entrance test part II

"Will You Waste the Opportunity to Enter the Capital?"

On a platform located on the first of three mountains, two siblings can be seen having a conversation.

"Brother Robert, are you really going to train in this sect? You know very well that several sects from the capital have sent you invitations to join them. You even have an invitation from a master of a principal sect to be his personal disciple," spoke the one who appeared to be the older sister. She wore a white judogi that matched her long black hair and grayish eyes.

"I'm not interested in any of those sects. The only thing that interests me is becoming a disciple of Master Liu," replied the younger brother while trying to tie the belt of his blue judogi. His disheveled black hair matched his bored expression.

"I can't waste this opportunity. You of all people should know that, Kelly," continued the younger brother.

"Yes, Uncle Joseph worked tirelessly to get you into this sect, but I'm just saying that in the other sects you'd have a guaranteed privileged position. Here you'll have to work hard to earn it, and if there's something you hate, it's working hard. Am I wrong?"

"If there's something I like more than anything in life, it's great challenges, and this sect, despite having lost all its prestige, is the greatest challenge I'll ever have in my life. So, please, don't take it away from me."

Robert clenched his fists. Being in this sect was not only the greatest challenge he'd have in his life, but also a great opportunity to be trained by none other than Liu. He was not only the best martial artist in the province, but even other provinces wouldn't dare to approach Master Liu.

"Well, since you're staying, I'll stay too. This way, I can see what kind of martial artists I'll encounter in this second-rate sect."

"Don't underestimate them, sister. Maybe the sect is in decline, but as long as Master Liu is instructing, even the martial alliance would think twice before declaring war on him."

The brother and sister continued their conversation until the arrival of the first two aspirants caught their attention.

The first was our boy with the peach-colored hair. His long, messy hair was tied in a makeshift ponytail, but what mattered was the serious and determined look on his face. Those purple eyes made the pair of siblings lose focus for a moment, but the voice of the second aspirant arriving brought them back.

"I'm telling you to apologize, shrimp!"

"Alright, I will. I'm sorry you think you need an apology," Izuru replied to the black-haired boy who was following him incessantly.

"What do you think is going on, brother?"

"The truth is, I don't care, but it wouldn't hurt to know," he said while walking toward the two aspirants.

"Gossip," Kelly whispered with a sweet smile as she watched her little brother about to strike up a conversation with someone outside the family for the first time in his 12 years.

Meanwhile, with the trio of boys...

"Hey, hey, hey… what's going on here?"

"This guy claims to come from another dimension."

"Ha, ha, ha. The worst part is that he stands by his story."

"Come on, tell me the story."

"Rain kidnapped me and brought me here. That's all I'll say."

Several children who had just arrived started to hear what Izuru said, and within minutes, he was the laughingstock of the place. Whispers and murmurs could be heard in the distance, looking at the boy like a liar.

"Silence," the female voice from earlier spoke again. Her tone was commanding; when she spoke, all the children listened.

"We'll soon be collecting your recommendation letters. It would be best to form several lines, all in order of size."

Immediately, everyone set aside the small incident with Izuru and went to form a line.

Shortly after, several martial arts instructors appeared, going from line to line to collect the aspirants' cards.

"Are you the liar? How dare you slander our king? You should definitely be banned from participating in the entrance test. Most likely, you don't even have a recommendation from an influential dojo," the boy behind Izuru spoke mockingly, trying not to be heard by the instructors.

"Recommendation? Is that the card Rain gave me? He said I'm his method of entertainment, not his obligation, so he'll probably make it hard for me," Izuru thought to himself before having to pass his recommendation card to one of the instructors.

"This is impossible. Ma'am, come take a look!" the instructor called his superior to verify if this was for real.

"Why all the fuss?" the woman with the demanding voice was right next to Izuru. She was beautiful.

She was a tall woman, her silver hair contrasting with her tanned skin, her hourglass figure made more than one of the children blush, and of course, her crimson eyes seemed to look beyond the soul.

Now Izuru could feel what others felt when looking into his eyes for the first time.

"Don't even think about it," the black-haired boy spoke again. "I've already decided; one day I'll marry her," he said with hope in his voice as he looked at the woman, almost drooling.

"I saw her first," Izuru whispered, diverting his gaze.

Meanwhile, that woman was examining the recommendation card given by Izuru. There was no doubt; it was authentic, made with miasma of the highest level. This was made by a god!

"Whose card is this?" she shouted as she raised the card. Immediately, all the aspirants identified the card Izuru was playing with, so he was pointed out by all the aspirants, except for three people who simply looked at him with curiosity.

"That kid is the center of attention, and the entrance test hasn't even started yet," Robert spoke, feeling his heart race. He felt someone might put him to the test.

"She's pretty, but she looks really young," Kelly said as she watched the peach-haired boy.

