"...Is he really dead?" Alice asked, picking up what was left of Ajax's clothes before turning back to Raelis.
"Doesn't that mean we fail?"
"You caught onto that too?" He raised a brow. "But yeah... I think that's the case."
The few injuries he'd sustained earlier had completely healed, and the same went for Clea, who was now sharpening her nails on a nearby rock.
As for Mathieu, he seemed dazed, staring at the place where Ajax had died.
Since his bully is gone, there's no reason for him to continue acting like a wimp.
He wasn't planning on failing this exam, and frankly, he still hoped the headmaster would bend the rules and let him through.
But as long as his teammate was dead, that was...
Resian... he could... Raelis trailed off, his brows furrowing.
"Hmm... I have a very bad idea," Raelis muttered.
Alice tilted her head. "What is it?"
He let out a sigh. "You know how that one mimic can perfectly replicate someone?"
Her eyes widened. "You're not saying—"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Raelis cut in. "We find that mimic and make it shift into Ajax."
A moment of silence followed, broken by Clea's soft giggle as she spoke up.
"The examiners are watching us closely. You really think they don't know one of us is dead? You're just grasping at straws now."
Raelis shrugged. "I'm all ears if you've got a better idea."
Clea narrowed her eyes. "You reached the 100th step. They have to play favorites whether they like it or not. Do you seriously think they'd throw out such a special candidate?"
She had a point, but at the same time, he wanted a more certain solution.
If she was right, then the headmaster might only let him pass.
Aside from Mathieu, everyone on his team had impressed him.
Raelis wanted these people to be beside him in the academy, and hopefully in the future when the time came.
So for their talents to be nipped in the bud and halted until the next entrance exam would be a total waste.
He made up his mind.
"We're going to find the mimic, and I'm pretty sure I know where to look," Raelis stated.
Alice and Clea sighed in unison.
"This is a stupid exam... I'm sure the rules aren't that stupid," Alice mumbled.
He didn't argue with her as he stood up and took the piece of Ajax's clothing Alice held before stuffing it into his pocket.
Raelis shot a glance at his teammates one last time, and with that, they descended the hill littered with corpses.
They continued walking ahead, yet Raelis was fully focused on the sound.
After a few more minutes, he finally picked up on a distant echo.
It was a laugh, and it came from the left.
Raelis didn't hesitate to pick up the pace, and his group followed swiftly behind.
And as they arrived, they were met with a surprisingly giant campsite.
People were everywhere, and aside from the lingering smell of blood in the air, everything seemed fine and lively.
That was when Raelis spotted a certain individual inside one of the larger tents, Zeri.
She sat with another person as the two had a drink.
They made cups already? Seriously...?
He didn't question it for long as he simply walked into the campsite and approached Zeri's tent.
She finally noticed him and smiled.
"Raelis, it's nice to see you're doing fine," she said, patting the seat beside her. "Sit down, let's have a chat, shall we?"
Raelis stared at her for a few moments, then nodded at his team.
They nodded back and dispersed, all tending to whatever they pleased.
As for Raelis? He sat down beside Zeri and glanced at the hooded figure in front of him.
Even after being knocked out and nearly killed within twelve hours, he wasn't one to forget faces.
But I wonder why he didn't switch forms?
"Resian, I thought you'd be a bit more subtle, but going straight for Zeri? That's a bit bold."
"Hmm...? You two know each other?" Zeri asked, puzzled. "Here I thought I was the first person to meet such an interesting creature, isn't that right?"
Resian's brow twitched. "Both of you have lost your minds. You figured out my identity and yet you still linger around me unafraid, why?"
"Because you're weak," Zeri said in a flat, cold voice. "If you were several Grades higher, then I'd have to actually take you seriously, but now? You're just a flimsy Grade 6 Mimic I can kill with the snap of my fingers."
She turned to Raelis.
"But why have you come here? You two seem to be equally matched... unless there's a personal vendetta?"
"It's none of your business, Zeri," Raelis replied flatly.
Zeri giggled. "Oh but it is."
She narrowed her eyes as the air suddenly began to grow hotter. "You're in my campsite, Raelis. That means every deal, every whisper, every breath runs through me first, unless you'd prefer to walk out with your mimic friend."
Resian shook his head. "It's warm here, and the food is nice. I don't feel like leaving."
So she had the mimic wrapped around her finger. Typical.
As much as he wanted to contest her, he knew it was suicide.
Her bloodline purity was exceptionally high, and she had likely already formed her fourth flame ring, elevating her power even further.
So why not play her game a bit differently...?
Raelis stood up and walked toward the mimic.
All of a sudden, he threw a punch right at Resian's face, and since he wasn't expecting it in the slightest, the hit landed head-on.
He was knocked over, falling to the ground.
But just as Resian was about to lash out, he noticed the bloodied cloth hanging from Raelis's sleeve.
It was none other than the cloth that belonged to Ajax.
Since Resian was on the ground and Raelis had positioned himself directly in front of Zeri, she wasn't able to notice a thing.
As Raelis was expecting Resian to not accept the cloth, he suddenly threw a punch at Raelis's face.
His punch landed, but in the moment their arms crossed, he snatched the cloth from Raelis's sleeve and swiftly stored it inside his pocket.
Raelis didn't falter as he steadied himself against the table, glaring at Resian.
He spat out a bit of blood and turned to Zeri, his frown deepening.
And without another word, he left the tent and walked toward his teammates who sat around a campfire, eating pork ribs.
The whole situation was a gamble.
However, the only reason he took this gamble in the first place was because of the headmaster.
He was a man who was known by many as irrational, so naturally, if Raelis managed to get a mimic to replace his teammate, then that would be something that had never been done in the academy's history.
And then there were the mimics.
They were mana beasts who thrived off chaos, but they also wished to be free.
So if everything went according to plan and the headmaster approved of this unprecedented stunt, then he'd be ticking off two boxes at once.
But... Raelis clenched his fists.
That would only work if Resian took the bait.