Clay Atlas stood from his chair and clasped his hands in front of his waist. “Chelsea, please clear the exam rooms of Challengers. I’d like to oversee Blake Thornwood and Harry Grenfell’s Rank 3 exams myself.”
A chill passed through Blake. Not only was he going to be forced to reveal the nature of his cards, but he’d have to do it in front of Clay Atlas himself.
He didn’t see any way out of this aside from playing it as safely as he could. He would rely on his Stone Slasher Golem and Berserker Wolf as much as he could, while keeping his Meteor Colossus in reserve.
Clay Atlas and Chelsea Otto led Blake and Harry into the elevators, and down to one of the lower floors, just above ground floor. They headed out into the brightly lit corridors of Atlas Tower.
Blake glanced back to see a twisted smile playing on Clay’s lips. He was clearly relishing the opportunity to personally oversee Blake’s Rank 3 examination. Tension thickened Blake’s breath as he was marched deeper into the heart of the tower.
“You should be honored, Clay said. “Only the most promising Challengers convince me to take the time to supervise their examinations personally. The last person I did this for was Heath Ryder. I believe they call him the Master of Flames?” Clay asked with a sly grin, glancing back at Blake. “I’m looking forward to seeing just how talented you are, and what the duel enthusiasts will call you. They always come up with the nicknames.”
Blake said nothing, his jaw clenched in frustration.
Clay was only interested in exposing his secret, and he couldn’t help but feel like a pawn in the man’s twisted game. The City Lord suspected there was something different about Blake, he could feel it.
As they reached a heavy door at the end of the corridor, Clay stopped and turned to face Blake. “This is the Rank 3 examination room. Once we enter, there’s no turning back. Are you ready?”
Blake swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. There was no choice but to face the challenges ahead, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his entire world was about to change.
“I’m ready,” he replied, his voice steady despite the nervous knot in his gut.
Clay smirked and motioned for Harry to stay outside. “One Challenger at a time. We won’t be long.”
Clay pushed open the door, revealing a large room filled with advanced holographic technology and various dueling stations. The room was cold and sterile, the air crackling with energy from the machines that lined the walls.
“As a Rank 3 Challenger, you’ll be expected to demonstrate not only your skill in battle but also your knowledge of your cards’ mechanics, your ability to strategize, and your endurance,” Clay explained, his eyes never leaving Blake’s face. “You’ll be tested in a series of challenges designed to push you to your limits. And remember, I’ll be watching every move you make.”
Clay led Blake to the first station, and the examination began. Blake could feel the weight of Clay’s gaze upon him, scrutinizing his every move.
The holographic projector in the center of the examination room hummed to life, casting a flickering light over the cold metal floor. Blake watched the machine project a series of three-dimensional dueling arenas, each with two opponents locked in battle.
The holograms were incredibly lifelike, their movements fluid, almost real. Clay stood off to the side, his arms crossed as he observed Blake with a calculating stare.
“This is your Strategy Assessment, Blake,” Clay announced, his voice echoing throughout the room. “Your task is to analyze each of these dueling scenarios and come up with an effective counter-strategy to defeat your opponent. You will have one minute to study each scenario before you must present your plan. Remember, this test measures your ability to think critically and adapt under pressure. Let’s begin.”
The first scenario materialized before Blake, showing a powerful Challenger wielding a fire whip against a quick and agile Challenger armed with twin stone daggers. The dagger-wielding Challenger dodged the flame whip nimbly. Each attack seemed to bring him closer to his enemy’s deadly reach.
Blake studied the scene intently, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each combatant. He noted the whip user’s reliance on powerful but ranged fire attacks, as well as the dagger-wielding Challenger’s impressive agility and evasiveness.
After a moment’s thought, he presented his strategy to Clay.
“The one with the daggers should use his agility to close the distance between himself and the whip wielder, avoiding the flaming whip attacks by dodging and taking advantage of cover. Once close enough, the faster Challenger can use his speed to deliver a series of quick, debilitating strikes using his daggers, effectively disabling the whip wielder and rendering him unable to attack.”
Clay nodded, his expression betraying no hint of approval or disapproval. “Next scenario,” he said simply, and the holographic projector shifted to display a new battle.
This time, the scene depicted a towering, armored knight with a massive stone hammer facing off against an archer who could fire flame arrows. The knight’s armor protected him from the archer’s arrows, but it also slowed him down, allowing the archer to keep him at bay with a constant barrage of projectiles. Each attack caused a small damage over time effect as the flames continued burning after each strike.
