Ss rushed over to Vic, who was sprawled on the floor a few meters away. Extending his right hand, Ss helped him up, pulling him to his feet.


    "You good, man?" Ss asked, a hint of worry creasing his brow.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," Vic replied, gritting his teeth as he gingerly rubbed his swollen, reddened cheek. "I knew you were stronger than me long before we even started, but the difference is just insane. You showed me how weak I am... and where I need to improve," he admitted, his tone a mix of frustration and respect.


    "You''re not weak, Vic. You''re just not on my level," Ss replied with a smirk, giving Vic''s shoulder a reassuring tap.


    "Arrogant bastard," Vic muttered, yfully pushing Ss to the side before heading back toward Angelica and David, who were watching nearby.


    Meanwhile, us, who had been observing the sparring match from a few meters away, nced at Ss for a moment before turning around and quietly leaving the hall.


    Ss made his way over to rejoin the rest of his group.


    "Good match. I''m honestly surprised yousted that long, Vic," Angelicamented with an impressed nod.


    Hearing her words, Vic''s face turned pale, his eyes widening as if he couldn''t believe what she''d just said.


    "What do you mean by that, Angelica? That was a close fight—he only won by luck!" Vic protested, his tone defensive.


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Vic," Angelica replied, rolling her eyes with a smirk.


    As the group continued to chat, a student approached them with an eager look on his face.


    "Mind if I get a shot, too? Just a quick match between you and me," the boy said, his voice confident as he addressed Ss.


    The entire group turned their attention toward the neer, and Ss recognized him instantly.


    "I watched your fight, and I''d like to have a quick round with you," the boy, whose name was Sebastian, added, his gaze unwavering as he waited for Ss''s response.


    "Not gonna ha—"


    "Yes, he''d love to fight you," Angelica interrupted before Ss could finish, prompting him to turn to her, one eyebrow raised in surprise.


    "Yeah, our boy here''s still got plenty of energy left in the tank. He''ll definitely take you on, right, Ss?" Vic chimed in, draping an arm around Ss''s shoulders with a mischievous grin.


    Ss shot both of them a look, then quickly pulled them aside, moving out of Sebastian''s earshot to speak with them privately.


    "What''s with you two? You know I can''t fight him, right? Have you forgotten I''m trying to keep my strength under wraps? That guy''s suspicious—I can tell he''s up to something, so I think it''s best I stay clear," Ss muttered in a low, urgent tone, ncing over his shoulder to make sure Sebastian wasn''t listening.


    Read thetest on empire


    He remembered that just a few days ago, Sebastian had tried to spar with him during martial arts ss, even insinuating that Ss was hiding something. Ever since then, Ss had gone out of his way to avoid him.


    Vic nodded in understanding and turned back toward Sebastian, who was still waiting a few meters away.


    "Sorry, mate, but we think it''s best if we conserve our energy for the test. Maybe next time, yeah?" Vic said, his tone polite.


    Sebastian cast a quick nce at Ss, smirked slightly, then nodded and turned to leave without another word.


    "I agree with you, Ss. That guy''s definitely creepy," Angelica murmured as she watched Sebastian walk away, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he disappeared into the crowd.


    ---


    A few hourster, as students wrapped up their training and warm-ups, they began heading back to their dorms to retrieve their mutant weapons and armor for the uing test. Ss''s group, however, had no mutant gear of their own, so they remained in the spacious hall, waiting.


    Before long, all the students had returned to the hall, gathering and waiting with anticipation for the staff to arrive. Conversations hummed throughout the space as students discussed strategies and shared ns for how they''d secure a top ranking in the test.


    Suddenly, a hush fell over the hall as the doors swung open and four staff members in navy-blue uniforms entered, carrying a massive circr portal device. Despite being carried by four people, the device''s sheer weight and size made it a struggle, and the staff carefully maneuvered it to the center of the hall.


    "That''s one serious portal device. I''ve never seen one this huge," Moses, an earth ability user, whispered to his friend, his eyes fixed on the machine with awe.


    The doors swung open once more, and Sir Dominic strode into the hall, his steps confident and his expression unreadable. Taking his ce before the gathered students, he scanned their faces before he spoke.


    "Greetings, everyone. I trust you all know why we''ve assembled here today," Sir Dominic''s deep, authoritative voice filled the hall, capturing everyone''s attention. "Thest test was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, so today you''ll all be participating in a new one."


    "This test will be different from the previous one. Instead of separate mutant realms, you''ll all be sent to the same realm, but in groups. Each group will be deployed to a different location within that realm," he exined, and the students leaned in, absorbing every word.


    "Does that mean we won''t cross paths with other groups in the realm?" Moses asked, raising his hand to signal his question.


    "Not necessarily," Sir Dominic replied. "While you''ll start in different locations, there''s a possibility you might encounter other groups in certain areas of the realm."


    "The group that manages to gather the most valuable body parts will earn the highest score, which will be recorded once you return from the test," he continued, his tone leaving no room for uncertainty. "To maximize your chances, each team should consist of six members. You have ten minutes to assemble your teams." With that, he stepped back, and the students immediately began to scatter around the hall, each searching for strong teammates to form apetitive group.


    "Any openings here?" Sebastian''s voice interrupted as he approached Ss''s group, a smirk stered on his face. Ss stood there, fists clenched, his gaze fixed on Sebastian, eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed his next move.N?v(el)B\\jnn