Team Exam

'This Autumn girl has multiple small boxes strapped on her left leg… She could be storing almost anything in there but they're too small for bombs, so maybe throwing knives.' I thought while staring down at Autumn from head to toe.

'She's a tricky one, I'll have to play guesser when it comes to her personality. Though from the start, she did state her status to try and seem more superior, she, after all, might just be a rich snob.' I thought before shrugging my shoulders in defeat.

'This Patricia girl seems far easier to read which makes me think that she might have some hidden motive. Ka'dar after all did tell me to trust no one. And she's a gauntlet user, thoughts who use that weapon are normally more aggressive. Or so I think, I really shouldn't dig too deep into their personalities.'

"Alright, now that you are all in groups, we will call you all forward by number to take your physical assessment. This will help us select your classes and teachers."

Janice said before she began calling up groups of three starting from the number one until one hundred.

This means that three hundred individuals are participating in the Golden Entrance Exams.

When my team was called forth, we were told to select a team leader. After a very short discussion, we came to select Autumn as our leader even though it was against her will.

But two votes are better than one.

We were then led to a medium-sized room that held a large number of machines. One machine was a normal punching bag that held a counter above its top.

"This machine will calculate your strength and it will display a number at its top which we will then write down on your profile," Klaus said while guiding us towards the machine.

'I'll be forced to hold back on my true strength so that no more incidents like before happen ever again. So I'll limit my strength down to thirteen. One below Patricia.' Next, I was up, and just like I had planned, the number thirteen appeared on the screen.

Then Autumn took her turn and I was surprised to find out that she had a strength of seventeen. That technically made her the strongest out of our group.

Now I was left wishing that I had saved my Inspect skill for her. Though I could only wait until it was off cooldown.

[10:00 Minutes Remaining.]

"The next one will sample your resilience by testing your endurance, however many hits you can endure, the better you score."

This one, I want so sure on, just how would I control my endurance? 'I'll just watch them go first and then tap out one after them.'

Well, things didn't work out as planned, and I was forced to go first because both girls pleaded to skip the test. Which was weird, why would a gauntlet user skip a test of endurance?

Nevertheless, I still kept true to my plan. After a total of five hits, I dropped out. Why didn't I drop out sooner, well I let my pride get the best of me.

I can't explain it but seeing two other people do better than me angered me a bit. Though I knew that I had to lay low so I only took five hits but I'm sure that I could have taken another five more.

How did I get out of taking more hits? Well, I dropped to the ground acting like I was in distress, it was pretty easy.

Then after another test, we received our profile information. And only I and Autumn we're able to take the Ki tests while Patricia can't.

(Marcel King)

(Strength: 13)

(Endurance: 5)

(Agility: 11)

(Ki Control: Beginner Almost Adept)

(Rank: Undecided)

Then after further waiting both my Inspect skill had come off cooldown and it was time to head out to the Center Spawn.

'Before we leave I might as well take this time as a chance to inspect Autumn.'

'Inspect!'

[Autumn Say Rider]

[Life Force: 10/10]

[Maximum Ki: 25 (Ki Control: Beginner]

[Strength: 18]

[Agility: 20]

[Stamina: 15]

[Endurance: 1]

[Cooldown Timer: 20Mins]

'So she was holding back before when we were taking our physical assessment! She's the one I should keep my eyes on the most.'

'What reason would she have for hiding her true strength? Is she being hunted just like me? Or is she trying to make us fail the exam?'

She then turned her head to face me after sensing my gaze.

"Do you need something, Mr. Stalker?" She said while looking right into my soul.

"I was just admiring your beauty," I said before turning away.

Only I would be able to tell that I was lying straight out of my bottom. I mean, just how many piercings are enough?

"Aw, thanks but I don't engage with lower-class people. Let's just get this over with as soon as possible, okay?" She said before joining the moving crowd of people on their March towards the Center Spawn.

Klaus and Janice led the way, of course, if not for them I bet many wouldn't even know the way there.

After around an hour and thirty minutes of travel, we had officially entered the Center Spawn.

"The First Exam officially begins now!

Remember if you are caught within two days without being detained or involved in physical contact you will meet up here on the dawn of the third day!"

Janice shouted out into the vast forest in hopes of reaching all the participants that had already vanished from her sight.

'I guess I've got an advantage over the rest of the participants, after all, I did spend around a month in this forest.'

I thought before dashing off toward Autumn who had left before hearing all of the rules. Though I wasn't here to relay them I was here to see what I could make of my new alley.

"So how do you all want to go about this?" I asked once all three of us had come to a stop.

"You two can hide together while I spend my time scouting out the rest of the terrain." Autumn swiftly replied with a sly smile plastered across her face.

"Wait, wouldn't it make sense for me to go and Scout while you both stay here? After all, I'm one point faster than you both." Patricia said with her chest puffed out and her hands on her hips.

She had assumed that we would both admit defeat.

"You guys wanted me to be the leader, well let me be the leader. And good little subordinates listen to their leader's orders." Autumn said with small hints of rage that could be detected inside of her voice.

"She's got a point, we did vote her in for leader," I said while remembering that Autumn's agility was eight points higher than Patricia's.

"Alright, but If I were to have gone, then it would have been faster," Patricia said while Autumn dashed off and into the forest, grabbing five small needles from her tool boxes.

'So she uses needles? Who would have thought, but my fighting style is much weirder than hers, after all, who would think to use both nunchucks and a sword?'

"So, let's start by following our team leader's orders, it's time we find both a place to rest and somewhere to hide," I said, trying to take back some control over our actions as a group.

"Sounds good to me, let's meet back here in around twenty minutes, sound good?" She said while staring at me with a smile.

"Yeah, that will do," I said before running off North East, while she took off directly West.

Meanwhile, Autumn had run into another team. And she was in a different change of clothes, and without her piercings. Even her hair went from being black to a very light brown.

And a silver ring could be seen on her left-hand ring finger! After being discovered by the other team, they all began running in the other direction in fear.

Why fear? because Autumn Say Rider was dressed up in a Golden Faction and Academy uniform. With the conditions of the test, that golden fist was enough to make any sane person run for miles on end.

Though not many could escape from her speed and if they did, well, they were unable to run from her needles. Once one made contact would another's bloodstream, its coated sleep toxins would be released.

And after a few seconds, a thud sound could be heard from them dropping to the ground face first.

"Another one to my total collection, better take them away and then return for more." She said before carrying three people through the forest and back to the entrance.

Where they would be told the bad news once they awoke.