8 Take Your Chance
''It's here, stop.''
Sergeant Huroi stopped abruptly. The middle-aged man and the people who accompanied him had just arrived at their destination, seeing a huge open space that had no obstacles that would get in the way of the competitors during the fight that would take place.
''Wait a minute, I just need to sort out a few things before we start.''
As the sergeant made preparations for the exam that would take place now, Kailan took the moment to look at the people who would compete with him in the entrance exam. In addition to him, there were five other people of the same age as him, after all, it was a law widely spread across the continent that as soon as young people who are part of the races of the harmony alliance turned 16, they would undergo military training.
The closest person to Kailan was a boy with short red hair. He seemed to be the calmest of them all, not showing any emotion on his face. He didn't seem to care about his opponents, but Kailan noticed that the boy gave small, discreet glances from time to time in everyone's direction. His arms were crossed and he was standing like a stone, almost as if he were actually a statue, exuding an unusual pressure for someone his age.
The boy had a muscular, burly body, being much taller than Kailan and the others, at around 6'2 tall, and making Kailan look like a dwarf beside him. He carried a rapier that was attached to a utility belt at his waist; From his looks and choice of weapon, Kailan assumed he was Jonas Gabiru, heir to a renowned noble family that had passed down its swordsmanship skills for generations.
Beside Kailan and Jonas, two other boys were standing staring at Kailan's slender figure, who appeared to be the frailest and weakest of all those present there. Erick, the guy next to Kailan's right, had gray hair and was a boy of medium height, not too muscular and not too weak, carrying a bow on his back. His eyes were blood-wine red, and he was extremely handsome.
Roland, on the other hand, had an appearance that made him look a few years older than Kailan and the others, but he was sixteen or seventeen at most. He had big, pointy, floppy ears and a huge amount of freckles that covered his face. He also had long bluish hair that flowed between his shoulders, and he appeared to be the most agitated of the entire group present, as his eyes and hands didn't stop moving for a second.
'A half-breed?' Kailan was intrigued.
As for the other remaining members, they were two girls. They were both looking at Kailan with curiosity on their faces, wondering things like: How was he going to pass that test with such a weak and small build? And how the hell was he going to attack with that half-broken sword the sergeant had handed him halfway to the field they were in?
They both carried wands in their hands, holding them tightly so they wouldn't drop the object by mistake. The two girls were very beautiful and were part of the profession of mages, one of the rarest in the entire world in which they lived.
Mages were a select group of people who had a stronger connection to magical energy than other members of their races and therefore could use the mana and other energies that made up the world to cast spells of higher levels. These people were said to also have supernatural talents, called abilities, which were acquired from childhood and there was not much knowledge of their workings or where they came from.
But of course, there were people around the planet who didn't need to be mages to have such 'abilities', whatever they were, each having a different effect that could help its wielders go about their lives more easily. A perfect example of someone who was not a mage and had an ability was Kailan himself, who suspected that the system itself was an ability, given to him by the shadow creature as a gift.
Kailan's eyes met those of the girl who had tried using an ability on him earlier, she quickly looked away nervously, but he didn't give a damn, turning to the bleachers that surrounded the proving ground he was on.
There were no places for candidates, including Kailan, to sit, but several people could be seen in the stands at the top of the coliseum; Attached to each wall of the coliseum, candles in candlesticks burned, illuminating the strange wood-paneled walls.
In a far corner of the stands, a green-haired girl was waving in Kailan's direction. The boy greeted her with a slight nod and turned his attention to the sounds of footsteps coming his way.
''Hello, ladies and gentlemen candidates, it's a pleasure to meet some of the most talented of this new generation before me. My name is Ernest Tillberg and I will be responsible for helping with today's test. Once the test is complete, the judges and I will decide whether you are eligible to join the Draco-merlin academy or not, so do your best.''
Ernest Tillberg, an elderly soldier who wore thick glasses and had messy gray hair, greeted the new candidates with a nod, looking at them. He took a quick step back to the right corner of the room and disappeared through a tiny door built into the wall.
''Your test will consist of a match between pre-defined teams, it will be three against three and you should know that your performance here will define your total score and therefore will be the main factor in whether or not you are admitted to the academy. Both your teamwork and your personal skills and techniques will be judged, so work hard and do your best."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
''The groups are as follows: Kailan Rhaast, Karina Falastrat, and Erick Zarem as members of group 1. As for the other three, Lydia Latryn, Jonas Gabiru, and Roland Shurin will be members of group 2, the opposing team.''
Karina, the girl who had tried using an ability on Kailan before, walked to his side. With her came a boy of medium height, holding the bow once behind his back, but now in his hands. The teams stood with their members' side by side, dividing the field into two spaces that had an invisible line cutting it in half.
There was a certain tension in the air, and they all looked at each other with a certain ferocity.
"And lastly, you don't have to worry about injuries. As long as you don't kill or rip limbs from your opponents' bodies, our healers will take care of the case.''
Sergeant Huroi grinned, putting his hand pressed to a strange metallic checkered device that was attached to his clothes, and muttered a few things to himself.
''Bring it on, Ernest'', said the sergeant, leaving the middle of the proving ground and going to sit in the stands.
The candidates staggered slightly as a light shock wave rippled across the floor they stood on.
TRAANK, TRAAK
There was another terrifying crash, and in the next instant, Kailan and the others felt a tremor and it felt like the battlefield flattened out towards them as some strange-looking devices appeared from the walls.
