Chapter 12: Sudden Fortune

The moment was finally here. Every three years, the Golden Circle would host an examination. This was when warriors from around the world would convene and test their mettle. The benefits of joining were too much to pass by. Every year, there'd be a smaller exam for those that would just stay in the reserves. The kingdom had to fill their lower ranks somehow, and this was the solution.

All of the remaining participants waited in the arena. The golden ring burst with light causing everyone to close their eyes. The energy ring revolved for a few moments before splitting into seven rings. Each of them lined up vertically, but it wasn't symmetric. It was as if the rings were connected if seen from a sky view. A sacred formation had been established.

Each commander stood on a separate ring. It was an incredible sight which inspired awe in the lookers. Vance stood on the top ring with King Solomon. Both of them were looking at a small holographic screen that had the information of each contestant. This time, it was the king who spoke.

"We will begin with the winners first. Pryce. You may walk into the middle of the formation." Solomon said.

The scowling man carrying the metal bat trudged over to the chosen spot. As soon as he entered the eye of the formation, his body was engulfed in gentle light.

"Mana Potential stated as Supreme. Extraordinary survivability in the Starfall plane. Almost effortless victory in third assessment. Commanders, state your claims." The archmage spoke in a ritualistic tone.

There was a moment of silence. Pryce looked up at each of the captains and growled. He didn't like to be kept waiting. Seeing his mannerisms, some of the leaders held back a grimace. Blaine of Phoenix Talon, and Glyn of Iron Mountain formed a seal with their hands. Their ring platforms lit up with energy.

"Two commanders have extended their invitation: Phoenix Talon and Iron Mountain. Make your choice." King Solomon announced.

"Eh?! What kinda shit…" Pryce exclaimed.

The man's bat rested on his shoulder. There were a few bandages on his face. His spiky hair flowed due to the gentle energy swirling around him. After looking up at both commanders, he made his decision.

"Phoenix Talon." He growled.

As soon as his words finished, he vanished. His body instantly reappeared on Blaine's golden ring. Everyone watched with excitement. They were so close to living the good life! It was currently a time of peace, so battles and disputes were supposedly rare.

"Frazier. You may enter the formation." The Merchant King continued.

A man with short orange hair left the crowd. He was tall and lean, wearing only shorts. His torso was bare. Bandages covered his hands and feet. Upon entering the eye of the formation, he was engulfed in light.

"Mana Potential stated as Supreme. Extraordinary survivability in the Starfall plane. Effortless victory in third assessment. Commanders, state your claims."

Glyn and Jeanne formed a seal with their hands. Both of their rings lit up. Frazier grinned happily. It was a relief to know his hard work paid off.

"Two commanders have extended their invitation: Iron Mountain and The Windriders. Make your choice."

"Apologies to the other battalions. I'll be joining The Windriders." As soon as his words finished, he appeared on the platform next to Jeanne.

Time passed as people were recruited. Etris was accepted into Ravencorpse. The white haired girl with the floating energy spear joined Tree of Eden. Idun of Bloody Thorn was extremely pissed that she didn't gain the girl. So far, several contestants with Supreme potential were accepted. The others hadn't been called yet. Eventually, it was Eldan's turn.

"Eldan. You may enter the formation." Solomon announced.

The blind man walked into the correct space as if he wasn't blind. His hands were held behind his back in an elegant manner. There was an easygoing smile on his face.

"Mana Potential stated as Supreme. Beyond extraordinary survivability in the Starfall plane. Effortless victory in third assessment. Commanders, state your claims."

As soon as the king finished his repetitive lines, several rings lit up. The participants were shocked to see so many offers. It was beyond unfair!

"Five commanders have extended an invitation: Tree of Eden, The Windriders, Ravencorpse, Bloody Talon, Iron Mountain. Make your choice."

The blind fighter thought for a moment. A few minutes passed. Right before the commanders grew impatient, he spoke.

"I appreciate all of the invitations. Today, I will be joining the Tree of Eden." He exclaimed.

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His body vanished before reappearing next to Vance and the white haired girl on the top ring. As soon as he arrived, he was already chatting her up. Her holier than thou expression melted as his words entered her ears. It seemed he was a player. Maybe he was just trying to break the ice?

Glyn sighed with disappointment. He really wanted Eldan in his battalion. There were so many things he was willing to teach the young man. The blind man must've had his reasons for choosing Vance.

Shu was growing impatient. Why hadn't his name been called yet? They better not save him for last. Another thing he noticed was that Silent Night hadn't made any claims. Aiden's ring hadn't lit up a single time. His battalion was known to be very selective. It was rare that people were recruited.

All across the kingdom, Silent Night was commonly thought of as second to Tree of Eden. This was mostly due to not being in the spotlight. They were barely ever seen in public, but civilians spoke of them everyday. It goes to show how much influence they had. As the young samurai thought of all this, his name was called.

"Shu. You may enter the formation."

'Finally.' He thought.

While holding his sheathed katana in his left hand, he calmly strolled over. The golden light washed over him as soon as he entered the formation. It felt very relaxing, as if he was dipping in a hot spring. As he drowned in this feeling, he unconsciously began to synchronize with the golden ring formation. King Solomon's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

As the sleepy samurai stood in place, he could feel his soul being filled with something. It was like a glass of water being filled to the brim. Unseen by the others, his eyes changed to its natural state. A colorful glowing ring appeared in his pupils, constantly shifting from one color to the next. Shu quickly shut his eyes. He couldn't be discovered so soon.

The archmage knew that Shu had come across incredible fortune. Whatever was happening had to take its course. Regardless, he got on with the ritual.

"Mana Potential stated as Legendary. Beyond extraordinary survivability in the Starfall plane. Did not participate in the third assessment. Commanders, state your claims."

As soon as his words finished, all seven rings lit up. The surroundings fell silent at the scene. Even the audience was at a loss. He'd received an invitation from every battalion! Silent Night was no exception! Little Faye could be seen in the crowd of participants with a wide smile on her face.

'As expected of Big Brother Shu!' She thought.

Etris' eyes were wide in shock. This backwater country bumpkin had the luck of the gods! What trick of fate was this?!

"All of the commanders have extended an invitation. Before we go any further, I'd like to ask Idun of Bloody Thorn why she extended an invitation. Aren't you an all female team?" The king asked. Idun huffed in annoyance at being called out.

"For a legendary prospect such as this, I'm willing to make an exception." She answered. Solomon nodded.

"Alright then. Shu you have seven choices: Tree of Eden, Ravencorpse, Phoenix Talon, Iron Mountain, Bloody Thorn, and Silent Night. Make your choice."

The sleepy samurai was still being filled with sacred energy. His soul was expanding, and it was getting painful. Before the pain became too much, he'd have to choose. Shu pondered slowly. It was as if he was drunk.

'Only Tree of Eden and Silent Night…have the information I need. The problem…is that I won't be able to use my blade…in Tree of Eden. They…they rarely…have killing assignments.' He struggled to think.

"...Silent Night." He exclaimed.

His body instantly appeared on the platform. As soon as he was out of the formation, the feeling left. The young man instantly fell to his knees. His breathing was rough.

"Not one for fast travel, huh? Motion sickness?" Aiden spoke up. His expression seemed uncaring. Shu shook his head.

"...I am just…tired." He responded.

When he opened his eyes, the commander felt his blood freeze. The colorful ring in Shu's eyes disappeared instantly, but that single millisecond was enough for Aiden to feel threatened. What was that? He'd have to go through Silent Night's intelligence vault to figure out that bloodline or ability. There was no way something like that would stay unknown.

"In any case, welcome to the team." He said. Shu nodded in response.

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