《Runk Academy》 Prologue ¡°I want to see naked girls!¡± The sky was cloudy, not to hot not too cold in the kingdom of Runk, birds were flying in the blue sky doing aerial acrobats as if boasting their freedom. Runk was the third biggest kingdom in Terrad, famous for their product, architectures, and equipment¡¯s, it is so famous that they were called the masonry of Terrad. Many people are at the town plaza. In the middle of the plaza was a large fountain. There were markets, stands, and merchants on the corner of the plaza; selling swords, fruits, armors, and other items. The plaza should be buzzling and loud at this time of day but it was quit now, all eyes and heads were transfixed on the father and son on the edge of the fountain. The son was wearing tattered clothes while the father was wearing a standard Runk army armor. All guys were gently nodding their heads in agreement as if the kid has told the secret of the life, while all the girls are turning their head side to side as if another pervert has been born. ¡®Listen son in order for you to see ¨C¡® The father clears his throat. ¡®-naked girls, you have to woo them first¡¯ ¡®Aww is there another way?¡¯ asked the son as snot bubbling from his nose. The dad took out a cloth from his satchel and wipes the snot of his son. ¡®There is no other way son; in life there are no shortcuts well there is one¡­ It¡¯s called gold, well forget about it. Let¡¯s just say we are all going uphill in a road called life and it¡¯s a very steep hill, some people are riding a dragon, others are riding a horse, while others are going barefoot.¡¯ ¡®What about us dad, what are we riding?¡¯ How about us dad huh, that question hit the father hard, it felt like a slap in the face. The dad put back the cloth, and took out a small canteen which was filled with what seem to be an alcoholic drink; he examined it and decided to take a swig. He bowed his head slightly and sighed. Their battalion is going to move out tomorrow, to a place Helgard, far south of Runk. Their commander told them that it will be a dangerous mission and they might never comeback. He took another drink, thinking it might help him have some courage to tell his son that this might be the last time they will see each other. With hesitation he faced his son and looked him in the eye. ¡®Let¡¯s just say were riding on a drunken old donkey who is about to tip over¡¯ said the father with a grin on his face. The Son¡¯s right eyebrows went up and a sign of perplexity shown on his face. There are more and more people coming to the plaza. The merchant are now screaming louder to attract some costumers and carriages that happen to pass by.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The son is now happily watching the jester in the distance juggling swords with ease. Then he suddenly smiled, as if he remembered something. ¡®Hey dad, I have a question?¡¯ ¡®Yes son?¡¯ ¡®Are you and mom fighting?¡¯ ¡®Why do you say that?¡¯ As he puts the canteen in his mouth and drink another mouthful. ¡®You¡¯re not wrestling each other every night anymore¡¯ The father immediately spat his drink and start coughing and gagging. ¡®Wrestling?¡¯ asked the dad while his throat is still burning from the drink. ¡®I saw you and mom one night. You are on top of mom and she was on the bottom. I asked mom what it was and she said you were wrestling¡¯ The dad just stared at his son with amazement of how curious, innocent and dangerous this kid can be. He scratched his head and looked at his son making the best poker face he can muster. ¡®Dad is tired from work you know, fighting monsters and all that. That¡¯s why uhmm¡­ that¡¯s why dad isn¡¯t wrestling with mom anymore.¡¯ They both went silent. They were drowned by the noise of the plaza. ¡®Hey dad let¡¯s go to the Arcanum! I want to learn about magic!¡¯ The son stood up and grabbed his father his father¡¯s hand. ¡®Yeah let¡¯s do that¡¯ the father stood up took a last swig, closed the canteen and tied it on his side. As the father and his son were walking out of the plaza, the scene becomes blurrier and blurrier, and the noise and sound became quiet. Then everything went dimmer until everything fade to black. I dreamt of my father again. This time it was the last day I saw him. How long has it been, 10 years? I hear a barely audible voice in the distance, getting louder and louder. ¡®Wake up!¡¯ ¡®Hey Rend wake up man!¡¯ I slowly opened my eyes. I was leaning on the study table with saliva dripping from the side of my mouth. All of a sudden someone slapped me on the back of my head. ¡®Ow!¡¯ ¡®I am already awake you dunce, why do you have to slap me on my head¡¯ ¡®Just making sure¡¯ He smirked. It was Lok, my idiotic best friend. He was wearing his father¡¯s old armor. His hair is brown and short almost shaped like a bowl. He has small eyes and has a pointy nose. If this guy has a green skin he will probably look like a goblin. Lok and I share the same curiosity when it comes to girls. We met when we were 9 years old on the top of a tree at the back of the woman¡¯s bath house. On that moment I knew that this guy will be my brother in arms. ¡®What bring you here in the Arcanum Lok? This is the first time I saw you here?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t remember?