'Fuck. 'let's do this' my ass. How the hell am I even going to scratch that without Mana' Damien contemplated, sweat beading on his forehead as he stood before the imposing boulder, the sheer size of it loomed over him, a monolith of despair that seemed to mock his very existence..
Even those blessed with mana had failed to make so much as a dent on the stubborn rock, and yet, here he was: a magicless commoner, standing before the same trial, expected to perform the impossible. The sheer absurdity of it would've made him laugh… if it didn't sting so much.
But still, he noticed that when he woke up in his younger body, he maybe, just possibly might have regressed with the physical strength he had in his previous life before he died. Even earlier during his run, he'd felt an unmistakable lightness to his movements, familiar yet surprisingly enhanced.
'Maybe, just maybe if I had the strength and stamina of my previous life, I would be able to damage this boulder even if it's just a scratch' his thoughts spiraled until Lucas's mocking voice sliced through his concentration...
"Are you just going to watch the boulder or are you actually planning on striking it" Lucas said, his tone dripping with condescension, lips curled into a sneer.
"Tsk, a brat who doesn't have any mana, taking the entrance exam, does he think the magic knights are a joke or something". One of the students, obviously a noble with his pristine uniform and upturned nose, lamented with a disgusted frown.
"Do something already!" the other students laughed, that only added to Damien's frustration.
Damien ground his teeth so hard his jaw ached, fury coursing through him as he clenched his fists tight enough for his knuckles to turn white.
'Fine, let's show them' he stretched his left hand forward while readying his right hand for a punch. His muscles tensed visibly beneath his skin, veins bulging like ropes as adrenaline flooded through his system, setting every nerve ablaze.
Then in one fluid, explosive motion, he struck the boulder with every ounce of power he could summon from his being. The impact thundered through the arena, shaking the very foundation with a sound like distant artillery.
An awkward, stunned silence fell over the crowd as they waited with bated breath for the dust cloud to settle, and just then…
Gasps rippled through the crowd like a wave.
"W-what the hell is this!" The noble who has been lamenting on how weak Damien was, was left frozen in shock with his eyes widened with sheer disbelief.
"H-He must be using a magic relic or enchanted gauntlet or something, right? Right?!" Another noble stammered, nearly stumbling backward from the shock, his face drained of color.
Even Damien blinked in disbelief. Right in front of him was the massive steel like boulder but it's upper part was completely obliterated from his punch.
'Fuck, this is next level shit. Even my past self wouldn't cause this kind of damage on this obsidian rock. Wait, does that mean am physically stronger than my past self.' The thought crossed his mind that left him both shocked and excited.
Giovanni's eyes widened, surprised. But just then, a small knowing smile crept on his lips. 'Of course… I wouldn't expect anything less from my rival.' he had thought.
"I-impressive" examiner Lucas said, his voice slightly unsteady despite his best efforts to mask his shock.
"You have been awarded 800 points" Lucas announced, regaining his composure.
"What!, 800 points" one of the students exclaimed, voice cracking with indignation.
"That's the first highest point given so far. Even higher than that of princess Daisy!" They all exclaimed, disbelief rippling through the crowd like a pebble thrown into still water.
After Lucas had mended the boulder with his earth magic, he called out…
"Now, contestant one hundred and ninety six, Giovanni" Lucas called out as Giovanni strode forward with deliberate grace, each step projecting confidence.
He briefly considered using his grimoire but remembered Damien's bare-handed feat. The thought evaporated as he decided to match his rival's approach, adding his own flair to demonstrate his prowess.
"Fire magic attribute" he casted, lifting his right hand toward the boulder. An enormous amount of scorching mana erupted from his body in waves of visible heat, so intense it began melting the very ground beneath his feet, leaving molten footprints in his wake.
"Vermillion Nova!" The words hung in the air for an instant before a beam of blinding flame shot forward with devastating force. It pierced through the obsidian boulder as easily as a hot knife through butter, the rock melting and disintegrating until nothing remained but a bubbling puddle.
Everyone's jaw dropped. Another commoner but an insanely powerful one with a four leaf clover melted the whole entire boulder with ease. Gasps rippled through the crowd as even the captains murmured appreciative comments about the quality and control of his spell.
Damien squeezed his eyes shut. 'Damn, someone needs to remind this guy that he's not the main character here' he had thought.
"Perfect. You've been awarded 1000 points!" Lucas announced, still recovering from his shock. The remaining contestants were forced to pass by default—there was simply nothing left to test against, the boulder completely reduced to a smoldering puddle, impossible even for an earth mage like Lucas to reattach.
"Now, for the second exam..." Lucas declared, and with a graceful wave of his hand, magical broomsticks materialized out of thin air, hovering before each of the remaining 120 students.
"The first exam was about testing the quality of your Mana. For this second exam, it would be about testing the quantity and control of your Mana. Now, I want each of you to sit on top of your broomsticks and make them fly using your mana. You must reach at least 9 meters high in the air.
Anything less than that, 100 points will be reduced from your previous points accumulated. And if your remaining points is zero after 100 points had been deducted, that will be a straight fail. Now begin!" Lucas commanded, and immediately the air filled with the sound of incantations as students concentrated on lifting their broomsticks skyward.
Some ascended with elegant ease, while others strained and trembled with the effort, their faces contorted in concentration.
'I see how this works now. Well in that case..' Damien thought as he quickly positioned the broomstick between his legs, a plan forming in his mind.
