[BL] Challenge: 100 Baby in Fantasy World-Chapter 256: Elixir of Poison

Gara grinned and shook his head, finding Miki’s words too ridiculous to even bother replying.

Just then, what he’d been waiting for finally happened. The Headmaster, Asta Elfutih, and the Vice Headmaster, Agus Soren, entered the great hall, followed by a group of staff and professors.

"Their aura is insane," Jett muttered.

"No kidding," Gara replied, his eyes gleaming like stars.

Madha, sitting beside him, sighed softly before following Gara’s gaze toward the vice headmaster.

Even though the middle-aged man up front was the grandfather of their classmate, Agus Soren looked nothing like a typical old man. Like Asta Elfutih, he carried a timeless youth. His face resembled an older version of Revan—jet-black glossy hair, pale skin, eyes dark as night laced with a faint red glow, and long, sharp fangs.

With that commanding presence and air of maturity, he appeared far more striking than his grandson. And that fact made Madha—without realizing it—feel oddly uneasy.

Unfortunately, Gara, who was usually perceptive, didn’t notice his fiancée’s subtle distress.

Once the opening ceremony ended, the students moved to the backfield.

Today, Gara’s turn came early. He had only one challenger and was listed second in order, meaning he needed to focus on preparing instead of trying to catch the vice headmaster’s attention.

Luckily, the academy’s top officials decided to observe the duels from the field. That alone fired Gara up—he wanted to give his best performance so that Agus Soren might notice him and spare some time to talk later.

The first duel was Mona’s.

"Her challengers dropped drastically. Only five left, right?" Miki commented. "Guess everyone’s been watching her train with you, Gara."

"The truth is, Mona’s never been weak. She’s just quiet, so people underestimate her."

"Yeah, no one in Class S is weak," Miki nodded, then mumbled under her breath, "Except me."

Gara turned to her, thinking he might’ve misheard. But Miki quickly pointed toward the arena.

"Mona won!" she shouted.

Gara smiled faintly, then stepped forward for his own match.

As he walked toward the arena, he passed Mona, who gave him a small smile. Gara blinked, startled. Even Miki, who saw it too, froze in surprise.

"Mona, after all this time, you finally smiled," Miki teased. He expected a comeback, but the quiet girl said nothing. Instead, she distanced herself, standing far from Gara, Madha, and Fian.

"Mona really has trouble fitting in," Miki sighed.

"Not everyone’s like you, Miki," Revan reminded him. Miki pouted but didn’t argue.

Meanwhile, Gara stepped into the arena. But the moment his feet touched the ground, a strange lightness washed over him. His head felt dizzy, his body floating.

He blinked several times, forcing himself to stomp hard on the ground—yet he couldn’t feel it beneath his feet.

"What’s going on?" he muttered under his breath.

He tried to turn around to call for help, but before he could, the referee’s voice echoed—announcing the start of the duel.

"Gara, fight me seriously. I’m not one of your fans like that opponent two months ago. I won’t go easy on you!"

Gara could still hear his opponent’s voice, but when he tried to focus on him, the figure before his eyes swayed and blurred as if the world itself had started to ripple.

Outside the arena, Madha and Fian couldn’t hide their panic. Gara was staggering—barely able to stand upright.

"What’s happening to him?" Miki asked, voice trembling. Her worry wasn’t just about Gara—it was about the tea behind all this. "Andine gave him that drink earlier, right? Could it be from that?"

"Don’t talk nonsense, Miki," Revan scolded, though even his expression wavered slightly.

Madha and Fian exchanged glances—they were thinking the same thing.

"I’ll ask the referee to pause the duel," Madha said. Fian’s eyes, meanwhile, darted around, scanning the seats, searching for Andine.

Revan stepped in before either of them could move. "You can’t. Once a duel starts, it can’t be stopped—no matter the reason. Whoever interrupts it loses automatically. And you’d better not start accusing Andine without proof."

"But it hasn’t even been a minute—"

"No, Madha. Unless you want Gara to lose," Revan said firmly.

Madha fell silent, torn. His gaze drifted toward the staff area—where Langga stood, his brows furrowed as he watched the chaos unfold in the arena.

Taking a deep breath, Madha started walking toward their professor. Revan noticed and didn’t stop him; after all, the only person who could possibly help Gara right now was their main advisor.

