Early the next morning, as Charles stepped out of the dormitory, ready to grab some breakfast, he was surprised to find Catherine waiting quietly at the door.
A few passing students glanced over and whispered to each other, "Who is Catherine waiting for?"
"Come on, who else could it be? It's obviously the genius blacksmith and alchemist, Charles!"
"That's true; their relationship is the closest. It makes me so envious."
"Of course, I envy Catherine! With Charles around, she'll never have to worry about equipment or miracle drugs. It's just so enviable!"
"Now that you mention it, you're right!"
The murmurs floated into Catherine's ears. She had never thought about equipment or miracle drugs; she simply enjoyed being with Charles.
Before she met Celestine, training and combat had been the most important things in her heart, with Charles coming in a close second.
Now, Catherine felt uncertain; she couldn't decide which was more important—combat training or Charles.
"Good morning! Why didn't you go to the training room this morning?" Charles asked, puzzled. He knew that in the past, Catherine would wake up early to train before having breakfast.
Catherine shook her head and replied, "I didn't go; I woke up late this morning."
Hearing something so unbelievable, Charles couldn't help but ask, "Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"
Catherine didn't answer. Instead, she turned and walked ahead of Charles toward the dining hall.
"Hey, wait for me!" Charles, despite his confusion, hurried to catch up with her.
What he didn't see was the faint blush that lingered on Catherine's face. She had been thinking about Charles until three or four in the morning before finally falling asleep.
This was certainly something she couldn't tell Charles.
After they finished eating, they made their way to the competition venue.
Charles could clearly feel the students around him constantly watching, some even pulling out their phones to take pictures from a distance.
This was the downside of fame; he was the center of attention everywhere he went.
It wasn't long before the matchups were announced.
To Charles's surprise, he wasn't matched against Catherine or the second princess, Camilla, but rather someone he had never heard of before named Kayden.
He hadn't come across that name in the previous matches; it seemed he was a dark horse.
Charles shook off some of his fatigue; today's competition was far more intense than before. Now, only he, Catherine, Camilla, and that Kayden remained, all with perfect winning records.
Originally, the son of the great general, Zachary, could have been among them, but unfortunately, his luck ran out when he faced Catherine.
"The match is about to begin; all contestants, please get ready," the referee called out loudly.
Charles and his opponent, Zhu Zhiyu, stepped into the arena.
"I didn't expect to run into you," Kayden said, his demeanor relaxed.
Compared to Catherine and Camilla, Charles, a level three Beast Master, seemed easier to deal with. He continued, "Sorry, bro, but you're stopping here. No need to face those two after me."
Charles wasn't concerned. Kayden was not as simple as he appeared; from the moment he entered the arena, Kayden kept a straight face, standing in the corner furthest from Charles. It was also the most vulnerable spot, the easiest place to be knocked out of the match.
Clearly, this person had absolute confidence in his strength and had studied Charles's matches, knowing he liked to use speed and physical strength to end fights quickly.
"Match officially begins!"
As expected, with the referee's announcement, Kayden immediately summoned three mystical beasts:
——[Split Field Triangle Cattle]——
[Skills]: Horn Charge, Rock Armour, Split Trampling, Soil Thorn
[Weakness]: Lightning
[Skills]: Trap Dig, Quick Hole Drilling, The Claw Swings, Underground Raid
[Skills]: Bear Roar!, Bear Paw Punch, Rock Armor, Rapid Regeneration
[Weakness]: Lightning
Charles's internal information indicated that Kayden's mystical beasts were all above level thirty, clearly making him a level four Beast Master!
No other students had mentioned him during their discussions, suggesting he had deliberately concealed his strength, waiting for the finals to make a stunning appearance.
As Charles had anticipated, at the very moment the match began, Kayden commanded the Split Field Triangle Cattle to use Split Trampling. He had studied Charles's matches and was well-prepared, intending to use Split Trampling to alter the terrain and disrupt Charles's advance.
As long as Charles was affected by Split Trampling, his Digging Rat and Rock Bear could easily seal the match!
