"Yeah, when they first came into the Academy. They were just a bunch of immature brats. But now, look at how they have grown..." Mathias sighed, his eyes flashed with numerous emotions.

"How preposterous, to think that they would use such underhanded methods to kill my disciples!" Another Elder, who had a white beard that reached his chest angrily roared, his eyes sparkled with anger and even his voice couldn't help but intensely tremble when he remembered the gruesome sight of his disciples' deaths.

"Calm down, Second Elder. It's not like they would really die in real life. That's just within the world of the Thousand Worlds Changing Array. You cannot blame other disciples from killing your so-called precious disciples... You can only blame yourself for not teaching them on how to restrain their l.u.s.t~" A middle-aged woman scoffed, judging from her attire, she was also an Elder of the Paradyne Academy.

The Second Elder who received the muddle-aged woman's scoldings looked terrible and almost choked with his own saliva. Gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth and clenching his fists. He suppressed his anger and could only turn silent. In the face of the Headmaster himself, he couldn't bring further shame to himself.

"Third Elder's words are right. Second Elder, you can't be like that. Although I understand that you pamper your disciples, you can't hold grudges against someone that defeated them. You can only blame your lack of ability to teach your disciples some restraint. Falling against a simple trick, are they even disciples of the Academy?"

Another old man whose eyes sparkled with knowledge and wisdom said in a hoa.r.s.e voice. On his chest stuck a token embedded with the number "1". When the old man spoke, those who heard his words stiffened and Mathias made a sidelong glance at him but never said anything.

"This Junior understands Senior's sermons. It will not happen again. I will do everything to correct my disciples' att.i.tudes."

The Second Elder clasped his hands together and respectfully bowed, expressing that he understood the First Elder's words. However, his eyes that he hid beneath his hands gleamed with a intense resentment. But when he blinked and opened his eyes again. That certain emotion had disappeared.

Mathias stared at the Second Elder for a moment before turning his head to look at the screen once again. His eyes flashed with different suppressed emotions but in the end. He only sighed and cleared his thoughts before returning to focus on the Selection Process within the Thousand Worlds Changing Array.

"Ah! d.a.m.n! This is place is annoying. I though that we could steal something from them but it looks like everything that they have also disappears along with them!" Grace scratched her head in annoyance and Vincent bitterly stared at her and thought, "Of course, this is a virtual world. What do you expect? Did you really want to rob them that much?"

He inwardly swore not to do anything that would provoke this dangerous fox.

Natalie brought her closer and patted her head, comforting her that everything would be fine and they could still steal try to steal the property of others before they could truly disappear.

Their discussion made Vincent feel terrified. Gulping a mouthful of saliva, he didn't dare to interject and ask them that they should go away lest some disciples arrived and discovered them.

"Ermm, the two of you... Can we get out of this place as fast as possible? If other disciples arrived and discovered us, it would be pretty bad..." Vincent suppressed his anxiety and asked a question in an amiable voice.

Grace turned to look at him and sweetly smiled. The smile that she revealed looked as warmth and as gentle as the spring breeze, but when Vincent saw it, a s.h.i.+ver went down his spine.

"Well, if that really happens. We can count on you, right? Big Bro Vincent~" Grace said in an affectionate manner. If it was any other man, they would've nodded their heads like chicken pecking rice already. But Vincent who knew how terrifying this young woman could become in an instant, his lips repeatedly twitched into a crooked smile.

"O-O-Of course..." He didn't dare to decline.

Grace then turned her head away as if nothing had happened. The sudden changes on her expression couldn't help but intensify the bitter smile on his face. If he knew that Grace and Natalie had such a side behind them, he wouldn't dare to approach them so casually back then! Ah! Beauties really are tragedies! And I'm already chained!

Walking ahead of the two women, Vincent was miserably treated as a meats.h.i.+eld for incoming ambushes. Afraid of their outbursts, he could only comply. Wielding his lance, Vincent suffused a solemn expression. Although indignant, he knew that it wasn't the time to act childish when there were so many hidden dangers around them.

Somewhere within the cave where Vincent, Grace and Natalie stayed in. Numerous light footsteps slowly rang out as the slender figures of women appeared amidst the darkness. Floating ahead of them was an orb of light that constantly emanated light that comforted their anxious hearts.

"Big Sis, is this really the way?"

A female disciple asked with a small voice, her expression pale and cold sweat constantly dripped down her back, drenching her robes. Women were creatures that sought for security and stability, such sudden changes combined with the fear of the unknown triggered their deepest fears. Even the most valiant woman would feel some fear within such a dark environment.

"Yeah, I know the way, with my cultivation method. You know that there's no way that I'll make a mistake when it comes to directions, right?" A warm voice echoed out and delivered a reply to the young woman's anxiety.

"Just calm down will you? It's not like something will happen to us when we're with Alexandra... Also don't act so cowardly! It's becoming unfit for a Core disciple!" A cold voice followed up and scolded, the young woman who initially spoke stiffened and hung her head low, afraid to even stare right into the scolding woman's eyes.

"Hey, don't be so harsh on her, Annie." The second voice targeted Annie who merely snorted and replied, "If you kept on pampering these girls like they are princesses, then their deaths are near." Her harsh reply astonished the several other female disciples that religiously followed them.

Seeing the violent reaction of her female disciples, a smack came at the back of Annie's head and she scratched her head in pain and stared at the direction of the one that smacked her. Her eyes sparkled with a defiant light, but she didn't say anything in response.

