9 Challenge

Everyone in the square looked at the huge screen in shock. Their facial expressions were colorful and soon, countless deep breaths resonated throughout the Testing Room!

The male students couldn't keep standing anymore and began laughing loudly while the other younger girls didn't seem to understand why they found it funny.

The middle-aged man's face also turned red, but at least he was relieved that the result wasn't as bad as he expected. With his age and that result it was still possible to find another place with a class for adept candidates.

After a few moments did the middle-aged man realize something, was't this kid only 3% genetic awakening just three days ago? To have gone from 3% to 69% in mere three days? This speed was impossible!

Thomas took in a deep breath as he waited for the examiner to announce the score.

The change from 3% to 69% was even crazier than Luccas going to 84% to 100% in one month.

"Thomas Ries: Genetic Awakening 69%" Taking a deep breath to calm his shock, the middle-aged man tried hard to keep his voice calm but a couple of tremors could still be heard.

In the crowd, Luccas covered his mouth as his face was frozen in a moment of incredible shock. "It's impossible!"

He shouted and every other student nodded their heads, they didn't really believe it was possible to reach this score after being at the bottom for so long.

Taking a deep look at the large anima screen, Thomas rose the corner of his lips in a smile. He failed once more. But this didn't make him feel as depressed as he knew the test didn't end.

His calm and passive way of thinking was really different from how he used to act, after all he had a reason to be confident!

Even though Thomas had left the Platform, the entire test room was filled with murmurs from other students who were unsatisfied with the famous trash having higher results than them.

"Hey everyone…" On the high platform, The middle-aged man happily stood up and coughed to gather the attention of all the students.

"The first phase of the examination has finished. Next up, those that did not pass the first phase have the chance to challenge someone who has already passed. But remember, there's only one chance! If you fail, pick up your things and prepare to leave." The middle-aged man said with a cold and impassive voice.

Hearing that, the students in the square became disorderly. Those that only missed the cut off by a bit sent their hot gazes towards those who made it.

Under the challenging gazes, the students who got too high of a resuilt rose their heads in disdain while the others who barely passed were filled with fear as there was a change their previous happiness was over nothing.

However, even if the failed students wished to challenge others, they were too afraid of taking a beating and waited for another student to step forward before them.

"Alright ..." Seeing no one else was confident in being the first one to try, Thomas decided to take the liberty of stepping forward. He was never one to run away even when he was at the lowest point, so why cower in fear now?

Seeing the way this "Trash" student was acting, both the middle-aged man and the Elite Adept Shade felt some expectation towards this loner student.

And under everyone 's heated gauze, quickly walked in front of the most dangerous and talented student in the room, Luccas and pointed at his face while staring at the middle-aged man:" Instructor, I challenge him! "

Even the middle-aged man had disbelief flash through his eyes. In addition, his face was a disappointed gauze. Looks like he didn't believe this student had a chance against this newly born Adept.

Luccas narrowed his eyes as he examined the young man before him. His face seemed nothing like the youth he was used to see all alone by himself, surrounded by a depressed air. With bright eyes that shone like stars he exuded a strong presence that the young man didn't show before.

If his memory of him served him, two years ago when they were in different classes, Thomas seemed to have a pretty high position among his classmates at the time.

Normally, he'd follow behind him and were even friends. But then when his old friend of his was at the lowest point, he (Luccas) did not show any kindness and instead acted as they have never met.

Recalling old memories, Luccas showed a dangerous smile. "Alright, I accept."

When the others heard his words from him, even Adept Shade found it hard to believe a person who became an Adept would accept the challenge of a student who couldn't even achieve the 70% awakening.

Her first thought of hers was to step forward and stop this meaningless fight as Thomas would only get hurt from it, but her old teacher held her by the arm and shook his head.

'Don't ... It's his choice to challenge him.'

Shade stopped when she heard it. It was Thomas who initiated the challenge and as it was still in the rules of today's final examination they couldn't say anything and only watch.

They all headed to the stone arena on the other side of the Testing Room.

Some people including the middle-aged man himself found it hard to believe this student didn't cheat. But as he had the balls to challenge the top of the entire Adept Preparatory Program, no, as he was already an adept he didn't even need to continue in the class if he wanted.

"It's definitely fake! Even if it's true he couldn't even resist one second against Luccas." At the edge of the square, a male student licked his dry lips and angrily spoke to the student at the side.

"It should be impossible for him to win right? Then why do my instincts tell me there is something else about this youth that makes him way more dangerous than the other student?" Within the crowd, the Elite Adept Shade bit her lip. She was sure that the young man had no ways to win against an Adept as she knew very well the difference between normal humans and those who are Adepts.

But as a veteran Adept, she trusts her instincts more than anything and she felt something mysterious about that kid that made her a bit fearful.

