Chương 72: The Second Day of Tests – Part 2/1

The afternoon began with an even cloudier sky. The cold wind coming from the forest grew stronger, and the air in the academy felt heavier, almost oppressive. All the candidates were gathered once again in the central courtyard. This time, there were no more group exercises. Aria stood at the center, accompanied only by Master Thalor, the elf responsible for evaluating emotional control. Aria spoke in a serious voice: — From now on, the tests will be individual. Each of you will be called into a closed room.

Inside, you will face an illusion created by Master Thalor. This illusion will show you something you fear, hate, or that destabilizes you emotionally. The goal is not to defeat the illusion. The goal is to maintain control. Master Thalor stepped forward and added: — If you lose control, if you attack the illusion in an uncontrolled manner, or if you show severe emotional instability… you will be failed. Being strong is not enough.

Here we also evaluate whether you can remain rational even when something hits you deeply. A heavy silence fell over the candidates. One by one, they began to be called. Many left the room visibly shaken. An orc came out trembling with rage. An elf came out crying. A human came out cursing and was immediately disqualified. Another candidate left the room pale and collapsed in the courtyard. The atmosphere grew even more tense.

When it was Joker's turn, he entered the room with his hands in his pockets and a crooked smile on his face. The door closed behind him. Inside the room, Master Thalor created the illusion. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. What appeared was Mizuki betraying him again — but this time, the man she was with was one of the members of Harley's team. The scene was clear, detailed, and cruel.

Joker remained silent for nearly a full minute, simply watching the illusion. His smile slowly faded. The shadows around his feet began to move aggressively, as if they wanted to attack. But he didn't attack. After a while, he simply laughed quietly — a hoarse, cold, dangerous laugh — and said: — I've seen worse than this in real life. Master Thalor observed him in silence for a few seconds before dismissing him. When Joker left the room, his smile had returned, but his eyes were darker than before.

Soon after, it was Harley's turn. When she entered the room, the illusion Thalor created was of Joker being gravely injured by someone she didn't recognize. The scene was violent and bloody. Harley didn't hesitate. She simply raised her hammer and smashed the illusion with a powerful strike before Thalor had even finished conjuring it completely. The elven evaluator looked visibly surprised. — You weren't afraid — he commented. Harley replied with a sweet but deadly smile: — I was. But I break what scares me.

Always. Thalor dismissed her without saying anything else. While the individual tests continued, the candidates who had already gone through waited outside in silence. Some spoke quietly. Others were clearly shaken. Joker and Harley met again near the same stone pillar. Neither of them said anything for a while. After a few minutes, Harley broke the silence: — Was your test bad? Joker shrugged. — It was… familiar. Harley nodded, understanding without needing further explanation.

The two fell silent again, watching the other candidates still waiting to be called. On the other side of the courtyard, Astrid was called next. When she entered the room, the illusion Thalor created was the orphanage being attacked again — the slave traders from the day of the red moon. But this time, Lysithea was being taken away while Astrid tried to reach her and couldn't. The illusion was heavy, filled with screams and blood. Astrid stood still for several seconds, her entire body tense.

Her hands gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to lose control. Her fangs showed and a low growl escaped her throat. But she didn't advance. Astrid squeezed her eyes shut, took several deep breaths, and stayed in the same spot until the illusion began to fade. When she left the room, her face was serious and sweaty, but she hadn't attacked anything. Master Thalor watched her with an unreadable expression. Right after that, it was Rina's turn.

The illusion Thalor created for her was different. It showed an older version of herself, alone in a dark forest, without her tails and without fire. The older version of Rina looked at her with an empty expression and said quietly: — You're going to lose everything. One day, everyone will leave. Rina was visibly shaken. Her fire tails trembled and shrank. For a few seconds, she looked small and scared. But then she clenched her fists, lifted her chin, and answered the illusion: — Even if I lose everything…

I'll still be me. The illusion disappeared shortly after. Rina left the room with a red face and shining eyes, but she had managed to stay on her feet.

Joker and Harley watched from afar, leaning against the same stone pillar as always. Harley took a sip of water and commented quietly: — This is heavier than I expected. Joker nodded once, without taking his eyes off the door to the room. — Yeah. And there are still a lot of people left to go. The two fell silent again, feeling that the second day was still far from over. End of Part 2/1 (continues in Part 2/2)