Chapter 3: Just Like Those Years

  When the "Inferno Challenge" consisting of a magical puppet, two senior puppets and eight intermediate puppets appeared on the training ground, it immediately caused a not small commotion in the stands. Many students thought that they would soon see the Storm Queen's personal skills.

  However, the one who walked into the training ground was not the figure with a head of bright red hair, but a black-haired and black-eyed youth.

  His thin physique, the unremarkable long sword in his hand, and that unreliable shield made one feel that a single charge from an intermediate puppet would be enough to send him flying.

  The faces of the several aristocratic sons in the delegation changed instantly. In their opinion, this was undoubtedly a difficult method chosen by Feena to avoid spies being mixed into the small team, and it was a destruction of the rules of the aristocratic game. The quick-witted ones immediately sent someone out to spread the word, preparing to call for reinforcements to apply pressure immediately.

  Not paying attention to the small movements of her opponents at all, Feena simply gazed quietly at the calm youth in the arena.

  The youth of this moment is like a completely different person, like a sharp sword out of its scabbard, dazzling and unable to be looked at directly.

  After twenty years of ups and downs, fighting had become as natural to Mide as breathing. The moment he grasped his sword, he fully entered a state of selflessness, no longer calculating gains or losses, no longer looking back. All that remained in his heart was the yearning for victory.

  "Let you all see, my swordsmanship, my power, and...my determination." Midy said softly, scanning the students on the platform with different thoughts.

  In front of him, these eleven puppets were arranged in a rational and orderly manner, with distinct levels and divisions of labor.

  Among them, eight intermediate puppets played the role of meat shields. They were adjusted to the combat method of Ox-Headed Human Vanguard and possessed skills with high mobility and charging attacks.

  Two upper-level people have the dual characteristics of assistance and escort. On the one hand, they inherited the agility of the fluorescent cat demon, and the skill of double claw strikes is quite a headache even for old hands. On the other hand, what's even more frightening is that these close combat capable guys not only have recovery skills but can also recover from each other.

  As for that magical puppet, it was made in reference to the variant of Flame Beast, possessing the skill of Fire Meteor. This magic attack has a long range and great power, with an additional flame splash effect, which can be said to be a one-hit kill for Mide at this time.

  Head-on confrontation with this combination is quite difficult, even for a transfer student. Even in the heyday of the Magic Academy, it is said that less than 5% of students could complete this challenge before the trial.

  Out of a hundred people, only five can withstand the scorching flames.

  But it is precisely because of this that there is value in going to challenge.

  Under the gaze of everyone's astonishment, Midie threw down that heavy shield and switched to holding a sword with both hands.

  The next moment, he shot out like an arrow off the string without any hesitation!

  "What, in this situation, he actually took the initiative to attack?"

  Everyone cried out in surprise. Although the puppet could stop moving immediately, its inertia couldn't be stopped. In Midy's current state, if he was hit by a sudden attack, the best outcome would be a fracture. This battle was no longer safe.

  "Are you going to give up on everything? Do you want to commit suicide?" Lillian snorted, glancing at Siegmond, but the blond gunman just shrugged, apparently unable to read Middy's intentions either.

  "It's interesting." Fina murmured softly, as a student who had completed the Flame Challenge multiple times, she was very clear about what actions the puppets would take next.

  So, how should this little rascal who likes to launch a surprise attack be dealt with?

  Unconsciously, the Storm Queen's line of sight had already been unable to move away.

  The iron joints emitted a metallic grinding sound, and the eight mid-level puppets lowered their centers of gravity in unison as they launched a sudden attack against Midy.

  The seemingly clumsy person suddenly accelerated to a speed that was completely opposite of his body shape, like a cannonball shot out of the barrel, bringing up waves of fierce winds in the air and raising high clouds of dust on the ground. Eight straight lines, like long spears projected, locked onto Middy's position.

  In an instant, the earth seemed to have trembled with that one unstoppable step.

