The crowd's roar swelled until it shook the wooden planks beneath Eldros's boots. The heavy gate behind the candidates slammed shut, sealing them inside with the sound of iron locking into stone. A wave of dust rolled over them, and the cheering hit a fever pitch.
Six of them stood in the sun-baked arena, Eldros among them. The smell of sweat, old blood, and rusted weapons hung thick in the air.
Above, on a raised platform, a middle-aged man in fine cloak stepped forward. Even from this distance Eldros could feel the pressure radiating from him. His aura was deep, sharp, and far beyond Eldros's own.
That must be the outpost owner.
Standing beside him was the thin, hawk-nosed man who had taken Eldros's name the day before. He leaned in, whispering something. The owner gave a single nod, then sat, his eyes never leaving the arena.
A wooden crate of weapons was dragged into the center of the pit, rusted spears, dented swords, clubs still stained with blood.
The thin man's voice cut across the noise.
"This trial is simple," he said. "Six enter. Three leave. Earn your place, or die here, of course, the numbers might be less than that. Or none of you might even survive.
"It all depends on you. There won't be a redo. If you want to step out, now is is the time. But know this, you won't be ever allowed in this outpost ever again!"
A hush fell over the crowd, brief and hungry. Eldros stayed where he was. He studied his opponents. They all seems strong in their way and here are even some of them that seems to be radiating the Magus energy.
The one that bothered him the most was the girl, the energy he was feeling from her was both strong and weak, as if everything was twisted inside of her.
Then the thin man smiled when he saw that no one was stepping out.
"Begin."
The silence shattered. The crowd cheered.
One of the younger boys screamed and lunged for the crate, yanking out a jagged machete.
Another candidate, broad-shouldered, with a shaved head, met him halfway, swinging a fist that shattered bone on contact. The boy went down screaming, his knee twisted at an unnatural angle.
Blood hit the sand. The spectators roared again. It has begun.
Eldros didn't move at first, that wasn't his way unless he knew he could absolutely dominate his opponent.
He studied them, two already locked in a savage duel, one cautious girl backing toward the wall, a wiry man circling like a vulture.
And then there was the biggest one, a scarred brute hefting a rusted spear. His eyes had been on Eldros since the gate shut.
The brute charged, the tip of his spear glowing a faint green haze.
Eldros sidestepped the spear thrust, grabbing the shaft and wrenching it aside, his hand had turned slightly black and wrinkled as he used his Magus art of of the Hand of the Demon.
His knee came up hard into the brute's gut.
As the man doubled over, Eldros rammed an elbow into the back of his skull. He went down face-first, blood spilling from his nose.
Frankly...Eldros was amazed by his own power. He just sent a grown man to the ground with ease. His heart began to beat with excitement and a grin filled his face.
He doesn't usually get to have the sense of power back on Earth. But it was different here. He could be powerful. The taste of power flowed in him and his leg came down hard on the man that was pretending to to be unconscious.
The man rolled away but Eldros had been waiting for just that and the tip of the spear stap down on the nose of the man, crunching through his brain.
A scream tore through the air, the machete-wielding boy's head split open by a fist.
Two down.
The cautious girl was forced away from the wall as the wiry man lunged at her with a knife. She blocked with her forearm, earning a deep cut, but twisted and slammed her knee into his groin. He staggered back cursing.
Eldros grabbed his iron disc.
It was one of the weapons he found in the ruined city and he had came to love it. It was shaped like a disc but has an handle where the end was about to connect.
With a flick of his hand, he hurled it across the sand. The blade punched through the wiry man's ribs from the back, breaking his spine and spilling his gut. He gasped, dropped the knife, and fell.
Three down.
The girl stared at Eldros, half in shock, half in fear but before she could speak. She seems in a daze.
The fist-wielder came for him, swinging wide.
He seems to be a Magus Primaris that could use the Arcana art for internal enchanting. His fist has the color of a mountain.
Eldros ducked under, drove a fist into his ribs, and grabbed his fist mid-swing. They struggled, muscles straining, magical hand against magical hands.
Until Eldros's head shot forward, smashing into the man's nose with a wet crack.
Eldros didn't hesitate.
He fell atop him and brought his fist down, once, twice, three times....until the brute stopped moving.
Four down.
The girl had armed herself with a dented sword and was backing away. Eldros's eyes narrowed.
She was the weakest here and therefore the most dangerous if ignored. Weak ones hid desperation.
And she also had the feeling of being strong.
Was he mistaken?
They circled. The crowd was chanting now, stamping their feet. The girl feinted left, then darted in, blade flashing.
Eldros caught her wrist, twisted until the sword clattered to the sand, and swept her legs. She hit the ground hard, gasping.
He raised his fist. Her eyes went wide.
He paused. If she left alive owing him, she might be useful. Also, he wanted to know what was wrong with her mana.
He turned away from her, quickly creating distance between them.
The crowd booed at the lack of blood, but their jeers shifted as the last surviving fighter, the club-wielder, lunged at Eldros from behind.
Eldros spun, catching the man's arm mid-swing, and drove his dagger up under his jaw. The body went stiff, then limp.
Five down.
The thin man clapped his hands once. "Enough."
The arena fell still. Only Eldros and the girl remained.
Eldros was breathing hard. He stared at his hand, black and wrinkled with longer nails.
Hand of the Demon.
"Do you want to kill her?" The thin man asked.
Eldros paused, stared at her then he shook his head. "Not y...no."
The girl seems to breathe easier when she heared that.
"Good. Then you two have earned your place in the Outpost. You have the right to live here and trade."
The gate creaked open.
Jarek was waiting outside, arms folded.
Eldros picked up his disc and daggers. Then he went around the bodies collecting their loot or anything of importance they might have on them.
The girl tried to speak to him but he ignored her and simply collected her own sack as well.
He stepped out out, his face calm despite the blood soaking his clothes. He raised some silver coins he found in one of the sack. "Can I stay at your place?"
Jarek's brow rose. Then she laughed, deep and loud. She shrugged. "Why not?"
He glanced back at the arena. "Alright."
She smirked. "Good."
And together they walked off, leaving the crowd still buzzing from the violence they had just witnessed.
It was the first time ever that someone ever dominated the arena during their testing.