"Alaric, where are you from?"
"Sanos."
"I want to know the city."
"If I told you the city, what would be the reason for me to be wearing a disguise?"
Alaric sighed, trying to escape Kael's questions. The boy seemed far too interested in getting to know him, more than he would have liked.
Even though Alaric wanted to get closer to the boy because he could be useful, he still did not understand why Kael wanted so much to talk and make friends with the others. After all, they could die at any moment during that mission, and creating unnecessary bonds could end up becoming a problem.
"Come on, I'm from—"
"Could you not ask the master questions? You're making him uncomfortable."
Kael seemed discouraged upon hearing Lyssandra. Without insisting, he lay down in the carriage taking them to the dungeon. From what he had seen before coming, there seemed to be some confusion happening at the location because of the movements of the guards, but he decided to focus on his objective for now.
Alaric gave her a brief look, silently thanking her for intervening, before observing the other two rookies. If Kael was someone easy to approach, those two seemed to be the complete opposite.
For a moment, Alaric wondered if he should try talking to them to get some information. However, he had just stopped Kael from continuing to ask questions, and it would be rude to act differently immediately afterward.
"Since he doesn't want to talk... what about you two? Can you tell me where you're from?"
Kael, who had been quiet until then, immediately tried to talk to the other two again.
"From the city of Sercar, located near Floravita."
"It's a rather dangerous place. Good job surviving until now."
"Yes. I did a good job."
He seemed to be getting along well with Arvanys, while Dorian tried to keep his distance and hide some information about himself. Even so, his attempt did not go unnoticed by Alaric's and Arvanys's attentive eyes.
"I'm from Sanos, from the city of Gerven."
"Lucky you. You were born in a rather peaceful place, aren't you, Arvanys?"
"Yes. Very lucky."
Alaric had to admit that Kael was being useful. Because he was so easy to talk to, he could obtain information that might have been difficult to get otherwise. He now knew that Dorian used chain magic and that Arvanys used ice blade magic. He still did not have enough information to completely understand the abilities of the two, but it was already something that could help him during the mission.
"We've arrived, boys."
The carriage finally stopped. When they got out, the rookies found an enormous portal over the water, surrounded by several knights and mages. They all seemed to be above the Fifth Circle, making it clear that the entrance was being protected quite seriously.
One of those responsible approached them and led them toward the portal, creating a path of earth over the water so they could cross safely.
Everyone gathered around the portal. The students from Astrong Academy were positioned on the left side and talked quite a lot about what could happen inside the dungeon. Some discussed the location of the core, while others tried to imagine what creatures they might encounter.
Elowyn, however, remained a little farther away from the others, silently observing everything.
On the other side were the students from Shengtian Celestial Academy.
"We will complete the mission for Tianlong."
"Yes, leader."
The boy standing at the front of them seemed to be the leader. He had black hair with green streaks, and his eyes had the same color. His name was Liang Xuanwu, ranked Rank 3 of Shengtian Academy.
Lyssandra swallowed hard when she saw him.
"They seem strong..."
"According to my research, they are. Especially the leader."
Alaric had researched that academy extensively a few hours earlier. He knew he needed to reach the core first, and if he wanted to accomplish his objective, he would have to use every advantage available. He did not intend to waste any opportunity that could help him.
While observing the Shengtian students, his eyes ended up meeting Kael's. The boy seemed completely unaware of the tension around him and was focused on a small sphere of water he had created in the palm of his hand. The sphere slowly rotated while he seemed to be trying to figure out some different way to use it.
"What do you think of them, Kael? Do you think you can defeat them?"
"What?"
Kael raised his gaze toward Alaric. Then, he observed the students from both academies. For only a few seconds, he analyzed the groups in front of him before turning his attention back to the small sphere of water.
The sphere began rotating faster and gradually became flattened.
"Of course. I'm the strongest one here."
His voice came out naturally. Even with the black mask covering his nose and mouth, it was possible to see the smile in his eyes.
