" The procedure for testing the aforementioned qualities is simple, you will be sent into the spiritual space, team-wise. So, your first task is to find teammates. Assemble here with your respective teams in a week. You can choose any first-year student as your teammate. The maximum possible members in a team are 6, so, keep that in mind. All the best. See you in a week. " Sophie ended her speech.
<
Maria, the human mage (those who can use mana), Lily, the demon spirit seeker (those who can use spiritual energy), Sakura, the wolfkin cultivator and strength-based vanguard. These were the roommates of Sarcony and her new friends. The scrawny boy with reptilian scales on his arm was Mark, a regular class student like Lily. Sarcony and Mo'er were from the special class, Maria and Sakura were from the advanced class. Their team, if formed, would be balanced.
Sarcony went to the training grounds of the Regular first-year class, surprising everyone present there. Her forcing the tyrant Sophie to use quaternary skill was famous among freshers. She glanced all over the class before requesting the instructor to allow her to talk to Lily and Mark for a while.
" Lily, reptile kid, do you know about the cross-class tournament? " " I know, friend. " " My name is Mark, a scary elder sis. " " Scary? " " You defeated my berserk state with a single chop. " " Fun afterwards. Lily, Mark, I want you two to join our team. " " Us? " (Mark) " Sure. " (Lily) " Yes, boy. You are good at hiding your presence. You'll make a good scout. " " Who are in our team? " (Lily)
" Me, my baby sister Mo'er, you, Mark, Maria and Sakura if they agree. " " Wonderful. " (Lily) " Can I ask the reason for scouting us, Regular class students? " " I don't care about the class designation. To me, talent is all. You have it. " " Join us or else, I'll double our fun times. " (Lily) Mark gulped in fear and agreed to join the team. " Good job, Lily. " Sarcony embraced Lily and smiled at Mark.
" Onee sama, I brought Maria and Sakura. " " Yo, Sarcony, Lily. " (Maria) " Hi, sis, Lily. " (Sakura) Maria was a tomboy like Sarcony while Sakura was a shy girl, evident from her hiding behind Sarcony, holding her sleeves like a timid toddler. " These are my roommates and our teammates, Mark. She is my baby sister Mo'er, another sister Sakura, this boyish girl is Maria. "
The six students went to the office of instructor Sophie, shocking her. Sarcony barely took an hour to form a team of 6. Sarcony was the captain and Maria was the vice-captain. They were given permission to enter the spiritual space the next day, giving them time to prepare for the assessment.
" Girls, we may have to participate in battles, so, how about we find our strengths and weaknesses in the closed practice arena? " " Wonderful idea. We don't know much about each other's capabilities anyway. " (Maria) " I second it. " (Lily) " Me too. " (Sakura) " That is a good idea. " (Mark) " Let's go then. It will be a mock battle, Onee sama versus us. Team or otherwise. " (Mo'er).
In the closed arena, Sarcony and Sakura faced each other in a one-on-one spar. Sakura concentrated her chakra in her ears, muscles and eyes. She was an unarmed, body-strengthening melee fighter/berserker, a good vanguard. Sarcony was in her Jötunn form, announcing it as her berserk form, similar to the reptilian scales of Mark. It was to test some of her hypotheses.
