Anaxagoras

The boy thought for only a few seconds before setting down his carving knife and standing up.

"I presume you must be the dean of Omphalos Academy. May I ask what brings you here?"

Keleradra, standing behind Ye Qiong, looked at him differently now.

She studied the one-eyed boy carefully.

He spoke with neither deference nor arrogance, and had guessed their identities at a glance. He was no ordinary person.

Phainon was taken aback, too.

He'd figured it out just like that?

Ye Qiong smiled faintly.

"Anaxagoras, is that right?"

The green-haired boy's expression froze for an instant, and his fingers tightened around the carving knife.

His name was Anaxa.

Ever since he could remember, he had known he was different from the people around him.

They were content to forge iron and mend plows, content with three meals a day and a bed to lie in.

But he wasn't content.

He wanted more.

He wanted to know the nature of Martial Souls, the source of Soul Power, and every truth in this world.

But he couldn't say it aloud.

Because these people had never sought the truth.

So he had given himself a name, one known only to him.

Anaxagoras.

A seeker of truth.

He had thought that perhaps he was the only person in the world who knew that name.

But now, a gray-haired man he had never met had spoken it aloud.

"Who exactly are you?" Anaxa asked, eyeing Ye Qiong warily.

Ye Qiong waved a hand.

"Don't be nervous. I came here to invite you to join our academy."

Anaxa was taken aback. He stared at Ye Qiong for several seconds, but the wariness in his eyes didn't fade.

"I'm just an ordinary craftsman, unknown to anyone. Why would you take an interest in me?"

Ye Qiong glanced at the carving knife in his hand.

"Anaxagoras, I know that you seek the truth, and that you're unwilling to remain a mere craftsman."

"Let me guess. You're already at level thirty-three, but you've never set foot in any academy because you haven't found one that meets your standards. Am I right?"

Anaxa fell silent for a while, then slowly loosened his grip on the knife.

"Yes."

Ye Qiong continued.

"Most of those academies are vulgar and shallow. They care only for fame and fortune, and have never shown the slightest reverence for the truth. But you regard truth as your faith, and pursue it with all your heart."

Anaxa didn't answer.

He watched Ye Qiong in silence, as if judging whether the man before him was worthy of his trust.

Ye Qiong casually pulled out a book and tossed it to him.

"I wrote this in my spare time. It contains my research and understanding of various things in this world, such as Martial Souls. Take a look."

Anaxa caught the book and flipped through a few pages. His pupils suddenly contracted.

"This is..."

He rapidly turned a few more pages.

A moment later, he suddenly burst into unhinged laughter.

"Hahahahahaha! So that's how it is! So that's how it is!"

Phainon's mouth twitched.

The guy had seemed perfectly normal just a moment ago. How had reading a book turned him into this?

His teacher had said the man was brilliant, but now Phainon wondered if he was just a lunatic.

Thinking this, Phainon instinctively turned to glance at Keleradra.

To his surprise,

the corners of Keleradra's mouth had lifted ever so slightly as she watched Anaxa, and she murmured under her breath,

"Interesting. This man really is rather interesting."

Phainon's eyes widened.

He was sure of it now. She wasn't quite right either.

Only after a moment did Anaxa's laughter finally subside. He closed the book and fixed his shining gaze on Ye Qiong.

"You want me to join Omphalos Academy, is that it? I accept. But you must give me the freedom to pursue the truth."

A smile appeared on Ye Qiong's face.

"That won't be difficult. There's another teacher at our academy. Her knowledge is incredibly vast, and she may be able to help you."

Ye Qiong wasn't exaggerating.

In her previous life, Tribbie had been a formidable inventor, too.

Why else do you think she'd use the "West Wind" to spread warmth?

"She isn't at the academy right now, though. If you want to meet her, you'll have to wait at least a week."

Anaxa waved a hand.

"No matter. I have the patience. I'll follow you around for now, Dean. From the looks of things, you're planning to go Soul Fighting tonight, aren't you? Why not let me join your Soul Fighting team?"

Ye Qiong nodded.

"Sure. I'm curious to see what you can do."

By nightfall, the Soto Spirit Arena was packed with people, its lights blazing.

On the arena floor,

the host raised the Amplifying Soul Tool in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The next match is about to begin!"

Scattered applause rippled across the stands.

"Tonight's match pits Iron Wood, who has won twenty-three matches in a row, against a mysterious newcomer from Omphalos Academy!"

"According to pre-match reports, the newcomer made a bold claim: he can end his opponent's winning streak with a single blow!"

The stands erupted at once.

"Holy crap, what? A one-hit kill? Did I hear that right?"

"That's right! Iron Wood is a level-thirty-eight Battle Soul Elder of the Power Attack System. Where does this newcomer get the nerve?"

"Omphalos Academy? Is that the place everyone's been talking about these past couple of days?"

"So what if it's popular? He can't be that arrogant. How many people have gone weak in the knees just from seeing Iron Wood's Steel Bear Martial Soul?"

"Newcomers don't know how high the sky is or how deep the earth."

"I want to see just how he plans to finish him with one blow!"

The murmurs surged from every direction like a rising tide.

"Let's welcome both fighters to the stage!"

Boom, boom, boom.

Three drumbeats rang out.

A hulking man strode through the entrance on the left side of the arena.

The stands erupted in cheers at the sight of him.

"Iron Wood! Iron Wood!"

The big man reached the center of the stage and gave his arms a violent shake.

The Steel Bear possessed him!

Two yellow rings and one purple.

A level-thirty-eight Battle Soul Elder of the Power Attack System!

The cheers from the stands grew even louder.

Someone shouted,

"Iron Wood! Slap that kid off the stage!"

"Teach him what it costs to run his mouth!"

Iron Wood grinned and waved a bear paw at the stands.

Then he turned to look at the entrance on the opposite side of the arena.

Anaxa was now walking out through it.

He was thin, and his green hair shimmered softly under the lights.

He looked like the kind of frail student who'd get cornered and bullied on his way home from school.

The spectators in the stands all froze for a moment when they saw him.

Then quite a few of them couldn't help laughing.

"I thought he'd be somebody important. This is it?"

"He's so skinny. Are we sure he didn't come here to get beaten?"

"Omphalos Academy sent someone like this? I bet Iron Wood could slap him flying!"

The jeers rose in wave after wave.

Hearing them, Anaxa calmly walked onto the stage and stopped opposite Iron Wood.

Iron Wood looked down at him from above, grinning.

"Kid, I heard your big talk. But are you sure you've got what it takes to beat me?"

Anaxa raised his head and looked at him with his one eye, then gave a mocking laugh.

"Ignorant."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried clearly to the spectators' ears.

The stands immediately erupted in curses.

"Holy crap, this kid's got a lot of nerve! I think he's insulting all of us. Iron Wood, beat him up!"

Iron Wood's smile stiffened at that.

"You insolent brat!"

But Anaxa ignored him completely and turned to the referee standing at the edge of the stage.

"Just announce the start. I'm in a hurry."