《The Twelfth - End》 Chapter 1 - Late Frost City (1) "Ven! Get up quickly, you''re going to be late! Your father is already waiting for you." As I laid on my bed with my eyes wide open, I could hear my mother calling for me. It''s been nine years since I have been here. And thinking about it, I did make a bit of progress. sigh slam I was interrupted in my thoughts by the sound of my door being violently open. I knew what was coming and decided that it was better not to flee. A little girl, which looked like she was not older than seven years old came in my room at high speed. She had short black hair, bright green eyes filled with mischievousness, and that smile on her face meant that she was planning to make me go through a world of pain. And it was indeed the case. She went straightto my bed, and when she was close enough, she jumped and dived right into me. However, since I was already used to it, I already had my ways on how to take her on since I couldn''t dodge. The sheet covering my bed wasn''t thick enough so that it could absorbthe impact, so she would definitely get hurt if I were to dodge. gasp "Helene can''t have some pity for me? You''ll crush me to death one day if you keep doing this!", while maintaining a pained expression, I said those words to her. "Humpf! Mother told me to do this since big brother isn''t waking up." She quickly got off my bed and ran away while giggling. She knew that if she stayed any longer I would retaliate. After going out of my room, my mother scolded me for lazing around in the morning on such an important day. However, I didn''t feel any excitement over someone analyzing my talent for me. I quickly washed my face before my mother urged me to join my father who was waiting for me outside with everyone else. I took the piece of bread left on the table for me before going out. As I left our house, the same cold northern breeze welcomed me by caressing my face. The village in which I grew wasn''t anything uncommon. They were a bit more than hundred people living here. Our livelihood couldn''t be considered terrible, but it couldn''t come close to those living in the city. First of all, water was something we had in a sufficient amount. We couldn''t afford to waste it. This wasn''t the case for cities. Clean water was something they had in abundance. And since our village wasn''t too far from the largest city around, Late Frost City, we could supply ourselves with clean water by selling some commodities to them. Thus, we were better off than some other villages at the border who had a hard supplying themselves with clean water. Next was food. Every household here had some land to work with. It is the parent''s job to maintain their land fertile and to regulate their crops, so they could produce enough to feed their family while having some leftovers for taxes. Those who managed to have a very successful harvest could even think about selling a bit of it to save up some money. My parents worked very hard on the field for this. they both came from a village in the border and lived in harsher living conditions than me and my siblings. That''s why they are giving it their best, so they can save enough money to send us to school in a city.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. And for last, is education. As I said earlier, my parents are saving up money to send me and my siblings to school. Because there isn''t any in this village. Although there is the old monkey who taught us how to read and write so that we wouldn''t be considered as illiterate if we were to go in a school, he could not teach us anything besides telling us stories about heroes and monsters. So, each time parents sent their children to him so he could teach them, they would only listen carefully when he was telling stories and cause a ruckus when he tried to teach them about the language we use. In the Northern Empire, we speak Nasynth. From what old monkey told us, this language is a very simplified version of the Old Nasynth which was used few hundreds of years ago. I asked him if he knew how to speak the old language but he told us that he couldn''t. It was prohibited to speak the old language by the Emperor as some of the words they used held powers. No one understood what he meant and we all asked him to show us. But he scolded us and sent us back home. Despite this, he still loved the fact that we were interested in what he said besides his stories about heroes. And he particularly liked me since I was the first child to learn how to read and write properly in less than a month. He said that my level was acceptable for school. Since then, my parents wished even more for me to go school so that I could have a better future than them. And today, was the first step for them and for me. There are few prerequisites if one wished to enlist at Late Frost City''s School. First, the child must not be older than 10 years old. Second, he needs to be at least a Bronze-level talent. Third, the family needed to pay one gold coin per year per child enlisted, and there will be additional expenses for each class he takes. They will need to pay 10 silver coins per class. However, one gold coin was already a lot of money for his family, so in order to help those with abilities coming from poor families, the governor of Late Frost City told the school to make an entrance exam. And if the participant managed to be among the top ten, his parents didn''t need to pay the one gold coin fee. Although it was very unlikely I could be among the best, I could only try my best. During those nine years, I could experience things I