Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Walking through the fields, I stumbled upon a dirt road. I continued in the direction of civilization when a horse carriage passed me.

¨What...?¨

The carriage didn't stop, but I was shocked.

¨Dont tell me this world is in the medieval era...¨

I continued walking for about two hours and finally reached my destination.

It was a huge city surrounded by stone walls. There was a line to go through the gate, so I put myself in the back. After 45 min of waiting, it was finally my turn.

I observed the people around me; as I expected, this was a medieval world. But contrary to my world, this one already has magic.

I stepped before the guard, and he asked me.

¨Uhh, name, class, and reason for entry¨

¨Umm, My name is Vox Ross, I don't know what's my class, and I just want to visit.¨

The guard looked at me strangely.

¨You don't know your class? You never had your ceremony?¨

I felt myself sweating.

¨Uh, Ummm, I live in the mountain?¨

¨You live in the mountain...?¨

¨Yeah, and, Ummm, my dad wouldn't let me leave before I was sixteen, so, Ummm, I never did the ceremony?¨

¨Ah, you're one of those. Give me your hand.¨

I raised my hand. He took a stamp, changed some settings, and stamped my hand.

¨Here. Go to the church to do the ceremony, and they'll remove the mark and give you your visit card.¨

¨Thanks.¨

I was looking at the mark, but the guards interrupted my observation.

¨Now move! You're holding the line.¨

I quickly got out of the way and entered the city. I was expecting to be in awe, but the first thing I noticed was the smell. I looked around and saw a woman dumping shit on the ground.

¨What the fuck. They have magic, but the hygiene is that bad?¨

I quickly went forward, trying to escape the scent. After a while, I arrived at what I think was the central plaza. It was full of street carts, and the place seemed well maintained. I found a place to sit and went back to the mark.

It looked like some sort of rune, but none of the ones I ever saw. After focusing on it for a bit, a window popped up.

^Rune of identification^
A rune containing information that can only be read by a scholar mage that knows the right frequency

Name: Vox Ross

Doesn't have a class.
Country bumpkin
Uncivilized
Weak
Easy target

Note: He has good clothes so I'm sure you can get a lot from him
^ ^

Whaaat.

These bastard want to scam me? It's good that I was able to read this before meeting with the church. I guess it's a good time to try my ability.

I tried concentrating on the text, and a new window appeared.

^Edit^
Rune of identification
.....

Cost: 0
^

Alright! First, I'll try and erase everything except my name.

^Edit^
Rune of idenfication

Name: Vox Ross

Cost: -3
^

The cost went in the negative? I guess removing stop gives me points. Good to know. Next, I'll add a description.

^
Smart
Strong

Note: Don't mess with him

Cost: 3
^

So it costs more to add things than it gives when removing. I guess I need to keep the doesn't have a class part tough.

Cost: 4

I hit yes, and the rune flashes blue for a moment before settling down.

It only cost 4 points for a description modification without actual effect, so I assumed a thousand points is quite a lot.

I then stand up and make my way toward the church. After asking a few pedestrians the way, I arrived before a magnificent church. It closely resembles the Notre-dame church in Paris. Still, it is more colorful and newer than the century-old monument on earth.

I step inside and look for a priest, but before I could spot one, I get approached by a sister.

¨Hello, my dear, can I help thee?¨

¨Ah, yes. The guard told me to come here and do a ceremony.¨

¨Certainily. You are right on time as we were just preparing to perform the ceremony on another fellow, follow me.¨

Someone else is here for a ceremony? Could it be someone from earth? It could even be Lily!

I follow the sister into a side room. Inside the room is a... gym? Yeah, a gym. It's a big chamber with marking on the floor. There is even a basketball hoop on each side.

What the fuck? Why is there a basketball court in a church?

While I stand there daze, the sister explains.

¨This is your first time here? This room is where we perform ceremony and capabilities tests. The design comes from a book written long, looong ago. This book is now lost, but we managed to recreate this room before we lost it.¨

Oh, ok. I don't know how a book describing a basketball court came here and ended up being used for a ceremonial chamber, but I decided to stop asking questions and just roll with it.

