The days went on, and almost a week has passed since that day Rona had been grounded. Our relationship has worsened even further, to the point where she would just leave the room if I were in it. She wouldn't talk to me at all, which made me really sad, because Rona had been such an important person in my life here. She's more than just a friend — she could be my stepsister, if I wanted to call her that.
On the flip side, the time I spent in training camp has been nothing less than extraordinary — we would train from day to night, eat and chat together on breaks, teach each other unique skills (I was mostly taught by them, not the other way around), have mock battles in one-on-one duels, and all in all have a great time. Every evening, I would come home drenched in sweat, yet with a satisfied smile on my face.
Today, I would think camp was no different from any other day, save for my eventful first day which ended in quite a fashion. However, the normalities I was used to had been quickly shattered the moment I met up with Mason and Alessia. Sitting face-to-face by one of the canteen tables, they were having a heated conversation of some sorts. Mason was flailing his hands around, head slightly tinted red with anger; while Alessia was crossing her arms, expression solid and final without a single twitch.
"Hey — what're you two up to?" I made my presence known just behind Mason. I sat myself down beside him on the bench as they turn around to notice me.
"Oh, hey Ernie. We were just having a nice little discussion about our what-if match," Mason explained.
"Hi, Ernie," Alessia greeted, then turned to Mason with squinted eyes. "'Nice,' you say? Weren't you going off on me about my non-damaging magic? Maybe you should open your eyes — well, not that you can when you're encased in my shadows."
"As if I'll be tricked by your tactics," Mason spat. "My tenacity is strong enough to outlast your measly skill."
"Oh, try me!"
"Hey, now — if you want a mock battle, the field would be a better place to have it," I cut into their heated debate. Both of them scowled and peace temporarily returned.
"By the way," I continued, "what are you two planning to do today? My arms are still sore from the swinging practice yesterday, so anything involving hands is a no-go for me."
"Ah, haven't you heard?" Mason replied first.
"Heard what?"
"Mason, he just came in here. How could he have heard the announcement from last night?" Alessia snapped her fingers.
"Right — my bad. Forgot you didn't stay here," Mason scratched his hand, a wry grin forming on his mouth. "Well, the director said a class will be held for the whole day. Apparently, it's a small analyzation of our abilities. Mainly for picking out our weapons."
"Yes," Alessia picked up the explanation, "weapons that best suit us. If you've got a weapon that doesn't suit you, like it can't combine well with your magic or it's too much to your distaste, then your fighting prowess will not be at its full height. You'll just suffer in a fight with a weapon you can't properly use."
"Oh..." I said. "You mean unique weapons? Like your crescent blade, Alessia?"
"Yes, and its name is Runae, thank you very much. I use it since it's perfect for jumping around — I specialize in agility and ambushes, as you know. My magic — Dark type — doesn't have any spells that directly deal damage, but Runae compensates for that. I can charge it with my Dark magic and boost its piercing capabilities. And for style points as well," she added.
"Yeah, yeah, your beloved Runae. How in god's name did she come up with that, I don't know," said Mason.
"At least it's better than whatever you call your sword and shield. Swick and Flish, if I can remember."
"Excuse you, because it's Swish and Flick, thank you very much."
"Ah, whatever it's called," Alessia disregarded Mason with a wave of her hand.
"Mason, you also have a unique weapon?" I asked with intrigue bubbling up inside me.
"Yeah, I have one alright. A sword called Swish and a shield called Flick. Specially made for my half-offensive and half-defensive battle style."
"This guy is just a hybrid through and through. Hybrid magic type, hybrid fighting style, hybrid sandwich-burgers — should I just cut you in half and call you a hybrid human?" Alessia cried.
"One's for you to say, Miss Edgelord McShadows. At least my magic can do damage, unlike your boosts."
"Ah, sorry to break it to you, but only a person out of their mind would call their weapons Swish and Flick."
"It's called onomatopoeia — check a dictionary if you don't know. I swish with my sword, and flick away attacks with my shield. Simple."
"Come to think of it," I finally said, "what does your weapon's name mean, Alessia?"
"Ah, Runae is a corruption of the Latin word for crescent moon, which I named after my crescent-shaped sword because, well, it's crescent-shaped, and it looks a bit like the moon."
"Tediously complicated and deep," Mason snapped.
"At least it holds meaning, unlike your half-thought out excuse of a name."
"Oh, but what should I name my weapon?" I chirped in wonder.
"Well," Mason replied, "you haven't got your unique weapon yet. You'll see later on."
