THE MAN WITH THE SSS RANK ABILITIES

Chapter 10: The Rise of a Monster

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[ The Training Grounds ]

The Elite Training Hall was silent.

Hundreds of students stood in a wide circle, watching in stunned silence as Leo Carter fought three A-rankers—at the same time.

He was barely moving.

One attacker lunged from the left, aiming a reinforced fist at his ribs. Leo tilted slightly, dodging by inches. Before the attacker could react, Leo’s elbow slammed into his stomach, sending him crashing into the wall.

Another came from behind, swinging a sword at his neck.

Leo didn’t even turn.

CLANG!

With one finger, he stopped the blade mid-swing.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

The third attacker, panicking, launched a desperate kick. Too slow.

Leo vanished.

Before anyone could blink, he appeared behind the attacker, his fingers pressing lightly against his opponent’s back.

"If I wanted you dead," Leo murmured, "you would be."

Then he tapped the student’s back lightly.

BOOM!

The force sent the A-ranker skidding across the ground, rolling until he slammed into the edge of the training field.

It was over.

Three A-rankers. Defeated in seconds.

A heavy silence settled over the arena.

And then—

"He's a monster."

"Not even Masters move like that..."

"He’s surpassing the instructors."

The whispers spread like wildfire.

Leo Carter wasn’t just strong now.

He was something else.

In a hidden chamber deep inside the academy, the highest-ranked Masters sat in a secret meeting.

Each of them had been watching Leo’s progress closely.

"We must control him," one Master said, his voice edged with fear. "If his strength continues to grow at this rate, even we won’t be able to stop him."

Another scoffed. "Control? The boy isn’t an ordinary talent—he’s an anomaly. The academy has never seen anything like this."

The Grandmaster sat at the head of the table, eyes closed in deep thought.

Finally, he spoke.

"Leo Carter has become the strongest force in this academy."

Silence.

No one dared to disagree.

Ethan’s hands trembled as he gripped his sword.

He stood at the center of the Advanced Training Hall, surrounded by dozens of students—watching, whispering.

Leo stood across from him.

"Fight me," Leo said, his voice calm.

Ethan swallowed hard. He knew he would lose.

But he had no choice.

If he refused, he’d be seen as a coward. If he lost, his reputation would be shattered.

Leo stepped forward.

Ethan flinched.

The students watching caught it.

Gasps filled the room.

"Did he just flinch?"

"Ethan… is scared?"

"Leo’s broken him already."

Leo smiled.

"You’re not worth my time," he said.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

Ethan stood frozen, his face red with humiliation.

Leo hadn't even needed to fight him.

He had already won.

Sophia sat alone in her room, staring at the mirror.

Her hands were clenched, nails digging into her palms.

Leo had ignored her.

Completely.

She had tried to talk to him after his training, but he had walked right past her, his attention solely on Elaine.

It burned.

For years, Leo had worshiped her, chasing after her like a loyal dog.

And now?

He acted like she didn’t exist.

And worse—she cared.

She gritted her teeth, her heart pounding with frustration.

"Why does this bother me? I don’t care about him."

But even as she thought it, she knew it was a lie.

Because when she saw Leo standing next to Elaine, laughing—

She felt something she had never felt before.

Jealousy.

A week passed.

And in that time, Leo’s name spread through the entire academy.

Everywhere he walked, students whispered in fear and awe.

"Did you hear? He crushed three A-rankers in a single fight."

"Even the Masters are worried about him now."

"Ethan flinched just being near him. He’s done."

"I heard he’s already stronger than the instructors."

Leo Carter was no longer just a student.

He was a force.

A legend.

And the academy would never be the same again.

In the shadows of the academy, the same mysterious organization that had been watching Leo finally made their move.

A hooded figure knelt before their leader.

"He has surpassed all expectations," the figure whispered. "It is time."

The leader's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

"Good," he murmured.

"Then let the real game begin."

Many of the students were not only scared of Leo but most of them wanted to be friends with him.

Most of the F-Rank victims were slowly looking up to Leo as their mentor.

They believed even the most tineet ability can become something to reckon with.

Ethan on the other hand was getting more annoyed, pissed at everything and everyone. The A-ranked members who walked with Ethan slowly stopped being his friends.

The fear of making Leo thier enemy was all they could think about.

As Leo walked through the hallway, they all bent to acknowledge him. A respect even the masters cannot earn. Leo was the name on the lips of every students in the academy they even the female students wanted a bit of him.

" Did you see how dashing he looks?"

" I can't believe Sophia was soo stupid to date someone like Ethan."

" I knew he was different. I would do anything to capture the attention of Leo."

All the femaled whispered as he walked by them. Most of the A-ranks females wanted to not only gain his attention but also date him.

Leo's eyes was just on one thing.

Revenge.

Against Ethan and Sophia. He was going to make them wished they had never looked down on him.

