Timeless Ripple: Smudged Clock
Dante had developed a new sword form called "Smudged Clock," which was an extension and original version of Magnus's Timeless Ripple form.
Although the progression of this form shouldn't have occurred so rapidly, Dante's intense battles over the past month allowed him to accumulate enough experience and knowledge to take his swordsmanship to the next level.
This was similar to the extension he had created for Fiery Eclipse, but it made more sense given that he had consistently used Fiery Eclipse in most of his fights.
As Dante deftly sheathed his katana after executing a quick draw technique, the metallic scraping sound reverberated like a broken clock, punctuated by the guard slamming against the wooden sheath.
The distinct and crisp sound filled the air, creating an illusion of shattered timepieces as they echoed throughout the space. This sound demanded attention and respect, a testament to Dante's skill and precision in his unique extension of the swift sword technique.
As he bypassed the plant creature, a trail was left behind him. It was a mixture of Abyssal Energy coating his right hand and a golden illusion, both melded together with the sword form.
The trail dissipated quickly, revealing the cut trunky body of the plant creature, now separated into multiple squares.
The seed located in the center of its square body was surrounded by a green aura that pulsated as it attempted to link its dismembered plant parts together while the pink-haired girl fed it continuous mana, fueling its efforts.
Without many surprises, he plunged his right hand into the crevice between the multiple squares of the plant creature's dismembered body parts.
As he did so, he noticed that the life energy within the plant seemed to decrease rapidly, causing the regeneration rate to reduce drastically. With a firm grip, he clasped the seed located in the center of the creature's body.
As he did so, the pulsating rate of the green aura that surrounded the seed plummeted, as the nature mana that powered it was constantly nullified by the Abyssal Energy that surrounded only his right hand.
Dante's strain was evident as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Despite the Abyssal Energy at his disposal, he couldn't completely nullify the mana as it was constantly being fueled by the pink-haired girl.
In his current state, he knew that he could only endure for about five minutes before the drawbacks became too much to handle after all the moves he pulled today.
Since evolving into an Absalom, Dante's Abyssal Energy quantity and range of effect had reduced, but its quality had vastly improved. Its usage, however, came with a time limit with the aid of a technique called Cursed Ordnance.
Despite his superior base regenerative abilities, he had used up a significant amount of energy and stamina during the back-to-back battles. Unfortunately, even with his enhanced regenerative abilities, he couldn't cancel out the long-lasting effects of the intense battles.
With the seed tightly grasped in his hand, Dante rushed towards the pink-haired girl, paying no attention to those who remained behind due to their inability to conquer the plant creatures. However, if one were introspective, one could understand the basis of the entire test.
The various events were designed to test one's awareness and reaction to sudden danger, perception, and intelligence in using that awareness. It also tested whether one could efficiently utilize their forms of strength to quickly capitalize on whatever deduction they made.
The splitting of the trial into levels, even though not officially announced, was an obvious observation.
From fighting plant lifeforms that used toxic gases and thorny vines to battling a single giant plant monster that was almost invincible to fighting a look-alike plant monster that could use most of the abilities from past levels, or makeup with something else, like in Dante's case.
His opponent couldn't recreate his Cursed Brands, but it was able to use the speed, power, perception, and precision they afforded him, along with the Hellflame.
For the last level, it was obvious that they had to take down the mastermind behind the test, a genius behind it all. It was hard to believe that a girl of her age could put him in such a position, especially with the seemingly infinite reserves of mana that Dante had deduced was linked to the mysterious entity. His Origin Eyes wouldn't lie.
Dante surged forward, covering half the distance in just a matter of a minute. He caught up to a few entrants who had moved on earlier than he did. One of the benefits of using the Cursed Ordnance was that it granted the user greater control over Abyssal Energy.
However, as the name "Ordnance" suggested, it was much more technical than that and provided additional weapons beyond just control over energy.
During a training session, Theia informed Dante that Abyssal Energy was an energy that lay on the boundary between life and death energy.
This energy source enabled its users to access deeper powers beyond mere nullification, due to its position in the cycle of the universe.
Although basic stat enhancement was the minimum effect, there was a limit to the power gain at Dante's current level of proficiency with the technique.
Theia refrained from revealing the full extent of what Dante could achieve, as it required a much more advanced level of proficiency and the use of the Cursed Ordnance technique.
Dante had recalled this information and the potential consequences of exceeding his limits, as he skillfully utilized the Cursed Ordnance to temporarily boost his stats.
However, with his current proficiency, he could only channel the energy to his right arm, resulting in a minor increase in his abilities.
Dante's plans for a trump card were dashed as he recalled his training session. He realized that everything he had learned over the past two weeks had been used to overcome every obstacle in the trial.
Even though his move at the core of the plant giant had elicited some relief by reducing the target, he felt like all the moves he had made were not truly his own.
He felt that if he had been absent, someone else would have done exactly what he did, which meant that everything had gone according to plan to the plan of the mastermind.
"Although I acknowledge that discovering this nugget of information from virtually nothing may earn me the label of intelligent, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The realization that I was merely a pawn on the expansive battlefield to advance the trial's agenda does not sit well with me." a wry smile appeared on Dante's face as he surged even further, bypassing more than 500 entrants.
Dante's wry smile faded as he grappled with the truth. He felt a sense of emptiness and a lack of control over his actions.
