12.

"I want to go back home."

This was the only thing he said softly with trembling lips.

Before coming to this unfamiliar world, he was but a normal fifteen-year-old boy who had never seen blood before, much less face something like being eaten alive. He could clear the previous trials because he felt like he was playing a game, fighting monsters one by one. He wasn't hurt in the slightest and could one-shot every enemy that then turned into light and disappeared.

Till now, this was his mentality...

But after dying in the 'Hell' difficulty trial, Eldric was overtaken by fear. It was now that many thoughts began to pop off in his head. 

Now that the time of exploring and adventure in this new world was over, he wanted to go back to his old life in his old world. In a panic, he even began to rummage through his room, not knowing what he was looking for. His bed, his chair, and everything in the house were soon overturned as if he were looking for something underneath them.

And while he was doing this, the figure of the girl silently appeared behind him, floating in the air, observing him with an expressionless face. She looked in silence as Eldric began to panic more and more, in the end, she saw him pausing for a moment and grabbing all his clothes before packing them inside a bag.

"What are you doing?" Even though she was angry and didn't want to speak to him after their last heated argument, she still couldn't see him panicking like that. Gritting her teeth, she finally made the first move, bringing an end to their fight.

"....." Eldric seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that someone was talking to him. 

"I said... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Huh!?" It was now that Eldric came back to his senses before turning his head and looking at the girl floating beside him. 

"I... I..." Stuttering, Eldric didn't know what to say. Flustered, he could only doge his eyes around the room, not daring to look at the girl in front of him. At this moment, he even forgot about the little fight they had and how she was not willing to talk to him.

"...." He didn't answer but just averted his eyes.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, the girl arrived in front of Eldric. "Are you really going to run away just because you died in an illusion?"

"....." Eldric didn't reply but clenched his fists. Yes... It was an illusion, but the feeling of death and pain was as real as it could have been. He didn't want to feel that despair and fear once again.

"I see." Receiving no reply from him, the girl shook her head in disappointment. "Perhaps I thought too highly of you.

When you first fought, I thought you were someone who had a lot of experience. After all, with the calmness and accuracy that you dealt with those beasts... I thought you were a veteran.

But..." Shaking her head at Eldric who still didn't dare to look her in the face, "I guess I was mistaken.

You might look mature for your age, but inside..." Scanning him from top to bottom she added, "You are still a child."

Listening to her constantly badmouthing him, Eldric gritted his teeth. After dying to the wolves, he was already feeling fear and with her constant belittlement of him, this fear has now turned into rage.

"YOU TALK LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING." Almost shouting, Eldric lowered his voice a bit "How could you know what I am feeling at this moment?"

"You have it easy. You can come and go anywhere you want. No one can see you, no one can hear you. You have the complete freedom to do anything.

How would you know what I am feeling right now when you don't even know me."

Now that things have come to this, Eldric didn't want to stay quiet.

"You are the last person I need advice from."

Listening to Eldric, the girl didn't reply but let out a sneer.

"Oh! How pitiful.

Let me guess... You are a young boy with a relatively poor family. Your parents couldn't afford your education in a prestigious school, hence they put you here... Someplace that is run as welfare for poor bastards like you.

You had a normal childhood, and a normal school life, and nothing about you is extraordinary...

Tell me... Am I right?"

The more she spoke, the wider the smirk on her face got. It was as if she was mocking him.

"You thought you could pass the trials on high difficulties because you have something special.

You didn't think about failure and got way over in your head.

And now that you have failed miserably, you are sitting here like a coward and instead of thinking about the solution, want to run away."

"Tell me... How am I doing so far?"

Gritting his teeth, Eldric looked at her with eyes filled with anger, but everything she said was the truth. He couldn't refute her.

"Oh spare me the crying." With a face filled with disdain, she continued "Look around you, every single person in this school has the same story as you.

I don't see them crying."

"....." Eldric's body trembled for a moment before he shook his head.

