Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Final Rankings

Chapter 203 – Final Rankings

All the remaining participants were stunned for a moment, unable to believe that Anesthesia had just snatched away the second spot.

However, before any of them could decide to pull another ridiculous stunt, Love used the last of her essence — driving her broken body at the cost of a pain so great that her eyes and ears were bleeding — and ran toward Emrys’s door with him on her back.

Klaus took a step forward, about to stop her, but Nafissatou instantly appeared before him, smiling coldly despite her face being unseen.

"That’s enough, beautiful boy~" she said in her usual giggling tone. But anyone who knew her well enough would have known she was forcing it at that moment.

Klaus narrowed his black eyes at her with irritation, but Nafissatou’s intervention gave Love enough time to reach the door.

There, she used the Key and opened it swiftly. Taking Emrys off her back, she looked at his face.

Emrys was still conscious by some divine miracle. He looked at her with tired but clear blue eyes.

Love bit her lower lip, swallowing everything she wanted to say, allowing herself only a few words.

"I always choose you." She whispered, her eyes bleeding like bloody tears. "But have you ever chosen me?"

Emrys didn’t have time to answer before she pushed him, sending him through the door.

Emrys Stormblessed became the third ranker.

Love heaved a big sigh of relief and dropped to the ground, tired and exhausted. She leaned against the frame of Emrys’s door and looked at all the remaining ones.

She smiled, her teeth bloodied.

"Are you proud of yourself?" Klaus asked her.

"More than you can possibly imagine."

Klaus smiled humourlessly. "One day, stupid girl, you’ll have to tell me what part of everything you’ve done makes you proud of yourself."

"A loveless bastard like you could never understand it. So don’t try, Klaus."

"Another one who thinks sacrificing her dignity and self-respect is proof of love." Klaus snickered openly.

Love fell silent, narrowed her eyes, then spat the next words with venom. "You and I, Klaus, are irreconcilable. Either you’ll have my head, or I’ll have yours."

Not bothering to wait for a reply, "I forfeit."

Love de Bayard forfeited, and was immediately transported out of the Testing Ground.

Klaus set his jaw tight.

The others looked at one another, wondering who would step forward first.

Raven, in particular, was still thinking about Anesthesia’s words, trying to understand what he had done wrong.

Was it truly necessary to always chase after something? He would be the King of this Kingdom. That was set in stone. What else should he wish to achieve?

’I’m already chasing my own feelings. I don’t have the strength left to chase anything else, Anesthesia. I truly don’t. I just want—!’

"My Prince." Sarah’s voice pulled Raven back to the present.

He looked at her and saw her face taut with worry. Worry for him.

"You need to go." She nudged him gently with her shoulder, the physical contact strangely putting his heart at ease. "Even if you don’t care, my Prince, you must at least keep up appearances."

She smiled sweetly at him, her beauty a sight to warm the hardest of hearts. "You should be fourth and Lady Esmeray fifth. I have her key."

"What about you?" Raven asked.

"I’m already in the Academy." She smiled with a touch of embarrassment. "That’s more than I ever expected. I’m satisfied."

"You—!"

Sarah pushed him again, this time harder, urging him to go before anyone took his place.

"Go, my Prince." Sarah said, then took the unconscious Esmeray and headed toward her own door.

Raven looked at her for a brief second, then walked toward his own, thinking how he had dared to treat Sarah so poorly before.

’I... don’t deserve your—!’

He stopped his thoughts abruptly, afraid to acknowledge a cruel truth.

Soon enough, the Prince arrived in front of his door and went through it. Seconds later, his sister followed.

Thus, Raven Hood became the fourth ranker, while Esmeray Hood became the fifth.

And seeing that...

"If you stop me any further," Klaus warned, a subtle but sharp wind rising, "you won’t enjoy what’s about to happen to you."

Nafissatou laughed. "Do you think being Cassius’s childhood friend gives you the right to do whatever you want?"

Klaus cocked his head, his eyes dead cold. "And do you think hiding your face behind that mask will protect you if I decide to act against you?"

"Who said I’m hiding out of fear?"

"I know you are." Klaus snickered, and bumped into her, pushing her aside. "Anyone hiding behind a mask is afraid of something. What are you afraid of, woman? Don’t test me. If I find your fear, you will damn well wish for death."

Nafissatou narrowed her eyes, and watched as Klaus entered his door. He became the sixth ranker.

Julaibib finally grew tired of waiting. He took his key from the shy Keisha and entered without much trouble.

He became the seventh ranker.

Diaila had decided to forfeit. The same with Nourou Faim, whose key was in Anesthesia’s possession after Cassius gave it to her. The woman didn’t return it to him.

Layla Bint Aicha, as for her, was sitting on the ground, wondering why she was instinctively afraid of Cassius.

What did he have in him that made her act that way?

The answer came rather easily after witnessing his Ultimate Skill.

That Serpent.

’It looked far too close to the Deity our Tribe worships. Is that why?’

Layla Bint Aicha shook her head, stood up, and entered her door, having decided to pay closer attention to Cassius Desdemona.

