NOVEL WEB Chapter 19: Zhao Shi
Kent observed the scene with a blank expression and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, little beauty, but I have to make a move now."
"Enough talk. I know you've been making a name for yourself lately, beating Zhao Xuan twice, but I'm way stronger than that loser. My Ghost Dance Tengu and your little cat are both Silver-tier beasts," said Xiao Caocao, her demeanor suddenly shifting.
With a flick of her delicate finger, three thick, gray vines the size of water bottles shot toward Kent. The air was filled with a powerful gust as the vines struck with tremendous force.
Kent hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was being that aggressive. Nevertheless, he didn't waste time and directed Garfield to attack.
Garfield licked its paws, its eyes gleaming with a mysterious light. In an instant, its body arched like a bow, transforming into a blur and disappearing from the spectators' view.
The next moment, Garfield appeared beside Xiao Caocao, launching its head into her abdomen with a fierce, unexpected impact.
Xiao Caocao's face paled in shock, and she screamed as her body was sent flying into the air like a balloon, eventually landing outside the ring.
At the same time, Kent, with his enhanced physique, swiftly sidestepped the three incoming Ghost Dance Vines. After losing control of its master, the vines continued to dance in midair, no longer attacking.
"Wow, is it really that fast?"
The spectators gasped in surprise. Those who had witnessed Garfield's previous fight against a group of thugs shook their heads in disbelief. This housecat was far stronger than expected—quick, agile, and devastatingly powerful.
"That's too violent. But Kent sure doesn't have any mercy on a fragile girl. No wonder he's going to stay single forever," one of the girls pouted.
"Kent, this is an arena duel, not a street fight. You should've gone easy on Xiao Caocao; now how is she supposed to continue her matches?" A referee who had caught Xiao Caocao mid-air reprimanded Kent as he placed her gently on the ground.
Kent, realizing he had gone too far, felt embarrassed. He immediately called Garfield back and scolded, "You useless glutton! You weren't careful enough. What will we do if you hurt her?"
He gave Garfield a swift kick, sending the cat tumbling away, and then slapped his chest in frustration. "Sorry, she's not trained well. One of these days, I'll stew her if she causes any more trouble."
"Ahhh! Such a powerful beast, and you're going to stew it?! Kent, you're asking for a lightning strike! If I had a beast like that, I'd spoil it with all kinds of treats!" the boys grumbled in jealousy.
Xiao Caocao, still shaken from the encounter, looked at Kent with a resentful gaze and coldly muttered, "Serves you right for staying single your whole life."
She covered her abdomen and like a kitten, climbed back onto the ring to retrieve her Ghost Dance Vine.
Kent awkwardly rubbed his nose, unsure of how to respond. Though he was still young and not particularly focused on finding a girlfriend, in his previous life, he had never even had a girlfriend. That was one of his biggest regrets.
Xiao Caocao's remark struck a nerve, and his heart ached slightly.
The referee saw that the match had ended and immediately declared, "High School Class 9, Kent wins and earns one point."
The massive electronic screen on the wall of the training hall flashed, displaying Kent's name and his ranking—just over a thousand.
Kent nodded, then left the arena to wait for his next match.
Another half-hour passed before his name was called again.
"Third arena, High School Class 9's Kent against High School Class 2's Zhao Shi."
The announcement rang out.
Kent frowned slightly, not because he thought Zhao Shi would be a difficult opponent, but because the name sounded familiar.
Zhao Shi—wasn't he Zhao Xuan's second brother?
It was rumored that the Zhao family had three brothers: the eldest, Zhao Lun, the second, Zhao Shi, and the youngest, Zhao Xuan.
Zhao Lun had already been accepted into Microglow University and was said to be doing quite well. Zhao Shi, on the other hand, could have gone to Microglow as well, but he was ambitious and repeated a year just to enter Earthstar University.
Earthstar University, located in Earthstar City, the largest of Earthstar's thirty-six star cities, was the best university among them. It had the most advanced resources and was considered the ideal destination for any student.
However, the admission requirements for Earthstar University were extremely high, far beyond those of the other universities. As the highest standard in Earthstar's education system, its requirements were understandably strict.
Kent had heard from Zhou Yun that Earthstar University was Zhao Mengxi's first choice.
Shaking his head, Kent stood up and, in the same manner, leapt onto the stage. Garfield was ahead of him, sensing the faint hostility from Zhao Shi, and was already on high alert, glaring at him.
Zhao Shi sneered at Kent and said, "Zhao Xuan really is a loser. He couldn't even deal with a brat like you, and now I have to step in and make things right. What a disgrace to the mighty Zhao family."
Zhao Xuan, who had been watching from outside the arena, was initially excited, hoping Zhao Shi would teach Kent a lesson. After all, Zhao Shi had repeated a year, had better resources, and his beast, the Red-Eyed Savage Wolf, was a Silver-tier, level 25 creature. He was clearly at the level required for Earthstar University.
But when he heard Zhao Shi call him a waste, Zhao Xuan's face turned dark, and his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. The insult stung even worse than when Kent had humiliated him.
Others didn't notice his sour expression, thinking the Zhao brothers shared a deep bond.
In reality, with such a large family fortune, three potential heirs were bound to lead to internal struggles—though none of this had been made public.
Kent raised an eyebrow, then casually asked, "So, what exactly are you trying to say? Are you calling Zhao Xuan a waste, or are you looking to avenge him?"
Zhao Shi was momentarily stunned. What was Kent implying?
Zhao Shi suddenly felt a little awkward, realizing he had backed himself into a corner. If he insulted Zhao Xuan again, it would be too much. But he also couldn't bring himself to say he was avenging him.
With a glance at the referee, Zhao Shi finally said, "Can we start?"
The referee, already impatient, blew the whistle to start the match.
The ten-second countdown began…
Zhao Shi stood next to a monstrous wolf, nearly four meters tall, with muscular limbs more imposing than an elephant. Its blood-red eyes glowed with a murderous thirst. Its mouth bore four tusk-like fangs that sent a chilling aura into the air.
This was the Silver-tier, level 25 Red-Eyed Savage Wolf, an evolved version of the Stormfang Wolf.
Kent didn't dare to underestimate it. Having studied many beast diagrams recently, he knew that while the Stormfang Wolf was a lower-tier Silver beast, the Red-Eyed Savage Wolf was an upper-tier Silver beast, and the difference in strength was immense.
As the countdown reached zero, Zhao Shi immediately commanded the Red-Eyed Savage Wolf to charge, and the entire arena seemed to shake as the beast moved, as though an earthquake had struck.