The reply came as quite the surprise to Ryuk as he sat down as if he had just seen a ghost, and then the system screen faded away, a bit of a peaceful smile coming to appear on Ryuk’s face moments later.
"Thank you," he responded as he turned to keep looking at the dark streets, his gaze occasionally flashing to the beautiful twilight in the sky.
Somehow, Ryuk doubted there was a place in this world with an even more beautiful twilight than the Eclipsed Citadel City.
"My heart feels so light today."
"Things seem so peaceful now."
"The pressure is gone."
"Win or lose, it’s almost like a factor that doesn’t even exist at all."
"Youknow system, many times, I have imagined this night and seen myself training all through the night, crumbling under the pressure."
"But here I am, stargazing at the night, even though I know well the test begins tomorrow," Ryuk mused silently, taking a deep inhale with closed eyes and exhaling loudly.
[Perhaps, Host has settled himself to fate?]
The system butted in as Ryuk smiled, the reply causing him to remember the earlier conversations he had with Quinn in the morning.
"It is not that I don’t believe in fate. Perhaps I just believe there is good and bad fate, and that if I work hard enough, I’ll get the good one. The only reason I am different is that I don’t believe fate is stamped in stone."
"I just believe it is a coin. The head is what you get if you try and become successful. The tail is what you get if you fail and become unsuccessful."
"I believe in fate, and I believe that my fate will be good."
"I will win a spot, make Old Jack’s efforts worth it, find a way to grow even stronger and quicker when I reach the Ascension Academy, and try to find the star that I was birthed from."
"I’ll take back everything dear to me and obtain back what is rightfully mine..."
[Has Host just recited out loud his own fate?]
The system asked, and Ryuk couldn’t help but chuckle. But then the system panel never left, as if waiting for an answer, and Ryuk nodded.
"Yes. Yes, I have. That is my fate," Ryuk called out.
Even if not with supreme confidence, at least he had a goal and a vision for how he wanted his life to play out.
It was something most people in the world barely have these days.
[Then, Host’s fate will play out just as Host imagines,] the system assured before disappearing.
Silence reigned in at the tip of the skyscraper, the only sound being Ryuk’s shirt flapping in the gentle wind. Eventually, Ryuk closed his eyes as he dived into his Pet World.
At the center of the Pet World, there was still the small white rock, covered completely in various runic lines.
Calmly, Ryuk stepped forward toward it, his hand trailing along the runic lines as he looked at Isha.
His eyes narrowed before relaxing.
"Is it just me, or has your aura grown even stronger too?" Ryuk couldn’t help but ask, as he looked at Isha with loving eyes.
The little Ice Serpent was still in its deep slumber.
Even though it was just a few hours now before the test, Ryuk didn’t feel the need to wake up Isha forcefully.
If the little guy managed to wake up before then, he would be glad. If not, Ryuk would have no choice but to go through the test alone, just like how he had been training himself alone all these days.
Isha’s appearance didn’t really change the cards much for Ryuk.
Even though Isha was a secret card that he had planned to use for the test to take the geniuses by surprise, he also didn’t think it would be impossible for him to win without Isha.
His companions were a major help to him, but Ryuk would never become dependent on them.
That was part of his beliefs and promises.
"Grow, Isha, grow. Even though I would love for you to help me out in the test, your growth matters more," Ryuk whispered, and he couldn’t help but notice Isha’s runes brighten with a blue light as Ryuk slowly raised his hands from it before disappearing from the Pet World, leaving the Ice Serpent in its peaceful slumber.
Eventually, time passed quickly, and through the duration of the night, Ryuk stayed at the top of the skyscraper, his gaze never once leaving the beautiful starlight of the sky.
That was until the announcement rang out through the entire training grounds.
[EVERY GENIUS IS TO HEAD INTO THE ASSEMBLY GROUND OF HALL 5 IN THE NEXT 3 HOURS OR FACE AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION.]
The announcement rang out a total of three times, and Ryuk finally took his gaze off the sky before walking back into the building.
"It’s finally beginning, huh?" Those were his last thoughts as he disappeared from the top of the skyscraper.
Just like previously, the assembly hall was teeming with various Fallen Family geniuses.
But unlike previous times, when everyone was so loud, this time, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of footsteps.
Somehow, the students seemed to want to keep an aura of silence in the area.
On arriving, Ryuk discovered that even the instructors were already seated, seemingly waiting for them all.
It was clear to all that they were taking all of this pretty seriously, and that created more comfort for Ryuk than ever.
That, at least, showed he had been training for something worthwhile. If they didn’t take it seriously, wouldn’t it also mean all of his efforts weren’t worth the pain?
Three hours quickly passed, and this time, a total of 40 students were seated in the hall.
Calmly, an instructor rose to his feet, ascending to the podium with his gaze scanning the crowd below him, as everything went absolutely silent.
"Welcome, Fallen Family geniuses, to the Semi-Final Test!"
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In and Out_SnowySmoos.