--:
Amanda smiled as she chewed on a large piece of meat.
"Mmh, where did you learn to cook like this? It's really delicious, even my mom can't make it this good."
The girl had woken up early in the morning and watched the sunrise. She stole a quick glance at the mage beside her, but Kaelen didn't respond. He took a deep breath and spoke in a gentle tone.
"If I had known you were this gluttonous, I would've killed a few more monsters."
After Kaelen woke up, he had hunted down the monsters hiding around the volcanic mountain. A few of them had even reached level 3, but they were heavily injured.
"I killed nearly ten monsters and not a single reward dropped. Just my luck."
Kaelen thought to himself.
He handed Amanda another piece of roasted meat, then tore off a large chunk for himself. The juices splattered across his face.
Kaelen turned his eyes to the destroyed island. It looked like an apocalypse scene. He had seen sights like this in his previous life, and to him, this was like a photograph torn straight from his past—one he never wanted to relive.
The island was unrecognizable now. The beach had been swallowed by lava. Cooled, smoke‑rising lava rocks floated on the water's surface.
The forest and rocky regions had been consumed by the tsunami. Only a few tall trees remained standing. And now, the final disaster was about to occur—the volcano was going to erupt.
Kaelen had no idea about this part of Pheniyet's exam. That woman seemed intent on killing each and every student. From what he remembered in his previous life, Estelle survived until the last day, but even she couldn't withstand the flowing lava for long. Still, if Pheniyet had designed this like some sort of mana seed, then there was a chance to survive. Most likely, a powerful mana beast was hidden within the lava. Kaelen guessed it was a Corrupted‑rank, level 4 creature. That was nearly the strength of ten level‑3 monsters. But the real problem wasn't its strength.
Kaelen had no idea how to win against a creature hiding in the lava. In its home terrain, he would obviously lose.
The memory of Estelle dying in the exam flashed into his mind. In his past life, Kaelen had ranked 199th, and once he died, he was able to watch the world Pheniyet created—like watching a television show.
Once you were eliminated, you couldn't influence the world in any way.
Kaelen had seen everything Estelle did in the exam, and when he realized how strong she had been, it felt like someone had punched him in the face.
He exhaled deeply as old memories resurfaced.
Amanda looked at him in surprise and smiled in a childish way as she asked:
"Hey, don't tell me you're getting attached. We only have three days left and you look like you don't even want to leave the island."
Kaelen looked at Amanda, then back at the island.
"What nonsense is this girl talking about?"
Amanda swallowed her meat and pouted when her guess failed.
"What? I thought you were sad we're leaving the island. Right, you're a heartless psycho."
"Haha, is that something someone who begs for help even in her sleep is supposed to say?"
"Huh? What? I talk in my sleep?"
"Yes, and I even saw you crying in your sleep these last two days."
"Who cries in their sleep? You're lying, Kaelen."
"Nope. You were muttering something about your stuffed bear Teddy and grabbed my leg trying to hug it. I got scared and went monster hunting early in the morning."
Kaelen said it casually, then noticed the girl's pale face turning red.
"Ahh… that's embarrassing, but it's fine! No one knows except you and me."
"Ah, about that. Actually, Pheniyet is probably showing everything that happens here to all the exam candidates. And if your family is watching, they've seen all of this too."
"Ughhhhhhh!"
Amanda covered her face with both hands and let out a thin squeal.
She couldn't speak for several minutes.
Kaelen felt very peaceful in the silence.
"Finally."
As the minutes passed, Pheniyet's voice echoed once again from the blue sky.
Amanda and Kaelen found themselves staring upward. A floating figure approached them.
Her black hair and pink‑violet eyes shimmered with curiosity. The black fur she wore made her stand out.
[Hello, candidates. I see only two of you are left, and it appears one of you has even deciphered my magic.]
"So you're speaking to us directly now."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. Pheniyet descended to the mountainside and looked at him.
[Of course I am. Amanda Oren… and the star of the exam, Kaelen.]
"Oh? So you've learned my name."
[How could I not? You're the most talented young mage I've ever seen. You impressed not only me but every guild and every instructor of Eldorian Academy watching right now.]
"That's not enough. They should be more than impressed. Maybe I'll give a few guilds my autograph after the exam—don't you think, old mage Pheniyet?"
