The Novel's Professor

Chapter 8 8: The End Of The Mock Test

"Truly, a show of elegance and art." Bourgham muttered in amazement at seeing the display at the arena, he continued looking at Rio, "It seems you were right, lad."

"Indeed, Mr. Bourgham," Rio said as he sipped his coffee, he continued as he asked with a hint of concern, "However, isn't this quite brutal..?"

"That's normal," Bourgham said in a certain tone, he tapped his finger in the armchair as he continued, "If they can't handle some brutal things, they shouldn't have enrolled at the academy."

"..You make a fair point," Rio nodded sighing, he asked in curiosity, "What about the injuries..?"

"Don't worry. With the current latest medicinal achievements, a few broken bones and ribs are as easy to fix as small wounds," Bourgham said, reassuring Rio.

"I'm going outside and take a break," Bourgham said as he stood up wriggling his body while he took his coffee from the chair.

"I see. Take care then." Rio nodded as he bid farewell to the eccentric man. He left, most likely because the things he wanted to see were over. The teachers weren't really needed to watch over, they were just spectators or back up protections in case something goes wrong.

As for him? He wasn't going to go outside yet. He wanted to see what the last two main characters can do, mainly Amber Hong and Xiao Long. Albeit their matches will be less intense than Arcuied's and Eugene's, he didn't care.

—

"No. 3, Amber Hong, enter the stage and proceed to be examined. Please bring your desired weapon."

It was finally her turn, Amber thought in impatience as she stood up and prepared herself. She wanted to finish this match quickly. She wanted to check on her friend in the infirmary.

Remembering Eugene, Amber sighed as she shook her head. What was she worrying about? It was not like that fool would just die. With all likelihood that doofus will recover just fine.

She should just calm down and focus on this examination of hers. If there was one thing she hated more than anything else, it was that she didn't want to shame her family's name.

If she failed here and the word get's out? Oh lord, she might as well become a hermit and never appear from society ever again.

She entered the arena as her name was called by the announcement. Her green eyes staring at the opposite side of the room. She took out her weapon as she waited for the opponent she was going to face.

Her weapon was a long piece of curved wood with a string attached to both of its ends. It was a bow. She picked a bow, mainly for one reason. She was good at it. It was her weapon ever since she was a child.

Taking up the bow as a weapon comes with twenty arrows, well she could have taken much more arrows, but it would be too heavy and unnecessary. Twenty was enough, even if she included the scenarios that she missed a shot.

Besides, she had a backup in her pocket. One could never be too prepared.

At that moment, on the opposite side of the room, the door opened. Guile came back, this time not holding a leash to the magical beast, but riding it.

"Hm, this might be too easy for ya'…" Guile said as he looked at Amber at the arena while riding the magical beast.

Amber looked at the beast and sighed in relief. It was a Grey Wolf. Like the name implies, it was a wolf colored grey. The lowest of low among the hierarchy of wolves. While the Grey Wolf was the weakest among the wolves, it didn't remove the fact it was deadly.

The Grey Wolf was a Rank E Magical Beast, just equal to her current strength, Rank E. She sighed in relief because her guess turned out to be true. She had guessed the academy will put the student's an opponent that they can defeat in theory.

"Oh well, not like I can do anything that much.." Guile muttered as he jumped off from the wolf and exited the arena.

The moment Guile left, the fight started. Amber took out one arrow from her back and fire it at the Grey Wolf's eye. The eye was a weakness to every beast that relies on sight.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out. The Grey Wolf opened its jaw as it bit the arrow, breaking it into pieces. Amber, noticing that, quickly retreated to the back and reloaded more arrows. The Grey Wolf rushed forward, blitzing as it chased Amber into the arena.

Swooosh! Swoosh!

Amber fired two more arrows in succession, but this time she applied a skill, «Elysia Wind» making it faster that it was previously. One was aimed at the eye and the other was aimed at the neck. The Grey Wolf opened its jaw again to bite the arrow heading for its eye. It didn't account for the arrow that aimed for its neck as the pointed steel successfully struck its flesh.

"Woooo…." The Grey Wolf howled in agony, as the arrow burried into its neck. The neck of a wolf was its most vulnerable part. It was an intentional move from Amber.

Swoosh!

