The morning breeze swept through the training area, carrying the scent of wet earth and damp leaves.
Gray clouds blanketed the sky, threatening rain, and the wind made the Novices' black tunics ripple.
Charles stood in the center, hands bandaged, face slightly red from the burns of his own explosions.
The top ten Novices watched from a line, some curious, others scornful.
The instructor, in his black tunic with red stripes, stepped forward, his smile more intrigued than approving.
"First duel!" he shouted, pointing to a short-haired boy with sharp eyes who stepped out. "Julian, wind element. Versus Rian Cole, fire element. Begin!"
Julian took a stance, arms outstretched.
The air around him swirled, forming two gusts that spun like small discs.
Charles watched, hands in his pockets, trying to look relaxed.
The gusts shot toward him, but Charles dodged with a sideways leap, landing easily.
The Novices murmured, impressed by his agility.
"He moves well for the new guy…" one muttered.
"Yeah, but he hasn't shown his power," another replied.
"No way he's winning…"
'Too slow,' Charles thought, smirking, and decided to counter, sprinting toward Julian and aiming a kick.
But a blue panel appeared:
[Error: You lack authority to attack the target.]
Charles clicked his tongue, halting mid-move.
'Damn it, I knew it,' he thought, frustrated.
The system still blocked his physical attacks, leaving him one option.
As Julian, confused by the canceled attack, prepped another gust, Charles had an idea.
'If I can't hit him, I'll have to do that,' he thought, charging forward.
Julian launched another gust, but Charles dodged, zigzagging across the wet ground.
The boy struggled to control the wind, his attacks imprecise.
Charles closed the gap, pressing his palms together in front of Julian's face.
"Take this!" he shouted, focusing his energy.
BOOM!
An explosion burst from his hands, a blue flash lighting the field.
"Agh!" Julian hit the ground, screaming in pain.
His face was red, blood trickling from a cheek cut.
The explosion's shockwave singed his tunic, and he couldn't get up.
The Novices fell silent, eyes wide.
'What the hell did he do…?' one thought, baffled.
"An explosion…?" another managed, covering their mouth.
"That's not fire… is it?" one asked the person beside them.
Charles stepped back, a sharp burn searing his hands.
'Shit, this hurts,' he thought, eyeing his torn bandages.
The instructor grinned, clearly amused.
'Good hit, but he won't last long with that strategy,' he thought, noting the damage to Charles's hands.
"Rian Cole wins!" he shouted, pointing at the downed boy. He looked at Charles. "Can you keep going?"
Charles forced a smile, ignoring the pain.
"Bring on the next one," he said confidently, though nerves churned inside.
The instructor pointed to another Novice, a stocky boy with a shaved head, as others dragged the injured opponent away.
"Garn, earth element. Go!"
Garn wasted no time. Instead of using his power, he charged Charles, fists clenched, clearly banking on raw strength.
'You're going down, bastard,' Garn thought, closing in.
Charles dodged the first punch with a quick move, then another, like he was toying with him.
The Novices murmured, surprised by his agility.
"Well, no surprise… Garn's pretty slow…"
"Yeah, but look how banged up he is. He should at least block a hit."
"No way he'll win again with the same trick, right?"
Garn growled, throwing punch after punch.
"I'm not giving you time for your tricks!" he yelled, face red with effort.
Charles smirked, dodging a hook.
"You sure?" he said, pressing his palms together in front of Garn's face.
Truth was, creating an explosion only took a few seconds to focus the energy.
The problem was the cost.
'This is gonna hurt…' he thought, channeling his energy.
BOOM!
Another explosion, smaller but just as effective, erupted.
Garn dropped to his knees, screaming, hands clutching his face.
'What the hell!?' he thought, stunned, his skin burning, movements sluggish, like his muscles wouldn't respond.
He tried to stand, but his legs shook; he had no choice but to stay down.
'This bastard'll pay…' Garn thought, furious, realizing he couldn't speak.
The Novices exchanged looks, shocked.
"How's he doing that?" a girl whispered, frowning.
"Dunno, never seen fire like that…" another replied.
The instructor raised an eyebrow, impressed Charles hadn't switched tactics.
Earth-element users typically had tough bodies, so Garn's strategy was to rush Rian head-on, betting he wouldn't have time to use his power or, if he did, that Garn could tank it long enough to land a hit.
Seeing Charles drop him with one blow left the instructor speechless for a moment.
But noticing Charles's face, fresh burns and trembling hands, he stuck to his view.
'He's at his limit. He won't last like this,' he thought.
"Rian Cole wins!" he shouted, then asked, "Wanna keep going?"
Charles nodded, breathing hard.
"I'm good," he said, though the pain in his hands was nearly unbearable.
The instructor pointed to the next as others hauled Garn away.
"Vek, wind element. Go!"
Vek, a lanky boy with long hair, was faster than Julian.
'I've seen your trick,' he thought, confident.
He launched gusts from a distance, keeping Charles at bay. The gusts were sharper than the last guy's, slicing the air like invisible blades.
Charles dodged, but he had to keep moving to avoid getting hit.
'This bastard's trying to wear me out,' he thought, noting Vek's distance. 'Smart move, but not enough.'
Charles focused his energy, but not in his hands this time.
He recalled using his lightning to accelerate before.
'If I can move faster…' he thought, channeling power to his right foot. A tingling jolt surged, and suddenly, he shot forward, so fast Vek barely saw him coming.
"Nice try!" Charles said, appearing at Vek's side.
Vek cursed, eyes wide.
"Shit!" he yelled, trying to launch another gust.
But Charles was ready. He pressed his palms together in front of Vek's chest.
"Too late," he said, smirking.
BOOM!
The explosion sent Vek crashing to the ground, tunic singed, face red. He didn't move, knocked out by the impact.
The Novices' jaws dropped, and even the instructor blinked, stunned by Charles's speed.
"Is he really gonna beat them all…?" a girl said, awed.
"No way he can…" a boy muttered.
'That wasn't just luck,' the instructor thought, but seeing Charles's hands, now bleeding under shredded bandages, he shook his head. 'He's wrecking himself to win.'
"Rian Cole wins again!" the instructor shouted. "Wanna keep going?"
Charles was panting, the burn in his hands and leg fatigue hitting hard.
"System, show my status," he muttered under his breath.
A blue panel appeared:
Name: Rian Cole
Element: Lightning
Level: 5
Stats
Health: 55/100
Energy: 67%
System Intelligence: 3
Control Level: 2
XP: 758/1600
Available Upgrade Points: 0
Charles grunted at his health.
'55…' he thought. 'This is killing me.'
But the XP gain cheered him slightly.
'Almost halfway to the next level,' he thought, a weak smile forming.
He looked at the instructor.
"I'm in," he said, voice resolute.
The instructor nodded, but before he could call the next opponent, a thunderclap rumbled in the distance, making everyone glance at the sky.
"What…? Rain again today? What a drag…" a girl sighed.
"Hey, don't talk so loud, the instructor'll hear," a boy whispered to her.
The gray clouds had darkened, and rain seemed imminent.
Charles felt a chill, not from the weather, but from what lay ahead.
'Three out of ten,' he thought, eyeing the seven remaining Novices.