Unfortunately, Charles had already anticipated Kayden's intentions. At the start of the match, he summoned Max, Mia, and Mousie, but did not take any further action.
"What! Why isn't Charles attacking me? Is he giving up on the match?" Kayden thought instinctively, without considering any deeper layers to the situation. He had no idea that Charles had guessed his thoughts almost perfectly from the moment he entered the arena!
Meanwhile, some observant students in the audience noticed that Charles's mystical beasts seemed different and remarked,
"Wait a minute, I remember Charles summoning a Steel Warhorse in a previous match."
"One, two, three, plus the Steel Warhorse—four mystical beasts? Is Charles a level four Beast Master?"
"No, it's that mystical beast on his shoulder; it must have a special skill!"
True to form, the students of Cyber Academy had deep knowledge of Beast Mastery, and they quickly figured out Mousie's skill.
"Mousie, use Mimetic Illusion to project Max!" Charles commanded.
Before everyone's eyes, two identical Maxes appeared in the arena!
Kayden, experienced in battle, quickly regrouped his three earth-type mystical beasts after his initial plan failed, surrounding himself with them.
"Charles, that was just luck; it won't be so easy next time!" Kayden shouted, believing that Charles's earlier success was merely a stroke of luck.
The Split Field Triangle Cattle and Rock Bear activated their defensive skills, while the Digging Rat vanished, replaced by a large hole in the ground, clearly having used Quick Hole Drilling to set up an ambush!
Charles remained calm as both Maxes attacked, their skills striking Kayden's mystical beasts and leaving deep wounds. However, within just a few breaths, the wounds began to sprout granulation tissue, rapidly healing themselves.
"Charles, your ice spikes are useless; you might as well just admit defeat. It'll be worse if you get hurt later," Kayden advised.
Charles ignored him and commanded both Maxes to continue using Ice Pick Throwing.
As time passed, the tremors beneath their feet grew more pronounced; the missing Digging Rat was likely preparing to launch an attack.
"Alright, it's my turn now!" Charles had never intended to defeat Kayden's mystical beasts with Ice Pick Throwing from the start.
Beneath the two earth-type mystical beasts stood countless broken ice spikes, but no one noticed that those scattered ice shards were gathering at their feet, trapping them!
"Mousie!" Charles commanded, and Mousie immediately canceled the projection of Max.
Quick Travel activated!
Charles's figure darted forward like a phantom, closing in on Kayden rapidly.
Kayden was just about to instruct his two mystical beasts to block the attack when he realized they couldn't move from their positions in time!
"Damn it, when did this happen? Those weren't useless attacks; they were all preparations for Charles's advance!" Kayden thought, not having time to hesitate. He decisively summoned his fourth mystical beast!
——Mutated Rock Bear——
Attribute: Earth, Poison
Skills: Rock Armor, Bear Paw Punch, Paralytic Gas, Frenzy
The moment the Mutated Rock Bear appeared, a green gas erupted from its mouth, covering a third of the arena in an obscuring haze.
Kayden was not worried about losing; for him, the moment the Mutated Rock Bear was summoned, the match was already over!
Charles, charging at him, would have no defenses and could never suspect that Kayden was a level four Beast Master with a fourth mystical beast that had dual attributes: Earth and Poison!
The Paralytic Gas would render any enemy rigid and unable to move if they were even slightly contaminated; Charles wouldn't be able to escape!
"It's time to end this!"
Although the Paralytic Gas was released quickly, its duration lasted only a few breaths.
However, by the time the green gas dissipated, Charles's figure had disappeared!
Kayden's pupils dilated in shock. He couldn't react for a moment and was left bewildered—where had Charles gone?
Charles emerged from the shadows without a word, locking his arms around Kayden's neck. With a sudden burst of strength from his waist, he hurled the still-dazed Kayden backward, sending him out of the arena.
"Match over; the winner is Charles!" The referee announced swiftly, clearly surprised, for as an observer, he understood how Charles had achieved this victory.