Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists-Chapter 41: One Month Later

This was their first time in this kind of situation. They weren't sure whether what the man promised was true. But the stakes of faltering were too high. It was risky to falter, not to try at all.

They should either master their fire element in the way the instructor provided. Or lag behind when their mates would be doing the assessment.

Still, thinking about actually forming something from thin air seemed unapproachable. But... one thing was right after all - they could feel shivers in every part of their bodies.

Deep in their bones. Also, something exhilarating stirred in their minds. It caused a gentle excitement.

Another thought was so vivid they felt they could touch it. Though deep down, they knew this was only an illusion.

Whatever their fates would be was a matter of one month. Not long afterwards, people started sitting on the ground, legs crossed.

They closed their eyes, some exhaling tension from their hearts.

Zmey looked here and there. Somehow, he felt like he was behind. He didn't know why. Maybe he had to sit on the terrain as well and do the needy.

As he descended to his buttocks, conflicting thoughts overwhelmed him. He wondered if his meridian was still locked. He would not only fail the test, but also exhaust himself with stress and tension. All from desperate attempts.

Outside the Cultivation Highland, people swirled across every cardinal part of the sanctuary. The activities continued; people came and left through the days. The sky shifted several times between dark and light. Eldengrove thrived too.

It was the trade centre, so traders flooded in from other kingdoms. They had either trekked for weeks or sailed the river. But due to the presence of Abyssal Waters in a river right on the outskirts of Eldengrove.

Weeks fell upon weeks, nights upon nights, and days upon days. The atmosphere inside the Cultivation Highland changed with every passing moment as well. It had once boasted warmth, then a dry type.

It made the candidates' skins very pale - snow fell from the sky. They faced other seasons too. Each tested their will to pass the test. For real, those that couldn't keep up with the pressure exited through the portal.

Zmey learnt that the instructor left the portal open on purpose. The same goes for the fluctuation in seasons.

The deadline did not corner them, but it also put them under intense pressure.

But didn't they have a reason for producing warriors out of them?

Why were they trying to cut down on them when beast tamers were lesser than exorcists from the outset?

In the past few weeks, everyone had learnt lessons. Indeed, others had been able to approach cultivating by watching others do the same thing.

Being in that open space had been beneficial to them. With their meridians opened, they saw the energy in the air dance with their hand movements.

Shivers would run from their toes to their heads whenever one thinks of wielding energy.

And the main part of utilisation was through the fingernails. Yet, they had only been able to find that in the first two weeks.

Only the quick-witted ones found it, explaining to the others who were ready to learn.

Zmey realised he had that same sensation too. That means he still had open meridians—that means he solved one problem.

Zmey also found out that magic cultivation comes at a cost. These costs act as limitations to extensive use of magic.

Trying to keep the conjured elements for a few seconds would tighten one's chest.

It would feel like someone was pulling one's arms back and squeezing one's heart. One would have to stop. Gasp.... gasp... and gasp more for breath.

But Zmey only saw this as a temporal issue. Because as he felt like he was getting a bit stronger every single minute he practised.

So, the counter reaction's time to take hold must vary by almost a microsecond.

So, he only kept practising.

They could keep watch over the remaining days for them to know their fate. With five days to the deadline, many successful cultivators had made fireballs.

Of course, some forfeited too. Zmey had scanned the surroundings, but still couldn't find Nero.

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At his position, Nero frowned. He clutched his fist close to his lap, seated with his arms crossed. He looked here and there, and people were already becoming successful.

He gritted his teeth. 'Why am I even trying so hard!? I agree I stayed here because I blame myself for Lady Nadia's death.

I don't know why the monster appeared, but I seem to believe that if I was stronger... I could damn stop the tragedy!

But again... I'm staying here to run from trouble. Frosthaven is in chaos so I didn't return. Just like years ago...! Years ago when I ran from Eldengrove because of the chaos I started! I'm trash!

I'm a coward, and I am unworthy of people knowing me. My energy summoned the beast of the water that day that turned our ship... and... and if she had never welcomed me into her house, doom won't have befallen Lady Nadia either!'

