Ever since Kain first heard about the College-organized event to compensate for the missed re-ranking, the rumors surrounding it had only grown stranger and stranger.
It was an expedition. It was a survival challenge. It was a fight between students to the death. It was a treasure hunt. It was a team challenge. It was in a relic. It was in the wilderness…
There were all kinds of rumours—many contradicting each other.
But today, they would finally be put to rest.
Now Kain stood in a familiar location.
‘This is where it all began…’
When Kain first enrolled, Dark Moon College possessed four relics—the second most among all colleges.
They now had five since the uncovering of the habitat relic in which all manner of microorganisms were housed.
Unlike the memory echo relics Kain had grown accustomed to entering as a member of the Order, most relics owned by College’s were trial relics created to foster the next generation.
Of the five relics, Kain had entered two trial relics—one during his entrance exam and the other last year when training with the top students representing the College at the National Tournament. And he’d actually helped the college obtain one of its habitat relics. Unfortunately, Kain knew nothing about the remaining two relics.
Now Kain found himself in the same clearing in which the relic that served as the site of his entrance examination was located.
Back then it had been used to create hundreds of identical parallel spaces that required Kain and the other examinees to cross an incredibly long bridge while suffering from seemingly endless attacks.
But Kain had felt that even back then that was likely not the full extent of its abilities—otherwise, why would it be so treasured by a top 5 college?
Now Kain stood with both his fellow second years and all of the students from each grade level, in four neat lines organized by class rank—meaning that Kain was at the front of his line. Well, almost at the front.
He’d graciously given up the first-place spot to Serena to stand behind her, even though technically they were sharing the first-place position (and he wanted to make sure that everyone remembered that THEY WERE BOTH FIRST).
Breaking Kain out of his somewhat petty thoughts, a figure stepped forward to the platform overlooking the assembled student body.
Tall, lean, and cloaked in deep azure robes with silver trim, Vice Chancellor Darrow radiated an effortless authority that quieted the field long before he spoke.
His gaze swept across the rows of students, pausing—just slightly—when it landed on Kain and Serena.
A brief, nearly imperceptible smile curved his lips. The kind of expression only someone who knew to look for it would recognize. A silent acknowledgement of their secret contributions after heaving joined the Order. Also, possibly a slight relief that the two most promising students of the College had not gotten themselves killed on a mission.
And then in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Behind him stood a collection of professors from all grade levels and disciplines within the Beast-tamer department. Kain wasn’t sure about what role they played in this event and recognized a few immediately.
Professor Tameridge stood just behind Darrow, arms crossed tightly across his chest, mouth a flat line. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. His eyes locked on Kain near the front with a glare that had long since lost its sting.
Kain raised an eyebrow, offering him a perfectly civil nod. Tameridge did not return it. No surprise there. The man still likely held a grudge for Kain walking off with the egg that eventually went on to hatch Aurem.
Even if he’d clearly had decades to try and hatch the egg to little success. And even if the ultimate loss of the egg had been due to Tameridge’s own gambling nature…
If there was a portion of the event that relied on scoring of the Professors to obtain rewards, he felt like getting anything more than the bare minimum from the seemingly petty and spiteful Tameridge was helpless…so he didn’t bother paying more attention to him.
To the right stood Professor Night, composed and sharp-eyed as ever. She had been Kain and the other top 5 students’ primary point of contact during the beast-tide incident, and while she hadn’t shown favouritism then, Kain could tell she respected competency and decisiveness, and kept that in mind.
Next to her was Assistant Professor Nightingale, her smile as bright as she looked at the many students from both the past and present that she’d taught. As the lecturer of the first-year spiritual skills course, she’d taught pretty much everyone there at some point. She waved lightly to the crowd and the students she remembered fondly. Kain noted that her attention on Serena, who’d particularly excelled in her course, was especially strong.
More professors filled the stage—some older, others younger—but all of them watched the students with the kind of gaze that measured potential like weight on a scale.
Vice Chancellor Darrow stepped forward. His voice was quiet but carried effortlessly across the clearing.
“Students of Dark Moon College,” he began, “you’ve been gathered here today to take part in a new type of challenge. One born from necessity, yes—but also a tremendous opportunity.”
He let the words hang a moment.
“The re-ranking event, as you all know, was disrupted. Repeatedly.” His tone remained level, but Kain could almost hear the dryness in it and looked around puzzled. He only knew about one source of disruption—the attack of Abyssals in the city. ‘It seems I missed more important events than originally thought…’
A few upper-year students coughed awkwardly. A few others—who had been the partial source of some of those disruptions—looked away.
“To make up for this, and to continue our mission of cultivating strength, adaptability, and excellence, the College has prepared a test unlike any other. A relic trial that will be as rewarding as it is dangerous. Do not expect the same safety measures as during the re-ranking. Be prepared to fight—to survive.”
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