Moments before Qiulei made Mares sleep, a body raised from the shadows like he was getting out of water. He was tall but thin and his whole body was covered in black fabric. It was the same man that had talked with Qiulei right after the first time she spoke with Mares.
"The woman is here…" He looked in the direction where Qiulei was, though she was still to make herself visible. "Those kids learned about some things too soon, but it might help."
He made his considerations and sensed what they were doing as he felt a third member joining the two women. He did not move even after Qiulei had sensed him, and possibly the other two as well, and only moved again after she teleported everyone away.
"A report shall be sent soon."
The man spoke with himself as he entered the shadows again. His job had been more interesting than he originally expected.
[…]
"Oh! What a fun thing this is!"
A blonde-haired girl said sitting on Mares' lap. She was playing a card game on his phone, but the game wasn't what Mares paid attention to. It was her, Asa.
Her beauty fascinated him in ways Mares never thought could be possible.
Her amazed expressions as she played and her smile, as if he had shown her something incredible, made his heart beat like nothing else did.
"You are bad at it though."
Mares said with an amused smile, poking her cheek.
Asa looked at him and pouted, pushing his arm away.
"Hmph, I am indeed not the best at the strategic… necessities this game requires. My specialties are in other areas."
Mares just rolled his eyes.
"Say that after you win at least once."
She potted once more and adjusted herself in his lap, putting his chin just above her head. Asa also made sure that he would have his arms around her waist. Mares said nothing to it and just smiled.
"Sure!"
Her cheeky smile helped to sell her confidence.
"Unfortunately, sister, you have matters to attend to."
Entering his room, Asa's younger sister said with her hands at her hips. She used a lilac dress and different from Asa, who had her long hair free, she had two ponytails. But besides that, she also carried a more serious expression compared to her sister.
"Uncle is calling you."
And although she had that serious face, she said that patting her sister's head.
"He must have found something."
Asa's eyes shine at that moment. She rapidly gets up, pat Mares on his head, and gets out.
The two-remaining look at each other, and without ceremony, she sits in his lap like her sister was before.
"Could you show me how to play this game you were talking about?"
Mares smiled from ear to ear before getting started.
[…]
Different from the other times when he woke up, Mares could already tell where he was and what was around him. At the infirmary, with his mask and clothes back on. However, he still needed a bath.
'Little bunny?'
It took Esen a second longer than usual to answer.
'Waking up… I forgot how that felt.'
Inside his mind space, Esen stretched her arms, even if it was pointless.
'You were also out?'
The silver-eyed couldn't even understand how that was possible or how Esen was affected by whatever was done to him.
'Indeed. Whatever power we were put under affected the mind, not the body. I was caught as a consequence of it.'
Mentally Mares nodded, understanding the reasoning. It was still a scary thought that they could get under powers like that with no chance of resisting, especially Esen that would be unaffected by most things.
'This just shows that mental attacks can hurt or affect you. We need to be more careful in the future.'
He thought getting up from his bed and checking himself to make sure he was in top condition.
'Hihi, don't worry, I won't be affected so easily again.'
Though surprised, Esen wasn't too affected by being made vulnerable to the sleepiness effect.
'Do you have an idea of what happened?'
Noticing that the white-haired showed no sign of anxiety, Mares figured she figured things out, allowing him to stay calm. If Esen was calm, then everything was fine and the others would be alright.
'I realized there was something weird when Lhian couldn't send the message. We were still inside her teacher's plans, I just don't know how much of it.'
Mares stopped for a brief moment in pondering.
'So there was no risk?'
'Perhaps, but everything was real and so are the benefits, no?'
Reflecting on Esen's words, Mares looked at his arm and activated his strengthening technique. Marks formed on his arm and the rest of his body, showing that he had achieved the second evolution of the technique.
Besides that his raw strength had improved by leaps and bounds, plus the new techniques he had acquired. This trip had transformed him and allowed him to move a little bit more toward the direction of his goals, in more ways than one.
'You are right, it doesn't matter.'
Smiling together, Mares was ready to go back to his room and take a bath but was met by a robot in front of the door instead.
"Sir Talho seeks to speak with you."
The voice was not exactly robotic, but for sure it was mechanic. The robot did not wait for Mares, it just turned around and started walking in the direction of Talho's office.
Raising an eyebrow behind his mask, Mares went along to see what the owner wanted with him.
[…]
Far from the coliseum, the spaceship of the Battle Crown Academy was ready to launch, and things were as chaotic as they could possibly be.
After the students returned a lot of internal fights happened between the teachers, everyone seeking out who to blame. Not even Qiulei escaped this time around, and most tried to push the blame on her. The fact that she was one of the major promoters of this trip helped with those accusations.
