----[POV: Sun-Jung]
As my muscles bulged, my veins threatened to burst through my skin, fueled by a rush of power I hadn't felt in ages. My aura surged, increasing tenfold, as I retrieved my personal creation - a broadsword - from my storage ring.
I stood, straightening my posture, and faced Tae-yang, who had frozen in his tracks as he approached me.
"You've made a grave mistake," I growled.
Tae-yang sneered, swinging his blood axe in the air. "Oh, have I? Then I'll have to correct that mistake. Come at me!"
As we charged at each other, I could feel the heat of the flames licking at my skin. Tae-yang swung his blood axe, but I deftly sidestepped and retaliated with a swift strike from my broadsword.
He parried my attack, and we continued to exchange blows, each hit sending shockwaves through my body.
Suddenly, Tae-yang let out a roar, and the ground beneath me shook.
I stumbled but managed to keep my balance as a massive demon emerged from the flames, its eyes fixed on me.
Tae-yang grinned triumphantly, and I knew I had to act fast.
Gathering my strength, I leapt into the air and brought my broadsword down with all my might.
The blade sliced through the demon's flesh, and it let out a deafening screech before collapsing into a heap of charred bones.
With the demon vanquished, Tae-yang renewed his attack, swinging his blood axe in a vicious arc.
I ducked and dodged, but he was relentless, and soon I found myself backed up against a wall of flames.
I knew I had to make a move, and fast. So I channelled all my power into my broadsword and swung with all my might.
The blade glowed with a brilliant light, and a shockwave emanated from the point of impact. Tae-yang stumbled backwards, his blood axe falling to the ground.
"You... how?" Tae-yang gasped, grasping for breath, his mind in a state of confusion. I could see the fear in his eyes as he realized that he had been defeated.
But I knew I didn't have much time before I lost consciousness, so I didn't waste any words.
Instead, I leapt forward with a speed that surprised even myself and swung my broadsword with all my might.
The blade sliced through Tae-yang's neck like butter, separating his head from his body in a single swift motion. His lifeless body fell to the ground, blood gushing from his neck.
The last thing I saw before succumbing to the darkness was his lackeys' horrified expressions as they ran towards me, their weapons at the ready.
----[POV End]
White chains erupted from the ground, impaling all four lagoons of Tae-yang and tearing them apart.
"That Axe even matches my hair colour, no?", looking at the destruction, Ruby remarked,
I replied, "It's a sealed weapon, at least above the SSS class. Consider yourself lucky."
Ruby started moving towards Tae-yang's body.
"I never consider myself unlucky," she said.
I replied sarcastically, "Yeah, sure."
Aura is a life force that exists within all living beings, but it is not as widespread as Aether.
However, saturating one's body with Aura and pushing it to its limit can deplete a significant amount of life force, equivalent to three or four hundred years.
Unfortunately, the creation of this universe is incapable of such an accomplishment. This leads to only one conclusion: the protagonist's so-called 'System' is not what it appears to be.
I could detect a reversal in the flow of Aura within Sun-Jung's body, indicating a superior level of energy control. Normally, such a reversal would result in self-corruption.
"We need to clean up this area and remove the barrier that is concealing us from the patrol instructors," I said.
"<Zóni Antistrofís>", As I spoke these words, the area within the barrier's perimeter began to reverse and return to its original state.
Zóni Antistrofís or Reversal Zone in English; creates a zone in which all nonliving and living things start to reverse their state.
For example, if there are broken pieces of glass within the zone, they will start to reassemble and form a complete glass object.
The charred remains of the trees began to stir with renewed life, as the scorched earth beneath our feet erupted in a vibrant display of regeneration.
The thick veil of smog that had previously obscured our presence dissipated, revealing us.
As Tae-yang's lifeless body lay before us, a small but significant tattoo on his neck began to smoulder and burn, marking the beginning of the fourth chapter in the story.
"Grab him, and I'll carry her to the instructors," Ruby said, gesturing towards the unconscious Sun-Jung and Ji-Ho.
