The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Meanwhile...

The group from Gloria Academy had just secured their second flag after a tough but successful push through a dense part of the jungle.

Adrian and Maelis had led the way, with Adrian’s leadership and Maelis’s gravity magic making the difference.

The flag now sat safely in their pack, and the team was starting to feel the first real signs of tiredness after hours of moving through the thick trees and avoiding beasts.

Adrian wiped sweat from his forehead and looked around at everyone.

”Hey, let’s take a break,” he stated casually. ”We’ve been going non-stop. Five minutes to catch our breath won’t hurt.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly relieved.

They found a small clearing near a stream, the water bubbling softly as they dropped their packs and sat down on rocks or the grassy ground.

The mood was relaxed, like a group of friends on a long hiking trip rather than students in a deadly competition.

Maelis plopped down next to Adrian, stretching her legs with a tired but happy sigh.

”Finally. My feet were starting to kill me,” she said, smiling as she took a sip from her water skin.

”But we did well back there. That flag was tricky to reach.”

One of the girls, a friendly support type with short brown hair, laughed as she leaned against a tree.

”Yeah, Maelis, you were flying through those vines like it was nothing. I thought I was going to fall trying to keep up with you.”

Another student, a tall guy with a sword on his back, grinned as he chewed on a ration bar.

”Adrian’s plan worked perfectly, though. If we hadn’t circled around that beast den, we’d still be fighting instead of resting. Nice call, man.”

Adrian shrugged modestly, taking a drink of water as he sat on a rock.

”It was a team effort. We’re all doing our part. Just keep your eyes open. We don’t know what’s waiting in the next area.”

The group chatted lightly as they rested, the conversation feeling easy and normal, like they were on a school trip rather than fighting for their academy’s survival.

Someone passed around a small bag of dried fruits, and a couple of the girls started joking about how the other academies were probably struggling right now.

”Bet Clementine’s group is lost somewhere,” one girl said with a laugh. ”They always act so confident, but this island is huge.”

Maelis smiled lightly at the mention. She didn’t say anything, but the thought of her brother out there made her a little restless.

Selene, sitting quietly near the edge of the group, looked up at the sky with a small, private smile.

She was thinking about Gray, too, but kept it to herself.

Claire stretched her arms and said, ”We should keep moving soon. But this break feels nice. My legs were starting to burn.”

Ronan, ever the loud one, was lying on the grass with his hands behind his head.

”This is the life! Fighting, resting, eating snacks... If only Gray was here, it’d be perfect.”

Adrian’s expression darkened a little at the mention of Gray, but he didn’t say anything. He just took another sip of water and looked out at the jungle.

Maelis sat quietly for a moment, her mind wandering as she took a small bite of her ration bar.

The group was still chatting lightly around her, but something suddenly caught her attention.

Swish...

She felt a strange wave of energy wash over the island... it was incredibly powerful.

It felt like a ripple in the air, gone as quickly as it had appeared. Maelis frowned, her emerald green eyes narrowing as she looked toward the direction it had come from.

’This energy... is it Divinity?’ she thought, her brow furrowing deeper.

There was no way there was divinity in the lower realms. She shook her head almost immediately, trying to dismiss the idea.

But then again... many things had changed since her reincarnation.

The world wasn’t following the same rules it once did... as she herself had reincarnated, and she even saw the incarnation of the Goddess of War a few months ago.

Maybe... there was a small chance.

She hoped Gray stayed safe.

He was strong, currently much stronger than he was in his past life, but the island was still full of surprises. If something like divinity was involved, it could be dangerous even for him.

Maelis took another sip of water, forcing herself to relax. She couldn’t afford to worry too much right now.

”Everything okay, Maelis?” one of the girls asked, noticing her frown.

Maelis smiled quickly, pushing the strange feeling aside.

”Yeah, just thinking about the next flag.”

”Yeah, just thinking about the next flag. Let’s keep moving soon.”

The group nodded, finishing their short break as they packed up their things.

The casual trip-like atmosphere was still there, with a few of the girls joking about how the other academies were probably lost somewhere in the jungle.

Adrian stood up first, brushing dirt off his pants as he looked at everyone.

”Rest time’s over,” he stated.

”We’ve got two flags already. Let’s not get lazy now. Stay sharp and keep formation.”

