novelraw Chapter 55: The Lost Island (1)
Chapter 55: The Lost Island (1)
"This must be the gate."
Verso stood in front of their destination right in front of the massive tear in space.
This was the gate to the Lost Island dungeon. The gate was shimmering blue in color and pulsed with a cool calming energy.
This was a great contrast to candidates surrounding it that were completely stressed out and were sweating in fear.
Countless groups from their venue were gathered in the vicinity, but none had actually made a move to enter the dungeon.
Instead, they were huddled in tight circles, whispering among each other and trying to map out strategies for the Lost Island dungeon that none of them had ever seen.
This was complete justified as the Summoner Academy Exam had decided to send the students hunting for Sirens in a dungeon that had barely been explored which meant that it was deemed dangerous even by professionals.
The instructions from the Jester still echoed in Verso’s mind. The scoring system for the test was pretty straightforward but it was also brutal.
Every Elite-Rank Siren that was slain counted as a single point for the team. At the end of the exam period, teams across the nation would be ranked according to their points.
And for them to receive an invitation from a prestigious Summoner Academy, they had to rank well under the Top 100.
’But this team...’
Verso let out a heavy mental sigh as he looked at his companions. Ever since they had left the Colosseum, the silence had been deafening.
The vibrant, competitive energy of the other candidates had not touched their group in the very least as they were still full of mutual distrust.
Han, who was usually a fountain of relentless optimism, had spent the last twenty minutes trying to initiate small talk between the group only to fail miserably.
No one would even look at him, let alone answer his questions about the weather.
"My companions, this is important, we must decide who shall take the lead."
Han stopped and turned back to the group, unlike before his expression pretty serious. He adjusted his stance as the wind blowing from the rift ruffled his green hair.
"I believe no one among us wishes to fail this trial."
He looked directly at Moon Bloodveil.
The hierarchy of the group was obvious to all of them. In a world ruled by clans, Moon was literally the apex predator of the group.
It was not odd to believe that Moon would have the capabilities to kill the Siren completely alone.
"I think I should lead the team." Moon said, his voice flat as if he was not asking them for their opinion but stating it as a law.
A sharp, mocking scoff came from right behind him.
"Yeah, I would rather hang myself than hunt under your leadership." Lua said, her red eyes burning with a cold fire.
She did not even wait for her brother’s reply as she turned her gaze toward Han.
"I think you should lead the team."
’It could not have been worse.’ Verso shifted uncomfortably watching the siblings fight.
He then slowly glanced at Xavier, who had been staring at him with a strange level of intensity for the entire walk from the colosseum.
Xavier had not said a single word to him, but the weight of his gaze made Verso feel like the blonde boy was mentally preparing for a round two of their duel.
’We really have a dysfunctional team.’ Verso thought.
He looked at Han, then at Lua and realized that Han was the only logical safety net between the explosive Bloodveil siblings.
"I agree with Lua," Verso said, stepping forward.
"You should lead the team, Han."
Hearing Verso’s endorsement, Xavier did not hesitate as his voice cut through the air.
"I agree with this too."
Hearing everyone in the group oppose his leadership made Moon go silent.
For a long second he had an unreadable expression on his face, as he slowly scanned the faces of his teammates.
Seeing that they all had a strong resolve, he slowly raised both of his hands and shrugged. A thin, sharp smile touching his lips.
"Hey, majority rules, I guess."
Seeing their groups first flicker of genuine progress, Han’s smile widened.
For a second his smile stayed there before it vanished completely. Han did not plan on wasting a single second as he made sure that the team built off of this momentum.
He began pointing at each member with precision as his voice dropped into a flat tone that commanded complete obedience.
"Xavier, I want you to take the left wing, you look like you have the speed to flank. Lua, you’ll take the right wing. I want Moon to lead the front, you are our primary heavy hitter. And finally, Me and Verso will cover from the back."
The shift in his vibe was jarring.
Like a professional strategist who had survived a hundred battles, Han allotted the group with their roles with zero hesitation.
Although, the bad blood was still there in the group, the collective desire to pass the exam acted as a temporary glue for them to work together and listen to Han’s order.
None of them were willing to let their bright future go up in smoke just because of a petty grudge.
"I guess I am taking the lead then." Moon said with a small, dry chuckle.
He cracked his knuckles which sounded like breaking stone as he began walking toward the shimmering blue tear in space.
Looking as Moon’s back, Verso tightened his grip on his hoodie. Just then the cool air coming out of the gate washed over him.
’I guess we still have a chance.’ A small smile cracked up on his face.
He followed right behind Moon as the other three followed right behind him.
Even though they did not look like a team right now and they certainly did not trust each other.
When they stepped into the rift, they became the very first team from the venue to enter the unexplored dungeon.
And little did they know, that the Lost Island was waiting.