"What do you mean?" Onilia asked with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Listen to no one and just go about your day like nothing's happened."
Onilia opened her mouth to ask more, but something in his eyes silenced her.
Though she didn't understand what he meant, she decided to go along with it—for now. After all, he was the most observant person she knew.
Later that evening...
Zane trained nearly all night. The sound of his fists striking stone, the hiss of his breath, and the crack of strained joints echoed through the quiet hours. When the stars faded and the first light of morning crept over the horizon, he finally stopped. When he slept, it was only for a few hours.
The next morning, he took a long, cold shower, then joined Onilia for breakfast.
A simple meal had already been laid out—some fruit, meat, and oddly shaped bread that smelled faintly of honey and smoke.
Those who didn't want to go to large dining hall meant for all trainees were responsible for preparing their own meal.
There were all kinds of ingredients already in the kitchen storage of all the lodgings on the mountain, though their qualities varied.
For example, the person who acquired the first lodging would most certainly have better ingredients in their kitchen storage than the person who arrived one hundredth. Luckily for Zane, one of them knew what to do with the ingredients.
Onilia sat across from him, barely touching her food. Her fingers traced the rim of her cup, her eyes fixed on the table.
She kept stealing glances at Zane.
He was eating calmly, like nothing has happened.
'If that man really was sent by the Master… then we're in trouble. So how can he be this calm?' she thought, anxiety twisting in her gut.
Meanwhile, at the large field where all the trainees were gathered, Marius spoke, commanding the attention of all.
"From this moment until you die, you will do as I say without question. I know many of you are renowned rankers so I'll say this once. All of you combined wouldn't even be able to take out our meal overseers, keep that in mind."
'So that's a Zoic instructor. I heard they are on a completely different level. That man could take on every single trainee with one hand tied behind his back." Drex thought as he stared at the instructor.
'This badge indeed looks promising. Now where is the boy Master was talking about?' The instructor scanned the crowd but couldn't see anyone noteworthy aside from Nenis and a few others.'
"Zane Walker, step forward." The instructor's voice boomed across the field.
'Zane? How that the instructor know him?' Nenis thought. For him to know the Apex trainees was understandable, but Zane, why him?
The plane was quiet, a few trainees looked around but couldn't see the boy anywhere.
The instructor's eye twitched in annoyance.
"Alright, which one of you idiots is Zane?" Marius asked again, but dangerously this time.
'Wait, don't tell me he didn't show up. Is he being this confident because he knows the Master has hid back? No, I doubt me.'
"I'm afraid he didn't show up, Instructor. And Onilia too." A female trainee spoke out.
Nenis frowned as she looked towards the mountain. 'Onilia, what are you thinking, following that clueless idiot.'
"Follow me, everyone." Marius said as he dashed off. They followed but the distance between the trainees and the instructor grew by the second. Not even the Apex-ranked trainees could keep up.
"Go up there and get them both to come down this instance." The instructor spoke. He was too furious to go up, he might actually kill the one person he wasn't supposed to touch if he went up.
'I thought I made myself perfectly clear yesterday, so then why...' He took deep breaths to come down.
"That loser has gone and done it. To think he would he would be this arrogant. But why Onilia too, though?" A trainee whispered.
Meanwhile, Zane leaned back on his chair and asked Onilia a question.
"Are you not going? You don't have to follow me blindly, you know?"
"I'll go when you do." Onilia answered shortly but she couldn't hide the nervousness in her voice.
Suddenly, a voice called out from below.
"The instructor told me to come get you two. He says, 'come down the mountain—immediately or die!'" the guy shouted from halfway up the hill, clearly not eager to climb all the way.
Onilia's lodging was positioned atop a hill. After you've climbed the mountain and walked for a few minutes, you needed to climb an additional hill to reach the entrance to her lodging. The trainee stood at the base of the hill and shouted at the top of his voice.
Zane didn't even flinch. He stood up, walked to the door, and leaned against the frame.
"Tell him to come up the mountain if he's got something to say. We're busy." With that, he shut the door in the trainee's face.
Outside, the messenger muttered under his breath. "That scrawny bastard... they're really asking for it."
Back inside, Onilia looked uneasy. She gripped her fork tightly.
"Zane... I think we really should go down," she said. Her voice trembled slightly, and her usual calm was gone.
Zane turned his head slightly and looked at her. 'I guess the weight of the lives she's carrying is clouding her judgment.'
"If you're going to follow me, then follow me through to the end. I don't like indecisive people. Don't worry, he'll send someone again."
"What if he doesn't?" Onilia asked, unsure of what is going on in the boy's head.
"If he doesn't, then we'll both die." Zane said casually.
"I see. Well then, I'll trust you just this time." Onilia replied.
"One thing you shouldn't do is to put your trust in another person. Trust only yourself."Without another word, he returned to his seat and resumed eating.
"When it happens that you were wrong in your assumptions, I'll kill you before the instructor does." Onilia warned.
