Chapter 21 There Is Always One That Suits You
"Brand marketing values the superpower first."
Arthur typed on his phone and handed it to Kate to see.
Right on cue, Professor Brink said at this moment: "The cornerstone of brand marketing is precisely your superpower."
A flash of surprise flickered in Kate's eyes.
"Shooting lasers from the eyes is the most popular superpower right now." Arthur continued typing.
Professor Brink also continued, "Heat rays, laser eyes, and the like are undoubtedly the most popular superpowers among the public in this era. Because Homelander is the captain of The Seven, because he is the most powerful Superhero..."
Kate's gaze toward Arthur once again held an extra layer of adoration.
She flipped open her notebook and rapidly wrote on a blank page: "How did you know?"
How did Arthur know?
Naturally, it was because her agent Monica frequently nagged him about these things on ordinary days.
As an expert in the Superhero field, Professor Brink was indeed not boasting.
Not only had he personally taught numerous renowned Superheroes, but many of the textbooks he wrote were also repeatedly studied internally by Vought and by agents like Monica.
Influenced by what he constantly saw and heard, Arthurnaturally knew quite a lot.
He did not answer directly, but instead typed: "I know a good restaurant. I'll treat you to lunch and answer all your questions along the way."
Kate lowered her head to look, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.
She rapidly wrote: "Does this count as walking right into a tiger's jaws?"
Arthur chuckled: "Of course!"
Kate's eyes shifted, and she immediately picked up her pen to write: "I accept."
The date was a success.
Arthur was just preparing to reserve a restaurant seat online in advance when Professor Brink mentioned him at this moment.
"...Even without a cool superpower, one can still stand out. Arthur is a very good example."
Professor Brink looked over appreciatively.
At that instant, Arthur felt as if he had returned to the classroom in his past life when his head teacher suddenly called on him.
What was different was that now, as a Metahuman, his reactions were lightning-fast.
Before Professor Brink could even look over, he put away his phone with lightning speed in the truest sense of the word.
By the time Professor Brink led a group of students and their gazes all turned towards him, he was already sitting up straight, perfectly adopting the posture of an outstanding student.
"Arthur's Superhero title is 'Bronze'. This moniker does not stem from his superpower, but rather from the meticulously crafted external image he has built. I must say, Arthur and the team behind him have done an extremely professional job in this regard. Nowadays, whenever the outside world mentions Arthur, they very naturally call him 'Bronze', without the slightest trace of discordance."
Professor Brink first nodded approvingly at Arthur, then cast his gaze across everyone in the classroom:
"Therefore, in the strategy of brand marketing, those with highly popular superpowers ought to heavily publicize this characteristic of theirs. Those whose superpowers do not manifest well need not be discouraged either. True heroes will always find a way out that belongs to them."
Professor Brink was actually lying.
As far as Arthur knew, for a Metahuman like Shuttle, even if he didn't go down the path of crime, he was basically destined to never make it big in this lifetime.
No one would take a man who had to strip completely naked every time he phased through a wall as an idol.
The best ending a superpower user of Shuttle's type could hope for was playing a comedic, ugly-making minor supporting role in movies.
And that was still considered good.
Some Metahumans' superpowers could simply be called useless.
For example, can you imagine a person whose superpoweris merely turning their five toes into five fingers, and nothing more?
What difference could such a Metahuman have from an ordinary person?
One can only say that the superpowers in this world are bizarre and varied, with a high ceiling and a low floor.
Arthur shook his head.
He had already booked the restaurant.
At this moment, Professor Brink called out the names of several students in succession, asked them to demonstrate their superpowers, and commented on them one by one.
Just as his finger turned around and was about to pick someone again,
Arthur keenly noticed that the expression of Kate beside him seemed somewhat wrong.
He turned his head sideways and asked with concern: "What's wrong?"
Kate gently shook her head and didn't open her mouth to explain.
Seeing this, Arthur did not continue to press further.
Fortunately at this moment, Professor Brink's finger bypassed Kate and pointed to the back row: "Jordan Li, it's your turn to perform."
Arthur looked back.
Jordan looked even more nervous and resistant than Kate.
Her voice trembled slightly as she stammered: "Professor, I..."
Professor Brink encouraged her gently: "Jordan, superpowers themselves have no right or wrong. If a person cannot even face their own inner self squarely, how can they become a true hero."
Unlike an old hand like Arthur.
Jordan was obviously that classic type of Asian student who listened very obediently to teachers.
Seeing Professor Brink encourage her like this, although her mindset still carried a sense of inferiority, she still plucked up the courage to display her superpower.
In the blink of an eye, Arthur clearly saw Jordan transform from a boy into a girl.
A girl in the true sense, with her physiological structure completely changed.
"Whoa! This ability is so cool!" Maverick, sitting to the side, clapped in amazement and said.
Jordan slightly lowered her head and whispered in a distinct female voice: "Thank you."
Kate also looked back at this moment, and after a brief moment of surprise, said sincerely: "She is beautiful."
There were quite a few people in the classroom like Kate who were very open-minded about Jordan changing from a boy to a girl.
However, some students from conservative states visibly frowned.
Arthur...
He was a worldly person, and upon seeing Jordan being able to freely switch genders, his imagination ran wild instantly.
When Kate spoke up, he snapped back to his senses and followed up by saying: "Jordan should be very popular with bisexuals."
For the latter, there is always a version of Jordan that suits them, and she is always on standby to switch freely.
Kate heard this, smiled lightly, and asked: "What about you?"
Arthur solemnly swore: "I am a hardcore straight man."
Afterwards, Professor Brink praised Jordan heavily for her performance in breaking through herself, and encouraged her to proactively choose the appearance she liked rather than caring about the glances of others.
"A true hero's inner self is always incomparably firm. This sentence is dedicated to you, Jordan, and to all the students present."
After Professor Brink spoke these final words, Arthur and the others' first class came to an end.
Godolkin University's classes were very relaxed, basically consisting of one class in the morning and one class in the afternoon, and from time to time only having half-day classes.
After class, Arthur led Kate, who was experiencing her first date in life, to enjoy a dating lunch.
He didn't know that not long after he left,
a shocking piece of news spread across the campus.
The former Godolkin University No. 1, and now No. 2, Derek Fowler officially issued a challenge for a duel to Arthur.
Chapter 22: New Generation Campus Showdown
"You went out of your way to run over here just to tell me that some idiot wants to challenge me?"
In the high-end restaurant, Arthur said to the empty space beside him, enunciating each word with an unpleasant tone.
"This is no ordinary challenge. I found out the school plans to promote this 'Campus Showdown' with everything they've got. They'll be inviting many socialites, and it will even be broadcast on Vought International's pay-per-view channel."
"Just like when Queen Maeve fought The Deep, or Eagle the Archer fought Blindspot back in the day, it's destined to be a legendary duel that will go down in school history. And you, my good brother, you are going to be the real legend."
An excited and agitated voice sounded from the empty space.
Looking across the entire Godolkin University, only Maverick could pull off an entrance in such a unique way.
Arthur had been having a perfectly good date with Cate.
Surrounded by exquisite food and the melodious music of a violin, he had already successfully held Cate's gloved little hand.
Subconsciously, the two of them had already leaned forward.
Watching Cate slowly close her eyes, with expectation and shyness on her face, she was ready to welcome that moment.
Then, Arthur's peripheral vision precisely captured a small area on the carpet beside him suddenly sinking for no reason.
He reacted immediately.
Other than that Translucent guy with serious voyeuristic tendencies, the only person who could come here was his own top-tier roommate.
He didn't want a naked grown man "eyeing" them while he was being intimate with Cate.
Thus, the opening scene occurred.
Arthur felt a strong urge to hit someone at that moment:
"Couldn't you have just made a phone call?"
He felt that Maverick had ulterior motives.
