Several hours had passed until dawn arrived. The day grew lighter and warmer as the miasma fog dissipated following last night's explosion. The temperature on the mountain rose by several degrees, thanks to the radiant light that pierced through the sky. It was this very light that obliterated the undead and granted the cadets an immune effect, slowly healing them physically, mentally, and spiritually, albeit not entirely. This extraordinary event in their life's history would forever be etched in their memories during their time in Malazen.

Unbeknownst to the cadets, the scythe-wielding Ravenguards had positioned themselves on the five-tiered hermitage stairs, blocking any attempts by the cadets to ascend while the undead were being vanquished. It was only now that the cadets became aware of the vigilant presence of the two Ravenguards.

Hyoh traversed through the forest, passing by graves and the lifeless body of Groguk, until he reached the fifth hermitage. No longer surprised by the sight of most buildings and statues reduced to ashes in the aftermath of the chaotic battle the previous day, Hyoh's eyes were immediately drawn to the stacks of corpses that had been gathered. A pool of blood inundated the ground, permanently staining it, while cobwebs adorned the surroundings. These remnants of destruction served as a testament to the resilience of the surviving cadets, who found solace in sitting, conversing, and occasionally dozing off, although not all of them possessed the strength to fully accept the grim reality before them.

Numerous cadets, mentally and emotionally scarred, wept bitterly over the loss of their friends, their sorrow further compounded by whispers of the horrors awaiting them in the forthcoming exam—an exam they knew would undoubtedly be more arduous than the one they had just endured. Trapped in this cycle, they felt helpless, as if their freedom had been stripped away. They could only express their grievances with terror-stricken and apprehensive gazes, and this prevailing tension would persist until their ultimate demise in the fulfillment of their mission.

In the crisp morning dew, a cacophonous sound emanated from the forest as hundreds of crows descended upon the fifth hermitage, swarming over the cadets who basked weakly in the sunlight, their energy depleted. Caught off guard, the slumbering cadets gradually awakened, sensing that something peculiar was transpiring amidst the incessant cawing of the crows. Little did they realize that it marked the jubilant proclamation of their success in passing the fourth exam. Hyoh's arrival dispersed the crows, prompting them to take flight toward the stairs leading to the fourth hermitage.

"Everyone, line up!" Hyoh's voice resounded from a distance.

"Hey! It's Instructor Hyoh! Instructor Hyoh has arrived!" shouted a cadet, abruptly awakening everyone from their slumber.

Hyoh came to a halt in front of the cadets, waiting for them to form a line. Their numbers had been halved, with approximately a hundred surviving cadets, not including those in the upper hermitage. Despite the losses, Hyoh couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. What they had accomplished was beyond what their predecessors had achieved. However, one thing troubled his mind—the explosion that had occurred above the peak. Even now, their faces mirrored the awe he had felt when they witnessed the hollow sky, a breathtaking portal of light leading to heaven.

Once everyone had assembled and stood in a neat line, the instructor issued his command. "Everyone, bury the bodies in the graves. Afterward, you may return to the ship to rest. Don't worry about the injuries you've sustained. Thanks to the Elixir of Dream potion you've taken, you will surely recover within a day. Your next test will take you to the old town of Moriath, where you will meet Kenneth the Ripper within three days."

Hyoh raised his index finger as he issued a stern warning. "Remember, under no circumstances should you provoke Kenneth. He is notorious for being the most malevolent instructor among all the others. If you are careless, he won't hesitate to slit your throat with a knife, or even a mere leaf. Take my advice seriously. Proceed to Tolwich Harbor and make your way to Moriath in the Wallakarya Region before the third day. If you're unfamiliar with the route, you can ask the locals for assistance, although it's worth noting that most of them cannot be trusted. Is that perfectly clear?"

One last cadet arrived, making his way from the northern cave until he stood beside the formation. In his left hand, he held the head of a Gorgon, its eyes bound by a cloth and its serpentine hair intricately tied. In his right hand, he carried a trembling cadet, whom he gently placed on the ground. The cadets recognized the fearful figure as Son Alibaba, but they were unaware of the identity of the cadet who had brought him.

Adorning the cadet's uniform was the number one badge, which shocked the others, as it meant that he was not Beno the Trailblazer whom they knew. Hyoh, too, was taken aback, for the cadet before him was one of his comrades from the previous generation—Zirar the Pioneer. His body was devoid of stone dust, and Hyoh could instantly read the fierce expression on Zirar's face, a testament to the fact that he had undoubtedly snapped Medusa's neck with his bare hands.

