CHAPTER 3: THREATENING

“I’m Leqaria. Glaios Base. Please take care of me.” She smiled sweetly.

“Err, you… Should you change your attire first? It might be hard to fight in the test later...” 

Heiytu, because of his caring nature, wants to tell the girl that her clothes were not suitable. Who knows if her dress might obscure her escape if there was a danger or accidentally get attached to anything in the forest, where the test would be conducted.

Leqaria knows his kind intentions and feels she has met someone she likes to have as her first friend there. Who knows if they can develop further relationships in the future. Living for thousands of years, of course, she would feel a little lonely even with Ambrion by her side. Well, Ambrion was not a living being so the feeling of loneliness still can be felt by her. 

She had many friends before but now, they only became memories inside her mind. She needs to start gathering friends again, not just friends but trusted ones.

“No worry. I won’t get in your way.” She told Heiytu since he was kind enough to remind her.

She’s not worried at all while dressing like that. She wore it because this would let her take everyone's eyes on her. In meaning, their attention. With this, everyone would be so frustrated, angry, jealous and disgusted by her presence because she looked out of place in the test. 

She loved to tease these young children. She knew she looked like someone easy to bully but they'll know soon that she wasn't someone they could step on. She also can’t display all of her power yet since she must ensure her safety too. 

Who knows if there were perverted scientists that wanted to capture her after knowing her bizarre power later. She’s not a Changeling after all. So she must blend in with these children first and slowly reach the top. 

Like a thousand years ago, she must aim to become a Major General again in this life. After that, try to upgrade it more. Well, it won’t be easy. Looking at the children in front of her, makes her miss her days before but now she must make new memories with the people of this century.

A loud horn sounded, indicating the test would start soon. A woman AI voice announced the test would be conducted now and asked the participants to gather in front of the red pole showing at the east of them. Leqaria and her group immediately walked there.

“Oi, pretty lolita. I think you came to the wrong place.” 

Silven Neru walked near to their group and eyed Leqaria with a smirk. He stopped a metre away from her and looked at her from above since he was taller than her at a height of 1.76 metres. 

Leqaria was only 1.54 metres and reached below his broad muscular chest. 

“Yeah, what do you think this place is for? Tea party?” 

Melamist Groess stood beside the tall boy and she was a girl. She too was taller than Leqaria at 1.61 metres in height.

Unlike Leqaria, she and the other girls wore pants and gear suitable for the test. The clothes were also in dull colours, unlike Leqaria's bright ones. They were flabbergasted when they saw her in such attire. A moment later instant jealousy bloomed in their heart when they saw most of the boys there were attracted to her.

How dare she come with such obnoxious attire?! This shouldn't be allowed!

Juon and Oguas frowned but didn’t come to help Leqaria. They only need her to pass the test. What happens later, they won’t care anymore. Call them selfish but everyone was like that too. Only Heiytu walked to stand in front of Leqaria.

“The test is going to start. Please get back to your group.” He felt a bad vibe from them.

He has no intention to get himself into trouble at the start of the test but he couldn’t help looking at Leqaria who was harmless and weak though a little bit daring. He doesn’t understand why she would be here but he dislikes anyone who comes to bully another.

“Huh?” Silven narrowed his eyes at Heiytu before he laughed after seeing his skinny appearance of Heiytu.

Even Melamist beside him chuckled funnily. Suddenly, Silven’s right fist aimed to punch at Heiytu's face at a speed that couldn't be seen with a normal human eye but for Changeling, they could see it clearly.

Heiytu was aware of the incoming attack and wanted to dodge it but he was stunned by a slim finger stopping the punch first. Instantly, everyone around them had their eyes widened and some let out a small squeal of surprise.

“Please fight someone of your own calibre, sweetheart. I don't want you to get injured since we’re not passing the test yet.” Leqaria told Silven with the sweet smile of her that now looked so terrifying in everyone's eyes.

The punch should have brought a powerful force and may have injured Heiytu and her who was behind. However, the fist was stopped without injuring her finger, showing the level of her strength and control which was higher than Silven. 

Moreover, Leqaria didn’t want Heiytu to be injured for her. She can handle these bullies without letting out a sweat. In her eyes, everyone there was too weak and she had no habit of fighting the weak.

“Heiytu, is his name, isn’t it? He is so nice.” She had thought before the attack happened.

So, she decided to stop the punch before it injured Heiytu. Now, facing Silven, she can see his horrified eyes staring at her. The latter body immediately stepped back fast a few metres away. It happened after he felt a sudden ominous aura from her smile and her sentences. His body also let out a lot of sweat.

Shit! This one is not harmless at all but a wolf in sheep's skin! Why did he have to provoke such a person?! He is a fool!

He should have thought everyone here won’t be that vulnerable. This is after all Hades Military Academy. No one here should be underestimated. But her harmless attire made everyone think she was frail and delicate. 

Who could have thought she wasn’t at all like that!

Juon and Oguas went pale after seeing Leqaria's stopping the fist with one finger. They immediately feel they were so foolish for not helping her before. Now, it was hard to get themselves to befriend her. They also felt ashamed of their stupidity. 

How can they not see how strong she was before?

Unfortunately, no one would ever think a pretty girl would have great strength inside. Leqaria could feel she was in the new limelight in front of everyone there. She hopes they won’t come to bother her anymore. She turned her head toward Heiytu.

“Thank you, Heiytu.” She told him.

Heiytu had a slightly open mouth when looking at her. He snapped out of his astonishment after hearing her thanks and nodded at her. He was glad nothing happened to them but he felt wrong.

