CHAPTER 56: PLAYING AROUND

The race to fifty points went on with terrifying intensity, with Sean somehow still retaining top one position, and second alternating between Thorne, Emma and Seraphina.

Alliances between several students were already underway, as the number of Stage-1 out-worlders dwindled rapidly.

This was completely different from the beginning of the test, where most students turned heels upon sighting out-worlders, focusing mainly on trying to stay alive.

It was a good call, since the main objective of the exam was to survive, not hunt, cowardly nonetheless.

Now, with many students bumping into other students, groups were already being formed, and as much alliances were formed overtime, even more betrayals and eliminations occured between the students.

Sean stole a glance at the leaderboards.

[1. Sean Storme — 49 points]

[2. Thorne Hiddleston — 48 points]

[3. Seraphina Hemlock — 48 points]

[4. Emma Croft — 46 points]

[5. Blaze Hilton — 42 points]

[6. Andrew Cane — 40 points]

[7. Noah Hilton — 35 points]

[8. Agnes Harts — 32 points]

[9. Xavier Blackwood — 29 points]

[10...

’Anytime now.’ he thought, feeling slightly impatient.

His eyes drawled to Drew’s name, and a small smile graced his lips. If he had to be honest, he had performed way above his expectations.

Knowing Drew’s past, and his personality, Sean did expect him to do well, but not this well. In fact, the way he racked points, right on the tail of the best geniuses in this exam, it was as though he too was chasing for a top position.

It was so completely out if character, or rather what he had expected of him, that it was almost as though Drew had become someone else.

He hadn’t really put mind into it before, not even when Drew jumped unto the leaderboards so early. His mind was far too occupied with something else, drawing conclusions to what he needed to do, and things that were still a mystery to him.

Now that he had no choice but to wait though, the situation only seemed all the more odd to him.

He wasn’t particularly worried about Drew, at least not as much would be expected from him as a friend, but he didn’t like variables he couldn’t understand.

"Hmm?" He hummed, brows raising slightly, as he detected the presence of a few people making their way towards him... their carefully subdued footsteps reaching his ears without problem.

His eyes flicked to the leaderboards again, Thorne’s points having already climbed to forty nine, and he sighed, somewhat.

’Might as well, humor them,’ he thought.

He didn’t have anything else to do other than wait for all pieces to fall into place. So he might as well, enjoy their pitiful attempt on conning him.

A young lady, with black hair, and deep green eyes made her way towards him, her steps deliberately sluggish... eyes weary and tired.

Sean looked up to her when she got close enough, acting as though he had just noticed her presence, as she dragged her feet against the caked soil, selling the tired part excellently.

Sean frowned at her presence, his expression appearing dismissive, but still guarded.

The girl too stopped a few meters from him, seeing his expression.

"Uh... Hello?" She said meekly.

Sean only raised a brow, not gracing her with a reply, causing her to awkwardly glance around, as though embarrassed.

’What is he? A stone?’ She cursed internally, feeling truly bitter and embarrassed, at his apathetic stare, not even when she looked vulnerable, and easy to take advantage of.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Sean finally replied.

"If you think you can fool me into lowering my guard so you take the opportunity to eliminate me and take my points, then you’re joking." He said.

"Maybe if you were more beautiful, it would have worked. But..." His eyes sized her up and down, making her breath catch in her throat.

"You don’t cut it for me."

The girl was stunned silent, her perfect, vulnerable facade almost crumbling in an instant.

"You... How dare you?!" She bellowed.

"What?" Sean shrugged. "You know quite well that I’m not wrong."

Anya was stunned speechless again.

’What the fuck is that bastard saying?’ she screamed internally.

Her eyes blazed with genuine anger, and if not for self control, she would have attacked him already.

’Calm down... The points you’d get from him are worth it. It’s just a few insults, he doesn’t mean it," she told herself, her chest rising and falling, as she tried to control her breathing.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them, they were clear as day.

Her posture straightened. It still showed that she was tired, but this time, as though she was trying to mask it.

’Impressive!’ Sean mused, truly impressed. Her acting skills were without doubt, top tier.

"I blame myself for thinking I escaped that madman to meet someone reasonable." She said, voice shaking with anger she was trying to suppress.

She continued forward to with a cold gaze as though intending to walk past him, and daring him to try anything funny... Especially after everything he just said.

Sean took a step away from her, his eyes wary, as though expecting her to suddenly attack.

Anya snorted as she walked past, her expression now hidden from his view.

A crack formed in Sean’s demeanor, as though guilt finally surfacing.

"Hey," he called.

"What is it?" She snarled, her expression looking as though she wanted nothing to do with him, at the same time being unable to outright ignore him, lest he does something to her.

"Uhh" Sean scratched his head. "I’m sorry. I was uhh... Yunno... paranoia, I almost got betrayed by a guy who said we should team up earlier."

"How’s that my problem? Clearly he was too stupid to not have succeeded... Especially with an idiot like you. All you boys are really hateful and stupid." She spat.

"I pray you encounter the mist demon and lose all your fuckin points. Although the bastard almost eliminated me and even eliminated my teammates, it would at least serve you right."

Her eyes were practically spitting venom at the end of her tirade, the calm and composed expression she had tried to put up, fading away so naturally it was believable.

Sean however, acted like a fool, as though oblivious to her ploy, nor the faint movement of the earth under his leg.

But there was something she said that truly caught him surprise.

"Mist demon?" He asked, however the next moment, his expression crumbled into panic, as the ground under his leg parted, dropping him into it.