"Zirar...?" Hyoh murmured.

"Hyoh!" Zirar greeted as he shook Hyoh's hand, embracing the warmth of their reunion.

"It's been a while. Where have you been?" Hyoh asked. "I thought you—"

"Hah! Don't say it's been long. I just took a short nap. Look at my face, still as youthful as ever, right? Thanks to this woman," he pointed to the gorgon's head. "When I woke up, I realized from the soy boy's story that I'm now in a different generation."

The cadets were astounded to discover that Zirar was actually Hyoh's comrade from the previous generation. They glanced at Son, who was referred to as the soy boy, still trembling and unable to stand with the ranks.

"I understand. That means you managed to survive the petrification phase. How did you do it?" Hyoh asked.

Zirar walked toward the front of the cadet rows and boomed, "Where is the cadet named Zain?" as if he was seeking to settle a debt.

The cadets' gazes shifted toward Zain, who happened to be in the middle of the formation. Zain awkwardly raised his hand, his forced smile attempting to erase the memory of the embarrassing incident in the gorgon's lair.

"The soy boy said that you were the one who saved my life. I'm grateful!" Zirar said, bowing his head. "He also mentioned that you and Barnius were the ones who weakened this Medusa, so I feel remorseful for taking advantage of you. Take this, it's your spoils of the hunt!"

Zirar tossed the medusa's head, which Zain caught, the blood from its severed neck staining his hands, prompting him to wipe them on the back of the cadet beside him.

"From now on, I'll consider you my brother," Zirar declared. "And if you ever need my help, go to Fusthad!"

"Fusthad City?" Hyoh murmured. "Do you mean you'll join Khaledin there?"

"Yes, because it's in the Vystan region where the liberators are based! Goodbye, Hyoh! I'll swim all the way to Tolwich Harbor myself!"

Many cadets were discussing how Zain managed to defeat the Gorgon, and they were surprised to discover that the previous generation, which was ten years older than them, was still alive in these mountains.

"There's one more thing before I let you go," Hyoh said, quieting them down. "Congratulations on your success in my test..."

Hyoh clapped once, twice, and the cadets joined in a standing ovation, wiping away their tears in front of their instructor. Their lingering fear transformed into regained confidence, and their emotions shifted from melancholy to resolute determination because of this experience. After the thunderous applause subsided, Hyoh instructed them to disperse and get to work.

The cadets gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades and buried them while Hyoh continued his ascent up the stairs. Yuria reunited with her two comrades, Kirana, who appeared exhausted as if she had run thousands of kilometers, and Ischel, whose arms were wrapped in bandages. The three of them conversed, "I'm glad you two made it through."

"Yuria! By the Divines, we are incredibly fortunate!" exclaimed Ischel.

"Fortunate? What do you mean?"

Ischel turned and pointed at the sky scarred by the explosion, casting an eerie glow on the dark dawn. She explained, "We were lucky that the explosion up there managed to dispel the curse of the undead. If we had continued fighting here until dawn, who knows what would have happened? Nevertheless, we're grateful that it all ended like this."

"This was a challenging test," Kirana said, leaning her head on Ischel's shoulder while sighing with relief. Despite her exhaustion, she felt touched to have survived and passed this trial.

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"I'm sorry," Yuria confessed, her voice filled with regret. "I should have helped all of you here. I truly apologize for not doing so."

"No, Yuria!" Ischel responded. "You don't need to feel guilty. The important thing is that we're safe."

Kirana patted Yuria's shoulder, attempting to calm her down. "Yuria, I know you were once known for being indifferent to others at the academy, but over time, your cold demeanor began to change. This exam teaches us a lesson about the importance of surviving together instead of living in solitude, you know..."

Yuria observed from a distance as Zain, accompanied by his Viking friends, who were covered in wounds and bandages, solemnly burned the bodies of the fallen cadets and offered prayers for their souls to swiftly reach Valhalla of Arcadia. Some bodies remained unaccounted for, like Skadj, Zain's closest comrade. However, one of the notable casualties was Lugos from the triplet group, yet Hugos and Yugos showed no signs of sadness, only happiness for their brothers' next journey.

"Aye, Hugos, Yugos, what were Lugos' final words as he charged into the undead army alone?" Don Craig asked.

Hugos looked joyous and proud as he demonstrated, "Ah, he said something like this: 'Tomorrow, I'll drink with our forefathers!'" He laughed, joined by the others. It was a burst of long, joyful laughter that seemed to echo eternally for the fallen, not ceasing until the ashes of their comrades' remains, indicating that their spirits had entered the realm of Valhalla.