could not even imagine before. And... I owe them this very life of mine, so the least I could do was to not let my parents down as long as it is within my capabilities. While thinking all of this, my father and I were waiting with other villagers for everyone to be ready. And while I was daydreaming, someone sneaked up behind me thinking I was oblivious to what was happening around me. "Gotcha Ven!" Someone tried to tackle me from behind but I sidestepped and a child nearly fell on the ground. "How can you keep avoiding like this?" said the child feeling down. He was a bit taller than me and had light brown hair, a chubby face, and clear blue eyes. Although he sounded a bit unhappy a second ago, he was already full of smiles like nothing happened. His name was Djar. You could call him my best friend. We were born in the same year but I was born earlier than him. While I was born in spring, he was born in autumn. Since we were always together since our early age, people liked to compare us. With my short black hair, red eyes, bronze skin, and slim body, I looked and was more mature compared to children of my age with my face which rarely expressed any emotion. Meanwhile, Djar was a bit fat, and was smiling most of the time as if he was in constant happiness. Some said that he was happy for the both of us. I actually laughed the first time I heard this. "Simple. I knew you would come sooner or later and that you would try to surprise me again. So I made myself look defenseless to bait you." "Show off. I''m sure you noticed me when I was at the entrance of the village and acted like you didn''t see me." "Maybe... But you still failed right? So it''s punishment time." The smile which was on his face a second ago faded. He quickly turned away and tried to run but my hand was already on his shoulder. "And since we''re going to Late Frost City together, I know the perfect punishment for you..." "Ven! We''re friends since we stopped drinking milk from our mother, you can''t do this to me! At least wait until we come back, my father will ki-" "No. You had your fun trying to make me fall, now it''s my turn." "... Please send help..." As his voice faded in the wind, Djar was cursing at him from the past who had the stupid idea of trying to surprise Ven despite knowing the consequences. Chapter 2 : Late Frost City (2) After everyone got ready, we departed from our village to the city. It was the first time for most of the children and me that we have been so far from the village. From what our parents told us, despite being close to Late Frost City, our surrounding wasn''t safe enough for us to venture out alone. Although our village was in the grassland, we could see the Cloud Mountain on the horizon and its surrounding forest which stopped only a few miles away from our village. Neither the mountain or the forest was safe. They were the natural habitat of many beasts and monsters which could trample our village at any moment. the only reason we could live here and near the forest like some other village was that Late Frost City regularly sent people to patrol and make sure nothing dangerous escaped those places. Thus, we should not worry about it. But, my father told me that in a village further in the north, a child was found dead, torn to pieces and half eaten by a wild wolf. An adult with a weapon and who reached Stage 1 in his cultivation could take care of a wild wolf with little difficulty, but not a child. At that time, I wasn''t even a year old, but the nearby villages like ours became even more alert and forbid their children to venture out of sight when they exited the village. Of course, Djar and I tried going out once to see a bit of the outside world. Although I shouldn''t have let Djar convince me, he was going to go alone if I didn''t come. And if any danger were to arise, it would have been better if we both were here to try to deal with it than him alone. But we before we could take more than a hundred steps outside, we could see our fathers running toward us at high speed. And for the first time of my existence, I experienced what fear was. We were easily caught, and we got our butt beaten until a bright shade of red appeared on it. My mother lectured me in front of my little sister and brother for a long time until both them cried out of pity for me. And now two years later, I''m traveling further than I ever been in this world. Adults we were walking by foot at a good pace while us children were in the caravan which is usually used to store goods to be sold in the city after each harvest. Since we haven''t practiced any kind of cultivation our bodies were weaker and couldn''t afford to walk for a long time at their pace. While this was wrong for me, I obediently entered the caravan like everyone. There were five of us this year. Djar and I were the only boys. The three others were girls. Since Djar didn''t want to play with girls as he treated them as "too dangerous", I, as his best friend would spend less time with girls as well. But he was basically scared of them. In the village, since I don''t mind which game we''re playing, Djar is the one making the call. And he likes fighting and racing with me. If other children join us for racing it''s fine, but when it comes to fighting, besides Djar no one dares to play with me. My father taught me that besides him and mother I shouldn''t let people beat me unless I have some good reasons. Thus, whether I had a stick or not, no one could beat me. Although when I didn''t have a stick I could not touch them, they could not touch too unless there were two or more of them against me. But unlike what some could think, I wasn''t the strongest, Djar was. I was only more agile than the others and had more experience.