Starting Unlimited Evolution from Grinding

Chapter 322: Whose General Is This Now?

The news that the Doria Kingdom's Royal National Academy had swept the Donis Kingdom in their opening match spread rapidly throughout the Violet Empire's Academy Grand Competition arena. This instantly propelled the team from the previously ignored small kingdom to sudden fame.

Many people who were out of the loop were shocked. Even those who had heard some rumors before had always harbored doubts. Could a genius from such a small kingdom really be that powerful?

Now, such skepticism immediately diminished significantly.

In some arenas where matches were still ongoing, many spectators in the stands were no longer focusing on the current battles. Instead, they began discussing the Doria Kingdom and Lin Mo.

Of course, Eve, the once somewhat famous genius, was also mentioned. However, compared to Lin Mo, the strength she had displayed wasn't drawing as much attention.

Naturally, while the Doria Kingdom Royal National Academy's first victory certainly earned them some reputation, no one was optimistic about their upcoming match.

It wasn't that they clung to old prejudices and looked down on the academy from a small kingdom. It was that their next opponent was simply too formidable.

The Lix Kingdom First Academy was a quarterfinalist from the last Grand Competition!

If nothing unexpected happened this time, they were very likely to squeeze into the quarterfinals again.

In the eyes of many, the outcome of this match held little suspense. Yet, many still kept a close watch.The reason was simple... everyone wanted to see just how strong this Lin Mo really was.

The Donis Kingdom's contestants weren't strong enough to test his limits. Surely the people from the Lix Kingdom could, right?

The previous battle ended too abruptly, leading some to speculate that his instant-kill of the level 12 Gallagher was merely a fluke, mainly due to his opponent's carelessness. His true strength might not be that impressive.

But others believed he was genuinely talented and powerful, strong enough to rank within the top three even among the Lix Kingdom's contestants.

Both viewpoints had their supporters.

However, most people felt both ideas were too extreme. They guessed Lin Mo's actual strength was probably equivalent to that of the 3rd to 5th ranked contestants from the Lix Kingdom.

Ultimately, that match ended too quickly, and many hadn't witnessed it firsthand, making skepticism inevitable.

But there was no doubt about one thing: the arena where the Doria Kingdom and the Lix Kingdom First Academy were about to compete was now packed to the brim.

Because this battle was extremely difficult and crucial, Elvish didn't continue watching matches in other arenas. He also attended this one.

As the previous match was about to end, he looked at Lin Mo, Flora, and the others who had already arrived, his expression complex.

There was tension, anticipation, and also worry.

Flora, on the other hand, remained calm. Her gaze swept over the Lix Academy's rest area not far away, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest of her seat as she contemplated the subsequent lineup strategy.

Lin Mo wasn't nervous at all. He looked around at the lively scene, occasionally sneaking a tug on Ellie or Finnie's hand.

Ellie didn't mind, openly holding his hand in return and even initiating some small playful gestures. Finnie, however, couldn't handle it. Although she and Lin Mo had been intimate many times before, in such a bustling public setting, she was still very shy. Her face immediately flushed bright red, and she shrank her neck, terrified of being seen.

In fact, someone did see...

Sitting in the lower stands, Nuolun watched Lin Mo's bold actions, grinding her teeth in frustration.

She had also signed up for this Academy Grand Competition, but the preliminary group stage hadn't required her to fight yet, so she was free to move around and watch the excitement.

Nuolun wasn't interested in the academies from other kingdoms. Hearing her sister was about to face a large kingdom, she brought Shirleyas along to watch.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Lin Mo was indeed a significant threat even to her, making it worth gathering intelligence.

The Lix Kingdom was an excellent reference point.

The match on the stage finally ended. The contestants left, and after a brief intermission, it would be their turn to take the stage.

Compared to before, the students from the Doria Kingdom felt much less pressure this time.

First, their previous victory was successful, and they knew they had a big brother backing them up. Second, unlike the Donis Kingdom, an opponent they might have beaten, losing to the Lix Kingdom was almost a foregone conclusion.

Lin Mo could roughly understand their mindset. It was like the national soccer team playing against Brazil or France. Scoring fewer than five goals counted as a win, and conceding fewer than three was equivalent to a major victory.

Of course, his own perspective was different.

