Free Web NovelChapter 50: The Orphan Team
Silas hurried toward the gathering point marked on his wristwatch’s map.
Half an hour earlier, he had collected the supplies provided by the academy. Among them was a large backpack that reminded him of the one he had received during the admission test. This one, however, was significantly larger and heavier.
When he received it, the teacher explained that it contained a substantial quantity of Mana Crystals and repeatedly stressed their importance. The crystals were meant to power the protective shields surrounding the team’s outpost throughout the ten-day mission.
Curious, Silas had opened the bag and checked its contents. The sheer number of crystals inside was enough to make his head spin. He could hardly comprehend how the academy could casually hand over such a fortune to students.
’Wouldn’t they worry about someone using them for personal gain instead?’
The thought was tempting, not for him, but certainly for others. Still, he doubted the academy would take such a risk without having precautions in place.
While collecting the supplies, he had crossed paths with several team leaders. Neither Leopard nor the petite girl had been among them. Since both ranked within the top three, they should have received shuttles just like his team. And he imagined they must have departed a bit earlier.
Yet when he passed through the eastern gate of the academy and stepped out of the pocket dimension, he froze. There was not just his team’s shuttle waiting outside. There weren’t only Leopard’s and the petite girl’s shuttles; there were six more.
The sight immediately made him frown.
He was certain that only the top three teams in his year had earned shuttle privileges. Naturally, seeing so many additional shuttles sparked his curiosity.
"Look, the Orphan Team leader finally showed up."
Hearing the sudden remark made him frown even more. For a second there, he felt a tinge of rage, but it soon vanished and got replaced by confusion. After all, his team could, technically, be called the Orphan Team. And for a moment there, he even liked the name!
He didn’t show a reaction on his face while moving his gaze toward the students gathered nearby.
The massive eastern gate stood open while several teachers supervised the departure preparations. Among the crowd, he spotted his teammates, Leopard’s team, the petite girl’s team, and nearly twenty other teams.
Twenty teams had gathered near the gate. That number was far too high. Most of them had no reason to be here at all, which made Silas wonder whether they had come to see someone off... or to send a message. After all, this gate was specifically arranged for teams with shuttles.
Realising this, his frown deepened. Even so, he calmly walked toward his teammates, pretending not to care about the unusual gathering.
"Are we ready to leave?"
The moment he approached, Cher spoke. And that only confirmed his earlier doubts.
’Something does indeed feel off.’
Her voice was slightly stiff, slightly cold, as though she were standing among enemies rather than fellow students. The others weren’t acting much differently. Their expressions alone told Silas that something unpleasant had happened while he was away.
"Let’s go." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Although he was curious, he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he led the team toward their shuttle. When they arrived, he did not board immediately.
Standing at the open rear entrance, he carefully observed the surrounding teams, committing their faces to memory.
A closer look revealed four distinct factions among the lot gathered here.
The largest revolved around the petite girl. Leopard’s faction came second. Another consisted of only two teams, while the final group was a lone team led by a red-haired student who somehow stood out from everyone else.
As if sharing the same thoughts, the various leaders turned and met Silas’s gaze. For several long seconds, silence dominated the area. It felt like it was missing a spark to ignite a big explosion.
Then Silas slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the gathered teams one by one. Afterwards, he dragged a finger across his throat in an unmistakable challenge.
Without waiting for a reaction, he turned around and entered the shuttle, while the rear doors closed behind him.
As he took his seat, Darius grinned and bumped fists with him. Even Cher showed a calm smile without a speck of the earlier tension. Only after the shuttle lifted into the air did Silas voice the question on his mind.
"Now, can someone explain why there are more than three teams with shuttles?"
The moment he asked, everyone exchanged strange looks.
"You do know the academy’s shuttles aren’t the only ones students can own, right?" Lara said with a surprised blink before sighing.
"Most of those teams come from G-Enhancer families or wealthy clans. Their families provided them with shuttles for the mission. It’s completely normal during large-scale operations."
Silas paused. So that wasn’t the reason for the tension.
"Then how about that Orphan Team thing?"
He casually asked, yet the tension instantly resurfaced with his question. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"They were arrogant bastards."
Alfred spoke half a beat faster than Darius.
"They targeted Cher again?" Silas mistook the comment, thinking Alfred was enraged about something else, not about the title. After all, even Silas himself wasn’t offended by this nickname.
Cher didn’t know why, but hearing him immediately assume she had been targeted again instead of reacting to the insult made something tighten in her chest.
"This time it wasn’t about Cher." Darius felt a bit hesitant before clenching his fists. "They started calling us the Orphan Team. Those idiots! If the teachers hadn’t been there, we would’ve fought them."
"The Orphan Team..." Silas leaned back and realised what was going on. "When you think about it, it’s not a bad name."
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Most of their tension and worry stemmed from how bothered they were by such an insult. They each took the insult as if it were directed at themselves.
Seeing such a reaction only made his grin widen.
"The Enhancer world places far too much importance on background. Normal Enhancers, G-Enhancers, and L-Enhancers... Honestly, I couldn’t care less about any of it."
His smile never faded.
"Let them call me an orphan. Let them call us the Orphan Team. They can even call us losers for all I care. What matters isn’t where we came from. It’s where we’re going."
The cabin gradually fell silent.
"The Enhancer world may be obsessed with lineage, but it respects results, it respects strength, it respects growth."
He paused long enough for the words to settle.
"So let them talk and call us names. While they’re busy looking down on us, we’ll focus on climbing higher than all of them. In the end, our achievements will speak louder for us. Right now, discussing those teams is far more important than worrying about insults."
The mood inside the shuttle noticeably eased as the others exchanged glances.
’This is the orphan you are making fun of? What a bunch of losers they are!’
Cher rolled her eyes and felt like a big rock was removed from her chest when she heard Silas’ words. She wasn’t an exception; everyone felt the same burden getting relieved by hearing these words.
Somehow, without anyone realising it, Silas had changed. Since his recent growth spurt, even his personality seemed sharper and more commanding. He looked more mature than ever.
"Well..." Lara cleared her throat. "Most of those teams belong to wealthy clans and G-Enhancer families aligned with either Leopard or Rachel."
"Wait... Who’s Rachel?"
Lara rolled her eyes.
"The petite girl."
Silas nodded in understanding.
"Besides those groups, there are three teams we should keep an eye on. Two are working together, while the third operates independently. All three are led by students ranked within the top ten."
According to Lara, the leaders ranked fourth, seventh, and eighth in the year. The most dangerous among them was the red-haired student Silas had noticed earlier.
"His name is Janks Sievel," she continued. "His clan is notoriously mysterious, and many people suspect they’re connected to one of the organisations leading the Dark Hunters."
Silas stared at her. Then he turned toward Cher, Alfred, and Darius.
The three of them slowly nodded, only confirming the intel.
"You’re telling me that the future heir of a clan suspected of leading the Dark Hunters is studying alongside us in the academy?"
He shook his head in disbelief.
"You have got to be kidding me."
