“Faster!”

  “Run!”

  “We can tell that you still have energy!”

  “Not enough!”

  All I can hear are the instructors shouts to encourage us or to threaten us, I cannot tell their intention between the two. I don’t know in which number of our laps are we now but after three years of training under them I’m sure they really care for us in their unique way, they try their best so we can improve and be ready for the trial. We are only two years away from the exam and I can see that a lot of the kids are really nervous when someone mentions it.

  We aren’t running in the training grounds, for today’s training they bring us close to the forest and make us run in the uneven terrain, the different location combine with the rocks that the teachers throw at us makes the training challenging, it took me time but I manage to obtain the danger sense, it was two years of continuous pain from the rocks coming out of nowhere.

  “Careful Liam, stay close to me.” I hear Mateo talking to Liam, the two of them are really close to each other, I hear that sometimes one finish the sentence from the other, and after a few tries on my part to talk to them, I understand they didn’t want me near them. I have no idea if it’s because of the rumors about me being a cursed child who would bring catastrophe to whoever is close to me or simply because they don’t feel any connection with me.

  “I know Mateo.” Liam talks to Mateo without breaking their pace, they move like they know the terrain and have done this exercise thousands of times and they appear like their movements are not restricted with extra weight. Something that took me by surprise was the amount of talent they have with the sword, they are eight years old but are competing in matches against the older kids, and they are close to win over all of them. I on the other hand end up in the ground with wounds over my body in every match.

  “Ah!” Being distracted for a few seconds brings me another hit, how can they aim so well and with so many trees in the way it’s beyond me, they only need to throw it at the sky and the rock will connect, maybe it’s one skill they have.

  I’ve been training with extra weight since last year, after Master Rod give it to me as a special gift, according to his words it was moment for him to replace the handcuffs for training that he used, and because I was his only student, it would be a dishonor to him if I didn’t have the proper tools to train.

  Since I’ve been using the special handcuffs I’ve seen an increment in my stats, especially with my strength stat.

  We complete another circuit and return with the instructors.

  “Stop!” Before everyone start running into the woods again they finish this part of the training.

  “We are going to give you five minutes to rest and recover, after that we are going to do a few matches.”

  Taking deep breathes I recover for a little while and open my status window to check my progress.

  Name: Dalia Davenport.

  Age: 8 years.

  Race: Human.

  Level: 59 [Exp: 666/1485]

  Health: 20

  Stamina: 10/30

  Intelligence: 75 + [100] = 175

  Agility: 17

  Strength: 15

  Luck: 30

  Available points: 561

  Skills: [Mana sense Lv50] [Mana manipulation Lv50] [Mana absorption Lv50] [Poisonous poop Lv15] [Poison resistance Lv15] [Body coordination Lv50] [Mental resistance Lv50] [Physical Pain Resistance Lv50] [Silent Spell Casting Lv50] [Amplified voice Lv5] [Running Lv50] [Spell casting Lv10] [Enhance Vision Lv10] [Detailed Analysis Lv10] [Balance Lv15] [Bow proficiency Lv10] [Reading Lv50] [Writing Lv50] [Mathematics Lv50]

  Title: [Youngest Magus alive: Bestow to the entity who manages to have a mana network and a mana core before everybody else of their own race, it gives you one hundred points in intelligence and a better mana control.]

  Magic Attributes: [Holy Magic] [Fire Magic] [Water Magic] [Earth Magic] [Air Magic]

  I’ve been expecting this situation and was ready for it, the more I advance the harder it is to level up my skills and also my own level, with each level the experience required to level up increase, something that helped me a lot was to obtain my first title, in my past life I had several titles and I know how to obtain them, but for that I need more power, I definitely cannot do it in an infant body.

  I need to make more progress, I’m not confident in my survival when they dump me in the middle of the forest. One thing that has been on my mind lately it’s the concept of the soul, it was only at my final moments in my past life when I discover it and was capable to do something with it, but for more that I try it, I’m unable to sense it. I wonder if I need to replicate every element that was involve at the time.

  “I hope all of you rest enough, follow us, we haven’t finish today’s training.” Master Rod says and we need to comply.

  They guide us through the terrain, and by the way they are walking ahead of us, I notice they’ve been here before, maybe to prepare for today.

  “I think we are in a good position.” Master Julius says and takes a seat, expecting a good show for the way he smiles.

  “You need to work too Julius.” Instructor Rod scold him, and by now I’m accustomed to their interactions.

  “We are having the matches in here. For this occasion fight however you want, not in a ring or an even ground. Don’t forget for what reason we are preparing you, when it’s your turn in the trial you need to be prepare for all kind of situations.” Master Nolan continues to explain to us. “Take off your weight equipment, put it to the side and grab your weapon from the ones we have prepare over there.” He says the last part while he’s pointing with his finger to a bunch of weapons in the ground, they probably put them there since yesterday.

