The SSS Ranked Villain's Return-Chapter 51: Potential Student

"So? What do you say?" Liora asked, her previously stern persona gone, replaced by an expectant look, waiting for him to accept.

By now, he had grown a bit hesitant. The offer was certainly not bad, and in all honesty, he would much rather accept.

But he didn’t know her affiliations or anything like that. The term "greatest alchemist" did not exist back in his time, since everyone knew how to make the exact same potions.

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In this case, she was different. It was all different.

Therefore, he made a counteroffer to her existing one. "Could I become something like a trial student? Just for a month or so to see how everything functions?"

He was expecting her to show some reluctance. After all, she was the one gambling with her name on the line.

As it turned out, that was not the case.

"Deal." Liora immediately nodded with a grin on her face as she stretched her hand out, asking for a handshake.

Neraxis sighed but nonetheless accepted the handshake, and as he did, she began explaining.

"I have an alchemy course available. It’s like a club, you could say. It’s exclusive to 3rd years and up; however, for you, I will make an exception."

Clubs...? Oh, right. He nodded back at her.

Back then, the clubs and extracurricular activities were introduced in the second week, and everyone had to join at least a single group, or else they would be expelled.

It seemed like a harsh punishment at first. However, most of these clubs contained necessities, such as alchemy, survival, and monster hunting.

He himself had picked monster hunting last time, but now, it seemed like he would be picking alchemy.

"Now, I know this isn’t exactly the trial student experience you were looking for, but I can assure you, the experience you would gain in the alchemy club would be very valuable," Liora finished with her short explanation.

The terms seemed good enough, so he swiftly agreed. "That’s fine. This is my first time brewing potions, so don’t expect too much from me."

[A sly one, aren’t you?] Evangeline snickered.

First time after I came back, not exactly lying now, am I? Neraxis shrugged inwardly, watching as she let out a sigh.

"Of course it’s your first time... you prodigies are all the same," she stated in an exhausted tone before turning around and heading to the front of the classroom, his box of potions in hand.

"Every group, take a single potion to compare yours with. This is what it’s supposed to look like," Liora said, and the groups, still stunned, took a vial each.

"As for you, Neraxis, I am sorry, but I only brought materials for the simple healing potions, so for now, you are free to go," she added while also shooting a nod in Kael’s direction.

Even if he didn’t directly participate, he was a part of Neraxis’s team.

There was also the chance that she knew who he was, but that’s a topic for another time.

Neraxis did not dawdle and quickly left the classroom, Kael following right behind him.

It was obvious where they were going. The timing happened to be perfect.

The two quickly entered the training room, and Kael wordlessly walked up to a nearby monitor before tweaking a couple of settings.

Immediately, the blank room transformed into a grassy plain.

What surprised him most was how realistic the terrain looked. Each hole in the ground or pebble was clearly felt, adding a realistic feel.

"Are you ready?" Kael questioned, this time, he had a pair of gauntlets covering his hands.

Evangeline, make yourself sharp enough to damage his gauntlets, but not sharp enough to slice him in half, Neraxis said while pulling out his sword.

[Got it, good luck.] Evangeline cheered him on.

"Of course, let’s go." Neraxis nodded at Kael.

Just as his words landed, however, he felt a bit of wind envelop his abdomen, and before he could even react, he crashed into a wall.

Neraxis stared at Kael, a bit puzzled by what had just happened.

Yet as he did so, he noticed a faint green glow around the gauntlets, which soon disappeared.

Wind magic, huh? Coming from those gauntlets? He thought with a scoff before standing upright.

It seemed like, unlike last time, Kael was serious.

Therefore, he decided not to hold back either.

Using Mark of Decay and Aura of Vulnerability, he immediately noticed the difference as Kael’s brows furrowed.

But that was not the end, as he quickly used Sword Dash, followed by a Simple Horizontal Slash.

Unlike their clash last time, where Kael caught his sword with a single hand, this time, he was greatly pushed back, and a small dent had formed in his gauntlets.

Yet before Neraxis could cheer in his moment of victory, the gauntlets oozed off a bit of smoke before quickly repairing themselves.

Self-repair too... fuck. He sighed inwardly. There were few ways to win this fight fair and square.

But he wouldn’t be doing this fair and square anyway.

Therefore, he used Cosmic Cascade before closing in on him.

However, Kael merely struck upward, and soon, his Cosmic Cascade was dispersed.

That did not mean he came out unscathed; his hands were visibly trembling, and a slightly pained yet proud expression crossed his face.

Neraxis didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly began building his Decaying debuff stacks. Whether it be with weak attacks or any, they slowed him down nonetheless.

And after just a few moments and several perfectly timed sword strikes, his stacks had been maxed out.

Now, the problem was, he could simply end the fight here and now, but if he detonated the mark carelessly, Kael would be killed.

But while he was momentarily lost in his thoughts, Kael recovered and suddenly extended his gauntlet.

In his palm, there was a wind sphere, the size of a marble. However, it soon increased in size, and in just a few moments, was sent directly at Neraxis.

At a single glance, he could tell that it was unblockable, and with Sword Dash still on cooldown, it was undodgeable either.

Therefore, he was left with only two options, one of which was more deadly than the other.

His first option was to use Aegis of Eternity, which he obviously wouldn’t do.

And the second... absorb the impact and use Vampiric Dominion’s Blood Rend.

Neraxis prepared himself to take the blast head-on, and once it was just about to reach him, he put the sword up to his face and slashed sideways.

While it wasn’t the Simple Horizontal Slash, it still managed to offset a bit of the damage, specifically to his head.

"Ugh..." He let out a pained groan, since most of his body was still hit, but before Kael’s surprised look could disappear, Neraxis ran forward and quickly used his skill:

Blood Rend.

Unlike the previous time he used it, he was able to see exactly how it looked now: a simple slash, yet in its wake, was a red trail that seemingly mimicked the sword’s power.

Kael was not going to take this sitting down as he raised his gauntlets to defend.

However, the sheer impact was way too much, as Neraxis’s sword cut through both of the gauntlets at once and stopped right before it could pierce the skin.

Nonetheless, Kael was still struck as though by a blunt weapon, being sent hurtling toward a nearby virtual tree.

As that happened, the injuries he had previously were healing at a pace visible to the naked eyes, even if the amount was 50%, it was still overpowered.

Walking over to Kael, Neraxis couldn’t help but chuckle at the state he was in.

"You look like shit."

But as his words fell, an unexpected red system message popped up.

[Swordsmanship {G->F}]