"Yeah," Alessia chipped in. "You'll get your weapon when the analyzation starts. Usually only two or three here get a new weapon — some changed their style and needs better suited weapons, while others, like you, are not armed correctly yet."
"But how will the analyzation go? Do I have to do another test thing again? The director sure likes to poke fun at his students."
"Rest assured," Mason patted my shoulder, "it'll just be a bit of showcasing your skills. Nothing much involving action, really, unless you want to try out your new unique immediately."
"And also," Alessia continued again, "most unique weapons are separately made after you find out what fits you best. You'll probably have to wait a day or two to get it."
"Hm... I wonder what my weapon might be..."
***
The morning went on, and soon enough it was late noon. All of the campers have filed out of the main building and into the field. Mason, Alessia and myself followed the flow of students and exited the building. The analyzation is starting.
Every single camper seems to have gathered here in the field, around a large open area. A single brown chest lay in the open field, enclosed in a magically formed cubic barrier that stretches to about thirty feet in every axis. I can't say for sure what it's for, and my guess would be just as wild as the next person.
Though, probably not the next person to my right — or left. Alessia and Mason respectively stood by me as we watched the first student to get analysed. His name was Giddet Chadimoll, a small boy of around the age of eight. He had a relatively tiny figure, but many seem to regard his attitude as anything but tiny. An energetic puff of a pipsqueak, he specializes in throwing off enemies with his small body and setting up elaborate traps. Like a certain someone from a certain video game I came to had a hear on, back when I was on Earth.
The brown, mushroom-shaped hair jiggled along as he stretched in the large field full of targets. Before I could make out what sort of event it might be by watching the kid, Mason came to spoil the fun first.
"Ah, the Pandora's Box event, as the campers here like to call it."
"The 'Pandora's Box?' What is that, exactly?"
"Well, it's to test your magic, to clear things up," he explained. "There's a reason to why this event is named as it is. The 'challenger,' as we call the person being tested, will have to face whatever that chest — Pandora's Box — spews out. It could be a swarm of arachnids or a big ugly orc, so it's practically random. The challenger needs to defeat it using only, and only their magic. No weapons allowed, aside from your own fists."
"What?" I gasped in horror. "So many things could go out of hand. Exactly how was this approved?"
"Beats me. For all I know, that Pandora's Box could churn out a dragon. If that actually happens, you won't have to worry, though. Aren't we all adventurers here for a reason?"
"...Right." Not entirely assured, I spectated the scene unfold with my stomach churning madly. I was practically nervous for this kid. Whatever comes out of that chest — it could end the boy's life, and my eyes will be eternally scarred by such a tragic event. To think I had to do such a thing. It seemed outrageous. I felt underprepared. Severely underprepared.
Giddet finished his stretches, and went into a battle stance. He had his hand held up in a sort of an L-shape, aiming directly at the box as if holding a gun. One eye was closed while the other squinted attentively.
Then, the box started to move. It shook for a few times, but then its lid burst open and a large insect-like monster squeezed out of the impossibly small hole. Its body was at least five times as large as the boy, and it certainly did not seem to be able to squeeze its way back into the box.
"Good god, it's an abizzu!"
"A what?"
"An abizzu," Mason repeated.
"It's similar to a gigantic hornet, mostly," Alessia continued from my right. "Except that its stripes are pink and yellow, and its sting is replaced with a nuzzle, where a poisonous substance will leak into the air from its abdomen. A few minute's worth of exposure to it will send you unconscious, and the abizzu will fly merrily towards your limp body and gouge you up with its pincers."
I shivered at the thought of that. Looking at the gigantic hornet-like insect, it did in fact boast pink and yellow stripes, and it did have a nuzzle in replacement for a sting. I noticed its wings were abnormally out-of-proportioned to its body, unlike how a normal hornet would look. "Hey, what's with those large wings? Those look like they belong to a moth or something."
"Ah, I forgot to mention, the abizzu can flap them to redirect the direction of its poisonous gas. In a sense, its battle style is the opposite of a normal hornet — it goes for long range paralysation, instead of zooming in melee and stinging you with poison."
"Ain't it fascinating?" Mason chirped, gnawing his eyes out at the spectacular monster. "Such an interesting creature. Its anatomy fits perfectly for its attack style — redirecting poisonous gas at its enemies with its wings and staying away from danger at the same time—"
"Mason likes creatures," said Alessia with a slight sigh. "He's head over heels for them. I suppose he'll marry one when he's of legal age." She chuckled at her own joke.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Mason growled. I refocus my attention back to the test, and it seems Giddet isn't having much trouble with his opponent. His magic affinity was Fire, but most of his skills use plasma. Streaks of lightning shot out from the tip of his finger and forked around the abizzu's body. It tried to flutter away, but the lightning was just too fast. In a single clap, the insect was paralyzed. With one last pathetic flap, it tumbled down to the ground.
