Lina walked out of the interrogation room and approached a male teacher in the hallway, her face flushed but trying to act normal.
"Sir... it was only a misunderstanding earlier."
"I haven't said anything though."
The skill worked, Rex thought while watching from inside the room. The enchantment had made the teacher not care about anything suspicious, which was perfect for his situation.
The teacher left and so did Lina, but she left a piece of paper with her number on it before she went. Rex picked it up and put it in his pocket, then headed out toward the trial grounds.
The atmosphere was intense when he arrived, with students and teachers gathered around different fighting rings. He checked his number and went to his assigned group, where a teacher was already explaining the format.
"This test will judge which affiliation you go to, and what's your class."
It was nothing more than duels, but brutal ones that made Rex think maybe he was just new to this and didn't understand the culture yet. An hour passed while he watched other students fight, some using magic, some using weapons, all of them trying to prove themselves.
"My turn finally, huh."
"Fight while thinking, this fight will decide your spots," the teacher said while gesturing for him to step into the ring.
His opponent was a guy named Riks, who looked confident and well-trained. Riks smirked as he looked at Rex.
"Hey commoner, are you sure your mother didn't do some work for the teachers here? That's how you got here, didn't you?"
Rex looked at the teacher and thought So it's fine if a noble's son says this, huh?
"Considering how bulky he is, I wonder whose son he is," Riks continued, laughing at his own jokes.
Rex calmed himself and let out a sigh. I knew this would happen if you come here without a class. I need to focus on the fight now, leave my mark here so these dipshits don't mess with me later.
He clenched his fists and came into fighting position, his body ready. He had already gotten enough points from the bond system to level up his physical attributes significantly.
The whistle rang and Rex was in front of Riks' face in one second, throwing a lethal punch that sent Riks backward as he dodged. Without changing position, Rex kicked and Riks barely dodged with his arm, the impact still making him slide back.
"You're good, let's use magic now."
"I was waiting for that... though I don't use magic... these fists are all."
"So where did you learn fistfighting?"
"Umm... I copied it, yes."
Riks summoned his magic and launched a barrage of elemental attacks, fire and wind clashing against Rex's body as he dodged and weaved through them. Each spell came faster than the last, but Rex's reflexes were sharp and he slipped between the attacks with precision.
His body moved like water, flowing around each magical strike without wasting energy. Riks was getting frustrated because nothing was hitting him, and his mana was depleting quickly while Rex hadn't even started attacking back yet.
Finally, Rex dodged the last attack and Riks was shocked to see him completely unscathed.
"My turn, right?"
He smirked as he wound up his punch, every muscle in his body tensing with power. Riks held his guard but the impact was too much and he spat blood on the spot, his body flying backward several meters.
People stared, couldn't believe what they just saw. Some were in awe, some felt inspiration watching this unknown student take down a top scorer in one punch.
Teachers spoke among themselves.
"He sent a noble's kid flying, insane kid."
Rex looked at Riks and thought I barely avoided that last attack, or I'd be a goner too.
Riks' mouth foamed as he lay on the ground, completely knocked out from the force of the punch. People talked in amazement.
"Where did that bastard come from?"
"Who is he?"
"How can someone be defeated in one punch?"
Rex smirked as he looked at the professor, his hand extended to offer Riks help getting up.
"Enough, or do you want more trials?"
"Ok, enough... come for next round later."
He left the ring and the professor called him over, his expression serious and analytical.
"Why did you lie in your data?"
"What lie?"
"That you'd never fought."
"That's because I never did."
"You want me to believe that? How the hell can you use sword like fists? What sword form is that?"
Hell if I know, it generated, this guy's a master, remember, Rex thought while making up some excuses.
"I awakened recently and did some secret training, that's all."
Although suspicious, the professor thought he would check him next round to verify his story. The entire situation didn't make sense to him.
"If you're actually speaking truth, then you're a monster."
"??"
"Do you know who Riks is?"
"No, it's my first time seeing him."
The professor scratched his temples, clearly confused about what he'd just witnessed.
"He's one of the top scorers on written as well as practical examinees, yours was average... it doesn't make sense now."
"Don't you think I would train?"
The professor didn't have an answer to that, so he just nodded slowly.
"Ok, so now what?"
"After the next tests, you'll get assigned to classes and your curriculum will start."
"Understood."
Rex left the arena with his hands in his pockets, feeling the weight of what he'd just done. The professor watched him go, muttering to himself.
"This kid... he's strong... well, he's a bastard anyway."
Rex walked through the academy grounds, his mind processing everything that had happened. The story and the game didn't talk about these trials, both focused on their own plot. Now it's hard to guess what to do.
He saw a cafe ahead and decided to head toward it. His body was exhausted from the fight and everything else that had happened today.
"Well, I do need some caffeine after all that fighting and, well... sex too."
He walked into the cafe, ready to sit down and collect his thoughts before the next round of trials began.