THE TRIALS II

Immediately Kairos got past the military personnels surrounding the other contestants, he quickly picked a more secluded part from the crowd where he observed the other contestants carefully.

Whether he liked it or not he would have to outdo or at least equal most of these contestants to pass the trials, so maybe a little insight on them would go a long way to pass the trials.

In the course of his observations he had discovered three distinct categories in the crowd of contestants.

The first was a group or category he liked to call the 'green class', a group he believed to be made up of children from rich and powerful families in the Verdant Faction. The armor they wore, the way they spoke, the aura they gave off and the degrading look on their faces all confirmed his theory of them being from a noble background.

And then the second was the 'cold gaze warrior looking' category. These bunch didn't seem to be from an exact noble background but the look on their faces and their unfaltering behavior made it clear that they must had already undergone trainings and situations like the trials, they also had that degrading look but not like the one of the green class, these was more of a degrading look in terms of strength and experience and not status. This is the group to be more wary of.

And then finally the casual group was the group I think I could also classify myself into. A bunch made up of contestants who are either ill-informed, lackadaisical or simply just unprepared towards the trials, this bunch seemed to be the most lousy of all the other categories with an indescribable sense of hope at passing the trials despite fate itself being against them." Kairos thought and then heaved a heavy sigh as he stared with pity at the group busying themselves at acquainting with other contestants.

Still lost in thoughts he suddenly felt a grip on his shoulder which immediately tensed him up but that rising tension immediately turned to surprise when he heard a calm voice with a tint of liveliness behind him

"Hey."

Shocked by this, Karios slowly turned his head staring at the direction where the voice came from and immediately a handsome figure came into sight, the figure didn't seem that much older than him and except for his more refined handsomeness, his black hair that seemed to sparkle periodically drastically complementing his attractiveness and his brown eyes and his body build that seemed more refined and firm same with one that had been put under tedious trainings there was nothing else less similar between themselves. Kairos poundered as he unknowingly began comparing himself to the figure standing before him.

Staring deeply at him, he suddenly observed something he hadn't at first, the armor like cloth the strange figure was currently cladded in looked to be same value as the ones those under the 'green class' wore if not more, and this definitely confirmed the fact that he was in fact a part of the 'green class' category.

Immediately after Kairos had finished making his deduction on the figure that had approached him, a singular question crossed past his mind.

'What did someone in the category of rich class want from him?'

But suddenly his thoughts were disrupted by a chuckle coming from the suspicious figure causing him to stare at him with more uneasiness and curiosity.

"The expression only gets funnier." The figure said while still chuckling uncontrollably but noticing his lost expression he sighed and then said after finally stopping himself from his chuckles.

"It's that odd expression you are making that has attracted my attention…you know if you want to observe others, I think it's best you don't make it that obvious at least not with that sort of expression, not everyone might take it as a casual act especially the rich ones." The figure explained in a calm tone causing Kairos to stare at him with even more uneasiness.

"Odd expression?" Kairos repeated in a quiet confused tone. Although the stranger's words somewhat sounded like threats, his tone and demeanor said otherwise, besides it was not like he could just be attacked in the presence of the Verdant Military except it was a warning after they got into the training center…no it didn't add up.' Kairos lost in his thoughts once more had heard the stranger's voice again.

"You can call me Astin Gunnar."

Staring at the boy with some more apprehension Karios replied with uncertainty in this tone:

"I am Kairos Leander."

"Well that's odd." The stranger…Astin replied with the curiosity in his expression growing deeper causing Kairos to stare at him oddly probably due to his reply but then following his gaze to where it was directed he noticed the dagger in his hand that he had earlier unsheathed when he felt the grip on his shoulder.

"Didn't know the Military Center now allowed the use of weapons during the trails?" Astin asked, his calm tone now replaced with that of curiosity.

"Eh…yeah, they made an exception." Kairos simply replied not willing to talk more on the topic.

"Hmmm...interesting." Astin muttered with a slight smile on his face, as he seemed to observe his reluctance to talk more on the topic.

After a few more contestants were registered, a loud bell-like sound was heard which immediately caused the military guards at the gate to begin closing the gates. The seven admins who were also responsible for registering the participants all formed a single orderly line and handed over the books where they had been recording the information they got from the different contestants to an older looking man who was also cladded in a cloth with the Verdant Faction's emblem on its right shoulder.

"I guess it's time." Astin muttered in an indifferent tone close to Karios' ear.

Kairos could only sigh at his words, as he also understood or at least had a suspicion on what all the sudden action was about and so did the other contestants as they all stared at the agitated Verdant officials each bearing their own distinct expression.

Although each of the contestants seemed lost in their various thoughts they were immediately brought back to reality by a sudden oppressive aura. With an expression of fear mixed with shock from the sudden change in aura, all eyes then focused on a figure cladded in the Verdant military armor standing in front of all the contestants, their eyes locked on her cold brown gaze that seemed to stare into their souls.

"Slowly make your way through the gate opening behind you…any form of disorderliness and your body and mind will feel the consequences." Her cold voice resounded through the ears of all the contestants, quickly jerking them slightly and causing them to immediately form a straight orderly line with which they passed through the gate opening behind them.

Immediately the contestants walked through the gate, most couldn't help but gasp at the sight they saw.

The place looked like an arena…a large battle arena. Apart from the desert-like look of the arena and it's wide space, another feature that caught the eyes of the contestants was the dugged down middle of the arena that made where they stood look a lot higher than the center…more like a spectators area.

At the dugged down center of the arena was what seemed like a runners track except the features of these tracks seemed very odd.

At the very beginning of the track-like area were hanging flat wood looking objects and then at the middle there didn't seem to be anything odd but at the last part of the track were large stones lying casually and blocking the end of the track.

"I believe all of you here already know what the trials are for and what would happen if you do or do not pass the trials." The earlier cold gazed lady said with an equally cold tone that immediately drew the attention of the contestants to her and the two other people standing beside her.

"...The trials begin the moment you step your feet onto those tracks. First you prove your strength by smashing through the hanging flattened mana tree trunks and then you move into the middle part of the tracks were although it might seem like nothing…there are actually Verdant soldiers hidden at this arena and ordered to shoot at you the moment you step your feet on the second part of the tracks, I'd advise you try and avoid this shots."

Immediately the lady said this, the eyes of the contestants immediately began looking around the arena in hopes of pinpointing where the soldiers stationed to shoot at them were hiding.

"....and then for the last trial, those stones blocking the end at the moment would be levitated at the beginning of the trial by manipulators also hidden from sight, you are expected to transverse these levitated stones which would lead you to the end of the trials."

"Provisions of access to the various elements you all manipulate have been made available, there are stones littered around the track and then the torches litted at the side of the tracks are for the fire manipulators and the water manipulators also have water trenches dug at the side of the track too.

"I must warn you there are chances you die or get gravely injured, you have the opportunity to give up now, you also have the opportunity to give up midway through the trials….I will give you all a moment to think about this trial before we begin."

Immediately the lady was done talking, silence enveloped the whole contestants as some bore a skeptical expression but yet none came forward to forfeit the trials.

Soon a cold voice could be heard again, one that seemed to resound through the ears of all the contestants and cause intensity to flow through their veins.

"Then let the trials begin."