Chapter 179: The Devil’s Smile

“Can’t hold back anymore?” Seeing Sean’s actions, a hint of a mysterious cold smile appeared on Rod’s lips. With a silent snort in his heart, he suddenly sped up.
A shocking scene unfolded—Rod, who had earlier seemed to be demonstrating his moves, suddenly made them fierce and swift, his once sluggish pace replaced by an almost untraceable speed. Though not present on site, everyone there was among the best of the younger generation, and they immediately recognized the disadvantage. Seeing this, they felt a chill in their hearts, realizing Sean was doomed.
As Rod’s speed changed, the rhythm of the battle unknowingly fell entirely under his control. It seemed the fight was unfolding according to Rod’s will. It was obvious to anyone that Sean was now in a very passive position; any mistake would lead to inevitable failure, and those watching couldn’t help but worry.
“So that’s how it is. This guy hasn’t wasted these past few days!” Watching the situation on the arena, Kiro couldn’t help but sigh to himself. Clearly, Rod must have spent those days training. Though he didn’t know what had happened, the results were evident. He also wondered secretly—who could be guiding Rod behind the scenes? Otherwise, it would be impossible for him alone to make such rapid progress in just a few days, advancing his already abnormally powerful Shadow Sword to this level.
“Could it be him?” Kiro was shocked. Perhaps it was only that person—at least, he was the most likely candidate. Yes, it was Knight Rod’s grandfather, that once-encountered quasi-divine powerhouse. Only he had such ability, as Rod’s move must have been taught by him.
Watching the arena, Kiro’s expression became complex. Rod’s speed fluctuated constantly, his strength varying wildly—so much so that it was impossible to detect any pattern or weakness.
Ding… Under everyone’s gaze, before they could figure out what was happening, a clear sound rang out. A beam of white light intertwined with dark light before disappearing, and a snow-white figure was flung into the air before crashing heavily into the ground.
“You lost!” Rod stood calmly across from Sean, his sword pointed at Sean’s throat, a cruel cold smile on his lips.

Two moves—after just two moves, Sean was already defeated. No, perhaps it could be accurately described as just one move: the first move was merely Rod’s warm-up and probe, while the second move directly determined the outcome of the battle.
Such an outcome was unacceptable; it came too suddenly, yet it seemed logical. From start to finish, the battle was under Rod’s control, with Sean always at a disadvantage and in a passive position.
“You…” Sean looked at Rod with a complex expression, unable to speak a word. He opened his mouth but eventually closed it helplessly, his face filled with despair—completely different from before.
The arena was silent; no one could have imagined the battle ending in such a short time, so abruptly that they hadn’t even had time to react. Sean’s defeat was somewhat confusing, and Rod’s strength was unbelievable.
After a moment of silence, thunderous cheers and applause erupted—prayers and recognition for the winner, respect and admiration for him. If before people only heard rumors about Rod’s strength, now they truly bowed before him, completely convinced of his superiority.
“This is my Warrior Medal. Here.” Sean took out a golden medal from his chest and handed it to Rod. His throat felt as if choked by a fish bone as he spoke with difficulty, his face defeated. He picked up his long sword from the ground and walked away from the training ground with a sense of desolation.
“You gave this to me!” Rod, who had never seen a Warrior Medal before, felt a bit interested as he looked at it. Golden in color, it must symbolize a Golden Warrior, and the six golden stars likely indicated the strength of its owner.
He didn’t have any goodwill toward Sean either, so he casually put the medal in his own chest—it was the fruit of his victory after battle.
With a cold smile, he put away the medal and glanced toward where Nils was, taking slow steps forward. At that moment, Nils looked gloomy. Sean’s defeat made him feel as if the end of the world had arrived; he couldn’t believe or imagine it. Seeing Rod’s appearance and expression, he was truly terrified.
A devil—now Rod appeared like a devil in his eyes, a nightmare! Overcome by intense fear, he stepped back slowly, unable to face this devil.

“What… what do you want to do! This is… this is the academy, the Holy Light Academy, a training ground! Knightrod, you can’t just act recklessly— the academy will punish you!” As he stepped back, Nils couldn’t help but shout loudly, seemingly trying to drive away the fear and dread in his heart with such outbursts.

