"Well done, everyone."
The man of darkness himself, Ralyks, clapped as he gazed upon the group of nine who stood before him.
No one could see what was hidden underneath his dark mask, but based on the tone of his voice, and his gesture, it was clear he was pleased.
The expanse above showed a bright sun that sharply contrasted with his black aesthetic, and the ground around him had been shattered—destroyed by the just-concluded battle.
"You exceeded my expectations." Ralyks nodded in approval as he formally ended the round.
The Otherworlders—or rather, students under Ralyks—had just passed the final phase of their test with the Dark Adventurer.
This was something they had been undertaking for the past few days, so the smiles and expressions of relief that pervaded their faces was understandable.
Everyone was exhausted, but they couldn't help but laugh energetically as they collapsed on the ground in satisfaction.
They really did it!
"You've defeated the last of my Elemental Summon. I can see you're now ready for the next step."
The Otherworlders all looked at Ralyks from wherever they sat on the devastated ground.
They knew what was to come.
"Tomorrow… we will venture into the Royal Dungeon." He declared.
The equipment that they needed was finally ready. Their practice had paid off, and they were deemed prepared enough for the rigors of the Dungeon Raid.
Everything had been set in motion.
"Any questions?" Ralyks asked, both hands behind him as he did so.
No matter the situation, this man always maintained an air of elegance and prestige.
… Also power.
"I have one. How long will we be spending for the Raid in total?"
The person who asked this question was Justin, and he had a goofy smile on—as usual.
His question was serious, nonetheless, and the teenagers around him seemed to resonate with it with their curious eyes.
Ralyks shrugged the moment he heard it.
"I previously thought it would take two months or more, but…" He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the bunch in front of him.
"Right now, one month should be fine."
If they spent an average of ten hours a day in the Dungeon, they were definitely going to finish things within a month.
"You've all grown exponentially in the past couple of days."
Some depicted more growth, but each individual had their respective kinds of progress.
It was a beautiful thing to see.
The innocent and helpless teenagers that came out of that Summoning Circle were not the same as the ones who now sat before Ralyks.
They had all grown.
********
[Moments Later]
"What did you think about the final training? Was it difficult?"
"Man… I'm so exhausted!"
"Gotta get back inside to snack on something real quick!"
"Eww! Dude, take a shower first!"
Once Ralyks left the bunch of students by teleporting away, everyone instantly began to talk about random things.
They were still teenagers, plus Ralyks had told them to take the rest of the day off and relax, so being this loose and carefree was only natural.
As one would expect, each person had their preferred group:
Belle, Justin, Eric, and Clark hung out together very often.
Adonis, Billy, and Trisha often trained together, or just walked together.
Then finally, Rey and Alicia were a clique of their own.
The two were practically inseparable.
Even now, as they all rose from where they sat and decided what to do after, the both of them were discussing among themselves.
If the first group could be said to be "the boys"—with Belle being the center of attention around them—and the second group was essentially the "hardcore training club," then the final group was essentially the "nerd group."
Rey and Alicia were known to frequent the library pretty much every day.
A few students—usually naughty ones like Justin—postulated that they were definitely doing something more than 'reading books' there.
However, with no proof, nothing he said could stick.
Even when he decided to spy on them, he couldn't get his hands on the evidence he desired.
In the end, he was forced to leave due to how boring and eerily quiet the place was.
Rather than discouraging him, the experience only solidified his beliefs that Rey and Alicia were definitely doing something extra for spending so long in the library.
"They can fool everyone, but not me!" He often declared aloud, though that was always followed-up by some kind of slap on his back by the rest of his friends.
Inevitably, this led to a rumor about Rey and Alicia in the class.
The match-up was surprising—considering how incredibly beautiful and powerful Alicia was, and how average Rey appeared—but no one could deny their connection.
Some called it mere friendship.
Others referred to their relationship as one-sided, with Alicia essentially controlling Rey.
While others made no comments on the issue.
People had their various perspectives on the issue, but it wasn't like they really dwelled on it.
Not with the Dungeon Raid starting the coming day.
Right now, everyone just wanted to return to their rooms, wash up, and spend their time doing whatever they wanted for the time being.
Reading, eating, sleeping, or basically anything else that didn't involve training.
Even Billy and Trisha—the training junkies of the class—didn't look like they were up to that for the day.
As for Adonis, he currently stood in front of everyone as they slowly rose to their feet in order to leave the training field.
"Everyone, may I have your attention?"
As one would expect, everyone turned in his direction that very instant.
He had a smile on his face, the kind that made him look like a god sculpted into the form of a man.
It captivated everyone and drew them in.
"I want to express my thanks and gratitude to all of you here! Despite the tough training, none of you quit or gave up. You kept up the hard work, and we've finally made it this far as a result."
Unlike the initial number of twenty-nine, who were functionally a disorderly bunch, this small squad of nine members was far more coherent.
It showed the benefit of quality over quantity.
"I want to congratulate all of you, and wish you safety, regarding tomorrow."
Adonis' white teeth were displayed for all to see, and he gave his genuine heroic smile so all his classmates could join him in his celebration.
And they did.
Every single one of the eight that stood opposite Adonis gave their versions of smiles.
All of them were beyond excited.
"I wish you all good luck on the Dungeon Raid!"