Chapter 180: Brutal Beating

Obviously, Rod seemed addicted at this moment and had no intention of letting Nils go. This situation worried Kiro and the others, not to mention the other trainees as well. Although they disliked Nils, they didn’t want him dead, and Rod’s demeanor terrified them.
Bang… Another punch sent Nils flying. He landed on the ground in a parabolic arc, spitting out blood and gasping weakly. His body trembled uncontrollably, and his disheveled appearance made it hard to recognize him from before.
Rod slowly walked over to Nils, crouched in front of him, and stared quietly at him. With a cold smirk on his lips, he pulled Nils’ hair back, forcing him to look up at him, meeting his lifeless eyes.
…
“Shouldn’t we leave? Otherwise, that kid might really get killed by that little guy, Knight Rod!” From a high tower in the distance, two figures watched everything happening in the training ground. One of them couldn’t help but ask.
“Kro, why are you in such a hurry? Can’t you see he’s having fun? Wait a bit longer. No one will die. If he wanted Nils’ life, he wouldn’t still be alive. He’s dodged all the attacks and only suffered minor injuries. He’ll be fine after a few days of rest!” The other old man spoke disdainfully, watching the situation in the training ground with interest. Thanks to his powerful strength, he could condense his combat energy in his eyes, allowing him to see everything clearly. He became even more interested in Knight Rod—someone who seemed very much like himself, reminding him of his own actions in his youth.
“Sinrich, you old fool! What if someone found out you’re here watching, doing nothing while the students fight below? Hehe, especially since it’s the kid you like who’s being abused. Isn’t that too biased and protective?” Hearing Sinrich’s words, Kro asked with a sinister smile.

“You… don’t forget. It seems you’re watching here too. Spilling this out won’t benefit you! Watch carefully—don’t worry. It looks like that kid Kiro has taken action!” Sinrich paid no attention to Claude’s words. Suddenly, the movements of Kiro and his group caught his eye. Seeing this, he knew things had progressed to this point, and it seemed unnecessary for him and Kuro to intervene anymore.

“Hehe, but that kid Naitrod is really impressive—having reached the rank of Golden Warrior. Golden Warrior… I’ve been envious of him for a year now. He’s truly talented. That move he used seems to have brought about quite a change. It’s rare to see someone his age grasp such a level!” Watching Rod in the training ground and thinking of the move he used in previous battles, Kuro said with admiration. While ordinary people might not notice that move, how could they, old veterans like them, fail to see it?

They were well aware of the intricacies involved, and they were greatly surprised that Rod had reached this level in just a few days.

“Hehe, I like this kid. No, I must get him for myself. I can’t let others snatch him away. I heard those old guys are also eager to try?” Thinking that several old veterans were keen on Rod after the competition, Sinrich grew anxious. Rod was the only one he had taken a liking to in all these years—he couldn’t let him be taken away.

“Pass a message to those old guys—whomever tries to snatch him from me will have trouble with me.” With that in mind, Sinrich hurriedly instructed Kuro beside him.

“You idiot! They haven’t even agreed to your request yet. What are you showing off for? It seems like you think he was raised by you at first glance. Well, you decide for yourself. The good show is over; it’s time to go!” Faced with Sinrich’s behavior, Kuro felt helpless. Seeing Kiro and his group in the training ground, he knew there was no need to worry any longer, so he simply turned and left, knowing no more exciting developments would occur.

……

At that moment, inside the arena, Rod had once again faced Nils. Looking at Nils, who was struggling to breathe on the ground, he crouched down slightly to look at him.

“How’s it going? Did you remember my words?” With a slight smile, he asked gently. His dominant stance exuded a powerful sense of intimidation toward Nils. In his heart, Rod now seemed like an insurmountable mountain, unreachable, filling him with genuine fear.

