Fragarach

Lit up a fire

The students were caught by surprise when the condensed wind exploded with all of the debris scattered around with the area covered in dust.

“That was a strong explosion.” A student said while covering his eyes.

“Ow! I think I got dust stuck in my eye.” Another one said as she rubs her eyes off of the dust.

[With that much power, I think the illusion withstood the impact- huh? I can’t feel the mana aura from the guy that entered the rune formation. There is no way he could have died right?]

After the dust cleared, the student was already laying down on the ground, unconscious.

“What the hell?! So he was right after all?!” a student exclaimed after seeing their fellow student down on the ground.

[What a terrifying young man, everyone around him started to doubt his words and turns out to be the truth.] the instructor among the crowd of students thought as he slowly forgot his intention of being there.

The hair in their entire body stood up after realizing that Raven’s explanation earlier was true after all. Without any delay they turned their heads to Raven who was shocked by something that he did not see coming.

[Why?! Why is that condensed wind only brought just that small explosion!? If I conjure a condensed wind with the same size it can obliterate the illusion as well as destroy the area around it but why did it not happen? Was it the amount of concentration or the amount of mana he used? Calm down, me. This is only the first test and the first student, there are more who might show better results than that guy.] he thought as he stare at the unconscious body of the student that is being carried to a nearby station.

“I doubt it and I don’t really have no other choice but to believe right?” he told as he saw the next one walks inside the formation.

With everyone standing in awe after witnessing the truth about what Raven said, they all moved their eyes and focused on the student that is inside the formation to see for themselves if the illusion really is going to fight back if you do not deliver an acceptable destructive power.

[So Raven was right after all.] Cassiopeia thought as sweat started to break out from his forehead.

[That bastard!] Thomas cursed as he tightly grip his hands in anger.

[So this lowly commoner has some knowledge about rune formations huh? It would be troublesome if he uses rune formation if I challenge him in a duel in a later date, maybe now is the perfect time to challenge him in a duel so that he can’t prepare a rune formation.]

The student with a piercing in his mouth thought as he stare at Raven with a little doubt in his eyes.

[I hope this one does not get shaken by what happened to the first one since it might spell trouble for use if he does rattle during the test.] the instructor thought as he look at the student’s fear-filled face.

[I’m definitely going to die, I’m definitely going to die, I’m definitely going to die, I’m definitely going to die, I’m definitely going to die!] he told himself over and over again while glancing at the student who lost consciousness at a nearby station.

The fear in his eyes grew deeper, his heart beats rapidly like he is facing death itself that he even started shaking.

[This kid is totally tilted, no, shaken! Why is his knees shaking like an unbalanced egg! He is already chickening out before the test even started!]

The soul of the instructor that made the rune formation left his body the moment he saw the student wobbling inside the area. [Were doomed! Did I programmed the formation with high standards? I am very sure that I programmed it at the lowest level of requirement with the students in mind.]

[This- what the hell is that?! The test haven’t even started yet he acts that the test is already decided before it even started! Have a grip on yourself you fool! You can do it!] he cheered him on in his head.

“Please start whenever you are ready.” The instructor said devoid of faith to the student.

[Ah! This is killing me. If they can’t even pass the low requirement then we are in big trouble.] he thought as he grew restless with the test only getting started.

[The sooner I start it the test the faster it will end.] the student thought as he extended his wobbling hand.

The fear of having the same fate with the as the student before him still lingers. The crowd behind him is anxious to see what will happen next.

“Fireball.” He muttered in a shaky voice.

After the student cast the spell a ball of fire appeared floating in the air just a few steps away from him.

The other students gasp in awe after seeing the fireball that the second student conjured.

[So he is a fire mana type, *sigh* I hope this one can pull it off since we did not have a great start. Fire mana type are not one of the strongest type but it excels in prolonged fights and the damage only increases as the time goes on so I programmed the formation at a low level of requirement. Fire mana type students should pass this test very easily.] the instructor sigh in relief after seeing that the student is one of the lowest requirement mana type.

