Trials (1/3)

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In truth, the redhead felt a tad nervous, but when his name was called, he sucked it up and made his way forward, moving towards the stage with calm and collected steps. Jak had never been one to back down from a challenge and he didn't plan on starting either as he firmly planted himself in front of the full length mirror, of which was quite a bit taller then he was.

There were many things running through the youths mind as he reached out to touch the surface of the mirror with the tips of his fingers. Every workout he underwent alone, every sparring match with Mako, every lesson with Hadok, and every story his parents had ever told him ran through his head on repeat as he placed his full palm on the clear glass. All of his hard work and time spent, readying himself for this day, was about to be tested as he closed his eyes and let his magic course through him, something he had only recently learned to do. A bright white light lit up the room almost immediately, washing over everything and causing Jak to squeeze his eyes tighter so as to not get blinded by the brilliant flash.

The light only lasted for a few seconds though before once again dying back down until it vanished entirely, leaving the young redhead standing there with his hand against the glass. Following that, without hesitation, Jak opened his eyes and quickly looked up at the space slightly above him, waiting for the number that would decide his fate. Time seemed to stand still for him, seconds feeling like hours as the youth continued to stare, holding his breath as he prayed for a good verdict.

An eternity passed.

Then the numbers appeared, numbers designed to crush the youths hopes as he stared at them, mouth agape.

"Jak Yanda, no affinity. Score is 1697," Akino said, rapidly writing down the information on her clipboard. "Due to the examinee being younger then the designated age, the minimum requirement is 1,800. Therefore, examinee Jak Yanda has failed the first trial."

Those that had passed began to mutter amongst themselves, others in glee while some held forms of sympathy or disappointment. The group that had failed also held mixed looks, though one of them decided to help the youth by walking over to console him before leading the redhead over to the failed section. Whether or not the youth had the heart to go on wasn't a question as the trials would go on regardless of what happened to him. Jak himself was already aware that the majority only cared about whether they themselves passed or not, and he was no different.

As the last three examinees walked up and finished their trial, Jak attempted to recollect himself. His confidence had taken a massive hit, but he knew what needed to be done and, though losing the first trial had made it much harder on him, there were still two more that needed his full attention. He NEEDED to bring his A-game lest he fail and allow Mako to overtake him and become an adventurer before he himself did.

From downtrodden and defeated to standing and confident, Jak needed to do something drastic in order to get himself back in the running, to get back into the mindset of a true Elemental Rookie.

Standing up straight, the young redhead looked around, mainly towards the two receptionists who were overseeing the trials. After insuring that they weren't looking in his general direction, Jak nudged the same adventurer who had lead him over to that spot and poked him in the side.

"Oi, I need you to hit me."

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The first trial was designed to test ones magical capabilities, measuring the overall strength and capacity of ones magic before dishing out a number from 1 to 3000, numbers that were set prior to the start of each overall exam. If the examinee didn't have the desired amount, they would fail it without question.

Akino Aubree knew the rules, had gone over them hundreds of times when she had first landed her job as a WGC worker a little over a year ago, rereading them again and again without fail. She was aware of how the system worked and even why each test was essential for determining if one was qualified to become an adventurer. The Elven woman even agreed with the current status quo, believing that those unqualified would just hurt themselves and or others the moment they entered the Rifts.

However, just because she agreed with them, didn't mean she had to like it.

In truth, she held little to no interest on the trials themselves, mostly because of the majority of newbies who passed through the WGC. Most of them were average and lacked the potential to be anything more than just C-rank adventurers, adventurers who were as common as drops of water in the vast ocean. Their scores were barely above the prerequisites and their attitudes left much to be desired. What the elf truly wanted was to get a decent group or even an individual that showed promise, that gave off an overwhelming show of potential with a strong demeanor, but after so many groups had come and gone that particular day, she had all but given up hope.

It was then that a light appeared in the darkness, a hope that went by the name of Eriz Nako, a newbie wielding the earth attribute and a shattering score of 2,180.

Eriz Nako had completely and utterly decimated not only the current group of newbies but also every group that had gone previously. While the second highest in the crowd had gotten 1709, the one to watch had become Eriz, stealing the show and making everyone else seem insignificant in comparison. For the first time that day, Akino was actually looking forward to the second test just to see what else the individual had in store.