Name: Sarcony
Age: 12
Gender: Female
Species/Race: Human
Dantain nature: Light, Water
Species-specific characteristics: none
Profession: Special class student at the Human Academy 1
Titles: The Onee sama
Quirks:
1. Berserk transformation
2. Hands of Aten
3. Personality switch [4 personalities]
4. Water manipulation [mist, snow, ice]
Physical skills: Archery, Perfect Soma
Academy score: 5500
Spiritual space utilisation time: 00:04 lunar units
Criminal record: none
Name: Sakura
Age: 12
Gender: Female
Species/Race: Wolfkin (Moon Wolf)
Dantain nature: Water, Air
Species-specific characteristics: Wolf Transformation, Moon goddess Selene's blessing
Profession: Advanced class student at the Human Academy 1
Titles: Princess of the Moon Wolves (Daughter of the Alpha Moon Wolf)
Quirks:
1. Wind Cloak [level 4]
2. Body Enhancement/Strengthening [level 3]
3. Air manipulation [level 5]
4. Water manipulation [level 4]
5. Superior Olfaction and Hearing [level 3]
Physical skills: Martial arts [advanced], Howl of intimidation [level 3], Alpha's aura [passive], Radiance of the Moon [level 3]
Academy score: 3500
Spiritual space utilisation time: 00:02 lunar units
Criminal record: none
Bloodthirst akin to a predator emanated from Sakura unlike her usual shy demeanour. Her eyes were focused on the now brown haired Sarcony with ruby-like pupils. But, raw strength bubbling like lava right under Sarcony's skin made Sakura's hair stood on their ends from the sense of danger she felt, her intuition warned her to flee from the apex predator in front of her, as far as possible.
" Come. " The announcement of Sarcony started the spar. Sakura activated wind cloak and immediately distanced herself. It was a good choice as the arena floor cracked from the stomp of Sarcony who accelerated towards her. Sakura threw punches and kicks at Sarcony that only served to make her hands and feet numb. Sarcony felt more like a lump of metal than a person.
Starting from reflexes to maneuver, Sakura was exceptional. Her agility and instincts as a wolf were top notch, keeping her somewhat safe from Sarcony's attacks. " Hmm, the wind cloak is amazing, but it does have weaknesses, like....this. " Sarcony tore through the chaotic winds that surrounded Sakura blurring her visage and protecting her from injuries like paper and gave her a light smack.
The duel ended that instant. " Who's next? " " Me. " (Maria) Maria volunteered and stood farther away from Sarcony than Sakura did earlier as she is a mage, not a melee fighter.
Name: Maria
Age: 12
Gender: Female
Species/Race: Human
Magecraft affinity: All elements [level 4], Elemental Summoning [level 5]
Magecraft level: Lower Tier 4 [advanced]
Species-specific characteristics: none
Profession: Advanced class student at the Human Academy 1
Magecraft:
1. Mana armor [level 3]
2. Body Enhancement [level 5]
3. Mana manipulation [level 5]
4. Spell shortening [level 3]
5. Parallel cast [3 spells]
Physical skills: Martial arts [intermediate]
Academy score: 3700
Spiritual space utilisation time: 00:02 lunar units
Criminal record: none
Mari readied her staff. The moment Sarcony accelerated, she cast multiple fire arrows with short chants at her and strengthened herself. The moment Sarcony froze the fire arrows and approached her, she fell back and exploded a fireball like a buck shot creating a gap. The fireball was also frozen and shattered, much like the fire arrows.
Maria then ran all over the arena with Sarcony in hot pursuit, throwing all kinds of magecraft like flame spears, lightning strikes, water whips, rock spikes, shadow blades, poison fumes, puffs of wind to falter her footing etc., Maria had enough training to prevent exhaustion from long periods of running and the ability to cut chants short enough to use while running around.
After some time, just as Sarcony almost caught her, Maria exploded another fireball and then muttered, <
This super perception of hers came at a price, potentially lethal backlash. Combining it with the healing by the light spirits reduced it to considerable levels but consumed one of her parallel spell slots, leaving her with Earth elemental summon as the only option. She used the elemental to lock Sarcony in place to land a punch but simply hit her elemental instead. Sarcony escaped.
" Great. You surprised me with this tactic. " Sarcony praised Maria for her clever move, from her back. " You're faster than I thought. " " It is one of my abilities. " Sarcony shrugged. Maria would've been dead by now if this were a real battlefield. Hence, she accepted her defeat.
" It is your turn, Lily. " " Yes, friend. " Lily walked onto the arena. She then put a beautiful tiara on her head. Other than the tanned brown skin, tiny ram horns and tremendous amount of spiritual energy, Lily looked no different from a human princess. The tiara was a medium to manipulate spirit energy.