"Calm down, calm down, everyone. Even if there are really hidden dangers around here, I will stand strong on my promise of protecting everyone so they can safely survive until the end of everything."

"Big Sis..."

Alexandra's declaration ignited the light of hopes within the young women's eyes. They had never wanted to join the struggle within the Selection Process, but as Core disciples. They were required to join and prove that they had what it takes to maintain their position within the Academy. Cowards were frowned upon so they had to pretend that they were strong.

Annie disapproved of Alexandra's method, thinking that it would only cause further harm towards these young women. It was much better to expose them to the dangers of reality than making them live a sheltered and ent.i.tled life. Spoiling them like this, was tantamount to a death sentence for them. But since Alexandra held a higher position than her, she could only keep her silence.

"Even now, you're still that naive, Alexandra? To think that such a stupid and ignorant woman like you could become one of the strongest within the Academy... Such a t.i.tle is so undeserving of you..."

A young man's cold voice suddenly rang out like a ghost and Annie swiftly unsheathed her sword. Rumbling noises boomed from her body as her cultivation base came to life. Alexandra also did the same, but instead of a.s.suming an offensive stance. She stood in front of the women and protected them with her life.

A lone young man walked out of the darkness. From his hands clenched a sword that shone in a mysterious golden sheen. When the female disciples saw him, their expressions changed as they exclaimed, "Senior Brother Robin Fuentes!"

Alexandra's expression turned complicated when she saw the young man. She acand Robin Fuentes had always been mortal enemies ever since they arrived at the Academy. There was a saying that only a single lion can live in a single mountain, and these talented two always clashed against each other once there was an opportunity to do so.

"What are you doing here, Robin?" Alexandra's alertness soared through the skies and she silently rotated her cultivation method, in preparation if Robin really did attack. It was better safe than sorry.

"Why I am here? I am here to make you understand why you shouldn't so naive..."

Robin's eyes flashed with a cruel light and the sound of penetrated flesh echoed amidst the silence. A sharp pain a.s.saulted Alexandra and Annie's chest and when they looked downwards, their eyes widened in shock when they saw the daggers sticking out of their flesh.

"You guys... Why are you..." Alexandra whispered and as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she coughed a mouthful of blood that drenched the ground before her. Not minding the pain, her eyes were widened in shock as she stared at her fellow female disciples that she constantly protected until now.

"S-S-Sorry... Forgive us, Big Sis... But we have to do this, not only for you... But for our sake too!" The timid young woman who got scolded by Annie earlier apologized and deeply bowed her head, turning to look at Annie, her timid expression transformed into a venomous one as she raised her leg and struck at Annie's wound.

"Gah!" A scream escaped from Annie's mouth as she writhed on the ground in pain. Despite the intense pain, her eyes remained cold and indifferent, it was as if she was faking the pain that she felt throughout her entire body.

"T-T-Those girls!" Outside the world within the Array, the middle-aged woman who scolded the Second Elder earlier fiercely stood up and glared at those female disciples that betrayed Alexandra: "How ungrateful! They actually dared to bite the hand that feeds them! I'll make sure that they'll suffer!"

The Second Elder snickered and kicked her while she's down, "Calm down, old hag. Betrayals are normal in a life and death compet.i.tion. It's also a good lesson to learn for your disciples, right?"" His voice filled with mocking and the middle-aged woman turned around and glared, "How dare you! Come out with me and let's take this outside!"

"The two of you, settle down!" Mathias's dignified voice rang out as he intervened. The middle-aged woman and the Second Elder stiffened and in the face of Mathias's pressure, they resigned and turned silent: "Remember that the two of you are Elders of the Academy! Show some proper decorum befitting of that position!"

"Yes, Headmaster!" The two respectfully bowed and apologies. Nevertheless, they still glared at each other in resentment before turning their heads to look at the projection in the skies.

"How does it feel? You've been verbally abusing us for quite some time now... Looking down at us like some kind of a Heavenly Empress... How does it feel to be down there?"

The female disciple stepped on Annie's face and repeatedly rubbed it on the hard and rough surface of the cave. Robin stared at them with interest before lightly laughing: "Have you applied the poison to them?"

The female disciple whose expression twisted into a venomous one, instantly changed into an amiable face when she heard Robin's words: "Yes, Senior Brother. There's no way that these b.i.t.c.hes can still move after getting infected by that poison..."

Her other fellow disciples also walked towards Annie and abused her, forcibly inserting their toes into her mouth as the defiant Annie started to feel the humiliation, indicated by her teary-eyes. Alexandra used all the will that she had in her body, but the paralysis poison that infected her was too strong. Staring at her beloved friend Annie, she couldn't help but feel bitter and ashamed.

If she just followed Annie's advice on taking care of recruiting other people into their ranks, this wouldn't have happened. Sorry, Annie... I am sorry... She repeatedly apologized in her heart.

"Okay, you can stop now, just leave those girls to me..." Robin intervened and stepped forwards. The female disciples immediately stopped their humiliation on Annie and stared feverishly at Robin's robust stature. It was as if they were trying to sell themselves to him and acquire his interest.

"All of you really did a great job..." Robin stretched her hand out towards one of the girls, and the female disciple stared wide-eyed at him and closed her eyes, expecting a headpat from her greatest idol.

But instead...

Puchi!

A cold flash of sword light swept past their necks and in that instant, their visions swam as they stared at their headless shoulders in horror. None of them even managed to scream as Robin swiftly dispatched of them like trashes.