The rank he received left everyone in shock. The word displayed there was one that no one anticipated.
, it was inscribed upon the crystal, its image projected for viewing from every angle.
Following a moment of stunned silence, laughter broke out among many students who had expected a formidable figure but saw only a minor sidekick. His rank was even lower than that of several students of slight stature who had awakened to the rank class.
The laughter spread among many students, some teachers, and even the Principal. However, a few did not join in, including Tess, Lyre, Lucas himself, and notably Evan, who, despite the shock from the aura Lucas exuded, managed to conceal his unsettling grin. The aura was of a kind that no one would expect any creature but dragons to emit, and now Evan was convinced that Lucas possessed this draconic trait.
The reason only Evan recognized it was that none had ever faced a dragon in battle, except for Evan, albeit in a past life. Yet, he could assert with certainty that it was the draconic skill known as 'dragon fear'.
Evan was confident that Lucas's rank would eventually ascend to SSS status.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Darian stepped forward, blocking Lucas's path downward.
"Hey, kid, do you mind if I ask you something?" he inquired, considering giving the youngster a chance to join the association.
"Yes, sir, how may I assist you? But please, don't waste my time with pointless recruitment like yours, as I believe I could find a better offer even from a lesser guild," Lucas replied, his smile unwavering.
"Kid, watch your tone as I can kill you whenever I want as you are just ant in front of me right now." Darian said while anger in his eyes.
"Oh, sir first mind your own tone as trying to threaten me of murdering me in broad day light is too shameless." Lucas said with a straight face.
"What?" The principal was taken aback, uttering the word that had slipped from his thoughts.
Whispers and murmurs spread among the students about Lucas's audacity.
"Guys, I think Lucas has lost his senses after being assigned to a lower rank class; he must have a brain problem now," one student speculated, earning nods of agreement from others.
Darian remained silent, his face turning a shade of tomato red.
"Kid, watch your language before you provoke sir's anger," Miriam interjected, attempting to apologize to Darian, who was now trying to contain his fury.
"But sir, he was wasting my time, and didn't you say we should save our time for more important tasks?" Lucas retorted, feigning innocence as if he hadn't said anything offensive.
"Sir, don't listen to his words..." Miriam was about to escort Lucas away when Darian's anger erupted.
"Stop... Listen, kid, do you think you're some kind of prodigy, that any guild would welcome you with open arms as if you're a genius? You're delusional. After you've exhausted all options to join a guild and failed, then you'll come to me. I'll consider letting you in, but only after you've groveled and apologized," Darian declared, venting his frustration yet restraining himself, not wanting to cause a scene or harm the boy.
"Okay, let's see then, who will apologize first," Lucas said, igniting a flare of hatred in Darian's heart.
"Sir, please wait, let's discuss this," the Principal implored, but Darian did not stop.
"Mariam, listen, I am leaving because I can't bear to look at that kid any longer. Finish the ceremony yourself and once it's over, place this paper on the crystal. It will absorb the formation on its own," Darian instructed, mindful not to let a single student's mistake provoke his anger at the school, as he handed over the mana-infused sheet.
Then, opening his grimoire, he vanished from the spot as if he had never been there.
"Lucas, what have you done? Couldn't you just apologize to Darian? You were too harsh," the Principal scolded the momentarily dazed Lucas, whose face then broke into a wild grin as if he had won the lottery.
"Lucas... Lucas!" the Principal called out, snapping Lucas out of his reverie.
"Oh, yes sir, I was just pondering something," Lucas replied, acting as if nothing had occurred. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Miriam suspected the boy was suffering from depression due to his low rank and his recent odd behavior. She contemplated fabricating a story to regain Darian's trust.
"Alright, go back and don't cause any more trouble," he directed, and Lucas nodded, descending the stairs to rejoin his class line.
"Hi, Lucas, are you okay?" Tess inquired, her concern evident in her tone.
"Oh, Tess... I mean, Miss. I'm okay, just need some time to think," he replied, catching the glare in her eyes.
"Okay, go back there and sit for a while," she suggested, her worry for him growing.
"Yes, thank you," he responded and walked back towards a tree to sit beneath it.
As he walked away, a hidden smile played on his lips, unseen by all but one pair of eyes. Evan was observing him intently, like a hawk eyeing its prey.
He scrutinized Lucas's every move, gauging his reactions, becoming increasingly certain that Lucas was indeed his target.
Meanwhile, Lyre was also concerned. Lucas was behaving oddly, and she knew him well enough to notice. He was always respectful to elders, but his current demeanor was out of character.
Seeing his behavior today, she couldn't help but wonder if he was grappling with a deep depression due to the class.
She pondered ways to assist him when Tess began calling the next number of kids.
The process of awakening proceeded without further incident, and once it concluded, the second section's student trials were complete, readying the stage for the next group.
-- To be continued --
A/N: Hello guys and I hope you all guys like the chapter and the will be also posted few minutes later so be patient and just enjoy the delicious thing I prepared for you all.