In a clearing, rid of trees in the tropical island, stood a boy with short stature, his hair glimmered in the dark, reflecting a dark green shine from the light of the moon. His eyes, a shade of green that gave off a lighter vibe. His face calm and collected. He practically radiated calm and calculating energy.

  He stood in the clearing opposite him a girl with a whip in hand. She had auburn curly hair and brown eyes. Glasses rested on her little nose, as she fixed the boy opposite her with a glare.

  "It's you isn't it?" Her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She flicked her wrist and the whip crackled against the ground. "You're that bastard aren't you?" Her voice was high pitched, a stark contrast to the rough and antagonizing tone she was using.

  "Depends on which bastard." The boy spoke nonchalantly as he reached for his waist. "But to me, it just looks like you're eager to fight."

  "You're Adam Illusio aren't you? The bastard with the sexual assault allegations." The girl spoke her eyes scanning his features for any hint of dishonesty.

  His brows raised before a condescending sneer crossed his face. "Yeah... That kinda' sounds like me." Adam said, his tone carrying indignation all over it.

  "Except for the sexual assault allegations. They're just that allegations and I've already been disowned by my family, so what are you getting at here?" Adam raised an eyebrow at the girl in front of him.

  Rika Strenae. She was one of the important ones that Adam had to watch out for, she was the daughter of a Barony but they called her a genius of the century. Not for her battle prowess, but for her intellect and intelligence that was why Adam knew her name.

  The brown haired girl's glare intensified, her brown eyes glaring intensely at Adam. Adam simply drew his weapons out and brandished them out for Rika to see. Dual curved blades that were both short and had a weird design.

  He needed to make sure his entry into Prism was guaranteed. He didn't have anywhere else to go if he didn't make it into the royal class... Well he mostly did it for the added boons, he could just get into a normal class but where's the fun in that? He wouldn't have a luxurious stay or free food everyday.

  Adam was getting side tracked. He took on a defensive stance. He was going to stay passive until Rika attacks first. "Are those daggers or sickles?" Rika narrowed her eyes on Adam's choice of weaponry.

  "Doesn't matter as long as it's light, sharp and easy to handle. Then it's my kind of weapon." Adam snickered.

  Rika dashed forward and flicked her wrist. The whip crackled as it flew straight at Adam. The green haired boy slashed at the whip but the hard ropes weren't cut by his weapons. Instead, Rika tugged at her whip and sent one of Adam's daggers flying to the ground.

  "Ah, oh nooo you got my dagger." Adam, feigning panic. He grinned as he dashed forward at high speeds. Rika's eyes narrowed before she pulled on her whip sending the tip flying at Adam's face. He grinned before dodging.

  He was mere inches away now, a single swing and he'll eliminate her however... she pulled tight on her whip using it to block the slash coming for her. Adam's weapon simply slid off the rope as she side stepped. She kicked forward sending Adam back a few. "Ah, not bad. I thought they said you're only brains, but I guess you got brawn as well." He grinned before he sent his dagger flying in the air.

  Rika jumped to the side her teeth gritted as she fixed him with a glare. "I will cut off that tongue of yours..." Rika snapped. The dagger embedded itself on a tree as Adam broke out into a sprint. He jumped over Rika's whip strikes and rolled until he reached the tree and grabbed his dagger, pulling it out.

  "Woah~ there! This is just an exam, calm down tiger~" He chuckled before he sauntered over to his thrown dagger, the one Rika had previously disarmed from him, and picked it back up. "Seriously, what's your vendetta against me?"

  "I just don't like bastards like you. Now die." She spoke, her tone cold as she finally stepped forward moving out of the defensive position she held.

  She rushed forward her whip snapping around her at high speeds. A bead of sweat fell down Adam's chin as he prepared himself to clash with the girl in front of him. He had already gathered enough points to land him in the royal class he presumed. So another kill wouldn't be too bad would it? Although, it would be awkward to meet afterwards...

  Adam wasn't dumb. He knew even if you were eliminated you can still get accepted in. There was just no way they would just allow a single person into Prism at a time. Obviously if you got enough points you'll get into Prism regardless if you were eliminated or not. Though, getting eliminated is probably going to take a few points away.

  "Alright then," He spread his arms apart both daggers in hand before he smirked. "This should get me a few points..." He whispered before his daggers began to glow green. The mystical aura encasing them flowed like a tendril of flames that was slowed in time.

  +13 points

  "I knew it." His grin widened. Rika's eyes widened all before...

  Thud!

  Rika's back hit he wooden floor as she stared up at the ceiling wide eyed. "... What?" She muttered under her breath.

  "Ah, Mr. Strenae's daughter got eliminated." Her head slowly turned to the right to see a broad shouldered man with a shaved beard. Her eyes reflected her emotions, confusion, disorientation and slight disbelief. "What happened?" She asked looking up at the man.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  His eyes gleamed in amusement as he smiled and spoke in his gruff and deep voice. "You got eliminated." Rika gasped, "What?!"

  "Don't worry, don't worry... You have enough qualifications to land you at least A class and maybe even the royal class." He chuckled, "No need for panic."

  "What? But I was eliminated..."

  "Yeah, you were. But that doesn't mean you're not getting in, does it? If we worked by that system we wouldn't have a single student admission every year." He scoffed, "anyways. You're one of the important ones that we're keeping an eye on. So they're already pushing for royal class."

