"So, he is Rank 1 in all the tests?" Damian asked Amelia, who nodded in response.
"How is that even possible?" Damian exclaimed.
He could understand that Asher was powerful, but him achieving first place in all the tests was a bit surprising. They knew how challenging the theory exam was.
In the theory exam, Eva came in second, scoring 12 marks less than the total.
But Asher had achieved a perfect score, shocking Damian.
Apart from them, many students failed to get passing marks.
"Should I also spend more time studying?" Damian pondered as he looked at his score.
While it was better than average, it wasn't anything too outstanding. Even Amelia was in the top 10, while Damian was hovering somewhere around the top 200.
"Focus!" Professor Terrence interjected, silencing everyone in Class 2.
"You can discuss all you want later, after I make this announcement," he stated.
"Next month, we will not have any classes because the Kalvas Gala will be happening," he announced, brightening many students' expressions.
The World Academy had resumed classes right after midterms, granting only a two-day break to the students. Many of them were quite tired.
Learning that they would enjoy a week-long break was enough to lift their spirits.
All four years were informed about this.
Apart from a few people, many elite families, and those from invited families were happy they were going to attend the Gala.
Among those not excited about the Gala was Sam Allister.
The Gala was the place where all the elite families of the Halcyon Continent would gather, including his father.
Given a choice, Sam would have chosen to stay at the World Academy, but he couldn't defy his father's will.
At the Greville Estate, Sylvie was seated in the large lobby where many servants were standing, multiple dresses and suits in their hands.
"Hmm, what do you think about this one, mom?" Sylvie asked Helena, who was seated there as well.
Helena glanced at the twins trying on their dresses for the Gala.
"Let's ask the kids. I am old; they might not like the clothes I choose," Helena whispered to Sylvie.
Sylvie turned to the twins, asking them which clothes they preferred from the ones the servants were displaying.
"I think this one is fine," Livia commented as she tried on her fourth dress.
From the looks alone, Livia could tell all these clothes were expensive, and considering the number of clothes she already had in her room, she didn't want to spend too much on these outfits.
"This one will be enough," Lucas decided, choosing a suit for himself.
"You need at least seven to last the whole Gala," Sylvie informed, causing Livia to tilt her head in confusion.
"The Gala will last four days, Livia," Sylvie clarified, helping both twins understand why they were trying on so many dresses.
"By the way, did you choose a partner for my grandson?" Helena inquired, as the twins struggled with the plethora of clothes they had to try on.
"Ah, that. I didn't," Sylvie admitted, causing Helena to frown.
"Well, ask him about it," Helena advised, not pursuing the matter any further.
"By the way, the number of annoying people in Soran has increased," Helena noted as she sipped on her tea.
"We've dealt with most of them, but we expected this much after Asher showcased his talents," Sylvie replied while observing the twins.
"After the Gala, it will increase even more," Helena warned her.
"Well, I can handle that. I am your daughter after all," Sylvie responded with a smile.
Helena smiled, knowing that Sylvie was intelligent enough to tackle these problems.
The number of people growing wary of the Greville family's increasing power was not low. Consequently, many were sending people to Somaria to gather information on the Grevilles.
"Do you know who's hosting the Gala?" Sylvie asked.
"According to the information I received, it's the Levoure Family," Helena replied.
The Levoure family was one of the non-elite families that had sufficient influence and status to host the Gala.
After the Hargrave Family had refused, they needed to choose a non-elite family as the host, so they selected Levoure.
"Can't I just pick these seven?" Lucas asked Sylvie, pointing at the first seven outfits he had tried on.
"Nope, we'll have to choose the best for you. So keep trying," Sylvie said with a smile, rejecting Lucas.
'I want to train though,' Lucas thought, begrudgingly going back to try on the next suit.
***
In a vast desert, a single man was hiding behind a ridge.
"Hey, are you sure we won't die?" Dane asked Tom through the communication device.
"Well, probably not," Tom replied.
"At least lie and say we will survive," Dane said, but he didn't raise his voice.
"Where's Kai?" Dane asked.
"He'll reach your position in a minute, so be ready," Tom responded.
Dane took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
Soon he saw Kai running toward him.
Dane stood up and took out the necklace that was the teleportation artifact.
"Why's he taking so long," Dane muttered, watching Kai approach.
"ACTIVATE IT!" Kai shouted as he reached Dane and jumped.
Without hesitation, Dane activated the artifact, grabbing Kai's hand, and they both disappeared from the location.
As soon as they vanished, a massive explosion obliterated everything in the large area they had been in, leaving nothing behind.
"Hey, did you escape safely?" Tom asked, his voice laced with worry.
"We did, luckily," Kai replied, touching his communication device.
"Only half the locations are left, so keep up with the pace," Tom advised.
Both Kai and Dane were exhausted, but they stood up anyway; time was not on their side.
In their previous location, they had spent more time than necessary, and they were now behind schedule.
"You can rest for today; I'll update the boss about our progress," Tom informed them before disconnecting the communication device.
In his room, he reviewed the many locations they had visited.
"How does he know all this?" Tom was unsure how Asher could provide such precise information.
"Is the information network of the elite families this strong?" Tom pondered, starting to inform Asher about their progress.
His task was critical. Although Asher had provided all necessary resources, a single mistake could jeopardize their mission.
"It should be fine now," Tom muttered, looking at his shaking hands.
Dane and Kai were accustomed to high-risk missions, but Tom was an ordinary man before Asher recruited him.
However, the stress of the situation was getting to him. What Asher was making him do could lead to severe repercussions from the authorities.
Nevertheless, with the stress came the thrill of the job, pushing Tom to move forward.
Until now, Tom hadn't made a single error like he did with the Heist Mission.
"Time to move from here," Tom mumbled after typing his message. He stood up and packed his equipment back into his spatial ring.
This was a special spatial ring that even individuals like Tom could use.
Upon reaching the hotel lobby, he prepared to check out.
"Mr. Jason, you wish to check out?" The receptionist asked.
Tom was currently wearing a mask that altered his facial features from his original looks.
"Yes," Tom responded in a different tone than his original voice.
"Thank you for your stay, sir," The receptionist replied.
Tom surveyed the hotel, searching for transportation to his next location.
Their mission comprised two parts, both of which needed to be fulfilled within a month.
They had nearly completed the first part, but the second part was challenging due to the heightened security. This was because the World Association was hunting for traces of Zephyr.
Although the second part was comparatively easier, it also required Tom to be extra cautious to avoid capture.
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