"You guys will split into teams of five."
Monica continued, observing their reactions.
"And there aren’t many buildings to go around for twenty teams, so you must face one another. Only when you hold a building for 24 hours can you see the Imperial Castle on the map! And the other four castles will disappear. Note!"
Her gaze turned piercingly cold, leaving no doubt about the severity of her next words.
"If you can’t occupy any of these castles for 24 hours, you will lose, even if you are still alive, and you will be brought back here. Only four teams, totaling twenty students, will be able to face the Boss of the Imperial Castle. And only the one who delivers the final blow to the Boss will gain all the rewards for his or her team. So, work together!" She concluded with a wide, almost unsettling smile.
"Think about it. Your team occupies all four buildings and gains twenty thousand dollars, isn’t that an achievement?"
The students, though initially shocked by the "yourselves" revelation, couldn’t help but smile at her words, their eyes glowing once more, now with a fierce determination fueled by the promise of immense rewards and the thrill of the challenge.
"Listen well, and listen good. You will have to fight without your beasts, but I will make things easier."
She pointed towards the far wall of the training arena, where an impressive array of different types of weapons were neatly lined up.
"Go and pick a weapon. Don’t worry, if someone ’dies’ on the map, they’ll simply be teleported back here, safe and sound."
The students nodded eagerly, a fresh wave of excitement washing over them. With a unified rush, they surged towards the weapons, a chaotic yet eager mass. Only Christopher, and a female student remained standing still, seemingly uninterested in the arsenal.
"Aren’t you choosing a weapon?" Monica asked, a slight smirk playing on her lips, even though she already knew his answer.
The female student remained silent, not saying anything.
"Don’t need one," Christopher replied, his tone flat, his confidence absolute.
’He faced Chloe with his bare hands, so he can definitely secure a spot in the top ten without one... But?’ Monica gaze move to the young lady, and sighed.
’What a good opportunity.’
Christopher mused internally, a genuine smile gracing his lips.
’I can finally use most of my skills, and the second skill I got from Tiamat.’ He felt a surge of anticipation.
[Five Minutes Later.]
The students had all gathered back, but to Christopher’s and Monica’s surprise, most of them were also now clad in various forms of armor, meticulously chosen from another section of the arena. Their preparedness was unexpected.
"Okay..." Monica said, a small, playful shake of her head betraying her amusement. "Please, drop your Beast Artifacts."
Monica waved her hand, and a polished, obsidian bowl shimmered into existence before the students, its surface gleaming.
Those who trusted their beast’s strength and loyalty, confident in their ability to protect their most valuable asset, summoned their creatures and handed their life force rings to them. Christopher, too, summoned Grim.
The centipede materialized before Christopher, and he entrusted his life force ring to Grim, issuing a single, potent command:
’Kill anyone who tries to take it from you.’
The centipede’s many segments rippled, and it bowed his head, a silent affirmation of agreement to Christopher’s will.
Others, who perhaps didn’t possess beasts powerful enough to safeguard their artifacts, or simply preferred the principal’s secure keeping, handed their rings directly to Monica for safekeeping. With this final crucial step completed, everyone was finally ready.
"Now... your teams." Monica snapped her fingers, and the obsidian bowl vanished from sight as swiftly as it had appeared.
"We already have our team."
The voices of Katherine and Chloe resonated in unison, clear and confident.
Every head in the arena whipped around to see Katherine, Chloe, Leyla, and Advika standing in a united front beside Christopher, who seemed utterly speechless.
Monica herself, along with the entire assembly of students, was momentarily stunned by this unexpected formation.
"This can’t be accepted!" Adrian quickly and vehemently disagreed, his voice laced with frustration.
"Principal Monica, how can we possibly win against that team?!" he demanded, gesturing wildly towards Christopher’s group.
"That is on you," Monica retorted, her voice sharp, a slight frown creasing her brow.
"They already have their team. What about yours?" she challenged, her gaze firm.
Adrian was left utterly speechless, caught off guard by her direct and unyielding response.
"Don’t worry, we can do this."
A determined voice cut through the tension. It belonged to a girl who had partaken in last year’s academy competition, a veteran of these trials.
"Yes... They only have Christopher and Chloe, but we have the three of us, and Mariana and Mitchell. We can’t lose," another male student chimed in, attempting to rally the spirits of their contingent.
"Even if we don’t take top one, we will surely secure a place in the top six or below," the girl added, trying to inject a sense of practical optimism.
’So ignorant.’ Monica sighed inwardly, her gaze drifting past the boisterous students to the lady, who stood silently some meters away, observing the proceedings with an almost imperceptible air of detachment.
It wasn’t just Monica who had detected the girl. Both Christopher and Chloe, with their heightened senses, had also been aware of her subtle presence for a long time.
Monica: ’Concealing your life force? What level is she on that even when concealing her strength, I can still feel it? This new student isn’t simple.’
Christopher: ’Hmm... Why does her life force feel so familiar?’
He looked over his shoulder, his gaze settling on the blonde hair of the mysterious student.
’I can tell you about her; if you promise to read me a bedtime story.’ Tiamat’s mischievous voice sounded in his head, a playful purr underlying her words.
’I already refused you a hundred times last time. I will never.’
Christopher spat out inwardly, a flash of annoyance.
’So annoying,’ Tiamat grumbled, her mental voice radiating mock indignation. ’As your master, shouldn’t you be taking care of me?!’
’I thought a master is the one that’s supposed to take care of the student?’ Christopher retorted, a faint smirk touching his lips.
Tiamat was left speechless for a moment, her usual quick wit momentarily failing her.
Chloe, observing the blonde-haired girl from her own perspective, gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
’I can handle Leyla, who just joined the academy, and it’s a good thing she is with us.’ she thought, analyzing her new teammates.
’But what about that blonde hair? She joined the weakest group among the students, and doesn’t even have a Beast Artifact. I will have to keep a close watch on her.’
Monica cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to her, then began, her voice resonating with finality: