CHAPTER 219: CHAPTER 219

A Week After Semester Break

A week after the semester break, I found myself drifting into a peaceful sleep in my own bed, memories of the dungeon raid with Cypher still vivid in my mind. Early dawn crept in through the window, casting a soft glow over the room. Glacier and Macaron had already excused themselves, saying they were heading out for hunting—probably to Luama Island or perhaps to Glacier’s enclosure. Their absence left the room eerily quiet.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep when I was suddenly roused by the sound of a vehicle in motion. My eyes fluttered open just enough to see my surroundings. I was inside a limousine, the plush seat spanning all around me, with Cypher’s lap serving as a comfortable pillow beneath my head.

Around me, Rex and Christian were engaged in a playful game—tickling my nose with a feather and jokingly betting a hundred Glacium on who would be the first to wake me up. Angela and Whitney sat nearby, deep in conversation, their voices muffled.

As my gaze drifted across the interior, it landed on Edge, who was sitting quietly. Our eyes met, and in that instant, I saw him raising an eyebrow at me, a subtle expression that hinted at curiosity or perhaps mischief. Startled by the sudden look, I jerked upright and, in my surprise, accidentally smacked Christian and Rex on the head.

"What are the two of you doing?" I asked them irritably, rubbing my eyes and glaring at them.

They both ignored my question, continuing their playful banter. Christian looked over at me with a grin and said, "Who woke her up?"

Rex shrugged, feigning innocence. "Dunno either."

I turned to Cypher, confusion and annoyance bubbling up. "Why am I here? How did I end up here? And this is kidnapping!" I exclaimed.

"Well, we know that you’ll just end up declining us again when we invite you, so we figured we’d just go ahead and plan a trip without asking," Cypher said casually, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I frowned, crossing my arms. "No one even bothered to tell me or ask me if I wanted to go. I didn’t have the chance to pack my things!"

Whitney chuckled softly. "Don’t worry about that. We’ll just buy you some clothes once we get there."

My eyes narrowed as I looked at them. "And how did you know my password to my room?"

They all quickly pointed at Rex. "Ask him," they said in unison.

I turned to glare at Rex. "Rex, seriously?"

He held up his hands defensively. "Don’t blame me! It’s your fault for not changing it! Every room has a default password—’1234’! I just guessed."

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes. "How did you carry me here anyway, and why didn’t I wake up?"

Angela chimed in with a roll of her eyes, "Considering how a heavy sleeper you are, we’re not surprised you didn’t wake up even if we were talking loudly. Cypher just carried you easily."

I groaned, rubbing my temples, feeling frustrated and out of options. In the end, I had no choice but to join them, only wearing my panda night pajamas.

I didn’t even have my daggers with me, only my Arcanum. The trip to "I don’t even know where we we’re going" was filled with energy, but soon enough, everyone else was asleep.

Rex and I were the only ones awake, quietly minding our own business so as not to disturb the others. I was scrolling through my phone, watching random reels, while Rex sat in front of me, also scrolling through his phone and munching on a protein bar.

Suddenly, the limousine jolted as Cypher’s head slid onto my shoulder. I gently pushed his head to the side, aiming it to land on Angela, who was sitting by his side. I went back to scrolling on my phone but not a minute later, his head fell on my shoulder again. I carefully nudged him back towards Angela. Just as I was about to resume scrolling, his head drooped onto my shoulder once more.

My eyebrows rose in suspicion. Is Cypher doing this on purpose? I quickly opened my camera app and switched to selfie mode to check if he was really asleep. Holding the phone up to my face, I saw that he was indeed sound asleep. Just then, he groaned softly. I was startled and, in the process, unknowingly pressed the shutter button, capturing a photo of us together as I pulled my phone away.

In the end, I sighed and let him sleep on my shoulder, my gaze drifting forward. My eyes met Rex’s, and for some reason, he wore a solemn expression.

"What?" I mouthed at him.

