Wings of Despair [3]

Silence.

Silence was all that filled the stadium as each spectator watched the floating screens projecting Lucas Nightstar.

Ever since he defeated the three C-rank king predators, he had been watched 24/7. A screen always projected him in the stadium.

But now...

All screens in the stadium, and even those outside, were solely streaming him.

Every single time Lucas Nightstar made a move, it shocked each one of them. From the moment he defeated the C-rank king predators, he suddenly started exploring around the city as if looking for something, making people confused about what or whom he was searching for.

That confusion then turned into shock as they started to realize what he was searching for: the three great calamities.

He was searching for them on his own the entire time. He never joined any groups or tried to stay too long with them, breezing past everyone in the city just to find the three great calamities on his own.

The spectators thought he was stupid and crazy for being alone, yet at the same time, they felt he was courageous and brave, making them cheer for him.

It kept going like that until the third day arrived.

For the first time, Lucas Nightstar did something that stopped his usual routine. He saw a group of people yet didn't ignore them; instead, he approached them.

His every action was like a lightning bolt hitting the crowd as they watched him threaten the life of the elven princess, making a lot of people start to hate him.

But that soon turned into bewilderment after they realized it was just a prank between two friends.

Friends...

Lucas Nightstar and Sylviette Velariah are friends. And extremely close as well. Two people who should have nothing to do with each other were, in fact, friends.

It didn't end there...

Suddenly, surprising every single person, Lucas did something that no one expected, causing everyone to have various reactions.

They all saw as he suddenly appeared face-to-face with the hero of humanity, Klaus, and was... disappointed.

They heard everything Lucas told him and the rest of the group.

At that moment, only three words registered in their minds when they looked at him:

'Cruel, Merciless, and Crazy.'

He didn't hesitate to strike down someone who insulted him, ripping his arm off so fast that no one could even see.

He challenged three champions and their entire team without an ounce of fear or hesitation.

Directly challenging the hero of humanity himself.

Declaring in front of everyone that he wouldn't care about becoming the enemy of humanity.

Not many people took lightly to that declaration.

And now they were all watching in dead silence as they listened to the conversation between Lucas and the rest about how to deal with one of the calamities that suddenly showed up.

This year's exam was much harder than all the previous ones because of how talented this generation was. And as everyone watched the B-ranked behemoth, some felt like they would pass out.

Everyone had their eyes wide open and were watching with bated breath to see what this generation of top talents would do to deal with this situation.

All except for one person...

In a dimly lit room, a man sat on a dark throne, watching a holographic screen that showcased Lucas.

The young man had black hair and golden eyes, as if you were gazing into the sun itself.

His eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if the man wasn't even alive.

Yet, if one looked closely enough, they would see a small smile on his face as he gazed at Lucas.

Just looking at the man would make most fall unconscious out of pure fear.

His mere presence was that overwhelming, even surpassing that of Magnus.

Suddenly, the man spoke with his heavy voice that resounded throughout the room, his voice containing not a single emotion in it.

"Lucas Nightstar... you really are an interesting one."

"Let's just see what more surprises you have in store for me... as I can't wait to meet you."

*****

Nine people. 

That's how many decided to leave and run away before the calamity could reach them. 

The behemoth, noticing the sudden movement, only turned its head towards them, making many shiver in fear. 

Yet...

Those eyes were only directed at a single person—the strongest of them all:

Lucas.

Lucas could feel its entire gaze focused solely on him, making him grit his teeth as he tried to calm down.

'It only cares about me and the other champions, but... I can tell it will only move if I move.'

Lucas wasn't going to back down and decided to stare straight back at it. Despite the distance between them, they looked straight into each other's eyes. 

A staring contest had begun between Lucas Nightstar and the Calamity of Despair.

Sylviette had a deadpan look as she watched Lucas actually messing around at a time like this.

They were currently thinking of a way to fight the behemoth, yet Lucas, instead of helping, was playing games with it!

But that was only how it appeared to Sylviette and the others. 

In reality, both were measuring each other's strength, a fact noticed only by the strong individuals in the outside world who were watching.

'This is troublesome... It probably isn't physically strong but will be exceptionally fast and can fly, and who knows what else it could be hiding.'

Lucas was trying his best to come up with a way to deal with the behemoth while being limited, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

'Should I reveal another affinity of mine or reveal that I am a dual wielder?'

In the end, Lucas decided not to reveal anything yet. He would only do so when it was truly necessary or if he became bored.

"Lucas."

Suddenly, Sylv called out his name, but Lucas didn't break eye contact with the behemoth for even a second.

"What is it, Sylv?"

"We have a plan to fight the behemoth, but..."

"But?"

Lucas asked, furrowing his brows a little at hearing her hesitation.

"Well... it's just that I think it's a reckless plan..."

"Klaus is also the one who came up with it."

"Alright... just tell me what the plan is."

"Klaus says he has a few skills that make him look harmless and friendly towards creatures. He would try to distract the calamity by himself with his skill while we try to kill it when it doesn't notice us."

Hearing the plan, he honestly thought a bunch of amateur kids could have come up with something better... but he couldn't complain since he was keeping the beast focused on him.

Not having much choice and with no other plan in sight, Lucas decided to agree, feeling that they didn't have much time left. He could feel the impatient gaze of the moth as it seemed to invite him to get closer.

"Fine... but if he dies, that's on him, alright?"

"Mm, I will tell them that you approved of the plan."

She said as she walked back over to the other champions to inform them. They were a distance away with the other members of the team.

'Hmm? Why would it matter if I approve or not... I never said that I was their leader, did I?'