Chapter 5: Evalynn had always hated crowds
“This is some kind of joke, right?” I said. There was no way what I was seeing was the truth. I made sure I was at the exact same spot I had come to before, and that all the other buildings were in the right places.
I considered the possibility of the building being moved, but I strongly doubted that. The building was too big to be moved through normal means, and while magic did exist in this world, there were no signs of such a thing happening. I confirmed this with several of the people who were around the area.
It was as if the whole building was never there to begin with.
My next thought was that I might have forfeited my right to participate in the exam since I left, but that wasn’t part of the limited directions I was given at the start. And even more, the watch I was wearing still had the timer counting down.
In any case, finding a way back into the bronze exam was my most pressing priority.
“Wait, isn’t that the magical girl I saw earlier?” I thought.
The girl in question was off in the distance and seemingly lost in a crowd of people hustling and bustling around her. Poor thing, looked like she was about to cry.
Of course my priorities instantly changed and I went over to her to see if she was okay.
She was so wrapped up in her own situation that she didn’t even notice me when I approached her. The girl wasn’t looking where she was going and bumped right into me before falling on her behind in the middle of the street.
I almost couldn’t believe how clichéd it was. “I’m sorry.” I told her as I held my hand out to help her up. “Are you okay?”
The young lady hesitantly looked up at me in silence before she eventually accepted my hand.
She seemed fine apart from a bit of dust on her clothes and her glasses sitting a bit crooked on her face.
“Thank you.” She mumbled. “Um, you’re one of the adventurers taking the exam, aren’t you? Your name is Hiro-san, correct?”
Oh yeah, I guess she saw my name appear on the screen. “Yes, that’s me.” I said. “Well, Hiro is my given name.”
She looked a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Masamune-san. I didn’t realize you put your family name first, you must a foreigner. My apologies.”
“Don’t worry about it, miss…”
She looked down at the ground again before she mumbled. “Evalynn.”
“Like I said, don’t worry about it Evalynn.”
She seemed to become even more embarrassed. “Um, Masamune-san, what are you doing?”
“I thought you looked troubled. That’s why I came over to check on you. I was going to ask if something was wrong.”
Her eyes peeked up at mine. “Um, well in that case, there sort of is. Um, you see… My sister followed you outside, and so I followed after her… but it was really crowded and… w-we got separated. I got so worried and I was so s-scared.” She looked like she had tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“Ok, just please calm down, don’t cry.” I begged her. “You just have to find your sister, right? Well, I’m not your sister, but would you be upset if you stayed with me… uh, I mean, you wouldn’t mind if I helped look for her with you, right? Evalynn?” I said admittedly kind of awkwardly. “I mean, I feel kind of responsible since it sounds like you got separated because of me. It’s the least I can do.”
Her expression brightened up a little. “You’d really do that for me, Masamune-san?”
“Of course.”
And just like that it was settled, I led Evalynn out of the large group of people (some of whom were onlookers to the situation that had unfolded) so that she could think a bit more clearly. It seemed like she wasn’t comfortable in crowds. After doing so, she was a bit more collected and she explained her plan to try and track her sister down.
Even though she wasn’t as terrified as before, Evalynn still clung to my arm. She insisted that it made her more safe being with someone she knew. So we walked around the city for a while looking like we were on a date.
In that time I found out that Evalynn was stubbornly shy, at least under the circumstances. I wasn’t able to extract any meaningful information from her in the entire time we were together, so I settled for making small talk. She seemed to listen intently to me as I droned on about whatever, but she didn’t feel like adding much input herself.
Evidently getting her to speak at all was like pulling teeth. But when she did feel like speaking she was somehow polite, sincere, and cute all at the same time.
We searched up and down the entire downtown area of the city together for quite a while before we finally found her sister.
Or more specifically, she found us, or even more specifically, the sole of her boot found the front of my unprepared face. My body was thrown back in an instant from the force and rag dolled hard on the ground. I recovered as quickly as I could and saw the girl in the red dress, Evalynn’s sister, glaring at me with her fists raised in a solid boxing stance.
“Who are you, and what are you doing with my little sister?” She asked with a voice that was more forceful than the kick she had just connected. Though her kick only made me lose a few hit points, her voice made me lose my nerves completely.
“Ow.” I said, still sitting on the ground.
At this point, Evalynn objected to her sister’s forceful behavior. “Alex! What did you do that for?” She scolded her sister.
I rubbed my superficial injury (I was currently at 207 HP) as I responded to her. “If you’d like to know. I registered for the bronze exam as Masamune. As for what I’m doing with your sister: she and I were searching for you, as a matter of fact.”
Thankfully this put her at ease a little bit. “Alright, but why were you staring at us earlier?”
“What?” Evalynn gasped. “Masamune-san, were you really doing that, spying on us?”
This was worrisome. “To tell you the truth, I was staring at you two for a bit, but that was because I was examining the other applicants, which happened to include you two.” This was of course, only about half true. I could have told them the full truth, but I suspected that would only complicate things. I’m not above lying, so long as I have a good reason to do it.