The wry smile returned to his face as he recognized the irony of his situation - even though he was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things, his ability to adapt and overcome had propelled him further than most.
Despite the fatalities and injuries, numerous individuals persevered through the prior level and progressed to what could be deemed the ultimate phase. Moreover, many others trailed behind Dante, having just accomplished their objective.
It was clear to Dante that the competition was fierce, and that every participant was giving it their all to reach the end.
Out of nowhere, Dante was caught off guard by an intense pain that surged through his head and entire body, leaving him helpless.
To add to his misery, his right hand lost control, and his unsheathed sword continuously drained the Abyssal Energy.
Despite his blurry vision and relentless efforts to keep pressing forward, Theia's voice echoed in his head, accompanied by berating that only served to further aggravate Dante.
"I explicitly warned you that transitioning between tiers isn't something you can do on a whim. But as usual, you never listen," scolded Theia.
"Furthermore, throughout the entire trial, you persisted in using Cursed Ordnance and exceeded the time limit. You were fortunate that combining Psycho Rhythm with Rapid Rhythm and Cursed Ordnance in quick succession didn't obliterate you."
As she spoke, Theia petted the little wolf, Damien, whom Dante had named solely because the name started with the letter D.
"Haa, I've never been fond of indifferent and unimaginative humans. It's quite sad that I have to team up with one in this lifetime," Theia lamented with a dramatic sigh, seemingly ignoring Dante.
"I always hope for a steady stream of anime to brighten up my dark existence."
Despite her best efforts to warn the human brat, Theia knew that he never seemed to listen. Using Psycho Rhythm to heighten his mental faculties, which in turn raised his concentration and perception, immediately after an intense fight, and then following it up with Rapid Rhythm and activating Cursed Ordnance was not a wise decision.
But the brat did it anyway. Theia could only hope that he would tough it out and make it into the academy. After all, she needed a regular supply of anime to keep her entertained.
Amidst the agony that wracked his body, he failed to notice that he stood over 10 meters away from the pink-haired girl he had sworn to teach a lesson. His disorientation made it impossible for him to act on his intention though.
However, he soon realized that he was not the only one seeking revenge against her, as the other participants in the academy also appeared to share his sentiment.
The most powerful and intelligent among them leaped towards the girl, unleashing spells intended to harm her but not to kill, given the school's prohibition against such acts, whether one was an admitted student or not.
The collective front of attacking the talented girl was not a thoughtless endeavor by the group. They were aware that someone who continuously supplied mana to her must value her a lot, and the attack was aimed at forcing this person out.
By doing so, they hoped to gain a better understanding of the final test's description, which was still unclear to them. The attack, therefore, had a strategic purpose behind it, and the group's actions were not entirely irrational.
Indeed, the group's desire for revenge against their upper-classman hinted at their remaining childlike innocence, despite their early maturity.
However, their plans were disrupted when a terrifying force suddenly descended upon the vicinity, freezing everyone within a radius of about 50 meters.
The force was so powerful that it left no signs of crystals or snow on the bodies of those affected, nor was there any manifestation of a Mana Sigil or other explanation for the sudden cold.
The source of this force was unknown, and it left the group stunned and frozen in their tracks, unable to act or comprehend what was happening.
Suddenly, a man with a youthful appearance appeared, hovering above the frozen entrants. He was the same young man who had signaled the start of the trial, dressed in a silver jacket with a fur collar, black pants, and a deep blue long coat.
His bright blue eyes scanned the frozen crowd, his cold gaze roaming around. An indifferent expression was plastered on his face as he snapped his fingers, and the force surrounding the kids knocked them out, leaving them helpless.
The kids, who had once boasted of their noble bloodlines and tales of being the best of their generation, were reduced to nothing.
Even the likes of the "Lightning Titan," the "Southern Monk," and the "Azure Slasher," among other renowned kids of Dante's generation, were knocked out with no signs of struggle.
Dante could feel his Abyssal Energy raging, intending to nullify the attack, but he couldn't even absorb a single trace of the energy.
His dual-hued eyes met the piercing cold eyes of the man before he lost consciousness. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a smile on the man's face before his eyes finally shut.
[On This Day, Every Candidate For The Top Academy In The World Failed]
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An elderly man sat in a vast edifice that spanned half of an island floating above six smaller islands, which in turn hovered above State Academy Island.
He was accompanied by an equally aged woman in one of the building's many chambers. Despite their advanced years, they did not exude power or authority and could easily be underestimated at first glance.
Suddenly, a loud noise from a communicator interrupted their conversation. The screen displayed the faces of the Council Head, Elders, and Dean of the Port Island Academy.
The elderly man recognized the piercing blue eyes and white hair in the background and couldn't help but smile wryly, wondering what the troublemaker had done this time.
Fourth Character Illustration
Arthur is a tall and lean young man with messy spiky white hair and striking piercing blue eyes. His attire consists of a long blue coat with fur trimmings, blue pants tucked into tall blue boots, and silver and blue accents that enhance his outfit.
Around his neck, he wears a blue ice cross, and on the side of his left cheek, he has an X-shaped scar. He also sports blue fingerless gloves, with a black metal plate attached to the left one with "Best In The World" inscribed on it, and a blue metal plate attached to the other one with "Supreme Instructor" written on it.