As we come closer to the center, I notice an altar with a priest behind it. He was standing in front of a small, decorated table with a basketball on top of it; someone was kneeling on the floor past the table with their back to me. I guessed it was the other candidates for the ceremonies.

The sister stopped and gestured for me to do the same.

After a while, the priest started chanting, and lights appeared over the kneeling person's body; they disappeared after a few seconds. The priest then said.

¨The ceremony is now done. You can now access your status by simply willing it to appear in your mind.¨

The person stands up and seems to stare in the air. The sister beside me then spoke.

¨Father, I have someone else for the ceremony¨

Both the priest and recently blessed man turn towards us at these words. As he turned, I finally recognized him. It's Ivan Smirnish, the fifth in the first-year ranking. We were in the same class but never spoke, mainly since he has very poor English. He seemed like a cheery guy, but the language barrier prevented him from making friends. When his eyes fall on me, he exclaims.

¨Oh, hey! You're one of the scholarship students in our class, right?¨

He had a heavy Russian accent, but his English sounds way better than it did in class.

¨Yeah, yeah, I am. I thought you could barely speak English.¨

¨What? No, I'm speaking Russian. You have good Russian, my friend.¨

I blankly looked at him.

¨But I'm speaking in English... I guess traduction magic or something is going on if we can understand each other.¨

¨Maybe. They really had a big budget for this exam.¨

¨Uh, yeah, sure. I'll do the ceremony, then we'll talk, ok?¨

He energetically nodded and responded.

¨Sure, my friend, I haven't had someone understand me so well in too long.¨

He then moved aside while I took his place before the priest.

¨So you know each other? Well, never mind that. Show me your mark.¨

I raise my hand toward him. He chanted a little spell and started to read in the air. After a few seconds, he seemed confused by the message and cast the spell again. Seeing nothing different, he coughed and waved for me to drop my hand.

(Is it really that hard to believe I'm smart and strong?)

¨Ok, I'll explain how the ceremony goes. First, you will put your hand on the orb, and when I remove my hand from above yours, you'll assume a praying stance like the one your friends took. Understand?¨

I nodded.

¨Ok, then place your hands on the orb.¨

I did like he told me and put my hand on the basketball. I was shocked to discover that it was a real basketball, not just some stone orb wood imitation.

The priest seemed to misunderstand my shock for curiosity and said.

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¨This orb comes from a lost age. We do not have the technology to reproduce it, but we have maintained it with magic. However, we haven't managed to find its use.¨

I sheepishly nodded, and the priest went on with the ceremony. He placed his hand above mine and started chanting. Some glow appeared around his hand that then went towards mine.

After he removed his hand and I knelt, the same light phenomena that Ivan had appeared. After another few seconds, the glow disappeared, and the priest said the same thing he said to Ivan.

¨The ceremony is now done. You can now access your status by simply willing it to appear in your mind.¨

I tried to make it appears, and this screen popped up.

^Status (Farotiaz)^

Name: Vox Ross

Class: Assassin

Physique aptitude: Stealth

Elemental aptitude: Iron

*Error*
Magic and skill list already exist
*Error*
Magic and skill list fused with authority status
^ ^

Uh, it seems that the traveler status takes priority over the one of this world. I stand up and turn toward the priest.

¨What does...¨

He cut me off and said.

¨For all questions, go to a library or enroll in school. Since the ceremony is done, I'll take my leave. If you want, you and your friends are welcome to stay and admire the ceremony room.¨

He then leaves with the sister following him. I walk toward Ivan and ask him.

¨What's your class? Mine is assassin.¨

¨It's called brawler, but man, this exam is well made.¨

He then stops and turns towards the ceremonial table.

¨I don't really think it's an...¨

He cut me off and said.

