Initially, Isabella had thought John was merely a glory-seeker, which is why, coming from a military family, she had such disdain for someone like John, who seemed to steal others' accomplishments.
However, she hadn't anticipated that John might actually possess some real strength.
But, with Isabella's pride, she naturally wouldn't concern herself with such matters.
She snorted, clenching her fist, "Even if you are a genius, for the disrespect you've shown me, I still intend to teach you a lesson."
Subsequently, she increased her monster hunting speed even more.
The intense flames seemed as if they were about to ignite the entire forest.
Even lv35 monsters couldn't withstand more than a few of her skills.
Meanwhile, those outside also noticed the changes on the leaderboard.
Those who knew John, like Theodore and Dark Fox, didn't show much surprise.
After all, they had already witnessed John's strength and talent.
But when others observed from the silver mirrors John killing lv30 monsters with a single skill, their faces showed utter disbelief.
Someone gasped in shock, "How is his damage so high? Wasn't it said that he passed the assessment by using underhanded methods? Does someone like him need to resort to such tactics?"
Another person said gravely, "Even gold-tier don't have such high damage. His damage has reached the platinum-tier level. If even he's considered worthless, then there are no geniuses in this assessment."
Someone realized, "So, considering his strength, killing the severely injured Rean isn't impossible. While calling him the Federal's top genius might be an exaggeration, John is definitely a genius."
Hearing this, those who had previously mocked John closed their mouths.
Many among them didn't possess platinum-tier strength, and those who did were few and far between.
Silver Tear, who had been silently fuming over the disparagement towards John, suddenly smiled upon seeing this turn of events.
Her sparkling eyes darted around before she coughed subtly, hinting, "John has reached such a realm at only 18. It's intriguing to ponder what achievements lie ahead for him. Those who initially laughed at him for supposedly exploiting loopholes to enter the assessment might hope John isn't one to hold grudges.
After all, that individual named Andrew seems to have been the first eliminated by John specifically for offending him."
Dark Fox glanced at her, understanding that Silver Tear was defending John, and chose not to intervene.
Indeed, the audience members who had ridiculed John showed signs of anxiety upon hearing Silver Tear's words.
They had merely sought momentary verbal satisfaction without considering the potential troubles it could bring.
At that moment, they almost wished they could slap themselves.
Everyone had witnessed Andrew's fate; he had merely mocked John in secret, yet John had specifically sought him out and decapitated him with a single strike.
In Headmistress Sophia's domain, Andrew wouldn't truly die.
But if they were to face John in reality...
The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.
They could only pray internally that John hadn't heard what they had said at the start.
...
In the Enchanted Forest, if John knew that Silver Tear almost had those guys kneeling and begging for mercy on the outside, he would probably have a hard time keeping himself from laughing.
However, at the moment, John had little time to concern himself with the outside world because he was currently being robbed.
And he wasn't the only one; a group of people was being robbed alongside him.
They were standing in front of a broad river.
The water was tumultuous, with a swift current.
From time to time, ferocious large fish leaped out of the water, using their mouths or skills to prey on birds and insects that came too close to the surface.
Across this river was the core area of the Enchanted Forest, and spanning the river was a stone bridge that led directly to the other side.
At this moment, about a dozen people were arguing in front of the stone bridge.
When John arrived, two groups were facing off.
At the bridge's entrance stood seven or eight assessment participants, blocking the way and refusing to let anyone pass.
On John's side were about eight or nine people, most of whom were visibly furious.
A purple-clad girl being blocked spoke up angrily, "Everyone outside is watching this. Aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the people of Star Cluster Academy for doing this?"
The individuals blocking their path simply smiled faintly upon hearing her words.
One of the youths, holding a dagger, replied nonchalantly, "The assessment rules clearly state that seizing others' points is allowed. What we're doing doesn't violate any rules."
Realizing this, the girl was rendered speechless, unable to find a counterargument.
John remained calm, disliking the group's actions but acknowledging, as the youth had pointed out, that they indeed hadn't broken any rules.
Moreover, John understood the intention behind Star Cluster Academy's assessment format.
They wanted these newly awakened students to get a taste of the harsh realities of the outside world early on.
John saw this as beneficial; at least here, regardless of what happens, they wouldn't truly die.