¡¯ ¡®Remember what?¡¯ ¡®Today is the entrance exam for the Runk Army Academy¡¯ I immediately stood up, almost knocking out of the table all the books I read. ¡®Oh yeah, I totally forgot!¡¯ ¡®Quiet!¡¯ a nasally voice echoed from the room Shit that was the headmaster. ¡®Sorry master Salazar¡¯ while giving a slight bow to the direction of the voice. I told Lok to wait for me outside, while I returned all the books I borrowed. The light from the windows has illuminated the Arcanum, greatly giving much clear view of the inside. The Arcanum is circular in shape with a giant stone pillar in the middle of the room; it almost looks like a giant upside down bowl. It is filled with rows and rows of book cases, from the entrance to the back of the room. At the center of the room are study tables leaning on the giant stone pillar. At the west side of the Arcanum are two huge doors protected by a powerful charm that only the headmaster can dispel. It is said that beyond those doors are forbidden scrolls and tomes. If one unexperienced mage happen to read one of those scrolls, it will drive him to a point of madness. I looked at the books in the table and marveled of how many I read. This could take a while. As I went outside, the sun started to rise higher in the distance. Like a seed turning into a sprout, slowly illuminating the streets and stone houses. I slept in the Arcanum again. Mother¡¯s probably going to kill me when I get home. I saw Lok at the side of the entrance, fixing the leather belt on his worn down armor. He is clearly getting impatient. ¡®What took you so long? The exam is almost starting!¡¯ ¡®I know, I know¡¯ We started walking ¡®The Runk academy was on the south side of the Plaza right? Passing through the marbled bridge?¡¯ I nodded and then we started walking faster now, until we broke into a sprint, to the direction of the town plaza. I will definitely find you dad. I will join the army and find out what happened, and I will bring your sorry ass to mom dead or alive. So she can finally learn to smile again. Chapter 1: Visitors Pert village is located in the east of Helgard Kingdom, surrounded by huge canyons and vast deserts. Few venture to Pert, not because of the blazing heat or harsh winds. It is because a few kilometers from there are the ominous stone ruins. Night embraced Pert village, the moon beaming lucent light on to the sand and houses giving them a bluish color. Cold desert winds blew on the door of the houses, making creaking noises every time the wind passes. The Pert Pub was lively and bustling. Pert pub is just like any other pub you see in the realm of Terrad. Beers and Wine are being served by waitresses. People were happy singing and drinking. There is a bard playing the most wondrous song, his powerful voice echoing inside the noisy room. ¡®Do you believe all that bull crap?¡¯ The old man slurred The old man was sitting beside the window. He shared a table with a thin man and a middle age man. ¡®I¡¯m telling you all that story about the stone ruins are made up horse shit, it is just a lie to scare children at night.¡¯ the old man said while chugging his beer. ¡®Well if we wanted to scare children, we could just let them see your face¡¯ answered the thin man with a chuckle. ¡®But Mrs. Gertrud said she saw all of it when she went into the ruins in the middle of the night. She said that a bright blue light pierced the heaven then all of a sudden all of the soldier¡¯s just vanished.¡¯ the middle age man said. ¡®Do you really believe that senile old woman? Besides this happened 10 years ago there were no other incidents after that, and what was that woman doing strolling near the stone ruins in the middle of the night anyway?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re pretty old and senile too Baratheus¡¯ the thin man commented. The old man just glared at him and then proceeds to drink his beer with one chug. He then signals the waitress form more. ¡®I have an idea, how about a challenge?¡¯ the middle age man said ¡®We are too old for challenges now Bert¡¯ Answered the old man. ¡®Oho. Scared are we?¡¯ The old man¡¯s face went red with anger. The one thing he hates is being called a coward. ¡®Listen here you fat-¡® The old man was interrupted when the waitress served them their beer. The three of them went silent and stared at the two big distractions on the waitress¡¯s chest. She then bent slightly exposing her cleavage, and then put down three mugs from her wooden tray. ¡®Is there anything else I could get you gentleman?¡¯ The waitress said with a smile. ¡®Milk¡¯ blurted the middle age man. The waitress immediately stepped back and covered her chest. ¡®Umm¡­ I mean¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡¯ The old man clears his throat and then looks at his companion. ¡®That would be all miss, thank you.¡¯ The waitress gave them a forced smile and then proceeds to leave. ¡®I knew it, boobs does bring world peace¡¯ quipped the thin man. The three of them bursts in laughter. Their laughter fills the already noisy room. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s hear this challenge of yours.