Chapter : 637

"This is a massive tragedy," Ken panicked internally. His dark eyes darted back and forth. He looked for a safe place to hide. "Olivia is totally insane. Push-ups? Running laps? I absolutely refuse to participate in a training montage. Training montages are just torture disguised as character development. I need to find a secure stealth location immediately."

He spotted a large, open doorway. It was the main living room. He dashed inside.

He looked around the room. He saw the large, comfortable sofa. He saw the plush armchairs. He saw a massive, thick velvet curtain hanging over the tall glass window.

"Perfect," Ken mumbled quietly to himself.

He ran over to the window. He slipped entirely behind the thick velvet curtain. He pressed his back flat against the cold glass. He pulled the fabric tightly around his body. He completely hid himself from view. He held his breath. He stood perfectly still.

"They will never find me here," Ken reasoned lazily in his mind. "This is a flawless stealth maneuver. I blend in perfectly with the drapery. I am basically invisible."

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Laxmi and Olivia marched into the living room.

Olivia held her silver spear. She scanned the room with strict, analytical eyes. Laxmi grinned wildly. She tossed a tiny orange spark into the air.

"Where did he go?" Laxmi cheered happily. She looked under the sofa. "He cannot run very fast. He must be in here."

Olivia noticed the massive bulge standing directly behind the velvet curtain. A pair of cheap black shoes completely stuck out from under the bottom of the fabric. The hiding spot was incredibly obvious.

Olivia sighed deeply. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She walked over to the curtain. She reached out and yanked the fabric away.

Ken stood there. He kept his eyes squeezed shut. He held his hands over his face.

"You cannot see me," Ken announced loudly. He refused to open his eyes. "I used a very high-level invisibility spell. I am totally gone. I am a ghost. Please leave a message after the beep."

Laxmi burst into loud, hysterical laughter. She pointed at him. "Ken, your shoes are sticking out! You are the worst ninja in the world!"

Ken opened one sleepy eye. He looked at Laxmi. He looked at Olivia’s strict, angry face.

"The shoes are a decoy," Ken lied smoothly. He gave a goofy, relaxed grin. "You fell right into my trap. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a very important meeting in the kitchen."

Ken ducked entirely under Olivia’s arm. He scrambled away. He bolted out of the living room. He ran down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"Get back here!" Olivia shouted fiercely. She chased after him. Her boots clicked sharply on the wood.

Laxmi ran right beside her. "Do not let him escape! Cut off the exits!"

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Naomi, Zinia, and Ira stood in the hallway. They watched Ken sprint past them. Naomi tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She smiled a warm, fond smile. She loved watching him act like a complete fool. Zinia chuckled deeply. Ira simply stared blankly at the chaotic chase.

Ken ran into the kitchen. He looked around wildly. He needed a better hiding spot. The curtain was a failure. He needed something solid.

He saw a large, empty cardboard box sitting near the pantry. It was a box used for delivering fresh vegetables.

"Yes," Ken cheered quietly. "This is exactly what I need. It works flawlessly for that legendary video game spy. The box is the ultimate infiltration tool."

Ken grabbed the large cardboard box. He threw it completely over his head. The box covered his entire upper body. It hid his torso and his head perfectly. Only his legs stuck out from the bottom. He crouched down slightly. He started tip-toeing toward the back door of the kitchen.

He moved very slowly. He tried to look like a normal piece of cardboard packaging.

Olivia and Laxmi burst into the kitchen.

They stopped in the doorway. They looked around the room. They saw the giant, moving cardboard box tip-toeing across the floor. The box bumped into a wooden chair.

"Ouch," a muffled voice complained from inside the box. "This box has terrible steering."

Olivia glared at the box. She looked entirely appalled by his sheer stupidity. "Ken. I can see your legs. Take the box off your head."

The box stopped moving.

"There is no Ken here," the box replied lazily. The voice echoed inside the cardboard. "I am just a normal delivery of fresh carrots. Please transport me to the basement. I require a very cool, dark environment to stay fresh."

Laxmi grinned a wicked, massive grin. She raised her right hand. Bright orange flames roared to life around her fingers. The fire cracked loudly.

"You know what I like to do with old cardboard boxes?" Laxmi yelled happily. "I like to burn them!"

She tossed a tiny, harmless spark of fire directly at the edge of the box. The spark hit the cardboard. It left a tiny black scorch mark.

Ken shrieked loudly. He threw the box off his head. He tossed the cardboard onto the floor. He patted his untucked white shirt frantically.

"Hostile work environment!" Ken screamed playfully. He backed away toward the wall. "You cannot set the carrots on fire! That is a massive safety violation!"

Olivia did not waste another second. She marched forward. She grabbed Ken securely by the collar of his shirt. Her grip was completely firm.

"The games are officially over," Olivia commanded strictly. She pulled him forward. "You are coming to the training yard. Right now."

Laxmi grabbed his ankles. The fire user laughed a bright, victorious laugh. She lifted his legs off the ground.

Ken flopped entirely onto his back. He went completely limp. He acted like a boneless ragdoll. He refused to stand up. He refused to walk.

"No!" Ken whined dramatically. He kicked his legs weakly in the air. He dragged his arms on the floorboards. "I am a fragile commoner! I am allergic to sweating! You are dragging me to my doom! Please tell my mother I love her!"

Olivia and Laxmi completely ignored his theatrical screaming. They dragged him straight down the hallway. He slid across the smooth wooden floor. His suit jacket bunched up around his ears.

Naomi, Zinia, and Ira followed closely behind them. Naomi chewed another piece of popcorn. She smiled a very wide, highly amused smile. She watched her lazy friend flail and complain.

"He is putting up a very good fight," Zinia chuckled softly.

"Statistically speaking," Ira noted blankly. "His vocal protests require more energy than simply walking to the yard."

"Save me, Naomi!" Ken yelled loudly. He looked up at the red-haired vanguard leader. He gave her his best, most pathetic puppy-dog eyes. "You are my favorite! Please use your wind magic to blow them away!"

Naomi just laughed softly. She playfully tossed a piece of popcorn into his open mouth.

"Enjoy your workout, slacker," Naomi teased gently. "I will bring you a cold glass of water when you finish your push-ups."

"This is betrayal!" Ken groaned miserably. He chewed the popcorn loudly. "Absolute betrayal!"

Olivia and Laxmi dragged him completely out the back door. They pulled him straight into the dusty, sunlit training yard. The lazy boy kicked and screamed the entire way. The girls laughed and followed. The terrifying, exhausting physical conditioning was officially about to begin, and Ken was totally unprepared for the massive amount of cardio in his future.