Strange symbols and sounds began to spread through the coliseum, originating from the devices attached to the walls. Spectacular level spells were being activated, so tragedies could be avoided if someone lost control during combat. The candidates stared in amazement at the strange machinery operated by Ernest and his team of wizards.
"Now, shall we begin?" a voice came from one of the devices attached to the wall.
They all positioned themselves, not questioning how the thing that spoke to them worked without having any living presence there.
''Start!''
Karina fumbled a few times in her clothing pocket, pulling out an odd-looking paper and tossing it in front of her wand on top of Kailan's back. She whistled a mantra at surprising speed and threw herself after Kailan, eyes glued to the boy.
The opposing team members also had their eyes glued to the boy, as he was the only one in group 1 who could make the front line. Kailan's movements weren't necessarily agile or powerful, but they were certainly technical and caught the attention of spectators in the stands.
''Wind's Blessing!'' The girl yelled, finishing the magic summon.
In the same instant, countless notification messages filled Kailan's vision.
[The use of an external magic has been detected]
[The effects of the magic are beneficial to the user]
[The use of the magic has been accepted]
[All stats will be doubled while you are under the magic effect]
[The user's basic stats have been temporarily modified]
[Strength: 7 → 14]
[Agility: 9 → 18 ]
[Resistance: 8 → 16]
[Magic Power: 3 → 6]
''Jackpot!'', he yelled as he narrowly dodged a spell fired by Lydia, which left a small scratch on his left shoulder.
"But how long will this last?" Lucas wondered, firmly gripping the half-broken hilt of the sword with his left hand and cutting vertically forward.
He had fixed his gaze completely on the young man holding a rapier that attacked him nonstop, forming the opposing front line. The person behind the rapier-boy walked confidently, not even looking at anyone but Lucas. She stood in the center of the coliseum, right behind the boy who was protecting her, forming some spears of different elements with her magical energy, which were fired at Kailan at an alarming speed.
Kailan's body looked more agile and stronger than before, but it was clear that his senses far surpassed the capabilities of his current body. It was nearly impossible for him to be able to react at the same time his senses dictated.
"Hup!" Jonas exclaimed as he landed two piercing blows in succession, trying to hit Kailan and Erick. The spears shot past him, cutting through the air in search of Kailan.
Kailan ended up receiving one of the four ice spears' attacks, which pierced his right arm, causing him to bleed. A vivid red erupted from Kailan's arm, partially changing the color of her white clothes. He showed an expression of extreme pain, but he didn't stop moving for even a second, his eyes shining with the emotion of fighting.
'These guys are strong!' Kailan said internally, wondering how he had never heard of these guys in his past life when they were so talented since that age. If he passed the academy test, he would surely befriend them and make them stronger than they ever dreamed of being.
KLANG! KANG!
Erick ran past Kailan, who shielded him by parrying two slashes from Jonas's sword, and dove to the side to avoid a spell that was launched in his direction once more. Erick continued to move around the corners of the battlefield, feeling more nervous with each passing second. The boy was trying to find some space where he wouldn't get hit easily by enemy attacks, so he could fire his arrows accurately.
He held a bow that didn't look like an ordinary weapon, looking fancier than usual. The bow was carved using the bones and fangs of bestial monsters as the main material. Around the equipment, a strange light that shone every time the boy pulled the bowstring, glowed nonstop.
Erick immediately grabbed the bow in his hands and positioned himself, pulling the string at a terrifying speed that was hard to follow with the eyes. The arrows he had placed in his bow fired, as he shot them all at once in only one direction.
The arrows shot with such speed and force that they scared spectators and test-takers alike, the arrows were covered in some sort of strange magical power that made them glow. The accuracy applied to the arrows was strangely unnatural, and Kailan was impressed by the archer boy.
'This guy is really good', Kailan praised internally, 'Even though he's young, it's amazing how he can handle the bow in that way'
The arrows grazed Kailan's hair, ripping a few strands out of the boy as the sharp objects tried to hit the girl who was casting spells on their team. Erick was trying to cover Kailan from behind, but it was tricky as Roland got in his way, defending and countering all of his attacks.
A hot temperature could be felt by all the competitors on the battlefield, simultaneously Lydia, the opposing mage, began to gather flames of strange colors on both of her arms. Flames swirled around her arms like a typhoon, and she fired the spell, a huge column of swirling flames shooting out of her hands with a deafening sound, hurtling toward Erick.
Kailan's eyes, which did not stop moving, managed to catch the movements of the spell being cast, and he wasted no time.
Kailan, trying to keep his group's kingpins from falling from the start, ignored the boy who was attacking him with the rapier and darted in the direction of his teammates. He was faster than before, and this time he didn't get tired as he ran, managing to keep Lydia's heavy blow from hitting Erick by pushing him to the side.
But this had serious consequences, and the enemies did not pass up such carelessness, whether they were people with combat experience or not. Lydia's and her companions' eyes gleamed at the chance they'd won.
''Avoid it Kailan!''
''FUCK!''
Kailan yelled, trying to retrieve his sword which was still facing the floor of the coliseum, and got up as best he could. A flash covered his vision as the sharp sword pierced his right shoulder and he was hit by a magical blow from Lydia, who was protected by her other companion.
''NO!'' (2x)
The boy's vision was suddenly filled with two opponents running towards him as his body fell to the ground. Blood oozing from some bruises on his body, covered in now-destroyed clothes.
