The always lively town continued to bustle as excessively as ever, in fact, now that it was morning, the town was twice as busy as it had been last night. “Hello world! And hello Mr. Academy. I’m coming!” Efy excitedly shouted as loudly as he could. He packed up his blanket into the orb and jumped off the trash bin. He exited the alleyway and looked through a furniture shop across the street to view a clock. It was currently 8:30. The examination begins at 9:00, I can get there in about three minutes. Like a grenade, Efy was about to combust from sheer excitement as he hurriedly sprinted towards the academy.
He arrived at its doorsteps within the time he predicted. Standing before him were two colossal armoured giants, towering over him like living monuments. They were nearly as tall as the school itself! Their faces were completely hidden behind imposing knightly helmets, adding an air of mystery to their already formidable presence and they each held a proportionately sized long sword with their tips embedded into the ground. “What business do you seek?” they both said in unison. Their deep voices penetrated Efy’s chest, enabling a cluster of fear seeping inside. It was as if they gripped his heart and clenched it as hard as possible.
“I’m h-here for the entrance examination,” Efy stammered nervously. “Very well then.” The stone crimson gate, that was covered in blemishes, crept open slowly, the weight of which shook the ground. The gates revealed only a slither of space, barely enough for Efy to fit through.
Efy could hardly believe his eyes as he stepped through the ancient crimson gate, its weighty creak echoing like a grand announcement of his arrival. The moment he crossed the threshold, a world of wonder unfolded before him, and he felt a rush of exhilaration that was almost overwhelming!
To his left, small battlefields beckoned, each one a perfectly crafted miniature arena, etched into the grass with such precision that it seemed like a work of art. They were like tiny kingdoms, each waiting for a hero to emerge! Efy's heart raced as he imagined the epic duels that must have taken place on those very grounds.
But then, his gaze was drawn to the main building, a stunning structure that seemed to pulse with life. Its vibrant red facade glimmered in the sunlight, along with the man-sized clock at its peak. It was as if time itself was alive here.
And to his right, the fountains danced with sparkling water, their sprays catching the light like diamonds. The lush plants surrounding them were a riot of colours, as they decorated throughout the abundant grassland. Efy was utterly captivated; this place was a dream come true, far beyond anything he had ever envisioned. Everywhere he looked was filled with glamour and glory, even the people moving through the area wore expensive clothing and jewellery.
He could barely contain his excitement. This was not merely a school; it was a realm of possibilities, a sanctuary of adventure, and a place where extraordinary abilities would be learned and showcased in depth. He walked eagerly along the paved path, excited as can be..
Bang!
The massive gate slammed shut behind him, reverberating like thunder across the landscape.
Efy stumbled to the ground, startled by the sudden noise. “Why is there a dark-rat here?” a voice cut through the cacophony. “Ew, are you like a monkey or something?” another voice chimed in. Efy looked up to see two of the three boys responsible for the taunts. They stood around 170-180 centimetres tall, with the one in the middle being the tallest. All three wore brilliant armour that gleamed in the sunlight and the boys seemed to be around 18 or 19 years old. The two on the sides had dark-brown hair, while the one in the middle stood out with his familiar red hair.
“Hey! Haven’t I seen you before? Last night, when you saved me from the phanxor,” Efy exclaimed. But the boy remained silent. “Why would Audrin want to associate with someone like you?” the boy on the left sneered. Efy was perplexed, the boy in the middle was undoubtedly the one who had saved his life just the night before, yet now he stood mutely as his companions belittled him. “You should know it’s considered taboo to allow yourself to darken from the sun. How dare you?” the other boy added.
“I didn’t darken myself from the sun. I’ve always looked like this. Do you have a problem with that?” Efy retorted.
The two boys twisted their faces in disgust. “Get out of this academy right now; no one wants to deal with a dark-rat, especially a permanent one!” the same boy continued.
“That’s not fair at all. I am just as capable as you are, so why does it matter?” Efy stood his ground defiantly.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Capable? Prove it!” the boy on the left challenged.
