After a while, Zara stopped crying. She separated from Victor's chest; her face marked with streaks of tears.
Her blue eyes rose slightly, stealing a glance toward Victor's face, then she turned away in a blink. Looking around the hall, she noticed the devastation: the broken floor, scattered stones, and bloodstains on the ground.
Her eyes shook when they fell on the black stain on the floor. She exhaled, calming herself down.
She turned toward the students, who now seemed relaxed, and some were even talking with each other.
Her eyes met with Lyla's furious eyes; the frown on her face was apparent from so far away.
"What is with her?" Zara muttered to herself.
She shook her head and turned toward the stage, where Mona Amryl, her savior, sat on the stage reading the worn-out book.
'One star rank, at such a young age. Reaching level 100 is not that easy, she must be from those big families from the capital, ' Zara thought.
Her eyes returned to Victor, who was standing beside her, looking around with his back facing toward her.
A smile appeared on her face, she thought, 'I'm glad He was here with me. Or I don't know how I could have handled that.'
Victor's amber eyes with a golden hue scanned everything bit by bit. They stopped at a black ink patch on the ground in the middle of the hall.
'I never would have thought that Chaos Alien could be that much stronger. How can we even fight it if we get overwhelmed by its aura?'
Ding!
[New Quest Unlocked!]
[Develop 100% Immunity toward the Aura of the Chaos]
[Reward: Unraveling the secret of the Chaos Aliens, +5000CP, +10,000XP]
[Time Limit: 7 Months]
[Punishment: One Week in the Dozakh realm]
"What!" He exclaimed.
Everyone's head turned toward him. People looked at him with a frown and a curious gaze.
Victor's face scrunched as he felt the stares boring into his back. He turned and looked toward Zara, who was standing just behind him. He smiled and said, "Let's go to that officer; she wanted to ask you something."
Zara nodded with a stiff smile and followed Victor. He led her toward the stage. As they reached near the Mona, she raised her head from the book and stared at them.
"Well, are you okay? Will you be able to answer some of my questions?" Mona asked, directly getting to the point.
"Ah…." Zara turned and looked toward Victor; he nodded with an encouraging smile.
Zara calmed down, turned back toward the Mona, who was patiently waiting, book still open in her hand.
"Yes, I can," Zara said with little more confidence than before.
Mona nodded and continued with a neutral face, "Are you a candidate for Holy Priestess?"
Zara's eyes widened, and she was taken off guard.
Victor put his hand on her shoulder and reassured her.
Zara exhaled and replied, " Yes…I am."
Mona frowned and asked, "Why did you not go to the Temple branch in the city or the Capital?"
Zara's eyes shook, she glanced toward Victor, then turned toward Mona, hesitantly she spoke, "I…I wanted to enter the Military Academy first."
Mona looked at Victor, then at Zara's slightly red face and fidgeting hands. She sighed, understanding what's going on here. 'Kids these days are so fast. She is only 18 and already chasing after a boy. And here I'm older than her, but no handsome boy in my sight.' Mona thought.
After a little uncomfortable pause, she replied, "That's understandable, but I'm going to report you to higher-ups. As the rules are clear, we can't send you to the temple without your consent. But keep in mind, if you want to leave between the 2 years mandatory service, you'll be allowed to leave only if you're going to get into the Temple."
Zara nodded with a smile. Mona turned toward Victor and looked at him from head to toe with a mischievous smile and asked, "What level are you?"
Victor's eyes widened at the sudden question; nonetheless, he complied, "I'm at 6."
"Six! I thought you were at least ten." Mona replied with a smile.
"Anyway, let's assign you all Ranks, we have a long travel ahead of us." Mona's sharp voice echoed in the hall, grabbing everyone's attention.
Students looked at her with complicated feelings; many felt reluctant to go into the Military Academy now.
"2 years of service is mandatory in the Military; if you don't go through the academy, you'll be dispatched directly to the battlefield. In the latter case, your survival chance will become zero." Mona's sharp words opened the eyes of the students.
Mona looked at the cadets who had hesitant eyes, but they were already forming the line.
Murmurs and whispers echoed in the hall.
She exhaled muttering, "You morons still don't understand, power is the only protection in the Neero".
Victor nodded, hearing her words, thinking, ' She is right.'
"Hey, blue princess, get out of the line, you've already been assigned your rank." Sharp words came from the back of Victor.
Zara frowned, hearing the words, and turning around, she looked behind Victor. Her eyes narrowed. Lyla stood there, her arms crossed, glaring at her like she would pounce on her any minute.
Zara moved away from the front, clenching her fists and muttering, "What is with that golden chicken?"
For the good of people or Victor, it was fortunate that no one heard Zara, or the fight would have been inevitable.
Lyla glared at Victor, who was looking at her. She shouted, "What are you looking at?"
Victor sighed and glanced behind her; a big line was starting from him.
He turned and looked toward Mona, who was hardly able to control her laughter; her hands covered her mouth to stifle her smile, and her eyes were filled with tears.
After a short moment, she calmed down.
" Ahem, let's start with you," Mona said, clearing her throat.
Victor nodded and moved forward.
Mona took out a white handgun-shaped scanner and scanned Victor.
[Victor Hans]
[Level 6]
[Strength:17]
Mona nodded, "Now, please show me your System panel." She asked
Victor hesitated a little but eventually decided to show it.
A Crimson System panel appeared before him.
Mona frowned. She glanced at Victor, then the panel. She repeated this for few times, then she sighed, muttering, "I thought he had a bright future."
She took out the bronze colored tag and gave it to Victor.
[Victor Hans]
[Bronze Rank]
"You can upgrade it when you level up," Mona said with a tired face and much less enthusiasm.
Victor nodded and moved away.
Behind him, Lyla frowned, but she didn't utter a word.
Victor moved toward Zara, who was standing on the side. She smiled as she saw him approaching.