Doubts About Reversal Attempt

With his remaining Force drained, Duke was nearly collapsing. If it weren't for the assistance of the Force, others wouldn't have been able to run so many laps, and Duke was no exception. However, even though his Force was depleted, he felt his body full of power. Exhaustion vanished in an instant, and his footsteps became light.

William glanced at his watch, his brow furrowed. Only five minutes left. He hadn't expected these students to be so cunning in their quest for first place. He had thought his arrangements were foolproof, but now a group of youngsters had found a way to exploit them.

Danny and Viola had already slowed their pace. It was difficult for them to enter the top five, but under the current circumstances, their plan could be considered successful. Louisa and Clark didn't say anything, but their expressions were very serious. They were unwilling to be defeated.

As the students on the field were striving, the bystanders from Class One were merely spectating. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Duke is sprinting and he's overtaking them!"

"Oh my, he must have used a high-grade raw stone. He's so strong!" someone marveled.

"He's accelerating now, but I'm afraid he won't hold on to the top five?The final sprint might be tough for him."

The Class One students stood at a higher vantage point, able to clearly see Duke's accelerating sprint. Their expressions showed surprise.

"Huh? This guy still has so much energy?" William hadn't paid much attention to Duke earlier. He had assumed that Duke could make it into the top five, perhaps due to regular exercise. But even so, the gap in Force wasn't easy to make up for. In his understanding, making it into the top five was already a remarkable achievement.

"Hey, today's situation is really strange," someone mused. With only two minutes left, Duke had already overtaken Louisa and Clark, leaving them with his increasingly distant figure.

"Huh?" When they had been overtaken by Edmund earlier, they could understand since Edmund's Force was similar to theirs. But now, what had happened?

At the back, Viola's and Danny's expressions changed. Although they had slowed down and were no longer competing for the top five, they also felt they were nearing their limits. As for the others, let alone speak, they were struggling for breath.

"Duke, how does he still have the energy?" Louisa and Clark exchanged looks, finding it somewhat unbelievable. Duke's move to take the lead left some of the onlookers students discussing fervently.

In the corridor, Duke's friend Arnold patted his chest proudly and said, "See that? That's my brother, our class's Duke!"

The homeroom teacher, Jim, also stepped out, hearing the discussions and joining in with enthusiasm, chatting about the situation.

Duke experienced for the first time just how powerful his Awakening Skill could be. Although he appeared to be nearing his limits, only he knew that even if it was just his physical fitness, running these few minutes was like child's play.

Edmund was running when he suddenly saw a figure closing in at high speed, causing his body to shudder in fear.

  "What's going on?" He was already somewhat tired, but the distance between him and Louisa and Clark was far enough that he wasn't giving his all. However, when he saw Duke catching up, it hit him.

"Wait, isn't this guy one of the lower-performing students in the class? Have I underestimated him? Is he trying to shine at the last moment?"

At the beginning of the race, Edmund had been closely focused on Louisa and Clark, completely ignoring Duke. Coupled with Duke's lower academic performance in class, Edmund naturally thought he had simply been lapped by himself.

Edmund assumed that Duke might have been lapped by him and was holding back his strength for a final surge, attempting to salvage some dignity in the end.

Edmund didn't believe that anyone would resort to using drugs during the race, and he didn't consider Duke as a serious competitor. Thus, he sneered and let Duke pass him easily.

"Humph, what a pretender. Isn't he just the guy I lapped?" Edmund thought to himself, expecting to claim a significant portion of the prize money once he secured first place. the Yuan-Increasing Pills had come from Danny. After deducting the costs, the remainder would be divided among them.

Meanwhile, in the race, Danny and Viola were trailing behind. Witnessing this scene, they felt both shocked and infuriated. Even though the Yuan-Increasing Pills were only half a dose, they should have provided enough energy! Although Duke was accelerating, according to expectations, Edmund should have had enough energy to maintain a distance. But why had Edmund  been overtaken so easily?

"What's he doing?" Viola felt puzzled.

"It looks like he definitely thinks he's outsmarted Duke!" Danny's face was filled with anger as he watched Edmund's nonchalant expression, not taking the game seriously. He almost couldn't resist the urge to go up and punch him a few times, but he managed to restrain his inner anger, panting heavily as he stopped.

"Edmund, why aren't you chasing after him? He definitely hasn't outsmarted you!" This outburst allowed Danny to release all the pent-up frustration, and he stopped, panting heavily.

"What?"Edmundwas taken aback by this shout, his mind briefly blanking before he descended into chaos. Duke hadn't been lapped? 

Standing on the sidelines,William covered his face, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth.If taking a pill could secure first place, the reward would definitely have to be given out, or else the instructor's credibility would be undermined. However, if the situation changed, it would naturally be even better.

"So Duke wasn't lapped by me after all!" Edmund, now frustrated, accelerated. Nevertheless, Duke didn't back down either, and though the gap between them was closing, it was unlikely to be bridged within just a dozen minutes. Seeing Duke surge ahead, the onlooking students cheered excitedly.

"Incredible, that's the underdog making a comeback!"

"The rumors were true after all, Duke really did earn glory for the Enforcement Bureau!"

"Although he's usually quiet, I find him really handsome!"

These students weren't considering factors like the difference in their levels of energy, they were simply admiring the inspirational story. After all, compared to those top talents, Duke was easier for them to relate to.

"Time's up!" William's voice echoed across the arena, and almost everyone came to a halt. While at first everyone had been desperate to secure the reward, once they realized they couldn't attain it, they simply didn't want to lose to others.

Many participants collapsed onto the ground, their clothing soaked with sweat and clinging to their bodies. Duke, his hands on his knees, squinted as he looked behind him, while Edmund sat despondently on the side. Only a little over a hundred meters left...

"Cough, now I announce that the winner of this race is Duke, awarding him Yuan-Replenishing Pill . The second through fifth places go to Edmund, Clark, Louisa, and Charles."

After William finished, he quickly descended from the platform and approached Duke. William looked at the exhausted, pale-faced young man and gently stroked his chin.

"I'm truly curious, how did you manage this?"