During the past two days, Riku had come to understand that there were five class types in this world.
The Enhancement-type. It was subdivided into body enhancement and weapon enhancement. As the name implied, they took their bodies beyond average human limits and as for weapons, they were fortified embedded with power making them greater than normal ones.
The Elemental-type. This class consisted of those who could use elemtal abilities to fight. The likes of earth users, water, fire, etc.
The Manipulation-type. The second rarest class. Those with this class usually had a unique power and its limits were not known as there was always a new power to appear with a new user. It had a wide range as some manipulated shadows, ambient energy, space, while some could see seconds into the future, read minds, use telekinesis and a few more that have not been discovered yet. Baroness Shadowgrave was the first shadow manipulator.
The Vitality-type. This class consisted of mainly healers and those who fight with poisons due to immunity.
Then last and the least, Designer-type. The rarest of all the classes. But it wasn't the kind of rare you would want to get, but pray not to rather. The class had illusionists, conjurers and light users.
A class that was completely non-combative as even the conjurers who had the most population for designer-types, could only make small glowing trinkets.
The era where designer-types were common had passed and it was now even considered extinct by some people, until Riku happened.
But to Riku's surprise over the past days, he was able to use all the seperate powers under this class, which made him feel more useful.
Master Kalen stood up from his seat to address the aspirants as the last of them entered the hall.
"Greetings to you all aspirants from across the country. We all know why we are here and that is for the Ascendancy's handpicked recruitment trials," Kalen gestured to them. "The test will have three phases where different attributes will be tested and qualified for what sector would suit you best. For the first test we will be judging your self-defense capacity, then the next will be your offensive and lastly, a special trial you will understand when you get to."
Murmurs started to spread between the aspirants.
"However," Kalen continued. "these tests are not ones you should look down on. Stupid mistakes will put you in serious danger, although we have healers, it is best you avoid getting badly injured in the first place. Now, your first test will be going against a rage-based Tier-4 spirit. A lesser Vex-hound. So, prepare yourselfs as you are the future of the Ascendancy." With that, he sat back down.
"What a speech," Lady Ironwood muttered to Master Kalen. "You sure know how to raise their hopes."
Kalen chuckled lightly and said nothing.
Just then, the gates on the other side of the arena opened and a deep, loud growl could be heard from inside. Slowly, a jackal-like spirit twice the size of a normal man started to emerge. It's eyes were a blazing red, it's teeth jagged and its body translucent. It came out with some glowing blue chains definitely made by someone with the manipulation-type class that uses ambient energy manipulation, Riku thought.
The clerk started to call out names names of students who were to enter the arena and face the spirit.
Each person was to last for just a minute against the Vex-hound.
The first was a boy with spiky brown hair and a huge muscular build. A Tier-4 upper. As he stepped into the arena, the chains on the spirit disappeared and charged forward. The boy yelled and went straight at it, his entire body becoming grey. Most likely a body enhancement-type, but it seemed to affect the color of his skin.
After all, the energy wasn't pure anyway.
Right when the spirit lunged, he stepped aside, wrapping his left arm that suddenly became grey around its neck and smashed it to the ground.
The spirit tried to shake its head free, but the boy pinned it firmly. Immediately he got on his feet, he lifted it off its footing and slammed it on the floor, forming a crater before tossing it away into the wall.
It recovered quickly, shaking its head. It stood alarmed now, circling the boy. With another lunge it went for his side with its claws but he quickly deflected it and slammed its head on the ground.
Then a bell rang.
The clerk dropped the small bell on his desk indicating the time was up and using his power to tie the spirit with his chains before it could lunge at the boy again.
General Torvin nodded, a smile that felt alien on his face visible. "Yes. One who understands the job to be done. Pass," the man said, his deep voice sending shivers down Riku's spine.
The next person was called. A beautiful young lady, probably in her early twenties just like Riku, walked with stoic calm and a confident air into the arena. Her white hair tied back in a severe bun.
From the murmurs that went around and the aura she exuded, Riku could tell she was the strongest person here. A Tier-3 upper named Lorna Bert.
She was likely as strong as Kayra, Riku thought.
Immediately the Vex-hound was released, it lunged at her with its eyes blazing. She just raised a hand slowly at it, her light blue eyes glowing faintly.
The spirit's speed seemed to reduce, not because it was stopping, but because it was simply being lifted off the ground by some unknown force. She waved her hand to the side and the spirit got slammed into the wall with a sickening thud.
Riku's eyes went wide, 'That's definitely a manipulation-type power. Telekinesis," he thought.
The spirit stood up and was about to lunge at her again. "It's self-defense right?" She muttered, raising hand at it again. "So sit down and shut up, you bastard little dog." She flicked her wrist down and a sudden forced pressed on the spirit, crushing it into the ground making it helpless.
This caught the eye of all the pillars who seemed to lean forward in interest. Not only was she a manipulation-type, but she was also good in using her powers.
Riku could only imagine how much Nega energy it took her to press down something twice the size of an average man while her one minute ticked on. He could barely keep his palm-sized soldier intact for nearly two minutes before his reserves became empty.
The clerk's bell rang and Lorna released the spirit, the clerk's chains doing their work.
Nearly all the pillars had something to say. "This is brilliant," said Master Kalen.
"Indeed. Not in my field, but smart regardless," General Torvin added.
Lady Ironwood clapped in amusement.
"You have fine potential, young lady," Lord Valerius gave her a curt nod.
Baroness Shadowgrave smiled at Lorna. "With this display, your success in the Ascendancy is a given. Pass."
Silent brother though still remained quiet as always.
Lorna had already started walking out of the arena before the pillars even started commenting on her power. She didn't raise her head to look at anyone. Returning to her spot, she could feel the number of eyes focused on her, but there was one that was quite disturbing. Riku's amazed eyes.
She turned to Riku who stood at the other end and raised an eyebrow, making him look away quickly.
The rest of the tests carried on in the same calling format. Almost everyone had their own way of stopping the spirit from getting them using their various powers, though some had similar powers.
Nonetheless, a few careless Tier-4s and weak Tier-5s had gotten themselves eliminated despite their good abilities, making the knot in Riku's stomach tighten even more. Why? Because it was finally his turn.
"Riku of the Eastern Grove," the clerk's voice came in.
"So that is him? The designer?" Lady Ironwood pointed at him with an irritated look.
"Yes, it is," Master Kalen replied, checking the information on Riku from the paper in front of him. "The Architect's Design? Interesting name."
However, the Silent Brother seemed to move forward as Riku stepped into the arena nervously. For the first time since the trials had started, the Silent Brother had finally gotten interested in an aspirant. And of all, it was a nervous, useless designer-type named Riku.
A Riku determined to show the Ascendancy what he could do.
Riku flinched as the spirit growled, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
Well… it wasn't going to be easy, was it?