Vera rolled her eyes. "Oh, right I forgot to ask. What's your talent? Sister didn't tell me a thing."
At the mention of his talent, a flicker of expectation lit up her eyes, one Orin failed to notice.
"It's nothing special, just a dagger," Orin said, hesitantly. He'd thought about telling her his real talent, but what was the point if he couldn't prove it? Besides, that was exactly why he'd made the dagger, to answer questions like this
"A dagger? How could that be?" Her voice laced with surprise. Out of all the talent she'd thought of, a dagger wasn't on the list.
"Here, let me show you." The dagger appeared in Orin's hand.
"It's just a normal looking dagger. There's nothing extraordinary about, is it there?" she had a feeling that the dagger shouldn't be normal.
"You got it right." Orin said surprised not expecting her to guess such.
"Although it looks like an ordinary dagger, it has three special properties that I've yet to test. I'm saving it for the trial." he said returning the dagger back.
"Being mysterious," Vera said as she reached for Orin's hand, gripping his wrist.
"Hey, what are you…" Orin began, but before he could finish, they were already airborne.
"Hold on tight, or else if your grip loosens, you'll be eating dirt from a hundred feet up." Vera said giggling.
Hearing what she said, Orin tensed up. He hurriedly wrapped his arm around her waist trying not to think about how close they suddenly were—just to secure his hold.
As they soared over the rooftops, the trip was surprisingly quiet. Flying not only made travel faster, but also allowed them to reach almost any destination with ease. Before long, the Beasts Grounds came into view beneath them.
"Let's land, flying over the beasts grounds is not allowed by the Baron." Vera said as she controlled her descent, landing safely with Orin.
"Is that your talent?" Orin asked awkwardly loosened his hands around her waist. The feeling of flying was a different kind of feeling than staying in a skimmer.
"You don't deserve to know yet," Vera said, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Now who's being mysterious?" Orin couldn't help but tease.
You'd think that after years together, Orin would know Vera's talent, but that wasn't the case.
Vera's talent had always been a mystery, one that gave Orin a headache just trying to guess. He had seen her do things that could only be described as impossible according to his knowledge about tale
nt he's read of over the years.
His only guess was that the one person who truly knew was Vessa, and that was just another layer of mystery surrounding her.
"Let's go." Vessa said.
They made their way to the holding line—a broad strip of ground where participants waited under the watchful eyes of sentries, the latter keeping order and watching for trouble.
Upon arrival, Orin saw a crowd gathered, and among them, a familiar figure approaching caught his eye: his class teacher.
"Orin? Is that really you? I almost didn't recognize you—your appearance has improved so much it's almost miraculous," the teacher said with surprise
"Hello, Mr. Ravan, yes it me." Orin replied, his tone polite.
"I didn't expect to see you here after your coma."
"Sigh… you, this kid," Mr. Ravan muttered, shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how dangerous the beast grounds are? It would've been risky even if you hadn't been in a coma. But since you were, you've missed a lot of crucial training. Do you really think this is wise?"
"You don't have to worry about me, Mr. Ravan. I can take care of myself," Orin said, his voice steady with resolve.
"Forget it, then." Ravan shook his head, knowing he couldn't convince him. "Who was that beside you just now?"
Hearing Ravan's words, Orin glanced over his shoulder and realized Vera was already gone.
"It seems she was only here to escort you," Ravan said. "Alright, follow me. I'll take you to where Class D stays."
Orin didn't dwell on it. He already knew she'd only come to escort him, so he simply followed Ravan closely.
The distance to where they were headed wasn't long, and along the way, Orin spotted other students and teachers from other classes—some he recognized from his own school.
When they arrived, he saw about twenty students murmuring quietly among themselves. The moment he stepped in, the murmurs died down, and all eyes turned toward him, making him the center of attention.
"Who's that?" someone among the students whispered, pointing at Orin.
"I'm not sure… but I feel like we've seen him before," a male student said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Wow, he's so handsome," a girl couldn't help but say, her eyes widening as she glanced at him.
"Judging from his clothes, he looks like he's from an important family."
Orin noticed their gazes but paid them no mind. Ignoring their whispers, he walked toward someone he was more familiar with.
"Hey look, he's walking up to Tobin."
"What? How could Tobin know someone like him?"
Tobin looked dumbfounded, even more confused than the others. His brows furrowed as he tried to recall exactly who the boy walking up to him was. When Orin finally closed the distance, Tobin's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"Orin?" he said.
"Did I just hear him say Orin?" the others asked, their surprise evident.
"I knew you'd recognize me," Orin chuckled, giving Tobin a friendly punch on the shoulder
"It really is you," Tobin said, grinning as he also gave Orin a playful punch on the shoulder.
