'Applicants! As you all know getting into the Royal academy is not a simple task, as a matter of fact you all know that only a fraction of you may pass. Only the elite are chosen to join this prestigious academy. But this year there is something special! This year our country has summoned heroes and so we have set aside a different class for them! The Heroic Class will consist of two classes, Class A will have the stronger half of the heroes and Class B will have the weaker side. Nonetheless we will be choosing a select few students that really shine in this exam to join either class, stay vigilant students! That is all.'
With that short speech he headed back inside. It was quiet for a moment, almost too quiet. But then...
'Heroic Class!'
'A class with the heroes!' The crowd erupted with excitement, it was so loud that I needed to block my ears. After the delirium had died down the instructors announced the first exam.
'Hello everyone, your first exam will be a magic aptitude test, the darker the colour the higher your aptitude for magic is. When the examiner calls your name out place your hand onto the crystal ball. That's all.'
One by one people were called up to the pedestal, while I was waiting in line I heard some noise coming from another line.
'Oscar von Avalon, extremely dark grey!' The crowd went wild with cheers, Oscar was someone with a dark grey aptitude for magic. He was a great magician in the game if you befriended him, but someone more amazing should be coming up soon.
'Lari von Avalon! Black! Black!' Lari von Avalon was one of, if not the best magician in the game. She was the absolute best in the game. She was a jack of all trades(with magic atleast), master of all. She could heal, she could tank, she could destroy. She was completely broken there was nothing else to say. Her black aptitude was well deserved.
'Mordred Xander, come up to the pedestal.' I walked up to crystal ball and placed my hand on it. I could feel a power resonating in the ball. The ball started glowing with a simple grey and then just... stopped.
'Mordred Xander, simple grey.' I was above average. But it didn't matter to me, magic was only a part of my kit, not the entire one. But my magic's full potential was not realised because I hadn't secured my mana flow yet, most nobles had already done so at this point in time.
The next part of the assessment was the brutal part. You had to kill an orc in a one on one fight. Failure would come at a dreadful cost.
The applicants would be seated in the coliseum looking at the current applicant fight the orc.
'Kyle Corea please come down to the arena!' A timid looking boy, maybe 15 went down to the arena. He held up his sword, but his whole posture, grip and stance were completely wrong.
A gate on the other side of the arena opened up, the whole coliseum was deathly silent. You could hear the footsteps of the orc from top of the arena. A giant green humanoid monster, no smaller than two and a half metres came out of the pitch black room. His hands were handcuffed and his legs were chained but it wouldn't be like that for long.
'Unchain the orc!' At that command the orc's handcuffs opened and his chains broke. The orc stood still for a few seconds, surveying the area. Then it's eyes locked onto the boy standing in front of him. You could see drool coming out of its mouth, it was horrifying.
The boy's face was packed to the brim with sheer despair, he knew there was no chance he could beat the orc, but nonetheless he straightened his posture and prepared for the worst. God help you friend, I sent him a little prayer even though I knew it would be useless.
The orc started running, picking up speed. The boy lifted his sword up but he was far too late, the orc was already in front of him. The orc kicked the boy away into the walls of the arena, he must've broken a lot of bones.
The boy couldn't move, his legs, ribs and one of his arms were broken and his other was on the verge of breaking. The orc walked towards him and loomed over him with its red demonic eyes, drool gushing out of its mouth. The boy was situated straight in the middle of the shadow of death.
He screamed 'Gahh someone save me! Please someone help, I'm gonna die! Please! Please!' His cries were fruitless as the orc pulled him up and but into his shoulder, blood gushed out as he shrieked in pain.
Tears were overflowing down his eyes while some in the audience covered their mouths with their hands and closed their eyes. Why isn't this being stopped? What are the academy staff doing? Those kinds of thoughts probably crossed their minds.
But the truth was that this was what this academy was about, only the best were allowed to join and whoever else would never try again, quite literally.
The boy's body was being ripped apart by the orc, his intestines poured out onto the ground as the orc chewed on his abdomen. Next were the arms, the orc ate them like chicken drumsticks, then it ate the legs like a chicken thigh. It bit into the head and his brain spilled out. After it finished with the body he cleaned up the mess he made onto the plate and devoured everything that spilled out. Once he was finished with his meal it went back to its room. The darkness consuming the orc once more.
Most people in the coliseum wore grim expressions and some had even threw up, I myself needed to cover my mouth because I felt a bit of vomit come up to the top of my throat, it was disgusting but there was nothing I could do except to sit and stare.
Every single person had to fight an orc. The only exceptions were healers, priests and scholars. All 3 of them had separate exams they needed to take in order to pass.
Soon enough it was my turn to face the beast. I didn't want to take any risks here and get safely admitted to the academy so it wouldn't worry my sister. I had no more loads left either if I did make a mistake so I couldn't afford to be careless.
'Mordred Xander please come down to the arena.' With that I walked down and waited.
The gates opened and the horrid beast emerged once more. This time I had a shield with me as well so I was extra prepared. The orc looked at me with those hungry eyes once more. Until now no one has been able to defeat the beast, thus 3 more were devoured by it. Those 3 would be the last.
'Unchain the orc!' Once more the handcuffs and shackles broke and the beast stood still.
It charged me but I was prepared this time, I slightly unsheathed Clarent, it's dim blue glow barely visible in the blinding sunlight. You could see it, the orc faltered when he charged me. I completely unsheathed Clarent and sliced its arm clean off.
The orc screeched with pain and fell to its knees, I sheathed Clarent once more. It had been pacified. Or so I thought but it seemed that he wasn't as he stood up once more. It didn't want to eat me anymore, it simply just wanted to kill me.
Its bloodshot eyes glowed with bloodlust. Come at me bastard. It lost all reason and went berserk. It charged me and kept attacking me to no avail as I kept deflecting with a sheathed Clarent, my body wouldn't be able to keep up with this much longer. Clarent Eclipse mode activate! As if it was connected to my thoughts Clarent popped out of its sheathe and stabbed the orc in its abdomen. The orc slowed down for a bit but kept attacking. When in Eclipse mode Clarent felt light so instead of two-handing it I one-handed it. Instantly I felt much better.
I was swinging fast at the orc, one attack after the other, the orc wouldn't be able to keep up much longer. I used my shield to break the guard of the orc by bashing it with my shield. The orc's stance broke and I used this opportunity to do one last thrust with my blade, I thrust straight into its heart and blood spilled out of its mouth. At last it fell to the ground and never got back up. I hope that you four can rest easy now, knowing that I have avenged you. I hated how things were working out at the moment but there was nothing I could do. I needed to get stronger if I were to change anything.
I went back where I came from, the absolute darkness of the room engulfing my figure once more.