In the heart of an expansive field, imposing boulders of various sizes were scattered like ancient guardians, encircling a meticulously designed running track and a set of elevated stairs for jumping. A colossal punch wall, embedded with fists of different magnitudes, extended into the boulder-laden area, awaiting the test of strength and determination.
"Alright, everyone, line up according to the boulder weight you'll be lifting," instructed one of the astute teachers, pointing at the marks denoting weights of 2000, 2500, 2700 pounds, and an awe-inspiring 3000 pounds.
With swift obedience, the nobles formed dignified queues in front of their chosen boulder weights. Amidst them, Chase noticed he was the only one heading towards the 2500-pound boulder.
"Where is he going?"
"He's going for the 2500-pound boulder, can't believe it!"
"Is he crazy? 2500 pounds!"
"Let's see if he can actually do it."
As Chase reached the 2500-pound boulder, a teacher approached him, holding a stopwatch.
"Are you sure you want to start with the 2500-pound one, kid?" the teacher asked, sizing Chase up.
Chase looked at the teacher and nodded resolutely.
"Alright, kid, if anything goes wrong, it's on you," warned the teacher.
Chase nodded once again, in his mind he know his strength after practicing for years in the forest using every heavy like, rock, log and trees.
"Your task is to hold the boulder off the ground for 5 seconds," the teacher informed him.
Chase prepared himself, embracing the boulder and squatting down, hips and knees bent.
"3, 2, 1, Go!" the teacher called out, pressing the stopwatch.
Slowly, Chase began lifting the boulder, straightening his knees. With each passing moment, he felt his determination grow stronger, burning like an unyielding flame deep within him. He refused to let the weight overwhelm him; instead, he channeled his inner strength, igniting his resolve to conquer the challenge before him.
"Is he actually doing it?"
"We underestimated him, it seems."
"3, 2, 1. Time's up, you can let go," declared the teacher.
"Boom!"
Chase released his grip, causing the ground to tremble.
"Wow, he did it!"
"Congratulations, kid! To pass, you only need to lift over 2000 pounds, but to enter the elite class, you must lift over 3000 pounds," the teacher said, his tone filled with hope.
"But if you fail, it's impossible to enter the academy at all, even if you lifted 2500 pounds," the teacher added with concern.
"What? The elite class!" exclaimed a humble participant.
"Only 5% of over 200 participants make it to the elite class. Do you really think you can be one?" a noble scoffed disdainfully.
"Kid, don't even bother trying. Stick to the normal class," advised a fellow participant.
Chase paid no attention to the chatter around him, deeply contemplating his decision.
'If I make it to the elite class, I'll have abundant resources and better instruction. Otherwise, I'll be stuck in the regular class or even return to farming with my mother,' Chase pondered.
'No! I promised Mother I would become a powerful knight,' Chase thought.
"I will do it," Chase declared, excitement evident in his voice.
Hearing Chase's response, everyone was shocked.
"He's doomed."
"We warned you, kid."
Chase and the teacher moved toward the 3000-pound boulder but heard a commotion behind them.
"Wow, that noble also lifted 2500 pounds!" exclaimed a humble participant.
"Which noble family does he belong to?"
"Don't you know? He's from the Meason family. They have three generations of powerful knights, and he's the fourth."
"Congratulations, young master Meason!"
"Congratulations, young master Meason!"
All the humble participants began fawning over the Meason family.
"Wait, I want to try the 3000-pound boulder for the elite class," said the young master of the Meason family in a confident tone.
"Are you sure?, Young master?" asked one of Meason's knights, clearly concerned.
"Don't you dare question my decision!" the young master of the Meason family snapped.
The young master and his knight approached Chase.
The young master prepared himself to lift the 3000-pound boulder, and another teacher arrived to time him.
"This time, you have to hold it for 15 seconds," the new teacher instructed.
"15 seconds? I got this. Let's do it," the young master confidently replied.
"3, 2, 1, Go!" called out the teacher, starting his stopwatch.
The young master hugged the boulder and began lifting it, struggling slightly.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"3, 2, 1. Time's up, you can let go," announced the new teacher.
"Boom!" The boulder crashed to the ground.
"Wow, he made it to the elite class!"
"Congratulations, young master Meason! You've made it to the elite class. Your father and brother will be proud," one of the knights said, presenting him with a bottle of water.