At that moment, he felt a cool touch rubbing against the back of his palm. That jolted him out of his thoughts, and he gaped in surprise.

Glancing left, it was the jovial lady who had been his companion for the past few weeks. They didn't know much about each other. But, being together had at least helped him to feel less alone.

She looked at him with persuasive, calming eyes. She looked closer at him, making Nero swallow down. And she placed her second hand over the one placed on Nero's.

Nero stuttered. "Uh... Annie. Is anything the matter?"

She said, in a gentle persuasive tone, "I see that you're holding back. Everyone feels pushed to the edge, and giving up at this point would make our efforts amount to nothing.

I don't know your backstory nor the reason for coming to the sanctuary. But... please, don't stop. If you don't try your best at this point, you might not know if you're a prodigy..."

Nero chuckled with sourness, his voice hitching a little, "Come on... that can never be me..."

Annie cut in.

"You don't have to look down on yourself. Everyone is born to be good at a certain aspect, and yours can be anything you don't even think of. So, be serious.

But, if you get to a crossroads, you're free to give up. No need to force yourself. But know you won't be the only one giving up... I will, as well."

She then reverted her glance and touch, facing straight ahead.

Nero warned immediately, "Wait, Annie! You can't give up on your dream because of a loser you met randomly..."

"Yes, we met by chance," Annie cut in. She then glanced at him. "But I value this as the first one I have made in my entire lifetime. You're simply the first friend I have, and you're worth making a sacrifice for..."

Nero glanced left. He clenched his fist. 'Damn you, Nero! Do something!'

***

[Five days later]

One could see how plentiful the terrains were. Only a few people remained in the Cultivation Highland. Those who completed their task received automatic teleportation out of the space.

Still, Zmey was in his own seat. For the past three days, he had stopped trying to make the fireball. Instead, he was taking note of details.

Then, at that moment, he finally spotted Nero in the distance. "Huh? Norman..."

He paused when he saw what the guy was doing. Dancing inches from his palm was a circular ball.

The ball seemed to roll, flames visible all over it in the distance. Orange embers danced across its edge.

Zmey could see Nero smile.

A wave of certainty and self-trust washed over Nero. He sighed. He smiled more and more. 'It's all thanks to Annie...'

And in the next second, he noticed his sight go black. To others, he vanished into the air like those who made their fireballs on time as well.

Looking all over, the remaining people couldn't amount to twenty. Pressure pressed down on their shoulders.

Their chests pounded. Warmth spread as each tickling second warned of the instructor's imminent arrival.

Everyone, except Zmey and one other guy like him, were still trying to recreate the ball.

Zmey's eyes locked on a guy whose heavy breaths accompanied the spreading of his palms to make the ball.

Sweat tickled down his chin. It oozed from his body also. At one point of continuous failure, he supported the weight of one arm with the other.

'Psychology. Teach the fears...' he thought, eyes glued at the guy and he picked a pebble from the terrain, "... then test it."

With a slight increase in force, he hurled the pebble into the air. The surge was very clear as it moved. The guy, still panting, locked eyes on it. In an instant, the half-circle ball he crafted vanished into thin air.

Zmey's instincts kicked in. The guy like him, in the distance, seemed to pick something as well.

Zmey thought, 'Focus.'

The guy thought, 'Focus.'

The anxious guy locked eyes on Zmey, and he yelled, "What the hell was that, cursed bastard!? I was almost there... almost there before your damned playfulness got in the way.

Are you sure a godforsaken nut hasn't loosened in your head yet!? Ehhh!"

Zmey wrinkled his nose with sarcasm, jerking his ears with a finger. He said, glancing at the guy, "You won't even make it. So what's the point of trying anymore? Prove me wrong by giving it a try again."

For some reason, Zmey cast a close watch on the guy. Same as his seem-alike.

The agitated guy gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes. He could only feel a slight shiver in his body, like the last bit of a dying flame.

