the distance between myself and the inferno widened, I could still feel the intense heat scalding my skin.

Yeah..it was going to be difficult for the trio to survive that.

At least that was what I thought, until I saw the flames go out. Gulping, I tensed and prepared for another assault, only to see the three blackened figures lying on the ground. It seemed that they had used the last of their strength to extinguish the flames, for I couldn't feel any qi emanating from them any longer.

"Hmm.."

I approached them almost casually, looking down on their fallen bodies. They stirred and glanced up helplessly, indicating that they were still alive despite the powerful explosion.

"W..we surrender!" Luan Fa spluttered, holding his hands up. "P..please! Please spare us, great hero!"

What the fuck? I was a great hero now?

"C..coward.."

Despite taking twice as much damage as his comrades because he was closest to the epicenter of the explosion, Tie Shan was still conscious. He glared at me, his face contorted in rage, and his mouth frothing with blood. But that was nothing compared to his severe third-degree burns. He clearly had suffered the worst of the blast, having been right on top of the epicenter when the lab blew up. If he didn't get any treatment soon, he might die.

Not that I cared.

"Resorting to such filthy tricks..have you no honor? Coward! Despicable villain!"

"Funny hearing that from you." I couldn't help but shake my head from the irony. "So it's fair and honorable of you to gang up on me and attack a junior who is weaker, it's honorable and fair to attack a single victim with three people..but it's dishonorable and cowardly for me to fight back using my knowledge of science and the school grounds?"

"Yes!"

The hypocrisy was astounding. I shook my head in disgust and stomped on Tie Shan's neck.

"NOOOO!" Luan Fa shouted. Even Tie Shan lost his air of defiance and screamed as my foot crashed down upon his neck.

My shoe never touched his skin. There was no need to, though. Tie Shan had lost consciousness, his eyes rolling up in his sockets and his mouth foaming from fear. I wouldn't be surprised if he had pissed himself. Not that I was going to check his pants if it was wet.

Raising my foot and stepping back, I turned to stare at Luan Fa and Mohawk, whose expressions were a mix of horror and immense relief.

What? I was a completely normal guy born and raised in the modern world. I wasn't a psychotic murderer going around killing people just because they pissed me off. I had never killed another human before, and I didn't intend to do it right now. Maybe in the heat of the battle, perhaps, but obviously I didn't have the stomach to slaughter helpless opponents who had already been clearly defeated.

Glaring at the still conscious duo, I took a deep breath.

"You might not believe me, but I'll tell you guys again. I don't have the Heaven and Earth techniques. The only thing I received was this medallion.." I raised the golden dragon medallion with my right hand for emphasis. "But I am not the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect. I didn't even know it existed. Get it through your thick skulls already."

"..yes..we understand."

Luan Fa nodded, his face pale. Beside him, Mohawk blubbered, tears leaking from his eyes as he whimpered pathetically.

"Good. And another thing..if you guys ever come after me again.." I raised my foot visibly and mimed a stomping action. Both Luan Fa and Mohawk eyed my blackened shoe nervously, on the verge of pissing themselves. They got the message. Excellent.

Pocketing the medallion, I pushed my glasses up and straightened my back. Turning around, I began to leave. As I departed, the only sounds I heard from the almost-empty, half-destroyed school building were the pathetic sobs of Mohawk and the agonized, labored breathing of Luan Fa.