She became the eighth ranker.

Then there was Meadow Wealth who, after Omm stubbornly refused to go with her, reluctantly took her key from the place Love had disappeared and entered.

She became the ninth ranker.

William Castria became 10th, his face still like stone, hiding his thoughts away. Nafissatou followed closely, her mind a canvas of chaos over what awaited her now that Cassius knew everything about her, and became the 11th ranker.

Keisha Silver walked in shyly after being pushed by Natalia and became the 12th. Natalia then gave Theophane’s Key to Sarah and stepped through, becoming the 13th.

The only ones left were Omm, Jeanne, Sarah and Theophane. The rest had either forfeited or were already inside.

Omm walked slowly toward Jeanne and handed her her Key.

"Here." He said.

Jeanne looked at him deeply and reached out her hand. Instead of grabbing her key, however, she grabbed his hand and yanked him toward her.

Omm yelped and found himself hugging Jeanne before he even knew it. His heart skipped a beat, and goosebumps spread across his whole body.

"Miss—!"

"Call me Jeanne."

"Please, let go of me! This is inappropriate!"

The more innocent and clueless he acted, the more the cloud of disgust poisoning her heart dissipated.

Jeanne found herself smiling faintly, sensing the loud, panicked beating of Omm’s heart.

"Just one minute." She said with a tiredness that had nothing to do with the physical kind. "Give me one minute, Omm."

The Shepherd was left speechless. Not knowing what to do, his mind travelled to the past , to the day before the Entrance Test. On that day, his mother had thought it necessary to teach him about women.

Omm had been expecting grand lectures that would open his mind. But his mother had only said:

"Respect every woman just as you respect me. And treat them well just as you treat me well. But of course, my son, if a woman is unjust to you, you have the right to walk away."

Recalling those words, Omm couldn’t tell whether Jeanne was being unjust or not. So he sighed, and reined in his uncomfortable feelings.

Sensing him resign himself, Jeanne beamed inwardly. She closed her eyes and let Omm’s peace wash over her, calming her mind.

She had already failed her father’s orders. And right now, she was dreading what would happen to her.

’Would he... would he do to me what he did to him?’

At that thought, Jeanne clenched her jaw and tried to stop herself from shaking.

She failed. Omm felt it. And in his soul, untainted by the world, Omm found compassion in his heart and let Jeanne hug him for more than a minute.

Afterward, Jeanne Safara took her key and entered the portal, but only after finding Omm’s key.

She became the 14th ranker. Omm decided to let Sarah go first, thinking she deserved it more.

And the maid, doing her best to pay Theophane no attention, gave Theophane’s key to Omm and became the 15th ranker.

Only Omm and the Seer were left, and the latter was still unable to move because of the side effects of her second skill active.

The Shepherd would have helped her become the 16th, had this woman not been against his benefactor, Cassius.

So he simply set the key down in front of her and began to walk away. However, Theophane’s voice stopped him abruptly.

"You’re not using your full potential." She said, sensing something profound in Omm. "I can guide you to the highest level, Omm. Look into my eyes and see whether I’m lying."

Omm looked into them, and as someone who did not lie, he knew the look of truth on a person.

But somehow, he couldn’t tell whether she was lying or not.

"You can be so much more than the lackey of that merchant woman. You can also be more than a toy used by some emotionally unstable person." She smiled strangely. "Omm Min Jambar, you’re wasting your life as a follower of others. Trust me, you’re not meant to walk behind someone. You’re meant to lead."

"I don’t know why," Omm said softly, "but I’ve always been able to somehow guess a person’s nature with a single look."

He smiled shyly, scratching his cheek. "Maybe that’s why I love being a shepherd. It’s always nice to know what each sheep likes and how to help them better. They’re simple-minded creatures. But humans are different. It’s truly hard to guess a human’s nature because of their contradictions."

"What are you implying?" Theophane asked.

"I can’t feel anything from you." Omm said. "Your smile, your eyes, your emotions... they all feel false. Do you have emotions? I would have said yes, remembering your outburst in front of Cassius. But even then... it felt like you were forcing yourself to feel anger."

He paused and cocked his head. "Why?"

Theophane looked at Omm deeply for the first time, and noticed how steady and clear his eyes were.

She stayed silent for a couple of breaths, seeing something in them that made her click her tongue.

’Something — someone — is protecting his fate.’

"I forfeit."

Theophane Celeste disappeared soon after, leaving only Omm Min Jambar in the entire Testing Ground.

The young Shepherd closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he walked toward his door, his steps calm and measured.

Once there, he opened it with his key, facing the teleportation portal.

He muttered a prayer, wondering if his parents were still watching. He knew they still were.

His parents were the most supportive people he knew. So he lifted his head, looked at one of the runic cameras, and smiled beautifully, his words directed to them.

"I’m quite lucky, aren’t I?"

He chuckled softly under his breath and took one step forward.

Omm Min Jambar became the 16th ranker.

And the Entrance Test of the Elysia Academy finally came to a strange end.

—End of Chapter 203—