Awakened: Evolving to Godhood

After hearing Nina's words of surprise, John Crimson felt that he must give it his all to create a magic matrix on his body in as little time as possible, while this also piqued Theo Rose's interest and his lips thinned in excitement, an emotion rare to him. At the same time, while all of this was going on, Elliot received a notification from his artifact, one that pops up in his head.

<The Trial "I'm the Best" has been issued>

<Be among the fastest ten teenage magicians of the academy to complete a mission>

<Reward: Lower Portion of the Challenger Key>

Elliot's eyes brightened in glee as he was one step closer to start exploring the mystery of God's tower that haunts every fiber of his curious nature.

He just needed to complete this trial, and he would get the last piece of the puzzle, one that would create the key of the challenger, which would allow him to enter the first floor of God's Tower.

"You going to get a magic crystal?" Theo Rose asked them after they stepped out of the classroom, mixing with the crowd.

"Indeed, I am planning to go to the magic shop and get it," Elliot answered with a nod.

"Me too," John said, telling them that he is also planning to go to the magic shop to get a magic crystal..

"Since we are going the same way, let's go together," Theo said, wondering whether or not they would like to stick together.

"That's good," John said, blinking his eyes.

"How about we first catch on the breakfast we missed this morning?" Elliot asked them after his stomach grumbled in protest.

"Hmm, I was feeling rather hungry, too," John said, remembering that they weren't able to eat anything in the morning because of Len and Lamaze that intentionally picked on him, thinking that he is a pusher and the most disgraced son of the crimson family, but instead got face slapped.

"Then it's decided."

Elliot said, planning to eat first before going to the magic shop to get a magic crystal.

"Can I join you too?"

Lisa Charlotte's voice suddenly sounded in their ears, startling Elliot the most and forcing him to look back, only to see her standing a hair's breadth ​away from him

"Hang out with your friends," Theo said, looking at her with an expressionless face.

"But I don't have any friends in this academy," Lisa said with a somewhat pitiful face.

"That's what you get for being cocky," John said in a low voice, whistling as she glared at him.

"What did you say?!" Lisa asked in a threatening voice as she stared at John, daring him to say what he said once again.

"Don't raise your voice," Elliot said, looking at her lazily.

"Sorry," Lisa said, trying to appear cute and appeal to Elliot's taste as she believed that he likes women who are submissive to their man and act gentle and cute.

"It's fine," Elliot said, motioning her to ease her worries, unaware of the thoughts revolving in her mind.

"So can I join you, pretty please?" She asked again, looking at them with widened eyes sparkling in hope.

"Don't ask me," John said, not at all interested in taking charge of who hangs with them and who doesn't.

"It's up to him," Theo said, pointing at Elliot.

Lisa turned to look at Elliot with a smile, hoping that he would agree. He didn't hate or like her. At most, he found her a bit weird as she wanted him to marry and impregnate her. With the weird stuff out of the picture, which Elliot believed to be her fetish to breeding, she seemed no different than a normal and sane girl whose beauty remains unmatched by many.

"Alright," Elliot said, letting her hang out with them.

"I appreciate it, honestly," Lisa Charlotte said with a smile, happy that he had agreed to let her hang out with him. She felt she was one step closer to attaining her goal of marrying a man and having a child.

Sometime later, once they sat down on a nice spot on the first floor of the cafeteria and finished their meal while under the stern stares of many students sitting near tables placed on the edge of the second floor, they stepped out of the cafeteria and decided to head to the magic shop.

"Why had they kept on looking at us, not sparing a single glance elsewhere till we stepped out of the cafeteria?" Lisa asked them with a confused look on her face after they started walking on the stone-paved path.

"Who knows? Maybe it was their first time seeing someone as handsome as us." John said, cracking a joke in the middle of the street.

"Stop joking, John. I could feel hostile intent from their stare." Lisa said with a severe look on her face.

"It was just like what happened in the morning," Elliot said as he recalled that the seniors looked at them in the same hostile way after they destroyed Len and his friends.

"Seems like the second years are targeting us for some reason."

An instant after Theo said those words, John, Elliot, and Lisa nodded in agreement.

"Let's stick together lest we get picked off one by one," Elliot said, worried that they might get in serious trouble if they are alone.

"Seems like a good idea," Theo said with a nod.

They created a small stick-together group to protect themselves from the threat posed by the seniors and also implemented some rules such as not going to dark and deserted places alone, especially at night, or keeping others informed about any extra signs of threat.

"I am a part of the group too, right?" Lisa said, "You need to take responsibility since they have already listed me as one of your own."

"No, they didn't," John said.

"It's not too late to pull back," Theo said, telling her that she can avoid all sorts of trouble by simply walking away from them and ignoring them.

"I don't want to," Lisa said, placing her hand on her chest.

"Okay, you can stick close to us from now on," Elliot said, feeling not st all worried for her safety as he believes that the others wouldn't harm her because she belongs to the charlotte family.

"Hooray!" Lisa exclaimed in her mind, happy that she sticks close to Elliot every day.

A few minutes later, once they have reached an area connecting to different places of the Emerald Mountain, Theo stepped on the path on the left and said, "Let's go get the magic crystals from the magic shop!"

Elliot, John, and Lisa followed in tow, heading towards the Magic Shop in the distance.