But he didn't mind. He must... he had to show this sarcastic bastard what he was capable of!

He clenched his jaw. As per the common way, he imagined himself in a pool of energy. Even though the pool wasn't him, he managed to depict it as a waterfall rushing through him.

Under his intent, he raised his right palm, faint shivers accompanying his rise. Amidst this, he gritted his teeth.

But he didn't stop. However, as he was about to conjure the elements around his fingernails, his chest suddenly tightened...

"Ah!" he cried out, clutching it immediately.

Zmey raised his brows. His seem-alike looked at him, trying to see if they had the same perspective. But Zmey moved his glance away as soon as he noticed him drawing closer.

He mumbled, "Focus. Emotions. These things might work in perfect harmony with cultivation.

I might be assuming things here... but..." he creased his brows, "... I can conclude that the key to conjuring elements is to cut distractions. And have a good state of mind..."

A sudden movement disturbed the air. Zmey caught a cold. He sighed, relieving the tension that clung to his heart now. He knew what the matter was.

"I will talk for a moment," Magnus's voice resonated with depth, bringing everyone's glances upwards. Today, his expression spoke of one thing—frankness.

To him, these few were those who did not quite fit into his teaching area.

"You can leave this place right away. Failing in this mission won't get you expelled. But your colleagues will have had better experiences than you.

They will enter the competition area very soon. Likewise, you will fall behind a grade. You must wait until the sanctuary recruits more newbies. The awesome ones will get to tame beasts earlier and also soon become..."

Zmey cut in.

"I still want to give it a try."

He raised his hand. Eyes flushed towards him. Was he sick in the head?

Magnus turned to him. Zmey held his stare.

"And why?" Magnus asked in a simple tone.

Zmey smirked without making a sound. "You seem to have forgotten the last day hasn't passed yet. The ultimatum isn't over until tomorrow."

Magnus squared his back. "This is my class. Folks that learn under me don't have the say here..."

"... In the name of authority, will you sacrifice preying on potential students' hopes?" Zmey cut in again. Surprise took Magnus back, and his expression revealed his shock.

...

Magnus then said in a dismissive tone, "Eat your balls if you can't surprise me. A month of detainment will help you get back on track due to your rudeness towards a superior."

Zmey received the message. He then sat on the terrain, crossing his legs.

He sighed. Everyone looked at him. This was his chance to either prove his assumption or indeed eat his balls trying to.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he felt like he was floating in something. In his fourth reincarnation, he was a thaoist, and meditation was one of his thing.

He focused on his breathing, imitating his old habit. Then, a feeling rushed through him. He felt overwhelmed by it. If he could balance cultivation with focus and emotional state, he hoped he could do this.

In consequent few seconds, he could feel movements beneath his skin, from his lower body to the upper one. Then, he began lifting his hands, as if he had known to do so beforehand.

Not the shivers around his fingernails were important. But the warmth gathering there.

Taking everyone by surprise, medium-sized fireballs danced inches over Zmey's two palms. That was very astonishing! Everyone else could conjure one.

Zmey's chest tightened all at once. A sharp ache struck his head like a sledgehammer, making him feel a deep sadness.

But he kept on taking gentle breaths afterwards. He kept on reminding himself - the key were focus and emotional stability.

Magnus crossed his arms. '... 19, 20, 21...'

The jaws of the onlookers dropped as they as well counted the duration over twenty seconds.

'Rude, but worth the wait. Seems we have a genius this year... commendable.'

Afterwards, he asked Zmey to wrap it up. Then asked him to explain his approach. Zmey did that, and that fueled the others with determination.

They returned to the terrains and gave it another shot. The guy alike to Zmey did his first, holding a fireball for thirty seconds. And like a dream... everyone conjured theirs as well for as little as twenty seconds.

Magnus couldn't deny that this performance amazed him. The tip had helped the others. But, it also increased the number of beast tamers joining the upcoming competition.

"Well, then. We're done here."

The Archsage's voice echoed through the expanse. And in the next second, everyone vanished.