Chapter 370: Simply an Ant

Beneath the seemingly calm surface of Academy City, dark undercurrents surge violently.

Li An was walking along the streets of Academy City when sunlight fell upon him, yet he faintly felt as though he were being watched. Suddenly, a group of men in black surrounded him from all directions; they wore black masks and their eyes were cold. "So you are Li An? Come with us." The leader of the black-clad men said coldly. Li An frowned, a sense of ominous foreboding rising within him. He was just about to resist when he discovered that the space around him seemed imprisoned by an invisible force. "Who are you? Why are you capturing me?" Li An asked angrily, his eyes revealing wariness. The black-clad men offered no answer, merely roughly escorting him away.

After an unknown duration, Li An was brought to a dark, damp place where the air was thick with the pungent scent of blood and violence. He looked around and found himself in a vast underground fighting arena, surrounded by opponents who eyed him hungrily. The shouts and jeers of the audience intertwined, making the place appear even more gloomy and terrifying. "Where is this? What exactly do you want?" Li An roared, his fists clenched tightly, his heart filled with wariness as he realized he had fallen into a grand conspiracy.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight—Accelerator. Accelerator stood with hands in his pockets, looking at him with a cold expression, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly to reveal a hint of disdainful smile: "Hmph, I never thought you would end up like this. You think you can survive in Academy City? You are nothing but an ant." Li An looked at Accelerator; though anger surged in his heart, he forced down his emotions and replied coldly, "I have no desire to waste words on an arrogant fool like you. If you have the guts, come at me." Hearing this, a flash of cold light passed through Accelerator's eyes, yet he did not move, watching Li An with interest as if anticipating something.

The battle was about to begin. Li An took a deep breath, preparing to meet the challenge. His opponents were a group of powerful espers, each with fierce eyes and radiating a dangerous aura. The whistle for battle sounded, and the opponents immediately launched a fierce attack on Li An. One esper waved his hands, sending countless sharp wind blades shooting toward Li An. Li An quickly sidestepped to dodge; the wind blades grazed the hem of his clothes, leaving deep marks on the ground. Immediately after, another esper summoned massive rocks from beneath the earth, hurling them at Li An. Li An's eyes sharpened; utilizing the System, he rapidly analyzed the opponents' abilities, his body moving nimbly between the rocks as he sought an opportunity to counterattack.

"Is that all you've got?" Li An shouted loudly, attempting to provoke his opponents. One esper, enraged by his words, roared and charged forward at incredible speed. A slight smile curled Li An's lips; he already had a plan. Just as the opponent was about to reach him, Li An suddenly crouched, dodging the attack, while simultaneously extending his leg to trip the opponent and send him sprawling. "What?" The opponent stared in shock, never expecting to fall so easily into Li An's trap. The surrounding audience, witnessing this scene, could not help but let out a series of gasps.

However, the battle was not so simple. Seeing this, the other espers immediately changed their attack strategy; they coordinated with one another, forming a powerful net of attacks that tightly trapped Li An in the center.