Clang!
I blocked Summer's spear lunge with my katana. The impact sent me flying backward until I slid to a stop. She, too, retreated a few steps. Dawn had broken over the horizon, illuminating the forest.
Why did she have to show up, of all people? Out of the aspirants competing in the trial, she was by far the most dangerous in terms of raw ability. Even through her ragged breaths and many open wounds, we were fighting at a standstill. I miscalculated. I thought with her injuries, I'd have the advantage, and attacked recklessly.
I gritted my teeth. She hadn't even activated one of her abilities.
Summer was bestowed three marks—the Sun God Apollo, the Healing God Asclepius, and the Shadow God Nyx. Each mark granted her an ability best suited for her.
Suddenly, she closed the gap instantly. She readied her spear for a thrust, and instinctively, I moved to protect my neck.
The spear stirred the air. But at the last second, her grip changed, and the spear's trajectory changed for my waist.
Mana moved to my legs. The increased speed allowed me to twist quickly and avoid the strike. Like a snake, the spear twisted with me.
I parried, dodged, and parried once more. She was relentless and unpredictable.
Her spear lunges and strikes felt impossible. A solid metal weapon shouldn't have been able to twist and turn like that. It was unnatural. I had more mana than her, fewer wounds, and yet I found myself on the defensive.
My breath slowly became ragged, and minor cuts from the tip of her spear appeared on my skin. Then, as I prepared to parry a spear lunge, she suddenly let go.
For a split second, my eyes traveled with the falling weapon. It was all she needed. Her foot collided with my stomach like a truck. Air exploded from my lungs as I tumbled against the dirt and smacked into an oak tree. I coughed up blood, and I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my leg. My katana impaled me during the roll.
Crunch.
Her feet crunched the leaves as she walked closer. She leveled her spear against my neck, but paused.
"Why would you attack me? We're of the same clan."
I gave her a confused expression, and a long second of silence passed. Seeing my confusion, she reworded.
"Why do you need the human cores?"
It was a valid question. For Summer, human cores were not a requirement to ascend. She would have other requirements for each mark to ascend, and the human cores only offered a slight boost in power when absorbed. I thought for a moment on how to best answer the question under the clan's watchful eyes.
"I don't wish to speak of that here. But I assure you, I need those more than you."
"I see." She lowered her spear. "Do you plan to remain a Nyx Clan member after the trial?"
I nodded while wincing. "Probably."
Unless another clan made an exceptional offer, Nyx was my safest option. But I'd listen to bids—especially if someone offered a graded weapon.
"Good, that is very good." She seemed relieved, and her following words truly confused me. "I will let you have the cores if you take me to the Ball."
She continued before I could say anything.
"It's my father's wish that I go with the clan leader's son. But Jameson is fifteen, and I refuse to play his escort." Her jaw set. "If I bring someone myself, my father can't complain. Someone... notable."
I see. Happiness bloomed deep within me. Not because I had been asked to the ball. I couldn't care less about something like that. But for these human cores, I would have slaughtered an entire village. By comparison, going to a ball was an easy task.
I grimaced and pulled my katana free. Blood soaked my pant leg, but the wound wasn't deep enough to cripple me.
"I'll go with you."
"Good." She nodded and helped me to my feet. I groaned as white-hot pain shot up my wounded leg.
"I would heal that for you, but I am out of mana," she said, rummaging through a goblin's chest.
"No worries," I replied.
She was not truly out of mana. If she were, she would have collapsed to the ground, unable to move. But she was unwilling to heal me while the trial was ongoing. She was smart.
I sighed and hobbled over to a human corpse.
Boom!
Suddenly, the cannon fired. I paused, then a tapping sound echoed over the forest, followed by an annoying voice.
"Congratulations, aspirants! You have all passed the trial. Some of you were pussies and hid, while others were snakes and schemed your way to victory! Either way, congratulations." Luka paused, and his superior griped at him to hurry it up. "Here shortly, an air carrier will land on the east side of the island. Please make your way there."
"Finally," Summer and I said simultaneously. Her lip curved upward, and she spoke softly.
"I can heal that for you now."
I nodded. "Let's collect the cores first." I couldn't risk the Great Clans meddling and taking the human cores as a means of negotiation. A smile spread wide across my face. The trial was over, and I would officially become a Scion. Ascension was within my grasp.
***
*Congratulations, Morthen! Human core found! 17/30 stored. Keep up the great work!*
"Thank you," I muttered to my system, pleased with myself and the results from the trial. I had collected the cores hours ago and finally absorbed them as I arrived at the hospital. Although Summer had healed my wounds and I could not die, I requested to go to the medical center. If I had not, the Great Clans would have hounded me immediately after I reached Baldia.
Knock!
Someone knocked gently on the door leading to my room.
"Come in," I said.
The door swung open, and to my surprise, Julius walked in. I offered a faint smile, though I was not pleased to see my senior.
"Come to recruit me already."
He scratched the back of his head and returned the smile.
"Orders are orders."
He closed the door, and I studied his face. In the center of his forehead was a sun. On his left cheek, he bore two marks: a jester playing a trumpet and a warhammer. Two more marks rested on his right cheek: a pair of white wings and a red heart. And on opposite sides of his neck, his final marks showed: a glowing purple full moon and a pitchfork with a circle drawn over the hilt. Coming out of the circle were three spikes on each side.
He was bestowed with marks by seven gods: the Sun God Apollo, the Trickster God Loki, the War God Ares, the God of Ascension Aurelius, the God of Passion Cupid, the Shadow God Nyx, and the Elemental God Shiva. His power was unmatched among the Nyx clan, and in all of Baldia, he only had a few rivals. Any sane person would be jealous of this man for his good looks and power. But I was not rational. My singular mark was more impressive.
I noticed he held a paper in his hand. He was studying it intensely before I interrupted him.
"So, how did I do?"
He looked at me with an impressed expression.
"Eight confirmed kills of humans and goblins, and a scheme that resulted in the death of sixty humans and goblins. Overall ranking: second place. Not bad." Then he shrugged and smiled arrogantly. "Though when I was your age, I finished first in the aspirant rankings."
I looked at him with a hollow expression. He turned serious as well.
"I imagine many great clans want me now that they have failed to kill me."
He nodded.
"It seems that way." The Great Clans needed strong recruits. The stronger the recruits, the more Islands they could raid, and the more money they'd make.
"Then what is your offer for me to stay in the Nyx clan?" I had no plans of leaving the clan, but he had no clue of that matter.
He sorted through a pack on his waist and pulled out a monster core.
"Two hundred Grade-D cores."
I shook my head.
"No."
He gave me a knowing look. My answer all but confirmed his suspicion that, for some odd reason, I valued human cores more.
"Then what?"
"Make me a graded weapon."
His eyes went wide from shock. A graded weapon was hard to come by. Many Grade-B aspirants did not even have one. They acted as another mark, granting their wielder an odd ability. Since I did not have a combat-oriented ability, I would need one.
I continued, not letting him reject.
"I am the only mark bearer of the Death God. Surely my existence alone constitutes me having a graded weapon. If not, I'm sure another clan will see it that way."
His shoulders slumped, and any confidence he had was lost.
"I'll see what I can do."