“I shall go first.” Damon’s voice echoed around the large hall with his hand raised in the air.
All eyes turned to him but the young grey-haired student simply ignored their gazes, instead focusing on the instructor who was smiling at him.
“We have a volunteer.” Instructor Kade chuckled as he gestured for Damon to come closer. “Get over here to choose which of the mana beasts you’ll be facing.”
“As for the rest of you, move back.” Instructor Kade pointed to a part of the hall covered in metal rods intertwined into a cage. “It would be best if you watch from inside there.”
Heeding the instructions of their instructor, the other students began walking side by side toward the encasing instructor Kade had pointed them to.
Damon arrived in front of their instructor with a quick stride and a smile on his face.
“What weapon will you be using?” Instructor Kade inquired of Damon as the boy stood in front of him. “And which mana beast will you be facing?” He presented a book before Damon depicting the image of three mana beasts as well as their descriptions.
The first was a Fire Rat, a large three feet creature with flaming fur and a tail covered with spikes. The second was a Rust Road, a four feet toad with a corrosive liquid covering its body that brought rust and corrosion to all things its liquid touched. The third creature was a Hare. A Moss Hare. A simple looking mana beast almost the side of a grown man. It looked harmless but its serrated teeth and claws were unhidden.
Damon looked at his instructor’s weapon before speaking. “The weapon isn’t a problem so can I borrow your spear for the battle?”
Instructor Kade looked at Damon and then his weapon and then Damon once again. “Sure.” The man shrugged, handing the spear to Damon.
“Thank you, instructor Kade. As for the mana beast, I’ll go with the rat. Let’s get everything heated up for the others.” Damon grinned holding the spear in one hand.
‘And let’s find out just how much I’ve progressed with private training.’
Damon stood in the middle of the hall atop a small elevated standing that would serve as the stage for the battle about to begin.
“The Fire Rat it is.” Instructor Kade nodded, taking a few steps back before turning toward another end of the hall. From where he stood, he cast a spell, revealing his talent for the first time.
“By spark and flame, I call thee near,
Fire Rat, ignite and appear.
From smoldering depths, rise and run,
Serve my will ’til task is done!”
As he chanted, revealing his talent as a summoner, a small shimmering white portal opened in the air, widening until it was over six feet tall and wide.
Out of the portal appeared a rat almost as large as Damon, its entire body caught in an undying flame.
Thud!
The mana beast landing on all four legs with a screech the others couldn’t bear to listen to.
Kreeee!
Damon stood in the beast’s line of sight so he could gain the attention of the beast and it worked.
Kreeee!!
The rat screeched again more horribly as it scratched one of its forelegs against the floor in preparation for its attack.
Damon lowered himself to almost half his height, positioning the spear horizontally beside him.
With one leg in front of the other, he stood in front of the beast, half facing it, Damon called out. “Let’s get started.”
Kreeee!!
The Fire Rat launched itself at Damon violently without reserve. Its speed was unexpected by the others. “Oh, that’s pretty fast!”
“I can barely follow the movement.”
Another student commended, his eyes tracing after the speeding beast.
Within three seconds, the Fire Rat arrived in front of a prepared Damon. The beast attacked, its claw slashing toward Damon.
“Hup!” Damon chanted as he leapt backward to avoid the claw aimed at him.
Swooosh!
The slash was escaped by a breadth of hair as Damon watched the claw swing past the front of his eyes. Damon grinned. The thrill was getting to him.
The rat noticed it had missed and immediately swung its other hand and Damon. “Faster!” Damon chuckled as he leaped to the side this time, completely avoiding the slash.
Damien dodged the attack and immediately counter attacked the beast.
Riding on the adrenaline flowing through him, Damon swung his spear at the rat’s side.
Booom!
The side of the spear slammed into the creature sending it tumbling away.
“Woah!”
One of the students shouted in surprise.
No one had expected the power behind Damon’s attack.
“Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.” Instructor Kade smiled with a subtle nod. “A through Terrace child. Through and through.”
Damon didn’t wait for the rat to regain its balance before he chased after it once again.
“Let’s not dwell too long on this.” Damon grinned as he closed the distance, his hands raised in the air holding on to the spear with both hands.
“Your flames are a beautiful sight to behold.” Damon smiled, bringing down the spear on the rat’s head.
Boom!
The force of the attack slammed the rat’s head into the floor.
Kreeee!!
The rat screeched furiously, the flames on its body flaring even more ferociously. The moment it regained its balance, it launched itself at Damon.
“Not today!” Damon lowered himself so the rat’s attack passed over his head and from underneath, he dealt a heavy blow to the rat’s head.
Bang!
The blow connected with the rat’s jaw, its head twisting in an unnatural manner.
“Ehn?”
One of the students watching became confused as he stared at the scene.
He turned to their instructor. “Instructor Kade, are the mana beasts that weak or is Damon simply that strong?” The student asked while the others nodded to the question. They too were curious.
Instructor Kade turned to the students shaking his head. “They’re certainly not playthings.”
The student frowned, pointing his finger to Damon. “But he’s playing with that rat.”
“He’s the predator.” Instructor Kade sighed.
Boom!
By the time he finished answering the student’s question, Damon had finished his battle. “And that does it.” Damon stood straight, pulling his spear out of the rat’s back.
Turning to Instructor Kade, Damon beamed a smile. “I passed, right?”
“Congratulations on defeating the Fire Rat in three minutes.” Instructor Kade nodded and called out. “Who would like to go next?”