Physical Exam

The town was just as energetic as before. All races were moving toward the largest colosseum in the city. Dwarves and Runic Mana users collaborated to produce something revolutionary. The creation of the orb of communication shocked the entire planet. rune-based orbs that displayed their surroundings in the air. The orb may switch between what the sorcerers refer to as channels between other orbs using runes. The majority of people can now see Aflair's student's physical examination from the comfort of their homes, while most still preferred to be there at the Colosseum. Even the Grave Violet elves could watch in the woods.

Eburhardt sat a little distance away from Mursha in the center row. Mursha had been dropping by Naralis every day to bring him lunch and watch him train, and they had become a little closer over the past few months. Eburhardt was even cursed for putting her sweetheart through such a demanding regimen. Eburhardt desired to see how his treasured fruit had ripened and was delighted by his student's development.

" Mursha?" A red-haired orc woman caught her attention. " What are you doing here? I never see you at any of these events."

" Maui!" The two shared a hug." How's aunt Arisha?"

Maui was a smaller orc in size, a few inches taller than Edward, but she practically spilled out of the clothes she wore. Her hair was as red as a blood moon, her eyebrows thin, and her nose button. Her features weren't as wide as the average orc, similar to Mursha, but her eyes made her look as innocent as a baby.

" Don't try to avoid the topic Mursh. Why are you here? The only way I can think is a …"

" Don't say it, Maui," Mursha blushed.

" It's a boy! God tell me about him. Orc? Human? Angel? No, you look more like a beast man type." Arisha was interrupted by a rugged voice.

" He's a dumbass with a good heart and a stupid fucking body," Eburhardt sneered.

" Don't listen to him, Maui. He isn't stupid. He's naive and innocent. Unlike the grumpy dick of a man beside us."

" That boy is as innocent as a serial killer."

" Shut up you-"

" Mursha, don't mind him. Tell me about him. What does he look like?"

Mursha pointed toward the sky where a slightly translucent light covered the sky from a large orb of communication.

" There he is right there."

Naralis, Edward, and the other first-year students were on the fringes of the Elder Woods, a historic man-made landmark managed by the school's officials. One would have to cross the light barrier marked in the sky to pass the exam. It was against the law to harm or assist a fellow student. Even though there was no competition, the top three students would get a prize.

Naralis' body was still, but his hands were shaky. " Are you nervous dude? It's only a test." Edward punched him softly in the chest.

" I'm not scared." His eyes wobbled. " I'm excited! I want first place."

"Too bad I'll be getting first place, elf." They both turned to see Ramiel with a wide smirk.

Edward groaned. " What do you want, Ramiel? We don't have time for your shenanigans."

" You two can't handle friendly banter? Here I thought we could all be friends." Naralis heard the sarcasm in his tone. Naralis turned around and walked away, not caring for Ramiel's talk. Edward followed

"Where are you going, elf? Do you not hear me talking to you?" Naralis came to a complete stop. The new him just looked over his shoulder, staring down at the angel, when the old him would have directly confronted him out of irrational pride. Wide-eyed, Ramiel tried to maintain his cool but he could see it. The same Knox witnessed. Behind him, he could see the ghost of death. His skin was covered in darkness like a tan, and his eyes were filled with hate.

" I don't know what you have against me or other elves, but let me warn you now. If we were to cross paths as enemies in the future, I would remove you and your family from existence and would sleep like a pampered baby afterward. Now leave us before you do or say something that you would regret."

Ramiel carefully considered his options. He was aware that Naralis posed the greatest threat to winning. He'd heard of Naralis' unnatural endurance and resilience and came to tempt him into expelling himself from the test, but he didn't expect to walk away fearing for his life.

Edward tried his best to ignore Naralis' mood swings, but they had become worse and he didn't know how to bring it up.

Before he could talk, a horn sounded, signaling the students to get ready. " See you at the finish line buddy," Edward grinned.

Naralis laughed. " We both know I'll be there before you." The second horn rang and the students dashed into the forest. Naralis wasn't foolish enough to believe the test would be so simple. He kept his eyes peeled and out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move toward him.

