Doppelg?nger Number Three had been burned into a human torch by Genevieve in an instant. And its senses were connected to Gareth's main body.

  This meant that Doppelg?nger Number Three's final pain and despair were transmitted to Gareth almost without any reduction.

  Gareth's face turned ashen immediately.

  "Damn it..."

  He gritted his teeth and subconsciously looked towards the Ironpeak Academy contestant rest area.

  He wasn't afraid of losing to Genevieve; what he was truly worried about was Gideon King, and Ironpeak Academy's final victory.

  "Vice-Principal King invested so many resources to nurture us, just for this Freshman Invitational."

  "Ironpeak Academy is determined to win the championship this time."

  "No matter what, I must let Ironpeak Academy win the championship and let Lord Gideon ascend to the peak!"

  Gareth thought to himself.

  If he were easily eliminated by Genevieve here, the duel between Ironpeak Academy and Star City High would become a two-two draw, and both sides would return to the same starting line.

  The Skaar coming up next would most likely not be Genevieve's opponent either...

  In that case, Lord Gideon, who would appear last, would have to face a "two against one" situation.

  This Genevieve was already so difficult to deal with, let alone Fly, who would come later...

  Gareth shook his head. He absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen.

  Everything he had was given by Gideon King. Only if Gideon King climbed higher could he live better. Otherwise...

  Gareth didn't want to think about it anymore. He raised his head and looked at Genevieve again.

  Doppelg?nger Number Two was tangling with Genevieve, but it looked like it wouldn't last much longer.

  "It seems I have to use that move."

  Gareth steeled his heart, as if he had made some kind of determination.

  Gareth thought.

  "Doppelg?nger Number One," Gareth called out in his heart. All Doppelg?nger clones shared his mind and senses, so Doppelg?nger Number One quickly understood his meaning.

  In an instant, Doppelg?nger Number One melted like butter, gradually blending into the arena floor and disappearing.

  On the other side, Genevieve had neatly finished off Doppelg?nger Number Two and was preparing to turn around to deal with Gareth, but suddenly, a fierce killing intent struck abruptly.

  "Huh!?"

  Genevieve's eyes widened, and she looked around vigilantly. However, the surroundings were peaceful, with no sign of movement.

  Genevieve believed that her Resonant Sect ability could broadly perceive the sounds and movements around her. Even the slightest noise could not escape her ears. However, at this moment, she could not sense any movement around her, yet that fierce killing intent was so clear.

  Suddenly, the shadow beneath her expanded violently. Doppelg?nger Number One leaped out of the shadow and firmly controlled Genevieve's body from behind.

  "Haha!" Seeing the plan succeed, Gareth couldn't help but laugh. This Shadowmeld was his signature Skill, allowing his body to merge with shadows and move effortlessly and silently across surfaces.

  "You!" Genevieve's eyes were filled with shock and anger. She tried to break free from Doppelg?nger Number One, but it had already firmly locked her body from behind with a grappling hold. No matter how hard Genevieve struggled, she couldn't break free from Doppelg?nger Number One's restraints.

  "Hahahaha! I didn't expect our 'Genius Girl', Miss Genevieve, to fall into my trap too," Gareth said with a laugh. "Surrender quickly. The physical strength of a Doppelg?nger is by no means comparable to that of an ordinary person. You can't break free."

  A look of panic flashed across Genevieve's face, but vanished instantly. "Are you really that confident?"

  "Hmm?" A look of surprise flashed across Gareth's face.

  Purple light flashed on Genevieve's body. In an instant, it enveloped herself and Doppelg?nger Number One behind her. From a distance, the figures of Genevieve and Doppelg?nger Number One appeared twisted.

  Inside the Star City High contestant rest area.

  A look of shock flashed across Dean Sterling's face. "This... is this, Resonance Domain!?"

  "Resonance Domain?" Fly turned his head and looked at Dean Sterling, asking.

  "Yes, Resonance Domain," Dean Sterling said with a serious face. "A powerful domain-type attack. The Beast Warrior casting it can convert all sounds within the range covered by the Resonance Domain into attacks to use for themselves."

