The Riders 3

Early in the morning, the outdoor was covered with white snow after a whole night of snow storm.

After making the written test, Lucas went out of 'Underworld' and set up the second test which is target shooting. The wooden target he made was set in an arc position. He also set up the crossbow they are going to use.

8 o'clock when he was finally done with the preparations. He went back to the fortress and asks Redford to bring his best crossbow users, not only the top one hundred but everyone who uses a crossbow.

On the preliminary test, they are going to take a written test. Everyone was confused in his way of doing things, but when they read the handwritten questionnaires, their question was answered.

The test will check how will they respond in any situation. How to decide on which enemy they have to kill first if their bolts (Arrows) has run out. Do they have to stay on the tower when they already used up their bolts? What to do if you're a substitute and there is a war in process, but suddenly the bolts have run out?

The questionnaires are not that hard, but also will test their decision making. Everyone was confident that will be able to pass the test, but not until the last questionnaires.

'Are you prepared to die?'

'Which one will you save, yourself or the future of the country?'

They were the most loyal adventurers of the guild, with 170 crossbow users in total that rank is not below A. But, dying is dying. A position that will defend the wall means you're going to die if the enemy directly attacks them. Not everyone has such resolve, killing is natural, you can do it anytime you want, but dying can only happen once.

Most of them were stuck on the last two questions and when the test is done, and the result is out, they went into commotion.

Base on Lucas, the answers are not either wrong or correct. But base on the way they answer, he will choose the top sixteen who will be focussing on shooting bolts to defend the fortress.

Base on the result, he only gets 22 participants to pass his exam. After the depressing moment, Lucas leads them to the location of the second test, which is target shooting.

"Wait, Lucas, how are they supposed to hit the target if their movement is restrained?" Redford asks when he saw that crossbow is tied up into a wooden stand. The shooter also can only move the crossbow left and right for 110°, and can only move up and down for 45°.

Lucas smirked and calmly explained his reasons, "Inside tower I designed, the archers were fully protected, unless a gas attack or distrustful explosion happens. But how can that be? Of course! Their movements are restricted to a certain point."

"Oh! That's it!" Redford nodded and stand on the sidelines, 'Interesting! I have to copy his tests later, they are all new to me.'

Lucas let the 22 participants decide who will take the test first. After a few seconds, a young boy name Roman step up to volunteer.

'Roman, huh? He wrote on his test that he will die in the name of justice. Seems idiotic, but I like his resolve. I guess he doesn't want to become a defender, he took the lead for his brothers and sisters ha?' Lucas observed Roman before nodding. He handed fifty normal bolts to him and explain what he needs to do.

There are 30 targets of different size, and each target's distance was different. Each target has corresponding points with a total of 100.

Roman stand to his position and hold the crossbow. He moved the crossbow in all direction to check how it works. 'Interesting, it was indeed going to restrain our movements.

He took the first bolt and shoot the nearest target. Shook! The bolt shoots straight into the target, but it did hit the bullseye. On his second shot, he pointed to a much smaller target to try if he can hit even the outside of the bullseye.

Shoo~ The arrow misses the target and stab on the ground. 'Tsk! This restraint is too much. I can't shoot properly!'

Roman continue his target shooting for ten minutes before he walks away with a depressed face. In the end, he was only able to hit five bullseyes, 23 hit the targets and miss 22 bolts in a total of 28.5 points. 'I ended up taking it seriously, damn it! I'm the best archer graduated last year!'

"Haha! You don't have to be depressed bro, we'll take it from here!" Rangga taps Roman's shoulder and took the test.

Unlike Roman, he was calm and has acknowledgment from the public as the best archer of the city. He inhaled a cold air and shoot an arrow all of a sudden.

Chook! Bullseye! He was able to hit the bullseyes of the nearest targets, he was also able the hit the bullseye of those with further distance by changing the angle of the crossbow. Also, he is able to load the crossbow two times faster than Roman. He was able to hit all of the bullseyes with a total of 100 points.

'Nice timing, and fast hands. But his decision making is a bit lacking, ' Lucas thought as he waits for the third examinee.

After Rangga, there's no one who could make a hundred points with the highest only reached 69 points. In the end, he chooses the sixteen best archers, with Rangga on top.

Lucas stands in front of them and smile, "Since you guys already know each other, you have to decide which one will be your partner what direction you guys want. Also, from now on you guys are the strongest human defender of the fortress, don't let your doing dirty the name I was going to gave you. I have three things I want to get clear. Don't let the infiltrators live, don't let me down, and from now on the sixteen of you will be called the 'Roulette of Death'!"

"Yes, sir! We will live by the name you gave us!"

"Haha" He laughs lightly and taps the shoulder of Rangga, "Bring your members back to their home. If you have a family, then inform them about your new status, also let me know how much they earn per month being an adventurer!"

"Yes, sir!" Rangga now and led the Roulette of Death back to the fortress.

'Wah... They sound like a soldier! This feeling... So greeeaat! The guild really did their best!' He shook his head while smiling. Turning his head and glare to the failures.

"Everyone of you, follow me. We will conduct the third test" He said it casually and wave his hand to tell those who fail to follow him. The group follow him from behind and went to a giant swing of a horse. Behind the swing, there's a giant pyramid of soil blocks covered with snow.