¨Wanna play some basketball?¨

¨What?¨

¨We have a field and a ball. So why not play some basketball? It'll be a great exercise.¨

¨You want to play basketball in a gym that is inside a church of another world.¨

¨I don't know about another world, but yes! It could even be part of the examination when considering its odd location.¨

I'm pretty sure this is not an exam, but if it is, he does have a point. Also, it would be hilarious to say that I played basketball in the church of another world. Yeah, really funny...

I look at his grinning face and say.

¨Sigh, ok, I'm in.¨

¨Great!¨

He quickly goes and grabs the ball. He then turns back to me and asks.

¨What do I do with the table?¨

¨Put it to the side, I guess?¨

He grabs the table with one hand and hurls it at the wall with so much force it shatters on impact. I jump in surprise and exclaim.

¨Holy shit, dude! I didn't mean for you to throw it! Also, you are powerful.¨

¨Ah, yes. Since the test started, I have been feeling stronger. I didn't mean to shatter it.¨

He became stronger after coming here? Maybe...

¨What's your authority?¨

¨My what?¨

¨When you arrived here, there should have been a screen to see your status, right?¨

¨Uhhh, There was a screen explaining the premise of the examination but nothing else.¨

Really? then why do I have a status? My authority, maybe?

I come closer to him and say.

¨Let me try something real quick.¨

I put my hand on his arm. I try to focus, and a screen appears.

^Status^

Name: Ivan Smirnish

Physique: Intermediate (High)
Magic: Very low (low)
Brains: Very low (high)
Luck: Low (High)
Talent: Great
Skill: 0
Authority of the traveler: Strength
Special traits: Dumb fighter
^ ^

He has an excellent physique but very bad magic and mental capacities. I concentrate on his authority and special trait.

^Authority of the traveler^

A unique authority that is given to every traveler on the path.

Strength: Gives a permanent boost of one stage to the physique. Physique grows at a faster rate.
^ ^

^Special trait: Dumb fighter.¨

A trait that's given to someone whose magic and brain have no potential but whose physique can grow to unparallel heights

Effect: Berseker.
Immense anger can temporarily fuel the user's strength while reducing intelligence.
^ ^

That explains his strength. Since he has low intelligence, he'll surely be easy to control and will do wonder has a meat shield. He also seems like a good guy, so that's even better. I think I should stay with him from now on.

¨Ok, well. When we got here, I got the ability to see the proprieties of stuff and modify them. You seem to have received an ability that makes you stronger and grows stronger faster.¨

¨Neat. Does that mean everybody got a cool new power?¨

¨I think so. Anyway, You are a lot stronger than me, so, please, do not try to hit me or anything while we play. I don't want to end up like that table.¨

He gave a hearty laugh.

¨Har Har Har, Sure my friend, I'll go easy on you. Not that you'll win either way.¨

I give him a sharp look.

¨You think?¨

¨Oooh?¨

¨Come on, bring it on.¨

For the next 10 minutes, we played some basketball, and I have to say, he was absolutely correct, not that I'm surprised. I got absolutely destroyed.

After He scored a third dunk, The door opened, and the priest entered.
When he saw the remnants of the table and what we were doing, he exclaimed.

¨Wha... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¨

We both freeze in place and turn to look at him. Ivan says.

¨We...were playing some basketball?¨

He seems to turn even redder.

¨You... YOU. BLASPHEME! I shall have you both in JAIL. GUARDS!¨

Ivan and I shared a look.

¨Umm, fuck?.¨

After a few seconds, a pair of armored guards enter the gym, and the priest points at us while screaming.

¨ARREST THOSE HERETICS!¨

The guard quickly comes toward us, and Ivan drops the ball and takes a fighting stance, but I quickly stop him.

¨Stop that. You'll only worsen our case. We don't even know how many guards there are or how strong they are. We either flee or let ourselves be taken away.¨

He snores and says.

¨Umpf, fleeings is for cowards.¨

¨Then let yourself be arrested. I'm sure everything will be fine.¨

Before the guard arrives before us, I raise my hand in surrender, but that doesn't seem to calm them as one of them immediately punches me in the stomach, and The world turns black.

(Oooh, those fucking bastard.........)

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