With a final leap into the portal that had opened up at the exit of the dungeon, Luke, Seraphina, and Blaine jumped out and rolled to the floor, finding themselves out again into the vast clearing, and their professors in front of them.

Dozens of other students were already out, staring at their wristbands, while even more came flooding out of the gate.

“Is it over?“ Luke muttered, taking in deep breaths as he looked around. A soft barrage of slaps landed on his shoulders, he looked to his side to see Blaine pointing right across the portal.

There, floating above the disappointedly grinning figure of Don Brocious, was a rectangular projection, one he had gotten all too familiar with during the entrance exam and the trainings.

[First Special Exams - Updated Student Ranking]

Luke gulped.

[.

.

.

Rank 1: Zachary Ainsworth (861 points)

Rank 2: Kristina Steitz (860 points)

]

“Fuck…” Luke muttered. The thought of losing his rank didn't matter at all, instead, he gazed all around to search for the ones who were involved. Around the middle of the crowd of the class, Zachary Ainsworth was staring at the board with Leslie Fenrir and Soliana Neriren by his side.

A deep frown was etched on Zachary's face as if he was a young child just hearing that his parents had pestered his teachers to get him in the school play, he seemed greatly dissatisfied with the results.

Luke's eyes immediately searched for Kristina next.

Devastated. That was the only word that entered Luke's mind when he looked at Kristina. His childhood friend had never once mentioned that she wanted to rank first in this special exam, but Luke didn't care about that. He could only feel grief in his heart at the fact that she had failed to do whatever it was that she wanted.

Without hesitation, he skipped the rest of the top ten and looked for Blaine Sothsfield next. He was worried about her the third most.

[.

.

.

Rank 202: Odis Lobregat

Rank 203: Blaine Sothsfield

Rank 204: Ralph Rubinstein

Rank 205: Indi Silkmeadow

Rank 205: Jin Xue—

]

“No way…” Luke mumbles unconsciously. He shifted his gaze toward Blaine—

She was sighing in relief.

“B-Blaine…?“ he called out. “Are you ok?“

“Hm!“ hummed and turned to him with widened eyes. She smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah! 200 is much better than nothing. I'll miss the facilities of the Golden Sun Dormitory, but it's alright.“

“Yeah, you're welcome in my room anytime,” Seraphina tapped Blaine's shoulder and smiled. “Especially at nights.“

Seraphina was hit.

“I might end up in the same place as that bastard though…” Blaine said, ignoring Seraphina who winced while pressing on her head.

At that time, Luke's curiosity was struck again and he looked around.

“Ahem!“ A loud cough sounded. “Good work, dear students!“

Luke's eyes fell on the figure of the person he was looking for. His golden eyes gleamed a sinister shade while he crouched down on his knees.

“With your skills, adaptability, awareness, and… cunning,” Don Brocious stretched his words.

With a gentle smile, almost like that of a sick manipulator caressing their target, Ralph Rubinstein stroked the head of the very golem that had disappeared with the core.

“You have successfully cleared the first Special Exams of Agriche Academy.“

Like pieces of a puzzle fitting together, everything cleared out in his mind.

The strange results of Zachary going over 800 points.

The face he made when he was saddened.

The fact that, somehow, a weakling like Odis was ranked higher than Blaine, who got most of the cores that Ralph had left them.

And the fact that the damn golem was still in his hands.

Luke had always thought of Ralph as a kind-hearted and talented boy, who fell short in the innate skills department. Even more so when compared with his overachiever of a sister that could easily make light of him as well. But that image was shattered entirely.

Ralph was no kind child. He was the mastermind making the exam go his way from the beginning to the end.

All of Don Brocious' ramblings faded to the back of his mind, not as much as registering in his head as he looked head-on at the changed image of the same events.

And, a laugh escaped his lips.

“Ralph… truly, an interesting bastard.“

That was the first time Luke had cursed in a long while.

He was going to keep his eyes open wide.

***

{Zachary 861!! What the fuck host?! How! How did he score that much? We're fucked! That feisty mage girl failed!}

“Zachy Bird?“ I ignored Don Brocious' speech as I kept stroking ReRa's head. I was shaken, but the golem's cuteness was helping me calm down. “How did Kristina score that much…”

{Hm? What do you mean? Didn't you send the golem to her so that those kidnappers don't kill us?}

What? How stupid.

“Why would I dethrone my pawn and let them have power?“ I asked.

Regardless of the huge change in the leaderboard with the previous rank 5th coming to second, and the one who was called the 'true rank 1' falling from 2nd to 4th, things still worked out.

The Special Exams had come to end, exactly as I wanted them to.