Chapter 104: The Vanguard Selection

"Ok, everyone!! Listen. If you hear your name, just get up!" Hayatobi yelled, staring at the students.​They all nodded in understanding, and quieted down. The heavy silence in the grand hall was suffocating, everyone waiting to see which ten people would be drafted to enter this new hell known as the Demon Territory.

​"Remember!! Ten of you are the best of the best!! Do your best and make sure not to die! You’re simply too valuable to die," he said, and sighed. The weight of his position was evident in the slight sag of his broad shoulders.

​"As much as I want you ten to sit back and watch this competition, I can’t decide that... Even with all my strength. Because if you ten sit back, our Empire will surely lose to the other empires... So you must do your best! Make a name for yourself and for your empire!!" He moved his gaze on everyone, his silver eyes flashing with a mix of pride and grim necessity, and started calling:

​"Rose Korana!!"

​Hayatobi called out, and his only daughter, the heir of the prestigious Korana family, stood up from her seat. The ambient mana in the room seemed to bend slightly toward her, acknowledging her high-tier affinity. Her expression was determined, masking any fear.

​’Dad chose to call me first, I must give my all! And I won’t die!!’ she thought, with clenched fists, feeling the immense pressure of nepotism and expectation resting on her shoulders.

​"Rose Korana, our strongest Mage in the academy! She also has very high defensive skills, which means, she will be part of the next group of five."

​The students looked at one another, and nodded in agreement. In a bloodbath where survival was paramount, a Mage capable of casting multi-layered elemental shields was indispensable.

​"Next! Austin Draconian!"

​Austin stood up, a smirk on his face. Unlike the others who dreaded the death game, the Draconian heir’s warrior bloodline hummed with the anticipation of slaughter.

​’I knew I will be chosen!! Haha! I will show them who is the strongest,’ Austin thought, his smirk widening as his fiery aura flared briefly, daring anyone to challenge his placement.

​"I don’t need to make any introduction... Although Austin is a Warrior bloodline, he has strong attack force, which will greatly help in the first and second rounds!" Hayatobi nodded, and continued:

​"Aurelia Draconian!" He called.

​’Huh?!! Why am I called? I am not ready to die yet! Besides, I am too tired!’ Aurelia yelled inwardly, but forced herself up. Her posture lacked her twin brother’s arrogant rigidity; the grueling toll of the Assassin pathway’s stealth and agility training had pushed her physical limits to the brink.

​"Aurelia is strong, especially with her legs as an Assassin... With speed, Aurelia will be placed in top 3 amongst you all!" He said, and continued:

​"But... She will only partake in the first round. Although she is fast, she won’t partake in the second round." He said, his words stunning everyone.

​"Wow. I thought she will also join the two rounds," someone whispered in surprise.

​"Yeah... It seems she is not qualified for that," another whispered, the quiet judgment echoing in the tense hall.

​"But Lord Hayatobi just said she carried top 3 amongst us in speed," the third added, and continued: "Maybe the first and second place in speed are already chosen. That is the only explanation."

​Aurelia listened to the murmurs around her and gritted her teeth. Of course, the only thing she wanted right now was a bed to sleep in, but hearing all this speculation only got her irritated. Her pride as a Draconian was stinging.

​Hayatobi stared at her, then at Austin. The political calculus in the Master Teacher’s mind was cold and precise: the two heirs of the Draconian family were already in the competition. Leaving one out of the hyper-lethal second round was his way of ensuring the powerful Draconian lineage didn’t entirely die out on his watch.

​"Fourth; Precious Cuban! Precious is known for her speed. She isn’t as fast as Aurelia, but in stealth, she took points, with such an Assassin, it’ll be good to sneak pass enemies!!"

​Precious stood up gracefully. She was the leader of the elite team who had fought Austin and Aurelia in the open green field during their intense training simulation, and one of the rare players who had survived entering the core region. Her shadow manipulation was essential for the infiltration phase.

​"Fifth!! One of the best rune master in our school... With his talents in runes, I believe he will be a valuable asset in the first round, but as Precious, he won’t be joining in the second round. He is David Univox."

​A guy with bright green hair and piercing blue eyes stood up, and nodded. Runes were the ultimate trap-setting and terrain-control magic; in the uncharted Demon Territory, his ability to carve safe zones and explosive wards would be the difference between life and a gruesome death.

​"Next is Casey Jones! With her Assassin bloodline, and her speed, she will help in the first match, but won’t participate in the second," Hayatobi said, staring at the blonde-haired girl, who got to her feet with a nervous but sharp nod.

​"Now! The Seventh! He is Carl Manchester!! With his ability to turn invisible, he will be a valuable help to you all in the first round, but he won’t be joining in the second round!" Hayatobi said, his words stunning Carl, who sat directly behind Mirabella.

​He swallowed hard, the color draining from his face, and slowly got to his feet.

​Mirabella didn’t turn around, but her mind instantly began calculating the variables of Carl’s inclusion.

​’Carl... Really?! What if his bad luck flares up and all Boss monsters attacked us?’ Mirabella thought, and sighed.

​But then, the gamer within her, hardened by her past life, shifted perspectives. A cold, pragmatic glint flickered in her eyes.

​’Maybe it’s an opportunity to get more monsters cards,’ she thought with a sigh. If Carl was the bait, she would simply be the trap.