Rex seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in and smirked at me. "Is it heavy?"

"Yeah, why?" I whispered back.

"Serves you right, witch," Rex chuckled softly.

Feeling playful and a bit annoyed, I threw a pillow at his face.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Luxe’s Serenity Resort, Fusion District, Merizona (Province of Aeonia)

After an hour of driving, we finally arrived at our destination—a five-star resort that made my jaw drop. In fact, even the buildings nearby exuded luxury, seamlessly blending into the opulence of the place. This province truly lived up to its reputation, where its GDP seemed to match that of a small country.

"Let’s go already! What are you all waiting for?" Rex shouted, eager to get inside.

Our accommodation for the next three days was the presidential suite with seven rooms, courtesy of Edge. As we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the grandeur of the resort. The staff and guests couldn’t help but glance at us, especially noticing how striking and well-dressed everyone was.

However, amidst the admiring stares, their gazes lingered on one particular person. She was the most beautiful among the group, and her aura was mature and captivating. What truly caught everyone’s attention, though, was her outfit—she was wearing a pair of panda pajamas.

Once we got inside the penthouse, we divided up to choose our rooms. Since I hadn’t had a chance to pack any of my outfits, I had no choice but to wait in the living room. For the next ten minutes, I stood around, waiting for them to come out. Frustrated, I called out, "Guys, come out now!" but there was no response.

Annoyed, I started checking on each of them. To my surprise, they were all asleep. I couldn’t believe it—I’d been the only one awake during the entire trip until we reached this place. I sighed and decided not to wake them up. Considering they’re still kids, maybe they were just exhausted from the ride.

In the end, I decided to let them sleep. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled a quick note: "Went out to buy clothes and toiletries — Remillia." I left the note where they could see it and headed out. Fortunately, here you don’t need cash—payment is all digital.

I headed to a nearby mall and visited several boutiques. I bought five outfits, underwear, toiletries, a pair of shoes, slippers, sandals, and a luggage bag. It felt good to finally get everything I needed, and I was glad I could handle it quickly without any hassle.

Although it’s December, the weather was still hot, so I decided to change out of my pajamas. I went to another boutique store and changed into a fresh outfit there. When I stepped out of the mall, I was drinking a cool smoothie, feeling refreshed and relaxed. I wore a light, breezy tank top paired with comfortable shorts, sneakers, and carried my shopping bag in one hand as I made my way back to the resort.

On my way back, I happened to pass by a motorcycle racing event. I glanced at the time—still 9:30 in the morning—and thought that the guys were probably still asleep, so I decided to stop and watch the race for a little while.

However, it seemed there was an issue. There were only nine participants, and the coordinator and host looked visibly worried. They were approaching spectators and even passersby, asking if anyone knew how to ride a bike or if they were willing to join the race. Unfortunately, most people either refused or didn’t know how to ride, which made the situation look quite uncertain. I wondered if they’d be able to find enough riders to start the race or if they’d have to cancel it altogether.

Curious, I approached them. "What’s going on?"

The coordinator looked me over and asked, "Are you experienced with motorcycle riding?"

I nodded. "Yeah. So, what’s the issue?"

He hesitated briefly. "One of the participants dropped out."

I raised an eyebrow. "And why’s that?"

He shrugged, scratching his head. "This isn’t your typical track race. Maybe that’s why he bailed."

I took a slow sip of my smoothie, encouraging him to continue.

The coordinator handed me a flyer and said, "Moto Grand Prix isn’t just a race — it’s a deathmatch race."

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Race Format:

Competitors race through five intense laps around the enchanted circuit.Riders are permitted to use magic powers and aura techniques to hinder or disable opponents—ranging from conjuring elemental barriers, launching energy blasts, to creating illusions that confuse or slow rivals.

The race can be won by either:

* Being the first to complete all five laps;

* Or, if all other competitors are incapacitated—disarmed, dismounted, or unable to continue—becoming the last rider standing.

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