Matthew Atkinson & Natalie Russell
Global Layer of the Supernatural Realm
Seeing Matthew return victoriously, everyone was both surprised and delighted.
They were surprised because Matthew possessed such formidable strength that he could even defeat one of the Four Emperors, Shanks.
And they were delighted because Matthew successfully advanced, and they were now just one step away from the championship.
If Ma Dongwu were eliminated in this round, then they would be the champions.
How could they not be excited when they thought about the generous rewards for the champion team?
Even Aria Powell couldn't suppress the urge to smile at this moment.
"Our great hero is back."
"Matthew, you are really amazing."
"I still can't believe my eyes. I never imagined you had such strength."
"According to international standards, Matthew, you are at least a top-tier expert among seventh-rank powerhouses."
Everyone chimed in, unable to contain their excitement.
Only Grand Magister Russell looked at Matthew with a meaningful gaze.
He recognized that the "Galaxy Impact" that Matthew had just unleashed was almost identical to the one Clark Kent had used, except that Matthew's version was much more powerful.
Looking at his excited team members, Matthew just smiled and then sat down.
Sitting next to him, Natalie quickly realized that Matthew was not in good condition. She immediately asked with concern, "Matthew, are you alright?"
"It's not a big deal." Matthew waved his hand. "I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine after a rest."
Matthew was actually trying to act tough. The effects of Shanks' Divine Departure attack hadn't worn off yet.
Otherwise, with his current physical condition, Matthew could fight for days and nights without getting tired.
Natalie didn't say anything more but took Matthew's left hand, and the two intertwined their fingers.
Grand Magister Russell had been watching Matthew closely, but upon seeing this scene, he said nothing.
At this moment, Professor Holland reminded them, "Look, Ma Dongwu is coming on stage."
...
POV of Ma Dongwu
Ma Dongwu took to the stage after the ring was repaired and restored to its original state, and Shanks reappeared in the ring.
Although he knew he probably couldn't beat Shanks, and the others didn't think he had a chance either, having come this far, how could he withdraw just like that?
At least he wanted to try his luck.
He had just watched the battle between Matthew Atkinson and Shanks, so he had a general understanding of Shanks' strength.
Although Shanks was strong and killing him wouldn't be easy, unless the champion could kill him instantly, he could at least get in the ring and try his luck.
If he truly saw no chance against Shanks or felt his life was in danger, then he could surrender.
When Ma Dongwu appeared on the island, he immediately attracted the attention of everybody in the arena.
"Can Ma Dongwu win?"
"I doubt it. Shanks' performance just now was too overwhelming. Only Matthew Atkinson, that monster, could defeat him."
"As long as Ma Dongwu doesn't have any trump cards up his sleeve, he probably can't win."
"The entire Global Layer is under a ban on the use of supernatural items. What trump card could he possibly have?"
"It looks like South Korea's championship run is about to end."
...
These comments revealed that many people were not optimistic about Ma Dongwu.
And indeed, the facts did not surprise people.
When Ma Dongwu stepped onto the stage, the red-haired man who reappeared opposite him immediately opened his eyes and activated his Conqueror's Haki.
Under the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki aura, Ma Dongwu's performance was only slightly better than Arno Hornberger's, and his face looked ugly.
Shanks gave him no chance to catch his breath, and the next moment the "Divine Departure" had reappeared.
Ma Dongwu watched as the imposing red-haired man rapidly approached him.
He held nothing back any longer, roared, and unleashed his full power.
It was not that Ma Dongwu didn't want to dodge; however, there was no way to dodge Shanks' attack.
The next moment, golden light covered Ma Dongwu's entire body.
Then the golden light split into two streams. One part quickly transformed into energy armor on his body, while the other part condensed into a huge energy shield in front of him.
Ma Dongwu even put his arms in front of him, preparing to withstand Shanks' "Divine Departure" attack.
-Buzz
His fists and arms also quickly turned black, like metal. That was clearly Armament Haki.
Yes, Ma Dongwu also had Armament Haki, and he even used it when he fought Fujitora.
However, his Armament Haki was far inferior to Matthew's.
At this moment, Ma Dongwu used every trick in his book.
However, he underestimated the power of Shanks' "Divine Departure". Only by truly facing it could one realize how terrifying that attack was.
When the red-haired man slashed down, all of Ma Dongwu's defensive measures became a joke.
-Bang
The energy shield shattered instantly, and so did Ma Dongwu's armor and his will to resist.
-Whoosh
Ma Dongwu's body flew backward like a cannonball.
It crashed into several large trees on the island along the way and finally came to a stop after hitting the protective shield around the ring, falling into the sea.
The seawater around him was instantly stained red with blood.
No one knew how much blood Ma Dongwu lost, but at this point, Ma Dongwu had already gone out of bounds.
