BUTTERFLIES (Arc 2&3; The Undefeatable Class 192)

Chapter 58: First Proper Get-together

Author's Note: Howdy dear readers! This is where the second arc of “BUTTERFLIES” begins. Just so you won't get confused, I continued with the chapter number (58) since the first arc ended in chapter 57. I hope you'll give me your all in supporting this book. I love you all so very much! I'm still your favourite author, Sal.
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  Stepping out, I was dazzled.
  ‘Why does this have to happen all the time?! Can't someone be low profile?!’
  Standing before the examination hall for 2-star beast tamers, were several people. They had surprise dabbed across their faces; eyes transfixed above the door frame where I stood. They were obviously staring at the numbers exhibited by the metal, automatic door. I didn't even bother to check my result to know it was a “perfect”.
  My eyes skedaddled across them to realise that there were both 1-star beast tamers, 2-star beast tamers and 3-star beast tamers making up the crowd. The hall was large enough to contain their approximated number of fifty. Still, that wasn't really my problem. I was trying to spot a figure.
  ‘Found ya!’
  It was none other than the boy who'd earlier made a wager with me. To think of it, he really was a fool to bet with me! Hahaha!
  I walked in a carefree manner towards him, ignoring the crowd staring at me as though I was some ghost.
  Beside the boy, Juan, was another person. It wasn't Zhang Wangqing. It was the girl I'd met reading in the Book Collection Vault, earlier. Now that the duo stood shoulder to shoulder, I finally got to observe their resemblance. Before, I thought it was nothing more than resembling the other. However, now I could tell it was no coincidence. Same height, same hair features, same rich-looking attires, same facial features (only that puberty was making a different story with Juan's face, as a tiny strand of moustache was surfacing).
  “Hey, I passed. Thanks for paying for my test. Hey girl, never knew you were both related... although it makes sense... same temperament. But don't worry, I love twins.”
  I patted her shoulder and walked away, immediately given way by everyone.
  There was no need to go to the Hall of Will, since Principal Dongwu had personally given me my badge, during the final examination. Although none knew about this, it was more than clear by staring at my chest, at the emblem pinned there. The glorious quasi 2-star badge.
  I met with Wangqing immediately passing the twins and told him I'd come back the following week for the second part of my exam.
  “Young Mistress! Please, before you go, may we have the honour of knowing your name?” he asked politely, his attitude towards me warming up much more than before.
  I smiled at him and said, “No need to stand on ceremony, if I can't even pass the exam next week, would there be any need for people to know my name now?”
  Without giving chance for his reply, I dashed out of the building.
  Only on stepping off the vicinity did I realise just how weak I was.
  ‘Sighs. It seems I'd be riding on one of my tamed beasts.’
  On second thought, why not?
  This was the Junior Academy of the Gifted, there shouldn't be anything too surprising here, right?
  Just when I wanted to summon the copper-fur wolf, a familiar figure appeared before my face.
  “No way! That's basically impossible!”
  Anthony was staring at my new emblem in awe, as he crooked his fingers almost as though he wanted to tear it off my chest.
  I cracked my voice. “Why are you staring at my breast, Tony?”
  “Huhn?” he raised his eyes and looked into mine, then looked back at my chest, then looked down at his crooked fingers — here his eyes widened as though they'd fall off — and almost searched for a boulder to hide himself out of shame. He was just so miserable and didn't have what to say... jeez... boys! Hahaha!
  “Congratulations,” said he, wanting to dash away, had I not caught hold of his arm.
  “Hey, come on! I was just joking!” I said, giggling.
  He made to exhale, before saying, “That wasn't funny.”
  “Yeah, it was dumb, I know—” an idea then popped into my head, “so... would you like to take me on a ride?”
  Anthony scratched his head shyly.
  “Not all 1-star beast tamers get to be as fortunate as you who earned a beast, right after your 1-star examination,” he said with a wide smile, scratching the back of his head.
  “Oh, you don't have a tamed beast?” I asked, just to reconfirm.
  He nodded.
  “Okay, then, I'd be on my way; talk to you some other time!”
  I gathered some energy and dashed away with the strength tapped from my Meditation realm cultivation.
  “Damn, I really need to get a cool tamed beast for opportunities like this!” Anthony cried under his breath.
  Moving some metres away, I told myself I couldn't continue at this speed. Still, I didn't want to bring out Little Wolfy, the copper-fur wolf, and Black Frost the glacier-dragon wasn't even an option. So... that left me with the mutated, Transcendent Mortal realm Roy!
  ‘Oh well, if anyone recognises Roy in its newly mutated form, I could just say it's my cousin's.’
  With a flick of my wrist, my recluse ring glittered for a second before the gigantic Roy appeared before me. I hopped on its back, effortlessly, then ordered it to take me to the dormitory.

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  “Hey Stephanie, welcome in! We've been waiting all day for you!”
  On arriving before Dormitory A, a little crowd of people sitting on the grass side waved me over to join them.
  A smile spread across my face as I quickly stowed Roy back into the recluse ring on my hand and headed over to the gathering.
  “Hey guys!”
  I was so excited and took my seat before a broad shouldered gentleman. Yeah, that's right. I sat beside Zhangkong.
  This crowd was Class 192, my very classmates.
  “We're happy you've come, Steph. We were just analysing the two battles we'd had as a class. But I think everyone's more interested in the battle against the armed robbers,” Zhangkong said.
  Everyone laughed out loud in unison.
  We spoke about how clumsy the robbers were. They'd underestimated us due to our age difference. We were just some bunch of teenagers, so they thought we couldn't really pose a threat to them.
  “I think we should also give ourselves some training in our positioning. I'm thinking of something that could help us stay well organised in a battle,” I said, thoughtfully.
  “Haha, there you go, Boss!” Lingxi said, chuckling. None of them carried their usual coldness today. Everyone — down to Xueyi and Jaded — were totally warm and different.
  Ruby chirped in, “Now that we've had a battle as a class, I think I can draw out our battle formation and pass it on to you guys, later on.”
  Everyone nodded in agreement.
  “So... about Teacher's proposal?” Xuan'er asked.
  “Hehehe... do you have to ask? The moment he asked us to become his direct disciples, my heart was already screaming ‘yes!’. Just that you dumbasses wanted some time to think about it,” said Toby, laughing out loud. His laughter stopped when he heard a whisper in his right ear.
  “Next time you generally insult, remember that a poison master is right beside you.”
  His eyes widened in fear as he looked at Xueyi and Jaded staring at him from his right hand side as though to devour him.
  “Hey, why do you both look like this? You're a couple already?!”
  “I'll kill you!” Xueyi blushed in embarrassment and almost strangled Toby to death.
  We all burst into fits of laughter at the demise of our comrade.
  “If there's no objection, then have we agreed to be Teacher Haggz's direct disciples?” Zhangkong finally asked after the shrill had died down.
  We agreed without thinking much. Class was finally commencing tomorrow — great! I wondered if we'd be using the Ethereal Hall again!