In Lucia's Manor, the screams of the cadets raced through the room. Men and women were watched over by Lucia's underlings when their conditions were severe. Some had seizures, vomited, fainted, and some were even dying. This is where the role of Lucia's herbs is used - herbs that have the effect of weakening the body or temporarily paralyzing it for pain relief. The detoxification effect works in removing toxic substances or qualities, although the reactions of the cadets are brutal and some are calm.
“Elixir of Dream… this potion is insane! My heart is about to burst! I've had enough of all this!" grumbled a cadet whose life was almost in danger from just the first potion.
"You are right...! I don't want to try Draught of Agony...! Hey, guard! We have succeeded, let us get out of here!”
The lab guards release their suppressors for those who wish to leave the lab after passing the first potion. "Congratulations on passing this exam," said the lab guard with a hand gesture to let the cadets out.
The cadet who had just passed the exam was disgusted when he saw the lab guard smiling. His tone was more like saying, ‘Enjoy hell on the next exam.’ One by one, they made it through the Elixir of Dream. Many left the room, and there were a few who continued on to the second potion.
One of the cadets picked up a bottle of Draught of Agony from the table and eagerly examined it, thinking, ‘What makes this potion great?’ The cadet was desperate to open the bottle cap and was about to drink it. However, just as the potion bottle was about to reach his mouth, he accidentally inhaled the smell. The cadet gasped, then vomited the contents of his stomach, which splattered on the spot. His body broke out in cold sweat, and he rushed out of the room and broke into the lab entrance without anyone noticing.
The scream of a girl startled everyone in the room as if their eardrums had ruptured. All activity came to a halt, including the cadet who was holding onto the doorknob, ready to leave the room. All eyes turned toward the source of the piercing scream. The girl at the very front of the line of suppressors had caught the attention of the entire room because she had just tasted the cruelty of the Draught of Agony. Every half second, she continued to struggle to catch her breath, as if trying to escape from the depths of Maldrakar Hell. Her muscles were completely exhausted, and even moving her fingers required maximum effort. It felt as if her chest was on fire, her heart was being crushed by a boulder, and her bloodstream was racing like it was running a marathon.
Lucia the Witch approached the girl and exclaimed, "Amazing! Cadet number 246, Yuria Shura, you're the first person here to get past the Draught of Agony!"
Yuria Shura was cadet number 246 from class D, hailing from Ashenvale in the eastern of the Taiyo region (Mist Desert). She was well-known for her prowess, particularly among the boys, as she was able to defeat a bear in just three seconds by throwing her deadly blade with effortless precision. People were stunned to see that this girl was willing to risk her life just to conquer the cursed potion. Yuria's brave and commendable act had now made her name a topic of discussion in every household.
Lucia turned to the cadets and took the opportunity to encourage them to try her second potion. "Did you see that, boys?! A girl was able to pass the Draught of Agony! Don't embarrass yourselves!"
She then approached the man next to her. The man had almost passed out after drinking the first potion, but he was still breathing slowly. In Lucia's opinion, a cadet who no longer had any Spiritual pressure was unfit to pass the test. It was better for them to contribute to the experiment and have their test results recorded for further analysis instead of becoming food for the Chthonians.
"What are you contemplating?" Lucia asked. "Look at that girl! Aren't you ashamed of your condition?!"
She continued, "Useless guinea pig! At this rate, you won't be able to become a Dawnstrike Assassin! Your pathetic life is just a burden to the academy!"
The man, provoked by Lucia's harsh taunts and not wanting to be seen as a failed cadet, replied, "Okay! Give me the Draught of Agony!" He wanted to prove how wrong everyone was about him, and also to ward off the insult from Lucia's mouth that smelled like Fire-Mastigodryas.
"Perfect!" Lucia replied as she opened the lid of the second potion and inhaled its aroma. She poured the potion into a tube that flowed into the man's veins. He started to revolt, but the suppressor vibrated and subdued him.
The Instructress was very enthusiastic about seeing the cadets in pain. Her cold gaze seemed to say, "Fight as hard as you can. In history, there has never been a cadet that could escape the grasp of the suppressor...!"
The results soon began to manifest. The man's pupils vanished, his head throbbed, and he fell unconscious with foam coming out of his mouth. His skin turned bluish, and the cadets shuddered at the thought of suffering the same fate.
