Chapter-26

After Theron's first battle against the 885th ranked student, the defeated student remained in his virtual space, contemplating the scene that had unfolded. As a student from the academic class, he was not accustomed to combat challenges, and the defeat left him curious about the mysterious figure who bested him. However, Theron's identity remained concealed behind a mask, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

Driven by curiosity, the defeated student checked Theron's profile, only to discover that he had already challenged and defeated another opponent, now ranked 51 positions above him. The defeated student found solace in realizing that it wasn't necessarily his own weakness but rather the extraordinary strength of this mysterious combatant.

He couldn't help but want to know more about this mysterious dark horse as he watched his next matches and started to feel great when this person had defeated one after another of the higher ranks and slowly he became his fan.

He invited his two friends to watch the matches the next day, eager to see if the mysterious dark horse would continue to rise through the ranks as he thought the person wouldn't be stopping very soon.

"Who is this mysterious person you keep talking about, Kael?"

"Look at this."

"That guy defeated me in one strike and has been challenging even higher ranks."

"Yeah, right."

His two friends settled in to watch the match against the 685th ranked opponent and were left astonished as Theron swiftly defeated the student.

"So he defeated you on 885th and is already 200 ranks up"

"Who is this person?"

"It seems he isn't stopping yet"

The other friend remarked as they witnessed another match unfold. The trio watched with a sense of awe, feeling as if they were witnessing their favorite superhero vanquishing villains with each victorious strike. As the matches continued, they found themselves invested, like avid viewers waiting for the next episode in an ongoing saga. When the matches concluded, a sense of anticipation lingered, akin to the feeling of waiting for the next installment in an enthralling movie.

"It should be the same tomorrow."

"Yeah, let's come back tomorrow."

Kael had successfully turned his two friends into fans of the mysterious combatant, and the next day, their fan group expanded even further. Friends and fans of the opponents Theron faced, along with more people brought by Kael's friends, gathered to witness the ongoing spectacle. As anticipation filled the air, Theron faced the 435th ranked student.

"Wait, Kael, isn't that your sister?"

His friend reminded him.

"No way, how could it be her? She was ranked at 457th."

Then, Kael finally looked at the person in the arena, and his jaw dropped. Even though Elara had assumed a disguised form in her avatar, and her name in the rankings was changed to her nickname, Kael recognized her, and his two close friends did as well.

"Elara."

"What is she doing there?"

His face turned ashen as he saw her there. As the battle progressed, he could see that she had progressed a lot on her magic and her hand to hand combat was still good it seemed though he couldn't know as she couldn't use it with the fight against Theron. 

"No way."

His eyes widened as he witnessed Elara casting a rank 2 spell. Kael realized that his sister had been diligently working on advancing her magical abilities.

"She doesn't have enough time," his friend pointed out. As the clock continued to tick down, Kael started to bite his nails nervously. He watched in suspense as his sister, Elara, seemed to be getting cornered. Her spell structure began to crack, and her wand was struck away. While a wand wasn't necessary for spellcasting, it served as a tool to aid in forming spells and could enhance magic power if crafted properly.

It appeared that Elara was bound to lose, but she continued to hold her ground. Kael thought she might be attempting to back away and use her hand-to-hand combat skills to stall and regain more mana. However, it was evident she was cornered. Closing his eyes, Kael braced himself for the grim sight of his sister's defeat.

To everyone's surprise, a gasp echoed through the arena. When Kael opened his eyes, he saw that Elara's avatar was not defeated but held in the hands of the mysterious combatant, whom they had nicknamed as Ghost Blade because of his swift movements and his silver sword reminiscent of moonlight akin to a reaper in the night.

Even though the katana was still pressed against Elara's neck, in the eyes of the viewers, the scene took on a strangely romantic and heated aura, almost resembling enemies turning into lovers. Someone in the crowd even started to whistle, adding to the atmosphere.

The scene concluded, but some onlookers couldn't resist taking pictures of the moment. These images would later become part of an article detailing the rise of the mysterious combatant who had ascended from a ranking below 900 to challenge the last rank which Ghost Blade would reach

Many students fought under different nicknames and altered appearances for their avatars, keeping their true identities hidden. As the next match approached, the spectators expected Theron to face the 335th ranked opponent. However, to their surprise, he was up against the 348th ranked student. Soon, fans and followers of Jareth Hawthrone, entered the scene.

"Ohh ho ho, it seems we have visitors here!" one of the Jareth supporters exclaimed. 

"Are you all here to witness our glorious Jareth secure yet another victory?"

The crowd looked at the trio, seemingly bootlickers of Jareth, who were acting like clowns. The followers of Jareth Hawthorne were confused, so one of them approached to explain the situation in a hushed voice.

"You guys are here for that little guy, aren't you? Don't worry, after this match, you'll see the truth and understand what real strength is. Our great Jareth will defeat this insignificant dark horse of yours!"

The fight began as Theron closed his eyes.

"Why is the Ghost Blade not moving?" a fan pointed out as Jareth seemed to be closing in towards Theron

"See, he's so scared that he can't even move!" one of the clowns remarked loudly. 

"The match had already ended," the clowns continued to say.

Unexpectedly, Theron quickly side-stepped and delivered a powerful punch to Jareth's gut. The impact was significant, causing Jareth to take several steps back and reassess Theron as a serious opponent. The fight resumed, with Theron parrying every strike from Jareth. A momentary deadlock occurred, creating tension among the spectators. However, to everyone's surprise, Theron pushed Jareth back and, as he attempted a strike, Jareth realized he no longer had his weapon. Turning his back to retrieve it proved to be his downfall.

The end of the match brought an end to further challenges that day. The trio of friends watched in excitement, feeling their blood pumping after witnessing such an intense fight.

"Somehow, it makes me want to achieve higher ranks again," one of the friends exclaimed. Despite being in the academic class and not focusing on combat ranks, the trio felt inspired by the display of skill. Their motivation to strive for improvement was fueled by the spectacle they had just witnessed.

All four of them hailed from commoner families, slightly wealthier than the average. While Theron, or rather Ghost Blade, didn't continue his challenges after that day, it didn't diminish their determination. Theron had become their role model, most likely because of his combat skills, definitely not because of how he had been able to get a girl while fighting making the trio want to have such a moment as well.