As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting its rays onto a vast forest, a man sat outside four gleaming portals, each emitting an ethereal glow.

"They’ve sealed it," Adriannel murmured, his cold gaze focused on the portals, while noting the loopholes that could potentially be exploited to infiltrate and rescue a particular student.

However, it appeared that every precaution had been taken to avoid any outside interference.

The fourth portal was shielded from the outside world, allowing only those inside to open it—a one-way gateway.

And among all four, it was the only one emitting dark energy filled with malice and corruption.

tap tap

After studying the portals for a moment, Adriannel stood and approached the fourth one before arriving and placing his palm upon it.

WHOOOSH

With a swift motion, energy surged out from the portal, resonating with Adriannel’s own mana.

Though his power suppressed the energy while weakening the portal’s defenses, it was still not enough to breach it entirely.

Through the narrow gap formed by the thinning of mana, Adriannel glimpsed inside the portal, his expression becoming stoic, a visible twitch forming with a slight furrow on his forehead. "This shit."

Turning away from the portal, Adriannel withdrew his hand and glanced back once more, adding, "Hope you enjoy your last vacation, kid."

With a swift motion, Adriannel’s body enveloped in crimson energy before vanishing into the first portal.

His priority: safely retrieve the other students, starting with the number one portal and then addressing the fourth portal.

Reason?

The glimpse he saw inside the portal did not belong to someone who needed to be rescued.

So, until then, he would let that particular student have all the fun he wants and then ensure to subject him to hellish training.

SWISH

With another sound, Adriannel’s body blurred before vanishing into other portals.

.

.

.

.

Inside the fourth portal,

The way leading toward a certain direction appeared empty and devoid of any monsters.

As one moves through the black forest, the way seemed even more empty without the dress of any life source.

Passing through several trees appearing like shadows enough to be called solid, four figures appeared to be moving toward the path leading to a denser forest.

"Haah...Haah...Water...water," Jia, moving through the barren land, her lips completely dried due to the outside environment, felt her mind loosening due to the presence of so much dryness in the air.

They have been walking for 7 miles like this without anything to eat or drink.

"SPLASH! GULP! Ahh..." Drinking a bottle of water, Zeph finally felt relieved from all the heat and stress he had from the outside world.

"You! Don’t drink it here!" They cried out feeling frustrated, saying how thirsty she was and here Jeff was drinking, making her further retaliate, "You should be ashamed that you are drinking while all of us are thirsty."

"GULP! Ahh."

"Huh? How can you, Laila?" Jia, hearing a sound produced by the water, turned towards the other member in her team holding a water bottle while moving beside her.

"I-i..." Laila, gripping the bottle, glanced between Jia and then Zeph who had offered her the bottle, making her feel guilty that her friend was thirsty and she was drinking, yet her eyes glanced at the small squirrel following her.

Indeed, she had taken the bottle initially not for her but the squirrel, but after that squirrel retorted for her to drink, she took a sip.

SWOOSH

"Jia, drink it."

Hearing the voice, Jia turned towards Estelle, her eyes reflecting a big water droplet levitating in the air, produced from the water crystal embedded on Estelle’s ring.

Due to Estelle belonging to the Craten race, which is known for their mastery and precise control over the water element, evident from how easily she was able to control the water crystal.

Water crystals were usually found in the depth of the sea, synthesized through over a thousand years by observing the water nearby, making them temporarily carry a large amount of water.

But there were only two such elemental stones found in the Thallasar.

Making Jia slightly confused seeing such a stone, which could have been treated as an heirloom, brought by Estelle in the test grounds, yet not declining her gesture, she moved to hold the water droplet.

SWISH

’?!’

Suddenly, a silhouette passed, snatching the crystal from Estelle’s waist and causing the droplet to return back into the crystal, visibly surprising both Estelle and Jia.

"Nah, I will keep this safe."

"Zeph!?" Jia shouted, seeing how the water she was about to drink was snatched by that troublesome guy who intentionally kept eating and drinking in front of her.

"Zeph, return it back!" Even Estelle felt her patience loosening as she swiftly sprinted towards Zeph, who was looking at the crystal with his golden pupils, holding some kind of light, as if he found something very important.

SWISH

Thud

Side-stepping, Zeph avoided the Craten woman’s hands, his eyes fixed on the crystal before tilting to glance at the slightly bent figure, a smile forming as he said, "You shouldn’t have brought it here."

Zeph wasn’t expecting her to bring such a stone to this place where they originally just wanted to do a small test, but seeing how she brought something this precious.

Either she is aware of that thing where Zeph was heading, or it was just a big coincidence.

"Zeph, give it back, it’s important," Estelle slowly stood, her eyes narrowed with visible firmness in her words, wanting the crystal back which she brought for emergencies.

In all her previous lives, due to restrictions, she wasn’t able to bring this crystal, which would have helped them in this scorching heat, which had in all lifetimes been more than they could withstand, leading to both Laila and Jia falling unconscious.

It was a struggle to lift both of them while moving, yet she kept pushing forward in all her lives, but this time, she was able to bring the crystal.

"Yes, hold it," Zeph slightly closed the distance and passed something to her.

Holding something round, thick, yet warm, Estelle inquired, "What did you just give me?"