Arrival

Amidst the growing anticipation and nervousness among the crowd, Lyrian finally opened his eyes. It wasn't like using Gale made him deaf; he knew exactly what was happening.

With an impressed expression dawning on his face, he slowly rose to his feet. An exasperated thought interrupted Bardon's speech as Lyrian let out a sudden yawn. "Why does this keep happening to me? It's getting pretty annoying."

Gasps rippled through the onlookers, taken aback by his audacity. "What the hell do you want?" Lyrian blurted out, locking eyes with Bardon, his expression carefree.

The students' faces twisted in shock at his brazen words. They couldn't believe their eyes.

"Oh, right... You wanted me to greet my superior, huh?"

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as all eyes remained fixed on Lyrian.

He glanced left and right, then refocused his gaze on Bardon. "Nope, don't see anyone superior to me around here."

It was a direct challenge to everyone present, even catching the attention of a few royals who turned to glimpse at Lyrian.

"So how about you leave me alone no--" Lyrian's words were cut short as Bardon suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"Oh no... He's done it now," whispered a kid in the crowd.

"You're dead," Bardon calmly stated, a smile still plastered on his face but with visible signs of anger brewing beneath the surface.

Bardon applied pressure, his grip tightening, and a powerful force descended upon Lyrian's shoulder. To everyone's astonishment, Lyrian didn't flinch an inch.

The eyes of a few royals widened in disbelief as they observed the spectacle.

"He's not budging!" a kid from the crowd exclaimed, utterly shocked.

"Is that peasant actually withstanding Bardon's Iron Press!?"

With a hint of fury in his eyes, Lyrian glared at Bardon with an intense gaze. Without warning, he grabbed the brute's face, exerting a fearsome amount of force.

Unable to bear the pressure, the bully dropped to his knees in an instant, releasing his grip on Lyrian's shoulder.

As the crowd watched in awe, a ripple of astonishment swept through their ranks. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing—a mere peasant defying Bardon's dominance.

Lyrian's grip remained unyielding, his fingers digging into Bardon's flesh with an intensity that mirrored his determination. The bully's knees buckled under immense pressure, forcing him down to the ground.

Bardon's face contorted with a mix of pain, surprise, and indignation. The nerves on his forehead stood out like raised ridges, reflecting the turmoil brewing within him.

Despite the agony, he mustered a strained laugh. "Impressive... but you'll regret this, peasant."

Lyrian's eyes blazed with an unspoken challenge. He released his grip, allowing Bardon to collapse onto the floor, gasping for air.

The onlookers were stupefied, their whispers filling the air as they struggled to comprehend what had just unfolded before them.

The sudden shift in power had left everyone in a state of disbelief. It was an unprecedented display of strength and defiance, defying the established hierarchy.

The nobles glanced at each other, their expressions a mix of curiosity and unease.

"That's enough! What is going on here!" A voice suddenly sounded as a figure seemingly appeared in thin air between the two fighters.

The figure was that of a guard meant to ensure safety among the students until the time of the entrance exam arrived.

She was a woman in her early thirties, clad in polished armor with a sword sheathed on her waist.

"Bardon! This again!? How many times have I told you to stop messing with kids," The woman paused, noticing that he was the one on the ground this time instead of some other poor kid.

"Oh, so it looks like you met your match. No more free chances for you, you're coming with me to the detention, get up!" She yelled, picking him up by his elbow before dragging him away into the lower cellar of the ship.

As he pulled away by his ear, he stared at Lyrian with a wave of ruthless anger, which Lyrian simply dismissed. After the two disappeared, Lyrian looked down at his hand.

'That was too much force… if I had continued, that kid would have been killed.' He thought to himself.

This was, of course, a bad thing, as if he killed that kid, his chances of participating in the entrance exams would be slim to none. As for the innate value of Bardon's life… Lyrian didn't give a snot about that.

Bardon wasn't some savior or saint, so killing him may even better the world, at least, that was Lyrian's current point of view.

As the small crowd of eyes that had gathered began to disperse and calm down, Lyrian sat back down before beginning to use Gale.

Eventually, he fell into a tranquil state of mind where time was nonexistent, and before he knew it, several hours of peace passed by.

As the ship finally began to lower, Lyrian opened his eyes, the difference in altitude disturbing his cultivation. Looking around, everyone on the ship was leaning over the railings of the ship, looking down with awe and amazement in their eyes.

Curious as to what they were all seeing, Lyrian did the same. Down below them, through the thick layer of white clouds, existed a giant dome made of transparent material in the middle of the forest.

The size of the structure was enormous, large enough to cover an entire village. It looked to be made of magic, as no glass could have such patterns feely flowing through it.

Entering the dome looked to be several other ships that looked identical to theirs, and from Lyrian's point of view, the scene was remarkably beautiful.

"We did it!" Some kids began to cheer.

"We have arrived at the entrance exam spot!"

Hearing this confirmation, Lyrian subconsciously grabbed onto the railing of the ship, a slight grin on his face.