'As expected, the Association really wants to recruit me. Are they interested in me because of my sudden achievements? Do they think I'll be easy to control since I don't have any background? That's probably it.'

It didn't even take him a second to understand the situation. The principal, of course, didn't know that the person inviting him was from the Dark Association.

Although it seemed like they wanted him to join, their real goal was to control him.

Many people had been brainwashed by the Association and turned into puppets of darkness. During Season 3, those people would appear, causing chaos.

"Unfortunately, sir, I'm not interested in these associations. If that person tries to contact you again, tell him I have no interest.

If he insists on persuading you, tell him I already have an Association I want to join. I think after that, he'll leave you alone."

"O-okay. Then don't worry about it. Just focus on your training and leave the rest to me."

With that, the principal hung up.

Sam released a deep breath now that the conversation was over. But from that moment on, he would be on the Dark Association's target list.

While he stayed within the safe zone and Warrior Academy, he wouldn't be targeted, but the moment he entered a danger zone for missions, he would be.

'Sigh, there really is no end to trouble. I have to be very careful from now on. Also, after the entrance examination, I should think of a way to draw the Warrior Association's attention to the Antique Association.

I cannot repeat the same things that happened before. Many people—even Max—lost their lives back then.

Sigh… If only I had more reputation and achievements. Then, I wouldn't have to worry about any of this and could directly inform the Warrior Association.'

It was frustrating, having knowledge of so many unfortunate events but being unable to share them directly with the Warrior Association.

He could claim to see the future because of his blessing, but this would only put him in danger; even inside the Warrior Association, he wasn't safe.

So, he couldn't reveal this information directly, or he'd become a suspect.

Sam needed to come up with a way to catch the Warrior Association's attention without exposing his existence or identity.

'If only one of those Saints were a relative of mine, I could solve everything easily. They wouldn't even have to search for the Dark Association.'

Sam took another deep breath at the thought.

****

"If they won't accept our invitation, put them on our blacklist. I don't want them to grow any stronger. Find a good opportunity to kill them. That will cause us fewer problems."

The representative from the Antique Association entered another hotel room to inform his superior that both Sam and David had declined the invitation.

He was prepared for punishment, but to his surprise, received neither punishment nor scolding.

It seemed his superior had already expected this. He simply instructed him to blacklist Sam and David and look for a chance to kill them both.

This naturally surprised him, but he nodded and left the room as ordered.

After a while, the subordinate left, leaving the superior alone by the window, looking out over the city.

"What a beautiful city. I really can't wait for our lord to appear. The beauty of this place will be doubled. Hahaha… There will be no more pain. Every human will be free from misery."

He suddenly began to laugh maniacally. Any normal person would have been frightened to see him like that.

*******

Six days later,

"Don't even mention it. I've received almost 50 invitations, and all those people insist on meeting me. Hmph, they really don't understand. I told them I'm not interested, but they keep bothering me."

Alexa was complaining. She, Fiona, and Sam were sitting together in the cafeteria, and Alexa was recounting her experiences with all the invitations she'd received.

"At least you're still in the competition. Since I'm already out, everyone's focusing even more attention on me. Just wait until the competition's over—then you'll understand. You'll find those 50 invitations aren't so bad."

Fiona spoke wearily. She'd been dealing with a constant stream of reporters trying to interview her. She had already given interviews, but they kept coming back.

Every day, she had to deal with this, which was incredibly tiring. Fortunately, inside the hotel, they didn't have to worry about the reporters.

Sam just shook his head helplessly. He wasn't surprised by the situation; instead, he was thinking about what he would do after the Battle Royale.

There was a chance he might be defeated by Lisa, and then he'd be out of the competition. At that point, everyone's attention would shift to him, even more than to Fiona and the others.

People would try to uncover his secrets—what kind of blessing he'd received and how he'd become a beginner Mortal Grade warrior so quickly.

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

"Sigh, let's forget about all that. I should focus on tomorrow's battle. How's your preparation? How confident do you feel?"

Sam asked Alexa.

"Hehehe… I think she's afraid of David. Don't worry, I'll be there to cheer for your defeat. Just try not to lose too badly."

Fiona suddenly began to tease Alexa. Hearing this, Alexa did not back down.

"Stupid brown bear, who needs your cheering? I'm confident I can defeat him."

Alexa replied angrily to Fiona.

"Well, I'm not saying you're not ready, but I am saying you should prepare for the unexpected. As I told you, we still don't know anything about his blessing.

So you need to stay cautious at all times during the match. There's a chance he could suddenly increase his power or even become invisible.

Anything is possible, so be prepared for any situation.

I think you should cover the entire battle ring with your fire right from the start. Don't give your opponent any chance to react—try to defeat him as quickly as you can."

Sam reminded her once again to be careful against David and to use her full power as soon as she received the referee's signal.