Waves of bodybuilders advanced in tight ranks—six in total. Among them were one at the first stage, three at the middle stage, and two at the peak stage.
The instructor could have wiped them all out, but he was locked in combat with a peak-stage Rank Three. As a middle-stage Rank Three himself, he was at a disadvantage.
Most of the students were bodybuilders, able to hold their ground. Those who weren't—those too weak or without powers—had already been killed.
The battlefield was chaos.
The bodybuilder students were being overwhelmed at a terrifying rate. "They won't hold out much longer," Enopy muttered to Layen, then continued—
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
A bone-chilling scream cut him off.
Both turned their heads toward the sound. From their perch on a small hill, they had a clear view of the battlefield.
They saw a bodybuilder trying to advance to Rank One. But before the process could complete, five enemies jumped him. The unstable core inside him exploded upon death—killing both allies and enemies in a brutal blast.
Enopy and Layen watched with cold expressions. Enopy, however, was annoyed. "If they all die, how am I supposed to get to the training facility?" he thought bitterly.
Layen wasn't paying attention. He was still thinking about the ankle sheep stuffed inside the bag Enopy had set down earlier.
"Let's go help. Judging by their formation, they must be bandits. And if they're already here, they've probably been tailing us for a while," Enopy said, grinning.
"I've been itching to test my strength anyway," he added. His eyes gleamed. He leapt from the hilltop, crashing into the battlefield with a massive crater forming beneath him.
He landed in front of his chosen opponent. Their eyes met—no words were exchanged.
They charged each other at full speed, slamming forearms together as their auras flared, shaking the air around them.
Across the battlefield, Layen was a storm of destruction. He cut through acres of enemy bodybuilders with ease, making his way toward his target. His aura pulsed, collecting a strange fragrance from the air. He channeled it into his physical core.
A surge of power rushed through his limbs. Instantly, his speed and strength doubled. His body moved like a dart, his blue aura shielding him from the pressure of such inhuman speed while radiating outward—tearing through the bandits like they were paper.
His opponent saw the attack coming. Taking the blow head-on meant certain death. But even trying to block it would shatter his bones.
He had no choice.
He backpedaled, crossing his forearms and unleashing his aura to reinforce his entire body—focusing especially on his arms. They swelled to grotesque proportions, almost unnatural compared to the rest of his lean, 6'0 frame. He had smooth, defined muscles, unkempt black hair, red eyes, and a flowing golden kimono.
BOOM!
Their clash sent a thunderous shockwave through the battlefield, raising a cloud of dust. Groans and cracking bones echoed through the haze.
Minutes passed. As the dust settled, the result became clear—Layen stood victorious, one foot planted on the crushed head of his opponent.
Elsewhere, Kaito was locked in a brutal fight with a Rank Three. When his opponent was distracted by Layen's feat, Kaito seized the moment—breaking his momentum and unleashing a rapid barrage of punches that moved like lightning.
For five straight minutes, Kaito didn't let up.
Finally, he paused to check the damage—only to be met with a punch to the face. The blow sent him flying nearly a mile, crashing through tree after tree before finally stopping.
He stood, bracing himself against a splintered trunk. He gathered all his changed energy, channeling it through his aura and into his physical core. The fragrance of energy healed his open wounds just enough to keep going.
Meanwhile, Layen had shifted his attention to the lower-ranked cultivators—clearing the field of Rank One threats so they wouldn't interfere when he took on the Rank Two enemies. Two middle-stage student bodybuilders followed close behind, helping where they could.
On the other side, Enopy was still locked in combat with his opponent, exchanging furious blows. Neither had used their aura yet.
Kaito landed near his opponent again, sprinting toward him with such force that he left a crater behind—trailing the shredded remains of over a hundred bodybuilders.
He stopped just a meter away.
"You're strong," Kaito said. "But I was holding back—testing myself."
"Oh?" the bandit leader scoffed. "Then show me your real power!"
"Every time I use my real power, my opponent never gets the chance to beg," Kaito said, yawning. "So I'll give you the opportunity now."
"You want me—the Bandit God, the Treasure Plunderer, Crock Dico—to beg?!" Crock shouted, enraged.
"You should've listened."
Kaito raised his hand. Instead of his aura spreading outward, it suddenly retracted—focusing entirely into his hand, which he slowly closed into a fist.
Crock's instincts screamed at him to run, but his pride stopped him. Instead, he rushed Kaito with a golden aura coating his fist, preparing to strike.
Kaito leapt onto Crock's fist and used the momentum to spring away. They exchanged several blows like this—Kaito always staying just out of reach.
Crock finally noticed something strange. Why aren't his boots getting destroyed?
"Wait… don't tell me… those are inscribed boots?"
His worst fears were confirmed. He cursed himself for not wearing his Gold Demonic Armor. Hopefully, it's just the boots, he thought. But I have no idea what enchantments they hold.
Crock switched tactics, targeting Kaito's torso instead. He had to end this quickly. Kaito had been gathering energy nonstop since the second round of their battle, and now his aura was approaching the peak of Rank Three.
But Crock hesitated—just for a second. And that was all Kaito needed.
"It's ready," Kaito said with a grin.
He opened his hand. A glowing, floating bullet hovered above his palm. Aura surged around his arm, forming the shape of a one-barrel shotgun made entirely of orange energy.
He loaded the bullet and aimed at Crock, who was sprinting toward him.
"Manipulator!" Crock screamed—not just in his mind, but out loud.
The battlefield froze.
Everyone turned to stare at the two Rank Threes. Some whispered, "Manipulator?" Others remained silent—including Layen and Enopy.
But the stillness didn't last.
Chaos erupted once more.
"Oh? You know about us?" Kaito said casually. "Interesting."
He kept his focus on Crock, who closed the distance quickly.
Pak!
A soft snap echoed across the battlefield.
Silence returned.
Everyone stared at the source of the sound—Crock's lifeless body collapsed on the ground, motionless.
Gasps followed, but there was no time to mourn. The orange bullets—still floating—descended toward the field, zigzagging through the air. They pierced bandits one by one, but avoided any of the kids still standing.
Kaito stood atop a tree, watching calmly as the bullets did their work.
By the end of the battle, the field was soaked in blood. Countless bodies lay broken and lifeless.
Only seven remained standing:
Kaito (male), Layen (male), Enopy (male), Tivly (male), Zow (female), Eier (female), and Tel (male).