  "So I'm still getting into the royal class?" Rika looked up at him with hope in her eyes.

  "Yeah. Now you get it!" He crossed his beefy arms and let out a hearty laugh. After he was finished he looked down at Rika who was still looking down her jaw clenched. "What? Why do you still look bummed out?" He tilted his head in confusion.

  "I wanted to eliminate that bastard... He beat me in a single moment... I didn't even know what happened." Rika complained as she plopped herself down on the floor. "Well get up now. You can head to the reception. There you'll find all the eliminated players," He said pointing back at a door. Rika sighed before she got back up and walked out of the door grumbling under her breath.

  Adam huffed as he wiped at his forehead. He removed the sweat there. His smile widened as he waited for it...

  Ping!

  +10 points for eliminating someone strong.

  "Just as I thought..." Adam sneered. "So we are actively being judged by the observers and are given points according to what the judges deem as a high feat." Adam rubbed his chin. "I see..."

  "Welp." He snickered. "Time to go gather more points!" He chuckled softly before he started away.

  Adam snuck through the forest quietly. His eyes were all around his surroundings scanning the area for any suspicious behaviour before.

  "Dude, how are we going to get into any class at this point? We haven't found anyone at all this whole time!" A loud obnoxious sounding voice resounded and Adam's ear twitched and he started following the source.

  It didn't take him long to arrive at another clearing. This one harbouring a lake in it's center. "Seriously though! If we just sit around and do nothing we're not going to get any progress on our points!" The same voice resounded and Adam, from a tree branch, could now see who it belonged to. An average height, black hair and brown eyes looking guy. He held a sword on his waist.

  Adam snickered quietly to himself. "Good prey..."

  He jumped down and slashed straight at the nearest person's neck. The person immediately disappeared in a flash of blue particles before the group started taking notice of him. He took advantage of their shock to lunge straight at another person. He pinned down one of them and before they could resist he plunged his daggers straight into their chest... Or well he tried but his dagger struck the cold hard ground.

  He stood up and faced the two remaining people. "Ah, look at you. Unlike your friends you will go out knowing who I am. It would suck if you actually made it." He hissed, as he twirled his daggers skilfully.

  "Bye bye~" He said simply before he dashed forward and slashed at one of them stabbing him in the shoulder before he thrust his other dagger into his head, turning him into blue particles. The last one remaining took a trembling step back before he pulled something out from his pocket. It was a rock... But this rock had different complex circles of text on it. "What is that?" Adam squinted his eyes on the small stone.

  However the one holding it clenched his fist on it before a loud ringing sound erupted into the air. Adam clasped his hands over his ears to stifle the unexpected sound.

  "What the hell is he doing?!" He exclaimed until the sound finally calmed down and the small stone in his hand broke into pieces. Adam frowned and he stomped forward. "What the hell was that? Answer me!" He grabbed the boy by his collar and held a dagger to his neck. The sharp weapon slit skin and blood dripped down his neck.

  "H-Hehe... Hehehehe~" The boy began to chuckle, a bead of sweat rolling down his chin. His lips trembled as he forced himself to sneer. He was clearly nervous, a weapon to his neck.

  Suddenly, he let go of the boy spotting a glint over at the trees shroud and sure enough, an arrow flew from the trees straight at him. He slashed the arrow into two pieces narrowing his eyes at the source. Suddenly his eyes widened as he saw similar glints all around him. "... I see... So that's what the loud sound was for." He said, smiling nervously before he slashed at the still laughing boy, turning him into blue particles.

  Out of the trees stepped several figures, each with their own armour. "It's only the second day in the exam and they already made that big of an alliance?" Adam chuckled, the way his voice quivered gave away his nervousness.

  He was surrounded. He didn't have any way to escape other that to carve a path through their formation. "Bastards..." He cursed under his breath, pursing his lips.

  Rika laughed out loud as she watched from the reception, her hands clenched tight on the rectangular device she was given to spectate. "Serves you right!" She giggled uncontrollably.

  "You really don't like him, huh?" A feminine voice resounded next to her, drawing her attention to the right.

  Rika took a moment before her expression shifted to recognition, "Oh! Alice? What are you doing here? Out of all the people out there I'd expect you to be the last person out!" Rika exclaimed as she stood up.

  Alice's expression turned grim as her shoulders slumped and let out a long sigh. "I went after Lumine..."

  "Evelyn? You went after Evelyn? You know she has an ability right?" Rika's expression changed to shock and then to confusion.

  "I do know she has an ability and a powerful one at that... But I just couldn't keep my hands to myself when I saw how easily she disposed of a group of examineers." She shrugged as she plopped herself down on the couch. Currently they were in an exclusive area where they could watch and spectate the exam as people who had passed but were eliminated. The ones who had been eliminated and refused entry to Prism are already gone.

  "Huh?" Alice picked up the device to get a better look, only for her brows to raise. She whistled as she stared at the screen. "He's not doing that badly eh~"

  Rika's brows furrowed and she snapped her attention to the screen of the device only for her jaw to clench. "Damn it!"

  Adam dodged a strike while slashing at another's knees only for an arrow to strike him right in the shoulder. He cried out in pain before he ripped the arrow out and bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

  Ping!

  +2 points

  Adam frowned. Even for this I'm getting points? I'm starting to think administration is just giving out points whenever they feel like it... He didn't have much time to continue that trail of thought as he had to block, parry and dodge incoming attacks...

  This was going to be a hard fight.