At the end of the third day, everyone who had been taking the test returned using the same inscriptions they'd arrived with, using them to go back to Celestia Academy.
Back at the main courtyard, the Elder in charge, along with many others, was closely watching the returning beginner Summoners. Unfortunately, out of the little over two hundred participants, a third had died.
Of course, for the people of this universe, losing a Summoner was a massive loss. But if they wanted to beat the Risen, they had to train them harshly.
The survivors — even the average or below-average ones — needed to be hardened, made as tough to kill as possible. Numbers didn't mean much in this fight for survival. After all, there was no competing with the Risen in that area. So the only option was to make up for it with individual strength.
After a few minutes, the lights on the inscriptions faded. The head Elder nodded, satisfied.
Then the light lit up again.
A striking Dragoness was the last to arrive. On her shoulder was the small creature that made the whole atmosphere shift — everyone turned their eyes toward them.
The Elder saw the two newcomers, but his expression didn't change.
Still... Niara's gaze on him caught something hidden.
At the same time, Darian spotted that dragon-blooded couple from before, staring at them. They weren't good at hiding their reactions — it was obvious they were pissed and surprised to see them alive.
'Those two knew about it and helped with the attempt to kill us,' Darian commented in his mind.
Niara nodded. 'That Elder helped that bastard king. My instincts don't lie — when he saw us, he hid what he was really feeling.'
They'd arrived last on purpose — to catch reactions like that. Darian couldn't sense those things on his own, but his partner was extremely experienced in combat and in reading people's intentions.
The head Elder wasn't particularly experienced. He'd been a Summoner once, but not for long, and hadn't fought much in his life. Compared to him, Niara was on a whole different level.
'Perfect. We've got a path to follow. Let's mess with those two idiots. It'll be easier to use them to get revenge for the demon beasts and find the traitors,' Darian muttered dryly.
The head Elder started speaking out loud:
"Everyone's back. No time to waste. The Elders will now tally each person's points."
The other Elders moved quickly. Each held a small inscription used to measure the purity of the Rainbow Lilys. After analyzing everything each Summoner had gathered, they'd assign a score between one and a thousand.
It didn't take long for the average to become clear — between 200 and 300, with the top Summoners reaching up to 450. Most hadn't gotten anything that ancient or pure, but quantity still helped bump up the final score.
That dragon-blooded couple was evaluated and scored 380 and 375 points. They were pretty proud of themselves — not part of the elite, but above average, and with time, they could actually compete with the top.
The woman shot a distant look at Niara, her smile slightly twisted. If they could absorb her mutant bloodline, it'd boost their power even more. Then, they might really go toe-to-toe with the elite.
It didn't take long before a female Elder walked up to Niara.
She handed over her spatial ring without showing any emotion.
The moment the Elder tuned into it, her eyes went dead.
It took her a few seconds to react—then she used the inscription to measure...
When she saw the result, she couldn't believe it. She ran the test again... and again...
Right then, the head Elder sensed something was very, very wrong.
"What the... what!?" He stared at the runes, swallowing his words.
"It must be a mistake," he said, turning to the other Elders who hurried over.
Four of them repeated the test. In the end, there was no doubt...
"Age: 986,000 years... category: Supreme Ancestral... score: 1000," the Elder announced, and the entire courtyard fell silent.
Countless eyes froze on Niara, cold and green with envy.
She puffed out her chest, proud as hell.
"How the hell did you pull that off?" snapped the head Elder, his gaze razor-sharp.
Niara narrowed her eyes at him. Darian cut in, dry as ever, "Oh? Maybe we got lucky, or maybe we're destined for greatness... anyway, I don't recall any rule saying I had to lay out every detail. Does Celestia Academy change the rules whenever it suits you?"
All the Elders glared at the slug.
"There's no rule like that. You don't have to say if you don't want to," the head Elder huffed, deadpan. "Luck is part of your skill set too."
Everyone nodded at that.
The dragon-blooded woman muttered, "Lucky bitch... just a flash in the pan. That mediocre talent will show itself soon enough. Let's see how far your ridiculous partner's luck really goes."
Niara turned to face her.
Darian tensed—thankfully, Niara just shrugged her off. He trusted she wouldn't act without them both being on the same page... at least he hoped so.
The head Elder pocketed the ring. Noticing Niara's murderous glare, he couldn't help a half-smile and said, "I know it's unfair, but all Rainbow Lilys belong to the Academy. You'll be paid based on your final ranking, not the Lily's value."
'Keep what's mine? In your dreams...' Darian thought coldly. It was obvious the Elder would find a way to claim it.
The Elders carried on grading everyone else. It took about an hour for all the scores to be in.
The results flashed on a runic screen—and it was clear nobody beat 450. First place was off the charts at 1000.
These scores would roll into the next two tests, making everyone even more serious. The elite shot Niara cold looks—if they wanted to win, they'd have to keep her from scoring big in the next rounds.
"First test results are in. On to the next one, right here at the Academy," announced the head Elder, waving and activating the teleport inscriptions around them.
Seconds later, everyone was whisked to an interior section of Celestia Academy.
They stood before a plain, warehouse-like building. Behind it spread a huge, green field.
"The second test splits into three parts, each lasting a day," the Elder said, loud enough for all to hear.
"Unlike the first test, which was about smart use of your powers to survive and hit the goal, this one's all about control and individual talent. Luck plays no part."
Everyone clenched their fists, eager. Some shot cold smiles at Niara—this was their chance to crush that duo. Then they could leap ahead in the final test.
"For the first part, the Spiritual Guardians are in the spotlight. Go inside," he ordered, swinging open the building's doors.
They all rushed in, itching to start.
'Wait... why am I being underestimated here?' Darian thought, seriously. His Calamity-level body wasn't exactly secret.
Niara didn't answer out loud, but inside she was buzzing with excitement.