Notifying him was just an excuse; running over to peek at his date with Cate was the real goal.
Otherwise, why would this guy have taken off the hat he usually wears?
Maverick hurriedly protested, feeling wronged: "Brother, I don't have your phone number."
Arthur was slightly stunned, and upon reflection, that was true.
Not long after he met Maverick yesterday, the latter had been encouraged by him to go pursue "true love."
When he returned this morning, he ran into that business with Sigrid.
After that, he was in a rush to go to class.
From beginning to end, the two of them really hadn't exchanged contact information.
However, this was definitely not his fault.
Arthur asked pointedly: "Is the showdown happening today?"
Maverick shook his head: "The promotion hasn't started yet, and the sponsorship isn't in place. How could it be that fast?"
Arthur pinpointed the core issue, his gaze becoming increasingly unpleasant: "Then why couldn't you have told me later? Why pick this moment to run over here?"
Maverick certainly wouldn't admit that his gossiping heart was burning with fire, and he was desperate to get the first-hand scoop on the new romance of Godolkin University's current No. 1.
He hurriedly defended himself: "That... I was just too excited! I wanted to be the first to tell you this good news, Arthur. I spent over half an hour checking out several nearby restaurants before I finally found you."
Arthur rolled his eyes so hard it hurt: "Do I have to thank you for that?"
He would have to be a fool to believe Maverick's nonsense:
"Get out of here now, immediately, at once. If I catch you hiding nearby peeping again, I'm going to have donkey meat hotpot the day I get back."
If it were anything else, perhaps it wouldn't threaten Maverick.
But regarding the black donkey, Maverick was still quite obedient.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to greet Cate enthusiastically: "Hey, Cate, I'm Arthur's good brother, Maverick."
Cate, who had just withdrawn her right hand, raised it again and waved her slender fingers: "Hey, Maverick."
Afterwards.
Cate asked curiously: "Who is he?"
Arthur explained: "Translucent's son, who inherited similar hobbies to his old man. But he's a bit better. Compared to women, he likes donkeys more now."
Cate's beautiful eyes widened, her heart churning with various emotions, which eventually turned into one word:
"Wow!"
Having had her horizons broadened, her thoughts soon returned to Arthur.
She frowned slightly and asked with concern: "I've heard my roommate mention that Derek Fowler's superpower is very strong. Plus, he comes from a military family and has been receiving training since he was a child. Arthur, you..."
Arthur said confidently: "Don't worry, he's no match for me."
He had long since learned about Derek's superpowersituation from Sigrid.
As for the point about receiving training since childhood.
Heh.
Is training as effective as killing?
How many people has Derek killed so far, and how many of them were Metahumans?
Arthur didn't mind playing around with this former Godolkin University No. 1, and using this "Campus Showdown" to further boost his fame and commercial value.
He would never complain about having too much money.
Especially in this money-first society.
If he didn't have money, how could he sit in a high-end restaurant like this and enjoy a cozy date with Cate?
Should the two of them go walk the streets together and eat cheap chicken burritos?
That would be a different kind of romance.
But if he had a choice, he hoped he could calmly control all options and choose whichever romantic method he wanted.
Right now, with Maverick's interference, the perfectly appropriate ambiguous atmosphere between Arthur and Cate was gone.
If he wanted to force it to continue, it would be too deliberate.
Especially since Cate still had worries in her heart after hearing the news of the showdown.
And just at this moment, Arthur received one phone call after another.
First was Principal Indira Shetty, asking for his opinion on the Campus Showdown.
Upon receiving his clear and affirmative reply, Shetty's tone was full of enthusiasm, stating that the school would immediately mobilize Godolkin University and the Vought International media resources behind it to ensure the heat of this showdown was hyped up to the sky.
The second call came from his agent, Monica.
She was in a good mood and indicated that she would fight for a good pay-per-view share for Arthur on the "Campus Showdown" duel program.
According to Monica, as a member of Godolkin Universityand the biggest name, he didn't need an appearance fee, but he must get a share of the broadcast revenue, since the vast majority of paying viewers were coming for him.
Arthur let his agent handle it.
Just as he hung up the phone, another call came in:
"Hey, Arthur, I'm Jeff, the social media manager for Godolkin University. You should already know about the 'Campus Showdown' program, so I won't explain too much. The time is set for one week from now, and the location is at Vought International and the Wellness Center."
"Congratulations, man. You're going to be very, very busy for the next few days. Tomorrow you have to shoot personal posters and a pre-battle promotional video; the day after tomorrow there's a 'Hailey Miller Interview Show'; the day after that you're shooting a commercial for Vought's latest functional beverage..."
Chapter 23: Cate, you wouldn't want anything to happen to Arthur, would you?
"Arthur, look here."
"Try another pose."
"Lower your gaze, make your expression a bit sharper."
"Very good..."
In the school studio, Arthur had put on that signature teal and gold suit again, standing in front of a huge backdrop screen, facing the camera, and began shooting promotional photos.
Outside the camera's view, Cate, dressed in a black and white shirt dress and wearing lace gloves, stood with her legs straight together, gazing at him with deep affection.
Although the final step of yesterday's date had been interrupted by Maverick, their feelings for each other hadn't faded; on the contrary, they grew stronger with each passing day.
At this moment, a familiar voice sounded in her ear:
"He is very photogenic, isn't he?"
Cate's eyes remained fixed on Arthur. Hearing this, she subconsciously replied with a sense of pride:
"Of course."
After saying this, she seemed to realize something and quickly turned her head, seeing Principal Shetty standing to the side with a smile.
Cate was slightly startled at first, but then a sweet smile bloomed on her face, and she greeted her with a hint of awkwardness:
"Hey, Shetty."
She felt at this moment as if she were sneaking her secret boyfriend into her bedroom, only to be caught by her mother halfway.
To some extent, Shetty was indeed the image of a mother in Cate's mind.
Fortunately, this "mother" was very open-minded.
Shetty looked at Cate, then at Arthur, her face full of teasing: "I have to say, my dear Cate, you have great taste, and you act fast. Godolkin University's newest No. 1 has just fallen into your arms like that."
Cate subconsciously wanted to explain: "No, we haven't..."
Shetty gave her a gentle hug, interrupting her softly: "Great job!"
Afterward, Shetty pulled back slightly and said to the young girl standing close by, with great satisfaction:
"I was worried about whether you could adapt to your current life after your unfortunate past. Now it seems, Cate, you are much stronger than I imagined."
"Arthur is a very good partner, so just go ahead and fall in love."
Cate was very moved, her eyes slightly red as she said: "Thank you, Shetty."
Shetty stroked Cate's smooth blonde hair, then glanced at Arthur, who couldn't stop for the moment, and said with a smile: "The man is busy with his career, let's go to the side and chat. By the way, how about some afternoon tea?"
Shetty was British, and her office was always stocked with fine tea and tea sets.
Cate had often enjoyed it with her.
She looked at Arthur, who was busy running around, nodded, and left temporarily.
In the midst of his busy schedule, Arthur noticed this scene.
"Cate and Principal Shetty have a good relationship?"
He was thinking to himself.
While observing from the side, a woman named Courtney Fortney, a Vought executive producer, suddenly asked:
"The background colors are too flashy, won't that trigger poor people?"
Arthur paused, speechless, looked over, and said: "Courtney, is it possible that you are the poor person?"
He had no interest in starting over from the beginning.
Courtney looked around in confusion, and finally pointed at herself, asking with a puzzled face:
"Am I?"
Arthur nodded seriously: "In my eyes, you are."
Compared to his net worth, Courtney, who was only an executive producer, was of course also a poor person.
Courtney opened her mouth, wanting to curse.
Nearby, Jeff, who had just spoken on the phone with Arthuryesterday, laughed happily: "Courtney, you really are a little slut..."
Arthur couldn't be bothered to pay attention to these two guys anymore.