“How do I do that?” Efy asked.
“Battle me, over there, right now!” the boy insisted.
“No, I want to take him on myself,” the other boy countered.
Their bickering escalated until Audrin intervened. “I will take on the challenge,” he commanded, and the other boys fell silent, unwilling to dispute his authority.
Audrin was the last son out of three from the Reinhart family, a famous ancestry with an
extensive line of nobility. Anyone who had lived in this town for at least a few months had heard of them.
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A cluster of people gathered around the battlefield, cheering the red-haired swordsman on. “Go Audrin! Show that dark-rat some discipline!”
The battle type selected was called Instant KnockOut, the first person to be touched with any attack was considered the loser. Just then, a short sword was thrown towards Efy. “You need a weapon don’t you?” Audrin reminded him. “Yes! Thank you so much.” Efy responded, grateful for Audrin’s actions. “Audrin is the better swordsman for sure! End this quickly Audrin!” the audience bickered. Audrin then used Xor to create a live countdown above their heads. Countdown creation was a standard Xor technique to initiate battle known by every Xor Combatant.
As soon as the timer hit zero, Audrin surged forward, swinging his sword at his opponent with a swift and fluid motion. However, Efy deftly evaded the aggressive strike, effortlessly re-establishing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Is he holding back? Why isn’t he moving as quickly as he did before? Efy quickly pushed these thoughts aside, refocusing on the battle and strategizing his counter-attack. To the confusion of everyone that watched the battle, Efy threw his sword into the air. A swordsman should never abandon his sword, however, Efy was no swordsman.
He stabilised the sword into the air with his hand and used his Xor to plunge the sword flying towards Audrin.
“He’s a mage?”
“Can’t he conjure elements then?”
The audience was thoroughly confused by Efy’s fighting style. He did not have a swordsman’s style , or that of any physical combatant, yet he was not conjuring elements from thin air, he was just swinging swords around. “Is he stupid?” many of the spectators muttered.
Audrin easily dodged away, but found trouble as the sword continuously followed him around. The spectators condemned what they did not understand, but this did not stop Efy from relentlessly chasing down his opponent with the soaring sword he possessed. Audrin attempted to deter the sword with a head-on clash with his own.
Peng!
The soaring sword was forcefully sent away from the battlefield but Efy could still control it. “How can he move it around like that, and at such a distance? I can only move my laces to tie my shoes!” A person spoke with sheer amusement. The viewers all nodded in agreement to the person. It was common practice to be taught how to tie your shoelaces without using your hands, but with the use of Xor, however for most aspiring Xor Users, executing something like that was considered complex and required immense amounts of assurance and self-confidence.
Audrin observed the unique control Efy displayed and felt it was time to stop testing the waters. In a sudden motion, he positioned his sword at his waist, angling it behind him with both hands. Adopting a wide stance, he closed his eyes. Just as Efy's sword was about to strike from behind, Audrin declared, “It’s over.” In an instant, he transformed into the brilliant flash of light that had previously eviscerated the phanxor, covering a distance of 30 metres in the blink of an eye. He halted abruptly before Efy and gently tapped him with the tip of his blade.
The crowd went into an uproar.
“Audrin you’re so cool!’
“You sure showed him!”
“He could never lose to a dark-rat!”
Audrin smiled meaningfully towards his fans and spoke with them. Efy walked up to him and congratulated him on his victory. “Hey, that’s a cool technique you have there, to actually believe you can move that fast, it’s immaculate!” Before Audrin could even think of a reply, the previous two boys taunted Efy again. “You can’t even use elements as a mage, you can’t even wield a sword, do you really think you can get that far just because you can play with a weapon like a child?” one said to him. “Somen and Tenen, let’s go, the entrance examination starts in ten minutes.” Audrin instructed. “Yes, sir!” the two unanimously replied. For a moment, Efy felt shame in his title as a mage, similarly, he felt conflicted about his complexion. Boha, I will make you proud, I will pass this exam.