  “Master Nolan is right, you aren’t going to have a fair fight with goblins or other creatures that you may encounter in your path.” Master Julius tries to make some contribution to the class after being scolded by Instructor Rod.

  The space we have in front of us is uneven and we have some threes in it.

  “Dalia come to the front.” Master Rod orders me and I give a few steps to the front.

  “Yes Master.” I respond preparing for what it’s to come.

  “Choose your opponent.”

  This part it’s new for me, they always pair me with Frederick Davenport, the youngest son of the fourth wife of the Viscount, he’s older than me for one year and it’s the only one who I can put a fight against. At first I expect to be capable to fight against Liam or Mateo but they are too talented, I couldn’t move a single step before they finish the duel.

  I get into a dilemma, I know I have a better chance against Frederick who is the weakest compare to the rest, but at the same time I want to continue to push myself to the limit and make progress.

  “I choose…” I cannot finish my sentence, indecisive of what I really want.

  “We don’t have all day kid!” Master Julius screams from his seat.

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  “I choose Bermouth Davenport!” I make my decision, and there’s no coming back, he’s one of the children of the third wife of the Viscount and he just turn ten years old, I could have chosen one of his brothers too, after all they are triplets, but I know that the other two are more difficult to deal with.

  “Are you sure kid? He’s ten years old and he has unlocked his status window, he made use of his available points.”

  “I’m sure.” I know that it’s practically impossible for me to win but I want to push myself.

  “Bermouth come forward.” Master Nolan says it and the boy appears to be mad at me, his eyes looks like he wants to beat me for choosing him, I didn’t do it because I consider him an easy opponent but I doubt he knows it.

  “I will make you regret this.” It’s his only greeting.

  “The rules are simple, choose your main weapon, if we notice that your life is in danger we are going to stop the duel, you have one hundred yards, if you notice, there’s one blue line, Master Rod paint it yesterday, respect it and don’t trespass it.”

  “Take the position you want, you have three minutes before the match begins.”

  I run rapidly and try to come up with a plan, inside the area they give us, I can see four trees, my main weapon is the bow and my opponent’s weapon is the sword. I need to put distance between us, the best course of action should be to take cover behind a three or above one.

  I don’t second guess my decision and run directly to a tree and start climbing, I activate my balance skill together with my body coordination to help me in my ascend, putting all of my strength in my hands to grab me from every branch or hole that was within my reach. The moment I reach the top, I know that I need to get ready for what’s to come.

  Looking down I notice how Bermouth didn’t move from his initial position, probably underestimating me.

  “Start!” Julius yells at us and he appear excited clapping from his seat.

  I don’t lose sight of my opponent while I am reaching for an arrow and with my bow in hand I put it in the string and pull with all of my strength, making use of my bow proficiency skill, aiming at his head I let go of the arrow. The arrow makes way through the air but before it hits my target, he deflect it with his sword.

  I notice the veins marked on my opponent’s arm from griping his sword so tightly, I don’t know what to think about that, what could possibly put him this upset.

  “Get down cursed child!” He talks with anger in his voice and that’s when I know how humiliating it must be for him to be match against the outcast of the family.

  In the distance I can hear the laughs of the rest of the children, and that only adds negatively to this situation.

  I start getting angry too, I deserved a good training and the opportunity of make progress, my life is on the line too, but they don’t take into account my situation.

  Instead of responding him with my voice I decide to do it with my actions, I take another arrow and this one it’s directed at his leg, he avoids it moving to the side.

  For a ten year old to be capable of moves like that avoiding my arrows, it talks a lot about the training he has been under for the past years.

  Without giving him time to react, I continue throwing arrows quickly, pushing my speed to the limit, but it doesn’t matter if my aim is his leg or his head, not even his chest, he either reflects it with his sword or takes a step to the side using his superior stats.

  [New skill acquired]

  [Fast arrow loading Lv1]

  My adversary seems mad the more arrows I throw, it gets to a point where he charges at me arriving quickly to my tree, he throws himself against the it and I almost lose balance from my position, for the way his strength moves it, I assume he invested the majority of his available points into strength, after all a normal child don’t have a high level.

  He repeats the action over and over again until I can start hearing the creaking of the tree, activating my balance skill and grabbing one of my last arrows I pull it with the string of my bow and throw it at him when he’s about to collide against the tree again, luck plays a role in my case because he’s unable to avoid it this time, even if he reacts to it and move a little to avoid his chest, the arrow impacts in his shoulder.

  “Ahhhh!” I hear his cry of pain, but I don’t let it distract me from the situation, loading another arrow I try to make another hit only to be deviated by his sword. He starts climbing the tree rapidly and I can see rage in his eyes, I cannot permit his ascend, so I throw another arrow that he avoids jumping to a branch of the tree.

  My opponent it’s a short distance away and I can hear his heavy breathing.