Under intense gazes, Luccas and Thomas in the stone were about to fight!

Luccas tilted both upwards as he shot his body towards Thomas, with his power from him he was planning to finish this fight in a single blow! Taking

Taking a deep breath, Thomas stomped heavily on the ground and started to dash foward to meet Luccas.

"Rock Slashing Palm!"

Quickly nearing Thomas, Luccas suddenly vanished like his right hand swept over to Thomas 'head with the intent of incapacitating the opponent.

Thomas who was in the middle of the fight felt as if his mind was at the bottom of an icy sea. His eyes couldn't see through the fast moves of Luccas, but for some reason his own body knew all the movements the latter did.

He used his waist as the center in order to release all his power. A thin thread of gray mist shot through his body created an explosive force through his arm. His fist of him was like a lightning bolt and he suddenly hit the huge solid palm that arrived from behind.

Thomas' eyes flashed. He saw Luccas in all his arrogance and did not expect him to reach so fast and left open a breach in his defense.

A breach Thomas was glad to his favor.

When the two hands were about to meet, Thomas retreated his punch in a lightning speed and took a smooth step to the left. With a few years worth of body training and his knew increased stats, Thomas felt his abilities were way more than the double of what it used to be.

With only one step, Thomas avoided the attack aimed at him. At the same time, Thomas lightly twisted his body as his hand reached towards Luccas' arm.

"Pan!" Everyone felt like everything happened in a split second as Thomas's punch landed firmly on Luccas arm. Causing his face to pale as he held his arm, feeling the pain from the puch he just received.

"F ** king bastard! I'll beat you!" After being hit by the famous trash of the entire institute, Luccas eyes were filled with flames. Raising his head, he threw a ferocious glare at Thomas before the entire testing room was filled with light.

A pale-green Anima energy burst forth making cracks on the stone ground.

"I will go serious now!" With palms stretched outwards and overflowing with energy he turned to Thomas.

All the students couldn't believe he could force Luccas to use Anima energy against him in just one blow, and the middle-aged man and the Elite Adept felt even more surprise.

His right hand uncoiled slowly then closed abruptly. And Thomas felt an extremely strong force pull him towards Luccas.

"Get over here!" Luccas smiled to himself as he used his Anima energy to pull Thomas towards him.

Seeing Luccas preparing to knock him down, Thomas planted his feet more firmly into the ground. However, the strength used was insufficient. He felt himself being sent towards Former.

As his body flew in an arc towards Luccas, Thomas who felt the danger of losing the battle unconsciously closed his eyes.

His senses of him seemed to spread over the entire testing room and even beyond, and a three-dimensional image of the interior of the room seemed to form in his mind.

Demonic Sense! Demonic Energy!

Without his control of him, the two Demonic abilities he got from the system seemed to sense the danger and acted in order of protecting his body from him.

When his eyes opened, he did not seem to notice the vertical pair of pupils.

Crack *

Without anyone expecting the control the Anima Energy has over him was broken out of nowhere, and Thomas graciously landed on the stone arena.

"Rock Slashing Palm!" Luccas cried out with fists clenched tight. A thread of the Anima Energy that covered his hands escaped from his palm creating deep sounds that resonated in midair.

Feeling the abundant Anima Energy, Thomas let out a breath as countless threads of gray energy seemed to gather inside his arm.

Thomas waved his hand, blasting out a huge wave gray energy from his palm toward Luccas.

Bang!

The atmosphere grew heavy as invisible energy ruthlessly pushed back the figure of Luccas until he was smashed against the cold stone wall, his body filled with scratches left this by unknown force.

Thomas was also hit by the wave of pale-green anima energy was left a trail of blood as he was shot into another wall.

"Anima Energy?! No .. This is..." The other didn't notice the change in the last second as the two were too close to one another, but Katherine Shade with all her experience fighting demons and other dimensional creatures couldn't help but detect something straight away. Her face changed colors several times as her eyes shone in a cold light.

Other than her, others were even more confused as to them all they saw was a blur before the two were pushed back to opposite sides, heavily injured.

The middle-aged man went to the two, but even before the heavily injured body of Luccas managed to get off the wall and stand up. With this he had indeed won the challenge, yet, neither he or the other students would ever doubt that frail figure of Thomas who was unconscious on the ground.

"Teacher, tell this kid Thomas to go meet me later when he's better. I'll be leaving first." While the other students were chatting among themselves, full of excitement after the amazing battle they just witnessed, Katherine went over to her teacher and whispered in his ear before leaving quietly.

After this fight even if he failed others would know he wasn't trash. With the power Thomas showed every other student in the class would suffer when facing him, but instead he decided to challenge the strongest one and still managed to get a tie!