Jung guessed that the examination had begun right after the guards stayed behind. It was a sketchy situation, starting with a driver who had stayed the night instead of finishing the journey.
Then monsters appeared. That was the fact, and Jung saw them with his own eyes. But why would the guards run away? Shouldn't they at the very least pretend or try to protect the passengers?
And the last and most important point was the older man who stayed behind. Based on Jung's observation, he was an inspector, someone who oversaw their trial, as his power was more than enough to handle the situation.
There were a couple of instances when Jung saw how the man studied the teens. He was no exception, and this creator archetype geezer paid attention to his every move.
At first, he thought he acted that way with a different intent. Maybe he was a pervert.
There was a possibility that he, as a creator, wanted to find inspiration and was quite observant. However, Astra's actions sold him.
Even though the boy was good at masking his beliefs, Jung found out that Astra, with his sister, shared some kind of connection with the elder.
The boy even mentioned in passing that they knew someone from the academy, and the way they behaved after the senior's self-sacrifice, Jung was confident in his claims.
It was a test to see how applicants could handle problematic cases. And it seemed like Astra and Leora didn't know that. They genuinely believed that the old man forfeited his life.
As for Jung, he wouldn't say anything. This discovery was made purely by him, and he had no intention of sharing it.
'Why would I ruin the entertainment I found?' he reasoned, acting like an asshole, recognizing that Nero would agree with his decision.
That cat might have been a wizard archetype, but she definitely enjoyed tormenting people. Jun liked that fact about her and wished she would wake up soon.
Lost in thought, he ran. The driver and seniors were at the front. Leora, Astra, Ronan, and Mira hurried next to him, their breathing quickening with every step.
The siblings were at Tier II, while the other two were both Tier III. In agreement with his knowledge, Jung knew this progress wasn't bad by any means.
Yet, loaded with two different archetypes and tier IV status, Jung's stamina was way better. Not only could he run faster than them unless they used some kind of skill, but he could sprint far longer without feeling fatigued.
His system wasn't for the show. He was more than one step ahead of the so-called Chosen One and exposed childlike pride.
Jung's ego could easily qualify as the biggest ego in Maskera. It resulted from his 12+ lives and accumulated experiences.
For someone who had ruled the vastest empire in one reincarnation, it was an expected outcome. He could clearly remember his third life when he lived as a ruler archetype.
Luck wasn't on his side at that time either. Born on the streets, his starting point couldn't be any worse.
Growing up as a beggar, he had a hard time caring for comfort and survival. Yet, he never lost his principles. His end goal was to rule, and he didn't stop trying until the very end.
After joining the army, he quickly climbed the ranks and turned into a general. One might say that he reached his goal. Jung had people under him, was respected, and became the second man in command after the king.
But he wasn't satisfied. He strived for more and didn't give up. This was the essence of Jung.
The results were also given, and soon enough, he slayed the corrupted king, elected himself as a new monarch, and turned his country into a glorious empire.
Reminiscing about his past wasn't an everyday occasion. Still, it supplied him with the energy to run closer to his goals, and not once did he think of giving up.
Especially in this life when he wasn't alone. His lonely days shattered as soon as he arrived in this world. Maybe even earlier, when he heard the system's voice for the first time.
Pondering about that brought a smile to his face. Jung was the only one who smiled. Others were too occupied with perseverance that they didn't even notice his hideous face, as Nero liked to call it.
After running for hours, the scenery finally changed. Nothing major or extraordinary was visible from afar, but the city walls.
It was too far away to distinguish anything. The only characteristic that could be seen was a soaring tower stretching to the sky and cutting through clouds. Made of stones and bricks, it was the grandest building Jung had ever seen.
'I can't wait to see it,' Jung thought with excitement, his hands clasped. He was tired from hanging this much. 'I think that should be an Arcane Tower.'
An hour of half-walking later, the group had to stop. The teens, as well as the elders, had to rest because all this running took a heavy toll on their bodies. They were past their limit, and even a modest exhalation was too painful to bear.
Surprisingly, Mira was in the best shape. Jung had a prior notion that Ronan would last the longest, yet the girl proved him wrong, which was a pleasant surprise.
Her black clothes were covered in sweat, shining in the darkness.
The same could be said about others, as running extensively ruined their perfect visage, birthing a scene that described impending danger quite well.
Elders were trembling. They had just lost control of their limbs. Some of them couldn't even move one muscle.
This break was necessary, but it gave the monsters enough momentum to catch up with them, and they used this time to the end. Jung was the first one to notice their approach.
'Now, this is getting serious,' he thought, glancing at his dead weight.
The idea of leaving them flashed in his mind, and he seriously considered it, but if not for the Chosen One, he might actually have done it.
It wasn't like he wanted to support them. Being that kind of man was never in Jung's style. His motivation settled in a separate aspect, as all he cared about was reaching the academy and passing their cursed trial.
Jung urged others to keep going. He went to each person one by one and helped them to stand up. Even youngsters did the same and extended a helping hand.
Five more minutes was all they could endure, but it would take 20 minutes to reach the city.
Jung peeked back once again, studying the approaching monsters. The name of this monster was a mystery to him, which was confusing because he was confident with his familiarity with this topic.
"This damn academy and their tricks," he muttered to himself, and calculated his chances of winning against them. It didn't take an insufferable amount of effort to tell that his odds were closer to zero, even if he had assistance from the teens.
Six monsters, all of them thirsty for blood and meat, dashed at them, ready to clench their hunger. Their speed increased, while Jung and his people slowed their pace.
'I am fucked,' he thought as he genuinely was out of options. In this dull environment and in a situation where his strength meant nothing, Jung's only course was to run away.
As he was about to do that, he heard a sound, a familiar voice that didn't resonate like a human or a monster.
It was a cute whisper, a purr of the adorable creature Jung deeply missed.
Nero woke up and stretched in his heart space.