Lucia had fantasized about the process but was disappointed to see the failed outcome. "He's dead. His body couldn't withstand the alchemical mutated substances. His genetic mutation turned out to be a failure. What a pitiful man... Are there any other cadets here besides that girl who was able to pass the Draught of Agony?"
"There is!" responded the lab guard.
Everyone's attention shifted to the lab guard in the right row. Lucia smiled and turned around too. "Who?" asked Lucia with an excited face.
“Cadet number thirty-seven, Sazank Karanzo!”
The cadets were amazed because the name Karanzo was familiar to them. They looked at Karanzo's semi-conscious state, and it seemed like his gaze had already reached Palandria Heaven. None of the cadets visited him or pulled him into the Runeverse anymore. Judging from the outside, his expression was like someone who had drunk Sake all night. His body ached all over, and the sudden dizziness made his head heavy like a rock. Whenever he thought about something, he felt like he was going to throw up. He promised that this would be the last time he would drink Chthonian piss like this.
The side effects began to be felt in Karanzo's body. His blood was flowing like a storm of waves, pumping his heart until it exploded. His ligaments bound his bones tightly, and his muscles tightened and hardened as if nothing sharp could penetrate them. His inner strength increased, adjusting to his dying body.
"In here also!" exclaimed another lab guard.
Everyone's gaze now turned toward the left side. “Cadet number ninety, Zain Wulmar! Made it through the Draught of Agony!”
"It ain't much yet!" Zain shouted with his face red and nose bleeding. He then grinned like an idiot, trying to show his resilience in front of people.
As the man who had finished Spiritus Nuka in one gulp before, Zain was quite confident believing that he had developed immunity to the most alcoholic drink. It was a conspicuous feat that he was proud of until the end of his life. The other cadets became even more excited when their two comrades passed the second potion. Zain coughed and looked a little sick, then hoarsely shouted, "Damn you, Karanzo! Ugh! I will be the number one—in this academy!"
Karanzo only responded to Zain's comment with a smile, still recovering from the side effects of the potion. If he said just one word, he was afraid the dizziness would return. The other cadets who didn't want to lose also followed what Zain and Karanzo had done.
“The number one Dawnstrike Assassin? Are you dreaming again Zain?! I will be the number one assassin here!”
"You?! You almost convulsed to death during the first potion! I am the one who deserves to be the top!"
"Well, let's see who's worthy!"
Thanks to Zain and Karanzo, the competition and fighting spirit of the cadets increased. The chosen ones were those who defied death and managed to survive. The potion did have a terrible effect, but not terrible enough to regret forever at the end of life. The screams and groans were heard again one by one.
Lucia approached Yuria who had successfully passed the Draught of Agony. The girl was drenched in sweat and gasping for oxygen, her chest burning with pain. She closed her eyes in agony before opening them to look at Lucia, who was walking toward her.
"Yuria of the Shura Clan... I know your background," Lucia observed as she circled around Yuria, keeping her gaze fixed on the girl's face. "Your father died in a war, your mother died of illness, or perhaps a curse... You have nothing left. Since childhood, you have been ostracized, and entering the academy is your only hope. You are just like the rest of them; it's better to die fighting than to starve to death. If you feel like you're different, why not give the Flask of Nightmare a try?"
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Yuria groaned in pain and closed her eyes once again, indicating that the side effects of the potion were still affecting her sensitive body. Her blood flowed like fierce waves, and her heart pounded non-stop, audible even from outside. The effects of the potion were permanent, so it would take a long time to fully take effect.
“Give me...the...last...potion,” Yuria murmured to Lucia.
Lucia stared in amazement, afraid she had misheard what Yuria had just said. Did this girl dare to defy death after enduring the rigors of the Draught of Agony? If true, then her courage must be rewarded. The Instructress brought her face closer to Yuria's, and their gazes locked. “Are you sure, Yuria? This is a path that no one has ever taken before...”
Yuria continued to look into Lucia's eyes, cold sweat running down her face. Her life had been burdened by the curse that had befallen the Shura Clan since childhood, and she was the only surviving descendant thanks to her mother's death. With the sedative potion, Yuria hoped to forget everything that had happened. Finally, she nodded her head, and the last potion, Flask of Nightmare, was poured into the tube.
“Watch this, everyone! Cadet number two hundred and forty-six, Yuria Shura, risks her life with the final potion, Flask of Nightmare!”
