Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 342

Julius affectionately rubbed her head. It wasn't that the guy was useless; it was simply that she was far too powerful!

He was more convinced than ever that she practiced ancient martial arts. He was deeply curious about her master—whoever they were had somehow turned her into an absolute powerhouse in just ten short years.

That single punch just now definitely carried an immense inner power.

Otherwise, there was no way the man wouldn't have been able to withstand a single hit. After all, anyone representing their country in this tournament was no amateur.

"You hate people from Rubinia Country?" he asked.

"Yep. Absolutely despise them." He noticed? Was it that obvious?

"So that's why you broke his ribs?"

"You could tell?" She didn't feel an ounce of guilt; she had done it entirely on purpose.

It was rare to get an opportunity to beat them up without facing any consequences, so she had to hit hard. If her masters found out she had let an opponent off easy, they would never forgive her.

"He was sprawled out and couldn't even stand up. His ribs are definitely broken." Julius guessed she had broken more than just one—probably three to five.

The first round eliminated fifty fighters, leaving twenty-five for the second round.

In the third round, Stella got lucky and drew a bye, meaning she didn't have to fight.

She spent the time resting offstage, casually watching the others get eliminated.

By the end of the third round, only twelve fighters remained.

Anyone who could make it this far was a top-tier expert. No one dared to let their guard down.

"You have to be careful later. These guys are brutal. If you can't win, don't push yourself too hard," Julius warned her, his eyes filled with concern.

"Don't worry. I still need to teach Steve a lesson. I'm not going to lose easily."

She had noticed that Steve seemed even stronger than he was a few months ago, and his moves were far more vicious.

While he had clearly been training hard, she suspected his current state was the result of some kind of performance-enhancing drug.

She had observed his fighting style. While it looked incredibly aggressive, softness could always overcome strength. All she needed was a gentle touch to take him down.

Furthermore, she didn't plan on finishing this match quickly. She wanted to use this massive audience to properly showcase the true essence of Veridian martial arts.

She wanted to show all these arrogant snobs what a real martial artist looked like!

Her opponent was from the Yaran Federation—a towering, muscular man with blonde hair and a hooked nose, built like a brick wall.

What happened next on stage was truly bizarre.

Whenever the massive man launched an aggressive attack, Stella would effortlessly redirect him with what looked like a soft, weightless palm thrust the moment he got close.

When he charged at her again, attempting to kick her off the stage, she effortlessly pushed him back with a seemingly powerless punch.

Furious, he tried to headbutt her, but she simply caught his head between her hands as if she were holding a watermelon, completely immobilizing him.

The audience watched with bated breath, half expecting her to crack his head open like a melon.