A suspicion had been lingering in Sara’s heart ever since the attack by Horn.
The mysterious Black Shadow who had saved them on the scene was very likely Yize.
At this moment, Luke’s words of “injustice” for Yize happened to remind her.
A thought flashed through her mind: ‘Perhaps I can take this opportunity to have Teacher Laura test Yize’s background.’
She turned to Laura, a perfectly measured look of request on her face as she said in a light tone, “Teacher Laura, my Junior Yize has actually expressed interest in learning martial arts and swordsmanship in private. It’s just that he’s suffered from a lack of guidance from a famous master.”
“You have a sharp eye. Could you take a look at him and see what his talent in this area really is?”
“If… if he is even barely passable, could you let him train with us and receive a little bit of your guidance?”
She intentionally spoke casually, as if it were merely a whim.
Laura’s gaze followed Sara’s line of sight, landing on the black-haired young man standing not far away, looking somewhat dazed and at a loss.
She always found it difficult to refuse Sara’s requests, so she spoke, her voice carrying over clearly.
“You there, the black-haired boy. Stop daydreaming. You, come here for a moment!”
Yize was stunned by this sudden call. Under Luke’s excited shoving, he walked forward somewhat ignorantly and looked at Laura. “Did you call me for something?”
Laura didn’t say much. She reached out directly and accurately gripped Yize’s wrist.
A gentle yet highly penetrating stream of Aura, like a thin rivulet, probed into Yize’s body. It quickly circulated once, investigating his bones, meridians, and potential affinity for Aura.
A moment later, she released her hand and turned to Sara. Her tone was calm, but her conclusion was clear, carrying a trace of imperceptible regret.
“Lady Sara, your junior… His meridian resilience is ordinary, and his bone strength is only at the level of a commoner. More importantly, I can sense almost no potential for resonance with Aura within him.”
“Regrettably, he is indeed… not suited for the path of martial arts.”
She spoke very tactfully, but in essence, she was judging Yize as having absolutely no talent for martial arts.
Yize wasn’t surprised by this result at all.
Long ago, when he first crossed over and discovered his magic elemental affinity was ridiculously low, he had tested his martial arts aptitude with a “just in case” mindset. The result had been equally disastrous.
The strength he possessed today was entirely dependent on the System and his own “hard work” (as well as the attribute points rewarded by the System).
However, this result caused Li En to secretly rejoice.
Yize’s terrifying performance on the battlefield earlier, acting like a magical turret, had truly dealt a blow to his self-confidence. Seeing Yize judged as “trash” in martial arts now, a sense of superiority spontaneously arose. A flash of pride and contempt uncontrollably crossed his face.
‘Hehe,’ Li En sneered in his heart.
‘So what if you got lucky and possessed that kind of magical talent? The limit of a 5% elemental affinity is right there; your path in magic is destined to not go far!’
‘Now it’s even been confirmed that you don’t have a single shred of martial arts talent. You’re a complete waste! In the end, you’re just a guy who uses strange methods to grandstand!’
Dio keenly captured the fleeting look of triumph on Li En’s face, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly.
‘Does this genius of Liyue Academy seem particularly happy about the fact that Junior Yize lacks martial talent?’
Sara, however, didn’t seem ready to give up, or rather, she hadn’t seen what she wanted to verify yet.
She insisted, “Teacher Laura, why don’t you… try testing him in a different way? What if… what if there’s something special about him that conventional investigation can’t discover?”
Seeing Sara so persistent, Laura decided to give him a chance, even though she no longer held any hope for Yize.
She pointed at the wooden training swords on the nearby weapon rack and said to Yize, “Pick up that wooden sword. Then, regardless of the method, try to hit me. Don’t worry, just use your full strength.”
She simply wanted to visually observe Yize’s physical coordination, reaction speed, and instinctive feel for weapons.
Hearing this, Yize’s heart stirred slightly.
‘Senior Sister Sara’s affection level seems to be the real deal. She’s starting to actively fight for opportunities for me.’
He did as told, walking over and picking up the slightly heavy wooden sword.
His original plan was to just mess around for a bit and go through the motions.
After all, he had already exposed too much of his strength regarding magic. If he were to show some startling martial talent despite having zero Aura… or even worse, if he accidentally touched the Sword Saint’s clothes, he was afraid this pillar of the Empire would start questioning her life, leading to an “unstable heart.” That would be a great sin.
However, someone didn’t want him to get away with it so easily.
Li En felt that this was an excellent opportunity to both demonstrate his own strength and legitimately teach Yize a lesson.
He took a proactive step forward, bowed to Laura, and said in a sincere tone, “Teacher Laura, it’s just a talent test. Why trouble yourself to act personally?”
“How about I do it in your stead? Moreover, actual combat is the best way to test a person’s potential and adaptability.”
He looked at Yize, a seemingly friendly smile hanging on his face. “I would like to have a friendly duel with classmate Yize. Please rest assured, I will not use any Battle Arts. It will be a pure competition of physical attributes and basic swordsmanship.”
Laura pondered for a moment and felt that what Li En said made sense.
For someone of her level, standing to the side and watching would be enough to make an accurate judgment of Yize.
She nodded. “Acceptable.”
Yize was stunned, and he immediately understood.
‘Luke was right. This Main Character really doesn’t like me! Is he trying to take the chance to show off his talent in front of everyone and beat me up legitimately to vent his anger?’
