บท 23: Reconnecting

Noa took a deep breath and attempted to shover the negative thoughts out of his head. He assured himself by thinking about how hard he trained in the military for a long time and how he was considered one of the best among his batch.

He clenched his fist. This was a tournament. His goal was to win, not give up before even stepping into the battlefield.

The arena was bustling with activity. In the stands, the audience cheered, and in the stages, the participants fought against each other.

Noa wasn't simply watching them. He analyzed the moces of the participants, observing how they attacked and defended with their weapons. In his mind, he also visualized how he could have manipulated them into submitting to his rhythm.

But from the battles, his attention gradually shifted to the woman he conversed with earlier. He saw Venus 88 talking to a man.

Even from a distance, Noa could tell that the man was speaking harshly. Not long after, he even slapped her cheeks, causing her to fall to the ground.

She didn't protest. She didn't retaliate. She didn't even look angry. Nothing.

Venus 88 only kept silent as she lowered her head.

Whatever going on was none of Noa's business, but he wasn't fond of seeing someone get treated so harshly in front of him.

Out of his secondhand injustice, he impulsively made a move. Without thinking twice, Noa approached the man.

"Excuse me," Noa calmly said in an attempt to dampen the tension. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

The man turned to Noa with narrowed eyes. "Mind your own business!" he growled.

Noa defensively raised his hands. "I apologize if it seems to you that I'm overstepping, but allow me to remind you that you're acting so harshly in a public place. This is not a stage, so obviously, it is now my problem."

The man snorted and didn't reply to Noa, obviously brushing him off.He turned back to Venus 88. "I'm reminding you to follow my order." He sneered. "Otherwise, you know what I can do with my fists."

Noa felt a surge of anger course through him. He didn't want to see the woman being abused.

He got nearer to the man. "I suggest that you leave her alone." His voice was low yet fierce. "She is not a punching bag."

Despite the threat in Noa's voice, the man only laughed cruelly. "And if I don't do as you say, who can stop me?" He faced Noa and bumped with Noa.

Unfazed, Noa stood his ground and fearlessly glared at the man's face. "Me."

Hearing that, the man raised his fist, ready to strike. But before his punch could land, Noa ducked at an almost superhuman speed and swept his legs across the ground, causing the other party to topple to the ground with a loud thud.

Attracted by the noise, the people around them turned in their direction to watch the scene. Some were cheering and some were looking in shock.

Noa offered his hand to Venus and helped her up before turning back to the man on the ground.

"You should think before you act." His eyes narrowed. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be as kind."

"How dare you!" The man got back to his feet and pounced at Noa.

Noa quickly evaded the man and parried. "I already warned you. Don't make me repeat it for the third time."

Eden noticed the commotion, and seeing Noa involved, he quickly sprinted toward the scene. "Noa, stop. You still have to fight in the tournament."

"Another dog from the Shadow Syndicate, huh? I'll make sure that we meet again in the arena," the man threatened with his middle finger up.

"With pleasure," Noa replied.

Eden looked at Noa with distress. "Why did you provoke him? Do you know who he is?"

"Nope. Who is he?" Noa's brows furrowed. "I don't think I've met him before.

"Maverock. Our guild has a new enemy, and he's their guild leader," Eden replied.

"So that's why he's so entitled. He acts like a brat." After saying that, Noa turned to Venus 88. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's my fault to begin with. I didn't want to follow his order. I'm not that hurt. He's only alive because of his wealth, not his strength," Venus assured. "Didn't you say that you don't remember me?"

Noa gave a nod. "I still don't remember you. But you're oddly familiar."

"I used to work at your father's laboratory until the Night of Aggression last year," Venus 88 explained.

Venus 88 was one of Professor Nijo's latest creations. She was an Android with emotional complexity close to a human's. She was more or less like a human, and even her skin felt real. The way she moved was also like a human, but her body shape was unrealistically perfect size.

Her expertise was on medicine. Maverock asked her for boosting elixirs, a shortcut for his team to easily win interguild tournaments.

However, Venus 88 disagreed. Not only was he being forceful, but the elixir he was asking for also had negative side effects that could potentially lead to death. Venus 88 was programmed as a healer, so such orders were going against her core. The rules also discouraged the use of such items.

Venus 88 was no longer working in the laboratory. Her design made her look soft and weak, so no one wanted to hire her. Her appearance resembled that of a nurse, evident from the pristine white shirt and knee-length skirt enveloping her long legs. Straight, shoulder-length white hair framed her petite yet expressive face, enhancing her overall charm.

From her expression, one could see how happy she was. For Venus 88, the son of the person who created him was a source of hope.

"I see. Can I add you to my contact list?" Noa pressed the button on his headset. He searched for Venus 88's profile and added her.

She quickly accepted Noa's friend request. It would've been nice if they took a moment to reconnect, but they were in the wrong place and had no time.

Venus 88 seemed a bit down as she said goodbye and returned to her guild group.

Eden, standing behind Noa, approached him and said, "We need to prepare ourselves and be ready when our numbers are called, Noa."

Noa nodded in agreement and replied, "You're right. I got a bit distracted by the incident earlier."

Eden gave Noa a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said, "It's understandable. But now, we need to focus, especially since this is your first fight."

Noa nodded once again, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He knew Eden's words held truth.

Returning his attention to the task at hand, Noa concentrated on getting ready for the upcoming fight in the inter-guild tournament. Victories had been announced multiple times, accompanied by cheers of celebration. However, it seemed like they forgot that the arena was also dyed with blood.

Stepping into the arena, Noa joined the other competitors, feeling the tension in the air as the crowd roared. He took his place on the battlefield, fully aware of the gravity of the moment.