"Alright...I'm ready!"

Feeling encouraged, Amber eagerly waited for the reason everyone was waiting at this holographic gate to be made known. However, as a few minutes passed, her eagerness slowly turned to impatience as she began looking around.

As she surveyed the other participants, Amber noticed they were calm and composed, which caused her to become concerned. Judging by their expressions, they seemed aware of why they waited there...everyone except Amber knew.

As she looked around and started to bite her nails in nervousness, the woman with the hawk and dog noticed her.

"Hmm? Is she okay?" The woman asked. Curious about her nervous expression, the individual approached Amber. Like the loyal 'pet' it is, the dog happily followed her.

Uhm...what do I do here...? Amber asked herself. I'm so lost...

"Um, hello?" The woman uttered to grab her attention, and Amber was snapped out of her nervousness.

"H-Huh?" Amber uttered as her attention shifted towards the woman.

"I noticed your panicked face, so I was wondering if you're okay," The woman said. Upon looking at her, Amber noticed quite peculiar features of the woman.

The woman standing before her had long, luscious, straight black hair, with a strange red and white striped bang coming down the middle of her face. Her heterochromia eyes were just as peculiar, with her right pupil jade green and the left carmine red.

Like everyone else, this woman wore a casual outfit consisting of a brown sleeveless puffer vest with a beige-size fitted t-shirt, casual loose-fit sweatpants similar to the vest in color, which cuffs to her ankles, and an orange pair of sneakers. Her slim figure was accentuated by the clothes she wore.

"Oh...um, it's a little embarrassing...but I'm not sure what I should do here," Amber explained. "...At first, I was a university student, but I got recruited here...after a series of...events...because I have power. But I have no clue what to do now."

"Oh! I see," The woman said. "If you were recruited, you must be pretty special, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so!" Amber responded as she scratched her hair coyly.

"Well, everyone's waiting for the gate to open," The woman explained. "In a few minutes, the gate will change from red to blue, giving us the signal to go. Upon entering, we'll have to get to the end of an obstacle course in fifteen minutes to get accepted into the program."

"Oh...I see..." Amber said in a softer tone. An obstacle course...Am I even athletic enough for that...?

"What does the obstacle course...entail?"

"Well, first of all, it's a one-and-a-half-mile run in length," The woman said, causing Amber to become nervous again. "In the course, you'd have to perform things like getting over multiple walls, swimming in a body of water, crawling under nets, etc."

Oh god... Amber thought with a visibly distraught expression.

"You're allowed to use your blessing to help you with the course...without destroying any equipment."

"Ah geez..."

"You don't seem too excited."

"It's just...I don't have much experience with my powers...I don't know how well I'll do..." Amber replied.

"Hmm...something tells me you'll do fine," The woman assured. "My name is Ariel Raven...what's yours?"

"Oh, my name is Amber Hoss," Amber responded.

"I know you'll do well, Amber," Ariel once again assured while smiling. "When we meet after this, we should be friends!"

A glimmer of hope was visible in her eyes as Amber heard that. That was the first good thing Amber had experienced since having to experience the tragedy of her family's murder. She may have met a new friend.

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"O-Okay!" Amber uttered. Suddenly, Amber started to feel a slimy sensation in her right hand. Ariel's dog was licking away at her hand.

"O-Oh!" Amber uttered as her face brightened with joy.

"Wow! Shadow doesn't normally get so friendly with people...especially when they're so close to me!" Ariel uttered with surprise. "That's just another reason why we should be friends then!"

Such a big dog! Amber thought with raised eyebrows.

In response to his passionate licking, Amber gently petted Shadow. Simultaneously, Ariel shifted her gaze to a digital clock on the gate walls.

"Oh, it's almost time," Ariel mentioned. Hearing this, Amber became both focused and slightly nervous. "Good luck, Amber."

"...You too,"

Silence filled the air as everyone anticipated the holographic gates to switch to green. Various expressions were visible among the participants, as they had excited smiles, focused looks, and even a few nervous expressions.

"Good morning, participants," A voice suddenly uttered on speakers mounted to the gates. The voice sounded masculine. "The gates will open now. You only have fifteen minutes to get past every obstacle. Those who fail to finish the course will be denied from this program...Good luck,"

Wow...looks like they explain the rules anyway. Amber pondered. But if I didn't look like a nervous wreck, I wouldn't have spoken to Ariel...so that's good, at least.

"3...2...1..." The voice on the speaker counted. "GO!!!"

Immediately, the gates turned green, and everyone charged in. Amber almost immediately got left behind by everyone charging forth.

"W-What?" Amber uttered in shock. No, no...don't let that get to you...all you need to do is complete it in time...

While Amber and a few others ran athlete style, Amber noticed participants using peculiar methods of movement. From individuals running rabidly on all fours to someone using seemingly robotic devices to aid them. The variety of blessings seen was so great that an individual was sprinting like they were skating on ice...but while on dirt. It's as if friction didn't affect them.

Ariel, in particular, was riding on Shadow, who was striding at rapid speeds.

"Jeez...so many powers..." Amber muttered as she ran.

Maybe because she was slightly tired from walking to the gate in the first place, or she was just not athletic, but Amber was starting to feel the sensation of fatigue. Breaking out in a sweat and having an increased breathing rate, Amber was becoming tired.

Need...water...

Amber's struggle was far from over as she approached the first obstacle: a large wall. Many of the participants had no trouble getting over the wall. Even Ariel found it easy as she climbed the rope attached to the wall while her hawk flew over and her dog hopped right over the ten-foot-high obstacle.

Ugh...no, don't think about it...just do it! Amber told herself.

Without stopping, Amber immediately hopped onto the rope and began to climb. She had fairly good momentum as she climbed the first three feet, but that was when it hit her - the increasing fatigue.

The soreness of her muscles from the lactic acid build-up and the excessive sweating to the point of reducing her grip on the rope, Amber no longer ascended; it was so bad that she descended from reaching around five feet back to the bottom.

"Pant* Pant*...ugh..." Amber groaned as she tried to catch her breath while wiping the sweat from her forehead. Ugh...am I...this unathletic...?

"Haha! Tired from the first obstacle...loser!" A participant mocked as they went past her and quickly climbed the wall.

Amber's face flushed red with embarrassment as she was being left behind and mocked. While everyone was ahead of her, Amber was catching her breath and could barely stand straight from attempting the first obstacle.

I...I have to kill that demon...but...how can I...when I can't get over this...obstacle...? Amber thought.

A god never gives up on those that they've blessed. The voice suddenly spoke in Amber's mind. I will give you the capacity to overcome this and any obstacles before you.

"W-What?" Amber stuttered before her eyes radiated a yellow glow like before. Suddenly, the fatigue that had been plaguing her began to disperse. Her breathing patterns quickly regulated, and her sweating ceased.

Go ahead...overcome your obstacle now. The voice suggested. Amber was slightly shocked at the sudden rejuvenation of her stamina, but knowing that she was on a time limit, she quickly hopped onto the rope again.

Her second attempt contrasted drastically with her first try. With a massive burst of speed, she successfully climbed to the top of the wall. Although she felt tired, it was not as exhausting as the first attempt. Upon reaching the top, she was surprised at her sudden boost in athleticism.

Quickly, she got down to the other side of the wall.

"Ouch...I've got callouses from the rope burns..." Amber said as she looked at the bruised palms of her hands.

This is terrible...but I did it...for the first time...I've climbed a wall! Amber thought with an excited expression. Thank you, God!

With her motivation back on high, she continued the course.