Flames of Ambition

60: The Day Has Come

Chapter 60: The Day Has Come

Everything seemed like a normal day at Scarlett Academy—but in reality, it was anything but.

Today was the Ranking Tournament. Healers were all gathered in their building, glaring at the five new students who had joined just a week before the tournament. Suspicion hung thick in the air. Unlike Zexel, who joined the Healers two months ago after the entrance exam, these five were transferred from other categories, making everyone feel uncomfortable.

Even Zexel felt the unsettling aura surrounding the newcomers. But she didn’t mind them—not unless they dared to interfere with her goal.

Right now, she needed to find an excuse to separate herself from the others, unlock the seals Feng Zhengying had placed on her, and most importantly—reunite with her allies.

They only had one month to collect high-grade beast cores. Time was limited, and every second mattered. Zexel had already instructed her Clone Self to keep a close eye on the five new students. If they made any suspicious moves or put any of the other Healers in danger, the clone would deal with them accordingly. She also intended to help the Healers gain more battle experience by letting them participate in beast hunts.

The Healers had already drafted a plan within their building. However, it was actually a decoy plan. If the five newcomers took the bait, they’d unknowingly seal their fate—because the Healers were more than ready to make their lives miserable. This strategy had been discussed and fine-tuned during training two weeks ago.

The Healers were quite satisfied with the outcome of that training. But for now, what they truly needed was teamwork.

Though their numbers were smaller compared to the other groups, they realized that being few in number gave them a strategic advantage. They could move in smaller, more flexible units, and implement more creative tactics. They also decided to test out their individual skills for the first time during the tournament.

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As the students of Scarlett Academy gathered in the open field, they were organized by Category and Group. Zexel spotted Fan Yaoli with her group. Fan Yaoli smiled, and Zexel smiled back.

“Welcome to the Annual 116th Ranking Tournament of Scarlett Academy!” the announcer declared.

The rules for the first phase were then explained. Each team would consist of 25 members or fewer—mostly divided by class. Their objective was to collect beast cores as a group. The higher the grade of the beast core, the more points they'd earn. Stealing, threatening, and even abusing weaker groups were allowed—but killing was strictly forbidden.

The top 20 teams with the highest accumulated points would move on to the next round.

When Zexel first explained her strategy two weeks ago, many of the Healers had thought that having fewer members was a disadvantage. But over time, they came to understand Zexel's reasoning and processed her words carefully.

In the end, they realized that being fewer in number could become an advantage. Zexel’s plan was flawless in their eyes, and they admired her for coming up with it.

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As the portal to the tournament zone opened, most groups moved together to enter the venue. Zexel, however, took immediate action the moment they passed through.

She swiftly unsealed the restrictions that Feng Zhengying had placed on her. Within seconds, she issued silent orders and slipped away from the group unnoticed.

At the same time, a similar situation occurred for Feng Zhengying, Feng Ming Li, and Fan Yaoli. Using their soul traces, they each managed to separate from their own groups and reunite shortly afterward.

“Let’s go find that crystal!” Zexel declared. Feng Zhengying smiled and took her hand.

And with that, their search for the Fu Clan’s Crystal began.

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Meanwhile, Zexel’s clone stayed with the Healers and assisted them in their beast hunts. It was part of their training, and thanks to the clone’s guidance, they had already collected a decent number of cores.

But the clone could feel it—the greed radiating from the five new students. The others sensed it too, but chose to pretend not to notice.

They were now hunting an Eighth-Grade Beast they had “accidentally” encountered. However, Zexel’s clone didn’t believe it was an accident. She could feel other presences nearby, hidden.

Sensing danger, the clone focused on helping the others subdue the beast.

During the fight, many of the Healers sustained injuries due to the beast’s aggression. While they were healing themselves, the hidden presence finally revealed themselves.

“Hand over your beast core, or you’ll suffer more blows,” their leader sneered, stepping out of the shadows with his group.

In a sudden betrayal, the five new students from the Healers’ group drew knives and held them to the necks of five of their classmates.

“Hand it over to them,” they ordered coldly.

“Traitors! I knew it!” Shen Min Jing growled, gritting her teeth.

But three of the Healer boys acted swiftly, striking with precision. They launched senbon needles into the vital points of both the enemy group and the traitorous five.

The opposing group found themselves unable to move.

Zexel’s clone smirked and activated seals of forced obedience on the enemy leader and his men.

“Hand over your beast cores and your tools,” she commanded coldly.

The enemies’ eyes widened in horror as their bodies complied against their will. They tried to resist, but the seals inflicted sharp pain until they obeyed. Once Zexel had collected everything of value, the three boys knocked them unconscious and tied them to nearby trees.

“Don’t forget—you still need us!” one of the traitors shouted with a sinister grin. “Even if you collect the most cores, if your team’s not complete, you’ll still be disqualified!”

“We know,” Shao Zhi Zhi said with a sharp glare before knocking the speaker out cold.

Zexel’s clone then created a pocket dimension and sealed the traitors inside. Within that dimension, White the White Tiger and Blue the Azure Dragon waited—temporary guardians instructed to frighten the prisoners to the core before they’d be released.

The rest of the group let out long sighs of relief after overcoming the first ambush.

Now, they moved forward—hunting more beast cores, stronger than before, and more united than ever.