"This woman is crazy! Why did she put a bounty on our head?" Grimrose muttered under his breath, his eyes darting nervously between the opulent surroundings of the test hall and the faces of his fellow princes and princesses. He couldn't believe Headmistress Susan had taken such drastic measures. A bounty? On *them*? It was madness.
Prince Leonord, pale and visibly shaken, felt Grimrose's gaze and offered a weak, almost imperceptible nod. He understood the gravity of their situation. Open rebellion was unthinkable, but so was blindly accepting their fate. "We're doomed if we fight a lot of people," Leonord thought.
Grimrose managed a weak laugh, his eyes fixed on Leonard's nodding head.
'Ah, right. I'm C rank, so I think I can manage this,' Grimrose mused, a flicker of confidence igniting within him. He recalled that most students languished in D rank, with only Ethan, the protagonist, sharing his C rank status.
A sudden realization dawned on him.
'So, I have to fight Ethan for rank 1,' Grimrose thought, a low chuckle escaping his lips. 'Hehehe... this'll be fun.'
~~~
*Ethan's pov*
Ethan stood beside the VR set, the familiar hum a prelude to the digital chaos about to unfold. Headmistress Susan's voice, sharp and laced with unsettling glee, sliced through the air, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Ah right," she declared, her words echoing with a disturbing delight. "There are 2 princes and 3 princesses here, so whoever can eliminate them gets extra points." A maniacal cackle punctuated her announcement, making Ethan's stomach churn.
"Points are like money here, so go for it," she added, her voice dripping with a sinister encouragement as the battle royale was about to commence... *May the odds be ever in your favor, muahaha.*
As the simulation geared up, Ethan of Grimrose found himself lost in thought. "Eh, so that guy was a prince; I knew it," he mused, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. "That's why he's a C rank, so we're gonna fight for number one."
*Let's see my stats compared to him,* Ethan thought as he muttered, "Status."
A holographic screen shimmered into existence before him, displaying his vital information:
Status:
- Name: Ethan Morningstar
- Race: Hybrid (Human and Celestial)
- Title: One Blessed by the World
- Attack: C+
- Speed: C-
- Intelligence/Mana: C
- Charm: B-
- Luck: SSS+
- Elements: Darkness, Ice, Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning
Mastery:
-Elements-8/100 ••
Passive/Innate Power:
- 1. Mana Master - Can easily control mana as part of his body
- 2. Darkness Enchantment - Can enchant his body with darkness
Skills:
- 1. Status Hacker - Can view others' stats but not their skills and abilities
- 2. Block - Can block any attack as long as the mana sustains
- 3. ???
- 4. ???
...
Ethan's thoughts raced as he carefully sized up his opponent.
He tried to reassure himself, saying, "I think I can fight him... no, I'm definitely stronger."
A surge of confidence washed over him at that moment.
Just then, the signal for the battle royal blared loudly.
~~~
*Vip area*
A man inquired, "So, Nathaniel, are you finally allowing your son to go out?"
Nathaniel smiled warmly and responded affirmatively, "Yes, I am!"
He then recalled Grimrose's small ultimatum. Nathaniel added with a chuckle, "He told me, 'I won't even talk to you if you don't let me go to the academy!'"
"Haha," Leonardo said, remembering his own son. "I guess my son isn't getting rank 1, if your son is present," he added, acknowledging Grimrose's talent.
"We'll see," Nathaniel responded, as the battle royale was about to commence.