The Surprise.

Eagan walked out of the dungeon, his spoils from the five hunters and his kills in tow. Given that they had more time to spare before the end of the test, he and Lyra separated once again after killing the second boss monster.

As he walked out into the basement, the atmosphere around the whole place was buzzing as the participants awaited the announcement of their results.

Lyra stood near the announcement stage, her eyes scanning the crowd until they locked onto Eagan, who was the last to come out of the dungeon.

"Hey, you made it; your brother was about to send in a search party when you didn't come out," she said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "How did your hunting go? Got more spoils?"

Eagan grinned, holding up his bulging bags. "Better than expected. I got some extra 'donations' from some friends."

Lyra's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I see. Well, I managed to take down a few decent monsters myself on my way out, and I saw your handiwork with those boys," she chuckled as she pointed to the group of five glaring their way. "You were quite nice, except one the other walked out themselves."

"I would have made sure they couldn't walk if it were me," she added, gesturing to the snapping of bones while smiling towards the group.

Seeing the sinister look in her eyes, despite her smile, the group recoiled in fear and hurriedly looked away, muttering. "Monsters," under their breath.

The announcer's voice boomed through the area, silencing the chatter. "The test is now concluded. Let's proceed to the scoring."

"Once you hear your name being called, step forward with the proof of your kills," he instructed. "We will announce the results immediately after everyone has been recorded."

Eagan and Lyra exchanged a look, both confident in their performances.

A few names were called, with each proudly stepping forward with smug smiles as they presented their bags.

"Let's make a bet on who would be on number three," Lyra suggested as her eyes scanned the testers gathered around.

Raising a brow, Eagan looked towards her in amusement. "You are not making a bet about number one?" He asked and she shrugged.

"It's either you or me," she replied with a knowing tone. "If we weren't here, it would have been Drion over there," she pointed to a young man standing at the corner opposite them. His black hair covered most of his face as he stared at his shoes.

"Why?" Eagan asked curiously.

"He attends the same academy as me, so I know his strength the best. He won't a weird competition against me, lady year; of course, such history would not repeat itself," she declared with her nose pointing forward proudly.

"So who do you choose?" She asked. Eagan looked around the room, trying to find any familiar faces from his past life. His eyes lingered on a young lady at the other end of the hall. Her piercing blue eyes and bobby red hair caught his attention.

"I'll choose...her," Eagan said, nodding toward the mysterious woman.

Lyra followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow. "Aria? She's a dark horse, but I think you'll lose." She voiced. "She's awakened, completely awakened with the berserker trait. However, due to her build, she's unable to control its power, making her a time bomb not only to others but herself."

"You seem to know everyone here," Eagan pointed out, and Lyra hummed.

"I purposely chose to come here after I did my research on where the best tryout candidate will be," she confessed. "I wasn't expecting much though; most of them aren't as talented as I am. I need a challenge."

"And that's why you came?" Eagan asked.

"Yes! So get stronger quicker; I need to cross blades with you!" She declared, and Eagan laughed.

The announcer's voice cut through their banter before he could give a reply. Upon hearing his baby, Eagan stepped towards the table and dropped his bag.

The room fell silent as all eyes fell on him and the size of the bag in his hand.

"No way, did he kill that much?" Some whispered behind him.

"Never! You think that the weak Eagan can do that?" Another replied. "I bet it's an arrangement made by his brother!"

"But how do you explain his bruised hand and the blood all over his uniform?"

"Forget it. I can't explain everything to a retard like you!"

The raid supervisor in charge of registering the count raised a brow at him. His lips pursed as he waited for an explanation but got none. "Did you kill all these alone?" He asked impatiently.

"No, "Eagan replied. "I got some of it from those guys there," he added and pointed to the group of five.

Alastair, who was standing behind the rays supervisor, also raised his brows in curiosity as his eyes followed Eagan's finger. "How did you get it?" He asked, knowing there was no way his younger brother could beat up the five of them alone.

"They ganged up against me, and I beat them up. You can ask them yourselves," he replied, his tone firm and without any emotions.

Alastair couldn't help the shock he felt at the revelation. 'Eagan can beat people up?' he mused. 'Wasn't he the one always getting beat up by his classmates?'

Alastair was not the only person surprised; almost everyone presented thought they heard wrong. To confirm the situation, the raid supervisor called the group and asked. "Is it true?"

The group looked away in embarrassment as they all nodded simultaneously.

Gasps echoed through the hall as everyone looked towards Eagan again. Eagan shifted awkwardly under the curious gazes of the people present. 'Am I that weak?' he thought to himself.

Lyra stepped up beside him and presented herself as a small orb in the shape of a button. "Here it's proven. I and him hunted two monster bosses together. Level twenty, and a whole pack of wolves too. You can check the video."

"I recorded it for analysis, but I get it's useful here," she added.

Without wasting time, Alastair took the orb from her and connected it to the large screen in the basement. He was more curious about his brother's skill than anything else.

'If he really could hunt that much monster, then haven't I failed as a brother to see his talent all this while?' he thought to himself, his brows pulling together in a frown. 'No, it's not too late. I can still nurture him properly!'

The video footage played on the large screen, showcasing Eagan and Lyra's impressive hunting skills. The crowd watched in awe, their initial doubts replaced by admiration.

Alastair's eyes widened as he observed his brother's tactics, impressed by Eagan's growth. "I had no idea you've improved this much," he thought, a mix of pride and guilt swirling within him.

The video concluded, and the raid supervisor nodded. "Very well, Eagan's spoils will be counted."

After verifying the contents of Eagan's bag, the supervisor announced, "Eagan has accumulated two thousand five hundred points!"

The room erupted into applause, with gasps and whispers spreading like wildfire. "Unbelievable!"

"Eagan, the underdog, takes the lead!"

"Damn, so their talent runs in the blood! I'm so jealous. Those saying weak should go bury themselves now!"

Lyra grinned, nudging Eagan. "Looks like you're the champion. Congratulations recruit." She teased.

The announcer continued, "And in second place, with two thousand points, we have...Lyra, the Sword Saint's sister!"

Lyra scowled at the title, her eyes narrowing at the announcer as she turned away in anger.

Drion claimed third place with one thousand points, and Aria's name was announced in fourth. The other names in the top ten were mentioned and asked to stay back while the rest were sent home.

As the ceremony concluded, the Guild Master, Thane Houghton, a middle-aged man with blonde hair and a burly build, approached Eagan. "Your exceptional performance has caught my attention. We'd like to have a cup of tea with me."

Eagan nodded, his expression remaining stoic as he gave a nod. "Sure, will Alastair be there too?"

"Do you want him present?" Thane asked, and Alaric shook his head. "Then please come with me, and you too, Miss Lyra."