Tuesday
"Wake up! Wake up!" Macaron urged, his voice insistent.
Gradually, I opened my eyes, the bright morning light filtering through the window. My whole body ached fiercely from yesterday’s intense training and pushing my spectral seal to its limits. Every movent sent sharp pangs of pain through , making even the simplest actions feel like a chore.
"Argh!" I couldn’t help but grunt and moan as I slowly sat up, grimacing at the soreness. I shuffled towards the bathroom, wincing with each step, and turned on the hot water.
As the soothing hot water poured over my battered body, a wave of relief washed over . The tension eased, and I let out a contented sigh, closing my eyes for a mont to savor the warmth.
I promise not to exhaust my spectral seal again, I silently vowed. I don’t want to go through that lifeless paralysis ever again. The mory of lying there, helpless and immobile, sent a shiver down my spine.
As I hurriedly changed into my uniform, the sudden chi from my smartwatch interrupted my routine. The ergency alert flashed on the screen:
[Please report to the principal’s office if any of you have seen or last seen Veronica Mars of Junior Year and Jeffree Rasheed of Advanced Beginner Year.]
I frowned, feeling a flicker of annoyance. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about their whereabouts. The professors and instructors at this academy should have learned by now—these incidents are nothing unusual.
My priority is clear: protect the main leads. That’s all that matters to . Everything else is secondary. With a determined nod, I grabbed my gear and prepared to head out.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Monster Hunting Class
"Today’s monster hunting will be a lot tougher than before," Jude announced, his tone serious and focused.
This was likely because the academy had been alerted that Rogues had infiltrated the premises.
We made our way to the Grimloe Dungeon, a notorious cave near Aeonia teeming with monsters. This dungeon was classified as grade 1—the highest grade for dungeons—though thanks to heroic efforts from previous heroes, it had been downgraded to a grade 5. Now, it served as the perfect trial for students like us.
"Listen up, everyone," Jude continued, his voice commanding. "There will be one more classmate joining us today."
We turned our gaze toward the students standing nearby.
Instructor Jude’s voice cut through the chatter, firm and clear. "Everyone, et the students of Diaspora Novice Year. While you’re both Novices, you’re from different classrooms. I suggest you greet each other kindly, as two teams from different classes will be paired up today."
So of the students groaned, others cheered, clearly divided over the new pairing. Jude tapped on his tablet, and a hologram flickered into view, displaying the team assignnts.
I didn’t bother to check who my team will be paired with today. Instead, I found a nearby rock and sank down, closing my eyes to rest. The cool cave air was a comfort as I drifted into a light doze.
"...And that one sleeping over there is Emilia Lockhart," I only caught soone calling my na about ten minutes later.
Lazily, I opened one eye and looked at the group chatting happily in front of . My gaze flicked over them—until I realized: who the hell is Emilia? I zood in ntally and scanned the group, finally spotting Whitney.
’She’s doing this on purpose,’ I thought. ’Probably mad that I know all the monsters’ weak spots, and I refuse to share.’
Feeling a bit amused, I deliberately stretched and made a loud noise, catching their attention. They looked over, surprised, and I casually stood up and approached.
"Oh, this must be our team for today. Nice to et you all," I said, emphasizing my na with a slight smirk. "My na’s REMILLIA LOCKHART."
A boy whose na I didn’t catch looked at with a smirk. "You must be the student who chose a dagger as their weapon."
I raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "Oh? You know already? I’m flattered."
Before I could say more, another student stepped forward. "You’re quite popular in our academy lately," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
Suddenly, a petite, cute girl approached , her expression playful. I thought she might just shake my hand, but to my surprise, she raised her hands and began pinching my cheeks. "You have such nice skin. What facial care do you use?" she asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Nyah, don’t ush—" I started to protest, but my words ca out mushy and unclear due to her pinching.
Just then, Gregg stepped in swiftly. "Can you stop pinching her?" he said firmly, grabbing the girl’s hands and gently pulling them away from my face. I stumbled backward slightly, trying to retreat from her grasp.
"How dare you use your filthy hands on Remi?" Gregg scolded, his voice serious and protective.
The girl looked at Gregg with a defiant grin. "So what? I’m just curious about her skincare routine."
Gregg began to lecture her, but she refused to back down, eyes twinkling with mischief.
As I stumbled backward, Junichi was quick to react, catching by the elbow to prevent from falling.
Startled and unsure of what to do, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him close. I looked up at him with wide eyes, a mixture of surprise and embarrassnt flooding through as I suddenly realized what I had just done.
anwhile, Junichi’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt my warm breath against his chest. For a few tense seconds, neither of us moved, our gazes locked in an awkward silence that felt almost like a scene from a romantic drama.
The rest of the team fell silent, their eyes fixed on us with amused and curious expressions—so whispering and giggling under their breath, clearly enjoying the unexpected scene.
"Wait, why are the surroundings getting blurry?" soone said in disgust.
