Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! Chapter 153: 153-A Mountain To Climb

Read chapter 153 of Reader Mage-Stubbing August 10! by A_Random_Turtle on NovelPedia.

The feeling was weird. At least to Merlin. The Open field which was usually a large expanse of greenery and trees had transformed into something out of a fantasy movie. Before him and his teammates rose a tall stone arch, covered in thick vines, and it served as a gateway leading to a great forest on the other side. The trees were larger than what was usually present in the Open field, and along the path were little flowers blooming. Red, almost like blood, but beautiful. The sun was rising overhead now, unlike when Professor Jung had been giving the final speech before the start of the tournament, and it accentuated the ethereal feel of the plains. “Why does it feel like we’re going on a quest to rescue some beautiful elf or some sort?” Hakyun mumbled, his brows furrowed in curiosity just like the others. That changed rather quickly when Sangook shot him a disgusted glare. But Chima was present and raring to squabble, so their feisty interaction didn’t go past that. “I believe we’ve done enough of the admiring,” Kim Yiseo started as she shifted towards the arch, her impatience bleeding into her tone. “We cannot have the others get a headstart over us. Remember, only two academies can proceed to the last round. And it would be a shame if we, the hosts, lose in the first round.” Choi Sangook snorted. “You say that like you intend to lose in the second round.” He narrowed his eyes on Kim Yiseo. “I hope that’s not the case. Truly. For your sake.” Kim Yiseo folded her arms, frowning. “And what exactly do you mean by that?” Choi Sangook shrugged. “Be smart enough to figure it out.” The air tensed between them both. This was the first time Merlin had witnessed them interacting with one another, and it was getting off to a rather wonderful start. However, despite the roster lined up here—a rather splendid one too—without teamwork, there was no way they would come out of the tournament victorious. And Merlin needed that victory. “I think that’s enough,” Lee Jaehyun voiced before Merlin could. And that surprised Merlin. The boy was rather laid back in situations like these, and most of the time wanted nothing to do with Choi Sangook. But he seemed different today. No. He had been this way ever since he had paid his family a visit. He became a lot more rigid. Merlin’s brows twitched. Oh goodness. There’s no way. Was Chima right? Do golden spoon families really make life tough for their kids? “I highly doubt this is what we should be doing now,” Lee Jaehyun continued, looking down at his smartwatch. “The tournament has started. And we’re being watched.” He focused on Choi Sangook. “I’m sure you don’t want to put on such a rabid display for all to see.” “Jaehyun’s right!” Oh Jihye chimed in. “Shut it already. Both of you.” Choi Sangook’s nose twitched. It was fairly hard for the boy to subdue his anger most times. But he was doing fairly well at this moment. Nora sighed heavily, drawing Merlin’s attention her way. She was standing, arms folded, as she watched the display. Then she shook her head and stepped forward to stand beside Kim Yiseo. “Let’s come up with a plan of action,” she said. “I know we all want nothing more than to be on our way already. Get the tournament over with and ensure we proceed to the next stage. But I’m assuming none of us here is foolish, and think if we just bullheadly charge at an instructor we’ll manage to steal the key and win. Right?” Merlin pursed his lips. Nora needed to have a filter for her mouth. But since it was her, no one said anything. She had managed to garner the respect of most of their mates, if not all; and they were all aware of how rude she was. “What is the plan then?” Park Yuri asked, shifting forward slightly. “Because I don’t think we really have many options with one. There’s only so many things we can do to steal a key from an instructor. And one we have no idea about.” “She’s right,” Hwang Man-Shik joined in. “We don’t even know which instructor we’ll end up facing. The only thing we