The arena gradually returned to a strange kind of calm. The previous trial had ended, but the echoes of Derek's na were still ringing in countless minds.
So students were still in shock. So were excited. So were anxious. And so…
were already afraid.
On one side of the resting area, Emma, Eva, Henry, and Art were seated together, finally having a mont to breathe.
The tension that had been coiled in their bodies for so long was slowly fading. Emma stretched her arms and let out a long breath. "So… when will the next trial begin?"
Derek, who was sitting a short distance away with his eyes half-closed, opened them and glanced toward the giant clock-like formation floating above the arena. "We were given a thirty-minute break. Twenty minutes have already passed. So… about ten minutes left."
"Was it announced what kind of trial we'll have next?" Eva asked.
Derek shook his head. "No. Only the ti was announced. Nothing else."
Henry leaned back and stared at the sky above the arena. "Then let's just rest for now and prepare ourselves. We've co this far already. If we can sohow make it into the top three… we'll get the cultivation treasures."
Art nodded. "Yeah. I honestly didn't think we could co this far. But… luckily, we did."
"Luckily?" Emma looked at him sideways, then laughed. "I don't think so. Derek made it look so easy, like this half-yearly Ranker's Test was made for children. But us joining Derek's team? Yeah. That part was luck."
Henry burst into laughter. "No arguing about that."
Derek opened one eye and looked at them helplessly. "You guys are exaggerating too much."
"Nope," Eva said, crossing her arms. "We aren't."
She was older than Derek. A senior. Yet at this mont, it genuinely felt like she was looking at a legend rather than a junior.
For a brief mont, the five of them simply sat there, enjoying the rare peace.
anwhile…
In the gallery above, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful.
A heated murmur was spreading like wildfire.
"What do you think the next trial will be?"
"They can't possibly let that boy just sweep everything again, right?"
"Even if they try to stop him, can they?"
"Maybe it'll be a team-based survival trial. Or a points hunt."
"No matter what it is… that Derek Hale will definitely cause another storm."
Almost everyone was discussing him. So with admiration. So with fear. So with barely concealed greed.
Ti continued to pass.
Nine minutes.
Eight minutes.
Seven minutes.
Just when there were only one or two minutes left before the break ended, a man who looked like an instructor approached the resting area where Derek's team was.
He wore the standard academy uniform for instructors. His badge was real. His presence was calm and steady.
He walked straight toward Derek. "You are Derek Hale, right?" the man asked.
Derek opened his eyes and looked at him. "Yes. Is sothing the matter?"
"The headmistress is calling for you," the man said calmly.
Derek was taken aback. "Calling for ? But the next trial is about to start."
Before the man could reply, Henry spoke from the side. "Don't worry, Derek. If the headmistress is calling you, the next trial definitely won't start before you're done talking to her."
Derek thought about it and nodded. "That… sounds logical."
He stood up. "Alright, you guys wait here. I'll go and co back soon."
"Don't take too long," Emma said.
Derek chuckled. "Sure."
With that, he followed the man. None of them doubted anything. After all, this place was filled with instructors, students, and influential figures. Who would dare to cause trouble here?
They walked out of the resting area and took a different passage, one that led away from the main arena and toward the place where the headmistress was watching the test.
Derek didn't know why, but sothing felt off.
"Where is the headmistress? And what does she want to talk about?" he asked.
The man replied calmly, "The headmistress is in a private chamber right now. And about what she wants to talk about, you will know when you see her."
Derek nodded and continued to follow.
But deep in his heart, that faint sense of unease continued to grow.
They turned a corner.
The path beca quieter. More secluded.
And then...
Two figures suddenly erged from the shadows.
Derek's pupils shrank. He imdiately tried to move.
But it was too late.
A terrifying force exploded into his abdon.
BOOM!
The air was knocked out of his lungs in an instant.
Before he could even let out a sound, another hand struck his neck at a precise pressure point.
His vision went black. His body went limp.
"Make it fast," the man who had brought him here said coldly. "We can't be seen. Or the lord won't spare us."
The two ambushers quickly caught Derek's falling body.
In the blink of an eye, the three figures vanished from the corridor, leaving behind nothing but silence.
________
Back inside the arena…
The break ti ended. And soon, Daniel's voice echoed throughout the entire place. "Every remaining team, please enter the fighting arena. Your next trial is about to start."
The mont those words were heard, Emma, Eva, Henry, and Art all looked at each other.
"What's going on?" Art asked.
"Didn't the headmistress call for him?" Henry frowned. "Why is the trial starting already?"
"Maybe he'll go directly to the arena," Emma said after a mont of hesitation. "Let's enter first. We'll see what's going on."
The others nodded. "All right."
They stood up and headed toward the arena along with the other teams.
As they walked, many people looked at them with complicated expressions.
Fear.
Worry.
Wariness.
At first, no one had taken Derek's team seriously.
But now…
This team's very presence felt like a nightmare.
However…
Sothing was strange. Very strange.
When the five teams entered the arena and took their designated positions…
Everyone noticed it. One person was missing.
Derek Hale.
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