The branches broke beneath their feet as they ran through the forest. It was usually quiet, but the army of awakeners pursuing them made sure that wasn't the case. Shouts, broken trees, and abilities being used filled the forest as Arthur and his team ran toward the shore.
Luckily for them, the shore wasn't that far from the ruins. That was why they managed to reach it by the time the alliance finally caught up.
"Brother, I'm dying to know how you pulled that off!" Oliver said while huffing. The other two also looked at Arthur with interest.
Arthur couldn't possibly tell them the truth, because that would mean revealing his shadow. He had asked his shadow to remain in Ellen's shadow until they were close enough. He feared that it would be stopped if he used it in public and didn't want anyone to link it to him.
Ellen, who was almost as fast as Arthur and Rae, was perfect to get the shadow there. That's why Arthur trusted to be close enough for the shadow to sneak as Rae and he distracted the others.
After that, the shadow left the crystals in his shadow space before disintegrating. It had only half an hour before disappearing, so it was a close call.
"We have no time for this, they'll soon be here. Do you know how to use the crystals?"
"I've seen a guy uses it to pass the test. He made a boat from it." Oliver shrugged. "We can do that."
"Yes, here you go."
"But there are only three crystals and we're four. Shouldn't we try to get one more?" Oliver mumbled without taking the crystal from Arthur's hand.
Arthur saw Ellen's face pale. It seems she thought they were going to cut her off since they were one crystal less. Before she could try anything reckless, Arthur threw a crystal her way.
She clumsily caught the crystal as she looked at Arthur with a stunned expression.
"W-what?" She asked meekly. "I-I don't think I should get one."
"Of course, you should, we couldn't have made it without you." Arthur laughed. "Inject mana into the crystal and you can make a boat out of it."
Ellen looked blankly at the crystal and nodded. She hugged the crystal as if she was afraid that she would lose it. Arthur smiled and threw the other one to Oliver, who caught it easily.
"Oliver, did you see how that person made it across the sea?"
"I think the crystal naturally gravitates toward the goal," Oliver said as he looked at the crystal then looked at the one Arthur had. "Brother, what about the last one? Who is…" He then glanced at Rae.
"We'll solve this." Arthur waved his hand. Rae stood there expressionless as she crossed her arms around her chest. "Use the crystals now. They're close."
The sounds of the army's march started making the shore vibrate. As if a thousand horses were coming their way, the forest buzzed with activity.
"They're at the shore!" He heard a fairly close shout.
"Now!"
Ellen and Oliver hurriedly made boats of their crystals. Arthur watched with fascination as the small crystal stretched and turned into a small boat.
They threw the boats into the water before jumping on top of them. The moment their feet touch the small boat's crystal floor, it began zooming across the acidic sea.
"Say, Rae," Arthur called out without taking his eyes off his departing comrades. "Don't you find this island weird?"
"What do you mean?" Rae looked at him with confusion. "It is weird, it's artificial. Are you an idiot?"
"Hah," Arthur sighed as he turned to her. "We'll never get along, huh?"
"Not in a thousand years. I'll make you my slave and I'll make you suffer."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Arthur threw the crystal her way and she snatched it midair. She looked at Arthur for a moment before smiling.
"You already have one, huh?"
"Yeah."
"You're a softie and that's disgusting. You went through all that trouble to help your friends?"
"I didn't think it would be this troublesome. No, I didn't think you guys would be this troublesome."
"What if we didn't get the crystals?" Rae asked as she toyed with the crystal in her hand. "What other plans did you have?"
"Why would I tell you that?"
"To show off, probably." Rae shrugged. Arthur shook his head as the other students reached the shore.
"Don't you think that it's weird how this island still stands even though it's surrounded by such an acidic sea?"
"You mean…"
"This island soil is immune to the acid. You don't need to be strong to pass this test. I think a lot of people had already passed this way as others chased after the crystals."
"If you knew already, why would you go after the crystals yourself?"
"For fun." Arthur took out the crystal Jonah gave him. "I didn't plan on passing from the beginning." He had no issue saying this because Rae already witnessed his strength.
