Lucy stopped in her tracks, looking down at her wrist, then at the students who had stopped her.
"Luke, what are you doing?" Vivian scolded. "How can you just grab a girl like that? That is so rude of you."
"Sorry," Luke apologized, letting go of her arm. "Everyone, this is Lucy. I called her over because I wanted to say thanks. She was the one who saved Scarlett and me from Adrian in the library."
Lucy swallowed. She felt dwarfed because she wasn’t as tall as them. It was like being a rabbit in a den of lions.
"Oof!" she groaned.
A hug from Vivian.
"Thank you... Thank you so much..." Vivian said over and over, squeezing her as tightly as she could for saving her brother’s life.
But Raven spoilt the moment, saying, "Vivian, step back. That girl is a Blackstone."
"Bl-Bl-Blackstone...?"
Vivian trembled just at the mention of the name. The discord between their families was no secret, and here she was, hugging one of them. What would her father say if he ever found out?
Pale skin. Basalt hair. Vivian stepped back to study Lucy’s face again because she had missed the signs the first time
But Vivian refused to let something like this cloud her judgment. If not for Lucy, Luke wouldn’t be standing here today.
"I don’t care about family feuds," she declared. "A savior is a savior."
"I appreciate it, Vivian," Lucy bowed, grateful they didn’t spit on her. She didn’t think the Kingsleys could be this welcoming.
Luke thanked her again for her bravery, but Lucy only replied that she had done what every responsible student should do after seeing a classmate in danger. She also told them that the librarian Adrian had bribed had been fired.
Scarlett frowned when she heard this because she had plans prepared for the old woman.
Meanwhile, Lucy wanted to ask Luke about his recovery, why he had been missing classes, and many other things, but she felt she would only be offending Scarlett the longer she kept talking to him.
And Luke couldn’t even notice.
"So, will you join our party for the trials? We need as much strength as we can get."
His request was interrupted by the speakers.
**ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!**
**ALL SECOND-YEARS MUST REPORT TO THE GRAND TERRACE FOR THE TRIAL PHASE INDUCTION IMMEDIATELY!**
Murmurs spread through every hallway in the sophomore block. Time was running out. Anyone who failed to form a team would have to enter alone, and that already put them at a disadvantage. According to the Confederacy, teamwork was one of the qualities expected of a hunter.
"If you’re going to make this a five-man party, you might as well leave me out," Raven protested when she heard Luke invite Lucy.
"It is fine. Please do not argue amongst yourselves," Lucy said politely. "As much as I’d love to join, I already have a team."
"Where are they?" Scarlett asked curiously, and Lucy pointed at the end of the hallway, where three students were waiting for her. One was Mizuki. The other two were boys who looked intimidating and dangerous.
"Oh no... that is Derek Cole..." Vivian whispered.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw when she saw Prince Derek, the guy pursuing her hand in marriage.
Meanwhile, Luke accepted that Lucy won’t be joining them. "I respect your choice, Lucy. Good luck in the trials."
"You too," Lucy replied with a small wave before walking over to Derek and the others. Even so, the way she walked told Luke’s group she wasn’t comfortable with the team she had chosen.
********
As the students prepared for the trials, Rake Mooncrest was among them, walking down the hallway in a hurry as if he was looking for someone.
"We still need one more teammate," he said.
His blue hair bobbed as he walked, while his black eyes made him look half-alien. Any summoner whose beast affected their appearance had a stronger resonance, meaning stronger abilities when using Echo.
Beside Rake was his best friend, Borg. They had been buddies since childhood, but that didn’t mean they agreed on everything.
Borg didn’t like the idea of expanding their group. He believed they were the best duo, and he preferred it that way.
"Rake, why do we have to find a full squad? Let’s stick with three. That’s enough to crush the competition."
Rake was about to answer when—
**ALL SECOND-YEARS MUST REPORT TO THE GRAND TERRACE...**
The boys looked up at the speakers, then quickened their pace, especially Rake. They kept walking until they met their third teammate, Toby, coming from the opposite side of the hallway.
Toby was from a modest landed family under the Coopers. Having awakened as a Lesser-grade summoner, he didn’t have the aura of Rake and Borg. He was lanky and quiet, but Rake trusted his contribution nevertheless.
"I asked Jennica, Hye-min, and Criston," he said out of breath, "but they’ve all found teams. Criston even chose to go with a duo."
"What about Bryden? Is he available?" Rake asked.
"No. Bryden joined Matthew from Rubverton."
"See? All the decent students are already taken," Borg pressed on. "Our trio is strong enough to handle anything. We don’t need a fourth member to mess up the synergy."
Rake sighed, on the verge of giving in to his friend’s demands about entering the trial as a trio, until he spotted someone at the last second.
Outside, a girl was sitting on a bench, writing in a notebook. Sunlight met Rake’s face as he looked down at her, thinking.
Soon, the trio made their way downstairs and approached the girl. She had brown hair dyed purple to her taste, and her copper skin caught sun rays. Borg’s eyes widened, recognizing her.
It was Tabitha—the girl he had fought and defeated in the arena. Surely, Rake didn’t plan on recruiting her?
"Please, I don’t want any trouble. I can leave this right now if you want to use the bench," Tabitha begged as the boys walked up to her. After all, this was Rake Cooper, the master of an Ancient-grade beast!
"No, Tabitha. We aren’t here to fight," Rake said. "I just want to ask you something."
"No. No. No. I won’t let you, Rake," Borg argued before Rake could even make the offer. "She is too weak. She can’t even stand up for herself. Adding her will do nothing but drag our team down!"
"Calm down, Borg," Rake said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She is just being cautious. Don’t forget we need the 100x multiplier to stay on the leaderboard. Besides, Tabitha showed potential when she defeated Wally and his Frost Bat. She isn’t weak."
He spoke so calmly, like waves at midnight, never raising his voice or losing his composure.
As expected, Rake was one of the boys girls like Tabitha had a crush on. Hearing him defend her only made her like him even more.
"That said... Tabitha, would you like to join my party?" he asked, extending his hand.
Her heart exploded like a star. Her blood boiled like mercury. Rake Cooper? Inviting her?
Tabitha was just a commoner who kept to the corners of campus to avoid attention. Now, she was being invited out of the shadows and onto the stage. This was a golden opportunity for her future.
"Yes... I will join," she said, taking Rake’s hand.
However—
"TABITHA!"
The shout echoed across campus, and Tabitha turned to see three girls jogging to them.
"Hey, Tabitha! It’s almost time for the—"
The three girls stopped in their tracks, freezing when they saw their friend being taken away by Rake Cooper.
Taken away? She was willingly following him...!
The three girls were Tabitha’s friends and fellow commoners. They had gone off to find a fourth member to complete their own squad.
Now, they found one, only to realize they were short a member again. Tabitha had ditched them.
"I’m sorry, guys," Tabitha said as she followed Rake.
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