Chapter 59: "Today, I’m Here, So This Path Is Closed."

"Who, me? Actually, I'm fine. I don't have any family or friends in this world, just a lone wanderer with nothing to lose. That's part of the reason I agreed," Liam said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the looming danger.

"And as for who might be upset? I doubt anyone would miss me; I'm not exactly popular," he added, maintaining his usual laid-back demeanor.

Sophia looked at his nonchalant smile, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes betraying emotions she wasn't ready to voice. Finally, she lowered her head and whispered, "Didn't you say you have a gaming partner who's always with you? If you couldn't play with her anymore, she'd probably be really upset."

Liam was taken aback by her words, his surprise evident. But he quickly brushed it off with a shake of his head, saying nothing in response.

"Promise me again, just like you did during the trial. Promise me that nothing will happen to you," Sophia insisted, locking eyes with Liam, waiting for his assurance.

Liam, worried she might delay things further, hesitated for only a moment before replying, "Alright, I promise. Now, you should go."

"It's not too bad here, honestly. After all, you're facing stronger opponents out there. You're young too; don't get yourself hurt," he added with a reassuring nod.

Sophia, satisfied with his promise, nodded firmly. "Three hours. I promise I'll be back!"

"Just three hours!" With those final words, she transformed into a streak of icy blue light and dashed out the door.

Now alone, with everyone else either hidden in the underground shelter or heading into battle, Liam stood in the empty stadium, the vast hall echoing with his own footsteps.

He took a few deep breaths, casually strolling around the area. Despite his outward nonchalance, he knew this could very well be the toughest fight he had faced since arriving in this world.

"Three hours... If I can hold out for three hours, I'll earn three million. That's a million an hour! Where else can you find a job that pays that well?" Liam muttered to himself, trying to lighten his own spirits as he dribbled a basketball around.

"Who knows, maybe no one will even come this way..." he added with a smirk, tossing the ball into the air and catching it as it came back down.

But, of course, things weren't going to be that easy. Hundreds, if not thousands, of God's followers were on the move, all converging on the stadium with a single objective: the "Extinguishing the Seed" mission.

Their goal was simple: to eliminate the students before they could grow into a threat. The Black Horse Stadium was a large complex, with a network of underground passages designed for ease of access. Now, these corridors were filled with the sinister shadows of God's followers.

A small team of seven or eight followers rushed through the tunnels, their silence punctuated only by the stench of blood that clung to them. Suddenly, one of them, a scar-faced man, spoke up.

"Boss, are we really just charging in like this? Shouldn't we be worried about running into Cain and the others?"

"Humph! No need to worry. They won't dare stay with the students," the leader of the group replied coldly. "Once the Lord descends, he'll go straight for them. If they stick around with those brats, the Lord's battle aura alone will be enough to wipe out those weaklings."

"What do you think they'll do with the students?" the scar-faced man asked after a brief pause.

"They'll probably try to scatter and hide them, hoping to come back for them after they deal with the Lord," the leader sneered. "But our goal is to kill those brats as quickly as possible! We'll greet the Lord's great arrival with their heads!"

With bloodlust in their eyes, they charged ahead, eager to reach their targets. It wasn't long before they entered the central arena of the stadium.

At first glance, it seemed empty, just as they had expected. The leader opened his mouth to give orders to search the area, but he suddenly froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.

They weren't alone. There was someone here—someone who hadn't even bothered to acknowledge their presence.

The figure sat there, hooded and focused on something trivial—juggling a ball.

The crisp sound of the ball bouncing in the eerie silence of the arena made the group tense up. Something felt off about this whole situation.

The man's nonchalant demeanor, the way he ignored their presence, made the followers uneasy. For a moment, they hesitated, unsure of what to do.

For two minutes, they stood there, staring at the hooded figure, waiting for some sort of trap to spring. But nothing happened. The figure simply continued juggling the ball.

Eventually, the ball slipped from his fingers, bouncing away across the floor.

"Damn, almost hit two hundred... What a shame..." Liam muttered to himself, setting the paddle aside and pulling back his hood to reveal his face.

"Honestly, I was really hoping you guys were just here for a workout," he said, finally addressing the intruders.

The leader of the God's followers, seeing the young, unfamiliar face, was momentarily stunned. Then, feeling embarrassed by his earlier fear, he roared, "Enough with the bullshit! Who the hell are you, kid?!"

"Me? I'm just a student who hasn't even officially enrolled yet," Liam replied with a smirk. "But I know why you're here. Unfortunately, today I'm on the clock, so this path is closed."

As he spoke, a wave of cold energy surged through the air, the temperature in the arena dropping sharply.