Taking the Exam 2

"Everybody, quite down. I am Jason Tak, Core disciple of the Fire Drake Academy. I am here to explain the exam to you all." A thin elf with green hair called out. " The exam is split into 3 parts. The first is the Guantlet, a hallway two hundred yards long." pausing he flashes a sardonic grin." It's length might seem short for practitioners. The trick is walking though the door the gravity is 5 times higher and every 5 yards it increases anther 1 times. At five yards the gravity is 6 times normal at 10 yards it is 7 times normal and so-on. You will also be bludgeoned be rocks with a diameter of nine inches flying at speeds over. You will receive a jade you can crush to be brought out at any time. You will fail if you use the escape jade or you pass out. You are not allowed to wear armour and must wear cloth robes. There is a surprise for those who make it to the hundred yards mark. This test is easier for those with a powerful body so it is very unfair. But so what? When has this world ever been fair?"

Looking around to make sure there were no questions, he continued, " The second test is a hunting mission where you will be under observation by Brigader level powerhouses. Your goal is to acquire tier 2 and higher cores. Tier 2 gives one point, tier 3 gives 10 and tier 4 gives 1000. you will only find these level beasts. The same jade can allow you to escape this test as well with the same condition of failure. To become an outer disciple you need 500 points, inner disciple needs 5000. Any questions?"

"Can we acquire our beast cores from others?" A large bald man asked.

"As long as the beast cores come from this forest and were hunted this time it doesn't matter. You can buy or steal the cores from fellow participants. If you try to use a core hunted previously you will be fined and fail. If you kill another participant you will be killed regardless of background. One of the rules sons was killed last year as he thought this rule doesn't apply to him. Do not try to take an accident as before Brigader powerhouses you games are easily seen though. As for the final test it is only for recognized faction leaders so will be discussed after we know who the inner disciples are. Out of the million participants only about 200,000 will pass. Of those who pass only about 800 will become inner disciples. That is all, the test will begin in 2 hours.

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My group rested up as we discussed the test. "James and Sarah should be able to dodge 75-80% of the rock balls. The rest of us can dodge at most 12%. of them. We can use magic and weapons to block the spheres." I started trying to come with a plan.

"I can at most dodge 10% similar to all of you. The trial will null my void abilities i get from my body type." Sarah said with a worried voice.

Pausing for a moment I stand up to go see core disciple Jason Tak. "Senior disciple, are people allowed to help other participants in the first trial?"

Looking at me for a few moments before speaking he finally replied, "You can help block the spheres, if you think yourself capable to do so, but you cannot carry them forward. They must walk through the trial alone. "

Hearing him I smile before respectfully giving thanks and heading back to my group. "Ok everyone here is the plan: James you will head to the front and evade the attacks that come at you. Kurt turn into a golem and you should be fine, just remember you need to move the weight with both your body and mana or you will lose to much stamina or mana if you do not manage well. Tania can easily deflect the blows with only minor damage using her "Writhing Vines" spell. Isabel can tank the hits she doesn't block with her Ogre Fiendgod body type. Nizhoni and Kuruk are both skilled enough to block most attacks from hitting them, especially Kuruk with the 30 miniature metal dragons puppets he built." If Kuruk wasn't so large he could have used some of the Dragon's to guard Sarah , unfortunately he would need all of them and probably still take a few hits. "Sarah you need to stay in my shadow as we move. I will let my stones hit me and use my glaive to protect you. This can be used to temper my body further and might even allow me to reach the 3rd form of my body art in conjunction with the dragon blood I got at the auction. We will rest at the 100 yard mark for 30 minutes to recoup before moving on. I don't know what "surprise" the core disciple spoke of but I am sure we won't like it. "

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"The test starts now. Line up in groups of 10,000. " After everyone was grouped up Core Disciple Jason continued, "The first hroup go though the door. You have 5 hours. "

Some looked happy hearing how much time they had. A few, like myself, looked grim hearing that. We knew the test was even harder than we had thought if they gave that amount of time.

It only took 5 minutes for people to begin to appear, obviously they had failed in the first 30 minutes 2,000 failed. After that there was still a few who failed but it was only one or 2 every 15 minutes. After 2 hours passed a woman appeared on the ground screaming and crying. After a short time a few dozen more appeared in the same state. One man stood up after a short time and shouted, " Who wants to know the "surprise" you will receive at the 101st yard? it only cost one mana stone." hearing this each group sent someone to traid with him for the information.

I walk over and say. " I have no more mana stones but I can sign a blood oath that I will give you a mana stone after the exam ends. " The man looks at me for a moment before replying. "I will agree but it will cost you 2 mana stones in that case not one." Hearing him I nodded before pulling out some spirit parchment and right the terms before we both sign. If I fail to uphold the blood oath I will die from having every drop of my blood explode.

" The surprise is that at the 101st yard you will have your soul refined by ghost fire. While it is a great thing to refine your soul this is by far the most brutal and painful way to do the refining. Worst still every 5 yards foward another ghost flame is added which increases the pain and refining speed. Also the flying rocks stop at the hundred yard mark but the gravity doesn't and is still increasing at the same rate. That means the last 5 yards will be 40 times gravity with and 20 ghost flames."

Hearing him I begin to understand how nearly 90% fail to join the Academy.