The smell of sweat wafted through the air in the training hall as dozens of awakeners practiced under the bright light of the lamps hanging from the ceiling. They were in groups of five or six, battling each other and trying to outdo the other groups.
The training hall looked like a battlefield. Booms and shouts echoed as the elements clashed. Flames crackled like whips, lightning struck with a roar, and small tornados swirled in the center of the hall.
Sylvia and her four teammates dominated the battle compared to the other groups. She aggressively attacked the enemy in the front row, throwing quick fists at the people in front of her, and her four teammates brought up the rear to guard her back. They defeated the other teams with ease.
Not only did the ginger girl look stunning, but the guild master was also the center of attention.
"Don't get provoked by the team on the left! Focus on defense. The front row shouldn't be too aggressive! Keep the formation as much as possible!"
While coordinating the team, Justin kept his defense tight by attacking the other teams that were targeting them. He was at the center of the formation, and four of his teammates protected him while he casted beads of ice and strong gusts of wind.
While the other members were sparring, a blonde girl in a training outfit ran around the hall. Her breathing was labored, as if the air in her lungs were exhausted, and her clothes were drenched in sweat, but she kept jogging.
"Your sister seems really determined. It's the first time I've seen her try that hard."
"I didn't expect it either, Dad. I guess making her an awakener motivated her."
"That's right."
On the outskirts of the hall, away from the battle area and near the wall, Klaus and Steve oversaw the training process of the Rays of Hope members.
His father asked Klaus to train and discipline Joanna by including that girl in regular guild training, though she was not part of the guild. Steve had no intention of involving his daughter in the struggle for the family inheritance; he just wanted Joanna to become a more disciplined person.
"Are you sure you want to make Joanna an awakener, Dad?" asked Klaus, his eyes fixed on Joanna, who was running breathlessly.
"Of course. She has the potential for that. A person whose life is miserable is a person who wastes his talent."
"But mom doesn't like it."
Steve sighed.
The youngest daughter in the Lee family had always been a rebellious and unruly child. Now that Steve knew she had the potential and desire to become an awakener, he thought to use this opportunity to change her character. Giving the girl the training and discipline she never got at home.
Unfortunately, these good intentions were not met with a positive response from Anna.
The mother thought that Joanna was in a rebellious phase. She was sure that one day her daughter would change if she grew up or met the right person.
In a way, Steve and Anna had two different points of view. Steve wanted his daughter to be a better person, while Anna wanted Joanna to be herself.
"By the way, I heard that you loaned three A-Class awakeners for a month. Does your guild have enough funds? Mors Industries hasn't created or sold anything yet." Steve gave Klaus a skeptical look.
"Don't worry, dad. The guild still has enough funds. Besides, my subordinates have already found the common thread; they just need to follow it. It takes time to make an innovation."
"Klaus, I trust you, but I need reassurance. I've poured 400 million dollars into Mors Industries. If the company doesn't produce anything in a year, you know what happens next, right?"
Klaus clenched his hand. "I know."
In the middle of their conversation, a group of people approached them; one of them was Benjamin Preston, and the others were two men wearing casual clothes.
"Wait a minute, aren't you the CEO of LR Electronic? My God, how lucky I am to meet you."
When they met, Benjamin greeted Steve Lee first. The man prioritized Steve over Klaus, who was the real client.
After introducing himself, Benjamin exaggeratedly flattered Steve, with various words of praise and nonsense smoothly coming out of his mouth. Benjamin ignored Klaus completely, as if he were air.
Klaus only smiled despite his underestimation.
"By the way, Sir, are you the owner of this guild?" Benjamin asked.
"No, it belongs to my son."
Steve grabbed Klaus' shoulder, and Benjamin was taken aback. That man had drastically changed his attitude after learning of their relationship.
"Oh, mister Klaus. It turns out that you are part of the Lee family. I am sorry I did not realize it. I should have known earlier."
"Ah, it's okay. I should have used my father's name so you'd give me a discount," Klaus joked, slightly sarcastically.
Then, Klaus and Benjamin laughed together, although Benjamin sounded offended when he laughed.
"Ah, by the way, Mr. Klaus, introduce them. This is Akio Marc, and he is Michael Ross."
Akio Marc was a fighter, an Asian with slanted eyes and an athletic build. The man smiled as he shook Klaus' hand, his steady grip showing how strong his physical strength was. Meanwhile, Michael Ross was a tanker. Unlike his counterpart, the Caucasian man was bulky and stocky. The muscles on his arms stood out despite being covered by a t-shirt and jacket.
Klaus squinted. "Where's the other one? I loaned three awakeners."
"Ah, wait a minute. She went to the toilet earlier."
Not long after, there was a feminine shout. Their attention was drawn to the voice, and a exotic-skinned woman was seen running by them. Her twin mountains swayed as the woman drew closer.
Opening his eyes wide, Klaus immediately recognized her, and then unpleasant memories popped into his head.
"Sorry, Benjamin. I was lost." The woman winced when she said that.
"It's okay, Olivia." Benjamin introduced her to Klaus. "He is Mr. Klaus Lee. You will be working for him for the next month."
"Nice to meet—"
The friendly smile on Olivia's face vanished suddenly as she realized who the person in front of her was. Her hand that was dangling to shake became pointed at Klaus, and her face turned red as her blood boiled to her head.
"You perverted bastard!" shouted Olivia.
Her voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the training hall. The guild members who had been busy sparring stopped, their attention drawn to the source of the shout. And the people around Klaus were gawking, shocked in disbelief.
Klaus himself was speechless.
"You really are that perverted man. How dare you break into a woman's locker and run away? You fucking pervert! What did you do after you drugged me?"
"What—!?" Klaus was shocked. He never did so to her.
The people around him gasped. Her words made Klaus seem as if he were a criminal. Benjamin, the man who interceded for them, was in a cold sweat, looking confused.
Klaus tried to speak in his own defense, but the woman kept yelling and spouting nonsense in front of his face. He was looking more and more like a real pervert.
"Olivia is enough!"
The woman fell silent as Steve snapped at her.
"Uh, Uncle Steve?" said Oliva spontaneously, a little surprised.
"Calm down. You're attracting a lot of attention."
Looking around, Olivia quickly closed her mouth, realizing that she was making trouble.
Klaus was also surprised, not expecting that his father knew who she was.
Benjamin cleared his throat, breaking the ice. "It looks like you already know each other. Well, I believe this is just a misunderstanding. Why don't we set the record straight first?" The man broke out in a cold sweat. If this loan agreement was canceled due to his member's mistake, he would be the one to suffer the consequences.
"Klaus, do you know Olivia?" Steve asked with deep eyes.
Klaus sighed. "Not really, Dad. There was just a misunderstanding.
He began to straighten things out, telling the chronology of what happened when he entered the locker and how he saw Olivia naked. The people there nodded as they listened to Klaus, even though Olivia occasionally denied him and growled. Luckily, the members of the House of Blacksmiths believed Klaus more than Olivia, so he could save his face.
"Ah, so that's it. Now everything is clear." Steve nodded.
"It looks like it was a misunderstanding, Olivia. You entered the wrong locker," Benjamin said.
"Well, never mind. You won't believe me anyway." Olivia crossed her arms and looked away.
Klaus could only sigh. "Since from now on we will be working together, I apologize." He held out a hand.
Just as their tension was about to calm down, Joanna came over and bowed, her hands braced on her knees. With a sharp intake of breath, she said, "Did I miss something?"
But people ignored Joanna, their attention being drawn to Klaus and Olivia shaking hands despite their sour faces. Outwardly, they both looked good, but inwardly, they still harbored animosity.