Chapter 127: Gathering In The Hall

Lara and I have been working on it, but we’re still getting nowhere.

Ethan grinned as he typed back.

I actually succeeded.

Jake responded immediately.

What?!

Another message immediately followed.

We’re coming to your dorm tomorrow.

Why?

Jake’s answer came almost instantly.

So you can teach us.

Ethan shook his head, amused.

“Those two…”

He put his phone aside after agreeing to help them the next day.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him and without wasting time Ethan fell asleep.

By the time he groaned awake, it was already mid-morning.

Ethan blinked several times, still half-asleep as he pushed himself upright.

Thankfully, he didn’t have morning classes that day.

He rubbed his eyes before reaching for his phone.

The moment he unlocked it, a notification appeared.

It was from the academy.

Ethan opened it.

His sleepy expression immediately changed as he read the announcement.

[Academy Notice: All students are required to report to the Main Hall for the long-awaited Rift Practical Result Announcement.]

***

Ethan quickly freshened up before making his way toward the Main Hall after seeing the academy’s announcement.

It did not take him long to reach the hall, and there were already plenty of students gathered inside. Ethan looked around for a familiar face, and after a few moments, he spotted Rin.

He immediately walked over to him.

“I almost forgot about this announcement.”

Rin turned toward him with an incredulous expression.

“You almost forgot?”

Ethan nodded.

“With everything that has been happening lately, it completely slipped my mind. Besides, it has really taken a whole while for them to announce the results.”

Rin stared at him.

“How is it even possible for you to forget something like this?”

He shook his head as though Ethan had just said something unbelievable.

“I’ve been thinking about it and stressing over it ever since we finished the practical. For God’s sake, Ethan, we’re talking about practically working with the Association!”

Ethan’s expression changed.

“The Association?”

He had expected the Rift practical to be nothing more than a normal academy examination, just more advanced than the usual practicals they had taken before. He had never imagined that the Empire Association would be involved in the results.

“I honestly didn’t know the Association was involved,” Ethan admitted.

Rin looked at him in surprise.

“You didn’t know?”

Ethan shook his head.

“No.”

“That explains why you didn’t seem nervous.”

Rin folded his arms.

“The reason the obstacle course was that intense in the first place was because it wasn’t just an examination. It was also a selection process.”

Ethan’s eyebrows lifted.

“A selection process?”

“Yeah. The students who qualify will be registered under the Association as trainees.”

Ethan listened carefully as Rin continued.

“As Association trainees, they’ll be allowed to sightsee missions along the Empire’s borders and even in other areas where the Association operates. They won’t be full members yet, obviously, but they’ll be able to accompany proper Association teams and gain actual experience.”

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

“That sounds serious.”

“It is.”

Rin looked around the hall.

“Working with the Association is practically the dream of every student who enters this academy. Most people want to join after graduation, so getting accepted as a trainee while we’re still students is a huge opportunity.”

Ethan nodded slowly.

“So the trainee program helps prepare them for that?”

“Exactly.”

“I didn’t know any of this.”

Rin stared at him for a moment before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“Do you live under a rock somewhere inside this academy?”

Ethan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“I thought it was just an obstacle course for the first-semester examination.”

“It was both.”

“Oh.”

Rin shook his head.

“How do you manage to know so little about things everyone else seems to know?”

Ethan gave him an unimpressed look.

“Just leave me alone.”

Rin laughed.

The hall was still filling up, and the students had not completely settled down yet because the administrative staff and instructors had not arrived.

Ethan looked around while waiting and soon spotted Jake and Lara.

“There they are.”

Before Rin could ask what he meant, Ethan grabbed him and pulled him along.

“Come on.”

They walked over to where Jake and Lara were standing.

“Hey!”

Lara immediately brightened when she saw Ethan.

Jake smiled as well.

Ethan stopped beside them.

“Jake, Lara, this is Rin. He’s my best friend.”

He then gestured toward Jake and Lara.

“And these are Jake and Lara. They’re my friends and classmates.”

Lara immediately smiled warmly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Rin.”

