Woosh!
A calm breeze tore through the open field as all ten youths had their eyes fixated on each other. No matter how much they tried to deny it, they had this hunch that every single person still standing here is extraordinary. Instructor Han and the other youths standing behind him the standoff watch the standoff with a complicated look on their faces. They failed to understand how these ten youths who are yet to undergo refinement act like they are top-tier masters capable of burning the entire empire to ashes. They failed to understand why the atmosphere around them is so tense but Instructor Han found this amusing.
His focus was fixated on the two human youths standing side by side. If his memory isn't wrong, he could tell that these two are not from any noble family. Judging based on their choice of attire, they were mere commoners who probably came from poor or average backgrounds yet they both possessed sharp eyes and a demeanor similar to the heirs of the noble families.
Was it luck? Was it training?
No, it was just pure confidence in themselves! This is something attained after one has a good wealth of experience.
"I will be going first then" The light green-haired boy said to the lady beside him as he adjusted his shirt and walked towards inspector Han with an insane amount of confidence oozing out of him.
He was dark-skinned and had a strong build similar to that of a fighter. For someone so young he had acquired lean muscles to help complement his body shape and this couldn't be hidden with his baggy white shirt.
"Your name?" Instructor Han asked as he looked directly into the youth's eyes as if he was searching for something.
"Lenard… since I am a commoner, my family lacks a last name" Lenard answered boldly without blinking, causing Han to smile sheepishly.
In his opinion, if humans will ever break free from the oppression of the beast-men, people like Lenard are needed. He pushed the two floating orbs over to Lenard with a smile on his face before saying;
"I am counting on you" Instructor Han muttered sweetly.
Hearing this, Lenard was left stunned for a second but he shrugged it off immediately. He was used to nobles or high-ranking officers in the empire, looking down on commoners like them. Deciding not to dwell on the thought for too long, Lenard shut his eyes as he placed both hands on the crystal orbs.
Memories of the past flowed into his mind like a raging storm and images popped up in his mind. All through his life, he has encountered so many hardships, crossed so many local gangs, and even with all this, no one has ever been able to bring him down. While refinement allows one to fully utilize the power of their magic, without it, someone's magic tends to manifest on special occasions or in special conditions.
For Lenard, he was running for his life, desperately trying to escape from a dangerous group. They were all normal humans but they all had sharp weapons on them and he was no different from an ordinary human too. While running he realized he was either faster than usual but when he turned around to check he realized he didn't get faster, everyone around him just got slower.
Sinking deeper into the feeling, Lenard failed to notice the commotion he was causing outside. Everyone watched as time around Lenard came to a standstill as a bright green light could be seen on one of the crystal orbs. The light was not extremely bright to call him a genius yet, the magic affinity was something no one expected to see in this part of the world. The only one who possesses this ability is the man popularly known as the human emperor.
The only human who was able to wipe out all the beast-men in his region and create a human-only empire. He possessed enough power to make the phoenix emperor and the dragon emperor acknowledge his strength and see him as their equal!
This magic is called Time magic.
HISSSSSSS!
Instructor Han was still admiring the glow around Lenard when he sensed murderous intentions all directed towards Lenard, especially from a red-haired youth who had a scar across his face. He had a fiery presence similar to that of the Phoenix emperor. The beast men refused to accept the birth of another human emperor with the time magic. Instead of letting him grow, they would rather kill him here and avoid future complications!
Lucien growled as his animal instincts kept screaming in his head, pointing at Lenard as a potential threat. His white eyes which lacked both pupils and iris made him look like a predator as he focused on Lenard. His upper body leaned forward as he crouched slightly and used two fingers to support his posture. Anyone who noticed Lucien would think he was practicing for a sprint competition.
"Everyone, calm down!" Instructor Han said as he understood why the beast-men are reacting this way.
The birth of a human with the time magic could lead to the same event of the past, where all the beast-men population was wiped out by Basten Slade, the human emperor with the power over time! As much as he would have loved to call them paranoid and claim they are reacting, Han could understand their emotions and instincts. He knew if he were the one in the same situation, he would have felt the same way.
Bam!
While Han's attention was focused on the young master of the Phoenix household, Lucien shot forward with all his strength. His innate affinity to the wind element showcased itself as his feet moved so fast that it was hard to follow it. His sudden attack was so fast and flawless that many were left stunned since they failed to understand how a youth who is yet to undergo refinement can move so quickly.
Most of all, his guts were what was even more impressive. For him to dare attack a student in front of an instructor took a lot of courage and this is one department Lucien excelled in. His movement was so quick he too was left stunned by how fast he was moving but what left him even more confused was the fact that Instructor Han was able to follow his movements, gazing at him with the same charming smile on his face.
Bam!
Lucien crashed into an invisible wall, the moment he reached Lenard. Falling on his back, Lucien quickly sprang to his feet, preparing to launch another attack but Instructor Han was already there, standing between him and his target.
"You have got really large balls since you dare stand in my way" Lucien said with his eyes narrowed, leaving everyone including Instructor Han stunned.