Chapter 9: First Technique

"If you want to talk about injustice, then talk about what happened to my sister!" Alphonse yelled as he choked back tears.

"What could possibly have happened to your sister that was more of an injustice!?" Sarah yelled as she began to cry and her kicks became even slower. Alphonse raised his right hand as he calmed himself.

"I give up..." Alphonse said as he looked down. Sarah stopped her kicks as she collapsed and fell on her knees crying. "We should talk, but not here... When we are both more mentally prepared..." Alphonse said quietly.

"Leader Sponsor 2 wins!" The ref said. Sarah looked up at Alphonse.

"F-fine..." She said as she looked away. "But you will be answering for what your father did!" She said as she got up, still crying, and walked out of the ring. Alphonse looked over to the ref who instantly looked away awkwardly.

"Where am I going?" Alphonse, who's is still choking back tears, asked the ref.

"Since you are sponsored by the leader you will go to the door on the right side of the stage and wait in that room." The ref responded without looking at Alphonse. Alphonse went to the door and entered, then waited.

The room is a giant library, each shelf is split into squares where scrolls are. In the front of the room is a desk where a man sits. The library is quite large, with several floors. "Wait over there." The receptionist said while pointing to an area with several chairs.

Alphonse walked over to the chairs and sat in one. After an hour or two, 21 people entered the library and the receptionist motioned Alphonse to come back to the desk. Alphonse did so and joined the group.

The receptionist stood up. "This is the final test. You each must choose one cultivation technique, the higher in the library you manage to reach, the better the techniques you will find, but don't expect it to be easy. You have six hours." The receptionist said lazily, then sat back down and began to read.

Each of the test-takers went up the stairs to the first set of techniques and immediately felt a pressure pushing on their bodies, all of them except Sarah and Alphonse. Alphonse and Sarah looked at their fellow examinees with confusion as they continued rushing up to the next floor.

Only six other test-takers made it to the second floor. Alphonse and Sarah still didn't feel any kind of pressure. By the third floor, Sarah began to feel a small amount of pressure and slow down while Alphonse continued up the stairs unaffected.

When Alphonse reached the fifth floor a pressure suddenly hit him, putting a strange weight onto his body. "So... You... Finally... Feel... It..." Sarah said with heavy breaths as one other examinee reached the fifth floor.

Alphonse continued to the next floor, where the weight was twice as heavy. 'So this is why everyone was having difficulties...' Alphonse thought to himself as he continued to the seventh floor. 'This is getting difficult, but I think I can make it to the next floor!' Alphonse thought to himself, determined to make it as high as possible.

Alphonse made it to the eighth floor and began to walk slowly. 'Prism, are you able to find a technique that I would have an easy time cultivating with or the best one perhaps?' Alphonse asked Prism.

{Affirmative: however, I must see the technique, so you will have to open each scroll and I will scan it. It will be difficult to scan since you cannot read.} Prism said. Alphonse picked up a scroll, then opened it. {Analyzing: Time until completion; 5 minutes.} Prism said.

'I'm gonna be here a while...' Alphonse thought to himself.

(One hour later)

{Out of the ones you have found this is the best for you, but we still have some time, so we can still check some more.} Prism said. Alphonse picked another and immediately had a good feeling.

'Check this one.' He said.

{Analyzing: 20 minutes.} Prism said.

'That is much longer than before.' Alphonse thought to himself. After twenty minutes passed Prism completed her analysis.

{This technique is simply amazing...} Prism stated with awe.

'What does it do?' Alphonse asked.

{You should choose this one, it is the best you are going to find here.} Prism said.

'But we haven't checked the others.' Alphonse responded.

{Trust me on this one, this technique will be the best thing you'll find on this floor, it is amazingly complex but simple at the same time, and its end effect...} Prism said as she went off into thought.

'Fine, but if it is bad I will never let you live it down!' Alphonse told Prism.

{Nor would I want to as that would be a failure I would never want to forget as it determines your future.} Prism responded quickly. Alphonse took the scroll and began to descend the tower library and after a little bit reached the bottom, one of the first to have finished their selection.

Alphonse walked over to the front desk and placed the scroll on it. After a few moments, the receptionist looked away from his book and saw the scroll, but no one was there. "Who put this here?" He asked.

Alphonse raised his hand and shocked the receptionist. The receptionist stood up and looked over the desk. "You are... Small... How old are you?" He asked. Alphonse shrugged.

"Older than 6." Alphonse responded.

"Do you know the year you were born?" He asked.

"450 I think." Alphonse said.

"You are nine years old!? You are a bit small for your age, aren't you?" The receptionist said with a shocked tone, though his facial expression didn't change.

"I was underfed back home." Alphonse said lightly.

"Anyways, this is the technique you want to use?" The receptionist asked. Alphonse nodded. "Alright, let me take a look at what floor it is from and what technique it is, you still have a chance to choose another one if it doesn't suit you." The receptionist said.

He opened the scroll and skimmed through its contents. "The eighth floor!?" The receptionist yelled with a shocked expression. Each of the examinees who have returned looked at Alphonse and began to whisper. "Did you actually make it to the eighth floor?" The receptionist asked.

"Why else would I have this?" Alphonse asked in response.

"Alright..." The receptionist said as he continued to look through the scroll. "Put your hand here." He said as he pointed to a certain area on the scroll. Alphonse did as he was told. "You have great affinity for this... Surprisingly..." He said.

"Why is it surprising?" Alphonse asked.

"It is hard to find someone with affinity for every type of cultivation... Wait, did you even read this?" The receptionist asked.

"I was never taught... Never really had... time..." Alphonse said.

"Then... How did you choose this?" The receptionist asked.

"I grabbed it and had a really good feeling as if it was a good match." Alphonse said. "Plus Prism scanned it and was totally right." Alphonse whispered under his breath as Prism triumphantly giggled.