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Thus, with Djar competitive spirit he couldn''t go easy on anyone, whether it was a boy or a girl younger or older than him. And one day he accidentally hurt a girl. She was older than us by year and he didn''t mean it, but he was still harshly scolded for not holding back. Since then, he was scared of girls. At least, those weaker than him. So, it made the mood inside the caravan a bit awkward. Djar was dozing off near me, drooling on my shirt, and the three girls were on the other side watching us from the corner of their eyes and whispering to each other while holding skirt of one another. Sigh Thus, I also decided to sleep during the journey, so that I will be to the best of my capabilities when we arrive at the city. ... (Late Frost City) A white-bearded man was sitting in his office, his brows furrowed as he was reading the document in his hand. He was bare-chested and only had some loose pants on, but one wouldn''t look down on him as the aura he exuded seemed deep and imposing. "Sir, I don''t think it is a wise decision to continue this procedure. It has been like this since the beginning and I would like to suggest a change before our guests arrive." The one who spoke was a young man who looked like he was in his late twenties. His face was fair and he looked handsome and despite his white robe, one could feel that the body underneath was strong to an incredible extent. His voice was deep and filled with unknown strength as he was speaking to the man in front of him. "I say, young man, aren''t you at fault here? Are you blaming me for your inabilityin managing the situation?" "I dare no-" "Enough. Things will go as I said. The pride of nobles has stained your train of thoughts too much. I don''t know the reason behind the Imperial Academy sending you here to manage the elementary school, however, I would still not mind it either way. As long as you''re in y territory, you will abide by the law established here, as the Emperor gave me this very power. Is this understood?" The bearded man threw the documents on his table before turning his back to the young man. The latter''s lips twitched violently but he remained calm nonetheless. After giving a quick bow to the old man, he left the room in an instant. Sigh "Protecting those in needs and helping them is the duty of those with abilities. However, for each life one saves, another is threatened. If one reaches the top, it means that it prevented someone else from doing so, sometimes by the most ruthless means... The Lotus noble faction is being blinded by their pride while our enemies aren''t. Since the Northern Empire is a land with a harsh climate, very few other countries are interested in us, so with time, they forgot how the fear of being invaded." While looking through the window of his room, the old man could see the Cloud Mountain towering figure as its peak was hidden in the sky. A strange light flashed in his eyes as if remembering something. "This year''s talent appraisal should be today, those coming from the villages in our territory should be here soon. This will also be the first year for that arrogant kid. I should attend and make sure everything is alright." Few words about the story and the releases Hello! I am very glad to be able to share this story with you all and I hope you guys like it as well. My goal in writing this story is to help it develop and mature, as I am someone who has way too many ideas in his head and let them die before they even get a chance to be written.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. So, I''d love any critique since seeing things from a different perspective is always nice, and be free to point out any mistakes I made since I am not a native English speaker. As for the releases, I am sorry to say that besides the weekend I can''t promise anything. Although I could release the drafts, I don''t want to give you guys half-baked chapter that even I can''t stand. Anyway, I hope you all have a good day and thank you again for reading. Vhakz Chapter 3 : Late Frost City (3) We could already see the walls of Late Frost City before noon. Although I had no idea of our traveling speed, it should be close to ten or more miles per hour. With the fact that we departed at dawn, it meant that the city should be something like sixty or plus miles from our village. This is something my father taught me, never lose the track of time, and be able to judge people speed. Although I didn''t a complete confidence in the values I came up with, I was planning to ask my father if I was right. However, when I started moving, the log of a friend called Djar, decided to wake up. yawn *Are we there yet Ven?" With half-closed eyes and after making a big yawn, he asked me this question for the fifth time during this journey. Since the road from our village wasn''t maintained properly, we didn''t have a smooth journey inside the carriage, thus, it made him wake up multiples times. "Yep, we can see the city from here already." "Really?! Let''s go out then! I''m tired of staying in this carriage." Disregarding my opinion, Djar jumped out of the carriage full of energy despite being sleepy a moment ago. However, he was right. Even I was tired of staying in here, so after giving a quick glance to the girls feigning to be asleep, I also left the carriage. When we exited the carriage, the adults gave us a strange look, while our fathers were blaming us with