Seeing the chasers fall, Rhen couldn't help but muse.
'Why the hell were they so easy to beat? Hoo, I guess experience is not enough to beat brutal strength.'
Rhen shook his head, realising he didn't move one bit.
He still had the potion's effect active for less than 40 minutes till it wore off. And he wanted to fight.
But his friends handled them with courageous face and he decided to let it go for them.
Nina who awakened a year ago and mastered her Talent; Oscar, a prodigy who had awakened without external help when he was just fifteen years old; Lilac, summoned from who knows where.
Even Einar stood out amongst those without talent from his determination to his brute strength.
This people were handling people who must have had trained for this exams.
'Yknow, this makes me realise, if I still had my E-rank Talent... I would never have gone far.'
As the thought slid into Rhen's mind, he shrugged it off.
Soon, the chasers were all completely knocked out.
That was why the fight took quite a long time; Rhen did want any casualty from something like this.
Plus he didn't follow Oscar's standards and everyone chose to respect that.
Rhen walked to where Einar was sprawled while Nina looked coldly and Lilac wore a look of excitement.
"I guess you've passed the exams," he said to Einar. "As planned, this are your points now."
From the beginning, they expected something sent by Jack to interfere with the exams and the plan was to give it to Einar.
"I don't want to accept it, I only knocked out one of these people..."
"You were distract-"
As Rhen was about to convince Einar, he saw the Talentless boy smile, a hint of sadness evident.
"But I know why I need to accept it. Thanks, guys."
Rhen turned to the rest of the team.
"How many points do you have?"
"I have 53!" Lilac yelled.
"60," Nina stated.
"My share from what Einar and I have done is 34," Oscar answered.
'If we're aiming for 200 points in the exams, that's like 66 per hour. We're about 40 minutes in.'
After making mental calculations, Rhen said, "Beautiful work, ladies. Einar and Oscar, y'all are hunting for just one person so pick up the productivity."
He looked down to the people gathered here.
"I doubt this people have much, but I'll hold their points for now. We'll share it based on how many points we have at the third hour. Good work."
Nina lingered and grumbled, before turning around and darting.
Rhen heard something like, "bastard can't even compliment how hard I'm working..."
He wasn't to sure, but Nina wasn't the type for that so... skip.
[Lilac, you're doing a great job. Go continue the hardwork.]
He communicated through telepathy and Lilac, acting like she wasn't really familiar to Rhen, nodded excitedly and like a blob of darkness, she left the field.
Rhen turned to Einar, seeing he was sprawled tired, he chuckled and turned to Oscar.
"What do you think? Are we going to pass?"
Oscar, already using is crows to scout for preys to attack, opened his eyes.
Indifferent and calm, he replied, "Definitely."
Rhen smiled in response.
The time for the potion effect was running and there was definitely going to be a backlash after it was gone, so he wanted to go invest the rest of his time in hunting.
Waving, he left the field.
- - - - -
Nilo, along with Jack, had left the cathedral.
The exams was soon to be concluded and one could already tell how it will end.
Rhen and his team was sure to be qualified, simply because team had the only high ranked Talents.
Normally, high-ranked Talents don't even need to apply for a job, especially in a place like the Union that lacks high-ranked due to people's perception of the group and it's future, and also because it's located far from other towns, cities, and the likes.
The next goal in everyone's mind now was to recruit this party, or maybe even one, though they knew that was harder than recruiting all.
After listening to everything Jack knew about Rhen and Jack's plan for the boy, Nilo had formed a plan of his own.
The man with black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing a dark blue gown (the thing that church popes wear, similar silhouette to that), smiled darkly.
'This was the same boy that led to the death of Mack, the first child I invested in, 4 years ago. Then, he struck me as a wise one.
'The interest I had in him was as high as the anger I had for him. I thought of bringing him, I would make him suffer, but I'd also make him mine.
'Alas, he awakened a poor Talent, not worthy for my plan at all. But now, he has appeared differently, and he has come with secrets.'
Nilo was more than interested in Rhen and his party now.
Unlike the other Fangs, he knew Rhen was chased to Mazeweald by Jack's people, he subtly assisted in covering that.
With this knowledge, he knew something had happened to Rhen within that Mazeweald, a place people had longed searched for lost treasures, and he was interested in that.
The only problem was that Nilo knew Rhen had something planned, which was why the boy extravagantly participated in the exams, instead of an exclusive entrance.
But Nilo didn't have a problem with that. Instead, he was going to work with that.
The cathedral they had been watching the Exam had a path that led directly to the Union's building.
Nilo and Jack boarded the man's private carriage and we're in their way there now.
Seating opposite Nilo, Jack opened his mouth, closed it, until he forced himself to open it again.
"Master, forgive me impertinence, but I'd like to ask: Why are you interested in helping me with that... Rhen now?"
Nilo cast a dark gaze that made Jack shudder, but realising any slight mistake could spoil his plans, his gaze softened.
"Boy, that child survived your initial attack, one that I subtly helped you. And on the same night, a mana surge occured.
"Don't you think something's wrong with him?"
Jack's eyes widened as he nodded.
"Right! I also thought it was impossible he could just escape my grasp."
A bit of enlightenment reflected in his eyes as he asked, "Master, do you think he think found something there? That would explain his new strength!"
Nilo smiled, the tap of his finger making contact with where his hand rested resounding.
"I will help you get your revenge and I'll reap what that boy found as payment. Life is about exchange, but who knows, if you do very well, I might be give you something."
If not for the carriage's narrow space, Jack would have knelt down, however, now he could only bow.
"Your mercy is truly the best. I won't let you down."
Nilo's smile only absurdly widened, making him raise an arm to cover it.