CHAPTER 25: CH 25: TEMPEST ISLAND [1]

Principal Cormac stepped forward and clasping his hand in front of him, said in a formal tone.

"Now that you both have completed the first part, follow me for the second part. It’s on the fields."

He walked away with that and Reinhard followed him. I too started walking but was stopped by Arlott, who was looking at me in a strange manner.

"What? Something on my face?" I asked in annoyance.

In response Arlott shook his head and asked me in return, "Are you sure you are not Henry? Maybe you are just trying to act as if you are somebody different..."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well you see..." His nose scrunched as his eyes darted away from me. With heavy reluctance, he sighed and said, "You remember that ah..little difficult test that I proposed for you."

My breath hitched in my lungs as realisation slowly dawned within me. But even then, I asked him. "Yes I remember...and?"

"Hehe I know it sounds silly but you never had a choice in the test...what I mean is that your were in the difficult one."

"Even while I refused..."

"Yes, even when you refused. But hey hey look at the bright side. You completed it without dying, so you are without a doubt a strong and intellectual person yourself."

I backed away from the thin monster with wide eyes. This guy was even dangerous than the obesse monster out there!

"Are you seriously crazy? What if I had actually died?!" I asked, my voice trembling with anger.

"Oh no no, you wouldn’t have died. I mean, sure you would have your body butchered, your vision fading into nothingness...you know the basic, normal, boring formal path into death. Yes, you probably could have experienced each of these. But....since it was my own private dimension, I could have revived you had it been required.

So nobody has anything to lose here. In fact, you gained some much needed experience."

"And what was it? Enlighten me please, old man." I said through gritted teeth. And he smiled as said, "Death obviously."

Now it was turn to laugh. A deep, throaty laugh that echoed in the room.

I turned my back to him and before walking away, said in a soft whisper, "I don’t need to know about death, Mr. Arlott. I have already slept with death...it was a different realm of pleasure."

Glancing back at him, I added in a teasing manner.

"In fact, looking at you you might be experiencing it sooner than not."

"Oi, son of a bastard!"

At the footstep of the room, I paused and snickered.

"You dare call an Earl a bastard nowadays? You sure have some audacity, man."

After that I walked briskly, more to catch up to with the principal than to run away from the fuming man behind us.

On our way, Reinhard suddenly looked behind him. Looking at Arlott, he asked, "I was meaning to ask you this. But what were those runes? They felt...distinct."

Principal Cormac gave a quick glance at Reinhard, something that didn’t miss me.

On the other hand, Arlott sighed. "This isn’t something we share with everyone. And to be honest, we are not completely aware of its history as well. All we know is that eons ago, when a ravenous war took place between two gods, their blood sprayed on the floor which are now the runes."

Puzzled, I asked. "Are you suggesting that a piece of floor from eons still exists and more so, it is in that room?"

Arlott nodded in confirmation. "Indeed. In fact, the whole of this academy was built around that single piece of floor. This is just a theory...but maybe their blood conserves the tainted floor."

"That’s crazy..."

The blood of divinity is that strong? Damn, I think I shouldn’t curse the goddess anymore. Even though she deserves it from the bottom of my heart...

My mind wandered off to the two different powers in the sun rune. One was healing me, while the other...sucking my blood.

Could it be the respective powers of the two gods that had once fought here...? That is considering whatever Arlott accounted to us was true.

After that, the group of four fell into silence for the rest of the journey.

As we neared the empty fields, I saw four people standing beside four devices planted on the floor.

I looked at Reinhard and could tell he was curious like me. Pointing towards the four people...no wait, they are soldiers dressed in light gears.

Anyway I asked the principal, "Do we both fight those four?"

Principal Nightshade didn’t say anything but in his place Arlott chuckled.

He then turned towards me and Reinhard. In a husky voice, he muttered. "I said in the second subdivision, you both shall be facing a hoard of soldiers...do four people make a hoard?"

"If they are strong enough, I would rather call them a hoard." Reinhard shrugged.

"Good for you then since they aren’t strong enough to defeat either of you." Principal Cormac started. "The second part of the test shall not even be taking place here...just like your first one, it shall take place in another dimension."

Blood drained from my face the moment I heard about fighting in another dimension.

"Arlott’s dimension...again?"

"No, this time you both shall be visiting my private dimension." Cormac’s eyes twinkled as he looked at us with his composed face. It contained neither any happiness nor any sadness.

It was almost as if every single emotion had been sucked out of his face. And that made him look even more dangerous than he probably would have with emotions.

And once again, we found ourselves standing in the square shaped are, marked by the four strange devices.

Cormac raised his hands high up in the air. Then in an explanatory tone, he spoke.

"Remember the main goal of this test is teamwork. Unless you both understand that, you are going to lose pathetically. Also just a hint about the place you are visiting.... it’s name is ’Tempest Island.’"

Before we could register his words properly, he slammed down his hand.

At one moment we stood there. The next, the world simply vanished.

...and a new world replaced it.

As I looked up at the sky, all I saw were dark cumulonimbus clouds swarming the entire sky.

And behind me, roaring sea waves crashed onto the jagged rocks onshore.

"Huhh another day of dealing with dark landscapes."