“How do I find them? Are they buried deep?” Ren asked.

“Don’t ask me. Cooperate with your partner and find the stones.” Xerzhe swirled his flagon.

Ren took a deep breath. After punching his face, he searched the surface.

‘What is the purpose of this test? It can’t be something as pointless as hide-and-seek, right?’

Ren displaced rocks and dug into bushes in an attempt to ensure that no stone was left unturned. In the process, he shifted a giant boulder and found a hint of blue underneath.

Surprised, Ren touched the blue goo and channeled his mana. The semi-liquid solidified into stone!

‘Already found one?! That was easy…’

“Della, I found yours.” He lifted it before lobbing it to the black-robed man.

“I found the blue stone. Did she pass?”

“Yes. Not that she found it but, the rules are the rules. Congratulations Della.” Xerzhe clapped.

Della smiled, but it was a forced one. Her behavior perplexed Ren.

Shrugging, he returned to his task.

'This has to be the worst test I've ever taken! Is the other stone also hidden in beneath a rock? Or is this some sort of preparation for a treasure hunt?’

Time passed and the mud wall lowered gradually. Each second ticked into oblivion, doomed to never return.

Ren searched every nook and corner. Beneath the rocks, beside the trees, behind the leaves, within the bushes… he left nothing to chance. However, his search yielded unfavorable results.

In the meantime, the wall had lowered to 1/10th of its original height. Sitting on it, Xerzhe played with his feet, casually whistling.

Ren groaned. Having probed the surface, one last reasonable hiding spot remained.

‘He kept the blue stone in plain sight, but hid the brown one underground…? Does he have some sort of personal vendetta with me? Where am I supposed to dig?’ He glared at the black-haired drunkard.

‘Wait! Why is he drumming his feet? Is that a clue? Ah! It’s underneath my feet!’ Remembering Xerzhe’s cryptic method of providing clues, Ren solidified his suspicion.

His eyes brightened as he dug the ground beneath his feet. While digging, he noticed Della. Throughout the search, he hadn’t noticed her doing much. She occasionally moved here and there, but besides that, he doubted if she contributed anything. However, to be fair, he hadn't paid much attention to her.

Choosing to give her the benefit of the doubt, he shouted.

“Della, stop searching the surface. The second one is underneath your feet. Dig there!”

Xerzhe stopped drumming his feet. It boosted Ren's confidence in his judgment.

Soon, the wall’s height dropped rapidly, and the hole grew larger. Ren's gaze alternated between the shrinking wall and the ground. Sweat, mixed with dirt soiled his clothes.

‘Damn it! There’s no time… Did Della find anything? No… She would’ve let me know. Is it deeper?’ As he reached the last few seconds, his heart rate increased.

'No... Where is it? No! My guess can't be wrong!' The mud tore into the pinks of his fingernails. A few of them bled. Yet, he dug.

“Time’s up!" Ren's heart sunk. In a daze, his fingers dug autonomously.

"Stop!” Xerzhe commanded.

Ren's hands slowed to a stop. Staring at his empty hole, his mind blanked.

‘I… failed? I guessed wrong? Did Della not find it as well?’ Ren leaped out of his hole and stared at Della's handiwork.

All he saw was pristine ground beneath Della’s feet. Not one speck of dirt had been moved!

‘Huh? Did she not hear me?’ Ren blinked, struggling to comprehend his sight.

Xerzhe chugged from his flagon before announcing.

“Good work! Here are the results. Della, you passed. From today, you can learn Elemental Magic." Turning to Ren, he continued, "Ren, you failed. Return to the city and search for another teacher.”

“Wait! Where did you hide it?” Ren asked. More than the shock of losing, he was disappointed in the test itself. It added nothing to his skillset.

“Simple. Beneath Della’s feet.” Xerzhe laughed while tapping the ground.

“Eek!?” Della took a step back.

Ren frowned. He approached her previous position and brushed the surface. After peeling a layer of dirt, he stopped.

An unnatural brown blob hid within the earth. Upon touching, it solidified.

Ren glanced at the fidgeting Della. He was at a loss for what to say.

‘Didn't I clearly- Was this deliberate? But why would she betray me? There are no benefits…?' A possibility slithered into his mind, numbing it.

'Unless… She wants to monopolize the teacher’s resources? Right! She came from that decrepit town. She’s merely using her chance to gain an advantage.'

'I trusted such a petty person? Was I always this blind?’ Ren held his forehead. The moment felt surreal to him.

“Do you want me to escort you out?” Xerzhe grinned.

Ren snapped out of his daze.

“No, I can walk fine. Thank you.” Squeezing out a few words, he grabbed his bag.

“Youn-Young Master!” Della’s repulsive shout provoked his fury. It reminded him of her petty character and his terrible vision.

“Never call me that again! You're free to pursue your ambition!” He entered the forest, disgusted by everything.

“Catch. Not that I’m generous, but it’s a gift from the Council.”

Ren caught the flying object. It was the Earth Elemental Stone. Pocketing it, he left.

He heard a faint sobbing behind him, but he ignored it. Escaping into the forest, he sought peace of mind.

Night.

Ren sat on a branch. He hadn’t eaten for many hours, but he felt no hunger. Only pure anger... Not at Della, but himself.

‘What went wrong? Was I blinded by food? Ha! How foolish...’ He smiled depreciatingly. Soon, fatigue overwhelmed him and he fell asleep.

