***A Few Minutes Ago***
The Examiner, Garron Boar, looked at the screens before him with a focused look.
He had long gotten used to the two power houses of the academy standing in the same room as him and refusing to leave.
The technicians though, not so much.
They were focused on making sure not a single thing goes wrong with the simulation, least they risk embarrassing themselves before the headmistress.
The candidates didn’t know this....well, since it was general knowledge, but each had a camera trained on them at all times, so the examiner would see exactly what went on.
In the forest also, there were some instructors from the Stealth Division just a tree jump away from rescuing the candidates if something did indeed go wrong.
Garron looked at the camera tracking the new candidate, though she requested to be teleported close to the candidate named Nox, she was far away for them not to immediately meet.
And he suspected she was heading towards his direction from the way she moved. Although she entered the test a few minutes later than the rest,
She was currently at the top of the table, leading with a ridiculous amount of points in just a short amount of time.
’What is that kid?’ Garron couldn’t help but think.
He then turned turned the screen showing Nox, who was trying to escape from the Eclipsed, much to his disappointment.
Yes the creature’s size was scaled up for this test, but it was still a tier 1, it was no more harmful than a mouse and yet, the kid didn’t have the guts to stand and fight it.
Though, for a coward, his instincts for dodging were really impressive, but the examiner knew he couldn’t keep that up much longer.
And he was right.
Garron watched as the kid got momentarily distracted, only for the creature to take the chance and leapt at him.
With a sigh, he tapped his watch, about to order one of the instructors to pull him out of the exams but he was stopped.
"It’s fine, Radiant Boar," the headmistress’s serene voice caused him to pause and turn towards her, "let the kid continue."
"But, Headmistress," he began carefully, glancing at the screen where Nox was about to become lunch, "the boy is about to be incapacitated. If we wait too long—"
"He’ll be fine," she said with a smile before pointing back at the screen, "just watch."
Nodding, he turned back to the screen and as the headmistress had stated, just moments before the creature’s maw could snap shut on his head, the kid disappeared, reappearing a few meters away.
"I knew he could do it," Ascend Dawn said with a wide grin on her face as they watched the kid let his SE flow through the gauntlets and they activated.
’I guess I understimted the kid,’ Garron said as he focused on the screen again, watching as he took something you’d hardly call a battle stance, ’show me what you can do kid.’
***
Back in the simulation, a rush of adrenaline or rather Solar Energy flowed through Nox as he stood waiting for the Eclipsed to make the first move.
The creature was now a lot more cautious as it looked at its prey. The prey didn’t feel helpless as it had been before which made it hesitate.
But unlike a true intelligent being, this one was guided by its instincts and currently, due to Nox’s use of SE, it could smell quite the delicious smell coming from its prey.
With a hungry growl, the Eclipsed launched itself at him, but this time he was ready.
He searched for the same feeling as before and before the creature could reach him, he teleported away again in a flash of golden light, but this time, instead of reappearing far away from it, he appeared just to its open side.
The Eclipsed didn’t get a chance to realize that the prey was now at its blind spot. Nox immediately took the advantage, he pulled his fist back and threw a punch.
There was no technique behind it. He had no special stance nor form, he was just by instinct and the mind-numbing determination of not failing this test.
Still, the instant his fist connected with the creature’s ribs,
BOOM!
The Eclipsed let out a screech of pain, its entire massive frame lifted off its feet as it was launched sideways, slamming into multiple trees which fell upon contact.
Nox staggered back, staring down at his trembling hand.
The numbness in them quickly faded and a wide grin appeared on his face. This feeling was exhilarating.
He looked back at the recovering Eclipsed with a smile, the next moment, he was gone again, appearing by its side and delivering a strike.
BANG!
The shockwave this time caused the trees around to tremble as the creature was launched in the opposite direction.
Nox didn’t let up, every one of his attacks were followed up by the next and the next until he was completely lost in the feeling of SE flowing through him.
It felt as if he had just awakened a missing piece of himself, one that made him feel truly alive.
The forest around was now filled with dust, craters and fallen trees as Nox continued ragdolling the Eclipsed.
"Stay down," he let out as he appeared above the creature’s and threw another punch towards its head.
BOOM!
This punched had the strongest impact yet, as the shockwaves forced the trees to sway and the dust to immediately clear up.
A new crater was formed was formed in the shape of the Eclipsed, one where it twitched for a couple of seconds before going completely still.
Nox awkwardly landing, quickly balancing himself to prevent faceplanting to the ground, he then took a seating position as he caught his breath.
Though that was unneeded since his SE was doing it job.
"D-did I win?" He asked as he looked at the battered creature’s still body.
As if a reply to his question, his watch let out a ding.
[DING!
Eclipsed Eliminated
Tier 1 – +20 Points]
[Total: 20]