CHAPTER 287: PREPARATION FOR THE PRELIMINARY EXAM [PART 1]

"Have you heard about what happened in the Combat Mage Training Ground?"

"Of course! I was so shocked! It isn’t hard to believe that Chuck won against Caspian. However, they said he overpowered his older brother. That’s not even the most unbelievable part! There were apparently four more mages, which meant he won against five. The rumors must be exaggerated."

"It’s all true. My friend was there, and the rumors are indeed accurate."

"Damn. Endless Horizon Club isn’t as simple as they look, huh?"

Chuck hadn’t gone back to his room yet, so Alex only learned about his roommate’s feat through the rumors as well.

He was a bit worried about Chuck, so he asked Dim Dim to go and check if he was fine.

The little bun only returned with Chuck during History Class, and from what Alex could see, nothing seemed to have happened to either of them.

If there was one thing he noticed, it was that his roommate had a cheeky grin that didn’t go away even after classes ended.

Out of curiosity, Alex asked Dim Dim what happened, and the Dim Sum God explained everything while fixing its gangster sunglasses on its face.

’Conqueror’s Heart Potion?’ Alex blinked. ’Must be a unique recipe. I never came across that potion in the game.’

Alex was unperturbed about not knowing the potion from the game. Based on Chuck’s outstanding performance, the potion must be far from ordinary, and the silver-haired young man understood that items of that caliber were often gatekept from the public.

Whether these potions were discovered by accident or made by accident, those who have access to them would either put these potions in auction houses or utilize them for their guilds or their own interest.

In short, a potion like Conqueror’s Heart was a trump card that might overturn a losing battle into a winning one.

Chuck told him after class that he would return to the dorm to sleep until dinner. But according to Dim Dim, the teenage boy was just too embarrassed to see Mary and Princess Xenia, especially after the incident that happened in the training grounds.

As soon as he entered the clock tower, he saw Nessia and Charles chatting in the corner, while Lotte, Mary, and Princess Xenia were discussing something about magical theories.

When he arrived, he noticed that the fox lady glued to the bed, Latifa, opened her eyes briefly to look at him.

The two held each other’s gaze for a few seconds before the young lady once again closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

’I still need to talk to her and ask if she can enter people’s dreams,’ Alex thought.

Since they returned to the academy, Latifa had appeared in his dreams twice.

He couldn’t remember much of what happened in the second dream. The last thing he remembered was that he and Noelle took Latifa to the Karaoke Shop to sing together.

At first, everything was fine. But when Alex started to sing, the world suddenly crumbled, and he woke up after.

Since then, Latifa no longer appeared in his dreams, which made him feel relieved and sad at the same time.

’Maybe I’ll ask Lotte later.’ Alex glanced at Latifa’s Second Alter, whom he got along with quite well.

The same couldn’t be said for Latifa’s third Alter, Lumi, who for some reason always had a bone to pick with him. There was no avoiding her since she and Lotte guarded Latifa in shifts, allowing the other to wander around.

When he asked her why she seemed upset with him, the fox lady would just say, "Hmph! That’s none of your business!"

In the end, he thought Lumi might have fallen for him due to how dashing and handsome he was during the Morgim Trial.

Of course, he knew that if he said this out loud, the young lady would probably slap and kick him to oblivion.

Since he didn’t want to mess with the three fox ladies for the time being, Alex sat beside Nessia, who was having a discussion with Princess Xenia and Mary.

"I heard about what Chuck did in the training grounds from Dim Dim," Alex said. "Did he really beat up his brother in front of the First and Second Years?"

"He did," Nessia replied. "I was so surprised. I never knew Chuck had that kind of ability. He used both magic and intimidation to overwhelm his opponents. Still... I’m sensitive to magic, so I know Chuck has very strong magical powers. It’s just that—the way he fought was impressive. It’s like he’d been in dozens of battles before."

Mary nodded reluctantly. "I’ll admit, I underestimated him. Everyone did. And today... he proved us wrong."

Mary lowered her head as if hiding the expression on her face. What happened between Chuck and her was still fresh in her memory, and remembering it made her cheeks feel as if they were burning.

Alex leaned back in his chair, smirking faintly. "I told you. Our club isn’t made of pushovers."

Nessia smiled. "It was a one-sided display of power. He even made Caspian call him ’Sir’ in front of the crowd. Lastly, he also called his brother a peasant, and the other nobles mongrels. Do you know how humiliating it is for a noble to be called a peasant or a mongrel?"

"Oh, I can imagine," Alex replied, picturing the scene in his head. "I’m sure Chuck will be in the spotlight for a few days."

"Word has already spread to the upper years," Princess Xenia said. "Some of them are curious about him now. You know how it is. When someone suddenly goes from weak to strong overnight, people will start watching."

Alex nodded in sincere agreement. After all, he knew that Chuck’s confidence then was mostly thanks to the Conqueror’s Heart Potion the latter consumed before the sparring match.

He was also a little worried. If Chuck were to become addicted or over-reliant on such a potion, it would start a vicious cycle of him suffering from withdrawal symptoms and being forced to consume it regularly.

Charles, who was listening to the discussion, suddenly spoke up.

"I think Chuck’s rise in power has something to do with the Trial," Charles commented. "I’m sure all of us have learned a thing or two from our experience."

Everyone nodded, including Lotte.

According to Latifa’s second Alter, she also gained something after the trial ended.

As to what it was, the only one who knew was Latifa.

"I believe that whatever we acquired in the Heracle Mountain must be kept secret," Alex said. "Unless it’s absolutely necessary, make sure you do not tell anyone about it. On that note, we should also prepare for the Preliminary Exams."

"Seriously, having back-to-back events is exhausting," Nessia complained. "We just finished the Battle Royale, then we went to the Heracle Mountain. Then, a month from now, we will be having our Preliminary Exams. Time sure flies, huh?"

"Indeed." Princess Xenia nodded. "But Alex, do you know what kind of Preliminary Exam we will have this year? I’m sure the staff has an idea, but they still haven’t revealed anything to the student body."

"I have an idea on what it is," Alex replied. "If I’m not mistaken, the Preliminary will be a Dungeon Expedition."

Charles flinched after hearing the details of the exam. The teenage boy had absolute trust when it came to whatever Alex was saying.

If Alex were to say that the sky would fall tomorrow, Charles would believe it without a shred of doubt.

And that only made his anxiety worse. After all, he had learned the hard way that he and dungeons weren’t a good combination.