“Ace,” Faye called out as soon as the group made it past the city walls, ensuring she was out of earshot of the dragons. “You were too brash this time.”

“Ooh,” Ace smirked as he playfully glanced back at his classmate. “You worried I’ll actually lose?”

“Who’s worried about a freak like you?” Faye snorted. “It’s Kannal I’m worried about; you singlehandedly made a decision for him to challenge a peak saint-level beast the moment he breaks through to the saint realm. And the fact that the opponent in question is a black dragon only makes it ten times more difficult – not everyone’s as much of a freak as you!”

“Faye’s right,” Joel nodded with obvious displeasure. “You didn’t even ask Kannal’s opinion about it; you just made the decision on his behalf.”

“I’m guessing you all feel that way,” Ace asked as he stopped to scan his classmates.

As he looked at each of their faces, the only one who didn’t seem to hold the same opinion was Killian, who had always held unwavering faith in Ace and his decisions. Even Amira appeared confused by his decision.

Though she didn’t seem to blame him, she didn’t seem too keen on his seemingly impulsive decision.

“Why not ask Kannal what he thinks?” Ace sighed as he glanced at their youngest classmate, who remained the picture of total indifference, despite there no longer being a dragon in sight.

“It’s all the same to me,” Kannal said simply when he felt all of his classmate’s eyes fall on him.

“What do you mean it’s all the same to you?” Faye snapped. “Do you think you’re Ace or Amira, or even Killian? Do you really believe you’ll be able to defeat a peak saint the moment you break through to the saint realm?”

After eight years together, the bond each of their class had with one another was no different than if they were family; still, there were those that were slightly closer.

Despite having never met each other before joining the Pavilion, the moment they got to know one another, the two of them became almost inseparable.

With Kannal having just lost his elder sister not long before, his latching onto a female who acted like an older sister was understandable, even if said female acted nothing like his actual older sister.

With that being said, her reaction was to be expected. She couldn’t understand his indifference to what may as well be a suicide mission.

“I know I’m not as talented as Ace or Mira,” Kannal explained. “But I won’t lose! I can’t lose! Not to him! Not to the beast that caused my sister’s death!”

“You idiot!” Faye shouted as she glared at Kannal. “I know how much revenge means to you, but killing yourself won’t bring your sister back!

I won’t let you do this! I won’t let you go through with Ace’s stupidity!”

“That’s enough!” Ace barked as his [Conqueror’s Haki] flared wildly, catching everyone by surprise.

Each of them knew of Ace’s ability, but this was the first time most of them had felt it firsthand.

“Ace,” Faye argued, still refusing to back down, tears starting to form in her eyes as the thought of losing the closest thing to a brother she had ever had broke her heart. “I know you’re more powerful than all of us, but I won’t allow you to send Kannal to his death!”

“Faye…” Kannal said hesitantly as he grabbed her hand.

He didn’t know what to say or do in that situation. Till now, he had always followed Faye like an adorable little puppy, allowing her to often make decisions for the both of them, but this time was different. This was too important to him!

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Ace could feel precisely how Faye felt, and scanning the rest of their group, he could see that, whilst not as strong, most of the others felt the same. Still, he didn’t retract his aura; in fact, his expression turned indifferent.

“You compared Kannal to Mira, Kil, and I, but in my eyes, there’s no difference between us and him. In fact, the real difference is between the four of us and the rest of you,” Ace said coldly, not caring for the furrowing brows of the rest of his classmates as he continued. “Whether it’s Mira, Kan, or Kil, no matter how strong I’ve gotten, each of them has continued chasing after me. Whereas the rest of you have completely given up!

You see me as some freak of nature, so you no longer compare yourselves to me or bother hoping to one day catch up to me.

You could argue that Amira has a right to chase after me as her talent isn’t much inferior to mine, but what about Killian? Maybe you could argue that after eating that Earth Root Fruit, his talent has increased to a level where it’s no longer insane to chase after me, but if you were to argue that, then what’s your excuse, Alissa?”

Alissa couldn’t help but feel taken aback, hurt, and, quite frankly, inferior as she lowered her eyes, unable to meet Ace’s cold, expressionless gaze.

“Besides myself and Amira, after the awakening of your bloodline, your talent is probably the highest of our class; you’re even being personally trained by a man who has now become a deity; you have no excuse for not wanting to chase after myself or Mira,” Ace said, his words piercing the fragile heart of the young silver-haired Tigerstriped warrior, before looking at the rest of the group, all of whom were now being overwhelmed with feelings of shame and inferiority.

“But let’s forget, Mira and Kil, for a second, shall we,” Ace continued as though he couldn’t sense the turbulent and unstable emotions of his now fragile classmates. “Look at Kannal, the youngest of all of us.

He has no special bloodline to rely on; nor did he eat a magical treasure which suddenly increased his talent, nor is he as naturally talented as fatty, or more talented than any of you, and yet, although he has never come out and said it, I can clearly see and feel that he has never stopped using me as a target to one day catch up to.

The difference between the four of us and the rest of you isn’t talent or potential but our mindset! It may be easy to say with my level of talent, but I’m going to say it anyway. I can categorically assure you that it wouldn’t matter if we were in our current bodies or the body of someone with regular or even inferior talent; we would still strive to be the best.”

As he said that, Alissa, Faye, Joel, Yulana, and Osiris couldn’t help but take a long hard look at themselves. Unfortunately, it seemed Ace wasn’t done.

“I have to say, I’m disappointed,” Ace sighed. “Each of you are some of the most talented experts of our generation, disciples of the best institute for aspiring mages and warriors, have access to the teachings of the most powerful experts on the continent, and yet, you’re satisfied with settling for what may as well be mediocrity. I expected better from each of you!

I don’t know what’ll happen next, but unless you’re ready to change your attitudes, I suggest you stay away from me because the level of opponents I’ll undoubtedly attract is only going to increase drastically.

Unless you learn to truly believe in yourself, you will only end up losing your lives. And as disappointed as I am, I still love each of you – I couldn’t bear the thought of losing any of you!”

Ace took another look at each of them as he said that before shaking his head with a gentle sigh and taking his leave.

“That son of yours really doesn’t mince his words, does he?” Wukong asked with an amused smile as he looked down at the five youths subjected to Ace’s rant, each of whom could only stand absentmindedly in front of the gates.

“What is it with that boy and pushing people to their breaking points?” Milianna sighed as she thought back to when he and her master used a similar tactic on her a little over a year ago.

“It could be considered a little reckless,” Cesar sighed as he looked at his adoptive granddaughter with a hint of worry in his usually playful eyes. “But you’re living proof of how effective that tactic can be when done right.”

“This king’s surprised you haven’t gone and roughed that little brat up for daring to talk to your precious little granddaughter like that,” Wukong teased.

Cesar didn’t appear to be in the mood to joke around as he watched one of the few people alive he considered family going through what may be one of the hardest inner battles of their life.

“He didn’t say anything wrong,” Cesar said absentmindedly. “She has needed to hear this for a while; I just never had the heart to say it.”

“It’s hard to believe someone so young can be so wise,” Doehring Cowart sighed in Linley’s mind as their group also witnessed Ace’s harsh and brutal rant from within Cesar’s Godrealm. “Linley, though he wasn’t talking to you, you should take it as though he was.

I don’t know what the future holds for any of you youngsters, but with your level of talent, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be aiming to catch up with and even surpass Ace in the future.

Your only limits in life are imposed by you yourself. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Grandpa Doehring.” Linley mentally replied as he watched the only man he considered a rival calmly walk away.