Chapter 441: She Wasn’t Just Another Pretty Face Chuck had no delusions that he could possibly outrun Renard when the latter was much more athletic than he could ever hope to be. Deep inside, he was cursing the bastard. How was this any different from bullying? He knew that he might just be the weakest member of Endless Horizon, but getting targeted because of that still made him feel indignant! In this situation, a friend should pretend he didn’t notice how outclassed Chuck was by everyone else! It’s the polite thing to do! In the end, he decided to stop running and face Renard. "You forced me!" Chuck shouted and waved his wand. Suddenly, a Fire Whip rose from the ground and seized Renard’s right leg, nearly tripping him. However, the young man was able to regain his footing right away before yanking his leg from the Fire Whip’s hold. As he turned to give Chuck a taunting smile, Charles appeared beside him and threw a punch towards his torso. Renard’s reaction time had been honed during his previous matches, so he was able to raise his arm to guard against Charles’ blow. Just like what had happened earlier to Princess Xenia, Renard skidded for a few meters. His eyes widened in shock. He didn’t expect that Charles could punch so hard! Taking advantage of Renard’s surprise, Charles closed in to unleash another strike. Renard smirked evilly. Surprising as Charles’ growth was, how could he possibly allow the soft-spoken boy to beat him in close combat? Just as Renard took a step forward to meet his attacker, two Fire Whips wrapped themselves around his ankles and pulled hard. This immediately broke Renard’s stance and focus. "Argh!" A groan escaped the young man’s lips as Charles’ fist connected with his right cheek, sending him crashing into the ground. "I did it!" Chuck grinned. "Did you guys see that?!" "Chuck, concentrate!" Charles shouted as he raised his foot to stomp on Renard. "The fight is not over yet!" Indeed, Renard had recovered his composure enough to roll away. Using the momentum of the roll to prop himself up, Renard readied himself for a counterattack. His cool pose did not even last a second before another Fire Whip pulled his foot back. He fell face-first to the ground as Chuck cackled. "In your face!" yelled the troublemaker. Who’s your daddy now, huh?!" Princess Xenia, Mary, and Eleanora all facepalmed at the same time. "Second-hand embarrassment is real," Princess Xenia muttered. Mary clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval. "That idiot will get punched by Renard later." "I don’t know that person," Eleanora said to Evangeline, who blinked in confusion. Truly, there were few things that could unite young ladies as much as disdain for a fool. Meanwhile, Alex was watching his battle with a hand over his mouth. He was doing his best not to laugh out loud. Other than the lame insults, Chuck was following his strategy perfectly. First of all, Renard was ill-equipped to deal with long-range attacks like Fire Whips. Chuck could easily disrupt Renard’s movements as long as he stayed a safe distance away. Renard was talented at close combat, but what good was a martial artist who couldn’t even take a proper stance? His arms and hands might be his main weapons, but without his feet planted solidly on the ground, his blows would lack power even if he managed to hit his opponents. Alex’s strategy was simple. Chuck crippled Renard’s movements while Charles focused solely on attacking. Charles didn’t need to defend himself because the Fire Whips ensured that Renard was too "tied up" to do anything. Renard also understood his predicament, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was forced to go on the defensive and tank Charles’ blows, which wasn’t an easy task. The Void Touch’s strength was inhuman, and Charles was only starting to access some of it. Given enough time, he would be able to utilize all of its powers. Once that happened, he would be a true powerhouse. "I surrender," Renard said after realizing that there was no way for him to win. He could have been stubborn and endured till the end. But doing so would just prolong his suffering. Chuck sauntered towards Renard and patted his shoulder. "I don’t usually fight seriously, but when I do, I scare myself," Chuck declared. "You fought well, but you’re still not a match for me. Remember this—I only act weak so that others underestimate me." Renard was so tempted to smack the living lights out of the troublemaker, but he held it in. This battle had exposed his shortcomings, which he planned to correct before future battles. Chuck also felt a little more confident about himself. This time, he had completely neutralized Renard—who intimidated him—without using the Conqueror’s Potion. Perhaps he didn’t need it as much as he had thought. Heartened, Chuck decided to master his Fire Whips after realizing how effective they were. "Your next fight will be tomorrow. Evangeline will be your opponent," Alex told Renard. In truth, he had half a mind to call it off after seeing how tired Mr. I-Have-Trust-Issues was. "I can still fight once," Renard stated before Alex could continue. "I would like to fight Evangeline now." Renard had fought many opponents in the past. Some had been his batchmates. Others had been seniors who should have been more experienced and skilled. Back then, he had been too focused on winning and showing everyone what he was made of. With each win, his confidence had grown. He had reassured himself that he was strong. Very strong. Although he hadn’t won all those fights, he had remained confident. ’I’m getting stronger and I will win my next fight,’ he thought every time he was defeated. He hadn’t been the type to dwell on his losses and dissect the reason for his defeats But now, he was different. Renard gazed at Alex, who seemed to know him inside out. This wasn’t the first time that he felt this way. For him, the young man was mysterious, annoying, and—although he would rather die than admit it—someone he looked up to, albeit reluctantly. "Are you sure?" Alex asked. "You’re exhausted. But if you really want to challenge Evangeline today, drink this." Alex tossed a High-Grade Stamina Potion to Renard, who caught it. Without a second thought, he chugged the potion. He could feel his strength and stamina returning, making him feel that he could fight another battle without holding back. "Evangeline, please fight him seriously," Alex said. "You can do that, right?" Evangeline nodded before walking towards Alex to whisper something in his ear. "If I win, let’s go out on another date," Evangeline suggested. "Okay." Alex nodded, his expression unchanged. "So make sure you win." Evangeline smiled confidently as she faced Renard. Alex watched her closely because this was the first time that he could observe her fighting in person and from the sidelines. He already knew what she was capable of doing in the game. Frankly speaking, the current Renard was still not capable of defeating her cheat-like abilities. She was Evangeline Feylune, the daughter of the Vampire Lord, Nero. She was also one of the Main Heroines of ELO, blessed by the world to stand above everyone else. This fight was something that Alex was looking forward to the most, which was why he had made her Renard’s last opponent. One was a Hero, the other a Heroine. Although they should be equal in strength, Renard was at a disadvantage due to the nature of their abilities. Right now, Evangeline was the perfect counter against Renard. Their battle would make the members of Endless Horizon understand that she wasn’t just another pretty face who lacked the power to protect herself.