Chapter 2: The Boulder of Reality

With ony few weeks away to Slayer entrance exam, a wave of new emotions had settled in Caswiir heart. A solution of thrill and nervousness and most of all its the youth that was brimming in his eyes. Each day they spent sparring with each other and revising the fundamentals and polishing it to next level as much as they can in the short span of time. Everytime, Caswiir spared with Erini he never won a single match but he wasn't disheartened because Caswiir acknowledged Erini talent and not jealousy but he was more of amazed at her strength.

"Ah! for heaven's sake let me win atleast once " Caswiir cried as he dropped down on the floor.

" Fool, why should I? Didn't you say you will become the strongest Slayer? Then its only natural that you have to defeat me first." Erini grinned with joy of glory.

"But-"Caswiir was interrupted by Erini "There is no excuses for the strongest slayer".

"Yeah you are right, I'm going to win against you at the entrance test, Erini. Just you wait !"Caswiir got back up on his feet ready for another round.

"Don't even dream, fool ! I'm going to outperform everyone out there and get selected into Slayer Candidate class"

The Academy of slayer custom was to divide the selection of new students into two catergory, The apprentice and Candidate class. The apprentice class comprised of average students with promising potential to less talented students while Candidate class requirement was very high. Students with rare talent class called the 'King' were only selected. The evaluation of a slayer talent was divided into four group based on their natural affinity towards Slayer's magic. The higher a person affinity towards slayer's magic, the higher the talent.

The four groups of talent class being Knight,Paladin,General and King. The difference between General and King group was unlike the other two. King class students were extremely rare and would appear only one or two every year and the difference in skill between General and King was immensely visible. However, Knight and paladin difference was only seen in experience and General being stronger naturally in all aspect from the rest two.

And the talent class can only be examined using the slayer stone.

"I might as well be a King class ! Erini !" he shouted as he tried his hardest to land a blow on her.

Erini easily deflected it back. " Don't make me laugh ! My father wasn't even a General class. King class are very rare"

"It doesn't matter since I'm going to become the strongest slayer one way or another !" He charged at her again and they continued their sparring untill they dropped dead on the floor with exhaustion.

Soon, the day of the test came and with Hennok they departed from Giant's Lock. Caswiir bade farewell with the fellow villagers as they were the only two kids from Giant's Lock to participate in slayer exam. Within few hours, the carriage drove into the largest city in the kingdom of Vladhel. It was Caswiir and Erini first time beholding the giant walls sorrounding the capital city and the busy streets with horses and people swarming everywhere. It was too much for them to digest, Caswiir never said a word as they entered the city. He was busy absorbing every beautiful,rare and new things in his memory.

With few turns, they stopped at a huge gate decorated by dragon engravings and two red cloaked guards at the gate.

Hennok introduced himself and exchanged formalities to let them in.

" Alright Kids, come down. We have reached the place from now on its up to you. I will be waiting around here near those shops. Enter this gate and they will guide you" Hennok briefly explained and pat them on their back."Do your best"

"Thank you, Mr Hennok. I will make sure I get selected into Candidate class" Caswiir replied with excitement.

"Thats the spirit"Hennok smiled.

"Alright,Father. I will not disappoint you" As she said that she dragged Caswiir through the gate.

The gate opened up to a huge compound of flat area that resembled a training ground for army or was that it. There were several kids of their age or more older that were scattered around the ground but all of them looked very intimidating and rough. The ground extended to a broad stairway and to a huge house with another dragon engraving. At first Caswiir thought it must be Slayer academy but he was wrong. A kid that looked couple of years older than them approached them , he wore the same red cloak that the guards have but he didn't look like a guard but rather a student of the academy.

" New kids, I'm the senior around here. The examiner will be here in thirty minutes meanhwhile go grab the badge from that booth over there" he pointed over a stall isolated to a corner.

"Thank you, Senior" Erini bowed but he left without even noticing it.

Caswiir and Erini grabbed their badges and waited for the examiner to arrive. Among the crowd few students stood out whether in cloth or the aura they emit and Erini can somehow guessed from instinct that they weren't to be underestimated and among them was the kid with the white cloak and long black hair with feminine eyes. He became the subject for everyone's gossip in the testing ground. Rumors began flying that he was guaranteed to be selected in Candidate class. His name was Lio, third son of Kilburgh household. A powerful noble family from the capital city.

Another famous entry was Jelgord, grandson of a famous former slayer. Everyone was expecting great results from these two and a few others.

Finally, the examiner arrived and stood at the top of a pavilion and clapped his hand so loud that it captured the attention of every participant in the ground.

" wow, he looks like a master slayer" Caswiir murmured.

" of course he is," added Erini.

"I'm Master Cax and I will be conducting your first stage of the exam but before that we need to cut down the numbers, there are atleast few hundred of you and that's not a good sign. We only need talented individuals not average ones."He declared with coldness in his eyes like he had no sympathy for weak." This year we have changed the evaluation of slayer ability, no matter how strong or experienced you are without good slayer magic affinity, you will be nothing but fooder for demons in the battlefield. So we will begin the exam with the evaluation of your slayer magic affinity and anyone below paladin class will be disqualified by default. I regret to informed that knight class is rather too common and isn't able to grow even after becoming slayer and they are the weakest in class. So its better you give up on becoming slayer if you are a knight class"

Whispers of dissatisfaction began to rise in the crowd and Caswiir was sweating internally and anxiety had built up unlike before. What if he was a knight class, what if he couldn't become slayer after dreaming and training for it for so many years? could he be a paladin class?. He prayed to heaven that he should be atleast a paladin class.

