Chapter 157 - 156 : End of the Entrance Exam (6)

Meanwhile, inside the shrinking forest-city...

Jasmine, Evangeline, and Aiden stood side by side, facing the boy who was practically inviting them to come and kill him.

Arthur.

He stood alone in the center of the ruined clearing—his clothes torn, blood streaking his face, and a black sword hanging loosely in one hand. His presence, however, felt anything but exhausted.

"Well?" Arthur asked lazily. "Do I need to beg, or are you people actually going to move?"

Before any of them could answer, the quiet crunch of footsteps approached from behind.

Damian stepped onto the battlefield once again.

One of his arms still hung crushed and mangled, bone and flesh twisted at an unnatural angle, dark bruises spreading across the skin. His spear was clutched in his left hand, the shaft resting against his shoulder.

But his eyes were different now.

The blazing, uncontrolled rage from before had faded. In its place was a cold, cutting focus. He had finally accepted the truth—Arthur was no ordinary opponent. Recklessness would only get him killed.

Arthur’s lips curled into a grin.

"What’s wrong?" Arthur asked. "Not going to attack me, redhead? Don’t tell me... you’re scared."

Damian’s mouth twitched.

"I don’t need four people to defeat you," Damian said stiffly. "I alone am enough."

Before Arthur could respond, Jasmine stepped forward.

She walked toward Damian, her steps slower than usual, the lingering weight of guilt from Arina’s sacrifice still clinging to her.

"Are you okay, Damian?" Jasmine asked softly.

Arthur clicked his tongue.

"Looks like your girlfriend is worried about you," he said.

Damian’s face immediately turned red.

"S-shut the hell up," he snapped, shooting Jasmine a quick glance before looking away. "She’s not—"

Arthur’s eyes flickered crimson for a moment.

He looked directly at Jasmine.

"Princess," Arthur said. "Your lover’s hurt. Take care of him."

Jasmine froze mid-step.

Her body locked up for a heartbeat, as though invisible strings had suddenly wrapped around her limbs.

Damian noticed.

"Don’t worry," Damian said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I’m alright."

He looked back at Arthur.

"I underestimated you," he said coldly. "That won’t happen again."

Inside his mind, another voice echoed.

’Do it.’

Invisible text flickered across his vision.

[ Skill Activated: Immortal Flesh ]

[ Reconstructing Damaged Limb... ]

[ Progress: 27%... 64%... 100% ]

A faint glow covered his broken arm.

Bone knitted itself back together.

Torn muscles regrew and fused. Skin crawled across the wound, stretching and smoothing until the limb looked brand new, as if it had never been injured.

He flexed his fingers once.

[ Skill Activated ]

Pain Nullification

Grade: S

Pain receptors disabled.

A strange numbness washed through his body, dulling the ache of every bruise and fracture.

[ Skill Activated ]

Battle Frenzy

Grade: SS

Strength +200%

Agility +200%

Vitality +300%

His heartbeat thundered.

Power flooded his muscles, his aura flaring like a violent storm.

[ Skill Activated ]

Undying Monarch

Condition Met: Survive Fatal Damage

All Stats Increased by 150%

Regeneration Temporarily Doubled

The ground beneath his feet cracked.

His very presence became heavier, like standing before a living fortress and a wild beast at the same time.

[ Skill Activated ]

Battle Instinct

Grade: S

Analyzing Opponent...

Predicting Attack Patterns...

Combat Efficiency Increased

Lines and angles overlapped within his vision.

Arthur’s stance, breathing, and even the slightest shifts in his weight were analyzed and processed, forming predictions in real time.

Damian rolled his shoulders once.

His transformation was terrifying.

Every cell in his body hummed with power, eager to tear apart the enemy standing before him.

Arthur whistled softly.

"I have to admit," Arthur remarked, "this new look suits you."

—

Inside the VIP hall, everyone immediately understood why Athena had been so confident in Damian.

On the screen, his aura erupted as the mana detectors spiked to the limits of the projection’s scale.

Athena’s lips curved beneath her veil.

"It’s over now," she said calmly. "Arthur’s spatial ability consumes mana every time he uses it. He can’t maintain it forever."

She folded her hands.

"Meanwhile, in that state, Damian can keep fighting for days if necessary."

"The boy won’t be able to defeat him now."

