422 Chapter 422: Question of Morale (1/2)

When it was clear that Kufa Van Peer wouldn't be breaking out of my Aboslute Zero spell, the commentator finally cleared his throat and announced the outcome of the match.

\”My goodness! Is Richard really going it? Is he on his way to achieving a team-kill – against Saint Teresa Academy, no less?! How is this possible?!\” He then suppressed his excitement. \”Whatever the case, the match is clearly over! The winner is Richard Huang of Jing Tian Academy…again! Will Saint Teresa Academy be able to stop him?\”

With the result of the match officially ruled in my favor and no longer beyond any doubt, I dismissed my spell and released Kufa from the clutches of my Absolute Zero. His frozen body slid out of the extreme ice and lay very still on the ground. It was only because of the boundary field that he was still alive, otherwise even his vampire body would have been completely destroyed by the absolute zero temperature.

Medics rushed forward to cast emergency healing spells on Kufa's near-corpse (fitting, given how he was a vampire) and ferry him out of the arena on top of a stretcher. The poor dude was still in his vampire form, his long silver hair unchanged, and his fangs still visible. His eyes were sealed shut by frost, so I couldn't see if they had remained red or returned to blue. Most likely the former, given how the other vampire features lingered.

\”Feed him some blood and he'll recover quicker,\” Kureha informed the medics, and they nodded unquestioningly. Evidently Kufa's status as a vampire was not a secret. His team captain obviously knew about it, and the medics seemed used to treating him, not at all appalled by what would otherwise be perceived as a demonic treatment.

On the other side of the ring, the atmosphere was a lot less somber and a lot more celebratory. My teammates were cheering and whooping, exchanging high fives and hugs. The spectators were also riled up by the unexpected outcome and they were applauding what they thought was a splendid performance. Harvey and Adrian were leading the cheers, gesturing wildly for the supporting contingents to roar their approval and praise.

But I wasn't listening to any of that. I was far too exhausted, too drained. Slumped against the corner of the ring, I watched blankly as Harrison approached, a big smile on his face.

\”You did well, Richard,\” he told me. \”You did very well.\”

I forced a tired grin and nodded.

\”Thanks.\”

\”Four zero!\” Dong Fang Yue Chu yelled as he bounded over excitedly. \”Thanks to your efforts, we're up four-zero against Saint Teresa Academy, of all people! You're amazing! You helped build up such a tremendous lead and took out four of their core members!\”

\”It's not over yet,\” I reminded him cautiously. Taking a deep breath, I leaned against the wall. \”We still have the final match and then the team match. Assuming I lose the fifth match, as long as we defeat three of their members in the team match, we should theoretically progress to the next round.\”

\”Yeah! Don't worry, even if they are Saint Teresa Academy, I'm sure we'll be able to take out at least a few of their members. But we aim to win!\” Craig was enthusiastic as he patted my shoulder almost violently. \”We're not going to settle for the minimum score.\”

\”Wait,\” Bu Fan said as he raised his hand. \”You just said assuming you lose the fifth match, didn't you?\”

\”Yeah.\” I was too tired to nod, and honestly it was a miracle I could still speak.

\”So you intend on continuing on?\”

\”Hah! At this rate, Richie will grab another team-kill! Another all-kill!\” Yue Chu was chuckling. \”As expected of him!\”

\”That's a bad idea!\” Pearl snapped harshly, glaring at me. \”Look at you! You're in no condition to fight!\”

\”I will be after resting for a few minutes.\” I was closing my eyes and doing my best to recuperate as much as possible.

\”You're too reckless!\” Pearl argued hotly. She turned to Harrison. \”Captain, tell him!\”

However, Harrison was watching me intently, and he seemed to have reach an unspoken understanding from my posture. He nodded grimly and then returned Pearl's gaze.

\”Richard has earned his chance to attempt an all-kill. I don't think it's fair if I deny him this chance to make history.\”

\”Make history?! But…\”

\”Don't worry,\” Theodore assured Pearl. \”We have healing spells to help him recover if he does go too far. Furthermore, there's the boundary field to protect him too. Nothing bad will happen.\”

\”But don't blame yourself if you lose,\” Harrison continued with a grin. \”You've more than contributed your part for the team. You've surpassed all expectations and gone beyond what was asked of you. No matter the outcome of the fifth match, you have become someone that the whole team is proud of. I dare say you've earned the respect of the entire Global Federation…if not the whole world. So just go in there and fight however you want. Don't hold back – as long as you don't regret anything, feel free to go wild.\”

\”Thanks. I really appreciate it.\” I lowered my head, my eyes still shut as I focused on recovering my mana. \”Thank you for going along with my selfishness and allowing me the chance to score an all-kill.\”

\”Like I said, you've earned it.\” Harrison reached up and patted my arm. He then gripped my shoulder and gave me an encouraging squeeze. \”And honestly, I believe in you. I strongly think that you'll be able to pull it off…create a miracle and make history today.\”

\”Thank you. I really appreciate it.\”

Personally, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. After executing Absolute Zero, I was nearly on empty. I probably didn't have much mana left to do anything beyond a couple of moves. Even so, I selfishly wanted to continue on, whether it was to the detriment of my team or not. I had gotten them this far, surely it wasn't unreasonable for them to accede to my request?

Furthermore, it wasn't as if I wasn't guaranteed to lose. I was stubbornly volunteering for the fifth match precisely because I saw a chance for victory, even if it was very slim.

\”Who do you think Saint Teresa Academy will send out for their last member?\” Lily asked from the sidelines.