'Haha, what does he think he's going to do. That broomstick only works using mana and since he's a mana-less commoner, he won't be able to achieve it' Lucas thought smugly, anticipating failure.
As Damien sat astride the broomstick, he suddenly crouched low, his body coiling like a spring ready to release. The muscles and veins on his legs visibly thickened beneath his clothing, steam rising from his skin from the sheer effort. In a heartbeat, he launched upward with explosive force, the ground beneath him cracking from the tremendous power of his takeoff.
"What!!!, he flew!" Lucas exclaimed, shock evident in his voice and face.
"Wow, he actually pulled it off" remarked a young man standing attentively behind one of the ten captains.
"No. Most of the students didn't see what he did but, he just jumped, high enough to even surpass 9 meters. Hahaha." One of the captains corrected—an extremely muscular figure wrapped in a black and golden coat emblazoned with the symbol of a scorpion.
"What!, but captain, that's technically impossible for a human without mana to achieve such a feat." The young man protested, disbelief coloring his words.
"Exactly. That's what makes that kid interesting." The Captain replied with a knowing grin, drawing deeply on his cigarette as his eyes tracked Damien's trajectory.
Meanwhile, Damien who was still in the air, almost 12 meters high, chuckled as he landed down to the ground on his two feats.
'Well, at least I passed this one. The main goal was to reach at least 9 meters tall which was equivalent to the height of a two story building. But I had surpassed it, meaning I passed' Damien thought as he looked up at Giovanni who was still flying around his broomstick as if it was second nature to him
'Why this bastard! He actually jumped' Lucas had thought, trying his best not to ruin his facade of nobility. At the end of the second exam, Lucas mentioned names and amount of points given.
"Anita von Britton: 20 meters high. 1000 points have been awarded. Giovanni: 18 meters high, 800 points have been awarded. Asher Williams: 15 meters high, 700 points have been awarded. Damien: 12 meters high, 500 points have been awarded". And so Lucas kept calling out names and points given.
"Anita Von Britton…" Damien recognized her name. She was the daughter of the king of Avalon. Back before he regressed, she was known as the kingdom's greatest talent.
"So she's still alive huh" Damien muttered.
"Am I supposed to be dead" a sweet feminine voice echoed from behind him that startled him a little. He turned around only to find himself meeting an elegant figure. She had a beautiful blue hair that cascade to her waist, her eyes were crystal blue . She wore a short blue gown with her family crest on it, a crest known to the prestigious von Britton noble house.
"Anita von Britton. You're…talking, to me" Damien said, surprised. She normally wouldn't spare a glance at a commoner let alone talk to them.
"Huh…can't I talk to you" she replied with a smile that could have melted the coldest heart, her head tilting slightly in curiosity.
"Well…" Damien stressed the word, tilting his head to direct her attention toward the crowd. The air was thick with muttered insults and resentful glares, all directed at him—how dare a filthy commoner receive attention from nobility?
It was sweet and all that she was talking to him but he didn't want another extra problem on his already overflowing plate of problems, so he thought of an excuse to distance himself from her.
"Hey, forget about the dead weights. You already know my name so you can just call me Anita" she offered warmly, extending her delicate hand for a handshake.
Damien declined. He wouldn't be surprised if one of the students pulled a dagger and attack him if he had shaked her hand. Even her talking to him would be considered a blessing without any drawbacks.
But Anita was not deterred. With surprising strength, she captured his hand, pressing it against her smooth, soft palm in a determined handshake.
"Hey!" He protested, yanking his hand away immediately. His reaction only seemed to amuse her, drawing forth a musical chuckle.
"Ahem… now for the third and final exam…" Lucas interrupted, his authoritative voice drawing everyone's attention back to the center.
'Finally reaching the end of this stupid exams' Damien thought with a sigh of relief, though he couldn't shake an ominous feeling crawling slowly up his spine, like skeletal fingers.
"For this final exam, you will be battling each other" Lucas finally said.
"Each of you will pick a partner that you will be dueling with. Once you've done so, step forward." Immediately, the arena buzzed with activity as students strategized their matchups. The weaker once chooses those even weaker than them in other to earn an easy win, while the stronger ones chooses those stronger than them in other to prove themselves as the strongest.
"Well, what do you say about us dueling?" Anita proposed, her eyes twinkling with something Damien couldn't quite place. His gaze flickered to her wrist—the marking there identified her as a Third Circle mage, a level beyond even Giovanni's considerable power.
Lucas had deliberately placed her last in the first exam, anticipating she would reduce the boulder to nothing just as Giovanni had done, giving everyone an easy pass by default. But Giovanni had beaten her to it.
'She could be a pain in the butt' but he still doesn't want to get involved with her in any way, so he opted for the latter.
"Umm…I don't think…" before he could finish his rejection, she cut him off.
"Well, I guess you're one of those weak ones who is always scared to challenge the strong. Sorry for bothering you" she taunted as she turned to leave, her hair swinging like a curtain of blue silk.
'Weak ones huh.' That word—weak—had haunted him throughout his previous life, driving him to the edge of sanity. To be called weak again...
'She's right. That's how I've always lived my life in my previous life. Always bowing to the strong. But in this lifetime, I'll be the strongest so the strong will bow to me' The resolution crystallized in his mind as he called after her.
"Anita von Britton," his voice carried across the space between them. She paused mid-step, turning with a raised eyebrow.
"I accept your challenge" he declared, his voice ringing with newfound determination.
'You're going to regret that, little insect' she thought, a spine-chilling smile spreading across her face, belying the beautiful features that concealed a predator's intent.