The academy changed after that night.
Not openly.
Beraly enough for ordinary students to notice.
But beneath the elegance, beneath the glowing trees and silver spires winding through the massive academy.
Tension spread.
Guards doubled.
Everything connected to head master Roland was restricted .
Council representatives moved more frequently between towers.
Entire wings of the academy were suddenly declared off-limits.
And everywhere Leo went—
People watched him.
*************************
The afternoon sunlight filtered through a large window and into a lavish office like room .
At the center, round a polished table four figures sat , each displaying a different expressions.
Leo sat calmly in his usual sky crest attire.
His expression remained calm.
But internally—
His thoughts hadn't stopped moving since the underground chamber.
The Controlled distribution.
The experiments.
This wasn't some isolated incident anymore.
It was organized.
Planned.
And worst of all—
Successful.
"Thinking too hard again?"
Leo glanced sideways staring at Evangeline.
"You've been quiet since yesterday."
He ignored her turning his gaze to prince Aelion .
"Hey stop ignoring me Leo " Evangeline said while pouting .
" let's get down to business " Leo said calmly , his expression unchanged .
Internally though he felt a bit down cast when seeing Evangeline's face .
Truthfully he was quiet fond of her but he knew he couldn't get any further than that.
Also after what happened in the underground lab he wasn't sure he could trust any of he royal elves at all .
"I think Leo is right " prince Aelion's serious voice broke Leo away from his taughts .
"Hmm no more referring to me as human are we " Leo said smiling softly.
"Hey the last thing I need is the two of you getting all ' buddy buddy' " the sharp voice of the last person in the meeting prince Sol rang out disrupting the peaceful atmosphere.
Sighing softly Leo started speaking.
" I asked Evangeline to set up this meeting so I can ask you to your faces ....
What am I dealing with here ..
And more importantly what is chaos energy .?"
A somber silence hung for half a minute before Leo spoke again cutting of Sol who just opened his mouth to speak.
" I could go through the official channels but I doubt that information would be anything I don't know so I've decided to ask you all instead .
Sol once again opened his mouth to speak bit was cut off again, this time by prince Aelion .
"We elves don't know that much but due to our higher sensitivity to world energy , we've found out some things ....
I am willing to tell you what you want to know..."
"Brother you can't be serious, spearding our knowledge to a human! " Sol said his voice dripping with contempt.
With a glare that could freeze oceans and a spiking aura Aelion turned to Sol .
"Do not interrupt me again less you want to lose your head .... Don't forget I'm the crowned prince not the other way around ."
Silence .
Absolute silence settled .
Sol clenched his jaw in anger and humiliation yet kept quiet.
Even the jovial Evangeline sat quietly.
For a full minute no one said a word
Turning back to face Leo , prince Aelion spoke again, his voice now leveled .
"I will give you this information and in exchange you tell me everything that happened in your fight with Roland ."
Leo's fight with Roland was highly debated among the elves of Elavein.
Though he came out victorious. most couldn't believe a beginner world saint could beat a peak world saint especially not when it was a human versus an elf.
Aelion's reason for asking this wasn't just because of racial discrimination but something far more significant.
The seven soverigns tournament.
He needed to know a his potential rivals for the biggest tournament of the centuary after all .
Because of the isolation barrier no one but Evangeline saw the fight and she would not give any information about it to anyone , leaving Aelion no choice but ask Leo himself .
Apart from Aelion, Evangeline also wanted to here Leo talk about it . Though she was there she realy couldn't believe what she had seen herself .
For Leo the taught didn't bother him much , after all he would be way stronger than he was now by the time for the tournament so prince Aelion's motives didn't worry him .
It was a fair trade in Leo's eyes so he accepted with a nod.
"Fine "
*************************
Leo stood starting at Roland a the fifteen corrupted beings while casting a side glance at Evangeline.
She was fine physicaly but her energy reserves where anything but fine.
"Destroying that natural formation must have bleed you dry ... "
Reluctantly she gave a nod still trying to catch her breath .
"Don't worry I will handle this just rest up and protect yourself"
"Alright Leo if you win I might just give you a nice reward " she replied with a cheeky smile.
"I'm contemplating leaving you here now "
"You wouldn't..... right .... right?"
Turning to face Roland he cast away all distractions.
He was alone.
Surrounded.
Outnumbered.
Yet burning with battle will.
Against fifteen beings at the middle world saint rank and Roland a peak world saint only death would follow.
The only silver lining was the fact that most of the corrupted beings had lost their sanity during the experiments , so they could only use about 40% of their strength.
Still enough to destroy cities bit against a battle prodigy like Leo .
Nothing special.
The air shifted.
Aura's speard and spiked .
And suddenly
Both sides attacked.
BOOOOM.
One lunged from above while two more rushed from the front simultaneously.
Leo moved instantly.
Not just fast.
Precise.
He stepped sideways as claws tore past his face before driving his elbow coated in purple flames into the first beast's skull.
CRACK.
It was flung back like a ragdoll immediately.
No longer in a confined space Leo was going full force.
Another snapped toward his throat immediately the first fell.
Leo grabbed its jaw mid-lunge and slammed it into the stone floor.
BOOOOM.
Dark blood splattered across the garden in a violent splash .
The third reached him from behind—
Too late.
A faint spatial ripple distorted the air.
Leo vanished for a split second.
Then reappeared behind it.
His fist crashed into its spine.
The beast folded violently , flames ripping through its body.
But the assult didn't stop.
