“I will become Sovereign,” Thalia said with a straight and serious face.
“….”
The entire stadium fell into an awkward silence, with many wondering if the first-ranked student understood the basics.
“Pfftttt…hahahaha,” Jack Sparrow couldn’t contain his laughter. “M-Ms. Thalia, I think you should understand what it means to be a Sovereign.”
Thalia ignored Sparrow’s comment, instead addressing the Principal directly,
“I know what I am saying. I don’t care whether I am a chosen one or not. I will become Sovereign, and one day, I will defeat you… The Sovereign.”
The Principal smiled and responded, “I truly appreciate it when my students push their limits and challenge the very laws themselves….. I’ll be waiting, Ms. Thalia Crimsonclaw.”
Thalia smiled confidently at the Chosen Ones. “I will prove that being chosen is nothing but a mere title…”
Kai and the others didn’t react much, knowing it was just a pipe dream.
‘So, the Principal is the Sovereign?’ Aether pondered, scrutinizing the Principal intently.
“Now, shall we end this ceremony?” the middle-aged man asked, motioning for the 13 students to return to their seats.
“With this speech, I conclude this ceremony. You will receive your dorm and classroom assignments from the staff waiting outside. If you have any inquiries, please direct them to them. Classes will start tomorrow. Thank you for the wonderful future ahead of you,” he concluded, preparing to leave when,
“Oh! I forgot something,” the Principal said suddenly, her gaze shifting to the four latecomers. “I really don’t like undisciplined students, and as Principal, I need to treat everyone equally.”
‘Snap’
With a single snap of her fingers, those four students disappeared, reappearing on an isolated island far from the academy grounds.
A massive screen materialized, capturing everyone’s attention.
“Why don’t you show your power as Chosen Ones so others can understand better?” the Principal suggested with a smile. “Defeat the Golden 1-Star Bear Monsters and survive as long as you can. Consider it a test of your abilities and let the others know what you guys are capable of”
The group of professors could only sigh, knowing they had much to do before tomorrow, yet their Principal was engaging in such activities.
The audience grew intrigued, about to witness the true capabilities of the Chosen Ones.
“Isn’t this suicide? Fighting High-Level Aptitude Monsters?”
“Yeah… Even the tests were a walk in the park compared to this.”
“Do you think they can even scratch that thing?”
“I have faith in Elven Queen Aria. She’s bound to handle those monsters effortlessly.”
“Absolutely, and Kaelen is a born hunter. I bet he’ll surprise us all.”
“But what about Jack Sparrow and Nyx Shadowfall? We don’t know anything about their specialities.”
“We’ll just have to watch and learn. This is what being a Chosen One is all about.”
The buzz of conversation and speculation continued among the students, heightening the suspense in the air.
Suddenly, Thalia’s voice rang out, her annoyance palpable as she challenged the Principal. “Principal, are you looking down on me?”
The Principal, caught off guard, responded with genuine surprise, “Hmm? What do you mean, dear? I never look down on any of my children.”
“Then why are they being pitted against a Golden Star Monster while we faced only Silver Star ones?” Thalia’s concern was evident in her tone.
“This is their punishment, Thalia,” the Principal explained calmly, her smile unwavering.
“Stil–”
“I’ve made my decision. Please, Thalia, take your seat,” the Principal urged, her tone gentle yet firm.
Thalia grumbled under her breath, clearly unsatisfied with the explanation, before finally complying and sitting down.
“Dang, this girl has some nerve,” Aether thought to himself, impressed by Thalia’s boldness amidst the unfolding drama, before refocusing on the video displaying the upcoming challenge.
Aether stared at Jack Sparrow for a few seconds, pondering, ‘Nah, he looks too young to be that man, and I’m pretty sure I killed him..’ With a shake of his head, Aether dismissed the idea and refocused on the unfolding battle.
Jack Sparrow and Nyx Shadowfall engaged in a fierce fight against the four Bear Monsters without resorting to their Arcane Cards, showcasing remarkable coordination and skill. Meanwhile, Kaelen Darkfang and Aria Zephyr fought separately, seemingly disinterested in teaming up.
The students watching couldn’t help but be awestruck by the seamless teamwork displayed by Nyx and Sparrow.
‘That’s a perfect duo,’ echoed through the crowd’s thoughts.
As the battle progressed, Aether observed everything with intense focus, trying to discern the skills and powers of the others. It was during this scrutiny that a sudden event caught his attention.
“BOOM!!”
“Cough, Cough”
As the ground shook from the impact, Aria stumbled backwards, coughing as she regained her footing amidst the chaos. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the five bears closing in on her, their ferocious growls filling the air and their massive forms casting intimidating shadows.
“That’s not going to be easy to overcome,” the Principal remarked in an amused yet observant tone, her eyes fixed on Aria’s struggle against the surrounding monsters. The situation highlighted the importance of teamwork; had Aria and Kaelen collaborated like the other pair, they might have stood a better chance against the onslaught.
However, their separation had left them vulnerable, and the bears were quick to exploit that weakness.
While facing the bears individually would have been more manageable, these monsters were cunning enough to coordinate their attacks, making it a challenging battle.
Meanwhile, Kaelen found himself with no choice but to summon his Arcane Card when he realized the direness of his situation, facing three bears at once.
Aria, on the other hand, didn’t summon her Arcane Card; instead, she used her knife to fight the monsters. Her determination was evident in her every move as she faced the daunting challenge without relying on external help.
“Sigh, she is still stubborn…” the Principal muttered to herself, exchanging a concerned glance with the middle-aged professor who was watching the screen with a worried expression.
Just as the Principal was about to intervene and pull Aria out of the dangerous situation, a disruptive voice pierced through the tense atmosphere of the stadium…
“Tsk, What the fuck are they even doing? Fighting? ‘Yuck.’ They look like children struggling in a fight… Are they even chosen ones? Did Arcane joke around with those jokers?”
The sharp words echoed through the space, sending ripples of shock through the audience, especially with the final words questioning the integrity of Arcane’s choices.
The Principal, maintaining her composure but clearly taken aback by the audacity of the comment, fixed an inquiring gaze on the speaker. “What did you say?”
“I said… Did that Arcane or whatever the hell you’re talking about really choose those shitheads?” Aether retorted, his annoyance evident as he looked at the Principal with indifferent eyes.
‘ssshhh’
A hushed silence fell over the crowd, the tension palpable as they awaited the Principal’s response, unsure of how she would react to such disrespect.
“What the hell is he doing?” Kai muttered under his breath, his expression a mix of surprise and apprehension.
Princess, too, frowned as she watched Aether’s bold move, her thoughts racing with curiosity, ‘Did he get drunk again?’ she wondered and watched Aether’s actions.
Ignoring the reactions around him, Aether shifted his attention to his log screen, where a new mission notification had appeared in bold letters.
!~Ding~!
[Mission: Save and Seduce Aria Zephyr]
The notification blinked in green very fast, indicating that Aria was in imminent danger.
Aether needed to act now even though he didn’t know a single thing about that person but still, he needed to do what he could and even more, he already had something to leave an impression.