He didn't even need to surrender. The supernatural realm automatically eliminated him.
Bu Ma Dongwu was quite strong, and he didn't die from Shanks' full-force attack, but he was seriously injured and teleported back.
In the audience seats, seeing the tragic consequences of Ma Dongwu taking a hit from "Divine Departure," all the supernaturals were taken aback.
"Holy crap? That's way too bad."
"I never expected that Shanks' Divine Departure attack would be so powerful? It almost killed Ma Dongwu instantly."
"Is this the strength of Shanks, one of the Four Emperors? He's really strong."
"This further highlights just how amazing Matthew's strength was to block Divine Departure with a single punch."
"That guy is really a monster..."
"This is going to be a good show. South Korea's championship run has ended, and it's been ended by a freshman. It's bound to cause a global sensation."
...
At the moment, apart from Matthew, all supernatural individuals were eliminated. If Matthew's team wasn't currently in the championship position, Matthew could have advanced to the next round, but that wasn't necessary anymore.
The competition ended, and this year's Global Layer of the Supernatural Realm had come to an end.
Then suddenly, a huge change occurred in the center of the stage.
The small island in the stage area, including the Shanks, had completely disappeared, and a huge holographic screen appeared in front of everyone.
On the holographic screen, all the teams in Division 1 of this year's Global Layer competition and their rankings based on competition points appeared.
The first-ranked team was none other than Matthew's, with a total competition score over 3,000, giving them a huge advantage.
Second place went to Ma Dongwu's team.
Third place went to the team led by Arno Hornberger.
The USA team, which was previously favored by many and considered a strong contender for the championship, ended up ranking fourth.
When Professor Isabel Grant and the others saw the golden crown representing the championship hanging over their team's name on the screen, everyone showed excitement and anticipation.
"We won! We won!"
"We are the champions!"
"I never imagined I'd actually win the Global Layer Championship one day."
"Professor Isabel Grant, can you slap me? I'm afraid I'm dreaming..."
"Get lost, let Professor Holland do it."
In a short time, Matthew's team members erupted in cheers. Matthew himself was also all smiles, looking very happy.
The other teams around them looked at them with envy. When they saw Matthew, they were filled with awe.
At this moment, in everyone's eyes, Matthew Atkinson was no longer a freshman.
He was a top-tier seventh-rank expert.
Most importantly, Matthew was still very young, and his path to supernatural achievements had only just begun.
He would definitely continue to move forward, and becoming a King-rank powerhouse wouldn't definitely be his end goal.
Although everyone recognized Matthew's potential, no one tried to get close to him.
Everyone knew that once they left the Supernatural Realm, they would lose their memory, so trying to get close to him now was a complete waste of time.
At this moment, a notification appeared in the left eye of all the supernatural individuals:
[This session of the Supernatural Realm will end in 60 minutes...]
[Rewards for all participants are being distributed...]
When they saw the notification, the others were fine, but Matthew's group stopped cheering and began to regain their composure.
Soon, everyone realized there were still some problems to be solved.
"Let's go to the villa." Grand Magister Russell said.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded and entered the villa together, then sat down on the sofas in the living room.
Everyone looked at Matthew, still feeling as if they were in a dream.
Professor Isabel Grant couldn't help but say, "I never imagined we would actually win the championship."
When these words were spoken, everyone nodded in agreement.
Aria Powell looked at Matthew and smiled, "Matthew, you really gave us a big surprise. I am extremely grateful that I was able to team up with you this time."
Matthew waved his hand and said, "Ms. Powell, you're too kind. Winning the championship isn't just my achievement."
He said modestly, "Besides, the fact that you're willing to team up with a freshman like me without considering the consequences shows that you're a person who keeps your promises. I'd be very happy to help you win the championship."
Aria Powell agreed to team up with Matthew, a freshman, to repay a favor from her parents. That was enough to show her character.
"We can talk about these later." At this moment, Grand Magister Russell spoke up, "There is an important situation that needs to be resolved by everyone."
Upon hearing this, everyone's smiles vanished, and they all turned serious.
"Matthew, after leaving here, you probably plan to continue to conceal your strength, right?" Grand Magister Russell asked.
Matthew nodded and said, "Yes. I will continue to lay low at least until May after confirming that no freshman obtained the Kryptonian Bloodline ability in the Holy Land, and the old man from South Korea died."
Everyone could understand Matthew's choice. If it were them, they would have done the same.
"That's the problem." Grand Magister Russell said, "On the surface, our team is not a championship seed at all, but we have won the championship. Once we leave here and the news gets out, it will definitely cause a sensation, and it may even spark some speculation in the circle of superhumans."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned serious.
---------------
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.190: Before Leaving the Global Layer
Ch.191: Are We Really the Champions? (End of the Global Layer)
Ch.192: Everyone is Shocked and Suspicious