Ric's voice was low, laced with a simmering fury that sent chills through the air. "The time has arrived to face the consequences of your actions," he declared, his eyes glowing faintly crimson, like embers ready to ignite.

  "Wait, Ric!" Yota's voice cut through the tension, his hand trembling slightly as it rested on Ric's shoulder.

  Ric turned slowly, his gaze sharp and piercing. "Huh? Why are you stopping me, Yota?" His voice was a dangerous whisper, controlled yet brimming with unspoken rage.

  Yota's expression was a mix of fear and determination. "Well… I think this is enough. They ought to have learned their lesson."

  Ric studied Yota's face, his anger momentarily giving way to surprise. "This is the first time I've seen him wear such a look," Ric thought. "Well, I suppose this worked out well enough."

  "Let's go, Ric," Yota said firmly, his voice steady despite the lingering fear in his eyes.

  Ric nodded, though the fury within him still burned. As they moved through the obstacle course, avoiding traps and leaping between pillars, an uneasy silence settled between them.

  "He's uncharacteristically quiet," Ric mused. "Perhaps it takes time to recover after a betrayal. Could he be undergoing a personality shift? If he does, it would indeed be a relief."

  Breaking the silence, Yota finally spoke, "Ric."

  "Hmm? What is it?" Ric replied, his mind still tangled with dark thoughts.

  "Weren't you…" Yota hesitated.

  "Weren't I?" Ric raised an eyebrow, his thoughts racing. "Is he going to say 'Weren't you too lenient on them'? Could he really have changed?"

  "Too…" Yota's voice trailed off.

  Ric's heart quickened. "Too? Really? Is he going to mention that I was too light on them? Is this a major shift? Has my naive friend finally…"

  Yota's next words shattered Ric's hopes. "Weren't you too harsh on them?"

  Ric's shoulders slumped, his anger momentarily replaced by disappointment. "Yeah, right. What was I even hoping for?"

  "What? What are you talking about?" Yota asked, genuinely confused.

  "I thought maybe you had acquired some new brain cells," Ric retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  "Huh?! Why would you say that?" Yota exclaimed, baffled.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Never mind. Maybe changing you is more difficult than any plan I could come up with," Ric sighed, his frustration evident.

  Yota's face grew serious. "Wait, hold on. Are you implying that you knew all along that Jimmy would betray me?"

  Ric's expression hardened. "Well, when he tried to drug us, I managed to stay awake by constantly pinching myself. I heard his voice then, but I wasn't entirely sure. However, it became crystal clear when he approached you about forming a partnership."

  “How was it obvious? It didn’t seem that way to me,” Yota said, his confusion evident.

  “Listen, when you attempt something and it doesn't yield results, what's your next step?” Ric asked.

  “I'd try again, of course!” Yota replied without hesitation.

  “Exactly,” Ric affirmed, snapping his fingers.

  “Oh, I see what you mean now! But… if you knew he was going to betray me, why did you intervene so late?” Yota asked, his brows furrowed.

  Ric's gaze darkened. "Well, I wanted you to learn a lesson and change, even if it's just a little bit. But I guess I didn't succeed this time."

  Yota placed a hand on Ric's shoulder, his grip firm. "No, Ric, you did succeed. From now on, I won’t be as trusting as I was today."

  Ric's heart swelled with contentment, but a dark thought lingered. “What if I had been slightly delayed? Despite my calculations, they could still have gone awry. Next time… No! There shouldn't be a next time!”

  Ric abruptly stopped, his eyes narrowing. "Hey, Yota, I had my locket in my pocket, but now it's gone."

  "What? Isn't that precious to you? Where might you have lost it?" Yota's concern was genuine.

  "I think I might have dropped it along the way. You go ahead, I'll search for it and catch up," Ric replied, masking the tension in his voice.

  "Don't you want me to help?" Yota offered, but Ric shook his head firmly before disappearing into the shadows.

  Meanwhile, Jimmy and Vivi stirred from unconsciousness. Jimmy handed a low-rank health potion to Vivi. "Take this. It's a health potion. Drink it."

  Gritting his teeth, Jimmy downed his own potion, the bitterness barely masking his humiliation. "Puah!" he spat, wiping his mouth angrily.

  Vivi approached cautiously. "Jimmy, what's our next move?"

  Jimmy's face twisted with rage. "That guy… How dare he humiliate me like that!"

  "Jimmy, let it go. Our priority is to pass this exam—" Vivi began.

  "Shut up! Do you think I can just forget that humiliation?!" Jimmy roared, his voice echoing with venom.

  "But what can we do? He's way stronger than us," Vivi whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

  A sinister grin spread across Jimmy's face, dark and twisted. "Hehe, don't worry about it. I have a plan. We're going to make them suffer so much that they'll beg for mercy!"

  Suddenly, the air grew cold, and thick with an ominous presence. A voice, soft yet dripping with menace, slithered through the darkness. "Oh~, do kindly indulge me with the details of this delightful plan."

  Panic surged through Jimmy and Vivi as they frantically searched for the source. Their eyes were drawn upward, to a shadow perched upon a pillar.

  Ric stood there, his jet-black hair blending with the darkness, eyes glowing with malevolent crimson light. A grin twisted with sadistic pleasure played on his lips. His murderous aura was palpable, suffocating, promising one thing—swift, merciless retribution.