Xol was surprised to the notification description and pressed accept as teacher Izuriel said he had to remain in the top 10. After that he took a closer look at the girl that issued the challenge.
Ena had an oval shape with golden eyes over her dark skin. She also had long ears same as Kenia and her nose was like her personality, straight. She had long white yellowish straight hair that came up to the middle of her back with some locks sliding in front her shoulders. She was wearing a dark green ranger vest, white pants and ranger boots up till the middle of her thighs.
"Ena!" Kenia smacked Ena and lifted a finger as she prepared a lecture for her. "I told you I was teaching him botany. Can you wait for me to finish and actually introduce yourself to my student first? I did raise to have proper manners."
"I´m sorry mum but I haven't found someone of the top ten and got ahead of myself when I heard he was one. Apart he already accepted the challenge so it should be all right." Ena said as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"*Sigh*. Alright give me ten minutes to wrap the lesson. Also, introduce yourself properly as he is now my botany student, so you are going to see him from time to time." Kenia said as she rubbed her face.
"I´m Ena Shradiu, 12 years old and want to become teacher Izuriel discipline so I can learn magic archery from the best. Sorry for interrupting your lesson." Ena said after bowing.
"Its okay. I'm Xol also 12 year old and want to become teacher Izuriel disciple like you, though I´m more interested in his magic and dungeon creator knowledge, judging by the public lecture he recently did I feel his magic is pretty spectacular so I really want to study under him." Xol said and bowed with his introduction
"Oh! I think you´re the only one in our generation that is actually taking profit from his position on the top 10 then." Ena nodded.
"What do you mean?" Xol said tilting his head.
"Well you see –"
*Cough*Cough
"Leave that conversation after I finish the lecture. You can discuss it as you go to the sparring hall for your ranking battle. Now then Xol in where we stopped the lesson?" Kenia said with angry tone and raised an eyebrow to Xol.
"Teacher was explaining how we could use magic attunements for botany, fire and ice can be used to regulate the temperature in the life ring and depending on the mastery of it, it can benefit the magical ingredients in their growth." Xol answered with a smile. Kenia smiled and patted his head.
"Good job you are a good student, now then let's proceed with the shadow attunement and then the rest." Kenia said nodded her head in satisfaction. "Shadow attunement can help magical ingredient that need darkness to grow…"
Ena sat and also listened what teacher Kenia was explaining, she already knew the topic but there was nothing bad in reviewing it. Soon Kenia finished the lesson and gestured for them to go.
"Let's go." Ena said as she ran off to the greenhouse exit.
"I´m sorry for Ena behavior but please try to get along with her, she is my best friend daughter and I hope she can be happy." Kenia sighed seeing Ena ran off.
"Wait I thought teacher was her mom?" Xol said glancing at teacher Kenia.
"She lost both her parents in an accident 5 year ago and I adopted her since her mother was my best friend. I appreciated if you don't ask more unless she talks to you. Now get going don't make her wait. I'll catch to you guys after I close the greenhouse." Kenia said after some moments and then gestured Xol to get going.
"Xol you´re not chickening out right" Ena shouted from the exit. Hearing both comments Xol ran to the exit.
"Sorry, I asked teacher something, she also said she catch up to us after she close the greenhouse." Xol said once he exited the greenhouse.
"Okay let's go." Ena said a she did a fist gesture in the air.
"Un"
Both walked some steps but soon Xol turned around perplexed.
"Ah I knew it you´re chickening out." Ena said as she pointed at Xol.
"I'm not. I just felt as if someone was watching me from over there." Xol pointed to a tree a few meters from where they were.
"What are you saying, there no one there." Ena said seeing the tree Xol pointed.
"Stop making excuses and let go." Ena said as she pointed in the direction of sparring hall.
"I'm not making excuse I swear I felt as if someone was watching me closely." Xol said throwing his fists to the back.
"Yeah, there was no one there you were making excuses since…" Ena and Xol continued the discussion and then changed the conversation as they went to the sparring hall.
"How did he notice me, I have being watching him closely ever since the principal asked me. Did teacher Kenia improve his sensibility somehow. No I don't think she could increase it so much for him to detect me in so little time." a staff member came from behind the tree.
As the staff member started tailing Xol again, Kenia exited the greenhouse and made a gesture for him to come.
"At first, I didn´t know why there was someone waiting for the person that entered the greenhouse but once I saw it was Xol I figure you were assigned by the principal to monitor him, is that right?" Kenia said as the staff member came closer.
