Chapter 47: Additional Members
Elizabeth Starlight stood tall and unfazed. Her icy blue hair cascaded down her graceful figure, while her deep blue eyes were locked onto two fallen orcs lying beneath her feet.
Judging by the destruction in the nearby area, a battle had taken place not too long ago.
Yet her breathing was relaxed. Her chest rose and fell calmly with each breath she took, as if she were merely taking a stroll in the park.
She observed the two slain monsters and reached out, using the teleportation ring on her finger to transport them somewhere for examination, adding them to her final score.
Before the group of awakeners watching her from afar could call out to get her attention, she noticed their presence.
"Show yourself."
Her voice was collected, neither hostile nor friendly, yet her words alone made it clear this wasn’t a mere request.
Elizabeth turned her head to the side, her face coming fully into view. She looked directly at the awakeners observing her movements. There wasn’t a trace of emotion in her gaze, and her red lips remained pressed into a thin line.
Shudders passed down the spines of those who met her gaze. The thought of the renowned descendant of the Starlight household noticing them had once been a dream for many, yet now, after finding themselves under her icy stare, it felt more like a nightmare.
"Ah... hahaha... What a small world we live in..." William was the first to step forward.
He had already interacted with Elizabeth once before the start of the examination, and since most saw him as the group’s leader, he didn’t have the option of cowering at the side.
"It seems we meet again, Lady Elizabeth." Samantha followed soon after. Coming out of hiding, she gripped both sides of her robe and performed a respectful greeting bow.
The two quickly noticed that Elizabeth was, in fact, not alone. A group of awakeners was quietly following her, their numbers similar to their own. If they were to combine forces, their numbers would exceed forty!
"Our meeting here must be the work of fate. Since we have all been caught in the Void Believers’ scheme, wouldn’t you say this makes it the perfect opportunity for us to work together toward a common goal?" She suggested with a faint smile.
Samantha’s suggestion ignited a newfound hope in those behind her.
"No way! Teaming up with Elizabeth Starlight?!"
"We might really stand a chance!"
"Certainly! Who needs numbers when we have her on our side?"
Elizabeth blinked slowly, examining the awakeners one by one.
"I am sorry. I work alone."
However, her refusal shattered that hope in an instant.
"What?" Samantha was taken aback, her eyes narrowing toward the team behind Elizabeth. "Then what about them?"
"They follow me of their own accord. They don’t interfere in my fights, nor are they trying to steal my kills, so I let them be." Elizabeth’s expression remained neutral as she replied.
"So basically, she has remained acting solo until now, and the awakeners she met along the way have stuck around to avoid facing deadly monsters on their own." Leonard concluded.
Losing interest, Elizabeth turned, ready to leave, until Harley ran up to her.
"Wait! Wandering around carelessly is dangerous! What would you do if everyone stopped following you and you found yourself in a pinch? Do you even have a plan for that?"
She couldn’t understand how Elizabeth was so unbothered after they had been separated from the academy staff and transported to a completely unknown location.
That went far beyond even Leonard’s and Winston’s calmness, since they at least tended to move together, while she acted entirely on her own.
Elizabeth shrugged. "I don’t need a plan, and it doesn’t matter where I’m going. The monsters I kill will be added to my final score and evaluate my performance. That’s all that matters. Sooner or later, we’ll be found by the academy, and all of this will be settled."
"But that sounds too reckless... Isn’t she afraid that she might get overwhelmed and die?" Winston nudged Leonard lightly as he whispered.
"Then I die." Elizabeth replied, effortlessly catching the whisper.
"It will simply mean I didn’t have it in me to survive any longer. As a potential heir to the Starlight Household, relying on others to bail me out of trouble will be the same as admitting defeat."
Damon’s words constantly rang in her ears. She couldn’t afford to disappoint her father any longer. She had to prove herself worthy at all cost.
The onlookers couldn’t help it but gossiped among themselves.
"Damn... that’s a really twisted way of thinking."
"No wonder they call her the Ice Queen!"
"Guess those born into the upper class are really different from us..."
Unlike the others, Leonard wasn’t shocked by the sight. He had grown up amidst his siblings and had gotten used to such mindsets. Albeit taken to the extreme, Elizabeth’s obsession with proving herself wasn’t rare among those born into the most influential households.
To be honest, he didn’t have any business to convince her to stay with them. Perhaps teaming up with her could lead to further benefits down the road...
However, that only held true under the controlled environment of the academy’s entrance exam. With the external factor of the Void Believers at play, he wasn’t willing to take any chances.
"In the end, it’s all about earning the highest score so you can be ranked first, right? Then I suggest you come with us... Otherwise, I fear the top spot might slip from your grasp." Leonard remarked casually, cutting the conversations around them short.
Elizabeth’s gaze lingered on him.
"Elaborate."
He scoffed.
"The ordinary orcs you have been subduing around the forest won’t be enough to offset the difference in score that will be earned upon killing much stronger enemies."
He paused briefly, letting the silence settle, then pointed toward the black smoke rising into the sky.
"We are heading toward the orc camp not far from here. The tribe has kidnapped a few of our people and possesses an amulet that can send a distress signal. Our goal is to retrieve them both. But to do that, we have to deal with the Orc Shaman and the other monsters there. Once this is all over, somebody might just earn a higher score than you."
She tilted her head to the side, considering his words. Then she changed her course toward the orc camp and silently continued her stride.
"Thankfully, it worked." Leonard said in contentment, exhaling the air he had unknowingly been holding.
"Good job on convincing her to come in the same direction as us. Since she is the furthest ahead, she would get rid of the orcs before they reach us." Harley nodded in approval.
"Yeah... but are we sure this is the right approach? I mean, what if the rumors are exaggerated and she isn’t as strong as people make her out to be?" Winston theorized.
Just then an orc came out of hiding.
Elizabeth didn’t even spare the creature a glance.
"Ice Pillar."
Her skill created a thin ice pillar that shot forward and pierced the orc’s head. The monster toppled to its knees, dead on the spot.
"We got our answer." Leonard shrugged and moved forward.