10 minutes later after the race started…
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you can all see, Luna is still ahead of Anon. But where is Anon? He’s nowhere to be seen on the screen. What happened to him? Did he forfeit? Did he lose?” Commentator Seraphina asked with excitement.
“Well, we all knew that the skill Anon used at the start was a real stamina eater, but I was hoping to see him catch up to Luna. It seems like that won’t be happening,” Landon spoke with a disappointed expression, longing to witness Anon’s comeback on the screen.
“Don’t worry, Landon. Maybe a miracle will happen,” Seraphina reassured.
“Come on, Anon. If you don’t catch up to her here, we are definitely bound to lose today,” Letti thought anxiously, biting her nails as she stared at the screen.
“Look, there he is,” a girl’s voice echoed from the back of the Commoner’s section.
“Huh…?”
“What? That’s impossible,” Seti exclaimed in surprise as she gazed at the screen.
“Seraphina, look at that. I told you he would be back. My boy Anon is back,” Landon shouted, rising from his chair in excitement.
“Landon, calm down. We’re commentators, not audience members. Keep your excitement in check,” Seraphina laughed and reminded him.
“Yes, Anon!” Letti exclaimed, jumping up with joy as she noticed a bright flame trailing behind Luna on the screen.
Seti, on the other hand, wondered how Anon managed to catch up with Luna so quickly. His stamina should have depleted by now, yet he continued to run.
“I can’t see him clearly, Seraphina, but I can tell it’s definitely Anon,” Landon stated.
“Oh, look, he’s now visible,” Seraphina pointed at the big screen.
Anon appeared on the screen clearly, his body still engulfed in crimson flames, wearing a maniacal expression on his face.
“Wow, that smile doesn’t bode well. It seems like a crazed individual running toward his goal,” Seraphina observed.
“No, Seraphina, that’s the look of a person fueled by passion and effort. If you think he’s not working hard for this, just look at his shoes,” Landon exclaimed in astonishment, pointing at Anon’s shoes.
Seraphina glanced at Anon’s shoes, her eyes widening in surprise.
“What the hell? He’s not wearing shoes anymore? But he had them when he left the academy,” Seraphina questioned.
“Why did he remove his shoes?” Samantha asked, puzzled.
“I don’t know, maybe some kind of barefoot running fetish,” Jake replied.
“Our school’s uniform doesn’t include shoes. He must have worn custom-made shoes, and due to the absence of magical enchantments, they got vaporized from the speed he’s running with,” Frank explained, overhearing the siblings’ conversation.
Both of them looked at Frank with astonished expressions.
“They evaporated?” they asked in unison, their mouths opening wide in awe.
“Yes,” Frank confirmed.
‘That fucking animal. What lengths will he go to defeat us? If only he were a noble. Hahaha, I can’t even imagine it,’ Frank thought, silently laughing as he watched the big screen.
Frank already knew that the Commoners were going to win this test from the start because they had Anon on their side. That’s why he wasn’t even trying to give his best.
‘What the fuck? How did he catch up to me?’ Luna wondered, taken aback by Anon’s sudden appearance.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. Your speed will decrease greatly at the next hurdle, and as a werewolf, it will give me a boost,’ Luna thought, determined to maintain her lead.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. The first hurdle of the first kingdom, and for the knowledge of the audience, let me declare that this is a record-breaking Kingdom’s Night Run, surpassing all previous races.
Luna Warwood reached the first hurdle in a staggering time of 14 minutes and 56 seconds. My partner Landon will now explain to you all what the first hurdle of this race entails. Landon, please enlighten us,” Seraphina announced.
“Absolutely, Seraphina. The first hurdle of the race is Venomheart Gulch, a valley between two mountains, measuring 10 km wide and 5 km deep. Just a week ago, there was another mountain between the two, but it mysteriously vanished, forming this valley.
Upon careful observation, it’s evident that Luna Warwood has the advantage here. Werewolves possess sharper senses of smell and sight, which will help her in this stage. What do you think, Seraphina?” Landon asked.
“I agree with you on that matter, Landon. Luna has a significant advantage for winning. Will Anon be able to catch up this time?” Seraphina asked, adding suspense to her voice.
Anon and Luna were currently running up the mountain, with Anon still a few kilometers behind Luna.
Luna reached the mountaintop and began descending into the dark valley. Her eyes glowed blue, allowing her to see clearly in the darkness as she continued running without stumbling over any rocks or trees.
“Sucker, you will lose…” Luna shouted loudly, her voice carrying to Anon, despite his heightened senses.
“Hahaha… let’s see who will win and who will lose,” Anon chuckled as he increased his running speed.
“What the hell is happening? Anon isn’t decreasing his speed at all. What is this kid thinking? What’s his plan, Landon?” Seraphina spoke, her eyes widening in confusion.
Anon was supposed to reduce his speed at this point and jump into the valley, then increase his speed once inside. However, he was doing the opposite.
“I-I don’t know, Seraphina. This kid is full of surprises. I can’t predict his next move,” Landon said, standing up from his chair and eagerly observing Anon’s actions.
Everyone’s attention shifted from Luna to anon, realizing that witnessing a noble werewolf girl crossing a valley at night was no big feat, but watching a Commoner preparing for what seemed like his demise was more thrilling. ．
In the second-year class, the Commoner section…
“He is going to die. Gia, your brother is going to die.” A girl shouted.
“Yes, why the hell isn’t he stopping or slowing down?” Another girl added.
“Don’t worry, he’s my brother, and I know he doesn’t plan on dying before conquering every single woman in this land,” Gia spoke in a carefree tone, leaving the other girls bewildered.
In Kia’s class…
“Kia, any final words for your brother before he meets his end?” Kia’s teacher asked, glancing at her.
Kia remained silent, her gaze fixed on the screen, her face filled with tension.
‘What is he planning in that evil mind of his?’ Kia wondered.
In Kale’s office…
“Now, now, I think I conducted this test for no reason. This kid is crazy as fuck. Even if he had topped the beginner’s exam, he would’ve died later. Well, who cares?” Kale muttered, sipping his wine as he looked at the screen.
‘It’s time,’ Anon thought as his maniacal smile transformed into a menacing laughter.
<Shadowsoar Strengthening>
Suddenly, the crimson flames engulfing Anon’s body turned pitch black.
[Editor: oh, i like the suspense.]