"Un"
"Do you have a shadow attunement?" Kenia asked and sighed once the staff member shook his head.
"Xol mana sensibility increase by half as much as he had before he entered the greenhouse, if you didn't took that in consideration he may have detected you. I will monitor him for the rest of the day, while you inform this to the principal and try to assign him someone with shadow attunement from now on." Kenia said as she gestured, she would follow Xol.
"I understand, thank you very much." The staff member bowed and went to find the principal.
Kenia walked toward the Sparring hall with a faster pace than Xol and Ena took, once she arrived, she could see Xol and Ena were being led to a public arena since they were having a ranking battle.
Xol and Ena climbed to the arena that was around 30 meters in size. The staff member reminded them than in a ranking battle the match is decided similar to the second trial of academy entry and apart from it there was an extra formation in place that forced all equipment to display they silhouette in case that have it was set to invisible with the system. Finally, there wasn't a formation that equilibrated the match, both participants stats and level would remain untouched as the ranking reflected how hard he student had worked.
Xol glanced at his inventory trying to figure which of the spears Kingo had made as he familiarize with material from the academy dungeon. He discarded the naginatas as he had felt they weighted more. In the end he chose the one with a design closer to the spear he was using, the su yari since he wasn´t really used to the Jumonji yari or the Omi no yari. Taking a few swings, he realized it didn't feel much different from his old spear, but still improve his attack power.
[Black Iron Su Yari (Blue, spear)
+20 pierce damage
+10 momentum boost]
Once Xol got the feeling of the spear he glanced toward Ena. She had pretty much a full equipment set, as he could she had some chest plate over her ranger cloths, both armguard, shoulder pad and leg guards and lastly a cloak equipped. She had a short bow made of silvered colored wood and had quiver brimming with arrows on her back.
"Xol want me to unequip some of my armor so we have a fair duel, don't want you to say I won due my equipment?" Ena said seeing Xol only had an armguard in his right hand and saw his boot were also glowing meaning it was an actual equipment.
"It all right, it already passed amost month so there isn't a excuse for not getting more equipment." Xol shook his head. Hearing the answerd Ena walked to the edge of the arena.
Kenia had already walked into the spectators seats and soon saw the fromations starting up signaling the match start.
Ena took three arrows from her bow and shot them simultaneously at Xol. Seeing the she was aiming directly at him Xol jumped to the side immediately dodging the arrows. Xo quickly began advancing wanting to be in the range of his skills. Not giving him a chance Ena shot another arrow directly a Xol which he barely dodged and got grazed with some damage.
Xol shot a mana bullet once there was only 20 meters between them but Ena quickly dodged and managed to shoot two arrows as she did it. Not expecting this Xol tried to sidestep dodging one arrow but the other hit him.
Not wanting to slow down he continued and arrived in the 15 meter mark. He created an invisible chain floating around Ena and once she tried to pull another arrow, he manipulated the chain and bind her. Taking the opportunity Xol shot a mana bullet which took a chunk of her HP, as he continued advancing.
Understanding Xol had made something to restrain her, Ena release her bow, a moment later a bright light burst from her open hand and blinded Xol momentarily. Not expecting this Xol lost concentration on the chains and Ena was released.
*Thud
Xol heard the bow falling to the ground and soon after he heard Ena grabbed it again and was on the move as he rubbed his eyes. As he recovered his sight Xol suddenly felt immense pain on his right foot. Glancing at it, he could see an arrow pierced his feet to the ground and there were branches growing from the arrow stopping him from moving his leg.
"*Sigh*, this match is greatly uneven." Kenia sighed seeing the development.
'Not only Ena has more equipment but also natural light and shadow attunement moreover she gained wood attunement from her first mana blessing. If only her light and shadow attunement had given her more offensive capabilities, she would have performed better in the first trial.'
'I´m sorry Xol, you may have had the top 5 faster clear time of the first trial and your team fighting prowess added to your capability leading a team granted you the second position in the generation, but Ena have the best of both of her dark elf and high elf lineages furthermore Ena had a bad team with only her remaining on the end thanks to this wood attunement spell she came up with during the second match.' Kenia though seeing Xol used the shaft of his spear to break the arrow and cutting the branches soon after.
'Let see if you individual fighting prowess is on par or not and can give good use to your mana sensibility.'