Whack-A-Mole

Step into the extraordinary facility called the Enchantopia, where reality and fantasy blend together. This extraordinary place had a special power – its interior could transform into many different breathtaking landscapes and could even recreate a crystal-clear sky.

Every corner of the Enchantopia offered a stunning sight to behold. The whole place was filled with a mystical energy, thanks to thousands of runes etched into its very foundation.

These runes create a captivating sense of illusion that spreads throughout every inch of this magnificent architecture. Without a doubt, it stood out among the other magnificent structures found at the Astral Sanctum. Therefore, it was the best facility dedicated to training.

As the group lined up before the paladin, his finger tip sucked up moisture, forming a few droplets of water from the surrounding air. He used the water to draw rune symbols in the air, causing the floor to vibrate briefly. Once the runes were complete, the landscape began to crumble and reshape until it was transformed into a rocky forest.

When inscribing the runes, the paladin included elements that made the test invisible to the other groups. Therefore, to them, they were still on the metallic floor, and the paladin had simply teleported away with the group of five.

In the background, the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling filled the air. Mickey felt uneasy as he awaited his fate, noticing that the pale boy next to him appeared extremely nervous.

"In order to begin the test, step forward if you do not possess a pendant," the paladin commanded.

Flynn and Mickey exchanged worried glances before reluctantly stepping forward. Aubrey was the last to join them.

The paladin reached into his cloak and retrieved three shimmering pendants. Flynn examined the pendant with suspicion but ultimately desired the strength it promised more than his doubts.

"What is the meaning of this?" Flynn asked skeptically.

"Accept this pendant, and it shall serve as your instrument to form a pact with a demon, granting you a fighting chance in this cruel world," the paladin answered with a reassuring smile.

The Alchemist Revolutionary Army often distributed pendants to trainees from the exorcist school who couldn't afford one for their pact. They mainly made pacts with four demon races, each controlling one of the basic elements - Aquasirens with water, Terraquakes with earth, Ziphyrgeist with wind, and Infernals with fire.

Those who accepted the army's offer could only become stronger by serving them, as all the four elemental pendants were under their control. This allowed the army to maintain power and keep up with the hellblazer bloodlines.

Flynn hesitated, his mind filled with doubt. However, the paladin's words resonated through him, enticing him with the promise of greater power.

"Very well. If this is the path to strength, I will take it," he reluctantly accepted, disregarding the conditions that came with the pendant.

As the paladin placed the pendant in Flynn's hand, their eyes locked for a brief moment. Mickey observed, his internal struggle displayed on his face.

"You have no choice, lad," Zany whispered to Mickey. "Without a pendant, they'll assume you're possessed by a demon. You must accept it."

"But they'll monitor my growth," Mickey worriedly replied. "What do I do when they find out?"

"If you deny it, they'll still believe you're in a pact without a pendant, and that called demonic possession." Zany explained. "There will be eyes on you, and the slightest hint of using demonic essence will result in severe consequences. Take the pendant."

Mickey contemplated his options as he stared at the black pendant before him.

"We don't have all day, boy!" The Paladin urged.

Reluctantly, Mickey stretched out his hand to receive the pendant. The paladin's gaze remained fixed, acknowledging his final decision. As his fingers touched the smooth surface of the pendant, a shiver ran through him.

[Infernal pendant detected]

[Sorry! A second pact can't be enacted]

[Would you like to convert it into 10XP?]

"Whoa!" Mickey exclaimed, feeling tempted to exchange it for XP but ultimately deciding against it.

Aubrey's gaze remained resolute, aware of the conditions and consequences that came with accepting the pendant. She had already made her choice.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept it," she replied with a smile.

The paladin was not surprised by her response. Occasionally, there were those who initially refused but eventually accepted when faced with difficult circumstances. He nodded solemnly, acknowledging her decision.

"Those of you who accepted have made a wise choice. Through these pendants, you will forge a bond with your demon counterparts, becoming stronger than you can imagine. But remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use it wisely," he reassured them with a nod.

A beam of sunlight pierced through the thick canopy of leaves, casting a glow on the moss-covered forest floor.

"It's time for your test." Yelled the paladin, "We are not just testing you on physical prowess, but also on your ability to adapt and improvise."

"I have decided that all of these factors would be determined from only one test. Therefore, I will demonstrate to you how it's done first. Hopefully, I will see those who will not learn from my mistakes, adapt, and improve."

The paladin stood before a 6 foot tall ancient rock, partially emerging from the ground. Its rugged surface was covered in mosses and lichens.

With swift and deliberate movements, the paladin began drawing intricate rune symbols in the air again. Each stroke of his finger left a symbol made of water in the air. It was clear he was in a pact with an Aquasiren due to his fine use of water.