However, if faced with similar situations in reality, they could very well be risking their lives.
Therefore, John didn't rush to act and simply observed from the sidelines.
Seeing the purple-clad girl remain silent, a chubby individual chuckled, "The offer stands. Give us 500 points, and we'll let you cross. Of course, you can choose not to cross, and we won't stop you."
An angry voice retorted, "500 points just to cross a bridge? Why don't you go straight to robbery?"
A lv35 boss monster was worth only 800 points, yet these people were demanding 500 points for passage, an exorbitant "toll."
Hearing this, the blockers laughed.
A young knight holding a shield shrugged, "Let's not use such harsh words. If we wanted to rob you, we wouldn't bother with all this talk."
The chubby individual raised an eyebrow, "After all, robbery takes effort. Blocking the way is much easier."
Their arrogance was palpable.
The faces of the purple-clad girl and her companions flashed with anger.
Someone, unable to hold back any longer, drew their weapon, ready to confront the situation.
John watched silently from within the crowd, not in a hurry to intervene.
The chubby individual stepped forward, unleashing a powerful aura.
With a cold snort, he declared, "We are all gold-tier awakeners here. Are you sure you want to make a move?"
The others scoffed, releasing their own auras.
The bridge entrance was suddenly engulfed in a wild wind, whipping up fallen leaves into the air.
The person ready to confront them hesitated, his face showing apprehension.
Although he was a gold-tier awakener too, the opponents were simply too numerous.
Seeing their reluctance to fight, the blockers scoffed in disdain.
They were confident in eliminating this group if they dared to fight.
After all, killing here wouldn't result in actual death, allowing them to act without fear.
Those being blocked felt helpless.
Some turned and left, while a few begrudgingly paid the points.
The blockers let them pass as agreed, without further hindrance.
Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving only John and the purple-clad girl.
Her face flushed with anger, she seemed ready to lash out multiple times but was deterred by the overpowering strength of the opponents.
Ultimately, she could only give up and prepare to leave.
At that moment, the chubby blocker suddenly smiled at the girl, "Beauty, if you want to cross, I can make an exception for you. I'll cover your points. As for the price... you know what I mean..."
His eyes gleamed with lewdness, his gaze lasciviously scanning her shapely figure as he chuckled obscenely, his intentions clear.
Unable to bear it any longer, the purple-clad girl conjured a long whip in her hand and lashed out at him.
To her astonishment, the chubby man didn't even dodge; he merely caught her whip in his hand with ease.
John noticed that the chubby individual was covered in a layer of earthy yellow scales, a skill he was quite familiar with – Rock Mail.
It turns out he was an earth-based magus.
John understood the situation clearly.
The chubby man let out a lewd chuckle, forcefully pulling the purple-clad girl toward him, causing her to stumble.
As she reacted with shock and anger, preparing to retaliate, the staff in the man's hand glowed with an earthy hue.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the girl turned into a quagmire, her entire body instantly sinking into it.
Before she could struggle, the quagmire solidified into rigid stone, trapping her firmly in place, rendering her unable to move.
The girl's face was filled with anger, yet she was powerless to break free.
The chubby man sauntered over, leering at her, "If you're not willing, then so be it. Why resort to violence? But since you did, I guess you wouldn't mind if I did a little something, right?"
His face bore a sleazy expression as he reached out towards the girl's chest.
The onlookers knew exactly what the chubby man intended.
A few of them couldn't help but frown at his audacity.
To think he would dare to act this way during the assessment was outrageous.
However, they did not intervene; the fate of the chubby man and the girl was of no concern to them.
Their goal was simply to earn points, pass the assessment, and join Star Cluster Academy.
As the chubby man's greasy hand slowly reached towards her, the girl's eyes were filled with panic.
Trapped by the rigid rock, she had no way to dodge.
Despair filled her gaze as she could only watch the hand getting closer to her.
She showed a look of humiliation, closing her eyes tightly, unwilling to witness what was about to happen next.
However, to the girl's surprise, several breaths passed, and she felt none of the disgusting touch she had braced herself for.
Confused, the girl cautiously opened her eyes.
What she saw next caused her beautiful eyes to widen dramatically.
The scene before her made her involuntarily gasp in shock.
"How is this possible!" she exclaimed.