Chapter 4: First Test

Several podiums rose up from the ground. There was a crystal ball on each. At first, everyone stared in silence. Most people were still waiting for an order. Unfortunately, Vance only sat down beside Blaine of Phoenix Talon and watched. Time passed before someone gained the courage to walk onto the platform.

As if his action was the icebreaker, everyone moved toward the crystal balls. Shu refrained from moving. He hadn't even finished his banana. As he munched on the delicious fruit, the snow demon couldn't help but frown.

'He has no sense of urgency.' She thought.

"Do you like him? You've been watching the boy like a hawk, Rin." Aiden spoke from beside her.

"...No. He is merely suspicious. And dangerous." She responded.

The commander shrugged. This was the first time that she had paid anyone more than a glance. Rin didn't even realize how hard she was staring. The lazy samurai could definitely feel it. Once Shu was done, he threw the banana peel over the edge and got in line. The man in front had finally decided to touch the crystal ball.

"Mana Potential: Silver" A soft mechanical voice rang from the ball.

The man looked as if his life had been destroyed. His future potential would only help him reach silver! There was no way that he'd be considered for a battalion. He'd failed.

"Mana Potential: Gold" An old man with gray hair smiled with relief. He'd passed.

For most of the contestants, gold potential was enough. They'd be considered for a high position in the reserves. Not everyone would be content with this, however. Even though some had gold potential, they believed they could surpass it with hard work. Nothing was impossible.

"Mana Potential: Supreme"

Everyone stopped and turned toward the source. A frail looking young man could be seen with his hand on the crystal ball. There were black gloves over his hands. His curly white hair hung down and covered his expression. There was a black cloth that covered his eyes and trailed behind his back. The boy was blind. Shu also grew curious upon seeing the figure.

'A blind warrior. How interesting.' He thought.

The commanders above nodded with approval. This was what they'd been waiting for. Only those with Supreme potential would have the highest chance of claiming a spot in the Golden Circle. They had enough Golds at this point. The reserve garrison would welcome them with open arms.

Time passed as the monotonous voice kept announcing results. An hour and a half later, the line grew short. Most of the remaining warriors let people cut in front of them as they were too scared to test their potential. Cowards they were.

Shu walked in front of the line and stepped onto the podium. He could already feel an intense gaze boring into him from above. The swordsman was bored at this point. He casually placed his hand on the crystal. Unexpectedly, the ball lit up with an intense glow. The radiance was so blinding, that everyone shielded their eyes.

SHING

The commanders on top of the golden ring immediately focused on the spectacle. They were incredibly surprised. It had been a long time since it glowed that brightly. Rin's expression became one of shock. That man had too much potential!

"Mana Potential: Legendary"

Many of the contenders watched with jealousy and envy. Why couldn't it be them with that much potential? Besides, it wasn't like he was already that powerful. He could still be killed. At this moment, a plethora of killing intents washed over Shu.

The sleepy samurai frowned. A target had now been placed on his back. Whatever the second test was, it would probably be filled with bloodshed. Shu didn't remain on the podium any longer and returned to the edge. He was enjoying the ocean view quite a bit.

There were at least 10 supreme levels that had been announced overall during the assessment. The lazy wanderer found some of them interesting, such as the blind kid. Another one was a girl with long pink hair. She walked as if the world owed her something, and the elements constantly buzzed around her fingertips.

Only a few more people were left. Shu casually approached the blind man. His curiosity was hard to contain. Upon reaching him, he spoke.

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"Yo." He greeted casually. The white haired boy turned toward the sound.

"Hello, Mr. Legendary." The blind fighter responded. Shu raised an eyebrow.

"...Aren't you blind? How can you tell it's me?"

"Well…your footsteps and heartbeat are pretty unique…You've peaked my interest." He answered.

"You and I both. Nice to meet you. I'm Shu."

"I am Eldan. May you find solace in the Violet Evercroft." Eldan said. The lazy swordsman frowned. He had no idea what that meant.

"...Thanks? Anyways, wanna team up?" Shu asked. The blind kid shook his head.

"Maybe next time. The killing intent directed at you is a bit stifling. I don't want to work too hard, after all. Breezing my way through is a much better option." He declared. The young swordsman shook his head.

'What a lazy guy. He's just like me!' Shu thought. At that moment, Vance stood up again.

"Alright everyone, those who didn't reach Gold potential must go to the side. If you passed the test, stand in the middle." He ordered.

A lot of shuffling could be heard after he spoke. Everyone followed his instructions quickly. Seeing that it was carried out rather fast, he continued.

"The next test is about survival. You will be sent to Vloa, a plane below ours. It has just recently experienced a Starfall." He explained.

Everyone's expression grew solemn. A Starfall was no small matter. As the name suggested, stars would fall onto land. Upon reaching the atmosphere, they'd burst apart and spread all across the world. Mortem had already experienced this. The scary part was what came after.

New mutated monsters arose from the destruction. It was an apocalyptic event, as most of them were supreme level or higher. Only the strongest of the strong were able to defeat them, which in turn made them saviors of the world.

"Worry not, it has only been a few months since the event. The strongest creatures are still biding their time, consolidating their strength. All of you will survive there for two days. The audience will be able to watch from home, and will reconvene upon your return. Many lives will be lost in this assessment. If you wish to stop here, move to the side." He continued.

As soon as his words finished, hundreds of people ran to the side. They didn't want to lose their life so soon. Many of them came to terms with the fact that the reserve garrison was their future. Once everything settled down, around 200 people were left. Vance nodded. There were still a good number of contestants.

"Any magic beast you kill will add points to your overall score. It will be scaled to the level of their power, obviously. You could survive without killing a single monster, and that would be fine. The score isn't the important thing here. What matters is how you survive an apocalyptic world. There ARE bonuses awarded from the score though. If you kill a contestant with a lot of points, it will be added to your score." He continued.

Everyone immediately looked at Shu with greed. It was as if they knew he would garner a lot of points. The samurai frowned. What if he never killed anything?

"Oh, one more thing. If you were given a Gold rating, you start with 10,000 points. If you were given a Supreme rating, you start with 100,000 points. Legendary…will be given 1,000,000 points. Good luck." Vance finished.

"Tch. Damn." Shu groaned. The killing intent in the room had turned thick. It was almost palpable.

The golden ring began to pulse with energy. Once it reached its peak, a pillar of energy shot down onto the colosseum, washing over the contestants. Everyone closed their eyes as the colossal power dragged them away. The light eventually left and the fighters had disappeared.

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