Ch. 48 'Hunting Group'

Despite her friends' strange gaze, Niken forced herself to keep on striding steadily into the hunting class.

Niken forced herself into the classroom with heavy footsteps. When she finally found a row of empty benches, she immediately sat there. Niken's heart quickly shrank when she realized the friends who were seated nearby moved away from her.

Why did they avoid her? What did she do that others don't want to be near her?

Does she smell? Or does she look scary?

She felt restless, not knowing the cause her friends behaved unfriendly to her. She wished Karyn would be with her at the moment.

She realized in this academy, Karyn was the only one who sincerely became her friends. She felt lucky she met her on her first day here.

She knew this is wrong, but she felt grateful that Karyn was not a strong Elementalist and could be a classmate.

Niken only sighed and decided to ignore them. She prepared her stuff to note down everything she needed to learn when someone approached her.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Niken raised her head to see the owner of the voice. She unconsciously held her breath when she saw that person's face.

His heavenly handsome face with solid black eyes and thick hair. Sharp nose and square jaw, not to mention those firm lips line that could take her breath away.

Kazuto!

The person she admired for a while talked to her! Is this a dream? Is this her hallucination?

She had to admit. Kazuto was the only man who made her interested so that her heart was beating like this.

What should she do? She never dreamed the man would approach her, let alone talk to her. She knew the man liked to be alone. He was a lone wolf that did not like initiate a conversation, yet here he was. He talked to her!

Niken wanted to answer him when she remembered something.

'It's best if you keep your distance from him. No one would know what would have happened if had Kazuto changed his form to a monster.'

Niken remembered Karyn's warning. She was aware, even though Kazuto was the weakest member of the clan, but for the level D students, Kazuto was a strong Elementalist.

But strangely, she felt unafraid. Instead, she felt enthusiastic. She won't let go of this rare chance for sure. She wanted to get closer to the man.

She shook her head nervously and let the man sit next to her.

"No. I don't mind at all." Even so, she did not dare look at the man. She was afraid that her poor heart would not last if their eyes met.

The classrooms were so crowded, mainly when they see the infamous Kazuto often sitting in the back corner to sleep now sitting in the middle area next to a mysterious new kid. The crowd was quiet down as soon as Sir Hak entered the classroom.

"All right, everyone. Now we will begin to practice what we have learned. Form groups of at least two people of a maximum of five. I will give you a different location. You will discuss it together with your group and hunt there together. As always, the more your hunting results, the higher your chances of leveling up.

And of course, if you manage to catch a lion, tiger, or other wild beasts, you will automatically pass the trial exam later. Is there any question?"

"No, sir!" Answered everyone simultaneously.

"Ah, one more thing. Kazuto, I know you are very skilled in this field. I hope you give your team a chance to hunt."

"I understand," Kazuto answered.

As soon as Sir Hak gives time to find group members, the room becomes crowded again, and many were hanging around looking for the desired member.

"Hey, how about we ask Kazuto to join us?" one of them whispered.

"Good idea. At least he will tell us how to hunt effectively. You go ask him."

"Why me? You do the talking."

"No, I don't want. What if he's mad? I'm scared."

"So am I."

In the end, no one dared to invite Kazuto to join their team.

"Have you decided on your team members?" Kazuto asked, making Niken surprised.

"What? Hm... that... actually... maybe I will be in the same group as Karyn. But right now Karyn... she... hm... " because she was so nervous Niken couldn't speak properly.

This was the first time she made a conversation with her idol, so don't blame her if she couldn't speak straightly, okay?

Alas, the man thought she was scared of her. That was not what he wanted. He did want to make his inamorata afraid of him.

"Are you afraid of me?"