Bab 18: Chapter 18: Grouping!
For anyone in the class, Alicia and Lilith were the absolute top-tier teammates. Aside from their beauty, both of them were also highly reliable in terms of strength.
After all, they were the only two Magic Users in the class!
"By the way, I almost forgot we also have a great Magic User in our class, Lord Eric. Whoever gets him as a teammate is really in for a stroke of luck!" Kevin didn't miss the opportunity to mock Eric once again.
As soon as Kevin's words fell, laughter erupted throughout the class. Andy, the red-haired guy, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "You freak! What are you doing here today? Looking for trouble? This is a real Exotic Beasts hunt!"
Alicia couldn't help but glance back, her concern clear. She also thought Eric shouldn't have shown up after all, the practical training was dangerous.
Kevin laughed and then leaned toward his friends, saying, "I bet no one wants to team up with this guy."
"Isn't that right, Lilith? Do you want to be on the same team as that guy, or would you rather have a strong man protecting you?" Kevin winked at Lilith, showing off his muscles as he spoke.
Lilith turned her head slightly to look at him, then thought for a moment before saying, "Eric."
"Huh? Honey, you really like to joke around," Kevin replied, somewhat surprised, but still grinning.
Lilith, however, didn't engage further and turned her attention back to the front.
Andy, sitting next to Kevin, couldn't help but whisper, "Boss, did you notice? Lilith seems a bit preoccupied today, and she keeps glancing over at Eric. Do you think something's going on between them?"
Kevin immediately punched him on the head. "Nonsense! What could those two possibly have? Keep talking nonsense and I'll knock you out!"
"Everyone, please quiet down!" From the front of the room, Professor Lester called for silence, his tone serious. "We're starting the drawing now! I will announce the results after the draw is finished!"
Ten minutes later, the grouping was complete.
Kevin looked at the list for his group, his expression shifting between joy and worry. He was overjoyed to see Lilith in his group, along with three of his friends.
However, the one thing that bothered him was seeing that Alicia wasn't in his group.
Not only that, but Alicia had been grouped with Eric!
"This is outrageous! How could this happen?!" Kevin clenched his fists in frustration.
Andy, sensing his frustration, tried to calm him down. "Boss, relax. Sure, Alicia isn't with you, but there's a big advantage in this situation!"
Andy, who was also in Kevin's group, analyzed the situation. "Right now, our biggest competitor in the class is Alicia. And now that Alicia has such an outstanding teammate, it's clear the scholarship is ours!"
Hearing this, Kevin immediately brightened up, throwing his arm around Andy's neck. "You're absolutely right! You're pretty smart, I don't know why I didn't think of that!"
On the other side, Alicia's face darkened slightly as she looked at her group.
"Kevin's group is definitely very strong. They're probably my biggest opponents this time…" Alicia thought to herself.
The class had been divided into four groups, and the strongest ones were Kevin's and Alicia's. After all, both groups had a Magic User.
"The class president, it's time to go," one of the boys in Alicia's group reminded her, and Alicia immediately stood up, nodding.
They were about to head out to line up and take a vehicle to the Novice Exotic Beasts area.
The five members of Alicia's group gathered together. Although everyone said that being on the same team as Eric was the unluckiest thing that could happen, none of them openly complained about him like Kevin did. Instead, everyone was offering encouragement.
Once they were outside the classroom, Alicia took the initiative to speak to Eric. "Eric, we're teammates for this activity. You can just stay at the back, I'll take care of protecting you."
Eric, who had been silent up until then, gave a slight smile upon hearing this. "A man shouldn't let a girl protect him. Class president, thank you for helping me last time. I won't forget what I said on the bus."
Alicia, slightly confused, blinked at him. "What did you say last time?"
Before she could dwell on it further, all the groups boarded the bus, heading to the Low-level Exotic Beasts area that Eric had visited before.
After all, this was the only area near Black City specifically designated for beginners, with the lowest level of danger.
Other Exotic Beasts zones were far more unpredictable, making them much more dangerous.
"Lester isn't coming with us. This group activity will be pretty free, but I need to remind you all…" On the bus, Alicia turned to the other four and said, "I'll be the group leader this time, so you all need to listen to me."
The others nodded in agreement without objection. Alicia was the class president, known for her strong sense of responsibility, and her abilities were also the most impressive.
Alicia continued, "As far as I know, this Exotic Beasts area is divided into the Inner Area and the Outer Area. With our current strength, the most we can handle are level-1 Exotic Beasts."
"So, we absolutely must not enter the Inner Area. Understood?" Alicia's expression was serious.
The others immediately nodded in agreement. Of course, they knew this. Who would disregard their own life? Even within the level-1 beasts, there were plenty of dangerous ones, not to mention the stronger ones.
Only Eric remained silent. He had spent three days training in seclusion at home, already planning that when he returned to the Exotic Beasts area, he would aim to hunt Advanced-level beasts.
Otherwise, fighting level-1 Exotic Beasts would be nothing but a waste of time for Eric at his current level.
However, although Eric didn't speak up, no one seemed to care about his opinion.
An hour later, the bus arrived at the destination. The four groups disembarked, facing the vast Exotic Beasts area, surrounded by a high fence. The students reacted differently.
Some were excited, others were scared, while Kevin, the school's top dog, was already pumped up.
"Finally, it's time to show off my manly charm! Watch closely, everyone, and see how I easily take first place!" Kevin warmed up, grinning arrogantly.
Then he shot a glance at Alicia. "Sorry,class president, but I'll be taking the scholarship. After all, one of your teammates is…"
His words were clearly pointed, as he cast a mocking look at Eric.
Alicia ignored him.
The group then started walking toward the entrance of the Exotic Beasts area.
Eric noticed that there were more guards than usual at the guard station by the side of the road. Besides Brutus, there were four or five fully-armed men.
Brutus was currently talking to some students in front of him. "Your school already informed me in advance. You can go in, boys, but remember the safety precautions."
"Do not enter the Inner Area! If you encounter any danger, call me immediately!" Brutus's tone was steady as he instructed the group of students.
"Impressive. The guards here must be strong, considering there are only a few of them guarding such a large Exotic Beasts area," some of the students murmured among themselves.
Kevin said, "Of course. People like him are well-known figures in all of Black City."
As the students were entering the Exotic Beasts area, Brutus suddenly spotted Eric among the crowd. He called out, "Hey, isn't that Eric? I didn't know you were from this school. Going hunting again today?"
The last time Eric came here alone, he managed to take down two big beasts, leaving a strong impression on Brutus, who had worked in the area for years.
As a result, Brutus remembered Eric's name.
When Eric noticed Brutus greeting him, he gave a slight smile. "Yeah, hey there."
The others immediately showed expressions of surprise. Kevin furrowed his brows. "What's going on? Who was that guard just talking to?"
Lilith replied, "It's Eric."
Andy widened his eyes. "Why is he greeting Eric? Has that guy been here before? Or does he have some kind of connection with the guards?"
"Don't be ridiculous. That guy's been here? Nonsense." Kevin sneered and shrugged. "But I suppose even a clown can have a little bit of a network."
This small interaction was quickly forgotten as the students continued heading into the Exotic Beasts area.
Alicia walked next to Eric and addressed the rest of the group. "Everyone, stay close and don't scatter. I need to remind you of a few things before we go deeper."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone