Chapter 60
Chapter 60 Open Challenge or Apologize
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“See? I knew it,” someone sneered. “She rejected him flatly before because the money wasn’t enough. Now that the price is right, she’s just Mr. Wright’s toy p>
Nighthowl’s ears twitched. He had been bound to Joanna for a long time. Every coin she had earned came from grinding dungeons on almost no sleep, sometimes only four hours every two days.
In the next instant, he vanished. Nighthowl reappeared right behind the speaker. His cold silver eyes locked onto the young man.
“Who did you hear that from p>
At six feet three inches tall, Nighthowl’s presence was overwhelming.
The student spreading rumors was a short young man, barely five feet two, with a buzz cut. Beside him stood a tall, skinny boy with a greasy smile.
“Arghhh p>
The buzz-cut boy looked up-and froze. The moment he met Nighthowl’s silver beast eyes, legs went weak. “I-I didn’t say anything,” he stammered. “I swear. I said nothing p>
his
Joanna felt Nighthowl disappear and quickly sensed him nearly 160 feet away. Confused, she walked over and found him questioning two classmates.
They were both in 12th grade. Joanna recognized the shorter one. His name was Byron Seaton.
Byron wasn’t a Combat Class. He was a life skill, a blacksmith.
Despite being short, his arms were thick and strong. His build was solid, and the aura of a blacksmith clung to him. The real reason people noticed him, though, was his family.
His father was a Level 25 Combat Class fighter. His mother was a dwarf.
As humans explored countless parallel dimensions, they encountered other races. Along with that came dark, illegal trades-slavery among them.
Female dwarves were often sold cheaply. Some people had twisted tastes. Dwarves were small, usually between four and four and a half feet tall, and looked delicate.
They were also tough. They lived underground, worked metal, and endured harsh conditions. Children born from such unions could inherit strong classes like warriors or blacksmiths.
The downside was height.
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Chapter 60 Open Challenge or Apologize
Even Joanna could look down at Byron now.
“If you said nothing,” Joanna said calmly, “why are you so nervous p>
She turned to Nighthowl.
Nighthowl repeated what he had heard, word for word.
Byron hurried to explain. “I-I just heard it from someone else p>
Joanna let out a cold laugh.
“Heard it from who? Point them out. I’d love to have a nice talk with them p>
Byron couldn’t answer.
Because he hadn’t heard it from anyone. He made it up.
“I… I forgot,” he stammered. “Someone just mentioned it in passing p>
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Joanna’s eyes turned sharp. “Whoever thinks like that is disgusting. Being dirty themselves isn’t enough; they have to imagine other people’s money coming from dirty places too. Is that jealousy? If that’s the case, why don’t you go offer yourself to Kayden? He doesn’t care about gender p>
Joanna never ignored rumors.
If she stayed silent, they would only spread further. She had to make her stance clear so people would think twice before slandering her again.
Naturally, Byron understood the implication. He clenched his fists. Blacksmiths were hot- tempered by nature. He snapped back, “Then where did your money come from? Even if you suddenly got a transcendent beast, you shouldn’t be able to afford this much gear p>
“Stop being obsessed with other people’s money,” Joanna replied coolly. “And if you have time to gossip, why not check the campus net? I run dungeons for others all the time. It’s no secret.
“I’ve been running dungeons day and night,” Joanna said. “I’ve been leveling up. I didn’t do all that just so people like you can spread lies and erase my hard work p>
She looked him straight in the eye.
“You have three hours to post a public apology on the campus network. If you don’t, I will challenge you in the arena p>
The arena was how the Space Alliance settled conflicts between professionals.
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Chapter 60 Open Challenge or Apologize
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Once a duel was declared, both players were sent into a dungeon space. The fight ended when one person’s health dropped to 10%. That person would be teleported out and counted as the loser.
The loser could lose up to ten attribute points.
Before Joanna had her summoned beasts, her strongest attribute-mental power-barely reached 100. Byron, on the other hand, was only a level 5 life skill blacksmith. If the points taken from him were strength, his future would almost be over.
Of course, Byron could refuse the challenge.
But Joanna could go to the school and force the issue. If Byron kept refusing, the school would make him choose another path. Public apology.
So the choice was simple. Fight or say sorry.
Byron didn’t really have a choice at all.
Joanna’s one-person team had just taken first place in the last monthly exam. Everyone knew who the school would support.
With Joanna and her two contracted companions standing there, the pressure crushed down on him.
“I… I was wrong,” Byron said softly. “I’m sorry p>
Joanna finally nodded.
“If I hear another rumor on campus, I’ll assume it came from you,” she said. “And I’ll challenge you again p>
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The Battle Queen They Blindly Kicked Out
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