Chapter 123: New Threats "By the way, Bob, since we have the same name, and it will be confusing if we were to call each other out, just call me Alex," Alex said. "Hahaha." Bob chuckled. "So, your real name is Alex huh? That was a nice play of words earlier. I almost thought that your name is really Bob. Relax, I like you so I’ll let you live." The teenage boy smirked not minding one bit that Alex had lied to him. "Eh? His name is not Bob?" one of Bob’s lackeys blinked in confusion. "Bob, we can’t trust this guy. He is a liar." "That’s right," the other lackey commented. "How can we trust someone who lied to us?" "It’s fine." Bob raised his hand to stop the two boys from saying any complaints. "Let’s just say that I was tricked. But, since we’re already together as a team, let’s let bygones be bygones, okay?" After seeing Bob’s reply, Alex had to admit that he had to reevaluate his impression of the teenage boy, whom he referred to as a small-time-villain. According to the ELO Wiki, Bob was eighteen-years-old, had short black hair with streaks of red on its edges, and always had a smirking grin as if it was a mask to cover his true thoughts. Looking at him now, Alex could tell that he was indeed a shady character with decent looks that could captivate the ladies if he tried. But, that was also what made him so dangerous in the game. ’He isn’t quick to anger, and yet, I can tell that he also didn’t want to make me his enemy,’ Alex thought. ’Still, I can’t let my guard down. There is still a chance that he might backstab me later. Better be safe than sorry.’ What he didn’t know was that Bob had a different reason why he didn’t want to clash with Alex. ’Although he looks injured, he might just be faking it to lower our guard,’ Bob smiled calmly on the surface. But deep inside, he was on guard against Alex. ’This guy is stronger than me!’ The two sized each other before coming to an agreement. "Allies for now?" Alex asked. "Allies for now." Bob nodded in agreement. "Until this trial ends." "Good," Alex smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Alex Stratos, just call me Alex." The young man then stretched out his right hand for a handshake. "Bob Wylde." Bob accepted the handshake. "Just call me Bob." "I’m Grint Varka," the teenage boy with blonde hair and green eyes said. He had long hair that was tied in a ponytail, making him look like someone born from a decent family. "Jorven Brakk," Jorven introduced himself. "Just call me Jorven." Jorven was quite tall for his age, approaching nearly two meters in height. He had a sturdy body, making Alex think that he came from a family of warriors. His short brown hair, and eyes, made him look like an average guy that you could see anywhere. If not for the fact that he was towering above the three other teenagers, he would look like someone, who could easily fade in the crowd without needing to try. "So, Alex, what are your plans for this second trial?" Bob asked. "I have two friends taking this trial with me," Alex replied. "I plan to meet up with them as soon as possible." "Are they strong?" Bob asked with great curiosity. "Yes," Alex replied. "Stronger than you?" "Stronger than me." After hearing Alex’s reply, Bob was more eager to meet these two strong people. If they were to become part of their team, wouldn’t that make them one of the strongest teams in the second trial? If that happened, they no longer had to worry about other candidates trying to eliminate them. "This island is huge," Bob stated. "Finding them will not be easy." "What you say is true, but finding them is not really difficult," Alex said. "After all, I have Dim Dim with me." "Ahem!" Dim Dim proudly raised its body, which Grint and Jorven found very amusing. "I’ve been meaning to ask since earlier, but what kind of creature is that?" Bob asked. "It’s not a slime, right?" "No," Alex answered. "Dim Dim is Nature Spirit." "A Nature Spirit?" Bob looked at the little guy perched on top of Alex’s head in disbelief. "Aren’t they very rare?" "They are." Alex nodded. "So, Dim Dim is very special." Alex knew that there would be many people who would ask him what kind of creature Dim Dim was. After wracking his head, he decided to refer to Dim Dim as a Nature Spirit because they come in different forms. Dim Dim agreed with this plan because no one would believe Alex if he told them that the cute little bun that was always with him was an actual God. "I see." Bob rubbed his chin. "So, with his help, we will be able to reunite with your strong friends, right?" "Right," Alex replied. "So, what are we waiting for?" "Dim Dim, please lead the way." "Dim Dim!" An hour later, Alex, and Bob heard the sound of fighting from somewhere. Wanting to investigate, the four of them headed to where the sounds were coming from. There, they saw a group attacking a Catkin, who was fighting with a fearless smile on her face. "Wow!" Grint gasped. "She’s strong." "Indeed." Jorven nodded in agreement. Bob, who was wondering if this was one of Alex’s comrades, suddenly saw the young man charged towards the battle with a shield strapped on his right arm. Lavinia, who was concentrating on fighting what was in front of her, suddenly heard a cry of pain from behind her. When she turned around, she saw a shield flying towards another teenager, who was wielding a bow in the distance. How could she not recognize Everguard when she was the one that personally delivered it to Alex? A faint smile appeared on her face as she glanced at the young man, who had come to help her to fight those who had tried to ambush her a while ago. "I’ll take care of these two," Alex said. "You deal with those three." "Good." Lavinia agreed before running towards the three teenagers, who suddenly lost their momentum after their allies were attacked out of nowhere. The three tried to run away in different directions in order to escape the strong Catkin, whom they thought would be an easy prey. Unfortunately for them, Alex didn’t come alone. Bob, Grint, and Jorven joined the fight, eliminating two of the three teenagers that Lavinia was pursuing. Alex, on the other hand, had eliminated the archer by bashing him to oblivion with his shield. As for the last remaining enemy, Lavinia made short work of him after dealing with the leader of the group that ambushed her. "Thank you for the help," Lavinia said to Alex. "You still would have won even if you fought them alone," Alex replied. "Still, it’s nice to see you safe, Lavinia." "You too, Alex." Lavinia smiled. "And it seems that you’ve formed a team of your own." Alex nodded and introduced Bob, Grint, and Jorven to the Catkin, who had made a very strong impression on them. "Alex didn’t lie when he said that you were strong, My Lady," Bob, who could sense that Lavinia wasn’t a commoner, said in a respectful tone. "My name is Bob Wylde, and I am one of Alex’s teammates." He then introduced Grint, and Jorven to the Catkin, hoping that they would also join their team to make it stronger. Lavinia had no plans on joining any team aside from Alex, and Charles. But, seeing that the Oathkeeper didn’t seem to mind the three teenager’s company, Lavinia agreed to join their team as well. "Do you know where Charles is?" Lavinia asked. "Yes," Alex replied. "Dim Dim will find him." "Dim Dim!" Dim Dim nodded. Although Alex could easily find them on the map, It was best if he gave all the credit to Dim Dim because this would save a lot of trouble for him. After a short break, the four then headed northeast to meet up with Charles, who was currently traveling together with Nessia. While this was happening, a faint ripple spread inside the island, making everyone stop for a brief moment. Suddenly, the voice of the Headmaster of the academy, Rowan, reached their ears. "The Boss Monsters seals are now undone. They can now start to roam the island, so pay close attention to your surroundings!" Alex opened his map, and confirmed that the Boss Monsters had indeed started to move. This would make the survival rate of the candidates much harder because not only did they have to worry about the other trial takers, and the monsters in the island, they now have to worry about four Rank 4 Boss Monsters, who were very eager to eliminate them without mercy. —----