A small group of students swaggered across the lobby, gaining attention from all people. The group consisted of four people wearing special capelet for class S and walking side by side. Kane recognized two of them: Sharon and Hymar. As for the other two, it was the first time seeing them.
A tall, well-built man was in the front, seemingly leading the class S. He responded to his admirers with his charming, bright smile that was accentuated by his jawline, making him much more attractive. One of them even dared to touch his flowing brunette hair and sniffed the scent. The man paid no heed to her and kept moving forward.
The other person was a petite girl. She was the smallest in the group as her height was roughly the same as Kane’s. Her gloomy eyes kept staring at the floor as she walked. Kane noticed a ragged rabbit doll tucked underneath the shirt, giving an eerie aura. Only a handful of students cheered her. Even Hymar, who is the sole demi-human among the class S students, received much more attention than her, particularly from other demi-humans.
Kane was perplexed. Why are people idolizing them? They were pretty much the same as the rest of the ordinary students. He did feel that the class S students had a little bit more powerful aura compared to others. Still, they were akin to an ant and a cockroach; there was no meaningful difference between them for Kane.
He switched his gaze toward the three. Brian and Zumi glued their eyes on them with agape mouths while Athera was reading one of her borrowed books. Kane could not help but feel proud of the elf. He approached her and asked close to her long ear, “You’re not interested, Thera?”
Athera flinched upon hearing Kane’s voice. “Y-you’re too close, Kane!” There was a brief pause before she spoke again, “I have seen them frequently so I’m… not that excited. S-sorry, I didn’t mean to sound snobbish…”
“You didn’t. How are you used to seeing them?”
“Because they’re… a loyal customer to my family’s business.” Athera then told him regarding her family.
Valvaris… it's been quite some time since I heard that name. So that famous family is from this small kingdom… Kane had accepted their requests to create magic-compatible prototype weapons — weapons that can channel spells similar to wands and staves. Naturally, he had already known the family’s background and met their Grand Elder. He never thought that he would meet the descendant of Valvaris after reincarnating.
After the mini-parade was over, the four parted ways. Kane went to the library again without them knowing to return the books because he believed that the books were not necessary anymore after meeting Liana. He had his lunch and then headed toward the training ground.
There was nobody except Reynar who was standing at the entrance. When his gaze met Kane’s, he spoke, “Finally, you have arrived. Did you enjoy your time in the library?”
“I’d say just a little bit because I’ve discovered something interesting. Why did you summon me here?”
“You will understand soon enough. Before we proceed, I shall ask you a question: are you prepared? You may fulfill your bodily needs first.”
“I’m ready.”
“Follow me.” Reynar turned around and moved forward at a relaxed pace. He halted his footsteps in the center of the field and faced Kane once more.
“Meet your new magic tutor.” He bowed. His expression was solemn.
Kane tilted his head and crossed his arms. “Don’t tell me that you’re the tutor?”
“No. He is right beside me. Please mind your manners toward him.” He pointed at the ground with an open hand, which seemed to be nothing.
However, upon taking a closer look, Kane could see a tiny black dot. The shape resembled an ant albeit slightly bigger. There were no discernible differences when compared to ordinary ants except for the faint bluish light glowing from the insect. Kane immediately flinched when he felt its aura. The ant was way more powerful than most people and monsters he had encountered in his entire life.
Moving his six tiny insect legs, the ant inched closer toward Kane. A deep male voice sounded from the ant as it spoke, “Ah, your perception is quite astounding! Many people that I have met for the first time would’ve tried to stomp me. Depending on my mood, they would be considered lucky if they lost just a leg!”
The ant’s voice was as clear as day despite its size — most likely due to some magic. He had so many questions regarding the creature, but for now, he decided to save them for later. Calming himself, Kane genuflected and said with a respectful tone, “You’re clearly a powerful entity. May this humble one knows your name?” He chose to play it safe, especially after hearing the ant’s last sentence.
The ant’s head turned behind. “Hahahaha! I like this one already, Rey! This kid knows his place,” he cackled.
“Indeed. He is a polite one.” Reynar gave a slight nod before stepping away from them.
