Chapter 353
ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom "Maybe I did let my guard down," Aduke replied, her voice hoarse but steady. "But you and your team are relentless. It’s... impressive."
Okon gave her a nod, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. "It’s been a while since anyone’s made us push ourselves this hard," she admitted.
"But you don’t just need strength and tactics; you need to read each other’s intentions and fill in the gaps without needing to think about it." Okon said as the apelings students had a lot of call out before they could respond.
Aduke felt a pang of frustration but nodded in acknowledgment. The cursed Apelings had adapted to every tactic they threw at them, reacting faster and staying one step ahead in a way that felt almost instinctive.
Garrock, his expression softer now that the battle was over, joined Okon. He looked at Aduke with a small, rare smile. "You’ve got grit, kid. But grit alone won’t cut it. Learn to look past your opponent’s next move. When you can do that, we’ll welcome a rematch."
As Aduke listened, Torrent approached, wincing as he held his injured shoulder. "Looks like we’ve got a lot more training ahead of us," he muttered, managing a rueful grin. "Thought we had ’em there for a second."
Ndidi, still catching his breath, shook his head with a smirk. "Guess we need more than fancy tricks and brute strength to take them down."
The crowd’s cheers echoed around them, celebrating the victory of the cursed clan, but Aduke could see in the faces of her teammates the same determination she felt. This wasn’t an ending; it was a challenge—a new goal that would push them to grow.
Okon extended a hand to Aduke, helping her to her feet. "When you’re ready, come back," she said, her voice softer. "We’ll be waiting."