Chapter 17. Revenge
Bella now felt like the protagonist in one of those punishing soul-like games, fighting relentless elite enemies.
She barely managed to block one attack, yet before she could recover her stance, another strike came.
She tried to launch a counterattack, but the moment she moved, Fulan had already slipped to her side and begun another assault. Bella could only hurriedly defend again.
She considered using body contact to create an opening, but Fulan always attacked from a distance, never giving her the opportunity.
If this were a real battle, Bella would have deliberately exposed a weakness, taken the hit with her body, and retaliated immediately—trading injury for injury to see who would fall first.
But this was only a sparring match. One solid hit would practically count as defeat.
So she could only endure the frustration of blocking attack after attack while trying to stabilize the situation.
She also possessed a Combat Technique, but she needed the right moment to use it. She would only have one chance.
If Fulan dodged it or became alert afterward, winning would become nearly impossible.
Among the spectators below the stage, only the teacher John could clearly see the two fighting. The others struggled to follow their movements and began whispering among themselves.
“Did you see what they just did?”
“No. I have only seen something like this when watching my uncle fight...”
“That must be the Breathing Method. If I could use it in battle, I would not even need to come here...”
Many apprentices from noble territories watched the battle with complicated expressions. Some were envious, others jealous.
Mars, meanwhile, strained to track Fulan’s movements. The emotion most visible in his eyes was hatred.
The battle continued.
Fulan was the first to grow impatient. Fighting Bella felt like attacking a turtle shell. No matter what she did, she could not land a decisive hit.
She briefly considered how to use her Combat Technique, and her movements hesitated for an instant.
Bella caught that moment of hesitation immediately and began preparing her own technique.
But Fulan struck first.
She suddenly leapt three meters into the air and unleashed the technique she had been practicing these past days—Heavenly Sky Strike.
With her Combat Technique already at the Mastery level, the execution was extremely smooth. In an instant, she appeared above Bella.
Bella clearly had not expected Fulan to jump. The stance she had prepared was instantly disrupted. Forced to react, she awkwardly launched her own technique upward.
A dull BANG echoed.
Both of their wooden swords snapped in half.
Taking advantage of Bella’s awkward posture, which prevented her from exerting proper force, Fulan struck her with the remaining half of her sword and won the match.
[You completed an excellent match using the Swift Wind Breathing Method. Swift Wind Breathing Method proficiency +50]
Before the audience had even reacted, the sound of clapping drew everyone’s attention.
THUD, THUD.
Although the clapping was softer than the earlier impact, it immediately captured everyone’s focus.
Even the specially crafted wooden swords had broken. They had been designed so that even Combat Technique clashes would not snap them.
But apparently, techniques enhanced by the Breathing Method were simply too powerful.
“A splendid battle. Both of you are qualified to enter the Sword Chant School.”
The fewer the words, the more serious the meaning.
This sentence not only praised their performance but also hinted that two of John’s recommendation slots had already been decided.
In John’s eyes, Bella was beyond question—a perfect all-rounder with no apparent weaknesses.
As for Fulan, she had demonstrated another extremely well-executed Combat Technique. If her proficiency had been even slightly lower, if the execution had been less smooth, the battle would likely have dragged on for several more minutes.
The noble-born apprentices nearby looked displeased.
They all knew that the number of recommendation slots would be very limited. Two had already been taken.
And they could do nothing about it. The combat abilities displayed by those two were far beyond their own.
In the end, there would probably be only three or four slots. They would have to fight over what remained.
The Sword Chant School again...
Elan had mentioned it before, and now even Teacher John had said it. Fulan felt somewhat puzzled. She decided to ask Bella about it later.
Fulan rubbed her wrist. Her descending strike had been blocked earlier, and since her Physique was weaker than Bella’s, her wrist had been slightly injured.
This was exactly the sort of situation where the Healing Potions stored in her dormitory would be useful. Out of ten bottles, she had only handed three over to the Association.
Mars watched her movement closely and silently formed a plan.
---
Emerald Heart Tavern.
Elan examined the box Fulan had brought this time. It was noticeably larger than the previous one.
When he opened it and saw the number of Energy Potions inside, he was stunned.
“Ten... fourteen bottles!”
Even if she had recruited other alchemists to help, he had expected at most around nine bottles.
This was far beyond his expectations.
He carefully inspected two of them to confirm they were indeed Energy Potions. Then he smiled broadly and joked,
“It seems you have quite a lot of friends. It has not even been a week since your last visit, yet you already have another batch.”
“Of course...” Fulan replied.
Then she added,
“Next time I can bring even more. My number of friends is still increasing...”
Elan suddenly wondered if Fulan had become something like a middleman, just like him—perhaps using her connections within the Association to purchase potions from others.
He knew that the Association did not offer particularly high purchase prices for Energy Potions. Instead, it relied on various incentives to win over the alchemists.
Right now, the Association lacked funds the most. Naturally, they would not be careless in this matter.
If one day Fulan brought fifty bottles, he would suspect those alchemists were playing both sides—accepting the Association’s benefits while also selling to him.
But it did not really matter.
Energy Potions would sell easily no matter what. If anyone suffered losses, it would be the Association.
After putting the money safely into her pocket, Fulan cautiously stepped out of the Emerald Heart Tavern.
Then she saw someone she did not expect—Mars.
Standing beside him were two tall figures. Dense patches of hair covered their necks.
Beastmen.
At a glance, they clearly did not come with good intentions.
Are they here to rob the money I just received?
Fulan immediately drew her weapon.
However, the moment Mars spoke, that suspicion disappeared.
“It was you... because of you... I cannot become a member of the Sword Chant School.”
Fulan had already learned about John’s recommendation from Bella. The first thing she noticed was how illogical Mars sounded.
“That does not make sense. John has not even announced the recommendation slots yet. And with your strength, you should still be among the top candidates...”
“No... it is all because of you!” Mars roared.
Fulan realized that he might have already lost his mind. Still, wishing to avoid trouble, she tried to reason with him.
“Are you sure you want to fight? The academy rules forbid apprentices from attacking each other. Even if you win, you would not receive a recommendation to the Sword Chant School.”
“Heh...” Mars laughed.
“If it were not because of you, how would I have lost that slot...”
It felt as though they were speaking on completely different wavelengths.
Fulan understood that this battle was now unavoidable. Quietly, she prepared herself.
Mars burst into laughter again.
“I know your hand is injured. That is why I specially brought two beastmen today to attack you...”
“You might not know what these beastmen are,” Mars continued with a cruel smile. “They are products created by the Modification School specifically for war. Their Physique ranks among the best even compared to knight squires. Their combat memories are implanted using infusion crystals. And...”
Mars took out a whistle and blew it.
Only then did the two beastmen raise their weapons.
“They obey only special commands. They are not afraid of the academy.”