No one stepped forward to stop him, and no one left the area—they knew the real show had just begun. Nils, this bully who relied on his power to intimidate others, held no goodwill from anyone. Everyone was only too happy to see him get his just deserts, especially those who had suffered under his tyranny.

The guys who had stood by Nils’s side, pretending to be tough, had disappeared—making Nils realize what happens when the leader falls. Now he even felt like crying. If it weren’t for the last shred of dignity he still had, he would have already been kneeling and begging for mercy in tears.

“What do I want to do? Heh. Don’t forget what I said to you—never show up in front of me again. Since you showed up and ignored my warning, or rather, never took it seriously at all, I’ll make sure you remember these words forever!” With a sinister smile, he continued to approach slowly, each step emitting a dull thud that sounded like a death march in Nils’s ears, filling him with despair and pain.

“What do I want to do? Heh… you’ll find out soon enough!” With a cold laugh, Rod’s expression turned icy. He rushed forward in one stride, grabbed Nils by the collar, and, under Nils’s terrified gaze, yanked him up before throwing him hard onto the arena floor.

Thud… A dull sound followed, and amidst screams, Nils arced through the air before crashing heavily onto the arena, sending dust flying everywhere.

Struggling to get up, he crawled backward with a terrified look, hoping to escape this place and stay away from this devil, Rod. That icy gaze made his heart freeze.

Rod’s cold stare fixed intently on the retreating Nils, as if it could kill him, making Nils feel as if he were in an ice cellar— the temperature around him seemingly dropping to freezing point. At that moment, Nils felt like a naked lamb standing in front of a hungry gray wolf. The feeling left him crying without tears, his body weak, unable to stand, trembling uncontrollably, with the sound of his teeth chattering clearly audible.

“Rod… I know I was wrong. I’ll never show up in front of you again. Please spare me! I really won’t appear in front of you anymore!” As Rod continued to approach, Niels’ last vestiges of pride and dignity were shattered. He began to plead for mercy nonstop.

Watching the scene, the hundreds of students around couldn’t help but gasp in shock at Rod’s cruelty. It was the first time they had seen someone as ruthless as him—these elite youths raised in a protected environment. It was like a wake-up call that made them truly understand what cruelty looked like and experience what so-called murderous and oppressive aura meant.

Niels’ pitiful struggle even earned some sympathy from those who disliked his arrogance and domineering behavior. Facing a cold, beast-like Knight Rod was indeed terrifying. Even if they weren’t in Niels’ shoes, they still felt a deep fear.

The entire place fell silent; all that could be heard was Niels’ sobbing, Rod’s footsteps, and the heavy breathing of the people around. No one doubted that at this moment, Knight Rod could easily end this wailing man’s life with a single strike.

He went over to Niels, slapped him to silence him, crouched down in front of him, brought his face close, lifted Niels’ head, and looked at his trembling form. “How should I deal with you? What will make you remember this better?” His cold voice, mocking smile, and evil words made Rod seem like a soul-reaper from the depths of hell.

Niels’ face was pale, his eyes darting around, unable to meet Rod’s gaze. His lips trembled constantly as he was utterly desperate. Even the searing pain in his body and face had been ignored; his only thought now was survival.

Rod picked up Niels like a chick, brought him close to his face, sneered at his pitiful state, and even despised himself for caring about such a coward. He threw Niels several meters away with a forceful kick, then rushed after him and kicked him into the air once more.

Using his full speed, he arrived below before Niels could land and punched him, sending him flying into the air again.

The figures kept flashing, creating a stunning scene in the arena. Rod’s figure seemed to disappear, moving like a gust of wind through the air. As for Nils, the poor man kept “dancing” in the air like a sandbag, screaming continuously, with bright blood splashing from time to time, signifying his misery!

Rod, seemingly addicted, showed no signs of stopping. Under his punches and kicks, Nils’s screams grew weaker, his consciousness fading. The world around him spun, and he felt the call of death and coldness.

“No, hurry and stop this! Someone will die!” Watching the situation, Kiro, who initially wanted Rod to be taught a lesson, now realized the situation was getting out of control and impossible to stop. After all, this was an academy, and the Nils family had considerable influence. If someone died, it would cause trouble. He couldn’t even imagine the revenge Rod might face.