¡¯ The old man said. The middle age man starts rubbing his hand and then tugs his chair closer to the table. ¡®Ok, my challenge is this. You will investigate the stone ruins, take some kind of evidence that you went there and come back here. Simple as that¡¯ ¡®Does this challenged have some kind of reward?¡¯ asked the thin man. ¡®Of course¡¯ The middle age man took out his coin purse. He opened it and laid out 50 gold coins. The two men almost jumped out of their seats. ¡®Woah, Are you sure? That¡¯s a lot of gold for something as stupid as this.¡¯ The old man said.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡®Yeah you can buy a horse with that much gold.¡¯ Added the thin man ¡®It¡¯s not stupid, and it¡¯s been on my mind for quite a while. I want to investigate it for a long time but I don¡¯t have the courage. We don¡¯t have any guild in pert either. So this is the only way I can take it off my mind.¡¯ He rubbed his chin ¡®If it¡¯s just a rumor as you say it would. You can have free gold and I don¡¯t have to think about it anymore. So it¡¯s a pretty much a win-win situation.¡¯ ¡®So you guys want to do it?¡¯ He leaned back and gazed at his two companions. ¡®I don¡¯t know about this. It¡¯s getting pretty late, and there are monsters near the ruin too.¡¯ The thin man complained while taking a swig from his mug. ¡®I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ said the old man while slamming down his mug on the table. The constant howl of the desert wolves can be heard in the distance, long and eerie. The light of the moon illuminates the canyons which then casts a shadow, covering half of the stone ruins. A silhouette is emerging from the shadow of the canyons, his cloak blowing in the cold harsh wind, feet trudging in the sand. The old man is finally at the ruins, he is cold. His hair and beard covered in sand. He walked closer. Several tall vertical cerulean colored rocks protruding from the ground forming circle like a teeth of a kraken. In the middle is a stone circular platform, almost all of it is covered by sand. The old man was now standing at one of the vertical rock. He outstretched his hand and touches the stone, to see if he will get teleported. He smiled, thinking how right he was, that the stone ruins is just a bunch of rocks in the middle of the desert. Feeling the cold wind pierced from his cloak, the old man rubbed his hands. Thinking that the icy winds might get worse, the old man bend over and took one pebble beside the stone pillar. He marveled at color of the pebble, a beautiful bluish hue. He puts it in his pocket and decided that it might be time to go back. As he was about to leave, he had a playful idea. He went to the side of the stone, took off his pant, and pissed on the pillar. As the old man was grinning and releasing all the beer he was drinking. A tiny spark materializes from the platform. The spark turns into a salvo of lightning. The old men fell on his back and tumbled on the sands, pissing all over himself. There was a lightning storm now in the middle of the stone ruins. All of a sudden the sky rips open and a beam of bluish light pierces the clouds unto the platform, sending shockwaves. The stone ruins are now covered in sand clouds. When the sand settled and the view cleared. Six silhouettes emerged from the platform. They were wearing some kind of protective clothing; Fabric armor, a ebony like helmet, and weird goggles. They also have small armor for their knees and elbows. On their shoulder a cryptic symbol ¡°ORTF¡±. They were carrying metallic weapons, similar to a crossbow but with no lathe and string. They were breathing heavily. One of them threw up on the platform. Then all of a sudden everyone sprawled on to the floor as if they were puppets whose string just cut off. ¡®Is everybody alright? Did everybody make it?¡¯ ¡®Ugh, I think so captain¡¯ answered one of them. The captain stood up and picks up his weapon. ¡®Alright let¡¯s do a roll call¡¯ ¡®Martinez¡¯ ¡®Here¡¯ answered the man with glasses. He was beside the captain on the right side. ¡®Adams¡¯ ¡®Sir¡¯ answered the man who was beside Martinez. ¡®Richards¡¯ ¡®Sir¡¯ answered the well-endowed woman who was on the left side of the captain. ¡®Jackson¡¯ ¡®Here¡¯ answered the man who was carrying cannon like weapon on his back. He was on the opposite side of the captain. ¡®Watson¡¯ ¡®Here¡¯ answered the woman who was carrying a large satchel. She was beside Jackson. ¡®Griffin¡¯ ¡®Griffin?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think Griffin made it sir¡¯ Martinez answered. They went silent. The silence was broken off by a howl in the distance. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s just proceed with our mission¡¯ the captain said. All of a sudden Adams snickered. ¡®Well what do you know, there are two moons here.¡¯ Adams said while pointing at the butt crack in the sand. Jackson, Richard and Martinez burst in laughter, while Watson covered her face. Their laugh echoed in the desert. ¡®That¡¯s enough, get the poor bastard and bring him here. Make sure you tie him up.¡¯ The captain said while trying not to laugh. * ¡®Alright new recruits, welcome to entrance exam of Runk academy. My name is Tiberius. I¡¯m one of the examiners. My specialty is close combat.