"You will spar with Mist now. Go get a sword," Calder suddenly said. Amarok stood up and took a sword. "Mist, go on, but don't be too hard on him. He's still recovering," Calder added.

"I will try my best," Mist replied as she turned to Amarok. "Mist, Rune warrior apprentice," she said. "Amarok," he said, unsure of what to say. Wisdom stood on his two back paws, waving at Amarok as if trying to encourage him.

Amarok was speechless; where did it learn that? It didn't look like it, but the little beast seemed pretty smart. Mist sighed and moved. Her first sword strike came crashing. Amarok parried. Sparkles blinked. Mist stepped, slicing towards his left thigh. Amarok pivoted, raising his sword to parry.

He braced himself for impact. Sparkles bloomed once more; he stepped back, his hands slightly trembling. "Really strong," he thought. Mist was completely overpowering him. He didn't even have the opportunity to attack; all he could do was defend until he was defeated. Mist's sword was inches away from his neck.

"You won. I think even Agris might be able to stand his ground," Amarok said with a genuine smile. "He is really strong," she said, a smile on her face. Amarok blinked; she was indeed better when not frowning, but he didn't dare to say it out loud.

"Why do people always say their name before they fight?" he asked, returning to Calder, Wisdom resuming his sleep on Amarok's lap. "It's a form of respect. I think that's not what you want to know. Your question is why do they say whether they are Rune warriors or sorcerers," Calder asked. Amarok nodded.

"Listen then. In this world, where power and mastery of Runes are essential for survival, people are categorized according to their power level."

"Why is that so?"

"A table without legs cannot stand. The same way a world without rules cannot thrive," Calder said. Amarok raised his eyebrow. "The Ranks determine everything—power, face, glory, even the right to rule.

Every person gets registered immediately they receive their Rune weapon, then they are categorized to determine their value to Elysium. The higher your value, the higher your privileges. There exist ten Ranks known to date.

Novice:

- Rune Sorcerer: Initiate

- Rune Warrior: Initiate

Beginner:

- Rune Sorcerer: Apprentice

- Rune Warrior: Apprentice

Apprentice:

- Rune Sorcerer: Scholar

- Rune Warrior: Scholar

Adept:

- Rune Sorcerer: Smith

- Rune Warrior: Smith

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Skilled:

- Rune Sorcerer: Champion

- Rune Warrior: Champion

Expert:

- Rune Sorcerer: Archmage

- Rune Warrior: Lord

Master:

- Rune Sorcerer: High Runelord

- Rune Warrior: Grandmaster

Elite:

- Rune Sorcerer: Paragon

- Rune Warrior: Paragon"

Calder kept talking.

"What about the last two?" Amarok asked, intrigued. "I have never heard of anyone going above the eighth level. The current King is a Rune sorcerer: Paragon."

"I seem to understand," Amarok held his head; that was a lot of information to digest in one go. His mind was running wild. He had seen the fight between Lyra and Filz. The runes used by Filz were impressive, and the Rune in Lyra's bow was not lacking in power. He was curious how powerful the runes of the King or anyone at the Paragon level would be.

"Take your time to understand; it will become more and more important in the future. Not only should it help you gauge your opponent, but it should also help you avoid unnecessary problems in the future," Calder finished speaking and stood to leave.

"Before I forget, you have till this evening to find out why you lost to Mist," he then left. "It's easy; she was faster than me. What's more, she is a Rune warrior apprentice. You said it yourself, the higher the rank, the stronger the opponent," Amarok answered proudly, confident of his answer.

"Don't forget till evening," his words hung in the air as his figure disappeared. Amarok's frown was his answer wrong? He scratched his head. "Don't waste your time. Finding an answer to his questions is always as hard as hell," Mist said, feeling a little sympathy for him.

"Hmm, why don't you give me some pointers?" he stood, picking up his sword. Wisdom refused to leave its side, standing on his head as they sparred. Right now, he had little to do. Neo could not find anything in the few books brought by Calder. What's more, there was no such library or whatsoever in Wandleaf. The best they could do is start at Alden. They would be moving in tomorrow; he had enough time.

Even though they didn't attend the second phase, they still got the news. Kleid had forfeited against Agris without even attempting to fight. Many found it reasonable; Agris was a Rune warrior: Apprentice like Mist, while Kleid was just a Rune warrior: Initiate. There was no question about the outcome if they went out to blows.

The next match was tomorrow. Kinty would be going against Lyra to determine who will get the second place. Both were just at the initiate rank, but the abilities they had shown made everyone excited. Everyone had seen their performance earlier and was eager to see the outcome.

......

In the City Lord's mansion, Agris was dining with the City Lord. "Master Agris, how is it moving with the little favor I asked for?" the City Lord asked.

"My father's response should be here by tomorrow," Agris said nonchalantly. For him, it was a little favor. "Thank you, I will definitely repay in the future," the City Lord said delighted.

"Of course, I am counting on it," Agris's face brightened. "Let's drink to our good collaboration," the City Lord raised his cup. Agris did the same, and they drank. Once Agris left the table after dinner, the City Lord's face turned cold.

"This little insolent really thinks we are equal," he murmured, playing with his fingers. Agris had agreed to help, but the City Lord knew he would have to pay dearly. Many thought he had forgotten about the incident of the banquet, but it was far from over. With the talent Amarok had shown, he could have easily brought pride to Wandleaf. But the City Lord shook his head as if trying to shake off those thoughts. Although he felt a little conflicted inside, he had already crossed the line with no turning back.

The dark night covered the sky once more soon. It was the final day of the Golden Seasons exam.