In an instant, flames burst around her feet, propelling her forward like a rocket. Her body blurred, and to most of the teenagers watching, she vanished from sight. The glowing markers along the track lit up one after another in rapid succession, barely able to register her movement before she reached the end.
BEEP!
The timer locked in her result. The officer's eyes flicked to his tablet, and his smirk widened. "Three seconds flat. Another record."
Gasps and murmurs swept through the line of students.
"No way…" one boy muttered.
"She's unreal…" another whispered, shaking his head.
Felix elbowed Raze lightly, grinning ear to ear. "Man, we're really in for it, huh? She's setting the bar way too high!"
Raze said nothing, his gaze steady on Beatrix as she turned away from the course. Her expression hadn't changed. It remained calm, as if what she did was nothing special.
'So this is what it looks like when someone trained from birth with their ability… if the Emberfalls are this strong, what about the other bloodlines?' Raze thought, his hand curling slightly at his side. 'I need to see where I stand with this half-ling body.'
The officer raised his voice again. "Beatrix Emberfall, your tests are complete. Outstanding performance." He turned back to the line, scanning the students. "Next!"
The next teenager stepped forward slowly. He was short, timid, and trembling slightly, clearly nervous about the tests.
"Hurry up, boy! We don't have all day!" the officer barked, his voice sharp with impatience.
"Y-yes, sir!" the boy stammered, quickening his pace as he entered the testing field.
When the test began, he raised his hands and activated his awakening. A basic form of telekinesis. Pieces of debris and loose stones lifted from the ground and shot toward the robots. He managed to destroy two out of the three, but before he could finish off the last one, the timer blared. His time was up.
The boy lowered his head, clearly embarrassed, as the officer motioned him toward the next test. He walked up to the broken strength pillar, but before he could attempt it, the officer raised a hand.
"Wait. Let me repair it first."
The officer pulled a small device from his belt and connected it to the damaged pillar. With a few taps on his tablet, the cracks along the stone began to glow faintly. Before everyone's eyes, the broken surface mended itself, the pillar piecing back together until it looked almost brand new.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the line of students. Many of them stared in awe, unable to believe what they had just seen.
Even Raze found himself staring. "This is on a whole other level."
"Yeah…these technologies are pretty impressive" Felix whispered.
Once the pillar was repaired, the officer stepped back. "Now, go ahead."
The timid boy nodded nervously, clenching his fists. He drew in a shaky breath and struck the pillar with all the strength he had. The pillar barely moved. Only a faint crack appeared on its surface.
"Pathetic," the officer muttered under his breath, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You'll be eaten alive on the battlefield at this rate."
The boy's shoulders sank as he stepped aside, his face pale with shame. Whispers passed through the line of teenagers, some mocking, some pitying.
Raze stayed quiet, simply watching. 'So that's the standard, huh? If you can't even handle these tests… you're finished before you even start.'
The officer checked his tablet before calling out, "Next!"
The next one in line was Felix, but instead of stepping forward, he casually slipped behind Raze and gave him a playful shove. It happened so quickly Raze didn't even have time to react.
"Sorry, bro," Felix whispered with a grin, "Remember when I said you were interesting? Go ahead and try your best on the tests." His voice carried excitement, like he couldn't wait to see what Raze would do.
Raze stumbled forward, catching himself awkwardly. His eyes darted back at Felix, who only shrugged like it was nothing.
The officer raised an eyebrow, already judging him from appearance alone. "Hurry up, kid! We don't have all day!" he barked.
'Damn it…' Raze cursed inwardly as he stepped onto the field. 'How the hell does he get away with that when he was in front of me the whole time?!'
Raze's eyes scanned the field, waiting for the combat robots to appear. Suddenly, a familiar ding echoed in his head.
[You have received your first quest]
[As a half-ling, you'll need to learn how to not make a fool of yourself before you become a full-blooded member of the God Slayer Race.]
[Complete the tests without getting a low grading level, and make sure you do not make a fool out of yourself.]
[Reward: 100 Exp]
Raze stared at the notifications, debating whether he should attempt the quest at all. It felt impossible. How could he complete it without an awakening? The only saving grace was his half-ling body, but even that might not be enough to earn him a passing grade.
As the notifications faded, the ground in front of him cracked open. From the crack, a combat robot burst forth, launching itself straight at him.
Raze's eyes widened, his body moving before his mind caught up. He sidestepped, barely avoiding the machine as it shot past. The robot skidded, then stopped abruptly. Its sensors flickered as it scanned the area. It looked to the left and right. Then it found him behind it.
The machine's head snapped toward him, and it charged again.
Raze inhaled sharply, forcing his lungs to steady. 'I have to pass. I can't embarrass myself here. I won't get laughed at again.'
He lowered his stance as the robot barreled closer. He narrowed his eyes slightly, timing the moment.
'Now!'
He darted to the side once more, his fist swinging toward the robot's flank.
CLANK!
His fist crashed into the robot's side. Pain flared up his knuckles but he gritted his teeth not wanting to appear weak.
The result of the punch caused sparks to fly from the robot's side.
Raze seized the opening, clenched his other hand, and drove his fist straight through the robot's head. Metal crumpled around his knuckles as the machine collapsed in a heap of sparking wires.
"One down… two more to go," he muttered under his breath.
He stepped back, his eyes scanning the field. His chest rose and fell as the seconds ticked away. He didn't know how he'd handle the next two, but he had no choice. He had to finish this test.
Right on cue, two more robots erupted from the ground and charged. Raze narrowed his eyes, analyzing their movements, biding his time.
They split, circling him, forcing him into a pincer. Raze sprinted forward, desperate to slip through the gap, but their coordination tightened, closing him in. One robot's arm whirred, its hand spinning into a drill that lunged straight for him.
Raze braced himself, knowing he couldn't dodge in time. But a hand came out of nowhere, seizing the drill mid-spin. The machine screeched as the rotation died instantly.
"This test is over," the officer said coldly. "You've already spent two minutes."
The words struck Raze like a hammer. His fists tightened, his jaw clenched, and he lowered his head to hide the burning frustration on his face.
From the sidelines, laughter rippled through the group of teens.
"Knew it," one snickered. "No awakening, no chance."
"Pathetic," another muttered, shaking his head.
But Felix wasn't laughing. His arms were folded, and his expression was calm. But there was a faint frown tugging at his lips. His eyes lingered on Raze, sharp and searching, almost as if he were trying to understand him.
Where others saw failure, Felix had seen how Raze moved. The way his body moved, the grit, the way he refused to just freeze up. There was something there. Something that most people would overlook.
'He's not like the rest,' Felix thought, the corners of his mouth twitching into the faintest smile.
For reasons he couldn't explain, he found himself wanting to know more about Raze Zaden.