The whole crowd was in distress, no one had expected that the first thing they would be doing after reaching the academy was a test. Everyone was agitated especially the westerners, a test after over two days on the sea was not the right call to them. Neza knew better than to raise his voice and speak for his people, he was in a position were he could get brutally punished for hanging on his pride as the prince of a prestigious empire who has a shot at the throne, he kept mute and avoided the gaze of the people wanting him to somehow fight for their right. But it dawned on them that prince Neza has accepted that he was on the same status with them.
"Silence!!!" The Head instructor's voice pierced the atmosphere and the humming sounds disappeared, everyone look straight and was standing attentively. "i will tell you how the test shall be taken... Here on this ground we have a total of 2100 students, the westerners initially 149 but with 30 dead, they remain 119, which most of them is from the Forgan empire and the rest of them from God knows where, the Northerners 602 with one dead, finally the Articians 1400 with 40 dead."
'damn... So many death records' Rein sighed as the Head instructor continued.
" you all will receive a tag each, this tag will only be used for this test, a yellow wooden tag, your test is to collect each others tag that means by tomorrow when you'll be submitting the tags you must have more than one tag, depending on the number of tags you have your official ranks will be decided so then START!!! "
Immediately the Head instructor finished he turned back, the principal then stood up and walked away with the Head instructor following him closely from behind.
The instructors began to direct the students to where they were to collect their tags. Rein after collecting his tag secretly tried to find a silent place to get a hold of himself as he felt a need to compose and analyse the situation on ground just like he would if he was playing games, but of course it wasn't going to be easy. Immediately he found a silent corner, three Northerners appeared out of nowhere, the aimed their swords at him,
"you can drop your tag we won't kill you"
"... And stay a cadet, no thanks" Rein showed no fear which pissed them, they could clearly tell that Rein was weak, his mana pool was weak, he also didn't give off any aura and they saw him as an easy prey, but here they are right here and he isn't faltering a bit.
"you Westerners are proud till the end, thinking you're at the top of everything.... I'll kill you if you don't drop you tag!"
The fat guy standing in the middle yelled at Rein,
he wielded a short broadsword that looked like a butcher's knife.
'grudges I've been sensing it, but now I'm sure the three continent are hostile to each other'....''well what do I do, I said I don't want to stay a cadet.", Rein smiled, 'fat guys are easy to take care of, I'm not going to shiver in fear when the academy has not even started'
"Damn you!!!" The fat guy loosing his patience dashed forward at Rein with is blade. Rein had no weapon, he had only held a sword when he was at Leceiviester, where a servant thought him the skill draw sword, it was the only sword skill had, he dodged to the left, the fat boy unable to control his weight was too late to respond and got hit on his nape, Rein twisted and immediately gave him an uppercut before the fat guy fell to the ground hence letting the fat guy stagger backwards.
[target has received 89 damage]
[target has received 191 damage]
'fucking system, it also report hits on humans, why is my hit so small, it's more when dealing with monsters..... Nevermind about that, this guy he does not have control over his weight, but he's stamina is good.... I have no weapon....fuck I've never even used a weapon properly since i came to this world. what on earth have i been up to... come on Reinard this is not you, you used to be a high ranker in games. This is just like those games... do your thing'
"what is wrong with you Colfy you don't dash into fights like that" the slim tall guy behind said
"shut up, I'll take care if this one and take his tag, you better brace your.....
-Powpapoww-
Rein rushed punches on him.
'atleast I'm good at throwing punches'
[target has received 584 damages]
[target has entered stun state]
Rein immediately ran and jumped in between the middle of the two guys at the back, his speed was a surprise to them... He grabbed their faces and wanted to pull together so the can both crash on each other but their legs wouldn't move.
'oh oh, I think this guys are the real deal'
[you have received 348 damages]
-slaaassshhhhh-
[you have received 1022 damages]
[you have entered bleed state]
Rein got slashed by a sword from the guy tha had talked earlier the other one seems awfully silent but Rein did not even care about that right now, he grabbed his arm and gritted his teeth together.