¡¯ ¡®I have been an instructor in the academy for fifteen years, if one of you makes trouble here. I¡¯m happy to remind you that I once split a man in half with a butter knife. ¡®He said with a menacing growl. The training ground was a huge building, square in shape, with a large hallway inside. In the hallway are several doors on each side. Each training room serves different purpose. They were outside of the training grounds, facing the entrance. Two big doors in the center front and on each side of these doors are giant bronze statues of knights. Their swords are crossed on the top of the entrance. The examiners are standing in the front facing the recruits. They were on a five line formation. Pubescent boys and girl age fifteen to seventeen who were forced by their parents or volunteered to be there. Rend and Lok were in the back standing next to each other. ¡®Wow there is lot of cute girls here¡¯ whispered Lok. ¡®Yeah¡¯ ¡®Who do you think is the cutest?¡¯ asked Lok. ¡®For me it¡¯s the red head on the front row, the one with the perfect breast, not too big not too small.¡¯ Rend answered. ¡®My pick is the blonde one, on the front row left side.¡¯ ¡®She looks like a child are you perhaps a pedophile?¡¯ commented Rend. The girl turns around and glared at Rend. ¡®I think she heard you¡¯ Rend gave the girl an awkward smile. The girl grimaced and face back to the front. ¡®Let me introduce our other examiners¡¯ Tiberius said. ¡®Mr. Varos on ranged weapons¡¯ A man wearing a cloak stepped forward and stands on the right side of Tiberius. His face was hidden by the hood, so only his long white hair can be seen. ¡®Ms. Valentine on Spells and Incantation¡¯ A beautiful black haired woman stepped forward took out her cloak and stand on the left side of Tiberius. She was wearing a wizard hat, a mage vest, and a tight leather pants. There is a heart shaped hole on the chest of her vest, greatly emphasizing her huge breast. All men were immediately bewitched by her. Tiberius stomped his foot. ¡®Settle down¡¯ he shouted ¡®And for our assassination and sabotage Ms. Visage¡¯ A thin woman stepped forward and stood beside Valentine. She was wearing a wolf mask and full fur armor. ¡®Now that¡¯s over with, let¡¯s step inside shall we.¡¯ Tiberius said with a smirk and faced the huge door. Chapter 2 : 1st Test ¡®First lets test you close combat skills¡¯ Tiberius said his voice echoed in the melee room. The melee room has an elevated platform in the middle with the stairs on the left and right side. Tiberius was standing in there cladded in steel armor, while the recruits are circling the platform. There were a lot of training dummies which are mad of hay inside the room. There were also weapon racks at the side of the stairs. ¡®There are 4 Factions of soldier here in Runk Academy, The Vanguards, The sharpshooters, the spellcasters, and the Havoc.¡¯ Tiberius explained ¡®I am a proud member of the Vanguards. We are the one in the frontlines. We are the shield of the army if we fall down the whole army falls down.¡¯ He took out his sword and stabs it on the platform, and then he rested his hand on the pommel ¡®Therefore your first test will be sparring. You will test each other¡¯s combat prowess. The winner of the sparring will have a hug chance of being recruited in the Vanguards¡¯ ¡®Now I will divide you into two groups.¡¯ He points his finger on the left stairs ¡®The east¡¯ He then points his finger on the right side. ¡®The west¡¯ ¡®There are 30 new recruits here so 15 west and 15 east, take your side¡¯ Tiberius raised his sword, all of the recruits immediately scrambled. Pushing each other to get to the side they want to be. After the confusion and chaos the recruits have divided and lined up on each side. Rend and Lok are both on the east side, they are on the last part of the line. ¡®Alright here are the rules, first don¡¯t be afraid to hurt your opponents we have healers at the ready, but don¡¯t decapitate any body parts, we can¡¯t heal that.¡¯ ¡®Second, you can surrender anytime even if it¡¯s just the start of the battle, but be warned that if you do this you can¡¯t join or be a Vanguard ever.¡¯ ¡®Third, if you get thrown off the platform or get knocked out, the fight will be stopped immediately¡¯ Tiberius steeped down out of the platform and positioned himself on one of the weapon racks. ¡®Pick a weapon here¡¯ he points at one of the racks. ¡®Alright, first pair!¡¯ his shout echoed inside the room. A boy stepped out in the west. He was well built for his age. He was wearing leather armor, and was carrying a long sword. After took his position on the platform. A slender girl with a ponytail climb up the platform and stood on the opposite of the boy. She was wearing a two piece outfit showing her bellybuttons and beautiful slender legs. She was also carrying daggers on each hand . ¡®State your name¡¯ Tiberius said. ¡®Leo of the Franken family¡¯ the boy said while flexing his head. ¡®Imelda of the Ven family¡¯ ¡®Nice to meet you everyone <3¡¯ she said to the crowd while blowing a kiss. Tiberius raised his right hand and then quickly dropped it. ¡®Begin!¡¯ They both bowed and readied their weapon. They started circling the platform staring each other down. Then suddenly Leo makes the first move. He raised his sword and took a swing at Imelda, but she was fast. She dodged right and slashed at the shoulders of Leo. Her dagger is now coated in crimson.