  If it were someone else, they would have been overwhelmed by the torrential attack. However, Middy's expression remained calm as ever, as if the eight steel giants charging towards him were just a winter breeze.

  He not only didn't slow down, but instead burst into an even faster speed, charging head-on towards the eight puppets. In the instant when both sides were about to collide, Mide's feet suddenly made a swift and fierce movement, like a white light, lightly folding in.

  At this moment, time seems to stand still.

  At the moment when everyone came to their senses, the black-haired youth who they thought had been smashed beyond recognition was actually unscathed and slipped through the gap between the eight people's charge!

  Sigmund and Lilian, who had initially predicted that Midy would be frightened into surrendering immediately, exchanged a glance with each other, their eyes filled with shock. They were proud of themselves and had high standards, but it was precisely because of this that they could understand just how extraordinary the other person's actions were.

  In the end, Mide's technique is not complicated. The speed of the skill "突进攻击" (Rush Attack) is indeed very fast, and for non-transcendence players below level 20, it is impossible to dodge. However, it also has a weakness - after activation, it cannot change direction and can only move in a straight line. As long as you predict the trajectory of the dolls' advance at the moment they activate their skills, you can easily dodge, and you don't even need to flash, just stand in a position that won't be affected in advance.

  But this is only a theoretical response. In actual combat, the sand and dust kicked up, the number of enemies, various noises and shouts, inner fears and anxieties, etc., will all affect the true outcome.

  Man is not a machine, facing an overwhelming offensive, who can remain unmoved?

  But that legendary silk did it, and not only did it, but also did it beautifully.

  "Huuu..." The red-haired girl's relaxed sigh broke the silence between the three.

  Fina lazily leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes like a cat, no longer looking at the figure on the training ground that had brought them great shock.

  "Are you not interested, Miss Feena?" Siegmond found it somewhat strange. Logically speaking, the neat and swift dodge from earlier should have piqued the Storm Queen's interest.

  "It's unnecessary now, the outcome is already decided." Fina replied simply.

  As Fina said, Mide's dodge this time not only avoided the strongest killing move launched by eight intermediate puppets in collaboration, but also directly broke through the defensive line of the meat shields and easily reached the core position of the formation where two advanced puppets were located.

  From the start, his goal was these two fluorescent cat beast puppets that could use recovery techniques.

  Although it was one-on-two, the movements of the 16th-level puppets were slightly stiffer than those of the mutated monsters. To Mide, who had experienced a second awakening, they seemed almost stationary. Mide could easily predict their every move. In an instant, Mide effortlessly grasped the rhythm of the battle, dodged the puppets' two-stage attacks, and closed in to nearly point-blank range.

  In the instant he brushed past the puppet, he inverted his grip on the long sword and, without even turning around, accurately sent the blade into the gap between the puppet's arm and body, stabbing all the way through and directly destroying the puppet's core mechanism.

  This high-level puppet didn't even have a chance to use its recovery skill before being one-shot killed.

  In less than twenty seconds, the second high-level humanoid also fell to the ground, with a crack in the center of its forehead continuously radiating sparks.

  Without the meat shield of the Shield and the agility of the Vanguard, the magical puppet that can't open up distance is hard to exert its powerful Meteor attack, not even considered a threat.

  With the momentum of his entire body and the acceleration of inertia, Miti unleashed a majestic slash at the target that was not agile in movement. Although it did not contain any ghostly power, the sword's edge, full of majesty, easily broke through the flame defense shield and directly severed the weak neck of the puppet, separating its head from its body.

  With the dull thud of steel meeting steel, the battle was completely devoid of suspense.

  When the last automaton finally stopped working, Middy sheathed his long sword and then naturally waved at the red-haired girl on the observation deck, followed by a relaxed smile.

  There is no special meaning in this, it's purely out of habit.

  For years, every time after a victorious battle, he would use this method to show his most beloved woman that "all is well".

  So this time, Mide also showed a smile.

  Just like in those days.