Chapter 176: Missing

“John, have you found the captain? Today is the day of Sean’s challenge. If he doesn’t show up by then…” Outside Academy No. 1’s training ground, Anna, disregarding propriety, grabbed John’s hand and asked anxiously.

John had told everyone in their team about what happened that day, so everyone was fully aware of it. At first, they thought the captain was just joking after hearing John’s account. But three days had passed, and today was the day of Sean’s challenge. Many students had come to the training ground hoping to witness the fight. Yet, Rod still hadn’t shown up, leaving everyone extremely worried.

For three full days, Rod hadn’t appeared before them. Even searching his dormitory yielded no trace of him! This nearly drove them to turn the entire academy upside down.

“That thug must be scared and has run away. It’s simple. I think there’s no need to keep looking!” A cold snort came from beside them. Alice spoke coldly, with a sneer on her lips, seemingly delighted by the situation.

“Damn you, thug! Let’s see what you’ll do now. You’ve lost all your face—running away without fighting. How will we mock you next time we see you?” In her heart, Alice was already gleeful. Rod had always outshone her in every way, which filled her with resentment. Now that the chance had come, she didn’t care about any challenges—just seeing Rod humiliated and laughing at him was enough.

“That’s impossible. Rod isn’t that kind of person. Alice, don’t talk nonsense!” But before Alice could enjoy her triumph, Kiro’s cold shout made her pout and mutter in dissatisfaction. No one had the mood to pay attention to what she was muttering.

“The captain can’t have run away. Something must have happened to him!” Viski soon expressed his opinion. Immediately, everyone agreed. In their eyes, Rod wasn’t that kind of person. He hadn’t shown any fear or hesitation even when facing the powerful Wind God Academy or Ciel. Now, the chances were even slimmer.

Today was the day of Rod’s challenge against Sean. Everyone had come here hoping to cheer for Rod and watch him defeat that arrogant and overconfident Sean. But Rod had unexpectedly disappeared.

Looking at the time, it was almost noon. The challenge was set to take effect in the afternoon, yet Rod still showed no sign of showing up, leaving everyone with grim expressions.
“Captain… he really won’t come, will he? John, didn’t he tell you that day he wouldn’t participate in this boring challenge? Do you think he…” After a moment, Anna asked anxiously, looking at the others.
If he really didn’t show up, the captain would become an object of scorn in the academy. No one would care if he encountered some trouble; they would only mock and ridicule him. He would be seen as a shameless deserter and a cowardly fool. How could they tolerate such a situation?
“It’s possible. The captain didn’t seem to be joking. He really won’t come, right? Damn it, if that happens!” John said grimly, holding the mask he had prepared.
“That damned guy!” Even Kiro, who usually had a good temper, couldn’t help but complain.
“Oh… isn’t that Senior Kiro? You’re here too. Hmm, and Miss Alice and John. Hehe, Viski is here too. Everyone’s here. So, has that kid Rod shown up? Don’t tell me he’s too scared to leave! Hahaha… If that’s the case, it would be too embarrassing. Our big brother Sean isn’t stingy either. How about this—let that kid Rod come and apologize voluntarily? Maybe then big brother Sean will consider canceling his challenge! What do you think?” As everyone was anxiously worried, a few people approaching from ahead made their expressions even darker, especially after hearing those words. The atmosphere became extremely tense.
“Nils, you’d better shut your mouth!” With a cold snort, John was the first to lose his temper and speak coldly.
“Get as far away as you can. Don’t bother me here, or don’t blame me if I become rude!” Even Alice gave him a hostile look, already conjuring a small spell, ready to attack at any moment.
“Hehe, it doesn’t matter. I’ll leave first. I’ll wait for you inside! Big brother Sean, let’s go in. You rest well first. Once that Rod shows up, we’ll give him a good lesson!” Despite being angrily rebuked by the two, Nils was upset but helpless. Suppressing his anger, he spoke tremblingly before turning to Sean for approval.

