I looked at her with a mischievous smile as Elyndria slowly nodded, curiosity shining in her emerald eyes. She truly had no idea what she was agreeing to — and somehow, that made this moment even more amusing.
I closed my eyes, focusing on deactivating the passive effect that shielded me. When I opened them again, her reaction was immediate.
Her eyes widened slightly."Your eyes… they're back to normal. Is this your original color?"
Ah. So they must have returned to their natural crimson shade.
"Yes," I answered casually. "I just turned off one of my passive skills."
Her brows drew together, her lips parting with a faint flush on her cheeks.
"But… I still can't feel anything from you."
Well, that was awkward. But honestly, it was a good thing. The last thing I needed was anyone — even her — reading me.
I activated Voidwalker's Gaze again. My eyes shifted back into their signature red-and-purple diamond shape, gleaming with power that bent reality around them.
Then I smirked and said softly:
"How about you discover my feelings manually? You know… like everyone else."
A flicker of annoyance glimmered in her eyes, but it vanished almost instantly. She sighed and looked away, cheeks still faintly pink.
"Hmph… stay mysterious then."
There was still plenty of time before all students returned, so we simply waited. Sometimes we spoke, sometimes silence stretched between us — comfortable on her part, slightly awkward on mine.
About two and a half hours passed before students began appearing one after another, teleported out of their respective regions through runic gates.
Aldric and Anastasia arrived together. Both visibly froze when they saw me sitting beside Elyndria — the princess of the elves — talking casually.
Before they could approach, I felt two very cold gazes drilling into the side of my head.
I turned.
Sylvarin and Lorianth — the SSS-rank elves who escorted her — were staring at me like I had personally offended their ancestors.
…Lovely.
But before they could storm over, Kael Vortan descended from the sky, floating above everyone like a silent storm.
His eyes swept across the crowd and briefly lingered on me and Elyndria before continuing.
He spoke, voice amplified across the area:
"Your results will appear on your armbands momentarily. You will have one day of rest before the final stage of the entrance exam. Those who failed the second stage will be removed immediately. Rest well. You will need it."
He vanished in a blink — leaving behind tension, excitement, and fear all mixed in the hot desert air.
A moment later—
Bzzzt—
My armband vibrated as the rankings materialized.
────────────────────────
Arthur von Vormir & Elyndria de' Caelrith — (1068 points)
Aldric Crestban & Fin Hord — (801 points)
Anisthisia Thornhelm & Adam Ray — (601 points)
Arach Fangnor & Catili — (598 points)...────────────────────────
As expected — we were first.And not just first — far above the rest.
Aldric's face was a masterpiece of disbelief. He had absolutely assumed he would take the top spot. His pride had been wounded so deeply I almost felt bad.
Almost.
He and Anisthisia approached us. From the looks on their faces, I could tell they desperately wanted to ask how I managed it — how I got such an absurd lead — but chose to stay silent for now.
I took the initiative and gestured toward Elyndria.
"Meet him — Aldric, my cousin. And she's Anisthisia — my friend, and his girlfriend."
Elyndria blinked softly.
"Oh."There was clear surprise in her voice. She definitely hadn't expected Aldric to be the divine-talent awakener everyone talked about.
Still, she gave a polite, graceful smile.
"Elyndria. Nice to meet you."
Both Aldric and Anisthisia returned the greeting, though Aldric still looked like someone had stolen his destiny.
A few seconds later, Sylvarin and Lorianth approached — clearly unwilling to leave the princess alone with me for too long.
Elyndria introduced them with the elegance of royalty.
The two elves, of course, continued glaring daggers at me as if I were a criminal who kidnapped their princess.
I ignored them completely and stretched my arms.
"Well," I said casually, "we're going to grab some food. Want to join us?"