"You're brutally honest when needed. Set your heart at ease, the chance that I'm wrong is non-existent." He said as he smiled at her. However, Onilia could not shake off her uneasiness. She had her whole planet on her shoulders yet she was taking such a risk. Why?
Not long after, the same voice called again.
"Looks like that's our queue, let's go." Zane said as he stood.
They both stepped outside.
The same trainee stood outside, panting hard and clearly annoyed by going up and down the demonic mountain.
"He told me to say the Master is summoning you personally," he said with a frown.
Zane raised a brow, leaning lazily against the doorframe again. "Tell the Master to send word to me directly then," he said flatly and began closing the door.
But the trainee quickly spoke.
"He also said to tell you this… if you refused," the messenger said, straightening up as if reciting something very specific.
"Come down, the test is over."
Zane's expression changed slightly. He didn't smile, didn't frown—just... shifted.
"Then tell him we'll be on our way," Zane said calmly.
Turning to Onilia, he stretched. "Well, time to go back down."
She followed him, but as they walked, she couldn't help glancing sideways at him.
"We should hurry up, Zane," Onilia said, her voice filled with frustration as she glanced back. Zane dragged his feet as if he had all the time in the world.
"You're welcom to enjoy the view with me, Onilia, I've confirmed my theory. We're not going to die. I'll explain everything once we get down." He replied with a calm shrug. His tone was so casual it only made her more nervous. She swallowed hard but said nothing.
"Go on ahead, I'm right behind you." Zane said to her as they reached the edge.
Onilia wanted to protest but sighed instead.
"Alright then, see you down there." Onilia leapt off the edge, sprinting down the slope at an inhuman speed.
After a few minutes, she could see the trainees gathered at the base.
"What excuse am I going to give the instructor?" She sddenly had the urge to wait for Zane.
She leapt off the a protruding rock and landed before the instructor.
The instructor immediately recognized her as the super rookie Ranker, Onilia.
'Why would she make such a foolish mistake? It has to be him, I'm certain he's the cause.' The instructor thought.
"Where is Zane Walker?"
"That idiot I don't see him anywhere. Don't tell me we'll have to wait for two months down here." one trainee whispered with a worried expression.
"Why two months?" Marius heard the trainee and couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Zane is a Nay, the weakest one I've ever seen, instructor." The trainee answered.
"How much more weaker can a Nay get? They are all Omega ranked players." Marius asked, confused.
He was sure Zane was some high heir to a great bloodline, considering how the Master took an interest in him.
'A Nay? That can't be right, can it?'
"He took nearly two months to climb up the mountain." The trainee continued.
"Two months?" The instructor whispered in surprise. 'So the reason why he could join us wasn't because he was being stubborn, but because he couldn't?' The instructor sighed in frustration.
"Why didn't you help him down, Onilia?" The instructor turned towards the girl and so did many other trainees.
"He doesn't need my help, not to climb down at least." Onilia replied, pointing up. Every gaze shot up, following the direction of her finger.
'Looks like I can reach the base without having to hit any protruding rock this time. I didn't think I'd be able to jump far enough to avoid all the rocks. Is it an effect of the training under the crashing gravity?' Zane thought as he plummeted.
"Oh, I can see the base. Looks like everyone is already gathered." Zane whispered.
'I should spread out my limbs, I don't want my shirt to get damaged. It was difficult to find one that fits my frame.'
"Hey, I see something." A trainee pointed as he squinted his eyes, trying to make out the image of the falling object.
"Yeah I see it too. Is that a person?"
Moments later, Zane crashed into the ground face first with his limbs stretched wide. Every bone shattered and the life was snuffed out of him like a switch turned off.
[System Notice]
{Player Zane Walker is dead}
'Did... He jump from all the way up there.' Marius looked up, then at the broken mess of the motionless boy.
"To think he would jump, what a maniac." A trainee laughed as others joined in. But those who understood were silent.
"How many of you idiots would be able to jump from such a height, knowing full well death is all that awaits you?" Nenis whispered, staring at the laughing trainees with furrowed brows.
Zane groaned a few moments after and found all gaze directed at him. He sat cross-legged on the ground dusting himself.
Nenis stared at Onilia in disbelief. 'Why would she follow him and break the Master's orders? What is she thinking? Does she trust that idiot that much?' She clenched her jaw, clearly disappointed.
She looked at Zane who stood and moved like a wandering sage, detached from the chaos, eyes turned skyward as if seeking answers only he could see.
"Tch" she let out a frustrated chuckle.
"Too bad Onilia's with him. Guess she's going down too," another trainee said with a cruel smile.
"I see you already made it." Zane said to Onilia as he approached, completely ignoring the furious instructor.
Standing in front of everyone was the man they were all afraid of—Instructor Marius and he wasn't happy. He slowly turned to face Zane and Onilia.
"State your names, before you receive your punishment," he said in a dangerous voice.
'So, this is Zane Walker. Just looking at the idiotic expression of his makes me want to kill them both.'