their eyes but didn''t say anything. I knew that if we decided to leave the carriage, they wouldn''t be able to move at their usual speed and will have to slow down so that we won''t be left behind or forced to go back in again. But since we were already so close I thought that slowing down wouldn''t bother them. "Ven! Come quick! Let''s be the first to enter the city." Djar was so excited about this new surrounding he couldn''t stop himself from looking everywhere. The city was built at the center of a giant lake and was connected to the ground outside through various bridges. The water wasn''t reflecting the sun like I was used to. Somehow, despite the sun being high in the sky, the surface was clear and only had very few sparkling areas. But it was enough. The bridges made of wood and rock, the sparkling water, the towering and gigantic city, this was the first time I saw something like this. I already saw this a while ago inside the carriage, but I still couldn''t help admiring this scenery one more time. "Ven, what are you thinking about? Let''s go!" Pulling my arm, Djar dragged me at the front of the group. "Where do you kids think you''re going? Can''t you see that we''re not alone?" One the adult talked to us. His name was Stan, he was Vela''s father, one of the girls inside the carriage. She had short brown hair and clear amber eyes like her father. She was the timidest of the three. Her mother is childhood friend with my parents. Apparently, they wanted us to grow together, but since Djar was my closest friend, it became quickly difficult. Looking around us, we saw that there were multiples caravans and carriages like ours going toward Late Frost City. We could easily guess that they were people coming from other villages in the region, bringing their children for the annual event.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Although they didn''t look dangerous, we could see that they didn''t harbor any good feeling toward each other. "Since we''re coming to the city so you guys can get your talent appraised, those who''ll be lucky enough to have children with Bronze or higher quality talent will want their children to have a chance to pass the school''s admission test." "Why don''t they like us then? We didn''t do anything." "They''re afraid of you all." "Afraid of us?" "Yes. Having a Bronze talent is already very good for us commoners since our lineage isn''t good and our bloodline doesn''t have any variant abilities... However, it''s not that rare. And if you guys have that much talent, then we already agreed that we''ll do the best we could to send you all to school." Talking about school, Djar was making a very displeased face. He already didn''t like studying with the old monkey at our village, the concept of something which asked you to study most of the time was similar to a world of pain for him. Seeing Djar''s expression, Stan sneered. "Don''t think about escaping or purposely failing the test or performing badly. We all know that you all can write and read, so if one of you fail here, let''s see how he''ll be punished. And as for the other tests, they change each year, but it shouldn''t be anything too hard for you guys to be in the top fifty." "They only accept fifty children?" "Yes, and you''ll be divided into two classes afterward." "Can we ask to be in the same class as someone? If I''m takenI don''t want to be separated from Ven!" "You will do what you guys will be told. Don''t make a ruckus there. There are a lot of people we can''t afford to offend. And stay away from the nobles'' children. There should be no discrimination in school, but this is only on the outside. In school, you guys should be equal, but once you step outside this equality is nowhere to be seen." Stan''s words made me worried a little. I don''t know much about noble besides that they are very strong, and are very rich. And some of them are bestowed lands by the Emperor himself, like the governor of Late Frost City. And since they are in charge of the territory, its security is also something they should ensure. Thus, we commoners should give them the respect they deserve since our lives are preserved thanks to them. "What do we do then if they approach us?" Stan looked at me with a pensive look. "Make yourselves forgotten. Avoid interacting with them. Although if you can befriend one it''ll be greatly beneficial to you in your future, the risks are too high. Those nobles are constantly fighting among them, and for their purposes, our lives are not worth much." "Aren''t they supposed to protect us?" "From monsters and other countries, yes. But should they protect you from themselves?" "I see..." "That''s why Ven, you''ll be in charge of overseeing the other children there." I looked at Stan with a surprised look. "It''s not even certain that I will be able to be admitted." "Although, we have no idea about your talent, you''re the most mature among the five of you. And we all think you will be able to handle it. The girls are already aware of that and some other things. They might come to you if they need anything there, is it okay?" "I... I guess..." While I wished to refute his words, I could feel that all the other adults were looking toward me as if they all agreed with this decision. Djar was putting his hands on his mouth to prevent himself from laughing at my plight. He knew very well that this type of responsibility meant that I will be responsible for his behaviors too. (Half an hour later) We were in front of the West Bridge and were waiting for the guards to give us the permission to proceed. Since we are commoners