“You look too harmless… I feel cheated.” He complained.

Leqaria was stunned by his sentences before she giggled with a hand on her lips.

“Pretending is one of the skills that would blind people from seeing your real self. So, learn it soon, dear.” She whispered to him and only allowed him to hear it.

She thought he deserved to learn something from her. She decided. She would take Heiytu as her first student. She must show some strong ability to make him more attractive to follow, right?

As for Heiytu, he was surprised by her low voice which made him immediately blush red. He stepped back away from her, making the latter look at him in confusion.

"I'm not interested in a relationship, right now." He told her honestly.

Leqaria blinked her eyes before she realised what the boy was saying. She immediately laughed out loud. God, she knew they were already mature about such things but how come this child thought of something else when she just wanted to give him a lesson. 

How far this stupid boy was thinking? Guess this one has a dirty mind in silence without anyone knowing. 

Fine… 

It seems her style of talking was not suitable to make relationships between teacher and student yet. She must make sure they knew where she stood later.

Afterwards, she no longer makes fun of Heiytu and focuses on the start of the test. She follows after her group members who start running down a path. There were four paths at the starting pole. Everyone chooses randomly. 

Unbeknownst to Leqaria group members, some groups followed after them. Not because they wanted to but were curious about her instead. Some of them who were fighting maniacs want to battle her in the forest and so they decide to follow her. 

Leqaria noticed their intention easily since their eyes didn't leave her at all. She knew she was their target and silently curved her mouth into a small smile. She wonders which of these children can entertain her the most. She can't wait to see it.

Not long after, they stumble upon their first target, a toad with two heads. All of them hide behind a thick bush and stare at it.

"By the way, how do we pass the test again?" 

Leqaria finally realised she doesn't know anything about the test and how to pass it. Heiytu and the other two have their eyelids twitching at her.

Oguas couldn't help to ask her back. "Why are you here for exactly, if you don't know what the test is?"

"Huh? Of course to enter the academy. Isn't that why everyone's participating in this test?"

"Good that you know. Then, why didn't you know about the test we're undergoing right now?!" Asked Juon with a helpless expression.

Is she this clueless or what? She should take this test seriously! 

The content of the test and how to pass it including the rules have been posted at the academy gate board before they need to be here for the test. How come she didn't see it?

Heiytu sighed heavily. "Miss Leqaria, if we want to pass this test we must fight ten wild beasts of level [E-] or level [E]. Do you know the differences between the beast levels?"

He really hopes she knows so he didn't need to explain a lot but somehow looking at her dumb expression, he couldn't help but facepalm himself. 

It's really strange…

How could someone like her without knowledge of these basic things be here? Everyone should have their parents teach them about this, right? What he meant was awareness of their surroundings.

Leqaria tilts her head to the side and blinks her eyes at them innocently. "Are you going to tell or not?"

Heiytu sighed again. "In the Book of Beast II, which you should have learned in middle school, taught us about the level of beasts. [E-] is the lowest level rank beast and much easier to defeat. The strength of the beast increases toward the next rank, Rank [E], [E+], [D-] until Rank [A+]. Above Rank [A+] is called Rank [S]. While Rank [SSS], which was the highest-ranking beast, was the hardest to defeat. Even a God Class Mecha may not be able to defeat one alone. Do you understand?"

Leqaria nodded. "I see. We won't see the Rank [SSS] level beast here, right?"

"Pfft! Of course not. We will not be able to see it in our entire life. Such a beast appeared here, the planet itself would have disappeared a long time ago. Come on, the two-headed frog is level [E] rank. We can defeat it easily but be careful with its mud bomb. It stinks and you won't be able to wash it for a month." Juon chuckled.

"Ah… Okay. So, we just need to kill it?"

"No, we just need to take its tag. Do you see the thin band around the right front leg? We need to get that." Oguas pointed.

"Oh, then, we can hurt it or not?"

"Why do you need to ask? Of course, we need to hurt it or we won't be able to get close to it. And this beast can't be killed that easily. Cutting a leg or any of its limbs, it would regenerate again later." Juon rolled his eyes at her.

"No killing but can hurt it. Got it." Leqaria stood up and suddenly walked out of the bushes toward the two-headed frog.

"What, What, What are you doing?! Get back here! It's dangerous!" Heiytu was flabbergasted and let out a small yell at her.

However, it was too late. The beast notices her and immediately jumps to attack her.

"Shit!" Juon and Oguas immediately ran in front of her.

They pulled out their small blades and knives from their clothes. Heityu also pulled out some small balls from his waist belt with many sachets. But before they could use it, they saw something bizarre coming from the beast.

The beast attacks and its huge body stops in front of them with a screeching sound.

"Come on. Give me the tag or you'll know I won't let you go." Leqaria's voice sounded playful but only the beast knew how scary the girl was.

It can feel an enormous malicious intent coming out of her. It shrieks loudly and wails before its huge body bow at them with its two front legs bent lower. Its body trembled in fear.

"Gimme the tag. I know you understand our language, right…?"

One of the heads grabs the tag on its right hand with its mouth and immediately throws it at her. After that, it looked at her with fear. With a slight chin movement from Leqaria, the beast instantly ran away from there since Leqaria allowed it to.

"Got it!" Leqaria shows her group members the dangling tag in her hand.

The three boys' chins went down with their mouths that could hold an egg.

What the hell?! 

That's a beast, right? A Rank [E] beast, right? Why did you run like you just saw a ghost?! What's going on here?!