"Your confidence surprises me. Or is it just arrogance?"
"It's not just arrogance if it's true."
Alaric, Lyssandra, Arvanys, and Dorian looked at Kael with a certain amount of respect. None of them knew whether those words were true, but the boy had only demonstrated part of his abilities during the test in the tavern. Now, everyone wanted to discover how much of that confidence actually corresponded to his power or whether it would be a complete disappointment.
After some time, the guard responsible finished talking with the teachers and mercenaries. When he finally received authorization, he took a step back and allowed them to enter.
To everyone's surprise, three people advanced at the same time.
Kael, Kai, and Liang were the first to enter, without even looking back.
"Let's see who gets there first."
The others did not take long to follow them. As soon as they crossed the portal, they felt their bodies being violently pulled toward the bottom of the sea. The sensation was sudden and frightening. They could not breathe or see what was around them, and some even felt like thrashing around in an attempt to escape that invisible current.
Before they could do anything, however, they were thrown out of the water.
Everyone fell onto a platform located inside the dungeon. The water seemed to be trapped in the ceiling, as if an enormous ocean were suspended above them. The platform divided into several paths, but upon looking more closely, they realized that there were only four possible entrances resembling caves. Three were closed, while only one remained open.
Kai calmly stepped onto the ground.
"There's only one. Does that mean we have to work as a team?"
"Actually, I prefer fighting alone. And, just out of curiosity, who is the strongest on your side?"
Kael answered Kai and spoke to Liang beside him.
"I'm the leader of my side, so of course I'm the strongest on my team. But why the question?"
"Just curious..."
The three who had entered first talked calmly, without showing any immediate intention of attacking the others. Alaric had imagined that as soon as everyone entered the dungeon, a battle between the academies and the mercenaries would begin. However, at least at that first moment, Kael, Kai, and Liang seemed more interested in talking than fighting.
Kael then slowly turned his head from side to side, observing the platform and the entrances.
"...It looks like the first attack is about to begin."
At the same instant, several shapes resembling whirlpool specters began appearing in the air. They were Currenters, an aquatic species of Nartheis considered quite rare. Despite this, they were not particularly strong creatures at this stage, as they remained close to the level of Faizes. They would only represent a truly serious danger if they reached level three.
The creatures advanced all at once.
"Water Magic: Rotating Blade!"
The sphere Kael had created began spinning violently and transformed into a blade of compressed water. When he launched the attack, the blade passed through several Currenters in succession, cutting them down before they could get close.
"Jade Dragon Magic: Green Dragon's Attack!"
At the same time, a jade dragon appeared around Liang's arm. The energy creature advanced across the platform, devouring as many Currenters as it could before exploding in the middle of the group.
"Crescent Slash!"
Kai swung his sword, launching a slash that passed through several enemies and split them in half.
Valença also did not want to fall behind. Gathering her magic, she created a large fireball and launched it at the Currenters. The heat was enough to evaporate part of the water surrounding them, opening space for the others to advance.
The others began acting soon afterward.
"Multiple Water Spears!"
Several spears appeared around Alaric and were fired in succession, piercing the Currenters attempting to advance across the platform. Even after so many attacks, however, new creatures continued appearing.
The battle seemed to have no end.
The groups had to continue fighting while slowly advancing across the platform, destroying the Currenters that appeared along the way. With every wave defeated, another seemed to appear immediately afterward, forcing everyone to remain attentive and conserve their movements while searching for an opportunity to advance.
After some time, three voices spoke almost simultaneously.
"We should enter the cave that is open."
The voices belonged to Alaric, Liang, and Elowyn.
The three looked at one another for a moment before running toward the open entrance. The others immediately followed them, realizing that it was probably the only way to continue advancing through the dungeon.
As soon as they crossed the passage, a door made entirely of mana appeared behind them.
It closed with a loud bang.
Above the entrance, words slowly began appearing, formed by the dungeon's own mana.
FIRST TEST STARTED.