how Dustin had easily passed all three tests. It was one thing to excel in one category, but Dustin had performed outstandingly in all three tests, which meant that he was
Desmond lowered his voice. "I admit that he's powerful, and his speed, strength, agility, and internal energy are on the next level. Still, no one in the world is perfect. "He must have a weakness. Just think about it. Why is he so quick and agile? It's simple—he's trying to make up for his weakness!"He continued, "If my guess is correct, defense must be his weak point! I'm sure he's quick and agile since his defense isn't as strong. "The fourth test will test his defense. Among us, Dominic's defense is the strongest. He's already reached the seventh level of Adamantine Body Arts, and nothing can penetrate his body. "I'm sure that with Dominic around, we'll be able to target that guy's weakness and take him down!"Everyone's spirits began to perk up after hearing Desmond's words. Just because Dustin was quick and strong didn't mean his defense was good. They'd win if they used the Adamantine Body Arts in this test."Desmond's right. No one is perfect. I'm sure that guy's we
After one minute, the metal doors of the pressure machine opened, and Dustin walked out calmly. He seemed so relaxed no one could have guessed that he had withstood such high pressure. "Sir, I get to advance to the next level, right?" Dustin asked."O—of course!" Getting over his shock, the staff nodded frantically. He couldn't believe that Dustin could withstand level-100 pressure for a minute. Was Dustin made of darksteel? This was unbelievable!"Damn, he's a monster." Georgia was in awe as well. Dustin excelled in all four tests—strength, speed, internal energy, and defense. It was like he was perfect. Usually, people would struggle to pass even a single test. Yet, Dustin managed to pass them with flying colors.Was he a monster?"I knew Dustin was strong." A rare smile appeared on Scarlet's face, who was proud of Dustin's achievements. "I guess Terry Doyle lost for a reason," Patrick mumbled. He had known that Dustin was strong, but he never expected Dustin to be so
"Um …" The invigilators shared a look and shook their heads. "You can advance to the next level without taking the test.""I can?" Dustin was surprised. "We saw your earlier performance. Honestly, we're no match for you. You can just continue to the next level." One of the invigilators grimaced. "You have potential. I'm sure you'll become a dark horse in the Knighthood Society Tournament." The other invigilator praised Dustin. Dustin had broken the records for the first four tests. They were ashamed to admit they were far weaker than him. "Thank you for going easy on me," Dustin thanked them with a smile and walked off the platform. It was good that the invigilators avoided confronting him, or they'd have been beaten into a pulp by now. "What the hell? It's unfair that he can advance to the next level without taking the test!" "What else can they do? He's so strong even the invigilators are afraid of him.""If it were me, I wouldn't fight him either. There's no way I
Dustin and the others left the martial arts alliance branch after the test. Scarlet suddenly received a call that darkened her face on their way back. "Got it. I'll return as soon as possible." Scarlet hung up after the brief conversation. "What's wrong, kid?" Dustin was curious. "The call was from Oakvale. Someone accused me of gathering troops and planning a rebellion. They are demanding an explanation," Scarlet replied calmly. "A rebellion? What a load of crap!" Georgia was pissed. "Madam, you suffered so much to protect our country at the borders while those trash at Oakvale did nothing. How dare they accuse you!""Those little shits! They deserve to die!" Even the usually quiet Bridget couldn't help cursing. Being accused of rebelling was a major crime. Even if they were innocent, others would still make assumptions. "Given your status, many eyes will be on you, and everything you do will be watched. Others will distort and exaggerate the truth if you make sudden mo
"We're short on talented individuals, so let them stay if they want to. Establish a subsidiary guild named Darklaws and let Mr. Adler be the leader." Dustin decided. "Got it." Nelson nodded."Oh, right. It isn't good that our guild is expanding so quickly. We need to slow things down and cut down on the recruitment. We need to move our headquarters to accommodate our growing numbers. I'll leave this to you," Dustin instructed."I've already considered the issue about our headquarters and picked out a location, but I'm not sure if it's to your liking," Nelson replied."Really? Where did you pick?" Dustin raised an eyebrow. "It's called Zephyr Lodge. It's located on the city's outskirts." Seeing Dustin's confusion, Nelson elaborated. "It used to be the estate of a count, so it's spacious and has good scenery. Transportation there is smooth as well. I searched high and low. This place seemed like the best option.""Not bad. You must have put in a lot of thought for this. Well, l