Chapter 183: Chapter 183 Soma's choice.

"You guys go back first. The next sparring will commence soon".

"I take it it was you, right? So who are you going to pick?".

"... I'm also curious".

The curiosity of the two girls had made Soma falter in his stand. Soma could only give them a wry smile as he placed his hands on the girl's shoulder and pushed them away from the middle arena. The two girls, with resigned expressions, let Soma push their bodies.

"Hurry, you two. We could eat at the cafeteria later".

"Oh, sudden change of topics. It's rare coming from you. Okay, then I will wait".

"Mm, me too".

Soma, who saw Hina and Xiao Lian retreating back to the other students, sighs in relief as he begins to see the different mentality they possess. It was different from the novel.

In the novel, Hina, who is consumed by vengeance, challenges Xiao Lian in her fury because of Xiao Lian's calm, blunt, and decisive nature that has never bent toward any pressure from Hina since the entrance exam. Then, Hina faced an utterly crushing defeat at Xiao Lian's hands, making her obsessed with becoming stronger and narrowing her sight of what's best for her.

However, the current Hina had a healthy rivalry between her and Xiao Lian, and that's the effort Soma had given to save her heart at that time, and he felt no regret about that.

As for Xiao Lian, she also had a different attitude compared to the novel. Probably because of her interaction with Hina, she became more expressive, and her nickname in the story as Frost Princess was gone, never to be heard. In the novel, Xiao Lian is isolated because of her lack of expression and blunt nature, making her an object of hate for the misunderstanding until Leon saves her.

Uncover secrets at m|v|l|e|mp|y|r.

This was all thanks to Soma's interference and the matter about Trial from the Gods, making Xiao Lian more human while interacting with Hina and Him.

The matter related to her family. Soma didn't want to pry it too early and crush their current relationship, but Soma thought if it were Xiao Lian, she would tell him willingly if he asked wholeheartedly.

"Soma, who will you pick?".

Teacher Lee's clear and hoarse voice brought back Soma's attention toward the stage as he scanned his fellow classmates. Many of them threw their gaze toward a faraway place, not daring to meet eyes with him.

Soma stopped his gaze at a boy with short blonde hair that jolted his body as he pointed his index finger toward himself.

"Um, Me?".

"Yeah, Leon came to the stage".

Leon, who was being picked flusteredly, gazed toward his surroundings before he puffed out his chest, inhaling a lot of oxygen and exhaling it to calm his nerves. He begs to raise his feet to take him into the middle of the arena, where Soma is waiting for him.

"Thank you for picking me, and please take care of me, Soma".

"Me too. Please take care of me".

Leon who heard Soma's humbling himself, making him smile wryly. He began to wonder because Soma's gaze was not directed at him but toward a student's place. Leon followed his gaze, and Leon noticed a black-haired boy with long hair and knitted brows gaze at him and Soma furiously as if he wanted to kill them. "Lin Fan, why? Soma? …Wait, is he?".

Leon realized Soma's intention, his face pale and soon turns blue for the daring action Soma takes. Leon tries to speak his mind to interrupt Soma from making the decision.

"Lin Fan, next is you. Come over here".

Soma, with his clear and collected voice, reverberated in the stadium, making the other students' eyes bloated because of the shock that Soma chose two people as his opponents.

Lin fan, who also gets caught off guard, blanked for a moment before his eyes shrunk into a dangerous state. He clenched both hands, leaving red marks that looked hurt. He grits his teeth furiously as he opens his mouth.

"What is your purpose? Are you intending to look down on us because of your superior ability?".

The other students' attention turned toward Lin Fan, who spoke with an irritated tone, but they could feel a trace of fury in it. But, after thinking it through, Lin Fan's words did indeed make sense, with the strength Soma possesses. Why does Soma want to fight two people at once? Is he looking down on his opponent?

Because of that, many other students' hearts sank, and the seed of fury began to sprout.

Soma, in the center of the attention, shook his gaze to the side and spoke the words he had prepared beforehand.

"No, I didn't mean to do that. But regardless of what I am going to say, you guys probably will take it with a grain of salt. What I want in this sparring with you two is to learn".

"Learn?".

"?!".

Leon, Lin Fan, the students, and the teacher muted because of the words that came out of Soma's mouth.

"I saw the two of you in the entrance exam, and I admire your martial power that has been accumulated. I assume that you guys have accumulated those experiences since you guys were young, which shows how deep the martial power you guys possess compared to mine. Of course, I also wanted to learn from the teacher, but the teacher said it was a mock battle between students.

So, I had to choose you two on my radar".

The surrounding atmosphere turned quiet because all the people inside focused their attention on Soma, who said he wanted to learn from the two people who were better than him.

Leon and Lin Fan, who heard his words, were stuck in their place as they couldn't believe what their ears had caught. Leon was slightly knitted his brows, but he regulated his breath to calm his temper. He didn't mean to be mad at Soma, but his words clearly invoked some anger within him.

He understood that Soma also didn't mean any harm in saying those words but seeing his performance and the technique he showed in the entrance exam, clearly Soma also had much depth in his Martial powers.

However, Soma wanted to learn from him, and it was not some gullible line that he spouted to make Leon say 'Yes'. But it was a genuine line that he evoked from his heart, and Soma needed his cooperation in Soma's own growth. Even so, "...I am the one who should be asking that". So, the anger he felt inside him was not anger toward Soma but anger toward himself because of the person in front of him.

Despite his current power that stands above others in his peers, he still wants to grow more, and probably, his hunger will keep growing if facing another strong person.

Leon exhaled every unsure feeling he had in his mind as he faced Soma in the eyes. His eyes reflected his current self, which was full of determination in facing his own weakness in hunger upon strength.

"Okay, I will comply with your invitation, But let me tell you something".

"What is it?".

"Let me also learn something from you?".

"Heh, sure".

Soma chuckled as he saw Leon with his warm gaze before he turned toward Lin Fan, who was still contemplating the invitation Soma had given to him.

"Lin Fan, how about you?".

Lin Fan, who was still in deep thought, knit his brows as he felt that Soma was still hiding something from him. He clenched both his fists so tight that they left a red trail of blood. He noticed the other gaze that gathered around him, waiting for his reply.

Lin Fan clicked his tongue before kicking the ground and launching himself toward the middle of the arena, where Soma and Leon were already waiting for him. Lin Fan observed both of them before he exhaled the hesitation in his thought. He turned his gaze toward Soma and spoke.

"Let me be clear for once!".

"What is it?".

"Make this battle into a three-way battle where the three of us attack each other". S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"...That was my plan all along".