Next Morning...


    The sun was rising high, casting a warm glow over the barrennd. All 370 contestants were gathered in a deste area covered in rough, rock-hard soil, with several huge rocks scattered around.


    The morning air was crisp, and Seojun could tell that everyone had been transported here in their sleep.


    He scanned the group and realized something surprising. The count was the same as yesterday, meaning no one had been eliminated.


    Standing on a knee-high rock, Andrew stretched and eximed, "Dang, mages are so amazing! Look, we''re all teleported to this ce while we were sleeping!"


    L gave him a deadpan look, rolling her eyes as she ran a hand through her hair. "Idiot. Didn''t the mages teleport us to that sknd forest before?"


    "Oh right!" Andrew chuckled as he jumped down from the rock. "I just remembered. Hehehe."


    L shook her head with an annoyed tsk. "They even took our familiars," she said, clearly irritated.


    Andrew gave her a teasing look.


    "Right! I thought you hid my baby!"


    L shot him a re, and he immediately looked away, mumbling, "I didn''t say anything."


    ''So noisy,'' Seojun muttered to himself, watching the two bicker. Just then, a shout caught their attention.


    "Hey!"


    They turned to see five people approaching them: four men and one woman, all smirking. The one leading the group had a smug expression, and Seojun noticed L clenching her fists, a frown settling on her face.


    "Looks like you weaklings are gathering together," the lead guy sneered.


    L stepped forward, but before she could say anything, Andrew raised his hands and put on a friendly smile. "Ah, good morning! Nice weather, right?" he said with forced cheerfulness, trying to diffuse the tension.


    The woman in the group gave Andrew an unimpressed look. "Save the act. We know you lot barely survived yesterday."


    Andrew just shrugged with a casual grin. "Well, we''re here now, aren''t we?"


    The man''s smirk faded, and his eyes narrowed at Andrew''s casual response. With a sharp motion, he shoved Andrew hard, making him stumble back and bump right into Seojun.


    Andrew steadied himself, rubbing his shoulder as the woman in the group muttered, "Weaklings," with a sneer before turning her gaze back to L.


    The lead guy, seeing that L was watching them with a tense expression, chuckled. "What''s the matter, L? Still trying to keep up with the rest of us?"


    L clenched her fists, but she stayed silent, clearly trying not to react.


    "Oh,e on," the guy continued, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "I mean, it''s not your fault, right? After all, you''re nothing like your sister. She''s got power, respect, and, oh, did I mention a SS-rank goddess familiar? That''s some real strength."


    The other members of his groupughed, casting mocking nces at L.


    "She also has a massive mana pool," he added, smirking. "Guess it runs in the family, though it skipped you, huh?"


    L''s face was tight with anger, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "You know nothing, so shut up."


    The guy justughed harder. "Touchy, aren''t we? Face it, L, you''re always going to be just the little sister—the weaker one."


    L''s hands were shaking slightly, but she didn''t back down. The others in the group keptughing, clearly enjoying the taunts.


    Seojun watched silently, his gaze hardening as he looked at the group. He could see how frustrated L was, but she was trying her best not tosh out. Andrew, still beside Seojun, clenched his fists, looking like he wanted to say something, but he held back because L is ring at him when he tried to step up.


    The lead guy sneered again, seeming to relish every word as he continued to humiliate L.


    As the taunts continued, murmurs started to rise from the surrounding crowd. People began to whisper, their words cutting into the quiet morning air as they eyed L with newfound curiosity.


    "Isn''t that L from the Arven family?" one person whispered.


    "Yeah, she''s the weakest one. I heard her family didn''t even want her around, so they sent her off."


    "Imagine being the only one in your family without any real power. No wonder she''s with the other weaklings."


    L''s head lowered, her hands clenching tightly at her sides as she tried to keep herposure. Her shoulders shook slightly, but she refused to let her tears fall, knowing that her sister might be watching. Thest thing she wanted was to show any sign of weakness.


    The guy who had been taunting her smirked wider, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "See, L? Hanging out with weaklings won''t make you stronger," he sneered. "Maybe you belong here—with the nobodies."


    The woman in his group shifted her gaze toward Seojun, looking him up and down with disdain. "Hey, Why are you even here?" she muttered, her voice full of scorn. "A returnee And yet… so weak. Hmph. How useless. You should have stayed wherever you were summoned."


    Seojun kept his expression calm, but he could feel the weight of their judgmental stares. Soon, other contestants began to recognize him too.


    "That''s why he looks so familiar!" someone whispered. "He''s that returnee—the Ford twins friend, right?"


    "Yeah, but he''s nothing special. Just an F-rank returnee. Compared to the other returnees, he''s pretty pathetic."


    "An F-rank? Seriously? Why evene back?"


    Laughter and mocking nces followed, and Seojun could see some people smirking as if he were nothing more than a joke.


    He stood quietly, listening as the sneers and judgments washed over him, while L''s shoulders remained tense beside him.


    Their tormentors seemed to feed off the crowd''s reaction, their smiles growing bolder as they continued their mockery.


    The guy stepped closer, looking between Seojun and L. "Two weaklings, side by side. No wonder you''re both stuck here, wasting space."


    Seojun met the guy''s gaze with steady eyes, his face calm. Beside him, L took a shaky breath, doing her best to stand tall despite the humiliation pressing down on her.