For a few seconds, the stage erupted into conversation. Yi Qiang supposed all the contestants were naturally a little excitable since they had just found out about the prizes, which Yi Qiang assumed to be very generous from everyone's reactions.
That Divine Reformation Elixir seemed interesting. He expected it would either increase the rate of stat increases through training or the speed at which skills leveled up. Either effect would be very welcome, as stats and skill levels were what really inhibited Yi Qiang's prowess right then. He wasn't at the point levels determined everything just yet.
He was confident in his ability to get first place unless some unseen threat popped up.
However, before he had the chance to look around and asses the competition, three men walked up onto the arena stage, the leftmost man clearing his throat to get the contestants' attention. When that didn't work, the man in the middle stomped his foot.
The ground trembled.
As one could expect, that silenced the participants rather quickly.
Yi Qiang scanned each of the three men with sharp eyes. They're strong. Leftmost seems to specialize in ranged combat, likely magical. Elven. Center man excels in physical strength, probably a berserk fighter of some sort - brute force type of warrior. Last guy is... strange. I don't know just what to think about him. He looks completely ordinary.
Quickly, he Analyzed all three.
Illiren Alivorus
???
Lonell Allivorus
???
?
The suspicion in Yi Qiang's heart grew when he saw the last man's status table. So far, even in someone had dwarfed him in power, he was able to glean their name. However, for the ordinary-looking elf on the right, Analyze told him nothing. Not only that, but Yi Qiang was sure the single, centered question mark meant something - never before had he seen a window formatted like that.
At least it didn't look like they were there to fight. We'll find out everything soon enough.
"Brother, there's something wrong with the man on the right."
I know, Shenyu. There's nothing we can do, though - all three outclass us by quite a bit.
When the trio seemed to be satisfied waiting, the mage, or Illiren, spoke up.
"We are the ones who will be handling the preliminaries. As I'm sure you're wondering right now," the robed elf shot a pointed glare at the strangely dressed female Chosen who raised her hand before continuing. "The process to advance to the next round is simple."
Lonell cut in here. The formidable figure of the tall elf outfitted fully in finely-crafted metal armor and with a greatsword strapped to his back made for a peculiar contrast to the plainly-dressed, lankier man that had initially spoken.
"What he means to say is that if you stay conscious after we finish, you pass. Now let's go."
Impatient, then. I can't say I expected much more from the guy; I know his type.
Yi Qiang's thoughts were cut short by a light pressure that materialized, catching him by surprise. Interesting... Shenyu, do you feel that?
"Yes, it's a weird pressure."
Yeah. It looks like these preliminaries won't be as dull as I thought.
Yi Qiang smirked.
He smiled all the harder when he noticed the pressure steadily increasing. It did so slowly, but noticeably, and Yi Qiang was sure that people would be on the ground within minutes.
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Illiren looked at his brother. Now that Encumber had been activated, he only needed to worry about lowering his restrictions on it, an easy task for any accomplished mage. For him, it was child's play.
"Lonnell, don't you think that was a little unnecessary? Some of the contestants seem to be pretty young Chosen."
He muttered quietly. His brother had always had problems with patience, and Lonnell's reckless, violent personality further amplified those issues.
In response, the warrior let out a gruff snort.
"If those weaklings joined, it means they think they have a chance to get those rewards. Well, let me tell you, I'm not wasting time on stupid brats who can't understand their own power. If they can't handle that, too bad. I don't know why you're always so patient with the Chosen, bro. They're so ignorant."
Illiren could only smile gently. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Lonnell had a consistent issue with the Chosen, specifically how pampered they were despite their weak bodies, minds, and spirits.
"They're young. You must give them time to grow, mature. This isn't their world, after all, so you can't expect so much from them. Besides, you never know - any Chosen could be nursing some incredible talent yet to be brought to life."
Lonnell snorted again but didn't respond.
Illiren directed his gaze towards the man who had yet to speak. He was a mysterious addition; a man shrouded in mystery from Illiren's perspective. The higher-ups, when asked, had refused to give any information about the ordinary-looking man other than that he would provide the final test for the preliminaries.
Illiren knew nothing else, and it wasn't as if he could investigate on his own. The mage didn't know what exactly did it, but there was something about the man that worried him.
At least I don't have to work with him for too long.
Illiren's ponderings were interrupted by Lonnell.