Blake considered the situation carefully, taking note of the terrain and the various obstacles scattered throughout the arena. He quickly formulated a plan and shared it with Clay.
“The knight should use the environment to his advantage, maneuvering behind obstacles to block the archer’s line of sight and close the gap between them. Once in close range, the knight can use his superior strength and the weight of his hammer to overwhelm the archer and break through their defenses. Closing the distance will stop the archer from being able to attack at all.”
Again, Clay nodded without comment, and the projector shifted to the final scenario.
This time, it was a battle between two spellcasters, one wielding powerful telekinesis-like earth magic, and the other controlling devastating fire attacks. The two Challengers seemed evenly matched, each able to deflect and counter the other’s assaults with expert precision.
Blake furrowed his brow, concentrating on the dance of spells and counters playing out before him. He carefully considered the strengths and weaknesses of both combatants and the best way to tip the scales in one mage’s favor. At last, he presented his strategy to Clay.
“The stone mage should focus on disrupting the fire mage’s concentration and mobility by creating a series of obstacles and traps using their stone attacks. A stone controlled like that has the ability to change the battlefield but flames merely burn. By forcing the fire mage to constantly adjust their footing and dodge incoming attacks, the stone mage can create an opening for a decisive, powerful strike that the fire mage will hopefully be unable to counter in time.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Clay considered Blake’s strategies for a moment before nodding. “Very well, your assessment is complete. We’ll move on to the next challenge.”
As they proceeded to the next test, Blake couldn’t help but feel a small spark of satisfaction.
The examination room shifted around Blake, the walls and floor transforming into a metallic, circular platform surrounded by an array of holographic card images. Each card hovered in the air, rotating slowly to reveal their abilities, stats, and illustrations.
Clay stepped back to the edge of the platform, observing Blake intently.
“This is your Deck Building Challenge,” Clay announced, his voice echoing across the platform. “You will be given ten minutes to create a balanced and competitive deck using the assortment of cards available here. We will evaluate your ability to identify synergies between cards and create cohesive strategies. Remember, this test measures your adaptability and strategic thinking. Let’s begin.”
Blake examined the hovering cards, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to process all the information at once. To his surprise, most of the cards actually showed what kinds of monsters they would summon, which was not something the system had ever done for him before.
Did the system know he would fail this test if he didn’t know what monsters the cards summoned? Blake scanned through the various abilities and stats, searching for potential synergies.
He could only choose a total of five cards, so he needed to make them count.
After a few minutes, he had identified a group of cards that worked well together, forming the core of his deck. The cards he selected were based around a swarm strategy, using weaker monsters that could be easily summoned and used many at a time.
As he browsed through the spells and traps, Blake realized his deck would be vulnerable to area-of-effect abilities that could wipe out swarms in one fell swoop. He made sure to include a card that would become a powerful tank monster, which would take the brunt of the attention from any opponents he faced off against.
With only a few minutes remaining, Blake moved on to the final stage of the deck building process, fine-tuning his selections and ensuring that the proportions of monster, support, and environment cards were balanced.
He also made sure to have a mix of low and high-cost cards, allowing him to maintain a steady flow of plays throughout a duel without running out of anima.
As the timer counted down the final seconds, Blake stepped back from the holographic cards, feeling satisfied with his creation.
Clay walked over to Blake, his gaze locked on the completed deck. “Time’s up,” he said simply, his expression unreadable. He paused like he wanted to say something but let the moment pass. “Let’s move on to the next challenge.”
As they left the Deck Building Challenge behind, Blake didn’t know whether he should be relieved or alarmed at Clay Atlas showing no reaction at all to the fact there were monster cards in his deck.
“How many more tests are there?” Blake asked.
“Just one,” Clay said with a satisfied grin. “Now you need to fight against one of my Rank 3 Challengers.”
The examination room shifted once again, this time transforming into a vast and realistic battlefield. The sky above was dark with swirling clouds, as if anticipating the epic confrontation that was about to take place. The room was suddenly bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, as if it didn’t need to follow the laws of physics.
Opposite Blake stood a Rank 3 Challenger, a tall and imposing figure with piercing green eyes. His fiery red hair seemed to flicker like a flame, hinting at his affinity for fire-based cards.
The Rank 3 Challenger didn’t even introduce himself and wasted no time playing his first card. The light of the card wrapped the other Challenger in flames, forming a suit of armor.
Was this an upgraded version of the Flame Shield?
Blake drew his first card and summoned his Stone Slasher Golem, the rocky golem emerging from the ground with a resounding crash. He commanded the Stone Slasher to surge across the battlefield and attack the other Challenger.