“I have heard about you from Rey. You are Kane, the half-oni who can use magic. Nonetheless! Being a special snowflake or licking my six cute feet doesn’t mean crap unless you prove yourself. Until then, I have no obligation to tell my name,” said the ant with a hint of a playful tone.
I have a bad feeling about this. Kane clenched his fists. His wary eyes fixated at the ant.
“Now, now, don’t be too tense, boy. I did say you have to prove yourself but I did not say the time,” he comforted.
Upon hearing that, Kane uttered a relieved sigh.
A magic circle appeared on the ground. As it glowed, Kane’s surroundings turned dark. He and the ant disappeared from the area.
“May Lord of Fortune be with you, Kane,” prayed Reynar before leaving the training ground.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
---
Kane’s vision was blank for a moment. When his vision returned, everything was different. The green, empty grassland spanned across the blue horizon. Deep fissures and craters covered in plants had filled the land. He squinted as the dusty wind blew toward his face.
“Where am I?” asked Kane, despite knowing he had been here before. A very nostalgic place. The distance between Rabrond and here should be pretty far since they're on different continents. The ant must have unbelievably immense mana in that tiny vessel. Kane had no slightest clue of how that is even possible.
“Welcome to Rainbow Flowers Field! Here lies the land where more than a thousand kinds of flowers can be found — at least what it used to be. Nowadays, it’s merely a simple grassland, perfect for our activity,” explained the ant.
Kane looked around as he asked, “What are we going to do next?”
“My, you’re impatient, aren’t you? Very well, let me explain: you must go through three trials before you become my student.”
“Why? Didn’t Reynar tell you that I have level 10 talent?”
“He did. Your level 10 talent is the reason why I even bothered to visit this tiny academy, but that alone doesn’t mean that you’re qualified. I’ve taught lots of prodigies in my 50 years of teaching and guess what? Only less than a handful of them managed to complete my training! I can’t be bothered to teach a failure like them, hence I create these trials,” explained the ant.
“Very well. Let’s get started, then.”
The ant was silent, so too Kane. Suddenly, an invisible pressure burdened Kane as if something from above pressed down onto him. The ant was exerting his aura much, much more than before, causing Kane harder to stand on two feet.
“The first trial has begun. Your task is simple: withstand my aura until I stop. Don’t push yourself too hard because you might as well die,” said the ant. “But then, I won’t recognize you as my student. Hehehe…”
The pressure gradually became stronger as time went by.
---
It had been a while since the first trial began. The ant’s aura was currently comparable to a high-born dragon, a rank 7 monster; or a mountain. Any well-trained martial artist would have fainted from a long time ago, let alone normal people. They would have died.
“Boy, I must ask a question.” The ant broke the silence.
“What is it?”
“HOW ARE YOU NOT AFFECTED!?”
Kane yawned. He had been standing around while being oppressed by the aura. Despite that, he remained unaffected. For him, the pressure was the same as being tickled. It was laughable. Kane discovered that to withstand the aura, it depended on one’s soul. Staring at the ant, he sat down, crossing his legs, and gave his answer, “Perhaps your aura isn’t strong enough?”
“Impossible! Even my fellow The Circle members would at least feel it,” said the ant.
So, he’s one of The Circle… How does Reynar know such a formidable figure? Kane recalled his memory. Never once has he heard an ant as a member of The Circle. Perhaps his identity was never disclosed or Kane’s memory was getting cloudy.
“Do you require your student to be able to withstand this much aura?”
“Er… of course, I do! I always ensure that my student is top notch quality!” answered the ant with a prideful tone.
He’s lying… Kane then suggested, “Should we move on to the next trial? I’m getting bored.”
“Not until you answer my question! You’re not just a 13-year-old half-oni, aren’t you?” insisted the ant.
“You’ll have your answer when I become your student,” he said nonchalantly, thinking whether he should have pretended or not. He chose not to do it because it would be a pain in the butt to put on a figurative mask all the time.
“Hahahaha!” The ant cackled. “Nice try, boy. I might be interested in your background, but I can’t easily accept you right away because there are two trials remaining.”
