The air was electric with excitement as the crowd gathered at the entrance of the training ground, eagerly awaiting the start of the Treasure Hunt.
The sound of chatter and laughter filled the air as people lined up at the registration booth, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Suddenly, the buzzing crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed on five figures walking in the distance.
They were the famous students of the Sovereign Class, the only class that had ever achieved a perfect score on the Survival Test.
The mere sight of them was enough to intimidate even the bravest of competitors.
The fact that they were participating, then the chance to win 1st place was firmly closed.
However, Adrian halted his step upon feeling a familiar presence.
Glancing sideways, he found a black-haired tween smiling whilst waving his hand at him.
As Nathaniel approached, Adrian turned to his classmates and spoke.
"I'll catch up with you later."
After nodding in understanding, they bid farewell and headed toward the registration booth.
Arriving before him, Nathaniel beckoned his little brother to follow.
Adrian soon fell in step with him.
Without bothering to stop at the booth for checking, they entered the Treasure Hunt site with ease.
Adrian couldn't help but arch an eyebrow; it was clear that Nathaniel had used his influence to bypass the usual procedures.
As they walked through the site, Nathaniel opened the conversation with a grin planted on his face.
"I never expected to see you here."
Well, the monsters here were too tempting to pass up.
When a thought kicked in, Adrian posed a question.
"Are you participating too?"
Nathaniel shook his head.
"No, this event is exclusively for first-year students."
"Then why are you here?"
Nathaniel tilted his head and asked.
"Am I not to be allowed here?"
"No."
Upon hearing his curt answer, the corner of Nathaniel's mouth twitched in annoyance, and he glared at him.
"You little brat!"
Adrian shrugged nonchalantly and voiced his mind.
"Well, I thought you were going to stop me from participating."
It was because he tended to stop him before an event began.
However, the tween next to him looked at him like he was some kind of strange creature and scoffed in disbelief.
"Ha! Why would I stop you from participating?"
Adrian rolled his eyes in boredom.
'Not him, suddenly forgetting what he usually does.'
Soon, without being asked, Nathaniel explained.
"Actually, I'm here to become a proctor for this event."
"I see."
If things were like that, there wouldn't be any dangerous situations like the ones he faced back in the refugee camp—which was good.
So he could concentrate on his training without distraction.
Shortly, Nathaniel halted his track and checked something on his Telesphere.
Adrian followed suit and waited patiently.
As the white-haired boy's Telesphere rang, he checked it to find a live map of the monsters' location.
"Have you received the live maps?"
Nathaniel inquired, to which Adrian expressed his gratitude.
"Yes. Thanks."
Nathaniel smiled and affectionately patted his head.
"It's great to see you surrounded by friends. Just remember to treat them well."
Nathaniel said with a smile.
However, Adrian's face contorted upon hearing this.
"You're making it sound like I'm not treating my friends well."
Nathaniel chuckled before responding.
"You know that's not what I mean."
Brushing it off, Nathaniel spoke.
"Anyway, I have to go now, but I wish you good luck. Goodbye."
Well, since he was one of the proctors, it was understandable that he was busy.
Adrian nodded in understanding and bid farewell.
"Goodbye."
His cerulean eyes followed Nathaniel's figure as he walked away into the distance.
Through his eyes, it was evident that Nathaniel deeply cared for his brother, even in the smallest of matters.
Without hesitation, he took his little brother out of the queue and brought him inside.
Personally, he was grateful for the gesture as he knew how uncomfortable it was to wait in the queue with all eyes on him.
Despite being half-brothers, he was curious about what made Nathaniel so attached to the original Adrian.
Given Nathaniel's actions, it seemed that he was willing to risk his life for his little brother, which was crazy in his eyes.
Putting his thoughts aside, Adrian informed his team of his location, ensuring they could rendezvous at the Treasure Hunt site upon arrival.
And after an hour of waiting, the moment had finally arrived.
—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!
Numerous colorful fireworks erupted in the air, marking the opening of the game.
The sky was illuminated with bright colors, and the sound of the fireworks echoed through the forest.
Before long, a middle-aged woman with brown hair appeared, standing on a floating platform of earth.
The distinctive clatter of people filled the atmosphere as they eagerly waited for the game to start.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
The woman cleared her throat, and after all, eyes landed on her, she began her speech.
"Welcome to the Treasure Hunt! In this game, you and your team will be competing against other teams to find treasures in the forest. But beware, the forest is full of dangers and obstacles that you must overcome to succeed. Are you ready to begin?"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, their excitement palpable.
The woman smiled, pleased with the response.
"So, are you ready to embark on this adventure? Are you ready to face the unknown and discover the treasure that lies within the forest?"
"Yeeesss!!"
The crowd answered in chorus, their voices echoing through the trees.
"The theme for this event is a teamwork! Don't forget about it, okay?"
"Okay!!"
The woman smile and continued.
"Then let the Treasure Hunt begin!"
She declared, and with those words, the teams set out into the forest, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
.
.
.
—Rustle —Rustle —Rustle
Five figures, dressed in light armor, were seen deftly leaping from branch to branch.
After a few minutes of traversing through the dense foliage, they eventually arrived at a clearing.
Rhea's amber eyes scanned the area but found nothing out of the ordinary.
She turned to the white-haired boy, who had been leading the way.
"Where's the monster?"
The boy lifted his head and pointed upwards.
They followed his gaze and saw a giant spider hanging from its web, its eight legs twitching in anticipation.
It was their first monster.
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