Following behind Sean, the group headed toward the training ground. Glancing back at the others, Nils’ gaze turned cold, with a hint of menace in his eyes. “John, I’ll show you how long you can act so arrogantly. And Alice, you two better remember this—Alice, one day I’ll make you groan beneath me. Let’s see if you’ll still be so full of arrogance then!”
“Lucia is back!” No one had the mood to pay attention to Nils as he left. Lucia and Linda approaching from afar immediately caught everyone’s attention. When they returned alone, heading in a different direction, everyone’s heart sank—things didn’t seem to have gone well!
“We couldn’t find him. We don’t know where he went. It seems he really meant what he said—he won’t be coming!” Linda said with a bitter smile as she joined the group. They hadn’t expected Rod’s words to turn out to be true!
“Damn it! That bastard! Fine, since he’s not showing up, it seems we can’t find him. The academy is so big—if he really wants to hide, will we ever find him? Maybe he’s even not in the academy anymore. Let’s go in!” Someone complained angrily at Linda’s words.
“Alright, let’s go in. Otherwise, Nils will get even more arrogant. That bastard—next time, if I see him, I’ll give him a good slap!” John said helplessly, sighing. Thinking of Nils’ arrogant attitude earlier, he really wanted to slap him.
After exchanging glances, everyone fell silent. Led by Kiro, they headed into the arena. Although there was still some time before the match started, the area was already crowded with students, creating a lively atmosphere. After all, it was one of the most intense life-or-death challenges, with both competitors being top fighters from their respective academies—Sean, ranked fifth on the list of the top ten masters, and Rod, who had risen strongly recently and was ranked eighth. A confrontation between these two top fighters from different academies was quite rare, so naturally, no one wanted to miss it.
Especially those students who hadn’t chosen to watch the match between the Holy Light Academy and the Wind God Academy hoped to watch a game to make up for their missed opportunity!

In a corner of the stands, students from other academies also appeared. The Continental Combat Tournament had been over for some time, but to everyone’s surprise, the high-level conference on the continent still hadn’t ended. That’s why they had to stay at Holy Light Academy and not leave. Hearing the news of a challenge today caught everyone’s attention, especially since one of the main contenders was the currently popular Rod, which piqued their interest even more. Even people from the Wind God Academy, like Ciel, were all present.

“Ciel, do you think Rod will win?”Hill asked softly, looking at Ciel, who had just recovered from his injuries. Everyone around them was discussing this topic as well. It seemed the two sides were evenly matched, with many supporters on each side, keeping the balance steady. In fact, it even seemed that Sean might have a slight edge in popularity.

“Sean? Hmph, Rod will definitely win!” Ciel said with a disdainful smile, glancing at Sean in the resting area in the distance. The certainty in his tone was surprising.

Yet Ciel’s expression was somewhat complex. Rod—this guy who had left a deep impression on him, who had made him suffer greatly at great cost, this person who always brought surprises and even made him feel a bit fearful after facing him—how strong was he exactly? He himself didn’t even know. After that match, he actually felt a hint of admiration for Rod, which surprised him given his usual pride.

As for that Sean? He didn’t know. Even if he was a strong warrior at the later stage of the Golden Warrior rank, so what? Hadn’t he also been defeated by Rod when he first entered the Royal rank? He didn’t seem qualified enough to challenge Rod.

As the discussion continued, time passed, and the match was about to start. Sean was eager to get going and began warming up to enter the arena, but Rod still showed no sign of appearing. Kiro and the others’ hopes gradually sank, giving way to despair. It seemed certain now that Rod, that bastard, might really not show up.

As time went by and the match was about to begin, it became obvious to all the spectators that Rod hadn’t shown up. Someone must have started discussing it first, and then word spread quickly. Soon, all the students in the arena seemed to know about it, and the discussions grew louder, spreading to every corner. The training ground became chaotic.

Seeing this, the gloating Niels showed an excited smile. At the same time, some of Sean’s friends and supporters even began to make noise and protest. As for Rod’s friends and those who supported him, they gradually lost patience, their faces turning as ugly as possible.