A few days later, Gwen experienced something strange. The black, slime-like monster she had seen before suddenly appeared on her bench. Despite her extraordinary eyesight and being shocked, she maintained her usual flat expression, acting as if she hadn't seen the monster.
The creature floated in front of her eyes, its small black pupils blinking several times, seemingly in an attempt to appear cute. It had two tiny fangs in its mouth and a pair of bee-sized wings flapping eagerly on its back.
How could a ball-sized monster possibly fly using such tiny wings? Gwen dismissed the thought. That's none of my business, she mused.
Gwen glanced at her friends and noticed none of them reacted to the creature.
What's this? Am I the only one who can see it? She wondered, burying her face in her folded hands. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as a realization struck her. Is this the ghost of a beast I killed in the upper world? How did it manage to follow me here?
Despite her growing unease, Gwen kept a straight face. The creature—ugly as it was—circled above her head and played on her shoulders, as though trying to be endearing or provoke her. Gwen suspected it was the latter.
When she walked toward the school cafeteria, the ghost floated directly in her path. She kept moving without pause, her head phasing through the spectral figure.
"Kyun??"
The creature's black eyes turned blue as it floated toward a tree where Clayton stood on a branch, his gaze shining with intrigue.
"She can't see Shadow?" Clayton muttered.
"Kyun!!" Shadow darted through the school walls, reappearing before its master.
Clayton sighed in disappointment. "It seems you'll have to keep looking."
"Kyun…" Shadow's expression drooped.
"Alright. Rest for a few days," Clayton said, relenting.
"Kyun!!" Shadow transformed into a small ball of black light and vanished into Clayton's chest.
Clayton shook his head in wonder. "A warrior with illusion magic and telekinesis or a magician with a warrior's body? Which one of you? The girl I fancy is far from ordinary."
Meanwhile, Gwen noticed the ghost was gone. Relieved, she sighed quietly. She no longer needed to use her illusion magic to obscure her vision, a trick she employed to pretend not to see it. Shadow, unaware of her abilities, had failed to detect any magic fluctuations because Gwen's illusions operated entirely within her own body.
Unbeknownst to her, this was the second time she had unknowingly eluded a meeting with the Realm Knight.
Today, Teacher Harvey brought the secondary team to meet the primary and reserve teams. The primary team consisted of final-year seniors, including five level-5 Hunters and two level-4 Hunters. By contrast, the reserve team had only one level-5 Knight as captain, along with three level-4 and three level-3 Hunters.
Judging by levels alone, the primary team was the strongest, followed by the secondary team, with the reserve team lagging far behind. However, Teacher Harvey observed that the strength gap between the primary and secondary teams wasn't as wide as it appeared, while the gap between the secondary and reserve teams was significant.
Let's set aside Clayton, the captain of the secondary team. Talented members like Heidi, Cain, and Zak had abilities that rivaled those of warriors a level higher. Additionally, Raylee could boost her allies' strength and defense by 15%, which could level the playing field or even tip it in their favor against the primary team.
As far as Harvey knew, these four individuals should have been on the primary team. Why were they part of the secondary team instead? The answer lay with none other than Clayton.
Earlier that morning, Lady Knight had approached Clayton with unexpected news.
"Master, Emperor Finlay demands that you join the tournament," she announced.
"Why?" Clayton asked, confused.
"Perhaps he suspects you are the Realm Knight's disciple," she replied.
Clayton chuckled at the notion. "A disciple? On my own? That's amusing. So, what was your response?"
"I agreed, on the condition that I choose your team."
"As expected of you," Clayton smirked, knowing it would be him who chose the team.
"So, have you selected the proper candidates?"
"I want Kai and Gwyneth, along with these four," he said, displaying four photos through a magic projection.
The Lady Knight examined the images. "These kids… aren't they all top-choice members?"
"Which makes me want them even more. Do whatever it takes to secure them. As for this girl," he added, pointing to a blonde-haired, brown-eyed girl, "are you the Holy Priest we're seeking? I'm looking forward to your performance."
The girl in question, Raylee, had an elegant face and was a third-level Priest. She was surprised to be selected for the tournament, and even more so to find herself on the secondary team rather than the reserve team, given her relatively low level.
When the three teams gathered, the primary team's members sneered at the secondary team—particularly at Cain, Heidi, and Zak. It was no secret that the trio had been expected to join the primary team. Their demotion to the secondary team raised eyebrows, only a few knew Clayton had orchestrated it.
Gwen came face-to-face with Esmee, one of the primary team members who had previously cornered her along with others. Esmee's mocking smile didn't faze Gwen, who maintained her usual stoic expression.
The tension between the teams was palpable. The primary team members looked down on the secondary and reserve teams with thinly veiled contempt. Yet, while Cain, Heidi, Zak, and Kai bristled with indignation, Gwen, Clayton, and Raylee remained unbothered.
Kai, however, couldn't hold back. "So what if you're the primary team? Just wait until we meet; we'll take you down!"
Captain Dawson of the primary team laughed dismissively. "Oh, don't you know? You'll have to forfeit without a fight if you face us."
"What?" Kai sputtered, his temper flaring.
Cain, ever the voice of reason, stepped in. "That's only true for the round-robin stages. In the semifinals or finals, we won't have to hold back. We even have a trump card." He glanced meaningfully at Gwen.
Heidi and Zak followed suit, their gazes filled with hope.
"Don't you have illusion magic?" Heidi asked Gwen in a whisper-like voice. "Use it in the elimination and round-robin stages. Keep your warrior abilities a secret until the semifinals."
Gwen froze. She had deliberately displayed her physical strength and golden spear to avoid relying on illusion magic. Prolonged use of her illusions risked triggering her telekinesis—a power she couldn't yet control. If that happened, even her golden spear, forged from a golden spirit, would become useless.
Rocco had insisted she train as a mage to master the flow of mana and control her magic more effectively. While he saw it as essential for her growth, Gwen found the process tedious and preferred simpler solutions. Using her physical strength and magic weapons allowed her to avoid unnecessary complexity.
Now, however, Heidi's suggestion threatened to upend her strategy. Gwen glanced at Clayton, hoping for support. He merely smiled.
"Aren't you the captain?" she asked, exasperated. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I'm not great at leading," Clayton replied nonchalantly. "Let's just follow the vice-captain's plan."
Gwen's eye twitched. What an unreliable captain!