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Leo winced from the pain but still continued to move his sword. He delivers two rapid slashes at her but it only managed to graze her clothes. ¡®You bad boy, are you trying to undress me?¡¯ She winked at Leo. He just grunted and continued his onslaught. They are now exchanging more strikes and the crowd is cheering loudly after each hit, their voices masking the clashing of metal. Imelda kicked Leo in the gut which caused him to stagger back. He was furious of the kick he charged straight to Imelda and swung his weapon. Imelda stepped back and barely dodged the attack. Then all of a sudden there was a sound of fabric ripping. Imelda¡¯s top ripped in half releasing the beautiful bouncing melons all men dream about. The room went silent. Everyone in the room was awestruck of the spectacle they are witnessing. Lok gave two thumbs up, while Rend is thinking of a way to preserve to wonderful moment. ¡®Kyahh! ¡¯ Imelda sat down and covered her front. ¡®You really are a bad boy, don¡¯t you know you have ask the girl for permission first before you can undress her¡¯ she pouted ¡®I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡¯ Stuttered Leo. ¡®All right that¡¯s enough¡¯ Tiberius intervened. ¡®Someone please help Ms. Imelda¡¯ Both of them stepped down. Leo passed by Lok and Rend. Lok raised his hand signaling for a high five. ¡®I¡¯m not like you¡¯ Leo snarled. Lok put his hand down, while Leo stormed out of the room. After the commotion the test went on. There were a lot who got wounded, few people even surrendered early. The healers were busy mending wound some of them were fatal and some were just cuts and bruises. Many pairs later it was Rend¡¯s turn. He slowly walked into the weapon rack. He then runs his hands through every weapon finding the perfect one. Rend isn¡¯t much of a fighter, the only good thing about him is his curiosity. Once he finds something interesting he will stop at nothing to find more about it. That¡¯s why he keeps coming back to the Arcanum, learning and reading until his desire is sated. Then suddenly his hands stopped. A bo staff, perfect, he thought. He read a book about its basic techniques once. Too bad he only read it. Well, no harm in trying. He picked up the bo staff climbed unto the stairs. When he got to the platform he was greeted with smile from his opponent. It was the girl from outside, the one with the red hair. Of all the recruits he could face why does it have to be this gorgeous girl? I can¡¯t fight her, rend thought. ¡®State your name¡¯ Tiberius said. ¡®Rend of the targe family¡¯ Tiberius eyes widened as if he heard the name before. ¡®Ruby of the hunter family¡¯ ¡®All right, begin!¡¯ Ruby raised her sword and point it at rend. ¡®Don¡¯t go easy on me just because I¡¯m a girl.¡¯ She warned. ¡®Oh, so you like it rough?¡¯ Ruby¡¯s face went red with rage. She lunges forward and slashes at him. Rend raised both his hand and the sword hit the center of his staff, and then he pushed his sword out of the way. Ruby staggered and got pushed back. She gripped her sword tightly and launches another attack, the first and second slash got deflected but the third one hits and cuts a wound on Rends forearms. ¡®I told you not to go easy on me.¡¯ Rend realizing the severity of the situation, he gripped his staff tightly, blood dripping from his arms. ¡®Alright¡¯ He holds the staff like a spear and launches a barrage of stabs to Ruby. She barely dodged and deflected all the incoming attacks. Rend then withdrew his staff and proceeds to hold it like a bat, He then swings it, aiming at Ruby¡¯s leg. She jumped and run at full speed towards him, landing a punch before he can retaliate. Rend staggered back blood forming at the side of his mouth. ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re a girl?¡¯ ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re a man? Answered Ruby ¡®Ohhhh¡¯ the recruits said in unison. Rend wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He then raised his staff and put it on his shoulder. He carefully aims it at Ruby. He winds up and throws it at her. Ruby ducked. Rend immediately ran at full speed towards her and tackled her into the ground. They made a hard thud on the platform. Rend was now mounting Ruby while holding both of her hands. ¡®Give up Ruby, I got you pinned¡¯ Rend only realizing now what he had done, his face went red. Both are now staring at each other. Rend was mesmerized by Ruby¡¯s blue eyes. ¡®Get a room¡¯ someone shouted at the back. ¡®Get off me¡¯ Ruby said ¡®Not until you give up¡¯ Rend was now staring at Ruby¡¯s neck there were beads of sweat. Then his sight went downwards looking at her cleavage. Rend got distracted and his hands loosened its grip. Ruby pushed his hand away and then put her legs around Rends neck and pulled his hand, choking him. Ah what soft thighs, I won¡¯t mind dying like this, Rend thought. His vision went blurrier and then Rend passed out. * ¡®Did I win?¡¯ Rend asked Lok who was beside him sitting on the wall of the room getting healed by a white robed mage. ¡®In a way¡¯ ¡®You were smiling as that girl chokes the life out of you¡¯ ¡®I wish I was you that time, getting squeezed by those thighs.