Ryan let his expression stick on his face for a second before it softened, his eyes closing as he realized he was exposed all along and was only spared. "Thank you, Headmaster."
Cillian chuckled as he let the words drift in the air, leaving them in silence as they observed the examinations.
Agnus reached the last stretch of the examination; A gruelling two-kilometer sprint.
His feet smacked against the ground as he relentlessly dashed forward, his back lowered as he raced through the solid ground, his pace steady.
A dozen students were only three-hundred feet behind him, but the gap only widened as their exhaustion crept into their muscles and slowly hindered them.
Agnus, on the other hand, remained brimming with vigor as each breath drew in energy that empowered his body and kept his stamina at its zenith.
"Well, Ryan. It does in fact seem like your boy does have plenty of potential." Cillian spoke with a tinge of curiosity in his voice, observing as Agnus lengthened the gap between him and the others.
"Jason trains him vigorously. I would hope he would perform at the top of his group." Ryan replied matter-of-factly as a seed of pride bloomed in his chest.
14 Minutes later, Cillian snapped his fingers, and the thousands of students suddenly blinked back into existence, standing in the same spots they were before.
Excitement was replaced with exhaustion as sweat beaded down their faces, discoloration altering their faces as their skin grew paler. Some returned with bruises tainting their faces, as the obstacles proved too difficult for them to traverse.
Cillian stepped forward with his head held high, a soft smile curling his lips as he looked upon the tired-out examinees below the stage.
"Well, I can definitely say that you lot have surpassed my expectations. A small majority of you have set times that would be phenomenal to witness in recent years, which only one or two could do. But two dozen of you have! Truly remarkable.
Now, here comes the true test.
This will not gauge whether you can maneuver around challenging terrain, or if you have the stamina to run five-kilometers.
This determines your worth on the battlefield, the most important aspect.
Joint-operation units.
You and a group of a dozen or two will complete a series of objectives.
Delivering supplies.
Rescuing high-value assets.
Killing high-value assets.
Exterminate a pack of beasts that interrupt supply lines.
Destroy supplies.
Winning a war isn't done just through blood- Although don't get me wrong, it plays a pivotal part. It takes as much strategising as it does killing.
You can disrupt someone else's units, sabotage their missions, or outright eliminate them all. Everything is fair game, as this test is meant to simulate a real combat scenario.
Show me your true worth."
Cillian raised his hand slowly, each examinee staring with fierce gazes as the test that would determine nearly everything was going to commence.
SNAP!
And they were gone. Any proof of their existence simply blinked from their eyes. The world before Agnus shuddered as dazzling air formed a vast land, bursting with trees and greenery. Around him, figures shone with white light as their bodies manifested into the dimensional space.
Slowly, they all arrived, and Agnus counted 13 examinees, excluding himself. As he scanned their faces, he recognized one face- Ena Sykes.
Her crimson hair flowed to her lower back, her face sharper and significantly defined from the last time he saw her when they were 12. Aside from her, he never saw the rest.
"Ah, my examinees. Important info before you start." A voice chimed from the sky, soft, but his words were heard across the world.
"Firstly, do not worry about death. In here, you cannot die. Once your body reaches a state it would usually die in the real world, you'll simply be transported to a temporary pocket dimension before the test is over.
Next, you'll all receive a map, food rations, and the equipment you specified as your preference in the written test.
The duration of this test will last at most a week. You will complete a series of objectives, which will be revealed to your team captain once one is decided, that is.
How do you win this?
Simple. Complete all of your objectives while hindering your opponents.
Even if you complete your objective first, you did not win if another group also completed theirs.
That, or be the last group alive.
Behind you is a 'supply line', I like to call it. As long as it is not destroyed, it will provide you with a steady stream of rations to keep you all afloat. If the supply path is disrupted, either by a beast or another team, the rations will stop arriving until you clear or fix it."
Agnus naturally let his head turn until his eyes met the simple stack of bags upon each other, a thin thread of mana flowing behind it as it coursed down a path that led deeper into the forest.
"You have 10 minutes until the test commences; until then, prepare."
The voice of Headmaster Cillian disappeared as quickly as it arrived, leaving them in a heavy silence.
The first test between them had already begun, choosing one to lead them all. Pride and ego would clash, as their first obstacle to climb would be setting aside selfish thoughts and putting their team's success as their first priority.
Glances were nervously exchanged as everyone peered at each other, thoughts formulating in their mind.
Some already knew they were weaker than average, or their knowledge was far too limited to be a leader. The other majority thought of their skill as of unarguable importance, that they should be the team captain.
A boy with golden hair stepped forward and raised his hand, "My name is Anderson Redmond, my father is Military Strategist Officer Liam Redmond. I believe on a strategic level, I should be the team captain."
His cadence was firm and compelling, the words he spoke backed by logic and competence. Agnus considered his words on a logical level and backed the thought, raising his hand to agree. Agnus appeared at the edge of his vision, and his jaw tightened when he saw who it was. His expression wasn't one of resentment, but the worry of team morale being brought down for his presence.
Nonetheless, he silently respected Agnus for voting him for team captain, as he did not let his ego get ahead of him, and only reasoned with undeniable truth.
Stepping from his side, a boy with short black hair spoke, "Nah. Just because you're smart doesn't mean you're strong. The team leader should always be the strongest." Arrogance flooded his tone as his words made Anderson narrow his gaze. "Just because you're strong doesn't make you a fit leader." A short retaliation, only affirming his previous words when he spoke out for the team-captain position.
The boy tilted his head and a scoff released from his mouth, shaking his head, "Why is that? The strongest should always lead the team."
Anderson kept his eyes on the boy and let the words hang in the air for a second before he responded, "A team captain should be smart and strong. Battles aren't won with pure strength, but also with strategy. You don't just run head-on toward an enemy; you devise a plan. You assign missions to your units, such as flanking, encircling, and who to target. Fighting without a plan only devolves the aspect of battle. If you meet a team of soldiers stronger than you, what do you do? Run? No. You plan. Execute tactics that give you the upper hand.
Target the weak links, shift the pressure, and distract. But you're too dumb to know that, do you?"
Aura flared from Anderson's imposing figure as the boy stepped closer and sized him up, their eyes at the same level. "Oh, really? What if I just beat you into submission right here, you stupid fuck."