"Erini are you not afraid?"Caswiir asked nervously.

" of course, I'm. If I'm a knight class that means I won't able to become a slayer and I would disappoint my father to the degree that I wouldn't be able to show my face".

"Lets hope for the best"Caswiir clenched his fist as he prayed that heaven won't abandon him on this precious day.

Soon, They were lined up and asecended the stair one by one to check for slayer magic affinity by touching the slayer stone that was put on the pavillion.

Slayer stone would glow in different colours depending on their respective affinity class. For Knight it was pure white, for Paladin it was Light blue to dark blue, dark blue meant a little higher affinity than avergae paladin and General was orange and For King it was Blood red.

The evaluation began and in the few minutes many participants have already left the compound which meant they are of Knight class. The knight class was instructed to leave while the paladin and above to stand behind Master Cax. Erini and Caswiir were at the end of the line. Noises began to rise up as it was the turn for Jelgord, the grandson of the famous former slayer.

He was a very confident looking kid and as he touched the stone a dense orange light shone out aggressively as it was about to explode.

" Finally a top notch General class, Congrajulation Jelgord" Master Cax smiled.

"Thank you" He bowed.

"Send my greetings to your grandfather" Master Cax added.

"I will, Master Cax" and Jelgord left with satisfaction and joy.

After another twenty students evaluation, there were atleast five Paladin class selected and soon came another General with light orange, A girl with short hair who was much taller than anyone of her age. Master Cax likewise congrajulated her. Another rise of noise in the Queue signalled that it was the turn for the most anticipated entry of this year exam. Lio ascended and touched the stone and for a few second, it didn't emit any light. The crowd was left in suspense and soon came the mightiest light that all souls under heaven desire, The glow of King, Lio light was blood red and it illuminated so powerfully that everyone was left in awe.

" A king, A king has emerged " people shouted. The seniors that were standing near by began to whisper among themselves. A king class kid was even a rare sight for them.

Lio smiled like he knew what he was going to get. Heavens favoured him on this day and was granted the most powerful talent ever anyone can hope to achieve.

" A king!" exclaimed Master Cax. " Now this is rare " He was also brimming with excitement and joy." Congrajulation, Young Master Lio. You may stand seprately from the group" Lion bowed and obeyed as quietly as possible without any remarks.

Soon, came the turn of Erini and Caswiir was just behind her. She nervously ascended the stairs and touched the slayer stone without delay. Internally she was highly anxious but was also excited and she couldn't help it but dreamt of blood red colour.

The moment she touched the stone, a bright blood red beams burst out in fierce manner like a sleeping demon was awakened. Erini couldn't grasp what she saw, she was a King all along. Tears began to roll down her cheeks in joy.

" Another king !! " roared everyone in the line. Caswiir was overjoyed that his best friend was of King class and he didn't expect any less for himself. Now he got ahead of himself that he will be atleast a General class.

"Two king class !! The grandmasters will weep in joy!" Master Cax was laughing.

Lio and Jelgord were dumbfounded on seeing an unknown village girl was blessed by heaven as a King candidate. To them, They never expected a girl of low birth to be of King class. Erini bowed and stood near Lio. She almost forgot that it was Caswiir turn in the midst of her celebration. She looked at Caswiir and nodded " Good luck".

Erini however couldn't help but be anxious about Caswiir result. She would shake off her doubt inside her mind and prayed that Caswiir atleast be a Paladin. She wouldn't want to see Caswiir dream getting shattered right here.

Caswiir ascend the stair and was nervous unlike before, His fate was going to be decided right here by this stone. Everything inside wasn't calming down and he would feel like as if he was being roasted inside. He touched the stone finally.

What appeared before him caught the attention of everyone, There was no light at all.

"It must be a mistake" He muttered nervously and touched the stone again. No light, not even a slightest faint of any light. Caswiir couldn't believe what he saw, there was no light and it means he doesn't have any affinity for slayer magic.

" This is even rare, we haven't seen anyone without a light. What an oddball but whatever it is I'm sure it means you don't have any affinity for slayer magic" Master Cax said gently.

" No light, No light" everyone burst out in laughter and ridiculed him. Caswiir never lifted up his head as he sunk down in darkness.

Erini heart sanked the moment she saw Caswiir shrinked both in his spirit and life. She tried to call him but Caswiir wouldn't heard anyone and he left slowly without batting an eye to anyone. Master Cax stopped Erini from going after him. " The test is still on going, you can meet him after its over" He said.

" was that your friend? Its a pity that heaven has forsaken him" Lio commented quitely.

"This isn't fair" Erini contemplated on how unfair heaven was to Caswiir that heaven granted King class to her and none for Caswiir. The comparison made her thought that she somehow stole all Caswiir luck and talent. She knew how passionated Caswiir was and for heaven to not even grant a single chance for him to prove himself worthy, she couldn't accept it. If it was possible, she thought she would give up all her talent for Caswiir. Her turning out to be a king class did no longer brought her joy but rather a pain that she humiliated her best friend even more by emerging out to be a king right before his evaluation.

The reality betrayed every bit of life left in Caswiir. Suddenly the world he saw with tremendous curiosity and joy became a pitch black land with no hope or happiness left for him. It shocked him to a point that he couldn't distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.