Sofie slowly led Ambrose out of the office as the old man got back to his paperwork, she led him down another hallway, this hallway opened up into a large circular room which had numbers on each of the doors, he noted that they went up to twenty.

Standing in front of door seven, Sofie began to turn the door. “Right through this door!” Sofie turned the handle to a rather large iron door.

As Sofie opened the door he could almost feel, no, he could see the pressure coming from within the room, his golden irises began to glow with excitement as he stepped through the door and into the room, Sofie whispered to him. 

“Good luck, try not to die cutie” Winking at him as she shut the door behind him.

Looking around the room, the walls were covered in all manner of weaponry. In the center of the room, a man was kneeling with a rather large sword laid out in front of him. 

He wore a loose open robe? the crest of Wolfsong stitched into it, the robe was untied, exposing his muscular chest, his black hair tied back into a bun. The man's eyes were held shut as if he was in deep meditation.

[Why does he have a sword? What kind of test is this?]

Ambrose was looking around the room taking in all of the weapons when he heard the man speak.

“You think yourself worthy of becoming one of us? To hunt the tower?” The man asked as he opened his crimson eyes.

[ Hunt the tower? What?]

“I wish to enter the tower, yes, I wish to learn all it has to offer.” Ambrose replied.

“If that is what you wish, pick up a weapon. Prove to me you have the power to uncover the truth of that hell.” he said. picking up his great sword, he tied the scabbard to the hilt as he leveled the weapon and assumed a stance.

[That weapon is so big, it must be slow, or at least slower than normal. The only weapons here that outrange, or match it in length are halberds, claymores, and the same weapon. However I can’t move as easily with those, The strength and mass difference is clear, I need something to get over his edge, I only have a few choices then.]

Ambrose walked over to a wall and picked up a short sword and strapped a buckler to his arm.

“Hmph, a short sword? Not very bright.” The man said, stomping on the floor. 

His stomp on the floor caused a small indent and sent shockwaves out towards Ambrose. The waves crashed into him, knocking him into the wall and onto the floor.

Ambrose used the tip of his sword as leverage to help himself back up off the ground as his heart began to beat faster and faster.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum, Like the drums of war his heart began a rhythmic beat, veins began to snake their way up to his chest towards his neck, his eyes glowed fiercely. He stood.

“Good, Boy! You need to stand up when you’re thrown, now, show me! STRIKE!” the man shouted the last word as if it were an attack in and of itself

[I need to be fast. I need, Speed, his left is a bit more open, he’s right handed] 

As these thoughts passed his mind his chest began to rise and fall as he took in deep gulps of air, he felt powerful, he felt as if he could outrun light itself. 

Leveling his blade, he kicked off the ground shooting forward like a bolt of lightning. He feinted a low sweeping kick and leaped into the air somersaulting over the man’s great sword.

With a single arm strike, he crashed down upon the man forcing him to shield the attack. The man, however, used the hilt of his long weapon to absorb the initial contact, with its momentum he brought the sheathed blade into a sweeping motion slamming into the still airborne Ambrose. 

As the weapon struck he could feel his ribs crack and his organs shift. Then the second blow happened. His body slammed into the floor, crushing him, shattering the floorboards.

As splinters of wood and blood flew through the air the man issued a single word before Ambrose lost consciousness.

“Pass.”

Ambrose’ consciousness slowly began to return, he watched as Sofie yelled at the man who he had just been fighting.

“You've been told to hold back on new recruits! If the Dean wasn't here he may have been dead, we are never going to find suitable magi to join us if you keep crippling them you dumbass!” She said furiously.

[What is she saying, I can't make out anything, my ears are ringing like crazy! I must have a concussion.]

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Sofie, cut it out, he didn't die now, did he? Look he is already waking up! He's a tough son of a bitch that's for sure.” He said as he smiled slightly guiltily and scratched his head.

“Ambrose, can you hear me? How are you feeling? Where does it hurt? Rome, don't just stand there get him some water!” She called out to the man.

[What the fuck is she saying. Shit I'm tired, No I have to stay awake.]

Rome returned with some freshwater and what looked like a glowing green pill, he motioned for him to drink it.

[I am extremely thirsty and that is most likely medication.]

Slightly nodding his head, Sofie grabbed both water and pill from Rome and gently placed the pill in Ambrose’ mouth and brought the cup of water to his mouth. Pulling the water into his mouth he drank feverishly.

[The ringing in my ears is subsiding, I can hear them, however, my ribs are still fucking throbbing.]

Once again Sofie asked him how he was to which he simply nodded and began to speak.

