NOVEL NEXT Chapter 96: One million?!
Athena stepped out of the line casually, her smile bright, posture loose, as if she were just humoring an old teacher asking her to recite a poem.
Then Bai Lian turned to the crowd.
"This is Lyra Washington. Daughter of President Quinn Washington, the current Head of the Awakened Congress and Assistant Supreme Commander of the American Forces."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Someone actually dropped their training staff.
"The President's… daughter?" Zhao Rui muttered, wide-eyed.
Fatty let out a long, low whistle. "I hugged her once… Does that make me royalty now?"
Ji Chen blinked slowly. "You're lucky to still be alive."
Jiang Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow and looked toward Damien.
Damien just stood there, impassive as ever.
But there was the slightest hint of a smile playing at the edges of his lips and the slightest twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
He had already guessed it.
Back on the platform, Professor Orange smiled faintly as Professor Bai Lian continued.
"Miss Washington was sent here under an alias as part of a high-level assessment initiative. Her performance at Pearl Institute has been duly noted and commended by the board."
Another crystal flared behind them, this time displaying a projection of a formal document.
On it, the official seal of the United States shimmered in blue and silver.
A different voice spoke now, an older female, full of authority and broadcast directly from Washington.
"This is President Quinn Washington," it said. "Effective immediately, the United States of America formally offers The Republic of China a full military alliance in the war against the Awakened Beasts."
Students looked at one another in stunned silence.
"Furthermore in the interest of preserving global mana security," President Quinn continued, "we are offering a partial alliance to provide aid and reinforcement to the Republic of China in the war against the European Empire."
"This alliance is defensive in nature, and we will send reinforcements should the European Forces manage to invade beyond fifty kilometers at any point based on today's borders."
There was no applause.
No cheering.
Just a sharp, electric stillness.
Everyone understood the implications.
The world was gearing up for war against the beasts, and there was no room for internal conflict at that moment.
Athena—no, Lyra Washington, flashed a wave to the crowd, then winked playfully at Damien in the corner.
"I'll miss you." she mouthed and smiled cheekily.
And just like that… The Americans left.
The cafeteria that night was silent.
No one could look at Athena the same way again.
She hadn't just kissed Damien.
She'd kissed him while being a national-level asset.
The day after her departure, Pearl Institute resumed its relentless rhythm. And the students had no choice but to fall back in line.
Five more weeks passed.
Weeks of blood, sweat, and the occasional tear behind closed doors.
The brutality continued, but it bore fruit.
Slowly, the first years changed. Not just in body, but in poise, in coordination, in eyes that no longer darted for help but scanned for solutions.
Damien Bloodbane remained a mystery to most of them, but one thing became clear: when things fell apart, they looked to him. Even the upperclassmen had stopped taunting him.
He had nothing to prove anymore.
And then, on the forty-second morning of hell, a miracle occurred.
A break.
Three full days.
No drills. No battles. No surprise ambushes. No nightmares-in-a-box simulations.
Just freedom.
Most students stumbled away from the training fields in disbelief, already talking about food, baths, and maybe even catching a little sleep.
Damien was halfway to the "Living Library" when his communicator buzzed.
It was a message from the Powerful Mages Coffee Club.
A single line glowed on the display:
"Little boy, could you bring us some coffee?"
He stared at it for a long moment.
Arguably the strongest magic users in the entire country…
And they wanted him to fetch coffee.
Damien exhaled slowly, picked up his training jacket, and turned toward the direction of the crudely named coffee shop with a dry look in his eyes.
"…At least I'll get a cup out of it."
The coffee shop's enchanted bell jingled softly as Damien pushed open the door.
It was quiet inside, as always
Dim lighting, thick mana in the air, and tables carved from ironwood that looked like they could survive orbital bombardment. Damien stepped in, letting the door swing shut behind him with a dull thunk.
"About time!" a familiar voice barked.
Damien didn't even flinch. He looked up, and sure enough—
A bunch of the nation's most decorated retired generals were lounging in a booth, looking as far from retirement as possible.
General Riki was slamming his mug on the table like it had personally offended him.
General Maru was sharpening a spoon with alarming seriousness.
And the others, seated around the massive gambling table like a bunch of hooligans and gangsters instead of distinguished servicemen of their glorious motherland.
"Where the hell have you been?" General Riki growled.
Damien blinked. "In school."
"School?" General Maru scoffed, eyes narrowing. "What's that?"
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" General Hong Fei added smoothly, swirling something suspiciously dark in his teacup.
Damien stepped forward, arms crossed. "You called me here for coffee."
"We called you here for war and glory." General Riki corrected, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him toward the back room.
Inside, a massive holographic display blinked to life, showing the bracket of the Beijing Battle Gods Arena (BGA) Tournament. Glowing names danced across the screen.
Citywide Tournament
Top 64 contenders.
And in the corner: Hungry Monster. Unseeded. Slot 33.
"…What is this?" Damien asked flatly.
"The tournament," said Maru, puffing up. "It starts today."
"What?!" Damien's tone darkened. "These three days are my first break after six weeks of blood, sweat, and tears!"
"Blood, sweat, and tears my ass," General Riki barked. "We heard you've been cruising through Pearl like a goddamn phantom. The instructors are sweating more than you are!"
"You performed exceedingly well," General Hong Fei added with a smirk. "Barely broke a sweat. Consider this your reward."
"Reward? No than-" Damien said.
"One million dollars if you win the tournament." General Maru interrupted smoothly with an enticing smile.
"What time is the first match?" Damien instantly asked.