The next day, Max left for the Battle Realm with Alice.
"Do your best, Max."
"Show them, Max, who the real genius is!"
"Kick his ass, Max."
"All the best, Max."
In the Battle Hall, many members of various ages cheered for him as they saw him enter the hall.
Max smiled confidently at them and said, "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to humiliate that guy so much that he’ll think twice before leaving his house."
The members in the hall smiled wryly. They thought that either Max was too overconfident or simply crazy.
Killian had held the number one spot in the Novice Rankings for three years now. This was enough to show how strong he had been for the past three years. Find adventures on empire
Now that his strength had reached the very peak of Novice Rank and was just one step away from Apprentice Rank, one could only imagine how strong he would be now.
Therefore, they didn’t take Max’s words seriously at all.
Smiling at the crowd in the hall, Max entered the Battle Realm with Alice.
---
In the Battle Realm, Max reappeared at his cube.
’Today will be a very satisfying day,’ he thought as he stepped out of his cube.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people had gathered in front of Max’s cube, forming a tightly packed crowd. Their faces were alive with anticipation, their excitement almost palpable.
Soon Max revealed himself causing the crowd to go crazy.
"How confident are you, Max?" someone called out from the throng.
"Can your level 6 strength really stand up to Killian?" another voice chimed in, laced with doubt.
"Killian is a once-in-a-generation genius. Don’t you think challenging him was a mistake?" a third asked, skepticism evident in their tone.
Questions flew at Max from all directions, each one probing his resolve and daring him to justify his boldness. Some believed Max had made a grave mistake by challenging Killian, while others doubted whether his strength was enough to face such a formidable opponent.
Yet, despite their skepticism, every single one of them was brimming with excitement. The thought of a battle between the undefeated rising star and the reigning genius who had held the top spot for years was simply too thrilling to miss.
Hearing the barrage of questions from the crowd, Max’s smile widened as a sly expression appeared on his face.
"I challenge Killian because I want to crush him," he declared boldly. "I want to show him how weak he truly is. I want to expose how vulnerable he becomes when facing someone at level 6. I want him to realize that he is nothing in front of me. And most importantly," Max paused, letting his words sink in, "I want him to understand that despite being a Blade, he is no more than an ant to me."
"Did he really just say that? Calling Killian an ant? That’s insane!"
"Max has some serious guts. Challenging the number one is one thing, but taunting a Blade like that? He’s either incredibly brave or completely reckless."
"I’ve never seen anyone speak like this about the Blades."
"Say what you will, but you can’t deny the guy has guts. He’s either got a trump card up his sleeve, or he’s just riding high on arrogance."
"Guts? More like a death wish. Killian’s been undefeated for years, and Max thinks his level 6 strength is enough to take him down?"
The crowd erupted in murmurs, a mix of shock, admiration, and disbelief filling the air. Max’s audacity was unmatched, and whether they believed in him or not, one thing was certain—this battle was about to become an event remembered for a long time.
Max smiled at the crowd and waited for Killian in front of his cube. His cube had moved up to the layer of the Novice Rankings individuals, so all 20 of the top rankings shared the same hall. However, Max noticed that very few of the twenty individuals ever came to the Battle Realm.
’I guess everyone in the top 20 in the rankings is busy training to level up to Apprentice Rank, but today, they’re here,’ Max mused as he observed the small groups gathered in front of each of the cubes in the hall.
Just at that moment, he noticed Alice coming towards him with Nash and Erica.
"I heard your little declaration just now, and I have to say I’m impressed by your ability to cause doom to yourself," Nash said mockingly as he arrived before Max.
Max shrugged. "Some things are better said to everyone."
"So, you think you can take on Killian, Max?" Erica asked softly.
"No," Nash said with an obvious smirk on his face. "He doesn’t think he’ll win. He thinks he’ll dominate Killian like an ant." He leaned closer to Max and asked, "Isn’t that right, Max?"
Max looked directly into his eyes. "You are correct. I’ll beat him so badly that he’ll have nightmares about me. Though I’m just worried I might kill him too easily, which might spoil all the fun," he sneered.
"Haha," Nash chuckled. "You are an interesting kid, but I still need to take away the purple lantern."
"Huh?" Max’s shoulders slumped. "You won’t forget about that thing, will you?"
Nash shrugged. "That’s property of the Lionheart Guild, so I have to take it away from you no matter what."
Max sighed. "Even if I give you the lantern, since I’m its contracted master, if I summon it, it’ll directly teleport back to me."
Nash shook his head. "You don’t need to worry about that. Just return the lantern to us."
Max smiled and shook his head. "Forget it."
Nash glared at Max while Erica and Alice talked on the side.
"You’re here. I thought you’d run away after challenging Killian." Just then, a very mocking voice sounded.
The crowd cleared a path, and a Blade Family, led by Allen and Elena, strode toward them.
Max noticed Killian among them, and he appeared very calm.
"You’re Max?" Killian asked as he arrived before him.
Max smiled. "You’re correct."
Killian smiled warmly. "Let’s have a great battle."
Max suddenly started laughing like a madman. "Hahaha! Oh, spare me your pretentious gentleman act!" he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Even if you truly are a gentleman, you won’t like what’s coming your way."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering but gaining a venomous edge. "If you’re looking for someone to blame, don’t point your finger at me. Blame Elena and Allen—your precious Blade Family’s so-called ’bitch and dog.’"
Gasps erupted from the crowd, disbelief and shock spreading like wildfire. Max’s words were like a slap to the face, each one more inflammatory than the last.
"Did he just call out two of the most respected members of the Blade Family?" someone whispered in shock.
"He’s insane! He’s throwing gasoline on a fire that’s already blazing!" another exclaimed.
Max pointed at Killian, sending a challenge as he turned to the crowd. "Watch how I humiliate the so-called Genius of the Blade Family."
With those words, he entered his cube, leaving everyone speechless. They hadn’t expected at all that Max would go crazy at the last possible minutes.
"Don’t lose." Allen said to Killian, his tone incredibly serious.
Killian nodded in confidence as he entered his cube.