Unyielding Victory and the Elixir's Surge
As I struggled to lift my head, I spotted Ruslan collapsed in the distance.
Did he finally go down?
Twitch.
Much to my disappointment, Ruslan's body jerked.
"Urgh."
Incredibly, he was pushing himself up.
Have I ever seen a body like that monster's?
I tasted the metallic tang of blood on my tongue and focused on calming my churning insides first. Once I settled the ether I'd expended, I'd be able to move again.
Just a little longer.
I dragged myself upright, gasping for breath. Gradually, the nausea eased.
Thud.
Ruslan, now fully on his feet, took a heavy step forward. The shield clan's physical prowess was no joke.
Reminds me of those Hercules bastards.
I shook my head and bent my knees, lowering my upper body as my stomach settled. High Jump.
A strike to Ruslan's gut with that propulsion—this was my final gambit.
Not sure if it'll land.
He'd withstood a hand blade infused with ether, after all. Who knew if this would get through? I was weighing my options, waiting for him to close in, when—
Crackle!
A faint spark, too subtle for anyone to notice, erupted at the nape of Ruslan's neck.
He staggered—thud.
His massive frame, advancing like a Hercules beetle, suddenly wobbled and crashed sideways.
Huh.
I wiped sweat from my brow and realized Ruslan was out cold.
Well...
All that tension for nothing. I was the winner, after all.
But it was also proof of Ruslan's insane endurance. The shield clan's physique was on another level compared to us lesser mantis folk.
Having to scrap like this just to beat these runts.
A wave of reality hit me, but I turned it into resolve: I needed to accelerate my body's growth, even if just by a day.
Truth be told, if I'd aimed for his neck properly, I could've ended it in one stroke.
Problem was, that would've ended him too.
If my arm had been normal, this match would've been a breeze. As it was, this was humiliating.
But—
"Woooaaah!"
"Insane! Aleck won!"
"Kya—awesome!"
"That was epic."
Once my victory was clear, cheers and applause erupted like thunder. They celebrated without holding back, even marveling that a lesser mantis like me had truly claimed the top spot.
"The winner of the 1st Internal Ranking Tournament is Aleck!"
Woooaaah!
Norton's declaration unleashed another roar. A swell of emotion stirred in my chest unbidden.
I figured cheers from these blood clots wouldn't move me.
But... not bad.
I grinned.
In the meantime, Bardwin hauled the fallen Ruslan toward the health hall, while Norton and the trainees rushed over.
"Whoa, Aleck! Epic fight."
"Congrats on the win, Aleck!"
"Aleck niiim! I believed in you! I knew you'd take it!"
"What a show today. Masterpiece match, Aleck!"
"Right? I didn't expect you to fight that well."
"It was close, though. You were on the ropes, then pulled a reversal at the end."
Heads nodded at that. I'd spent the early game dodging Ruslan's assaults.
"Tsk tsk, you lot lack vision."
Norton clicked his tongue and spoke up. The trainees shot him puzzled looks.
"Take a good look at Aleck's left arm. Did he use it once during the match?"
"Huh... come to think of it, he never did."
"Yeah, his stance looked off—must've been 'cause he wasn't using it."
"Wait, he won with just his right arm?!"
Stunned gazes turned my way. They were baffled why I'd held back my left.
I opened my mouth to explain yesterday's incident briefly—but before I could—
"It's 'cause yesterday, Aleck got ambushed by that senior Motenson... no, that bastard doesn't deserve the title. Motenson, that fucker."
Baker and Ogmen, who'd helped me yesterday, ground their teeth as they spoke. They seemed more pissed than I was.
"What? Ambushed?!"
Shocked faces turned to them.
"We heard a commotion heading back to the dorms, rushed over, and caught Motenson hitting Aleck with a spiderweb orb."
"...!"
"That psycho!"
"No way—that's why his left arm was hurt?!"
The trainees pieced it together and erupted in fury. Norton was no exception.
"The nerve! Touching my discip—er, a trainee?!"
Norton had noticed my injury early on. But he'd announced the finals today, so he'd chalked it up to my own poor self-management.
He's still green on body care. Gotta drill that importance into him later.
That'd been Norton's take before learning the truth. He'd felt a pang of regret at my inexperience but also excitement as a prospective mentor with something to teach.
But an ambush?!
Grit.
"Motenson, you say?"
"Y-yes?"
Baker and Ogmen flinched at Norton's fiercer rage than expected.
"I'll handle his punishment personally. As for you, Aleck... winning under those conditions? Impressive. Well fought."
