The wind billows a strong gust of wind. There was the stench of blood both rusty and musty.

The monster remains filled the path of ogres, goblins, and trolls. It's as if a giant passed through here and mindlessly slaughtered the monsters.

'Judging by the toppled trees and cracks on the earth, it is Pierre's work.'

Alfir decided on a side quest to make his time here on the battlefield more productive. Staying put is one of the most difficult tasks Alfir finds almost unbearable.

He has to do something.

And with good intentions, he tracked his 'helper' with cunning. Alfir is planning to send the MC's two strongest rivals, to train Deron.

Alfir decided to send Pierre first since this guy sucks with his detection abilities meaning— he is easy to bait.

'You will be thankful to me, eggplant... This will hopefully give you some motivation... Kekeke...'

...

Armin feels iffy. His instincts are telling him that something VERY INTERESTING is going to happen soon, but contrary to his instincts, there is nothing noteworthy going on...

'Is there something I missed?'

Half of the applicants are culled in the first 15 minutes. This group battle's duration lasts for an hour, and the 30-minute mark is about to come.

'Let's see the points.'

Armin summoned an interface detailing the students' scores.

[TOP SCORERS

1. Sheila— 521 points

2. Pierre— 312 points

3. Cain—309 points

4. Deron— 299 points

5. Lorie— 282 points

6. Jana—212 points

7. Heather— 132 points

8. Trom— 112 points

9. Rodney— 108 points

10. Philip— 98 points

... and so on... SEE MORE]

Sheila's score is understandable since her targeted and long-range hunting is yielding tremendous results.

Pierre's oppressive assault, movement speed, and defensive capabilities are fearsome turning him into an unstoppable juggernaut. He simply mows everything in his path.

Cain's lack of mobility and defense is being supplemented by his excessive powers of mass destruction. His AOEs, in every blast he blindly unleashes, earn him a point or two. If he is lucky, he gets 10.

Deron got so much better at handling trolls he can dispatch them within 4 strikes or less and given the lack of competition in his area, he is doing so much better at gathering points.

Lorie with her lack of destructive powers is doing incredibly well as she effectively makes use of her resources. With the goblins' cry for help, Lorie is able to farm in a consistent rhythm.

Jana is pissed. Monsters kept on targeting her for no reason. If it were other applicants, they would have been eliminated already, but not Jana. She disposes of them as quickly as they came. Too bad, Jana is unaware that this is on purpose. She thought these monster attacks are normal, but no. The principal, Armin, is having the time of his life as he sends these monsters to Jana... 'If you won't participate, This principal will make you! I don't want your talent to be wasted. With my decades of experience in baiting, this is too easy. Hehehehe...'

It looks like Alfir is not the only one interested in baiting.

...

Alfir needs to act convincingly. After all, the principal is carefully watching this event. Since he is not on the principal's radar yet, Alfir can be bolder in this one.

He followed Pierre's trail without any stealth. It is quite obvious granted by Pierre's power frenzy. Alfir followed it like a curious child.

"Fuck! I know that I shouldn't have followed that path!"

Alfir comically clamped his mouth shut as if speaking the obvious is not stupid enough. In front of him is a purple-haired guy resting on top of a giant rock.

"Sheesh, I have to be quiet lest the monster sees me. I thought that it's some hidden task worth a thousand points..."

Alfir ducked carefully wanting to meld with the ground, like an ant, an earthworm... 'I am one with earth, I am nothing but a speck of dust.'

"Who is there!?"

Alfir turned virtually invisible, but the ruckus he made just before going into stealth is enough. He can feel the trembling in the ground—

'It is time to be... wussy'

"PLEEeeAaaase! DOoOooo-on't kill me! Yaaaaaah!!"

Pierre heard the most pathetic cry he heard in his entire life.

'What the fuck is that? Is that cry even possible? Don't tell me this is a trap?'

He sent an invisible slashing wave to the greenery. Trees crash as the wind blows with destructive fury.