  "All sounds? Doesn't that mean..."

  "That's right. The enemy walking, speaking, breathing... even the sound of blood flowing in their body can be converted into terrifying attacks."

  "Hiss!" Fly sucked in a breath of cold air and turned his head to continue watching Genevieve on the broadcast screen.

  On the broadcast screen.

  Only a loud BOOM— was heard. Doppelg?nger Number One's body exploded from the inside out. Several beams of light radiated from its throat, forehead, heart... gradually expanding. Countless beams of light intertwined, and then, the entire body became a purple luminous mass.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  After the dazzling purple light passed, Doppelg?nger Number One's body exploded like an inflated balloon, countless pieces of crimson flesh falling like snow filling the sky.

  Jude on the screen: "What!!!"

  Leah on the screen: "What!!!"

  'Emperor' Valerius on the side: "!!!"

  But Dean Sterling's brow furrowed tightly in front of the screen. He saw it—he clearly saw it—at the moment Doppelg?nger Number One exploded, a bizarre smile actually appeared on the corner of Gareth's mouth.

  Dean Sterling kept thinking but couldn't find the answer. He glanced sideways at Fly, only to find that Fly had a solemn expression just like him.

  ...

  On the stage.

  Genevieve: "Use whatever other tricks you have."

  With a cold sneer, she walked towards Gareth step by step.

  Gareth grinned savagely. Light flashed by his side, and another Doppelg?nger clone, looking exactly like him and carrying a spear, appeared beside him.

  "Doppelg?nger Number Four, prepare for battle!"

  Genevieve sneered, "Is this your last resort? You really are at your wit's end."

  "Hmph, really?" Gareth waved his right hand. Doppelg?nger Number Four took a few running steps forward, veins bulging on its arms. Gathering its whole body's strength into one point, it threw the spear with terrifying force.

  The black spear sped towards Genevieve with the sound of breaking wind.

  But a surprising scene occurred. Genevieve retreated again and again, her footsteps messy and slow, completely lacking her original calm and composed feeling.

  With a Splat, the black spear pierced directly through Genevieve's thigh, nailing her firmly to the stage. Blood sprayed into the air, dancing like red butterflies!

  Genevieve's face was deathly pale, her pupils covered in bloodshot lines, and bean-sized beads of sweat dripped slowly from her forehead.

  She felt her body lose all power, going limp all over, as if she had just woken up from a hangover.

  Unprecedented pain made Genevieve almost pass out.

  Gareth had a look of relief on his face.

  This was no ordinary spear; the tip was covered with many small barbs. Once it pierced into the flesh, the pain and amount of bleeding would be ten times that of an ordinary spear!

  If she wasn't sent to the hospital in time, it wouldn't take long for Genevieve to go into shock from blood loss, and she might not even be able to save her leg.

  Gareth turned his head slightly and glanced at the referee, Carlos, out of the corner of his eye. He saw Carlos looking at Genevieve with concern, not noticing him at all.

  "Phew... looks like I wasn't discovered!"

  Gareth wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath in his heart.

  As long as his little trick just now wasn't discovered, he would win this match. In this way, he would have pulled off a one-versus-three sweep and be the great hero of this competition!

  Gareth thought to himself.

  He stood excitedly in place, waiting for the referee to announce the result.

  ...

  On the other side, inside the Star City High contestant rest area.

  "Something's wrong. There's something fishy!" Fly frowned and said in a deep voice.

  Dean Sterling turned his head to look at Fly and nodded with satisfaction. "Sure enough, you discovered it too?"

  Fly didn't answer, just lowered his head and kept muttering to himself.

  "What exactly is going on? Where exactly is the problem? Where? Where? Exactly where..."

  "After Genevieve used Resonance Domain, the purple light covered... wait, purple!" Fly's eyes suddenly lit up. He vaguely remembered that a week ago, Marshall from the Student Council also seemed to have used a small purple ball to ambush him.

  "Purple! Vic, purple is the key!" Fly said urgently to Dean Sterling. "Gareth's Doppelg?nger Number One used a Paralysis Pellet on Genevieve before it died, and the purple light of the Resonance Domain covered it all up!"