The gazes of all the cadets were now on Yuria. Lucia's strategy of discrediting Yuria's family seemed to have worked. After all, no one knew how powerful the final potion would be if no one tried it. Fearing that her life's work would be wasted, that vile woman would do anything for the sake of her trial results. Yuria closed her eyes, resigned to the fate that would befall her. She felt the fluid slowly flowing into her veins. Suddenly, she regretted knowing that her life's success was one in a million. She groaned again, trying to escape the suppressor, but it was too late.
“Sing to me…! Sing even louder…!” Lucia laughed as she walked away from the girl.
Zain and Karanzo stared at each other from a distance. Karanzo thought that Zain didn't want to lose to him, so he must be waiting for his move to go first. He felt that whatever he did, his rivals would imitate him, whether it was doing push-ups, making sandwiches, or looking at rocks. Since the two of them saw themselves as the chosen preeminent cadets, the rivalry would be endless. So Karanzo turned to the lab guard beside him and said, “Hey, can you release me from this suppressor? I'm fed up with all of this."
"Okay," replied the guard briefly, who then released the Aetherium shackles from Karanzo's hands and feet.
After Karanzo stood up from the suppressor, he sat back down, doubting his ability to withstand the effects of the black elixir. Moreover, Zain didn't do what he did. Karanzo looked behind him; most of the suppressors were empty, and the lab guards were carrying the bodies of the helpless cadets and giving them mixed herbs. The rest of them who were still on the chairs had fallen asleep limply in disheveled positions. Sacrifices were required to become the greatest assassin in the academy. He was silent for a moment, thinking about Yuria's steadfast determination. His gaze returned to the Flask of Nightmare on his desk, which was hard to look away from like a magnet. He was so frantic that he gritted his teeth.
"Do you want to go or not?" asked the lab guard.
The cadet took the third potion bottle, Flask of Nightmare...
"Hey! Are you serious, Cadet number thirty-seven?!"
“I am. I won't leave until I taste this mysterious potion!"
Karanzo opened the bottle and lifted it slowly to his mouth. The guard, surprised by his actions, immediately interrupted him. "Hey, Karanzo, don't inhale the aroma of the potion," he warned.
"Why?" asked Karanzo, stopping his movement.
"You'll die. Only, Lucia, the Witch was able to inhale it. If you still have a strong will, you can just drink it in one gulp. That's my suggestion."
"Thank you," replied Karanzo.
Karanzo raised the black potion to his mouth once more, but his hand suddenly began to shake. (“What is this? Am I scared? The strongest professional assassin able to get out of this junkyard...is me, Sazank Karanzo! Going to see the vast world of Runeverse out there!”)
Despite his fear, he drank the last of the potion until it was finished. Then, his shaking hands became powerless, and he released the potion bottle, which fell and shattered on the ground, making a loud noise that everyone could hear.
*
After a long period of time, the exams had finally ended, and all the cadets had left the lab room, leaving behind the corpses of those who had failed. Although only a few had attempted the Flask of Nightmare, Lucia was truly satisfied with the end result.
"Instructress Lucia! Come here! We found something at the location of the last cadet, number five hundred and sixty-four!" shouted one of Lucia's subordinates.
Lucia and her bodyguards rushed to the back of the room, where the last cadet suppressor and table were located. They were bewildered by the chaotic scene before them, with no one in sight except for four lab guards lying unconscious. Three strange incidents unnerved them. Firstly, the guards responsible for monitoring cadets 561 through 564 were found unconscious near cadet number 564. Secondly, the suppressor for cadet number 564, which should have securely restrained the subject, was damaged, with Aetherium shackles on the hands and feet of the chair coming loose and shattering. Finally, they noticed six empty bottles on cadet number 564's table, leaving them puzzled about what had happened.
Lucia investigated the area, but she did not find any spilled liquid on the floor. She and her bodyguards examined the unconscious guards and found no scars or injuries.
“This is really weird!” shrieked Lucia.
“How? Did they faint from being hit?” asked one of the guards.
“If that's the case, then the suspects were probably cadet numbers 561 to 564,” said another guard.
“I don't think so!” confidently replied the third guard. “Look at the last cadet suppressor compared to the others! The damage must have been done by him alone! Is it possible that he is the only cadet who managed to escape?”