Ren kneeled before an old man.

A strand of light blue hair dropped onto the old man’s face. He shifted it onto his head and asked.

“Have you assimilated into your new environment?”

“No, I can still hear whispers and curses behind my back. It fills me with killing intent.” Ren answered.

“Hah! Ignore them. Anything else?” The old man gulped a mouthful of tea.

Ren stared at the reflection in his teacup. After heaving an indistinguishable sigh, he asked.

“Old Master, why would you declare that I'm the next in line for the Branch Head? I’m no pureblood. And Second Master is the rightful heir.”

“That henpecked brat is unreliable." The old man scoffed, "He’s loyal to the Zelongs, even after what they did to his older brother. Such scum is not worthy of leading the Zarstorms.”

Ren nodded and sipped his tea. A calm silence filled the empty room.

“I heard about your new subordinate. Rou is her name, correct?" Without pausing for an answer, the old man continued, "Usually, I wouldn’t care. But her origin is suspect. She has every reason to betray you. Why would you trust her? Moreover, she’s a hideous creature behind that disguise.”

“Old Master, I disagree.” Ren exhaled a warm puff of air and continued, “My choice of subordinates might be weird but I’ll give them a chance before discarding them. …And I believe in Rou!”

“Hah! Ren, the word 'believe' shouldn’t be used lightly. There should be only one thing you believe in. Do I have to remind you?” The old man set his teacup aside.

“No, Old Master. I acknowledge my mistake." Ren stood and unsheathed his sword.

"I believe in the future of the Zarstorm clan.” He cut a slight wound on his arm.

Tsuiin! The sword slid through the wound, peeling a long layer of skin and flesh.

Drip! Ren's blood dripped to the ground as he recited his pledge.

“My loyalty lies with the Zarstorms alone. I promise the revival of the clan, even at the cost of my last breath.” Ren sheathed his sword.

“This! This is why I trust you!" With a flushed face, the old man slammed the ground.

"Unlike my incompetent son, your loyalty is clear to me. You’re the only one who I can trust. Even Tara can't understand me.”

Ren nodded and kneeled. He sipped from his teacup. However, the pain ruined his appetite.

“Ren, there’s something I must remind you.” The old man spoke.

“I’m listening, Old Master.”

“Once you master your Void Arts, or maybe even before then… I will be killed." The old man sighed.

Ren frowned, awaiting an explanation.

"You cannot save me. The Zelongs know my ambition. After my death, they will promote my incompetent son to the position of Branch Head. Under the ignorant puppet's rule, they will exterminate the last of us.” A crazed light flashed past the old man's blue eyes as he commanded.

“At that time, don’t hesitate. Kill my son! Use any means to wrest control of the branch!”

Crack! The teacup in Ren's hand cracked.

“Old Master?” He asked.

“I know I’m contradicting everything I’ve taught you. ‘You shall not harm a Zarstorm!’ Nonsense! I’m relieving you from this unnecessary burden." The old man's voice turned frosty as he added, "As long as the result ends in the successful reign of my Lotus, I could care less for the means.”

“Old Master, this is not an easy decision. It will change our plans drastically. ...I have to discuss this with my advisor.” Ren placed his broken teacup aside.

“Take your time and don't be upset. You are my weapon! But unless you’re capable of destroying internal threats, you're a defective weapon!”

Ren took a deep breath to calm the chaos in his mind. It took a minute of silence for both of them to settle down.

“Ren, show leniency towards Tara. He’s too senile for his age, but his expertise in Earth Elemental Magic will help you.” The old man struggled as he continued, “However, in the scenario where he stands in your path… Kill him!”

Ren’s heart grew heavy. However, he quickly removed all the unwanted thoughts and nodded.

“I’ll keep Old Master’s advice in mind.” He departed.

“Beware of your choice in subordinates. Prioritize your goals and the path will become clear.” A fleeting voice drifted into his ears.

Ren woke up to the shrill cries of cicadas.

He sighed before gazing at the stars. Time flew in silence, but Ren couldn’t sleep.

‘I failed this time, but I cannot stop. My goal is clear! The day after tomorrow, I’ll enroll in the University. I will find my opportunity there.’

He noticed a bird in the corner of his vision. It grew larger, revealing the silhouette of an owl.

‘Piko? What is he doing here?’ Ren climbed higher up the tree.

The owl floated around, seemingly searching for something. It caught a glimpse of Ren before diving towards him.

“Lord Ren! I’m back!” Its voice was filled with excitement.

“Wait! How did you find me?” Ren asked. The Council always found him with his medallion, and Chinzu could track him with her butterfly. However, it didn't make any sense for Piko to track him.

“Lord Ren, I’m a scout and a spy. It’s an embarrassment if I can’t find a human in this forest.” Piko replied in a bashful tone.

Ren narrowed his eyes.

“You can leave. I have no interest in your clan.” He said.

“Lord Ren? But, you said that-”

“Stop wasting my time. I know you failed.”

The owl tilted its head and said, “Failed? Lord Ren, I think you’re misunderstanding. I found the information you wanted.”

“You’re lying!” Ren shook his head. How could his clan appear in this world?

“Of course, we didn’t find anything on the terms 'Zelong' or 'Nell'.” The owl continued in a cheerful tone, “But we did find valuable information on the word 'Zarstorm'.”

Ren’s eyes opened wide.