But it wasn't dead yet. Its legs still twitched as hot steam billowed out of its immobilized body. While the abizzu fell, Giddet was already chanting. In mere seconds after the monster had fallen limp on its back, a thunderous rage of plasma engulfed the whole fenced-off ground, catching both grass and hornet in the wake of a violent thunder dome.
Electric blue filed out throughout the whole chamber — the barriers even tingled with bright luminosity at the incredible phenomenon. After all the electricity had subsided, what's left was the burnt carcass of the once-was abizzu, now scorched to a crisp by the boy's heartless lightning. A smile was evident on his face as he walked away from the field. I couldn't suppress the urge to clap, which was apparently shared by everyone in the crowd — a thunderous applause erupted like a stormy sea of violent cracks.
"Well, that was a spectacle, wasn't it?" Mason had both his hands on his hips.
"Uh-huh. Hard to imagine that tiny kid could conjure up all that lightning," I said in reply.
"Well, he's the Lightning Pip for a reason. That's Giddet's nickname, by the way."
"He could've just ended it in a single flash. Typical Giddet going out with a bang," Alessia shared her opinion.
"It was still impressive, though," I said aloud from my mind.
She shrugged. "The next one's coming. You should probably get ready as well — it's your turn after this. Go find the director and tell him you're participating as well."
"Right. See you guys later," I said.
"Good luck on the analyzation," said Alessia. "Crush whatever that box throws at you."
"Yeah, Ernie, go break a leg!" Mason shouted. "—Or don't," he added sheepishly.
***
"Director Elshire?" I called for the gray-haired man wearing the only formal piece of attire among the crowd of students. I couldn't see exactly from behind, but the only person I know who wears sunglasses here is that cheeky director.
The man turned, only to confirm my guess with those lens-covered eyes and the painfully neutral look on his lips. "Ah, Mr. Neswitt. Here for the analyzation, I presume?"
"Yes, sir. I'm intending to participate, you see."
He nodded. "I very much guessed you would participate. After all, your presence was the single last boost I needed to green-light this event. Ah, I'm terribly sorry for not telling you earlier — but your friends must have already explained, yes?"
"Mm-hmm. I want a unique weapon. The sword I use is nice and all, but it doesn't pair that well with my magic. Maybe a weapon I can control with Vector magic, or something along those lines?"
"Hmm, yes..." He cuffed his chin with his hands. "I'll take that into account while determining your weapon of choice. In the meantime, why not prepare? The magic battle involving a monster will be crucial in the process of evaluating your weapon choice.
"...By the magic battle, do you mean Pandora's Box?"
"'Pandora's Box?' Ah, yes — it's what you kids like to call it. Nothing to worry about, Mr. Neswitt. I assure you I have tampered with the box prior to this analyzation to befit your strengths and weaknesses. The monsters that are released aren't random — contrary to belief — it actually analyses its opponent, then spews out a suitable enemy. Remember Mr. Chadimoll, the pipsqueak? The abizzu was a perfect match-up for his type of magic. I believe whatever comes out of that box, you will be able to defeat."
"Oh... I see." I was a tad bit less concerned, but not entirely reassured. After all, whatever comes out of that box is definitely something I'm not familiar with. This world's creatures are so much more vile compared to those on Earth. Gigantic, vicious, and deadly — they could easily stand toe-to-toe with Earth's most dangerous counterparts, perhaps even surpassing them.
"Shan't you worry, Mr. Neswitt — I have faith you will do extremely well. Ah, do us all a favor and give us a surprise, would you? I'm sure the kids are craving some more fun. See there — Ms. Alvonnie is just about finished." He pointed his thumb at the girl fighting an armadillo-like creature, with a shell that shone brightly like jewels. The girl's magic was Water type, but she also combined a bit of ice in her attacks.
"A rillon," Director Elshire said. "Its carapace-like outer body works similarly to an armadillo — aside from protecting against physical attacks, it reflects any magic back towards the caster as well. Although it is not immediately hostile towards humans, any attack performed against it or its home territory will aggravate the rillon to defend itself."
"So it doesn't attack?"