"It looks like you were right, brother. Some of these Chosen look like they have potential. That guy with the golden dragon statue on his shoulder looks interesting, and so does that girl with the staff strapped to her back."
Hearing this, the elven mage directed his attention to the group of contestants.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He quickly found the girl with the staff Lonnell was talking about - her Mana signature was extremely eye-catching. A mage with potential and raw power, for sure, but the elf wasn't so certain about her skill: most magic users with so much Mana suffered in the control department. Of course, generalizations weren't very trustworthy, and it was undeniable she had potential and talent.
His eyes widened, though, when he spotted the man with the golden dragon "statue" on his shoulder. As if responding to his shock, Illiren's control over Encumber slipped momentarily, bringing on twice the weight for an instant before the mage wrested back his reins over the spell.
His voice slightly hoarse from disbelief, he muttered to his brother.
"Lonnell... that's not a statue."
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Meanwhile, Yi Qiang was utterly oblivious to the rushed conversation going on between the mage and the warrior, instead focused on observing his competition.
The first person his gaze was drawn to was the green-skinned, colossal man chatting with a similarly huge woman. Each of them had a giant hammer and tower shield strapped to their back, somewhat crudely shaped but formed of what Yi Qiang could easily identify as top-notch materials. The two, much like Yi Qiang, seemed wholly unaffected by the pressure.
They must be partners or part of a group. They seem strong...
Yi Qiang looked them once over one more time, making a note of them and their appearances.
The next person that caught his attention was an isolated woman. What first drew his attention was the fact that people seemed to clear an area around her. And, when the marksman trained his honed eyes on her, he figured out why.
I think she scares them. It must be her weapon.
Her katana, which she was currently cleaning while sitting on the ground, emitted a visible red glow. The bloody sheen of the edge looked ominous, and Yi Qiang understood why everyone was so uncomfortable around it that they moved away.
He mentally prodded the resting Shenyu. How do you feel about that sword? If there were one thing Yi Qiang learned from all the time he had spent with Shenyu so far, it was that the dragon's instincts were superior to his own. Of course, Yi Qiang was determined to use this to its full potential - it was just wrong to waste that ability.
"It feels bad. I don't wanna touch it."
Yi Qiang nodded; he had thought so. This time, the note he made was more caution than curiosity.
Yi Qiang looked around some more, carefully studying everyone who captured his attention. There was a surprising amount of strong Chosen, but more intimidating to Yi Qiang were the natives participating in the tournament - their potentials were not as high, but they had a lifetime to train and hone their skills.
They were the real competition.
Still, Yi Qiang only saw their presence as a positive. He seriously doubted any one of them would be able to prevent him from winning first place, and they only promised a satisfying battle, not a threat. As such, Yi Qiang wasn't worried.
When the pressure reached its peak, which Yi Qiang couldn't help but notice did not seem like the pinnacle of Illiren's capabilities, it vanished.
With that, around 50 contestants were dragged off the stage by assistants, unconscious - the pressure had been too much to handle for them, which the marksman found quite comical. Even Shenyu, the literal baby, could handle it easily. Though, in all honesty, Shenyu was a dragon.
The remainder numbered around 60 people, satisfying in the fact that it was the majority.
Is that the end? It shouldn't be; there are too many people remaining.
Suddenly, Lonnell barked harshly, "Prepare yourselves, maggots!"
Yi Qiang perked up an eyebrow, intrigued.
That interest only grew when he saw the burly warrior draw his monstrosity of a sword and plunge it into the ground. A smirk also showed on his face when he noticed a few Chosen turn pale at that wild show of strength in his periphery.
"I'll give you a fair warning, this won't be quite as easy as my test," Illiren spoke up while Lonnell prepared for whatever he was planning to do. "Though he'll be holding back, if you want to pass this, you'll need more than physical strength. You'll need mental fortitude. If you don't possess that, I would advise you to leave now, before you get hurt. There aren't many healers who can repair mental damage."
Upon seeing nobody leave, the mage shrugged. "I look forward to seeing this."
As if on cue, a faint red haze erupted from Lonnell. He was red in the face, clearly from effort, but Yi Qiang didn't take that as a sign that the skill's execution was difficult for him. Instead, it was more likely that what was really costing the man was holding its power back. He didn't seem like the type that specialized in control, so it stood to reason that the bulky man wouldn't find the task of holding back very easy.
