Chapter 49: An Unexpected Offer!

In the lull before the second trial round began, the blue‑white runes overhead dimmed, like a lamp turned down low. The three teams retreated to their respective zones.

Some sat on the ground to rest, others checked on their spirit beasts, and a few whispered strategies for the next round. Cecil stood at the northern edge.

Oliver sat on the stone steps behind him, his left arm wrapped in fresh bandages Lydia had just applied. Gwendolyn perched on his shoulder, her tail resting along the collar of his coat, her blue eyes half‑lidded.

He was pondering who would fight in the next round when a deep‑grey shadow caught his peripheral vision, moving across from the western zone toward him.

Victor’s footsteps were light, yet the hem of his cloak brushed against the still air with a faint rustle.

A dark‑purple bat sat on his left shoulder, the silvery patterns on its wing membranes glimmering faintly in the dim light.

Victor halted roughly three paces away from Cecil, refusing to draw nearer. He glanced over his shoulder — Leon stood at the western perimeter, arms crossed, his ice‑blue eyes fixed in their direction.

"Cecil," Victor spoke, his tone no longer casual, edged with deliberately restrained seriousness. "We need to talk."

Cecil did not move. Gwendolyn’s tail lifted slightly against the nape of his neck, though she remained silent.

"About what?"

Victor’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then swept toward Freddy and Lydia behind him, as if checking the distance. "Privately."

Cecil studied him for two seconds, then gestured for Freddy and the others to stay put. He stepped forward toward Victor, keeping a careful, measured gap between them. Gwendolyn stayed on his shoulder, her blue eyes locked on the bat perched on Victor’s shoulder, her tail motionless.

"Go on."

Victor did not speak at once. He glanced back toward Leon once more before turning back, lowering his voice to a volume only the two of them could hear. "Vera’s faction is far too strong. Martha’s rock bear and Emon’s Silver‑Eye are seasoned spirit beasts that have survived multiple trials.

Vera’s own fire centipede outlasts your frost power in prolonged battles, and Lena’s butterflies possess mental interference abilities."

He paused. "If we keep fighting separately at this pace, Vera’s group will end up with the most fragments. She will be the one choosing the survivors, and you cannot guarantee all of your people get out."

Cecil listened without interruption. Once Victor finished, he spoke. His voice was quiet, yet carried none of the wariness or negotiation Victor had expected. Instead, there was genuine perplexity in his tone.

"Victor," Cecil said. "What are you implying? Are you asking me to join forces against Vera?"

A faint smile tugged at Victor’s lips. "Sharp."

Cecil stared at him, pausing for a beat. "Do you think we are on good terms?" He let out a short laugh, not cruel, but completely devoid of warmth. "I have known you for less than a day. You are partnered with Leon, part of his team. And now you come to me proposing we team up against Vera." He shook his head. "What gives you the confidence to make this offer? Do you hold some leverage over me?"

Victor’s smile faded slightly. His dark‑brown eyes shifted in the dim light, as if searching for the right words. "Leverage? I need none. I am a practical man. Cooperation does not hinge on whether I trust you — it hinges on whether you can trust me."

"I cannot trust you," Cecil replied. "That is exactly what I am saying. If you want to win me over, you need to explain why. If Vera is truly that powerful, you and Leon could take her on together. Why bring me into this?"

Victor’s smile vanished entirely. He fell quiet for a moment before speaking, his voice flat and emotionless. "Because your Group B members are the easiest to exploit."

Cecil’s expression did not shift, yet his right hand tightened briefly at his side.

Victor continued, speaking at a steady, unhurried pace, as if reciting a plan he had long worked out. "The five of you came in from Group B, the lowest‑rated combatants in this entire trial. The other factions will not regard you as a threat. But with someone like me backing you at a critical moment, you can deliver results far beyond expectations. Vera knows I am dangerous and will watch me closely. She knows Leon is dangerous and will watch him too. But she will not watch you. She believes you are not a threat."

Cecil fell silent for two seconds, then spoke again, his tone still steady. "You just called us ’the easiest to exploit’. Are you not afraid I will go straight to Vera and tell her you are trying to recruit me?"

Victor’s lips curved upward once more, this time with a deep, knowing smirk, as if he had anticipated this exact retort. "You won’t. Because you are hiding something. Something she does not know. You and your lizard are not showing your full power. I saw it during your fight with the fire monkey. Vera saw it too, yet she will not grow wary of you. She thinks you have already played all your cards."

