Chapter 127 Arena

Lucas opened his eyes and realized that he was lying on a bed. It was still dark, but the room around him looked familiar. The light from outside filtered through the window and illuminated the floor's wooden planks. He sat up in bed and noticed a sheet of paper nearby. *Waiting for you outside*

'Strange,' he thought as he read the words once again. 'That's weird.' Lucas got out of bed and picked up the note, then walked towards the door. He stood there for a while, wondering whether it'd be safe to leave the room or not, before finally walking down the stairs with the letter in hand.

The hallway was empty when he reached it, apart from one person sitting at the table just a few steps away. He had his back to him, so he couldn't see the person's face properly. His long, ashy hair was tied into a ponytail. A pair of thick-rimmed glasses rested on the table next to him. He wore a plain white shirt and black pants. Lucas didn't recognize him, but something about his stance gave him goosebumps all over his body.

"You will not remember me, but Lucas, you should destroy the people who keeps ruining the system here," the man spoke in a low voice, then with two fingers' snap, he disappeared.

"Wha-what did he mean?" Lucas shook his head slightly as his face turned pale.

"Oh, you're here early," Luu greeted him once he walked inside the room.

"Early...?" Lucas gently furrowed his eyebrows, not quite understanding what his master meant.

"What is in your hand?" The old man asked.

"My hand...?" Lucas paused for a second as the cold sweat ran down his neck.

He slowly looked at the white paper sheet in his head that had only one word written on it, *system*

"Ah... That." The young boy raised up the piece of paper and showed it to Luu. "I found this in my room..."

Luu nodded, then continued staring at Lucas' face.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright. Just a little bit dizzy." Lucas nodded, trying to hide his discomfort.

After that brief exchange, the old man started speaking in a low tone, "You've been through a lot these past few days. I'm sorry for not being there. The situation has gotten worse since yesterday, which is why we decided to have you stay behind and rest instead. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

"It's no big deal, I want to improve myself more than anything." Lucas took a deep breath and exhaled.

"But don't overexert yourself again. There's a good chance that you could die if you're not careful." Luu said with a serious expression.

Without answering Luu, Lucas just listened to what he had to say and nodded. He then walked to the entrance, "today is the day when we get my avatar, we should go soon." Lucas walked to the hall and leaned against the wall. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, then felt a sudden urge to stretch his legs.

The two of them walked outside and onto the street, passing by several other apprentices. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, some were chatting with each other, and others were practising their skills under the tutelage of their masters.

"How are you feeling having your girlfriend and your friends back?" Luu asked. Lucas shook his head lightly.

Feeling the rising heat in his cheeks, he replied, "Sh-she's not my girlfriend!"

Luu chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret between us."

"You'll tell everyone else, right? Because they all think she's my girlfriend. They're going to laugh at me if I don't fix this somehow."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. As long as you understand what kind of relationship you're in."

"Y-yeah. I understand."

"Anyway, let's go to the arena first. We're going to meet someone there," Luu said, then began walking across the street.

"Arena...?" Lucas stopped in his tracks.

"Yeah, but the water one. Don't you know where it is?"

Lucas looked down and remembered that the arena wasn't far away from the guild. 'So it's okay if I just walk there?' He thought to himself.

"Okay, let's go."

They walked along the road until they arrived at the arena, where Luu knocked on the door.

"Enter." The sound of an elderly woman's voice echoed through the wooden door. After a short pause, the door slid open and revealed a wide hall with high ceilings. A large platform surrounded the room, with a small pond at its centre. In front of the platform, there was a large, circular table made of wood with a few chairs surrounding it.

Luu walked ahead without saying a word, and Lucas followed behind him.

"Good morning, Miss Okina. Did you sleep well?" The woman smiled as she greeted them.

"Yes, thank you. Come with me, please."

"Thank you. So, what can I do for you this time?"

"We would like to participate in the water duel today."

Okina nodded and gestured for them to follow her to the table. She sat down and then waved for them to sit opposite her.

"Please, take a seat."

Once they both took their seats, Okina started tapping her fingers on the table. "Is it the old Izek's avatar?"

"Yes," Luu answered.

"Did you hear what happened last night?" Okina asked.

"Yes, we heard about it." Lucas looked down and fiddled with the edges of his chair.

"Who was the culprit?"

"No idea," Luu replied.

"It doesn't matter. This is the perfect opportunity for you to prove yourselves. Do you think you can beat him?"

"Of course." Luu smiled confidently.

"Then I shall send you to the arena right now. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Lucas stood up.

"Where are you going?" Okina called out.

"To the arena."

"I see. Good luck."

Without another word, Lucas walked towards the exit. He passed by Luu and exited the hall.

"Lucas, wait. What are you doing?!" Luu yelled.

He waited for a while before turning around to look at Luu.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

"It's too dangerous! Wait for me!"

"It's my avatar, Luu. I should take care of it!"