"I heard rumors saying you fainted and couldn't handle the Awakening," Tobin chuckled, "but I knew you wouldn't go down that easily."
"Ohh…" Orin frowned. Who could've spread such rumors? The only ones who knew were Vessa and the others… oh, right—and that guard.
A faint scowl of annoyance tugged at his lips. Now he had a pretty good idea who might've been running their mouth.
"It really is Orin…" Gasps rang out one after another, and whispers began spreading through the students once more—this time louder, more frantic than before.
"Now listen up!" Ravan shouted, his gaze sweeping over the students. The murmurs died instantly, leaving a tense silence in its place.
"Now that class D is complete, there are some things I need to remind you about the upcoming trial. It will last a total of three days.
One: Upon entering the Beast Grounds, you may form a team of no more than three members. Any team exceeding this limit will be disqualified.
Two: Proof of your kills is mandatory. Each participant must slay at least five beasts to qualify; two pairs of ears from each beast will suffice. Be warned, even the weakest beasts at the outskirts are as strong as an Initial realm of Martial Apprentice.
Three: Stealing another's proof of evidence is allowed, provided you have the strength to do so. So choose your teammates wisely.
Four (most important): Although none of you were born during the Fourteenth Alignment Cycle, some in Class A were. Those individuals have had their talents since they could walk, and their experience makes them far more dangerous than you, even if your talent is superior. They are as lethal as the beasts you'll encounter, if not more."
Those who were born during the year of the fourteenth Alignment Cycle, when MAP descended to bestow talents—had already undergone their Awakening, since the cycle spans only fifteen years.
"The overseer is here and is requesting everyone's audience," a guard announced, appearing suddenly behind the class as Ravan continued to give more pointers.
The same announcement was made where the other classes were gathered, drawing their attention as well.
There are a total of five classes, A through E, each consisting of 20 students. A total of hundred.
***
There, on the flat ground overlooking the holding lines, the overseer stood, his presence radiating authority. His eyes scanned the crowd of students, sharp and calculating, as if measuring them one by one.
"I was sent here personally by the Baron to oversee this trial. I'm sure your teachers have already explained the rules, but there's one extra rule you must know: there shall be no killing of one another, unless it is at the hands of a beast. Each of you is crucial in the fight against the invasion from the Rift."
"Not a man of many words, huh?" Orin whispered with a smirk.
"That's Mr. Cyrus, one of the few Martial Channelers under the Baron. Show him the respect he deserves," Ravan said, stating the overseer's name and authority, while giving Orin a quiet, cautionary look.
Gasps filled the air at the announcement. Although Orin knew Ravan's words were meant to caution him, it didn't stop his eyes from widening in awe.
A Martial Channeler—an existence he had never seen in his life.
But the awe faded, and he clenched his fist in determination. Martial Channeler, huh… I'll reach it one day, he thought, steeling himself with resolve.
Unbeknownst to the students, who gazed in awe, a scornful eye swept over them. "What a bunch of inept fools…" Elric muttered in disdain, shaking his head. He had seen Martial Channelers a few times, and Cyrus was just at the bottom of the scale.
Cyrus's gaze swept over the holding lines. "The trial begins now!" His voice rang out like thunder. As the colossal gate to the Beast Grounds groaned open, he added, "Each of you will enter on your own. Inside, you may form teams as you see fit, but until then, you fight alone."
"Before entering, each of you will take an Extraction Transmitter. It's a device that signals your position to the overseer, who will send someone to extract you if needed," a guard said by the gate, holding a rack filled with the Extraction Transmitters.
Class A was granted entry first, followed in order by Classes B through E.
Class D's turn.
"Give it your all, but remember, if you can't handle it, activate the Extraction Device. Don't overestimate yourselves." Ravan warned.
"Orin, you should stay low and hide until I find you, since you didn't participate in the training. With me around, we can at least ensure your safety, as long as we don't go too deep." Tobin puffed out his chest and gave Orin a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks." Orin smiled, quietly glad to have such a friend, but he didn't intend to follow Tobin's advice.
With a nod, Tobin headed for the gate, taking the device as he passed through. Soon after, Orin stepped forward and did the same.
After walking for several minutes since entering the Beast Grounds, Orin hadn't encountered any beasts, which only put him more on edge. It was too quiet, and the air seemed to exude a tense, almost predatory presence.
"No beasts at all?" he murmured gripping his dagger and eyes scanning the quiet grounds. He had at least expected to fight something, even if it was low-level beast—the weakest.
Almost immediately, his wish was answered.
A beast suddenly leapt from the shadows, its roar splitting the air: "GRRAAHH!," sending a chill down Orin's spine. Its jagged claws glinted as it charged, forcing Orin to tighten his grip on the dagger, his heart pounding by the sudden attack.