Chapter 214: Shocking Everyone

"Impossible!" Both Lord Windsor and Inronckaw bellowed, shooting to their feet. "How—how did he do it? He must've cheated!""Dammit, how do we kill this kid?" another lord shouted, anger flashing on his face. This was the lord of the unfortunate third team caught in Nox's crossfire. His eyes blazed and seemed to bore a hole into Nox's body. If not for the rules and Nathan's presence, the baron would have stormed inside to give Nox the beating of his life.

Meanwhile, Kron, standing beside the dukes, frowned tightly, his gaze fixed on Nox, who was slowly reuniting with his teammates.

'I knew something was wrong... It wasn't just his appearance—he had indeed gotten stronger.' Fear crossed Kron's features. He wasn't the only one; even the duke shifted uncomfortably. He had thought it would be easy for Hendrix to deal with Nyx, but after this overwhelming display of strength, a seed of doubt began to form in his stomach.

He glanced at Duke Felix. However, in contrast to him, the duke maintained his calm composure. Though Kron couldn't see the duke's face clearly, he sensed no trace of concern or anger, as if everything was unfolding exactly as the duke had foreseen.

'This.' Kron felt a shiver run down his spine. The duke's composure was almost too unsettling. Such confidence could only mean one thing—even Hendrix might pull off something like this... if not on an even grander scale.

Subconsciously, the duke's composure began to have a calming effect on Kron.

In the Cromwell Barony, the entire town had gathered in the arena—the same place where the mock tournament had been held—and they all stared at the massive screen with wide eyes. They had just witnessed Nox's attack, and the arena practically exploded into chaos.

"Son of a bitch!" Elvin the archer exclaimed in shock. "When did little Nox become this strong?"

"Hahaha! Show them the might of the Cromwell Barony, motherfuckers!"

The excited chants from the townsfolk were so loud that even neighboring towns could hear them. A great shame had fallen on the town after Hendrix beat everyone, but after this display of strength, the townspeople regained their confidence.

Celine, the town healer, stared at the screen, her gaze fixed particularly on Wendy. She had missed her daughter and was glad that she was safe. Then her gaze shifted to Nox, and a smile appeared on her face. Just like Wendy, she had missed the silly boy.

However, as she stared at him, the older woman couldn't help but notice something different about him.

"T-this..." A bitter smile spread across her face as she realized what was different. "He's no longer the silly, stupid little boy who would do chores for me. Now, he seems like a pragmatic mastermind who would kill to achieve his goals. I hope this doesn't backfire someday."

Meanwhile, in Eve's Manor, a massive screen displayed the ongoing tournament. Watching it was none other than Skully, the ant queen, along with her husband, the ant king. Sёarch* The nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"This pipsqueak—I don't even recognize him anymore," Skully cried out, noticing how Nox's features had matured slightly. "How did he get so strong in such a short time? I hunted lots of beasts over the past few months, but even I didn't improve like this!"

"Master is strong!" the ant queen interjected with a proud smile, admiration gleaming in her eyes. "Don't use common standards to measure him."

The ant king remained silent, briefly glancing at the admiration in his wife's expression. A mixture of fear and envy washed over him. He clenched his fists behind his back as he continued to watch the fight.

Back in the Armstrong Barony, the wind whipped against Eve's face as she observed the battle. Her robe fluttered in the breeze, and her beautiful, ruby-like eyes gleamed with pride. A smile capable of melting anyone's heart crossed her features.

Back in the arena, the crowd slowly began to settle down, but the whispers persisted as people gossiped about Nox. The clear display of strength left the Armstrong duchy silent, their faces filled with anxiety.

Because they made up the majority of those present in the arena, their silence didn't go unnoticed. The Cromwells seized the opportunity to hurl insulting words at them.

Meanwhile, in the VIP area, three more lords left, bringing the total number of remaining lords to 4.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the rankings have changed once again!" Klein's voice boomed across the arena. "The Cromwell Barony is now leading the rankings!"

Back in the mysterious realm, the official rankings appeared before everyone once more.

"Damn! They're really as strong as the rumors said," Jared thought to himself as he saw the shift in the rankings. He noticed three teams simultaneously disappear, which meant that the Cromwell Barony had somehow taken out three teams at once! Only six teams remained.

"Could it be... her doing?" Nyx's indifferent face briefly flashed through his mind. "Or was it the one they call commander?"

Back on the mountain of ascension, the other children had mentioned that Nyx was the commander's twin. Jared had done his research and discovered that the commander was Nox—someone rumored to be second only to Hendrix in strength.

'If he's really here...' An excited grin spread across Jared's face. 'I'd really like to face him... Let's see if he's worth the hype.'

In another location, Hendrix stood in front of four other youths, all noticeably older than him. These were his elder siblings, prodigies from the Vermilion Royal Academy.

Since the tournament began, they hadn't made a move due to Hendrix's command. Despite being the youngest, he had become the leader of the group. Behind him, his four siblings stared at his back with disdain. Although they tried to mask it, their hatred and envy were evident.

Their father, Duke Felix, had once cherished and loved all of them equally. However, that changed when the duke's youngest wife gave birth to Hendrix.

At just a few months old, Hendrix had started crawling. By the age of one, he could walk perfectly and even read. He wielded a wooden sword by the age of two, displaying a level of talent that outshone his older siblings. Over time, their father's affection shifted entirely to Hendrix, and his mother was promoted to head of the duke's harem.

No matter how hard they trained or excelled in their studies, it was never enough—Hendrix was always one step ahead.

This created a silent rift within the family. Each sibling, in their own way, tried to regain their father's favor, but it became painfully clear that the youngest was untouchable in his eyes.

Hendrix wasn't just raw talent—it was something more, as if he were destined to succeed. Even his eyes didn't seem like those of a child. There were many theories and conspiracies surrounding Hendrix's strange birth, and it had once been a common topic in the king's household until the duke issued a decree to stop all further discussion.

Despite their hidden animosity, none of the siblings dared challenge Hendrix outright. Every time they had tried, they were thoroughly defeated. All they could do was curse him in their hearts.

Due to his overwhelming strength, Hendrix had also become the firstborn and was rumored to be the next duke.

Hendrix, however, paid no attention to the rumors. At this moment, his eyes were fixed on the large screens.

"I guess it's time to make our move," he grinned as he adjusted the mask on his face. This mask wasn't just a disguise, it...