"And that ends the first trial," Flora said, commanding the room once again, interrupting Akino's train of thought. A few minutes had passed since the redhead had finished his own turn and the few people remaining had finally concluded their magic assessments. Within that time Akino had been lost in her own thoughts, something that tended to happen every once in a while. "We won't bother wasting anyone's time and will be diving straight into the next trial."

"Remember, if you fail 2 out of three trials then you'll fail the exam." Akino pushed her glasses up slightly as she gazed from group to group, collecting herself like nothing had happened. "Of course, that also means that if you failed this portion, you'll be able to redeem yourselves in the next two trials. Remain strong and persevere, that's the only way you'll be able to become an adventurers and potential Rift Hunters in the future."

Despite saying this, the elven woman didn't have any real confidence in those that had failed the first test. Once someone failed the first trial, the next one became even harder to complete due to the increased stress and anxiety that was suddenly placed on the examinee. Based on statistics, over 70% of newbies that failed the first trial went on to fail the second while the remaining percentage barely passed. It would take drastic measures to climb out of the pit of ones own wavering self confidence, measures not everyone would be aware of. It was such a shame too as she had had high hopes for the small and energetic redhead that had managed to sneak up on her earlier. In the beginning, it had actually been Jak that she had wanted to pass, but such a hope never came to fruition. The woman had never encountered someone who lacked an aura, let alone the someone being a mere youth who hadn't even hit his teens and it had piqued her curiousity.

"With the first test concluded, let's change up the scenery," Flora said as she reached up and snapped her fingers, a quick flick that even Akino nearly missed. "We'll need a wider room."

The room shimmered and rippled, akin to a drop of water landing in a small puddle, before warping into something else entirely. What was once a solid square room was transformed into a wide and rectangular space filled with countless things such as a racetrack, boxes painted on the floor, and a massive wall made out of some kind of red rubbery substance. No remnants of the previous room remained and Akino found no traces of illusions being used, only small hints of magic which permeated the air around them. No matter how many times she saw the room shift, it still boggled her mind as she surveyed the room with dark green hues.

"For the second test, we'll be conducting a physical assessment, although a much more simplified version." Flora held up three fingers, brown eyes flicking betwixt the groups. Her other hand poked Akino in the side, clearly aiming to make sure she was focused and ready to continue explaining. "Putting it simply, you'll each participate in three activities. Sprinting to test speed, dodging to test reflexes, and punching to test overall strength."

"After each and every test is done, you'll be given a score. Should that score be too low and we detect that you were able to enhance your own body using magic, the examiners will then discuss on how many bonus points should be added." Akino lifted her clipboard and began rifling through it, sifting along until she finally managed to locate the sheet with the examinees names. "This trial is ran in groups of five and you each get three attempts at each exercise. Your best score of all of them will be the only one counted. When I call your name, step up to the first exercise. First up, Jak Yanda."

The next test was made to go in reverse alphabetical order and therefore, the five who had gone last on the previous trial would then be going first. Akino wasn't sure why it needed to be reversed but she didn't question it as Flora proceeded to show the redhead where to stand. As WGC workers, their job was to simply follow and enforce the rules, that was all they were paid to do and wondering why the World Guild Center did something was pointless as it had to be done whether they liked it or not.

(("I feel bad for the little guy,")) Akino commented internally as she called out the next few people on the list. (("Only just recently failed the first trial and now he's being put on the spot for the second one. It must be hard on him, especially when considering the mental burden in combination with his young age."))

As Akino walked past the small youth, intending to make her way down to the other end of the area, where the finish line would be, the Elven woman took a small glance. Jak wasn't the first child of the day who had tried out despite being below the age restriction, and every single one of them had failed, losing in the exact same way. They fell short on the first trial and then proceeded to beat themselves up, building up their own stress and anxiety until they fizzled out and failed the second trial in its entirety. What she had expected to see was a youngling with a damaged or shattered confidence, eyes filled with self doubt as he prepared himself for the first test.