  I can see my arrow still attach to his body and I know it must hurt a lot.

  I grab another arrow and I notice how it’s my last one, here’s goes everything, it’s all or nothing, I pull it and my aim it’s his leg this time, I make it seem like I throw it only to hold it and deceive him, he fell for it and takes a step in the branch, after that I activated my enhanced vision to react at the precise time, when he jumps to the trunk of the tree and it’s in the air I know this is the time, I pull the arrow again and I let it go, at this close distance I know that I cannot miss, it impacts his right leg but he doesn’t let go of the trunk.

  [New skill acquired]

  [Deception Lv1]

  Without any more arrows I cannot wait for him to make it where I am, that would be the same as surrendering myself.

  I throw him my bow to his face to gain a little time and distract him, a single moment it’s all I need.

  He doesn’t avoid my bow because he knows it’s a last struggle against the inevitable, but the moment it hits his head he close his eyes for a fraction of a second and that’s my signal.

  I retrieve my second weapon, a dagger from my waist, hold it and prepare for the pain, because this it’s going to hurt a lot. I launch myself against him, I try to stab him in his left shoulder, the one without an arrow, only for him to grab my wrist, with me in the air he cannot stop my fall and I’m planning to bring him with me. I extend my other arm and surround his neck, we’re face to face and I can smell his sweat. He exerts his strength in his hand and I can feel the pain, I hear the cracking sound of my bones, and I suppress the urge to scream, putting my feet against the trunk I push with everything I have and I feel how the both of us are falling.

  I position against him, making sure that who receives the worst of the impact it’s him and not me.

  I know that if the situation was critical the instructors would interfere but if it’s not, we need to put an end to this fight, with my final struggle and putting into practice all I can think of to come to this point we impact the floor, we separate and I see blood under us.

  I roll over to gain some distance from him, getting in my two feet I prepare for the worst, and push my vision activating once again my skill and notice how he starts moving, I see how he gets in his two feet and looks really pissed off by what I made him go through.

  I see how useful it is to have access to your own status window, and make use of your points to modify your stats and make you stronger, I know how easy would be for me to turn the table against him if I decide in this moment to invest my points, but that only be stupid on my part, I’ll drag unnecessary attention and waste my opportunity to push myself to my limits in the next two years. With this fight I gain a few skills and that shows how this world favor the people who struggle and don’t give up.

  I lose my dagger the moment he broke my wrist, but he also lose his sword when both of us fell from the top of the tree, that doesn’t give me any kind of reassurance, in a direct confrontation his advantage is evident and my struggles would be futile. That would be if I am willing to participate in a fair fight but that clearly isn’t my intention, not even for a second.

  Before he realize what it’s happening, I impulse myself against him and I tackle him, with the impact we are on the floor again, I put some distance rolling when I see how he tries to grab my neck with his hands, with my healthy hand I hold some dirt from the floor and throw it against his eyes.

  “Aaaahh!” Another cry escapes from his mouth, and I need to take advantage of the moment, I hold a rock next to me and try to hit him with it in the head, but before I can make it someone stops me.

  “That’s enough, we cannot let you kill him.” I look to the person who’s talking and see Master Nolan.

  “Marvelous! Haha! That’s what I call a good show!” I hear how Master Julius is excited for our match, it must be funny for him a fight between two kids with stats so low compared to his own.

  I realize that even if it appeared to be a lot of time for me, our fight only took a few minutes.

  “This isn’t fair! She cheat!” I hear the screams of Bermouth when he sees how he lose against the weak girl.

  “We say that you should position yourself in the minutes that we give you but the only thing you did was stay still, underestimating your opponent.” Master Rod comes to our side and seems mad about how the kid tries to find fault with everyone else except with him.

  “If we were in a fair match in a proper ring I would be the winner!” He doesn’t want to accept reality.

  “And life doesn’t work that way, analyze the situation, make a plan and act according to it, when it’s time for your test remember that.” Master Nolan puts an end to his complaints.

  “We don’t have all day, move to the next match.” Instructor Julius seems to be longing to see more interesting matches, but I doubt a bunch of kids can satisfy his curiosity.

  “Come here kid.” Master Rod calls me and I follow his instructions walking with him. “Give me your wrist, we cannot leave you like that, even if it hurts try not to scream too much, I’m going to put in the right place your bones.”

  When he grabs my wrist I want to scream from the pain, once my adrenaline it’s out of my body I can feel how bad it is, he moves my wrist and I hear cracking sound, feeling so much pain I bit my lips in an effort to avoid screaming.

  “You have forbidden to train with that hand for the next month.” Master Rod gives his order and I can see how they are treating in a similar way the wounds of Bermouth.

  I take a seat when I feel most of the pain goes away and see the next matches, in every match that I see the only thoughts on my mind are tactics that I could use against them.

  The rest of the afternoon pass without any mayor injuries for the other kids and we return to the house.