¡¯ The mage stood up and bowed at the two of them, and then he proceeds to leave. ¡¯So how did it feel?¡¯ asked Lok ¡®Like getting choked by a sweet smelling teddy bear¡¯ They both laughed. ¡®So what happened to you Lok? Those were some wounds¡¯ ¡®My enemy was a tough one¡¯ ¡®Did you win?¡¯ ¡®Of course I won. I used my secret technique slash of the wind dragon¡¯ ¡®Yeah right¡¯ Joking aside Rend know that Lok was good in fighting. He has been training with his father when he was little. If he wasn¡¯t a lazy ass he could be the best swordsman in Runk. Who was this person to go toe to toe with Lok and wound him that badly? ¡®How¡¯s the other match going?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know I was sent here immediately. ¡® The recruits watching the fight are getting noisy. Their voices even reached Rend and Lok. ¡®Let¡¯s go see what all the fuss is about¡¯ Rend said As they were about inches to the platform, someone got flung through the air and into the ground below. Rend and Lok both looked at the body and then to the platform. They saw the blonde loli whom they saw outside holding a huge Warhammer, with a menacing grin on her face. Chapter 3 : Discord ¡®Let me go this instant!¡¯ The old man was trashing and struggling. He was tied on the side of the pillar. His face was red not because of anger or embarrassment, but because his face was being burned by the blazing desert sun. The six visitors were sitting on the shaded part of the stone ruins, drinking water and eating canned foods. ¡®How come we understand him? The soldiers who invaded us was speaking gibberish¡¯ asked Martinez ¡®I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s a side effect when were here? Or maybe the author is just lazy¡¯ Adams answered. ¡®Should we get him out of this heat?¡¯ Watson asked ¡®Nah leave him be, we have to move out soon¡¯ the captain answered ¡®We just leave him here and let him die of dehydration? How heartless can you be?¡¯ The captain stood up and then looked at Watson. He was holding back the rage and fury that happened to him during the Invasion. ¡®This is just a miniscule compared to what they did.¡¯ ¡®They didn¡¯t send envoys they didn¡¯t send messengers they just attacked and mercilessly slaughtered everyone in their path like they were in a rage, like they were being controlled¡¯ ¡®They burned our houses our buildings, raped our women. It took us a whole 3 months to stop them¡¯ ¡®They killed my wife.¡¯ He holds his gun tightly. ¡®Tell me Ms. Watson have you watched your loved ones getting stabbed by a spear from behind, blood flowing from their mouth? ¡¯ ¡®I-¡® They went silent. The old man is still screaming and cursing in the background. ¡®All right, let¡¯s go scout the area, that¡¯s what we are here for.¡¯ The captain said with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Few hours passed. They were now trudging in the Helgard desert finding signs of civilization. Hot desert winds blowing mercilessly making their throats dry. They were lined up, the captain was on front while Jackson was on the back. The captain was now regretting leaving the old man. He could¡¯ve used him to guide them. What was he thinking getting the anger and rage get the best of him? What a rookie mistake. Now here they are walking in the middle of the vast desert with nothing but cactuses and weird skulls in sight. ¡®Are we lost captain?¡¯ Richards asked. A sudden rumbling in the sand stopped everyone from their tracks. Suddenly a worm 20 ft in size burst out from the sand. Its mouth was filled with serrated teeth. It slithered through the sand launching toward Jackson. It went through Jackson¡¯s left arm ripping it right off. Blood was pouring into the sand, Jackson screaming in pain. The worm dived again hiding in the sand. ¡®What the hell is that!¡¯ screamed Richards. ¡®Whatever the fuck it is, it ripped out Jacksons arms.¡¯ Adams said while dragging Jackson The worm emerged again speeding towards them. Everyone readied their guns and pointed it at the worm. ¡®Shoot!¡¯ Said the captain They unleashed a barrage of bullets towards the giant worm. The sound of gun fire echoed throughout the desert. Hundreds of bullets flew through the air, hitting the worm. It shrieked and struggled, but the damage was not enough to kill it. It crawled and struggled to dig to the sand. It took quite some time for it to vanish. ¡®Did we do it?¡¯ asked Watson. ¡®I think so¡¯ answered Martinez Jackson was still in the sand crying in pain holding his now stumped hands. Watson kneeled beside Jackson and put down her bag. She took out white bandages and proceeds to mend his arm. The sand trembled and shook beneath them. ¡®Shit¡¯ Jackson screamed He pushed Watson with the last of his strength. She tumbled towards Adams. The sand shook more violently then the worm sprang up swallowing Jackson whole. ¡®No!