[It’s not time to celebrate yet, successfully executing a spell doesn’t mean that success is secured, it still needs a huge amount of focus to achieve the desired result and by the looks of it, this guy will also fail since his fear of failure and fear of experiencing the same fate as the one before him is hindering his mind to focus on the current situation.]

Raven thought as stare at the student inside the circle intensely.

[I may not have the level of education like you guys had in all the years you spent inside the academy, but I had the privilege of a life-time, or should I say destined. But since Aranx told me that I am the product of him being the first chaos in this world. I guess I should not compare myself to you though I can never completely manifest mana like Aranx can that puts me in the same position as you. I guess this is what you call the cons of being in a mortal body. Humans may not be the strongest of all the races but we are considered to be the purest so take pride in that single advantage over the races and never give up.]

Even with the low odds of successfully passing the low level of requirement for the fire based mana type student, he still believed in him.

Some of the demi-humans in the academy are smiling at the unsightly display of incompetence that the humans are showing. Raven saw their faces brimming with delight in such a sight.

[Some of the demi-humans are looking down on us humans, I bet they see us as low as dust and I can see it in their eyes.]

The student conjuring the fireball is shaking heavily in fear.

[I can feel their gaze piercing on me, I know I such at mana manipulation by why do I have to be the second to be tested, what if I failed and get humiliated like the first one did?]

His fear of the unknown completely took over his thoughts as he fired the fireball at the illusion standing inside the formation.

*FWOOOOOSH!*

[I can’t stand here like this in need to get out of this formation now!] he thought as he felt his heart beating loudly.

[What is that student doing!?] the instructor cried in shock.

He felt a sudden chill in his spine. The students were left in awe when the student found himself running away from the rune formation.

*BOOOOGS!*

“I don’t want to die!” the student screamed his lungs out as he left the rune formation.

[So it was a failure after all.]

Raven closed his eyes in disappointment after cheering on the student earlier.

Most of the students were left in shock after witnessing an unsightly display of cowardice in front of them that made his fellow humans ashamed whilst making the other proud demi-humans laugh.

*Hahahaha*

“Look at that human, he really have to show us something like that?”

“Wasn’t that hilarious?!”

Some of the demi-humans could not hold themselves back from laughter.

“Hey Nash, looks like some of the demi-humans are looking down on us humans.” A student from a different class said beside him.

“Let them be, being looked down on by other races is not something to be proud of but it has its pros as well.” a young man said in a cold voice.

[Hey, hey, hey. Don’t tell me that you see every demi-humans here look down on humans huh.] Kai thought as he felt the other students gaze on him.

“I bet Kai is looking down on us as well.” the other student added.

“Hey, hey, hey. Don’t say something like that. Did I ever do that huh Fritz?” he said in a tone like someone who is wrongfully accused.

The other human students only looked down on the ground, they felt ashamed that one of their kinds just had to show a pathetic scene in front of the whole academy.

[That bastard just had to run away like a p***y. What a disgrace!] Thomas thought as he cursed at the student that ran away.

[Now we look like jokes to them, why do humans need to be inferior to demi-humans?] Kate thought as she take some glances at her friend that felt down.

Cassiopeia glanced at Raven with a concerned face after hearing her fellow demi-humans laughing at the student that ran away with his tail between his legs.

Raven caught a glimpse of her looking at him with such a concerned face.

“Don’t worry Cassiopeia, I don’t think all of the demi-humans are looking down on every human like that.

[At the far side of the crowd.]

[Those self-centered demis, they all think humans are trash when they already meet a person like Nash who is far stronger than them yet they still look down on humans, what a bunch of fools!]

Nyx thought as he gaze at the crowd of demi-humans laughing at the student who ran away.

[Not to mention the son of the meat vendor who created the ice that never melts. Just thinking about what happened back there sends shivers to my spine and just made me anxious to meet him, on that note I heard that a new student is coming to the academy today and that he made a scene at the entrance in his first day. So many human that manage to stay under the radar for so long, they might change their view of humans as trash.] Nyx added.

