Chapter 816
At last, the battle between the four small serpents had concluded.
One of them emerged as the final victor.
Immediately after its victory, it curled itself into a ball and entered a deep slumber.
Ron observed for a while, and once he was certain there would be no further changes for the time being, he exited Sumas's space.
His figure reappeared in the ancestral shrine—but by now, no one remained outside.
Ron noticed that a large number of villagers had gathered near the village entrance. It looked as though a battle was underway.
"The Grand Martial Trial?"
That thought crossed Ron's mind as he began walking in that direction.
Sure enough, in the central area near the entrance, a match was taking place.
On one side stood six villagers from this settlement. On the other, just three figures—two boys and one girl.
Yet despite being outnumbered, the trio held the upper hand.
The expressions on the villagers faces were dark, but none of them moved to intervene. They simply watched silently as the match played out.
The three outsiders emerged victorious. The villagers had been defeated.
Ron noticed that from the bodies of the six defeated villagers, something faint seemed to drift toward the victors—an invisible force flowing from one to the other.
"Aura…"
"So this is the truth behind the Grand Martial Trial?"
Ron saw it clearly. As the aura entered the victors, their presence became noticeably stronger.
"The matches are actually bound by Nen's rules?"
"And the victors… gain strength?"
"If that's the case, then how powerful could the final winner become?"
Originally, Ron had only come to witness the Grand Martial Trial to absorb Minpo's characteristics.
But now, it was clear this wasn't just a series of matches. There was something deeper here.
The boy leading the trio produced a banner and handed it to one of the defeated youths.
"You won."
The young man accepted the flag and planted it firmly at the village entrance.
At that moment, something subtle shifted throughout the entire village.
Suddenly, a villager spotted Ron.
"Outsider!"
"That outsider from before!"
Instantly, all eyes turned toward him.
But this time, the villagers didn't act rashly. They simply stood still and waited—for the three victors to make the next move.
The leading boy walked up to Ron.
"Outsider? You're not from this village?"
Ron nodded.
"I'm not."
"Then are you interested in joining us?" the boy asked. "You seem impressive. How about traveling the Grand Martial Trial with us—and becoming the next king of Minpo?"
"You seem confident."
"Of course."
The boy grinned and replied without hesitation, "If I didn't believe in myself, I wouldn't have entered the tournament. Becoming the new king is my dream."
"You're not strong enough yet," Ron said, shaking his head. "But I can travel with you. I won't fight, though."
Hearing that, the boy's interest only grew.
"So, you're saying… you're strong?"
"Strong enough."
"Then let's have a match."
The boy's eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Sure."
"Can we start now?"
"Go ahead. Just attack me."
"Okay, then I'm coming. Get ready!"
The boy shifted his stance slightly, then launched himself toward Ron with a sudden burst of power. As he closed the distance, he leapt into the air, drew back his fist, and slammed it down toward Ron.
Ron raised one hand to block it—without using any Nen techniques. Not even Ten.
Just pure, physical strength.
But Ron's body was already formidable—on par with the Chimera Ants. Though still a step below the Royal Guards or the Ant King, Ron was, after all, human.
Bang!
The boy's punch struck Ron's arm like hitting a steel wall.
There wasn't even a dent.
"Incredible!"
But instead of discouraging him, this only fired the boy up even more.
The moment he landed, he launched another attack.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A series of sharp impacts echoed through the air.
The two companions who had come with the boy had initially thought Ron was just boasting. But watching this unfold, they quickly realized Ron's strength was real.
They knew their friend's level.
But after dozens of exchanges, he still hadn't been able to shake Ron—who hadn't even moved a single step.
Ron had been blocking every attack with just one arm.
"He's insanely strong."
"Stronger than anyone we've ever seen."
After fending off more than ten rounds of attacks, Ron decided the time was right. He found an opening and struck with one palm—directly against the boy's chest.
In the next instant, the boy was sent flying.
He tumbled across the ground, rolling far from where he'd stood.
The villagers watching nearby turned grim.
This was the boy they had just lost to during the Grand Martial Trial. Yet now, he had been completely overpowered by Ron without even putting up a fight.
The boy climbed to his feet.
"You're really strong. Can I ask your name?"
"I'll tell you when you've grown strong enough."
"Well then, let me introduce myself. I'm Alex. He's Rondo, and she's Melissa. We're from Red River Village, and we're working toward becoming the new king of the Grand Martial Path."
Even though Ron didn't give his name, Alex didn't seem to mind.
"Tell me about your plan."
"We're challenging villages one by one," Alex said. "Following the path of the tournament, taking each fight as it comes. I believe I'll win."
"Our next target is Black River Village, eight kilometers from here."
"But before that, I want to take someone from this village with us."
Alex's eyes landed on a boy standing among the villagers.
"Ujir. I came just like we agreed."
But Ujir, seeing Alex looking his way, shrank back and tried to hide behind another villager. It was clear he had no intention of keeping the promise they'd made.
"Ujir?"
Alex stepped toward him.
Ujir lowered his head.
"Alex, let's just forget that promise. I'm not good enough. I wasn't even chosen for the village's tournament. I don't have any talent."
"Pick someone else to be your teammate."
"I'm too weak."