What Revan didn’t know was that going to Langga was not an easy decision for Madha.

The young human understood too well the way Langga looked at Gara—it wasn’t the same way he looked at other students. To Langga, Gara was... more than just a student.

But right now, Langga was all Madha could rely on.

...

Inside the arena, realizing he wasn’t in good shape, Gara quickly formed a water dome shield—just in time to block a claw swipe aimed straight at his face.

"I don’t know why you’re in such poor condition," his opponent said coldly, eyes sharp. "But if you came here for a duel and still treated your body carelessly, then you’re underestimating your opponent. Don’t expect me to hold back just because you look sick."

The words were cutting, but Gara couldn’t bring himself to care. His mind was hazy—his vision spinning like he was drunk.

Miki’s earlier words echoed faintly in his head.

Could it be the drink?

He shook his head.

"Not the time to think about that," he muttered. "Niskara Tea should help clear my head."

Instinctively, his hand reached for his pouch—but he froze. The duel rules were strict: no elixirs, potions, or any kind of drink once the match began.

He forced himself to focus. The thorns his opponent summoned began to pierce through the edges of his dome.

These thorns aren’t the real problem, he thought grimly. But in my condition, I can barely stand. How long can I even maintain this shield?

Through his blurry vision, he saw the Class S students watching with tense faces—especially Miki, her expression filled with fear.

But some familiar faces were missing.

Mona stood alone, far from the crowd.

Madha and Revan were moving toward the staff area.

And Fian... and Andine... were nowhere to be seen.

Another attack landed. The water dome wavered violently.

Just as his knees were about to give out, a thought flashed through Gara’s foggy mind.

If he couldn’t drink Niskara Tea... there was still one other thing that might help clear his senses.

His own water.

So, without hesitation, Gara drank the water he created himself.

Outside the arena, Madha, Revan, and Langga were in a tense discussion.

"Are you certain something external caused Gara’s condition?" Langga asked.

The usually composed main advisor of Class S—known for handling every crisis with calm precision—now showed a rare hint of vulnerability. Whether it was genuine concern or just another mask, no one could tell. Gara himself would’ve guessed it was both.

In front of him, Madha nodded firmly. "I’m sure Gara’s fine. But... I also feel a bit dizzy myself."

He steadied his large frame, forcing himself not to sway. Maybe his size was the only reason the effect hadn’t spread as fast as it did with Gara.

Langga exhaled slowly. "Alright. I’ll have a healer give you an antidote. And I’ll report this to the academy elders."

Rules were rules—even Langga couldn’t simply interrupt an ongoing duel.

All he could do was send word to the higher-ups, who might later decide whether Gara deserved a second chance.

Just as Langga turned to approach the headmaster and vice principal—both watching from the viewing stands—Revan’s voice broke the tension.

"Gara’s back on his feet."

Langga’s blue eyes snapped toward the arena. Gara no longer looked dazed or weak; his posture was straight, his gaze sharp and clear once again.

"What happened?" Langga asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

"He drank his own water," Madha answered without looking back.

"His water... works as an antidote?" Langga’s question sounded rhetorical—he was too surprised to hide it. Once again, Gara had surpassed even his expectations.

Moments after regaining clarity, Gara quickly turned the tide of the fight and defeated his opponent with ease.

"Wait, wasn’t he sick just now? How is he suddenly fine?" one of the spectators from the other class whispered.

"Maybe he wasn’t sick at all—just giving his opponent a chance."

"That’s kind of cruel, isn’t it?"

"Not really. Last time, his opponent lost in less than a minute."

"Ah... fair point."

Not far from them, Rucian clicked his tongue as he stared at Gara’s victorious figure and the referee’s announcement echoing across the field.

"Unbelievable," he muttered. "Even after using someone close to him... it still failed."

He turned around and hurried back into the building.

Langga caught the movement, his expression sharpening instantly.

Meanwhile, Gara stepped out of the arena and rushed toward Madha, who had rejoined the Class S group.

"Madha, you need to drink my water—now," Gara said urgently. "Where’s Fian?"

Before Madha could answer, Miki suddenly shouted, "There! That’s Fian!"

Every Class S student, including Gara, turned their gaze toward Fian—who was dragging along a mermaid girl beside him.

Andine.

...