Chapter 65 Blood in the restroom?!!
Kan sat among his fellow Year One elementary class students, their eyes locked onto the circular pit where the indigo flames continued to dance and flicker. It was an intense trial, one that pushed their limits and tested their magical potential. They had seen classmates falter and fall, and now it was their turn to face the flames.
As the next group of students stepped forward, Kan couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with them. They were all in this together, bound by the shared challenge of the Chamber of Elemental Trials. He whispered words of encouragement to his classmates, a show of support in this daunting moment.
The students who had gone before them had set a high standard. Many had reached the second level of the indigo initiate rank, and the audience had been impressed by their determination and resilience. The Year One class was determined to uphold that standard and prove that they were not to be underestimated.
The audience watched as the students from the elementary group entered the pit. The indigo flames enveloped them and immediately, their body tensed as they struggled to withstand the searing heat. Their faces contorted in pain, and some of them, their fingers dug into the ground as if trying to anchor herself.
The holographic timer above their heads began its countdown, and Kan could feel the seconds ticking away. It was a grueling test of endurance, and the audience watched in silence, knowing the immense difficulty of what they were going through.
"No one down yet," one whispered to his classmates, his voice filled with admiration. The students were fighting through the pain, determination etched on their faces.
The audience, too, were captivated by their performances. They could see the raw effort being put into enduring the flames.
Amongst the ten that went in for the second batch, they were mostly males except there was a female that seemed to be putting on a show. Along with her, there were others that did their best to give it their all.
"She's doing well. Look at her mental strength," someone in the crowd commented, nodding in approval.
The student's shaking intensified, her body trembling from the heat. But she refused to give in. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her clothes clung to her skin, soaked with perspiration. The holographic timer continued its relentless countdown.
Finally, at the 3-minute and 35-second mark, the student's body gave out. She collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, her skin flushed and glistening with sweat. The indigo flames receded, and the timer froze.
A round of applause and encouragement filled the chamber. The student had given her all, and her classmates cheered for her valiant effort. The audience was impressed by her performance, and the sense of unity and support in the chamber was palpable.
"Three minutes and thirsty-five seconds. Not bad at all. Although if she had held on any longer, she would have most likely broke through level three of the indigo initiate flame. But I guess they don't know how to converse their Mana," someone remarked, a note of admiration in their voice.
"Yeah... We all know the flame's magical properties burns out the Mana in you. For most people, due to their magical affinity, burning out their Mana takes longer, irrespective of how little they have. This is the fundamental difference between ranks. It's not really a clear cut thing as I bet their teacher must have told them. But then again, if she had given any more information, the results would have varied all around. Say what, do you see anyone going past indigo?" A guy responded.
He had a black hair gelled to the back. His uniform was neatly pressed and over all, other than the expensive, glittering jewelry on his wrist, he looked absolutely flawless himself. By his side was the lady he was talking to. She had silver grey hair, she came short in the height department as the one she was talking to was far taller than her. His name was Chester and the lady beside him was a friend, her name was Amelia.
Both of them were from the year three and they were present to watch the test unfold, get to see more powerful and surprising new up and comers and as well check if there's any update to their own ranks.
Amelia had nodded to everything chester had said. She agreed that it was more of technique rather than having some innate ability to withstand the flame. But then again, the flames were designed specifically for each ranks.
"It's kind of strange how each flame is sort of the right amount of pain and heat you can bear but will never get past. It's almost like they are fundamentally meant for you. Like, for example, those at the indigo ranks did not fail to scale higher because they are weak but simply because that's the rank they belong on due to their magic capability. In short, it's really scary when you think about the degree of accuracy that this flames have in testing ability of students and everyone alike," Amelia pointed out also.
"Yeah, you are right. Still, there are ways to beat your rank. I believe so. No one is just hungry enough!" Chester said.
"Knew you'd say that. I don't know what's with level two golden adepts!" Amelia facepalmed herself.
"Hahaha...same thing I keep wondering about one particular level 1 golden adept ranked!!" Chester playfully punched Amelia on the shoulders.
As the trials continued,.everyone couldn't help but be impressed by the valiant effort the elementary class was putting on. They were facing a formidable challenge, one that pushed them to their limits, and they were rising to the occasion.