As The Grey Wolf wriggled its body to remove the arrow stuck in its neck, Amber fired three more arrows without rest. Each with imbued with «Elysia Wind». The three arrows flew through the wind, two of them missing as it merely grazed the head of The Grey Wolf, one however that was aimed at the eye successfully hit.

The right eye of The Grey Wolf was struck with an arrow, inflicting more pain on its body. The Grey Wolf wriggled its body as it removed both arrows stuck into its body. Without rest, it ran blitzing at the arena.

It was the right call for The Grey Wolf, three more arrows were fired by Amber. All of them missing as The Grey Wolf avoided them with its speed.

Amber, noticing the sudden speed of The Grey Wolf, immediately retreated as she ran through circles in the arena while The Grey Wolf was chasing her. She fired five arrows as she ran, two of them hitting the legs of The Grey Wolf, the other three aimed at its neck.

The Grey Wolf tried to avoid all the arrows, however it failed as two arrows hit its neck and legs, respectively. Afflicted with pain in both neck and leg, it simply ignored it and chased Amber.

However, as The Grey Wolf ran, its speed was evidently much slower than before. Amber smiled at that. Now she can comfortably fire arrows while not worrying about getting caught.

Amber fired three more arrows, one hitting the left eye while the other two struck the neck. The Grey Wolf was successfully blinded. It breathed heavily as it continued to run chasing Amber. The pain was obstructing it from moving.

Amber, without taking a break, fired three more arrows. The arrows flew through the air, striking The Grey Wolf at the neck and successfully killing it.

...Atleast that was what she thought.

But reality digressed. The Grey Wolf bit three of the arrows breaking it all. Even if it was blinded, its survival instincts kicked in and warned it.

Amber, noticing this, tried taking more arrows from her back. However, she grabbed nothing but thin air. She made a fatal mistake. She got too careless and didn't account The Grey Wolf would still be able to respond.

Amber bit her lip as she remembered what her father said. She should've known that this would happen.

"Do you know what advantages many beast has? It's the will to survive. It's innate instinct to reject death at its core."

The words of her father resounded in her ears. She made an error over her own overconfidence. Amber retreated as she ran blitzing at the stage.

The Grey Wolf, realizing that those pointy steel projectiles were no longer getting fired, smiled sinisterly. It used all its power to run, chasing Amber in the arena.

Amber, looking at the back, noticed the speed of The Grey Wolf suddenly increasing. She looked at the front trying to run more quickly, however; she realized it was all for naught. The wall obstructed her. She realized she was cornered.

Amber looked at the back, seeing the sinister Grey Wolf smiling through it all. Without a moment of hesitation, The Grey Wolf pounced, attacking Amber, intending to bite her head off.

"Gotcha!" Amber said as her previously worried face turned into a cold smile instantly, her hand held a metallic long barrel. It was a gun. Good thing she listened to her father. Keep a gun in your pocket, always, he said.

Without hesitation, she fired the gun. The loud sound rang at the arena, hitting the neck of The Grey Wolf. Before the pounce could hit her, it died mid air.

Its body fell, its last sound was a whimper of defeat. Seeing the corpse, Amber sighed. This was definitely her hardest battle yet. She wanted to take a rest quickly after checking up on Eugene later.

At that moment, Guile entered the room along with a few cleaning staff.

"I was about to interfere' but what do ya know, missy has a gun in her," Guile said, laughing as he took the corpse of the wolf, carrying at his shoulder.

"Clean them' bloodshed." Guile ordered to the cleaning staff he brought over. The staff proceeded to clean it.

Amber patted her chest as she prepared herself to exit the arena. Well, she won. She passed atleast; she didn't shame the family name. That was good.

Suddenly, from the outside of the arena, a student came forward and asked a question. "Is that allowed? Shouldn't she be disqualified even? How is this testing potential if anyone can bring whatever they want?"

Guile stopped, turning his back as he stared at the student.

"..Well, everyone is free to bring whatever they want. They can. You can. She can," Guile explained, "The rules didn't state so otherwise, did it? The key here is to examine not only your battle potential. But awareness and preparation. If you bring out an magical artifact, then go right ahead."

The student quieted down, unable to respond further. Perhaps there were still some complaints within the student, but the person kept it to themselves.

—

Just as the novel described, Amber was indeed talented at the bow. She had a good aim and precision, however she was limited to the fact that she didn't have much battle experience, Rio observed as continued to watch over the arena.

