Chapter 57: Assessment Begins
The crowd dispersed as the show had ended, none of them wanting to linger and risk bearing Kaelen’s wrath. But what had happened here would surely spread throughout the city like wildfire before the day’s end.
The attendants of Kaelen immediately rushed to help him up, seeing their young master still kneeling on the ground, trembling. After they managed to lift him, he pushed them away in frustration, even slapping one of them across the face with a sharp crack.
"How are you all so useless?" he spat, his voice seething with anger and humiliation. His pride had been shattered, crushed under the weight of a woman’s gaze. The guards he had brought, the ones he thought he was safe with, had become useless and meaningless when faced with true danger.
His crimson eyes burned as he watched Lucien’s carriage disappear into the crowd, his fists clenching at his sides.
"Garry," he called out, his voice low and cold.
A figure emerged from the shadows nearby, moving with silent steps before kneeling on the ground before him. The man was clad in dark armour, his face hidden beneath a hood, but his posture radiated fear and submission.
"Forgive me, Young Master," Garry said, his voice trembling slightly. "I have failed you. That woman... her strength is beyond anything I’ve ever sensed. I couldn’t even muster the will to move, let alone protect you."
Kaelen’s jaw tightened, his nails digging into his palms. "Failed me? Failed me?! You were supposed to be my shield, my sword my father had given me....."
He couldn’t continue due to frustration and helplessness, almost spitting out blood.
Garry lowered his head further, his voice barely a whisper. "She is... not an ordinary woman, Young Master. Her aura alone crushed my cultivation. I have never felt anything like it. She is like a monster wearing a woman’s skin."
Kaelen fell silent, suppressing his anger in his heart. He knew that Garry was right. He had been under the suffocating pressure and had felt the unknown abyss that had stared back at him through her golden eyes.
But despite this, he wanted revenge. There was no way he was taking this lying down, especially remembering the aura of that weakling. Even though he couldn’t take care of the woman, he must take care of that weakling.
"Find out who they are," Kaelen ordered, his voice cold and sharp. "I want to know everything about them, where they came from, who they serve, and why they are here."
He turned to face his guard, his crimson eyes burning with malice.
"If my guess serves me right, the young man might have come for the Aethel Academy enrolment and would go through its assessment, which means there’s a higher possibility of meeting. As for the young woman, with her strength, that means she can’t go through it, which means...."
Excitement of revenge boiled in the heart of Kaelen. This was his turf, and he would make sure he makes Lucien regret ever offending him.
Lucien was unaware of this, but he had predicted so. They rented a house and lodged in it for the rest of the day they were going to spend here.
Meanwhile, the next day came in the blink of an eye. The special invitee card was the one who woke him up as a voice came out.
"Special Invitee – Lucien Veyrion,
Your assessment begins at dawn. Proceed to the eastern gates of Draktharion City. Enter the Crimson Vale. Hunt, Collect, Survive.
Your mission is to collect twenty volkoid cores from volkoids at the Spirit Realm within the Crimson Vale.
— Aethel Academy."
A holographic screen displayed this content, shining with a soft blue light.
Looking at this message, Lucien knew the assessment had started, but he didn’t expect it to take such a turn. Still, he understood the actions of the Aethel Academy. Most people would be given different missions, and this was simply a way to cut off the large numbers of enrollees before the real test began.
"So what’s your next plan? When are you going?" Seraphina asked him, rubbing her eyes slightly.
Lucien smiled at her and said, "Good morning."
"As for when I’m going, I think now would be the best option. Most of us should have been given this mission, and it’s not like the Volkoids are unlimited."
He said as he began to do the needful and dress up.
"I’m going to follow you," Seraphina said in a non-refutable tone.
Lucien looked at her and sighed. He knew there was no way she was going to stay here.
"Okay, but you need to stay hidden and don’t support me in anything. Since there are no rules, that doesn’t mean some actions will be allowed," Lucien told her.
As he said this, the card changed. The words on the holographic screen shifted.
"Assessors, read the following rules. Violating them will lead to the end of your assessment," a male voice came through.
Lucien and Seraphina went through it. Lucien shook his head when he read the rules; it was a bit expected.
Killing of participants is not allowed.
Any external assistance will lead to disqualification or expulsion from the assessment.
Each participant will be given a token. Till the end of the assessment, the token must not break, or they will be disqualified, which means the participants must protect their token.
The time limit of the assessment is from sunrise to sunset. If one is not back to the city before sunset, they will be considered disqualified.
Cores of the volkoid are not allowed to be stolen. As long as the person kills the volkoid, the core belongs to the killer.
Teams among participants are allowed, up to 5 members.
These were the rules of the assessment.
Lucien turned to Seraphina. "You see, you can’t follow me. Don’t worry, there’s no way I will die."
In numerous locations across Draktharion City, every participant who had received their assessment card and were preparing for the hunt all received the same message simultaneously.
Their eyes lit up as their hearts pounded. Everyone’s blood began to boil with anticipation and determination as they all turned their gazes toward the eastern gates, where the Crimson Vale awaited.
The assessment had begun..