It was a weekend. Vondrel and his friends decided to use the whole day for training.
"When do you guys plan to climb up the rank??" James questioned
"Well....for now, we are focused on surviving during the adventure nothing else matters for now " Noah replied
As they walked towards the AUTA, a girl walked towards them. To James in particular, she ignored the other and stared right at James.
"Hello James." She smiled, then her smile turned into a frown .
"what are you doing with this weaklings?" The girl asked James.
"How many times have i told you not to call them weaklings Elsa? " James asked, as he stared at her with an offended expression.
"Scoff....i don't just understand what you actually see in them, not that it natters though. But it makes me sick to see you in the company of low lives." She said, then her frown began a huge smile
"well have you thought about what i asked you about?" she asked seductively
"Like i told you before, i'm not interested " James replied bluntly
"Why, why, why must you treat me like this, do you want me to do something crazy before you accept my feelings for you. Or have this low lives dissuade you from giving me what I seek??" She asked as her voice shook
"Don't you want peace for your friends!!!? " Elsa shouted angrily
Immediately she said that, a killing intent seeped out of someone who wasn't minding the conversation earlier, making everyone's gaze turned to him.
"Is that a threat? " Vondrel asked not even looking at the girl
"Who gave you the audacity to question me? " Elsa questioned back
"I asked if that is a threat!?" this time his voice turned a little low than before as he stared coldly at the girl.
A chill raced down her spine, and goosebumps rose instantly, her every instinct screaming at her to escape. His eyes locked onto hers, not just looking but seeming to penetrate her very essence, as if a dagger had plunged deep into her soul, leaving her paralyzed with dread.
"Wha...ho...what do you think you are doing? " she stuttered
The eyes of the people watching widened because the person standing in front of Vondrel is 350 levels above him, she's of the red band, the number 150 was displayed on her watch and student ID. Which means she could beaat him up, but here something strange is happening.
Number 150 and a red band at that is stuttering when talking to number 500, there are still 50 students below him. The fresh students are numbered 550 in total.
"Cough....how dare to talk to me that way" Elsa cleared her voice while taking a step forward, trying hard to keep her composure in the presence of other students.
James was ready to intervene, but before he could, Elsa hesitated and took two steps back, fear gripping her. The cause was Vondrel, whose expression had not only hardened but had grown icier and more menacing. A sharp, lethal aura radiated from him, as if silently threatening to slice her to pieces if she dared approach any closer.
"Ho...ho..how are you able to do this, it's not possible, you are clearly weaker than me, how?" she asked in fear
"You want to know how i am able to do this right ?" Vondrel inquired coldly
"Ye...."she couldn't get to answer well as her voice was shaky
"How about i show you by taking away your position from you, what do you think?? " Vondrel asked and his expression deepened
The girl jumped back seeing his expression, even his friends took steps back since the gaze wasn't directed to them.
"Hmm....n...no" she shook her head vigorously, her back drenched in sweat, visible trail of sweat rolled down her face as she stood there trembling under his cold gaze.
Seeing her reaction, Vondrel averted his gaze from her and said in a flat tone "Very well then, do you mind getting out of here before i lose it"
His words were like the words of death which she couldn't dare to refuse. She immediately turned around and walked hurriedly away from them.
His friends stared at him as he acted like nothing happened.
" What's with the awkward stares, let's go " his words jolted them out of their stupor.
...
Getting to the AUTA
They faired well as they were getting used to being suddenly thrown down with speed. This time Stelio came to meet them.
"Welcome, today you will be playing a level up game, you will know more about it. But let me tell you, there is no turning back when you hit the start button. " Stelio said
"So what's the game about? " Vondrel asked ignoring the grin on Stelio face.
"Well let me say it's a game for testing your physical endurance, how far you can go against opponents thrown at you" Stelio answered
"Shall we" Sam said impatiently
The act Vondrel displayed earlier served as a motivation to him, he want to also be able to scare people that are more stronger than him.
'Tussssssss'
Multiple doors opened and steams came out of them.
"Why are they all opening?" Sam questioned confused
"You are to go in through different doors, this is a lone ranger game, when you get in tap the red button and your game will start immediately " Stelio explained
They all nodded with looks of understanding before proceeding to enter the rooms.
....
"I don't know how Vondrel was able to pull that off, but i must grow strong to do more " Sam said as he immediately tapped the red button.
