Death... and me

The last week of availability for Rean and Droman to use the repository passed in a flash. After they came out, the Formations Guild once again extended Droman an invitation to join their ranks. Droman, of course, was just about to refuse when he heard a Spiritual Sense Message from Rean.

'You were the one who convinced me to accept this marriage bullshit. Not only that, but Qia seems to have entered some kind of full attack mode. Since you forced me into this, then I will also make you swallow your pride. If you don't accept their invitation this time, you can forget about developing the circuitry formations with me.'

Droman was taken aback by Rean's words.

'You do know that it wouldn't really be considered revenge since joining the Formations Guild Main Branch is the best thing that could happen for me, right?'

Rean snorted in response.

'Do you think I don't know your pride? You haven't accepted it at all because of this. So yeah, that would be the best outcome for you. However, as good as it might be, I know how much you would hate the idea of joining them since the creator of the communication system, which is me, is still out.'

Droman narrowed his eyes. That was the truth. He had never accepted their invitation because his pride didn't allow him to do so. He reluctantly agreed to join the Formations Guild using the Communication System only if Rean passed the Guild's Exam.

'Isn't there a better way of me paying for it?'

Sure enough, he really didn't want to do it.

Rean shook his head as he said.

'No can do. Either you accept their invite now, or you won't see a single rune from me.'

Droman fell into a dilemma. As for the elder who came to invite him, he noticed that Droman had suddenly become silent.

"Why so much thought? Just take it. I don't wanna be rude, but even though you created something amazing, your chances of entering the guild through the test is quite low."

Droman felt like a knife passed through his heart. He knew it was true, but this guy didn't need to point it out, right?

On the other hand, Rean looked at him as if he was saying the exact same thing.

Finally, Droman gritted his teeth and accepted that offer.

'Fine! But you better not hide anything regarding the Circuitry Formations later.'

Rean laughed after hearing that.

'Hahaha! It's hard, isn't it? That's what I felt when I decided to accept this marriage. Anyway, don't worry. We will develop the Circuitry Formations together.'

Droman's expression was dark, but he nodded nonetheless. Following that, he turned in that elder's direction before saying.

"Sigh... Fine, I accept the Main Branch invitation. What should I do?"

Immediately, the elder and the other Formation Masters around them got excited.

"Oh! Finally! I've never thought it would be so hard to recruit someone to the Main Branch. Usually, everyone would accept it with open arms. Hahaha!"

The ender then began to guide Droman somewhere else.

"Your disciple can come as well. It's quite a quick process."

Droman and Rean then followed the guy as the other Formation Masters looked at them with satisfied expressions. They really didn't want to let Droman roam free like that. What if another empire's guild recruited him instead? That won't do!

Around an hour later, Rean and Droman left the Guild's Main Branch. This time, however, Droman's Formations Guild Badge on his robe changed. Obviously, that was the main branch's badge.

"Happy now?"

Rean nodded as he looked at Droman's grim expression.

"Absolutely!"

Droman couldn't help but sigh.

"Whatever... Let's go back to the Dalamu Residence in the Inner City. I could try and use my status as a member of the guild to let you enter the repository for another week. However, the price would be quite hefty. Besides, we have something better to do. I'll use this last week before the exam to help you revise everything you learned about. Understood?"

Rean nodded while showing a determined expression.

"Sure thing. Let's go."

Rean and Droman weren't the only ones practicing, though. Old Worm stopped going out for a week already. Whatever it was that he was doing seemed to have been resolved already. Thanks to that, he and Roan practiced Alchemy quite a lot. 

"This formula turned out a little unstable. You know why, right?"

Roan nodded.

"The synchronization of the remaining properties didn't go as I expected."

Old Worm confirmed.

"Exactly. Don't forget. Even if the recipe is the same, the herbs aren't. The Finmi Swamp Root from the capital has a higher concentration of Elemental Energy than the ones you can get in the Dalamu Sect. Make sure that you analyze it thoroughly next time you try it."

Roan then took the medicinal liquid back and continued concocting the pill. Even though it wouldn't be as good as it was, he wouldn't simply throw it away. He's not the type who liked to waste things.

Old Worm looked at that and nodded, satisfied.

When Old Worm came out of the Alchemy Room, he noticed Rean and Droman's arrival. It was then that he saw Droman's new badge.

"You accepted their invite?"

Droman scratched the back of his head helplessly.

"It's quite embarrassing since the one who really invented the Communication System was Rean. If not because this guy forced my hand, I definitely wouldn't have taken the offer."

Rean didn't even care as he headed inside. Old Worm, on the other hand, just shook his head as he muttered.

"Meaningless thoughts. Just accept it since it's beneficial."

Old Worm then left the room without waiting for an answer.

'Sigh... as always, so little words.'

And just like that, the last week before both exams passed in a flash. Rean also had some freedom since Qia was entirely concentrated on the exam too. 

Droman and Old Worm would be representing Rean and Roan, so they had to go together. The two sides quickly arrived in the Core City before each one went to their own guilds. It was finally time for the exams to start.