Each attack landed, and it looked like they were affecting the other Challenger, but the golem’s sword fists caught fire as it struck the man. It was resistant to flames, but scorch marks formed on its body, weakening the stone. Eventually it would succumb.
Both Challengers waited until they could play another card, and Blake hoped that he could finish this battle without even playing his Meteor Colossus card. He drew the next card and grinned when he saw the Berserker Wolf card.
The creature appeared beside the Stone Slasher, snarling and ready for battle, a massive two-handed ax held within its jaws. Blake ordered both of his monsters to engage the other Challenger, who also played his next card.
Dual flaming swords appeared in his hands, and he used these to block and parry attacks from the Stone Slasher Golem.
Meanwhile, the Berserker Wolf leaped toward the Challenger, its ax blurring as it swung. Stone ax met flame blade in a thunderous impact. The sheer power of their attacks trembled the ground.
The Berserker Wolf’s second attack landed past the Challenger’s guard, and the man went flying backward. He got back to his feet after a moment and his armor blazed with greater intensity.
Spot fires had broken out on the wolf’s fur and were spreading. Did this Challenger’s armor grow in power the more damage it took? That would be dangerous.
When the Challenger got back to his feet, he slashed his swords at both of Blake’s monsters, shooting out arcs of flame.
One flame arc slammed into his Stone Slasher, and the other hit the Berserker Wolf. Blake backed off. This Challenger had a melee attack that could also be used as a ranged attack, and if he wasn’t careful one might just hit him instead of his monsters.
As the battle raged on, Blake began to struggle to keep up with the fire-wielding Challenger. Both of his monsters, the Stone Slasher and the Berserker Wolf were gathering wounds and cracks.
Blake knew it was time to draw a third card, and it would likely be his Meteor Colossus. He had no choice but to reveal his hand.
With a deep breath, he drew the card.
Blake played the card, and the sky darkened further as a massive meteor descended from the heavens, slamming into the center of the examination arena. The Meteor Colossus emerged from the fiery rock, standing tall above the battlefield. Its molten core pulsed with power, and its flaming fists were clenched, dribbling lava.
The colossal figure stalked toward the Challenger, each footstep shaking the battlefield and causing the Challenger to step further backward. The Berserker Wolf and Stone Slasher pressed their advantage against the Challenger, forcing him back with a combination of agile strikes and powerful slashes.
The Rank 3 Challenger gritted his teeth, realizing that he was losing ground. He tried to mount a counterattack, but the Meteor Colossus was relentless, its flames burning brighter and hotter with each passing moment.
“I yield!” the Challenger said.
Victorious, Blake grinned.
As the flames dissipated and the battlefield returned to normal, Clay Atlas stood at the edge of the platform, his eyes wide with disbelief at the incredible display of power and strategy he had just witnessed.
Clay Atlas, apparently still in awe, approached Blake Thornwood with a mixture of admiration and intrigue.
"Blake Thornwood," Clay began, his voice carrying a hint of respect he had not shown before. "Your performance in the examination was truly extraordinary. Your strategy, adaptability, and the power of your cards have proven you worthy of the Rank 3 Challenger title."
He paused for a moment, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a gleaming silver badge. It was embossed with the number 3, and Blake could sense the power that came with such a rank.
"I hereby grant you the title of Rank 3 Challenger. Wear this badge with pride and continue to refine your skills," Clay declared, handing the badge to Blake.
As Blake took the badge, Clay's eyes locked onto the Meteor Colossus card still in his hand.
"I must say, your monsters are quite unique," Clay remarked. "The Meteor Colossus, in particular, is a card I've never seen before. Its power is immense, and it will undoubtedly draw attention to you. I can foresee many Challengers seeking you out to test themselves."
Blake felt a mixture of pride and anxiety, knowing that his secret would soon be out in the open. He had used the Meteor Colossus to secure his victory, but it had come at the cost of revealing his most powerful asset.
"Thank you, Mr. Atlas," Blake replied, trying to mask his unease. "I will do my best to honor the rank you have bestowed upon me."
Clay nodded, a calculating look in his eyes. "I'm sure you will, Blake. Now remember, three battles against Challengers in the dueling arena, and I will set your parents free. You have my word."
Clay offered his hand to Blake. He took the City Lord’s hand and shook.
“Now, please send Harry Grenfell in on your way out,” Clay said. “Your new Work Orders will be to participate in duels. The rest of your time shall belong to you. Use it wisely.”