Chapter 302: Liora’s Gratitude

“She hasn’t used it yet, you say?” Luna’s eyes widened. “Then…”

She glanced at Liora, who still looked so weak and vulnerable.

The boy’s relentless attacks left Liora in a dangerously exposed position.

Many would have assumed she was doomed, but not Luna. She had complete faith in Merlin.

If Merlin said it, then it had to be true.

The intensity of the battle made everyone question the outcome of the first test.

At first, they had expected Liora to at least put up a fight—but that wasn’t happening.

Suddenly, Merlin shouted, “Come on, Liora! Give it everything! Don’t hold back!”

Everyone froze and turned to him. Rumors had already suggested that Merlin knew the druid girl well—and their instincts had been right.

“Jeez…”

Catrine, Luna, and Margaret all fixed him with sharp, suspicious stares.

Merlin just smiled, ignoring them. He wanted to see the hidden heroine’s true strength.

“Hahaha! Even Merlin Clay is rooting for you,” the boy sneered. “But it won’t matter. You’ll never beat me!”

He threw a punch at Liora, but she dodged with ease. In an instant, she spun and kicked him, sending him flying five meters back.

The boy quickly adjusted his stance, his eyes widening as he stared at Liora.

“I underestimated you,” he chuckled, rubbing his fist. “But that’s it. I’ll defeat you!”

The aura of his Fourth Awakening surged again, crackling violently around him. He bent his knees and lunged forward.

This time, Liora showed no fear, her expression calm and unshakable.

“You may underestimate me, but not with Merlin’s support!”

Boom!

A green aura burst from her, slamming into the boy.

He was hurled backward, crashing against the magic barrier of the arena.

“Ugh…” he groaned, struggling to rise but failing.

’What… what just happened? Why did I get thrown like that?’ he stammered, bewildered.

Looking up, his eyes widened in shock. Liora stood there, a faint green aura crackling around her, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.

Thick tree roots shot up from the ground, stretching nearly three meters and forming a ring around the arena.

Her confident, fearless stance was a stark contrast to the timid girl she had been before.

“Attack!” she commanded, pointing at him.

Whoosh!

The roots shot forward. The boy leapt to dodge them, but they relentlessly pursued him.

The battle, once one-sided, had completely flipped—Liora now held full control.

“Woah! That’s insane! How did she turn the fight around so fast?” a female student exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.

“I don’t get it either. This druid girl is full of surprises. We misjudged her,” another student said, his tone serious.

The others could only nod. They had openly insulted Liora, yet she had struck back with astonishing power, leaving them overwhelmed with shame.

“Damn… if this keeps up, I’ll lose,” the boy muttered in frustration.

At first, he thought Liora would be an easy opponent. He was wrong—this girl was incredibly dangerous.

Whoosh!

A root shot toward him from his right side, catching him off guard.

He tried to dodge—but failed.

Slap!

The root struck him hard, slamming his body into the ground. He groaned in pain.

Liora smiled broadly, then turned to Merlin outside the arena.

Merlin returned her smile with a nod of appreciation.

“The winner is Liora from the druid race!”

Ronald’s booming voice snapped everyone out of their daze.

“Woah! She really defeated him!”

“Damn! I underestimated her earlier. If she finds out I mocked her, will she…?”

“Looks like it. Just be ready.”

Cheering echoed throughout the arena. Liora’s abilities were extraordinary, and those who had insulted her earlier feared she might seek revenge.

But Liora didn’t care. She jumped off the arena and landed gracefully in front of Merlin.

Bowing her head, she said softly and politely, “Thank you for your help earlier, Merlin Clay. Without you, I’m not sure I could have fought properly.”

The students’ earlier shouts had distracted her, making her uneasy.

As a result, she became nervous and couldn’t perform at her best.

Fortunately, Merlin’s encouragement helped her regain her confidence.

“You’re welcome. I’m just doing what I had to do. No need to thank me,” Merlin said casually, waving his hand.

Even so, Liora silently vowed to repay Merlin’s kindness many times over in the future.

“[Ding! Hidden Heroine Liora Aryn’s affection has increased by 10 points! Current affection: 50 points!]”

“[Ding! Congratulations, you have earned 5,000 system points!]”

Seeing the notification, Merlin smiled slightly.

’5,000 system points, huh? Not bad,’ he whispered contentedly.

The amount was insignificant compared to his total—his system points were already at two hundred thousand.

Still, five thousand points were still points—just as a mosquito is still meat, no matter how small.

After Liora left, Margaret folded her arms and asked, “Merlin, can you explain your relationship with her?”

Luna and Catrine shot him the same sharp look. If they had previously considered letting it go, now they felt compelled to know.

The bond between Merlin and Liora seemed unusually close, almost like two people who had known each other for a long time.

This naturally stirred a twinge of jealousy in all three of them toward Liora.

“Ahem!” Merlin cleared his throat. “Don’t get the wrong idea. There’s no special relationship between us. Yesterday…”

He began to explain his meeting with Liora yesterday, though he really didn’t want to go into detail.

It wasn’t that important. But he knew that if their curiosity wasn’t satisfied, the three girls would only misunderstand him more.

After hearing his explanation, the three calmed down, though not completely.

“I’m sure she has feelings for you,” Margaret said bluntly.

Luna and Catrine nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”

“Huh…” Merlin could only shake his head helplessly.

He had expected this reaction. But what could he do? They had every right to be suspicious. That was just reality.

Fifty points of affection counted as liking, even if it hadn’t reached love yet.

“We’ll take a break first. The next battle starts in an hour,” Ronald announced firmly.

He and the other professors turned and left the stage.

The students quickly dispersed. Coincidentally, they were hungry and eager to head straight to the cafeteria.

“Well then, let’s go,” Merlin said.

The three girls gave a small nod. But just then, a voice called from behind them.

“Um, Merlin, do you have a moment?”

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