The sun's rays shone through the cave's entrance, sounds of groaning echoing through the air. "I can't believe that you stayed up all night." Kaelin let out a nervous laugh, only to be handed a well cooked meal and water laid out for her.
In order to make sure that they weren't attacked in their most vulnerable state, Jarren chose to stay up and watch over the two. Chomping through her meal, she cast a glance at Jarren, his calmness that once unnerved her was now familiar.
It was kind numbing but now, she had learnt to grow accustomed to it. Checking her bracelet, she was shocked with what she saw.
[{Ding}]
[{You have base points of 14,440 points from your original ball point}]
[{Additional points are...}]
[{3,600 points from a ball point acquired six hours ago}]
[{2,400 points from a ball point acquired four hours ago }]
[{1,800 points from a ball point acquired three hours ago}]
[{Total points are 22,000 points}]
Her mouth fell wide open, scrubbing her eyes she refreshed the panel however the points remained the same. "You went hunting at night?!" For him to get additional points meant that he had managed to steal more ball points from other students.
"I plan on winning, Kaelin." His answer short and concise as he dug into his meal. 'Wait! I doubt that any other students have more than two ball points this early on. Meaning we have a great advantage over them. All we have to do is hole up and we'll win this phase.'
Pleased with her situation, she let out a satisfied smile however it didn't last long.
[{Dear students, there are golden ball points with double the awardation points of your regular ball points}]
[{Such ball points can be located all over the forest. Find them and claim them.}]
[{Also note that those who had initially found such ball points will have them permanently for the rest of the trial.}
It felt more like a slap to them specifically for being too far ahead in the competition. 'What?!' As much as she wanted to curse at the professors watching their every move, she knew that it would be better to remain silent as that was how Jarren preferred it.
Cleaning herself up, she rose to her feet and got rid of the campfire. "Here. You can have two and I'll have two. Incase anything happens." His tone flat as he threw two silver ball points at her. Instinctively catching them, she stashed them away in her leather satchel.
"Now what? Should we look for the golden ball points or look for more students?" The trial had twenty parties of each side in play and they a fifth of all the silver ball points. A significant advantage no doubt. "We should hunt more students to make sure our chances are high."
And just like that he exited the cave, making her to awkwardly catch up with him.
...
"Other than this trial, I'm sure that we can be a perfect couple." Ingrid shot out a smug grin that once again failed to swoon Callista. She was more than tired with his advances, wishing to end his life on the spot but eyes were everywhere.
"I was wondering about the collar. Is it an accessory or... Perhaps a bet you lost. Maybe he forced you to wearing it but those are not my words." She let his words pass through her ears without care but as time dragged on, it became too much for her.
[{14,400 points}]
The score was hers and Ingrid's, with her holding onto the ball point. "If you talk one more time I'll cut your tongue out and castrate you." Her tone cold, her silver eyes condescending on the student that lurked around her like a parrot, refusing to leave.
'I'll have to resort to other means if I want to secure my spot beneath Jarren. Searching for a golden ball point is too much of a waste of time to embark on.' Lost in her mind, another party approached them. From their looks, it was clear that they had experienced better.
"What's wrong? Why are you so on edge?" Glancing at their wrists, they noted that they were Defenders. "It's... It's Jarren! That bastard!" One clutching to their knees panted. "He's not even an assailant! Why is he hunting other defenders?" The other spoke.
Ingrid fell silent, his face grim as he recalled Brose's warning. "It would be better if you keep on going." Looking at Callista, he urged."I think that we should change our paths and head elsewhere. However Callista didn't agree or disagree, merely looked at the pair, a tuft of hair masking her eyes.
"Hand over your ball points." Not just Ingrid but the pair were bewildered hearing this. "Okay Callista darling, there's no need to be rash here. I'm sure tha-" His words cut off, his vision filled with a blinding light.
*Thud*
His figure fell onto the earthy ground, unconscious. "Hand over your ball points." In her hand a light sword hummed, whispering great destructive power. The two clenched their fists in anger, cursing inwardly at Callista. Reluctantly, one of the pair threw it at her.
A perfect catch allowed them to walk away free. Callista looked at Ingrid, his figure an afterthought as he cast a light barrier around his body and left the scene. Once out of her grasp, the two let out their vents of frustration. "Damn those two!" One heaved, landing a punch onto a tree.
