As it's claws sliced through the air with deadly precision, Mason felt a surge of instinct propel him to the side. In an instant, he was swallowed by shadows, the world around him blurring into a haze.
The ground trembled beneath the impact of the beast's strike, sending debris flying as he vanished from view. As the wolf-beast lost sight of him, it swiftly followed it's nose.
Perceiving the scent of a young human, it turned to it's back and Mason standing in it's field of vision, he was silent, his silky hair casted a shadow over his eyes and he had no expression on his face.
The wolf-beast growled fiercely, lifting its massive right hand into the air once again, sharp claws glinting ominously. It swung down with ferocity toward Mason's face. In a split second, Mason tilted his neck to the left, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his right palm forward, pressing it firmly against the chest of the towering wolf-beast.
His energy surged through his arms and gathered in his palm. With a swift motion, he unleashed a telekinetic wave that hit the wolf like a hammer, crushing his chest in an instant.
The force of the telekinetic wave split the earth beneath him, leaving jagged cracks spidering through the ground—a silent testament to the level of overwhelming power he had attained.
The wolf-beast collapsed, lifeless, its body hitting the ground with a dull thud. Mason stood motionless, his head bowed, eyes fixed on the earth—as if held in place by an unseen, mysterious force.
[Skill (Bloodlust Of The Assassin) has been deactivated]
He snapped back to his senses as the skill [Bloodlust of the Assassin] faded on its own. His head reeled, as if he'd been violently spun in circles. At the critical moment, his system had triggered the dormant skill instinctively—just in time to save his life.
"Ugh, my head. What happened?"
[You have killed a C-rank Beast.]
[You have gained ×4 Spirit points]
[Level Up!]
"Wait what? A C-rank beast?" He stood in silence, eyes fixed on the wolf's lifeless body, lost in thought.
It seemed the principal had conveniently omitted some crucial details—details that could have made all the difference in clearing the first stage.
"It can't be."
After the details of the beast resurfaced in his mind now that it lay dead, he shot to his feet. His eyes widened in alarm as the truth suddenly clicked into place.
"I see, tch, why do they make things more difficult than it has to be." He muttered under his breath, then took off running deeper into the city, driven by the urgency of his discovery.
From a secluded chamber within the examination hall, the principal and the two recruiters observed silently from a holographic screen as the events of the first stage unfolded before them.
There were many aspiring talents, but what caught their eyes the most, most especially the principal, was the boy from the lower faction, the D-rank spirit caster, Mason Harris.
"Did you see that?" Leon asked, his eyes fixed on the screen as it replayed the wolf beast's final moments for the third time, each second more unsettling than the last.
"I felt the change in his spiritual energy, and those movements, they weren't the movements of a D-rank caster as he leads us to believe in his registration, and that technique, what was that?"
From their perspective, the moment he placed his hand on the beast's chest, it died, they had no clue about his telekinetic abilities.
"Lead us in his registration? What are you talking about? Didn't the orb of awakening say he's D-rank?"
"D-rank? You still believe that even after witnessing him dodging my crimson fist? No, he's no D-rank caster. Besides, there is no such thing as the Orb of awakening."
"What!?"
"That's right, what you call the Orb Of Awakening is actually an ancient artifact that multiplies an individuals spiritual energy."
"Wait wait! Boosts an individual spiritual energy? So you're telling those students we recruited from that school were really below an average caster!?"
"All except Mason Harris, in fact the only reason we went to that wretched school was to recruit Mason Harris on the principal's orders under the pretence that we are recruiting capable casters."
Leon couldn't believe his ears, all this time he thought he was recruiting capable spirit casters, only to discover that he was used as a pawn.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He questioned, furiously.
"Relax brother, it was a secret mission, all in all we did end up having to recruit spirit casters, though it remains to be seen if they can actually pass the exams." She replied with a demeanor so calm, it was nerve wrecking.
"What's so special about that boy that she had to go through all that trouble?"
"Who knows? What is so special about him principal selena?" Lillian asked, but received only silence in reply.
"Principal Selena?" They turned around, only to find that she had vanished from the room without a trace.
[Caster's Academy]
[Principal's office]
Selena stormed into her office, slamming the door behind her and locking it with a quick, decisive click.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red, her eyes shimmering with the threat of tears. Pressing her thighs tightly together, she steadied herself and, with effort, made her way to the chair before sinking into it.
"That was a little to close for comfort." She let out a shaky sigh, reaching across her desk to grab a thick folder stuffed with documents. At the top right corner, a cropped photo of Mason Harris stared back at her—sharp, serious, and impossible to ignore.
"At long last, you're finally here, Mason Harris."
As she whispered his name, her entire appearance shifted. Her once black eyes turned a piercing crimson, and her golden hair seemed to glow with unnatural light. Blood-red lipstick painted her lips, which curled into a chilling smile that stretched just a little too wide—unnervingly inhuman.
She was no longer just the principal of the Spirit Caster's Academy. She was the woman Mason had encountered on the roadside during his awakening—the same mysterious figure who had haunted his memories.
She was the woman from the accident.