Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 436: I’ve Been Waiting For This Day, You Prick

"Shouldn’t you consult me before accepting a challenge on my behalf?" Renard confronted Alex as soon as Alex had pulled him, along with their other club members, back to the clock tower.

"Why?" Alex arched an eyebrow. "Did you perhaps have plans to refuse their challenge?"

"That’s not the issue here," Renard complained. "The invite is addressed to me, so I should be the one to accept it, not you."

With a faint smile, Alex crossed his arms over his chest. "I’ll be honest, Renard. The you right now have no chance to defeat them. You know that too, don’t you? That’s why you said nothing even when they were shouting insults at you."

The other club members also looked at Renard, waiting for his answer. They were also wondering about the same thing earlier.

Although they weren’t very close with Renard, they knew for a fact that the Renard of the past would never hesitate to say yes to a challenge, even if there was a chance he’d lose.

And yet, when the nobles targeted him, he simply stood in silence, neither lashing back nor defending himself.

"I know why you didn’t speak up earlier," Alex continued his explanation. "You can’t afford to lose. You wouldn’t think twice before accepting if the challenge only involved you, regardless of whether you win or not.

"But because Saintess Celestria’s name is on the line, you don’t dare to accept without thinking about the consequences of your actions."

Renard narrowed his eyes, but kept his silence. This was enough proof for everyone to know that their club president was correct.

"You have one month left before our field trip to Solara," Alex stated. "In that one month, we will train you until you can defeat your challengers."

"I don’t need your help," Renard replied.

Alex had already anticipated this stubbornness from Mr. I-Have-Trust-Issues, but he knew the trick on how to make him accept his proposal today.

"The Saintess is being forced into marriage," Alex said in a serious tone. "That’s why she told her family that she already has someone she loves.

"Of course, if you’re fine with Celestria being unwillingly married off to another family, then suit yourself. But... can you really watch that happen without feeling anything in return?"

The young man had played Renard’s route a few times in the game. Because of this, he also knew that among the heroines in the game, the Saintess, Celestria, had the highest chance of becoming Renard’s lover.

The two of them complemented each other, and it was also Celestria who had opened Renard’s heart to start trusting other people.

Although the setting was a bit different from Renard’s normal route, the current events still loosely followed the original plot progression of the story.

Alex could see that Renard was starting to falter, so he decided to give him one last push.

"If you agree to my training regimen, I guarantee that you can defeat those snotty nobles," Alex stated. "After all, it also holds the secret as to how I defeated enemies stronger than me. How do you think I defeated the Demon Worshiper who had possessed Vaan’s body?

"How do you think I defeated a Rank 7 Barbarian King in the trial of Heracle Mountain? Simple. It’s because I follow a training routine that allows me to overpower stronger opponents!"

Dim Dim blinked as it looked at its partner, who was clearly spouting a bunch of bullsh*t.

For the most part, Alex didn’t defeat the Demon Worshiper, Willow, who had taken over the young noble’s body, fairly.

He mostly relied on his reflection ability to deal damage to his enemy, which worked perfectly.

Second, his battle against the Rank 7 Barbarian wasn’t a one-on-one battle.

It was a Five versus One battle.

Alex and Latifa had supported the trial’s two main characters, Princess Yvrain and her blacksmith lover, Kael.

Dim Dim also played a role in the fight, allowing them to win against the powerful enemy.

Lumi smirked, Lotte averted her gaze, while Latifa pretended not to hear anything.

The three ladies knew that Alex was simply tricking Renard into believing him, but since they also thought that the young man was seriously trying to help their friend, they decided to keep silent for the time being.

"If you’re still in doubt, why don’t you fight me?" Alex patted his chest. "Both of us are Rank 3, so the fight will be fair, right? If I win, you can only accept my training. If you win, I’ll let you be. Heck, I’ll even become your wingman and support your relationship with Celestria."

"I’ll also be young Wingman, Renard," Chuck said before flipping his hair. "I’m the Love Maste—ahhhh!"

The pitiful troublemaker was pinched on the waist from both sides by Princess Xenia and Mary, eliciting a dying scream out of him.

Eleanora, who was also inside the club room, sighed in happiness. Chuck’s screams were music to her ears.

She even cheered them on silently, urging them to punish him more. Through their actions, she was vicariously venting all the stress she’d built up after he subjugated her.

"Very well," Renard replied. "I agree to this duel."

Alex knew that what Renard needed right now was an excuse to be trained by him.

As long as there was a valid reason where his honor was on the line, Mr. I-Have-Trust-Issues would ’reluctantly’ agree to be trained by the person whom he treated as his rival.

"Great. Now follow me," Alex made a gesture to Renard to follow him into the special room where Nessia had discovered her Codex.

It was a special domain that could also be used as a training ground in the game. This was one of the perks of having the clock tower as a club room—it allowed the Heroes to train there and reap great results each time.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked after summoning Everguard and his warhammer, Sacrament.

Renard didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his fists and equipped his Dark-Steel gauntlets, the equipment he had obtained in the Heracle Mountain.

It had been a while since he had fought with Alex, so he planned to fight using all his strength.

"I’ve long waited to settle my scores with you," Renard said with a fearless grin on his face.

"The feeling is mutual," Alex said. "I’ve been waiting for this day, you prick."

The two teenagers held each other’s gaze for half a minute before both of them charged at each other.

They had always had a hate-hate relationship, so this was the perfect opportunity to go all out and teach their opponent a lesson they would never forget.