Chapter 99: a fox girl in heels, a freshly bathed elf, and a barefoot human

Hot wind swept countless desert sands, the blazing sun that was now at its highest point tried to burn anyone within its reach.

The bright blue sky looked more dominant when clouds rarely appeared above the sea of desert, the absence of clouds made the scorching sunlight freely shine, its light reached dozens of students from various races who were sleeping on top of the sand.

The male students still wore their suits, while the female students still wore their beautiful dresses, they all seemed unaware of how brilliant the sun was.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the crowd of sleeping students, alex lay face down unconscious, half of his face stuck to the sand, his lips could not avoid the grains of sand sticking to them, there were no footwear protecting the soles of his feet.

The increasingly hot sand made alex’s forehead twitch, both of his eyelids slowly opened, his face slowly lifted from the increasingly hot sand, he spat out sand several times that tried to enter his mouth.

Both of his eyes were not yet used to the sudden scorching light, alex swallowed his saliva, his throat felt as barren as the desert, he looked right and left, there was only endless sand visible.

Alex scratched his throat, no voice came out forcing him to speak in his heart ’where is this...?’ alex then turned to the left, his confused expression became even more confused by what he saw.

Not far from alex, an elf girl sat on the hot sand, she stared at the sky that had no clouds, a cloth mat kept her from overheating, her hair that was blonde from the roots to the middle and also bright purple from the middle to the ends was covered by cloth wrapped around her head, black sunglasses covered her green eyes, and an umbrella rested on her shoulder to cover the scorching sunlight so it would not burn her milk white skin.

Alex swallowed his saliva, he did not care if sand mixed into his saliva, his mouth opened and closed several times but no voice came out ’what is that? Is that an angel?’ The sound of a tongue click in his head answered alex’s question ’the angel in this world is me!!’

Alex cleaned his cheeks where sand was sticking while krystal spoke again ’she’s the girl you ran away with last night...don’t you remember?’ Krystal’s words began triggering alex’s memory of his escape after the party, pain suddenly spread through the back of his neck ’ahh...she’s the girl who likes staring at stars right...?’

Alex slowly tried to stand and approach the elf girl, but unfortunately he who had no footwear could only walk a few steps before falling because of the heat.

The elf girl shifted her gaze toward alex, she did not say anything while alex approached and sat down while straightening his legs, a painful groan was heard from alex while the elf girl only watched him.

Sweat began flowing on alex’s forehead while the elf girl still looked clean as if she had just bathed, alex looked at the elf girl, his voice slightly hoarse "what are you doing? Are we having a picnic?"

The elf girl was silent for a few moments before shaking her head "no, we are taking the first test..." one of alex’s eyebrows lifted, he then saw the other students lying behind the umbrella holding elf girl "why didn’t you wake me or the others...?"

The elf girl answered in a flat and expressionless tone like before "I do not want to disturb sleeping people..." alex’s black eyes widened, his expression froze, he tried to speak but no voice came out.

’What did she say?’ Krystal who heard alex’s question answered him ’didn’t you hear...?’ Alex scratched his itchy head ’I heard... but her words sound right and wrong at the same time...’

Krystal chuckled inside alex’s mind ’she has been strange from the start...didn’t you realize it?’ Alex then looked at everything the elf girl wore, everything felt like it had just come out of a wardrobe, her clothes looked very suitable for surviving in the middle of the desert, her clothes were also not much different from alex’s, alex could even smell the fragrance of flowers in the middle of the desert.

Alex then looked at himself, his clothes looked ready to face the desert, but he smelled sweat from his own body, he then looked at his feet that wore no footwear.

Alex then looked at the elf girl who wore women’s boots "you look like you just bathed..." the elf girl nodded once "I did just bathe...maybe a few hours ago."

Alex’s face once again became expressionless, he began scratching his ears as if afraid of hearing wrong because sand entered them "how could you bathe?" Alex looked at the students who were still unconscious "they are unconscious and still wearing party clothes, I was the same..."

The elf girl was silent for a few moments, her green eyes were truly unreadable behind the black sunglasses "I woke up when they were about to move me, so I asked permission to bathe first and prepare...big sister calista agreed and only took my smart bracelet."

Alex lowered his head, he contemplated every word he heard, he even looked at his left arm where his smart bracelet was missing, a faint smile slowly appeared on alex’s face, his body slowly trembled and laughter broke out from him.

Alex laughed under the scorching sun and above the desert sand, he covered his face with his arm, his laughter slowly turned into groaning "are you crazy?!..."

The elf girl shook her head calmly, she answered alex who was hysterical with a soft voice "my personal doctor never said I was crazy, so I’m not crazy-" the elf girl’s answer was immediately cut off by alex, he stood with both knees touching the ground "if you were conscious then why are you here?! Why not just relax there?!"

Alex then pointed at all the items worn by the elf girl "and what is all this?! Are you having a picnic?!" The elf girl gently shook her head "this is an exam right?"