Yugos, laughing heartily, slapped Zain's shoulder, urging him to join in the laughter. "Come on, Zain."

Zain tried his best to smile, although it appeared awkward and challenging for him to share in their joyous laughter. Nonetheless, he never doubted Lugos' bravery, which was a source of pride for the Valhalorians.

The Vikings of the Valhalor continent typically refrain from burying their comrades' corpses underground in graves, as they believe they may be consumed by worms and insects. This burial practice is considered less honorable for them, especially for those who fought for their homeland or held positions of leadership.

Instead, they prefer to cremate the bodies, reducing them to ashes to prevent the possibility of turning into undead. Furthermore, they believe that the spirits of the fallen can ascend more easily to the sky and swiftly reach Ysgard, the heavenly realm where they no longer experience suffering in the Runeverse world and can live in eternal happiness. Hence, they have their reasons for rejecting the burial traditions of the Malazenians.

Yuria was deeply affected by the sight of their suffering. She recognized the faces of her fellow classmates from the fortress, now gone from the world. It was a crushing blow for her to realize that those without the same relatives and family as her had to live a life devoid of such freedom, akin to being an army ready to die with time bombs strapped to their bodies. This path was not a matter of chance; it was written in their destiny.

Kirana and Ischel remained silent, their gazes fixed on Yuria's sorrowful eyes as they stood amidst the bodies of the fallen D-class cadets. Her thoughts took her back to the past, where people had lost their lives during the Chthonian Invasion and the Kaliyuga Explosion. Yuria turned her gaze back to Kirana and Ischel, realizing that it wasn't the time for nostalgia. The future lay far ahead.

"For now, return to the ship. Let the boys take care of the bodies," Yuria said.

"What about you?" Ischel asked.

"I'm going upstairs. I want to see who has survived up there."

"Oh, okay! Then we'll head to the ship. My body is urging me to rest," Ischel replied, assisting Kirana in walking.

Kirana raised two fingers in a farewell gesture. "Same here. My feet are still in great pain, see you soon, Yuria..."

Yuria approached the two Ravenguards standing guard at the stairs and requested permission to ascend to the upper hermitage. As she did so, her eyes caught sight of a report held in the hand of one of the Ravenguards. The report listed the names of surviving cadets, while others who had perished or gone missing had their names crossed off. By a stroke of luck, the two Ravenguards recognized Yuria and granted her permission to continue her ascent.

The fourth hermitage was far more chaotic than the fifth, with collapsed buildings and scattered rubble, but the number of victims seemed to be roughly the same. Yuria spotted Instructor Hyoh providing further instructions to the assembled cadets, including Karanzo, Erina, Joel, Ray, Valder, Sarah, and Aleister.

The instructor had mentioned that any cadets who survived would be given special recognition, starting from this hermitage and extending all the way to the summit. To avoid disturbing the instructor, Yuria approached the Ravenguards guarding the stairs and politely requested permission to continue her ascent. The stairs were littered with debris, frozen and covered in ice as if they had been subjected to a powerful magician's ice magic attack.

In the third hermitage, which had sustained minimal damage, a large green barrier created by Gantala formed a square, separating Thanistor and Aina from Mason and Vanatos. Gantala sat in meditation at the center, replenishing his chakra, which regenerated every second. Mason lay peacefully, his body aching all over, occasionally laughing incoherently in his sleep. Meanwhile, Vanatos diligently sharpened the blade of her axe with a knife, the sound of friction slightly disturbing Gantala and Thanistor, who were deeply immersed in their cultivation. Aina glared intensely at Vanatos, emanating a vengeful aura, her grudge still unresolved.

During their teenage years, Aina, Elsa (Vanatos), and Yuria had been close friends. However, everything changed when Elsa underwent a drastic transformation, leading to an irreparable change in her mentality. She developed a dual personality, and the cause behind this shift remained unknown. Elsa began seeking retribution for those who committed negative actions against others, perpetuating a cycle of negative karma, which also justified her actions.

It all started four years ago when Aina engaged in physical and ideological conflicts with Elsa, and this problem spread to Yuria, who chose to embrace the path of shadows and join Nightblade. Feeling mocked and betrayed by her classmates, Elsa joined the group of ruthless killers known as the Bloody Rose, leaving her old name behind. The group was intrigued by Elsa's audacious deeds against cadets, seniors, guards, teachers, and even academy staff.