However, what she got was a child whose eyes looked determined, as if he was ready to take on the entire world. Just below his crimson hues, positioned on his left cheekbone, sat a fresh, black and purple bruise.

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"In a moment, we will begin the first test,' Akino announced from her position across the field. "The first test will be a simple sprint. Its designed to test your acceleration and your top speed. Make sure you give it your all."

Having been taken aback by the fire within Jak's eyes, the Elven woman had retreated to the end of the field, itching to get on with the test. As someone who still had to grow mentally, Akino had all but expected the youth with the fluffy red hair to be sulking, wallowing in self pity and shaken nerves as he struggled to complete the next stage of the Exam. To find that he wasn't in a downtrodden state, but rather one of unwavering spirits, the elf was thoroughly confused as she shifted her focus onto the current test. A desire to know more about him began to manifest along with a weird need to touch his fluffy, crimson colored hair.

"Um, but where exactly are we running to?" One of the examinees asked. "Are we just gonna run towards you? And how are you gonna keep track of how fast we go?"

As if on cue, the area in front of them shifted, white lines appearing before the five of them, long straight lines that lead to the end of the lengthy field. Akino stood to the right side of the newly made track, glasses pushed up as she raised her hand. She didn't bother answering the newbies question as it wasn't required of her to do so, only needing to tell him what to do and when to do it.

"When I bring my hand down, you run." Akino said simply, barking the orders loud enough for the others to hear. "I'll give you a countdown and when I say 'GO', sprint nonstop to the end like your tails on fire."

"10"

"9"

The area fell even quieter as the onlookers held their breaths, the only noise coming from the current runners and the Elven woman.

"8"

"7"

"6"

The examinees all took their stances at the starting line, of which was just a big white rectangular box that showed them where to keep their feet.

"5"

"4"

"3"

Akino almost couldn't hear herself over the pounding of her own heart as she watched everyone prepare to sprint forward. She had done it over a dozen times that day but she had yet to feel the same intensity as she had now as she readied herself to bring her hand down.

"2"

"1"

"GO!!"

Before any of the examinees could even get fully past the starting line, there was a loud BOOM as the redhead launched himself forward, becoming a literal blur of black and crimson as he raced down the line. Akino barely had time to register his speed as he barreled past mere seconds after she had thrown down her hand, a sharp wind ruffling her hair as he skid to a stop.

The room remained silent as the other examinees finished up their end of the test, running past the finish line almost a full ten seconds after Jak. None of them even came close to the speed the youth had demonstrated, the youngling having completed the run in record time. Even more so, the boy didn't even appear to be out of breath as he waited for his results to appear, meanwhile the other contestants seemed to be slightly winded from the full 90 meter run.

(("What...the hell was that???!!!!")) Akino shouted internally as she shifted her green eyes onto the space above Jaks head. (("That wasn't the speed of a mere rookie. Its at least an H-rank adventurer which isn't very impressive until you remember THAT HE'S FREAKING TEN!!"))

One by one, numbers appeared over everyone's head, informing them of how long it took them to go from one end to the other as well as giving them an overall score below it. However, Akino had no interest in the score of others as she stared at Jaks numbers, quickly writing down each one.

2.45 seconds. That's how long it had taken him to completely run the length of 90m, completely commanding the room. Whilst everyone wielded a time of 8 to 11 seconds and scoring 200 to 250 points, Jak maxed the score out at 300, earning almost half of what he needed to pass the physical assessment. Akino wasn't even sure how he had moved so quickly what with her being too far away and Jak blowing past her before she had time to analyze. It seemed to be too much to just be pure physical strength, no newbie having ever truly reached that speed at that age, even demihumans had trouble reaching that level of acceleration and most of them were built to be lightning quick and agile.

"He shifted his magic," Flora explained, seeming to read Akino's mind as she made her way over. Rather then look surprised, the blonde woman appeared to be quite amused with the newly developed situation. "Right before the start of the match, he moved nearly all of his magic towards his legs and core muscles, giving him an amplified run. As he ran, he made sure the magic was evenly distributed so as to maintain balance and further increase his speed with each step."

