Chapter 1598: The First Test The participants had gathered and were arranged in a large circle within the inner arena. The man who had addressed them, a grizzled Knight Assessor, raised his hand. The first part of the test, he announced, was a simple stamina test. The Assessor instructed everyone to run around the track in continuous circles, but there was one caveat to it, a cruel twist designed to force strategy over pure endurance: If the person at the front lapped the last one, the individual at the very end would be considered out of the race. At first, everyone started to run at a comfortable, general pace and were keeping up with each other, conserving energy. Most of those who were taking part seemed fit, but a few were already struggling and panting heavily after the fourth lap. The field of fifty runners was quickly stretching out, creating a long, unwieldy line. “We should move up to the front,” Kai said quietly, his breathing even. “If someone tries something or does something unexpected, we can react to it in time. We need clear space to maneuver.” The three agreed immediately. They started to quicken their stride, moving smoothly along the leaders. To their surprise, Siz, the young man who had spoken to them earlier, was keeping up with them as well, proving to be relatively fit despite his earlier nervousness. It was just as they expected, they hadn’t completed the sixth lap when Oppo and his Rock Guild members decided to make their move. They started to run ahead, but they had only done so slightly, picking up the pace just enough to position themselves near the front of the middle third of the pack. They were holding a steady, quick tempo, but not attempting to catch the absolute leaders. “What are they doing? If they run at that speed, they’re going to tire themselves out. It’s only been five laps; surely people are going to be able to run for longer than that,” one of the confused participants near Gary commented. The answer became clear a moment later. Oppo had given a subtle signal, a quick nod towards the back, and right then and there, one of their lighter-weight guild members had started to run, practically sprinting around the track from the rear. This runner was named Fenix, a wiry man whose heavy leather boots, Lupus noted immediately, were not standard. “Damn them, they’re taking advantage of their beast gear!” Siz commented, his eyes wide with recognition and frustration. “Those boots are giving him an extra boost, probably a stamina enhancement or a simple speed increase artifact!” The Assessor, a stoic man who watched with crossed arms, wasn’t saying anything. It seemed this method, using high-level, purchased gear to gain an advantage in a standardized test, was very much allowed, perhaps even encouraged to demonstrate resourcefulness and preparation. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 When Fenix started sprinting, no one panicked at first. That was until Fenix could soon see the entire group in his sight from behind, closing the gap quickly. He started to run faster, and it was quite clear that he was going to catch up to and pass the last person within the next minute. Immediately seeing the threat, everyone started to pick up the pace and attempted to sprint away from Fenix. They were suddenly forced to exhaust energy they had planned to conserve for the long haul. Yet, it was a little too late. The front runner, Fenix, had closed the distance dramatically and passed the person at the very end. “You’re out!” The Assessor shouted, his voice ringing across the arena. “And another one! Out!” The word "Out" was being heard a lot more often as Fenix had continued to pass person after person. The group knew they could no longer conserve their energy and attempted to sprint, burning through their reserves in a desperate panic. They were running not to win, but to survive the thinning ranks. But as they sprinted, they realized they had hit another wall. The members of the Rock Guild that were up ahead, Oppo and three others, were positioned specifically to block their way. They constantly moved laterally, slowed down abruptly in unison, and even subtly kicked right behind them, ensuring anyone attempting to pass would trip or veer off course. “Move! This is not fair! Get out of the way!” a contestant shouted, a desperate edge to his voice. Everyone was getting frustrated, and with Fenix behind them moving past more and more people, they knew they needed to do something. Oppo, meanwhile, wore a triumphant, cold grin, clearly enjoying the chaos and the despair he was causing. “Should I knock them out of the way?” Lupus asked, his eyes narrowing as he calculated the precise amount of force needed to sideline Oppo without drawing immediate scrutiny from the Knight Assessor. Kai, who had maintained a calm, steady rhythm despite the turmoil, shook his head slightly. “I don’t think the Assessor would care if you did, but remember what Jored said: we have to show off, right? We can’t just use blunt force; we need finesse that proves we’re worth the effort. They want to see potential beyond simple brute strength or gear.” He paused, a dangerous, calculating smile spreading across his face. “I guess it’s time for me to show something.” Fenix was continuing to pass contestant after contestant, and about fifteen "outs" had already been heard. The pack had consolidated tightly, creating a fairly large blockade of people who were desperately trying to get past the Rock Guild at the front. Siz, driven by sheer desperation and the knowledge that failure meant more waiting, tried to push through a small gap. That’s when Oppo, moving with practiced malice, swung his heavy, armored leg back hard and kicked Siz right on the shin. Siz yelped in pain and immediately lost his footing. The force of the kick, combined with his running momentum, sent him tumbling to the ground and rolling into the inner dirt circle, a clear target for the man sprinting up from behind. Immediately, Gary had stopped, his own protective instincts overriding the test. “Damn these guys!” Gary shouted, his fists clenching as he looked at Siz struggling on the floor. Siz scrambled quickly to get up off the ground, clutching his leg, but the front runner, Fenix, was right behind him and was ready to get right past him. Fenix grinned, seeing a guaranteed ’out’ as he prepared to leap over the downed contestant. “Damn it, damn it, not again!” Siz said, standing up on shaky legs and forcing himself to run, tears pricking his eyes. “I can’t take this test for a fourth time!” Fenix had a smug smile, ready to pass him and almost leapt in the air to maximize the distance, until he felt something, a sudden, crushing pressure, pull the back of his collar. The force was instantaneous and invisible, like a massive hand had grabbed only his clothes. Right after that, Fenix was yanked backwards and tumbled violently to the ground, skidding across the dirt in a shower of dust, his speed-boosting boots proving useless against the unseen force. The entire track went silent. Fenix’s tumble created a physical barrier, forcing the few runners still behind him to stop short or risk tripping. “What the!” The Rock Guild member shouted, struggling to sit up and wondering what had just happened. He could see a blonde-haired man, Kai, looking back at him over his shoulder, still running at a brisk pace but positioned perfectly now. “Sorry,” Kai called out, his voice perfectly level despite the sprint. “You were a bit too slow, and you were in my way. It seemed you were about to collide with that other runner, so I simply moved the obstacle.” *** **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out, if I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.