The two stood still, eyes locked, the tension between them thick enough to cut. One stood loose and cocky, shoulders relaxed, grin wide. The other was still, composed, his stance tight and defensive. Neither moved for a while.
"Before we start," the calm one said, voice smooth but sharp, "may I ask your name?"
The other tilted his head, grin widening.
"Sonjuro. Sonjuro Kantetsu."
The calm one nodded once.
"Josh Caster it's nice to meet you. Let's not keep everyone waiting."
Sonjuro moved first.
He closed the distance in a blink, leg sweeping toward the side of Josh's head. Josh blocked it with a forearm, smirking — but the smirk didn't last. Sonjuro twisted mid-air, using the momentum to swing his other leg around and catch him in the jaw.
The impact cracked through the room.
Sonjuro landed clean and went straight into a punch. Josh caught it, grunted, and drove his knee into Sonjuro's gut. Sonjuro didn't flinch. He leaned in and slammed his forehead into Josh's nose.
Tori winced from the sidelines as his companions watched in awe.
"Damn. He's good." Tori said, biting his thumbnail
Josh stumbled back, blood trailing from a fresh bruise. He wiped it with the back of his hand, then stepped away, raising his palm.
Roots burst from the ground.
They wrapped around Sonjuro's arms, locking him in place. Josh's eyes glowed faintly as he stepped forward, voice low and smug.
"You're tough. I'll give you that. But I'm a noble from Kanto. One of the elites. You? Just a commoner. You'll never beat me!"
Sonjuro's expression didn't change. For a second, he looked surprised. Then he smiled.
His foot shot up and caught Josh under the chin.
Josh staggered back again.
That's when the glow started.
Crimson light traced through Sonjuro's veins, pulsing like fire beneath his skin. It spread across his arms, his chest, his legs — and then the roots shattered after a shockwave of pressure emitted from sonjuro's body.
Tori's eyes narrowed, the Eye of Constellation activating on instinct.
"It's a divine-level authority," he muttered. "Fighting Spirit! Emotion-based authority, as long as he believes he can do something, the ability activates and surges! It floods his body with power and boosts his attributes."
He couldn't help the grin tugging at his lips.
Issac crossed his arms, watching closely.
"He's..Strong," he said, voice low.
Josh pushed himself off the floor, rubbing his chin.
"Alright. You're strong, you win. I underestimated you."
He held out a hand.
Sonjuro stared at it for a second, then took it.
"You're not bad yourself. Still ridiculously weak, though."
Sonjuro laughed.
Tori, Issac, and Sunless watched in silence, already thinking ahead. Already planning against the abilities that were demonstrated.
The B-ranked association member stepped forward, clapping his hands.
"That's enough goofing around. Time for your physical exams."
Tori glanced at the guy with a glint in his eyes.
The test was split into three categories: endurance, physical prowess, and mindscape. Tori hated the last one. He never understood how they scored it, and it always made him feel like he'd missed something obvious.
The results came in fast.
Josh placed first. Issac was right behind him. Sunless landed in the top three. But Sonjuro and Tori didn't; the scowl on their faces said they weren't happy about it.
Tori told himself he was fourth to cope since only the top three were displayed.
They regrouped with the girls outside.
Mica was already grinning.
"So? What'd you guys get?" Mica said.
Tori handed her his sheet.
Endurance: 92
Physical Prowess: 100
Mindscape: 52
She burst out laughing.
"Fifty-two? You're actually a dumbass"
She flashed her own scores.
Endurance: 89
Physical Prowess: 92
Mindscape: 82
"Not even the best," she said, pointing toward Sylph.
Sylph didn't say anything. She just held up her sheet hiding a grin behind her paper.
Perfect scores across the board.
Tori blinked.
"Damn. That's insane."
Issac showed his next.
Endurance: 98
Physical Prowess: 100
Mindscape: 98
Then Sunless.
Endurance: 87
Physical Prowess: 99
Mindscape: 100
Josh had a perfect score too.
Tori didn't say anything. He just folded his sheet and shoved it into his pocket.
After their talk, they went over the plan awhile, it was almost time for the dungeon where mana beast companions would be allowed to join.
Beatrice sat beside Sunless, tail curled around her feet.
"Alright," he said, voice low. "You're going to be a crucial asset in the dungeon. And in King of the Hill. Understand?"
She nodded, speaking to him telepathically
'Don't worry. I've got this. I'll back you all up.'
Sunless smiled and petted her head.
She leapt onto his shoulder.
The crew gathered.
Tori looked around at all of them.
"Ready?"
"Yeah," they said.
The proctor lined them up in front of the dungeon doors. Each team and solo players held a keystone.
Tori scanned the area.
Most were in guilds.
Sonjuro stood alone, smiling at his door like it was a challenge.
"On the count of three," the proctor said. "The team that returns from the dungeon with the fastest time wins the second exam if you don't return in the set time which is 3 hours, you fail."
"Ready? One… Two… Three!"
Everyone slammed their keystones into the slots.
[ You have now entered the dungeon ]
The system chimed.
The cave biome was dim, lit only by scattered mana crystals embedded in the walls. The air was cold and damp. Every step echoed.
The crew moved in formation, weapons drawn.
"Beatrice, Now!" Tori said.
She darted forward, nose twitching.
A mana beast crouched in the corner — boar-like, with long horns and thick fur. It saw Beatrice.
And froze.
It didn't growl. Didn't charge.
It trembled.
Beatrice turned back.
and looked at sunless.
he nodded before saying.
"She says there's one. But it's hiding."
The crew exchanged glances.
Tori stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"…Why's it scared?"
No one answered.
The beast trembled at the sight of Beatrice, almost as if it were in the face of an apex predator.