54 Chapter 54 : Tranquility Before the Storm!!

Carl's triumph surged as he vanquished his nemesis with a single decisive blow.

Staring at the menu that materialized before him, he wasted no time in selecting the hard mode.

Roar!

Not far off, the somber middle-aged figure reappeared, splitting into two. Their attributes mirrored Carl's, but now they wielded long swords.

Simultaneously, a sharp long sword materialized before Carl.

It was evident: hard mode meant weapon combat.

"...I'm not proficient with weapons," Carl murmured with a pang of discomfort.

Yet, lack of weapon experience didn't equate to incompetence. With confidence in his heart, Carl initiated the challenge.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, a faint whistle filled the air as the two middle-aged figures ghosted around Carl.

Their long swords cleaved through the air, casting dazzling streaks across the sky.

Through Carl's keen perception, he discerned the deceptive nature of the flashing blade lights, oscillating at breakneck speeds.

Then... nothing.

Carl's final awareness was of two sword lights transcending time, enveloping him in an instant.

Roar!

The afternoon sun bathed the rooftop in brilliance. Carl, who had been reclining with closed eyes, abruptly sat up, his complexion drained as he gasped for breath.

"I... didn't even manage to block a single strike," Carl muttered in disbelief.

Despite his significant improvement in strength, evident from dispatching the middle-aged man with a single punch a few days prior, he was swiftly overwhelmed when faced with two similarly matched adversaries wielding weapons.

Could it be that weapons conferred such a substantial power boost?

As Carl pondered, a caring voice broke the silence from behind. "Carl, plagued by nightmares again?"

In the shadow of the rooftop entrance, a black-haired girl sat with crossed legs, clutching a comic book.

Her gaze lifted slightly, curiosity glinting in her beautiful eyes.

In her opinion, Carl is so powerful, shouldn't he always have nightmares?

Facing the girl's concern, Carl sighed. "Yeah, I dreamed just now that two people were chasing me with swords, running through three streets."

Unexpectedly, he actually had a nightmare. Clarice blinked, a little confused.

But at this moment, Carl scoffed. "No, I'm not convinced. I want to go back in and take them down."

After saying that, Carl reclined on the chair again, closing his eyes and diving back into the virtual battlefield.

...

In the afternoon, after Carl died five times in a row, he had to admit that he couldn't beat those two sword-wielding assailants.

Lying weakly on the rooftop, Carl gazed up at the sky.

Though his face was pale, he didn't feel any disappointment. Instead, there was a pensive look in his eyes.

He was analyzing the first five skirmishes.

From being instantly killed at the outset, to the fifth bout where he exchanged more than a dozen moves, and even to the demise of a middle-aged enemy after disarming him, his progress had been significant.

And the sword wielded by the middle-aged man was no ordinary blade, nor was the technique he employed standard.

With his speed, reflexes, and physical prowess, ordinary swords posed no threat to him, let alone breaking through his fists imbued with golden power.

After a while, Carl's lips parted slightly as he murmured to himself, "Their swords were vibrating at high speeds, overlaid, and finally unleashed extreme destructive power."

Unfortunately, discovering the reason was futile, for he was unfamiliar with this specialized swordsmanship.

But all hope wasn't lost. If he found a way to defeat the middle-aged man, there would likely be something to gain, such as acquiring proficiency in that particular swordsmanship.

However, in the virtual battlefield, his X Gene Ability couldn't be utilized, making it somewhat challenging to eliminate his enemy.

Just as Carl pondered, a crimson glow caught his eye.

"Is it already this late?"

Observing the setting sun painting the sky a fiery orange-red hue, Carl felt a tinge of exhilaration.

Snapping back to reality, he sensed a considerable surge in his strength, a smile gracing his lips as he rose and glanced at the girl who had accompanied him throughout the afternoon, not far away.

"Clarice, let's head downstairs."

"Yeah." The black-haired woman replied, very compliant.

Today, Clarice seemed preoccupied. As they descended the stairs, she sidled up to Carl and whispered, "Carl, can the Dragon Balls be replicated for others?"

Noticing the cautious tone, Carl smiled and replied casually, "Don't worry about that. Once the comic is in your possession, you're free to do as you please."

"Okay." Clarice nodded.

"Why? Is someone interested in it?"

The obedient black-haired girl confessed, "Well, it's Kayla and the others in the dormitory. They were reading the comics while I was showering yesterday, and they ended up falling in love with Dragon Ball too."

"You mentioned this morning that you wanted to borrow it to show them."

"But I don't want to lend them this comic. If they want to read it, they can have copies made."

The reason she hesitated to lend out the comic in her hand was because Carl had drawn it himself, specifically for her.

There was a subtle difference in intention.

If it weren't for the dorm mate who had read the comics and kept asking, she wouldn't have considered making copies for others.

Carl reached out and tousled her hair. "Make as many copies as you like. It might help you make some friends too."

After saying this, Carl glanced at the well-behaved and sensible black-haired girl, his gaze narrowing slightly, his heart weighed down by concern.

With Jean's return, it meant that the onset of the X-Men's third battle was drawing closer.

He wondered how long the mutant students at this school could maintain their cheerful demeanor.

In truth, Carl hoped for the war to commence sooner rather than later.

That way, he'd have more time to prepare, as he was currently not strong enough.

****

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