Capítulo 29: First Position, Baby
Chapter - 29
Stepping through the exit, we found ourselves back in the academy's atrium, where only the three instructors stood waiting for us. There were no other students in sight, just Ares, Athena, and Hecate, each radiating their own brand of disappointment.
Ares stepped forward first, his arms crossed, looking us up and down like we were the filth on the bottom of his boots. "Team 53," he began, his voice dripping with disdain, "do you have any idea how long you took to complete your trial? I've witnessed plenty of underwhelming attempts, but this is the most pitiful performance I've seen in all my years here. You barely made it to the exit before it sealed itself! Go to your quarters, pack your belongings, and prepare to leave the academy—you're expelled."
Athena shook her head, her usually calm face tinged with disappointment. "You were expected to show resilience, teamwork, and above all, efficiency. Jennifer, Cassia, It pains me to see students with potential squander it this way. I had hoped you two would demonstrate more."
Hecate said nothing, her eyes cold as she looked us over, assessing, scrutinizing. She didn't need to say anything, really.
Beside me, Jennifer's face had turned chalk-white, and Cassia was no better. Both of them opened their mouths, stumbling over words, trying desperately to explain. Their sentences trailed off into fragments due to their nervousness.
That's when I stepped forward, still carrying my pack. "Wait a moment," I said firmly, silencing their frantic explanations. I could feel all three instructors' gazes shift to me, but I kept my eyes on Ares.
Ares's glare intensified as I moved closer, but I ignored it, reaching into my pack and retrieving the first handful of monster tags. I held them out and, one by one, let them drop into his open palm. The clinking sound seemed to echo through the quiet courtyard. "Twenty-three tags," I said evenly, watching as his fingers closed around them.
Ares counted them quickly, his eyebrows raising slightly. "Your monster kill points are adequate," he said, his tone grudging. "But it doesn't change the fact that you wasted time. Your score for efficiency is abysmal, and without that, you still don't pass." The monster tags within his palms then shimmered, before vanishing.
I nodded, letting a faint smile creep onto my face. "Unfortunate, indeed." Then, I casually began rummaging in my pack again, making a show of it as if I were searching for something trivial. "Hold on… seems I missed one."
I let the suspense build, watching as Ares's scowl deepened. Finally, I pulled out the final tag—the one I'd taken from the Quorvath. "Oh, sorry," I said, letting my voice carry a note of mock apology. "I forgot about this one."
I held it up just long enough for Ares to see it clearly, then handed it over. He stared at the tag, his eyes narrowing as he took in the unique design, the unmistakable insignia that marked it as belonging to a higher-level monster.
For a long moment, silence hung in the air as he inspected it, turning it over in his hand as though expecting it to be a forgery. His usual smug expression slipped, his haughty demeanor wavering as he realized what he held. This wasn't just another common monster tag—this was from the Quorvath, the only level-two monster in the entire trial zone. I could practically see his mind racing as he processed it.
Athena's eyes widened as she recognized the tag, her usual calm breaking with a look of surprise. Even Hecate's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer.
Finally, Ares spoke, though his voice was more subdued than before. "You… defeated the Quorvath?"
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "It was a challenge. But we managed." I kept my voice level, but inside, I was savoring every second of the look on his face. Knocking a god down a peg felt like a rare and delicious victory, and I wasn't going to miss the chance to enjoy it.
A monster like the Quorvath wasn't meant to be defeated by first-year students. Its presence in the trial area served a different purpose: to give the talented and strong a taste of the dangers awaiting them in the Celestial Gate, where they couldn't always expect a fair fight. It was there to teach them that sometimes, survival meant knowing when to retreat rather than getting themselves killed.
"Well, it would appear that…" Athena's tone had shifted. "You've exceeded expectations. In fact," she continued, "Team 53 has achieved the highest score in the trial due to the additional points from this tag. First position."
Cassia let out a small gasp, barely able to contain her excitement, her eyes darting between us and the instructors. Jennifer's eyes widened, her face flushed with a mix of shock and pride. I felt a surge of satisfaction ripple through me as I looked up to meet Athena's mesmerising gray eyes.
Hecate tilted her head, her expression inscrutable. "To take down a monster of that level in your first trial is commendable. It demonstrates both resilience and tactical skill, despite the apparent lapse in timing."
The instructors exchanged glances, their earlier disappointment gone, replaced by something much closer to respect. Ares's jaw was still set tight, but he gave a curt nod. "Very well. Congratulations on your… achievement. But don't think for a second that this will earn you any special treatment."
He cast one final look at us before turning on his heel and stalking off, the other instructors following in his wake.
As they disappeared, Cassia let out a laugh, clapping her hand over her mouth as if she couldn't believe what just happened. "First place! I can't believe it. We did it!"
I turned back toward Jennifer. She shot me a quick glare as I bent down, scooping her up without hesitation. She started to protest, but it faded quickly as I adjusted my grip, her arm settling around my neck.
"Blondie, I'd love nothing more than to find a bed and collapse right now," I muttered, a tired smirk on my face. "But my mother raised me to take care of ladies, and that's exactly what I'm doing."
This time, she didn't look away. Instead, she rested her cheek against my shoulder, her gaze lingering on me. Cassia grinned, falling in step to guide us toward the healing ward.
Once we arrived, I gently lowered Jennifer onto one of the cots, and Cassia took a seat beside her. With a quick nod to them both, I turned and headed back toward my dorm.
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