Chapter 963
Chapter 963
“Look, it’s like this,” the young man said with a cocky grin, leaning toward Raven. “What me and her got? It’s rock–solid. Ain’t nobody meddling in that. She’s crazy about me.
“If it wasn’t for a little hiccup way back, we’d probably be hitched by now.”
Raven just stared, her face blank as a stone wall. ‘Oh, I’ll let you keep yapping,‘ she thought, ‘but you’re digging your own grave.
If she wasn’t stuck in this selection event, she’d have already laid this loudmouth flat, made him beg for mercy, and swear off spreading BS ever again. But no, she had to play nice. For now.
The guy–either too thick to notice the ice in Raven’s glare or just playing dumb–kept on like nothing was wrong.
He sauntered closer, all charm and no sense. “Name’s Mick Wintringham, by the way. You are…?”
“Raven Valor,” she said, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.
Mick froze for a split second. A shadow flickered in his eyes–something dark, gone as quick as it came.
‘Nah, can’t be,‘ he thought. ‘My Raven’s long gone.’
He shook it off, plastering on a smile. “Alright, check it. You and me? We team up, we’re golden. We’ll breeze through this level. I snag a spot, I got you- two special–grade elixir tablets, my word.”
“But, y’know, if it comes down to just one spot…” He shrugged, all fake humility. “Hope you’d let me have it.”
Raven’s jaw tightened. This guy was still running his mouth, trying to butter her up.
“This selection ain’t a cakewalk,” he went on, oblivious. “Even if you shine in Forlunda City, there’s bigger trouble waiting down the line.
“And you–gorgeous girl like you? You could live easy, have whatever you want. Why risk it all—”
He didn’t get to finish. Raven’s fist came flying, barely missing his face as he stumbled back, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.
“Hey, what the hell? You actually swung at me?” he yelped, dodging to the side, his cool–guy act crumbling.
“Keep spewing crap, and I’ll make sure you’re out of this game for good,” Raven snapped, her eyes blazing.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched to the secret room’s entrance, already scanning basic requirem
ke Mick didn’t exist.
The rules were simple: no strict requirements, just made it out of the secret chamber and neutralized the poison. Did that, and one’d snag a spot.
With only four slots up for grabs, though, it was a race–the first four to escape would claim the prize.
When the selection kicked off, the host gave the signal, and the heavy iron door of the chamber creaked open. One by one, the participants filed in, their
faces a mix of nerves and grit.
Moments after the last one crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut with a clang that echoed through the arena.
A massive screen flickered to life, broadcasting the chamber’s interior to the buzzing crowd outside.
The bigwigs from Cloudshadow Sect were glued to the feed, their eyes locked on Raven. Every move she made had them on edge, whispering among
themselves.
Meanwhile, Timothy leaned over to Troy, a sly grin on his face. “Hey, Troy, any bets on who’s gonna make it outta there and head to the secondary
cities?”
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Chapter 963
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Troy squinted at the screen, stroking his chin before breaking into a proud smirk. “I got my money on No. 3–my niece. Kid’s sharp as a tack and a natural
leader.
“Check it out, she’s already got a crew following her lead in there. I’d bet my hat she’ll crack the chamber and the poison puzzle, no sweat.”
Then his tone turned sharp, eyes narrowing at another figure on the screen. “As for who’s toast first? Gotta be No. 135. Look at her, strutting around like she owns the place. Zero skills, all attitude, and not a team player in sight.
“Honestly, no clue how she even got in. Waste of space, if you ask me. If she bites it in there, no one’s shedding a tear.”
AD