A robot walked in and stood opposite him, immediately a robotic voice resounded and said
--Your battle is going to start in 3,2,1.....
'Swoosh'
The robot dashed at him swinging it's claw at Sam, Sam ducked while avoiding the claw hand. He sent a kick out to the side of the robot but his legs was held firmly.
'Grap'
The robot raised him up and hurled him down forcefully.
'Bam'
It raised him up again and threw him at the side, he crashed on the barrier forcefully. Sam groaned and tried to get up, but before he could raise his head he caught a glimpse of the robots leg in front of him.
Sam bent down thinking of what to do ....
"What can i do to win this and why is it not attacking me now, is it waiting for me to make a move? " Sam thought as he stared at the robot standing over him without doing anything.
A thought struck him he moved his hand slightly and controlled wind creating a blade that flew past the robot going at it back, the blade struck the robot and it turned back searching for it's attacker.
'is it dumb, why did it stop. And why is it searching for an attacker when I am here.' he thought
'Swoosh'
Sam dashed away from the robot creating a safe distance from them.
As if realizing something, he frowned.
' Am I that weak, that he had to give me a chance to escape??'
-"wind blade" he said and multiple blades took shape around him.
With a swing of his hand he hurled everything straight at the robot, the robot tried to free itself from the barrage, but Sam wasn't giving it a chance until it suddenly stopped struggling.
--Level one cleared -- the robotic voice said again
Sam eyes widened
' What was that....it didn't fight back. Is this even a challenge??'
--Level two will begin after 1 minute--
...
Timmy was battling the same claw robot....
Wave after waves of water keep striking the robot not giving it a chance to come close at all. Immediately the attack stopped but the robot wasn't hurt.
It immediately charged at him but what met it was raining bullets, all the water that crashed on it immediately turned into bullets that pierced it from different angle, boring hole in different parts of its body.
The robot fell limply on the ground.
--level one cleared --
"Hmm, that was too easy" he muttered
--Level two will commence in one minute --
....
James didn't take much time to defeat his opponent, he made a golden incribed flames appear under the robot, stopping it in place before taking it out with barrage of fiery spears.
--level one cleared --
--Level two will begin in 1 minute--
.....
Same trend took place with Noah and Vondrel.
....
Level Two: Sam's Challenge
The second level saw two robots emerge, both armed with spinning blades. They moved more quickly than the first, their attacks synchronized to overwhelm their target.
Sam, knew this would be his fight. The wind stirred around him as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowing in concentration.The robots lunged simultaneously, but Sam was already in motion. With a flick of his wrist, a gust of wind sent the first robot spinning off course, its blades slicing through empty air.
The second robot followed up with a rapid attack, but Sam summoned another burst of wind, propelling himself into the air and out of reach.Hovering above the battlefield, Sam unleashed his power.
The wind howled around him as he directed it toward the robots, the force strong enough to knock them off balance. The first robot crashed into the wall with a deafening thud, its frame crumpling under the impact.
The second robot tried to regain its footing, but Sam was already on it. A concentrated blast of wind struck its chest, driving it backward and slamming it into the ground.Both robots were destroyed, and Sam landed softly on the floor, the wind still swirling around him.
"Two robots, no problem," he said with a smirk. But the difficulty was clearly increasing.
Level Three: James' Challenge
The third level greeted James with three robots, all equipped with flame-resistant armor and armed with plasma swords.
This challenge was tailored for him—his golden flame would be tested against these specially designed machines. James took a deep breath, feeling the familiar warmth of his flames building in his chest. He stepped forward, his hands glowing with a golden hue.
The robots wasted no time, rushing him with their plasma swords raised high.With a roar, James unleashed a wave of golden fire. The room was bathed in a brilliant light as the flames engulfed the robots.
But their armor held, the fire-resistant material barely dented by the initial attack. James narrowed his eyes, focusing on their weak points—the joints, where the armor was thinnest. He summoned more flames, directing them with pinpoint accuracy. The golden fire snaked around the robots, targeting their vulnerable spots.
The first robot's leg melted under the heat, sending it crashing to the ground. The second robot's arm was severed, its plasma sword falling uselessly to the floor. The third robot charged at him, but James gathered all his strength and released a massive burst of fire, reducing the machine to molten slag.
The room fell silent as the charred remains of the robots cooled. James wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands still glowing faintly.
"That was tougher than I thought," he admitted, but he was ready for more.
Level Four: Timmy's Challenge
Timmy entered the fourth level with a sense of calm. Four robots stood before him, each armed with electric whips that crackled menacingly. Timmy, the water elemental, knew he had to be careful—electricity and water were a dangerous combination.
The robots moved in unison, their whips snapping through the air as they advanced on Timmy. But he was prepared. Raising his hands, he summoned a torrent of water from the air, forming a protective barrier around himself.
The first robot lashed out with its whip, but the water absorbed the impact, the electricity dissipating harmlessly through the liquid.Timmy retaliated, sending streams of water toward the robots. The liquid wrapped around their legs, freezing solid in an instant and immobilizing them.
With a wave of his hand, he shattered the ice, the force knocking two of the robots to the ground.The remaining two robots pressed the attack, their whips crackling with energy. Timmy dodged their strikes, weaving through the water as he controlled it with precision.
He sent a jet of water toward the first robot, blasting it backward and slamming it into the wall. The final robot raised its whip for a final strike, but Timmy was faster. He froze the water around it, encasing the machine in solid ice before shattering it with a single gesture.
Timmy took a deep breath, the water around him calming as the last robot fell.
"Four robots, done," he muttered. But he knew the next level would be even harder.
Level Five: Noah's Challenge
By the fifth level, Noah was up. Five robots, all armed with flamethrowers, marched toward him. This challenge was personal—fire against fire. Noah's flames burned bright as he summoned his power.
The robots opened fire, streams of flame shooting toward him. But Noah wasn't afraid. His flames roared to life, meeting the robots' attack head-on. The fire swirled around him, forming a protective barrier as he advanced.
The room became a battlefield of flames, the heat almost unbearable. But Noah had control. His fire was stronger, more intense. He redirected the robots' flames back at them, the heat overwhelming their systems. One by one, the machines faltered, their flamethrowers sputtering as Noah's power consumed them.
With a final blast of fire, Noah reduced the last robot to ashes. He stood in the center of the room, surrounded by the smoldering remains of his enemies.
"Five robots, no match for me," he said, though he could feel the strain beginning to wear on him.
Level Six: Vondrel's Sixth Challenge
By level six, the difficulty had increased dramatically. Six robots, each armed with a different weapon, stood before Vondrel.
This time, the challenge would test his adaptability and endurance.Vondrel's swords moved like lightning as he parried and dodged the incoming attacks. The robots came at him from all sides, their weapons clanging against his blade.
He danced through the battlefield, his reflexes honed by years of training.One by one, the robots fell to his sword. Vondrel exploited their weaknesses, striking with precision and speed. But the fight was draining him—his muscles ached, and his breath came in ragged gasps.Still, he pressed on.
With a final, powerful strike, he cleaved the last robot in two. He stood, panting, as the door to the final level opened.
Level Seven: JOINT EFFORT
The seventh level was like an ultimate test. Seven robots, each equipped with advanced weaponry, stood before the team.
This time, they had to fight together.The battle was fierce. Vondrel led the charge, his sword flashing as he cut through the robots' defenses. Sam summoned powerful gusts of wind, throwing the machines off balance.
James unleashed his golden flames, burning through their armor. Timmy's water attacks froze and shattered the robots, while Noah's fire consumed the battlefield.But the robots were relentless. The team fought with everything they had, their powers pushed to the limit.
One by one, the robots fell, but so did the team's strength.By the time the last robot was defeated, all five of them were exhausted.
They collapsed to the ground, their bodies spent, their powers drained. The room was silent, save for their labored breathing.They had won.
They had cleared all seven levels. But the victory had come at a cost. Each of them lay on the floor, passed out from the effort, their bodies unable to handle the strain any longer.They had triumphed, but for now, they could do nothing but rest.
Some hours later, they woke up, their bodies feeling sore from strain.
"You guys couldn't go more than this, so weak " Stelio said mockingly
They all ignored him.
"Well congratulations on becoming a student of AUTA, you will be giving your private uniform and you will start training as from tomorrow." Stelio said
"What about miss Abby ?" Vondrel inquired
"She is not available right now, there is an attack on one of the planets under us so she was being sent to take care of the issue. So for now i'll be training you guys" Stelio answered
"If i may ask, who or what is attacking the planet under earth and which planet is that?" Vondrel questioned thoughtfully
"Hmm...i don't know why you wanna know about things happening outside your reach. If you are worried about that, become strong, strong enough to influence the world....." Stelio said