Cecil looked at Victor. Gwendolyn shifted her perch on his shoulder, her tail tilting slightly against his nape, re‑evaluating the man before them.

"Are you done?" Cecil asked.

Victor met his gaze. Golden flecks swirled within his dark‑brown pupils beneath the faint blue‑white glow. "I am done. Think it over. You do not need to answer right away. Just give me your decision before Round Two begins."

He turned to leave, his cloak dragging a faint shadow across the stone floor. After five steps, he paused, glancing sideways without turning his body. "If you cooperate with me, you and your people will secure at least one extra fragment after Round Two. Vera is strong, but she is not unbeatable."

He walked back to the western zone. Leon still stood in place, arms still crossed. His ice‑blue eyes swept between Victor and Cecil, his face giving nothing away.

Cecil remained where he stood, not returning immediately. Gwendolyn’s voice came from his shoulder, low and cold. "He is partly right."

"Which part?"

"You really are holding back. He saw it."

Cecil fell quiet. "Do you think he can be trusted?"

Gwendolyn’s tail brushed the nape of his neck. "His final line — ’Vera is strong but not unbeatable’ — I cannot tell if that is true. But everything before that was sincere. He truly believes Group B is useful, and he truly sees you as the weak point to exploit."

Cecil nodded. He walked back to the northern zone. Freddy leaned in and whispered, "What did he want?" Cecil did not answer at once, simply said, "He wants us to cooperate against Vera."

Freddy’s brows furrowed. "Cooperate with you? Isn’t he on Leon’s side?"

"He said we are ’the easiest to exploit’."

Freddy’s expression changed. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. "...He is remarkably blunt."

Cecil sat down on the stone steps. Gwendolyn hopped from his shoulder to his lap, her blue eyes glowing in the shadows. He glanced toward the arena centre. The blue‑white runes had begun to spin once more — the countdown for Round Two had started.

"What do you all think?" Cecil asked.

Freddy spoke first. "His so‑called ’cooperation’ is really just using us as cannon fodder. We draw Vera’s attention away, and he swoops in to reap the rewards. There’s no guarantee who ends up with the fragments."

Lydia picked up the thread. "Still, he’s right about one thing. Vera’s group has far more combat experience than we do. If we keep fighting separately at this rate, we might not even secure a second fragment. We can either strike a deal with Victor to share some of the pressure, or go it alone." She paused. "Though whether we can hold our own is anyone’s guess."

Oliver returned Robin to his shoulder. The wind falcon folded her wings and pressed close to his neck. "I won my last fight, but it wasn’t easy. I’m not sure I could win another round if I’m sent out again. My battle with Emon drained me heavily."

Edwin lifted the Rust Beetle in his palm. Its six thin legs fluttered in the air then drew back in. "Rust can only chew through so much. In a three‑way free‑for‑all, it will struggle to make an impact."

Silence fell over the five of them once more. Gwendolyn’s tail brushed lightly across Cecil’s knees, yet she said nothing, waiting for him to make the call.

"Round Two — Three‑Way Free‑for‑All Mode activated. Each team sends a representative onto the field."

Lydia took a deep breath and stepped toward the arena centre. The moment her boots touched the blue‑white runes, the northern light‑band brightened. She took her position at the northern corner of the triangle. Ivy slithered down from her wrist, her emerald‑green body spreading across the stone bricks. The snake’s head lifted slightly, its tiny forked tongue flicking rapidly through the air.

On the eastern side, Martha stepped forward as Vera’s representative. She strode out of the eastern zone carrying a battle‑axe, with her rock bear Oli following close at her heels.

The heavy paws thudded against the ground. Martha stood at the southeast corner, shifted the axe to her left hand, and patted Oli on top of his head. The bear rumbled low in its throat and settled into a crouch beside her.

To the west, the contestant Leon’s team sent came as a surprise to Cecil — Leon himself. He walked out from the western zone, accompanied by his Thunder Gryphon.

Its golden plumage glinted beneath the blue‑white radiance, crackling arcs of lightning flickering between its feathers. Leon halted at the southwest corner, his hands hanging loose at his sides. The Thunder Gryphon crouched at his feet, its golden pupils sweeping across Martha and Lydia opposite it.

All three combatants were in place. The triangular runes spun steadily, like a hand slowly closing into a fist.