After making up his mind, John accompanied Sophia to the training ground.
Brian had already been waiting.
As soon as he saw them, he said in a neutral tone, "You finally ready to go in, after half a day of preparation?"
Sophia nodded silently.
Brian gave her a reassuring look. "I'll be there inside. Don't worry. If you run into any trouble, just ask me for help."
With that, he signaled the guard to open the heavy iron gate.
But before entering, Sophia hesitated and turned to Brian. "Teacher… can John come with me?"
Her voice was soft, but firm.
She clearly preferred John over Brian, which made Brian visibly uncomfortable.
After a pause, he glanced at John and replied, "I'm just a teacher. I only care about my student's progress."
Then, after forcing a smile, he added, "But if Sophia insists… I suppose there's no harm in John coming along."
Before anyone could say more, a familiar voice interrupted:
"What a coincidence! I happen to be practicing here today too."
It was Hardy, approaching with his usual polite smile.
Coincidence?
John gave a faint smirk.
He saw right through it.
This was no coincidence—this was arranged.
From the moment Sophia was assigned here, to Hardy's sudden appearance—John knew it was all planned.
A clumsy little trap.
Even Sophia sensed it. Her expression changed the moment Hardy arrived.
Everything about this felt off.
Sophia instinctively wanted to back out. She wasn't strong enough, and she didn't want John getting dragged into something dangerous because of her.
But just as she was about to say something, John stepped in.
"You're right, Hardy," he said with a calm smile. "Why don't we all go in together?"
Hardy, hiding his satisfaction, nodded. "Of course. As long as you agree, I have no objection."
John chuckled. "I'd have to be crazy to refuse an invitation from Mr. Tennat."
With Hardy's status, the guards didn't hesitate. The iron gate creaked open, and the group entered the training ground.
Inside was a vast, wild forest—the kind of place that earned its name for a reason.
The Wolf Ground.
It was filled with fierce, untamed wolves.
The League and the School often used it to give students a taste of real combat. Nothing simulated pressure like the threat of real blood.
Hardy smiled and suggested, "Brother John, how about a little competition? Let's see who can kill more wolves."
John didn't flinch. "Let's do it."
Hardy then pulled out a sleek, high-tech bracelet. "Want one?"
He didn't wait for an answer before explaining.
"People like us don't usually get hurt in here. Our inner power shields us. These wolves can't break through."
"To make training more realistic, the League developed this bracelet. It detects when we release inner energy and lights up red to remind us—helps us keep our power in check."
John took the bracelet and strapped it on without hesitation.
A robotic voice chimed from the device:
"Half Heaven Master."
John raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "This thing can scan levels too?"
Hardy smiled, slightly awkward. "Ah—I forgot to mention. Sorry if that made you uncomfortable. It wasn't intentional."
It absolutely was.
Hardy had done it on purpose, trying to get a read on John's true power.
After the fight with Bruce, people assumed John was a Robust Master.
But what happened yesterday didn't fit.
He had to know the truth.
So Hardy used the bracelet to get an answer.
Yet instead of clarity, the result only confused him more.
Half Heaven Master?
That was… unexpected.
But Hardy kept his expression calm.
Meanwhile, John, reading him like an open book, chuckled internally.
This was exactly the result he wanted.
He knew how the bracelet worked. It wasn't reliable at detecting Vital Energy.
And since he could control the output, he made sure it showed exactly what he wanted them to see.
Hardy, still curious, asked, "Brother John, how many wolves do you think you can kill without weapons?"
"I'm not used to using them," John replied casually.
"To be fair," Hardy offered, "I'll give up my Wintry Moon Sword. I brought it today just to practice."
He unsheathed the blade with a dramatic flair, revealing an elegant and deadly weapon.
Hiss!
With a single swing, Hardy sliced a nearby boulder clean in half.
The blade gleamed.
"This should make our little game fair, don't you think?" he said with a smile, sliding the sword back into its sheath.
No one could miss what he was doing—showing off.
But his true intent? Still a mystery.
John didn't blink.
"What a gentleman," he said coolly. "If you're ready, we'll finish this game in twenty minutes."