Chapter 131: Crisis Arises

With difficulty, Rod raised his head to look at them. He saw several people sitting casually in their places, with no sign of them using their energy to suppress him. Suddenly, his gaze met that of the old man in the center. For a moment, he was distracted—those eyes were bottomless, revealing nothing, like a black hole sucking in his consciousness! In an instant, he felt lost, as if in a void, surrounded by emptiness. Though the sun shone brightly in the sky, he felt a chill, a cold breeze coming from behind that made him shiver.

A warm and a cold aura suddenly mixed together in his dantian, spreading throughout his body. His mind cleared instantly, and the previous feeling vanished, pulling him back to reality. In just a short while, his forehead and back were drenched in cold sweat. Thinking about what had just happened, Rod felt terrified. It was indeed an illusion—a vision created by someone with immense mental power, powerful enough to create such illusions instantly. If it weren’t for those two forces that suddenly helped him, he would still be trapped in the illusion.

The danger of being trapped was self-evident. If the caster intended to keep him trapped, the consequences would be unimaginable. After a certain period, his mind would be completely destroyed, forcing him to remain in that illusion for life until death.

Seeing the young man break free from the mental restraint in an instant, the old man was slightly stunned. He stared at Rod thoughtfully, his expression complex. The others around him also showed surprise. They knew well just how terrifying Kro’s mental restraint was. Even those at their level could be trapped if they weren’t careful. Yet this young man had been caught off guard and freed himself in just a short time. They understood exactly what that meant.

There are only three reasons. First, this young man’s mental strength has reached a sufficiently high level, at least on par with theirs, which is necessary to break free! Second, he has innate talent and natural ability in this area! As for the third reason, his willpower has reached an astonishing level, allowing him to force his way out relying solely on his will.
Thinking of this, their expressions turned complex as they looked at the young man before them, feeling both admiration and surprise.
After breathing heavily for a while, he finally managed to calm down, but anger surged within him—attacking him without any provocation the moment they met! This made Rod furious, wishing he could rush up and slap the guy several times.
“Heh, not bad. I hope you can forgive my earlier offense. You must be the person brought here by that kid, Kiro, right? Not bad!”
Just as Rod was about to lose his temper, as if sensing his thoughts, the old man suddenly smiled, speaking with a hint of apology.
The sudden words left Rod frozen in place. What was going on? Was this guy joking with him, just testing him? If so, it was going too far—those dangerous things weren’t something to be taken lightly.
Kiro, on the other hand, was also full of surprise and confusion. How could Dean Kuro smile and say such things to a junior? If word got out, it would surely shock many people! He knew very well who this man was. And what exactly had happened just now? Why was Rod acting like that? Why did he say those words? All these questions swirled in his mind.
“Well, Kiro, it seems you’ve gained a lot from this trip. Come in first. We’ve just finished discussing things—just tell me what you need!” The old man said with a smile, glancing at Rod.
With a sigh, Kiro came over and sat down among them. If possible, Rod really didn’t want to face these terrifying guys! It was uncomfortable to be like a lamb living among wolves.

“The trial this time is complete—and successful! Hehe, honestly, Dean Kro and Dean Sinrich, this is Knightrod. He’s eighteen years old, at the peak of a Silver Warrior. In terms of combat energy and martial skills, he has already far surpassed me. Upon receiving a letter about the upcoming Continental Combat Tournament, I rushed back here and brought him along in hopes he can be of help!” After sitting down, he glanced at the others and reported on his mission before pointing at Rod and introducing him to the elders.

“Eighteen years old? Hmm, quite good, really good!” Hearing Rod’s age, surprise flashed in the eyes of the others once again. Then, the old man who had initially tested Rod—whom Kiro called Dean Kro—murmured to himself.

As for the middle-aged man, a gleam appeared in his eyes as he admired the youth known as Knightrod as if he had discovered a treasure. Eighteen years old, at the peak of a Silver Warrior, and he had clearly seen just now how Rod managed to break free from the mental restraint exerted by a high-ranking Saint-level warrior. If word of this spread, it would surely drive many organizations crazy—genius, an absolute genius.

He quickly began to consider ways to recruit this youth to serve the empire. A talent like this must not fall into enemy hands. Holding a high position, he could tell from years of experience that Knightrod was extraordinary.

Feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, Rod coughed awkwardly a few times. Those looks made his skin prickle, as if he were a lamb surrounded by wolves!

“Hey, yes. We called you all back urgently for this reason. The Continental Combat Tournament was originally scheduled for the end of this year, but due to some important reasons, it’s been moved up to this month! It’s good that you’re back. We understand why you brought Knightrod along. Good, I’ll consider it! Right now, the most important thing is to prepare for the tournament. This is Prince Astor of the empire! You should know he’s here too to discuss this matter. Marshal Okaz was supposed to come as well, but he’s delayed due to some matters!”

With a sigh and a hint of concern, the middle-aged man beside him—referred to by Kiro as the honest old man—spoke slowly. It was hard to imagine that the dean of the Holy Light Academy, known as its greatest master and usually perceived as an untouchable and fearless figure, could exhibit such an attitude and expression. Yet Rod and Kiro, neither of whom were foolish, sensed something unusual. It seemed they were indeed in trouble this time. Moreover, even a prince had been mobilized; according to the old man, Marshal Okaz himself would likely come. With such important figures involved, it must be a life-or-death crisis.

“What exactly is going on? Why so early? Why did Kiro say the empire can’t afford to lose this time?” Rod couldn’t help but ask, filled with countless doubts.

“The demons! The vampires! That’s why it happened early!” Hearing Rod’s question, the old man glanced briefly at the boy who had brought him such surprises before speaking in a grave tone.

Everyone’s face paled, including Kiro. Demons and vampires—these terms were absolute taboos!

Three thousand years ago, under the powerful strength of the legendary war god Stuart Timothy, the continent was finally unified, giving rise to an unprecedented World United Principality. Yet within just a few decades, Stuart vanished without a trace, and the newly unified continent fell back into conflict. This war lasted for a hundred years, during which the mysterious races—demons, vampires, and werewolves—seized the opportunity to expand rapidly, sparking a bloody conflict. From then on, humans, demons, and the dark nations formed by dark forces stood in opposition to each other. This conflict lasted nearly a thousand years, filled with endless wars and bloodshed. Though few in number, the demons, vampires, and werewolves held the upper hand due to their strength. The people of the continent suffered greatly under their oppression. Despite their large population, they were forced to retreat under the pressure of the dark nations, even reaching the brink of extinction.

Two thousand years ago, a brilliant hero named Tiger Leopold emerged. With his astonishing strength, terrifying combat skills, and the support of the four mysterious great families, he fought through nearly thirty years of war before finally defeating the powerful demons, vampires, and werewolves, putting an end to a century of chaos and restoring unity to the continent.

After World War I, the demons retreated to the Forbidden Lands of the Source of Darkness—a place feared by all on the continent! From then on, they hid away and disappeared from people’s sight, while vampires and werewolves, having suffered heavy losses and nearly perishing, could only rely on their special abilities to blend in among ordinary people, and thus they became rarely heard of. Yet in secret, they never gave up their dream—of establishing a dark kingdom! Since then, these three culprit races—demons, vampires, and werewolves—have become taboos in the eyes of everyone. As for RipperUltra, he became a hero of the continent due to this achievement, admired and revered by all, even thousands of years later, for saving the entire human race.
A thousand years passed, and who would have thought that these two words would be heard again now? It’s no wonder Kiro and Rod’s expressions changed drastically—no wonder the old man was so worried, no wonder the empire attached such importance to it, no wonder the atmosphere was so gloomy. It all makes sense now.