Chapter 35: Exam V
-Crack! - Crack!
Bored and with nothing else to do I fixed my eyes on the wood that was cracking from the red fire that was rising in the air, providing warmth and comfort to both me and Alan, who was sleeping on the floor.
After the battle, we had in the woods with Cristian, Daniel, and the other boys it had been one night, meaning that today was the third day of the exam.
At this moment the sunlight was just rising in the east and its light was piercing the wall of silver ice that covered the entrance to the cave, where I had taken shelter before.
I took my gaze off the wall and moved it to Alan, he had not awakened at any time after the battle and seemed to be concentrating on closing his wounds.
His wounds were many, but only one in the forearm and in the stomach, where Daniel's sword had pierced was the most serious.
At that time Alan's chances of survival were low, not only because of his wounds but also because of the lack of healing potions, both he and I had none at our disposal.
Most likely he would have died had it not been for the boys' storages containing two potions each - except for Tomas, who had spent one when he came out of the tree - literally the people we killed had saved our lives.
After that, not much had happened, with the use of two potions that were in Range G Alan's wounds closed, albeit by a slow and seemingly painful process.
The sight of Alan's wounds closing and the tissues sewing together had been quite... amusing and disturbing.
"Where am I, - called a confused, sleepy voice beside me. - In my shelter, to something like that."
"I see, - said Alan, who like me didn't bother to look at me. - So I made it through in the end."
Alan's sobs that had a tinge of happiness, shame, and sadness mixed in echoed in the cave and flooded any sound and crackle that the campfire generated.
"I'm sorry, it's the first time I've seen death so close," said Alan as his sobs stopped. - I guess you must have seen it enough times for it not to affect you - Alan paused in his words as if trying to remember something. - What's your name?"
"My name is Adad," I said, turning my gaze to Alan. - And I guess I've seen it quite a few times..."
"Alan, - he said. - My name is Alan Dawnwinter."
As we looked at each other Alan let out a small laugh.
"Ah, excuse me. It's the first time I've ever talked to a boy my age," he said trying to stifle his smile. - I never thought the first would be a handsome city noble boy like you."
Alan seemed to realize what he said and his laughter stopped and a worried expression came over him.
"S, Sorry I - I raised my hand to interrupt him. - You didn't tell any lies, especially about being a pretty boy."
The mood lightened and Alan continued talking amid smiles and occasional laughter.
"By the way," he said with a slightly more serious face. - Why did you save me?"
"Because you saved me?"
We both looked at each other in silence and although neither of us said anything a resolution not to ask why arose between us.
Suddenly and interrupting the silence a mighty voice echoed throughout Aute Mountain.
"A casualty count among the examinees of 100 has been reached," said the voice, pausing in its words. - With that in mind it has been decided to start stage number 2 of the examination."
"You have 3 more days to reach the number of survivors to achieve passing this exam, we look forward to the new 5 disciples of our great and mighty style. DawnWinter."
Alan and I looked at each other in silence waiting for more words from the voice, but we heard nothing, noticing this Alan nodded towards me as he stood up and I soon followed him, the two of us walked out of the cave with our hands in the sheath of our swords.
*****
-Tap -Tap.
Footsteps echoed with the crunching of the snow, the marks left on the ground exposed a minimum of three people moving through the trees of the forest.
Cautiously, but quickly Alan and I followed them, skipping between the branches of the trees.
We were currently following three guys with a technique that Alan had taught me. It consisted of the use of mana without a conjured element that we moved to our feet, which helped us to stand even in unstable places.
By using this technique we had been able to continue without being discovered.
I felt Alan's gaze fall on me and nodded in approval, causing him to stop on a thick branch.
Alan raised his hand and awkwardly conjured a stone slug that almost looked like a piece of trodden mud and hurled it into a snow-covered bush.
-Crack!
The small leaves on the bush rustled and caught the attention of the three boys, who cautiously drew their swords and proceeded to circle the bush.
I felt the air around me become even icier and soon contracted until an elbow-long tympanum of ice formed.
-Fuuuuu~.
Without pause and swiftly my tympanum flew cutting through the air until it stabbed into its target.
The head of the boy approached from the left into the bush.
"Shiiiiiit, Fraans! - said one of the boys when he saw the body of his companion fall with his head impaled to the ground - Kijd, we are under attack."
In an instant, the two boys met and leaned against each other with swords held high.
A patch of golden light spilled out and mowed them both down instantly, we took advantage of that small moment to move.
When the two boys opened their eyes I and Alan were already in front of them.
-Clang!
Rose's blade collided with the boy's sword, which blocked my swing, before he fully recovered from the attack a new one flew towards him.