A monster made of sandy rock emerged from the ground with mana crystals for eyes. Naralis almost froze, contemplating fighting or fleeing, but he figured everyone else had to be going through something similar. A smile crossed his face.

' Finally, get to put my training to use.'

Naralis stopped, allowing the golem to get in front of him. The Golem was the size of an average human. Every movement it made, dirt flew off into the wind. The two stood off and Naralis went into his Salo stance.

Naralis spent the last few months, not only training his body but his new martial arts. Salo was a martial art based on the four limbs. Every strike almost carried his full power. The stance was solid, with his legs remaining on the ground and hand attacks being the main form of striking while the legs were used as a backup. Salo focused on speed, precision, and decisive blows.

As he stared the golem down, his mind tried its best to figure out how to defeat it.

' I'll aim for the heart or eyes.' The golem rushed in without giving him a second thought. The two traded blows, with Naralis receiving the brunt of the damage, but the sun was out. His scrapes and wounds healed as long as he wasn't in battle.

Naralis took the lead, smiling as he ran headfirst into danger. He launched two punches towards the golem's eyes, which it parried, and then he deflected attacks from the golem, leaving its chest open and his eyes wide at the opportunity.

Too haste.

Before his fist could hit his chest, the golem grabbed it and squeezed until Naralis howled and his wrist fell limp. Naralis clenched his teeth and delivered a question mark kick that caught the golem off guard and cracked one of its eyes. The golem released him and retreated while belting furiously.

' One more eye to go.' While Naralis was rash, one thing Eburhardt acknowledged about him was that his battle was somewhat astounding. Naralis struggled to understand Salo because of the awkwardness of his new body. Instead of forcing him to repeat the same strikes over and over again, Eburhardt made him spar against other students and his true ability shined brighter than a blue sun.

' A prodigy.'

Naralis' natural ability to adjust and get lost in the dance of battle almost made him shed a tear. The way he grasped situations and adjusted on the fly couldn't be taught and he only got better as fights grew longer or harder.

If the golem even had eyes, Naralis reasoned that the caster couldn't see through them. He had to be watched by the caster. He only needed to locate him. The search began. Using his innate senses as his tribe had taught him, Naralis inhaled deeply.

' Listen to the wind speak.'

He looked to the east. They looked at each other as soon as his nose detected a human smell. The caster did his best to blend in with a shrub, but his clumsy effort made it clear that this test wasn't just for first-year students, and whoever they were, they failed miserably.

Naralis turned away from the screaming golem and bolted toward the cloaked figure who was frozen in place.

'I didn't consent to this shit!' The man stood with his arms raised in surrender, but Naralis shin had already struck him in the temple before he could utter a word. The caster skidded across the ground as the golem disintegrated into dust.

Naralis sprinted toward the light in the sky without looking back.

The closer he got to the beacon, the more he felt as if he was being watched, and then his senses flared up but it was too late. An arrow strong enough to lift him off the ground pierced his side, but he didn't stop running.

When Naralis adapted to the caster, the crowd roared, but now they were quiet, expecting him to fall to the arrows, but after the fifth one pierced his shoulder, they released their anxieties. The elf ran as if nothing was wrong.

Naralis' body wouldn't let him recover completely because of the arrows inside him, yet he felt no pain. He'd gone through worse, and his adrenaline saved him from collapsing. The arrows came to a halt as he approached the final hurdle. He was shocked to see that some students had already arrived. Over a sizable body of water, Ramiel, Jennie, and a human woman who appeared to be partially elf were jumping from log to log.

" That dumbass is going to do it," Eburhardt laughed.

" Do what? Ramiel is going to win. He can't take the lead." Arisha turned to Mursha expecting her to say something, but the orc woman was rocking back and forth, biting her nails.

" Just watch the dummy. He'll surprise you."

With no time to spare, Naralis did something that sucked the life out of the Colosseum. He ignored the shadows lurking in the water and dove in. Hundreds of snakes swam his way. Some sank their teeth deep into his flesh. Others got smacked as he swam as hard as he could toward the other side. Ramiel's gaze fell on Naralis, and a look of defeat washed over him as he saw Naralis return to dry land. Naralis could stand no longer, but he scratched and clawed until he finally passed the barrier of light.