“No!” Sara immediately spoke up in opposition, her tone firm. “Li En, even if you don’t use Battle Arts, your constitution has undergone long-term systematic training and far exceeds that of an ordinary person. This duel is simply unfair for Yize, who has never received formal martial training!”
She didn’t want Yize to be humiliated for no reason because of her suggestion.
Li En put on an expression that was entirely for Yize’s sake as he explained, “Senior Sister Sara, the purpose of this duel isn’t victory or defeat, but rather to dig out potential. You and Senior Sister Emma are both proficient in healing magic, and I will absolutely hold back within a ‘controllable’ range to ensure no serious harm is caused to classmate Yize.”
His tone shifted, becoming “serious” as he continued, “Of course, I will apply an appropriate amount of pressure to classmate Yize. After all, the hidden potential and combat instincts within the human body can only be stimulated when facing a real threat in actual combat. This is the best way to help him judge if he truly has talent.”
On the side, Yize’s mouth twitched.
‘Damn! In order to beat me up reasonably and legally, this Main Character really put a lot of painstaking effort into his words. This rhetoric is practically flawless!’
Sara thought seriously, her beautiful brows furrowed.
She still felt it was inappropriate. This matter started because of her. If it turned into Yize being “guided” by Li En in public, not only might Yize get hurt, but his dignity would also be damaged.
Right at that moment, the familiar system notification sounded in Yize’s mind.
[The Divine Choice System is at your service. Please make a suitable choice as soon as possible.]
[Option 1: Reveal a portion of your strength, accept Li En’s proposal, engage in a duel, and ensure victory. Afterward, say humbly: “That was truly a hearty battle. This victory was a fluke. I hope to have another chance to spar with you.” Difficulty: A. Reward: Protagonist Value +10]
[Option 2: Accept Li En’s proposal. After defeating him, humiliate him mercilessly. For example: “A genius of Liyue Academy? You’re not all that!” “How does it feel to become a clown in public, especially in front of these beautiful girls? If you’re trash, practice more.” Difficulty: S. Reward: Antagonist Value +10]
[Option 3: Use an extremely mediocre, even clumsy performance to deal with this duel and avoid attracting any extra attention. Difficulty: E. Reward: NPC Value +10]
Yize quickly scanned the options, his brain working at high speed.
Since he accidentally discovered he could “glitch” the system to complete multiple options last time, he had been studying the loopholes in the rules.
He keenly perceived that these three options didn’t seem… entirely conflicting?
Option three only required him to “perform in a mediocre way”; it didn’t state he had to lose the duel.
In that case…
Was a “mediocre victory” feasible?
For example, performing in a stumbling, narrow-escape fashion, but ultimately winning by a fluke because of the opponent’s “mistake” or “luck”?
That way, he could satisfy the “mediocre” requirement while also completing the “victory” condition of option one. As for the “humiliation” of option two… maybe he could say it to him secretly after winning!
Looking at his panel, where he had already accumulated 60 Protagonist Value and Antagonist Value—not far from the goal of 100 points to exchange for rewards—Yize was tempted.
Anyway, he was already hated by this “Main Character,” and the other party was the one who initiated the provocation, wanting to use him as a stepping stone… then he couldn’t be blamed for taking the opportunity to reap some system rewards.
Sara was still insisting, “I still don’t think it’s right. It’s better to let Teacher Laura test him personally…”
Hearing Sara defend Yize so much, the fire of jealousy and disgust in Li En’s heart grew even more intense.
Laura left the decision to Yize himself. “Yize, was it? Choose for yourself. Shall I do a simple test, or will you accept Li En’s combat proposal?”
Yize took a deep breath and spoke. “I think… Classmate Li En’s proposal makes a lot of sense! I also want to become stronger so I can better fight alongside everyone against the Blood Race! And…”
He scratched his head bashfully. “I feel like I usually do some secret training myself. My constitution should be… okay? Maybe something really will be stimulated under pressure?”
Sara was stunned, completely unable to understand Yize’s choice.
‘If he really were that Black Shadow, he should be doing everything possible to avoid any chance of exposing his strength right now… Could it be that he’s already realized I suspect him, so he’s planning to lose the match on purpose to dispel my doubts?’
This thought left her even more confused.
Li En’s heart was a mix of wild joy and cold sneering.
‘Idiot! He actually jumped in himself! You’re truly seeking your own humiliation! Watch how I make you lose face in front of everyone later!’
Yize picked up the wooden sword and walked toward the center of the training ground with seemingly heavy steps, standing opposite Li En.
He gripped the wooden sword with both hands in a clumsy posture and gave Li En a nervous smile with a hint of sycophancy. “I’ll have to trouble you this time, Classmate Li En. Please… you must show mercy.”
Li En’s contempt grew even deeper, but on the surface, he maintained his poise and smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, Classmate Yize. This is just a friendly spar. I will certainly exercise restraint.”
His tone shifted, carrying a hint of imperceptible malice. “However… blades have no eyes, and being hit by a wooden sword still hurts. If you suffer some superficial injuries later, Classmate Yize shouldn’t cry out in pain like those delicate girls, right? That… would be a bit embarrassing.”
He intentionally used words to provoke Yize, wanting him to endure the pain for the sake of his pride so he would suffer more.
Yize acted as if he didn’t hear the thorns in his words, still smiling honestly. “Of course not. Please rest assured, Classmate Li En.”
‘As expected, this kid is up to no good.’
Yize sneered in his heart, but his face remained impassive.
It was time for his performance again.