He waved his hand and said: "Next take."
The on-site director quickly said: "Actually, we need to shoot this again."
Arthur smiled slightly: "No, we are not shooting this take."
The on-site director was very troubled: "Hey, we really need to shoot this again."
Arthur's smile paused: "No, we are not shooting. Also, if you repeat that again, I won't shoot the rest either."
The on-site director: "..."
Seeing this, Arthur smiled again: "Great! Then let's hurry up and get all the following content done in one take."
He still had professionalism.
Although he was dissatisfied with the work efficiency of these people, he didn't just walk away halfway, did he?
...
Principal's office.
Shetty and Cate were drinking afternoon tea while chatting about life topics as usual.
Of course, this time there was much more content about love.
As someone who had been through it, Shetty shared some practical and useful experience.
Cate listened gradually and also told Shetty about her worries regarding the upcoming Campus Showdown.
She had finally obtained a love she truly liked and didn't want any accidents to happen to it.
Even if Arthur promised her he would definitely win, she couldn't help but worry.
You know, in such public showdowns in the past, there had been cases of accidental deaths.
After all, when emotions are high, superpowers are most likely to go out of control.
Shetty comforted her: "My dear, this is exactly the sign of your love for Arthur. Men, they always charge forward, leaving women behind to worry. Of course, women aren't just there to watch."
"Cate, especially for a Metahuman like you."
Saying this at the end, Shetty seemed to imply something.
Cate didn't quite understand.
Shetty turned to say: "Although Derek Fowler was previously Godolkin University's No. 1, compared to past No. 1s, he isn't particularly outstanding, and even has obvious personality flaws."
"Arrogant, narrow-minded, a flat-earth theory supporter, and he never listens to professional advice. The reason he can maintain his current ranking is because his family provides large amounts of funding every year to maintain his fame."
"And they also suppress his numerous scandals along the way. For example, accidentally crushing a girlfriend to death; choking another girlfriend who made fun of how smooth that place was after he used his superpower; plus bar brawls and drunk fighting, and the few people he has accidentally killed or injured over the years."
Cate was shocked: "He is actually such a person!"
Shetty picked up her teacup, blew on it gently, and said: "Professor Brink believes Derek's future potential is limited. But the current No. 1, Arthur, has infinite potential. If Arthurcan step on Derek and achieve victory on the 'Campus Showdown' stage..."
Speaking of this, Shetty paused and looked at Cate seriously: "I, Professor Brink, and the Board of Directors all agree that Arthur will become the true pride of Godolkin University."
Hearing this, Cate was first happy for Arthur, then thought of something and said with some trepidation: "But he must get past that hurdle of Derek."
"That's right."
Shetty reached out and took Cate's hand, placing it in her palm, and said: "Remember what I said earlier, women aren't just there to watch."
Under Cate's somewhat confused gaze, Shetty patted her hand and revealed her true intention: "The probability of Arthur defeating Derek is very high. However, to be absolutely sure, we need an insurance policy."
"Cate, Arthur needs you. Don't have any psychological burden, because this is also the school's intention."
Cate understood completely.
She looked down at her hands.
Finally, she nodded with a firm look in her eyes.
Chapter 24: Cate, Lower-Class White?
"Cate has already agreed..."
"Mm, that makes it foolproof..."
"...Of course, she won't mention this to Arthur."
In the Principal's office, Principal Indira Shetty was cleaning a teapot with her phone clamped between her shoulder and ear, explaining to Professor Brink on the other end of the line.
Professor Brink's words remained full of philosophy: "Children often only see the glorious, positive image of heroes; only adults can understand the complex shadows behind them. I hope she understands this."
Shetty smiled, set down the teapot, picked up her phone, and assured him: "Don't worry. That child learned long ago from the parents who were supposed to love her most that the world has never been that wonderful. She knows what she needs to do, and she has the courage to act on it."
Professor Brink nodded: "Then I shall wait and see this wonderful and destined Campus Showdown."
A match where the score is decided before it even begins doesn't just apply to sports; it applies to Metahumans too.
That is how the adult world works.
For Godolkin University, on one side was a has-been about to graduate, with worrying potential and a future that could be seen at a glance; on the other was a rising star who had reached a deep agreement, enjoyed widespread fame, and possessed infinite future possibilities.
Who to choose was simply self-evident.
Since they had already placed their bets on Arthur, and had spent massive resources promoting him for this Campus Showdown, the school naturally had to support him to the end to ensure there were no surprises in the outcome.
Even if Arthur had a higher chance of winning, they still needed an extra layer of foolproof insurance to avoid the one-in-a-million chance of Derek, whom they had already abandoned, snatching victory.
From the perspective of ability, identity, and risk control, Cate was undoubtedly the best candidate.
Thus, there was that heart-to-heart talk Shetty just had.
"Oh, right." At the end of the conversation, Professor Brink asked with the tone of an old friend: "Paul, when are you and that little rascal Lily Crage coming over to play again? So Lily won't call me stingy again, I've specially prepared a collector's edition Queen Maeve figure this time, autographed by Maeve herself."
Shetty smiled, and she thanked him gratefully: "Lily Crage will be thrilled when she finds out. But that happiness will have to wait until next month."
Professor Brink sighed: "This is the trouble of being separated by distance... no, more accurately, separated by an ocean. Fortunately, this job is still quite good, isn't it?"
Shetty laughed: "Of course, I absolutely love it."
Professor Brink laughed on the other end of the line: "Me too."
After saying goodbye to Shetty, on the way back to the studio, Cate seemed a bit preoccupied.
So much so that she only snapped back to reality when someone leaned in close to her.
"You're called Cate, right? I was wondering just how blind a white woman had to be to fall for a Chinese hick. I didn't expect..."
A white youth wearing a silver battle suit, with a smirk on his face that he thought was handsome but was actually repulsive, blocked Cate's path. It was none other than Derek Fowler.
He unscrupulously looked Cate up and down. Seeing her expression turn cold as she looked at him, he shrugged nonchalantly and continued:
"Don't waste your beautiful white skin and blonde hair. It's not too late to turn back. I am a very generous person; I won't mind your sordid romantic past."
Cate recognized Derek.
Hearing the foul-smelling rhetoric that sounded like he had just rinsed his mouth in a toilet, and seeing his self-righteous, ridiculous posture,
Cate crossed her arms, pursed her lips speechlessly, and as if looking at a pile of excrement, laughed angrily:
"Sure enough, you are a complete and utter asshole!"
Derek had been full of anticipation that Cate would repent and return to the embrace of a high-quality white elite like him, but instead...
Derek's eyelids twitched violently. He leaned in close to Cate, seething with rage, and lowered his voice, enunciating every word:
"Fuck! It's precisely because of you lower-class whites who are self-depraved, ignorant, promiscuous, and collude with inferior crowds that America has lost its traditional values that it was once so proud of..."
Cate listened to the dog barking with an expressionless face, one hand already unfastening her glove.
Derek got more and more worked up: "Especially you, an idiot who has completely abandoned honor and faith! Not only have you colluded with our enemies, you've also tainted the purity of our bloodline..."
"Hey!"
A voice suddenly sounded from behind, interrupting Derek's "long-winded speech."
He turned his head instinctively.
Then, he saw a hard and fast fist land squarely on his chin.
In an instant, his face rippled violently, and he hit the ground with a thud.
Arthur was just about to follow up with a kick, but looked down.
He saw that the guy had landed on the back of his head, unluckily hitting a protrusion on the ground, and simply rolled his eyes back and passed out.
"Who is this guy?" Arthur kicked Derek on the ground and asked, puzzled.
He had just finished his filming task. When he came out, he happened to see someone harassing Cate, and quite naturally, he delivered that blow.
Cate looked at Derek, who was acting superior just a second ago and was now sleeping peacefully the next, then looked at Arthur, her eyes carrying a hint of oddity:
"He is Derek Fowler."