  Dean Sterling: "!"

  ...

  Minutes later, on the stage.

  "You guy, what do you take the Freshman Invitational for!" Referee Carlos shouted at Gareth, holding an air molecule detector.

  It turned out that after Fly stated his judgment, Dean Sterling immediately reported to the Referee Committee of the Freshman Invitational, requesting to suspend and investigate the match.

  Although there was obstruction from Gideon King's mother, Star City High, after all, had considerable influence locally. Moreover, the sponsor of the competition, Jett's father, also came out to support Dean Sterling's request. Under pressure from multiple parties, the Referee Committee finally adopted Dean Sterling's proposal, suspended the match, and let Referee Carlos take the latest air molecule detector onto the stage for testing.

  Sure enough, molecular residues of the Paralysis Pellet were found in the center of the stage, leading to what Carlos had just said to Gareth.

  Carlos then pulled a red card from his pocket. If not for professional ethics, he almost wanted to punch Gareth.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Gareth shrugged. "Does finding molecular residues of Paralysis Pellet on the stage prove that I did it? Maybe it drifted over from somewhere."

  Gareth had already anticipated the consequences, but he wouldn't admit it openly. Deny it flatly, and later he could bribe the news media to drive public opinion, saying that he had suffered unfair persecution. If operated well, he might really be able to confuse the truth in public opinion.

  If he admitted it directly, there would be no room for maneuver later.

  He knew this principle well.

  Even if he was sent off with a red card, he would stick to his story and never admit it.

  However...

  This shameless behavior triggered strong dissatisfaction from the audience. Boos came from the stands in waves.

  Some spectators could hardly suppress their emotions and threw coke cans directly onto the stage.

  "No..."

  But what Gareth never expected was that Genevieve suddenly spoke.

  "No?" Gareth was puzzled, unable to understand what Genevieve meant.

  Gareth thought smugly.

  "Don't... send him off..."

  Genevieve squeezed out this sentence with difficulty while pressing one hand on her profusely bleeding thigh.

  "Referee... don't, send him off... I can still fight, I want to... defeat him head-on..."

  Although Genevieve was grievously injured, stubborn as she was, she didn't want to end it this way.

  "You..." Hearing Genevieve's words, Gareth couldn't help but be stunned.

  He thought Genevieve would say something like "I won't let you off easily," but he didn't expect that she actually wanted to continue fighting him, and even asked the referee not to give him a red card?

  "Contestant Genevieve," Referee Carlos also hadn't expected Genevieve to say such words. He advised gently, "If the injury isn't treated as soon as possible, I'm afraid it will affect your future recovery."

  In any case, Doppelg?nger Number Four's spear had pierced directly through Genevieve's thigh, and she had inhaled a large amount of Paralysis Pellet. Her body was already sluggish.

  Stopping the match and rushing to the hospital for treatment was the more appropriate course of action.

  "No..."

  "I, Genevieve, how can I admit defeat so easily!"

  Genevieve gritted her teeth and said softly.

  She struggled to stand up, but the black spear nailed her firmly to the stage, making her unable to move an inch. She shook her head vigorously, her vision gradually blurring, unable to distinguish whether it was due to sweat or excessive blood loss.

  Suddenly, Genevieve felt the sound of wind breaking past her ears. Her thigh was suddenly unrestricted and could move freely.

  She had been exerting force continuously, trying hard to stand up. Now that the restraint was lost, the huge force made her stand up with a Swish.

  However, the huge inertia and intense pain made it difficult for her to maintain her balance. Her body tilted, and she fell towards one side.

  But what Genevieve didn't expect was that she didn't fall to the ground, but fell directly into someone's arms.

  "Hmm?"

  Genevieve frowned slightly, her blurred vision vaguely making out the outline of a teenage boy's face.

  "It's you..."

  "Fly!"

  Genevieve said with joy.

  The boy holding her in front of her was none other than the man who had easily eliminated the entire Merit Academy before.

  And also...

  Star City High's final trump card—Fly!

  "Leave the rest to me."