The next day…

The academy’s battle arena buzzed with new students. They chatted among themselves, even betting on who would come out on top.

“Who do you think will be the champion?” one of them asked curiously.

“I don’t know. Their abilities haven’t been fully revealed yet. But judging by the results of the previous test, I’m betting on Catrine Clay. She’s insanely strong and intimidating,” another boy said, his face pale.

He still remembered how effortlessly Catrine had blocked a sudden attack from Nysera, a dragon.

The strike had been fast, powerful, and deadly—but against Catrine, it had been like nothing at all.

He was certain she would win this second test.

Hearing his words, the others nodded in agreement.

Just as they were deep in discussion, a voice rang out from behind.

“Look—they’re the first wave of students!”

Following the direction of the voice, everyone turned to see a group of students striding in with a cocky, irritating swagger.

There were more than twenty of them. They stopped at the far side of the arena, facing the prospective participants of the second test.

“Tsk! The second test is a fighting test? This is going to be exciting, right?” one of the group said casually.

“But I don’t think so. They’re weak—they didn’t even deserve to be in the first wave. What can we expect from them?” a boy with a smug grin said, openly mocking the newcomers.

“Hahaha! That’s right!” another chimed, and the whole group burst into laughter.

“Damn…”

Their words enraged the prospective participants of the second test.

They knew their talents and strength were far below those of the first wave.

But this insult… it was unbearable.

“Stay calm. Don’t let your emotions take over,” one of them said, voice steady. “If I’m not mistaken, we’ll get a chance to challenge them later. When that happens, we can let the arena settle it for us.”

Hearing this, everyone’s faces brightened. They hadn’t expected such a rule to exist. If true, this could be the perfect opportunity to silence the first wave once and for all.

“Thank you all for coming.”

Ronald’s voice rang out from the stage. He stood in the center, flanked by several other professors.

“The matches are about to begin. Everyone has their tickets, right?”

All the students nodded in unison and retrieved the tickets from their pockets.

The tickets were golden, still sealed, and strictly forbidden to open until instructed.

“Now, open your tickets,” Ronald commanded.

They quickly opened their tickets and stared at the numbers printed inside.

“Number seven? What does this mean?” a boy asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

“I got number twenty-five. Does that mean my turn is twenty-five?” a girl asked, equally puzzled.

Whispers immediately spread through the group.

Ronald smiled and explained, “The number on your ticket determines the order of your turn. Your opponent is the person with the same number. Understood?”

As soon as they heard this, the children exchanged quick glances.

“Who has the same number as me?”

The thought ran through everyone’s mind at the same time. The atmosphere grew tense as they eyed each other warily.

Meanwhile, Catrine, Nysera, Liora, and the other top ten glanced at the brown tickets in their hands, puzzled.

There were no numbers or markings—just blank pieces of paper.

“Vice Principal, may I ask a question?” A brown-haired girl raised her hand.

Ronald turned to her and nodded slightly. “Go ahead.”

“Why is my paper blank?” she asked, holding up her ticket.

The others did the same, including Catrine and Liora.

Ronald smiled and folded his arms behind his back.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention. Ten people from the first test will get a break. You’ll compete on the fourth day—after the results of those ten are out. Then, you’ll face them to fight for first place,” he explained casually. “Do you understand?”

Catrine and the others nodded in unison. “Understood!”

The other students couldn’t hide their jealousy. Fighting back-to-back was exhausting, and the top ten from the previous test getting a direct pass to the final round was a massive advantage.

Had they known this, they would have taken the first test far more seriously.

But time couldn’t be rewound. Like it or not, they had to accept it.

“Boring,” Catrine whispered, shaking her head. She slipped her ticket into her pocket and walked off.

At first, she’d thought today would be her turn to fight—but it wasn’t.

There was no point in watching the other matches; in her eyes, none of the students were worth her attention.

Seeing Catrine walk away, Nysera and the others immediately followed.

Confident and full of pride, they didn’t see the other students as any kind of threat.

Ronald didn’t intervene. He understood their mindset and let them go.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s begin the matches!”

