"I thought Luke's sudden burst was already exaggerated,"
Grayson muttered to himself, watching the villain simulator unfold.
"I didn't expect there was an even bigger monster hidden among us."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Before, he had thought Luke—
the so-called "protagonist of destiny"—
cheating his way from Hathi Level Four directly into the Seventh Realm of Sainthood was already ludicrous.
Now?
Anya, the gentle school beauty?
Actually a hidden Heavenly Man, an Eighth-Level Celestial powerhouse!
"These two cheats aren't just breaking the rules—
they're rewriting the damn manual."
Without the Villain Simulator, he would have been buried in some nameless pit long ago.
Who would have thought?
Both the destined male and the destined female were walking nuclear bombs.
Luckily—
He now knew.
He had time.
And he would make sure next time, they would be the ones buried.
"Clearly," Grayson whispered coldly, "the Magic City isn't simple."
He quickly deduced:
There were two forces targeting him.
One was the shadowy mastermind.
The other was Anya herself.
The Grierson family had sent him here thinking it was safer than the capital of the Ironwood Empire.
But ironically—
"Out of the tiger's mouth, into the wolf's den."
Sitting in the Maybach driven by Shawn, Grayson couldn't help but sneer slightly.
Outside, Anya still lay "unconscious."
An immortal pretending to be weak?
Ridiculous.
"I need strength.
Real strength."
"If I want control over my fate...
it's time to speed up."
[You witnessed Anya disappear into the skies.]
[A moment later, Luke stumbled onto the scene, face pale and lost.]
[He howled in grief:]
"NOOOOO!!!"
[You almost burst out laughing at the melodramatic scene.]
But soon, Grayson grew serious.
This was an opportunity.
With Anya gone, and the assassins still lurking near the hotel—
It was the perfect chance.
[You made a decision.]
[Attack Luke first.]
Both were in the Fourth Level of Hathi.
Luke had some cards up his sleeve, sure.
But so did Grayson.
Supreme Emperor Bone.
Dragon Elephant Tyrant Body.
Thousand Shadows Magic Art.
[You did not immediately reveal yourself.]
[Instead, you carefully activated "Shadow Simulation," altering your face to resemble Zhao Kun—the dead heir of the destroyed Zhao family.]
[You pulled a black scarf over your mouth and nose.]
[Perfect scapegoat setup.]
[Luke wandered closer, still searching for Anya.]
[You struck.]
[Whoosh!]
Eight black shadow blades slashed silently out of the ground, striking at Luke's limbs.
Luke froze, eyes wide with terror.
One shadow blade—
cutting straight for his—
most important limb.
"AHHH!!!"
[Panicked beyond reason, Luke's body erupted with flames, forcefully boosting himself into the Fifth Realm of Mountains and Rivers.]
[He shielded his nether region desperately, letting the other blades slash into his arms, shoulders, and legs.]
"Man really had his priorities straight,"
Grayson snorted, watching.
[Enraged, Luke exploded with power, obliterating the shadow blades around him.]
[Your real body was exposed.]
["You coward!" Luke roared, "I'll kill you!!!"]
The young man lunged toward Grayson like a meteor.
[You were outclassed by a realm.]
[In head-to-head combat, you would've lost.]
[But thanks to "Thousand Shadows Magic" and "Oil on the Feet," your ghostly movements allowed you to evade repeatedly.]
[Several times, Luke's flames grazed you, leaving burns—]
[But your "Dragon Elephant Tyrant Body" endured it.]
[Flesh smoking, but bones unbroken.]
"This is not a real fight yet,"
Grayson realized.
"I'm just a sparring partner training my instincts."
He needed something more.
More experience.
More perception.
And right then—
it happened.
[Suddenly, a freezing warm current surged from your spine into your brain.]
[Time slowed.]
[Luke's furious movements turned sluggish.]
[Every step, every shift of his muscles, every twitch of his weapon—became crystal clear in your eyes.]
It was as if the world had entered bullet-time.
"Supreme Mode!"
Grayson's eyes widened in understanding.
Supreme Mode wasn't just brute strength.
It was perception.
Perfect battle instincts.
The ability to analyze, adapt, counter—on the fly.
[Every one of Luke's attacks—predicted.]
[Every defense—countered.]
[Every movement—anticipated.]
In just minutes—
Grayson evolved.
He fought better.
He fought smarter.
His swordplay, footwork, and strikes purified themselves like steel being forged.
[Soon, you gained the upper hand.]
[Luke, the once-destined protagonist, was utterly suppressed.]
Luke's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible!!!
I'm the protagonist!!!"
Grayson's face remained cold and mocking.
In a flash—
he appeared behind Luke, driving his fist into his back, sending him flying.
[Boom!]
Luke crashed into a wall, coughing blood.
"Supreme Mode...
It's evolving me at a monstrous pace,"
Grayson thought, thrilled.
[In less than half an hour of combat, you had learned more than others would in a decade of blood battles.]
[Supreme Emperor Bone: terrifying beyond imagination.]
Luke struggled to stand, rage distorting his features.
He clutched a broken jade pendant at his chest—
obviously trying to summon his old cheat-soul again.
"Trying to cheat again?"
Grayson's eyes flashed with disdain.
[Before Luke could activate it—]
[You pounced like a viper.]
[You tore the pendant away and crushed it in your palm.]
[The soul contained inside howled briefly—then was destroyed.]
[Luke collapsed, completely crushed mentally.]
[You stood victorious, your foot pressing down lightly on his trembling back.]
"Destiny?"
Grayson sneered.
"I forge my own destiny."
[You didn't kill Luke yet.]
[Instead, you sealed his spiritual energy temporarily using a forbidden technique you secretly prepared: "Dark Soul Lock."]
[You decided to keep him alive.]
[He was a treasure trove of secrets—and maybe future resources.]
Luke—the once-proud protagonist—
was now nothing more than your prisoner.
(Chapter 15 End)
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