Free Web NovelChapter 19: The Three Prodigies
Silas glanced between the floating number displayed on his wristwatch and Darius’s retreating figure.
’Something feels wrong... Terribly wrong.’
He replayed everything that had happened during the test, and the more he thought about it, the more the entire situation seemed suspicious.
First, there was Darius.
The test had thrown Silas into countless dangerous situations, yet throughout all of them, Darius had remained the one constant truth amid uncertainty and deception. However, it had become increasingly obvious that his friend was hiding something.
’He must be hiding something.’
Then there was the matter of the rankings.
He was certain that the number of monster cores he and Darius had collected was nearly identical. The difference should have been a little more than a hundred cores, which came from the first monster wave. Even when they divided the loot, Darius had insisted on contributing all his own cores to the shared pile.
’One hundred cores can’t explain such a gap. Something else must have happened.
Silas knew very little about the academy’s assessment procedures, but he was convinced that something had gone wrong.
’Sooner or later, I’ll get to the bottom of all this.’
While he pondered these matters, the rest of the students had erupted into commotion. News that three Lisan Al-Gaia students were among the newly admitted class spread like wildfire. More than two hundred and fifty Enhancers immediately began searching for them, eager to identify the academy’s newest prodigies.
Finding the first two proved surprisingly easy. One of them seemed to have no intention of hiding. It was the same student whose name Silas had heard from Darius’s friend earlier: Leopard.
As Silas studied him, he quickly realised that he was the same young man who had caught his attention among the G-Enhancers outside the closed gates.
At first glance, Leopard Sereloth did not appear arrogant. Yet he carried himself with an effortless confidence that bordered on superiority. There was something about him that made people instinctively believe he was destined for greatness. He looked like the kind of person who would one day become a hero.
It had little to do with his tall athletic build, broad shoulders, or academy uniform. It was the certainty he possessed that gave everyone such an impression. It was the certainty of someone who knew exactly what he was capable of.
His black hair fell slightly past his ears, streaked naturally with silver. It was somewhat messy, forcing him to brush loose strands away from his eyes every so often. Those eyes were a striking shade of gold, sharp and intense without carrying even a trace of hostility. And yet, they were quite difficult to read.
His lightly bronzed skin hinted at countless hours spent training under open skies.
Even among the fifteen G-Enhancers, Leopard stood apart. Without speaking a single word, he naturally commanded the space around him. The students nearby unconsciously formed a loose circle, giving him room without realising they were doing so.
The second Lisan Al-Gaia student was a girl named Cher Avaron.
Silas learned her identity thanks to one of the G-Enhancers standing beside Leopard. The young man loudly pointed her out, announcing both her presence and her name to everyone nearby.
The seemingly casual act brought a faint frown to her delicate face. Even so, she kept her head high and her expression calm, refusing to show any discomfort despite being exposed against her will. Silas could not recall noticing her earlier, which only increased his curiosity.
When she was first identified, she had been standing alone. Moments later, a crowd of students swarmed toward her. Yet with graceful ease, she slipped free from the gathering and returned to standing alone, only farther away than before.
Her hair was a deep silver with subtle blue undertones that perfectly complemented her striking violet eyes. She constantly observed her surroundings, her gaze moving slowly yet sharply across the crowd.
For some reason, she reminded Silas of a predator. She gave the impression of someone calmly evaluating every potential threat around her, every potential gain she could get.
She also gave Silas a strong sense of competitiveness. She seemed like the type of person who despised losing and refused to settle for second place.
Ironically, that was exactly where she had ranked.
When someone loudly mentioned her second-place ranking near Leopard’s group, Cher’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her head tilted to one side for a brief moment before her composed mask returned, colder than before.
"We know two of the Lisan Al-Gaias in our class now. Who’s the third? Does anyone know?"
After several minutes of speculation, someone finally voiced the question. The words fell over the crowd, and an odd silence followed.