“Rod…” Taking advantage of this brief moment, Kiro and the others had already reached the arena. Seeing Rod’s actions, fearing he might do something else, they shouted loudly and quickly ran to his side.
Seeing Nils in such a pitiful state, Rod couldn’t help but frown. It seemed this guy had really suffered a lot—it would likely take at least a month for him to recover. The academy could finally have some peace. That was enough; there was no need to go to extremes.
“Save… save me, Lucia, Kiro! Please save me!” Upon seeing them appear, Nils’ previously gloomy and desperate eyes suddenly lit up, as if he’d seen the dawn or grasped a lifeline. He called out in a weak voice.
“Shut up! Don’t let me hear your voice, or else…” With a cold gaze, Rod turned to Nils and snapped.
Scared by Rod’s tone, Nils acted like a child who had made a mistake. He quickly lowered his head, gritting his teeth, afraid to make any further noise and provoke Rod’s anger.
“Rod, let it go!” Kiro stepped forward and spoke softly beside Rod.
“Brother Rod, please stop. Don’t continue. I’m sure Nils won’t do this again!” Lucia also bit her lip slightly before speaking softly. Though she didn’t like Nils, seeing him in such a state made her feel a bit sympathetic. After all, Nils had been fairly kind to her. After knowing each other for so long, it was hard not to feel some sympathy.
“Heh, fine. For your sake, I’ll let it go this time. Nils, I repeat—remember my words. Don’t make me see you again. I promise it won’t be this easy next time!” Rod hadn’t intended to continue anyway. Since Kiro and Lucia had asked, he was willing to give them face. After giving a cold warning, he smiled and walked away, leaving behind a group of confused people and Nils, who was panting in relief.
John and the others certainly didn’t expect the captain to be convinced so easily. His expression earlier had been so terrifying—how could it be resolved so quickly? They felt disbelief.
“Hehe, the captain’s done here, but I’m not done yet!” Unexpectedly, just as everyone thought things were completely over, John’s words made everyone’s faces change.
“John, what are you doing?” Kiro asked sternly, frowning slightly.

“No, Nils. I remember saying the same thing before—since you defied me, I have to teach you a lesson. Otherwise, it won’t do if you just ignore my words next time! Considering how harsh the captain’s punishment was, I’ll be lenient this time!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled sound came through, followed by a scream and a thud as Nils was kicked off the platform by John. What others might have found unbearable to watch in Rod’s actions, John found exhilarating—every move of Rod’s made his blood boil, even making him question whether he had sadistic tendencies.
It seemed as though every punch and kick from Rod was directed at his heart, giving him an urge to release that anger. It was at that moment that Rod’s image grew even more powerful in his mind, prompting him to resolve to follow Brother Rod and live under his guidance from then on!
No one could have imagined that such an incident would determine John’s future, bringing about huge changes in his life and filling it with legend, leaving a significant mark in history.
“John!” Kiro growled again, annoyed by John’s actions!
“Hehe, it’s fine. Let’s go!” John ignored Kiro’s anger completely. What Kiro said, no matter how harsh, had nothing to do with him, so he certainly wouldn’t care.
As for Viski and the others, they remained indifferent. In fact, they fully agreed with John’s actions—insulting the captain meant insulting everyone. It was already good enough that they didn’t step in to join in the chaos.
Amid the gloomy atmosphere, the group walked out openly under everyone’s gaze, leaving the training ground under Rod’s leadership. Behind them were the astonished trainees and Nils, groaning in pain on the ground. No one noticed that at that moment, Nils’s eyes were icy cold, cold to the bone. He clenched his teeth tightly, with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Utterly cold-blooded—today, his pride had been trampled, and both his spirit and body had been severely damaged. How could he give up so easily? Beneath his icy gaze lay a mind and will overwhelmed by rage.

It was only much later that Rod secretly regretted his decision of that day, regretting his excessive kindness, which had led to a huge problem and countless dangers for himself. Of course, these were things for later; at least for now he hadn’t realized them yet. With his group, he was in high spirits after venting his anger. Even better, his improved Invisible Sword had achieved excellent results in actual combat for the first time, which filled him with quiet satisfaction.
Days of non-stop training day and night had not been in vain. Although he wasn’t yet skilled enough to use his full strength—only able to create ten clones after the improvement—he knew it would get better eventually. Besides, in terms of power, even with just ten clones, it was sufficient to match the power of the sixteen clones he had before the improvement!