Amber's situation was similar to him, having much power but unable to effectively use them to its limits. Rio already has a solution for that, and he wasn't that excited about it. That was, venturing on a dimension. Meaning effectively fighting for his life and death.

"Haa…." Rio sighed, putting aside the matter as he awaited the last match he was going to see today. Xiao Long. That student was the most quirky of them.

—

After cleaning the arena, Guile left to get the next Magical Beast and Amber rushed to the infirmary to check upon Eugene.

The students realized, similarly to Amber, that the opponent they were going to fight was something they could beat. That put a relief on them..

Xiao Long was snoring as he layed on the floor comfortably, he was a sleep. At that moment, however, the announcement rang once again.

"No. 4, Xiao Long. Please enter the stage and proceed to be examined. Please bring your desired weapon."

Xiao Long hearing that loud announcement, abruptly woke up at his sleep. It took a few seconds before he realized he was getting called to the arena.

"Oh shit!" Xiao Long said, grabbing his weapon. It was a long, thin wooden rod. It was a wand. Sorcery was his specialty.

Xiao Long quickly entered the arena, at the same time Guile entered the arena as well. Xiao Long got a good look at the opponent he was going to face. It was a Griffith. A large bird with two large wings. At the word of history, a larger and more powerful hawk.

It was a Rank E Griffith.

Well, not like the size mattered that much, Xiao Long thought as prepared the things he was going to use. There were vials of unknown chemicals and elements under his uniform and pocket.

"Don't overkill it, okay?' Cleaning is tough," Guile said as he looked at Xiao Long with a smile. Afterwards he left the arena.

At the moment Guile left, the match started. Xiao Long without hesitation, immediately activated a skill without the Griffith reacting.

"Aqua." Xiao Long commanded as he pointed his wand at the floor. Instantly, the floor below the Griffith was filled with a puddle of water. Without hesitation, Xiao Long took a vial filled with chemicals under his shirt. Holding it, he threw it at the puddle of water.

The vial broke upon thrown, toxic gas was released at the puddle of water. It was sulfuric dioxide. Upon contact with water, the puddle of water turned to acid.

The Griffith touched the puddle of acid. It felt corrosion on its feet. It took a step back in surprise and agitation, however that was a mistake as his feet again came contact with the acid. It felt the burning corrosion once again.

Without a semblance of a break, Xiao Long continued. He took out several large vials in his pocket, all filled with flammable gasoline. Without mercy, throwing directly to the face The Griffith.

The Griffith feeling pain because of the corrosion of the acid, felt a burning sensation in its eyes when the oily substance entered its eyelids. But it didn't end there. It heard the fiend that afflicted him with such pain,

"Agi." Xiao Long said as his wand pointing at directly at the oil. Instantly, an explosive fire suddenly ignited at the face of The Griffith. The flames were enriched by the flammable gasoline.

The Griffith could only feel intense heat as it's face was subjected to intense burning, afflicted with pain, it moved in agitation at the sudden pain. Its feet came in contact with the puddle of acid below. Feeling the burning corrosive pain again, it accidentally slipped.

Its body fell to the puddle of acid, its skin and wings feeling massive burning pain. But its pain didn't end yet. The enriched flames came in contact with the acid. A combustion occurred.

The Griffith felt extreme pain until it died. Every part of its skin burned, the acid corroded his bones and flesh; the combustion exploded his wings and the flames burned him charred.

All the while this was happening, Xiao Long just calmly stood, overseeing the suffering The Griffith was facing. He was examining the extent of his damage. His glasses shined, covering his eyes. By the eyes of other people, he looked like a mad scientist.

"That seems about it," Xiao Long said as he turned his back, preparing to leave.

—

"That was certainly graphic and disturbing…!" Rio muttered in shock as he observed the onslaught of burning and explosion. The novel didn't lie, Xiao Long, the genius of Alchemy was a mad scientist in diguise.

Rio snapped out of his daze and shook his head. That was certainly gory and terrifying, especially if the person in question was a student. But he needed to get it together. The gore and graphic insanity were just a fraction of this world.

After the match finished, Rio stood up and prepared to leave. He fixed his coat and took the coffee from his armchair. He walked over the exit as he left the room.