from surroundings village, we need to be checked and be given a permit, so we won''t be restrained and imprisoned inside the city. Late Frost City was gigantic. It was divided into five districts. The 5th district were the residents of the city with commoner status could live. Their living conditions were much better than us people from the countryside. The Marchand and Organization district, the 4th district. If you wanted to set a stall or create a sect, or anything, you needed to go the 4th district. And the district which we''ll be going, the 3rd district. Since school was a 6 years course, the area required to create accommodation for the students, the teachers and the rooms required for every class required a lot of space. The 2nd and the 1st district were the areas were the nobles and the Governor lived. It was forbidden for any commoner without a good justification to be there. And for us countryside people, without a permit, we couldn''t even walk in the 5th district legally. Chapter 4 : Examination (1) We had to leave our carriage at the entrance. Since the adults'' expression didn''t change when they were told so, I thought that it was a normal thing for us, however, I saw that some groups could still move with their carriage inside. I wanted to question about this, but my father gave me a glance as if knowing what I was about to ask, to tell me to not say anything. When we stepped inside the city, the previous image I had of it crumbled. Although I could clearly see those amazing house made of bricks, and ironwood, although I could see the smile plastered on the faces of many of the residents, from the corner of my eyes, I could see them. People with shredded clothes, messy hair filled with filth and hollow eyes. I tugged my father''s hand. "Father, why are these people like this?" Looking at where I was pointing, my father saw what I was talking about, but he only sighed and shook his head. "This is why you guys need to get to school and be better than anyone as long as you can. This is the era we live in. Since there many people in the city, there isn''t a shortage of workforce. It''s the opposite, there are too many people and not enough work. So those who don''t have a job will end up like this." "Why is no one helping them? They could..." "Stop right now... When I first came here, I was like you. I wanted to help them, so I gave someone a bit of money to help him out. He was a bit older than you, I think he was twelve, but his body was so weak and frail he looked like an eight years old boy. And by the time I was done with my errands here, I came back to look for him and invite him to come with us since his life at the city was at risk..." "Huh? Is he in our village now? Who is it?" "I never found him. When I asked around, people told me he was robbed and killed by a notorious gang here. Apparently, he owed them money and couldn''t pay his debt so they tried to rob him, but he defended himself and got killed in the process." He owed them something, he couldn''t give it to them, and he was killed. I didn''t why, but something inside me felt weird. I knew this feeling very well. Taking another look at them, and what was around me, I finally realized something. The warmth inside me could turn cold. Colder than what I ever felt.Stolen story; please report. We kept going without looking back, as the examination starts in the afternoon, we couldn''t afford to be late. But with every step I made, the disgust I had was growing even more. I didn''t say anything. I kept a straight face as I watched Djar and the others looking around being amazed by the buildings and the stalls of the 4th district. ... We finally reached a huge structure called Amphitheater. the adults and those accompanying thechildren had to stay in the seats which were around the arena located at the center. The seats could be divided into two categories, those at the top and those at the bottom. Those at the bottom were mainly people from the outside, from surrounding and further village. Those at the top were citizens of the 5th and 4th districts. The nobles were in specials lounges, with guards at the entrance, preventing us from entering. Since the school had to be impartial in the treatments of students, the children of nobles and normal citizens had to pass the same tests and in front of everyone''s eyes. To prevent unfair treatment. With Djar and the three girls, we had to form lines with the other children for the first test: Talent. The school refused to take in talentless people who couldn''t live up to their expectation. Late Frost City''s School was known for producing at least Stage 2 individuals. Something which was hardly achievable for talentless children or low-grade talents. We stayed like this for a while until a white-robed man entered the arena with an object warped in clothes. There two other people following behind him, wearing very strange outfits. Their clothes looked like the one noble would wear but each string of their clothes emitted a faint but very distinctive light. I recognized this light. It was Divine power. ... Sigh While lazily looking at the children in front of me, I noticed that one of them was looking at us strangely. No, it seems he was paying attention to our clothes instead. Although he tried to hide it, I could perceive a strange feeling in his gaze. Looking around to see if my fellow brothers noticed it too, I saw them with their eyes closed in half meditation state. As I was about to say something to them, the teacher we were escorting stopped in his tracks and started unwrapping the item. A small