"I know who it is. It’s Darius’ friend, Silas. He’s very strong, and he’s over there."
The calm voice cut through the silence like a thunderclap. Silas immediately recognised it. It was Montar, Darius’ rude G-Enhancer friend, who dragged him away minutes ago. And the reason behind knowing all this information about him wasn’t surprising; it was Darius.
Silas instantly looked for his dear friend around. To his surprise, Darius was not standing with the G-Enhancers. Instead, he was surrounded by a large group of ordinary students and openly pointing in Silas’s direction. As for Montar, he was standing just beside Leopard.
"I heard that he came from an orphanage, but he’s incredibly capable. Honestly, Darius wouldn’t have survived the test without him. That’s why his ranking being only sixty-nine is so surprising." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Darius seemed to share far more information with Montar than what Silas imagined. And now, Montar was telling more things than anyone had asked for.
Silas suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to walk over and punch him. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, as every head turned toward him.
Thankfully, the details Montar had revealed acted as an unexpected shield. Learning about Silas’s humble background and mediocre ranking quickly dampened most people’s interest. Their curiosity remained, but not enough to motivate them to approach him.
Even so, Silas disliked being exposed like that. For the first time, he understood exactly how Cher had felt. Almost instinctively, he glanced in her direction, and to his surprise, she was already looking at him.
Their gazes locked, and Cher did not blink. The silent exchange lasted only a few moments, but it was enough to attract someone else’s attention: Leopard.
The young man’s eyes narrowed slightly, a rare frown appearing on his face before vanishing almost immediately.
A moment later, Cher looked away. And yet, for a reason, Silas kept looking at her for a few more seconds. For a reason he couldn’t tell, her eyes looked quite distant, quite troubled, looked exactly like how he looked at the mirror.
In such a brief exchange, he felt like Cher wasn’t that much different from himself, and yet not quite similar either.
Then Silas glanced around and discovered that most students had already lost interest in him. That realisation made him inwardly chuckle.
’At least I’m not in the spotlight. I hate being in the spotlight.’
At that moment, his wristwatch buzzed. The same notification had been sent to every student. The academy had released the list of available classes for the new year, along with the rewards attached to each student’s ranking.
’I can choose up to five classes and receive five white-grade mana crystals every day. Plus a private dormitory with a training room... not bad.’
Silas quickly skimmed through the long list of classes and benefits. Each class was matched with a miniature map, with directions to make it easier for students to move through the immense scale of the academy without getting lost. Before he could open the dormitory map, Darius approached him.
"I’m sorry about Montar... I didn’t know he had such a big mouth." The first thing Darius said was an apology. Yet it was received with a simple shrug from his friend and no response.
"I tried asking about the assessment," Darius said apologetically. "The teachers shut me down immediately. I still can’t understand how you ended up with that ranking."
"It’s not that bad."
Silas closed the holographic display.
"By the way, you’re a G-Enhancer, aren’t you? You’re not from an ordinary family."
The direct question caught Darius off guard. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, acting more nervous than ever.
"It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything one day."
As though eager to avoid the topic, he immediately changed the subject.
"I got my ranking perks. I can choose up to ten classes, request a private tutor for one class each week, and receive fifty mana crystals weekly. If you want, I can share some crystals with you or let you choose which tutor to hire..."
"It’s too early to think about any of that," Silas interrupted. "For now, let’s get some rest."
Darius nodded, looking noticeably relieved. As the two moved away in silence, they were not the only ones leaving. With orientation finally over, every student had begun making their way toward their assigned dormitories.
As the crowd dispersed, Silas finally looked beyond the students and toward the academy itself.
An ancient castle rose above sprawling gardens. Massive modern structures stretched across the horizon. High above them all, enormous circular platforms drifted through the sky, carrying entire buildings upon them.
For a brief moment, Silas forgot about rankings, mysteries, and hidden secrets.
’Which one of the floating buildings will be my future living home?’
