CHAPTER 22: ADAPTIVE

The portal roared open with freezing mist pouring out. From within it, Cryo jumped out. The silk hound clothed in white fur and a mane-like apparatus that was made of cold, icy shards. For every step it took, icy frost built up immediately around that area.

Coincidentally, just as Cryo stepped forth, Naga’s body dissolved into a mist of violet dust, dissipating back into the void.

Balthazar narrowed his eyes at me in confusion. His grin wiped away immediately and stayed that way for a heartbeat.

"You can summon more than one pet?..." He muttered, almost to himself. Then he yelled louder so that I could hear, "This talent of yours, what the hell do you classify it as? From what I can see here, you are probably of S-Class potential..."

"So tell me, why the hell do you suck!"

Cryo as if reading my thoughts lunged forward in attack, it’s icy fangs bared and frost trailing its every step.

Balthazar’s grin returned, sharper than eve, and his flames blazed hitter to meet up with the frozen challenge.

The first clash was brutal, shaking the entire place with a surge of power the pushed me back a couple meters.

Balthazar was sent flying into a broken window and dust immediately clouded the air from the impact. I was pushed back just outside the doorway to another empty classroom with my blade still in my grasp. My breath ragged but my eyes was still very much locked on my target.

Cryo padded beside me, with its frost and icy aura chilling the very air with every step.

Balthazar wiped the blood at the corner of his lip and smirked as he walked out of the room. "Not bad... But don’t think for a second you’ve bested me." His daggers erupted with the very same Primordial Flame skill he used before, and embers licked across the blade as the tiles sizzled and cracked beneath his feet.

Cryo snarled and lunged forward, releasing a torrent of freezing breath that swallowed Balthazar whole. The frie around him sputtered out as the blast pinned him against the cracked wall, frost spreading up his arms and legs, locking him in place. His once roaring flames froze into brittle shards that clattered uselessly to the ground.

I didn’t waste anymore time, I dashed forward raising my blade high with the top gleaming inches from Balthazar’s face. The Reaper’s eyes widened in shock, his head tilted back against the wall as I froze in place with my blade pointing directly at his left eye.

"I win..."

I stared down at him with a deadly glint in my eyes.

"Let the blades go..."

»»»«««

As I made my way home that afternoon, I thought of the mission ahead, the entrance exam for the Reaper Association Academy admissions.

With my new powers and new weapons: Cobra’s Tongue and Bone-white Daggers, I was sure I would be a reasonable candidate for the academy. Not to mention I still had weeks left to train.

The following weeks that followed were nothing short of discipline, dedication and hard work. Although I didn’t enter any new Dimensional gates for obvious reasons I slayed many Shadow creatures and leveled up significantly, with my individual stats bolstering to even higher numbers.

And when the day came for the exam came it felt like I had been transformed into a whole new person. I looked different, I fought different. Even my pets looked and fought different.

I reminisced at my journey so far as I watched the Mormon sun bath the landscape of the town while I stood at the door, ready to leave for the exam.

My siblings, Percy and Jackson, watched me with eager eyes.

"Good luck, Levi," Percy said with a warm voice.

"You’ll do great! I’m sure of that!" Jackson added, brimming with confidence.

I smiled at them and nodded. "Stay safe you two, I’ll be back soon. I promise."

With that, I left, heading towards the location for the Reaper Association Academy exams.

The road of the town stretched ahead, painted in gold by the early morning sun. My boots crunched against the gravel as I made my way toward the old horse renting stable on the edge of town. The signboard, which was weather beaten and barely hanging on its hinges, read Silverhoof Stables in faded letters.

Inside, the scent of hey and animal sweat was very palpable, clinging to the air. Horses whined softly in their stalls, as they woke up to the rays of the morning sun. An old man, his beard streaking with white hairs eyed me as I stepped in.

"You’re looking for a mount?" he asked, his voice gravelly and sharp for someone that just woke up for the day.

I nodded and slid a pouch across the counter. Inside were a bunch of Anti-arcane stones clinking against each other as it moved across the counter. A small fortune I had been earning from my recent battles with the Border Cleanup Group.

The old man’s brow shot up when he peeked inside, and he wasted no time leading me to a sleek black horse with a white blaze streaking down its nose.

"She’s strong, fast and wont tire easily," he muttered, patting the animal’s neck.

"That’ll do, I don’t plan on travelling far" I said, running a hand through its mane before strapping my gear onto the saddle.

Once the papers were signed and the deal sealed, I mounted up as my heart thrummed with anticipation while digging my heels lightly into the horses sides. The beast reared slightly, then bolted forward, with its hooves pounding against the ground.

My destination? Drakensport. The city lied to the east, a bustling hub built not as a magical capital but as a regional checkpoint. And recruits from scattered towns and villages came to test themselves for the Reaper Association Academy. It wasn’t glamorous as the capital city of the country but it was convenient.

As the wind whipped against my face and the countryside blurred past, doubts began to creep into my head. The exam wouldn’t just be me against some nameless recruits. Id be crossing blades, abilities and wills with people who had far more potential and far stronger foundations. Some were probably born and bred for this day.

At that moment, I remembered Valeria from the Border Cleanup Group. Since the first day we met, she had always wanted this too. To join the academy. To prove herself. I wondered if she would be there, in Drakensport or she would choose another city, another exam center far from me. I clenched the reins tighter, pushing the horse faster. If she was going to be there, I had no idea how id react.

The journey stretched on, the horizon bending as rolling fields gave way to the distant silhouette of walls and towers. Drakensport was close now, a little over an hour aand a half passed since id left my town and my mount was galloping strong, with sweat steaming off its dark coat.

"She is strong..." I muttered as my pulse quickened. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my mission settle within me. Knowing this was one of the most important days of my life, it wasn’t just about my future, it was about building a path to uncover the truth about my parents disappearance and to protect my siblings in a world brimming with monster and uncertainties.

When I entered the city of Drakensport, it took me a while to find the location where the exam would be held. After asking for direction from what it felt like a thousand people, I finally found the location.

It was sprawling expanse, spreading into the woods and it was mainly used for training Reapers and adventurers alike.

When I entered the compound, I immediately secured my horse at a safe stable nearby and entered into the main arena. Just like I expected, over 250,000 candidates gathered for the exam, each one determined to secure a spot.

Among them were many noble born, some boasting S-Class potential and powerful families or clans, their very presence radiated confidence and superiority.

I noticed the air of pride that came from these candidates, but I was used to being underestimated and was not intimidated.

"They don’t know what I am capable of," I thought, suppressing a smirk as I focused on the task ahead.

The announcement rang across the grounds, signaling the commencement of the exams. The first part of the trial was the Talent test. Each candidate had to place their hands on a magical stone that woud assess and reveal their natural Awakened talent through a specific colour that indicated.

S-Class- Red colour, A-Class- Orange, B-Class- Green, C-Class- Blue, D-Class- White, E-Class-Black.