Alex’s hysterical expression finally returned to normal in an instant, he lost strength in his body which almost made him sleep face down, but his hands held him up.

’What is this?! Why do I always meet strange people...feels like only yesterday I met a dragon princess who targeted my head at the first meeting....’

Alex then began staring at the bright and hot sky ’goddess athika...feels like I can go crazy here...’ krystal who saw alex depressed could only laugh, while alex looked again at the black sunglasses wearing elf girl, he then saw the cloth mat she sat on.

Alex wet his dry lips "can you help me wake the others?" The elf girl nodded once, she slowly wanted to stand while holding her umbrella, but alex’s voice stopped her.

Alex pointed toward the cloth the elf girl sat on "can I use that? I can’t walk properly....I will replace it later." The elf girl nodded and handed it to alex "of course, I still have one"

Alex accepted it with an expressionless face, but veins bulged on his forehead ’if she could bring two cloths, why didn’t she give me shoes, damn it!!’

Alex sighed tiredly, the scorching sun burned his head, he looked at the elf girl’s back covered by the umbrella "hey...what’s your name?" The elf girl turned her body, she looked at alex expressionlessly "aera merena..."

Alex sighed, he nodded once "not happy to meet-" alex shook his head "I mean, nice to meet you. aera" alex pointed at himself "I’m alex sander..."

Aera nodded several times "I know. you are the man who made the party lively, you were the one who photographed me dancing with julian, you were also the one who gave water to ryu, you were also the one who invited me flying with disco lights...you also-" aera’s words were cut off by alex raising his hand.

"Yes yes...now I know, you are the girl who danced with julian...you are also ryu’s friend who does not like sugar rush" alex sighed "nice to meet you aera..."

Aera nodded once before turning her body "nice to meet you too, alex."

Alex watched aera slowly waking dozens of other students who were still unconscious, while alex began tearing the cloth and turning it into temporary footwear.

Warmth still spread through alex’s feet already covered by cloth, but alex dealt with it by continuing to walk, he paced around while looking around the seemingly endless desert, he also checked his jacket several times to make sure he still had several of his symbol papers.

’shit....! most of my food reserves are in my socks...’ alex’s pacing suddenly stopped, he felt warmth spreading through both of his feet.

Alex held both of his heads while squeezing his hair ’wait wait....if I’m not wearing shoes, then what about katarina?’ Alex slowly squatted and bit his nails, he ignored his feet feeling hot ’what if she also isn’t wearing shoes?!’

Alex slowly stood up, he paced again, his mind once again showed katarina laughing and happy at the party but instantly changed into katarina overheating and injured because she wore no footwear.

’Shit! Shit! Shit!’

Krystal who kept hearing alex’s curses finally spoke ’hey calm down..." alex sighed ’how can I calm down? What if she overheats?’

Krystal clicked her tongue ’there is no way she isn’t wearing footwear, I mean she’s a princess... servants definitely wouldn’t leave her barefoot...’

Alex lowered his head, he bit his dry lips, his mind kept imagining overheated katarina.

The sound of krystal sighing was heard ’well...if you are this worried, why not just confess your feelings?’ Alex combed his dark black hair ’I’m worried because I was the one who invited her to take off her shoes-’

’Nyenyenye...keep denying it until julian steals her away...’ alex shifted his gaze toward the students who had now awakened, he slowly walked closer, the soles of his feet felt warmth with every step ’that means, there is no way she isn’t wearing footwear right?-’

’Don’t know, I’m lazy talking with someone so dense’ veins bulged on alex’s forehead, he wanted to curse krystal but the human students had already begun approaching him.

Alex saw several he knew, he gave high fives to all of them, alex looked at them one by one, their clothes were covered with sand, the girls also struggled because of their dresses and heels.

The human students began asking alex who woke up first "what is this, alex?"

"Damn...why are we in a desert"

"Was last night only a dream? It was too beautiful to be reality..."

Alex chuckled, he patted one of the human students "unfortunately it wasn’t a dream, friend. And we are here for an exam..." the human students’ shoulders slowly drooped, they began complaining.

"How could they do this?"

"They even took our smart bracelets...,"

"Yeah they didn’t even try giving proper uniforms, they also didn’t give water..."

Alex nodded several times, he slowly shifted his gaze toward students from other races, they were now gathering among themselves, where the dwarves were the fewest among the others.

The dwarf students looked one by one at students from other races, their shoulders drooped further "what do we do? There are no famous students among us..."

"Isn’t it the same for humans too?"

"What do you mean?" One of the dwarves pointed toward alex "there is the party organizer, he must be a famous person among them..."

Tired sighs were heard from the dwarves, while they shifted their gaze toward the beastman students.

The beastman students were mixed between hybrid and natural groups, they stood behind a fox girl from the hybrid group, the fox girl combed her long silver hair, her fox red eyes glanced toward alex who was talking with the human students, she glanced at his feet that only wore cloth.

