Chapter 70: Lynx Vs Teacher Jace II
Jace moved fast, then he threw a heavy punch at Lynx, wrapped with Lightning.
It landed. Square on Lynx’s ribs. The sound cracked through the arena.
The crowd winced.
But Lynx didn’t even flinch. He just took it, and the lightning around him flared brighter, like it was feeding on the impact.
Jace saw that. His eyes sharpened. "No pain?"
Lynx just smiled and disappeared, not with his invisibility skill... with raw speed.
From there it turned into a blur.
Lynx also used his Lightning affinity like a master. Not just throwing bolts like an A ranked student like Ava, or B ranked student like Eira, or the C rank students that made up the rest of the Lightning affinity student.
He made whips of lightning that cracked and snapped at Jace’s legs. Jace jumped, and the whips cut grooves into the stage.
He fired needles from his fingertips. Jace slashed them out of the air with arcs from his palms.
He coated himself in a second skin of electricity so that every time Jace touched him, he got shocked back.
This was knowledge that wasn’t in any academy book. It was Rare. Ancient. Old and new mixed together. He moved like lightning had been his first language.
Jace wasn’t slow either.
He met every move, throwing calculated Lightning laced punches.
Lynx came in with a jab. Jace parried and countered with a backhand of lightning that Lynx had to duck under.
Lynx moved fast with ’Whisper Step’, which concealed his movement sound. He reappeared behind Jace and drove an elbow down.
Jace spun, caught his wrist, and hurled him.
Lynx hit the ground, rolled, and was up before the dust settled. Lightning poured from his feet and he shot forward again.
Jace also noticed that no matter how he hit Lynx, Lynx doesn’t feel any pain. And Lynx is very fast.
Impossibly fast. Even Faster than Him.
One moment Lynx was in front of him. The next, the air behind Teacher Jace moved and Lynx was there, fist aimed at his spine.
Jace twisted at the last second. The hit grazed his shoulder instead. His shirt burned.
As Lynx hit once, clean, to Jace’s shoulder, Jace saw that Lynx strength was very high. Not brute force. Penetrating force. The kind that gets past armor.
He then took him seriously. 30% to 100%.
The joking expression dropped. His whole body lit up. Lightning crawled up his neck, into his hair. "Alright then," Jace muttered. "Let’s see how you handle this."
Now it was real.
Jace moved.
He didn’t throw big attacks. He threw fast ones. A jab that became a bolt. A kick that left a trail of electricity.
Lynx blocked, slipped, countered. Their fists met in the center. Lightning exploded outward. Both of them were pushed back.
Lynx dashed in low. Jace hopped over and dropped an elbow. Lynx caught it, twisted, and threw Jace over his shoulder.
Jace landed, rolled, and fired three bolts from the ground without looking. Lynx weaved them. One grazed his cheek. He didn’t feel it, it just tickled a little bit.
They separated for half a second. Both breathing. Lynx and Jace shared a few words between exchanges.
"You’re not Rose’s student," Jace said, lightning crackling in his palm.
"I’m nobody’s student," Lynx answered, and moved with speed again. His Lightning Stride combined with Whisper steps made his movement, fast, smooth and silent.
"Then who taught you this?"
"Myself."
Jace grinned, sharp. "I like that answer."
The students were more than shocked. Even the people watching the streams. Rose in her office were stunned. She knew Lynx changed when he came back. But didn’t expect this. Jace was one of the strongest teachers in the Academy. Not Top 5 but he was among top 10.
Selene’s had a funny expression on her face. But she didn’t care about it. She was just focused on the fight.
Kira and Emily mouth were open. They knew he would get chosen but this was outrageous. "I told you. He’s not an ordinary Blessed like us. Even his Blessed Mark is different from ours." Emily said to Kira.
Kira just nodded, too stunned to speak. "There’s no way I’m catching up to him now, if we ever fight, he could squash me without moving." Kira muttered.
Eira was watching it with one of the healers there, her phone wasn’t with her. So she is watching it live on the Healer’s phone. Her mouth opened wide. Then she laughed. "That’s my man. That’s my fucking man."
Lynx going toe to toe with Teacher Jace is shocking. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Teachers were supposed to be untouchable. A line you didn’t cross.
