The time kept on ticking slowly and the four people were struggling a lot, especially the blonde guy and the black-haired girl. They were barely able to move their hands at first but when the time passed the one-minute mark, they totally lost their ability to even concentrate and solve the puzzle.
What appeared after that was nothing but desperate moves from their side to do anything that could be interpreted as an attempt to solve the puzzle. They had utterly been crushed under the immense pressure exuded by Thyrus.
'Damn it!!' thought the two as they fought the urge to fall unconscious. They had been aware of the difficulty of the test but they never thought it would be this hard or that they would be crushed this easily. It was frustrating and painful. What made that feeling stronger is the other two people who were undergoing the test.
Acht and Tania were also having a hard time but they were also moving quickly to finish the puzzle. They were able to handle the pressure calmly and that calmness made their work easier.
But, that didn't mean that they could last like that forever. Tania for example was starting to get overwhelmed by the pressure and her extremely beautiful face was as pale as a sheet of paper. Beads of sweat trickled down her face and a strong frown made her look even more intimidating.
As for Acht, he was by far the least affected. His speed was incomparably higher than the others and his complexion was also way better than Tania and the others. But, he was also having a lot of trouble.
'Fuck, I won't be able to complete the puzzle with this speed. What should I do?' His mind was exhausted as he thought of every possible outcome while also keeping track of how to solve the puzzle.
'I have less than a minute to complete and I still have ? of the puzzle left.' he gritted his teeth lightly and tried to speed up even more. But, such a thing was impossible to do since he was already using all of his strength to move like that.
Soon enough, he felt that barrier that was holding him from increasing his pace and got even more annoyed. 'You think I can't break my limit! Don't fucking underestimate me!'
His prideful attitude got the best of him under such harsh conditions and he could only allow it to control his thought process. He was the greatest hitman to have ever lived, an unbeatable monster that never felt the sour feeling of failure. He was a great figure for many and for himself as well. Many would consider it arrogance, but he knew very well that he was not arrogant, but he valued his abilities more than most people out there, and that mentality was his key to success.
'Come on! I'm not gonna lose her! NOT HERE!' A mad look appeared in his eyes as he kept on moving at an inhuman speed. He didn't feel it yet, but he was forcefully breaking his limit and reaching something he had never felt before.
He was attaining something that many considered an impossible feat at his current level and something way beyond his comprehension.
"Hmm?" Thyrus felt the abnormality around Acht and looked at him with confusion. The aura around the small boy started to change suddenly. Before, it was calm and controlled like the surface of a lake that was never bothered by the harsh attacks of wind. But now, it has become chaotic, strong, and unrestrained.
"What is he doin-" but before he ended his words, he realized what was happening and his eyes widened in deep shock.
"This reckless kid! Does he want to have a quick death!" He stood up and walked toward him in a hurry.
When he tried to stop Acht, another change happened, the aura that engulfed Acht and was threatening to explode any second later started calming down rapidly. The strong energy waves that it sent were also subsiding.
By the time his aura returned completely to normal, there was only 20 second left. Tania and the other two had already lost the ability to move and consequently, they couldn't complete the puzzle. As for Acht, he was very close to completing it, but he also failed to do so and the 5 minutes ended quickly.
Tania and Acht looked at each other as they breathed heavily. They were struggling to keep conscious but after the pressure was released, they were able to return to normal quickly.
'I failed…huh.' Acht was the most affected by the loss. He felt as if he was close to making it in time, but he couldn't break his limits. It was like an indestructible wall that didn't want to budge even after all of his efforts. His fists clenched tightly and he gritted his teeth as he looked down to the ground. It was extremely frustrating for him.
Thyrus kept looking at Acht for some time before shaking his head as if he decided not to do something. Then, he spoke with a calm tone.
"Hmm…unfortunately, none of you were able to complete the puzzle….in the given time."
Then, he sat down again and continued, "Don't worry though since the requirements to pass…. this last test wasn't to complete the puzzle…"
"Even though none of you did complete the puzzle…..I saw with my own eyes who were…able to handle my pressure the best…."
He then shifted his eyes to Tania and Acht and said, "You two…you did what I wanted from you….you handled the harsh conditions fairly well and were close to completing the…puzzle….congratulations you passed."
He then looked at the other two people who were now laying on the ground as they breathed loudly, "As for you two…you weren't able to do anything noteworthy….unfortunately, this is the end for you."
In contrast to what many would think, Acht and Tania didn't celebrate or show any reaction, especially Acht. He was totally uninterested in passing the pre-hunter exam. The fact that he didn't do something that he thought was within his capabilities bugged him a lot.
'Sigh, I can't keep myself stuck at this point…I just need to work harder and harder until I can finally be able to do anything I want.' He shook his head slowly and looked up again. He was still frustrated but he was now rational enough to calm down and try to forget about it.
He failed, that's now a reality that he had to face. What he had to do now was to know how to handle this failure and stand up again on his feet.
And with that, the Pre-Hunter Exam was finally over. It was a very straightforward and simple test that ended as quickly as it started. Yet, Acht had learned a lot from it and now, he felt motivated more than ever for the real hunter exam. He didn't want to feel helpless again and that made his resolve to pass the hunter exam even stronger.
As he stood up and was about to leave, Thyrus looked at him and muttered to himself.
"There is no way that he was about to do that, right?" He had a complicated gaze that no one could understand.
When everyone finally left, Thyrus looked behind him and said, "You could appear now."
Then, out of nowhere, a small laugh echoed in the room. It was a calm and relaxed laugh that resembled that of a child. The voice didn't seem to be hostile or evil but it had such a weird vibe to it that makes anyone who hears it feel instantly uncomfortable and scared.
"Hahaha! What an interesting kid indeed!" The voice said.
"What do you think…is it really 'that'?"
"Hmm…I couldn't inspect his body for some reason~ but, don't worry….He's what we are looking for."
"Are you sure?"
"You don't trust me anymore, little scoundrel?"
Hearing his response, Thyrus laughed loudly at his words.
"You don't know how much I don't trust you."
"But…You can't live without me, don't you?~" the playful voice whispered in Thyrus's ears and made him shudder slightly. He felt a cold sweat run down his spine.
What kind of thing could make the strongest hunter alive shudder in response? This revelation alone could send the whole world into a frenzy.
"Could you stop doing that….you know I hate your stupid pranks…"
"Stop being dishonest with me….I could give you a lot of funnnn~~~" the voice kept the same tone as it teased Thyrus relentlessly. They looked like a couple that were madly in love bickering and flirting non-stop.
Then they both disappeared from the coliseum as if they were never there. No one heard their conversation since they kept it a secret for a long time. But, would that mysterious voice stay unknown forever?
Well, that's a story for another day.
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