Chapter 135: Kai’s Discovery

Derek shifted slightly, placing himself between her and the direction she was watching.

“All right. Stay close to me.”

He surveyed the street with greater care.

At first, he noticed only the abandoned-looking buildings and the distant warehouse. Then he caught sight of several figures gathered near a corner along the road.

There were five of them.

They stood in a loose formation, occupying enough of the walkway to make it clear that anyone approaching would have to pass near them. Their postures were relaxed, but their attention was fixed on Derek and Robin.

One leaned against a wall with his arms folded. Another stood beside a streetlight, while the remaining three watched from different positions along the pavement.

None of them appeared interested in leaving.

Derek released a quiet breath.

“Well, this doesn’t look good. I would have appreciated a warmer welcome.”

Robin remained behind him, unable to respond.

Her eyes had already settled on the person standing near the corner, and the sight of him seemed to drain the remaining confidence from her face.

“Oh, no…”

The words escaped her before she could stop them.

Barry was there.

He stood slightly apart from the other five figures, looking as though he had been waiting for their arrival. A faint smile rested on his lips, and his dark eyes moved from Derek to Robin with unsettling interest.

He slowly raised two fingers to his mouth and produced a soft whistle.

The sound travelled down the otherwise quiet street.

His companions immediately stopped talking.

One of them straightened away from the wall, while another stepped aside. The group gradually parted, leaving a clear path for Barry as he began walking toward the newcomers.

Each step was unhurried.

He seemed entirely comfortable in the situation, as though he had expected Robin to come looking for him and had already decided how he wanted the encounter to unfold.

Derek studied him carefully.

Barry was a freshman with maroon hair and dark eyes that gave him a predatory appearance. He wore a simple leather jacket with the sleeves folded back, denim trousers, and a pair of sturdy boots. His clothes were ordinary enough, but the way he carried himself made him seem far more intimidating than his appearance alone might suggest.

There was a certain hardness in his expression, a confidence that appeared to come from the belief that nobody around him could challenge his authority.

When he stopped a short distance away, his gaze returned to Robin.

Her fingers had tightened around the fabric of her cloak.

Derek noticed and clenched his jaw.

“So,” he said firmly, “you’re the person responsible for making this girl feel as though her own school life is a nightmare.”

Barry’s smile widened slightly.

Derek continued before he could answer.

“Don’t you feel even a little ashamed of yourself? You’ve been harassing her, threatening her, and making her afraid to go about her day. What exactly do you gain from treating someone like that?”

Robin trembled behind him.

“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t make him angry. He’ll take it out on me later.”

Derek turned his head just enough to acknowledge her.

“Stay behind me, Robin. You don’t have to answer him.”

The five companions began snickering.

One of them nudged another with his elbow, while a second covered his mouth as though he were trying to contain his amusement.

Barry looked even more pleased.

“Well, well. I see you’ve brought someone to speak on your behalf.”

He tilted his head, studying Derek from head to toe.

“And not just anyone, either. You actually went and found an older student to come here and deal with me.”

Derek did not respond to the insult.

Barry’s gaze shifted back to Robin, and his expression took on a mocking familiarity.

“Robin, Robin. The little girl who spends her life running around in fear. Always dressed in red, always delivering pies, and always singing to animals whenever she gets the chance.”

Robin flinched at every word.

Barry continued, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on her.

“And let’s not forget that ridiculous little skip of yours. You walk around as though you’re living inside a fairy tale, smiling at everyone and pretending the world is a wonderful place.”

He gave a short laugh.

“Yet here you are again, hiding behind somebody else because you can’t handle a simple conversation with me.”

Robin’s breathing became uneven.

Derek’s fists tightened.

“That’s enough.”

Barry turned his attention toward him.

“Is it?”

“Yes. You can stop trying to frighten her.”

Barry gave him a long, amused look before glancing toward his companions.

“Did you hear that? He thinks he can tell me what to do.”

The others laughed again.

Barry slowly returned his attention to Robin.

“Well, I must say, it’s rather thoughtful of you to come all this way to see me. You even brought a guest. How considerate.”

His voice was quiet, but there was a threatening undertone beneath every word.

Derek remained in front of Robin, refusing to move aside.

He had come here expecting trouble, but seeing Barry’s behaviour firsthand made him understand just how deliberately the boy used fear to control her. Barry was not simply making careless jokes or acting without thinking. He appeared to enjoy watching Robin become distressed.

That alone was enough to make Derek take the situation seriously.

He looked directly at Barry.

“If you think having five people standing behind you makes you untouchable, you’re mistaken.”

Barry’s smile remained.

“And if you think showing up here with a reputation is enough to make me afraid of you, then perhaps you’re the one who’s mistaken.”

The air between them grew tense.

Robin held her breath behind Derek, while Barry’s companions watched with renewed interest. None of them seemed eager to interrupt. They were waiting to see whether the newcomer would back down or make the mistake of underestimating the person they had gathered around.

Derek did neither.

He kept his gaze fixed on Barry, determined to understand the person behind the rumours before making his next move.

For now, the confrontation had only just begun.

After the meeting with the student council, Kai left the administrative building with several thoughts competing for his attention.

The discussion had taken an unexpected turn when Quinn arrived and demanded to know where Mia was. Until then, the meeting had focused mainly on the increasing workload, the complaints from students, and the theft of the school’s general report book. Mia’s disappearance had changed the atmosphere completely.

Kai could still remember the tension in Quinn’s voice when she asked her question.