But suddenly someone entered their midst and knocked the fat guy out in the process of landing.
"i knew you had potential, you've never learnt martial art or magic, yet you can pull this off from mere thinking, as expected you're not the lazy guy everyone thinks you are"
"what are you doing here?, and why are you helping me?"
''...because you help me stand up, i guess... so I saw you on the floor and thought I shoukd help you too stand up, but these guys would have to be taken out of the picture since they were not there when you helped me...?''
".... 'bastard I bet he has never made friends before and is so excited, is this a new type of fun for him'...well... do as you please." Rein said.
Zolin swung his legs in twirls taken swiping the two on their cheeks before they got the time to react they both landed on their belly and immeidately sprang up, they were about to attack Zolin simultaneously when ice suddenly pierced their hand.
"ice"
A floor of ice gripped their legs and they couldn't move.
*powpow*
[target has received 178 damages]
Instinctively Rein and Zolin attacked them. They fell unconscious. Zolin bent down and took the fat guy's tag, while Rein did the same for the other two guys,
'but who was that' Rein thought.
someone came out from a corner, turning out to be a familiar face.
"as I guessed, such splendid magic can only be used by you, why will you be helping us though, not to say you have been hanging around us too much."
"what do you mean I'm helping you, I took down those two so I'm taking the two tags"
Jon stretched his hand to Rein whose hand was hiding at his back, ''make it quick...''
"what do you mean, my friend and I gave them the last blow" Rein said with a pretense smile.
"of course we did...." Rein looked at Zolin immediately he heard what Zolin just but Zolin gave a grin and stylishly avoided his gaze,
" who the f**k is your friend, seriously we are enemies, and we are only around each till I'm strong enough to kill you"
"well I guess we'll be around for a very long time"
".... I'll beat you in six month"
" *hahahaha* I'll make you my friend in six month"
Jon smiled, "look at you two getting distracted when I'm about to take the tag, and I didn't know a prince could be so friendly", 'I find this somehow exhilarating, the rich kid I'm curious about and the infamous prince'
"what do you mean, prince are humans too, but this guy right here to be honest, I feel if I hang out with him it'll be fun, don't you feel it too, is that not why you wanna hang out with us."
"yea I admit, there's so much unknown about him, it'll be fun to know."
Rein took out the tags, and stretched one to Jon, "Zolin already has one. And I don't seriously care about what you guys are saying but don't you dare think I am a plaything"
Jon smiled to Rein and refused the tag "it's okay, I already have six."
"whaaatttt?!!" Rein was surprised. 'It's not even been twenty minutes'
"why do you sound so surprised, I have 11, plus this will make it 12, with that one in your hand 13"
"how can a human be so selfish!! Even after having 11, you still wanna take more?"
"that's weird, don't you know the rules" Jon asked Rein,
"which rules?"
"they didn't give us specific number of tags to take, that means the more tags we have the more higher our rank will be..... Honestly were you even listening at all." Zolin explained.
"aha I zoned out for a second, anyway I'm not giving you these, and I need to gain more tags, but i hate to admit I'm weak, so let's work together for now, I'll repay you guys later"
Zolin put his arms around Rein shoulder
"what are friends for?"
"f**k off"
They began hunting tags together the entire day, they were now at the stables, Rein sat on the floor outside the stables. Jon and Zolin squatted in front of him.
"how many tags do you have now Rein"
"22, what about you?"
"41,I'm going to stop here, its not fun if we're on top of the rankings in just first test, let's stay below and bully the higher rankers" Zolin said.
''what bully or you are just scared the people we are going to be meeting from henceforth will be very strong'' Rein said to Zolin's face''
''Dear friend, you can be brutally honest sometimes. But don't you think too little of the red lineage we cannot be taken down so easily''
''The red lineage, what is that?''
