"I have a long way to go."Aiden's thoughts drifted inward. He wondered if he could even handle a second-grade weapon without suffering a backlash. The thought sparked a desire to ask Isaac, but after the stern warning about limiting themselves to first-grade weapons, Aiden hesitated.
Just as Isaac was about to continue, his gaze shifted, and his voice trailed off. A white-haired figure emerged, striding purposefully toward the chamber.
As Arthur entered the chamber, the youngsters' murmurs spread like wildfire. "Isn't he one of the Big Three?" someone whispered. "What is he doing here?" another student asked.
Arthur's eyes remained closed, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Continue, Mr. Isaac. Pretend I'm not here."
The mere mention of Arthur's name sent a shiver down the spines of those familiar with his reputation. As one of the Big Three of the Atlantian kingdom, Arthur's power was second only to the king's, striking fear into the hearts of potential opponents.
His formidable aura was legendary, as evidenced by his encounter with Lagertha, a powerful S-rank mage. Despite her considerable strength, she had been helpless against Arthur's might, forced to kneel before him after he had kidnapped her children for six months, only to return them to her as a demonstration of his power.
Isaac resumed, "Before you enter the Yaijuu world, each of you will receive this." He held up a circular object adorned with various colors. "This is a tier meter, used to measure the power level of anything, including us Evolved, Yaijuus, and more."
As Isaac glanced around the room, he wasn't surprised to see the youngsters' unfamiliarity with the device. The man and woman who had arrived earlier began distributing the tier meters to the students.
"As you can see, the tier meter has different colors, each corresponding to a specific power level," Isaac explained. "Green represents D-rank, the lowest rank, as you're all aware." The youngsters nodded in agreement.
"The blue tier indicates C-rank, white represents B-rank, purple signifies A-rank, and red denotes S-rank," Isaac continued, pausing for confirmation. "Is that clear?"
Expecting the students to raise their hands, Isaac instead received nods of understanding. Satisfied, he proceeded.
"The tier meter's purpose is to help you gauge the power level of anything or anyone before engaging in battle. Underestimating your opponent can be fatal, so it's crucial to assess the situation wisely."
"Good luck," Issac said, gesturing them toward the portal.
Arthur tagged along, which caught Issac off guard.
"Just in case," Arthur said with a smile, his eyes scanning the area for potential threats. Nobody piped up clearly, they were all too intimidated.
Aiden met Arthur's gaze, his expression unreadable.
"Honestly, I'm not a fan of this guy. He's too mysterious," Aiden muttered under his breath, but still stepped into the portal. Arthur followed close behind.
As Aiden transitioned into the Yaijuu world, he felt a weird tingling sensation wash over him, like his molecules were being rearranged. Light-headed and anxious, he exhaled shakily once it was all over.
Aiden muttered to himself, "I need to get used to that." Peter approached him with a grin. "How do you feel?"
"I'm great," Aiden replied, but his trembling hands betrayed his confidence.
"Your hands are shaking." Peter's smirk grew wider.
"Shut up." Aiden shot back
The sky was as dark as midnight, and the wind caressed the youngsters' skin. Towering trees with lush green leaves surrounded them. Before them stood three tunnels, crafted from mud.
Mark, one of the B-rank individuals overseeing the unranked students, spoke up, "The first tunnel is the safest of the three for beginners like you. Given your inexperience in hunting Yaijuus, it's the best option."
The youngsters nodded and headed towards the first tunnel, dividing into their respective groups. Rhea turned to Aiden with a surprised look. "No katana?" she asked.
"No, it'll slow me down," Aiden replied.
"Exactly," Frederick chimed in with a light smile.
As they walked, the tunnel opened up to a dense forest with large trees scattered about. Mark briefed them on the hunt: "The group with the highest kill count in an hour gets a reward. Figure out the rest on your own."
Mela, another B-rank individual, held up a clock timer. "You have one hour," she announced.
The groups sprinted off in different directions, eager to start the hunt. Arthur watched Aiden's group with a knowing smile.
As the groups dispersed, multiple birds took to the sky, their purpose to monitor the students' actions and situations during the hunt. Three minutes had passed since the start, and Arthur toyed with a red crystal, a smile still on his face.
Mela, eyes closed in concentration, suddenly spoke up, "One group has encountered their first Yaijuu." Mark's interest piqued, he asked, "What's the rank?"
Mela's response was swift, "Common rank."
**********************
Richard's group caught sight of their first Yaijuu, a small, green humanoid creature with two tiny horns and white eyes. Richard's amusement was palpable.
"This thing's supposed to scare me?"
Pelia pointed the tier meter at the Yaijuu; it landed on the green mark, signifying D-rank. "We can take it," she said.
Richard, confident, stepped forward. "I'll handle this one alone." With a casual smile, he formed a wind blade and approached the Yaijuu.
Richard charged at the Yaijuu, wind blade at the ready, aiming for a swift kill. However, the creature unexpectedly dodged the attack and opened its mouth, unleashing a stream of green substance. Richard was caught off guard, but he quickly conjured wind balls from his feet to propel himself out of the way, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Returning to his group, Richard's face still wore a look of surprise. "I thought I'd take it down in one swipe," he admitted.
Pelia's expression was stern. "You thought wrong. We're a team, Richard. Stop going solo, especially when you're unsure of what you're dealing with." Her furrowed eyebrows emphasized her concern.
"Marcel, watch over our healer," Richard instructed. Marcel, a fellow mage and roommate of Peter and Aiden, nodded in response.
Peter cracked his fingers, his eyes glowing golden. "Let's go," he said, charging towards the Yaijuu.
The trio attacked in tandem Peter's glowing fist hurtled towards the creature, but it dodged the blow.
Richard's wind blade slashed through the air, only to be evaded once more. Pelia leapt into the air, her fist crashing down – but instead of hitting the Yaijuu, she formed craters in the ground.
"It's the size," Pelia observed, her gaze fixed on the Yaijuu's small frame.