Assessment (8)

Inside the academy,

The principal sat on a chair in his office with a glass of wine in his hands, cradling the cup of wine he was staring at a screen that could be called a television if not for its length that is as wide as a football post..if not more. Beside him sat a man draped in a black clothing, his facial features covered up by the hood he wore.

"Brandon, why are you making it hard for the kids?", He asked in an exasperated tone."when had the assessment become this arduous?"

"The invaders are getting more audacious, before it was like they come and test the waters but now things are different...like they have a surefire way to win against us."

"And how does that have to do with the younger generation."

"Are you dumb? Don't you get what am saying?" Brandon said turning to face him.

"I Know..I know. The black clothed man said with a sigh."you are getting them ready if a war was to breakout."

"And besides, the ancestors called for a meeting emphasizing on how we should change the academy system. So you could say this is just one of the many changes."

"What! Why? I mean why would the ancestors who are in seclusion for about how many years care about something as trivial as the academy." The black robed man blurted out in incredulity. "They seldom interact with the outside world."

"Ridley if you are feeling dubious, why don't you go ask one of the ancestors." Brandon winked.

Hearing this suggestion, Ridley broke out in cold sweat, a chill run down his spine. No one has ever questioned the ancestors judgement. Having thought about it alone could get your whole family wiped out. The ancestors words are law and no one dare go against it. At least for now.

"Anyway, am gonna do my own thing." Brandon said.

Getting up from the chair he placed his cup of wine on the table in front of him and walk closer and closer to the screen, stopping mere inches away from the screen beside it was a strange blue substance swirling like tornado, putting his hand in it he brought out a token from his space ring, much like the one that was handed over to the seedling, but this one was more large and weigh more than the former.

Brandon, placed the token inside the blue swirling substance and it dissolved...more like fused with it.

=========

At the same time,

Vincent who was by the side sitting silently watching the ongoing fight which end with Lucas dealing the killing blow was pleasantly happy thinking the test was going to come to an end at death of the beast. He sat down on the hot sandy ground smiling to himself while thinking about how life in the academy is going to be like. That was until the token which have been dormant since he got to the citadel vibrate and an announcement played in his head:

[ Announcement! Announcement!

Congratulations seedlings! For

Coming this far and being among

the best of the best!

However, the requirement for the

test have been slightly modified.

Instead of one thousand five

hundred, it has been brought

down to eight hundred!!!

If you feel reluctant or feel life is

Unfair, then change it with your

Strength!! An elementalist should

Stand strong and usurped

Unpredictability with strength!!

And also, your former point is

now useless,so do well to earn

More points. The higher your

Points... well, the better for you.]

Vincent gaze swept through the crowd wanting to confirm if everyone heard the same thing has he did or if his mind is playing tricks on him.

But he realized how stupid his thought was. The seedlings which have been formerly resting sprang up on on their feet straight like a bamboo stick and the ones who are lazing around stop immediately as if a switch have been turned off.

The atmosphere get heated up once again and everyone expression marred with wariness and killing intent emanating from everyone of them as if they weren't the ones who fought as comrades some moment ago.

The thousand participants gaze moving from one to another looking for who to prey on, that was until one of the seedling gaze shifted and landed on Vincent.

The male seedling saw Vincent earlier lazing around and not contribute to the last fight that took place but decided to ignore him. After all, everyone was participating in the battle and he did not want to distract them just because of one weak ass blonde kid who does not even have the nerve to participate in the fight everyone one was fighting. Or so he thought.

'you weren't useful in the last battle that took place, what better way is there to make you useful than to serve as my first point?' with this thought in mind the seedling whizzed past the gathering of seedling who were giving themselves deathstare with no one ready to make the first move.

A blur flashed past him and a knive came straight for his neck, but he was quick to dodge it. Unsheathing his sword in that moment he swiped it in that trajectory where the knive came from and a straight line of darkness went off the sword. Shortly after, the sword passed through his arm without any resistance like a hot knife cutting through a butter.

The seedling was not even given the time to scream before his head was also looped of from his neck. The head rolled like a football to Vincent before disappearing in white sparks with its other body following after it.

For a moment there was silent the seedling were wondering what just happened, a boy running straight to another before his arm and shortly after his head got severed off. Some seedlings developed cold sweat from the way he was killed like a helpless chicken without even having way to fight back.

Nonetheless, with that earlier display Vincent was the first to earn points. The seedling who were terrified of him had greedy expression on their face wanting to gain double the points from eliminating him but was still hesitant, but in the end their greed won over their rationality; wanting to earn double point from the eliminated seedling and also for killing him.

Vincnt, once an innocent an lonely young man was opposed to the idea of killing, but ever since that day where Rena killed those bandits and knowing what they would have done to her if she were weak his horizon got broaden.

'why am I thinking about it? It is not like I really killed him. People who died here are not dead for real.'

He shook his head and looked around. Then, developed a cold smile.

Coming at him were over ten seedlings with an expression of greed plastered across their faces. The expression on their faces was like they want to pick up a treasure that was dispose off by a crazy treasurer.

Vincent eyes grew cold, his blonde hair being waved by the wind get darken by the manifestation of his ability and for a moment it feels like the day grew dark.