After thirty-seven minutes in the dungeon, they had already managed to rack up sixty-six points after running into three more goblin groups.
The first group had ten goblins—two were E Rank and the rest F Ranks.
The second had nineteen goblins, four being E Rank and the rest F Ranks.
And the last goblin group they encountered had only fourteen goblins, with two being E Rank and the rest F Ranks.
Summed with their initial thirteen points, that gave them sixty-six points.
Along the way, they also ran into two other teams and had almost gotten into a scuffle with one.
"I should've brought snacks," Beren grumbled, exasperation written all over his tone.
"You shouldn't have stopped me, Amarie. Who knows how much longer we have to spend here," he said, looking toward her accusingly.
"If we had at least gotten half of the dried fruits from the other team, we wouldn't have to fight on empty stomachs."
Almost immediately after, his tummy rumbled audibly, making his case for him.
"If you had eaten before entering the dungeon—like I told you to—you wouldn't be hungry now, would you?" Amarie replied disgruntledly, arms crossed over her chest.
But Beren kept on groaning and fake-crying aloofly, as if he hadn't heard a word from her.
Tsk.
She clicked her tongue, beyond annoyed, before marching toward him with a palm raised to smack his head.
Aeon watched them with an amused look on his face before stepping closer to Isode to ask,
"When do you think it's going to end?"
Isode, gently turning her head to her cousin's, replied softly,
"I don't know. It's our first E-Rank dungeon school exploration, after all."
She paused, pondered, and continued shortly after,
"Maybe there's a task that requires completion before the test ends, or a set time limit we haven't reached." She nodded her head as if to say that must be it.
"Could be both," replied Beren, extricating himself from Amarie's endless assault.
Aeon nodded casually in agreement, then looked back toward Isode's expressionless face, watching her brows furrow—barely noticeable—the way they normally did whenever she was in deep thought.
"Are you really going to leave?" he asked.
She clenched her fist silently for a few seconds before saying,
"I am."
"Why?"
She looked at him calmly, studying the slight worry on his face before saying,
"Because the headmaster asked."
Earlier today, Isode had been called to the headmaster's office and handed a letter signed by both the palace and the headmaster himself, asking her to represent the elven kingdom and royal academy as an exchange student to Kingsfield academy, an academy in Calden—the human continent.
"But you don't have to, though," Aeon insisted.
She nodded gently and murmured, barely audible,
"…but I want to."
Aeon gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Aren't you going to miss Beren, your parents, home? I know I would."
Isode wasn't the only one who had received the letter. Aeon had also been asked to go alongside her.
"Awww, Aeo—" Beren started before Amarie clapped her hands over his mouth.
"You don't have to come with," Isode replied, watching Aeon from the side of her eye.
Aeon tilted his head slightly and replied in a mock tone, with a grin,
"But I want to, though."
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Their bracelets flashed and beeped.
Across the surface it read:
Team C has defeated the D-Rank dungeon boss…
Team C has completed the hidden mission objective…
Prepare for forceful ejection in the next 2 minutes.
"Well, there goes our chances of first place," Beren muttered.
"Look at the bright side, at least now you'll get the chance to stuff your belly full once we're out," Aeon said with a smile.
"Yeah, you're right," Beren replied with a wolfish grin.
He placed his hands on his tummy, tilted his head back to the sky, and let out his signature boisterous laugh.
It didn't last long, though, as it was quickly cut short by Amarie's punch to his gut.
"Uhh!"
"Amarie… th-that… pun…ch was… a..lot… har…der… than u..sual," Beren said, gasping between breaths.
Amarie completely ignored his pleas—payback for when he ignored her earlier.
"We should go sightseeing and shopping after the exam," Amarie said to Isode.
"Maybe visit one or two of my favorite restaurants," she added after shooting annoyed glances at Beren, who was still exaggerating his pain.
"Yay, food!" Beren replied, recovering immediately upon hearing words related to food.
Aeon bumped shoulders with Beren and said,
"It'll be the last time you'll see us, at least for a really long while."
"Why am I the only one out of the four of us not going?" Beren asked, disappointed, while strapping his shield to his back.
"Yeah, why?" Amarie replied mockingly, rolling her eyes.
Beep!
Their bracelets flashed with sharp beeping sounds.
Forceful ejection in—
10… 9… 8…
A bright light gradually shone from their bracelets, growing stronger with every second.
6… 3… 2… 1.
The light flared, engulfing them within its brilliance.
When it finally faded, they were gone.