It was five in the morning by the time the line of carriages reached the coastal ridges.

The ride only lasted a couple of hours, yet the mood inside the carriages remained tense. With the Island Test waiting ahead of them, most of the scholars could not relax their mind.

Though, no matter what they were thinking about, the destination was already in sight. Far beyond the coastal ridges, the sea slowly emerged beneath the fading darkness, with faint traces of dawn beginning to spread across the eastern horizon.

A seagull’s cry could be heard somewhere overhead.

Then, another one answered from farther away, above the waves.

Before long, the caravan finally came to a stop near Drevhan Dock.

Waiting beside the shoreline was a vessel unlike anything most of the scholars had ever seen. Its massive hull loomed over, battered by years of storms, salt, and the unforgiving Sea of Laplace.

The vessel was none other than...

The Leviathan.

One after another, the scholars stepped down from their carriages and formed rows before the dock. Some of them wore worried expressions, while others stared at the ship waiting ahead.

Four hundred scholars stood upon the stone platform, facing the giant vessel beneath the slowly brightening dawn.

Chief Instructor Arveth stood atop the raised platform once again.

"Alright, everyone. Listen carefully," he said.

"The Island Test will last ten days. That’s how long you’ll be staying on the island. Each squad will be assigned to a different zone, and your drop locations will be random. So where you end up is up to luck."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Also, each squad will also receive a map of the island later. Once you board the Leviathan, you will be escorted to a private chamber assigned to your squad. You are not permitted to leave that room during the voyage.

Further instructions regarding your assignment will be given once you are inside. Squad Leaders, make sure your members follow this order."

His gloved hand rose into the air, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Lastly, before boarding, all scholars must undergo an inspection. Move according to your squad number and report to any available inspection checkpoint."

He inhaled deeply.

"Now, let’s move."

*****

A series of temporary checkpoints had been constructed just off the stone deck of the dock.

Each checkpoint was manned by a pair of officials. When Squad 69 was called, Ruvian adjusted the strap of his [Equinox Cloak] and began walking with the rest of his team toward the checkpoint.

’Hmm... the weather looks nice today.’

Ruvian smiled as he stared at the sky.

The morning sun had climbed enough now to throw pale gold across the dock. The hull of the vessel stretched above them like the flank of some massive, slumbering beast.

The inspection proceeded without incident, at least for him.

Ruvian stepped forward and summoned everything stored inside his dimensional ring, placing them one by one onto the inspection table. The inspector overseeing the checkpoint chanted a spell and swept a magic device over Ruvian’s belongings.

After a brief inspection, he gave a nod. "All equipment and artifacts meet the required standards. You may proceed."

Ruvian returned the nod and began storing his belongings back into his dimensional ring. But while he was doing so, a sudden shout drew everyone’s attention from the inspection table beside him.

"NOOOOOOO!"

The sound was so sudden that several scholars nearly jumped.

’Hm?’

Ruvian turned around.

At the neighboring table, he saw Arlok stood frozen in place, staring at a confiscated necklace with a look of blank shock.

"Please! You don’t understand!"

He pointed his finger at the necklace.

"That isn’t just some random-ass necklace! It is a treasured heirloom passed down through generations! My great grandfather found it from a dungeon."

The inspector frowned.

"And...?"

Arlok sighed and rubbed his face.

"Listen sir, it’s just a lucky charm. Nothing more than that," he tried to reason with the inspector. "It has been with me through every exam, through every important day of my life! So you can’t just take it away!"

The inspector sighed.

"Listen, kid. Rules are rules. That necklace is a Grade-A artifact, which means it’s prohibited during the test. You’ll get it back once the Island Test is over. Now move along. There are others waiting." he said flatly.

Without waiting for a response, the inspector turned and moved on to the next scholar.

Arlok stood there for a moment, staring at the confiscated necklace before clicking his tongue in frustration.

"Tch."

Behind him, Shima let out a long sigh and smacked him twice on the back, showing little mercy.

"Enough already, drama queen," she said with a half-grin. "Move your ass. People are starting to stare at us."

"I know, shorty. Don’t order me around!" Arlok shot back.

Ruvian shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Soon, their squad began moving again, following behind Yerin toward the boarding ramp. The sea breeze brushed against his back as he stared ahead.

One after another, scholars disappeared into the vessel.

Then, it was their turn.

The five of them stepped onto the boarding ramp and made their way aboard the Leviathan.

*****

As Squad 69 stepped aboard the vessel, several members immediately slowed down.

The ship was far larger than they had expected.

The deck stretched far into the distance, while towering masts and thick support structures rose overhead. Even standing on the outer deck, they could feel faint vibrations beneath their feet, as though something deep within the vessel was constantly at work.

"Damn..." Arlok muttered, looking around.

"This thing is huge."

"Yeah, it is bigger than I imagined," Yerin admitted quietly.

Ruvian remained silent as he observed the vessel.

Indeed, it was huge.

Perhaps it was even larger than some of the ferries he remembered from Earth. No, maybe larger than a football stadium.

At that point, even calling it a ship was not right.

’Yeah... this thing feels more like a damn fortress.’

Ruvian slightly mused as he briefly reflected on his past experiences of boarding a large ship.

Near the entrance to the inner corridors, an elderly man dressed in an academy navy robes was already waiting for them.

"You are Squad 69?" he asked.

Yerin stepped forward.

"Yes, sir."

The old man gave a small nod.

"Follow me."

Without another word, he turned and began walking deeper into the vessel.

The five of them exchanged brief glances before following after him.

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 212: Boarding the Leviathan]