*****
Silas and Lily moved swiftly but cautiously through the thick undergrowth of the jungle.
The dense canopy above cast dancing shadows on the ground, while the distant sound of rushing water grew louder with each step they took.
The air was thick with humidity, carrying the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage.
Lily, who had been slightly ahead, suddenly froze.
She raised a hand, signaling Silas to stop.
"Wait."
Silas halted immediately, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area ahead.
Through the gaps in the trees, he could make out subtle movements—shifting figures near the riverbank.
The sunlight reflected off the water’s surface, illuminating the shapes of several individuals standing by the water.
Lily’s breath hitched.
She squinted, trying to make out the features of the figures.
The more she observed, the clearer they became.
Her eyes widened.
"…..T-They are…."
A lump formed in her throat as recognition struck her like a bolt of lightning.
Silas, his gaze sharp and calculating, followed her line of sight.
His expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes.
He spoke in a calm yet thoughtful tone.
"That’s… Lyrium Blackwood and Ren Sullivan. From the Physical assessment. We were with them in the same group. Isn’t it?"
Lily while gave a small nod,
"Yeah the one who stole your spot."
Her grip tightened around her dress she is wearing.
Lyrium stood near the water, his blade resting lightly against his shoulder.
The dark sheen of his sword gleamed under the sunlight, the tip reflecting in the gentle waves of the river.
His stance was relaxed yet firm, his presence commanding without the need for words.
Beside him, Ren Sullivan stood with his arms crossed, his red hair tied in a loose ponytail.
He had an easygoing smirk on his lips, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed the readiness to spring into action at any moment.
A few more members of Team 1 were scattered near the riverbank, but these two were unmistakably the most significant.
Lily clenched her fists.
"Of all people… why them?"
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"You don’t like them?"
Lily hesitated.
"It’s not that… it’s just—"
Before she could finish, Lyrium’s sharp gaze suddenly snapped in their direction.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Lily felt a chill run down her spine.
Did he notice us already?
Ren, who had been idly skimming the water with a rock, must have noticed Lyrium’s change in expression.
He followed his gaze and turned his head toward their hiding spot.
A slow, mischievous grin formed on his face.
"Well, well… look who we have here."
Lily’s heart pounded.
They’ve been spotted.
Silas, however, remained composed.
He straightened his posture and stepped out from behind the foliage, fully revealing himself.
Lily hesitated for a moment but eventually followed.
There was no point in hiding anymore.
Ren chuckled.
"Silas Kingslay and Lily Broom… Didn’t expect to see you two sneaking around like spies."
Lyrium remained silent, his expression unreadable as he studied them.
His cold, calculating eyes lingered on Silas for a second longer than necessary before shifting to Lily.
Lily felt her grip tighten on her staff instinctively.
Silas, on the other hand, met Lyrium’s gaze with an unwavering stare.
"So, we finally meet,"
Silas said in a calm tone.
"What a coincidence."
Lyrium exhaled, lowering his sword slightly.
"Coincidence? In a battlefield like this?"
His voice was smooth, yet there was an underlying sharpness to it.
Ren placed a hand on his hip, glancing between the two.
"I don’t believe in coincidences either, but hey, this is interesting. Are you guys alone?"
Silas didn’t answer immediately.
He wasn’t about to reveal their full situation just yet.
Lily, however, frowned.
"Why does that matter?"
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Getting defensive already? That means you probably don’t have your full team together, huh?"
Lily clicked her tongue in irritation.
Damn it.
Lyrium finally sighed.
"Enough with the mind games. Let’s get to the point—are we fighting, or are we talking?"
The tension in the air thickened.
Silas tapped his fingers against his arm in thought.
"That depends."
Lyrium narrowed his eyes slightly.
"On what?"
Silas smirked faintly.
"On whether you’re looking for a fight… or a temporary alliance."
Ren let out a whistle, clearly entertained.
"Now, that’s an interesting proposal."
Lily turned to Silas with a surprised expression.
"Silas, you—"
Silas glanced at her briefly before looking back at Lyrium and Ren.
"Think about it. This is a team battle. We’ve been scattered, and so have you. Team 2 is regrouping as we speak. If we waste time fighting amongst ourselves, we’re only giving them the advantage."
Ren stroked his chin.
"Hmm… He’s got a point."
Lyrium, however, remained silent, staring at Silas with an unreadable expression.
He was assessing him.
Calculating.
Finally, after a long moment, he spoke.
"Interesting proposition. But there’s one problem."
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"And that is?"
Lyrium tilted his head slightly.
"How do I know you won’t stab us in the back the moment it’s convenient?"
Silas chuckled.
"The same way we know you won’t do the same."
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
The jungle around them buzzed with the sounds of nature, but within the small clearing by the river, it felt like time had momentarily frozen.
Then—
Lyrium smirked.
"Fine. A temporary alliance, then."
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Lily let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.
Ren laughed, clapping his hands together.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!"
Silas extended a hand.
"Then it’s a deal."
Lyrium glanced at the hand for a moment before shaking it briefly.
The moment their hands separated, a system notification popped up before all four of them:
[Temporary Alliance Formed – Team 1 and Team 2 Partial Cooperation Activated]
Silas spoke.
"Now, let’s go hunting."
*****
(Silas’ POV)
The jungle was thick with humidity, the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage filling my senses as Lily and I moved cautiously through the undergrowth.
The distant sound of rushing water grew louder, signaling that we were getting closer to the river.
I was tense but alert, my instincts keeping me on edge.
In a battlefield like this, hesitation could be the difference between life and death.
Lily, walking slightly ahead of me, suddenly froze. She raised a hand, signaling me to stop.
"Wait."