"Oh, it does attack. By rolling, you see. Due to its ball-like shape, it can flatten anything it rolls upon with its heavy body. Their main style of attack is to endure — wait for its enemy to waste their energy, then go in for the counterattack by rolling at high speeds. Due to the energy loss, it's hard to escape from their path."
"Isn't that bad? How will Ms. Alvonnie defeat it?" I asked in concern.
"Just watch." I looked back at the girl upon the director's request, and spectated the battle from afar. The rillon was already coming in for the attack, preparing to roll towards Alvonnie. The girl, in a haste, did an incantation with her fingers together in a triangular-shape, standing perfectly still without flinching whilst the rillon rolled aggressively at her.
Then, the moment the girl spread her arms wide, a large spray of light blue mist exploded from the place where her hands were a second ago, creating a frozen sheet of ice on the ground. The permafrost caused the ground to be slippery, and ice-cold at that. Due to the unstable nature of the rillon's rolling, it slipped and flew off-course — it rebounded several times on the four walls of the barrier like an incredibly bouncy ball zooming around at high speeds.
After a small game of pinball, the rillon finally stopped rolling and fell flat on its back, opening its hard shell and revealing its dazed peach-colored body. Alvonnie merely stood there the whole time, not once flinching away from the close calls the rillon came to brush against her. She was perfectly calm and stable. A cheer erupted from the sea of spectators, and the girl slowly walked out of the barrier-enclosed zone, ice slowly melting away and seeping into the grass.
"Well, there you have it," the director said after the applause died down. "If you can't directly hit the enemy, then do it indirectly. A basic lesson taught to all students here."
I nodded in agreement. "That was smart."
"Indeed." There was a short pause between the director's sentences. "Mr. Neswitt, it's your turn now. Best of luck to you."
"R-Right." I gulped nervously as I stepped inside the magically enclosed zone. Although the barrier is transparent, I could still make out its shape. The texture of the barrier was quite fascinating: like still water, it has small ripples and waves conjuring about, tinted slightly turquoise in color, along with a few distortions of light which made a few parts glow faintly with kaleidoscopic pigments. Like a hot object emitting heat, it refracted light in a dizzying way.
I turn to look at Pandora's Box lying still on the grass a few dozen feet in front of me. It looked like an ordinary chest, but even I could sense that something was definitely not normal about it. The chest somehow emits an aura... a sort of divine pulse that can make anyone recognize it as a powerful piece of magic.
For a solid minute, nothing happened. The only sound I could hear was the magnetic ringing of the barrier and the faint, muffled-out cheers from the crowd. I decided to warm up my magic in the meantime, moving around bits of dirt and rock I found lying around.
Suddenly, the box shook. I jumped to my feet and got into a battle stance quickly — something is coming out of that box. Something sinister, it must be. It shook a few more, then burst open in a heap of magnificence, lid turning a whole 180-degrees and more backwards. Slowly, a large creature climbed out of the dark crevice inside the chest, both gigantic humanoid-like hands on the rim of the chest for support.
First, its head emerged, then the torso, lower body, legs, and finally its feet. The monster looked like an incredibly wide human — several feet taller than average and probably a hundred pounds more. Every step it took shuddered the ground, quaking beneath its weight. It had no neck — its hemispherical head was completely attached to its body. Its eyes ominously gleamed yellow, in a monster-like half-moon shape. Its mouth was more like a tear in its 'skin' rather than an actual opening.
Its body, covered in murky green moss, looked like the outer layer of a tree trunk — not wood, but cold, hard stone. Its fingers were long, with tiny holes at the end of each one. The monster had no toes — its feet looked just like a large stump. It was hideous. The more I studied it, the more I felt like it isn't actually alive. It was more similar to a golem than a giant humanoid monster.
Wait, I know what this is, a thought rushed through my mind. Rona taught me this! It's — it's a traiado!
Traiado — a rare monster found in deep parts of the jungles of the continent Caegel. Its body is particularly sturdy against sharp edges. It is unknown whether they are alive or a parasite using its body as a shell. However, they are known to attack anything that crosses their path, and that includes humans as well. Its main style of attack is —
"— pebbles!" As though reading my mind, the traiado demonstrated its prowess by lifting its hand and aiming its fingers straight at me. In a single pulse, a good two dozen high-speed pebble projectiles shot right at me. They came at a blisteringly fast speed. My eyes couldn't keep track.
I lunged to my left in order to avoid the pebbles. I had no weapon to deflect its attacks. I have no weapon to bruise that body. I only have my measly Vector magic. As the thought of despair rose in my mind, more projectiles came flying by. Combined with the previous ones ricocheting off the barrier walls, around thirty of them were flying chaotically in every direction.
