Vol3 Chapter 4 Five time

Amos's eyes opened.

The academy grounds returned.

For several seconds,He simply stood there.

"..."

Around him, applicants stirred awake one by one. Some gasped sharply, others dropped to their knees. A boy broke into tears, while a girl glanced around in bewilderment before bursting into relieved laughter.

Nearby, a noble heir suddenly shouted,

"IT WASN'T REAL!"

Then hugged the ground.

Amos watched him.

"..."

The boy kissed the grass.

Amos slowly looked away.

"I see."

He nodded solemnly.

"Some people also had a difficult time."

Then his hand lifted, and two fingers pressed against his forehead—right where Kyros had touched him.

"..."

The words returned.

I made you.

Amos stared forward.

You were required.

His expression remained blank.

You were never the destination.

A slight breeze passed through the examination grounds.

Amos stood silently. He lowered his hand.

"Well. That's concerning. Extremely concerning."

He looked toward the sky.

"..."

Then shrugged.

"I'll worry about it later."

And just like that, Amos leaned backward and placed both hands behind his head. Then stared lazily at the sky.

"..."

The entire observation tower fell silent. One elderly professor finally spoke.

"Perhaps he is processing what happened."

Another nodded.

"A reasonable assumption."

"Traumatic mental examinations often produce delayed responses."

"Correct."

Below—

Amos yawned.

Vice Principal Rusell remained silent.

His eyes stayed fixed on the strange result hovering beside Amos's name.

AMOS EOS KYROS

STATUS: PASSED

MENTAL EVALUATION: —

RESULT: RELEASED

Rusell narrowed his eyes. He’d overseen this exam for decades, witnessing prodigies—children with minds so sharp that illusions broke under their sheer will. He’d even seen some spot the illusion and force their way out. But… released? By what? Rusell glanced down at Amos.

The blond boy had already closed his eyes.

"..."

Rusell's expression slowly became complicated.

"Just what exactly did you see in there, child?"

Far below, Amos opened one eye.

"...Hm?"

He looked around, a flicker of unease passing through him as if someone’s gaze was fixed on him. His eyes drifted to the observation tower, but everything seemed normal. With a faint shrug, Amos closed his eyes again.

"Whatever."

He had more pressing concerns—like waiting. The Third Examination was still not over.

He had zero interest in spending the next hour standing around, pondering the nature of his own existence. That just sounded exhausting. He’d already gone through enough of that when he was nine. Earth memories. Amos memories. Old life. New life. Which one was real? Which one was actually him? Was he from another world? Was he Amos? Was he both? He’d wrestled with that mess once before and wasn’t about to do it again—especially not because some suspiciously handsome version of himself had shown up in a mental checkup, talking like he had the ultimate answer to life.

Absolutely not.

"No."

Amos muttered under his breath.

"I refuse."

Because, really, what else was he supposed to do? Panic? Scream?

Dash toward Vice Principal Russell and blurt out:

Excuse me, Vice Principal. During your examination, I met a superior version of myself who claimed he created my personality as a temporary replacement until he matured enough to take over. He also claims to be the culmination of my entire bloodline and possibly the person referred to by an unknown prophecy.

No. Absolutely not. That was crazy. Worse—it sounded like trouble. And if there was one thing Amos had learned after five years of secretly living as an adventurer, it was this: you never reported strange things until you knew whether reporting them would cause even stranger problems. That was just basic survival. Amos gave a small nod to himself.

"Correct."

First, observe.

Second, wait.

Third, if nothing happens, just ignore it.

"..."

Amos paused. Then frowned.

"Why does that sound like something Elena would criticize?"

In his mind, he could already hear her.

Young Master.

Yes?

That is not a plan.

It has three steps.

Three bad decisions do not equal a plan even when arranged numerically.

Amos opened his eyes.

"Cheeky girl."

A nearby girl flinched, and Amos glanced her way. Their eyes met briefly.

"..."

"..."

Amos slowly turned his head away.

"Not talking about you."

The girl stepped back, putting more distance between them. Fair enough. Amos let out a sigh and turned his focus back to the examination grounds.

