Chapter 22: The Royal Offer & The Exam Begins

Just as the duel ended, a slow, deliberate clap echoed from the far end of the training ground.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The group turned toward the source of the sound. Standing with a composed smile was none other than Princess Diana, her piercing gaze fixed on Ryo.

"Impressive," she said, stepping forward with an elegant grace. "I must say, I wasn't expecting something like this from you, Ryo. Your combat abilities and that... artifact of yours have improved and were beyond my expectations."

Oscar, usually reserved, nodded in agreement. "Yeah. That suit—it's not just magic, is it?"

Ryo rubbed the back of his head, smirking. "Nah, I built it myself."

Lisha scoffed. "Yeah, right. No way you made something that advanced. That's at least high-level magical engineering."

Oscar, however, looked genuinely intrigued. "How exactly did you create it?"

Ryo grinned, always excited to talk about his creations. "It's a combination of magic enchantments and scientific principles. The suit converts mana into kinetic energy, boosting my movement speed. The cannon uses a condensed plasma system, and the sensors use—"

"Alright, alright, stop!" Lisha waved her hands frantically. "I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds illegal."

Oscar, however, was deep in thought. "So... you're saying it's not powered by a magic core like golems?"

Ryo nodded. "Exactly. It uses a micro-symbol enchantment system that enhances efficiency. Basically, I'm skipping the need for external magic sources and convert ing my internal energy to power it."

Diana, who had been listening carefully, suddenly smiled. "I could use someone like you in my faction."

At her words, Lyon perked up immediately. "That's a great idea, Ryo! The princess is one of the few royals who supports commoners. If she takes the throne, she'll push for equal rights for everyone!"

Ryo, however, simply shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested in getting involved in royal struggles."

Lyon's face fell. "What? But why? This could change everything for people like us!"

Diana studied Ryo for a moment before nodding knowingly. "Let me guess. One of my brothers has already tried recruiting you, and you don't want to be caught in the middle?"

Ryo smirked. "Something like that."

Diana sighed but didn't push further. Instead, she turned to Lyon. "If you're interested, Lyon, I'd gladly welcome you into my faction."

Lyon, still frustrated by Ryo's decision, quickly straightened up. "I would be honored, Your Highness!"

With that, the princess turned and began to walk away, taking Lisha and Oscar with her.

Lyon watched them go before turning back to Ryo. "You really should reconsider. If we help her take the throne, we could bring equality to our country."

Ryo stretched and yawned. "Yeah, yeah. I'll think about it. But right now, I need sleep."

Lyon raised an eyebrow. "Again? You have the weirdest sleep schedule."

---

A New Test Begins in the Other World

As Ryo drifted off, he found himself awakening in the other world.

His surroundings felt different this time. A sense of urgency filled the air.

Today was the start of his first major exam in this world.

"Time to see if my Plan B works," he muttered to himself.

He activated the micro-symbols placed beside both of his eyes.

"Open status window," he whispered.

For a brief second, the symbols glowed faintly, then projected a light-based interface that only he could see.

Ryo grinned. "If my Plan A of studying doesn't work, I'll have to rely on this."

As he left his room, he noticed his father in the hallway, looking distressed as he made multiple calls.

Ryo considered asking what was wrong but decided against it. He was already running late.

---

At school, he quickly found his four closest friends—Dave, Tucker, Hailey, and Ben.

The moment he arrived, Ben shoved a turkey leg into his mouth.

"Eat up, dude. You'll need the energy," Ben said casually.

Ryo, still chewing, glared at him. "You could've just handed it to me like a normal person."

Hailey rolled her eyes. "So, are we ready for this exam, or are we all doomed?"

They exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

Tucker sighed. "Honestly, we might be doomed. We probably should've studied more."

Ryo smirked. "I have a Plan B."

Dave squinted at him. "Oh no. That sounds like cheating."

Hailey crossed her arms. "Ryo, if you get caught cheating, you're done for. Are you sure about this?"

Ryo chuckled. "Relax. It's not cheating. It's... an alternative approach."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "That's literally what cheaters say." While chewing a hamburger.

Before they could argue further, the exam bell rang.

"Time to see if Plan B works," Ryo muttered as they entered the exam hall.

---

The large hall was filled with students, each assigned to individual desks with enhanced security cameras . The instructors stood at the front, their sharp eyes scanning the room.

"Alright, students," the examiner announced. "Your first task is a theory test on your system and practical applications. You have one hour. Begin."

As soon as the test started, Ryo whispered under his breath.

Ryo looked through the questions, they were not funny at all, his plan A had already failed right from question one . He looked through the class and found everyone with a grim face.

"Activate system window."He whispered

His invisible status window appeared before his eyes, displaying stored information on magical formulas and theories.

He quickly began answering the questions.

"This is too easy," he thought to himself.

Across the hall, Hailey and Ben watched him suspiciously.

"He's too confident," Hailey whispered. "What is he up to?"

Tucker glanced over. "If he's cheating, I hope he doesn't get caught."

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the hall.

"YOU THERE! STAND UP!"

The entire room froze.

A teacher had caught a student using a hidden phone to cheat.

The boy turned pale as the examiner confiscated it and escorted him out.

Ryo, meanwhile, remained calm, his status window completely undetectable.

"Well," he thought, "at least I'm not that guy."

---

After some time ryo raised up his hand signaling he was done this amazed his friends and everyone their .He was the first to finish the hectic questions, some even thought he must have given up on it.

The teaches decided to check him thoroughly .....