However, just as fast as she was fingers were pointed at her, Qiulei brought up some evidence that this all had been the fault of the ones responsible for the mechanics. The equipment the students had been given lacked the quality they should have and it did not even seem like the mechanical team had revised it.
In summary, she had acquired enough evidence to pin down the blame on them. The facts that this evidence had been put together just right on time and that the mechanics were under the faction opposite to hers were left out as no one wanted to take part in that mess.
"A simulation?!"
Venissino asked in shock after hearing about Calon's assumptions.
"Is just a chance that it was a simulation. But the tech not working, and just after we defeat the big bad beast we are rescued? Yeah, I don't buy it."
The trio of male members of the delinquent group were in their shared room, having finished organizing their belongings.
"That makes some sense. So they knew about everything?"
While Venissino was still shocked by what Calon had said, Luo had a much easier time considering the possibility.
"Nah, I don't think so. Maybe they knew some shit was out of the norm there, but not what. Either way, this is just speculation, and I don't want to get involved in all that faction mess, so you two better shut up about it."
He said with a shrug. Luo nodded his head in understanding.
"So, it could have been nothing and we would have got one hell of a boring trip one way or another. But instead…"
A smile formed on Luo's mouth as he thought of all that happened and what he achieved. Under the academy's control or not, it had been quite the trip. And had given him a lot to work on when they got back.
"Huh… when do you think we are going to see Boss again?"
Having come to terms with what Calon had said, Venissino's thoughts wandered to the figure with silver eyes that lead them during those battles.
"I am sure we will."
Unknown to Luo, at that moment in time, both he and Lhian had said the same answer to the same question.
"What makes you so sure?"
Winna questioned with a bit of surprise caused by Lhian's confidence.
"Hmm… Something tells me he won't stay locked on this planet for long, and you did make him assume the position of your Boss, so who knows? He might show up to take on the role for good this time."
The silver-blue haired said in good spirits. She was probably the one student that gained the most during this whole experience, and it showed by how she felt and acted.
There would be a lot of comprehension and inquiring Lhian would need to do once she was back, but for now, she just wanted to pass the time with her newfound friends and enjoy that everyone was safe.
"Yeah, also boss still didn't screw with me and Lhian, so of course he has to come."
And Clest had her characteristically smile after saying that.
"Do you think he will miss this?"
Lhian questioned, leaning closer to Winna.
"I like to think so."
[…]
"You called me."
"And you are capable of stating the obvious, good to know."
It was the first exchange the silver-eyed and the coliseum owner had once Mares entered his office. Mares suppressed a sigh before asking.
"For what reason?"
Not wanting to spend much more time talking to Talho, and knowing the feeling was mutual, Mares went straight to the point.
Talho threw something at him, which Mares got by reflex, noticing it was a ring with various patterns of circuits on it.
"Space ring, it can guard things inside. It was a gift from Miss Qiulei."
The man explained without looking at Mares, instead seeming to find whatever documents he had his eyes upon much more interesting than the gladiator.
"A gift?"
Looking at the ring with interest, he wondered why she didn't give him this before. It wasn't hard to figure out how it worked, and with a simple input of his Astral Energy, he had access to the contents of the ring.
Inside was the core of the fifth rank variant Earthly Brute and a card with the sign of the Battle Crown Academy on it.
"The gift system for gladiators. People sometimes take a liking to one in specific, and so they pay to gift them."
And since the material being gifted was made by Talho's industries, there were only gains on his side.
"You didn't call me just for this."
The silver-eyed said as a matter of fact while putting on his ring. As Talho was doing to him, he did not bother to look at the owner, seeming to find his new belonging much more interesting.
"I don't know how or why, and neither do I care, but you got stronger. Much so in fact, and this doesn't do well for your current rank. It will not be interesting for the viewers if you curb-stomp every battle until a certain point. The people pay for a show after all."
It would be a lie to say that Mares wasn't liking where this was going. Advancing on the coliseum would mean more power and freedom to move around, meaning better chances to analyze his surroundings to prepare for his escape.
"And what do you propose?"
But he manages to keep his voice in a monotone tone that failed to show his internal excitement.
Talho clicked something on his table and ten videos appeared around Mares, all showing the Colosseum in various forms.
In one, the floor was covered in lava and people fought in small flying platforms that fell all the time, while they were shot down by robots and even meteors fall from the sky. In another, the gladiators fought in the middle of a storm, with all types of elements manifesting in their surroundings.
All videos showed the Colosseum in unique and hellish ways and conditions while the gladiators fought to the death, trying to survive the other contesters and the environment.
"You will need to prove you are capable of advancing. I propose a Trial by Fire."