Indeed, as the two had pointed out, many present were uncertain of passing the assessnt.
With the majority of the assessnt ti already elapsed, ti was running short, and without a stroke of luck, their chances of entering Star Cluster Academy were slim.
Under these circumstances, why not take a chance?
With the points on John's tally, even a division among them could ensure many would pass the assessnt.
Their gazes t, mutual determination reflected in their eyes.
In the end, many chose to stay behind.
Forming several teams, they drew their weapons, watching John with a mix of caution and resolve.
The allure of 20000 points was enough to push them to gamble with their lives.
Yet, many others turned to leave.
Initially just onlookers, they had no intention of risking their lives against John.
Now that John seed prepared to battle others, they naturally preferred to avoid getting involved.
John scanned those who had chosen to stay, noting that there were about thirty individuals.
Among them, the truly strong were few; most were those unsure of standing out in this assessnt.
This was sowhat good news amid the bad.
Not far from John, atop a lush, towering tree, stood two figures, one tall and the other short.
The taller one was a burly man with a simple and honest appearance.
The smaller figure was a petite girl with a charming deanor.
Standing together, they resembled a bear and a raccoon, a stark contrast indeed.
Watching John surrounded by a crowd, a sly smile played across the girl's cute face.
Hands on her hips, she turned to the giant man beside her and said, "If we can steal soone else's points, why not go straight for the top scorer's? Jonathan, you need to use your brain more, not just your fists. Otherwise, you'll never find a wife."
Jonathan, the burly man nad, scratched his head, failing to see the connection between using his brain and finding a wife.
Still, he nodded in agreent, "Sis is right, I'll go take him down now."
It was hard to imagine that these two were siblings.
Just as Jonathan was about to leap down from the tree, his sister Cecilia quickly grabbed his leg, scolding him with a mix of frustration and affection, "What are you doing going down there now? Wait until they've nearly finished fighting, then you go."
Jonathan hesitated.
His senses were unlike ordinary people's; he could tell that John's current state was not as dire as it seed.
The main issue was pre-existing injuries, not significant exhaustion from the recent fight.
In fact, Jonathan could sense that John was even stronger than at the start of the battle.
He wasn't afraid but felt it would be taking advantage of soone's misfortune to attack John after he had fought others.
"Sis, is it really right to do this? Mom taught us not to kick soone when they're down. How about I wait for him to finish the fight, give him a mont to recover, and then go?" Jonathan expressed his dilemma.
Cecilia rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed, "If this John guy can't hold onto his points, it's his own lack of strength. What's this about taking advantage? Besides, stealing points is allowed by the rules; it's not cheating. Mom definitely wouldn't bla you."
Chastised severely by his sister, Jonathan hung his head, his rugged face awash with a sense of grievance, like a child who had done sothing wrong.
This created a striking contrast with his burly physique, an oddity to behold, yet Sister Cecilia seed all too accustod to it.
Gazing at Jonathan, she sighed softly, speaking gently, "You can't always be this kind-hearted. Kind people don't survive in this world, just like our parents. They died because of it, and I don't want the sa for you. After all, in this world, you're the only family I have left."
ntion of their parents brought a look of sorrow to Jonathan's face.
He nodded firmly, asserting, "I understand, Sister. He may be strong, but I will defeat him."
A smile returned to Cecilia's face, her voice filled with pride, "Of course, my brother is the strongest."
Despite having witnessed John's terrifying strength, Cecilia remained confident in her brother.
After all, Jonathan wasn't just a platinum-tier awakener with an S-level talent.
He was also God's Chosen of the "War God."
…
The sudden shift in the Enchanted Forest left the external audience taken aback.
One spectator spoke indignantly, "Those bastards, taking advantage of John's exhaustion to gang up on him."
Another expressed disdain, "I despise those who have no skill of their own and only know how to launch group attacks."