Ethan's feet clinked against the hard marble as he stood before Elaine, the most beautiful girl in the academy.

She was the only one who didn't worship Leo making her someone Leo wanted to have at all cost and not to mention Elaine was the first person to see him unleashed his SSS abilities.

" So are you ready to hone up to the fact that you are special?" Elaine said without looking up.

Leo smiled, " Let's just say I was waiting for the right moment. You were going to ruin things."

" Ruin things,huh? Th fight, the harsh treatments. Was thta all planned too?" Elaine raised up her eyebrows to look at him.

" What if I told you I was carefully waiting and bidding my time. Would you believe any of that?" Leo asked

" Enough of the talks, Leo. Why are you really here?" Elaine asked .

The words made her friends shrieked.

Most of them have been eyeing Leo but he would not give the any attention. Rather his gaze was fixed on his prize. His trophy.

" I want you to be my girlfriend " Leo said finally scratching his eyebrows.

" Your girlfriend? Is this you finally wating to take revenge on, Sophia?" Elaine said finally getting up from her seat.

She dust her skirt as she looked at Leo.

" Am I some kind of rebound and if I decide to do this. What is in it for me?" Elaine asked

Leo knew she was right. He couldn't just asked her to be his girlfriend out of the blue without any advantages. He needs to think of something.

Leo looked around and could see alot of students with their camera capturing the moment.

" Did you see that?"

" Leo is making his move already."

" Do you think Elaine would date him?"

" Why not?"

" He is the most strongest one with the ability. Any woman would be lucky to have a ma who could protect her."

Leo smiled around the cheek. " Did you hear that?" He asked looking at Elaine.

" You mean all those bickerings? They are low ranks. You can chose amy of them if you wish too." Elaine said boldy

She was about to walk away when Leo pulled her back.

" What do you want? I know you want something in return for being my girlfriend." Leo said looking at her.

" Nothing. I don't want anything from you. I just want to be left alone. You have what you need. You have what it takes to date any girl in the academy as why me?"

There was a bit of silence between the both of them.

" What if I told you I could grant you your greatest heart desires. Would that be enough to date me?" Leo looked at her.

" Do you know what I truly want?" Elaine asked with her hands akimbo.

Leo stuttered a bit.

" What is it they you want?" he asked after steadying his heart beat. With his abilities, Leo knew he could get anything and everything he wanted.

" Tell me what it is." He asked again

" My parents. They were killed, can you bring the culprit to justice?" Elaine looked at him and he could see the tears in her eyes.

Leo was dumbstrucked.

He didn't have a family of his own. He had grew up in the orphanage but watching Elaine sub gently made him angry. " Do you have anyone in mind? Family members or perhaps..."

Leo stopped when he saw Ethan walking past them. Elaine looked at him, "Ethan's parents killed mine."

The word hit me like a tidal wave. I know I have reason to hate this guy but here was Elaine accusing him of killing his parents.

" Are you sure about this?" I looked at Elaine.

Leo's fists clenched at his sides, his entire body going rigid as Elaine's words sank in. Ethan's parents had killed hers?

His mind raced through the possibilities. The arrogance, the power, the untouchable aura Ethan carried—it all made sense now. Ethan was no ordinary student. He had a backing far beyond the academy, one that could erase lives without consequence.

The weight of Elaine's pain settled on Leo's shoulders, igniting something deeper than revenge.

Justice.

Leo took a slow step forward, his cold gaze locked on Ethan, who had just walked past them as if he were above all things.

"Ethan."

The name cut through the hallway chatter like a blade, silencing every conversation. The students who had been whispering and filming just moments ago froze in place.

Ethan stopped. His back tensed before he turned around, an irritated scowl already forming on his lips. "What do you want, Leo?"

Leo took another step forward, his presence like an approaching storm. "Your parents." His voice was low, controlled, but it carried the force of a hurricane. "What do you know about the people they've killed?"

Ethan's expression didn't waver at first. Then, his lips curled into an amused smirk. "Oh? Is this about Elaine’s little sob story?"

Elaine's breath hitched beside Leo, but he didn't need to look at her to know she was seething.

Ethan took a step closer, tilting his head slightly. "And what? You think you can play hero now? The fact that you are untouchable doesn't mean you are invisible. Do you know that?"

Leo's fingers twitched. He was moments away from attacking, from making Ethan feel just an ounce of the pain Elaine had suffered. But just as he moved—

A sudden blur of motion from the crowd.

A shadow detached itself from the onlookers, moving at an inhuman speed. Hooded, face obscured.

The moment was unlike anything Leo had ever seen. The believe he was invisible was not permanent.

Leo's eyes widened as realization struck.

The hooded figure plunged at Leo before he could react, he swung a blade straight for his throat.

The student gasped wondering who he was but when he removed his hood they all gasp.