In a dimly lit bar, a burly man was drinking heavily as usual. Even though the owner didn't particularly enjoy the presence of the old acquaintance, he couldn't complain, after all, that man paid very well.
Then another shadow joined the place. It was a man wearing an excessively fancy suit for this kind of establishment. He wore a watch on his wrist that he had invested several months of his salary into, a watch too expensive for him. His name was Wein, a professor from Enki.
"You finally arrived," the burly man drank his beer with pleasure, his hand still holding the glass. "So, can you tell me how my son is doing?" he asked.
The man, after praising the brute in front of him at length, spoke about what he knew. He shared the surprising incident with Amélia and how she had arranged for Davi to participate in the rank S test.
"So that's why the kid was so confident, maybe he met someone who helped him get special treatment," Norman murmured to himself, his expression filled with utter disdain.
The man thought for a few moments about what to do, but he had no intention of going out of his way to personally teach his failure of a son a lesson.
"I understand, then I'd like to ask a favor."
Wain raised an eyebrow, curious but already wearing a cynical smile on his lips. "And what kind of favor would that be, sir...?"
"I don't want Davi to pass the rank S exam." He got straight to the point, his face impassive but his eyes filled with bitterness. "I can't stand the idea of seeing that failure continue to dishonor the family name in such idiotic ways."
Norman would not accept the idea that his son had actually done anything to deserve that chance. Of course, he had a high perception and had already noticed that perhaps his son had a double awakening, but even if that were the case, the boy had no right to become strong so late. Not when he had failed to inherit his class.
Wain, for a moment, remained silent, just observing the man in front of him. Then he slowly stood up, revealing a malicious smile.
"Ah, what do we have here... A father who wants to destroy his own son. You're always so impassive," Wain let out an ironic chuckle. "You know, I like this, that's why I admire you. Leave it to me. Please, follow me, I have the perfect solution to your problem."
The man's face lit up with happiness. Doing a favor for Norman meant he could ask for something in return. And he already knew exactly what he would ask for.
Finally, Wain could see the future where his annoying and arrogant sister would be beneath him.
Norman wasn't exactly thrilled about leaving his alcohol behind, but he still accepted the invitation. The two walked through the capital for a while, eventually arriving at a warehouse that looked abandoned.
When they finally reached the entrance, Wain stopped and turned to Norman, his cynical smile widening. He pulled out a large, rusted padlock and unlocked it with a sharp click. The door creaked open, revealing the dark and decaying interior of the warehouse.
"Come, Norman, I want you to see the solution to your problem," Wain said with a malicious tone, stepping into the darkness.
As they approached, the sound of chains dragging along the floor echoed through the space. A low, almost guttural growl reverberated off the rusty metal walls, as though something monstrous was lurking.
"This is one of my greatest creations," Wain said with great pride, then conjured a small Fire Slime that lit up the place.
With that, he revealed a massive cage in the corner of the warehouse. Inside it, a gigantic creature was chained up.
"Yes, I think this will be more than enough," Norman nodded and decided to leave the rest to this man.
𓊖𓊖𓊖
After checking all her equipment and making sure everything was working, Luna handed it to David. Then she smiled charmingly and said with conviction:
"I'm sure you'll make it through," she then took a step forward to the point where their lips almost touched. "One more thing, come back safely, please I don't want to lose you." She begged with her eyes.
Davi smiled, hiding his lack of confidence. Then he warped his arms around the girl's waist and firmly grabbed her sexy bubble butt. He then pulled her closer and kissed her lips once more.
The two wanted to melt into a long kiss, maybe even go further, but they held back. It would be a big problem if the boy was late, so they limited themselves to just that.
"I'll come back with the victory." Once again, Davi faked the confidence he didn't have, not wanting to worry his beloved.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too," they exchanged a quick peck, which seemed to last less than a second for both of them. Then Davi decided to break the mood by asking, "But are you sure it's okay if I go after other girls?"
Luna sighed deeply and used all her strength to resist the urge to stab the idiot in front of her. "If you ask me that again, I'm breaking up with you."
"Okay, sorry."
And with that, the two finally said their goodbyes. The boy borrowed his friend's bicycle and quickly pedaled to the academy, trying to relieve the tension that was building up in his body.
Upon arriving at Enki, he parked the bike, asked one of the receptionists in the lobby for directions, and made his way to the auditorium following the instructions.
The place, as expected, was filled with candidates. Of course, there were far fewer people than at the opening ceremony, but still, many wanted at least a shot at joining the prestigious rank S, even if most knew it was impossible.
Anyway, Davi blended into the crowd and quickly noticed the imposing presence of Amélia. She was as beautiful as always. And with her usual commanding gaze, she began her speech:
"Candidates," she began, her voice echoing through the hall. "Today you will take the first step toward achieving the glory of being the best of the best, so be prepared."
Everyone felt a little tense listening to that woman's speech, even though her intention was to motivate them all.
Anyway, she also preferred not to waste too much time talking about unnecessary things. So her powerful eyes swept across the hall, and upon seeing Davi's familiar face, she gave him a slight smile.
"The details of the first test can be found in the manual that all of you will receive. All you need to know is that you'll be working in pairs, chosen randomly. Good luck."
And without further explanation, she snapped her fingers out of habit. In an instant, everyone felt a magical energy surround them. The ground beneath their feet vanished, and everything was consumed by white.
It took the boy a moment to realize that he had actually been teleported to a white room. The walls were white, the ceiling, the floor, and other than that, there was nothing else in the room.
Well, actually, there was one thing: a beautiful girl. Not just any girl, after all, she was someone whose face, and even body, was very familiar to Davi.
She was a stunning redhead, with long curly hair and an expression that was always confident, perhaps even a little arrogant.
His pair was Ember.