Chapter 356: Inter-Academy Tournament (VIII)
Gray ignored her entirely.
He didn’t spare even a single glance at the gauntlets she had stolen.
In the original novel, this exact moment had happened, Mariinne stealing the gauntlets with her shadow arts, only for Adrian to eventually get them back and pass them to Ronan, who received a massive power-up and swore loyalty to him.
Gray had no interest in seeing that story.
He simply turned around and walked away, his rapier still in hand as he moved deeper into the the island without saying a single word to her.
Mariinne blinked, her lovestruck expression freezing on her face as she watched him leave.
Her brown hair swayed slightly as she tilted her head, clearly confused by his complete lack of reaction.
"W-Wait... you’re just going to ignore me?" she called out, her voice a mix of surprise and disappointment.
"After I fell for you at first sight? That’s so cold! But... I like that too! It makes you even more mysterious!"
She stood there for a moment, clutching the stolen gauntlets as she watched his retreating figure.
Then, with a playful grin, she dissolved into shadows once more, following him from the darkness.
"Fine~ I’ll chase you then! This is going to be fun!"
Gray didn’t look back.
He had more important things to do, such as eliminating other academies and advancing his own plans.
The girl’s sudden obsession was nothing more than a minor annoyance.
He had given the girls clear instructions earlier, and they were more than capable of handling themselves, hence why he was now alone.
His real goal right now was to check on Gloria Academy’s movements, especially since Adrian and the others might be planning something against him.
Normally, he wouldn’t care about that, but in this area, most of his power is sealed.
That confirmed these thoughts of Gloria talking to the Emperor to put a cultivation limit on the tournament.
Right now, he can only exert the cultivation of a Peak Great Grandmaster.
However... something that he noticed was that there was a limit on top of another limit, but it only seemed to be on him.
’If I recall correctly from the original novel,’ he thought calmly as he moved silently through the dense jungle.
’Gloria Academy will try to secure a strong position early. Adrian will lead them to a central area with good resources. If I can disrupt them now, it’ll make things easier later. I don’t need to fight them directly yet. Just observe and eliminate a few key members if the chance appears.’
’I just can’t exerce... a lot of strength, I need to hide my strength to the maximum until the Royal Banquet.’
His mana leaked out of his body, constantly analyzing his surroundings.
Until a soft giggle echoed from the shadows beside him, interrupting this thoughts.
"You’re so focused~" Mariinne’s voice came from the darkness, playful and teasing. "Ignoring a cute girl who just confessed to you? That’s really cold, you know."
’...She’s still following me? Annoying...’
Gray didn’t even glance in her direction.
Mariinne didn’t give up. She popped out of a shadow on his left, walking beside him with a bright smile on her face. Her brown hair bounced with each step as she tried to keep up with his pace.
"Come on! At least tell me your name! Or where you’re going? Are you going to fight someone? Can I help? I’m really good at sneaking and stealing things! We could make a great team!"
Gray remained silent, his eyes scanning the jungle ahead. He had no interest in entertaining her.
Mariinne pouted, but quickly recovered, skipping ahead and turning around to walk backwards in front of him.
"You’re really mysterious, aren’t you? That cold look, the way you grabbed me so easily... I think I’m falling even harder now. Hey, if you’re going to check on another team, I can help! I basically know the location of every student! I could even distract them for you~"
Gray finally showed a hint of interest. After all, the novel didn’t exactly specify where those ancient ruins were.
He slowed his steps slightly and turned his head toward her, raising an eyebrow.
"Really? Then do you know where the students from Gloria Academy are?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a clear note of curiosity.
Mariinne’s eyes lit up immediately.
She puffed her chest proudly, a big, confident smile spreading across her face as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, of course!" she said, her voice full of excitement.
"I’m the ace of Dragon Slaying Academy for a reason! My shadow arts let me scout almost the entire island without being noticed. Gloria Academy’s main group is heading toward the central hills, the area with the big waterfall. Adrian is leading them, and Maelis is right beside him. They already have two flags. They’re moving pretty carefully, but they’re not as fast as me."