"Derek Fowler... Oh, it's him."
Arthur paused for two seconds before remembering that his next opponent was this "Sleeping Beauty" on the ground.
He shrugged helplessly: "Is this guy really this weak? Who gave him the courage to challenge me?"
Cate put her glove back on. Thinking of the intel on Derekshe had learned from Shetty, and not wanting Arthur to underestimate him, she said: "Maybe he didn't have time to use his superpower."
Arthur thought of the title "Steel Immaculate."
That's true, the guy hadn't transformed into the birdless man yet.
However, Arthur had assumed that when they truly faced each other, it would be on the big stage six days later.
He didn't expect to run into him so soon.
He had even treated him like a passerby and knocked him down in one hit.
What a mess...
Arthur didn't want to perform a one-man show six days later.
He rejected Cate's proposal to finish off the opponent right now.
Arthur looked at Cate, who still had anger in her brows, and asked: "Did he just say some very unpleasant things to you?"
Cate nodded silently.
"About me?"
Cate pursed her lips.
"Alright."
Arthur decided to take some good revenge on Derek, just consider it collecting interest in advance.
Five minutes later.
With Cate covering her mouth and exclaiming "Oh my god."
On a neatly trimmed green lawn at the school, a disheveled Derek was lying motionless.
Accompanied by a boar that had just escaped from the school cafeteria, with a skin color similar to his, and eyes glowing red.
The atmosphere was one of harmony.
Chapter 25: The Boys
Derek suddenly went viral. That day, the name "Pig-Riding Warrior" spread like wildfire on social media.
On top of that, Derek was already one of the central figures in the recently hyped-up "Campus Showdown." Consequently, this duel, which was meant to be an internal event at Godolkin University, rode the wave of the "Pig-Riding Warrior" buzz and broke into the mainstream.
Not only had the number of pre-orders for this duel on the Vought International pay-per-view channel skyrocketed like a rocket to ten million, but A-Train of The Seven also made a high-profile announcement that he would be attending in person. Even rumors of Taylor Swift's interest in attending began to circulate.
Godolkin University was satisfied with this; Vought was satisfied with this; Arthur was also satisfied with this; everyone was satisfied with the result. Only Derekachieved the singular accomplishment of being heartbroken.
It was just that he was currently receiving treatment in the proctology department, leaving him no time to make public statements, nor would anyone let him. As for whether he would miss the duel, the constitution of a Metahuman is still very strong.
Even after experiencing such pain... or perhaps pleasure—after all, we are not the person involved and cannot empathize with Derek's state at the time—regardless, Derek would still be able to participate as scheduled in peak condition.
Because Derek was on sick leave, Arthur's schedule became much busier. Interviews, shooting commercials, recording shows... Aside from Hayley Miller, who didn't play by the rules and asked some questions that were clearly not agreed upon, everything else went smoothly. Just like that, seven days flashed by, and the day of the duel officially arrived.
"Arthur, we all know. A year ago, you had a serious conflict with Red Power. This even made the Los Angelesheadlines that day, right?"
"...Your memory is quite good."
"A month after this happened, Red Power was suddenly found dead in front of the Wilshire Building. What is your take on this?"
"My take? Hayley, since you care so much about this, you must have seen his autopsy report."
"Yes, excessive drug intake leading to mental confusion, and finally falling from a great height. But Arthur, don't you think this is too coincidental? Just one month after your conflict, Red Giant died?"
"What a bitch!"
On the worn-out sofa, Butcher watched Hayley Miller interviewing Arthur on TV, his mouth curling up as he commented, "What do you say, Frenchie?" He looked at the Frenchman beside him.
Frenchie, who had just come down from his high, chuckled, "Just like you, she's a totally rotten bitch! Except she's a good-looking bitch, and you're not."
Butcher's smile didn't fade, "Thanks for the compliment."
"Hey, guys, the pizza and drinks are here." The door pushed open, and Hughie returned carrying two large bags of food.
Frenchie eagerly stepped forward to help, "Our little Hughie is back."
Hughie handed over the two big bags, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but say, "Hey, can you not call me little Hughie? I'm 183cm tall."
Frenchie hurriedly promised, "No problem, little Hughie."
Hughie helplessly shook his head.
Seeing that Butcher was still watching TV, he also looked at the screen, where Arthur happened to appear on camera.
"America has about three million deaths every year. Disease, car accidents, shootings, drug overdoses, suicides, tornadoes, floods... you could be perfectly fine one second and die naturally the next. Red Giant is no exception, I am no exception, and you are no exception. The world is fickle, life is like that, Hayley, don't you think?"
"Wow, what he said makes so much sense!" Hughie stood by the TV, nodding in agreement.
Butcher got up to get a drink from the bag and said casually, "Another asshole."
Hughie looked over, puzzled, "He is Bronze. I've read quite a few reports; he has saved many people over the years."
Butcher picked up the drink, inserted a straw, turned back, and said with a tone full of sarcasm, "Yeah, our Hughie has always been A-Train's most loyal fan. Besides, Translucent, whom our Hughie blew into pieces, used to be America's sweetheart."
Hughie was speechless for a moment. But he still whispered, "There must be some Metahumans who are heroes."
"No! Metahumans are all assholes! This kid on TV, whose ass is red-hot with popularity right now, is no exception, if you only knew what he'd done before. But..."
Butcher stared closely at Arthur on TV, suddenly smiled, and said, "Tonight, we'll be this kid's fans. Get ready; tonight we're going to watch a Metahuman brawl I've been looking forward to—preferably the kind where they kill each other."
Butcher sipped his drink with great anticipation.
Hughie, hearing this, was confused, "Wait, aren't we going to investigate Popclaw?"
Frenchie leaned over to him and explained, "Tonight A-Train is going to watch that handsome kid's match on TV, and Popclaw also posted on social media that she's going to watch the match."
Hughie looked at the two, "So..."
Butcher crushed the empty drink cup and said, "So, we're going to verify if the information Translucent gave before he died is true, and observe if A-Train and Popclaw are really together."
"Anyway, this won't take up much of our time, right?"
At 7:00 that night, at the Vought International Hotel and Spa, a bright red carpet had been laid out at the hotel entrance. Luxury cars drove up in an orderly fashion and stopped at the end of the red carpet. The doors opened, and under the glare of countless flashes, socialites and big-name stars emerged.
At the same time, the Vought pay-per-view channel began its live broadcast, and accompanied by countless live comments, the number of online viewers kept hitting new highs.
In the "Campus Showdown" backstage lounge, Arthur had already arrived. He was wearing a cyan-gold combat suit, standing in front of the window, quietly watching the bustling traffic outside.
"You don't look nervous at all." Sigrid, dressed in a white women's suit and trousers today, came to Arthur's side and asked.
Arthur chuckled, "Should I be nervous?"
Sigrid recalled, "Indeed, you shouldn't be nervous." She shifted, "Do you have time tonight?"
Arthur shook his head.
Sigrid understood, "Accompanying your new girlfriend, Cate, right?"
Arthur smiled without speaking.
Sigrid was very indifferent, "Then next time. Don't tell me you're going to be wrapped around a girl's finger."
"No problem." This time, Arthur agreed readily.
"By the way, if I were you, I'd go see Cate. Her current state doesn't look like a woman about to cheer for her boyfriend. It looks more like she's done something behind your back? Who knows." Before leaving, Sigrid added a reminder.
Arthur didn't look surprised at all; he nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was planning to do."
Chapter 26: Unlocking the Heart's Knot
Kate was wearing a form-fitting black dress today, paired with black silk stockings on her long legs, her silky blonde hair flowing down, revealing a hint of indescribable allure amidst her cold, glamorous demeanor.
Seriously speaking, although silk stockings were a Western invention, in terms of presentation, they are actually more alluring when worn by Easterners.
