Chapter 313
Student Council trials (2)
It was finally the day the trials for the new members were taking place. They had been given close to no information about the actual trials, except for the location, time, and the advice to bring a weapon and wear training gear.
This information hadn't been given until the actual day, leaving IAM with no time to come up with a proper plan. He would have to take things as they came during the trials and hope he could complete them without revealing his level—but if it really came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate.
The reason for this was Yohan's incredible pace on his path. He was quickly reaching peak novice faster than anyone in known history, excluding IAM, as Yohan's progress was pure talent.
IAM wondered what Yohan's main path was, as IAM's reveal might be overshadowed by Yohan, who had apparently only been an ascender for three months.
This could have a good or bad impact on IAM's reveal—it might either highlight both of their rapid progress or focus solely on Yohan.
IAM would rather it be neither, by not using his Avien at all, but the task almost seemed impossible to hide as time went on, with many already suspecting him. The only thing holding them back was the lack of concrete evidence.
He had been sparring alongside Henry, with the addition of Reuel and Yohan, which had brought many boons for him as well.
This was because he got to experience fighting different types of opponents, each offering something unique.
With Yohan's incredible achievements on his path, it was almost a relief to see that his combat capabilities were not too shocking, as they would probably rank last in the group. However, his use of path methods and battle sense, combined with his incredible strength, made him a tough opponent.
Reuel seemed to have an uncanny ability to always dodge at the last second, avoiding hits almost every time. He was extremely quick and flexible, and at times almost overbearing with his incredible sense of timing. IAM had a suspicion that this had something to do with his path.
They would sometimes spar one-on-one, sometimes two-on-two, or even three-on-one as they developed their teamwork and grew more familiar with one another.
Fighting people with such different styles and weapons also helped IAM, as he lacked experience fighting someone with a spear—though he did at least have some experience fighting someone with… gauntlets.
Here it is with **grammar, punctuation, and flow cleaned up only**, keeping your wording, structure, and meaning intact:
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While IAM had gained an incredible amount of combat experience in Dushlok, it was mostly against creatures bigger—far bigger—than himself, beings that relied more on instinct than intellect. Humans, on the other hand, were tougher to fight, as they could adapt, think, plan, and fight differently from an abomination.
This was without mention of the fact that the experience he had was drawn from the memories he couldn't remove, while all the others had been permanently erased by him. Because of that, he had lost a major part of his combat skills; however, what remained was more than enough.
You could almost say that IAM was now more of an expert at taking down things like deadline creatures than fighting humans.
…
The location could be considered the academy's backyard. The trials were being held in the same place where the academy entrance trials had taken place, where many had unknowingly fallen for the path formation located there. That formation had forced them to face a predetermined illusion, one that made them confront deadline creatures for the first time—causing many to fail.
It was at this very location that the Student Council Trials were now taking place. A group of people gathered in front of the massive, intricate path formation as it glowed softly, the students watching on in tense silence.
IAM was wearing his training gear, with his shortsword strapped to his waist, the blade hidden within a black scabbard. KASSARA was safely concealed on his other hip, as IAM was actually permitted to use his very dangerous mech during the trial.
Henry also had his own sword around his waist, his expression valiant, almost like that of a knight.
Reuel had his spear strapped across his back, nearly as long as he was tall, a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he looked around.
Yohan was quiet, his gauntlets equipped. Their design wasn't too bulky, bearing a skeletal-like exterior that reached up to his forearms, his eyes fixed on the path formation ahead.
They weren't the only ones present. IAM recognised a few faces among the crowd; in total, there were thirty-three students here, and he felt slightly surprised when he noticed two familiar figures.
It was Zara and Natsuki.
Zara swayed gently from side to side as she hummed a tune to herself, while Natsuki wore that same aloof look she always seemed to have.
As usual, Natsuki had her shortsword resting at her hips, her training gear allowing IAM to notice two black bands wrapped around each wrist. They looked far more intricate than they initially let on.
Behind her humming figure, Zara was holding an outrageously large hammer, one that drew a few sharp gulps from those nearby. It was taller than she was—and she was almost as tall as IAM. It looked nearly impossible to swing such a menacing weapon, but out of everyone present, Reuel knew better than most that Zara was more than capable of doing exactly that.
There were a few instructors present, wearing their usual clothes of white shirts and black skirts or trousers, despite the increasingly cold weather. As ascenders, however, their resistance to the elements was great; they could even parade naked if they wished without being affected.
One of the women—recognised by many as the instructor who had previously explained the rules for the academy trials—stepped forward. She was accompanied by a figure IAM and the rest of his group had neither been expecting nor hoping to see.
Ari.
She was here alongside some other Student Council members. The woman cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention, preparing to begin her explanation of the trial—one that would bring unknown consequences in the future.