Ambush!

Waking up the bumping of a wagon, I sat up. There was a haze of dust that settled around me and, in the air, as we traveled down a dirt road heading heavens know where.

"Where are we going?" I asked to the people were sitting around me. I had a horrible headache, and it took me a second to realize who was sitting around me.

Around me sat 7 people: Darius, Kun, Yuran, Aris, Envy, Warcoth, and Destiny. Realizing that these were all people that did well in the tests, I came to the conclusion that they must have been the people who passed the test.

"Aaah, good morning sleepy head, it's nice of you to join us." Aris said to me in exasperation.

"You seeped through the whole entire last test, and even half of the ride to the tournament."

"What, what tournament? augh, why does my head hurt? I asked in confusion.

"Well, with that final attack that you did when you were fighting Seleste was totally rad, you must have drained your whole reservoir to cast that! Darius said. He was the bigger type; tall, broad, and had a chiseled complexion.

When he started recounting in detail what had happened, my memories started to resurface. Checking my reservoir, I realized that I had most likely completely used up every drop of mana in my body, which would explain my headache.

"Anyways, we were just talking about our powers, mind going first?" Aris asked. She knew that I rarely talked about my abilities, which was the soul reason that she was asking in a setting where I couldn't back down. Even then though I still tried.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember what all of my abilities are, maybe ask Frank of Humphrey? I responded. This seemed to be the wrong response however because shortly afterwards, Aris grinned at me and yelled our to the divers booth.

"Hey, Gran, can you please assist Jason with his system setup! he just woke up and would like to start immediately if possible."

Glaring at her I realized that I had just walked into a trap. Whatever this 'system' was, was clearly something that would help the others get the information they wanted out of me. All the sudden a man that I did not recognized poked his head through the front of the carriage, reaching a hand out and snapping in my ear.

"Ow, what the... AAH!" A burning sensation spread out from right behind my ear, spreading out of the side of my head before climbing down my neck to my chest.

[Welcome to the Adventurers guild]

{Warning: Divine interference, Guild mark affiliation may have unintended side effects}

[Congratulations, you have joined the Ikhoris adventurers guild.]

[Notice: you are only a student, and if your student status is revoked, then you will loose access to the system and all related memories of said system; Thank you!]

{Caution: as an adventurer in training, you will not have access to any guild quests and trying to take guild quests or hunting monsters beyond self defense is illegal unless otherwise specified.}

[ERROR: Divinities Kek, Khorne, and {ERROR} have interfered with the system. some functions may be changed!]

*You have gained the Mark of a Bloods Wraith Adventurers mark.

*you have been granted the boon [Guild Mark Configuration] by deity {ERROR}, you can now change your mark in between 2 different forms, standard, and Incognito. While in incognito no one will know your true identity unless told.

Groaning in pain I looked at the man, before limply waving my hand at him and saying thankyou. The man, however, did not want to leave him alone just yet and looked at his mark in curiosity.

"How interesting, Your mark seems to be a reactive one. Very rare and interesting, yes; very interesting indeed! Young sir, your guild mark seems to have taken the appearance of a bloody dagger. however your mark is reactive, as in it looks to be dripping and running." Handing me a mirror the man pulled out a notebook from his bag and slithered his way almost inhumanly out of the hole he was leaning down through and started scribbling things down.

As I looked in the mirror I gasped in shock. There appeared to be a dagger made of ink imprinted on my skin, the hilt wrapping up and around my ear. The end of the blade ended right above my heart, reaching across my whole chest and running up the left side of my neck.

Dripping down the hilt, and running down the blade was blood, that seemed to disappear at the tip of the blade. As I watched I could see a pool of blood start to form over my heart. Focusing on my mana reservoir, I could see that my mana absorption had sped up, and the pool of blood at the tip of the dagger seemed to be a representation of how much mana I currently had stored.

I sat there for another watching in fascination. Half of my chest, all the way to my shoulder blade was covered in glistening blood now. When I touched the skin where it was, the blood rippled, but none of it came away on my finger.

"Well thats a novel mark" Darius spoke up, looking at it with interest.

"I Got mine on the back of my shoulder bade, nothing as flashy though..." As he said this, he pulled his shirt off and turned around to show us. On his back, there was the back mark of a lion roaring.

"The system said it was a... Mark of the pride"

Turning to face Aris, I asked her about hers. Blushing she looked away and only said that it was a flying heart, wrapped in vines, with tattered wings around it. There were thorns on the vines, and where they pressed into the heart, blood spilled out. Unlike his though hers was not a reactive mark and was a still picture.

"Unfortunately. it is in an... embracing spot so I cant show you right now." She said with a faint smile."

"Ooy! State your name and purpose of approaching!" a voice shouted from outside the carriage as it came to a stop. I was able to identify the voice as Franks, but the person who responded was someone that I had never heard before.

"Iits ok, Weere just heer to traade with you." The unidentified man said in a slimey and drawn out voice.

"We arent a trade caravan, and are royal knights, let us pass and nothing bad must come of this meeting." Humphrey piped it. It was clear to everyone that this was not just a trade visit."

"Ooh, how disappointing" the man said, before whistling. 30 men stepped out of the trees, surrounding them.

Standing up I opened the door and infused wind into my boots, before jumping as high as I could. When I looked down I could see that everyone else had stayed in the carriage, and the royal knights were sword to sword with the bandits. Remembering what I had done when fighting with Seleste, I held out a hand and channeled my magic through my body and into my hand, where I focused on letting it out in small spurts. Targeting the bandits that were staying behind the others and clearly trying to cast spells, I shot out spear after spear, 10 in total. each spear had a different target.

Out of the 10 spears that I sent flying at the enemy mages, 3 missed. 2 more were blocked, but the last 5 stabbed into there targets with unerring accuracy, killing the neigh instantly.