Lucius stands still, his gaze calm and unwavering as he stares down the dark elf woman. Internally, however, he is anything but composed. He scans her from head to toe, carefully cataloging her appearance: her exotic dark skin, the delicate yet menacing patterns glowing faintly on her body, her vivid green eyes, and her sharp features that radiate an otherworldly beauty.
Outwardly, he keeps his neutral expression, masking his surprise and panic as he realizes who she is—one of the major bosses of the second phase. This wasn't supposed to happen now, he thinks, mentally cursing his predicament. He was certain that Ash was supposed to reach this point first and defeat her, following the storyline. Why am I here instead?
As he continues to assess the situation, he thinks back to when they were separated into groups at the start of the second phase. Though he and Elena were initially paired, they were somehow sent to separate locations. Now he finds himself alone, without a clear plan, and face-to-face with a powerful entity. The situation only feels worse each time his System mocks him with messages like "The World Is Cackling At You." It's as if fate itself is enjoying his struggle.
Of course, fate wouldn't make things easy for me, he thought bitterly.
From her perspective, the dark elf woman watches Lucius with keen interest. Despite his humanity, she can't help but find him strangely handsome. His light brown hair, the unusual amber eyes that almost seem to glow in the sunlight, and the fitted suit outlining his figure—all draw her attention. There's something else about him, though, that piques her curiosity even more.
She can sense his mana flow, and it feels odd to her. It's nearly nonexistent, yet she can tell it's there—condensed and controlled to the point where it forms a nearly invisible layer around his body. This level of mana restraint is uncommon, especially for a human, and it only makes her more intrigued.
"Who are you, human?" she finally asks, her voice a mixture of curiosity and disdain. She narrows her eyes, studying him closely, searching for answers.
While he maintains a calm facade, Lucius is inwardly spiraling. He realizes he's being scrutinized by one of the major threats in the tournament, someone he had hoped to avoid. Why are things deviating from the main storyline? Is it because of my actions so far? He glances around, looking for an escape route, but he knows that running would only invite disaster.
Her question echoes in his mind, but he struggles to come up with an answer. To buy himself time, he tilts his head slightly and offers a faint smirk, hoping to maintain the act of Lucius's persona. "Just a wondering tourist," he replies casually, though his mind races as he tries to formulate a plan.
....
Elena wanders through another part of the forest, clearly uneasy. Her search for Lucius has proven fruitless so far, and even her Aetheris can't seem to locate his marker. She's torn between two choices: to continue looking for him or to focus on completing the objectives by herself. Though part of her feels it's foolish to search any longer, she can't bring herself to abandon her teammate.
As she contemplates, she stumbles upon a lush patch of moss. She activates her Aetheris to scan the area, and her device confirms that she has found the exact herbs listed in one of their objectives. This small victory lifts her spirits, but a part of her remains preoccupied with Lucius's absence. Where could he have gone? she wonders, clutching her Aetheris as she tries to push down her concern.
.....
In the observation room, Grandmaster Veridane intently watches various monitors displaying the activities of the students in the tournament. Each screen highlights different groups he's been keeping an eye on—Ash's group, displaying their coordinated efforts; Seraphina, shown independently completing objectives; Gaius's team, interacting with other groups.
As he analyzes their actions, his gaze drifts to the monitor displaying Elena's group, only to notice something odd. Her monitor only displays her, with no sign of her teammate, Lucius. The screen that's supposed to display Lucius's actions is filled with static, flickering ominously.
Veridane's brow furrows as he steps closer to the control panel. He manually brings up Lucius's data, his expression hardening as he realizes that Lucius has been marked as a participant, yet his location and actions remain unreadable. This is highly unusual, he thinks, growing uneasy.
"Bring up a diagnostic," he orders one of the professors, his tone laced with authority. He knows something is amiss, and the static on Lucius's screen only heightens his concern. The professor nods, quickly working to assess the issue, but the sense of foreboding lingers.
"Make sure nothing interferes with his tracking. I want every student accounted for," Veridane commands, his voice sharp. He's determined to understand why Lucius's presence has been obscured, and he won't allow any technical difficulties to stand in his way.