CHAPTER 216: CHAPTER 216

Once I pulled the lever, a thick rope uncoiled and dangled down onto the table. We hurriedly climbed up, pulling ourselves out of the dimension and back into the familiar structure of the tower.

"Is this finally the exit?" Pierre asked eagerly, his eyes bright as we moved along a long, straight corridor.

"I guess so," Ezekiel replied calmly, keeping his usual composed tone.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached a door. As we approached, it slid open automatically with a faint hiss, revealing the next chamber.

"This is the end?" Edge said with a hint of disappointment, glancing around as if expecting something more dramatic.

"Wow, so anticlimactic," Pierre muttered, shrugging.

We stepped inside, but instead of a straightforward hallway, we found ourselves in a circular room. The walls curved smoothly, and the atmosphere felt strangely tense.

Suddenly, I raised my hand, signaling everyone to stop. "There’s someone here," I sensed someone nearby—an unfamiliar presence lurking in the shadows.

My eyes fixed on a figure in the distance. She was cloaked in a black robe, almost blending into the darkness, her body almost completely covered. The suspicious aura she radiated made me wary, and I instinctively tensed.

"Hello, students," the woman approached us first, her voice smooth yet unsettling. "I am Jane Melvin, and I’ll be the proctor for this final challenge."

I stared at her striking red eyes, feeling an uneasy shiver run down my spine. No matter how much I tried to dismiss it, her atmosphere didn’t feel like that of an official proctor. The faint scent of blood lingered around her, creeping into my senses and making my skin crawl.

The others seemed to share my suspicion, exchanging cautious glances.

"Are you really a proctor?" Edge asked, voice edged with doubt.

"Of course I am," she replied confidently, a slight smile tugging at her lips. Then, her tone shifted to something more formal. "Before you participate in this final challenge, only two people can participate at a time. Play rock, paper, scissors—the winners will be the ones fighting."

We had no choice but to follow her instructions. I was determined to uncover her true purpose, to understand what she was really after. I wanted to play with Edge—preferably avoid fighting him—but Pierre was already partnered with him. That left me no choice; I had to face Ezekiel.

"On my mark, rock, paper, scissors!" the proctor announced.

I threw out my hand confidently, winning with rock. I was secretly hoping Pierre would be the one to fight, but when I turned to look at my side, I saw Edge had won instead. A wave of disappointment washed over me—I was tired of the competition, tired of the tension.

"Now that we’re done, let the fight begin," the lady said suddenly, her voice sharp and commanding. With a flick of her finger, two cages materialized and locked Ezekiel and Pierre inside them.

"Hey!" Pierre shouted, pounding against the cage.

"Why did you lock us?!" Ezekiel demanded, trying to pry open his cage, frustration evident in his voice.

"It’s better to lock the two of you; we can’t afford distractions, you know?" Jane said with a cold smile, flicking her finger again. The cages vanished as they shot back up into the ceiling, leaving Ezekiel and Pierre locked away.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. Something was seriously wrong.

"Something’s wrong..." I muttered to Edge, instinctively stepping in front of him to shield him from Jane.

"Move," Edge commanded, pulling me back defensively and taking the brunt of her gaze. He positioned himself in front of me, ready to protect.

Jane’s smile widened, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Students, relax," she said softly, almost mockingly. "I’m not the one you’ll be fighting." Her voice took on a strange, hypnotic tone. "Now, shall we start the final exam?"

Without warning, she flicked her finger again. The ground beneath us suddenly began to rumble violently, cracks spreading out like lightning across the surface. The air grew thick with tension.

Jane moved a step forward, and the ground beneath her crumbled and gave way. Her calm, almost amused expression lingered as she explained the mechanics of what was happening.

"There will be an actual duel that will happen just below us," she said swiftly, her voice echoing with a strange detachment. "There are two ways to win. One, you can fight each other—if one of you falls, the duel ends. Or two, if neither of you falls within the next ten minutes, the exam will be over."

As she spoke, the ground beneath her continued to disintegrate, slowly collapsing into the abyss below. Her smile widened, almost as if she was savoring the moment.