Now that he was truly watching, the Third Examination was captivating. Thousands had entered, but far fewer stayed composed. Each participant faced something unique—no visible enemy, no shared battlefield, no obvious challenge. Just solitary minds waging unseen wars. Amos rested his chin in one hand.

"Hm."

Several applicants had already failed, their magical circles glowing red before softly ejecting them from the examination. Others remained trapped—some trembling, some smiling, and some even crying.

Amos noticed someone familiar.

Chester Reinhart. The crimson-haired boy stood frozen in place, fists clenched far too tight. Even from afar, Amos could see the strain rippling through him. He watched in silence; eyes fixed on the boy.

"..."

Then looked away.

"Seems like he is not having a good time there."

A few seconds later, He looked back.

Chester's expression had worsened.

Amos sighed.

"Good luck."

He kept watching. Nearby, Willow Brew stood in her circle. Unlike Chester, she seemed oddly calm. Her brown hair swayed gently in the breeze. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Still, she stayed on her feet. Amos’s expression changed just a bit.

"Woah."

Another circle. Estelle Celeste, the silver-haired Saint Candidate, stood with her hands clasped near her chest. lips moved silently—maybe she was praying or speaking to someone only she could see. Holy mana flickered around her unconsciously, not with force, but with a gentle, quiet sadness.

Amos watched for a few seconds. Then, Aurelia.

"..."

Amos blinked. The green-haired girl smiled—not nervously, not with relief, but with genuine warmth. In the midst of a mental trial meant to pierce the deepest corners of the heart, Aurelia looked truly delighted. Amos could only stare.

"What kind of nightmare did she get? Terrifying woman."

Farther away, Elodie Cassandra Markult suddenly shouted:

"THAT CONTRACT IS LEGALLY INVALID!"

Amos sat up.

"..."

Several professors in the tower glanced in her direction. Elodie lay unconscious within the illusion, yet her face was twisted in fury.

"YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE INTEREST RATE AFTER SIGNING! THAT IS ILLEGAL!"

Amos stared.

"..."

Then slowly get away further from her lest she started swinging.

"Scary."

Some nightmares were simply too much for anyone to bear. Nearby, Edith stayed quiet, her face etched with devastation. Amos wondered what she might be witnessing, then figured he was probably better off not knowing.

Time passed slowly. One by one, the applicants awoke—some succeeded, some failed, and some needed healers. Through it all, Amos stayed seated. Waiting.

His mind occasionally returned to Kyros.

I made you.

Amos picked up a small stone. Threw it lightly.

You were required.

The stone bounced once.

Twice.

Three times across the ground.

When the time is right.

Amos watched it stop.

"..."

He picked up another stone.

"Future Amos problem."

He threw it. The stone bounced four times. Amos's eyes lit up.

"Oh."

He immediately searched for another.

"Five is possible."

And thus—

For the next several minutes, Amos focused entirely on skipping stones across dirt.

...

Inside the observation tower. One professor watched him.

"...I don't understand that child."

Another professor nodded.

"No one does."

A third looked toward Rusell.

"Should we question him after the examination?"

Rusell remained silent.

His eyes stayed on Amos.

"...No."

Several professors turned.

"No?"

"Not yet."

Rusell tapped his staff lightly against the floor.

"The Third Examination is still ongoing." His gaze moved toward the thousands of applicants. "We finish the test first. Then we will see."

Below—

Amos tossed another stone.

One bounce.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

His eyes went wide.

"Ha."

A satisfied smile appeared.

"Perfect."

***

Amos sat on the ground.

"..."

He tossed another stone.

One bounce.

Two.

Three.

It rolled weakly across the dirt, coming to a sad stop.

Amos just stared at it.

"...Failure."

He looked around for another. There were none nearby.

"..."

A dreadful thought hit him—he’d used up all the good stones. Amos lifted his head slowly. All around, thousands of applicants were still lost in their own minds. Some shook, some wept, some stood frozen in place. A few had already come to and sat nearby in weary silence. And Amos had nothing left to keep himself entertained.

"...How long does this examination take?"

No one replied.

He glanced at the floating platform.

Vice Principal Russell stood there, calm as ever.

Amos squinted.

"Old people have no respect for the limited patience of the youth."

A deep sound echoed through the examination grounds.

DONG.