The remaining corrupted beings surged together.
Roland watched calmly from behind them , his irritation mounting.
Leo noticed.
"…Your angry ..... Just be patient your next ."
A wolf-like beastkin burst forward covered in hardened crystal armor.
Leo sidestepped and punched—
The armor absorbed most of the impact.
The beastkin retaliated instantly.
Its claws slashed across Leo's shoulder—
SHHKK.
Blood splattered lightly.
Leo's eyes sharpened.
They were adapting again.
Just like the forest beasts before.
"Tch."
Three more attacked simultaneously.
One from above.
Two from his sides.
Leo stomped downward.
Space distorted briefly beneath him—
BOOOOM.
The ground exploded upward, throwing them backward.
Then—
His palm ignited.
Purple flames burned around his hand.
The nearest elf lunged directly into it.
FWOOOSH.
The purple fire erupted violently across its body.
Unlike normal flames—
It didn't merely burn.
It erased.
The elf screamed as parts of its
corrupted body began collapsing inward unnaturally.
Roland's expression changed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Leo noticed that too.
The flames mattered.
'Maybe thats what their after '
The corrupted beings hesitated briefly.
Then Roland raised his hand.
"what are you doing ....Kill him."
The remaining creatures rushed together.
Leo's eyes narrowed sharply, exhaustion weighing on him yet he pushed it away.
Then—
He moved.
The garden became a blur of destruction.
A human leapt—
Leo grabbed its face and slammed it through the ground.
Another charged—
Purple flames exploded across his leg as his kick shattered its skull.
Spatial distortions flickered constantly around him now.
Evolving rapidly during combat.
Every movement became sharper.
More instinctive.
Like he was learning faster than they could process.
One beastkin bit into his arm—
Leo grabbed it by the throat.
Purple flames erupted point-blank.
BOOOOM.
Its body imploded instantly.
Dark blood sprayed across his handsome face.
The last five circled him carefully now.
Fear.
That was all they felt.
Roland noticed.
"…Worthless."
His expression darkened.
Then—
He pulled a crystal vial from beneath his cloak.
Leo's eyes sharpened immediately his Instincts screaming Wildly.
Chaos energy.
Condensed.
Refined.
Roland smiled faintly.
"You should feel honored."
Then—
He injected it directly into his neck.
FWOOOOM.
Dark energy exploded outward instantly.
The ground shook violently.
The remaining corrupted beings backed away instinctively.
Even the world energy in the air shook as if the world itself tried regect what Roland was turning into.
Veins of black energy spread across Roland's body while his world energy surged upward.
Higher.
Denser.
More dangerous.
Leo's expression hardened slightly.
"…You're forcing a breakthrough."
Roland's laughed softly as dark energy spiraled around him.
"Not forcing."
A pulse erupted outward.
"…Ascending."
The air warped slightly behind him.
A dark circular field formed faintly around him.
Incomplete.
Unstable.
But real.
Arthur would've recognized it instantly.
A partial domain.
Mediocre compared to the ture domain .
But deadly none the less.
Roland grinned. He was now a world king , though at the bottom of that rank .
"Within this field… your movements slow while mine accelerate."
The darkness expanded rapidly.
Leo instantly felt the pressure.
His body became heavier.
Roland vanished.
FAST.
TOO FAST .
A blade coated in Chaos energy slashed across Leo's chest—
SHHHK.
Blood splattered.
Then another strike hit his side.
Then his shoulder.
Too fast.
The partial domain distorted perception and movement simultaneously.
Roland appeared behind Leo smiling coldly
.
"You were impressive earlier."
His blade pressed against Leo's neck.
"But talent means nothing before superior power."
Silence.
Then—
Leo laughed softly.
Roland frowned.
"…What's funny?"
Leo slowly lifted his head.
His eyes glowed faintly purple.
"…All that power yet still stupid ."
The air cracked.
Space itself recoiled under Leos ability.
Roland's expression changed instantly.
A spatial rift opened beneath him.
"Wha—?!"
Too late.
The space around his body twisted violently.
The partial domain destabilized immediately as the rift dragged against its structure.
He tried to escape—
Leo grabbed his arm.
Purple flames ignited instantly across Leo's hand.
For the first time—
The flames and spatial energy merged together.
Space distorted violently.
Roland's eyes widened in horror.
"You—!"
Leo's voice became cold.
"Bye .. Bye ."
Then—
He unleashed everything.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Purple fire exploded directly into the compressed spatial rift while the Chaos energy inside Roland reacted violently.
Space.
Chaos.
Destruction.
The three energies collided simultaneously.
Then—
Imploded.
The world folded inward for a split second.
Silence.
And then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!
The barrier groaned , trying desperately trying to hold the power of the blast in.
The shockwave shattered every building in the garden .
Behind Leo as purple embers drifted slowly through the air.
The remaining beasts died instantly from the backlash.
Silence returned.
Leo stood there over the body of Roland or what was left of it breathing heavily.
His body hurt.
His energy pathways burned.
But inside—
Something snapped
.
Not negatively.
A breakthrough.
Energy surged violently through his body as his cultivation advanced to the next rank.
The suppression around him cracked slightly again.
The pressure of his breakthrough finally destroying the barrier.
The middle world saint rank achieved.
—
Far away—
A masked man suddenly smiled beneath his hood.
".... So Roland lost .... Expected .... Things are moving quickly."
A pause.
Then soft laughter echoed through the darkness.
"How exciting."