"Run faster, Ryuk! Or we'll really be late!" The alarmed yet confused voice of Quinn echoed in the background as he turned his head. About 15 meters behind him, none other than Ryuk was running forward, his breath puffing out in heavy clouds.
"I am running as fast as I can!" Ryuk roared back, glaring at Quinn's disbelieving face with an annoyed click of his tongue.
But he wasn't annoyed at Quinn—he was annoyed at himself.
Quinn didn't even seem like he was running at his fastest speed, yet Ryuk was failing to catch up even after using all his strength to run.
The air slapped against Ryuk's face, and he could clearly feel the difference in his current speed, which must have improved significantly thanks to his stats.
Yet, even after leveling up, he still couldn't catch up to Quinn!
"How... how are you even... so... so... fast?!" Ryuk panted.
"Aren't you the... weakest fallen genius... around?"
Ryuk asked, stepping up his speed as he finally managed to get within arm's length of him. Quinn was running so fast, yet his face remained casual, and his glasses didn't even seem close to falling off.
"Well, you humans seem to be slower than normal," Quinn said with a smirk. "And we Fallen Angels have wings too."
Ryuk turned to look at Quinn's back and saw two small golden wings flapping wildly. However, Quinn wasn't flying.
"While mine are too weak to fly, flapping them no doubt boosts my speed. But still, I should be the slowest genius here," Quinn explained as they both kept running.
"10 minutes or we'll be late..." Quinn said, bolting forward once more with scary speed. He quickly put another 10 meters between himself and Ryuk. Gritting his teeth, Ryuk forced his legs to move even faster, closing the gap to just one meter. However, he was breathing so hard that Quinn looked at him dumbly before bursting into laughter.
"You really are weak, Ryuk!" Quinn said with a sadistic smile. Ryuk gritted his teeth and murmured back in frustration, "Not for long!!!"
After 5 more minutes of running, they both appeared before a gigantic structure with glowing words etched across the top:
"Fallen Training Class"
As they approached the glass doors, they slid open wide, and both Ryuk and Quinn dashed inside.
The second Ryuk stepped through the doorway, his face twisted in confusion. It felt like he had run straight into a wall of water. All his momentum instantly stopped, and he felt as though he were falling through a tunnel. The world flashed by in a blur, turning black for a few seconds. When light returned, he collapsed onto the ground face-first.
"OUCH!" Ryuk yelled as he tore his face off the grassy floor below him. The loud laughter and mockery of the others brought him to a halt. He stopped rubbing his face and looked around.
There were about nine other Fallen around him, including Quinn, all mocking him with smirks or laughter. But Ryuk's attention was drawn to the man standing at the front of the group.
The Fallen man had glasses similar to Quinn's.
He was lanky and tall, but the most striking thing about him was the single black wing flapping behind him. It was pitch black, undulating with shadow particles.
"You are both 3 minutes late," the man said, his hollow, dark eyes boring into Ryuk. He felt a chill run down his spine.
Most of the Fallen usually had silver or gold eyes, with golden wings bearing patches of dark. But this man had completely dark eyes and a pitch-black wing, without a hint of light.
"We are very sorry, Sir Kieran," Quinn's voice rang out beside Ryuk. The man stared straight into Ryuk's eyes for a moment before looking away.
"Since this is your first day—and considering the fact that you've never been late before—I'll let this slide, just this once."
"The next time, your punishment will be going through the training twice without a rejuvenating bath," Kieran said, his voice cold and fear-inducing. Finally, he directed his attention away from Ryuk and Quinn.
"The training today remains the same as it has been since the start of the week. However, with the appearance of a newcomer, I will go through it one last time," he announced.
Ryuk rose to his feet, listening attentively.
"Outside this this ground, exactly 50 kilometers away, you will find the first test: the Sky-Shard Mountain Climb. It is a near-vertical mountain infused with Apex energy that emits a draining field. This test is designed to measure your physical strength, endurance, and ability to resist Apex energy interference.
"After you finish the climb, you will immediately face the second test: the Infernal Rope Walk, a suspended tightrope bathed in fans of Apex energy and hanging above a chasm filled with molten lava and energy. Balancing on the rope requires precise physical control and mental focus.
"The third and final test is the Shadow Run, a labyrinth shrouded in total darkness and filled with Apex energy constructs in the form of shadow beasts. To pass the test, you must navigate to the exit without being caught or incapacitated."
"All of these tests must be completed within a maximum time frame of 7 hours, or you'll be forced to restart and try again—over and over until you complete them within the time limit," Kieran explained.
Ryuk's heart turned cold.
"Of course," Kieran added with a smile, "you need not worry about damage sustained. At the end of each test, you will find a rejuvenating bath waiting for you, where you can refill your energy and heal your wounds in seconds."
"So feel free to go all out—don't be afraid of suffering terminal or permanent damage."
"I guess if you fall into the lava, there might not be much hope for you, though," Kieran added, his sinister grin widening as he glanced at Ryuk, whose expression froze in horror.
"Alright, that's all. I'll be waiting for you guys at the other end," Kieran concluded.
The next instant, a vortex of darkness appeared in front of him, and he stepped into it. The vortex closed, leaving the students in silence.
Then, without hesitation, they all began racing toward the exit.