"Not half bad! He's a great fighter in the making!"
"Had he participated in the previous year, this kid would have made it into the top three. But it won't be so easy this year!"
"Absolutely. There's a mix of candidates this year. Although they are the rejected, they have practiced for at least a year, and you mustn't underestimate their abilities!"
"Whatever. Pangu has a talented recruit, of which I'm envious!"
Their praise flattered Bai Yang, who felt proud because he was Ling Jiu's instructor.
"Look! Someone else has appeared again! I can't believe that it's him. Things seem to grow more interesting by the minute!"
...
After Ling Jiu cut open the Sableback Gorilla's chest and gouged out the heart, a lackadaisical voice rang out.
"Thank you for helping me kill it!"
"Who is it?"
Ling Jiu stopped what he was doing and spun around with Li Kai in unison as an unkempt young man approached them.
He was wearing a vest and short pants with a pair of sandals on his feet. He had tired eyes and appeared extremely listless.
"What? You want to snatch the prey from a tiger's mouth?"
Li Kai did not look too friendly.
"Snatch it is, but not necessarily from a tiger!"
The lackadaisical young man yawned and opened his tired eyes. "You mean you two are tigers? Is that a joke?"
"I see. You're trying to rob us, aren't you?"
"Rob? Hell no! Don't use that word! I just want to take what belongs to me in the first place!"
The lackadaisical young man raised a hand. "Cut the cackle. Hand over your dimensional pockets and get out of my sight!"
"What if I don't comply?" Ling Jiu sneered.
"I'll see how stubborn you can get!"
The lackadaisical young man stepped out, and the next second, he was right in front of Ling Jiu, staring him in the eye. The young man curled his lips in a faint smile, then a thud followed.
The next moment, Ling Jiu felt an excruciating pain rip through his abdomen as a force sent him flying backward.
"Bro!"
Li Kai was shocked, but before he knew it, the lackadaisical young man had appeared before him. A side kick sent him flying backward as well.
"Loser!"
Looking at Ling Jiu and Li Kai, who had been sent tumbling, the lackadaisical young man yawned again.
That was freaking quick!
Ling Jiu's heart skipped a beat. He must be using a Speed-type Arcana, a rare combat-type special ability. If I replicate it…
"Don't make me repeat myself!" The lackadaisical young man looked at the both of them.
"Not half bad, huh? Speed-type Arcana! But you can dream on if you're thinking about snatching the dimensional pocket from me!"
Ling Jiu's mouth twitched, and he looked at the young man provocatively. "Come and get it if you dare!"
"We shall see!"
The lackadaisical young man hissed and went up to Ling Jiu in a flash again. His movements were so quick that he left an afterimage of himself behind him.
Before the lackadaisical young man could make his next move, an overpowering pressure fell on him, causing him to stagger on his feet.
"Now's the time!"
Ling Jiu would not miss the opportunity. He grabbed the air and summoned a large piece of rock.
Bang!
Debris flew all over the place. The lackadaisical young man screamed in agony as the blow nearly broke his ribs.
However, that did not stop Ling Jiu's attack; he turned the ground into quicksand that swallowed the lackadaisical young man, trapping him in the ground.
Ling Jiu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Li Kai. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine!"
Li Kai covered his foot-printed face. "This guy's quick, but his strength is ordinary. That kick of his couldn't hurt me!"
"Great!"
Ling Jiu nodded. He then made his way toward the lackadaisical young man. "I knew how it felt when you tried to rob us, but what a shame, you're too weak!"
"You possess Gravity Arcana!"
The lackadaisical young man had a grim look. "You got me this time! But don't feel too triumphant yet; there are still two more days of the assessment to go. If you want to play, I'll play along!"
"Do you really think you still have a chance?"
Ling Jiu smirked. "Your Speed-type Arcana is unusual. Coupled with the fact that you are a Level 2 Arcanist, not many Arcanists are your match. So, for the sake of the lucrative reward, a strong contender like you should drop out of the race as soon as possible!"
"What are you trying to do?"
The lackadaisical young man's expression changed. "I'm warning you, killing fellow Arcanists is prohibited in the test. If you kill me, you'll be disqualified too!"
"Kill you? How I wish I could!" Ling Jiu rolled his eyes. "But I'm not ready to be disqualified yet. So, I have to apologize for your legs!"
"No-No, you can't do that!"
It terrified the lackadaisical young man to think about losing his legs. He could only perform the Speed-type Arcana because of his legs. If something happened to them, he would surely fail the assessment.
"I'm sincerely sorry. This may be very cruel to you, but I can't help it. We're talking about the assessment here!" Ling Jiu shook his head and grabbed the air with his right hand.
The lackadaisical young man felt his legs twisting, and it was followed by a loud crackle. He then screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
Ling Jiu released him from the ground, but his legs were completely deformed.
"I'm sorry, man! I have not only broken your legs but I have also taken your dimensional pocket. If you're not happy with it, come and hit me!"
Ling Jiu sneered as he took the dimensional pocket from the lackadaisical young man and left with Li Kai.
The lackadaisical young man gritted his teeth and wept like a baby as he looked at his deformed legs and thought of his dimensional pocket. He had initially thought of marauding this gang of robbers. Little did he expect that things would end up this way for him.
"Help me, Sir! I give up! Come and get me now. I'm in danger!"
...
"This guy really had a bad day!"
"Absolutely! Before lower-ranked Arcanists master their special abilities, a Speed-type Arcanist is definitely at an advantage and can easily defeat the rookies. Unfortunately, he met a Gravity Arcanist!"
"The Gravity Arcana got this guy's Speed Arcana by the balls. All I can say is, he had bad luck!"
"This poor guy bumped into Teleportation Arcana last year, then Gravity Arcana this year. He's been ousted two years in a row. I really don't know—"
"All right! Which of you are going to collect him before the Direbeast eats him for dinner?"
"I'll go!"