It had been clear that she was genuinely worried, and Arnold’s response had shown that the matter was not something the administration intended to dismiss. They had agreed to gather reliable information and establish what had happened before drawing conclusions.

Kai understood the importance of that decision.

A missing student was not something that could be treated as an ordinary disciplinary issue, especially when nobody could establish where she had gone.

As he walked down the steps outside the administrative building, he glanced at the screen of his phone.

He had several minutes before he needed to attend to anything else, so he decided to check the online media. The school’s internal announcements, public news feeds, and student discussions were filled with different topics, ranging from academic complaints to rumours about recent events.

Kai scrolled through them without much interest.

One post complained about the difficulty of the latest tests. Another discussed the possibility of changing the schedule for practical lessons. A third was filled with speculation about the stolen report book, although most of the comments were based on guesses rather than confirmed information.

Kai shook his head.

“People really will talk about anything when they’re bored.”

He continued scrolling.

There were posts about school activities, updates from various summoning clubs, and announcements concerning upcoming competitions. A few caught his eye briefly, but none offered anything particularly interesting.

He was about to lock his phone when a new post appeared on the screen.

At first, he nearly passed it by.

Then a few words caught his attention.

Mineral Guild Dungeon Programme.

Kai stopped walking.

He looked at the screen again, his thumb hovering over the announcement.

“Wait a minute. What’s this?”

He opened the post and began reading carefully.

The announcement described an upcoming dungeon programme organised by the Mineral Guild, one of the ranked guilds operating in the region. The programme was scheduled to take place in a few weeks and would involve participants from more than one school.

It was not an ordinary school excursion.

The announcement described an organised opportunity for eligible students to gain experience in a dungeon environment under the programme’s established conditions. Participants would be expected to meet the requirements, obtain the necessary permission, and follow the rules set by the organisers and their respective schools.

Kai’s eyes moved quickly over the details.

The programme was intended to provide selected students with an opportunity to develop their practical abilities, gain experience, and learn more about dungeon exploration in a structured setting.

The post also explained that the application process required certain documents, including a valid passport and permission from the student’s school management. Applicants would need to meet the programme’s eligibility conditions, although the requirements were different from those normally associated with arranging an independent dungeon raid.

Kai’s interest grew with every line he read.

Unlike an ordinary attempt to enter a dungeon independently, this programme offered a more organised route for students who qualified. They would not simply be expected to arrange everything on their own and hope that the necessary permissions were granted afterward.

The opportunity was being coordinated by an established guild, and that alone made it worth investigating.

Kai scrolled back to the beginning of the announcement to check the organiser’s name.

Mineral Guild.

He had heard of them before. Their reputation made the offer considerably more appealing than a random announcement from an unknown group.

“Now, this is interesting,” he murmured.

He opened the programme details and read them again, this time paying closer attention to the requirements and application instructions.

The opportunity was not automatically available to every student. Applicants still had to satisfy the programme’s conditions, and the school would need to approve their participation. Nevertheless, the announcement gave Kai a clear starting point.

He could investigate the requirements, determine whether he qualified, and prepare the necessary documents if he decided to apply.

The thought immediately brought another matter to mind.

His wyvern summon.

Kai’s expression became more focused as he considered the direction in which he wanted to develop his strength. His wyvern had considerable potential, but he wanted more than its current abilities. He was interested in the possibility of its draconic evolution, a transformation that could allow it to develop into a more dominant and powerful dragon.

Such an evolution could make a significant difference to his strength.

However, he understood that it would not happen simply because he wanted it badly enough. He needed to improve his summon, gain experience, and discover what conditions might be necessary to help it reach that stage.

A dungeon programme could provide useful experience, provided the activities and challenges suited his abilities.

It could also expose him to new information about summons, their development, and the ways experienced participants approached dungeon exploration.

Kai looked down at the screen again.

“If I can qualify for this programme, it might be exactly what I need.”

He began reading the application details more carefully, paying attention to the deadline and the documents that would be required.

First, he would need to confirm the eligibility rules. Then he would have to speak with the school management and determine what permission was necessary. He also needed to make sure his passport was valid and that he understood the expectations placed on participants.

He was not going to rush into the application without checking the details.

Even so, the opportunity had already caught his attention in a way that none of the other posts had managed.

Kai glanced toward the school buildings behind him.

The recent meeting had reminded him that Amstral High was dealing with several problems. Students were complaining about their workload, the general report book had been stolen, and Mia’s disappearance had raised serious concerns.

He could not simply ignore those issues.

At the same time, he had his own goals to pursue, and he knew that developing his abilities required initiative. If he waited for every problem around him to disappear before taking another step forward, he might never make the progress he wanted.

The key was to approach the opportunity responsibly.

He would check the requirements, seek the proper approval, and make a decision based on the information available to him.

Kai saved the announcement so he could review it later.

Then he looked at the title once more, a faint smile appearing on his face.

The Mineral Guild’s dungeon programme might be the opportunity he had been waiting for.

If he could qualify and participate, he might gain the experience needed to bring his wyvern closer to its draconic evolution and strengthen his position among the students.

But first, he needed to find out whether the offer was truly open to him.

Kai slipped his phone into his pocket and resumed walking, his thoughts already turning toward the steps he would need to take.

The school still had unanswered questions, and the matter of Mia’s disappearance remained unresolved.

Yet a new possibility had just opened before him.

And Kai had no intention of overlooking it.