Chapter 284: The Mouse Has Been Found
With Morvayne’s guidance, Ruvian finally returned to the real world. Since only his soul had been transported while his body had remained submerged within the small crystal pond inside the cave, he awoke to the familiar sensation of cold, drenched, and waterlogged clothes clinging to his skin.
Even so, that was not what surprised him the most.
Instead, it was the cave itself.
The countless crystals that had once bathed the cavern in a pale radiance had gone completely dark, while sunlight now spilled through the waterfall’s entrance, washing the cave in natural light.
That was when Ruvian realized it was already daytime.
’Damn it... how many hours passed while I was trapped in that realm?’
Immediately, Ruvian climbed out of the crystal pond, then used magic to strip the moisture from his clothes and body in a matter of seconds.
Without wasting another moment, he strode toward the mouth of the cave and lifted his gaze to the sky. The sun hung almost directly overhead, blazing with relentless intensity.
It was already noon.
[The flow of time within the Sepulcher differs from the outside world, and the same applies to the Chronoseal. So do not concern yourself. You have not lost much time.] Morvayne explained from the depths of his soul.
"Erm... thanks. Though, honestly, hearing your voice from inside my head feels a little strange. No offense."
[None taken. You will grow accustomed to it. I no longer possess enough strength to manifest a physical form. Forming our Covenant consumed far more energy than you realize. Anyway, I will be resting now, child.]
"Alright. Have a good rest, Great Spirit. When you wake up, I’ll fill in the details."
[Just call me, Morvayne.]
"Yeah, sure."
A moment later, Ruvian noticed the bracelet around his wrist vibrating with a series of soft beeps.
He lowered his gaze to it.
It was probably the midnight ranking update.
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[Top 10 Current Squad Rankings — Day 4]
{1} Squad 5 (Silvena D’Elvoire) - 5450 Pts
{2} Squad 69 (Yerin Solder) - 4680 Pts
{3} Squad 71 (Natalia Crystavos) - 4000 Pts
{4} Squad 2 (Calyra Arcanis) - 3940 Pts
{5} Squad 1 (Julian Rozenberg) - 3790 Pts
{6} Squad 6 (Irene) - 3760 Pts
{7} Squad 4 (Rosalin Varion) - 3690 Pts
{8} Squad 3 (Loden Armand) - 3500 Pts
{9} Squad 34 (Ardyn Renhart) - 3250 Pts
{10} Squad 80 (Hector Bedira) - 3000 Pts
===============
’Huh... a few things are still within my expectations, but some definitely aren’t.’
Ruvian thought as his eyes scanned the rankings.
First of all, he had already expected Silvena to remain at the top. After all, there was no realistic way anyone could have stolen her hidden flag.
Judging by the massive gap between her score on the fourth day and the third, he estimated that she had secured at least two, perhaps even three, hidden flags by now.
The same as him.
Though, compared to Silvena, he had obtained his third flag a little later.
As for his own squad, he had also expected them to remain in second place. Calyra and Rosalin were most likely still recovering from their injuries, so it made sense that no one had managed to overtake them yet.
’I wonder what their reaction was when they realized we somehow held onto second place?’
He smiled, wondering how his squad is doing now.
Though, that smile lasted only a moment.
’But who the hell is Squad 71? And who exactly is Natalia Crystavos?’
Ruvian could not understand how her squad had managed to perform so absurdly well. Throughout the novel, Natalia’s name had never once appeared as someone capable of achieving results on this level.
Who was she?
Or more importantly...
What had he done to create a ripple effect large enough for her squad to rise this far?
’Haa... whatever. I’ll find out once the exam is over.’
Honestly, Ruvian could not afford to dwell on it any longer.
He had already wasted enough time.
This was the fifth day of the examination, which meant he needed to hunt Voidspawns at a much faster pace than before.
He had to reach the next stage before the seventh day arrived.
’Only 200 Mana Resonance left... I wonder if I can make it in time.’
His eyes narrowed.
’But if not... then I’ll just use [Powerscaling]. As the last choice.’
Ruvian then inspected his [Bookmarks], checking the locations of the others, especially Julian.
’Good. Looks like he’s still holed up in Sector H6.’
A faint scoff escaped him.
’That bastard has probably spent the last five days hiding there while sending his pet out to scout the movements of every other squad.’
Which explained why his points had been neither exceptional nor terrible.
With a quiet sigh, Ruvian dismissed the skill.
*****
[Julian’s POV]
The camp sat beneath a cluster of weathered cliffs overlooking the winding river that cut through the eastern half of Vazrun Island.
Thick trees surrounded the clearing, hiding it from passing eyes while still offering a clear view of anyone foolish enough to approach from below.
Julian stood quietly at the edge of the cliff. His crimson eyes remained fixed on the distant sky, unmoving, waiting for something.
Then, behind him, several footsteps emerged from the forest.
Four scholars stepped into the clearing, their clothes were stained with mud and dried blood, but none of it belonged to them.
One of them lowered his head.
"We’re back."
Julian did not turn around.
"Yes, report."
The boy swallowed before speaking.
"Sector G5 is empty. We found traces of a battle, but it looks like they already left and were heading North."
Another member stepped forward.
"I scouted the river crossing between H5 and I5. Three squads passed through there this morning. One of them was Squad 40, and they had already lost a member."
"Lost a member? Do you recognise their squad leader?"
"N-no, sorry."
Julian did not even spare him a glance. He sighed while his gaze remained fixed upon the sky. Then, something finally entered his field of vision. A Skyrender Eagle descended from the clouds, its broad wings slicing through the wind effortlessly.
Julian silently extended his arm.
Without slowing, the majestic beast swept downward before folding its wings at the last moment. Its razor-sharp talons settled firmly onto the thick leather bracer around his left forearm, while its piercing golden eyes calmly met his own.
"So, did you find him?"
The eagle answered through the bond they shared.
"What? He’s at the waterfall?" Julian repeated aloud, relaying what the eagle had spoken directly into his mind.
He finally turned around and fixed his gaze upon the teammate holding the map. "Find the waterfall’s coordinates. Now."
The boy stiffened beneath his stare before hastily unfolding the map, his trembling fingers fumbling across its surface.
Julian reached into the pouch at his waist and pulled out a strip of dried meat. The eagle tore it from his fingers with a sharp snap of its beak, swallowing the treat in a single motion.
Lifting his arm slightly, Julian allowed the beast to spread its wings. "Keep tracking him, and do not let him leave your sight."
The eagle released a low cry before launching from his arm, its powerful wings beating against the air as it climbed back into the sky.
Watching it disappear above the trees, Julian turned toward his teammates. "Pack your things up. We’re moving now."
"Y-yes!"
Then, vaulting from the cliff, Julian landed squarely on the ground below, a venomous smile curling across his lips as he slowly let out a chuckle.
"Finally, after all this time, we have found the mouse that we’ve been looking for."
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[Chapter 284: The Mouse Has Been Found]