The audience discussions shifted to the overall performance of the Year One elementary class. They had shown great potential and determination, even if they hadn't all reached the second not to talk of the peak level of the indigo initiate rank.
"They're doing better than I expected. Year One students aren't usually this strong," one observer noted, nodding in approval.
"It's a testament to their spirit and determination. They're proving that they belong here," another commented, a smile on their face.
Kan still in the mix focused on enduring for longer. "Fuck, this shit is burning something in my chest! You sure there's no cheat way out of this one, Hela?" Kan asked in a desperate tone. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, a relentless force that demanded his endurance.
[Not at all baby. Maybe if you had some fire affinity or even water, it might have helped here. But this is a test, you should see how far you can really go]
[-1 Mana points]
"Oh yeah, mind explaining what that is? It's been happening since I entered the flame!" Kan gritted his teeth while mentally communicating with Hela.
[Your Mana. It's depleting because of the excercise for some reason!] Hela replied and the answer it gave didn't seem like one confident.
"Wait what? I'm losing it forever?" Kan asked.
[I don't know for sure, baby. You are losing these points in an unconventional way. Usually, if you had used it for a spell, it should fill back after a while but this method of exhaustion is what I'm not sure of] Hela said yet again.
Kan clenched his teeth and focused on enduring, pushing past the pain. The seconds ticked away on the holographic timer above his head, and he knew that every moment counted.
Around him, the audience watched in anticipation. They had seen the Year One students' performances, and they knew the challenges of the trial. Kan could hear their whispered words of encouragement, and it fueled his determination. They were now five remaining and we're close to six minutes inside the indigo flames.
"They are holding on," someone in the crowd whispered, their voice filled with admiration.
Kan's body trembled from the heat, and sweat poured down his brow. The indigo flames seemed to probe deeper, to intensify the pain. But he refused to yield. He had come this far, and he wasn't going to give up now.
Minutes felt like hours as Kan battled the flames. He could feel the sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his skin, and his vision blurred from the heat. But he kept his focus, his determination unwavering.
Finally, at the 5 minutes and 26-second mark, Kan's body gave in. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his skin flushed and covered in sweat. The indigo flames receded, and the holographic timer froze above him. But he wasn't the only one. His other five classmates seconds later lost their ground and began to collapse as well.
There was one more person remaining and the person was beginning to generate roars of encouragement from the crowd.
"By my calculations, he should be entering the third level of indigo initiate if he hangs on past the six minutes!!" Someone said.
They all approached the railing, looking down at the pit as the sole survivor from the second batch was still going. However, not long before the sixth minute, the student began to wabble on his feet and eventually, collapsed to the ground in a heavy thud.
The audience heaved a heavy, disappointed sigh but then again, they realized the efforts made by this said student.
A mixture of applause and sympathetic murmurs filled the chamber. The second batch had given their all, and the audience couldn't help but be impressed by their determination and strength.
"5 minutes and 49 seconds. That's remarkable for a Year One student," someone in the crowd remarked, nodding in approval.
Kan was helped out of the pit by the knights in blue velvet vests, his body trembling from the ordeal. As he exited the chamber, he received nods of respect and encouragement from his fellow students.
The remaining participants in the trial watched as the indigo flames continued to burn brightly, their own tests of endurance still ahead of them. Kan looked to the exit and decided it was time to leave the noise infested area. He picked himself up and began to walk gingerly through the exit. On his way out, he decided to pull down his system profile.
Profile of the lust system]
[Name : Kanakan]
[Race: Elf]
[Alliance: Errose]
.....
[Stats]
Strenght : 52
Stamina : 60
Agility : 55
Vitality : 60
Charm [lvl 2] : 46
Luck : 20
Mana : 5
Skills : Arousal [level 2 ??], Singing [Level 3], Pheromone [ Level 5]
? 1 free skill level boost.
*****
"Look at that, I have only five Mana points left. If I had continued, everything would be exhausted and I don't know if I'd get it back" Kan said, observing the details closely. His sweat soaked body also irritated him quite a lot as he walked through the distant hallway.
"I need to use the restroom," Kan said as he was halfway from reaching his class to pick his backpack and leave, he decided to make a turn to the left and head towards the rest room.
As he got to the door of the rest room, he was about to open it but then he noticed something.
"Blood?" Kan muttered seeing a trail of blood flowing outside the door from the inside.