…

“Where should I go? The dormitory or practice?” Catrine wondered.

The academy was unusually quiet. Most students, including the first wave, had already headed to the battle area, leaving the other parts nearly deserted.

“Hey, girl, are you alone?”

A playful voice came from behind. Startled, Catrine turned to see two boys staring at her with irritating grins.

Catrine’s brow knitted as she asked sharply, “What do you want?”

The two exchanged a quick glance before breaking into laughter.

“Don’t be so serious! We just want to invite you to the cafeteria. What do you say?” the boy on the right said.

Catrine narrowed her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.

“Go away. I’m not interested.”

Their smiles disappeared instantly.

“What do you mean!? How dare you refuse us!” the boy on the left growled, pointing at her.

Catrine didn’t flinch. She was about to draw her sword when a calm voice cut through the tension.

“Flirting with another student on academy grounds. You guys are really brave, huh?”

Startled, the two boys whipped their heads around, eyes wide with surprise.

There stood a tall, handsome boy radiating a strong, intimidating aura.

Both of them froze, their knees trembling.

“M-Merlin… Clay!?” they exclaimed.

Merlin stepped forward and stopped beside Catrine.

“Leave, or I’ll make you regret it,” he threatened coldly.

Neither dared to argue. They quickly turned and hurried away. Merlin Clay was known as the most brilliant student in the first wave—crossing him was practically inviting death.

Once they were gone, Merlin let out a light sigh and turned to Catrine.

With a gentle smile, he asked, “Are you alright, little girl?”

Catrine froze. Her usually icy blue eyes shimmered with tears.

Without a word, she leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Merlin returned the embrace, rubbing her back reassuringly.

“I missed you, Catrine. It’s good to see you again,” he whispered.

His words broke her completely. Catrine sobbed uncontrollably.

“Brother… brother… I missed you too! Woaah!”

Her cries grew louder as she buried her face in his chest.

Fortunately, no one else was around, so she could finally release all the emotions she’d been holding back.

Merlin remained quiet, letting her cry. Truthfully, he wanted to cry as well, but as her brother, he couldn’t show weakness in front of her.

After five minutes, Catrine finally calmed down. Even then, she didn’t let go of him.

Merlin gently stroked her hair and teased, “Don’t you want to let go of me?”

Catrine shook her head, tightening her embrace.

“No. If I let go, I’m afraid you’ll leave me again,” she murmured.

Her brother’s absence in the past still weighed heavily on her. By their agreement, Merlin was only supposed to be gone for less than two weeks.

But in reality, it had lasted far longer. And after she left with Master Illusion, Catrine had been separated from her brother for two years—an unbearable torment.

Now that they were together again, she naturally didn’t want to let him go.

Merlin coaxed her gently, and eventually, Catrine loosened her grip. Still, she clutched the hem of his robe, clearly unwilling to part completely.

“How have you been all this time? And how did you end up at the academy?” Merlin asked curiously as he guided her along.

Catrine glanced down at their intertwined hands and couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m fine, brother. Two years ago, I went to train with my master. You know her, right?”

Merlin nodded slightly. “Master Illusion, right? How did you come to know her?”

Although he knew his presence had already disrupted the world’s plot, this question still puzzled him.

The appearance of Master Illusion had come far too early—two or three years sooner than expected.

Catrine pressed her side against his arm. “I don’t know. My master appeared so suddenly. She said I have the bloodline of the Sovereign of Winter.”

Merlin frowned. ‘Master Illusion knows about your bloodline? Isn’t that too powerful?’

Even Linda hadn’t realized it, yet the old woman had somehow discovered it. His admiration for her grew even more.

“Good. I’m glad you came back safely,” he said, rubbing her head.

Catrine squirmed playfully, acting like a little sister craving her brother’s affection.

“By the way, have you eaten? How about we go to the cafeteria?”

Catrine closed her eyes and smiled. “It’s up to you. I’ll go wherever you take me.”

Merlin just smiled and led her toward Lisa’s place.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep