( Amanda's POV )
*SHING*
*SHING*
*SHING*
Amanda hammered down on the dagger she was making, folding the layer of thin reinforced titanium as precisely as she could.
'What is the primary weapon you use in the game?' She recalled asking Leo once, to which he replied 'Dagger' as since then Amanda had decided to surprise him with the best set of daggers she could make.
Ever since he had made that sketch for her, the way she looked at Leo changed subtly as she looked at him less as a friend and more as a potential future partner.
He was funny, he was handsome, he was caring and most importantly, he understood Amanda and her ambitions on an intimate level, as whenever she was around her, she felt extremely happy for no reason, as he was the anchor saving her from depression onboard the small arc ship.
"Focus, my dear child, don't let your mind wander when you are crafting…." An old voice said, as Amanda broke away from her daze, realizing that she had been hammering on muscle memory for the last few seconds, as her mind darted towards images of Leo these past few days.
For the past few days, Leo looked extremely troubled. He did not smile as much, he did not talk about his day as cheerfully as he used to….. something big was bothering his mind and it affected Amanda as well.
'I have tried asking him what's wrong in so many ways, but he won't say…. Damn macho men and their insecurity about opening up! Hmpfh' cursed Amanda as she hammered down on her dagger she was forging angrily, putting in more power than before.
"Easy my child, hammering too hard is as bad as hammering too light. What is with you today?" Granny said, as Amanda felt her cheeks flush red.
This was unlike her. She was usually very focused, yet when it came to Leo, she increasingly felt her emotions getting the best of her these days.
" I'll focus now…." She said, as she returned her focus to the job at hand.
" Huuu~ young love" granny commented, as although she had started to lose her memory and she wasn't as sharp as she once used to be, she recognised the distracted look on her disciples face very well.
***********
( Meanwhile Lysa )
Lysa eagerly awaited the results of the royal mage academy's internal selection for who would represent them at the upcoming Grand tournament.
When she arrived at the Royal Capital as a relatively new player, she had met the number 2 ranker on the leaderboards, DarkEmperor himself, who recruited her into his yet to be established guild with big promises.
Not only did he help her become a better mage, by helping her enroll into the royal mage academy, as he revealed all the entrance test questions and criteria prior to the exam to her, helping her crack it. But he also paid for her tuition in full, as all he wanted in return was for Lysa to try her hardest to become an accomplished mage and become her academy's pick to enter the grand tournament.
' That man has helped me way too much for me to disappoint him now-' Lysa thought as the more she got to learn at the academy and grow as a mage, the more she realized how privileged she was compared to other mage class players who were struggling for every skill scroll, every book of knowledge.
While the tournament itself was a month away, today was the initial selection round, where the top10 picks were going to be finalized, out of which 3 would eventually be selected to get the university's reserve spots.
This was an important round, as after monitoring the performance of all the mages for 9 months, this was the most important screening that would separate the elite from the rest.
" The list is out! It's posted on the notice board-" a student screamed loudly in the halls, as everyone including Lysa rushed towards the notice board to check out the list of final candidates.
[ List of selected candidates :-
1. Mary Rodriguez
2. Lysa Johnson
3. William Brown
4. Robert Krude
5. Patricia Johnson
6. Jennifer Davis
7. Barry Gon
8. Jane Martinez
9. Patricia Jones
10. James Brown ]
Lysa checked the list and beamed with elation when she found herself on the number two spot!
'YES!' She exclaimed in joy, as she instantly typed a private message to Cervantez, informing him of her success.
************
( Cervantez's POV )
" I have topped the written round of class exams" - Skylion
" I feel ready to participate in the open selections" - Tor
" I have been shortlisted as one of the ten candidates that will get the mage academies reserved spot " - Lysa
" I have secured the guaranteed spot for the Ranger academy" - Jex
Cervantez received one good news after the other in his dms, as finally the seeds that he had planted months ago and was nurturing through salaries and MP seemed to be sprouting the flowers that would eventually become fruits.
Congratulating them all, Cervantez smiled widely as he saw how he needed just a little more fame before he could establish his own guild, completing his objective to set-up his guild before the grand tournament and shocking the world by having top tier participants of each profession competing as members of his guild.
" Very soon….. It'll be time to make a big wave very soon.
With 'TheBoss' being a fake, I'll become the top player, and my guild will become the de-facto number one in this game" Cervantez said to himself, as he honed his skills in preparation of entering the grand tournament as an open candidate.
Unlike those with reserved spots from the academies, their selections started prior to the tournament officially beginning, as before the grand tournament, there was going to be the selection for the open candidates 15 days from now, where Cervantez hoped to clinch the top spot.
" The time for waiting is now over. The time to dominate starts now" he declared boldly, as the time to assemble the guild seemed to draw nearby.