Bet

"I am in," Ellen declared as she leaped down the wall, landing beside Michael. The monsters below seemed to be waiting, almost as if they had been given orders, likely from a leader hidden among them.

"Go, all of you!" Liam instructed his students, urging them to join the fray. They quickly followed suit, jumping down to face the horde.

As Michael and Ellen readied themselves, they noticed Kevin approaching them. "You're here too?" Michael asked, a bit surprised.

"Well, I'm in the same group of students taught by Sir Liam," Kevin replied with a smug grin.

"Well, anyway, now that your brother isn't participating, I'll win this for sure," Kevin added, his confidence evident.

"Yeah, yeah, says the same scaredy cat who didn't even dare to step out from behind his instructor," Michael shot back, rolling his eyes.

Kevin's face reddened slightly, but he didn't retort. Instead, he simply huffed and moved ahead, focusing on the monsters that were beginning to advance.

Just as they were about to fight , from above Leon voice ehoed.

"initial level Specialist stage monster worth 1 point, Mid-level with 2 points, Peak level worth 3 points."

"Initial level Corporal Stage worth 6 points, Mid-level worth 8 points and Peak level worth 10 points."

"While the Initial Level Sergeant stage monsters are worth 20 points, the instructor mentioned that the Initial Level Sergeant stage monster is the most powerful one here," Leon explained.

Everyone nodded in understanding. As Leon counted down—three... two... one... go—they all dashed forward.

Michael inhaled deeply, following a specific breathing pattern, and his body was suddenly covered in silver lines. With a burst of speed that left a sonic boom in his wake, he quickly reached the monsters. "Silver Breath: Silver Fury," he muttered as a silver streak of sword art slashed through the air. In an instant, the monsters in his path were cleaved in two, their bodies falling apart as a smile of satisfaction appeared on Michael's face. The other participants, as well as the monsters, froze in their tracks, astonished by the swift and lethal attack.

It had taken only a single second for Michael to defeat a significant number of monsters.

"This is..." Liam stared at Michael, astonished.

"He also learned it. Good," Leon muttered, pleased with what he saw.

During the 100 days, Michael had joined Leon's training, guided by the instructors. He was taught the special breathing method, though the backbone of the technique was provided, and everyone had to develop their own variation.

"A straightforward scorching dash stab... simple yet effective," Leon mumbled, analyzing the technique Michael had used.

"Is this from your organization?" Liam suddenly asked, while the Mayor also looked at Leon, eager for answers.

"Yes, it's the most basic—so basic that even our common members don't use it. I gave it to Michael as a souvenir so that he could develop his own technique, but it seems he mastered it despite its difficulties," Leon replied, revealing part of the truth.

"Can you sell it to me then?" Liam asked, with the Mayor perking up his ears, hoping to make a purchase as well.

"No," Leon replied firmly, his short refutation stunning both of them.

They warily smiled as they turned back to watch the battle unfold. Others had now reached the monsters, shaking off their stupor as they began to fight. But Michael still led the pack, dashing forward with a silver trail as he continued to cut down monsters like a hot knife through butter.

Roarrrrrr!

Suddenly, a deep roar resonated through the air as the monsters were reduced to one-fourth of their original numbers. From the shadows of the forest emerged six hulking monsters, each releasing a powerful aura far stronger than the monsters they had been fighting so far.

Michael quickly turned around, alert to the new threat. Meanwhile, the archer girl, who had been sniping monsters from atop the wall, noticed the approaching beasts. Realizing the danger, she began to use her knight-grade skill.

Michael took a deep breath, preparing himself as he activated his own knight-grade skill—a technique he had discovered in a secret realm and had long since integrated into his unique breathing pattern.

"Silver Breath: Nine Strikes," he muttered, pushing his body to its limits. He swung his sword in a circular motion, creating nine silver blades that twisted and spiraled through the air. With a final command of "Go!" from Michael, the blades shot towards the hulking monsters.

The monsters, sensing the impending attack, tried to dodge, but the blades were too fast. Each silver bolt pierced through their heads, exiting from their backs before continuing on their trajectory. The force of the impact caused the blades to collide with the ground, creating massive craters where they struck.

The hulking monsters, unable to withstand the onslaught, fell one after another, leaving behind a scene of destruction in their wake.

Seeing the monsters fall, the remaining ones quickly fled, their will to fight shattered without their leaders. The archer girl, who had been preparing to attack, redirected her charged shot to a distant corner, ensuring no more monsters remained.

As the monsters' bodies were collected by the town's people and loaded onto hover trucks, Ellen turned to Michael, her admiration clear. "I've never expected you to be this powerful. I really need to step up my game to catch up with you!" she said.

They walked back up the stairs together. The sheriff's department and the mayor's office were busy with the task of gathering the monster cores and transporting the bodies.

Instructor Liam approached Michael as they climbed the wall. "You all did exceptionally well, especially you!" he said, pointing at Michael.

"Thank you for the praise, Sir Liam!" Michael replied politely, though his gaze lingered on the girl beside him—Rain, who had often stolen kills from him during their previous encounters.

Leon joined in, his tone casual but sincere. "You all did great," he said, and though it felt awkward to the others to hear praise from someone their age, they knew Leon's strength was undeniable.

"Now, let's announce the results," Leon said with a smile as Mayor took center stage.

"First place is Michael with 235 points," he announced. Michael beamed, pleased with his performance, and Ellen congratulated him.

"Next is Rain with 205 points," the mayor declared.

"And third place is shared by both Kevin and Ellen, each with 75 points," he continued.

"Now, as promised, here's your Miracle Fruit," Leon said, tossing the fruit to Rain.

Rain looked at the fruit curiously. "What's the reward for first place?" she asked.

Leon tilted his head and displayed some black seeds. "These are for purifying one's Mana without any side effects," he explained, handing them to Michael. "Take these; you've earned them."

Michael took the seeds, storing them with a nod. The others looked on with envy, wondering if they could acquire such items.

"Can we buy them?" someone asked.

"Yes," Leon responded, surprising everyone. "However, I need something about their level. It doesn't matter if it's art, skills, or even other mystical medicines and such."

hearing him both Liam and Mayor nodded and begin to plan to buy the sacred ryes.