"Hmm, that previous guy was interesting..." the woman mused to herself as she frowned upon seeing William.
The man wearing the capybara mask was somehow imperceptible to her senses, at least when she didn't meet him face to face.
Even the device couldn't capture Aur's which shocked her even greater.
However, she soon shrugged and shifted her focus to the gold-haired boy instead.
"I wonder why the leader is supporting this bastard so much," she sneered. "There is no way that petty old fox did so much just to nurture the younger generation."
The woman was well aware of the village leader's habits. He was a narrow-minded, self-serving person who only thought about his own benefits.
Thinking of this, the woman felt a momentary twinge of pity for the boy. However, that feeling quickly faded as she ignored him, closing her eyes and returning to her meditation.
William, the poor guy who had no idea what was happening, continued to smile at the flattery and gathered all the things he needed.
...
Aur swiftly made his way toward the market's exit. However, just before he could reach it, he suddenly saw a group of ten to fifteen people blocking the entire gate.
A small frown appeared on his face as he hurriedly stopped, a question mark forming in his mind. "What's this?" he whispered to himself, then disappeared into the shadows.
"Huh, brother, is my eyes playing tricks on me?"
"What happened?"
"I clearly saw a shadow of a person, but he disappeared the moment I blinked."
"What are you talking about? Are you drunk or something, Lucas?"
"No, I'm not drunk; I swear I saw it. You guys didn't see it?" Lucas looked at his friends, who all shook their heads, which frustrated him.
"No."
"Did I hallucinate, then?" he said with a frown.
"Let's share the loot of these losers and look for other prey, Lucas." The man pointed at the beaten-up kid with tattered clothing.
"Yeah, you're right. But we shouldn't go too far, or the academy will really punish us, even though I am an elder's son. So we can only take another low-grade talent at most," Lucas said with a smirk.
"Of course," they laughed as the group of ten or so people began searching for their next victim.
"She is a low-grade talent and an Average one at that," Lucas's eyes gleamed with glee.
The class selection was determined according to the talent grade rankings.
There were four classes in total for the first years: class 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, and 1-D. Class 1-A was the highest-ranking class, consisting of middle-grade talent or those who were just a step away from it. The other classes were for lower-grade talents, with the lower the class indicating weaker talent.
"Let's enjoy ourselves, but let's hunt from now on, understand?"
"Yes, young master Lucas," the boys said, their eyes glinting with lust as they gazed at the girl in the distance.
However, just as they were preparing to move, the girl began to run away, leaving them stunned.
Lucas gritted his teeth and commanded, "Chase her, don't let her enter the market, or we won't be able to do anything there."
The boys, determined, instantly followed Lucas.
Although the girl ran fast, she was no match for their stamina and body strength, which were significantly greater.
Slowly, the men caught up with her, no matter how hard she tried to escape.
"Damn it, they'll catch up soon if I don't do something," the girl gritted her teeth as she saw the market getting closer. "This is my only chance," she cursed her luck.
However, just as she was about to reach the market, Lucas grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to the ground and grinding her back into the ground as he dragged her.
Ah-
The other boys quickly caught up and silenced her instantly, tightly restraining her arms and legs as they held her aloft.
Her eyes widened in despair as she felt the helplessness of her situation, being dragged away helplessly.
An utter helplessness of despair appeared in her eyes as she muttered, "I wish I were born a male."
However, she had no idea that the condition of the male she was muttering about might be even worse than her own after being bullied by Lucas and his friends.
After they had reached a sufficient distance, all the boys licked their lips. But Lucas frowned upon seeing this as he looked at the girl.
The girl was a beauty with a perfect figure and a large bust size and long legs, just what he desired.
"So, who will get the first taste?" the one covering her mouth said as he licked his dry lips.
"You guys step away," Lucas muttered in a cold voice, his expression remaining impassive.