Selene Whitmore opened her eyes after Kael Vi-rel had left. She only sat up once she was certain he was gone. In truth, she had woken up long ago, but his words had left her stunned.
— I am so lucky to have you?
Selene Whitmore’s cheeks flushed red. Ever since she was young, people had praised her for her looks, her grace, and her talent. But never once had she heard someone say, I’m lucky to have you.
She quickly shook her head, trying to banish the thought.
"Whatever. I didn’t hear it. He was just talking to himself. Definitely."
Muttering to herself, Selene Whitmore crawled out of the blanket, which had been as warm and cozy as a proper bed. She folded the sleeping bag into a neat, fist-sized bundle and stretched her arms, preparing for the new day.
I scanned the surroundings from the top of the Tree, watching through my drones’ eyes. The cadets had all discovered their preferred methods of survival after just a day. Some sold food to gather points, some hunted monsters, while others chose to hide and ambush the unwary.
An hour passed as I monitored the feeds. Suddenly, something caught my attention.
Clara Winslet was heading somewhere in the dark with a guy named Jeffrey. I zoomed the drone in and followed as they reached a cliff, where two others were already waiting. One stood openly while the other concealed himself among the branches.
I didn’t know them, but I guessed they were from the Bloody Banquet. Just then, a system alert popped up.
[Jeffrey – He has made contact with members of the Bloody Banquet. Clara Winslet has been choosing as a sacrifice.]
Still, their plan was sloppy at best.
"They must be the bottom rung."
Fools blinded by their greed for bento. Their strength didn’t seem impressive either.
Clara Winslet walked beside Jeffrey in the distance. She had likely joined them temporarily in exchange for food.
In the original story, I didn’t remember this happening... but then again, I had skipped a lot of details.
I widened the drone’s range and searched for Elric Vales and Damon Reid and Selene Whitmore.
Sure enough, Elric Vales and Damon Reid was slowly heading toward Clara’s location, and with him was Selene Whitmore. She must have run into them.
Meanwhile, Clara Winslet was restless. She wanted to secure as many points as possible, uncertain how much would be enough to guarantee her spot at the top.
Jeffrey, on the other hand, had stuck to her like glue. He insisted on joining her hunt, even though she hadn’t asked him to. Clara Winslet didn’t think much of it she was confident she could handle herself even if Jeffrey tried something. After all, she had Kael Vi-rel’s training behind her.
But instead of a monster, a man stood on the cliff.
"Who are you!" Clara and demanded.
Behind her, Jeffrey prepared an escape route in case their plan to offer her as a sacrifice failed.
The long-haired man suddenly dashed at him. With a single slash, Jeffrey’s chest was cut open. He screamed and bolted into the woods, not daring to look back.
The man didn’t bother chasing him.
Jeffrey’s figure vanished into the distance, leaving Clara Winslet alone. She exhaled sharply, tightening her grip on her spear.
The man only gave a cold smile before charging in.
Clara Winslet infused her spear with mana, sparks scattering as she clashed against his weapon. The man’s magic power was greater, but Clara Winslet endured thanks to Kael’s training. He swung again and again, each blow heavier than the last, but she blocked with grit and precision.
She spotted an opening, lunged forward, and grazed his ribs. But as she tried to retreat, her feet refused to move.
Another enemy dropped from a tree, blade flashing toward her back.
A scream split the night not hers, but the assassin’s. The man writhed on the ground, blood pouring from fresh wounds.
Before Clara Winslet could process, five streaks of glowing bullets pierced him cleanly.
She didn’t have time to think. The long-haired man pressed forward, closing the gap too fast for further sniping support. Clara Winslet braced herself
but a sword came flying, embedding itself into the man’s shoulder.
He tumbled backward and fell off the cliff.
"Who was that!" Clara Winslet gasped.
At that moment, Elric Vales, Damon Reid, and Selene Whitmore rushed up.
"Clara? Who was he?" Selene Whitmore asked.
Damon Reid hurried to the cliff’s edge, peering down. "Did he... disappear?"
"Yes, he’s gone," Clara Winslet admitted, though she barely understood the situation herself.
Damon Reid squinted into the darkness, but there was no trace of the man.
It must have been Selene Whitmore who helped me, Clara Winslet thought. That sword... it had to be her secret technique. Selene, the one with the shadows.
"Thank you. You saved—"
Her words cut off as a glint of moonlight caught her eye. Something reflected from a nearby tree.
She reached out and picked it up.
"Let’s move," Elric Vales said firmly. "We don’t know if that guy will come back."
Later, by the campfire, Clara Winslet turned the drone fragment over in her hand. Her thoughts drifted to Kael Vi-rel.
Why was he involved?.
Her smartwatch buzzed. Clara Winslet glanced at it.
Her eyes widened slightly. He was nearby. The source of thɪs content is novel•fire.net
"...Thanks for helping me, but I’ll have to decline."
She rose to her feet as Elric Vales asked, "Where are you going? Isn’t it dangerous?"
She smiled faintly, tucking the drone piece into her pocket.
And with that, she walked off into the night.
The situation ended with the arrival of Elric Vales, Damon Reid, and Selene Whitmore.
I couldn’t help but groan as I landed.
That should be a bit below average. I gained 11 from hunting monsters and 12 from Selene Whitmore after I traded with her.
I turned around optimistically.
My body stiffened, goosebumps racing down my skin.
Why is she here again?
Cold sweat ran down my back, and my survival instincts roared. I forced myself to calm down. She should be here to observe, not fight.