Bedford walk slowly while his mouth was wide open, "Lucas, what... Is that? I haven't seen that before."

Roman nodded his in agreement, "R-right! Sir Lucas, those blocks of soil, they look so solid and... So big, what kind of person can do that?"

The archers behind them also nodded, they are also interested in what kind of person can do such a thing.

Lucas just smiles wry and shrugged his shoulders, "This ain't supposed to be here, I was shocked too!"

Redford gritted his teeth and sit on the sideline, "Shock my ass, let's proceed with your third test!"

"Haha, Okay! Let me tell you the rules first!" Lucas said as he walks to the swing. "I don't have any machines to make it automatic so I made this thing. Everyone, please find yourself a partner. Your partner will help you to push the swing, while you are on the swing, you have to load a bolt and shoot the target without losing balance or falling down. This test will measure your shooting ability and accuracy. Any volunteer?"

When Lucas ask them, Roman step up with a female archer. Her name was Mona, she's also a part of top 22 participants who passed the first test. She was a silent type, with her short hair and covered face, anyone who sees her face will think that she's a boy, except for the fact that she has a large bumper and a slim body.

The first one to ride the swing is Roman. Mona pushed the swing to her fullest in order to imitate the fast speed advancement of a horse. Roman is confident that he could pass the test easily, 'A test like this is nothing for us, adventurers, we are trained to ride a crazy cat on our training camp!'

At first, the swing is pretty steady, but not when he made first shot, the movement of the swing suddenly change. It looks like a struggling horse now, but Roman was calm, every time the horse sculpture mob to the left, he will also move to the left, if it's right, then right. His shooting accuracy is different when he took the second exam. Every time he releases a shot, it only hit the bullseye and nothing else.

After a minute and few seconds, Roman was able to get perfect one hundred points with a sweat. Lucas clap his hands to congratulate him, "Good! Good! Your shooting skill is beyond average, you're perfect, except the fact that your not gentleman!"

"Hahaha!"

"Huhuhu!"

Looking at the crowd who are laughing at him, Roman face turns red out of embarrassment. He scratches his head and felt regret that he choose a female partner, 'Haist! This too much humiliation! This Lucas is terrible!'

After him, Mona also took her test and passed without a hitch. Everyone was able to pass the test, but unlike Roman and Mona, they have two or three mistakes. Overall, everyone knows how to ride and shoot properly.

"Okay! I never thought that everyone has better skill than I expected. Since the 154 has passed the test, let's proceed to the final test! Follow me, the thing behind this pyramid will be the last test, if you're going to be stuck on horse rider or eagle rider! Let me remind you okay? Only the top 64 could get the spot, and the rest will become a horse rider! Okay?" Lucas smiles mysteriously and leads the group behind the pyramid.

When they heard him, they thought it was as easy as the horse riding test. They are confident that they will be able to pass it without a hitch and have the chance to ride a magnificent creature.

But when they got near to the site Lucas make a low evil laugh that makes their spine shiver. They started to get nervous about what type of test he will ask them to do. And when they reach the site, their knees started to tremble.

"T-this! I-I quite!" One of the adventurers fell down in his butt and accepted that he can't do it. "I can't do it! P-please, let me stay and become a horse ride instead!"

"puke!" Some of them nodded in agreement and started to vomit.

But there's some of them who was thrilled when they saw the eagle sculpture. The eagle has a gorgeous and detailed wing and it's pointed eyes that making you feel its pride of being the king of the sky.

Redford smiled approached Lucas, "Kiddo, look at them! Almost half already quit, and only 96 are left! Looks like your test is way difficult than I thought!"

Lucas looks at him strangely before he chuckled a little, "Haha, Old man, sometimes it is good if they admit their weaknesses. Eagles are prideful existence, but if you know them from the start, when they just came into existence, they will look up to as their parent or friend."

"Hawks are much easy to handle than eagles. I only able to see one type of eagle is the Pomelo Eagle, which is also well known as monkey eagle. I also died that time when I encounter that bastard!"

"Ahaha!" Suddenly, Lucas burst into laughter which left Redford in a daze. Lucas taps his shoulder and said, "Old man, that eagle must be mistaken, he thought that you're a monkey! Hahaha!"

"Who wants to die!?" Before the crowd starts to laugh, Redford stomped in the snow and shouted. "If you got guts, laugh in front of me!"

The adventurers suddenly become quiet, only Lucas was on his knees laughing so hard that he can't breathe anymore. Lucas tried to stand up and waved his hands while laughing, "Okay! Okay! That's enough! Kuhoho!"

Redford glare at him, but there's nothing he could do. "Haha, don't look at me like that! Ehem! Ehem! Let's do this, those who wish to become part of the first special force, step forward!"

The adventurers who did not quit, hit their chest to pump their confidence. 96 adventurers step up and raised their head.

"Everyone who quoted and those who will fail will join the 'Sagittarius Squad'! While the 64 who will pass the test will join the 'Blood Phoenix Squad'! Now, follow me and show me what you've got!"

Those who quited, those who are nervous, those who are trembling and sweating from fear, and those who was excited by the thrill, when they heard the squad they are going to join, their blood started to boil.

'Sagittarius! I'll do everything to become worthy of the name!'

'I already quit once. It's a humiliating sight if I step back this time! I too was a prideful person!'

'Blood Phoenix? Hehe! Cool!'