Luckily, Evalynn seemed to accept my bluff at face value. I could tell Alex was a bit less convinced, but she didn’t pursue her remaining suspicions any further.
“Anyways,” Alex said. “Thanks for taking care of Lynn. I know how difficult communicating with her can be when I’m not around.”
I nodded. “You could say that. The most I could get out of her was that the two of you followed me outside, and that’s when you got separated. I found her right outside the exam site and felt kind of responsible, but now I’m thinking that it’s pretty crazy of you to give up on the bronze exam to chase me through town just because I looked at you funny.”
Alex clearly didn’t like me saying this. “I may have overreacted a bit, but it’s not like I’m giving up the exam or anything. Where did you get that idea?”
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“How do I explain? Perhaps it would be easier if I showed you.” I said as I led them over to the empty plot of land where the building had been.
“Wow, you’re right, it is gone.” Alex marveled. “They really are taking this thing seriously after all.”
“I don’t really know anything about magic, but that must be how they did this, right?” I asked the girls.
“Definitely.” Alex stated. Evalynn nodded silently.
“I’m pretty sure we need to be on the inside of the building to start the exam, do either of you two know how we can get inside?” I asked.
I saw Alex turn her head to look at her sister. “It looks like Lynn’s already on it.” She said.
Evalynn didn’t just look like a magical girl. She was one. Her hands were glowing yellow as they carefully caressed the seemingly open air in front of her. She was looking at something I couldn’t see, as if it was just out of sight.
After a short while, Evalynn finally explained herself. “I’ve finished up my analysis spells, and I understand what’s going on.” She told us. “There are a variety of different magics concealing the location of the exam, but it’s technically still right in front of us. I’ve disabled all of the physical barriers preventing us from entering, but there’s still one hurdle I can’t overcome.”
“And that is?” Both Alex and I said almost in synchronization.
“Um, w-well, in addition to the defensive wards, privacy barriers, and invisible pocket dimension schematic, there’s also a mental enchantment that was specifically crafted to be immune to any attempts at dispelling magic and instead can only be broken in one way.” Evalynn said. “To break the enchantment placed on us, and walk through the barrier, we must shield our souls.”
This time Alex and I had very differing reactions to the magician’s news.
“That’s it. You were making it sound like it would be super tough. You really had me worried.” Alex said after she breathed a sigh of relief.
I on the other hand was hovering somewhere between confused and dazed. “Shield our souls, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
In response, the girls took their turns to jinx each other. “Really?” They said with noticeably different tones. Alex was in simple disbelief, but Evalynn sounded like she was hopeful or even a little happily surprised.
“Yes, that’s right.” I informed them. “I kind of knew what magic entailed as soon as I became an adventurer, but even though I noticed there were such things as soul points and soul strength, I didn’t really know what they were. And besides, I don’t even have any soul points, so I decided not to worry about it for the time being.”
Alex responded. “That’s interesting. Here, let me take another look at you.” She stared at me with an intensity that I hadn’t experienced since the time I made eye contact with Rick Steadman. “I see, so that’s how it is.” She said after a minute of quiet contemplation. “You can use it, seeing as you have before, but you didn’t know you could, or weren’t conscious of it at the time.”
“What?” I asked.
“Alright, since you helped out my sister, I’ll help you out with this, but after that I won’t owe you anything, got it?” She said.
I nodded my head.
“All humans, and several other races, have souls. From the soul, comes one of the fundamental forces of life. It is a power that is similar, but distinct from magic. The source of this power is obviously your soul, but to use it effectively requires you to use your soul points, which is your soul manifested in the form of usable energy. There are different names for this energy, and it is used in different ways.” She explained. “For instance, a holy cleric will use their soul to petition their deity to intercede on their behalf to create miracles like divine healing, or celestial light, whereas I use my soul to produce aura, which assists in my martial arts.”
I stroked my chin. “I see. I think I understand the basics of it now. But what were you saying earlier in regards to me?” I asked.
“Ah, right.” The aura user said. “Obviously you have a soul, and I can tell when I look closely that it’s already been awakened and is actually quite strong.”
I was a little surprised at this revelation. “Really, that’s great, isn’t it? That means I can get through the barrier.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple, Masamune-san.” Evalynn said.
Alex continued. “Your soul’s already awakened in the past, which means I can’t do it for you now. But because you can’t control it and don’t know how to use it. You don’t have access to any soul points. You effectively can’t use any of that soul power you possess.”
“Is there anything I can do about it?” I asked.
“Yes.” Alex said halfheartedly. “You could practice meditation until you can properly harness your soul, with your abilities, I would guess it would take you about a month.”
“A month?!” I yelped. “I don’t have time for that, I need to take the exam! Is there any other way?”
“Um, there is.” Evalynn answered. “I can’t use my s-soul either, M-Masamune-san.”