Eve was the same. Her expression was serious as she continuously observed her opponents, her fighting spirit rising.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the area occupied by the Lix Kingdom First Academy was completely different.

Their supervisor was a middle-aged mage with a stern face. His expression was very relaxed. His gaze swept over the direction of the Doria Kingdom Academy. Although he didn't show obvious contempt, he clearly didn't pay it much mind. Several of their main contestants looked languid, discussing casually. Young and spirited people had fewer reservations and wouldn't hide their disdain.

For them, facing a small kingdom was purely a freebie match.

"Who wants to go up and have some fun later? If one person sweeps the whole team, wouldn't the other side lose a bit too much face?"

"Let's not look down on the opponent too much. Haven't you heard the discussions around? They just crushed the Donis Kingdom. That Lin Mo might actually have some skill."

A level 12 assassin said.

"Then I'll go test him out later, see if this guy is really as strong as they say."

"Don't... Brother Domor, if you go up, there'll be no fun left at all."

"Exactly, let us have some fun too, get some practice..."

They chattered away. A tall, slender young man beside them hadn't spoken the whole time, instead keeping his eyes closed in meditation.

No one paid him any mind or disturbed him.

After all, this person was on a completely different level from them.

Soon, the match began.

Following the Grand Competition rules, the Lix Kingdom, which had a higher ranking last time, would choose their contestant to step onto the stage first. This was considered a small courtesy and opportunity given to the higher-ranked kingdom.

As expected, the Lix Kingdom sent out a level 10 contestant, the weakest in their team.

Out of ten contestants, the weakest was level 10. The profound strength of a large kingdom was on full display!

Flora had already made her decision. For a match of this caliber, there was no need to send Milun and the others up to lose face.

Therefore, she directly looked at Eve, who was eager to give it a try.

Eve nodded and stepped onto the stage.

"It's that Eve... The move she used at the end of the last match was quite strong. I heard it's an Epic Level skill she obtained from a Secret Realm before."

"I wonder how she'll fare against a contestant from the Lix Kingdom? Both are level 10, but a level 10 from a large kingdom and one from a small or medium-sized kingdom are not the same concept."

The facts proved this true. The opponent's strength was indeed not ordinary. Although he was the weakest in his team, he was clearly stronger than the level 10 contestant from the Donis Kingdom. Eve didn't have any immediate advantage in the exchange.

However, Lin Mo wasn't worried.

Because Eve still had a card up her sleeve—the alchemical gemstone she obtained in the Secret Realm—[Swiftness Gemstone - Lightning Leopard].

Sure enough, unable to secure a quick victory, Eve didn't continue holding back. Her already swift speed suddenly surged another notch, increasing by about 30%. Although it quickly diminished, in an originally evenly matched duel, this sudden acceleration was enough.

Her opponent was also a Swift Warrior. Caught off guard, he was directly stabbed in the chest by Eve's sword. What followed was a relentless barrage of fierce attacks from Eve, forcing him into a desperate defense until he had no choice but to admit defeat.

The Lix Academy side remained calm. They then sent out their second contestant. This time, it wasn't level 10, but an Elite Level level 11 contestant.

"Can Sister Eve still win?"

Finnie asked worriedly.

"Hard to say..."

Flora wasn't sure either. Although Eve had once defeated an Elite Level opponent while being a lower level, this time it was an Elite Level student from the Lix Kingdom, who was undoubtedly stronger.

On the stage, Eve didn't waste words with her opponent. As soon as the match began, she launched a fierce assault.

Her opponent was an Elite Level Knight.

Facing her attacks, he couldn't dodge, but he easily blocked them all with the shield in his hand.

Seeing this, Eve had no choice but to use her ultimate move. A golden sword shadow descended from the sky.

Her opponent's gaze sharpened, and he also became serious. He activated a defensive skill, channeling his Qi and Blood onto his heavy shield to withstand the blow.

The massive sword shadow fell, producing a thunderous crash. The power of this move was enough to make the vast majority of Elite Level Professionals take notice.

But...

The opponent's defensive skill didn't seem ordinary either. The shield in his hand was even more exceptional. Although he looked somewhat disheveled and sustained some injuries, Eve's skill clearly hadn't been enough to defeat him.

