Lucius got out of the black SUV, and his gaze immediately shifted toward a white SUV parked along the roadway with two military vans flanking it on either side.
The men in military gear did not concern him. It was the unknown presence inside the white SUV that caught his attention.
The windows were heavily tinted, preventing him from seeing beyond the glass, but something about the vehicle made the hairs on his body stand. He could not explain what it was, but every instinct he possessed was screaming at him to be cautious.
Skull exited the black SUV a moment later, and the first thing that caught his attention was Lucius’s posture. Goosebumps covered his arms, and his usually relaxed expression had become noticeably more alert.
Skull followed his gaze toward the white SUV and quickly checked its number plate.
"It belongs to Bruce. He most likely came here to complete the tests he didn’t get to carry out the other day," Skull informed him.
Lucius shook his head slightly. "That’s not my problem. It’s just that there is someone awfully strong in there."
Skull blinked in surprise. The goosebumps on Lucius’s body finally made sense. He had initially assumed Lucius was simply being cautious, but apparently, the young Guardian could actually sense the presence inside the vehicle without seeing the person.
"Your perception is quite amazing. Anyway, it’s probably a personal guard who is a Guardian."
Lucius frowned at that. "A Guardian, hiring a Guardian for protection? That’s quite insane."
Skull could only shrug. "When you’re rich enough, I suppose you can afford to be insane."
Lucius shook off his surprise and walked straight into his home. His eyes widened almost immediately when he spotted Lia seated on the floor near the glass center table, happily munching on a slice of pizza with both hands like a squirrel eating walnuts.
Under normal circumstances, he would have found the sight amusing, especially considering how quickly she had taken to enjoying the luxuries of their new life. What caught him off guard, however, was the person sitting on the couch beside her. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Bruce was also casually eating pizza, looking completely comfortable inside Lucius’s home as though he had been invited over by an old friend.
Lucius’s brows furrowed as his appearance drew their attention. Bruce looked up from his slice and shot him a knowing smile, completely unfazed by the young man’s suspicious expression.
"Welcome back... I heard you became a celebrity on your first day. Who would have thought Lady Kim would be tutored by a student?" Bruce laughed.
’Could it be Silver feeding him information, or does he have other sets of eyes in the class?’ Lucius wondered as he strolled over to a one seater couch and sat down.
"I simply made her aware of the things she was previously ignorant of due to her easy life here in the capital," Lucius shrugged indifferently.
Lia immediately picked up another piece of pizza and ran toward him before climbing onto his lap. She tried shoving the slice into his mouth, but Lucius dodged her hand several times with an amused expression until she finally gave up. Without wasting the food, she simply pulled it back and began eating it herself while remaining comfortably seated on his lap.
Bruce watched the exchange with an amused look before reaching into the breast pocket of his white shirt and pulling out an identification card. His expression became more serious as he placed it on the table.
"I’ll go straight to the point. After deliberation with my father, the other patriarchs of the Big Four, and the President, I have been ordered not only to test the limits of your talents but also to act as your academic instructor to make sure you are groomed properly. Everyone sees you as a very important natural asset. Even the President has high hopes for you," Bruce explained.
Lucius blinked in surprise before shifting his questioning gaze toward Skull, who was standing near the foot of the staircase. "Academic instructor?"
"Academic instructors are personal trainers who tailor every student’s learning experience based on their talents to help maximize their capabilities. They are responsible for ninety nine percent of your education on campus. The class you attended today only happens once a week, so getting a quality instructor can make or break the future of a student. You should be happy someone as great as Master Bruce is tutoring you directly," Skull explained.
Lucius was taken aback by the revelation and glanced back toward Bruce, who simply nodded in affirmation.
"I will be looking after you from now on, but don’t forget, your performance in tests and exams reflects on me as well, so don’t expect me to be nice if you don’t live up to my expectations," Bruce warned.
Lucius slowly nodded in understanding. "Thank you... Teacher?"
His gaze shifted toward the pizza box sitting on the table, and he pushed it toward Lucius’s side. "Eat up and change into something comfortable. We have a long day ahead of us."
"Okay." Lucius nodded without hesitation.
The next hour was spent eating and making small talk with Lia. The relaxed atmosphere was almost strange to Lucius after everything that had happened over the past few days, but he did not complain. Once they finished eating, he showered and changed into the newly purchased black and purple running shirt, trousers, and shoes that had been prepared for him.
Before leaving, Lucius briefly hugged Lia and said goodbye, then followed Bruce toward the waiting white SUV.
The moment Lucius entered the back seat, however, the relaxed feeling disappeared. His body stiffened almost immediately, and a wave of suffocation seemed to settle over him. His heart began beating violently against his chest, and goosebumps spread across his skin as though his body had recognized a predator before his mind could fully understand what was happening. His gaze slowly fell upon the man seated in the passenger seat.
The man was dark skinned with long dreadlocks and wore nothing more than a simple tank top, exposing numerous tattoos of different colors that covered his arms, shoulders, and portions of his chest. He sat completely still, his posture relaxed, yet his presence alone made Lucius feel as though he had stepped into a cage with a ferocious tiger.
Silver noticed the goosebumps covering Lucius’s body and silently took note of his reaction before speaking. "He’s Dayvon Smith, popularly known as Black Death. A veteran A rated Hunter who retired early to work for my family."
Lucius swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he desperately tried to regain control over his breathing and heartbeat. It was difficult. Every instinct in his body was telling him to keep his distance from the man, yet there was nowhere to go inside the vehicle.
Dayvon, however, did not even bother looking back or acknowledging Lucius’s presence. He simply kept his eyes forward and said nothing, as though Lucius did not exist.
Silver chuckled softly at Lucius’s shaken behavior before turning his attention toward the driver. "Take us to the Academy training facility."
"Understood!" The driver nodded, and within seconds, the convoy began moving.