Alex cut her off. “I know what you’re thinking, but it won’t work. I can share my aura with you so that we can both pass through, but this guy can technically use his soul somehow, and it’s strong enough that if I tried to share my aura with him too his soul would resist my aura, and then none of us could pass through the barrier. This is something he’ll have to do on his own.”
My heart felt crushed, I was so close, but everything was slipping away.
“Now if there aren’t any more questions, my sister and I have an exam to take.” She said as she dragged Evalynn through the enchanted barrier and into what looked to me like thin air, before they both disappeared.
“I have to do this on my own, huh?” I said to myself and Sashimi. “Fair enough. Let me think about this, I have a soul that is ‘awake’ but not under my control. I can use my soul to perform supernatural feats when I have soul points, just like how I can perform athletic feats with my stamina points. I need to strengthen my mind to be able to perceive the entrance to the exam.”
“An awakening, perception, mind altering, unexplained supernatural ability…” that sounded like that strange feeling I had when meeting the goddess before I was reincarnated, that was when I got this thing. I thought as I pulled out the strange bead I’d been carrying around. “Something similar to that feeling happened at the waterfall where I saved you.” I told my fishy familiar. “But the clearest example was… when I fought the Lethe Leopard… That’s right!” I shouted in revelation. “When I was under the effects of the beast’s mental attack, this bead started glowing, that must have been when my soul ‘woke up’ and I was able to defend against the leopard’s mental attack.”
I turned the bead over in my hands a few times. “This thing has some connection to my soul, I think. Maybe I can use this to gain soul power.”
I tried for a few minutes to essentially switch my soul switch on through the bead, but to no avail. “Oh come on, this is incredibly frustrating, there’s no way I’m going to be able to meditate my soul into shape before the 24 hours are up.” It was the truth and to be honest, there’s no way I’m waiting around for another exam to come around. I will make it into this one, I’m registered after all.
“What else is there?” I thought out loud. “It was dark and my life was in danger.” That didn’t help me, though. It was daytime outside, and wasn’t going to change any time soon, and as for dangers, I didn’t have anything pressing me at the time other than dying of old age, or something like a spontaneous heart attack or brain aneurysm. “I don’t think danger is the trigger either, I almost died against those bandits in the Everdark forest, and I never felt any spiritual energy back then. But even if was, that wouldn’t help me now.”
But then what could possibly trigger my soul now in a way that I could control it, what was I missing. What else could it possibly be?
“I guess all I have left to me is to meditate.” And so, I made my peace with the exam and began meditating. I closed my eyes and focused on where I presumed my soul was, if it was inside of my body. I stood still and took up a natural position. I held the bead in my right hand with a sure, but comfortable grip.
And even though it still took many minutes, maybe even an hour, I could sense that it was working. My soul was ready, my body was ready. It took all of my concentration and willpower, but I could feel my soul responding to my will. All of a sudden, my soul burst to life, and I opened my eyes. Now, I could see the bead was glowing yet again, and I also had some sort of energy, probably aura flowing out and around me.
However, the thing that changed the most when I opened my eyes was that now I could see the exam site yet again, plain as day.
I could tell that the control over my soul was still incredibly weak, so I didn’t stop to celebrate and instead passed through the barrier with a single back step. Of course, once I was on the other side I did stop to celebrate. “Haha, take that Alex!” I said as I did a little victory dance.
To my surprise, both Alex and Evalynn were right there, had they been waiting for me?
Evalynn was shocked. Alex was something else. Infuriated maybe? Whatever the emotion, her actions were quite clear considering she threw a strong uppercut and knocked me off my feet.
“Ow.” I said as I rubbed my chin, after she punched me, my aura faded, but because it was still active when she hit me, it seemed I didn’t sustain any damage to my hit points this time.
After Evalynn made Alex and I apologize to each other, the three of us made our way back into the main hall of the building. Once we were there, we discovered that of the original large group of adventurers, only three had remained in the hall. The two playing cards at one of the tables, and the guy catching some z’s in the corner.
“Where’d everybody else go?” Alex asked.
The man who looked like a thief answered. “They all went to go start the exam, obviously.”
“Start the exam, I thought we had 24 hours to prepare?” I said.
“Well, you have that time to prepare, I guess, but the exam itself already started. If you don’t make it to the first phase within 24 hours, you forfeit. It seemed perfectly straightforward to me, what about you, Knight?” He asked the suit of armor he was playing cards against.
The suit of armor merely nodded in agreement.
“If it’s already started, what are you guys waiting for?” I asked them.
“Have to finish our game first, I’m totally gonna win.” The thief said.
Alex decided to speak up. “Well, putting that aside for now, how do we get to the first phase?” She asked them.
“Hm, don’t know, haven’t bothered with it yet.” The thief said still engrossed in his game.
This seemed like the kind of luck I would get, considering everything else that’s happened to me. But then again, maybe it was fate that the six of us would be stuck together, the three who left, and the three too lazy to start. It makes plenty of sense that our resolves would be tested more than the others, but that could be just what we needed to reach our true potentials.
I looked at my wristwatch and the large clock in the main hall. Nineteen and a half hours left.