"I think my time’s up," she said softly, voice tinged with a hint of mischief. "Whoever falls down, I’ll enjoy killing that person. Good luck!"

Without warning, she let herself fall, disappearing into the darkness below, leaving us on the unstable ground, the rumbling intensifying.

The ground beneath us buckled and sank suddenly, as if an invisible force was pressing down from all sides. I lost my balance, gasping as the earth shifted beneath my feet.

"Aah!" I yelped, stumbling forward.

Edge reacted instantly, jumping and grabbing my hand to pull me back. "Be careful!" he warned, his grip firm but desperate.

I quickly explained, voice strained, "That woman put a gravitational field around us."

Before we could do anything, the weight of the field increased dramatically. My body felt like it was sinking into lead; even Edge’s grip started slipping.

"Damn, you’re heavy!" Edge grunted, struggling to hold on.

"It’s not my weight—it’s the gravitational field!" I shouted, trying to steady myself.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from below—Jane’s voice, taunting and mocking.

"One of you should just give up! Hahaha! Honestly, the gravitational field will only get stronger in a matter of time!"

Edge and I locked eyes, the tension between us thick with urgency. My hand was slipping inch by inch as the gravitational pull grew stronger.

’Should I just go down?’ I wondered, feeling the weight of the field pressing against me.

Before I could make a move, Edge acted swiftly, grabbing both of my hands with determination. "Hey, witch, don’t even think about it!" he shouted, his grip unwavering.

But the next moment, the gravitational field intensified even more, making it nearly impossible to hold on. Edge’s muscles strained as he fought to keep me from falling. "Hey, are you listening to me?!" he demanded, desperation clear in his voice.

Seeing no other option, I took a deep breath, a mischievous glint in my eye. "See you later, brat," I said with a chuckle. "Don’t come following after me!"

With that, I released his grip, surrendering to the fall. I plummeted into the abyss, the darkness swallowing me as I laughed softly, trying to mask my nerves.

Behind me, Edge shouted in alarm, "Witch! Why did you let go of my hand?!" He lunged to follow, but a shimmering barrier instantly materialized, halting him in his tracks.

"That brat..." I chuckled softly at Edge’s complaints—the way he went from calling me heavy to questioning why I let go of his hand. It was classic; he was worried but also annoyed, just like I expected. Honestly, this was part of my plan. Besides, this is the only way to protect him as he’s one of the main characters.

Since I’m getting used to falling down, I finally landed gracefully on my feet, brushing off the dust. I turned to face Jane, who stood a fair distance away, her expression unreadable.

"So, I’ll be fighting you, right?" I asked, my voice steady despite the chaos around us.

Jane smirked. "I’m surprised you aren’t scared," she said, her eyes glinting with amusement.

She doesn’t realize it, but inside I’m trembling slightly. I have no idea what her ability is, and that uncertainty is the real danger. So, I decide to play it smart—by annoying her, I might get her to reveal her power.

I raised my hand, signaling for a brief pause. "Before we begin, can you give me a moment?" I ask casually, lifting my leg just enough to show that my shoe is untied. "My shoes are untied, and I don’t want to let you win just because my shoelaces aren’t tied."

"Go on," Jane said, arms crossed, waiting patiently.

I bent down deliberately, tying my shoelaces with careful precision. As I finished, I straightened up and—without hesitation—launched all my daggers at her in one swift, calculated throw.

But it was pointless. The moment the weapons left my hands, they were intercepted. Different kinds of weapons hovered behind Jane, shimmering and swirling, parrying every single dagger with ease. Her control over the hovering weapons was precise and flawless.

Jane’s voice echoed coldly as she watched my failed attack. "Because of what you did, I’m really going to kill you," she said, her tone deadly serious.

The moment I raised my hand, the daggers spun back toward me, and I caught them effortlessly.

Jane’s laughter echoed across the distance. "You’re fighting me with that kind of weapon?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with amusement. "What can that do when I have countless weapons that are stronger and more resilient?"