Chapter 55: 55. World academy trials – 1

“Why can I smell another woman on you?”

Tamasya’s voice cut cleanly through the quiet interior of the carriage, sharp and direct, carrying an unmistakable edge.

She sat opposite Will, her posture was relaxed but her eyes were anything but that.

They were fixed on him with a penetrating gaze, as if she were peeling away layers of excuses before he could even speak.

The carriage they occupied was unlike anything Will had seen before. Its structure was elegant but strange, crafted from pale crystal-like wood etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly with power.

The wheels never touched the ground. Instead, the entire carriage floated, carried forward by a pair of unicorns whose horns shimmered with prismatic light.

Their hooves moved through the air as if it were solid ground, leaving ripples of energy behind with every step.

Tamasya had told him earlier that this carriage belonged to a friend of hers, someone influential enough to arrange direct transport to the World Academy examination venue without drawing unnecessary attention.

According to her, it was a way to avoid trouble, questions, and interference from various factions that would love to investigate someone like her.

At the front of the carriage sat the driver.

He was a strange humanoid being with a tall, lean build and metallic wings folded neatly behind his back.

His face was concealed behind a smooth mask that showed no expression, and his movements were precise, almost mechanical.

Will had never seen a race like this on the Aris continent, nor had he encountered any mention of such beings in the novel he remembered.

That alone unsettled him.

He could feel it clearly now. The story was no longer following the novel’s path. Too many deviations had already piled up, and this was just another confirmation.

Katherine’s kidnapping by demons had never happened in the original timeline. That single event alone had changed several threads of fate.

Will did not know where those threads would eventually lead, but he was certain they would not return neatly to their original paths.

“Did you not hear me?” Tamasya asked again, her voice lowering slightly. “I asked whether you were with a girl.”

Her words snapped him out of his thoughts.

Will shifted slightly in his seat, then answered calmly, “No. I wore a scent and changed the color of my hair to disguise myself inside the abyssal node.”

He lied without hesitation.

He had no intention of explaining his encounter with Katherine. There were too many questions he could not answer without revealing things that would only complicate matters further.

How would he explain knowing her identity? How would he justify his actions without exposing his connection to the future?

He had neither the patience nor the desire to turn this journey into an interrogation.

He was already exhausted enough.

Tamasya studied his face closely, as if weighing the truth of his words. Her gaze lingered for a moment longer before she finally leaned back.

“Good,” she said simply.

Her response came too easily.

Will raised an eyebrow slightly. “But why were you so angry at me smelling like a girl?” he asked, his tone was deliberately probing. “Do you want me to stay single for my whole life?”

Tamasya’s expression twitched instantly.

“You are so shameless,” she snapped.

Her reaction came fast and Will could practically see the irritation forming behind her eyes. The accusation was half-hearted, though, and there was no real anger behind it.

And just like that, the familiar back-and-forth between master and disciple began.

She mocked his attitude. He teased her reactions. She countered with cutting remarks. He deflected with dry humor.

The exchange flowed naturally, like a routine they had unknowingly developed over months of living together.

Despite the sharp words, there was an ease between them now that had not existed before.

As the hours passed, the banter gradually faded. The carriage continued its smooth journey through the skies, passing through layers of clouds that parted silently before them.

Outside, floating islands drifted at varying heights, some lush with greenery, others barren and jagged.

Eventually, silence settled between them.

Not the uncomfortable kind, but the quiet that comes when words are no longer necessary.

A thought that had been lingering at the back of Will’s mind finally surfaced.

“Where will you go once I enter the academy?” he asked.

Tamasya turned her head slightly toward him, waiting for him to continue.

“You can’t enter the elite lobby without exposing yourself,” Will said thoughtfully. “And the commoner’s lobby is obviously out of the question.”

The academy was structured rigidly. The elite lobby was reserved for emperors, ancient masters, clan heads, and beings whose presence alone could influence the fate of nations.

The commoner lobby, on the other hand, was for spectators with not much real power or authority. Tamasya belonged to neither category.

To his question, Tamasya smiled faintly.

“There is a place above the elite lobby,” she said in a cryptic tone. “I will be there.”

Her answer only deepened his confusion.

Above the elite lobby?

Will frowned slightly. He knew the elite lobby already housed the strongest and most influential figures of the world.

Emperors, kings, warriors who had lived for centuries. If there truly was something above that level, then it was not something he had ever read about.

Before he could press further, Tamasya spoke again.

“Will,” she said, calling his name directly.

The shift in her tone made him straighten slightly.

“I want you to establish your dominance in the trials,” she said seriously. “The whole world will be watching you this time.”

Her gaze was steady and unwavering.

“I can’t make an appearance right now,” she continued, “but I want you to take the lead of this generation.”

Will turned fully toward her.

“What makes you think I can do that?” he asked honestly. “There will be dragons, phoenixes, vampires, and countless other races participating. What makes you think a human like me can lead them?”

He was not doubting his strength. He was questioning her certainty.

Tamasya met his eyes without hesitation.

“I trust you,” she said calmly.

The simplicity of her answer stunned him.

Will blinked, then stared at her in disbelief. “Who would have thought,” he said slowly, “that the woman who nearly killed me a few months ago would be capable of saying something so cheesy.”

Tamasya laughed softly.

“I think you are forgetting what you told me before breaking those chains,” she replied.

She straightened slightly and mimicked his earlier tone, deliberately lowering her voice in an exaggerated imitation.

~~”I intend to break these chains.”~~“But for that to happen, we both have to trust each other.”~~

Her attempt at copying his deep voice only made her sound funnier.

She burst into laughter. “Hahaha! You were much more cheesy than me.”

Will groaned inwardly.

He had long since realized that Tamasya possessed an exceptionally sharp memory and an even sharper tongue.

She never forgot embarrassing moments and had a habit of bringing them up at the worst possible times.

“Tsk, tsk,” he muttered. “Fine, you win. I get it. I will break everyone in the tournament.”

Tamasya smiled, clearly satisfied.

Not long after, the carriage began descending toward a massive floating island. The landmass dwarfed the others they had passed, its edges reinforced with glowing barriers and layered formations of stone and crystal.

Will clicked his tongue as he took it in.

“I want one for myself too,” he said openly.

Tamasya giggled at his envious expression.

The floating island before them was none other than the domain of the World Academy.

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