Everyone got up, stretching their legs and grabbing their packs.

The mood changed back to focused but still relaxed, like a group of friends continuing a long hike.

They started moving again, Adrian and Maelis leading the way through the thick trees and vines.

Ronan, of course, couldn’t stay quiet for long. He suddenly sped up, walking backwards in front of Adrian and Maelis as he started yapping nonstop.

”Man, this island is wild! Remember that time in training when we had to survive for a whole day with just a knife and some rope? This feels just like that, but bigger! Oh, and did I tell you guys about the time I almost caught a giant bird during last year’s survival test? It was huge! I had it in my sights, but then it flew off with my lunch in its claws. True story! I swear I almost had it—”

He kept talking, walking backwards without looking where he was going, his arms waving around as he told story after story.

The group chuckled at some of his wild tales, the walk feeling more like a fun hike with friends than a dangerous challenge.

FWOOMP!

Ronan suddenly tripped over a hidden root, falling flat on his back with a loud thud. His hand slapped against the ground as he tried to catch himself.

Click.

A small button hidden under some leaves clicked under his palm.

The ground beneath the group rumbled, and a hidden stairway opened up right in front of them, leading down into a dark, stone passageway.

Everyone stopped, staring at the sudden opening.

Ronan sat up, rubbing his head with a groan.

”Ouch... what the heck was that? Did I break something?”

Adrian stepped forward carefully, looking down the stairs with a cautious expression.

”A hidden entrance... good catch, Ronan. Even if it was an accident.”

Maelis peered down the dark stairway, her eyes narrowing slightly.

”Looks like it leads somewhere important. We should check it out. Could be a flag or resources.”

The air coming up from below was cool and carried a faint, musty smell of old stone and dust.

Adrian held up a small glowing orb for light, shining it down the steps.

”Looks clear for now. We’ll go down carefully. Stay together and watch for traps.”

Maelis nodded, her eyes sharp as she took a position near the front with Adrian.

The rest of the group followed, their footsteps echoing softly on the stone steps as they descended.

Ronan was still rubbing his head from the fall, but kept talking in a whisper.

”Man, I can’t believe I found a secret entrance just by tripping. I’m like a lucky charm today! What do you think is down here? Treasure? Monsters? Both? This is exciting!”

Selene walked quietly beside Selina, her light blue hair swaying as she looked around with interest.

The stairs went deeper than they expected, curving gently as they continued down. The walls were covered in faint carvings.

Selina’s eyes suddenly widened as she studied the carvings more closely. She stopped for a second, her hand touching the wall lightly.

”Wait... this is an Ancient Ruin,” she said, her voice filled with excitement.

”Look at these runes. They’re from the old era, way before our time. There could be a lot of treasures down here!”

The group’s mood changed instantly. Everyone looked more alert and eager now. Ronan’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store.

”Treasures?! For real? We hit the jackpot! Imagine if we find a super-powerful sword or a magic ring! I call dibs on the shiny stuff!”

Adrian held up his hand to calm everyone down, but even he had a small smile on his face.

”Stay focused. Ancient Ruins are dangerous. There might be traps or guardians. But if Selina’s right, this could give us a big advantage in the challenge. Let’s move carefully and stick together.”

Maelis glanced at Selina with a nod of approval.

”Good eye. If there are treasures, we take what we can and keep moving. We still need more flags.”

The group continued down the stairs excitedly.

The air grew cooler as they went deeper, and the carvings on the walls became more detailed, showing pictures of old battles, gods, and forgotten civilizations. Selina walked closer to the wall, studying the runes as they passed.

”This place feels really old,” she whispered.

”We might find something really valuable if we’re lucky.”

Ronan was practically bouncing with excitement, though he kept his voice down.

”This is way better than just hunting flags! We’re like real adventurers now. Gray would love this; he always finds the cool stuff. I bet he’s already found a treasure or something awesome wherever he is.”

Claire, walking near the middle of the group, smiled a little.

”Let’s hope we find something useful. It could help us win this challenge.”

The stairway finally opened into a larger chamber, the walls glowing faintly with old magic.

The group stopped, looking around with wide eyes as they realized they had truly found an Ancient Ruin.

Adrian raised his glowing orb higher.

”Stay alert, everyone. This could be our big break.”