Zain walked further into the Hero Association building, glancing at his surroundings.
As he walked, he noticed a long line of people standing in an orderly queue near a combat arena.
He approached the nearest person, tapping them lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, is this the line for the combat trial?"
The man turned around, eyeing Zain up and down before giving a slow nod.
"Yeah. This is the queue for the D to C-Rank combat trial."
Zain nodded in understanding. "I see."
Just as he was about to look away, the man raised his eyebrow, studying him more carefully.
"Wait a second. Aren't you a bit too young to be here?"
Zain frowned slightly. "Huh? What do you mean?"
The man crossed his arms, smirking. "Usually, everyone here is at least twenty-five years old."
He spread his arms. "Most of us have combat experience or have spent years training."
He then gestured toward Zain. "Looking at your face, you can't be more than, what, eighteen? You're just a brat."
Zain chuckled, shaking his head.
"A brat, huh?" He smirked.
"You have no idea."
In his past life, he was the Heavenly Demon. A warrior feared across his world. A man whose strength shook the heavens.
Compared to his former self, everyone here was just a child playing pretend.
But, of course, he had no intention of saying that out loud.
Instead, he simply smirked at the man. "Don't worry about me. You'd be better off worrying about yourself."
The man frowned, his expression darkening slightly. "Tch. Cocky little brat."
He scoffed. "Don't blame me later if you get hurt. This combat trial isn't some easy sparring match."
He raised his finger to warn him. "Serious injuries happen all the time. You better be ready."
Zain grinned. "Oh, I'm more than ready."
His confidence was absolute.
No matter what this combat trial was, it wouldn't be enough to make him break a sweat.
---
The line grew shorter and shorter, and soon, Zain finally got a clear view of the combat arena.
A big man with a muscular physique was standing at the center.
He crossed his arms while glancing at the participants, including him.
But what caught Zain's attention the most were the injured participants on the sidelines.
Many were clutching their wounded arms and legs, their bodies riddled with deep scratches and bruises.
Some sat against the walls, groaning in pain, while others were being treated by medical personnel.
Zain narrowed his eyes. "Tch. Looks like this trial isn't just for show."
He turned to the man beside him. "Hey, do you know who that examiner is?"
The man glanced at Zain before nodding. "Of course. That's Orlin. A C-Rank hero."
Zain raised his eyebrow. "Orlin, huh?"
The man continued. "His ability is called Claw Shift. It allows him to turn both his hands into razor-sharp, reinforced claws."
Zain's eyes gleamed with interest as he watched Orlin casually flex his fingers.
"That's why he doesn't need a weapon. His own hands are deadly enough."
The man sighed, rubbing his forehead. "He's also one of the more aggressive examiners."
"If you mess up, he doesn't hold back. That's why so many people get injured."
He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Damn it… I never thought we'd get him as the examiner today. Talk about bad luck."
Zain's smirk widened. "Are you scared?"
The man snapped his gaze to Zain, frowning. "Of course not! It's just that this makes things way more troublesome than usual."
Zain chuckled, placing his hands in his pockets. "I see… Well, I wonder how fun it'll be fighting him."
The man stared at him for a second, his brows furrowing.
Then, he scoffed. "What a crazy lunatic bastard."
Zain simply grinned.
"Oh, you have no idea."
---
Orlin glanced at the remaining participants.
His bored expression was evident as he cracked his neck.
"Come on, who's next?"
He then sighed before continuing.
"And please… if you're weak, just give up now."
He stretched his arms lazily. "I'm tired of fighting weaklings. It's getting boring."
Whispers spread through the queue as some people clenched their fists in frustration.
One participant stepped forward, frowning
"Sir Orlin, don't mock us too much."
He walked onto the stage, flexing his hands.
"I'll be different. I'm stronger than the others!"
Orlin arched his eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? Is that so?"
The participant stood tall, his chest puffed with confidence.
"I am Eron, a D-Rank Hero!"
Zain watched, amused. "So this guy actually believes he's different?"
Orlin's smirk widened. "I see. If that's the case... let's begin."
Without another word, his hands began to change.
Zain's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Orlin's fingers elongate and twist into razor-sharp claws.
"Claw Shift... huh. Interesting ability."
But Eron didn't hesitate.
His own hands crackled with electricity, bolts of energy wrapping around his fingers.
"Thunder Hand, huh?"
Zain smirked, crossing his arms.
"This just got a little interesting."
Orlin grinned wickedly, his claws flexing.
"Let's see if you're as strong as you claim, Eron."
Eron gritted his teeth, his fists sparking with thunder.
"I'll show you just how powerful I am!"
Without hesitation, he launched forward.
Boom!
A loud sound echoed as Eron's electrified fist swung toward Orlin.
Orlin narrowed his eyes and swiftly crossed his claws in front of him, preparing to block.
CLASH!
The moment Eron's Thunder Hand connected, a small electric shock burst from the impact point.
Orlin's frown deepened.
He took a step back, shaking his hands as if something felt off.
His claws were normally sturdy and lethal but now felt slower. Weaker.
Eron smirked confidently.
"What's wrong, Examiner?"
He clenched his sparking fist, his confidence growing.
"My thunder ability doesn't just hit hard. It also stuns your muscles for a bit."
Orlin clicked his tongue.
He flexed his claws, feeling the slight numbness in his fingers.
"Tch. That's a little annoying."
Eron grinned, stepping forward again.
"That's not all. If I land a few more hits, your hands won't even be able to move properly."
Zain, watching from the sidelines, smirked in amusement.
"Oh? That's actually a solid ability."
He crossed his arms. "But let's see how long he can keep that up."