The competitor lounge beneath the Colosseum was a massive luxurious room filled with plush couches catered food and healing stations. Usually it was a loud chaotic place where rookies boasted about their qualifier matches.
When Glen walked through the sliding glass doors the entire room went dead silent.
Dozens of elite rookies who had survived their respective sectors stopped talking. They stared at the boy in the black combat jacket. They had all seen the broadcast. They had seen the F Rank Mimic crush a C Class Tank with his bare hands and dismantle ninety hunters in three minutes.
Glen ignored the stares. He walked over to a massive buffet table grabbed a green apple and took a loud crunchy bite.
"You are making a spectacle of yourself Mcdonald" a familiar voice said.
Glen turned. Isla Sinclair was sitting on a leather sofa in the corner her boots resting on a glass coffee table. She looked completely unbothered by the tense atmosphere in the room.
Glen walked over and dropped onto the sofa next to her. "I was just stretching my legs Sinclair. How was your sector?"
"Boring" Isla replied tossing him a cold bottle of water. "I rely froze the ground and let them slip around until the tir ran out.Enough about , we need to talk about your little stunt out there."
Glen caught the water and took a drink. "I thought I showed remarkable restraint. I did not even use my swords."
"That is exactly my point" Isla said leaning forward her green eyes serious. "You are getting cocky. You beat up a bunch of unprepared C Class rookies who thought you were a joke. Do not let it go to your head. You are strong for a rookie but you are not invincible."
Glen stopped smiling. He knew she was right.
"I know my limits" Glen said quietly. "My physical stats are sitting around the B Class level right now. I have A Rank skills but my mana pool is too small to sustain them in a prolonged fight."
"Exactly" Isla nodded. "The only reason you killed those Grimhunt assassins in the ruins is because they ambushed us in the dark and they had no idea what your class actually was. If you fought a prepared veteran A Rank Hunter right now in broad daylight they would outlast your mana pool in two minutes and cut your head off."
"And an S Class?" Glen asked glancing up at the ceiling toward the VIP suites.
"An S Class would not even need two minutes" Isla said bluntly. "Evander Buchanan is a monster. His base stats are probably a hudrend tis more than yours. If you fight him in this tournant you will lose. Our goal is the top ten. We just need to secure the Independent License. Do not throw your life away trying to prove a point to the golden boy."
"I hear the golden boy is actually quite pleasant if you get to know him" a new voice chid in.
Glen and Isla both looked up. Standing a few feet away was a tall lanky boy with ssy brown hair and a relaxed easygoing smile. He wore a loose fitting gray tunic and carried a long wooden staff resting casually over his shoulder.
"Do you mind?" the boy asked gesturing to the empty armchair across from them.
Isla narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
"Caleb Sterling" the boy said dropping into the chair and kicking his legs out. "B Class Gravity Mage. I won Sector Seven. I also watched your match Glen. It was highly entertaining."
Glen analyzed the newcor. Caleb did not have the arrogant posture of the academy elites. He looked completely relaxed almost lazy but his eyes were sharp and observant.
"Gravity Mage" Glen said taking another bite of his apple. "That is a rare class. You must be popular with the guilds."
"They send gift baskets" Caleb laughed pulling a piece of candy from his pocket and unwrapping it. "But I am not interested in corporate politics. I just like fighting strong people. And you Glen Mcdonald are the most interesting person in this room if not this wwhole building."
"I am just a Mimic" Glen said his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Caleb snorted. "Right. And I am a pastry chef. Look I do not care what your class is. I just ca over to say hello before the main bracket starts. If we end up fighting each other please do not punch in the face as hard as you punched that Tank. I have a very low pain tolerance."
Glen actually laughed. He liked Caleb. The boy was honest pragmatic and did not take himself too seriously.
"I will try to aim for the stomach" Glen promised.
"Much appreciated" Caleb smiled standing up and stretching his arms. "Well the bracket announcent is starting in five minutes. Let us go see who we have to beat up to get our licenses."
As Caleb walked away Isla looked at Glen. "He is dangerous. Gravity magic is incredibly hard to counter."
"I know" Glen said standing up and tossing his apple core into a bin. "But at least he is honest about it. Co on Sinclair. Let us go see the board."
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