"Go away." Unable to refute her, this was the only thing he could say.

"Hmph... Do whatever you want." Seeing Eldric trying to end the conversation, the girl shook her head in disappointment before disappearing completely.

"...." Eldric didn't speak but kept his silence while still rummaging through the room.

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The last day of the trial passed in the blink of an eye. During the entire day, Eldric stayed in his room in silence. He tried to sleep, but the scenes of the Wolves tearing him apart would keep on playing in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he would feel the rancid smell from Wolf's mouth chewing his face.

This kept on happening throughout the entire day and night, making him unable to even catch a wink of sleep.

It wasn't until he heard the sounds of a bell tolling in the morning that he woke up and after washing himself walked towards the food court to have some breakfast.

After an entire day of not eating anything, he was feeling quite hungry.

But the moment he reached there, he was stunned to find that there wasn't anything prepared today. Instead, everyone was asked to report to the school grounds before ten in the morning.

Helplessly, Eldric could only drag his hungry body to the school grounds.

It didn't take long for him to reach there today. But compared to the usual clamoring and noise, there was an eerie silence there. Almost everyone present there seemed to be nervous.

After all, today was the day of the results and their fate would be decided.

Eldric stood in the corner of the crowd in silence, waiting for something to happen.

And sure enough, it didn't take long before the school's principal Garric and Ellina along with many teachers arrived there.

Standing in the front of the crowd at an erected platform, Garric cleared his throat while looking at the students.

"So... This day has finally arrived." With a chuckle, while nodding, he slowly spoke further.

"I have to say, that it was wonderful teaching you throughout the years. When you all came here, you were still greenhorns who knew nothing about the world.

We taught you, raised you, shaped you... You are just like our children. So, never forget that Aetheria High School will always be your second home."

Taking a brief pause he looked around and spoke once again.

"Now... Today is the day, you will be leaving the school to pursue your path in the universities.

Regretfully, some of you might not make it but don't worry about it.

Who knows what the future might hold for you?"

It was now that he took a deep breath and looked at the burly man beside him.

Receiving the signal, the man took a step forward and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Those who haven't passed the trials, please step to the left side."

As soon as he said that, a few people walked out of the crowd with unwillingness. Eldric too followed suit and quietly walked out.

"Those who scored less than 300 points, please step to your right side."

As soon as he said that, a large number of people walked out of the crowd.

"Well, follow your respective teachers." With a nod, two teachers walked off the stage in front of both groups before signaling them to follow.

Eldric and many beside him already knew what was going to happen, so they looked at the school one last time before walking away.

After walking for a while, they soon arrived in an empty area, quite a distance away from the grounds.

"You all already know why you are here. Grab your things and meet me back here in half an hour."

This was the only sentence the teacher said before closing his eyes.

Eldric along with others walked back to their rooms before coming back soon.

After half an hour when everyone was there, the teacher opened his eyes and looked at the twenty or so people in front of him before giving them a nod and leading them towards a corner of the school. He didn't console them or speak any parting words.

In his eyes, these people were not worth his effort.

It didn't take long before they were standing in front of a platform with three black gates with numbers written on top.

"Those who live in District A can take the door number 1.

For District B, take door number 2.

And door number 3 for District C."

With this, he went silent, completely disregarding the people in front of him.

The students stayed quiet as they listened to him until someone stepped forward and walked through the door.

Almost everyone didn't want to go. After all, getting out means giving up on their admission to university and giving up on their dreams and life. From now on, they could only be ordinary people with no one to guide them forward.

No one was willing to go through this. And yet, even if they were unwilling, there was nothing they could do. After all, rules are rules.

Within the next few moments, people stepped towards their respective Districts.

Compared to others who were unwilling to get out, Eldric was more than happy to get out of this place. At the moment, he just wanted to go to a safe place.

Stepping in front of Gate number 3, leading to District C, Eldric took a step forward and disappeared from there, leaving behind the place in which the previous body owner spent years of his life.