The cadets once pooled their resources, collecting two gold bars to pay the Informant, Aleister, in order to uncover the Bloody Rose's main objective. During that time, the academy suspended classes to thoroughly investigate the killings and disappearances of cadets in Barracks D. Out of goodwill, Aleister provided them with three potential objectives of the Bloody Rose:

1. Agents of Anarchy: The Bloody Rose group aims to disrupt established systems, challenge authority, and create chaos with the goal of dismantling oppressive regimes or institutions.

2. Instruments of Revenge: The group seeks vengeance against those who have wronged them or their cause, employing destructive tactics to inflict pain and suffering.

3. Catalysts of Change: The Bloody Rose perceives themselves as catalysts for societal transformation, believing that destruction is necessary to pave the way for a new and more just order to emerge.

In addition to Aleister's information, it was widely known that many of these groups, including the Bloody Rose, were often hired by various factions to act as their allies in Malazen. This was the origin of Vanatos the Nailer, who eliminated anyone, whether friend or foe, who interfered with her affairs. Instructress Lucia once mentioned that individuals like Elsa were corrupted by the Aida Virus, a highly complex virus that led their souls into depravity. In the Runeverse, there was no known cure for her condition, other than the blessings bestowed by the gods.

Vanatos paused in her axe sharpening and turned her gaze toward Aina, who had been glaring at her. Aina, displeased with her enemy's attention, swiftly stood up and approached Vanatos. The once peaceful atmosphere grew tense as the rivalry between the two escalated, and it appeared that this ongoing feud could potentially lead to violence if not for the presence of the green barrier.

Gantala, who had been deep in meditation, opened his eyes and pleaded, "Please, do not do this again... I have expended a considerable amount of Chakra Points to cast this barrier spell..."

"Remove this barrier," Aina demanded, her voice filled with hatred.

Vanatos stepped forward to the front of the barrier and taunted, "Let's get started! I am ready for the second half!" She chuckled, accepting the challenge with her axe in her right hand and the knife in her left.

Aina persisted, her tone growing more insistent, "Please, remove this barrier."

"Calm yourself, Aina! Do not let hatred consume you!" Gantala urged, reluctant to release his barrier.

"Gantala, I implore you! Remove this barrier!" Aina pleaded, her words leaving Gantala speechless and even causing Thanistor to struggle with his concentration.

"Aina!" Yuria called out, arriving from the lower stairs, causing Aina to turn her head. "Stop this fighting. Instructor Hyoh will be here soon."

"But, Yuria... She has changed... She is no longer the Elsa we once knew..."

Yuria was taken aback as she approached Aina, noticing a slight burn on her face. "Hey, why do you have a burn on your face?" Yuria asked, and Aina swiftly covered her right eye with a veil.

"It is nothing. Please, don’t mind me..."

"Yuria!" Vanatos exclaimed, pointing her axe at Yuria and twirling the knife in her left hand. Vanatos's expression shifted from cheerfulness to somberness as she studied Yuria's face. "We used to be friends, right? Why didn't you greet me?"

"Elsa, you have changed. You are no longer a part of our class. Your heretical group has turned you into a deranged killer, don't you realize that?"

"Do not mention my old name again! I am now Vanatos! Yuria, if you dare stand in my way, you will suffer the same fate as the others!"

The tense atmosphere was abruptly disrupted by the arrival of frenzied crows swirling above the hermitage. Thanistor immediately ceased his cultivation, while the half-awake Mashive grumbled softly, irritated by the disturbance to his slumber and the incessant chirping of the crows.

In the midst of the chaos, Lucius arrived, cursing in annoyance as the Ravenguards blocked his ascent to the upper levels of the hermitage once again. Exhausted and fully aware of his inability to overcome the two Ravenguards who had suddenly materialized from the shadows, Lucius also knew that the formidable Ifrit still lurked up there.

Mason, taking a sip from his drink, involuntarily spat it out onto the ground, bursting into laughter once again. His neurological disorders relapsed as he observed the persistent Lucius, who insisted on recruiting him for a fight against the Ravenguards. Despite advising Lucius not to waste his time venturing upstairs, Mason found humor in the situation and chuckled in a hoarse voice, thinking to himself, ("Give me a break...")

Naturally, for a cadet with an ego as immense as Lucius', he refused to be equated with individuals he considered beneath him, even though reaching the third level of the hermitage was a remarkable feat, akin to being chosen by fate. Although their minds may temporarily align, their hearts remained divided.

"Are these the only cadets who have successfully reached the highest level of the hermitage?" Instructor Hyoh suddenly interjected, joining their midst and startling them all. It was certain to Hyoh that the gears of Malazen would be set in motion by these seven cadets.