Raven’s impression of human students gets fouler and fouler as human students failed to pass the minimum level requirement in the rune formation.

[What the hell is this? This doesn’t look like a test, it’s more like a circus starring the inability of humans to manipulate mana completely.]

Raven thought as he bit his lip in disappointment.

[I can’t take this anymore, most of the humans students from class C has failed to pass the minimum level requirement, and there are only a few of them left. Most of the demi-humans are at the last numbers of the class and they are completely looking down on their fellow human students.] the instructor thought as he felt ashamed of what the students have showed so far.

[This is so humiliating! They are looking down on us even more! It is my turn next to this guy, I’m going to show them that they are wrong.] Thomas promised to himself as he grip his hand tightly.

[Back to present time.]

The students that followed in taking the test either ran away from the rune formation or faint under the pressure.

[But it most of it is because of the influence that the first two students showed that made them lose more confidence in themselves. It is like a disease that slowly kills the humans infected by it.]

Elder Nuu thought to himself as he stare at the shameful sight that the students are showing.

[I will not run away from this illusion, I will show them they are wrong. We have suffered enough humiliation, this end now.] the next student told himself as he walk inside the rune formation.

The instructor caught a glance of the student’s determined eyes as he extended his arms.

[Please don’t be like the others before you.] he prayed in silent.

“Earth spike.”

*SHHHH!*

The student muttered the name of the spell then a giant spike made of stone pierced through the chest of the illusion.

*BOOOOGSSSSH!*

[An earth based mana type.] Raven’s eyes widen in surprised after seeing a talent that surpassed the others before him.

The impact shake the ground below them that surprised all of the students by its power.

[Yes! He did it. Finally a student to have passed the low level of requirement.] the instructor celebrated the conquest of the student.

Then suddenly his smiling face left as he saw the illusion moving towards the student.

[But sadly that was still not enough.] Raven told himself in disappointment.

The surprised face of some of the demi-humans left and is replace by delight when the goal of the human wasn’t achieved.

“RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!”

The demi-humans shouted mocking the student as he stood inside the rune formation.

Raven shook his head, disheartened by what happened.

“I thought he can pull it off.” He whispered to himself.

Then all of the sudden the student shouted his lungs out.

“AHHHHHH! You can’t break my spirit! I will never falter! Earth Guardian’s Forsaken Arm!”

His scream took everyone by surprise, the smiling faces of the demi-humans disappeared.

Raven’s eyes widen after getting he got caught off guard by the student.

[So he want to put an end to the humiliation, his voice have nothing behind it but determination. Interesting.] he smiles as he saw the student breaking the wall that the demi-humans made.

The illusion was getting ready to attack the student inside the rune formation.

*KRRRRRK!*

The arm that the student conjured copied the student’s movements as he threw a punch at the attacking illusion.

*HAAAAAAA!*

*BOOOM!*

The fists of the student and the illusion collide followed by a huge shook on the ground that shake the whole testing grounds. The student fell on the ground after his conjured earth arm crumble in pieces with the illusion left standing inside the rune formation.

The crowd was silent after seeing a heroic scene in front of them.

The instructor shed tears after seeing the student gave his everything to end the humiliation.

[What the demis did only lit a fire in the hearts of the humans.] Nyx thought as he smiled.

[He may have lost the fight but he won the war. So there is hope after all, this is interesting indeed. His actions will only encourage the other human students to have more confidence at themselves. Well done.]

Raven could not hold himself from smiling after seeing the heroic action that the student showed. Cassiopeia saw him flashing a creepy smile like something too god to be true happened.

[His smile is so disturbing, no it is not only him all of them are having the same look in their face.] Cassiopeia thought as she felt her heart beat really loud.

[That bastard really had to do it before me huh? Hahahahah, it’s on you f******g demi bastards.]

Thomas thought as he flash a smirk while walking inside the rune formation. Some of the demi-humans felt uneasy after seeing the last human student spark a fire in the hearts of the other human students.