His fist imprint was visible, the tree arching to the side. "Just because they're more powerful than the rest make them think that they can bully us as they wish." His partner added. "Look! If we didn't give it to her, then she would have pried it off our hands and who knows could happen to us when we're unconscious."
Her partner ushered and with a few more minutes the man calmed down. "You're right but urgh!" As much as he let out his vents, there was nothing that he could do.
...
"Orissa, do you believe in gods?" Brose asked, the two near a pond looking about. Their intentions being the golden ball point which would be of massive help to them. "I don't. Maybe when I was a child but not now. Look at the world, the corrupt rule the world while those righteous are killed off and forgotten."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Brose understood her frustration. "Why do you ask?" Looking through some short shrubs and finding nothing, Brose turned around to face her. "Well gods do exist and they sent me." Orissa wanted to laugh it off like a joke but seeing the stern look on his face she held it in.
"How do I know that you're not making things up?" Her tone full of skeptism as she cast a clairvoyance spell to aid the search, nothing came up. "Because they told me exactly what Jarren is and why I should avoid him. At this point I'm sure that you know that he's not just a student but something more."
Listening intently, he went on. "What he is... Even the gods themselves don't know but he's extremely powerful. The reason I was chosen wasn't to cleanse the world of it's evil but to entertain him." Orissa's face contorted into disbelief. "This is all a very interesting joke but I'll tell you that it's not funny."
Firmly holding her hand, his eyes bore into his. Something more than just flames writhed his beads, the sensation she felt was something she had felt with Jarren. His silence alone made her skin crawl. "Gah!" Snapping out of his grip, she drew a heavy draw of breath.
"I... What was that?!" Her words were met with silence, his eyes gleamed with an otherworldly magnificence and radiance. "You're... you're not lying." It now clicked for her as to why Jarren had told her to meet Brose. At first she thought that it was one of his games but it was clear that that wasn't the case.
"Wait if you know that he's not human then shouldn't we report him!" Brose let out a sigh, his eyes losing their shimmer. "What evidence do we have? And besides what good would it do even if we expose him. What's to say that he won't fall into a bloody rampage?"
The more she thought about it,the more uncertainties there were in the mix. Falling into a grim silence, the two looked at the pond, their reflections shot back at them with their figures distorted. "I never thought to check in the pond itself." She broke the silence, her tone light.
"Well let's see." Stretching his hand out, a small ball of fire kissed the ponds surface slowly evaporating the water away. However due to the bracelet he couldn't exert himself to his full potential.
*Thirty minutes later*
"There's something in the water... Stop!" With her control over water, she parted the pool and within the mud revealed something that let out a sharp golden glimmer. "It's a golden ball point!" Orissa cried out in happiness, washing the ball with water and claiming it.
[{Congratulations, you have found a golden ball point. With the points you receive from the golden ball point will be twice your regular ball point}]
[{However this will be in effect when one of you is still conscious}]
[{As a reward for finding one, 1,000 points have been added to your total points}]
The two looked at their total amount.
[{Your base points are 14,700 points}]
[{Additional rewards of finding a golden ball point is 1,000 points}]
[{Total points are 15,700 points}]
"I'm sure that we should be well off." Orissa beamed a smile however Brose wasn't as gleeful. "With a monster like Jarren loose it wouldn't be fit to ease up so quickly. We have to make sure that the distance is beyond recoverable."
Orissa gave a short sigh and shortly after their figures dissappeared back into the forest.
...
"Well isn't this interesting. I doubt whether anyone will catch this pair." Back at the academy, Timothy let out a chuckle, his eyes landing on the points. Jarren and Kaelin were in there own league as the rest barely managed to hold on.
[{Jarren Velros and Kaelin Morren have a total of 23,400 points}]
[{Brose and Orissa have 15,700 points}]
[{Callista Vaewlyn and Ingrid have 15,000 points}]
The disparity was more than just present. "At this point I doubt anyone else would be able to catch up." Esdora sighed, her eyes watching Jarren and Kaelin locked in a fight with another party. Jarren for offense and Kaelin for defense, the fight didn't last long as they got their hands on their fifth ball point.
"Maybe we should make the golden ball points easier to find." Timothy taunted however no one took the bait. Admitting to his statement would mean that they had no faith with their own students. "It would be better to keep on watching, after all who knows what might happen."
Forare commented, his sharp eyes looking at the multiple screens, each showing the progress of each party. This means was was easier and more convenient than them having to personally watch over the students. Timothy served as a tech support to it all, his time spent on the screens watching every move the students made.