black orb was inside it. This orb was one of the most common products created by the Four Progenitors. These orbs are used to sense the affinity one had towards one of the four main elements. "I will point at each one of you successively. You will come here and place your hand on the orb. The results will be displayed by the brightness and the color of the orb." After thinking this through, I decided to drop the matter. A child looking at me like that was unusual but nothing to mind. But I really wished to see what results he will have by the end of this since he picked my interest. Chapter 5: Examination (2) "Iron level Chi talent, Wood level Mana, Divine and Demonic talent. Failed. Next." It was Djar''s turn. Since the beginning, only a dozen passed the test, but we were already less than half of what we were at the beginning left. At this rate, only a quarter of us would pass. Djar placed his hand on the orb, and it started to shine. "Silver level Divine talent. Iron level Chi talent. Wood level Mana and Demonic talent. Pass." A dumbfounded expression could be seen on Djar''s face. But it couldn''t even come close to the surprise plastered on his father''s face hearing the results. I somehow felt happy for him. Not because he passed, I felt happy for I knew that he was so stressed about this since the beginning of our journey. He slept and seemed to not care at all but he was actually afraid of failing here. "Next." After Djar, it was a rich man''s son. His clothes were of excellent quality and his eyes were resolute, and calm at the same time. As if failing here wasn''t even an option. He placed his hand on the orb, and it started shining. The light emitted by the orb grew stronger and stronger, as if it would never stop. Feeling something was amiss, I dashed toward the orb. To my surprise, someone else reacted, it was one those following the man holding the orb. However, since I was closer, I managed to reach the orb at the same as him, surprising both the teacher and the kid next to him. "Back off. It''s dangerous." He tried advising me, but it was too late. I was already reaching my hand for the orb. And the moment my hand came in contact with it, the light vanished. "What did you..." I quickly bowed toward the man and the teacher. "I request misters apologies as I have acted out of my bound, but I was afraid the orb might explode..." The teacher looked at me strangely while the man next to him was gazing at me a serious glare. "Ahum... We''ll deal with this later." The teacher didn''t want this situation to continue but he still couldn''t hide the fact that even he was clueless about what just happened. However, he couldn''t allow this to disturb the examination. Otherwise, he would be held responsible for it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. While he was thinking about the consequences, someone was clearly displeased with the results. "Teacher, can I have the result of my test?" The child who was the cause of everything seemed unperturbed by what just happened as if he already knew something like this would happen. "Since your test was interrupted, I can only give you the results I saw. White Gold level Mana and Demonic talent. Gold level Divine talent. Silver level Chi talent. Pass." Hearing the results, the eyes of many people twitched in fear. Even those behind the teacher who hadn''t reacted since they came here, opened their eyes and looked toward the genius next to me. Since I was next to him, I could feel diverse type of intent being directed at him. Most of them were unfriendly. Hearing his results, the child gave a smile toward the spectators. The next moment, a tall woman appeared next to him. She was clad wearing a red mantle, which seemed to release a special kind of spell toward us. Under her hood, I could see her face, and it surprised me a bit. Her eyes were hollow. It seemed that she senses my reaction but decided not to mind. "Time to go young master." He nodded his head, before disappearing along with the woman. Seeing them leave right before his eyes, the teacher made a displeased face. "As unruly as ever... And sending those shadow faced assassin to escort him is a bit over the top." "Yes. I heard that seeing their face was a shame for them... Too bad, maybe she was a beauty." I could hear the spectators gossiping about what just happened, but something picked my interest. While I was thinking of this, as soon as he left, I became the center of attention little by little. Although I couldn''t see it, my father was more concerned about what I did than anything else. "Child, since you''re here, it''s your turn now." The teacher looked at me with mixed feelings. He didn''t say anything more, but I knew that my previous actions were out of the norm. Since the beginning of the examination, very few of us commoners managed to pass, and none of us acted as I did. Not only did I interrupt someone''s evaluation, I went against an adult''s order. Putting my hand on the orb, I was preparing myself for the worst. Seeing my hand touch the orb, the teacher closely paid attention to anything happening to the orb. Looking at the orb, I could only ask myself that question. I already figured how it worked. There was an imprint of each of the four main attributes inside it. When someone touched the orb directly, the imprints will release some of their energy and if someone was compatible with either of them, he will be able to absorb more of it, causing the orb to shine due to quantity released by the imprint. However, how could those things enter my body without ''that'' inside? The orb started to