Several elders nodded, murmuring in agreement. They could all feel it—the overwhelming endurance and regeneration Damian now possessed.

But Oliver and Adrian remained silent.

Their eyes never left Arthur.

—

On the battlefield, Damian lifted his spear.

He settled into a steady stance, the tip aimed directly at Arthur’s heart.

"Here I come," Damian said.

Arthur never looked away from him.

"Princess," Arthur said quietly, without turning. "Do it."

Damian frowned.

"Princess—?" he began in confusion.

A heartbeat later, Battle Instinct screamed a warning.

He had never considered Jasmine a threat.

He turned—

SCHLK.

A spear of hardened earth erupted from the ground behind him and punched straight through his chest, emerging beneath his sternum.

For a moment, he simply stared at the earthen spike protruding from his body.

Then he looked back.

Jasmine stood a short distance away, arm extended, her hand still glowing with earth mana.

Her expression was completely blank.

Her eyes were empty and unfocused, as if she were no longer inside her own body.

Evangeline and Aiden were stunned.

They knew Jasmine and Damian were close—friends and allies who had fought together countless times. Of all the people who could have betrayed him, she should have been the last.

"Jasmine...?" Aiden whispered.

Arthur’s laughter shattered the silence.

"Wow," Arthur said with a grin. "That expression of despair on your face... I really enjoy it."

He snapped his fingers.

The red glow vanished from Jasmine’s eyes.

She blinked.

And then she saw.

She saw the earthen spear piercing Damian’s heart. She saw the blood. She saw the way his body trembled and how his grip on his weapon weakened.

Her knees gave out.

"N-no..." Jasmine whispered. "No... no, no..."

She stared at her trembling hands.

What did I just do?

Arthur’s laughter only grew louder.

Damian exhaled softly.

"Don’t worry, Jasmine," he said, his voice steady despite the wound. "It’s not your fault."

He lifted his eyes toward Arthur, forcing himself to remain upright as his body slowly began turning translucent.

"That bastard has no honor," Damian said. "He must’ve done something. Don’t blame yourself."

Tears streamed down Jasmine’s cheeks.

She could do nothing but watch as his body slowly broke apart into motes of light.

Damian turned back to Arthur one final time.

"I’ll see you inside the academy," he said. "You honorless bastard."

Arthur snorted.

"Sorry," he replied. "I’m not interested in bro-mance. Victor will enjoy your company, so hurry up and get lost already."

Damian’s body finally shattered into light and disappeared.

The clearing fell silent once more.

Arthur looked down at Jasmine.

"Good for you, Princess," he said. "You finally earned a point."

He tilted his head.

"Now transfer it to me. I’m the one who did all the hard work."

Jasmine slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Her face was empty, her eyes red.

"You filthy bastard!" she roared. "What have you done to me?!"

The forest answered her rage.

Trees came alive, roots and trunks twisting violently.

Rock golems rose from the earth, their stone bodies cracking as they moved. Dozens upon dozens of flaming arrows materialized in the air around her, all aimed directly at Arthur.

Even the wind responded.

The atmosphere compressed until breathing itself became difficult.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then a sharp crack split the air.

BANG!

Jasmine’s body jerked.

A bullet punched through her skull and exited cleanly from the other side.

Her eyes went blank.

She crumpled to the ground.

Her body struck the dirt once—

Then dissolved into motes of light and vanished.

Arthur and Aiden both turned, momentarily stunned.

Standing atop a nearby rock, Evangeline lowered her smoking Desert Eagle and casually blew across the barrel.

"Now it’s..." Evangeline said, her lips curling into a smile. "Forty-five to eight, sister."

She holstered the weapon and shrugged.

"What?" she asked, looking at Arthur and Aiden. "It was the perfect opportunity. That bitch had her guard down."

For a moment, Arthur and Aiden simply stared at her.

Then both burst into laughter.

A notification appeared before Arthur’s eyes.

[ Condition Fulfilled: Damian Stromborn Eliminated ]

Another line followed.

[ Reward Granted: Attribute Points +50 ]

A third window flickered into existence.

[ Extraction Link Established ]

Arthur’s smile widened.

He looked toward Evangeline and Aiden.

"So," Arthur said, "do you two really still want to fight?"

He stretched his shoulders, resting the sword against one of them.

"To be honest guys" he added casually, "I’m tired as hell."