A small ice bullet alerted the boy, generating a block on his part, but despite blocking the bullet it did not block my kick in the ribs.
-Gafhu!
My kick was just strong enough to make him release his air and send him flying a few meters.
But I wasn't aiming to kill him, just to get him away from his partner.
Just as he hit the ground my sword was already rushing to his side.
He took a step back, which I followed with a spin on me and a thrust to the shoulder.
Our swords clashed, knocking us backward and I took advantage of that step to conjure a spike of ice on the ground.
He blocked with his sword and the force of the crash sent him flying into the sparks.
The air surrounded my feet and I ran towards the boy.
In haste he tried to take a correct stance but was interrupted when a lightning bolt traced its path over his hands, causing him to drop his sword.
I didn't waste the opportunity and conjured a platform of ice that lifted me a few meters, where I jumped.
The boy was getting up when he saw me flying towards him.
His hand reached for his sword, but to his misfortune, it was wrapped in a cube of ice.
The features on his face twisted ugly as he met his gaze with mine.
My feet stretched out and landed on the boy's neck, on the ground I wrapped my legs around him and stilled the movements he made to free himself from my grasp.
He tried to resist by conjuring fireballs and fire in his hands, but all resistance ceased when a spike of ice pierced his lower stomach.
-Craak!
A crack echoed as I pulled away from the boy's neck, which was now bent in an unnatural direction.
I looked at the body coldly for a few seconds and apathetically picked Rose up off the ground and returned her to her black sheath, conjured air in my feet, and ran towards the flickering patches of golden light behind the trees.
When I arrived Alan seemed to be about to finish, his swings were precise and powerful, his movements were fast, and showed his expertise in the use of the sword.
Suddenly a golden light emanated from his sword and twisted through the air until it took the shape of a curved sword emanating light, which cut the boy down.
When he reopened his eyes, his gaze locked on the golden sword and moved towards Alan's eyes slowly, but with hatred and rancor.
Drawing his sword with a dejected look on his face Alan moved towards me.
"How is it that you can kill without blinking, Adad."
His words lingered in the forest as we continued to run through the trees, not looking down at the bleeding bodies of our victims.
* * * * *
"They are Uncle Cotli's disciples."
Alan said as we watched eight boys set up camp.
"As far as I know two of them are at Rank E and the others don't go below Rank F."
My gaze focused on the eight boys, who were building some tents out of wolf pelts and I could even see them using one of a Bear.
Torches illuminated the river at the side of the camp, reminding me that the third day of examination was about to end.
"We can't attack at this time, the night is about to fall and this will stop being a fight between humans and become one against monsters. - I said looking at Alan - Besides, the two of us can't against the eight of them."
"By the way, you still haven't told me what your rank is."
"You haven't told me either," said Alan as he produced a small stone from his storage. - Here hold it and think about your status window, that way we'll both see our statuses."
My hand took the stone and I closed my eyes as I thought of my status window.
But not my status appeared, but Alan's.
[STATUS]
[Name: Alan Dawnwinter]
Rank: E
Core: E
Strength: E
Agility: E
Endurance: E
Luck: E +
Charm: E +
[Profession]
Fencing Nv.5
[Martial Art]
N/A
[Skills]
White-Dawn (B):
[Allows the user to mold pure mana into light, transforming it into the user's chosen form, the limit of forms that can be generated is five.]
"Well, even with your E Rank I don't think we can beat those eight guys."
"I know - he said while clinking his sheathed sword - but you are a bastard, how the hell your charm is Rank C d..."
Before Alan finished his words we heard slow, cautious footsteps on the snow.
"It's Cotli's disciples," said a soft, feminine voice. - Maybe we should stop looking for Alan and attack them."
The footsteps grew closer and revealed a group of five people, three girls, and two men.
"Yeah that's right, even if it is Alan he won't be able to do too much by himself," said another of the girls as she watched Cotli's group. - He could never kill a fly despite his monstrous talent."
"It's true Lica," said one of the boys as he looked at the woman walking in front of them. - Only five survive, in the end, we have to face him if he wants to get the fifth place."
"Umu. Tomorrow at dawn we attack, let's find a place to rest."
The girl who looked like the boss, Lica, moved her black hair and revealed a pair of green eyes, wild as a jungle.
As we heard them speak my eyes met Alan's and I felt my mouth mimic Alan's wicked grin.
**************************
Hello.
What did you think of this chapter?
I just wanted to say that I will be trying to update 1 chapter every other day (because of school).
I also rewrote the first 5 chaps and will be updating the others, give it a pass, although it's not necessary since the reading is just more enjoyable and I didn't change anything important.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Cale_Tr
Cale_Tr If you like the story please add it to your library, vote and comment on it.
Thanks for reading~.
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