"Fuck! This isn't going anywhere! I should find another way to survive or else my stupid teammates will pull me back!"
In contrast, Sabito's side took a worse turn of events. With his determination to succeed, he found a ragtag team that didn't work in his favor.
Ultimately, Sabito and his team were battered with whiplashes and suffered injuries due to their multiple mistakes along the trials. In his mind, seeking good teammates was often better than having dog-like partners.
"Shit, I must look for Masaru before their slots are full! I'm just using his mind, that's all. Yeah, I'm taking advantage of his resourcefulness!"
Left with no choice, Sabito realized the truth and went towards Masaru, who appeared to be a good leader with exceptional talents.
"Sabito-san, what are you doing here? Wait, are you really wanting to join us?" Upon seeing Sabito's figure, Masaru felt delighted as he masked his amusement with indifference on his face.
"Y-yeah... Hehehe, sorry for doubting you. Is there any way to be a part of your team?" Sabito was embarrassed outside but his mind was filled with malice and treacherous schemes inside.
"No, you are welcome here! See, this is our only chance to be a shinobi. I'm not lying to you." Masaru replied.
Finally, Sabito eventually joined Masaru. Even though both of them were thinking about how to manipulate each other, the main purpose of the team remained.
For the well-being of their bodies and their survival. After coming to terms, Sabito slowly adjusted to a brand new team and its hierarchy, concocting schemes for his self-interest.
...
"Motoyasu-sama, I want to use my free time rewards for the rest of the month."
After eating a fulfilling dinner, Yoichi went to Motoyasu's table and redeemed his 1st place rewards.
Yoichi felt like his focus on the proficiency of Martial Arts had become too distracted from the trials and wanted those 4 hours of free time as a way to isolate himself from all surrounding distractions.
"Are you really sure? There is also a trial in the evening called the trial of perception. This is about conditioning you all from the dangers of various tools and other mechanisms at night."
Masaru narrowed his eyes and looked at the clear eyes of the child, feeling a little bit perplexed by the request of Yoichi.
Foundation as a child was way too important since knowledge could definitely assist them once they are recruited into the village.
On the other hand, Yoichi was startled until he became confident. All facets of time were implemented by trials but Yoichi felt assured. With Battle Instinct and Detective at Work, his perception was extraordinarily good as a child.
"Absolutely, I'm confident. If I can get through the perception trial with just a few minor scrapes, I'll show that I don't really need it. I'd prefer to use my 4 hours of free time instead of going through the trial. What do you think, sir?"
Upon hearing his absurd request, Motoyasu laughed loudly. Even though Yoichi's words felt a little bit arrogant, Motoyasu could discern the inner belief of the youngster and feel excitement rush through his mind.
"Hahaha, very well. I like a straightforward child unlike these gutless brats. But if you failed to finish the task, your free time will be permanently gone. Do you understand?"
Motoyasu's words were threatening but Yoichi remained unfazed by the challenge, opting to prove himself as a child with hidden strength.
"I understand, sir."
Then, Yoichi left and prepared himself for the trials. Unexpected or not, preparation and quick logical thinking were required to analyze the situation.
"Why did you even entertain that foolish proposal, Motoyasu-sama?" Hideaki was annoyed with a tinge of anger in his eyes.
A worthless child giving a proposal to his leader felt like being slapped directly in his face as an assistant.
"Don't misunderstand it. In fact, it was interesting with stakes on the line and if he really did pass the test, we could roughly gauge the child's limit since he was one of the best here."
Motoyasu felt like it was fun to watch a child confident in his expertise so he approved the request in a heartbeat.
"But, sir—"
"There are no buts! Listen here, a child like Yoichi was a rare specimen. If he became an exceptional shinobi in the future, it would bring glory for us!"
His logical remarks left Hideaki thoughtful as Motoyasu went to prepare for the 3rd trial of the day.
...
"Now that you are all here, let me introduce you to the 3rd trial. The trial of perception."
Soon, the children were escorted to the entrance of the tower. As soon as the doors were open, what the children saw was a dark room.
Although the candles around acted as a beacon of hope, the visibility was still abyssmally low, and unspeakable horrors were deeply etched on the children's faces, conveying their nightmares into reality.
"In ancient times, darkness was always our best friend especially as a shinobi. In this trial, you must throw your fears out of the window and embrace the darkness with its looming danger."
"Numerous stones and debris will be hurled at you so dodge them flawlessly for 30 minutes."
"Yoichi, you should begin."
Hearing Motoyasu's words, the children heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Yoichi with a pitiful gaze in their eyes.
Yoichi merely nodded in acknowledgment and stepped inside the room with a frown on his brow.
'This should be too easy... I can clearly hear the whistling sounds of objects thrown at me...'
As the sweat slid off his cheek, two unpredictable projectiles went straight at him with lethality as Yoichi tumbled forward to dodge.
However, a low sound of the gear was soon heard while Yoichi jumped out of his original spot, eventually seeing a thin wire tied to both walls of the room.
'As expected, this trial wasn't that one-dimensional. It was filled with traps such as hidden spikes below the ground and concealed wires!'
With an afterthought, Yoichi began evading traps from all sides. But with the sounds of the mechanism controlled across the whole room, Yoichi could hear them and analyze the situation with a quick process.
*Siuuu!*
*Hwipp!*
As the traps were revealed slowly, Yoichi began his diligent dodging inside the room as his eyes revealing a crazy glint, feeling the challenge for him.
'Hahaha, this is fun!'
While the sweat soaked his body, Yoichi felt exhilarated. In terms of reactive training, it should be the best since low visibility coupled with undetected traps could train the mind and body to dodge without the sense of sight.
___________
(Current Progress)
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Small Success) 163/300]
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Phew, that should be it! I'm done for the day. For now, the progress will be time-skipped since the allocated time for MC requires two years after graduating from these trials.
Please, send the power stones to the deserving fanfics, alright? I'm already pinched with a mere two chapters!
Thanks for reading the chapters and bookmarking the novel. See ya! XDD!