Slyvia was in deep thought about what had just happened. She had expected Ray to do well in the test. She even perhaps thought he was someone special. Anyone who was able to go out everyday and hunt magical beasts had to be skilful. Unless they were lying, but Ray didn't seem like the lying type to her. And Ray even claimed he had hunted an intermediate beast.
Slyvia couldn't get the thought out of her head so she decided to head over to Gary and ask him a few questions.
"Hey Gary, how strong would you say Ray is?"
Dan, Ian and Monk had a habit of sticking together and when they saw Slyvia go towards Gary decided to follow behind and listen in on the conversation.
"Ray, he's really strong."
Dan who had overheard the two talking couldn't help but laugh. After all, he had just seen Ray nearly fail all four tests.
"Him, have you seen the results on the test, I know he's your friend but you need to look with your eyes and not your heart."
Slyvia looked towards Dan with a stare. He quickly shut up, remembering the situation in the dorm.
"That's why I wanted to ask you, Gary, I thought Ray would do well. What makes you say he's strong."
Ray was scratching his head like a monkey who was deep in thought.
"It's hard to say, I haven't fought him in a long time."
"Maybe I can rephrase the question to make it easier for you. If you and Ray were to fight now who would win?"
"The last time I fought Ray I won easy."
"But you still say he's strong." Dan interrupted again.
"There something strange about him. I think if I fought him now I would lose nine times out of ten. When we were kids I got attacked by an Intermediate black wolf. I thought I was going to die that day. Then Ray came along and saved me."
"You need to make your tales more believable, there aren't even many squires who have trained for a year here that could take on an intermediate beast solo," Dan said.
It was true most people would find it hard to believe if someone would have said they defeated an intermediate beast at the age they were at now. The fact that Gary was telling them it was when they were Kids made it unbelievable.
The rest of the group thought Ray was just exaggerating a tale, perhaps it was just a big Basic tier wolf.
Slyvia thought different though, she remembered back to the night where she caught Ray leaving the castle. He had said he had defeated an intermediate beast before.
Although she kept this thought to herself the coincidences that happened in the test also concerned her. A mage from Roland academy would know there limits well when doing a test, she found it hard to believe that they would make a mistake and cause magic sickness. And with the bow, If a human tried to use pure strength to break a bow's string it would be near impossible.
She couldn't help but think that Ray was just unlucky.
*****
I must be unlucky. I thought to myself.
Although a little disheartened I reminded myself that it didn't matter what rank I was to obtain after the test. It was just a shame that I wasn't able to show my skills in at least one of the tests.
It was a shock to me, I had gained a lot of strength after absorbing those crystals. In my haste to shoot as quick as I could, I pulled too hard.
The last and final testing area was being marked by Delbert. His stage was empty as well, there was only him and a sword. It wasn't his usual sword for this one had a slightly different design. Towards the bottom of the hilt embedded inside was a red gemstone.
"This is the final test called The Will of truth, this test is about Ki, although you may have not learnt to control your Ki it is inside every one of you. It is about will power."
Delbert held up the sword and continued to talk.
"This sword was made using a super tier beast crystal of the firebird."
Flames started to appear all around the sword.
"Once the sword touches you it will use your Ki to power it, you must use your will to do your best to subdue the flames."
Delbert displayed a couple more times what he wanted us to do. Once touching the sword flames would appear on the blade, we then had to use our will power to control the flames to make them disappear.
Most of the students who took the test did well. The talented ones were able to make the flames completely go away while others managed to make the flame dim. The task itself seemed quite simple compared to how many students achieved the task.
It came to my turn as I was last again having achieved nothing at the last test. I went to grab the sword by the hilt and a strange thing started thing happened.
When I wasn't expecting it, a message appeared saying I had obtained the crystal. I quickly made the message go away. But there was another problem, the sword held in my hands now wasn't activating, no flames would appear.
I turned towards Delbert showing him I was holding the sword with both hands but nothing was happening.
"I think it's broken."
"Don't be a fool, this is a super beast weapon it activates even to the smallest amount of Ki. Give it to me here."
Delbert had taken the sword from my hands and his eyes had opened wide. He tried to stimulate his Ki flow into the sword but still, no flames would appear.
"What have you done! This is a treasure of the Alure Kingdom" Delbert shouted at me.
"You were watching me the whole time, I didn't do anything."
The truth at this moment I was very happy, I didn't know why the System allowed me to take the super crystal but I had obtained a grand treasure for free.
Delbert looked like he was about to strike me with the sword itself for what had happened. Luckily Wilfred had been watching what was happening on the screen this whole time and had come over to the fifth test site.
The two of them whispered something to each other and ended the test there. Wilfred came down from the stage before the students.
"You have all done well in today's test. I am proud that you will become knights of Avrion Academy. Will you please head back to your rooms until you are called out to the dining hall, you will all receive your obtained rank before dinner, and then sent to the appropriate place to begin your training."