Chapter 119: Chapter 113: Battle Maniacs
Back at the Reed Residence, Dean and Leonel were standing with the boys at the gate. It was time for them to leave for the final round of the tournament. The theoretical exam had been conducted online, so they hadn’t needed to leave earlier.
On the surface, it didn’t seem that much had changed for the boys, but even Dean couldn’t be sure. Three months was enough time for them to get custom clothes. Their shirts and T-shirts had four sleeves and a pair of slits on the back for their wings. They kept them inside because it was just easier that way. Cass had cut his hair short, while Zeke had a ponytail; he’d gotten used to having long hair in Murim.
Katherine, Alexi, and even Alessio were there to see the boys off. Alessio said, "Rosaria is waiting for you guys at the Academy. And I haven’t told her you’re joining this year, so do take a picture of her shocked face. I want to add it to her photo album."
Zeke asked, "So, you want us to betray our friend and help you capture an extremely embarrassing moment for eternity?"
Just as Alessio thought Zeke would refuse, Zeke said, "You should have told me sooner. I would have kept a nice camera with me. Forget photos; I’ll even make a video."
Alessio just laughed in reply. Then Zeke took out a huge egg... of Faith. He handed it over to Leonel.
Leonel asked, "What’s this?"
Zeke said, "Well, it was supposed to be your birthday gift, but I don’t know when that is, and honestly, we don’t have much time." He snapped his fingers, and the Faith shell disappeared. Everyone’s eyes widened as they suddenly smelled an intense irony scent—the smell of blood.
Leonel asked, "What is this, and why are you giving it to me?"
Zeke replied, "This is the genetic material of humans from Murim."
Leonel muttered, "That’s one way of putting it."
Zeke looked at him with a blank expression and said, "Alright, it’s corpses. Just analyze them and see if the DNA responsible for meridians can be replicated in normal Neo-Humans. Because if it’s possible, the Human Race will evolve again. For the better."
Leonel quickly put the barrel inside his space ring to avoid contaminating the corpses. He didn’t even ask how Zeke had preserved them. But Zeke wasn’t done yet; he handed Leonel a book and a chip.
He said, "A cultivation technique created by yours truly and a 3D meridian chart. Enjoy."
Leonel was supposed to accompany them, but this sudden project took priority. He didn’t say anything and just ran to the lab.
Dean said, "We should really leave now."
He opened a portal, and the three of them were about to step through when Katherine said, "Boys, give them hell."
Dean, Alexi, Alessio, and Cass smacked their foreheads at the same time. They stared at Katherine with eyes that screamed, Woman, are you crazy?
Zeke chuckled and said, "Oh, trust me, I plan to do just that." Then he stepped through the portal without waiting for anybody. Dean and Cass shook their heads and stepped through as well. Katherine had a realization.
She said, "I shouldn’t have said that, right?"
Alexi put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Yeah."
Even Alessio chimed in, "That was a dumb move."
Katherine shrugged and said, "Oh well, it’s not as if Zeke would change his plans just because I said something."
The two men were silent for a second before they nodded in agreement. There was nothing they could do except pray for the poor kids who came across Zeke.
On the other side of the portal, the trio appeared in a room. Dean sent a message to the Academy confirming the boys’ arrival. The boys received an acknowledgment and the schedule for the Finals.
Dean said, "Zeke, I won’t say much. Just don’t traumatize the kids too much."
Zeke said, "You say that as if I’m some big bad villain."
Cass interjected, "Are you not just that? Traumatizing others is your specialty."
Zeke said, "Lies! It’s not trauma; it’s character development."
Dean just shook his head again and said, "Well, I’m free today. So, what do you wanna do?"
The three of them had nothing to do that day, so they talked about various things. Of course, if a certain someone were to hear that Dean was not busy, he would probably attack Dean regardless of his status and strength. Zeke told them stories from Murim, Dean asked for his opinions on some laws, and so on. They had fun.
That night, the boys and every other contestant received more details about how the Finals would proceed. After reading the message, Zeke had a smile on his face that could only be described as unhinged.
Cass said, "This is like the worst possible format."
Dean said, "Why? You guys aren’t weak, so it shouldn’t be a problem."
Cass replied, "You misunderstand. I was talking about our opponents. It is the worst possible outcome for them."
Zeke said, "What do you mean by ’our’? You do realize that we are also opponents, don’t you, brother?"
Cass paused and then slowly turned to face Zeke. A frightening smile also appeared on his face. Dean, seeing this, started sweating.
He said, "Boys..."
When they didn’t respond, he realized it was already too late. These battle maniacs were truly excited now. He seriously considered using his authority to change the Finals’ format to a team match.
But he knew it wasn’t possible. If he did that, the Finals would have to be postponed, and that was just a minor issue compared to the complications that would arise. All he could do was warn the judges so they didn’t have a heart attack the next day.
He said, "Boys, you go to sleep now. I’ll meet you in the morning."
The boys nodded and said, "Good night, Uncle Dean."
Dean said, "Good night, boys."
Then he left.
