"Come with me. I need to give you urgent details about the opponents you're about to face."
Mr. Lee grinned, then gestured toward the dark section of the room they were in. Without waiting for a word from Leon, he began moving.
Leon stood there, watching as if they were walking straight into a pit of no return. Slowly, he followed Mr. Lee.
The moment they moved out of the light, Mr. Lee took out a data-pad that pulsed with a different list—different from the one he had once given to Leon.
"All the opponents you're about to face are above the normal awakened students you've seen." Mr. Lee paused, scrolled through the list of names on the data-pad, and stopped when he stumbled upon a name marked in green ink.
"All these names marked in this color are those who have gone through their third awakening." He paused and lifted his head above Leon.
"What does that mean? Are they special or what? And if they've gone through their third awakening, what do they possess?" Leon asked in a low tone that at first seemed to carry no weight.
But as Mr. Lee gazed back at him, he smiled. "Those with that were not supposed to be added to these Alchemania Preliminary Trials, which are used to select warriors and push them into the world at large."
Just as the words faded, sweat beaded on Leon's face so heavily it looked as if he had just been retrieved from the depths of the sea.
"What? Then why were they added if they possess such powers?" The moment Leon's voice came out, Mr. Lee tapped his shoulder, alerting him it was time to go and face his next opponent for the day.
"The fight you're about to fight is not like the one you just managed to survive. The person you're up against is one of those marked with the green light." Mr. Lee paused and pushed Leon forward.
"Don't waste any chance you get. Make sure you do your best to survive," Mr. Lee whispered, then turned away and walked through the door.
'Should I just forfeit this fight? What kind of power and ability would Malphas possess?' Leon thought as he opened the door to the platform.
As he walked onto the platform, his eyes searched the other side, checking and waiting for Malphas.
The crowd's voices rose again, hurling insults and death cries at Leon.
"Hey, Leon Storm! Let's see the color of your mind before you get mashed by the fourth god among us!"
"Make sure you run out before the barrier closes, else you won't be able to do so when he steps on the platform."
"Look—here he comes!"
Cheers surged as Leon saw the other door open wide. Then, from its depths, a guy even skinnier than Leon erupted from the darkness.
The manner in which the guy placed his steps alone sent chills through Leon's bones, causing a foul warmth to spread down his legs and soak through his trousers.
In shame, Leon tried to run off the platform stiffly. But as he turned, he noticed the door had been blocked.
The crowd's laughter surged again as Leon roamed about the closed platform.
Then, as he turned, he saw Malphas staring at him, smiling.
As he touched the liquid that had stained his trousers, his heart calmed when he realized it had no foul smell—only the smell of his own sweat.
"Are you the one who always gets training from the proctor?" Malphas shouted, placing his hand in his pocket while tapping the ground with his foot.
Hearing the words, Leon didn't reply. He just shook his head, denying it. But the moment he did, Malphas grinned.
Even with the grin, Leon felt sharp air flew past him, carrying the weight of a thousand punches.
"I know everything. I know you've been secretly practicing Tai Chi with Corporal Lee—the proctor who secretly teaches you." Malphas pulled his hands out and stretched.
'How does he know about the teaching Mr. Lee has been giving me? Who is he?' Leon thought as he tried to understand the very person he was about to face.
The moment the proctor's signal came, Malphas changed his stance, opening his legs wide. Before Leon could realize it, Malphas was standing in front of him.
Leon's eyes widened instantly, seeing him just an inch away. It looked as if time stopped the moment Malphas stretched his legs.
As Leon trembled, Malphas placed his lips at Leon's ear and whispered: "Run!"
The smile alone made Leon stumble back and begin to run like a madman.
Even as Leon ran, he saw Malphas standing at every angle he thought to turn to. Because of that, Leon ended up with confused, tear-soaked eyes and a frantic mind.
Finding no place of escape, Leon stopped at the center of the platform. He bent down, placed his hands on his knees, and began breathing heavily.
Then, as he raised his head, trying to see where Malphas actually stood, he saw something that made the little courage in him die instantly.
It wasn't the angle, nor was it the crowd; instead, it was the multiple versions of Malphas circling him.
Leon whirled around in confusion. Every instinct in him tried its best to make him faint and collapse, but another part of him urged him to fight.
Malphas's laughter echoed, sounding like musical instruments, as his other versions mimicked the same action.
Then, slowly, the versions began vanishing, one after another—until only the real one was left.
"Have you stopped? Run out of breath like a baby?!" His voice echoed again, but this time, Leon didn't run. Instead, he froze as he saw an eye that resembled his father's among the crowd.
As Leon focused on the eye, his father's voice echoed in his mind:
The power inside you is far more dangerous and stronger than any other power in this realm. Prove yourself—not to anyone, but to yourself.
In that instant, Leon's fist clenched. Then, trembling, he turned toward Malphas.
As soon as he locked eyes with him, Malphas laughed. "This is impossible! You're the first to stare me in the eye like that. I guess I now have a challenger."
Malphas gave a grim smile, then surged toward Leon like light.