Cassandra and Ben were petrified. With eyes opened as wide as saucers, these 2 watched the golden-white energy that revolved around the outstretched palm of their friend with undivided attention.
They confirmed what they wanted after seconds of looking at it. This was no prank, this was the real deal, this was mystic energy!
Cassandra's eyes widened even further in astonishment as a lot of things started making sense to her, things such as Rex's sudden happiness even though he was bullied by the annoying students again on his birthday.
She turned to look at Rex with eyes glittering like stars, her excitement was tangible as she literally bubbled up and down like an excited blobfish.
"When…, did you awaken mystic energy?!"
Just like her personality, despite how excited, shocked, and happy she was for Rex at this moment, she was able to keep calm and not freak out, asking in an excited but reserved tone.
That was her though, Ben was different, he exploded forth, holding nothing back as he completely expressed his excitement!
"Holy Freaking Sh*t Bro! Mystic energy! You now have mystic energy?!"
"Hahaha, man, I'm dying! He's done it! He's f*cking done it!"
"Now, the girls can all bow down and acknowledge the beauty and might of the great Harem Emperor Rex!"
Whoosh!
Rex instinctively tried to bonk his mischievous friend on the head but having anticipated it, Ben dodged as he continued his unrestrained show of madness.
"You really did it, bro! Do you know how excited I am?"
"After so long of suffering in silence, the heavens finally answered my f*cking prayer. Let's go, let's go trash those crazy bullies!"
Despite the outlandish manner in which Ben used in expressing his excitement, despite the embarrassing choice words that he used, Rex did not refute him this time because he was also extremely excited.
Rex's eyes seemed willing to drip down some liquid, any liquid so long as it allowed him to express his emotions better, he felt extremely emotional at this moment as he shared his joy with his friends.
Ben was right, this time, heaven really answered his f*cking prayers.
After 3 years of lamenting it, hating it, despising it, and cursing at it, who knew that one day he would also be called among those who awoke mystic energy?
He was bullied mostly because he did not awaken mystic energy. In terms of weapon handling, he was the best in his battle domain, the only shortcoming that he had which put him on the backfoot before was finally remedied.
"You're right Ben! You're so f*cking right! I now have mystic energy!"
A virtual training ticket lasted only 2 hours when used by 3 students, it was after celebrating for 30 minutes that this realization dawned in and they finally stopped, feeling breathless from all the excitement.
Rex's face was still flushed red from his excited screaming even at this moment, but only his breathing could be heard as he kept quiet.
His 2 friends also kept quiet; it was like they had exactly the same thoughts going on through their minds. Rex grinned as he inclined his head to face them.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Let's duel!" Ben roared, his fighting spirit already rising to the peak.
Cassandra did not interject, her silence was her reply, she was also in on the plan of using the remaining 1 and a half hours to fight to their heart's content to gauge their friend's current limit.
"Activate 3-candidate battle arena setting!"
Once Rex said this, the virtual world changed as the arena transformed, turning into a bigger one where 3 mystic warriors could fight at the same time.
Shing!
Rex unsheathed a virtual sword from mid-air. In the virtual domain, he didn't need to bring in any physical sword since he could directly pull one out of thin air.
Once Rex pulled his sword out, Ben and Cassandra reciprocated.
They were childhood friends. Since when they were kids, Ben and Cassandra grew up as neighbors to the Vector family who were sword fanatics, all the way from Rex's father to his mother.
To them then, the sword techniques were fascinating to watch so while Rex's father taught him swordsmanship, they took the opportunity to learn also.
If Rex was not such a sword freak, they could also be called sword geniuses.
After Rex's parents died, Rex took over and taught them sword techniques. In a sense, though Rex was weaker than the both of them overall due to his lack of mystic energy before, he was still a teacher to them.
Now, the students were about to go up against the master.
They did not waste any time in drawing exaggeratedly ridiculous circles with their legs, or swiping their swords randomly the way it was depicted in movies, this was the real world and they fought the way real people fought.
Whoosh!
Rex thrust his sword for a frontal stab as he felt adrenaline rushing through his head, increasing his brain activity and body control.
Ben and Cassandra did not cower from the challenge, they took it head-on.
Ben's body briefly glowed a light green color as the wind started blowing stronger. All of a sudden, his speed became countless times faster as he rushed to the side like a speed demon before slashing from the side at his opponent.
Cassandra made sure that Rex was preoccupied with her. Like Ben, she activated her mystic ability from the onset as her body, most especially her sword was engulfed by a heavy brown glow.
She countered Rex's attack with a frontal stab of her own.
Clang!
Sparks flew everywhere as the 2 swords briefly came into contact.
Rex's eyes glowed as calculations went through his head at the pace of a computer. Yes, he had mystic energy now, he empowered his sword with it but the strength could not match with Cassandra who matched hers with her mystic ability.
Weapons and mystic abilities were all ways to channel mystic energy. It depended on how you channeled it that would determine your end result.
For a plain mystic energy empowered sword stab like his, it could not compare to Cassandra's that was empowered with the heavy earth mystic ability.
This was why as soon as both swords came into contact, Rex withdrew his immediately least the sword shattered into pieces.
While he was preoccupied with Cassandra, Ben's sword arrived like a viper sweeping towards prey amid the raging wind.
Rex anticipated it.
Whoosh!
He kicked on the arena floor and jumped as the lethal edge of the sword's blade swept below him, cutting through the hem of his trousers.
Rex made a backflip in mid-air and landed firmly on the ground, while Ben's momentum carried him to the other side where Cassandra was.
With these series of moves, Rex succeeded in cutting off the advantage that his 2 opponents tried to get by fighting him from 2 flanks. Now, they were both before him on one side and he was not about to let them play any more games.
"Drizzling Rain Steps!"
"Aurora Swordplay!"
Rex's eyes glowed golden as his mystic energy erupted unadulteratedly. At this moment, he seemed to be seeing a silhouette of his father performing this same set of martial skills and he only had to imitate him.
Once Rex activated these 2 skills, Ben and Cassandra grimaced.
Oh boy!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Rex instantly went from the defensive to the offensive as metallic ringing sounds and sparks filled the arena immediately.
He did not let up to give his 2 friends any chance, his hand was as fast as the wind, his movement as elusive as a ghost, and his swordplay as graceful as an eagle's flight as he taught his 2 friends a more direct sword lesson.
Ben and Cassandra tried repeatedly to capitalize on the advantage of their mystic ability to break the deadlock but it didn't work.
Before it worked, but now, it was like Rex was an entirely different beast.
Ptui!
Rex's sword finally cut Cassandra's shoulders as blood flew.
Rex's experience told him that the sudden injury would make Cassandra feel a little flustered, which would dull her reaction speed and he immediately capitalized on it in the most ruthless manner possible.
He no longer viewed the 2 of them as friends, they were his opponents.
At this moment, he was already consumed by the situation. He no longer saw it as a duel, it was like he was fighting a life-or-death battle.
This was part of his personality. When he gets emotionally attached to things, his inner mind was stimulated and he gets unimaginably serious.
Whoosh!
Cassandra only heard the sound of the wind passing beside her ears, which was quickly followed by that of the virtual domain A.I.
[Ding! A Candidate has been eliminated.]
With Cassandra eliminated, Ben's fate was decided.
By exploiting the speed boost granted by his mystic ability, Ben managed to give his friend 2 cut injuries before he was also obliterated.
[Ding! Another Candidate has been eliminated.]
[Winner: Rex Vector!]
*****
[NOTE: Shing! is used for when swords are being used to fight, while "Shing!" indicates when Berserker is conversing with Rex.]