Chapter 98 - One Against Four

Requesting a spar against the four other trainees in his group, Aldrin was naturally mistaken as an arrogant bastard, especially by Clark.

As soon as Janet granted his request, Clark produced a real spear – not a byproduct of his Concept – as he lunged towards Aldrin.

"Just because you won once or twice and hailed as the strongest trainee of ours doesn't warrant you to be this arrogant! Allow me to remove that smug expression on your face! Also… leave Irina alone!"

Although his first words were valid points, his real thought still spilled out in the end. The guy was still too obsessed over his childhood friend who was more troubled than flattered by his affection.

He picked a spear as his weapon and another spear as his Concept. That's because of the Spear Art he trained from a young age. The Energy Refiner Lineage he hailed from was master of the spear. Picking their Concepts that could aid that certain Spear Art.

Even if there were the cannons that could be mounted on Metadomes, they're for a horde of Rift Monsters or those they could easily annihilate. But against experts or those similar in strength, they'd be sitting ducks if everything they knew was to fire some guns and cannons.

Even those specializing in long-range combat would still train themselves in close combat after all.

"Am I arrogant? If that's what you think then so be it… But, isn't it about time to give up on Irina? She's my woman now." Aldrin responded in kind and intentionally irked the guy further.

With the cheapest sword in his hand, Aldrin matched Clark's movements and met him midway. Using the sword to deflect his spear, Aldrin kicked him right in his stomach, sending him flying away.

He requested to spar with them but it's not because of his arrogance. He just wanted to experience it first-hand, his group's strengths and weaknesses.

They're not his Dimensional Clones that were close to him in strength and he knew the dangers inside that maintained-type Dimensional Rift. The Instructors and some guest Energy Refiners would dive with them and observe them along the way but accidents could happen anytime.

Aldrin wanted to assess everything. That way, he could act accordingly.

Moreover, the sparring would also extend to their Metadome.

This was just the start.

As the other three watched Clark get sent flying in one kick – which was close to a natural event by now – the two women who's somewhat reluctant at first finally understood why Aldrin requested the match.

"Please take care of me!" Caroline brought out a small shield and a short sword as her weapon. Like a female warrior going into a war, she charged forward, her refined energy spreading in front of her.

Unlike Clark who charged carelessly without even making use of his refined energy, Caroline didn't forget that.

However, Aldrin was prepared for her. After dodging to the side, he swept her up by her feet, letting her tumble down.

And without breaking a relaxed stance, Aldrin quickly used Shadow Steps, disappearing from where he was standing.

"What?! How did you–? That's unfair, Aldrin!" Irina aggrievedly shouted her Concept was expertly dodged by him.

Instead of answering her, Aldrin approached her from behind and ran her hand from her cheeks to her neck… "Irina, this is one of your flaws. Stop being too emotional when things don't go your way."

The woman's body shuddered from how easily Aldrin sneaked up on her and even touched her like that. She tried to counterattack by twisting her body but Aldrin had anticipated her next move. He already jumped away to meet the Berserker of the group.

"This is great! This is the extension of our duel!" Frederic enthusiastically shouted as his fist that's covered with a gauntlet clashed against Aldrin's sword.

Among the four, Aldrin's understanding of Frederic was the highest.

The guy was like an open book after all. All he had going for him was his unnatural strength and battle instincts that were seemingly unnatural.

"Nope. This isn't a duel, Frederic. It's a group fight. All four of you, against me. If this is all you can show then… We'll surely fail tomorrow."

Aldrin raised the volume of his voice, letting all four of them hear it. Following that, he mercilessly threw a punch using his left hand.  It didn't have that much of a force but Aldrin pushed Frederic back a few steps, giving him breathing space.

Clark and Caroline had already recovered. Irina was already getting ready to rush at him once more.

But even when Aldrin landed in the middle of them, none of the four moved. Instead, they all looked at each other.

Aldrin's words struck a chord with them. It's not a one-on-one fight. But what they just did was strike at him one by one. And sure enough, all of them fail to even let him break a sweat.

Aldrin knew that he's not an Instructor like Janet who could easily point out their mistakes. That's why he had to do it this way.

Furthermore, he decided to firmly take the helm in their group. And most importantly, to showcase something new for their eyes.

"Great, you all seem to have woken up and understood this situation. Call me arrogant or what but… I am confident that I will beat all four of you. That's why. I want you to take me down. Take me down as a group!" Aldrin shouted before his refined energy leaked out of his body, following that, from his own shadow, a clone rose. "While all of you are still trying to comprehend your first Concept, I have successfully gained enlightenment to a second one. It's a simple clone but…"

As his voice trailed. The Shadow Clone moved and targeted Caroline.

"… it's half as strong as me." Aldrin ended his sentence and likewise, his body blurred and reappeared in front of Irina.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

As he threw that question to the girl in front of him. The Shadow Clone that was now holding the same sword as Aldrin lashed out at Caroline.

"We understand, dammit!"

The one who answered that was Frederic. He quickly moved from where he was standing to aid Caroline.

The woman raised her small shield to block the Shadow Clone while at the same time, utilized her Concept. With that block of barrier, the Shadow Clone was pushed back.

And with Frederic waiting for his chance, his fist blackened as it hit the unstable Shadow Clone blasting it away with his punch.

"Not all of you seemed to understand it." Aldrin shook his head, a little disappointed. Because while in that few seconds that Caroline and Frederic successfully coordinated, the woman in front of him remained stuck staring at him. "Irina. Stop being mesmerized. Aren't you going to become a strong Energy Refiner? Had I attacked you, you'd already been dead with that lapse in judgement. I don't have your Concept but it looks like you're the one hit by it."

It's the second time that he pulled his fist back against Irina. Perhaps, it was in consideration of their 'fake' relationship or it was to wake her up through words.

Fortunately, with that sermon he just gave, the woman blinked her eyes and suddenly paled. That just meant that it finally dawned on her.

She was about to respond to him when a spear flew from the side and passed by in between their close faces.

"You! Stay away from her!"

Aldrin turned his head to the side and sure enough, there's Clark, running towards him to save the damsel in distress in his eyes.

He probably thought that Aldrin was about to kiss Irina when in fact, that's not the case at all.

"And you, you're too slow! You should've run towards her as soon as possible!" Aldrin once again moved and met him midway. This time, a punch to his abdomen was in order.

Although he tried to block him, the impact alone was enough to lift him off the ground.

"It's fine if you don't want to play in your role as the defense-type. However, you better hasten your judgement of the situation. Don't you want to protect her? If it's not me, Irina would've already been dead twice!"

Aldrin shouted his lesson once more while looking down at the guy.

A moment later, he dodged the two curved blades that were threatening to slash at him from the back.

Irina finally regained her senses.

Just like this, Aldrin fought against the four, pointing out their mistakes and at the same time, forcing them to work together.

Watching all of those from the side, Janet was actually stopping herself from applause or showing a sign of appreciation. "What the hell is wrong with that guy? I'm their Instructor but he's more of an Instructor like this than me!" Her inner voice shouted in her mind.

What she initially thought was a lucky guy who awakened during a disaster turned out to be more of a freak than that lucky girl who brought him in.

At this point, there's no way to attribute that to his spherical Energy Quintessence.. What he'd shown this time was something only a veteran on a battlefield could do. "What other surprise will he show within the next two weeks?"