<h4>Chapter 56 Inner Circle (1)</h4>


    ?


    After a while, Hajin stepped out of the corner of the trees, fully clothed in his simple but shy modern attire.


    Nearby, Elias was shirtless and doing push-ups. He seemed to be unaware of his surroundings,pletely focused.


    ''This guy sure is working hard…''


    Hajin thought. He was nning to ask Elias about what happened after he fell unconscious, but seeing that his cousin was busy, he removed the thought for the moment.


    With no other choice, Hajin approached Celestia instead.


    "Uh…hey,"


    Hearing his words, Celestia tilted her head with a soft smile.


    "Hello."


    "...This might be generic, but you look familiar. Did we perhaps meet before?"


    Hajin asked with a stiff smile. Celestia was about to reply, but before she could utter a word, a voice cut her off.


    "Don''t you recognize her, Hajin? She''s Celestia Lilinia, the current Saintess of the Holy Orthodox Church."


    Hearing the voice, Hajin turned towards Elias, who had just finished, and stood up, walking towards him with an amused gaze.


    Elias pursed his lips and snickered.


    "While you were fighting, she suddenly appeared. Like an annoying leech, she wants to follow us. Oh right… Celestia is also the one who healed your wounds from your fight."


    "Celestia Lilinia… oh, wait… that Celestia?"


    Hajin widened his eyes. He immediately turned towards Celestia with aplicated gaze. Every generation of Saintesses, they were very talented and beautiful.


    ''The rumors were indeed true…''


    It was rumored that Celestia Lilinia was a person like an angel. Seeing her upfront, Hajin somewhat agreed.


    The only issue he had with the rumor was that angels were supposed to be good and virtuous beings…


    —!


    While he was thinking that, Hajin suddenly felt a shiver run down him. He saw Celestia looking at him with a smile.


    Hajin forced himself to smile back.


    "You have my thanks, Saintess. I''m sorry for earlier."


    "You''re wee."


    Celestia nodded with a light smile.


    Elias was amused. He looked over the area, gazing at the campfire nkly for a moment before speaking his mind.


    "Anyways, Hajin, you should eat. And Celestia, get some rest. I''ll watch over you guys when you sleep… tomorrow, we''ll set off to the inner circle."


    "What if you kill me in my sleep?"


    Celestia asked innocently, much to Hajin choking in shock.


    "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn''t give you a sign about it. Do whatever you want, It''s not my problem who''s going tock any sleep."


    Elias chortled. He looked at the starry sky above, his gaze piercing through the vast infinite space andnding on the moon.


    ''Besides, I have to prepare for the climax soon.''


    ***


    The inner circle was entirely different from the outer circle. It was hard to exin and believe unless one truly experienced it on their own.


    Simply put, it was unbelievable.


    After passing a long walk through the mountain forest ind, Elias and the group reached the borders of the inner circle.


    Elias stopped and spoke to them.


    "The inner circle is an entirely different ce from the outer circle. As for how much different, let''s just say… it''s a dimension away kind of difference."


    "Ah, the church did have some records about that. It is said that simr to the outer circle, the inner circle also changes every year, "


    Celestia nodded to his words. The previous generation of Saintesses left behind some information about the academy examination.


    There were some records about the nature of the academy in the church. But Celestia didn''t pay much attention to them, she preferred to enjoy the examination blindly.


    However, Hajin was left confused. Although he had gotten some information, it was from a scammer after all, it was not as detailed to say, as Elias and Celestia''s information.


    While Hajin was confused by their words, Elias gazed toward where the inner circle was supposed to be.


    However, unlike what he said, it was just full of trees, a towering mountain, and forestnd. It was nothing different from the outer circle.


    ''That''s just a front…''


    Without hesitating anymore, Elias and the group soon stepped into the inner circle, entering its borders.


    Elias felt something and nothing at the same time. However, something evidently happened to them because…


    "Whoa! What the hell?!"


    Hajin suddenly eximed loudly.


    Elias and Celestia looked in front of them with shock—the surroundings werepletely changed, as though they were no longer on the forest ind.


    The inner circle was a clean and vibrant grassy infield, absent of any forest trees and mountain peaks.


    Elias looked back and saw that it was the same as his surroundings. He was no longer in a mountain forest ind but in a vast infield.


    ''Like in the novel, the inner circle this year is a grassy infield dimension…''


    Elias thought silently.


    While most of the people outside thought that Arcane Academy was simply located on the ind, they were not wrong, but they weren''t entirely correct either.


    The Arcane Academy ind outside was merely a massive borate illusion to trick the untrained eye—but its true location was two dimensions away.


    ''The outer circle was an ind, the inner circle was a secret dimension, while the academy was hidden in another hidden dimension.''


    Elias couldn''t help but be amazed.


    In the entire world, the Arcane Academy was the most advanced in its research of magic and dimensions.


    Besides fostering future Rankers, the Arcane Academy also had another purpose; to crack down on the origin of dungeons and prevent them.


    Using resources from all forces in the world, the Arcane Academy''s research progressed rapidly and reached unbelievable heights.


    Then, with the help of the most talented sorcerer on the, they managed to obtain a method topletely separate their location from the real world.


    Well, not pletely'' creating a full separate dimension was much harder than one thinks. The dimensions made by the academy used the world as an anchor to stay afloat.


    While Elias was in deep thought, Hajin suddenly shouted and pointed in a direction.


    "Hey, look! There''s someone there…!"


    Elias snapped out of his thoughts. He turned to where Hajin was pointing and suddenly saw a tall andrge figure appear and walk from a distance.


    As though sensing their gaze, therge figure nced at them and suddenly run towards them.


    "It''s him."


    Elias blurted out.


    From a distance, he could ascertain the person''s features—therge figure was a broad-shouldered man with long white hair, and he had arge body and terrifying physique.


    Ragna Newgate, one of the top geniuses of this generation.