Chapter 31: Successfully Completed!
Pouring the last bit of strength into his arms, Ethan desperately pulled himself back onto the pillar before collapsing onto it, breathing heavily.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
"That..."
"Was way too close."
...I almost fucking died.
After steadying his breathing for a brief moment, he forced himself back up.
There was no turning back now.
Step by careful step...
Jump after calculated jump...
Ethan continued adapting to the constantly changing gravity until, with one final leap, his feet landed safely beyond the last pillar.
He had done it.
He had cleared the academy’s first assessment.
A loud whistle echoed across the assessment grounds.
The final obstacle...
Cleared.
As Ethan walked away from the finish line, he immediately noticed several students who had finished ahead of him.
Some stared openly in disbelief.
Others looked downright furious.
"How did an F-rank Guide finish?"
"He cheated."
"He had to."
"There’s no way he belongs among the first fifteen students."
"I refuse to believe that was legitimate."
Jealous whispers spread through the crowd almost instantly, though not everyone shared the same opinion.
"Whether he cheated or not, he still finished."
"That last obstacle wasn’t something luck alone could overcome."
"Congratulations, Ethan."
A few students even offered sincere congratulations, something Ethan honestly wasn’t prepared for.
Unfortunately...
He didn’t have the luxury of standing around to enjoy any of it.
The moment he spotted a secluded corner nearby, he practically stumbled toward it before bending over violently.
"Blegh!"
Everything he had eaten the previous day came rushing back up.
"Fuck..."
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before leaning against a nearby pillar.
"I’m actually seeing stars..."
His entire body trembled from exhaustion.
Between the sleepless nights spent cultivating, the horrifying pain of Saint Aster’s training method, and today’s assessment, he had pushed himself far beyond his limits.
It was honestly a miracle he was still standing.
After taking several deep breaths, Ethan slowly walked back toward the resting area where the successful students of earlier where still gathered. Before giving up halfway and collapsing onto the grass.
The cool breeze brushed against his sweat-soaked face as he stared silently at the clear blue sky overhead.
For several long minutes...
He simply breathed.
Gradually, the violent spinning in his head subsided.
Only then did Ethan sit up, returning the congratulations from the students who had spoken to him earlier before making his way over to the registration table.
Afterward, he joined the others in signing their names on the completion register before recording the exact time they had finished the assessment.
As Ethan completed his tasks, a call had already reached somewhere within the Imperial Palace, updating its receiver on every one of Ethan’s recent accomplishments.
A low chuckle escaped the man’s lips before his deep, commanding voice echoed through the room.
"It seems he’s not as weak as we thought." His tone carried an unmistakable hint of amusement. "Keep watching over him. If anything comes up, don’t interfere unless it’s truly serious and beyond his ability to handle... like the last time. Only then should you step in."
After receiving the other party’s acknowledgment, the call came to an end.
The silence barely lasted a second before the man standing nearby spoke.
"Boss... was that call about the Ashford boy?"
"Yes." The corner of the man’s lips curved upward into a slow, intrigued smile. "It seems my little wife is far more interesting than I thought."
...
Meanwhile, completely unaware that he had just become the topic of discussion inside the imperial palace, Ethan had already reunited with Rin who had been among the top five students to complete the obstacle course.
The two of them lay side by side on the grassy field, enjoying the rare opportunity to rest after the grueling assessment.
Well...
Mostly.
Every few seconds, Ethan caught Rin sneaking another sideways glance at him before awkwardly looking away again.
He would look as though he wanted to say something.
Then chang his mind.
Then want to speak again. Before keeping shut.
After the fifth time, Ethan finally sighed.
"Oh, Rin... just say it already, will you?"
Rin let out an embarrassed chuckle before sitting upright.
"Okay, okay... don’t get me wrong. I’m seriously happy you managed to finish the assessment on time, heck managing to even complete it even, but... Ethan, even I’m shocked."
He scratched the back of his head.
"Don’t tell me you’re actually some hidden genius who’s been fooling everyone all this time."
Leaning forward, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Come on."
"What’s the secret?"
Ethan couldn’t help laughing.
"Well... even if there is a secret, you’ll have to tell me that important thing you promised to tell me a few days ago first."
He pointed accusingly at Rin.
"Then I might consider telling you mine."
Rin opened his mouth to respond.
Before a single word could leave it, both of them noticed someone approaching.
Their expressions immediately straightened.
Mr. Davin stopped directly in front of the two boys before looking down at Ethan with an unreadable expression.
"Alright."
"Resting time is over."
He paused just long enough for Ethan’s curiosity to spike before calmly delivering the next sentence.
"Ashford... Principal Ronan is waiting for you at the training entrance."
Ethan waved Rin goodbye before following Mr. Davin out of the training grounds. The cheers, complaints, and heated discussions behind them gradually faded into the distance as the two walked along the academy pathways in silence. They were only a few steps away from the main gate when Davin suddenly slowed his pace breaking the comfortable silence between them.
"Ethan."
"Yes, sir?"
"You did exceptionally well today."
Ethan blinked in surprise before turning to look at the instructor.
"When the results are officially announced, I’m confident you’ll qualify for the Rift and Dungeon practical exercises. You really managed to shock everyone..." Davin paused for a brief moment before a faint smile appeared on his usually stern face. "Including me."
Ethan smiled politely, doing everything he could to hide the nervousness threatening to show on his face.
Yeah...
That was definitely not what he had wanted.