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He watched, bewildered, as the figure continued down the hallway.

"You are really preparing hard for 'it', huh," the figure said with a chuckle, her voice laced with amusement as she addressed Instructor Valerie.

Valerie turned, her expression sharpening at the familiar voice. "Merel... What are you doing here?"

"Hey, why are you being so cold? Aren't we colleagues?" Merel's lips curled into a wry smile as she approached. Her pitch-black hair framed her face, and her piercing red eyes glimmered with a mix of challenge and curiosity.

Valerie sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly, though her eyes remained guarded. "If you have no business with me, I kindly ask you to leave."

"Okay, okay," Merel replied, her tone light. "But what if I do have business with you?" She paused, letting the silence build before continuing. "I wanted to see if you and your precious little students were ready for the upcoming competition against mine."

Valerie's gaze hardened. "We're prepared. My students have been working tirelessly."

Merel's smile widened, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Good to hear. I wouldn't want it to be too easy for us."

Aurelius, still standing nearby, listened intently to the exchange. The tension between the two instructors was palpable, and it was clear that Merel's presence was not merely a social visit.

Valerie gritted her teeth, trying her best not to fall into Merel's provocation. "We'll see it when the time comes."

"Hehe, you believe they can defeat my students?" Merel asked, her voice sarcastic. "You are still delusional I see. You already forgot that my students are the Golden Generation in this decade, huh."

Valerie's expression remained stern. "That alone doesn't guarantee victory. My students have heart, dedication, and the will to overcome any challenge."

Merel laughed, a sound that echoed through the corridor. "Heart and dedication, you say? How quaint. But let's not pretend that will be enough. You know as well as I do that raw power and skill are what truly matter in the end."

Valerie's eyes narrowed. "We'll see. The joint class will prove which of us is right."

Merel's smirk didn't waver. "Indeed. I'm looking forward to it." She turned on her heel, her hair swishing behind her as she walked away. "Prepare them well, Valerie. I wouldn't want you to have any excuses when you lose."

Aurelius watched as Merel's figure disappeared down the hallway. He could feel the weight of her words, the challenge that had been laid down not just for Valerie, but for all of them.

She glanced at him, her smirk widening seeing his reaction. "Like teacher, like student. Haha."

Then she left, her mood obviously high.

"Hmm?" Valerie turned to him, noticing him only now. "You haven't left yet?"

Aurelius straightened up, trying to mask the unease that Merel's words had stirred within him. "I was just about to, Instructor."

Valerie's gaze softened slightly, recognizing the concern etched on his face. "Don't let her words get to you, Aurelius. She just thrives on unsettling others. You only need to focus on our your training and preparation."

He nodded, though the weight of Merel's challenge lingered. "Yes, Instructor. And... I will do my best to win against them! We will win this!"

Valerie was slightly stunned at his words. The next moment, her lips curved upwardly, forming a smile. "Haha, I know you will. Now, go. I expect you will prove your words."

"Hmm.." Aurelius nodded and slowly left the hall.

However, he still couldn't shake off the encounter with Merel and the tension it brought. Her words echoed in his mind, adding a new layer of determination to his resolve. He knew the upcoming joint class would be crucial, not just for him but for his entire class, to instructor Valerie.

'Ah, although I said it so confidently, I still feel a knot of uncertainty in my stomach,' Aurelius thought as he made his way through the corridors of the hall. 'We even lost to Adrian and his team... Miserably as well...'

'Wait...'

'If it's him, I'm sure we can really work it out!'

'Let's find him then...'

______ ___ __

Later in the evening.

Adrian and his group arrived at the Training Hall.

"Which Training Room did the first-year student Aurelius have booked?" Adrian went to the reception and asked.

"Ah, you should be the ones they told me about." The receptionist woman nodded and replied. "They are in Training Room 13."

"Thank you." Adrian thanked her and made his way to room 13 with the others.

As Adrian and his group entered Training Room 13, they were met with the sight of Aurelius and his team already deep in training. The room echoed with the sound of clashing weapons and the occasional burst of magic as they honed their skills.

Aurelius noticed their arrival and immediately made his way over, a determined gleam in his eyes. "I'm glad you're here. Thank you for accepting our request to train together."

"It's no big deal," Adrian replied. "Besides it's better to train with you rather than dummies that doesn't have the ability to think."

"Haha, you are right," Aurelius agreed with a chuckle.

Aurelius then took a deep breath, his expression serious. "Before we begin, there's something I need to tell you all." He recounted the encounter with Instructor Valerie and Professor Merel in the Combat Training Hall, explaining the tension between the two instructors and the challenge that had been laid down.

"So, this was the main reason I asked for your cooperation." He concluded. "If we want to win, I think we should work together and train. Only then will we have a higher chance of securing victory."

'Coming big who lost miserably just this morning,' Adrian commented inwardly as he listened to Aurelius's words. 'But since I already anticipated all of this, and knowing who these individuals are, I think we might really have a chance to win against those second years.'

'I only hope it won't be the same as in the novel.'