Finally, it was time for the last match. Laurel stepped into the ring opposite Jude, acutely aware that every eye in the building was on them.
"Before we begin," Jude said, his voice carrying across the silent hall, "I want to make something clear. Choosing me was a mistake if you thought it would guarantee your passage. I don't give points for ambition."
Laurel nodded, trying to project more confidence than he felt. "I understand."
"Good. Then let's begin." Jude settled into a casual stance, hands at his sides. "Attack me whenever you're ready."
Laurel didn't hesitate. He launched himself forward, throwing a series of rapid punches aimed at various targets. Each strike was precise and powerful—the result of years of training with Aunt Marie.
Every single one was completely ineffective.
It was as if Jude's body was made of stone. Laurel's fists connected, but the head examiner didn't even flinch. Frustration building, Laurel stepped back to reassess, but in his haste, he accidentally kicked Jude's planted foot while trying to regain his balance.
To Laurel's surprise, Jude actually winced and took a small step back.
"Interesting," Jude said, though his expression revealed nothing.
Sensing that he had discovered something important, Laurel pressed his attack with renewed vigor. This time he focused on speed over power, feinting with his left hand before driving his right fist straight toward Jude's face. At the last second, Jude shifted slightly, and Laurel's punch connected with his stomach instead—another unguarded moment.
The head examiner actually took a half-step backward, a look of genuine surprise crossing his features.
Laurel immediately followed up, using his agility to move to Jude's blind spots and land several quick strikes in unexpected places. For a moment, it seemed like he might actually have a chance if he could continue catching his opponent off-guard.
Then something changed.
Suddenly, an overwhelming force slammed into Laurel from all directions, driving him to the ground with such intensity that it felt like his skin was being torn apart. The pressure was crushing, making it impossible to move or even breathe properly.
"I yield!" Laurel gasped, the words forced from his throat by desperation.
The crushing sensation vanished instantly, and Jude stepped back, his expression unreadable.
The spectators looked around in confusion. They had seen Laurel suddenly collapse as if struck by an invisible hammer, but no one could explain what had actually happened.
**Narrator:** The truth of this battle was more complex than it appeared. Jude, known as one of the most durable fighters in the world, possessed an ability that allowed him to use his vital energy to create a repelling force around his body. However, this technique required concentration and anticipation—he had to predict where attacks would land and focus his energy on those specific points. When Laurel accidentally kicked him or struck from unexpected angles, Jude couldn't activate his defense in time, allowing the attacks to connect normally. Recognizing that Laurel had discovered this weakness, Jude decided to end the match by using his vital energy to create a crushing gravitational-like force that pinned his opponent to the ground. To the observers, it looked like Laurel had simply collapsed under invisible pressure, but they had no way of understanding that they were witnessing the manipulation of vital energy itself.
As the final match concluded, the candidates were told to return in seven days for their results. Most filed out quietly, but confusion lingered in the air. The day had been full of inexplicable events that defied normal understanding.
Laurel found himself walking alongside some of the other candidates, all of them trying to process what they had witnessed.
"Did anyone else see what actually happened in that last fight?" asked a girl named Maya who had fought earlier in the day.
"Laurel just... collapsed," said another candidate. "Like something invisible hit him."
"And what about that Asian guy's match?" Rex added, scratching his head. "The examiner got pulled forward like he was on a rope, but there was nothing there."
Laurel listened to their speculation, his own mind racing with questions. What was that crushing force that had pinned him down? How had Itachi pulled his opponent across the ring? And why had that kick to Jude's foot been the only attack that seemed to cause any real impact?
"There's something going on here that goes beyond normal fighting," Maya said quietly. "Something we don't understand."
As the candidates dispersed into the streets of Blackwater Ridge, none of them noticed the figures watching from the guild's upper windows. The examiners had gathered to discuss the day's events, and their conversation would have answered many questions—if anyone had been able to overhear it.
"The boy has potential," Jude mused, referring to Laurel. "But without knowledge of vital energy, he'll hit a ceiling soon."
"What about Nelson?" Kane asked. "He showed the same stubborn determination, even after being outclassed."
"Promising, but raw. Both of them are."
"And the four anomalies?"
Jude's expression darkened. "Those four are operating on a completely different level. The question is: where did they learn to manipulate vital energy so effectively?"
The conversation continued, but their words were lost to the night air. Below in the streets, twenty-one candidates went their separate ways, most unaware that they had just witnessed the first glimpse of a hidden world where vital energy could be shaped into incredible abilities—a world that would soon change their lives forever.
The seven days that followed would determine not just who became adventurers, but who would be introduced to the mysteries that lay beneath the surface of ordinary combat.
**Narrator:** And so concluded the examination phase, leaving behind more questions than answers. The candidates departed with their minds full of impossibilities—invisible forces, enhanced playing cards, and fighters who seemed to defy the very laws of physics. Little did they know that they had witnessed their first glimpse of "Vitra"—the manipulation of vital energy that would soon become central to their understanding of what it truly meant to be an adventurer in this world. The seven-day wait would test their patience, but more importantly, it would give them time to reflect on the strange events they had witnessed, preparing their minds for the revelations that awaited them.