21 Are You Really Five Years Old? (1/2)
*Drip Drip*
A crimson liquid slowly fell to the hard, stone ground. The redness seeped into the grey bricks, traveling through the cracks, trying to get as far as possible.
*Drip*
Another red liquid fell on top of the previous one's, furthering the distance they traveled. The crevices filled up with the thick and vibrant blood. Tiny pebbles drowned in the incoming bloody liquid.
Hair that resembled the crimson liquid swayed in the pushing wind. Further down, a small cut appeared on the pale forehead. This cut was the origin of the red liquid; the blood trailed down the sides of the sharp nose and slid over the dilated golden eyes. It reached the rosy lips and branched into two trails. One fell from the upper lip, sometimes entering the widened mouth, the other one kept going until it reached the jaw. It took a sharp turn toward the chin and fell towards the ground.
The man with the cut blankly looked at the fist that was touching his forehead. The knuckles only pierced the skin, going no deeper. The man followed the fist and found the attacker looking at him with a mocking smile.
”If this was a real-life situation, then you would not be standing right now.” Arnin pulled his fist back and spoke in a way that only Brajus could hear. Coldness crawled down Brajus' spine when he heard Arnin's words. He knew that the boy was right; if this wasn't a sparring match, then his head would have had more than just a cut. He pulled himself together and took a deep breath. His aura slowly rose until it reached the peak of Orb Birth - Heaven. The way he looked at Arnin also changed, there was no anger or haughtiness. His golden eyes shimmered with determination, there was only battle intent and resolution in his stare.
Arnin didn't get into any position and only stared at Brajus with his undisguised scorn. His body began to also quietly reach its peak. Although one could not see Arnin in a battle stance, his aura was still building up.
Kelnorin and the other teachers that were watching had wide eyes. The smiled they had on their faces touched their ears, their hands clenched into fists. They never imagined that Arnin would be able to get Brajus by surprise in such a fashion. They were also very surprised with Arnin's cultivation realm. It wasn't at Orb Birth - Earth like most five-year-olds, rather it was already in Orb Birth - Sky. Not only that, it seemed to be fast approaching peak level. They couldn't help but mockingly laugh at themselves.
”Arnin, seems that you are much stronger than I thought. I won't be holding back this time, so make sure you are ready.” Brajus jumped back before circling Arnin at high speed. His speed accelerated and created a dust storm. Rocks flew everywhere, and the dust created a type of smoke screen. Arnin stood in the middle calmly, his eyes looking at the storm intently, trying to pick up anything that could be abnormal.
Brajus kept circling Arnin and when he found that he wasn't moving, he leaped out of the dust cloud and rushed towards him from the back. He wasn't using killing blows, but his fist carried a great amount of essence and power. Arnin felt the fluctuation in the air, and instead of turning his head, the first thing he did was duck his head. The fist flew above him unstably, causing Brajus' body to fall forward because of the miss.
Arnin then lifted his body upward and jumped into the air. His head directly hit Brajus' chin, forcing him to fall backward. Brajus lifted his hands and grabbed his head. He felt dizzy and couldn't keep his eyes open.
Arnin noticed this moment of thoughtlessness and rushed towards Brajus. With the octagonal pattern in his body, Arnin was countless times stronger than when he fought Orsesa (Author note: The mother of the seven-year-old). However, he noticed that Brajus was also much stronger than Orsesa.
Just as Arnin was about to go and land another blow onto Brajus, the dust suddenly dispersed. A rapid wind tornado appeared causing everything to return back to normal. Arnin turned his head and saw Kelnorin walking towards him with a smile on his face.
”As a five-year-old, you are extremely gifted. You have Demon-like fighting capabilities. I wonder where you learned to fight in such a way. You are only five, so you shouldn't have experienced much, right?” Kelnorin looked at Arnin with a cunning smile. However, he was returned with an expressionless face. Arnin didn't puff out his chest or even accept the praises, he just looked at Kelnorin without much of a reaction. Only, there seemed to be a glint in Arnin's eyes that no one seemed to notice. Kelnorin noticed that Arnin wasn't going to answer, so he decided to switch the subject.
”Since you did outstanding in this test, way beyond anything that I have ever seen, you can proceed to the final test.” Kelnorin was very satisfied with Arnin, however even though he showed an appearance of satisfaction, no one truly understood how he felt on the inside. His back had cold sweat, while he was also holding back his trembling hands. This was not of excitement, but of fear. Arnin's talent was way beyond that of anyone. Not only did he produce a frightening grey-black flame, his fighting skills were also on a much higher level. Kelnorin believed that if Arnin was given the same cultivation realm as him, then he would stand no chance against Arnin. He was especially frightened about how ruthless Arnin was when he fought, it was not something that he would see in a child or even in many adults.
Kelnorin decided that he needed to report information about Arnin to the principle and have him decide what to do with Arnin.
”Now, let me explain to you what the special test was. It is not a physical test or a talent test, rather it isn't even a test.” When Kelnorin spoke, Arnin became confused. If it wasn't a test then what was it? Noticing the confusion on Arnin's face, Kelnorin put his hand into his robe and pulled out a white orb.
”There is a rule in our academy that only teachers know about. If a student is eligible to take the special test, they must accept three conditions in order to get into the academy. If you won't accept them then not only will you now be able to enter the academy, you will also not be able to enter any other academy in Afloria. The reason for this is because each academy has the same special test and it cannot be changed.” As Kelnorin spoke and place the orb on the ground. It didn't roll around like a normal ball, rather it began to project a blue light that caused it to slowly lift into the air.
Arnin looked intently at the orb, but couldn't figure out what it was and what it was made of. His knowledge of the essence and everything else was too lacking to know what it was.
”What are these three conditions that you speak of? I will only accept them if I find them reasonable and not too demanding.” Arnin made his stance clear before receiving the conditions. If they were something that would hold him back, then there was no point in attending such a restrictive academy.
Kelnorin smiled slightly before walking around the orb and standing beside Arnin. ”The conditions are not too demanding, however, they will restrict you for a certain period of time. I cannot tell you the conditions myself so we will head to the academy right away so that the head of the academy can explain them to you.” Kelnorin placed his hand on the orb and released some blood. The orb rapidly transformed into a set of wings that climbed flew onto the back of Kelnorin. Arnin was surprised when he saw what happened. He assumed that the orb was related to the test, but who knew that such an orb was able to turn into a set of wings.
”Teacher Kelnorin, I cannot head over to the academy with you just yet. I am waiting for someone who will be attending the academy with me, so I wish to wait until they arrive before meeting with whoever you want me with.” Arnin took a step backward before speaking to Kelnorin.