Eve frowned, continuing her assault. Knowing she couldn't break through head-on, she tried to flank and launch a surprise attack. But a Swift Warrior wasn't an Assassin after all, and her opponent's response was very adept, using stillness to counter movement. He was clearly experienced in fighting agile opponents.

Swift Warriors or Assassins fighting Knights were indeed at a bit of a disadvantage.

Knights feared Mages the most. Assassins or Swift Warriors were relatively more threatening to Mages. Strength-based Warriors were more balanced. Rangers were similar to Mages in role but weaker in both offense and defense, winning with speed and the chance to kite.

These professional counters became especially apparent when strength was similar, let alone when the opponent was stronger.

Soon, Eve's Qi and Blood and stamina were severely depleted. Although her opponent hadn't managed to injure her either, anyone could see that continuing like this meant certain defeat for her.

So Eve didn't stubbornly persist. When her Qi and Blood were about to run out, she chose to surrender and left the stage.

Flora frowned, her gaze sweeping over Ellie and Lin Mo, hesitating.

Lin Mo thought about it. Sending Sherfilia up at this point would probably only allow her to defeat two or three of the opponents. Based on current intelligence, the Lix Kingdom had a level 15 contestant. Sherfilia definitely couldn't beat that. The two level 13s would also be tough; at best, she could tie with one.

If he went up himself, it would be an easy sweep. But Lin Mo didn't want to reveal too much strength too early.

With his status panel, it would be hard to act convincingly on stage... But if he easily defeated a level 15 contestant this early, revealing excessive strength might be disadvantageous for the later knockout stages.

Of course, another reason was that he had already fought in the previous match and wanted to be lazy this time.

Might as well just let Ellie go. She looked like she really wanted to give it a try anyway.

So, Lin Mo rubbed the little wolf-girl's head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered softly, "Go on. Show them your strength. Remember to hold back a bit, don't cause too big of a commotion."

"Mhm!"

Lin Mo's breath tickled Ellie's ear. She rubbed her ear against his face in a playful, coquettish manner before formally stepping onto the stage.

Her appearance caused the venue to fall silent for a moment.

After the brief silence came even greater commotion.

"A Half-Orc?"

"The Doria Kingdom enrolled a Half-Orc student?"

While not explicitly forbidden, the vast majority of academies, especially the prestigious ones, would not choose to admit Half-Orcs.

If not for special circumstances, the Doria Kingdom Academy would have been the same.

Because of Ellie's identity as a Half-Orc, one could clearly feel the atmosphere in the arena becoming less friendly.

But Ellie didn't care.

She no longer needed to care about other people's opinions. She had found her own destination, a warm home.

Unless Lin Mo abandoned her, Ellie would never be hurt by those cold words and looks again.

On the stage, Ellie's opponent, that Knight, visibly darkened upon seeing his opponent was a Half-Orc.

However, he maintained a certain decorum, didn't say anything, gave a barely perceptible nod as a greeting, and then took the initiative to attack.

The little wolf-girl didn't dodge or evade, simply watching as her opponent swung his one-handed sword at her.

Out of ten contestants, the weakest was level 10. The foundational strength of a large kingdom was on full display!

"Frost Slash."

After the calm utterance, a chillingly cold Sword Energy shot out at incredible speed. Instantly, the Knight's movements froze.

The next moment, his shield flew from his grasp, the bones in his hand fracturing. Immediately after, his entire body was invaded by the cold air, rapidly freezing into an "ice sculpture" visible to the naked eye.

Lin Mo rubbed his nose.

He had to admit, it was a bit cool.

Not just the skill was cool, but the timing and execution of that sword strike were also very cool.

To put it more bluntly, she knew how to show off.

He remembered Ellie wasn't like this before...

Probably... maybe... possibly... she didn't learn it from him, right?

Pretending without the skill to back it up is just cringe. But if you have the skill and pull it off, that's mastery.

Clearly, Ellie's display this time was perfect.

The arena immediately erupted in an uproar.

"So strong!"

"This Half-Orc... is no ordinary person!"

"That move carried the chill of the ice element. She must have some special bloodline within her?"

"When did the Doria Kingdom gain another expert like this?"

Even those who had followed the Hunting Competition before were now utterly confused.

They only knew Lin Mo was very strong. Where did this Half-Orc come from?

Wasn't the second place in the Hunting Competition the Eve who just lost?

Then whose general is this now?