The classroom was still in chaos. Students scrambled to form their teams, whispering about strategies, strengths, and survival plans. But amid all the frantic movement, one thing was clear—nobody wanted to team up with me.

  I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, watching as the groups slowly solidified. Most of the high-ranked students had already secured their teams. The A and S-grade mages had formed powerful alliances, ensuring they had the best survival odds.

  But for the lower-ranked students… things weren’t so easy.

  Out of the 48 students in our class, every four had to form a team. That meant there would be exactly 12 teams. No more, no less.

  Which also meant—there was no avoiding it.

  Somewhere in this room, there were students who had no choice but to ask me to join them.

  And sure enough, I noticed a group of hesitant figures glancing in my direction.

  Three students, standing off to the side, whispering among themselves. Their expressions were tense, uncertain.

  I didn’t move. I didn’t acknowledge them. I just waited.

  Eventually, one of them—a boy with short brown hair and nervous eyes—gathered his courage and took a step forward.

  The other two followed, albeit reluctantly.

  The entire room seemed to quiet down as they approached me. Even the students who had already formed their teams stole glances at us, curious about how I’d react.

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  The brown-haired boy, clearly the most desperate of the three, swallowed hard before speaking.

  “U-Um… Vael,” he stammered, using my last name as a formality. “We… We need a fourth member for our team.”

  I didn’t respond immediately.

  He flinched under my gaze, but he didn’t back away. I could feel his fear—see it in the way his hands trembled slightly. But he had no choice.

  None of them did.

  The other two students—a thin boy with glasses and a short girl with tied-up silver hair—remained silent. Neither of them looked at me directly.

  I tapped my fingers against my arm.

  “And?” I finally asked.

  The brown-haired boy hesitated. “A-And… we were wondering if you… if you would join us.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  His eyes widened, like he wasn’t expecting the question. “B-Because we… we need four members to participate.”

  I chuckled under my breath. “I know that.”

  I leaned forward slightly, my gaze sharp.

  “But why me?”

  The three students stiffened. The boy with glasses adjusted his frames nervously. The silver-haired girl remained dead silent.

  They didn’t want me. That much was obvious. They were scared of me.

  But they needed a fourth member. And no one else was left.

  I glanced around the room. Every other team had already formed. These three were the only ones without a full group.

  I smirked.

  “I’ll join you.”

  Their eyes lit up with relief.

  “But,” I added, my voice dropping, “only on one condition.”

  The relief in their faces faded instantly. The brown-haired boy swallowed. “W-What condition?”

  I leaned back again, giving them a calm yet firm stare.

  “I’ll join you,” I said, “if you guys stop fearing me from now on.”

  Silence.

  The three students exchanged uneasy glances.

  I could already tell what they were thinking.

  They didn’t want to accept that condition.

  But they had no other choice.

  The brown-haired boy nodded quickly. “O-Of course! We won’t fear you at all!”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Lies.”

  He flinched.

  I sighed. “Look, I don’t need fake reassurances. Just promise me one thing.”

  The three students waited.

  “If we’re going to be a team, act like one. Don’t treat me like some monster or curse. If you can do that, we’ll have no problems.”

  The brown-haired boy hesitated again. But eventually, he nodded. “…Alright.”

  The other two followed his lead, nodding as well.

  “Fine,” I said, standing up. “Then I’m your fourth member.”

  And just like that, our unwanted alliance was formed.

  The class, which had been quietly watching our conversation, erupted back into noise. I could hear murmurs. Some students whispered that my teammates were doomed. Others said they were crazy for teaming up with me.

  I ignored them.

  Because at the end of the day, it didn’t matter.

  They’d see soon enough.

  The survival trial was about to begin.