I said to Ruby, "Don't just walk in with a straight face, act scared or they might get suspicious," as I lifted Sun-Jung.
"Got it," Ruby replied.
As we made our way back to the reporting area, we were surprised to see a large number of cadets present, many of whom were injured and receiving treatment from the nurses in a secure infirmary camp.
Mun-Hee and a group of nurses came running towards us as she held Ji-Ho and asked,
"What happened? Do you need help?"
"A lot of devils were on our route, we don't know how they found us. We barely escaped," Ruby explained, gasping for breath.
Her demeanour shifted from dominant to weak and scared as she burst into tears, hugging Mun-Hee.
I thought to myself, 'What the hell? How come no one is attending to me? I was with her too.'
"Uh...he's injured too," I said to the nurses, motioning to Sun-Jung. Two of them rushed over with a stretcher and carefully placed him on it.
"You both need to rest inside the camp. Doctors will be conducting full body check-ups on you soon," Mun-Hee instructed, gesturing towards the camp behind her.
She leaned in closer and whispered to me, "Take care of her for now."
"Okay," I nodded, supporting Ruby as we made our way to the camp. There were already five other cadets inside.
"You can stop pretending now," I whispered to Ruby, hoping to ease her tension. Instead, she hugged me even tighter.
"..."
Three long hours had passed since the check-ups had started, leaving many cadets with a look of fear etched on their faces.
Some were even missing, with no trace of their whereabouts. It was a sombre atmosphere, with a palpable tension hanging in the air.
Despite this, the instructors remained steadfast, exuding the same positive energy and vitality as always, showing no signs of exhaustion.
As we waited in the infirmary camp, huddled together in small groups, a sudden voice resounded from outside the camp, calling for our attention. It was time to gather in one place.
I gently shook Ruby, who had fallen asleep on my chest, her arms still wrapped tightly around me.
I didn't want to disturb her, but we had to attend the gathering. "Wake up", I whispered, trying not to startle her.
She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at me with a dazed expression before realizing where she was and quickly getting up.
We joined the other cadets as we made our way to the designated area.
The loudspeaker crackled as the voice of Xander Montgomery echoed throughout the academy, commanding everyone's attention. "Listen up, all of you," he began in a stern voice,
"There have been complaints of incompetence and dissatisfaction with the academy's training program. But let me remind you, the admission process clearly states that you are responsible for your own life.
We are not here to hold your hand every step of the way. We are here to guide you and assist you, but it's up to you to take the necessary steps to survive in this hellish environment."
Xander's voice grew even more intense as he continued, "If you have issues with the program, you can complain to the higher-ups, but any attempt to take revenge or sabotage the program will not be tolerated.
This is not a game, and we will not hesitate to remove anyone who poses a threat to the safety of the academy or their fellow cadets."
He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd, making sure that his words had sunk in.
"Remember, if you can't handle the pressure of this training, if you're scared to enter the depths of hell, then you have no business becoming an Auror. We need the best of the best, those who are willing to push themselves to their limits and beyond".
"Listen up, cadets," Xander called out from the podium.
"We've got a portal ready for you to head back to the academy. Before you go, please form a line and refrain from rushing. Your results will be posted on the notice board and will affect your first-semester grades, so keep an eye out for that".
He added, "And remember, you're here to learn and become Aurors, not just to survive. So, let's make the most of this experience and learn from it."
Xander's authoritative voice boomed across the area, commanding our attention. We immediately formed a neat line and waited patiently for our turn to step through the portal.
As we passed through, the air around us began to shift and change. The familiar surroundings of the hellish environment faded away and were replaced by the clean and crisp air of the academy.
But despite being back in familiar territory, a sense of unease still lingered in the air. Every cadet knew that the results of the first semester would soon be posted, and they would have a significant impact on their future as Aurors.
But what I was eagerly anticipating was the moment when Sun-Jung would wake up and reveal a completely different persona as this marked the end of the prologue of the story.
R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only