¡¯ ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Martinez, Adams, and Richards fired a salvo of shots. The Worm shrieked. The captain took out a grenade and pulled the pin. ¡®Eat this motherfucker¡¯ He flung it towards the mouth of the worm. There was an explosion. The worm¡¯s stomach expanded and then it ruptured. Splashing worm guts, innards, and what remained of Jackson. * Rend and Lok are standing beside the man who just flew through the platform ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ asked Lok ¡®He just got pummeled by a huge hammer and flew 10ft in the air. Of course his alright¡¯ Rend answered sarcastically. The girl put the hammer on her shoulder like it was just made of paper. She then moved toward the end of the platform looking down on Rend and Lok.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡®I¡¯ll make you fly higher if you call me a kid again.¡¯ said the girl while looking at Rend. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re quite the rude on aren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Can you please tell me you name?¡¯ ¡®Ok, since you begged for it¡¯ ¡®I didn-¡® ¡®My name is Annie of the Grindwall family. A proud half giant¡¯ ¡®A half giant, Shouldn¡¯t you be a little taller?¡¯ The girls smile vanished and her face was masked with fury. She then tossed her hammer beside Rend, almost hitting him. It fell with a large bang almost cracking the stone floor underneath it. Rend jumped back dodging the heavy hammer. ¡®If you call me short ever again, I¡¯ll throw you so hard you¡¯ll end up in Mt. Frostbite inside the ass of a frost giant¡¯ Rend gulped and then nodded. The girl stepped out of the platform and then Tiberius went up. ¡®Well that¡¯s everyone¡¯ he said while putting his hand behind him. ¡®Let me just say that I am a bit disappointed.¡¯ The room went silent. ¡®Some of you showed promise, while others gave up without even trying without even swinging a weapon.¡¯ ¡®Well that¡¯s what we humans are¡¯ ¡®When we are given an option that it¡¯s okay to give up, that nothing bad is going to happen to us, we slack we loosen up¡¯ ¡®We have no use for that kind of people here, and if you want to be that way forever you can leave, you are free to walk out of here¡¯ ¡®But if you want to change that, to find something you want to fight for, your own way to fight. Then go to the next room, which is the magic room¡¯ He walks to the stairs of the platform. ¡®That¡¯s it for our first test. Good luck everyone, you¡¯re going to need it¡¯ Tiberius walked down the stairs and then towards the door. As soon as the door closed, the recruit¡¯s starts talking to each other their voices filling the room. ¡®What do you think Rend shall we continue?¡¯Lok asked ¡®Of course we should, why should we give up now?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know man. My father forced me to be here, and I only agreed because I heard that there are a lot of pretty girls in the army¡¯ ¡®The way things are going, there will be a lot of work to do Rend, work. I hate work ¡¯Lok complained. ¡®Listen Lok¡¯ Rend puts his right arm around Lok¡¯s shoulders. ¡®Don¡¯t give up now man. Some of the girls are looking at you¡¯ ¡®Really, you mean it?¡¯ ¡®Yeah man, keep doing your best and impress them more. Someone might even confess to you¡¯ Lok gave Rend a quizzical look. ¡®Stop it with your tricks man I¡¯m not gonna fall for it again¡¯ ¡®You once told me that milk tastes better when you directly drink from the udder.¡¯ ¡®I believed you and now my father has banned me from going to our stable, my family now thinks I have a thing for animals¡¯ Rend laughed. ¡®You actually believed me?¡¯ ¡®So, how was the taste?¡¯ Rend asked ¡®Not too bad¡¯ Rend laughs again and slaps Lok¡¯s back. After much convincing, Lok agreed to proceed and they went outside of the melee room. They were now in the hallway of the training grounds. There was a huge carpet in the middle of the room and it stretched into the back and into the entrance. Stone pillars were lined up on the side of the carpet. There were 8 rooms in total 4 on each side. There were signs above the room and two wooden doors at the entrance of the room. Some of the recruits have now left the melee room and are now walking towards the magic room. Rend saw Leo at one of the pillars still embarrassed and angry at the incident earlier. They went towards him. ¡®Hey, are you not going?¡¯Rend asked Leo just kept silent and just glared at Rend. ¡®Forget about him man, let¡¯s go. It Ms. Valentine turn next¡¯ Lok said ¡®Oh yeah, she was the one in charge of magic, Lets go¡¯ Rend and Lok took off and head immediately towards the magic room. The magic room was octagonal in shape with a huge mirror on one side and on the middle was a circular table with a chair on the top side. The table has a crystal ball on the middle, glowing despite that the room was well lit. There were also shelves on every corner of the room filled with strange artifacts and trinkets. Ms. Valentine was sitting on the chair her sexy legs were on the table. Lok and Rend immediately look at her as if they were drawn by a mysterious force. They went closer and joined the other boys who were already standing closer to Ms. Valentine. The girls were at the back of the boys clearly getting irritated. Some of them are getting impatient. Leo and other late comers finally arrived. ¡®I assume that¡¯s everyone¡¯ Valentine said She puts down her legs, pulled her chair, and then fixes her long black hair. She then stood up her boob¡¯s sways in every movement as if they were synchronized. ¡®Let¡¯s start shall we?