S***

"Firstly, in order to apply to the academy, I need to pass this part and also pass the background check, and pass the survival test, which makes sense…

BUT, this is the survival test.

People will quit every single day because there was no provided money, food, or clothing to speak of.

Only the ones that can get jobs and earn their own money during this time can survive.

This is why the business will start picking up soon.

Not only this, the festivals and corporate parties will get back together and start working for more money, or a bigger cause.

"I believe that the survival test is a really big part of this, er, test." I explained to Ned.

Ned looked at me and coughed.

"Ivan, are you sure?

If you are, then you are a fucking genius." Ned nodded.

"You gotta be shitting me - you did not know that?"

"Ehh…"

"Dude, you didn't observe last year's exam?

It was the other year that the king "funded", or like bought the exams."

I went to tug on a hair but I missed.

"That asshole: he gave me some stupiditus.

Starving children, man."

"I am pretty sure a lot of them are adults now." Ned said.

I scoffed.

"No shit!"

We were sitting and having breakfast when Ned asked me a question.

"Yo, Ivan, I never asked you this before: what plans do you have for passing this exam?"

He propped his head up on the table.

Every morning I see Ned, he is just like this.

Half-dead and dying.

At first I thought he was talking out his ass, but his quizzical, yet deadly eyes glared at me.

"What?" I responded.

"You know, like your future plans."

His eyes narrowed and turned away.

He yawned and shook his head as if disapproving the omen.

"Well, you see, I am a little lost here.

A new goal is coming up soon, I can feel it."

My vocal cords feel like they were speaking to themselves at that time.

I grabbed a cup and took a sip out of my coffee.

I know that ghoul attacks have been dormant for many years and that people that witness them have had their memories wiped using a special spell.

However, this technique is unwieldy and long.

The government does not seem to use it anymore.

He peered over at me and nodded.

He looked like he was ready to do shit and get into the zone.

Collaboration is like paint that we started to synchronize.

Our persuasion techniques are like the final painting.

A stroke of genius and a stroke of stupidity always lands me on the end of the page.

A page that I am very ready to turn

I know for a fact that many students have encountered ghouls.

I am happy that they survived.

Probably the ghouls are the weaklings and were terminated by military personnel.

I had to gut myself to find out how bad they were.

"Maybe you wanna tell me what the note was about?" Ned smugly asked.

I blinked and I conjured more thoughts into my mind.

"Like blistering hell, did Aurora write you something unpleasant?"

"What the hell is 'Aurora'?"

"So, she's my roomie.

"Who are you with?"

"Rena.

Always quiet."

"The dank stuff happens here."

I turned to look around at the large amount of foot traffic and charioteering.

Joseph himself practically invented half of this shit.

I blurred my thoughts right back to the original page I was on.

The more people I have connections to could possible by either my downfall or my upbringing.

Also a thing that I know is that the downfall part is a long drop.

I am going to hit an edge.

A steep, sharp, jagged edge of a crevice.

A thick sinkhole.

Other than that, the reality is that there is no way I am going clean during the entire run that I am going to have.

I decided to head to the local hospital to get cast healing for my right hand.

At this time usually the appointments are not full.

I headed down to the hospital to look at my hand.

I am not sure if it was okay or not.

It was still wrapped in cloth; It is probably dead.

If I do not get this fixed then I will have to enter the test with emotional and physical damage.

That is just shit.

I probably would need to get that fixed up real quick and head over to the men's room.

After that I have to get to the line fast to avoid having to wait too long.

I woke up at 0700 on the sundial clock.

Well, that is just amazing.

First time I woke up from my bed earlier than 0730 in the last week or so.

The sky was painted gray again, as if there was impending downpour.

That is a worrying sign, even though I know that weather is nature's decision.

According to the military's peacekeeping and surveying squads, lightning is quite the asshole to society.

Well… it killed like almost 4000 people last year.

Fire was the most dangerous side effect.

I was still mentally pissed from Timelapse failing to work as intended, but today I am deciding to practice using it some more.

Somehow when I draw the blades, this does not happen.

My left arm had to go straight and my right arm had to flip.

I technically drew with my right arm first then my left.

I am pretty sure E-Kay told me to use the left first.

That asshole.

That is the most dangerous way of drawing twin-on sides.

Other than that, E-Kay had the heart of a warrior, not just the husk full of burning grudges.

My brother always borders on the edge to being affiliated with the empire and not being affiliated at all.

Most of his battles and paths are commanded by himself.

Himself.

"As long as he's got teeth, he can still bite.

So as long as I can think, I can still win.

As long as I heal myself, I can stop feeling pain." I mused.

And… we are here.

The tanned and musky outer walls of the hospital encompassed the age of the structure.

I entered through the twin doors and I could feel the air changed.

Not the actual air, but the feel just caught me off guard.

Doctors, surgeons, and nurses all were hastily dashing across rooms.

Almost everyone had a notebook in hand and a tense attitude.

Like a damned medical blitz.

There were names of people listed on one of the pages.

Some had checks, and others were crossed out.

"Sir!, what have you visited this medical center for today?"

A man scurried over with sweat dripping over his face.

His glasses were smeared with liquids of all kinds.

Poisons.

"Oh, uh nothing?" I said.

"Is your hand okay?"

"I burned it.

It was nice and toasty."

"Alright sir, you may need to come back tomorrow.

We got 26 patients shipped in from a different village by carriage.

Many of them were dead by the time they got here."

"What the hell??"

"Another strike." He gritted his teeth.

"Um, bye?"

"Okay, thanks for visiting!" He shouted as he jogged away.

"Fuck!" I exhaled.

If the poison they used was the regular poison, they would start taking effect around 1 hour after injection.

SHIT!

It takes about 8 to 20 hours to kill based on how deep they stab their knives.

SHIIIIIT!!!

If there were still people alive, then they must have done a same day carriage transfer straight from the scene…

SHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!!!!

Then, whatever ghoul that may have attacked them are very very close.

We are dead ass at this point.

SHHHHHHHHHHHH——

WELL?? Should I PANIC or something?

HmmMMM…

I disagree.

Stay my mind in neutrality.

Jeez.