“Living. Painfully, but living. I think I heard you say I passed, but how could I pass though I lost?.” He asked, looking towards the man called Rome.

“You passed kid, you almost took my head clean off my shoulders. If I hadn’t moved fast enough I’d been dead with nothing but a bloody stump where my head would be. Which resulted in you passing the entry exam. Congrats!” He said with a goofy smile on his face, quite different from the stern look he had when he was kicking Ambrose’ ass.

Sofie elbowed him in the ribs.

“Anyways Ambrose, you fought very well, when you are up to it the Dean wants to see you to go over your student contract and I.D but that is for later. You have been out for 2 days, you must be starving. Is there something I can get for you?” She asked with a genuine smile.

[I was out for 2 days?! How fucking hard did he hit me… And Why does the Dean need to give me the I.D and contract, couldn't she or that Rome guy just issue it? Oh well at least now I can eat] 

“Would you be able to get me some soup?”

After he had finished eating, the others left the room for him to change into his new clothes, as the old ones that Roderick had given him were bloodied and tattered from the ‘battle’.

Ambrose stared at himself in the mirror for a few minutes, his own face felt very unfamiliar and his eyes looked tired, he reached up and touched the spot on his chest where he had felt the seductive pulsation of power…

[That power… what… was that...]

As he thought about the power his heart began to beat again, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. With every beat he watched as veins of power began to snake from his chest wrapping his body, his eyes glowed fiercely as the same veining appeared to snake from them as well… 

He heard a gentle knocking at the door, breaking him from his reverie. All the power that began to well up inside of him vanished with those few gentle wraps upon the door, before he could answer the door was slowly pressed open.

“Ambrose, it’s Sofie. Have you changed yet? The Dean is waiting for you.” As she slowly opened the door.

He pushed himself away from the mirror “Yes, I am ready to see the Dean.” Pulling over the black shirt as the door opened.

[Also shouldn't she have waited for me to acknowledge her before opening the door?]

“The Dean is the one that saved you, even though Rome’s blade was sheathed, the blunt force trauma it caused was quite severe. Be sure to thank her when you see her.” Sofie added as she guided him through the medical bay.

“I’ll be sure to thank her for saving my life, however I have a few questions for her… also what was the pill that Rome gave me?” He asked her

“Ah, again you’d have to ask the Dean as it is her own creation, in a nutshell it helps the healing process.” 

As she guided him through the hallway towards a lift she pressed the up button and entered the lift as the door opened, entering the lift she pressed the button for the top floor. As the elevator reached its destination a bell sounded and the doors opened, they walked out into a large room surrounded by windows looking out over the city below. Standing by a window with hands held behind her back was the Dean of Wolfsong University.

She stood there all five feet tall, wearing a black dress, which seemed to flow around her lithe body as she turned to great them, her hair the color of emeralds.

[Short...] 

“Short...” Ambrose both thought and said these words, almost instantly receiving a knuckle from Sofie.

[Shit, did I say that out loud!]

A vein almost instantly pulsed on the President's brow as she heard the word form on his lips.

“AMBROSE. Be more respectful to the Dean!”

“I am sorry Dean I meant no harm with my words, please forgive me.” he bowed his head respectfully.

“At least you have some manners, Ambrose. Come sit, you may call me Azaeli.” she pointed to the chairs beside her desk, as  she took her own seat.

Ambrose and Sofie took their seats, as a small emerald fox danced through the air taking its place on Azaeli’s shoulder. 

“Excuse me, but wha..” he began as he was cut off by Azaeli

“To be able to climb the tower, one must possess the ability to harness Mana. Mana 

strengthens your body and even allows you to wield magic. You may be wondering why and how you passed the exam even though you lost to Rome.”  She smiled

“The exam rooms are dense with Mana, as we are so close to the spire. Mana has two forms: interior and exterior. During your fight, you accessed your interior Mana amplifying your power and speed to levels far beyond what somebody on the first floor let alone outside the tower could reach. Thus giving you a passing grade.” She reached the end of her explanation.

She waved her hand across the desk, three eggs magically appeared in front of him floating  there dancing softly in a circle.

[Huh, what is that fox? Eggs? I thought she was going to give me my I.D.]

“These Ambrose are Spatial pets, they act as your I.D. Foxle is my Spatial pet, they grant you access to the spire as well as spatial storage linking the two of you together.” She said as she gently pet Foxle.

“Each of these Spatial eggs contain one pet, choose one. It will be your familiar for life, growing with you so pick well.” She smiled towards Ambrose urging him to make his choice.

[Interesting, I wonder which egg I should choose...]