Chapter 237: Arena - 3 Chapter 237: Arena - 3 While Leo was testing the power of [Critical Strike]— Ding! >Elasian Aetherbloom has produced 3 Elasian Blooms. A grin spread across his face. The timing couldn’t have been better. Previously, he had 2 flowers. From 1 flower, he had fed 1 petal to Miho and 1 to Leon, leaving him with 1 whole flower and 3 petals. Since neither his nor Lily’s body had fully digested the earlier petals yet, he had kept the remaining ones in reserve. It was already enough—but having more never hurt. He didn’t know why, but his system’s instant digestion simply didn’t work on soul-related treasures. It explicitly stated that anything involving the soul could not be executed in the current system version. Well, I guess that confirms future updates, Leo thought. I wonder when it’ll be... maybe at level 40? Now, with the addition of 3 more flowers, he was rich. Leo plucked out 2 petals from the remaining stalk and consumed them directly. A faint warmth spread through his body as the energy settled in. He sat down and entered meditation, remaining still for half an hour until the digestion completed. When he opened his eyes, however, a frown crept onto his face. "How many more do I need for my rare soul to advance?" he muttered. After further introspection, he realised most of the energy was being siphoned away by his mythical soul, feeding its own growth. Barely about 20% was being left behind for the rare soul. Clicking his tongue, Leo stood up. Since Lily was currently away, he made his way toward Leon. Leon was training relentlessly—his fists slamming into boulders that Howl was creating at regular intervals. Each punch sent cracks spiderwebbing across the stone before it shattered into fragments, some even smashing into bits as his punches landed. What surprised Leo was that Leon also possessed the skill [Critical Strike]. And not just that—he had reached peak mastery. Leon was able to charge all 4 limbs simultaneously at 800%. That meant Leon could temporarily exert strength rising from High 3-star to High 4-star, limited only by how long his mana held out. Still, Leo remained sceptical. Leon’s soul was damaged—his mana reserves shouldn’t support something like that for long. By comparison, Leo himself, with advanced mastery at 30%, could charge 3 limbs simultaneously at maximum efficiency. This allowed him to partially exhibit Pseudo-5-star strength with a 700% increase. Even then, his body—despite aura reinforcement—could barely handle that much, so he was limited to Peak 4-star, or for safety, even less. And also he could maintain that state for 70 seconds, consuming nearly 2000 mana units per second, with a total mana capacity close to 150000. Yet Leo couldn’t shake the feeling that Leon was hiding something else. A trump card. Every time they jabbed verbally, Leon would give him that look. And with Howl staying out of battle, Leon’s demeanour only grew more cheeky. Leo glanced at the golden petal in his hand, hesitating. Giving it to Leon would undoubtedly increase his strength for the upcoming competition—making things harder for himself. Still, the month had passed, and Leon’s condition clearly stated 1 petal per month. He took the previously given petal as a token of friendship. In the end, Leo made his decision. Leon sensed Leo’s presence and stopped mid-training. He turned, already about to lash out at him for the interruption—then froze. A golden petal hovered in Leo’s hand, radiating a gentle sheen that carried the familiar soothing presence. Leo, lost in thought, didn’t say much. "Your petal for this month," he said quietly. Then he turned and left, not waiting for a response. Leon stood there, stunned. He wanted to say that the previous petal had already been enough for the month—but the words refused to come. His gaze was locked onto the golden glow of the petal, its faint warmth tugging at something deep within him. Gritting his teeth, Leon scoffed. He wasn’t used to such pointless kindness. Still, he consumed it. --- Back at the Academy, outside Arena 3. "I am an instructor! Mind your words!" Shub shouted, his face flushed red with rage. Opposite him, Lily stood her ground, eyes blazing. Miho lingered slightly behind her, peeking out cautiously. She had just finished her matches with clean victories, raising her CRP to 40 in 231 seconds. "And instructors are allowed to call students sluts and try to buy them whenever they want?!" Lily snapped back. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦 After arriving at Arena 3 (Tier-4 Bracket), Shub had recognised Miho mid-match. Recalling how Leo had supposedly bought them with the credits he extorted from him, Shub approached them with the intention of doing the same—offering 10000 AC outright. Lily despised people like him. Instructor or not. "Then what are you if not sluts?" Shub sneered. "Didn’t that cunning bastard buy you with the money he extorted from me? What’s wrong with me doing the same? I’m even offering 10000 AC—something you can only dream of!" His voice was loud, dripping with contempt. By now, a crowd had begun to gather, whispers spreading through the air. "Say that word one more time," Lily said coldly, fury simmering beneath her calm tone, "and I’ll show you what happens." With Lunaria and the Treant completing their advancements through Leo’s system assistance, Lily’s strength had risen yet again. Updated Stats: [Lily] Her cap has increased with the rank increase. {1st arrow: natural/berries increase, 2nd arrow: Lunaria & Treant advancement} Vitality: 53 -> 59 [153 -> 159 -> 259] Strength: 45 -> 52 [145 -> 152 -> 252] Agility: 42 -> 48 [142 -> 148 -> 248] Stamina: 46 -> 52 [146 -> 152 -> 252] Intelligence: 100 !250! -> 200 !450! - Base stat limit for Low 3-star reached! [200 !350! -> 300 !550! -> 400 !650!] {1:1 innate mana increase for spirit boost} Mana: 4000 !10000! [8000 !14000!] -> 8000 !18000! [16000 !26000!] Usable Mana: 16000 units Windbreath Hound [Lunaria] (Pseudo -> Low-3-star) – Noble Bloodline – 56% -> 63% Cedar Treant (Pseudo -> Low-3-star) – Noble Bloodline – 4% -> 10% Through beast feedback, Lily herself had reached Intermediate 3-star—higher than Shub’s personal Low-3-star rank. Even if Shub’s beast rank was unknown, it wasn’t as though Lily would be helpless. And if anything happened to her, Leo would make sure Shub never left the academy alive. "I’ll show you why instructors are respected!" Shub roared, reaching out to grab Lily.