As he completed the final stroke, the runes seemed to come alive, floating in the air. The ancient rock reacted, trembling and shifting as if under a spell.

Suddenly, the moss-covered rock splitted open, revealing twelve holes. From within, mischievous rocky moles poke their heads out, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Whoa! Is the test a whack-a-mole game?" Ingram shouted, nearly vomiting a mouthful of blood.

"Whaa-hahaha!!" Mickey fell over, pointing at the test with one hand and clutching his stomach with the other.

"Hihi!" giggled Aubrey with an amused smile, like that of a child who had seen their long-lost toy.

Niander pinched her nose-bridge while thinking, 'Seriously, a whack-a-mole game? Is this paladin for real?'

Flynn was just grinning at his new pendant as if he had just discovered a new world in it.

The paladin stepped back, a confident smile forming on his face.

He gripped the stone mallet tightly and prepared himself for the whimsical challenge. "It's rare to be tested by a Paladin like me, who loves demonstrating for all to see. Now watch carefully."

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, the first rocky mole emerged from its snug home, peeking its head out of one of the holes. The paladin's reflexes kick in, and he swiftly brought the mallet down, connecting with a satisfying thud against the mole.

BANG!

"Hahaha!...haha!" Mickey rolled all over the floor.

As soon as the mole retreated into its hiding place, another one popped up from a different hole. The paladin's focus was precise as he whacked each mole with impeccable aim and speed.

With every hit, Mickey rolled on the floor, laughing hysterically. Ingram flinched anytime the cuteness of the moles was being whacked away. Aubrey kept giggling, whereas Niander was neutral. Flynn was just drooling as his stared at his pendant.

The forest was filled with the sounds of joyful laughter and the occasional thud as the paladin came to the end of his moss-covered adventure.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat, ending their little amusement. "I hope y'all learned something?" He continued, "Now those who accepted the pendant can come later for the test ones they are basically in tune with their demons. However, I will still have to give you a power level of 1. This means you are still on the initial connection level in terms of bond strength."

"Oosh! I escaped the test." Mickey cheered inwardly. He turned to look at Flynn; however, he was still lost in admiring his new pendant.

"Alright, Aubrey, show us how far you can get without a pendent." The Paladin called out, to which she smiled, standing in front of the game. She reached for the stone mallet, raised it high above her head with both hands, and brought it down with maniacal force, sending the first poor mole into the air.

Helpless moaning emanated from Aubrey as she began to smash the moles with relentless enthusiasm.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle! Hello, little moley!" She giggled

She swayed back and forth, her movements almost hypnotic, as she bashed each emerging mole with both hands. The moles still popped up and down, but Aubrey's wild laughter filled the forest.

"Missed one! Oh, that won't do!" She yelped

Unbeknownst to her, the game had already reset to level two. As moles dodged her strikes, she grew increasingly agitated. Her giggles turned into maniacal chuckles. With every missed blow, her frustration mounted

"Giggle, smack, miss, giggle, smack, miss!" She kept chanting.

Aubrey's movements became wilder, more erratic, as if she were engaged in a macabre dance. The moles seemed to multiply, taunting her.

"Sheesh! What is wrong with her?" asked Mickey, as he stared dead at her, unable to laugh.

"I... I don't know." Ingram stammered.

Aubrey's face contorted into a mix of fury and amusement while she furiously swung the mallet, pounding the game with growing intensity. Moles scatter in all directions, some unscathed by his strikes.

"Oh, looks like I'm not hitting a home run tonight! But I'm loving the effort! Keep running, little moles!" She snickered,

Her laughter echoed throughout the forest, a twisted symphony blending with the beeping sounds of the game.

'Is she possessed, but I should have sense it already if that's the case.' The Paladin thought with eyes wide open. He had never seen a normal human so young, beautiful, and tender, yet this aggressive.

'Honestly, she gives me the creeps. If a demon possess this kind of person, they will be really dangerous. We have to keep her at all costs.' The Paladin couldn't stop worrying about what he was seeing until the buzzer went off.

"Finally," said Aubrey, flinging the mallet aside and panting. Her eyes were wild with madness.

"Enough is never enough, is it?" She asked whimsically.

As the last mole hid in, her maniacal laughter resonated. "You better run."

The Paladin goes on to give his judgment.

"Your strength is oddly at peak human for you imp-thin frame and without a pact, so 6. Your agility is also impressive for a regular human, 6 in that department. Your durability is also good, almost as if your body forgets about getting tired with all the swinging, 7. However, you displayed bad coordination and no strategy, and even though you gave the game a beaten of its life, you still missed a lot of the moles at level 2."

He continued..."Lastly, since this test is purposely for measuring bond/pact strength between a human and a demon, I can't rate a pact-less candidate high. So I will give you level 1.2"

"Cool, thanks." She smiled.

'Huh!' The Paladin's brain went numb.

***