Waiting Room

"You! what are doing here witch", one of the woman spoke with a snarl.

"Ara ara seems like your brain is still missing after all to think you could not understand even the most basic thing, but I am kind so I will say it in a way you would understand, I-CAME-TO-EXPLORE-THE –RUINS.", the other finished with a small smirk while she spoke the last part slowly as if she was speaking with the most retarded person.

Both sides glared at each other the lone woman against the trio, only for their attention to be brought back to a sniffling of a child, they slowly turned their head to see a small child having tears streaming down his eyes as another woman trying to console him with a occasional whisper of 'Blackie' coming now and then.

One of the woman cleared her throat as the child looked up with his red puffy teary eyes, both group of women felt their breath hitched, 'what kind of sorcery is this, who is this cute little child, how can a child be so cute, what is this sudden urge to smother him to console him.', the tried to advance only to stop on feeling killing intent directed at them, they looked towards another female who was consoling the child.

The lone woman spoke out first, "Hello fellow Daoist sister, first I would apologize to you for the loss of the person you were mourning 'Blackie' was it", Long Yu just nodded his head sadly, "well I know this may sound insincere and insulting but such is the life of us cultivator my friends I came they perished in the trials now I am alone, oh my name is 'Ryofu', may I inquire your name little sister."

Long Yu spoke in a depressed tone as he was still sad, "My name is Long Yu and I am a boy. Also 'Blackie' did not die, my teammates dragged me away from 'Blackie' and I so wanted him as my pet."

Ryofu was at first shocked the feminine looking child turned out to be a boy and now, 'Give me back my sympathy, you so so adorable child.', even if she tried hard she couldn't hold her anger over Long Yu.

The leader of the trio silently laughed at seeing her rival getting embarrassed, but still to think the child is a boy was a complete shock to her, then she remembered the rumors of a child who was Zifu Disciple entering, she also heard a few rumors that he played a major role in a conflict that took place in Forest biome, she did not believe and looking at the child she was right to not believe on it but like any proper lady should she stepped forward and introduced herself and her teammates, "Hello Long Yu, my name is Kyouki and these ladies with me are my teammates."

Her two teammates just gave a short bow as they introduced themselves, the brown haired her name was 'Helen' and the blonde her name was 'Ayesha'

The woman kneeling beside Long Yu introduced herself, "Veronica".

Then all of a sudden Long Yu exclaimed loudly while pointing towards Kyouki, "Ah, you were that woman who ran away from 'Blackie' scared.", meanwhile Veronica sighed inwardly, 'You never tell anyone that you saw them in danger and did nothing to help them specially someone you are locked inside a room with no exit.'

Kyouki frowned when she heard a small giggle coming from Ryofu at the thought of her running away, so she replied scathingly, "Pray tell me who this 'Blackie' from whom you have seen me running away scared."

Long Yu looked at her questioningly as he spoke, "Do not tell me you forget about 'Blackie', he was the most awesome and adorably cute looking Hydra, you came across in the Marsh Biome."

Kyouki and her teammates shuddered at thinking about the Hydra, then the rest of the sentence played in their mind, they send a look of pity towards Veronica, 'It must have been tough for her to deal with such a mentally retarded kid.'

Ryofu snarled in anger, "So you met with that thrice damned Hydra too."

Kyouki just nodded, "Did you encounter with that it too."

Ryofu: "Of course we did it ambushed us just outside the tower, I was lucky to escape from it."

Veronica: "Long Yu, I suggest you try to find a suitable pet outside of here, we do not know if it will be possible to bring 'Blackie' out of here but outside you will find much more better Hydras.", she hoped that this will placate Long Yu, and will stop his childish tantrum normally it would have been amusing but currently they were with unknown and her team were missing as well.

Long Yu: "I guess you are right.", as he wiped his tears before pulling his hood down hiding most of his face.

Before any of them could speak as static sound came, as the image of the person who welcomed them at the stadium reappeared again, "Welcome test takers, you have finished the first part of the trials, now before you enter the next trial, I would love to tell you about the rules for this next segment, you will be grouped randomly in the group of six people, everyone of you are from the same biome, except those who have less than six on their team then we will adjust from taking someone from other biome but even after all that if you are truly unlucky you will have less team members. Now the next trial will be ..... a secret, it will start when all the teams had been formed at the end of first trial, well I hope to see you soon, and possibly as student of my glorious school, till then see ya."

Long Yu: "So seems like we are a team. I propose we introduce ourselves better since it would seem like we will be a team for immediate future."

Kyouki: "Oh and how do suppose we introduce ourselves kid, don't you know we cultivators tend to be secretive."

Long Yu:"Of course I know sister, but what I meant was simple just your rank and type of cultivator, and your specialization if any. It will help in overcoming the challenge."

Ryofu: "Who made you the leader brat I do not remember nominating you."

Long Yu: "Eh no one and as I said before it is a suggestion, you all will follow or not is up to you."

They stared hard at him before replying, "I disagree", "so do I"

At that Long Yu just shrugged his shoulders, as he went and sat at a corner of the room further away from them along with Veronica. The others did the same they sat away from the other teams.

Veronica whispered to Long Yu: "Long Yu what is the purpose of the array on your neck."

Long Yu looked confused as he whispered back, "What array are you speaking about? I do not have any on my neck."

Veronica frowned at that, "I saw an array glow a couple of times it is just at the base of your neck and is hidden because of the hood you are wearing."

Long Yu was alarmed as he heard that he has an array on his neck who put it on him and why most importantly when.

He hurriedly whispered back to Veronica in an urgent manner, "I absolutely do not know, who when and most importantly for what purpose an array had been placed on my neck, but I have something that can copy the array I will give to you use it discreetly, I will try to study and figure out the purpose of the array as much as possible."

He took out a scroll from his backpack before creating an array which can be used to copy other arrays, on one end of the scroll before handing it to Veronica, he then lowered his hood and laid down while using his back pack as his pillow, while Veronica held the scroll on top the array, soon a there was a small flash signifying the array had been copied.

Long Yu took the scroll from Veronica and saw instead of an array there was a message on it.

'Congratulation baby brother for finally finding the array I placed on you, do not fret as this was meant for your protection, and if you have any question you may ask me when you finally come back home. From your most favorite big sister, Sylvana.'

Long Yu sweat dropped at that of course who else but his sisters would do such a thing, he had warm smile on his face his sisters even not present here found something to protect, sometimes he wandered what he has done to meet such wonderful people.

Veronica saw the smile on his face and could not help but ask, "Is there any problem, Long Yu?"

He just shook his head on hearing the question, "No there is nothing to worry about someone who is like an older sister to me put the array on me to protect me from danger. So when I used the method to copy the array the message she left behind got copied instead, where she mentioned it, o you do not have to worry about it anymore."

Veronica just returned a smile. Long Yu just turned his attention on a clock which shows how much time is left he sighed seeing there was still 18 hours left, well I think I should take a nap, he closed his eyes and soon fell asleep