"But thats-"

"Impossible for even a newbie to do considering the complexity of shifting ones magic. Even for those experienced, it would take a while for them to be able to pull off what he just did." Flora shook her head as she took the clipboard from the Elven woman and began to quickly document the scores of the other examinees. "What's more, he doesn't even seem to realize what he did which is even more ludicrous. Despite his cute appearance, the kid has the potential to be something amazing."

"Instinctively control the flow of his magic? But hes only ten!!" Akino rebuttaled, keeping her voice lowered so no one could hear their conversation. "Controlling ones magic THAT efficiently at that age is literally impossible. Even ELVES of the same age couldn't do what he just did at that age and you're telling me its INSTINCTUAL!! I call bullshit."

Flora shrugged as she finished recording the numbers, giving a small smile as she handed the board back to Akino. "Believe me or not, we'll have more chances to see it in the next two tests. However, let's finish up everyone elses for the time being."

Akino had almost forgot that they were still in the middle of the trials, Jaks overwhelming speed having captured her attention to the fullest. Recovering quickly, she ushered the others to the side as she called out the next five examinees, of whom were slow to approach. Jak had displaced a sizeable chunk of earth back when he had initially sprinted forward, leaving two of the examinees without a proper foothold to start the test.

Flora quickly fixed it though, repairing it with a wave of her hand, allowing the trials to once again run smoothly.

Nothing else happened after that. Everyone ran the test 5 times each and completed with relatively average speeds and time, with the only exception being Eriz who finished at the time of 5.34 seconds and a score of 280. Akino was no longer put too much focus on him though as the first test was rapidly concluded, far faster then the first trial had been. Everyone had scored pretty well in the first test so it was much more cheerful all around as everyone talked amongst themselves as the WGC receptionists conversed with each other. After a while, Flora separated from Akino and walked towards the group, causing the examinees to instantly quiet as they waited to hear what she had to say.

"Congrats to everyone for making it this far. We will now proceed with test number 2 of the physical assessment." Flora lifted her hand straight up into the air and gave it a wave. "For this one, it's all about reflexes and how you maintain your cool under pressure. Be aware that this one can seriously injure you so please make sure to keep your guard up."

The room shifted yet again, objects appearing from thin air as the examinees looked on, before immediately drawing back the moment the things came into vision.

Five beings stood tall and at the ready, giant clubs held in their hands. With puke green skin, ugly facial features and naked bodies only covered by a cloth below the waist, the monsters were easily recognizable as Goblin Guards, one of the weaker monsters in the dungeons dotting the Rifts. Though strong enough to crush a C-rank adventurer with a single swing of their immense clubs, they were extremely slow and didn't normally travel in packs. They almost always roamed the entrances to lower tier Dungeons and Rifts, hence why they had received the name Goblin Guards.

"Take a good look. These will be your opponents for the second test. All you have to do is survive for as long as possible." Flora smiled as she surveyed the room, taking in everyone's repulsed expressions. "Be aware that these are tamed monsters but only when it's time to stop. Once you go in there, it'll automatically start and they'll be looking for some fresh meat, especially if you happen to be female."

A few of the female examinees looked rather nervous as the goblins began moving about, aimlessly wandering their section of the room which was about 70m by 70m. Saliva dripped from their mouths of which was flung in the air whenever the let out a random shout, an ear piercing yell that caused everyone to momentarily plug their ears. Standing at about 3 meters tall, the goblins clearly had more then enough lung power as their roars increased in volume the longer time went on.

"The longer you survive, the more points you get. When you reach 300 points, the monsters will be stopped automatically via electric shock, of which will provide you enough the to retreat or enough time to be extracted. Bonus points will be added if you manage to block a hit, disarm them, or knock one down." Akino struggled to speak over the goblins incessant screeching, hands placed firmly over her sensitive ears in order to keep from going completely deaf. "We will begin the trial with the fastest runner from the last test and then proceed in alphabetical order."

Flora walked over to Jak, of whom didn't seem to he affected much by the monsters cries, instead taking the time to stretch out his own muscles.

"Jak Yanda, you'll go first," the blonde receptionist said, placing a hand on the kids fluffy head. "Try not to die."

//My apologies for not wrapping up the second trial in this chapter, but I promise next chapter will end the second one and then we can dive into the third and last one.

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