It was hard to avoid any of them — a few grazed my right shoulder, my left elbow, my left hip, my right leg, and a few more hauntingly near-misses. One single misstep and I may as well be called dead. The projectiles were so fast they could penetrate through my skull and into my brain. They weren't at the speed of bullets or anything — if they were, I'd already be lying on the ground punctured with holes — but they were still fast.
I jumped to literally everywhere around the enclosed space, trying my hardest to avoid the pebbles. Every time they hit, I could feel a blazing flame erupting from that impacted part — I could cry if I had the chance to. But not this instance. The monster was not giving me any time to weep. Ah, maybe I should thank it for that.
More projectiles were shot, and now more than a hundred pebbles were bouncing around rapidly in the cage. It was a spectacle to watch them rebound everywhere in a chaotic mess — but when you're in danger of being ruthlessly pummelled with holes like a block of cheese, it's not as pretty anymore. The pebbles came from everywhere: in front, from behind, my left, right, above — even below! Ouch!
But then, a loud wail came from the traiado. It stopped adding bullets into the hotpot of zooming rocks, instead howling in assumed anger. As its gigantic body stood there, I noticed some of the pebbles crashing into its body — it was carelessly attacking itself.
Perhaps this was a flaw in design — the traiado seems to not care about where it is shooting. The pebbles were good at making its enemies confused, yes — but it was also the single mistake that could end its triumph. I pondered for a bit as the projectiles died down. Most of them lost their momentum now and merely fell to the ground with a thump. This monster... it was hurting itself in its own destructive riot. The pebbles seem to be damaging it as well — there was a reason it stopped shooting and howled loudly. It was howling in pain.
A strategy quickly popped into my mind. I'll use the pebbles to attack it! I can use my magic to pummel it with rocks!
I waited for the traiado to stop wailing. I needed its projectiles to hurt it. The moment he shoots out enough pebbles, I'll control all of them to twist back and attack the traiado instead. I've controlled multiple projectiles before using magic — the sand I threw at Alessia's face had thousands of tiny particles. I'll definitely be able to control the projectiles. It's only an increase in size, that's all. I'll just need to focus harder.
Surely, amidst its rage, the traiado shot out a few dozen more projectiles as it howled thunderously. They flew randomly at everywhere, bouncing into another trajectory at every surface they touched. I concentrated, hard — I detached myself from the battle going on in front of me and went into a trance. My mind was completely and utterly focused on the projectiles zooming around.
I visualized it happening in my mind: the projectiles all changing directions and swooping in like bullets, all headed towards the traiado. I channelled the mana inside and around me into each projectile — using the mana in the atmosphere, I sensed that there are around fifty or so bouncing around. I connected them all to my mind, commanding them to twist in any way possible, then shooting like comets right at the traiado.
Then, a link connected. Then two. Then three. Four. A dozen. Two dozen. They all kept linking to me. I couldn't feel it in any way — I just knew it worked. I channelled my thoughts to the linked projectiles and commanded them to twist, turn and drift around. After a single moment of perfect lull, which confused the traiado, I gave my final order and forced a barrage of high-velocity projectiles to pummel the monster's body.
It was magical. The faint trails all coming to a halt simultaneously made me feel so powerful. I thrust out my hand right at the traiado, to which the pebbles floating in the hair adhered. In one single, beautiful motion, they sliced, pierced and pummelled the monster's body into bits. One single second was all it took for the monster's body to be filled with holes. It let out one last howl, then collapsed onto the ground, quaking it as the impact struck.
Everything was calm. No sound came. Then, a rampant applause, cheering, shouts, whistling and all-out screaming came from every direction — not even the barrier could block out the sheer volume of the cheering from the hundred-strong spectators.
I did it...!
I was still in a daze. Everything just came and went so fast. I couldn't believe what I just did. In one single flurry of rocks, the tides turned immensely and the battle had been won.
I actually did it...!
Relief and happiness filled me. The monster lying lifelessly in front slowly disintegrated, iridescent colors flaking away as the mana from it drained. Its body slowly burned away, leaving nothing in its wake, not even the ash. I had defeated the traiado.
I passed the test!
Satisfied, and more than calmed down, I slowly headed out of the barriered-off zone, towards where the crowd of people would meet me, towards where my friends are waiting to pat me on my back. I walked out of that cage, out of that claustrophobic yet free zone where a single chest lay — the chest named Pandora's Box, which a monster that it produced has been defeated by me.