Falling for what seemed like meters, Alaric was attacked from behind by what appeared to be a three-meter-tall earth golem. After being struck, he was thrown onto a platform with water constantly flowing down.
"Damn, they already started like this."
As he stood up, Kael suddenly pulled him out of the water, which had just been electrified by lightning magic from the person on the other side.
"I thought I could take one out."
A boy with an arrogant smile was standing in front of them. Alaric noticed they were in the air and wondered how—until he saw Kael standing on a golden sword. He realized it was the princess. Several golden swords rained down on him, only to be blocked by an earthen shield.
"I told you to be careful, Kalleb."
"Tsk, bossy as always."
Someone who looked identical to Kalleb approached; by their appearance, they were twin brothers. Both were about to unleash a spell when Kai interrupted, using his Rising Tide magic to push them back.
"This trap was well made, but it's confusing. It didn't seem like there was another floor."
"Hey, fairy, if there's another floor, that means there's a hidden boss, right?"
At Kael's question, the fairy nodded, confirming that this was the place of the hidden boss. It was a vast area, seemingly bottomless, with several platforms and walls suspended in the air, water cascading down from the ceiling like waterfalls in many corners.
"There are actually two hidden bosses here."
"That means the same thing must have happened to the others."
The two in front stepped on something beneath the water, and all the platforms rotated as an opening appeared above. A crystal-blue aquatic serpent emerged from it, spitting a jet of water straight at them. Kael immediately panicked, already knowing what would happen.
"Princess Elowyn."
"I know."
The floating swords moved, and Kai grabbed one. The water jet completely split the platform they were on. Using his spear, Alaric aimed at its head and launched a water spear, hitting it but without causing serious damage.
"Damn, it's tougher than I thought."
Kai defended against an attack from behind by the earth golem, redirecting the blow with his defensive technique and slicing off one of its arms with a crescent slash. Behind them, Kael was struck by lightning, sent flying, and crashed into another platform. Seeing Kalleb approach, Kael stood up slowly, his eyes glimmering with amusement.
"Tell me, are you stronger than your brother?"
"I don't know why you're asking that, but… I'm not, even if I hate to admit it."
"Then you're useless."
Confused, he was caught off guard by a water spear piercing his foot. Grunting, he tried to retreat, but Kael had already leapt off the platform, standing on his spear.
"Hey, princess, I'll leave this guy to you."
"What?"
Passing her, he went toward Kai, pushing him toward Alaric, who was fighting the serpent. Thinking Kael was crazy but grateful nonetheless, Kai grabbed Alaric's hand, spinning around to defend against a water tail that had tried to strike him from behind.
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me. You should thank Kael for throwing me here to help you."
"You know he only threw you here because he wanted to fight the strongest one, right?"
The two faced the serpent as it lunged at them, trying to devour them. Each jumped to one side, narrowly dodging the attack.
"Aquatic Crescent Slash."
Using his technique combined with his oceanic magic, Kai pierced the serpent's skin. Alaric leapt onto its back, thrusting his spear multiple times and punching holes into it. Thrashing, the serpent threw Alaric off, who managed to escape the attack.
"Lance of the Sea Prince!"
Alaric placed his spear in front of him, transforming it into a lance with a spinning blade, increasing its piercing power. Two hands of water emerged from his back, gripping the weapon alongside him. Tightening his hold, he thrust forward, creating a water vortex that tore through the platform and pierced one of the serpent's eyes.
"Huff… damn, this attack is too hard to pull off."
"Careful!"
The serpent's tail struck his stomach, launching him onto another platform. Kai rushed to him, dodging several sharp water jets. When he got close, he noticed Alaric's mask had fallen, revealing blue hair and eyes.
"You're not the employer's son."
"Damn, my disguise…"
Alaric glanced at the water, realizing his disguise was gone. He stood up—he couldn't care about that anymore, at least not now. Survival came first.
"Why did you come?"
"To retrieve my mother's core."
He had even brought his grandparents' servant for this mission. There was no way he could return home without that core. Maybe then his father would talk to him more and set aside his vengeance, at least for a while, to care for the family. He too wanted revenge against that man, but abandoning a son wasn't necessary.
Elsewhere, hidden from sight, the man with earth magic easily dodged a water spear and looked at the boy of the same age standing before him.
[You fake it well. You even told a little story.]
'I just shared a bit of who I was at fifteen. And it wasn't a made-up story.'
Kael—or rather, Enrico—stared at the opponent before him, his eyes beginning to shine, fading back into their natural red. He had deactivated all abilities, leaving only the natural color. In truth, he hadn't lied at all in his story—aside from the personality, that was exactly how he had felt back then.
"You're strong, but—"
"Cláudio Vermon."
"How do you—?"
The man was shocked, but Enrico showed no reaction. He had come here for two reasons: first, to claim the reward bow, and second, to find this man.
"How do I know? Let's just say… you'll cause a lot of trouble in the future. So I'll make sure you disappear."
The second reason was clear—he intended to kill the one who would bring disaster to the academy and later become a vessel for an evil god.