“Then, what about cadets numbers 561 to 563?” the fourth guard asked. “The Elixir of Dream on their table was gone. It seems to me that they too passed the exam in the usual way.”
After Lucia examined the suppressor, she stated, “There's no way they fainted from the heavy impact. There's no evidence. These guards were unconscious due to some mental factor! I wonder what cadet number five hundred and sixty-four has—”
Lucia looked at the suppressor table which held six empty bottles. “Wait a minute,” Lucia checked the table and saw that there was no liquid on the floor. So she concluded that these six bottles had been used up. However, drinking six potions was beyond human comprehension. If that was the case, the last cadet might have died on the spot.
After retracing her steps, Lucia decided to inspect the bottles of potions one by one and take a sip from each. She picked up the first bottle and took a sip. “Lionfish Spines, Fairy Wing Dust, Powdered Unicorn Horn, Dragon's Blood. This is the Elixir of Dream.”
Putting the potion back down, she picked up the next one and took a sip. “Manticore Hearts, Kraken Powder, Viper Fangs, Powdered Griffin's Claws. This is the Draught of Agony.”
As Lucia continued to inspect each potion, the anxiety in her heart was mirrored by her bodyguards who were breaking out in a cold sweat. Finally, she picked up the third potion and inhaled it deeply. “Chthon Blood, Gargoyle Spleen, Demon Brain, Powdered Minotaur Horn, Tarantula Venom. This is… the Flask of Nightmare!”
"That's not possible!" exclaimed the lab guard, feeling worried. “Each cadet is only given three special potions. If he had drunk all three potions, he should have passed. Then, what about the remaining three?!”
“This is what I wanted to know,” Lucia replied as she picked up the fourth potion and inhaled it. The woman closed her eyes and shook her head. "This is not possible! How could this happen?! Don't tell me that the fifth and sixth potions are—"
Lucia took the fifth potion, and then the sixth, which was the last potion on the table. The woman collapsed after inhaling the two potions. Her face turned pale as if she hadn't eaten anything for three weeks, and she felt dizzy. She couldn't stop thinking about the experiment. Her bodyguards began to worry about her condition more than the fate of the cadet in question. After all, who could drink four black potions like drinking sweet syrup? Knowing that the last potion was designed to kill cadets, it was crazy that this cadet had accepted it with open arms...
"Maybe I'm just tired and imagining that those last three potions are the Flask of Nightmare..."
"Impossible!" said the guard in disbelief. “No one is able to survive after drinking two Flasks of Nightmare! And these are four Flasks of Nightmare?!”
"He's right. Maybe you're too tired, Lucia... Take a break."
The lab guards helped Lucia to her feet. The throbbing in her head seemed to intensify as if her mind was still processing assumptions into reality, and it was only at thirty percent. It was the first time she had developed a fever just because four of her greatest black potions had been used up on one table. Even with a four in two-thousand percent chance of survival, it had no effect on the cadet.
Lucia slammed her hand on the table in self-blame. She had been too focused on the cadets at the front and had paid little attention to the ones at the back of the room. However, it was strange that the guards at the back hadn't noticed the incident while she was conducting the exams on stage. There was no way that the relationship between the guards and the cadets could be conspiring. If it were possible, they would bring each other down since the ex-senior cadets wouldn't want to feel inferior compared to their juniors. Furthermore, the worst generation is infamous for their high self-esteem. The three Flask of Nightmare potions that the last cadet took belonged to the other three cadets: numbers 561, 562, and 563.
"Lucia, what should we do?" asked one of her bodyguards.
"Call the guards in charge of guarding Cadet 560. Maybe he knows something about this incident since he is guarding the nearest area. I won't be able to sleep until I know the chronology!" ordered Lucia.
"Understood!" the bodyguard replied before leaving the lab.
Lucia looked at the cadet suppressor with the broken Aetherium shackles. This was the first absurd incident to occur since the lab's founding. Who was the last cadet in question? Was it Fenrius Nightfang, the alexithymic cadet? She had never followed the story of the boy who was always exaggerated by the senior assassins. 'Fenrius came like a passing storm.' No wonder they always warned her before the exam, and now she understands why.
("It's really impossible that the last numbered cadet caused a disturbance while I was explaining upfront. Could it be that the cadet had consumed all five potions before my explanation?!") Lucia's left eye became red, and part of her face began to crack. She held her head in confusion for a moment before regaining her human form. ("Maybe I need to take a break.")