She skipped a little closer, still walking backwards as she looked at Gray with sparkling eyes.
"I can take you there right now if you want! Or I can go ahead and cause some trouble for them first. Just say the word~ I’d do anything for you, my mysterious future husband!"
She giggled playfully, clearly enjoying the attention she was finally getting from him.
Her brown hair bounced with each step, and her mischievous grin made it obvious how happy she was to be useful to him.
’...She could be useful,’ he thought.
Dante made her the thief heroine, and her ability to gather information was extremely useful.
"Lead the way then," he said simply.
Mariinne’s face lit up as if she had just won the biggest prize in the world.
"Yes! Follow me, my love! I’ll show you the best and quickest paths. We’ll be there in no time!"
She quickly jumped into the shadows, hoping that Gray would be able to follow her. And so, Gray followed her without saying much.
After a while, Mariinne stopped near a big rock formation. She pointed ahead with a grin.
"There. The entrance to the ruin is just past those trees. Gloria’s group went inside a little while ago. They’re still exploring... I can feel their energy from here!"
Gray nodded lightly.
He moved closer to get a better look. The entrance to the ruin was hidden behind thick vines and rocks, but he could see faint light coming from inside.
More importantly, he could also faintly feel a few presences...
"A guy called Adrian is leading them, and there was also an interesting girl who used Gravity Magic. They found some old carvings and a few small treasures, but nothing too big yet... as when they were about to take a precious treasure that looked like gauntlets... I stole them! Hehe~" she winked at him, not ashamed of stealing from other people at all.
Gray calmly watched the entrance for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows.
He was thinking about what to do next. He didn’t want to fight them directly yet, but watching them and looking for a chance to eliminate a few key members could be useful.
Mariinne tilted her head, looking at him with curious eyes.
"What do you want to do? I can go in first and cause some trouble if you want. Or we can wait and watch. I’m good at both!"
At that suggestion, Gray nodded.
"Good suggestion," he said quietly.
"Go in first and cause some trouble. I’ll watch from here."
Mariinne’s face lit up with a big, excited smile. She looked like she had just been given the best gift in the world.
"Really? You trust me to do that?" she asked, her voice full of happiness.
"Okay! I’ll make sure to cause just enough chaos to distract them. I won’t get caught. I’m really good at this!"
She stepped closer to him for a second, her brown hair swaying as she gave him a playful wink.
"Watch me, okay? I’ll show you how good I am. And after this... maybe you’ll think about that date I asked for earlier?"
She giggled softly, then dissolved into shadows before Gray could answer. Her form melted into the darkness, slipping silently toward the entrance of the ruin.
Gray stayed hidden while cautiously taking a few steps further, without making any sound whatsoever.
He could feel the presence of Gloria Academy’s students inside, and their energy was getting closer by the second.
He waited calmly, ready to step in if needed, but mostly content to let Mariinne do her part for now.
Inside the ruin, Mariinne moved like a ghost.
She appeared in a dark corner of the corridor, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she watched Gloria’s group moving ahead.
She waited for the perfect moment, then made her move.
She slipped through the shadows again, appearing right behind one of the students at the back of the group.
With a quick, silent motion, she snatched a small pouch from his belt, one containing extra healing potions, and disappeared before he could react.
The student noticed immediately.
"Hey! My potions are gone!" he shouted.
The group stopped, turning around in surprise. Adrian raised his hand, signaling everyone to stay alert.
"Stay together! Someone’s here."
Maelis narrowed her eyes, scanning the shadows.
"It’s her again. That shadow girl from Dragon Slaying."
Mariinne giggled softly from the darkness, her voice echoing around the corridor to confuse them.
"You’re all so slow~ I thought the great Gloria Academy would be more fun to play with!"
She appeared for a brief second on the ceiling, waving the stolen pouch teasingly before melting back into the shadows.
The group tensed, weapons ready, as they tried to track her movements. Adrian’s expression grew serious.
"Don’t chase her alone. Stay in formation. She’s trying to split us up."
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