The academy bell tolled.

Once.

All the remaining violet magic circles instantly flared to life.

Amos straightened in his place.

"Oh."

The entire examination field. Thousands of violet circles spun in unison, making the air quake as mana surged. Then, one after another, the remaining applicants stirred awake. A boy dropped to his knees, a girl staggered back, someone let out a scream, and another frantically inspected both hands as if to confirm they were still there.

One noble heir woke up and shouted:

"I WILL NEVER GET MARRIED!"

Several people slowly looked at him. The noble heir froze.

"..."

"..."

He straightened his clothes.

"Ehem."

DONG.

The bell rang again. Vice Principal Russell lifted his staff, and his magically enhanced voice echoed across the entire field.

"The Third Examination has concluded."

Even those still recovering forced themselves to listen. Rusell's gaze swept across the remaining applicants.

"Those whose mental arrays turned red have failed."

In an instant, hundreds of circles turned red, and a wave of despair swept over the crowd.

"No..."

"I failed?"

"Impossible!"

"Wait!"

Some protested while others simply lowered their heads. Rusell did not soften.

“The Mental Examination isn’t just about,” he said calmly. “It’s not about whether you feel fear, either.” A few applicants glanced up. “Everyone fears something. Everyone has weaknesses. Everyone carries desires they’d rather keep hidden.” The grounds fell silent. “This test isn’t meant to prove you’re fearless,” Rusell said, tapping his staff on the platform. “It’s to see if your mind truly belongs to you.”

Amos blinked.

"..."

Amos nodded approvingly.

A wise person.

Russell went on, saying, “Those who gave themselves entirely to illusion have failed. Those who can no longer tell thought from command have failed. Those who let go of their own will have failed.”

Amos's expression became increasingly blank.

"..."

I made you.

"..."

You were required.

"..."

You were never the destination.

"Those who passed have demonstrated sufficient mental stability to continue."

At once, the remaining violet circles changed.

Blue, green, silver, and gold—each a different color, each carrying its own meaning. Different judgments, different feelings. Then, relief swept across the field like a sudden burst.

"I PASSED!"

"Thank the gods..."

"I did it!"

A girl threw her arms around her friend. Someone else fell to the ground, laughing uncontrollably. Another applicant just down, crying with relief. Amos glanced down at his feet. His circle remains white. Pure, brilliant white.

"..."

He stared.

The circle stared back.

Amos leaned a bit to the left.

Still white.

Shifted to the right.

White.

He glanced at someone nearby.

Blue.

Then Amos looked down again.

"Come on, change. Do something at least."

Inside the observation tower, the professors were equally suspicious.

"Why is his still white?"

"No idea."

"Can the array not categorize him?"

"It should."

"Then why hasn't it?"

A professor checked the records then became silent.

"..."

"What?"

He did not answer.

"What is it?"

The professor slowly turned the magical display.

The others leaned closer.

AMOS EOS KYROS

THIRD EXAMINATION: PASSED

MENTAL RESISTANCE: UNRECORDED

ILLUSION RESPONSE: UNRECORDED

WILL EVALUATION: UNRECORDED

TERMINATION METHOD: RELEASE

One professor frowned.

"...Released by whom?"

No one answered.

Another crossed his arms.

"Could the participant have subconsciously ended his own illusion?"

"Then it would record self-termination."

"Could he have destroyed it?"

"Then it would record forced collapse."

"Could the array itself have rejected him?"

"Then he would fail."

The room fell silent.

Finally, one elderly professor spoke.

"...Perhaps an error."

No one believed him. Rusell stared at the record then at Amos.

Below, familiar voice came from nearby.

"I passed!"

Amos turned to see Willow Brew standing several rows away, her eyes still faintly red from tears. Clearly, she had been crying, yet her smile was warm, genuine, and full of relief. Beneath her, the circle glowed with a soft golden light.

Several professors immediately took note.

"Gold."

"Wonderful."

"For a commoner applicant with no formal mental training. Very impressive."

Willow quickly wiped her eyes, then realized people were watching. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks. Amos’s gaze found her, and for a moment, their eyes met. She froze. He gave a small nod—just a simple acknowledgment. She hesitated before nodding back, and then he looked away.