Truly beautiful white women with good figures are actually more charming without them than with them.
Kate, however, was different.
Based on Arthur's personal experience, she had one kind of charm without them, and a completely different kind of charm when she wore them.
At this moment, Kate was pacing alone outside the corridor, her gaze drifting from time to time towards the lounge that belonged to Derek, her fingers inadvertently having already unbuttoned the cuffs of her leather gloves.
She lowered her head to check the time, her eyes fixed, and she was just about to take action.
Suddenly, the undisguised sound of footsteps from Arthurcame from behind.
Kate was startled at first, then quickly adjusted her expression, turned around, gave a sweet, intimate smile, and waved, saying: "Hey, Arthur, why did you come out?"
Arthur walked up to Kate, curled his lips, and said with a hint of teasing: "Can't help it, someone promised properly that she would bring me a hot dog and a cola, but then disappeared without a trace. I had no choice but to come out and take a look myself."
"Oh, that —" Kate immediately wore an expression of sudden realization on her face and hurriedly made an excuse, "You know, too many people have already flooded in. There are long lines in front of the hot dog and cola shops, and I... was planning to go in a little while."
Arthur didn't say anything more, just reached out and cupped Kate's slender, beautiful palms.
It wasn't the first time Kate had her hand held, so she no longer felt the initial awkwardness.
She just wondered: "Arthur, you..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her light blue pupils suddenly constricted, and she was shocked to discover that Arthur was unbuttoning her gloves.
Subconsciously, she wanted to pull her hand back.
Arthur, however, held her down, and with irresistible force, completely removed her gloves. Then, one large and one small, one strong and one slender, their ten fingers were tightly intertwined without any obstruction.
Kate's whole body shuddered violently. For the first time, her hands were in real, unhindered contact with Arthur.
In that instant, the warmth belonging to Arthur that came from his palm made her feel deeply infatuated.
But those heavy memories from the past also came surging up right after. Her eyes dimmed, and she began to struggle again, still wanting to pull her hand free.
Arthur did not let go; instead, he held on tighter. He gazed into Kate's eyes and said earnestly: "Your superpower is also a part of you, Kate. Do not fear it, do not resist it, and certainly do not hate yourself for it. Try to accept it, embrace it, and control it, rather than being enslaved by your superpower. We are the true masters of our superpowers."
Kate's eyes immediately turned red. At this moment, she didn't care how Arthur knew about her superpower.
She looked intently at Arthur, her voice trembling, carrying an inseparable fragility as she said: "But... I used it to do some very bad things, and I'm scared! I'm afraid that I will bring you bad results again..."
Human thoughts are always fickle, and even the person themselves cannot fully control them. It's like you thinking about adding salt in the previous second, and then suddenly, for no reason, thinking about adding sugar in the next.
If Kate were to take off her gloves and have unreserved, intimate contact with Arthur from then on, perhaps most of the time they would get along just fine.
But no one could be sure, including Kate herself, whether at some time or moment in the future, a random thought that she couldn't even react to in time would suddenly flash through her mind, and just like that, uncontrollably become reality through her superpower. Even if none of this was her intention. This was what Kate was truly afraid of.
To this, Arthur smiled lightly and said: "Then let's try it."
After speaking, he grabbed Kate's slightly glowing hands and placed them directly against his cheeks, saying in a relaxed tone: "Kate, use your psychic power. For example, make me kiss your lips, or kiss somewhere else. Uh, let's not be too perverted. Also, don't make it too intense; I still have to go on stage later."
Listening to Arthur's witty remarks, Kate first broke into a tearful smile, then looked at Arthur's firm opinion, seeing absolutely no disgust, unease, or vigilance in his eyes.
She finally nodded, pressed her palms against Arthur, took a deep breath, and activated her psychic superpower: "Kiss me."
Her words were law. Kate was a master of the mind; as long as her palms touched anyone, she could force the other party to obey any command, and it was effective for a long time.
In a sense, the difference between her and Professor X was that one had to use hand contact to activate her superpower, while the other had all-weather, blind-spot-free, close-medium-long range trinity mental coverage.
However, at this very moment, Kate's superpower failed. She had originally tilted her face up slightly, her eyelashes trembling, prepared to be kissed by Arthur. But when she looked up, she saw Arthur looking at her with a smile, motionless, with no intention of executing the command at all.
In an instant, Kate widened her beautiful eyes, filled with disbelief. Afterwards, her body trembled slightly, wanting to say something, but in her excitement, she couldn't get the words out for a moment.
Arthur winked at Kate: "Now, you don't have to worry anymore, right?"
Mind Shield, one of the superpowers Arthur had acquired, the best auxiliary talent for the physical side. I can't probe your mind, and don't even think about probing mine. It could be called the absolute nemesis of mind-type superpowers.
Kate, however, felt no hostility towards this at all, but instead felt a burst of joy. She was so lucky! Kate silently wept tears of joy.
Just as she was about to desperately throw herself into Arthur's arms, Arthur suddenly held her back and said again: "Although it is something worth praising for a woman to silently contribute in places a man doesn't know about. Like you, Kate, preparing to control Derek and make him lose this match. But well, if a third party is involved, the nature of it changes. Kate, you shouldn't have kept it from me."
Upon hearing this, Kate was suddenly at a loss, her eyes filled with shame and unease: "I... I am very sorry. I just wanted to help you, really."
Arthur touched Kate's pretty face, his tone softening: "It's okay, Kate, you were just confused by your concern and didn't know about my ability. But next time..."
"There won't be a next time!" Kate swore to God. Seeing this, Arthur opened his arms: "Then, what are you waiting for?"
Kate could no longer hold back and threw herself onto him with force.
Soon, crack! The wall vibrated a few times, and a series of cracks spread out like a spider web. Bang! Several small pits were stepped into the marble floor one after another. After that, a heavy door-closing sound was heard.
Arthur, carrying Kate, who had her arms and legs tightly wrapped around him and wouldn't let go, walked quickly back to the lounge.
Chapter 27: Bulletproof Boy Scouts? Are you sure they aren't girls?
"It's really lively here."
When The Boys arrived outside the hotel, Hughie's eyes widened as he scanned the building, which was plastered with massive posters of the Campus Showdown between Arthur and Derek. He then turned his gaze to the red carpet and exclaimed in surprise:
"Wow! It's Florida Georgia Line! I really like their country music. Are the two brothers performing today?"
"Oh my god! It's the cast of 'Why Women Kill'! My dad loves them!"
"Is that... the Bulletproof Boy Scouts here too?"
Butcher turned around, glanced over, and asked, "Bulletproof Boy Scouts? Are you sure they aren't girls?"
Hughie blinked in shock, saying, "Butcher, that's really offensive."
Frenchie chimed in mockingly, "Don't mind this outdated old guy; he doesn't know the first thing about fashion."
Butcher immediately retorted, "If by fashion you mean wearing a mess of makeup, dressed in burlap sacks, and carrying a plastic bag that costs over a thousand dollars, then no, I don't understand 'fashion'."
Although Frenchie was capable of murder, arson, drug manufacturing, and arms dealing, as a Frenchman, he still felt naturally compelled to defend fashion.
Just as he couldn't help but want to retort, Hughiesuddenly spoke up. He stared fixedly at the end of the red carpet, fists clenched, and said, "A-Train is here!"
It started as just a gust of wind; no one expected it at first. Then, A-Train appeared abruptly on the red carpet in his classic blue suit, waving vigorously at the surrounding crowd.
Only then did the people present react, and cheers, screams, and shouts erupted, piercing the sky. "A-Train! A-Train! A-Train..."
Watching this scene of fanatical fandom and noticing the look of indignation in Hughie's eyes, Butcher said, whether to console or add fuel to the fire:
"Do you think it's unfair and incomprehensible that A-Trainjust killed an innocent girl, yet is still adored by so many people? That's what a Superhero is, Hughie."
