SWNOVELXO Chapter 24: Tier System
The next day arrived like clockwork, and just like every morning, Ares had finished all his usual routines before heading out to classes.
Jareth had taken them around the same punishing running course, and afterward he handed out points just like before.
Sylas - +20pts (total: 250pts)
Ares - +15pts (total: 220pts)
Lysandra - +10pts (total: 215pts)
Maelia - +5pts (total: 175pts)
Ares had climbed the rankings and now sat firmly in second place. His hard work was finally showing results, but this didn't mean he could get lazy now. After their brutal morning run, they headed to the Echovault where Ethan brought them into the classroom.
Ethan stood in front of the seats with another glowing core in his hands. He wore a grin that made him look like a cat who'd found a bowl of cream, and the four trainees couldn't help but worry about whatever evil plan was brewing in his mind.
He cleared his throat, breaking the nervous tension as he spoke. "Alright, it's a new day and a new test. Before we start anything, walk over to that socket on the wall and put your rings into the circle."
The group of trainees did exactly as they were told, walking over to the wall socket near the room's entrance. After placing their rings into the fitted circles, they all saw a glowing message appear in the air like a ghost made of light.
"10 merit points deducted from Ares Eisenklinge for 3 hours in the Echovault. Current balance: 210pts."
They all received similar messages showing their merit points dropping, and when they turned around, they saw Ethan grinning from ear to ear like he'd just won the lottery. Clearly, their hard-earned points served as his bread and butter, even the instructors needed merits to survive at the Cradle.
The group returned to their usual spots in their chairs, and Ethan placed the echo core on a stand before turning to face them like a teacher about to deliver an important lesson.
"I'll keep this short and sweet. I just remembered that I forgot to mention something yesterday, and someone who was clearly eavesdropping told me I had to explain it today. So here we go."
"In our world, we have monsters, lots and lots of them. They've soaked up so much magical energy over the years that they've changed and grown way beyond what they used to be. You could say they adapted and evolved into something much more dangerous."
He began pacing around the room as he explained, his hands gesturing like he was painting pictures in the air. "Most monsters are ranked just like us, so the same magical power levels apply to them. You should have figured this out after yesterday's slime explosion, but the highest we've ever seen is Grandmaster rank. We haven't discovered any monsters at Ascendant level yet."
He stopped in his tracks and started walking in the opposite direction, like a soldier doing patrol duty. "Now there's another way we rank monsters, and this is based on how much damage they can cause. We call it the tier system, and it goes from 1 to 4."
He began counting on his fingers like he was teaching kindergarten students. "Tier 1 - Minor Threats. These can easily be handled by trainees like yourselves with just a little experience. Tier 2 - City Menaces. These are threats that can wreck entire towns, and they need Advanced to Expert rank fighters to stop them. Tier 3 - Strategic Threats. These nasty creatures can be dealt with by either a Master rank fighter or a whole team of Experts working together. They're extra dangerous because they're actually smart enough to plan attacks. Finally, Tier 4 - Regional Disasters. These monsters would squash you like a bug, only a Grandmaster can handle them without breaking a sweat."
He walked back to the front of the class and picked up the glowing core, holding it like it contained something precious and deadly. "Today you'll face another novice-level creature. After this lesson, you're all free to come here and practice on your own after your daily classes end. But when you want to fight something stronger like an intermediate-level monster, I'll need to be here to supervise and make sure you don't get yourselves killed."
His eyes swept across the trainees like a hawk searching for its next meal before stopping on Lysandra. "You! You're today's guinea pig. Let's see what you've got."
Lysandra was already feeling frustrated about Ares's steady progress, and now a spotlight had been thrown directly on her. She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white as she steeled her resolve. Today she would prove she wasn't weak. Today she would show Ares and everyone else that she was a true Eisenklinge through and through.
– – –
The ring's lights dimmed as Ethan carried the Volt Zibrax core toward the stone platform.
He placed it carefully into the circular indent at the top of the pillar.
Click.
The core snapped into place, not with the gentle sound they'd heard yesterday, but with a sharp crack like breaking glass. The magical lines carved into the ring flared to life instantly, reacting to the wild, unstable energy of the creature trapped inside.
Thin white lines blazed at each corner of the hexagon carved into the floor. The light raced along all six edges, one section at a time, until the entire shape glowed with steady electrical blue light. From the base of the stone pillar came a low humming sound that grew stronger and more intense. The core glowed brighter and brighter, then pulsed once with a deep, echoing thump that sent waves of crackling energy rushing outward into the ring.
Ethan quickly stepped back as the core sank slightly into the platform.
Instead of the gentle mist and light beams they'd seen before, the air above the ring began to twist and warp. Visible static ripples formed a crackling dome of energy. The stone floor beneath the center began throwing off sparks, with burned symbols hissing and smoking from overcharged magical power.
The core inside the platform pulsed like an irregular heartbeat. Electric sparks jumped and danced across the floor like tiny lightning bolts looking for something to strike.
From the center of the ring, a single burst of brilliant white light exploded upward, like a miniature lightning strike contained in a bottle.
A small form appeared in the air, blurry at first, then becoming clearer as it took shape. It was a chubby, fluffy creature that looked almost cute, except for the raw electrical energy crackling all around it. Its stubby little arms and legs hovered just above the floor, held up by some kind of magnetic force. Bright yellow eyes flickered like warning lights on a dangerous machine.
The creature bobbed gently in the air, its movements completely unpredictable and random.
The light ring solidified around the hexagon's edges. Static electricity continued to arc between the carved symbols and the ring's boundaries like a light show gone wrong.
Without any warning, the Volt Zibrax suddenly popped sideways, disappearing in a blink of speed, then reappeared just inches from the stone edge with a sharp buzzing sound. Its round body pulsed once, then released a tiny shock wave that lit up the air around it with brief, dancing arcs of electricity.
It made no sound. No growling or roaring.
Just the pressure of building energy.
And unpredictable movement.
And the constant threat of getting zapped.
Lysandra stepped into the ring, her hand resting on her sword's handle. Her jaw was set in determination, but her eyes showed just a hint of nervousness as she watched the electric creature dance through the air like a living lightning bug.
"Remember," Ethan called out from the safety zone, "this one's all about speed and electricity. Don't try to grab it, and watch out for—"
ZAP!
The Volt Zibrax vanished again, reappearing right behind Lysandra with a crackling buzz that made everyone's hair stand on end.
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A/N – Was it fire or mid? Don't just vanish—powerstone, comment, review. Let me feel your presence.