"Good for her."

Another wave of mana appeared silver. Estelle Celeste opened her eyes. The Saint Candidate neither stumbled nor gasped; she simply stood in silence. Tears streamed down her cheeks, yet she smiled softly. The holy mana around her calmed, and her circle glowed a brilliant gold as the professors nodded in approval.

"Her mental resilience is exceptional."

"Though whatever she saw..."

The professor fell quiet. Estelle slowly brushed away her tears, then lifted her gaze to the sky. For a fleeting moment, her face held a deep, aching loneliness. Amos saw it, but said nothing. Then—

"HAHAHAHA!"

Everyone turned.

Aurelia Maria Edward opened her eyes.

Her purple eyes were shining.

Actually shining.

She looked delighted.

"Is that all?!"

The examination circle disappeared.

Aurelia looked down.

"..."

Her smile vanished into a condescending look.

"Again."

Nothing happened. She raised her voice.

"I wasn't finished."

The professors stared. One slowly removed his glasses.

"What did she see?"

Another glanced over the mental record, and then—his expression grew complicated.

"An unsolvable magical structure."

"That was her trial?"

"Yes."

"..."

The room went quiet. Down below, Aurelia looked truly offended. “Return.” But the examination didn’t come back. Amos watched from a distance.

"I knew it." He nodded. "Terrifying gal."

Then,

"THIEVES!"

Amos turned. Elodie Cassandra Markult awakened with murder in her eyes.

"ABSOLUTE DAMN THIEVES!"

Her pink hair was a mess, her breathing uneven. She jabbed a finger at nothing.

"Three hundred percent interest?!"

The examination grounds fell silent.

Elodie glanced around.

"..."

Thousands of eyes fixed on her.

"..."

She slowly let her hand drop. Her twin sister Edith, who had awakened moments earlier, quietly opened her notebook.

Elodie spun around at once.

"Don't."

Edith kept writing.

"Edith."

The scratching of the pen went on.

"Dear sister."

Still more writing.

"I’ll buy that notebook."

Edith clutched it to her chest.

Amos watched.

"Family love."

Beautiful.

Then—

A violent surge of mana burst forth.

Amos turned.

Crimson. Chester Reinhart stood within a glowing red-gold circle. His breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat dripped down his face. His fists shook. Yet, He stayed on his feet. His eyes opened.

In an instant, he was furious, as if someone had insulted him to his very core. The golden circle beneath him gleamed, and the professors exchanged knowing nods.

"Strong will."

"Extremely."

"Reinhart blood."

Chester’s gaze swept the field and stopped on Amos.

"..."

Amos felt it.

"..."

Chester stared. Amos stared back.

"..."

Amos lifted a hand in a polite wave. Chester’s eye gave a twitch, and Amos let his hand fall back down.

"Why me."

He didn’t know why. Finally, the last violet circles faded. Some applicants woke on their own, others were quietly taken to the medical area, while a few stayed unconscious as healers rushed in. The field gradually calmed. Out of nearly three thousand who’d entered the academy grounds, far fewer were left. Amos glanced around—empty spaces everywhere. The Written Examination had claimed some, the Mana Examination even more, and the Mental Examination had been brutal. Vice Principal Rusell lifted his staff, and all remaining chatter ceased.

"The Third Examination is complete."

His voice carried across the grounds.

"One thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven applicants remain."

Amos blinked.

"..."

He looked around.

"That many?"

A nearby boy stared at him.

"That few!"

BOOM.

The whole academy trembled as the fourth magical circle spread across the sky, casting a red glow over the examination grounds. Applicants gazed upward—some pale, others thrilled, and a few simply baffled. Amos rose slowly, brushing dirt from his clothes before lifting his eyes to the massive circle above.

"..."

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Finally.

Something easy.

Vice Principal Russell’s voice thundered through Arianne Academy.

“The Fourth and Final Examination—”

A crimson circle flared open.

“—begins now.”

Amos watched the spectacle as the ground dropped away beneath them.

“...”

For a moment—nothing but silence. Then Amos dove, his golden hair fanning upward, his expression calm and unreadable.

“...I spoke too soon.”

And with that, all one thousand, one hundred eighty-seven remaining applicants vanished.