Free Web NovelChapter 162: Elevators
After passing the test, Bel was released to go to a rest area where he could drink water, take a breather, and get something to eat.
Victor approached him with a smile on his face and greeted Bel with a handshake.
"You did well, Bel. Very well," Victor said.
Bel was still trying to calm his breathing. "Thank you, Master."
"Congratulations, cousin." Gracela also congratulated Bel, but with a long hug. "You’ve come a long way since the last time I saw you use the sword."
Bel’s eyebrows rose, and his cheeks blushed a little at the compliment. "Thank you, cousin. I’m doing my best to improve, and one day I’ll catch up with you."
"I know you will." She said, turning to the large table in the living room. "Hum! Mooncakes!"
"Master, I almost couldn’t help myself. I kept thinking about using that advanced technique you taught me."
"But I didn’t have to," Victor replied, squeezing Bel’s shoulder before letting go. "That technique shouldn’t be used by you yet. You can release it, but you can’t control it. Take it easy. Rest now. The first stage is over, but there’s more to come."
Bel knew that Victor was right. He took one last look at his master and cousin before heading to a more private room where most of the other candidates had gathered together.
The atmosphere in this room was a bit strange. There were many candidates talking animatedly about their battles, while others remained silent and serious.
Bel wasn’t someone who made many friends, especially after he left the Wushia Academy of Formal Education and moved to Klento, but he didn’t see a problem with socializing. Still, he knew that many saw this exam as more of a competition than a personal test, which wasn’t necessarily wrong.
Soon, several instructors began circulating among the candidates in the room, calling out the names of those who had passed to the next stage.
Bel felt a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach as he waited for his name to be called.
"Bel Selvarum," the voice of Sir Armand, the instructor with whom Bel had fought, echoed through the room.
Bel quickly raised one arm to show that he was present. He joined the group of successful candidates.
In all, 102 candidates had begun the test, but only 45 had advanced to the next stage. Those who didn’t meet the minimum requirements were eliminated.
The organizers led the remaining candidates to an underground area of the estate, a place many of them had never seen or heard of before.
Bel felt a chill and a strange feeling in his stomach as he descended into the large elevators that took them deep into the earth. The elevators were typical mining elevators.
He was squeezed into the small metal cabin with the other candidates. The smell of oil and metal quickly mixed with the smell of sweat.
The air became increasingly dry and heavy as they descended. However, the silence in the elevator that Bel was in seemed more suffocating than the fact that they were rushing out of air in a small space.
When the elevator finally stopped, Bel felt a great shudder beneath his feet. His elevator doors opened with a metallic clang, revealing a surprisingly different corridor than Bel had expected, made of perfectly aligned gray bricks. It wasn’t the rocky, inhospitable environment one would expect to find after riding a mine elevator.
Led by the drivers, the candidates exited the elevator in silence, admiring the corridor before them. The other two adjacent elevators had also stopped and would soon open to reveal the corridor to the others. freewebnσvel.cѳm
The walls of this long, wide corridor were lit by magical torches of blue fire, giving off a soft, steady light.
The floor was covered with a luxurious red carpet that cushioned the footsteps of the crowd and gave the place a cozy feel.
Jonas approached Bel in his direct manner. "Hey, Bel. Do you have any idea what’s going on here? You’re a Selvarum. You must have some inside information."
Bel nodded, her eyes still scanning the corridor. "No, I don’t know anything either. This is as new to me as it is to you."
Jonas frowned, but accepted the answer with a slow nod. "It’s strange, isn’t it? This place... I didn’t expect to find something so... refined down here."
"I’m even more surprised because you said we’d have an archery test, but why the hell would we come all this way for a simple test when there are huge shooting ranges out there?"
Jonas agreed silently, not understanding either.
The corridor was quite long, but after a few minutes of walking, it opened into a huge circular area.
The candidates stopped at the entrance, amazed at what they saw.
The area looked like an arena, but no ordinary arena. The walls were high, made of the same gray brick, but decorated with the emblems of the Order of Athenian Knights, namely a lotus flower formed by swords.
In the center of the arena was a large, deep fighting circle. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Where the contestants stood were the raised stands that surrounded the arena, made of the same brick as the walls.
Something was about to happen, for several knights were strategically positioned around the arena.
Sir Reinhart’s voice suddenly echoed through the place, loud and thunderous as always, but this time, no one knew exactly where he was.
"Ladies and gentlemen! HAHAHA! I always like to say that!"
The contestants searched every corner for him until suddenly someone shouted:
"There! He’s in the middle of the arena!"
They then approached the bars that separated the stands from the arena and saw Reinhart with his arms outstretched. This time, he was wearing a large suit of metal armor with a blue cape that reached to the ground.
"There you are, contestants! Pay attention to what I’m about to say: about the three tests I mentioned before, forget everything! Only the first one was real!"
At that moment, a rumor spread among the candidates.
"That was just to keep the scum and the curious away. All of you present here have shown that you are indeed determined to become knights and serve the Athína Kingdom, and that’s good, but it doesn’t mean that you’re ready for it yet." He said as he walked to the left and then turned around. "As you may know, being a knight is much more than just being a swordsman. Otherwise, thousands of hunters would become knights overnight and live a good life with a good salary and a retirement plan."
Reinhart paused and looked at the candidates.
"To be a knight means to serve and protect the populace in every way possible." He raised his right hand in a brave gesture. "You who are here have shown that you know how to fight against other swordsmen, with other humans, but not all the enemies of this kingdom are human!"
Reinhart observed the candidates’ faces. He could see a mixture of anxiety, curiosity, and in some, a glimmer of fear.
"You must understand that there are many threats in this world. There are creatures and forces that defy human understanding, and it is against these threats that you, as Knights of Athína, must be prepared to fight if you are to pass today’s tests."
He paused dramatically, letting his words sink in as the candidates absorbed the weight of what was being said.
"Now, watch."
With a thunderous roar, the gate on the other side of the arena slowly began to open, revealing an impenetrable darkness beyond. The creaking of metal filled the arena, sending shivers down the contestants’ spines. Then came the heavy sound of chains being dragged across the floor, followed by a growl that echoed through the room after the silence.
A large figure emerged from the darkness and staggered into the arena. This creature walked on two legs and was muscular. His skin was the color of sand, a pale shade. It was an Orc. It had two huge tusks protruding from its jaw and a ferocious look, though one of its left eyes was covered with a dirty cloth, indicating that it was blind in one eye.
The orc fell to his knees, clearly weakened, but still exuding the aura of brute force that was natural to his race. He was shackled with thick metal chains that bound his wrists and ankles, restricting his movements.
Reinhart drew his sword and pointed it at the orc on his knees. "For those of you who have never had the misfortune to see one in person, I give you an orc! Forget dragons, swamp goddesses, or any other scary creature you’ve ever seen in your school’s bestiary. This is the most terrifying creature in the world."
Then the orc raised his head and saw all those people looking down with mixed expressions, so he roared, and that roar tortured the ears of the majority.
"This is proof that these monsters differ from the others! It saw that you weren’t afraid of it, so it roared. But if you look at it with the slightest bit of compassion, it will use it against you. Orcs are organized, strong, and smarter than most people think."