“Tch, fine.” Kane clicked his tongue. It was worth trying.
The ant’s aura returned to normal as he said, “Here comes the second trial.” A small magic circle appeared beside the ant. It assembled something that resembled a person. When it finished, Kane eyed the figure.
“Is this a copy of me?” He inched closer. Every aspect of it was the same as him, save for its light blue eyes. It even wielded a copy of his ax. The other ‘Kane’ had a flat expression without any trace of emotion. Upon closer inspection, its skin was coarse, similar to the rock’s surface.
“In a sense, yes. I’ve created a puppet that mimics your appearance and your skills. Also, its combat prowess should match yours, if not higher. Your trial is to incapacitate the golem. Let’s see whether you can overcome yourself.”
Overcome myself, huh? So it’s about knowing my weaknesses.
The ant then flew away and instructed Kane to distance himself from the golem. When they’re far enough, the ant shouted, “Begin!”
The copy took a stance. From his hand, it cast a [Lesser Firebomb] to the sky and hit it hard with its ax. The flaming ball was launched toward Kane at high speed. Kane quickly pulled his hidden ax and hit it back with the help of his vis to add more power. The copy stumbled and raised its ax in a hurry, blocking the lightning-fast projectile.
“An ax? Such a peculiar weapon for a magic practitioner. Eh, whatever. I’ll allow it,” said the ant from afar.
Kane took this opportunity to shorten the distance between them. The copy ran backward, put the ax on his mouth, and cast [Lesser Firebomb] with both hands. He threw it immediately when he completed the spell and repeated the process at a rapid pace. Kane deflected and dodged them at the same time as he approached.
The copy halted its steps when it’s at the edge of a crater. Wielding the ax once more with both hands, it swung the weapon from overhead to bottom. Kane guarded his head in anticipation. While both of the handles were touching, Kane pushed the other ax and directed the downward force to his left, causing it to chop the ground instead.
The copy now has no defense! Kane pulled his ax and thrust it with the knob toward the copy’s neck. He immediately cocked his head backward and stepped sideways, creating some distance.
“How does it feel to fight yourself?” asked the ant.
“It’s exciting.” Kane grinned.
“Haha! Well then, do carry on. It’s been a long time since I watched a physical fight. What a refreshing sight to behold.”
Kane thought to come up with a plan to defeat it. Should he use vis? The copy seemed to not have it. It was viable but it would be too boring so he decided to save it for a backup plan. There was only one way left to win: exploiting his weakness.
This time, Kane took the initiative and charged against the copy. He threw a [Lesser Firebomb] with his left hand, aiming at the copy’s feet. When the copy jumped as the projectile traveled beneath his sole, Kane was already in front of him. Kane swung it from overhead off-angle to diagonal downward. The copy quickly raised his ax to block the attack.
However, Kane moved his ax aside, switching to an opposite angle. A feint. It aimed at the unguarded side. The copy responded by swiping his ax to his right as though he already anticipated the move.
Got you! Kane immediately rotated his body counter-clockwise. He flipped his ax and then drove the ax into the copy’s hip. Direct hit! The copy winced before losing his balance, rolling down upon falling, and lying on the crater. The attack left a deep crack on its hip. Not giving a chance, Kane jumped down and then chopped its head to finish it off. The copy ceased its movement as his head rolled down. His light blue eyes faded away.
Kane turned his head around. He eyed the floating ant and said, “I’ve killed it!”
“Splendid!” shouted the ant as he approached Kane. “Tell me, boy. How did you manage to overcome yourself?”
“It’s simple.” Kane shrugged. “I’ve discovered one of my weaknesses beforehand. I can’t defend a double feint.” He had no qualms to tell his secret. The ant had no limbs, so he probably can’t use that on Kane… at least he wanted to give that impression.
“That’s exactly the way. Here I thought you’d already surprised me enough with your magic talent despite being a half-oni, and yet you keep on giving,” said the ant with a gleeful tone.
“Then, what are you waiting for? Let me become your student.”
“Oh, I already considered you as one. You have proved yourself enough. But…” The ant dragged his speech.
“But?” Kane raised an eyebrow.
“Fight me first.”