Chapter 26: Arriving the City of the Gifted, Arerat City; The Test

After two long, silent days traveling on air, an announcement finally echoed through our ears.

"We have arrived Arerat City!"

Voices of excitement from those around swept through the air. It indeed was exhausting doing nothing for over 48 hours. Plus, I really needed a good meal. Due to the reinforcement of my cultivation, staying for two days without food really was nothing. Still, that didn't mean I didn't yearn to taste something appetising... only that it wasn't for hunger sake in this context.

After a large roar from the aerial savage beasts we were in, we finally began to descend.

Looking down, I was more than awed to see just how grand this city was. When I thought the Desolate Grounds City was magnificent, I just had to discover this one...

"There's always a mountain bigger than the other," I muttered under my breath at an idiom I finally found application to.

The fresh air blew through my face, scattering my unpacked hair. The afternoon sun was neither harsh not mild, giving a complex feeling to the skin.

In no time, we reached land where we were all directed into the city's capital hall where and told that the examination had already begun.

Not even caring the least about the fact that we just arrived, four elders groomed in magnificent, rich-looking robes stepped forward, in nonchalance.

"Your batch is already last amongst all the other professions, so you have to get to work immediately!" one of the four elders said.

They all had white flowing beards on their chins.

We were taken to a room.

The room was a large, open area with a floor that was covered with large, clear stones. The air was just as comfortable as could be, still maintaining an indescribable feeling of warmth.

There was a blackboard on one of the far walls and a white board on another end.

Some of the cubicles had paper doors that were open and had various tools and materials on them.

However, my examination was not here, but to be through a teleportation portal where I'd have to face with extremely dangerous savage beasts according to my cultivation realm... so I was explained.

The attendant attending on me began to explain that I'd be teleported into an illusionary world. In this world I could meet with just anything, but the main objective was to accomplish any mission that arrived before me. Also, the highest duration for the mission is two days.

I slightly panicked to the explanations, plus the portal was only just a few feet away, flooded with people rushing in.

I take a look around the area to get an idea of the layout.

Mustering up the courage, I walked towards it, flashed my 1-star beast tamer emblem carrying my name, then stepped into the portal upon confirmation.

"Holy moly... where am I?"

It was just as though I'd only blinked an eye, but before I knew it, the scene around me had taken to a complete change.

I was standing before a large forest.

The trees here were huge and old, and their trunks had a grayish cast to them.

The leaves, though, were a bright, light green and shimmered in the slightest breeze.

I looked around me and realised that I was all alone.

"What a test!" I grumbled. "I'm supposed to take my test alone, and in front of the beasts."

Even without seeing any beast, I could already sense hundreds of them around.

Taking a moment to reorganise my thoughts, I finally nodded in satisfaction.

The attendant had said that anything I see here is only an illusion. That goes to say that I can't die here, right?

Suddenly, a growl rattled in my ears from a couple of metres away.

"That should be my first sign," I said, fleeting off towards the direction in an incredible speed.

A group of tiger trappers clad in light armor stood between me and a large beast.

With the exception of the leader, they all had thick, muscular builds and wore helmets shaped as tigers as feints, obviously for fooling the animals.

The leader was not as huge as the others, but he had long legs and a great deal of muscles too (though nothing like the others'). His body emitted an unimaginably, deep aura. If one gave it all of one's focus, one could feel a killing intent shaded with lots of blood from previous years accumulated in this man's body. That was what made him quite different from the rest of his group.

This particular animal was a tiger, striped with spots of dark brown and white. Its eyes had this catching, unmistakable terrifying glimmer that caused one's spines to rattle.

Its head was raised and it's eyes were fixed on the tiger trappers.

I froze in my hurried steps and my heart raced, quickly diving behind a large tree trunk.

"Just where did this come from?" the leader asked, not pulling his eyes off the beast.

The trappers looked at each other and shook their heads with their hands still firmly gripping their swords.

"We don't know. It appeared out of nowhere some months ago."

The leader was somewhat perplexed by this response, saying, "Do you recognise this animal?"

The one who replied shook his head in embarrassment.

"We've been placing tabs on it for months and we've only just now decided to take it down today, after the king's order to see if he recognises it. We just really ran out of time."

He scratched his head. Still, I was more than gratified that they hadn't noticed my presence yet.

Surprisingly, I was able to identify the animal with a glance. It was a crimson-eyed tiger which had become so arcade that it carried the property of a mystical beast. I could sense it.

"Why would anyone want to capture such a ferocious tiger?" I fell into thoughts, immediately.

The leader seemed to have sensed something and quickly looked towards the trunk I hid behind. It was not a glance of cautiousness, but of a somewhat mild unsurety.

"What are you doing hiding there?"

Before I could answer, the leader stepped in front of me.

My heart skipped.

The leader sniffed the air and bellowed, "Gorram, boys! It's a girl! That has got to be the princess!"

Immediately, out of the ten-some people surrounding the beast, four came out and began to run after me.

'This is so not fricking happening!'

I began to run towards the direction I came from like a crazy person, screaming on the top of my voice.