The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy as ihua and Adelaide walked among a larger group of students they'd joined for safety. Both won, acutely aware of their physical limitations, had gravitated toward each other earlier, recognizing the wisdom in mutual protection. Now they moved with the crowd, each lost in their own calculations.
Adelaide couldn't help stealing glances at her companion, her rchant's mind whirring with possibilities. Everything about ihua seed determinedly ordinary - from her unremarkable features to her common bearing. Nothing in her appearance or deanor suggested soone worthy of special attention, let alone the bearer of a Mythical-grade talent. The contradiction gnawed at Adelaide's thoughts.
As a rchant's daughter, Adelaide understood the value of early investnt. While raw talent didn't necessarily guarantee success, it provided an undeniable advantage in the long term. Her keen eyes hadn't missed Ambrose's interest in ihua during the talent evaluation. If she could secure ihua's loyalty first, it would demonstrate her value to the young master beyond re capability. The thought spurred her determination - she couldn't afford to remain just another "sowhat capable" subordinate in Ambrose's growing circle of influence.
While Adelaide plotted recruitnt strategies, ihua's mind traveled different paths entirely. Her eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, matching landmarks against her knowledge from the novel. The familiar territory presented her with a dilemma: should she seek out Marcus's future campsite? Her rembered plot points suggested his location, but with how rapidly events were diverging from the original story, such knowledge felt increasingly unreliable.
Her thoughts turned to her second option - the hidden cave containing a precious mana crystal. In this world, while gold served as common currency, awakened heroes preferred trading in items that contained mana. The most commonly used items were mana stones. Mana crystals, being concentrated forms of these stones, held imnse value. Finding one could provide the ans for her own awakening. Yet doubt crept in as she considered her non-combat talent. Even if she managed to awaken her abilities, how much would it really improve her situation?
A bitter smile crossed her lips as she acknowledged an even greater obstacle - the cave's guardian. Her story knowledge warned her that even Marcus, with his regression advantages, had barely survived that encounter even with Lysander Blackvale's assistance. For soone like her, attempting such a feat alone would be suicide. And she didn't even know if the boss might have changed too...
Her introspection ended abruptly as she collided with the person ahead of her, the sudden stop rippling through the group. Both she and Adelaide tensed, recognizing a shift in the atmosphere. At the front of the gathering, Lysander Blackvale had taken center stage, his noble bearing commanding attention.
"I have so information about the test that others don't know," he announced, his voice carrying the natural authority of his bloodline. "Actually, surviving isn't the most important aspect of the trial."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Coming from a scion of the Blackvale family - one of the kingdom's ten great houses that stood just below the royal family - such information carried significant weight.
"Actually, there's another way to earn points," Lysander continued, satisfaction evident in his tone as he held his audience captive. "And that's hunting monsters. It's quicker, and you don't have to camp out in this dungeon just to receive the minimal grade. Just hunting a few monsters is enough to gain more points than you would for surviving the entire month."
The revelation sent excited whispers through the group. The strategy seed perfect - quick, effective, and relatively low-risk given the ergency extraction option. As long as they pressed the button on their bracelets, they would be instantly teleported out but they would still keep all their accumulated points. Students began discussing potential hunting parties, their earlier survival concerns forgotten in the face of this apparently easier path to success.
...
Adelaide maintained a carefully neutral expression as she listened to Lysander's announcent. The advantages of noble birth were on full display - privileged information flowing freely to those born into the right families. However, this particular revelation held no surprise for her; both she and Hualing had already received this intelligence from Ambrose himself.
Her rchant's instincts drove her to gauge reactions, and she noticed with interest that ihua showed no sign of surprise either. The observation suggested her potential recruit had access to her own sources of information - another point in favor of securing her loyalty.
ihua, anwhile, kept her attention fixed on Lysander as he spoke. While his information was accurate regarding the true nature of the test, she knew better than to trust his motives. A man like him wouldn't share such secrets simply out of the goodness of his heart.
"That's why I want to form a party," Lysander declared, spreading his arms in an inviting gesture. "Anyone who's interested in hunting monsters with , please step forward."
"I knew it!" ihua thought, suppressing a bitter smile. Classic bait - he was gathering cannon fodder to draw out monsters while minimizing his own risk. Yet his audience, ignorant of his true nature, practically stumbled over themselves in their rush to join. They charged headlong into the tiger's den, while Lysander watched with barely concealed satisfaction.
After several minutes, a substantial group had gathered around him. Lysander surveyed his new followers with calculating eyes. "It's a little less than what I had in mind," he mused internally, "but it doesn't matter. This much is enough." His gaze swept across those who hadn't joined, dismissing most until it landed on ihua. Recognition flickered in his eyes - the commoner who had dared to overshadow him by awakening a Mythical-ranked talent.
"Hmph! But a talent is still just a talent. I don't believe you won't give in to power," he thought, approaching ihua and Adelaide. With deliberate discourtesy, he ignored Adelaide completely, focusing solely on ihua. "Why don't you join us too?" he offered with a practiced smile.
"I'm not interested," ihua responded flatly.
Lysander's composure cracked montarily, unused to such direct rejection from soone of lower status. But he wasn't one to easily back down, "Oh, and why not?" he pressed, his tone carrying an edge of warning.
"I-" ihua began, but Adelaide smoothly interjected, raising a hand to halt her response. Her diplomatic smile carried years of rchant training as she addressed Lysander.
"The young master of the Blackvale family really lives up to his reputation," she began, masking her irritation at his earlier slight. "But I'll have to disappoint him today, as my lord is interested in eting our ihua here."
"Oh? And who's your lord?" Lysander's sarcasm dripped like poison.
Adelaide's smile never wavered. "Let's see if you dare to keep that smirk when you hear it," she thought before responding aloud. "My lord has been sick since birth, so you might not have heard his na. He is Ambrose Rothschild." She paused deliberately before adding, "I hope you don't make things difficult for him, as my lord is really impatient sotis."
The na hit Lysander like a physical blow. He visibly struggled to maintain his composure before forcing a smile. "Ah- since your lord is really interested in her, I'll back away," he managed, offering a slight bow before beating a hasty retreat.
"Tch, to make your cowardly escape sound so noble. As expected of Lysander," ihua thought, watching his departing figure. She turned to Adelaide, her feelings complicated by gratitude for the intervention mixed with apprehension about her new situation. The mory of her earlier encounter with Hualing, where she'd nearly lost her life, was still fresh in her mind.
With a resigned sigh, she addressed Adelaide, "Let's go this way, sister." Together, they separated from the group, leaving behind Lysander's gathering of unwitting sacrifices. As they walked away, ihua couldn't shake the feeling that she'd escaped one danger only to walk straight into another, potentially more lethal one.
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