"I bet if A-Train had killed some other girl, you'd be standing here right now, holding a limited-edition A-Trainaction figure in one hand and drinking an A-Train energy drink in the other, cheering loudly for him just like these idiots."
Hughie fell silent. Seeing this, Butcher didn't continue.
His gaze returned to the red carpet. After A-Train finished walking the carpet in a lively, gesticulating manner, their target this time, Popclaw, also stepped onto the red carpet.
It was very obvious that her cheers were far fewer than A-Train's. Popclaw looked at A-Train's retreating back, then at her own cold reception, gritted her teeth, and hurried to follow him.
"She has a hot body; it's no surprise A-Train likes her," Frenchie commented professionally.
Hughie recovered and asked, puzzled, "If they really are boyfriend and girlfriend, why aren't they walking together?"
"Because Popclaw is a washed-up, third-rate Superhero, and A-Train is currently at the peak of his popularity. Being together wouldn't just fail to bring in revenue, it would hurt A-Train's popularity. Vought's PR and marketing department wouldn't allow it."
Butcher explained casually and signaled for everyone to move into the venue. Hughie followed, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Butcher, you're also this familiar with marketing?"
In his eyes, Butcher was a total tough guy and a jerk; he shouldn't be able to speak so articulately about celebrity popularity and gossip marketing.
Butcher paused slightly, glanced at Hughie, didn't answer, and then continued walking. Frenchie knew the truth, but this wasn't the right time. He patted Hughie's shoulder, signaling him to follow.
Hughie looked puzzled but had to hurry to catch up. However, he soon realized something was wrong: "Wait, this isn't the way to the main entrance, is it? Why are we going further and further off track?"
Without looking back, Butcher replied, "The ticket prices for this damn competition have been scalped to over a thousand dollars. If the three of us were to walk in dressed in suits and ties, looking suave like Marlon Brando, it would cost at least three thousand dollars."
"Now, Hughie, tell me, should we break in through the back door and not spend a dime? Or are you feeling generous enough to foot the bill for us?"
Butcher looked back with a grin that Hughie found exaggerated and creepy. Hughie immediately became serious: "Never mind."
He was just an ordinary appliance salesman before, and now he had even lost his job; where could he possibly pull out three thousand dollars? Fortunately, he didn't have any student debt because his grades were average, and he hadn't planned on going to college back then. Otherwise, how would he have the time to run around with Butcher, who couldn't even cover special operation expenses?
On the other side. Time was tight, the task was heavy, and people were coming and going from time to time. Arthur and Cate didn't go too far. At most, they let the self-volunteering Cate show off her hands—which were physically superior but still quite inexperienced—to help out. Only when this duel was over would it be the time for the real fruits to bloom.
At this moment, Arthur was ready to go, and Cate stood by his side, fresh as a lotus emerging from water. They weren't the only ones in the room; there was now his agent, Monica, the Godolkin University film crew led by Jeff, and staff related to the event.
"Five minutes left!" Jeff checked the time and signaled for everyone to get ready. Cate stepped forward to adjust Arthur's suit. When there were three minutes left before entering the arena, Jeff nodded and said, "Start!"
The camera immediately turned on, focusing on Arthur's face, which had just been ranked in the top 100 most handsome faces in the world in the latest issue. At this moment, the lounge door opened. The pre-show warm-up, where several major bands had performed, had just ended, and the sky-piercing roar from the duel arena rushed in like a heatwave.
Arthur nodded at Cate, then stepped forward, walking toward his stage. Not far away, Derek and his team were also setting off. Arthur glanced over. Derek didn't seem to be moping; his state of mind was quite well-adjusted.
Derek also looked over, his eyes full of vicious malice. Although no one had come forward to claim responsibility for that incident back then, and the school had brushed it off, how could he not know that the culprit behind the humiliation he recalled every time was Arthur! If the cameras weren't pointed at him right now, he would have loved to pounce on him and start fighting on the spot. However, he still coldly made a throat-slitting gesture.
Arthur smiled lightly and strode toward the duel arena. One minute left! All the lights in the incredibly heated arena went dark. Accompanied by the final ten-second countdown, the giant screens overhead and all around suddenly lit up. The promotional video for "Campus Showdown" began to play.
Chapter 28: Bronze vs. Steel Soldier
"Ding—"
A melodic hero march suddenly played, and a deep, magnetic voice-over slowly began.
"In the legendary history of Godolkin University, some showdowns ascend to become battles, some battles transform into legends, and some legends will eventually become gods. Today, that moment has arrived again!!"
On the big screen, the buildings of Godolkin Universityappeared first.
Immediately after, the screen was ignited like a raging fire, with classic showdowns that once made Godolkin University boil flashing by one after another.
Queen Maeve, now a member of The Seven, once ruthlessly slammed The Deep to the ground.
Blindspot, with his super hearing, and Eagle the Archer, with his super vision, displayed a sensory peak showdown on stage.
Polarity versus Vik.
The explosive collision between Fireman and Ice Princess...
Until today.
"Some are born with the blood of a hero in their veins; another is stubborn in their own perception, embarking on the path of a villain."
"Bronze vs. Steel Soldier."
"A new legend is born today!"
The moment the voice fell, promotional photos of Arthur and Derek wearing their respective combat suits, standing proudly opposite each other, suddenly occupied the entire big screen, completely igniting the already heated atmosphere at the venue. Cheers and roars instantly converged into a boiling ocean.
At this moment, the screen image cut sharply again:
Derek, with his whole face toward the camera, coldly declared: "Two enter, only one walks out."
Arthur's image cut in, and he smiled slightly: "This will be a wonderful showdown that showcases the strength of Godolkin University."
Derek's gaze was ferocious: "I will crush him piece by piece."
Arthur was very sincere: "I hope we can both show our best."
In the rapid, fragmented editing, Derek "defiantly" said: "I... have... lived... my... whole... life... fighting... for... myself!"
The screen returned to normal, and Arthur, with a sacred expression, said firmly: "I have lived my whole life fighting for America and to fight crime!"
"Only tonight! Vought Pay-Per-View is broadcasting for you!"
With the final GG ending, the venue lights instantly turned on fully.
The excited, high-pitched voice of the on-site host rang out:
"Let us welcome with warm applause—the former NO.1 of Godolkin University, now fallen from his throne, an avenger who will stop at nothing, even if it means selling his soul to Satan to crawl back—Steel Soldier!!"
The brilliant lights shone on Derek, who had already arrived at the entrance.
Derek walked out with an excited expression.
Having learned the painful lesson from last time when he didn't use his superpower in time and ended up being ambushed and ridden by a pig.
This time, Derek did not wait.
With every step he took, a silver luster appeared on his body, and the cheers at the scene rose along with it.
Until he officially took the stage, he had completely transformed into a flawless silver steel statue, reflecting a blinding light under the illumination, causing a gasp from the audience.
Although most of the audience were attracted by Bronze.
But Derek still had some extreme conservative fans, and added to that, after the pig-riding warrior incident, there were some animal lover fans, as well as more spectators who just wanted to see the chaos.
At this moment, the momentum he gained looked quite considerable.
Derek, who was originally worried that his popularity had plummeted, was suddenly full of confidence.
At this moment, he used an undisguised, provocative, and disdainful look to glare at the school VIP box on the second floor.
From the showdown arrangements, online publicity, to the promotional video filming, and the host's opening remarks, how could he not see that Godolkin University was blatantly favoring Arthur.
What an injustice this was!
But it didn't matter; no matter what dirty tricks you use, in the end, it's about strength.
Second-floor VIP box.
Professor Brinton had just finished chatting with his former star pupil, A-Train. At this moment, he was holding a glass of champagne and noticed this scene, his expression very calm.
For a better future, someone always has to make sacrifices.
Neither he nor the school's top management thought this was the wrong decision.