Arthur created a boat with his crystal as the awakeners surrounded him and Rae. He threw the boat into the sea and jumped on it. He turned around to Rae and the army and waved his hand.
The boat raced across the acidic sea as the awakeners threw out their ability and skills at him. However, none of them reached him and Arthur managed to slip away.
He looked across the acidic sea with a calm expression as he wondered what was his ranking. Hopefully, it wouldn't be high nor low.
***
Along the way, Arthur saw other rankers coming from different directions and heading toward the island. As soon as his boat touched the island's shore, a voice rang in his ears.
"You have passed the second test. Your rank is 186."
After that, the scene in front of him disappeared. Arthur found himself standing in front of the gate that he went into the dungeon from. There, Linda was still standing taking count.
"Come here, junior!" She waved at him and Arthur walked toward her. She handed him a badge and pointed toward a corridor. "Follow the badge, congrats on passing the second test!"
"When would I take the last one?"
"Simply go through the corridors and you'll figure out the rest. It's not that difficult." Linda winked at him and Arthur nodded his head.
He then went through the set of corridors and met an old man guarding a door. The old man glanced at him before opening the door, allowing Arthur to enter.
Inside, Arthur found several young people fidgeting in their seats. The hall was rectangular and there were students seated everywhere. He found an empty seat next to a student that was sweating too much.
The last test was thought of as the hardest for Jerano, but also the simplest. It wasn't anything complicated but a simple interview with the principal, Henrick Ozay.
Even though it didn't require you to be strong, it was the most unpredictable. Even Arthur can fail to pass this test if he wasn't careful enough.
Soon enough, his turn arrived. He stood up and headed straight to the room where he met the principal and his signature mustache. He was wearing a monocle on one of his eyes.
Arthur felt that the monocle wasn't that simple as it glistered with light. The principal gestured to the seat in front of him and Arthur took a seat.
"Hello, I'm Henrick Ozay." The principal politely introduced. "This is your interview, but I need to tell you a few things first."
Arthur nodded his head and greeted. The principal continued explaining.
"This monocle here is a bit special," He adjusted it lightly. "It would tell me if you were lying, so we call it the monocle of truth."
Arthur felt his back tingle as heard these words. This was bad news for him, who had a hidden identity. Why didn't Master Ronin tell him about this artifact?
Before Arthur could answer, the room's door was knocked. The principal frowned and called out for the knocker to come in. To his surprise, Arthur saw Master Ronin make an entrance.
"Teacher." The principal stood up hurriedly as he bowed. "What brings you here today?"
"Hello, Henrick." Master Ronin smiled warmly. "I see that you've taken the position quite well. You look like a real principal now, unlike your mischievous past self."
"I learned from the best." Henrick laughed warmly. "If I had known you were visiting us, I would have made the proper preparations."
"No, it's alright." Master Ronin shook his head. "I'm here for young Alexie here." He nodded at Arthur. Seeing himself being acknowledged, Arthur stood up and bowed.
"He's the son of a friend of mine, Runes Master Linan. Sadly, it has been recently that he returned to the family." Master Ronin shook his head. "He used to go by a different name that I helped to discard, fearing that he wouldn't fit into the noble society."
"Are you saying that it's problematic that he's doing the interview?" Henrick frowned. "It shouldn't be an issue if he changed his name. I can simply make sure of his identity by asking him about his relationship with Runes Master Linan."
"You see, Alexie didn't acknowledge his father yet. With the runes master being of troubled mind at the moment, we have no way of resolving this."
"Very well." Henrick nodded. "Then I would simply test his character. If you're willing to vouch for him this much, I'm helpless against it." The principal shook his head helplessly.
"Thank you, Henrick." Master Ronin bowed slightly. "Please excuse my insolence for interfering in your matters."
"Not at all, sir." Henrick shook his head. "You're one of the pillars that made Jerano what it is today. Let's meet to discuss things after the third test is done?"
"That would be lovely." Master Ronin then bid his farewells.
"Alright, Alexie Linan." Principal Henrick sat down in his chair. "Now, let's see what's so special about you that Master Ronin went out of his way for you." Arthur felt a slight tone of jealousy from the principal.