"I wonder if he's really special…"

The woman looked seriously at Izuru, and before he could say anything, she knelt before him.

"It's a pleasure to have a guest from your divinity, Rain, present here."

"Is he really a guest of Rain?!"

"Correct, he was recommended by Rain himself, as his recommendation card emits a different Qi smell, it's not made of paper, and finally, its color and aroma match that of the miasma manipulated by his majesty."

A bunch of whispers began to be heard. Kelly looked surprised, Robert excited, and that black-haired boy only smiled; he wanted to crush this prodigy.

"The entrance test will begin shortly," said the woman, and at the same time, four different objects appeared in the center of the platform. "Each test will be explained only once, so pay close attention."

"Yes, master!" everyone replied, except for Izuru.

"Do I look that old?" As everyone confirmed, she said, "From now on, those who want to refer to me will call me Kaina or instructor."

Observing the confirmation of all the aspirants, the instructor snapped her fingers and made a machine appear to measure the strength of punches. It was quite different from the machines Izuru was familiar with.

"As you can see, the first test consists of measuring each of your strengths. If you fail, you're out. Each point equals a pound. Get 10 points and you'll pass the test. Get 20 and you'll become my personal disciples. Get 30 and even the elders will fight over you."

"To show you there's no trick, I'll give a demonstration."

"Yes, instructor!"

After adjusting her breathing, she positioned one foot behind the other, stomped, rotated her hips, and threw a punch, twisting her fist during the trajectory of the strike. The impact was brutal.

"175 points!"

"Didn't she say each point means a pound?"

"What an amazing woman."

"Wasn't that just a normal punch?!"

Izuru was astonished; he admired that woman's technique and then he knew: he had to score at least 20 points.

"Alright, you've seen it, there's no trick. Who will be the first to try?"

The first to step forward was that black-haired boy.

"I want to try," he said excitedly as he boldly stood in front of his instructor.

"What's your name?" the instructor asked with a smile at the boy's confidence.

"Pyo Wol."

"Alright, Pyo Wol, you can start."

Without any fuss, Pyo Wol positioned himself. He looked focused, and with just one glance, Kaina could tell. That boy had copied her technique perfectly.

A powerful right punch was fired with more precision than strength.

At the top of a nearby tower, five elders were seated at a round table, sipping tea while discussing the entrance tests.

"What an interesting boy; it's clear he's learned breathing techniques. You can tell his body is made for martial arts. After all, releasing so much power in such a small body could have serious consequences."

Back with the aspirants, everyone looked astonished at the black-haired boy. After receiving that blow, the machine registered an impressive 70 points.

"Who the hell is that boy?"

"No idea, but his punch is 70 pounds!"

"It's outrageous."

"Ha! Who would've thought there would be people standing out in this sect besides you and me, sis?"

In that tower, the five elders were fascinated by such power.

"He's only 6 years old and has so much strength," one of them said, excitement evident in his voice.

"Waiting was totally worth it," an elderly woman exclaimed, watching that boy in awe.

"But we still need to see how he performs in the other tests," one of the elders exclaimed, and all the others nodded in agreement.

Back at the testing area...

"Congratulations, Pyo Wol. You're qualified for the next test. You can go rest while the others take their turn."

"Sure," He said, proudly making his way through the crowd toward one of the available benches.

"Then it's my turn, dear master." Before anyone could step forward, an incredible flash passed through everyone and positioned itself in front of instructor Kaina Tsusumi.

"Yes, what's your name?"

"My name is Kelly, instructor, nice to meet you." With a smile, she extended her hand to her instructor. Kaina accepted it and asked her to continue with the test.

The posture of that girl was elegant. With each breath she took, her muscles filled with oxygen, causing them to swell slightly.

Quickly, a punch was fired toward that machine. Many of the aspirants couldn't see the moment it was thrown, but the score of that girl was clear.

"30 points!"

"N-no way, is her punch 30 pounds?"

"She's really strong, plus she's pretty."

"But it's 30 pounds, and if she can throw punches that fast, she'd knock you out in five seconds if you make her mad."

The atmosphere was lively; many kids commented on Kelly's great speed and beauty. However, the mood would become even more animated when Robert, imposing, serious, and excited, approached the platform.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Robert."

"Alright, you can start the test."

Without much fuss, Robert positioned himself in front of the machine. His stance was a bit strange. Like his sister, he filled his muscles with air, and in an incredibly awkward posture, he threw a powerful diagonal punch.

"Smash!" Robert exclaimed at the moment of impact. After a few seconds, the result showed 132 points.

The commotion was immediate; all the children were astonished that someone so young possessed such destructive power.

"Oh, my knuckles hurt...," Robert said with a pure expression of excitement as he clenched his fists and searched for Izuru with his gaze. "Give me a real challenge."

Though it sounded like an invitation for everyone, Izuru could feel it: he was inviting him to compete.

Could he really face such talent?

To be continued…