After all, this is a very simple comparison question, isn't it?
He turned his head and asked Shetty beside him in a low voice: "How is the situation with Cate?"
Shetty took a sip of wine and smiled slightly: "It was completed successfully."
"That's good." Professor Brinton raised the champagne in his hand and toasted Shetty slightly.
Shetty also raised her glass and returned the salute elegantly.
Everything seemed to be under control.
In fact, it was Arthur who told Cate to reply this way.
First, he didn't want Shetty and the others to see that one thing didn't work and then act on their own to cause more trouble.
Second, it was also to maintain the connection between Cate and the school, to see if there would be any surprises in the future.
At this moment, Derek, who was promoted as the villain, had finished his entrance.
What followed, naturally, was the protagonist of this showdown.
The host took a deep breath, and with a higher, more eager, and more respectful tone, dragging out a long tail note, with veins bulging on his neck, shouted to everyone at the scene:
"Next, let us welcome with the most enthusiastic cheers and applause—the pioneer of Godolkin University history! The true king! The defender of honor! The one sought after by the masses! Godolkin University's NO.1! America's well-deserved true Superhero! Bro—nze—"
Roar!!!
The hotel seemed to be experiencing an earthquake.
The moment thousands of brilliant lights fell from the ceiling, completely illuminating the figure in the blue-gold combat suit at the entrance.
The decibel level at the scene broke its peak value in an instant and continued to climb crazily with an unstoppable momentum.
Not only that, in almost a breath, all the roars and screams in the venue quickly converged into a uniform, deafening shout.
"Bronze!! Bronze!! Bronze!!"
The momentum was so huge that it was clearly audible even half a street away from the hotel.
Infected by the atmosphere at the scene, Hughie, who had successfully jumped the queue to enter, also shouted excitedly a few times.
It wasn't until Butcher gave him a meaningful glance that he realized what he was doing and quickly shut his mouth in embarrassment.
"Don't forget our mission this time."
Butcher curled his lip and continued to hold his binoculars in the crowd, looking toward A-Train's position.
Just then, Popclaw walked over, stood beside A-Train, and looking at the figure on the field who was the center of attention, said with envy:
"He is really famous! Isn't he?"
A-Train subconsciously scanned left and right quickly.
Even though no one was paying attention here.
He still hurriedly put on a polite and distant expression and said:
"Yeah."
A-Train was here under his agent's arrangement, specifically to appear at this highly anticipated Campus Showdown, using the event's fame to make up for his reputation after accidentally killing a civilian.
Only he hadn't expected that Popclaw would actually tag along.
Chapter 29 Stormfront was Right
After pretending not to know her and chatting for a few sentences, A-Train finally lost his patience, covered his mouth, and lowered his voice to tell Popclaw to leave immediately.
During that time, who knows what else the two of them said.
Popclaw eventually walked away with an angry look on her face.
Butcher was just about to continue his pursuit.
The cheers in the arena suddenly reached a new level; countless people jumped up from their seats, blocking his view.
Butcher had no choice but to lower his binoculars and look in that direction.
Unlike Derek, who walked onto the stage step by step.
With all eyes on him, Arthur spread his arms, and amidst the cheers of thousands, his feet slowly left the ground, lifting him into the air.
Immediately after. Boom— He transformed into a streak of cyan-gold lightning, flying rapidly in a circle, hugging the oval spectator stands.
The fierce gust of wind swept across the faces of the audience, triggering a series of excited screams so shrill they broke the sound barrier.
Finally, a deafening sonic boom exploded in mid-air.
Arthur's figure, almost like a teleportation, descended from the sky, landing steadily in the center of the massive stage with one knee slightly bent.
The next second, the noise from the crowd reached a new high.
Butcher watched all of this with cold eyes.
Just now, Arthur had flown so low that he whistled past at a distance of less than a foot from him.
"Quite the showman, aren't you, big star?" He said with a smirk.
Right now, if anyone in the entire arena was the most jealous and burning with rage, it was naturally Derek.
The cheers here should have belonged only to him, but they had been stolen by Arthur.
And there was the Godolkin University No. 1 spot that originally belonged to him, the envy from his classmates, the praise from professors, and the crazy pursuit from major brands...
Oh right, that frigid bitch Sigrid also seems to have gotten together with this damn guy in front of him.
Everything, absolutely everything, should have belonged to him.
It was Arthur!
This Chinese hick he looked down upon!
He used despicable means to shamelessly take everything away.
What was most hateful was that America had traitors! There were turncoats!
Their tentacles were everywhere, having now penetrated the upper echelons of Godolkin University, Vought, and the deep state that controlled everything.
What they were most keen on destroying were true patriots like himself—people with deep roots, truly raised on American soil, who grew up reading the Bible by the fireplace, firmly supported gun rights, and opposed abortion!
Everything Stormfront said online was right!
Foreign species like Arthur, and accomplices like Brink and Shetty, must be physically eliminated!
The killing intent in Derek's eyes grew stronger and stronger.
He simply didn't wait for the sound signaling the start of the match.
"Go to hell! You bastard!"
Boom! Derek took a heavy step forward, his whole body like a heavy tank running at full power.
The stage, which had been paved with one-meter-thick steel plates, buckled under his foot like mud, instantly forming a deep footprint.
With a "boom," Derek lunged fiercely toward Arthur.
Seeing this scene, gasps erupted from the audience stands.
In the blink of an eye, they saw the silver steel man appear in front of Arthur, and judging by his posture, he looked ready to tear him to pieces in the next second.
Arthur was not surprised by Derek's sneak attack.
Derek, whose speed was super fast in the eyes of ordinary people, was just average in his view.
Arthur pivoted on his feet, dodged to the side, and easily avoided Derek's lunge.
Before Derek could turn around, he clenched his fingers, and amidst the shrieking of the air under immense pressure, he struck a lightning-fast punch directly at Derek's chest.
The surrounding audience hadn't even seen what happened when they heard a bell-like sound that echoed throughout the arena, making people instinctively cover their ears.
Arthur's fist landed on Derek's chest, cast of silver steel, and the moment they collided, it sounded like metal striking metal.
However, despite the massive impact, neither Derek's chest nor Arthur's fist suffered any injury, not even a hint of reddened skin.
"Go to hell!"
Although Derek wasn't injured, he still felt the pain.
He twisted his body violently, and his left arm, like a giant iron pendulum, swept over with a howling wind.
Godolkin University's School of Crime Fighting had specialized combat training courses.
Although Derek didn't have much real combat experience, his every move was by the book.
Arthur didn't even look, simply kicking out with his foot.
Bang!! Derek stumbled and fell to his knees; his left arm, which had been sweeping toward Arthur, slammed into the solid steel floor, causing the metal to twist and break like a pretzel, instantly creating a pit the length of an arm.
Screech— A grating sound of metal grinding, which was very uncomfortable to hear, rang out on the stage.
Derek pulled his unscathed left arm out from under the floor, cursing as he did so: "Coward! Chicken! You only know how to act like a monkey..."
Before he could finish, his chin took a heavy punch.
Before his head could tilt, another punch came from the other side.
"Fuck!"
Derek was enraged by shame; he stopped caring about anything and swung his left arm, still covered in some metal shavings, directly at Arthur.
This time it didn't miss. However... Snap!
Arthur grabbed with his five fingers in mid-air, firmly pinning down Derek's left arm.
Before the latter could even change his expression, Arthursmiled at him lightly. After glancing at the smooth area below, for the first time since taking the stage, he spoke: "Stainless steel."
Derek panicked instantly.
In the audience stands, Butcher, who had been through many battles and had countless lives on his hands, watched the fight on stage—which wasn't particularly refined but was shocking enough—and said with a rather gloomy mood: "Two bastards who shouldn't exist in this world!"
For humans, the existence of Metahumans was simply an invincible "god."
