It had been two days since the Black Lightning clone had killed Seris.

Or at least, that’s what Cael was thinking. Cael did not know that she had resurrected.

As far as he was concerned, the variable had been eliminated.

The threat was gone. He could finally stop overthinking.

Currently, he was in his room, sorting through his clothes and necessities for the next two weeks.

His bed was covered with folded shirts, pants, and a few dark hoodies he had grown fond of.

His space pouch lay open on the desk, already half-filled with potions, spare identification cards, and a small stack of UTM notes.

The reason he was preparing to leave was simple.

The selections for The Grand Summit Trials were about to begin.

Due to the overwhelming number of participants in Karyal City, the Council had decided to distribute the selection process across multiple cities.

Teams and individuals from the capital would be sent to other locations to compete, easing the burden on the local infrastructure.

For every ten to twenty districts, there was one major city.

While districts were guarded by [Mythril] rankers, cities were protected by [Adamant] rankers.

The difference in security was significant, and the venues had been chosen accordingly.

Team Gray’s selection exam would take place in Arhal City, at the Golden Scale Academy.

According to the official numbers, more than 700,000 people had applied to participate in the selections across the nation.

The Council had originally estimated that over a million would register.

But due to time constraints, personal obligations, and other factors, more than 300,000 were not interested in participating.

Of course, a significant portion of those people were just cowards.

Rumors had spread, whispered through taverns and training grounds, that anyone who performed well in the selections would be forcibly sent to the borderlands.

The rumors were false, but they had done their damage.

It was not hard to guess who was behind them.

Half-blood vampires and humans bewitched by vampire thralls.

They did not want talented young rankers to be discovered. So, they spread fear, and the weak-hearted had listened.

That said, this is also an opportunity for the Council.

According to Seraphina, by tracking which regions had unusually low participation rates, they could identify potential vampire bases.

The chances were low, but if done correctly, it could deal a significant blow to vampire operations.

Cael did not care about any of that. His concern was much simpler.

He wanted to survive the selections, qualify for the main event, and avoid unnecessary attention.

Originally, Cael didn’t care about selection or the grand summit trials, but once he learned about the rewards. His mind immediately changed.

Cael sat on his bed after finally finishing his packing. His space pouch on his wrist. His spare clothes were folded neatly inside. His identification was in order.

"Arhal City."

Cael muttered as he recalled.

He did not have much of an opinion on the place. He had never been there.

If there was one thing he recalled from the novel, it was that there was a minor boss character in the Golden Scale Academy.

Calling him a boss was an insult to the word itself. More like an egotistical fool.

Cael did not remember the character’s name.

All he knew was that he had been considered a genius at that academy.

During the inter-academy competition in the second year, he had messed with Mira of all people.

But his first opponent in that tournament was Luke himself.

He had lost so badly.

Literally, got one-shotted.

He had not even made it past the first round.

In a fit of rage and humiliation, he had made a deal with a vampire.

He became a half-blood, and he leaked the Golden Scale Academy’s barrier codex to the vampires.

By the end of that arc, the vampires were killed, and the minor boss was again one-shotted.

But unlike before, this time, he did not survive.

Cael shook his head after recalling the details.

Seraphina had warned him before he left.

She had not told him to be low-key exactly. Her words had been simpler.

"Avoid trouble. And do not make any either."

That was what she had said.

So, Cael planned to avoid this minor boss entirely.

He would attend the selections, qualify, and leave.

’What was his name again? Urgh, whatever. I just need to be careful.’

...

The airport was crowded.

Teams of young rankers moved through the terminal in small clusters, their voices echoing off the high ceilings.

Some carried weapons openly. Others kept their hands in their pockets, trying to look relaxed. Everyone was nervous.

Not everyone could afford a space pouch. Their price was high, and the materials required to craft them were scarce. Cael was the only one in Team Gray who owned one.

Cael walked with Edwin, Aria, and Brania toward their departure gate.

Their tickets had been booked by the academy. Their seats had been assigned. There was nothing left to do but wait.

Edwin glanced at the departure board and said,

"Six hours, that is a long flight."

Aria shrugged.

"I can have a long sleep."

Brania said nothing. She simply adjusted the strap of her bag and kept walking.

As they approached the gate, more clusters of participants came into view. Some were in uniform, representing their academies.

Cael simply walked toward the boarding gate.

...

They boarded the aircraft without incident.

The interior was clean, spacious, and filled with the quiet hum of mana engines.

A flight attendant greeted them at the door, pointing them toward their seats.

Cael found his seat by the window.

The glass was clear, offering an unobstructed view of the tarmac. Edwin sat beside him.

Aria and Brania took the seats behind them, Aria by the window, and Brania sat next to her.

The aircraft began to fill. Participants filed past, searching for their seats.

Some spoke in hushed tones about the trials. Others laughed, trying to hide their nerves.

Cael looked out the window as the aircraft began to take off.

The city sprawled beneath them, its towers catching the afternoon light.

He watched as the buildings grew smaller, as the streets turned into lines, as the city became a patchwork of gray and green.

Edwin leaned over to look.

"Nice view."

Cael nodded.

"Yes."

Aria tapped the back of Cael’s seat.

"Did you bring snacks? I forgot mine."

Cael reached into his space pouch and handed her a small pack of dried meat snacks without looking back.

Aria caught it.

"Thanks."

Brania glanced at the pack.

"Is that mana beast meat?"

Cael nodded again.

"Yes."

Brania raised an eyebrow.

"You carry that everywhere?"

Cael simply said,

"It’s good for training."

The city disappeared beneath the clouds. Through the window, the last traces of Karyal City faded into the horizon, replaced by the endless white of the cloud cover.

A flight attendant walked down the aisle, offering drinks and light snacks.

Aria, Brania, and Edwin made small talk.

Cael did not participate in the conversation. He kept his eyes on the clouds, watching them drift past, slow and indifferent.

The aircraft leveled out. The seatbelt signs turned off. People began to move around, stretching their legs, walking to the restroom. The cabin grew louder with conversation.

The voices blurred into background noise.

Cael let them fade.

...

About an hour into the flight, the cabin had grown quiet. Some passengers slept.

Others stared at their phones or out the windows. The hum of the engines was steady, almost hypnotic.

Cael was staring out the window when he heard a voice from the row behind him.

"Senior, how long is this going to take?"

The voice was young, eager, and slightly impatient.

Another voice replied, older and more amused.

"You are quite the eager one, are you not, little one? It will take about five more hours before we reach Arhal City."

Cael’s eyes widened as he recalled and muttered,

"That’s it."

He muttered the words without thinking. Edwin, who had been half-asleep beside him, turned his head.

"What?"

Edwin asked.

Cael realized he had spoken aloud. He shook his head.

"What’s what?"

Edwin sighed and asked,

"What do you mean by ’that’s it’?"

Cael paused. He could not tell Edwin the truth.

’I can’t say that I just remembered the name of a character from a novel, can I?’

So, he improvised.

"It is just that..."

He turned his head toward the window. The clouds stretched beneath them, endless and white.

"I am looking forward to seeing the Golden Scale Academy."

Edwin looked at him for a moment. Then he shrugged and leaned back in his seat and said,

"Fair enough."

"I heard the architecture is impressive."

Cael only nodded his head.

He was already thinking about the minor boss again.

The name had surfaced, but it was still unclear. He needed to be prepared.

’Junior.’

He closed his eyes and let the hum of the engines carry him into silence.

’His name starts with Junior.’

________

[Unedited Chapter]