"Aww! This is too cheesy. Stop!" soone giggled.
"Go, Junichi! I’m rooting for both of you!" another teammate cheered, teasing.
"Awkward..." soone muttered, barely able to contain their amusent.
Realizing the mont had gone on long enough, we quickly stepped away from each other, cheeks burning with embarrassnt. We avoided each other’s gaze, pretending to focus on anything else—anything but the intense heat rising in our faces.
"Ahem! So... can you please introduce yourselves to again? I was asleep when you were doing the introductions. Thanks to a certain soone..." I muttered the last part under my breath, but it seed Whitney still caught it.
"Hmmm. What was that?" Whitney asked, smiling as if she didn’t notice my comnt.
"Nothing," I replied quickly, trying to brush it off.
The petite girl stepped forward first. "Sorry for pinching you, I couldn’t stop myself hehe. My na’s Lila McCann."
"That’s okay," I said with a nod, offering a gentle smile.
The most handso of the three guys spoke up, his voice smooth and confident. "This is Jason Briggs, Caleb Stratton, Xierra Garro, and I’m Vaughn Ross."
Vaughn’s eyes flashed with a mischievous glint as he added, "Just like Jason said earlier, you’re quite popular for being notorious at our academy, considering you have a face like that," His words carried a hint of malice, and I furrowed my brows at his sudden, provocative remark.
Then it hit —I’m still in the middle of being bullied. The rumors must have spread about . Oh, well. The more people talk about , whether good or bad, the more I gain in popularity points. Hahaha, the more the rrier.
A devilish smile spread across my face as I reveled in my thoughts. The others looked at oddly, their expressions a mix of confusion and weirdness.
"Psst, look. The rumors about her must be true; she’s smiling like a witch at us," Caleb whispered to Jason, eyeing cautiously.
"Right, right," Jason nodded in agreent, glancing at with so wariness.
"So it’s true then?" Vaughn continued, deliberately trying to provoke . I t his gaze with a dead serious look, refusing to be baited.
"You believe in those kinds of rumors? Pfft. Make sure you get to know first before judging," I shot back, my voice steady and confident.
"Yeah, that’s our ace!" Gregg cheered from the sidelines, though he quickly fell silent, realizing he was the only one cheering.
"...Well, that’s up to to judge whether you’re all talk and no action," Vaughn said, a smirk curling on his lips.
"Let’s see about that," I replied, my tone challenging.
We exchanged intense death stares, neither willing to back down. Just then, sothing caught my eye in my peripheral vision—a conversation between Cypher and a girl who looked quite strange.
Curiosity piqued, I broke the staring contest and shifted my focus to Cypher.
"Ha! You lost, I win!" Vaughn teased, pointing at my face while laughing loudly.
I sneered, pushing his face away dismissively, and turned to walk toward Cypher. "Get lost," I muttered coldly.
"Hey!" Vaughn called after , but I paid him no mind.
Using my gift, I tuned out his voice and quickly zeroed in on their conversation, hearing their words clearly:
"U-um, please take care of ," the girl said softly.
"Of course, it’s my job to watch all my teammates. So don’t worry, Claire," Cypher replied warmly.
The na "Claire" hit like a jolt—my ears rang at the sound.
Claire Danes. She’s beautiful, but not quite enough to compare with Angela. Every ti she sees a girl hanging out with Cypher, she glares them down with deadly intensity, muttering to herself under her breath. The next morning, those girls often face bizarre accidents—bald patches, thumbtacks in their chairs, or worse. She’s a total psycho, obsessively fixated on Cypher, and capable of killing if she wanted to.
I forced a warm smile and waved at Cypher. "Cypher! What’s up?"
"Remillia?" Cypher looked at in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to see how you’re doing," I replied casually.
"I’m talking with my teammates right now, boosting their morale," Cypher said, glancing at with curiosity, clearly surprised that I was approaching him, especially since I hadn’t been friendly to others before.
"I see. Ummm. Can we talk?" I asked, casting a quick glance at Claire, who was already giving a deadly death glare.
"Huh?" Cypher hesitated. "But we’re in the middle of a—"
I cut him off firmly. "Alone. Just the two of us."
"W-wait, what are—" Claire started to protest, but I didn’t let her finish. I reached out and grabbed Cypher’s hand, pulling him away from her. I made sure to keep our conversation private, ensuring no one could overhear us.
"Claire," I said sharply, fixing my gaze on Cypher.
"What about her?" Cypher responded, a bit puzzled.
"Stay away from her. Make sure you never entertain her again," I instructed firmly.
"She hasn’t done anything, so why would I stay away from her?" Cypher asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Haven’t you heard the rumors? She’s obsessed with you. Can’t you see the way she looks at you? Those crazy eyes! She’s always blushing when she talks to you!" I explained, frustration creeping into my voice.
Cypher just looked at skeptically. "Haven’t you also heard the rumors about you?"
"Aissh! Never mind the rumors about for now! Just don’t talk to Claire, got it?" I snapped.
"Why would I? I can’t do what you’re requesting," Cypher replied. "Is that all you’ve got to say? If yes, then I’m going back."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "You’re so stubborn! Aren’t you also wondering why those girls who briefly talked to you switched schools or suddenly stopped talking to you? That’s all her doing—Claire’s obsession, plain and simple."
"What about Angela? She’s still okay after talking to for a long ti," Cypher said, trying to gauge my concern.
"She’s different, okay? Why would she attack the heiress of the Forbes Company? It’s like she’s courting death. Just trust this once, alright?" I urged, my tone serious.
Cypher studied her for a mont, as if weighing my words, then sighed. "Okay."
Suddenly, Jude announced that our team was ready to enter the cave.
"Be careful. Don’t forget what I told you," I said, waving my hand at him. He only looked at silently.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
"What a weird girl," Cypher muttered under his breath as he returned to his team. Imdiately, Claire stuck close to him, clinging like glue.
"W-who was that girl you’re talking to?" Claire asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"She’s just... soone I know," Cypher replied casually, trying to brush her off.
"So, what did you talk about?" Claire pressed, her eyes flickering with curiosity and sothing else—perhaps insecurity.
Cypher looked at her, noting how her eyes seed unusually unstable and how she kept blushing. Now that he thought about it... she wasn’t like this when she talked to others. Could it be what Remillia said? Was there so truth behind her strange behavior? His brow furrowed as he considered the possibility.
"W-why are you staring at like that? D-do you like ?" Claire asked, her voice trembling with nervous anticipation.
Instead of responding directly, Cypher looked away and said, "Look, Claire, I still need to talk to the others. Maybe you could give so space for a mont?"
"Oh, sure. Fine," Claire replied softly, her cheeks flushing further as she watched him walk away.
As Cypher moved deeper into the group, Claire nervously bit her fingernails, her mind racing with tumultuous thoughts.
That bitch! What did she say to my love? Are they going out together?! No, that can’t be! I’m the only one who can have my love’s heart—no one else! That bitch can’t tear us apart!
Her gaze sharpened as she turned to look at Remillia entering the cave, her eyes narrowing in a mixture of envy and anger. Without a word, she glared at the back of Remillia’s head, her fists clenched tightly.
anwhile, Remillia scratched the side of her ear thoughtfully. She paused, sensing a shift in the air. ’Is soone talking behind my back?’ she wondered, her eyes flickering with suspicion.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
As we entered the cave, the darkness enveloped us, and an eerie silence hung in the air. The flickering light from our torches revealed a fork ahead—three separate paths stretching out before us.
"Remillia, you’re up," Whitney said, her voice steady despite the ominous atmosphere.
"Lila, where should we go?" Vaughn chid in, glancing between the paths.
Both Whitney and Vaughn, our team leaders, spoke up at the sa ti, their voices overlapping in the confined space.
"Maybe we should let Remillia decide where we should go. Honestly, I don’t know which way to take," Lila suggested, her eyes darting nervously.
I took a mont to assess the situation. Using my ability, ’Predator’s Instinct,’ I focused on sensing where Cypher had gone. A wave of worry washed over at the thought of my best MC being alone with that psycho.
Looking at the paths again, I noted that all of them had monsters lurking in the darkness. The middle path seed the safest—its difficulty rated very low, almost negligible.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to keep an eye on Cypher. After all, he was the main lead of this novel; he could defend himself, right?
I needed to focus on getting out of this cave first and foremost. I took a step forward, my instincts guiding , and found myself veering toward the right side of the path.
Without hesitation, I took a step forward and veered to the right path. I sighed quietly, a flicker of annoyance crossing my mind. I’m too kind, I thought. He should owe a favor if I end up saving his life again.
With that resolve, I motioned for the others to follow . "Let’s go this way. I have a feeling it’s the best choice."
"Let’s go this way," I said, taking the lead and moving forward, but I stopped when soone voiced their disagreent. It was Vaughn again.
"And why should we follow you?" Vaughn challenged, crossing his arms defiantly.
"Why are you still suspecting her? Even Lila said she can’t know the way," Gregg retorted, stepping in to defend .
"Fine by then. I don’t have to look after you," I shot back at Vaughn, my patience wearing thin. I continued walking, ignoring his calls for to co back.
Junichi, Gregg, and surprisingly, Jawn also decided to follow , while the others hesitated, still contemplating whether to join us or not.
"Remi, are you sure we are going the right way?" Junichi asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
I offered him a confident smile. "Trust ." Deep down, I felt a twinge of guilt—dragging all of them into this ss just to save my MC from this damn novel.
"We should follow her; I can vouch for her skill. I can say that she has the nose of a hound," Whitney chid in, her tone supportive.
I was about to smile at the complint, but her last remark annoyed —the nose of a hound? Seriously? Still, I kept my expression steady and led the way, with the others following behind .
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