Eyes user

"One of the school's prodigies, a year older than me. He's the heir apparent for the Water Miracle transformation technique, a rich kid whose family is a major supplier of intermediary materials—a mining magnate, basically. He has a terrible temper," Nie Hong summarized concisely.

"You know him?"

"He approached me when I started getting some attention at school. He offered $5 per minute to spar," Nie Hong recalled with displeasure.

"Half of my rate?" Mithra asked sincerely, though Nie Hong suspected she was being sarcastic.

It must be his imagination. Mithra wouldn't be that unscrupulous.

"How much did you take?"

"$25..."

"..." Mithra remained expressionless, but Nie Hong felt that she was probably smiling on the inside.

"Theoretically, that's only five minutes," Mithra said.

"Couldn't it be that I defeated him in five minutes?" Nie Hong's face flushed.

Mithra remained silent, staring at him.

He immediately deflated. "Right, I was defeated in five minutes. He was humiliating me, otherwise it would've ended in two. He even hired someone to pretend to spar with me the next day, which made me the laughing stock of the school for a long time."

The last words were spoken through gritted teeth.

"So he actually pays, huh?" Mithra asked.

"Of course, he pays. He has a terrible temper, but he's reliable. I heard he started doing this when he first entered the university. He was beaten up badly by some upperclassmen at the beginning, and some tried to use him to make money. But no matter how strong the opponent, as long as he had the skills, he paid them," Nie Hong paused. "After a year or two, all the upperclassmen who tried to exploit him were beaten by him. He even humiliated them by throwing money at them."

"Oh."

Mithra turned to Leo Duncan. "Alright, let's begin."

Leo Duncan was surprised by Mithra's decisiveness but maintained his condescending smile. "Don't you want to prepare, or find a secluded spot?" They were at the school gate after all.

"That open space over there is fine. Just don't block anyone," Mithra said.

Nie Hong wasn't surprised that Mithra had agreed. He had complete faith in her.

Come on, was he questioning the woman who had single-handedly fought her way through Gross Town in half a day?

"Although I rarely care about appearances, if you're knocked to the ground in front of everyone, I guarantee your humiliation will be all over the campus forum tomorrow," Leo Duncan said as they walked to the clearing.

"Maybe it'll be you," Mithra replied offhandedly.

"Interesting. Not bad for someone with those eyes," Leo Duncan said with a smile.

While Night Eyes were unique, they weren't very well-known on Planet Blue. Even the resettlement center had only discovered their unusual nature after conducting some tests.

But Leo Duncan had identified them instantly.

"Alright, I've booked this spot. Everyone else, please clear out. If you want to stay, go ahead, but I'll pay for any injuries," Leo Duncan shouted, reaching the clearing.

He was arrogant, like a nouveau riche.

But he was also famous. Those nearby immediately recognized him and moved away; no one seemed to want to take a chance at getting paid for their injuries.

The two stood facing each other, not far apart.

"Can we use weapons?" Mithra asked.

"Up to you. If you want to rely on them."

"How will we decide the winner?"

"Whoever falls to the ground for three seconds or more."

"How many lives do you have?"

"What?" Leo Duncan frowned. "My life lock is intact. Why would you ask that?"

"Habit. How do we start?"

Leo Duncan, unconcerned, said, "...Monkey, flip a coin. When it lands, we start."

"Fine."

Nie Hong muttered "Damn crab" under his breath and flipped a coin.

The coin spun through the air. Mithra and Leo Duncan didn't bother looking at it; Mithra activated Stabilize.

The coin landed.

Ding.

Leo Duncan struck first. Both fists flew out simultaneously, powerful currents of water rushing towards Mithra. The trajectories shifted, almost impossible to predict.

His sharp eyes tracked Mithra's every move, even the slightest shift in her body.

Time seemed to slow in his mind. His calm exterior masked the intense focus within.

"Her whole body is a target. Doesn't seem particularly impressive... Is she skilled at fighting monsters but not humans? Too bad,"

Leo Duncan didn't see any obvious weaknesses, but he didn't think he was wrong. He had felt a flash of intuition when he saw her, seeing a beast in human form.

Mithra was clearly skilled, but her reaction to his attack was rather ordinary, leading him to this conclusion.

Just as his disappointment began to rise, he noticed something odd about Mithra's movements.

Why was she reaching for her waist? Was there something there? Or was it some kind of special technique?

Huh!?

Suddenly, Leo Duncan's eyes widened in disbelief.

He couldn't see!

His highly trained eyesight, something he had relied on since childhood, was gradually blocked by Mithra's movements.

Despite the close proximity, everything blurred, as if he had suddenly gone blind!

Bang!

A sharp pain in his side, followed by his legs slipping out from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground. The pain jolted him back to reality. His vision returned.

Mithra, hands in her pockets, hadn't moved. She was now looking down at Leo Duncan.

Leo Duncan was stunned for a moment before reacting. "What did you do?"

"A miracle," Mithra replied. "It was quick; under half a minute. Don't block my path next time,"

She turned and left.

The Hunting miracles could block senses, particularly sight. Mithra had simply used a basic "Hunting Shadow," which could briefly obscure vision. With her advanced beast form, she could temporarily become completely invisible.

Mithra walked away lightly, leaving a stunned Leo Duncan clutching his side.

The onlookers were shocked.

Leo Duncan, a renowned fighter, had been taken down with a single slap and a sweep kick?

Whether it was real or not, as Leo Duncan himself had said, news of his defeat would undoubtedly top the school forum.

Mithra and Nie Hong left the school gates.

"You used the same miracle as the cult, didn't you? Although I couldn't see your moves, you were clearly aiming for a powerful hammer blow!" Nie Hong said.

Didn't he know her better than anyone? Her reaching for her waist was clearly a prelude to pulling out her hammer.

Mithra shrugged. "Lead the way. Let's go shopping."

Nie Hong grinned. "Great! That damn crab hasn't had a good beating in a while. He's going to be the laughingstock for a while."

"Why did you call him a crab?" Mithra finally asked her earlier question.

"Because the streaks in his hair look like crab legs. Oh, speaking of which, let's celebrate! Dinner's on me!"

"Fine," Mithra agreed.

She was actually a little hungry.