"it the family of the emperor they are said to be born with a very aggressive red aura which makes it very hard hard for them to be defeated but we can't be so sure anymore since the story was from the empire folktales I have 73 tags with me, i don't find it boring to be being given a high rank, privileges come with it"
Zolin and Rein's mouth dropped as Jon mentioned the number of tags he had.
"anyway isn't it weird, there are not saying anything about our shelter, where will we sleep?" Rein asked.
Jon answered the confused Rein,
"from the looks of this, it seems they're telling us the test will go on all night until tomorrow. So where we stay does not concern anyone, the point is to come back with more than one tags or you stay a cadet, besides it's not like the others were given rooms, we're all together in this, everyone is still roaming and fights are going on. And I'm surprised you are thinking of room in this kind of situation"
" it's weird, let's go find somewhere else, I mean there are definitely many places to explore in this school, let's find somewhere safe, we could be ambushed anytime." Zolin said as he stood up.
'it seems this isn't a joke after all, this academy means business' Rein stood and stroked Belet wishing him goodnight as the three, left the stables.
..... ¬
Everyone gathered at the assembly field. Rein that thought he could sleep peacefully could not get any sleep, attacks kept coming, most especially by people that have lost their tags, they were even some that begged him to give them. But Jon and Zolin insisted that he ignored them.
They finally stood at the assembly with others, someone brushed pass Zolin.
"I see you've finally found the place you belong..... maggot"
Both Rein and Jon saw what happened there, they kept shut because they believed it was a family dispute, Zolin gritted his teeth as he glared at the back of the blonde-haired Eztli.
"b... ast..... ard" Zolin said beneath his breath.
'I guess even sweet princes got their own struggles' Rein looked at Zolin.
The Head instructor climbed the podium with two other instructors, the Principal wasn't there this time around. "I congratulate you all on passing the first test, however seeing that none are dead, i guess you all are mister and mistress goody-two-shoes."
...
"if there is no one with tags amidst you all, step behind."
Many students began to move behind, after they had finish the head instructor faced one of the instructors behind him.
"kill them"
Immediately the instructor behind the Head instructor gave sign to the other instructors who began to move immediately began to slay the ones that stepped back, they were weak and couldn't even put up any fight. The killing took awhile as they would estimated to be over 900.
The Head instructor began to pace,
"if one cannot protect just a small wooden material, how is he supposed to shoulder the burden of the world. Don't be shocked this is the last time a random killing like this will happen, the first test was designed to separate the weak from the strong, now that the rest of you here can at least protect some wood, you're good to go."
An instructor stepped forward,
"If you have with you 10 tags and below step forward to receive the cadet badge."
A lot of people stepped forward designing them took a while but soon they all received their black metal badge that hung on their chest, the fat guy crew that attacked Rein glared at him as they returned to their position.
'haha so he managed to stay alive, the northerners seem quite strong' Rein smirked.
"if you have with you tags between 60 to 11, step forward to receive the lieutenant Badge"
Rein and Zolin happen to fall in this category. Shortly after they got designed, they were just 35 and the designation was compared to the first that took too long...
"okay now anyone who has with him tags between 99-60 step forward."
Very few began to step forward, amidst them was Jon, Mahuizoh, Quetz, and many others from the northern continent and the nine duke's children.
Their metal badge was silver, as the lieutenant badge was bronze.
They were decorated as Captains.
However three people stood there, expecting to be called.
The Head Instructor looked in amazement.
'did they alone take over 100 tags'... Step forward, how many tags do you have with you?"
"109" Neza answered,
"123"Eztli answered,
"115" A northern guy, with white hair answered,
The Head instructor was very surprised,
'so....it's not that those we killed were too weak... They must've fallen victim to these monsters.'
''I will design these ones myself'', 'the next two years will be turmoil... It'll be fun' The Head instructor smiled as he designated them the rank of Major, the badge was different from the rest. It stood out too much and the diamond shined, with a star carved in it.