A third condemned, "These despicable lowlifes, do they really think just racking up points will get them into Star Cluster Academy? People with dishonorable conduct, even if they are top-notch geniuses, would never be accepted by Star Cluster Academy."
…
The audience was filled with righteous indignation, finding the actions of these individuals despicable.
However, there were voices with a differing perspective.
One spectator sneered, "If the rules allow it, why can't they gang up on one person? What's wrong with using the rules to achieve a goal? Passing the assessnt is what matters most, especially when there's no real harm done."
Another agreed, saying, "Setting aside whether they can join Star Cluster Academy or not, at least if they manage to kill John, they'll pass the selection process and get a chance to join. If they do nothing, they won't have any chance at all."
Soone else shook their head, "John is in danger this ti.
These assessnt candidates aren't monsters; they won't be so easily dealt with."
Nodding in agreent, another added, "Indeed, now that they've surrounded him, John might have been able to escape under normal circumstances, even if he couldn't win. But given his clearly weakened state, escaping will likely be very difficult."
In the spectator stands, these two differing opinions sparked a heated debate.
The majority, who viewed John's situation pessimistically, argued loudly, their faces flushed with emotion.
Seraphina also frowned, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
She had always been confident in John's abilities.
Under normal conditions, even if John was exhausted, she didn't believe he would lose.
The problem was, Seraphina was well aware that John's injuries had only just begun to heal, making prolonged combat inadvisable.
Theodore shook his head, "The kid might be in trouble.
But this serves as a vivid lesson.
It's not always just about fighting; one must also consider what cos after.
Otherwise, the hard-earned gains might just end up benefiting soone else."
Seraphina didn't speak, her gaze fixed on the unfolding scene, holding onto hope for a turnaround.
On another section of the spectator stands, Silver Tear's beautiful face also showed signs of anger.
Gritting her teeth, she said, "These despicable and shaless people, planning to gang up on John when he's exhausted. If I ever run into them, then..."
Silver Tear was so furious she seed ready to explode, while Dark Fox appeared much calr by comparison.
"The situation may seem unfavorable for John now, but if he decides to run, there might still be a chance. Just watch; after all, John is soone who always manages to surprise."
…
In the Enchanted Forest, the atmosphere was tense with hostility.
John scanned his surroundings, noting that they had ford four or five temporary groups, each consisting of six or seven individuals.
Most of these people were silver-tier, but there were also a few gold-tier awakeners among them.
John gripped his longsword tightly, giving the crowd a cold stare.
In return, they all fixated on him, none daring to be the first to strike.
For a mont, everything fell into a tense silence, with nobody willing to make a move.
Finally, soone in the crowd couldn't hold back any longer and shouted angrily, "What are we waiting for? If we wait any longer, his strength will recover, and then we'll all be eliminated."
Another retorted with a sneer, "Then why don't you go first? You're just afraid of being killed by John yourself. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."
Before the battle even began, discord was already brewing within the opposing teams.
After all, these were temporary alliances with no foundation of trust, and none were willing to risk their lives for the benefit of others.
Witnessing this scene, a smirk ford on John's lips as he suddenly spoke up, "Twenty thousand points aren't enough for so many of you to pass the assessnt. Inevitably, so will turn on others. So, why not cooperate with ? I can directly give you enough points to pass without fighting. Isn't that better than exhausting yourselves fighting and risking benefiting soone else in the end?"
Even though they knew John was trying to sow discord among them, already fragile alliances showed signs of enticent in their eyes.
If what John said was true, that he would give them points without them having to fight, then why should they engage in battle with each other?
John's proposal seed far more appealing.
At this mont, a warrior clad in armor and wielding a shield stepped forward.
He spoke coldly, "John is trying to divide us. Do you really believe his words? If we really agree to his terms, once he recovers, he'll be the first to co after us for retribution. We must eliminate him!"
A magus nearby sneered, "If you're too scared to act, then just scram. It's only right that you cowards get eliminated. I just hope you don't end up crying when the ti cos."
These words left many faces tinged with both sha and anger.
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