¡¯ She walked towards the huge mirror and put her right hand in it. The mirror changed color to green and a spiral like haze start to form in it. ¡®Follow me¡¯ She then disappeared into the mirror. The recruits followed. They were teleported into a place where there was nothing but vast grassland as the eyes can see. There was no sky only an empty white void. Ms. Valentine was floating in the air looking down on the recruits. ¡®Nice angle¡¯ Lok said. She puts her hand into her breast and chanted something. Suddenly humanoid clay figures emerged from the ground. They were lined up horizontally, one clay figure for each recruit. ¡®For your next test, you will attack this puppet with any magic you know¡¯ ¡®The greater the damage the bigger the chance you will be added to the Spellcaster, that is all¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s not much of a talker isn¡¯t she?¡¯ asked Rend ¡®Yeah, but maybe she¡¯s different in bed¡¯ answered Lok. ¡®Start¡¯ ¡®Alright my best spell huh?¡¯ Rend lift both of his hand, then opened them, and then he starts to chant. You have to remember the spells in the Arcanum, Rend thought. Focus all your mana in your palm and then concentrate it into a ball. A flaming sphere manifested in Rends palm. ¡®Alright now for the special touch¡¯. He chanted again. His face straining, a single sweat rolled down at the side of his eyebrows. Pour the mana inside the fireball. Contain it. The flaming sphere changed color, from fiery orange to crimson. ¡®Destroy my enemies, Fire Bomb!¡¯ Rend release his spell. The crimson sphere shoots toward the doll. The sphere hits the doll torso. It immediately bursts into flames, burning it from head to toe. Then suddenly there was a fiery explosion. Rend covered his face from the shockwave and heat of the spell. The dolls torso and feet were completely obliterated. The dolls burning head flew 30ft into the air, when it hit the ground it was still on fire. All of the recruits stared at Rend. Ms. Valentine flies towards Rend, she lands in front of him. ¡®Where did you learn that spell?¡¯ Her face was close to Rend¡¯s face that their noses are almost touching. Rend was clearly getting flustered. Those huge tits are almost touching him. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ He was sweating now. ¡®I invented it?¡¯ ¡®Very good¡¯ Ms. Valentine flew back upwards. After everyone was done, some of the dolls were burned, frozen, zapped, or disfigured. Ms. Valentine reaches out her hand and moved it to the right. Like turning a dial all of the dolls immediately disappeared. ¡®All right, next is defensive spell.¡¯ She lift both of her hand¡¯s up into the sky and starts channeling a spell. A small swirling haze starts to form on top of her hands. ¡®Wait!¡¯ All of the recruits shouted in unison. The haze transform in to dark clouds. There was lightning travelling to and fro. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Rend quickly kneeled and touched the ground, He pours out his mana. ¡®O great spirits of earth reach out your mighty hands and protect me from my enemies.¡¯ The ground shook around Rend and huge earthen hands covered him. The dark cloud rumbles and a lightning bolt shoots from it, hitting a mana shield from one of the recruits. There was a salvo of lightning bolts, pummeling the recruits with 10,000 volts of electricity. After the lightning storm was over, Rends earth shield was crumbling. Some of the recruits are on their knees while others were lying on the ground. Ms. Valentine put down her hand and flies down on the ground. ¡®Good, that is all¡¯ She snapped her hands. The surroundings start to warp and the white sky starts to melt. All of a sudden the recruits find themselves back at the magic room. All of their lightning burns were healed and they felt refresh as if they didn¡¯t go to the mirror. ¡®That¡¯s one crazy teacher¡¯ Rend said while helping up Lok. ¡®I think I¡¯m in love¡¯ Lok answered. * The visitors were now hiding in at the crevice of one of the canyons. They were all covered in bile, blood and worm guts. Watson was vomiting in the corner. Adams was sitting on a corner while holding his gun tight as if he was comforting it. Richards was rubbing Watsons back. The captain and Martinez was at the entrance of the crevice, on guard. ¡®What do we do now sir?¡¯ Martinez asked. ¡®We spend the night here. I think we all need some rest¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡¯ ¡®The second team will be here after one week, so we better find a safe place to set up a camp¡¯ ¡®This place is not close to safe, with giant worms lurking about¡¯ ¡®Listen sir, it¡¯s not your fault¡¯ The captain just went silent and stared at the distant. He knows Martinez is just trying to comfort him but look at the situation, it was clearly his fault. Leaving the old man is one thing, but killing Jackson. He sighed and wiped his forehead. Suddenly his eyes widens, he sees a silhouette in the distance. It was on the horizon. ¡®Is that, a carriage?¡¯ He took out his binoculars and peered through it. ¡®Let¡¯s move out everyone, I think I found our ticket out of this god forsaken place¡¯