NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Intense Battle
The size difference between the two beasts was staggering—one was a massive, fierce wolf over three meters long, and the other was a chubby orange cat about 80 centimeters long. The mismatch was almost comical.
Many students in the audience, familiar with the previous conflicts between Kent and Zhao Xuan, couldn't help but feel uneasy. After all, the majority of the students were from ordinary backgrounds, and the Zhao brothers had long been arrogant and oppressive due to their family's influence, earning little favor from the crowd. Many were silently rooting for Kent, hoping he'd hold his ground.
On the high platform, the school leaders, along with almost all the senior year tutors, had made time to watch the initial round of beast battles, as all the participants were their students. Aside from the principal, who made a brief appearance before leaving, the vice principals, head of the education department, and a few class mentors sat in the most prominent positions, overseeing the matches from a bird's-eye view.
For the school leaders, it was a delight to see any of their students excel. For the class mentors and tutors, it was equally satisfying to see their students perform well, as if it reflected their own success. And when their students defeated competitors from other classes, it filled them with a sense of pride and superiority.
At this moment, the head tutor of the second class, Zhang, looked at Zhao Zhi as he took the stage and said to the school leaders beside him:
"Zhao Zhi is from my class, and he's set his sights on entering earthstar university. I estimate his score this time will easily place him in the top ten."
A gray-haired vice principal nodded, praising him. "I know Zhao Zhi; he's truly impressive, not only with his beast handling skills but also his solid physical training. He's a top-tier student, and I have high hopes for him."
The head of the education department chimed in, "From what you're saying, it seems like his opponent is in for a rough time." He then added, "Ah, they seem to have some kind of grudge. Looks like an intense rivalry. Haha, I do enjoy a good grudge match."
One of the other class tutors, He from the first class, squinted and remarked, "Who's that student with the cat? He looks a bit familiar. I think I saw him in the newspaper recently."
Hearing this, Yang, the head tutor of the ninth class, responded somewhat awkwardly, "He's from my ninth class. From what I know, he and Zhao Xuan have quite a history. Zhao Zhi is Zhao Xuan's older brother, so… I hope things don't get too out of hand."
Yang had been Kent's tutor for three years, so he was well aware of his student's abilities—or lack thereof. Kent had once been near the bottom of the rankings due to his poor talent and lack of strength. But recently, Kent's contracted pet cat had evolved, making him much stronger. Even Zhao Xuan was no match for him now.
Despite this, Yang wasn't particularly concerned with Kent. With graduation approaching, he didn't bother investing much time to understand a student who rarely interacted with him.
"Are you implying that Zhao Zhi doesn't need to exert himself to defeat Kent?" Zhang from the second class asked, his tone tinged with displeasure. "Zhao Zhi is an outstanding student, and the best Kent has done in our class is maybe rank in the top twenty. Does Zhao Zhi really need to put in much effort to defeat someone like Kent?"
"Of course not. Our top students are no slouches. I guarantee you, Kent will lose in less than twenty seconds. No, it'll probably take less than ten."
Yang didn't dare respond to this challenge. He knew he couldn't argue with the strength and authority of the second-class mentor. So, he decided it was better not to continue the discussion.
The countdown ended.
The third arena shook as the red-eyed savage wolf let out a growl. With a single leap, it closed the distance to Kent in an instant, raising its massive claws to strike him down.
Kent's face shifted slightly. He didn't dare take this lightly and quickly retreated a few steps while commanding Garfield to attack without holding back.
Garfield, in comparison to the wolf, was tiny, and the audience couldn't help but sigh in sympathy. They thought Garfield was bound to tremble in fear under the wolf's imposing presence, yet instead of backing down, it charged toward the beast.
The crowd couldn't bear to watch. The wolf's claws were more than enough to crush the little orange cat into a bloody mess.
"How foolish! Not only refusing to surrender immediately but sending a pet cat to its death. Even if it's a lowly pet, it shouldn't be used as cannon fodder—what a waste of resources. Are all the students from the ordinary classes this pathetic?" Zhang from the second class couldn't hold back his scorn.
But before he could finish, Garfield swiftly dodged the wolf's claws and landed on its massive head. With a snap, it sank its sharp teeth into the wolf's scalp and then violently shook its head, tearing a chunk of flesh from the beast's skull.
The crowd gasped in horror as blood poured from the wolf's head.
The wolf let out a painful howl, enraged, and swung its claws toward Garfield. But Garfield swiftly avoided the attack, jumping to the wolf's tail and clawing another piece of flesh from its rear.
Zhao Zhi, furious at the sight, shouted, "Idiot! Forget the cat—go kill its owner!"
The red-eyed savage wolf, now fully focused on Kent, charged at him with terrifying speed, its claws outstretched like a wild beast attacking its prey.
Kent sneered and leaped lightly, becoming a blur in the air, easily evading the wolf's attack. As he landed about ten meters away, he called out, "Zhao Zhi, why don't we play a little game?"
Zhao Zhi's face turned cold as he gritted his teeth, his muscles bulging with power as his clothes strained against his frame. With a powerful step, he charged at Kent.
Kent had already analyzed the wolf's abilities through the system. He knew Zhao Zhi could share three abilities with his beast: immense strength, lightning-fast strikes, and a hunger-driven attack that consumed the wolf's stamina to boost its combat power.
Though Kent had initiated the challenge, he didn't dare to be careless. Still, he wasn't going to miss this opportunity to improve his combat skills.
Meanwhile, Garfield kept the wolf distracted, using its speed and agility to toy with the beast and provoke its growing fury.
Kent steadied himself, focusing entirely on Zhao Zhi. The latter seemed composed and confident, carefully closing the distance before launching a powerful punch. His nails were long and sharp, and his fists were massive and terrifying.
Kent's nails extended, turning into sharp blades as he coolly stared down Zhao Zhi. When the punch came at him, Kent sidestepped just in time, narrowly avoiding the blow. In an instant, he retaliated, slashing his claws across Zhao Zhi's arm, leaving deep, bloody gashes on his skin.