"Yikes! That was close. Thank the lord he missed, he must be blind!"

Pierre doesn't give a fuck to weaklings like this. Usually, he leaves them alone, but this one is an exception. He sent a dozen consecutive earth rending slashes to wherever that poor bastard is.

"Ummm, why are you attacking? I ain't done nothing!"

"You!"

That familiar voice came adjacent to him separated by at least 10 meters. It was the same guy, this time, still hiding deep in the grasses. 'This nameless fella should be using a stealth-related ability' assumes Pierre.

Pierre activated his powers carefully setting up an entrapment.

"Die you scum, know that the day you—"

"HeeeeEEELP! THERE IS A MURDEROUS PSYCHO HERE!!!"

And Alfir ran easily escaping Pierre's still forming entrapment.

"I won't let you go!"

Pierre didn't see the scum's face, so it will be troublesome for him if this guy successfully escapes like that.

...

HAHAHAHAHA!

Pierre is an insufferable simpleton, that was so easy! The guy was baited in the center of the map without much effort.

Alfir just needs to play a cat and mouse with him, and when Alfir finally arrived at the center of the map, he went in a 100% effort of stealth mode.

Pierre will meet Deron eventually... hopefully, that is... The center of the map isn't really a big place so their meeting now is just a matter of probability. To increase Deron's training intensity, it is time for Alfir to bait another big fish.

Cain is harder to track because the guy hardly moves. Alfir squinted his eyes, his desire to see enforced his sight several folds. Alfir stood on the highest cliff in the center of the map.

A parabola of light arched on the horizon, definitely Cain's. Alfir rushed to that direction acting in fear from an imaginary pursuit.

...

Jimmy watched in fascination as this guy run for his life.

"Principal Armin, look at this guy, he is quite good at running. What is his score?"

"Let's see... Alfir? Quite a runner and dodger, barely surviving Pierre's assaults... Huh?"

"What is it, principal?"

"He got zero points. Ah, I remember now. This kid has been running around in hiding as if running from something— he looks like a very paranoid guy..."

Jimmy and Armin watch in amusement as Alfir runs in Cain's direction. 'Poor guy' they thought.

Escaping the frying pan, and towards the fire, eh?

...

Alfir's abilities aren't so visual as to clue people if he is using an ability or not. This is why Jimmy and Armin are unaware that Alfir is purposely heading in Cain's direction.

Cain is reeling points like a fisherman casually sending ripples to the forest. His powers are weird and quirky. It is a useless power his clan deemed not worth having, a disgrace.

Cain can change the color of light according to his wishes. Flashy tricks that aren't worth anything. The world is not rainbows and clouds out there, and with a religious clan like the Solomons who specializes in destructive powers, Cain is a sin.

But Cain changed that. He worked very hard to reach the level he is at today. To magnify light to this extent is nothing but phenomenal talent.

"Hahahaha. Die. Die. Die!"

Though through the process of getting stronger, he developed a bloodthirst this volatile. Alfir ran straight without any semblance of care.

As Cain continues to conduct his meteor-like light shower, he noticed a figure in the distance running in his direction. Cain stood in the middle of the expanse curiously gauging the approaching figure.

Then the figure stopped, then ran back to where he came from.

?

"What's the dude's problem?"

Cain's eyesight is bad, but through his powers, he can filter images to the point he can render them in a high resolution. The mechanism of Cain's powers works like a lens, an invisible lens that can filter light. Through magnification, he can make it destructive and with some tweaking, he can create something interesting.

Pierre is vengeful, that's why Alfir took great measures to hide his face from him.

Thankfully, Cain is not a vengeful type and more of an aloof guy since it is impossible for Alfir to hide his face from this murderous germaphobe. Alfir just knows it, Cain's itch to destroy is bait to himself already, a self-bait unique to Cain's.

A blur of light came at Alfir, but somehow for whatever reason, Alfir tripped just before the point of impact which saved him from his near demise.

