Five kids and I included. They stood tall and strong, their outfits made it easy to tell that they were from a well-off family. Compared to this little champ who was wearing distinctively wide trousers, low crotch beneath the knees and a jacket that wasn't even reaching his waist, wasn't covering his bony, bare chest and wasn't covering his skinny arms, with a maroon coloured fabric tied to his waist, meant to hold the trousers.
Shit, I looked like a servant compared to them, they scoffed at me as I glanced at them, admiring their outfits and how fresh they looked. These kids should come to the world I live and experience what we call life. I clicked my tongue as I averted my gaze, fixating it on the front of the large ground we stood.
Not too long, a presence filled the entire atmosphere as it approached from afar. With the charade of guards around him and the obeisance, the guards around paid as he came out of the alley that led to the training ground. One would be stupid if he couldn't recognize what has appeared before his eyes.
As he drew closer, his presence dawned more intensely on the atmosphere, the little kids who seemed like they were big deal began to shiver in their legs. Was I okay? Hell no, I felt like someone was tightening my heart from inside, but transmigator's guide to surprising nobles and making a name for yourself. I knew I should never show my weakness in this case. The fact that he is discharging such an intimidating atmosphere meant that the test had begun. The first part of the test was intimidation.
~drip~
~drip~
I didn't need to think much before I knew what that was, one of those little kids must have peed their pants, the corner of my cheeks yielded to a soft smirk at the blissful thought of it.
But the thing is... strangely, I began to feel a sense of relief, not just that, the wetness that slapped my thigh and the dripping on my legs. My prideful demeanour trembled as I came to an awful realisation.
"What's so funny when you pee your pants?" The thick and vibrating tone no doubt told me that he was the one.
My face bowed in disgrace and couldn't dare to look up, not that I care about customs and etiquette, I am a twenty-seven-year-old male, a man, I peed my pants? This is a blasphemy to the principles I live by. A true disgrace to my ego.
"Reilfreid."
"Yes, your grace" The man that brought me in answered.
"I suppose you have brought a deaf child? Is this selection process supposed to be a joke to you?" The Duke asked him, looking over to his side.
"I sincerely apologize your grace, he seems to have been traumatised by the torrent of your animus."
"If this one cannot handle basic energy intimidation, how is he supposed to stand strong before the Emperor." He said and looked over to the other kids. "Even they are no better, look at this one...he even looks like he's dancing. You know what, redo the selection, get a new set of pe-"
*pfft*
The speech stopped simultaneously as my soft scoff was let out.
Sometimes even in the worst scenarios or when you are faced with death, you can't just let some funny stuff pass by you without laughing. I tried my best to hold my laugh after he said '...look at this one, he even looks like he's dancing.' I really tried to hold it in.
I Immediately felt a tight grab on my hair, like they were about to be pulled out. He forcefully lifted my face, actually forcefully will be a wrong choice word, since it didn't look like he put in any reasonable amount of strength to do it.
"What is funny?"
I had nothing to say, I just stared at him with the fullness of concentration. With a specific prayer in mind: Just like in the novels and movies, after staring so angrily or sternly, you hear, 'I will take this one, I like the look in his eyes.'
That is what my predicament needed right now.
~SLAP!~
With my blurry vision, I saw my tooth fly out of my mouth accompanied by some spit. The cheek wouldn't stop burning. 'Don't lose the stare, don't give up' my uncommon sense spoke to me. And I energetically glared into his deep black eyes.
"Would you look at this one...he's rude. How amusing." He tightened his fist.
'Wait, wait, he's not going to punch a little kid with those large hands is he?' My mind screamed before and after thought as his large fist dived into my belly.
~Uwwerrgghhlk~
My bowels squeezed from within but I was glad I could enclose the projectile of spit with my lips. I don't know what story you would be reading right now if I spat on the Duke's face after receiving his mega punch.
"Your Grace..." This man called Reilfreid called out, 'why was it after I got punched' even in my dire state.
~POW!~
I wasn't expecting it, a dust of wind oozed out of my back, it was as if someone pierced a rod through me, a jolt of electricity ran through my head and caused it to greatly ache. I couldn't tighten my lips and teeth anymore as the spit slowly made a way of my mouth and dripped down. The excruciating pain I was feeling in my head because my hair was still being pulled plus the electrifying headache, made me feel numb. It had gotten to a point I would have decided, 'I don't care what happens anymore.' But never, never would it be heard of me that I threw away my second chance. I might be all things, but I am not lazzzzzzziiii
~POWWWW!~
My fragile body dived through the wind with the last punch. The last one felt very different, at that moment of contact it felt like my whole body was drenched in pain, even though I was only getting hit in the stomach. I tumbled as I landed on the ground, my vision getting all dizzy and dim.
It hurt, it hurt a lot but what the fuxk got pushed out of my stomach thanks to his punch. I had no strength to stand from where I lay. My mouth slowly opened right there and a familiar object slipped out engrossed in spit.
The last thing I saw before I die... I hate rinnnn... fuxk it. I love rings. This has to be my lucky charm. Moving my arm was like trying to carry something extremely heavy. Something you know you can't carry with your current strength.
I am not a person that forgets gratefulness, even if it's an object. So I tried and with the aid of moving my mouth in different positions trying to make the ring stand and slowly adjusting my finger, I finally slipped it into my finger. Thanks to the spit.
"Discharge the rest of them, treat that one." The Duke said and turned away.
"Yes, your grace!" Reilfreid's loud response could be heard from where I laid, which was beyond ten feet from where I got punched.
~WHIM!~
The Duke paused and slowly turned back with a shivering shoulder.
I too had no idea as to why I was covered with a sudden whirlwind of golden specks of dust. The silver ring tightened on my index finger.
"Arrrggggghhhhhh!!"
Indeed, it sounded like the victory cry of that moment when your hidden power gets unlocked. But no, no, my finger felt like it was being cut off. What the hell?!! Like my finger was being violently severed when I could still see them intact, what changed was the ring glowed. And melted into that finger leaving a black round mark that first glowed golden colour and turned black.
After then, it was just a closing curtain of the Duke grinning before me, I had no idea when he even got so close. And one more comment, he looked despicable with the full beards and his wicked grin.