[Ahahaha… A sharp tongue on someone so talented—what a shame. I suppose every rose has its thorn.]
"Since you're here before the final test starts, you must have an offer for me. Does the Council want an inexperienced mage like me? Will the guilds even let you?"
[Haha… word games won't help you here. Yes, it's a job offer. And no, I don't care what the big guilds say. I want you in the Council, child.]
"And are you sure I'm worth all this trouble? You'll be scolded by the Council for this alone."
[They'll scold me? Haha! Do you even know who I am? I am Master Mage Pheniyet. A 4th‑Tier mage. I am not 'just anyone,' and I don't care. I want you.]
Her eyes gleamed like a predator watching its prey. Her focus was solely on Kaelen.
"O‑okay… that's a little scary…"
Kaelen didn't remember anything like this from his past life. Estelle had never received such an offer. Well, it made some sense—Estelle was already tied to the Council, though secretly.
[I'd love to hear your answer, but that will have to wait until after the exam.]
Pheniyet slowly floated up again.
[Now then… say hello to the final day, apprentice mages.]
With a snap of her fingers, a sharp sound echoed across the island. Within seconds, the ground trembled violently. New volcanoes erupted from the tsunami‑stricken areas. The sky darkened with smoke as the mountain beneath Kaelen started shaking.
Pheniyet hovered calmly above the chaos.
"So she really came to interfere with the exam."
Kaelen sighed.
Amanda grabbed him by the neck and shook him frantically.
"Hey… hey… hey… Kaelen, what do we do?! You said you had a plan!"
Kaelen tried to think while struggling not to vomit from the shaking. When Amanda finally let go, he had made his decision.
"Give me your blessing."
Amanda clasped her hands, and bright mana wrapped around her body once more.
After receiving her blessing, Kaelen turned to the blonde mage.
A wide smile spread across his face.
Amanda lifted one eyebrow, uneasy.
"Whenever you smile like that, something bad happens to me."
"Ah, sorry. It's a habit. And… I need to tell you something important."
"What?"
Amanda looked at him curiously. Kaelen slowly leaned toward her. Their faces were only five centimeters apart. Amanda held her breath, hearing her own heartbeat.
Kaelen's lips parted, and he spoke a sentence she would never forget.
"Never trust a mage."
Kaelen pushed the girl off the mountainside with a single strike.
Amanda's expression shifted from shock to fury.
Falling down the rocky slope, she screamed with her last bit of strength:
"Kaelen! You son of a bitch!"
Kaelen leaned over the edge a moment later, watching her splash into the blue waters below.
"Hehehe, messing with her is too much fun. Now… back to business."
The golden mana shimmering on his body hadn't disappeared—Amanda's ability still lingered even though she was likely dead.
Kaelen entered the cave passage leading into the volcano. The mountain shook again, nearly throwing him off balance.
Another massive quake rattled the island.
Kaelen reached the iron gate where they had fought yesterday.
But what he saw was completely different. The area was destroyed, the iron gate blasted open. Lava had flooded the entire chamber. Kaelen's mana shifted into "Enn" form. With the thin mana coating his body and Pheniyet's blessing, he stepped onto the sea of lava.
Tssss
A faint hiss rose, but his mana protected him for now. There was nothing he could do about the extreme heat. Toxic gas made his breathing weak.
A huge fireball shot toward him from beyond the molten chamber. Kaelen dodged, seeing the rocks behind him melt instantly.
He glanced at Pheniyet, who floated casually behind him, wrapped in her fur coat.
"So you hid a corrupted‑rank, level‑4 lava monster here?"
Pheniyet answered happily:
[Close… but you're forgetting this is a test. No matter how strong you are, you cannot cleanse mana seeds alone, Kaelen. Eventually, you'll face an enemy you can't defeat by yourself.]
"You've got to be joking!"
Kaelen's eyes widened. Was he wrong?
The mountain trembled again. From the lava‑flooded doorway, a massive silhouette emerged. The stone‑bodied monster rose onto its two feet—nearly four meters tall—as it stepped out of the molten sea.
Two miniature volcanoes protruded from each shoulder. Its stone body looked nearly impervious.
For the first time, Kaelen felt uneasy. Pheniyet had truly lost her mind.
[This is a corrupted‑rank upper level 5 monster, Kaelen.]
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