Armin can see 5 seconds in the future, and since he already has a heads up of Cain's abilities, he can handily react better now. And his future-telling ability is saying that Alfir should have dodged that with elegant grace, but instead miserably tripped like a third rate.

"Jimmy, I want you to watch Alfir carefully."

"Hmmm? Nothing so special about him, but his luck must be tremendous..."

"It must be my imagination then."

Cain saw his attack missing by a hair's breadth. He increased the diameter of his beam of light, then unleashed it a second time. It's enough to swallow an adult.

Alfir miserably rolled left, then bolted to a sprint. Cain is slowly starting to get annoyed.

Cain was left with no choice but to run. Averagely, his physique is worse compared to the whole mutant-kind in his grade, but he is still a mutant at heart. His specs are way better than an average human.

...

"Principal Armin, looks like something very interesting is going on!"

"Yeah, I know!"

From far corners of the forest, three figures are about to collide. Judging from their temperaments, a battle is unavoidable.

Armin has long forgotten of Alfir's peculiarity and is expecting now a feast to his eyes.

...

A group battle of immense proportions is about to begin. It started from the scheming of this one guy— Alfir.

"Deron, you have to get stronger, so I m sending these two to you~"

...

(Gavin and Immortal King— a flashback of dialogue from the past )

UNDYING: Teacher, is it true that we are an evil organization?

IMMORTAL: Huh? What do you mean?

UNDYING: Well, we have employee benefits that are too good, right? We have insurance policies, good wages, free training camps, charity funds, vacations, and plenty of incentives. Are we copying the Hero Society?

IMMORTAL: Gavin, why ask?

UNDYING: Because I am curious...

IMMORTAL: That's the point!

UNDYING: (That's the point? It's what scammers say to inquisitive questions to bullshit their way, right?)

IMMORTAL: Let me enlighten you, my dear pupil. Plagiarism is bad, and Zentury successfully recreated it... Nah, it was big sister's idea anyway. Just hear me, Zentury is the kind of evil that turns goodness into wickedness.

UNDYING: ...

IMMORTAL: Don't be fooled. Our insurance policies and wages are factors that greatly contribute to our people's loyalty. They are the lure, collar, and cage. Do you remember the credit system? Every time they are using them, they are actually accruing debts. Since these people are not smart, it is very easy to manipulate them. When they hear words like credit limit, spend on everything you like, and easy money, they can get easily deluded either by the jargon or temptations. Hahaha... It's a trap they will never see coming.

UNDYING: That's horrible...

IMMORTAL: This is not where it stops. The training camps ain't really offering free education. Our instructors specialize in brainwashing after all, hahaha...

UNDYING: H-how about me?

IMMORTAL: Nah, you are all good. You share Zentury's same dreams too in the beginning, hence you don't need to undergo the brainwashing campaign. Oh, there is also the charity... That was just a front. Our charity organizations are where we receive bribes and where we scout prospects for minionship. Meanwhile, the vacation and incentives serve as motivation. Even a big boss like myself is not immune to its allure.

UNDYING: How does it relate to curiosity?

IMMORTAL: Didn't I already tell you? After curiosity get the best side of you, you'll want to check, right? What happens after that— you'll go and check it for yourself then you'll go "Wow, this credit-something is amazing. This card with my name is called a credit card? The higher my rank is, the higher the credit limit I can have? And I can spend it on any Zentury facilities across the world. Not to boot, it gets refreshed every month. It's like I have free money every month. But do I have to do missions if I want to continue using it? Sure!"

UNDYING: *Gasp (This is a shocking revelation!)

IMMORTAL: Then what's next? They will say something like "Is this really an evil organization, the benefits are too good. This must be paradise!"

UNDYING: It sounds more like an evil corporation than an evil organization...

IMMORTAL: That's what makes it eviler. Just be thankful you are not a corporate slave or something worse.

UNDYING: It can get worse?

IMMORTAL: Yes, like being processed as raw materials.