Norton mulled the name, gnashing his teeth, then turned to me with warmer eyes.
He must've thought I'd shown up unprepared.
"Yeah, beating Ruslan with one arm! Legendary."
"Gave me chills. Aleck's the real deal."
"Wonder how it'd go with both arms."
"Wanna see them go at it full throttle."
"Ugh, just imagining it..."
The trainees' admiration surged at Norton's words. Some even looked at me with envy and aspiration.
Taking me back, huh.
As I basked in their cheers, memories of being despised as lesser mantis scum flashed by—a stark contrast.
Night and day. Status meant nothing.
Only strength mattered.
"Alright, Aleck—this is your prize. Know how to take it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Follow the instructions and down it. It'll help heal that arm too."
"Thank you."
I bowed in thanks and took the wooden box. A faint herbal scent wafted out.
Some gasped enviously, eyes glued to it.
Jackpot.
Jinuwhwan. An elixir to supercharge my growth.
My lips curled. Progress always thrilled.
"Urghhh."
In the health hall, a figure wrapped in bandages from the waist up sat up.
"Motenson, you're awake?"
"S-Senior."
Motenson's face hardened at the hulking boy before him. A growth-stage youth, mid-level exec in the Overlord Club—and the senior he feared most.
"You fucked up big time. Smeared shit all over the club's image."
"I-it's... I got ambushed by that new runt, got embarrassed and..."
"Ambushed? Ha, you think me—the club's execs—are idiots? We know all about you and that trainee Aleck. Reports are already in."
"...!"
Motenson's face stiffened. Truth was, his first loss to Aleck was hardly a "sneak attack"—but pride had kept him from admitting it.
"S-sorry, Senior!"
His face drained pale as he prostrated on the bed. Pain shot through his bones from the sudden move, but he ignored it.
Screw up, and I'm really out.
Rumors of disciplinary hearings and expulsion were already swirling. And now this? He could face real consequences—especially with the banned spiderweb orb going public.
This wasn't just his problem anymore; it could drag the club down. They'd sourced the orb, after all.
They might pin it all on me.
He had to prevent that. It'd end his Mantis Hall days.
"Sigh, Motenson."
"Yes?"
"Why mess with the kid needlessly?"
The senior's icy tone softened slightly. Motenson's face lit up, thinking forgiveness was at hand.
"S-sorry! It won't happen again."
"Again?"
But his senior's face hardened anew.
"Still thinking 'next time'? Unbelievable. Do you even know who you touched?"
"...Pardon?"
Motenson blinked blankly. Aleck? Some no-name lesser mantis. Why the fuss?
"Tsk. Technically, you didn't touch him—you poked the instructor behind him. Higher-ups are in an uproar... though I don't know the details."
"...Ah."
Motenson paled at "higher-ups." Did he sense his doom?
He desperately reached for the boy's pant leg.
"Don't look at me like that. You know how this org works. Return everything the club's given you. And... don't show your face again. Cleaning up your mess is pissing me off."
He growled with killing intent.
"Ah..."
Motenson hung his head, face ashen. The price of unchecked jealousy was too steep.
He squeezed his eyes shut. The pitch black mirrored his future.
Jinuwhwan already, huh.
I grinned down at the refined elixir in its bowl. Its fragrant aroma tickled my nose, making my heart pound.
At least B-grade.
Last time's Omehwan was F-grade. Even with future knowledge, I'd maxed it at D-efficiency.
But this? Different story.
Thought it'd be C, but B-grade. Nice.
Top-tier materials. For an infant like me, B-grade was a pipe dream. Even maturity-stage folk would kill for it.
And I had it now.
No wonder Bardwin looked so jealous.
I chuckled, recalling the sub-instructor's gaze.
Warrior Division was the right call.
Assassin side's rewards paled. Though Norton's generosity clinched this B-grade prize.
Time to consume.
I lifted the bowl carefully, lest a drop spill.
Gulp, gulp.
Bitter-sweet richness filled my mouth. I closed my eyes and circulated my heart technique at once—far more efficient for absorption.
Hiss.
Steam rose from my body. Jinuwhwan enhanced physique, purging toxins and waste first.
Normally sustains three months, but initial absorption sets the duration.
I focused to squeeze out every bit.
Stray thoughts faded; only my ether and the elixir's energy remained.
Hiss.
As intended, it merged with ether, flowing through circuits into every vein.
One lap, two, three...
I lost count, endlessly cycling the energy within—
Then—
BOOM!
Suddenly, the circulating elixir energy surged wildly inside me.