Because most of them were retired adventurers or had other top jobs. They had S—SSS Ranked Affinities. They were very strong.
AETHER Blessed Academy doesn’t chose weak Blessed as Teachers. They selected Teachers based on Strength and Experience.
The stage was getting torn up. Not by big blasts. By precision. Every time their lightning touched, the floor cracked.
Lynx feinted left. Jace bit. Lynx came in from the right with a palm to the ribs. Jace took it, grabbed Lynx’s wrist, and pulled him into a knee.
Lynx took it, headbutted him. Both of them staggered back.
Jace was sweating now. His shirt was torn at the shoulder.
Lynx looked the same as when he started. His Primodial Healing working. Not a scratch on his body. Not a hair out of place. But his eyes were locked in. Focused. His uniform was the only thing about him that was not neat, it was a bit torn and burnt slightly. A testament to the brutal fight.
Jace changed tactics. He stopped chasing. He stood still, hands at his sides. Lightning started gathering above him. Not a bolt. A net.
"Let’s end this," Jace said.
Lynx didn’t wait.
He shot forward with Lightning Stride. He crossed the stage in a blink.
Jace brought the net down.
Lynx twisted through it, the net grazing his back and leaving a line of burnt cloth. He was inside Jace’s guard now.
’I need one clean strike to make him fall.’ Lynx thought. Then he found an opening.
One hit.
He drove his fist, made of condensed lightning, straight into Jace’s sternum.
Not wild. Precise. He poured everything into it. The lightning didn’t just hit. It invaded. It crawled.
The sound was like a transformer blowing.
Jace’s eyes went wide.
Thwack!
Jace bled. Blood poured from his mouth. He was driven back 10 meters, skidding, and dropped to one knee. The lightning around him sputtered out.
The barrier flickered.
The arena went completely silent. The students watching not breathing. You could hear the electricity fizzing out.
Jace wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at Lynx. Really looked at him. At the calm eyes. At the lack of a single bruise.
And he acknowledged his strength.
Of course he had to. This student here wasn’t ordinary. He was their ticket to winning the tournament. He now sees what Rose saw in this Kid.
He gave a slow nod. Respect. "Alright," he said quietly, only for Lynx to hear. "You’ve got it. You’re a really strong guy. You are the ticket to us winning this Blessed Tournament. You have a bright future ahead of you."
Lynx primordial healing has healed any fatigue, stain or bruise from his body. He wasn’t even breathing hard.
He looked at Jace on one knee. Looked at the crowd losing their minds. Looked up and caught Ava in the stands, her hand over her mouth.
Then he stepped back and raised his hand.
"I forfeit."
The arena exploded.
"WHAT?! WHY?!"
"HE WAS WINNING!"
"IS THIS A JOKE?!"
As he had acknowledged Lynx strength. Lynx forfeited. The quest is complete. He has made Teacher Jace acknowledge him. He has made the Academy get a glimpse of his strength, and he has made the higher ups see that he’s a predator, not a prey or an underdog.
He and Ava became the two chosen students to represent the Aether Blessed Academy at the Blessed Tournament. For the Lightning Affinity Class. That was the whole point. The Lightning trial, the fight, all of it.
Jace laughed from the ground, shaking his head. Blood on his lip but grinning anyway. He pushed himself up. "Smart. You came here to prove something, not to win." He walked up and clapped Lynx on the shoulder.
His hand still sparked. "I see what Rose saw in you. Never did I ever think a boy of 18 years old will make me bleed or kneel in a fight. Lightning to Lightning at that."
Lynx just smirked. The lightning died out around him. He ancient Aura retracted slightly... not like he unleashed it fully or half of it before.
He put his hands in his pockets again, like he hadn’t just gone round for round with a teacher and made him bleed. "Thanks Teacher, I’m full of surprise." He turned and walked off the stage.
Behind him, the barrier dropped. The noise hit him like a wave. Emily was on her feet shouting. Kira had both hands over her mouth.
Ava was staring, and for the first time since he came back here, Lynx glanced her way as he passed. One second. He didn’t smile at her or let his gaze lingered. Then he kept walking.
The chant started again, louder than before.
"Lynx! Lynx!! Lynx!!"