“Yeah,” Jake added. “Nice to meet you.”

Jake extended his hand toward Rin.

Rin looked at the offered hand.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he clicked his tongue softly and stared at Jake with a strange, almost smug smile before finally taking his hand.

Jake’s smile widened.

Rin, however, seemed more interested in ending the handshake as quickly as possible.

Ethan noticed the strange exchange but didn’t think much of it.

Rin, on the other hand, clearly did.

He snorted quietly before leaning closer to Ethan.

“So you really did make friends while I was out there fighting for my life?”

Ethan immediately covered his face with one hand.

“Rin…”

“What?”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

Rin looked at him suspiciously.

“Are you trying to replace me as your best friend?”

Ethan couldn’t help laughing.

“Why are you being so paranoid?”

“I’m just asking.”

“They’re nice to me, okay? We’re in the same class, so we became friends. That’s all.”

Rin gave a quiet humph.

“Okay.”

The tone made it clear that he was not entirely convinced.

Lara, who had been watching the exchange, laughed softly.

“You two really are close.”

“Unfortunately,” Ethan muttered.

Rin immediately elbowed him.

“Hey.”

Ethan laughed.

The conversation soon shifted toward the reason they were all gathered in the Main Hall.

“Do you guys think we have a chance of being among the students who get called?” Lara asked.

Jake nodded slightly.

“I think I did pretty well.”

Ethan looked at him.

“When did you finish?”

Before Jake could answer, Lara immediately jumped in.

“He was one of the first five to finish.”

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Seriously?”

Lara nodded proudly.

“Yep.”

“Wow.”

Ethan looked at Jake.

“That’s actually impressive.”

Jake smiled.

“Yeah. I finished pretty early, but I don’t know if it was enough to guarantee anything.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it,” Ethan said.

Jake shrugged.

“I hope so.”

Lara suddenly grinned.

“He actually finished alongside Mr. I-Don’t-Know-You.”

Jake’s eyes shifted toward Rin.

Rin immediately looked away.

Ethan blinked.

“Mr. I-Don’t-Know-You?”

Jake chuckled knowingly.

“Mr. Rin, of course.”

Ethan looked between the two of them.

“You two finished together?”

Jake nodded.

“Yep.”

Ethan stared at Rin.

“You know each other?”

“No.”

Rin’s answer came so quickly that Ethan almost laughed.

Jake simply shook his head, clearly amused.

“If you say so.”

He shifted his attention toward the front of the hall as the first members of the academy staff began entering.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Something was definitely going on between those two.

He leaned closer to Rin.

“What’s wrong?”

Rin cleared his throat.

“Nothing is wrong.”

Ethan looked at him suspiciously.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You’re acting weird.”

“I’m not acting weird.”

Ethan continued staring at him.

Rin sighed.

“Just don’t think too much about it.”

Ethan shrugged.

“Okay.”

He decided not to push any further and shifted his attention toward the stage.

More staff members continued arriving, and the noise inside the Main Hall gradually died down as everyone took their seats.

A few moments later, Principal Ronan entered alongside Robert and several other members of the academy staff.

Ronan walked toward the raised platform at the front of the hall.

Once he reached the center, he turned to face the students.

“Welcome, everyone.”

The remaining conversations immediately died down.

Ronan waited until the hall was completely quiet before continuing.

“It is finally time to announce the qualified Rift participation winners.”

A wave of anticipation immediately spread through the hall.

Students sat straighter.

Some exchanged nervous glances.

Others whispered quietly to their friends.

Ethan looked toward Rin, then Jake and Lara.

Everyone seemed to be waiting to hear whether their names would be among those selected.

Ronan, however, had not finished speaking.

He looked toward the entrance of the hall.

“But before that…”

His expression suddenly became much more serious.

“Security.”

Several uniformed security personnel immediately stepped forward.

“Lock the doors.”

The massive doors at the entrance began closing.

A few students looked confused.

Ronan’s voice remained calm as the locks engaged.

“It is time for you all to serve your deserved punishments!”