Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 522: Chapter 522

And just like that, the next round of the challenge kicked off. No one dared to underestimate Zoe and Shawn this time. The remaining trainees instinctively allied, determined to take them down.
Zoe and Shawn's expressions turned serious this time. The remaining trainees were all elite fighters, not opponents who could be defeated with just a casual punch or kick. They needed to stay sharp and handle them with care.
"You focus on what's in front of you; I've got your back," Shawn said.
"That's exactly what I was about to say," Zoe replied.
They didn't look at each other, and both of them wore calm and confident smiles.
Zoe had already figured out that the one targeting her would make their move now. She thought, 'Whether they let me freeze to death here or kill me outright, it would leave no evidence behind. I must find out who is behind this.'
Suddenly, someone hurled a massive crate straight at Zoe. The box was so large that it completely blocked her view. Zoe was ready to kick the box away with a flying kick.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared from beneath the box, aiming a vicious kick directly at Zoe's kneecap. If that kick landed, at least one of Zoe's legs would be ruined. If the figure targeted her groin, her very life would be at risk.
The attacker assumed Zoe would lose control mid-air after jumping.
Unexpectedly, Zoe reacted instantly, switching from a kick to a stomp in mid-air. The box meant to crush her became a makeshift stepping stone beneath her feet. She vaulted over the box, leaping even higher.
The attacker on the ground was caught off guard as the box crashed down onto his legs. He howled in agony. Both his legs were crushed beyond use.
After getting a good look at his face, Zoe thought, 'Not this one. The mystery assailant sure knows how to bide their time.'
Following, several more trainees tried to attack Zoe, but she outmaneuvered them all. Judging by their moves and reactions, Zoe crossed each of them off her mental list.
On the other side, Shawn faced three opponents alone.
The three were masters of combat, their skills matching Shawn's. In hand-to-hand fighting, they were every bit his equal.
Though the three-on-one assault put Shawn under obvious strain, he still countered with practiced ease.
Seeing Shawn in trouble, Zoe lost interest in fighting the others and rushed to his aid.
But just then, one of their opponents suddenly changed course and aimed a kick straight at Zoe's stomach.
With her reflexes, dodging would have been easy, yet Zoe feigned injury from the kick. Then she deliberately collapsed into Shawn's arms.
Shawn dispatched the other two attackers in one swift motion and caught Zoe. "Are you hurt?" he asked, concern in his voice."Are you hurt?" he asked, concern in his voice.
Zoe replied, "I'm fine." She waved, though her pained expression said otherwise.
Sophia and Aileen sprang to their feet, eyes glued to the live stream in excitement.
"It's happening!" Sophia exclaimed.
"Finally, they're going to kill her!" Aileen added breathlessly.
Clenching their fists, they wished Zoe would drop dead the very next second.
Zoe leaned into Shawn's arms. Her voice trembled with grievance as she said, "It hurts." She clutched the spot on her stomach where she had been kicked, her eyes brimming with tears, looking as if she might break down at any moment.
The sight broke Shawn's heart while sending his rage to its boiling point. He said, "Wait for me!" Then he carefully settled Zoe aside.
When he turned to face her attacker, his expression became cold and merciless.
The attacker opened his mouth, and he stammered, "I didn't..." He couldn't believe how wronged he felt.
To everyone else, it looked like he'd kicked Zoe brutally, but only he knew he'd barely used two percent of his strength. It was nothing more than the kind of playful roughhousing they did all the time.