Name: Lily
Age: 12
Gender: Female
Species/Race: Demon
Spirit seeking affinity: Shamanka type
Spirit seeking level: Low [Elemental]
Species-specific characteristics: High affinity to Spiritual energy and Mana, Longevity
Profession: Regular class student at the Human Academy 1, Demon Shamanka
Spirit seeking arts:
1. Astral Vision [level 4] [Side skills: Aura Reading [level 4], Intuition [level 3], Clairvoyance [level 4]]
2. Enhance [level 4] [Side skill: Enchant [level 4]]
3. Crude Psychokinesis [level 4]
4. Spirit Familiar summon [3 familiars]
5. Area of Healing [level 4] [Side skill: Detoxify [level 4]]
6. Alchemy [level 4] [Salve creation] [Side skill: Herb identification [level 4]]
7. Nightmare [level 3]
Physical skills: Martial arts [intermediate], Swordsmanship [level 4], Raw Strength [level 3]
Academy score: 3850
Spiritual space utilisation time: 00:02 lunar units
Criminal record: none
Lily was the healer of the team but must learn combat to the level of self defense at the very least. This was the reason for her to spar with Sarcony like the others. It was a bit bland in comparison to the previous ones to ordinary spectators but educative to swordwifs like Mo'er.
It was the Reptilian kid Mark's turn to spar with Sarcony. He trembled as he got on stage.
Name: Mark
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Species/Race: Dragonkin/Wyvern/Inferior Dragon
Species-specific characteristics: Longevity, Masters of Mana manipulation
Magecraft affinity: All elements [level 4], Familiars [level 4]
Magecraft level: Lower Tier 3 [precision]
Profession: Advanced class student at the Human Academy 1
Magecraft:
1. Mana skin [level 3] [Side skill: Body Enhancement [level 3]]
2. Mana manipulation [level 2] [Side skill: Mana recovery [level 2]]
3. Wyvernic transformation [Scales, Horns, Claws] [1 lunar unit]
4. Spell annulment [level 4]
5. Parallel cast [10 spells]
6. Dragon Shrine [level 7] [1 lunar unit]
7. Presence erasure [intermediate] [1 lunar unit]
8. Mental fortitude [level 3]
Physical skills: Martial arts [intermediate], Wyvernic intimidation [passive] [only in transformed state]
Academy score: 3700
Spiritual space utilisation time: 00:02 lunar units
Criminal record: none
Despite his abnormal strength, Mark was a timid kid who was easily scared into submission by Lily, who is, in theory, weaker than him due to the cheat called nightmare to which he was, unfortunately, a convenient practice target or otherwise, a scapegoat for Lily's antics dubbed as funtimes. On the bright side though, it helped him master his mental fortitude and concentration.
It wasn't bullying as Lily and Mark were childhood buddies, as close as blood -related siblings and Lily's antics were only to remove his introverted nature as all of the nightmares she gave him as target practice consisted of him performing something in front of a large audience, scaring him.
Everyone called his strength abnormal but it was Sarcony who tore through his mana skin like hot knife through butter he referred to as abnormal. It was after fighting her that his mana skin stagnated at level 6 rose up, so did the mana manipulation and presence erasure.
The match was similar to the entrance examination, only, it took longer for Sarcony to knock him out as she wanted to test all of his abilities. After that, Sarcony reverted back to her original form. She understood her strength as a Jötunn and how to hold back enough to avoid hurting her teammates. Mo'er then proceeded to fight against the other four as a team while Sarcony rested.
They retired to their rooms at night and rested as a part of preparation for the spiritual space adventure/assessment.
The next morning, their team of six stood in front of the special spiritual formation that would take them to the spiritual space. They took a long breath and stepped forward. With a brilliant light, they vanished from the spot under the gaze of affection and pride from Sophie.