’So pitiful...’ one of the beastman female students spoke to the fox girl "princess sesa...why are we in a desert? Is this an exam?"

Sesa sighed, she nodded several times and shifted her gaze toward the group of elf students in front of her, aera still stood while holding her umbrella and wearing her black sunglasses.

Sesa greeted aera with a nod "oii aera...you are quite prepared huh?" All students from various races immediately looked at aera, they saw aera who looked tidier among all of them who looked like homeless people with suits and dresses.

Hot wind hit the four groups of students from various races facing each other, sesa chuckled seeing aera’s appearance so contrasting with them "was the drink given sleeping medicine? Ahh you don’t like sugar rush right? Must be nice being able to prepare..."

Aera nodded several times, she pointed at alex with her flat expression which made everyone look at alex "alex also didn’t drink..." alex smiled stiffly, while sesa’s fox ears twitched "ohh...do you know that human?"

Aera was silent for a few moments, she observed every detail of sesa’s face before speaking "yes...I just met him last night, he invited me to run away using a disco ball..."

All students fell silent, they only looked at aera with blank stares, only the sound of wind could be heard until the elf students spoke to aera.

"Princess...what do you mean?"

"Why did you go with that human?"

Aera did not answer the elf students’ questions, she only looked at alex who was now being choked and ganged up on by the human students.

"Hey what did you do while we were all sleeping?!"

"I saw you inviting princess katarina to dance!! Why are you walking around with that elf princess?!"

"Damn it!! Should we tell the princess?"

Alex tried to release the chokeholds from his friends, several students from other races laughed seeing the human students. Even krystal laughed seeing alex, while alex finally raised both hands while speaking stutteringly.

"Hey....hey....that was just an additional party... I was chased by servants..."

The human students finally released their chokeholds, they almost stepped on alex, while alex looked at them all, curse words almost came out but stopped because sesa approached him.

Alex turned toward sesa, he looked at sesa from foot to head, she felt familiar to him, krystal who also saw sesa immediately spoke ’she’s the one in the photo with katarina!!’

Alex nodded several times after remembering, while sesa stretched out her hand, her red fox tail swayed, a faint smile was carved on her slightly dry pink lips. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"hello...i’m sesa rexa..." one of alex’s eyebrows lifted, he then cleaned his hand with his jacket before shaking sesa’s hand.

Sesa’s smile widened further revealing a little of her fangs ’why is she so very cute?’ Sesa then spoke before alex could.

"Alex sander right? I’m katarina’s friend, can we become friends too?"

Alex swallowed his saliva, he felt sharp stares from the human students behind him, but alex tried smiling as brightly as usual "of course...nice to meet you, sesa."

Sesa smiled brightly, her eyes disappeared, her fox ears stood straight and her red fox tail wagged quickly, she then stood beside alex which made the beastman students inevitably stand beside the human students following sesa.

Alex lowered his head, he scratched his forehead, he felt the heat of hell from behind his back.

Meanwhile the dwarves who witnessed all of that could only sigh.

"Damn...what are they talking about?"

"So this is how it feels if you don’t have famous students..."

Silence happened between them all for several moments until finally alex spoke first "so what is the test, aera?"

Aera looked at alex, she was silent for several moments "they said only to return to the fortress as fast as possible by becoming one class..."

One of alex’s eyebrows lifted "wow, so we only need to casually walk like desert tourism?" Sesa chuckled hearing alex’s answer, she nudged alex with her elbow making alex startled.

"Of course during daytime it will be easy... but at night it will be difficult..." sesa looked at the students "you all know right what waits during the night in this desert?"

Students from various races sighed together, alex who saw that reaction immediately looked at sesa "what is it exactly?"

One of sesa’s eyebrows lifted "does alex not know? At night there are saint azara’s pets...even though that’s famous you know...."

Alex slightly tilted his head, his mind imagined pets like dogs and cats ’is it that scary? I think even if it’s lions, I can defeat them... I mean, I even defeated a polar bear.’

Aera who saw alex silently imagining something immediately spoke to him "those are the sand mounds outside the fortress you saw last night..."

Alex looked at aera, he held the back of his neck that felt painful, memories about himself being surrounded by glowing eyed sand mounds began returning which made alex curse.

Sesa chuckled hearing alex curse, she then spoke again to all students "so you all know the threat right?" Sesa pinched her short dress skirt slightly "during the scorching daytime we must walk with troublesome party clothes"

A sigh was heard from sesa "and at night we must fight monsters without weapons because our smart bracelets were taken..."

"There is no peaceful rest, no food, no water..."

One of alex’s eyebrows lifted "water?" Alex then took out his symbol paper from his jacket, all students looked at alex.

The human students who already knew what alex meant immediately cheered as if they had already returned to the fortress which made students from other classes confused.

Alex clicked his tongue because he felt annoyed after being choked by many people earlier, he looked at the other students who were still confused.

"Gather together as one, I will bring down rain."