The red haze expanded quickly, soon covering the entire stage. Yi Qiang smelled the distinct, metallic scent of blood, but only barely. If the test were anything like the last one, though, that smell would quickly become a lot more intense.
This is indeed more difficult. While it's easy to raise stats just by leveling up, mental endurance isn't quite so simple. I wager a lot of people will be expelled early on by this.
And, perhaps unsurprisingly, Yi Qiang was right.
Within the first five minutes, five people took the initiative to leave the stage. Ten minutes after, their number, which was originally 60 or so, had been cut down to 43.
And there were yet more to come.
It's a bloodbath.
"Literally." Shenyu helpfully chimed in.
The young dragon seemed unaffected by this aura, too, which was somewhat surprising given his age - mental endurance was typically not one of the prevalent traits of children.
That test finally ended half an hour later, with Yi Qiang not one bit fazed. He was also relieved to see the few people he highlighted as people with the potential to put up a satisfying fight were unaffected as well: a good omen.
Next, if the pattern were true, the ordinary-looking man would be the source of the next test.
Yi Qiang looked around to see 24 people still standing. I wonder how many will pass this test.
As the marksman expected, the ordinary-looking elf stepped forward.
The man's attire was that of an ordinary citizen, with a shirt and pants woven from unfamiliar cloth. His face also had none of the telltale signs of a warrior or mage - no creases around the eyes; no scars; no tough, hardened skin; nothing.
He spoke.
"None of those in government wish for their resources to be wasted. It is much to their chagrin when they give a divinely-granted commodity to a Chosen, only for them to waste their potential or wallow in laziness."
The mysterious man spoke with a dead face; the rest of his body did not move as he spoke; his eyes stayed fixed on one spot. Everything about him was just... unnatural.
"So, before they grant priceless rewards, the government must make sure they will not be wasted. To continue to the next stage of the tournament and vie for the valuable prizes, you must pass the government's test.
"That is what I am here to administer. Please, prepare yourselves."
Yi Qiang took a glance at Illiren and Lonnell, who looked just as askance as everyone else. I hope Shenyu can handle whatever it is.
Suddenly, Shenyu squealed.
Yi Qiang felt a piercing pain in the young dragon's mind, not yet severe, but one quickly growing.
His heart turned cold.
In an instant, Yi Qiang dashed over to the edge of the stage, hopping down briefly to plop Shenyu by the side while he nursed his wounds. Thankfully, the test did seem confined by the limits of the arena platform, so there Shenyu was safe.
Which left him with something equally important.
Yi Qiang returned to his original spot with only one thing different.
A golden bow of flowing, vigorous Qi, pumped full of 500 points of Qi. Its magnificent splendor cast a shadow on anything in the vicinity except the sun overhead, and Yi Qiang was training it directly at the ordinary-looking elf. An arrow of 30 points, far more than anything Yi Qiang usually put into a consumable like an arrow, was notched in the bowstring, pulled back to its full extent.
Even Yi Qiang's arms, whose strength had long surpassed human limits, quivered slightly as they held back the bowstring at its full length. The marksman, now numb with cold rage, spoke.
"What did you do to Shenyu...? Careful with your answer. I know you outclass me. But do you want to test if you can beat my arrow's speed, even if it can't kill you?"
To the side, the eyes of both the contestants and the other examiners widened. Already, four had collapsed, but 19 remained, most straining to endure whatever the test was but shocked by Yi Qiang's actions.
The archer paid them no heed.
For the first time, the unnatural elf had the barest hint of a smile on his face.
"Interesting. It looks like we have someone with great potential. Well, fear not for your Empyrean Dragon. My test is simply of resolve, and your dragon was likely unable to handle it. That little issue is likely from its age, though, as the Empyrean Dragons were famed for their stubbornness."
Yi Qiang relaxed. He still wasn't sure if Shenyu would revive like him after death, and the marksman wasn't keen to find out. And now that he made sure there was no lasting damage, the icy rage flowing through him began to still.
He nodded once and let his bow dissipate. He had spent a lot of Qi on it, so his reserves would be low for a few minutes, but it was needed to convey the proper effect.
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Thankfully, the test was shorter than the others, and it ended within five minutes. A surprisingly high amount of sixteen contestants remained, which impressed Yi Qiang. Not wanting to make much of a fuss, the three testers walked off as well, soon replaced by the original, gaudy elf.
"The preliminaries have ended!"