"Of course, they will," the young master replied proudly.
Chase paid no attention to the others and positioned himself in front of the 3000-pound boulder.
He focused his mind, believing that concentration and determination could make anything possible, blocking out the teacher's countdown behind him.
"Go!" Chase heard the teacher say.
"Whoosh!" Chase strained and struggled to lift the boulder until he succeeded.
"Wow, he managed to lift it! It seems we have another member for the elite class."
Sweat dripped from Chase's body like liquid determination, a testament to the effort he poured into lifting the heavy burden, but he remained intensely focused, ignoring the sounds around him and concentrating solely on holding the boulder aloft.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"3, 2, 1. Time's up, you can let go," the teacher announced.
"Boom!" As the boulder crashed to the ground, the tremor beneath Chase's feet felt like a powerful earthquake, symbolizing the force of his efforts, but it caused him to begin losing his balance. However, the teacher intervened to prevent him from falling.
"Congratulations on making it to the elite class," the teacher said to Chase.
"Thank you," Chase replied, his excitement evident.
"You can rest now. You don't need to do the rest of the tests," the teacher informed him.
"What do you mean?" Chase was surprised.
The teacher turned to Chase and the Meason family.
"If you pass the elite class requirement on any of these tests, you can join the elite class. Both of you have already met that criteria," the teacher clarified.
Half an hour later, all the participants finished their tests, and a total of 80 passed for the normal class, with 3 making it to the elite class. The other participant who qualified for the elite class was an unknown girl, but everyone disregarded her.
"Everyone, wait here until our transport arrives," instructed a teacher.
- Congratulations, host, on becoming a knight and completing the task. Unlocking the taskbar because the host has become an elite student, you will receive an extra reward. -
10 minutes later...
"Whoosh!"
While Chase awaited his turn,he closed his eyes and checked the system, observing his increased stats. Suddenly, he heard the sound of air tearing and flapping wings.
"Look, two black eagles and one blue eagle, larger than the black ones!" exclaimed a humble participant.
"Wait, they have saddles on their backs, and there are people on them!"
"Is that our transport?"
The eagles landed gracefully.
"Normal students will board the black eagles, while the elite students will board the blue one," the teacher announced.
"Wow, the elite students really get special treatment."
"Only the best receive that kind of treatment."
Everyone climbed onto the eagles and soared into the sky.
It was Chase's first time being airborne, but he felt no fear. Instead, he relished every minute, watching the city and the forests unfold beneath him.
Half an hour later, Chase spotted a vast and magnificent kingdom surrounded by a massive wall and a lake. The kingdom featured a plethora of resplendent buildings made of gold, silver, and other precious materials, each with its unique style.
"Wow, this is Talia Kingdom!"
"Yes, this is Talia Kingdom. For the past 500 years, Talia Kingdom has remained stable, winning every war and offering a new and peaceful life to those who seek refuge," the teacher explained, his voice overpowering the wind.
"And there is our destination, the Blue Eagle Academy of Knights," the teacher pointed out.
He directed everyone's attention to a grand blue building in the center, connected to smaller buildings of different colors - orange, green, brown, black, and blue. Atop the main building, there stood a magnificent blue eagle statue.
"The Blue Eagle Academy of Knights was established 900 years ago and has produced three heroic knights who fought in the War of Kings. The academy has a long lineage of success," the teacher continued.
The eagles descended and landed in the central area of the academy. The other students in the academy started talking.
"Are those the new students?"
"Yes, we better improve before they surpass us."
"Look, three passed for the elite class."
"And it seems two are peasants, while one is noble."
The teacher divided the normal students and led them to the black building, while the elite students made their way to the blue building.
The teacher escorted everyone to their respective dorm rooms.
"Be in class one at 8 AM every day from now on," the teacher instructed before departing.
Upon opening the door to his dorm room, Chase found his roommate, a tall, muscular individual with black hair, brown eyes, and a big mace in his hand. The roommate was currently wiping blood off the weapon.
"Oh, you're my new roommate. Don't bother me, or you'll regret it," the student warned.
"It seems I'll have to keep one eye open," Chase thought, swallowing nervously.
Chase climbed onto the bed and, after a few seconds, fell into a deep sleep.
His quick slumber surprised his roommate, who glanced at him before resuming the task of cleaning his mace.
"Huff!" The roommate scuffed.