Beside him, a look of deep lingering fear appeared on Hughie's face.
Watching the two Metahumans clash on the field and thinking of Translucent, who died at his own hands, he truly realized at this moment how lucky they were to have been able to take down Translucent back then.
Just look at the performance of those two on the stage. With such thick steel plates on the ground, even if he used all his strength to punch them, he wouldn't be able to damage them in the slightest, and would instead end up with his own flesh and blood a mess.
Yet at this moment, Arthur's five fingers were able to pierce into the steel plate as if it were tofu. Then, he acted as if he were shaking out a carpet.
Hughie widened his eyes, clearly seeing Arthur's palm inserted into the steel plate give a tug, and the ground suddenly rolled like waves, instantly pulling out a long strip of steel plate "carpet" amidst the ear-piercing sound of twisted metal.
Derek was on top of it, and losing his balance, he had to stop his forward momentum.
Then, Hughie saw Arthur lift the thick steel plate, which was larger than a person. Bang! Bang! Bang! As if swatting a mosquito, he smashed it onto Derek's head over and over again.
If it were him, he would probably have been smashed into a pulp after just one hit.
Thinking of this, Hughie looked at the dizzy Derek again and felt a deep sense of sympathy for this "Pig-Riding Warrior."
Chapter 30: You Disappoint Me
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like playing Whac-A-Mole, Arthur grabbed a large steel plate with one hand and slammed it repeatedly against Derek's forehead.
There was one good thing about Derek's superpower: it came with a bit of "super armor."
No matter how hard you hit him, he wouldn't easily go flying.
Because of this, Arthur didn't need to change positions; he could just stand there and keep wailing on him.
After a dozen blows, that thick steel plate finally couldn't take it anymore and shattered into a dozen pieces with a "crack."
Several sharp shards, propelled by the immense force, spun and flew outwards at high speed.
They were on the verge of clearing the guardrail and plunging into the audience, which would have caused a tragedy.
Suddenly, those shards came to an abrupt halt in mid-air.
Then, as if kneaded by an invisible hand, amidst a teeth-gritting sound of metal being crushed, they rapidly collapsed, merged, and finally condensed into a smooth little steel ball that landed slowly in the palm of a middle-aged Black man at the edge of the arena.
Polarity, a magnetic superpower user and now a member of the Godolkin University board of directors, was there that day to ensure site safety.
Arthur glanced at him, then withdrew his gaze, dropped the remnants of the steel plate, and strode toward Derekamidst the wildly excited cheers and shouts of everyone present.
Derek's head was still shiny, looking exactly like a silver braised egg.
But he was still completely dazed.
However, upon seeing Arthur arrive like a blur, he shook his head vigorously and threw a silver fist in defiance.
This time, Arthur had no intention of dodging.
He hadn't forgotten that there were not only thousands of people on-site, but also tens of millions watching on TV and the internet.
To Derek, this was a battle of revenge.
Yet in essence, in his eyes—and in the eyes of Godolkin University and Vought—it was a rare promotional opportunity.
Since it was a promotion, it naturally needed to be showcased from multiple angles.
Arthur had already demonstrated his skill level to the thousands of viewers, but now it was time to present the most blood-pumping, hardcore, and direct confrontation—the kind most loved by the locals in America.
Bang!
Derek landed a solid punch squarely on Arthur's chest.
This was the first time since the fight began.
Just as the on-site spectators couldn't help but gasp in shock.
Arthur smiled calmly, completely unaffected, and immediately returned a punch.
Clang!
Derek's head jerked to the right, and then a fierce look appeared on his face as he threw a punch at Arthur's head in return.
Arthur calmly took the punch, without even a single bruise on his face.
His expression remained unchanged as his right fist, carrying a gust of wind, struck out again.
One punch! Two punches! Three punches!
It was clearly nothing more than a simple, unadorned exchange of blows.
Yet at this moment, it made the audience on-site and in front of their screens instantly blood-pumping, their pulses racing, unable to control themselves, as they all stood up one after another.
For the time that followed, they all widened their eyes, blood rushing to their faces, subconsciously gasping for air, staring intensely at this fight that had no other elements—just fists meeting flesh, striking at the very core of everyone's heart, igniting the raw, naked side of violence that had been passed down in human genes since ancient times.
Ten punches! Eleven punches! Twelve punches!... Twenty punches!
Finally, after a deafening, insane exchange of punches that far exceeded the limits of normal human strength.
Derek was gasping for air, unable to hold on any longer, and stumbled back two steps.
Roar!! The scene instantly erupted into chaos.
The unscathed Arthur smiled and cracked his neck, then moved his feet, immediately following up. In Derek's panicked gaze, he struck again with his right fist, his strength undiminished, aiming straight for his face.
Clang! It was the same collision sound, only this time, one side was clearly sounding weaker.
Derek was knocked back again.
Seeing this, the cheers of thousands rang out again.
Before Derek could steady himself, Arthur pressed the attack.
One hit, two hits, three hits.
As the two moved back and forth, Derek became increasingly weak.
It was clear he was about to be forced off the stage.
Arthur suddenly reached out with his fingers, grabbed Derekby the throat, and lifted him up bit by bit, a look of disappointment on his face as he said:
"Out of energy so soon? You disappoint me."
"Urgh—"
The look in Derek's eyes as he stared at Arthur was no longer arrogant or defiant; he struggled desperately, trying to break free, but found he couldn't do it at all.
A strong sense of fear surged into his heart.
Glory, superior race, chosen one—none of that mattered at this moment.
Derek hurriedly tried to surrender and beg for mercy, but the words couldn't come out:
"Urgh—uh—"
Watching Derek's expression, which was more panicked than a rabbit's and on the verge of tears, Arthur shook his head and tightened his fingers around Derek's neck.
The next second, he slammed him down onto the ground with force.
Boom!
The already dilapidated floor was smashed into a large crater.
It wasn't over yet.
Arthur lifted Derek up again, and like a toy being casually kneaded, slammed him onto the ground again and again.
Accompanying this, the atmosphere at the scene reached its peak.
Arthur saw it all.
It was time to finish it.
He lifted Derek up again, moved behind him, and then...
Arthur let go with his fingers, then immediately wrapped his right arm tightly around Derek's neck, with the inside of his forearm pressing against his throat, while his left hand locked tightly behind Derek's head.
The next instant.
The muscles in his arms tightened, and he exerted force, squeezing Derek with all his might.
Derek looked panicked, struggling in vain, and could only watch helplessly as he felt his neck crack.
With his carotid arteries compressed and blocked, blood flow to his brain was quickly cut off, though he held on a bit longer than an ordinary person.
A dozen seconds later, Derek's eyelids grew heavy, and he passed out completely.
Arthur did not stop there.
He lowered his eyelids to hide the killing intent within and exerted force with his arms once more.
Crack!
The sound of cervical vertebrae shattering, audible only to him, rang out.
Derek was completely silent.
Arthur released his hands, letting him collapse limply to the ground.
"Let us congratulate the final winner of this legendary duel with the most enthusiastic cheers and applause—Bronze—"
The host at the scene shouted loudly at this moment.
Thousands of spectators cheered the name "Bronze" in unison, the sound waves soaring straight into the sky.
Golden confetti fell from the sky, instantly covering the entire venue.
Arthur raised his right hand high, savoring the taste of victory at this moment.
At the same time, he caught a glimpse of Derek's corpse being lifted onto a stretcher.
A dead "Patriot" is a good patriot.
Arthur had no interest in letting an extremist he had offended to the core go free.
This duel was the perfect opportunity.
Even if he killed him, it would just be considered an accidental overuse of force and wouldn't have any repercussions.
After all, it wasn't as if fatalities hadn't occurred in past Godolkin University duels.
Furthermore, Arthur felt the newly absorbed energy within his body.
He still had to thank Derek in the end for letting him score again.
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Change name to Arthur