C4 Superpowered

With a thunderous crash, the central door was obliterated as two hulking brutes wielding hammers barreled in, reducing the surrounding barriers to rubble. Two students, unable to evade in time, were gruesomely reduced to mere pulp.

"I've got this!"

Young Master Soong bellowed once more, charging into the fray with his axe held high.

Having just slain three goblins—two large and one small—a revelation flashed through Young Master Soong's mind:

"Race: Human; Level: Dark Iron First Rank."

Initially puzzled, he quickly pieced it together—this was his own status.

Gripping his fists, his knuckles cracked in succession, signaling the significant surge in strength that came with reaching the First Rank.

Without hesitation, Young Master Soong confronted the two charging brutes, axe ready. Ignorant of the monsters' origins, he recognized an opportunity to grow stronger and seized it.

The clash of axe against hammer produced a sharp "crack!" The fire axe snapped, and Young Master Soong was sent flying, blood spurting from his mouth as he slammed into a column, his left forearm shattering into a gnarled, twisted mess.

As Young Master Soong hit the ground, the brutes continued their rampage, hammering into the crowd. The relentless thuds echoed as blood and bone were scattered in all directions.

"Ah!"

Panic-stricken, several girls screamed and fled, while the rest of the crowd disintegrated into chaos, scattering in every direction.

But the exhibition hall offered no refuge, and as the relentless pounding of the iron hammers continued, lives were extinguished with chilling rapidity.

While the two brutes hunted down the scattering attendees, the other goblins cleared the debris near the entrance and made their way inside.

Yang Yang sat impassively on the hall floor, watching the goblins approach without hiding or resisting, murmuring to herself in a trance:

"They're going to die, all of them."

One goblin, intrigued by the creature before it, blinked and swung its wooden club down.

In an instant, a flash of light pierced the air. The club in the goblin's grip shattered, followed by its torso thudding to the ground. A fountain of green blood erupted, soaking Yang Yang through and through.

Covered in blood, Yang Yang gazed at the figure before her with a vacant and puzzled expression.

"Lin Yuan?"

Lin Yuan paid her no mind, shrugged his shoulders, and with a burst of speed, charged into the swarm of goblins. His arms bulged with veins as he swung his sword in a wide arc, slicing through the air!

The sound of arrows being blocked by his broad iron shield filled the air with a chorus of "Ding! Ding! Ding!" With each roar and slash of Lin Yuan's sword, his movements grand and sweeping, goblins fell lifeless at the flash of his blade.

"Gah!" More goblins surged forward.

A slight smirk played on Lin Yuan's lips as he reversed his grip on the sword and braced his left arm, ready for the onslaught.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Arrows rained down in a dense flurry, all repelled by the sturdy iron shield. Lin Yuan's battle cries echoed as he swung his blade, each stroke a death sentence for the encroaching goblins.

"Species: Human; Rank: Dark Iron Third Rank."

Lin Yuan's muscles tensed, his spent energy swiftly replenishing. His eyes brightened—Third Rank of Dark Iron achieved!

The crowd in the exhibition hall was still reeling from the shock, particularly Lee Xia. Just moments before, an iron hammer nearly struck her, only to be intercepted by a massive iron plate.

First came a resounding clang, then the sickening sound of steel cleaving flesh.

The larger goblin howled as it collapsed, its body cleaved from left shoulder to right rib!

"Roar!" Another large goblin, undeterred by death, charged with its hammer swinging. Lin Yuan advanced with two quick steps, leaped, and twisted mid-air. His massive sword carved a perfect arc, striking down upon the goblin with ferocity!

"Ding~!"

The metallic clash reverberated, piercing the minds of the onlookers who clutched their ears and collapsed. The large goblin, along with its hefty hammer, was cleaved in two.

Lin Yuan?

Lee Xia's eyes fixed on the newcomer, her lips quivered momentarily, but ultimately, she remained silent.

He bore a resemblance to Lin Yuan, yet there was a stark contrast in stature and build. Compared to the slender and diminutive Lin Yuan, this armored figure wielding a long sword exuded a far more imposing presence.

"Listen up, everyone," the squad leader announced, "stay put unless it's absolutely necessary. If a lone goblin wanders in, take it down. It could be your ticket to getting stronger."

Lee Xia shuddered. It was indeed Lin Yuan, but how had he transformed into his current state?

A Third Rank Dark Iron with the strength of fifteen men was impressive.

Lin Yuan flashed a grin, brandishing a saber and shield, and now donned in a set of vintage armor he'd just found. Armed for both offense and defense, he could take on a whole troop of goblins if necessary!

The air was pierced by the sound of arrows. "Ding! Ding! Ding!" Lin Yuan deftly intercepted them with his iron plate. Any that slipped through were inconsequential; his vital areas were safeguarded by scale armor.

Advancing from the Third to the Fourth Rank of Dark Iron meant doubling the kill count. He needed to dispatch at least forty ordinary goblins to make the cut.

With a final swing of his shield, Lin Yuan turned the last goblin into a pulp, casting a glance at Young Master Soong, who sat slumped against a column. He then strode out of the exhibition hall with purpose.

Young Master Soong watched Lin Yuan's retreating figure, a wry smile creeping onto his lips. The man before him was no longer the helpless wretch who could only glare at him in anger.

It was clear from his gaze that he now saw Soong as nothing more than an insignificant bystander. Indeed, a change in one's circumstances could profoundly alter their character.

Lin Yuan emerged from the hall and descended the stairs at a measured pace. A horde of goblins eyed him warily but held back their assault. A goblin captain clad in iron armor, rapier at his side, approached, flanked by elite archers.

Halting two meters from Lin Yuan, the goblin captain thumped his chest with his palm, then thrust out his hand, balling it into a fist.

Lin Yuan blinked in response and mirrored the gesture. The goblin captain's eyes brightened, and he nodded subtly. The surrounding goblins dispersed, forming a wide circle.

Shaking his head with amusement, Lin Yuan mused that his unique advantage was his rebirth; no one else could decipher the meaning behind these exchanges.

Yet, receiving a duel challenge from the goblin captain was an unexpected turn of events for Lin Yuan.

First off, this demonstrated that the Goblin captain acknowledged Lin Yuan's prowess. Moreover, his status was far from ordinary; he was certainly no run-of-the-mill goblin.

Typically, only those of the Bronze rank or higher could issue a challenge to a duel. Dark Iron rankers lacked such privilege unless the challenger was a leader within their own community—a noble, in essence.

The two exchanged chest-thumping salutes and gradually backed away from each other until they were five body-lengths apart.

Lin Yuan clashed his Zhanmadao against the iron plate, producing a resonant clang. He then gave the Goblin captain a nod, signaling his readiness.

The Goblin captain crouched slightly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his rapier, and suddenly let out a thunderous bellow:

"Guaa!"

A shadow flashed towards Lin Yuan, who had no time to react before the sharp rapier impaled his abdomen.

"Kill!"

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Lin Yuan swung his Zhanmadao at the Goblin captain, only to see his opponent vanish and reappear at the starting point, as Lin Yuan's blood sprayed forth.

"So it's a skill. His identity truly is no ordinary one!"

Clutching his stomach with his arm, Lin Yuan inwardly rejoiced. It was a stroke of luck that the blade had merely grazed his vertebrae and passed through. A direct hit to the spine would have left him paralyzed on the spot.