shine. It started with a very faint glow before going brighter and brighter. And while it was shining brighter, my body started sweating. I had to restrain ''it'' from messing everything up. At some point, I couldn''t take it anymore and took back my hand. Seeing me panting and sweating the teacher was giving me a strange look. "Silver level Chi talent. Bronze level Mana, Divine, Demonic talent. Pass." Hearing my results, I could feel a weight adding to my shoulder. Lifting my head, someone was looking at me with a smile. Chapter 6 : Examination (3) Late Frost City, 3rd District, Examination Arena Before I could utter a word, my surrounding shifted and I found myself in an entirely white world. There was no sky or earth, just pure white. "We won''t be troubled here. Welcome to my domain." Although I could hear someone speaking, I couldn''t see anyone. At this moment, a sharp pain went through my head. "Hum... Sir! I''m sorry for what happened... I don''t think I deserve this." "Don''t worry. I just need you to answer a question of mine. How did you do it?" "Did what?" "How did you stop the orb?" "This... Since I thought it might be dangerous for everyone if it continued like this I acted without thinking..." Hearing no reply, I guessed that he wouldn''t say anything unless I talked about that event. "When I was very young I discovered that my body couldn''t handle someone''s else power unless I consciously let that power inside of me... So I thought that I might be able to stop the interactionbetween the orb and the other participant with my body acting as a wall..." "What did you say?! Your body rejects people''s power?" "Yes..." ... "Are you sure you''re telling me everything?" While I was interrogating him, the world around us seemed to have stopped. In fact, it did for the both of us. My family''s bloodline power was the White Cage Eyes. Our eyes could teleport our target to a white domain from which they couldn''t escape. And since our minds were at work, one second, in reality, was equivalent to about ten minutes for us. Of course, it was impossible to affect someone whose mental''s strength was higher than ours, but against this kid, there was no need to worry about such thing. "... Since I needed to pass the test I had to restrain my body from preventing the orb to test my talent. And since I don''t know what''s inside the orb, I somewhat need to tell my body to let everything go inside as much as possible..."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Are there other people in your family who have the same condition as yours?" "No... Since I thought it was strange I told myself it was better to keep it a secret..." Looking at him fidgeting inside the white domain, he looked like a frightened kid. Although I wasn''t completely satisfied with this outcome, this type of variant people appeared from time to time. The emergence of new bloodlines was rare, but their usefulness wasn''t a certain thing. His bloodline could be considered very good, however, it had huge shortcomings. Furthermore, his talent would make it even harder for him to achieve anything great in his life. As I was about to dissolve the white domain, I could feel my hold on him being severely weakened, as if something was devouring my divine power. But before I could react, someone forcefully cut our connection. "What is-" Feeling the strong grip on my should, a cold shiver ran down my spine. "S-Senior brother! you finished your meditation?" "Yes. And I was startled to see my junior brother bullying a kid white a technique normally used on criminals or enemies of the sect... I think my junior brother will love giving me a good explanation for this." "Wait! I-" I tried justifying myself but the bones of my shoulder started having signs of breaking. Since I couldn''t say anything to defend myself now, I could only back down for the moment. ... My heart was beating very fast right. Since I wasn''t restraining that thing anymore, it broke free and started roaming through my body as it used to. However, that man''s power was still in me and it nearly got engulfed. "Take this kid. My junior acted out of his bound and made you go through a traumatic experience. You can count this as me making amend for his mistake." While I was still recovering from the recent event, a blue colored pill fell in my hand. I looked up and saw a beardy man facing me with his eyes closed. Although he wore the same attire as the man who interrogated me, the aura he was emitting was on a completely different level. I quickly bowed as a thank and ran back to the side where Djar and those who passed the talent test were. When I arrived, Djar asked me a lot of questions about what happened and everything, but I kept my mouth shut since whatever I told him, had to be the same as what I''ll tell my father after this. Though I didn''t make any eye contact with him, I could feel his questioning gaze all over my body. And he wasn''t alone. After me, many people passed the test. Most of them had bronze and silver level talent for their main power, but some gold level talent appeared as well. Out of the three girls who came with us, only two managed to pass. Vela, Stan''s daughter and Jia, Mich''s daughter. Mich was one of the village''s hunter. And like her father, she didn''t like to talk too much. Vela passed with silver level talent in Mana and Jia passed with Bronze level talent in Divine. However, no other white gold level talent appeared. I didn''t dwell on this question since, after the talent examination, we had other exams. In which, I was quite confident in being at the top.