Almost all of the students made their way across the challenge quietly and obidiently. There was however one Kristen who huffed and puffed her way through it.
Her friend worriedly followed behind her, whispering all sorts of words to try and stop her from interfering with Joaquin and the elites. She did not listen and became even more adamant on giving them a piece of her mind.
All of them made their way across the platform and into the portal. On the other side of the portal was a castle of plenty.
"Why isn't that guy getting tired, why isn't he dead, why does he look so energetic?" A student complained as he glared at Ruben who was still walking with enthusiasm upon the trap they were caught up in.
Originally Ruben was ahead of everyone and couldn't have been caught by the trap. He had learned from Joaquin that so long as your mana levels were below the minimal, most traps created through alchemy and rune markings had no chance of catching you.
But just as he was about to go over the platform of the trap the groups of the students and mercenaries rushed in and activated it.
One by one they started to blame Ruben for tricking them into thinking that it was safe. The trap was just a simple room, and I colored differently from the others. But, it induced an infinite waltz.
Once you walk into the room, you will remain walking on the same spot with the same speed you came in with. on occasion , streaks of red light will flash across the room and allow the student a 5 second window to either accelerate or decelerate. Most of them chose to accelerate thinking that more force would allow them escape.
Collins's younger sister however noticed immediately when walking into the room that the solution was to try to come to a complete stop and the room will move you one step forward. Some of the people started yelling at her and demanded her secrets, but she was not here on no peace mission, and she put on her headphones and sounded them out.
Also blonde haired with a fit body, Collins's sister looked every bit like royalty. She was in her school uniform, but it was unlike all the others, although it didn't expose any part of her skin nor hug her too tightly, her curvaceous body was still visible from it. She would snarl everytime she caught somebody staring in her direction, and regardless of whether it was a male, female, or others. But she knew that it was inevitable, sometimes she wouldn't even bother with it.
In any case, I as Noelle passed by Ruben she almost didn't notice his presence. She stepped outside and looked back in to find Ruben whistling and casually walking forward. It made her heart skip and it was with fear, and in this moment and time looking at Ruben he didn't appear weak to her.
He was like a ghost burying tromendous power, and but that power was nowhere to be seen in his near see through body. Ruben had no presence and his carefree attitude was the reason why Noelle was taken aback.
"Are you just going to walk around there like an idiot or will you leave already?" Noelle asked as she removed her headphones from her tiny ears.
"Oh, I did everybody make it out?"
"Do you see anybody standing besides me?"
Ruben paused and came to a complete halt, as he looked back and saw that everyone was still struggling to move. He sighed and spun the stick in his hand.
"You… You, how could you do that? It should be impossible." Noelle said as she jumped back and her hands glowed with a dark pink aura.
"Oh, a semi destructive type."
Ruben said as he turned around to face her. "Also," he giggled, "I can't believe I'm quoting him, but my brother used to always say that if possibilities guide your thinking then you'll never become legendary."
"Some interesting brother you have there, is he an outlaw."
"Not legally he isn't," he said with a chuckle.
"Very interesting brother you have there." She paused and her eyes turned away from him, "is he…"
"Oh don't worry," Ruben smiled. "You'll meet him pretty soon, and though I don't guarantee it. May I have your name just in case."
"You continue getting weirder. But if you must know my name is Noelle S. Goldstein…"
"Oh so you're princess," Ruben turned and finally planted his stick into the wall, the room's color went to normal and most of the students fell as some bolted forward.
The first one to reach the end of the trap threw a fist at Ruben and Ruben evaded. "Bloody bastard if you knew how to rescue us why didn't you do it before?" He added in anger as he threw another bombardment of fists and kicks. Ruben evaded each and every one of them with ease, the guy even went as far as to activate his ability.
"Another destructive type," Ruben said as if he was surprised. "It's a pity that you're a weaker one, probably a number 5 or 6 on the scale."
"DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME!" He screamed as he brought down his light pinkish hand on Ruben.
Ruben took it head on and punched the guy dead in the guts throwing him about a meter back. "oops," Ruben said as he realised he might have used a tad bit too much strength.
"Hey are you okay, you got hit directly by that guy's attack." Noelle asked as she grabbed Ruben's hand.
Ruben pulled himself away, "I am fine." He started whistling and continued forward. The other teams which came for different things started snooping around, the students followed Ruben. Coincidentally whatever they were looking for was what Joaquin was also looking for.
"Hey, allow me to introduce myself. I am Collins S. Goldstein," Collins said as he rushed to Ruben's side.
"I'm Kyle, and I am these two's butler." the brown haired boy said as he also neared Ruben.
"Uh, nice to meet you. I am Ruben, and I don't think the author knows how to spell my name. "
"What's your last name?" Noelle asked.
"Is it necessary?"
"No not really," Kyle answered.
"Oh okay, I you can say it's Alder then."
"Is that Made up?" Collins asked.
"Not really."
While walking with his new companions Ruben told them that he was here looking for someone, he also found out that they were from Orient academy. A private high school located about 500Km from Ruben's birth place. It was very far away from Heaven's Gate and this forest that they had just entered and it left Ruben with even more questions.
They did explain to Ruben that they were here to take an exam, the goal was for the students to bring back the most valuable thing they could find in the tomb. Because of their egos, the royal siblings and their servant decided to look for a flower which has been rumored to have been buried here with he who laid in the tomb.
"The flower is said to have been able to completely recover lost binaries, but repair meridians, heal all kinds of illnesses and injuries…"
"He gets it, Master Collins," Kyle interrupted Collins's enthusiastic rant.
"It's one of the seven treasures that can revive the dead." Collins added with a whisper.
"So that's why he is looking for it," Ruben said to himself.
"What?" Noelle asked.
"I said you won't be able to get it. The guy I am looking for is also looking for it, I think." Ruben answered nonchalantly as he scratched his forehead.
"Are you going to help him keep it from us?" Kyle slowed down and ultimately stopped, and he was walking in front of Ruben so this prompted him to also stop.
"If he asks me then yes." Ruben didn't even take a second to think about it before he answered. The other guys were startled, not by the fact that he just admitted to being a possible enemy. But because he was calm about it.
Kyle pulled out a sword and put it to Ruben's neck," you won't blame us for taking you down right here and now right. After all, we can't be nursing our own killer."
Ruben who was still not shaken by this just shrugged his shoulders and looked Kyle dead in his eyes. After a few seconds of cold and intense staring Collins jumped in to pull Kyle away. He apologized to Ruben but Ruben did not seem offended at all, in fact he was even quick to dismiss it with a thunderous laughter.
He had already started sensing some familiar mana coming from the other side. His job was seconds away from being complete, apprehending Joaquin and protecting the students. He was still however going to let Joaquin get whatever he came for before handing him over for discipline.