I halted immediately, my eyes narrowing as I followed her gaze.
Through the gaps in the trees, I could see figures standing near the riverbank.
Their silhouettes moved against the backdrop of glistening water, shifting subtly.
Sunlight reflected off the surface, making it difficult to see their faces at first.
Lily’s breath hitched. She squinted, trying to get a better look.
"…..T-They are…."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but I could hear the unease in it.
My gaze sharpened as I took a closer look at the figures.
The moment I recognized them, my expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of acknowledgment passed through me.
"That’s… Lyrium Blackwood and Ren Sullivan. From the Physical Assessment. We were with them in the same group, weren’t we?"
Lily gave a small nod, her grip tightening around the dress she was wearing.
"Yeah… the one who stole your spot."
Ah.
So that was why she looked pissed.
I exhaled, pushing aside any lingering frustration.
I had no personal grudge against Lyrium. Sure, he had taken the top spot, but I wasn’t the type to cry over spilled milk.
What mattered now wasn’t rankings—it was survival.
Lyrium stood near the water, his blade resting lightly against his shoulder.
The dark sheen of his sword gleamed under the sunlight, the tip reflecting in the gentle waves of the river.
His stance was relaxed, but his presence alone was commanding.
Beside him, Ren Sullivan, with his signature smirk, stood with his arms crossed.
His red hair was tied in a loose ponytail, swaying slightly with the breeze.
He had an easygoing demeanor, but I wasn’t fooled—the tension in his shoulders told me he was always ready to react.
The rest of Team 1’s members were scattered near the riverbank, but these two stood out. They weren’t just strong—they were important.
Lily clenched her fists.
"Of all people… why them?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"You don’t like them?"
She hesitated.
"It’s not that… it’s just—"
Before she could finish, Lyrium’s sharp gaze suddenly snapped toward us.
I felt a flicker of admiration.
Sharp.
He noticed us already.
Even in the midst of an open battlefield, his instincts were impressive.
Ren, who had been idly skimming the water with a rock, seemed to pick up on Lyrium’s shift in attention.
Following his gaze, his smirk widened into something more playful.
"Well, well… look who we have here."
Lily stiffened beside me.
Damn it.
We’ve been spotted.
There was no point in hiding now.
I straightened my posture and stepped out from behind the foliage, fully revealing myself.
I could feel Lily’s hesitation, but she sighed and followed me.
Ren chuckled.
"Silas Kingslay and Lily Broom… Didn’t expect to see you two sneaking around like spies."
Lyrium, however, remained silent, his expression unreadable as his gaze locked onto mine.
I returned his stare without flinching.
There was something unnerving about his eyes—calculating, as if he was trying to read me like an open book.
He shifted his gaze to Lily, who visibly tensed.
I took a step forward, meeting his gaze head-on.
"So, we finally meet. What a coincidence."
Lyrium exhaled, lowering his sword slightly.
"Coincidence? In a battlefield like this?"
His voice was smooth, but there was an underlying sharpness to it.
Ren glanced between us, raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t believe in coincidences either, but hey, this is interesting. Are you guys alone?"
I didn’t answer immediately.
I wasn’t about to reveal our situation that easily.
Lily, however, frowned.
"Why does that matter?"
Ren’s smirk widened.
"Oh? Getting defensive already? That means you probably don’t have your full team together, huh?"
Lily clicked her tongue, visibly irritated.
Lyrium sighed, shifting slightly.
"Enough with the mind games. Let’s get to the point—are we fighting, or are we talking?"
The tension in the air thickened.
I tapped my fingers against my arm, deep in thought.
"That depends."
Lyrium narrowed his eyes.
"On what?"
A small smirk played on my lips.
"On whether you’re looking for a fight… or a temporary alliance."
Ren let out a whistle, clearly amused.
"Now, that’s an interesting proposal."
’But why do we need to form an alliances with our opponents?’
Lily turned to me, clearly surprised.
"Silas, you—"
I shot her a glance, silently telling her to trust me.
Then, I turned my attention back to Lyrium and Ren.
"Think about it,"
I continued.
"This is a team battle. We’ve been scattered, and so have you. Team 2 is regrouping as we speak. If we waste time fighting amongst ourselves, we’re only giving them the advantage."
’If he knew then he will surely accept my proposal’
Ren stroked his chin.
"Hmm… He’s got a point."
’But what does he mean by them? Who is them?’
Lyrium, however, remained silent.
His gaze drilled into me, as if he was trying to find a crack in my reasoning.
I could feel the weight of his scrutiny, but I didn’t waver.
Finally, after a long pause, he spoke.
"Interesting proposition. But there’s one problem."
I raised an eyebrow.
"And that is?"
Lyrium tilted his head slightly.
"How do I know you won’t stab us in the back the moment it’s convenient?"
I chuckled.
"The same way we know you won’t do the same."
For a moment, no one spoke.
The jungle around us buzzed with the sounds of nature, but in this small clearing by the river, it felt like time had momentarily frozen.
Then—
Lyrium smirked.
"Fine. A temporary alliance, then."
Lily let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.
Ren clapped his hands together, laughing.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!"
’I don’t know what is happening but this will be fun.’
I extended a hand.
"Then it’s a deal."
Lyrium glanced at my hand for a second before shaking it briefly.
The moment our hands separated, a system notification popped up before all four of us
[Temporary Alliance Formed – Team 1 and Team 2 Partial Cooperation Activated]
Then, i slightly smiled and spoke in my mind,
’Hmm.. So he knew about it.. That we are not the one who, that Team 1 and team 2 are not the one who will fight.. But. Both of the team had to form in one and have to fight them.’
I spoke slightly.
"Now, let’s go hunting."
*****