Evaluation

Few hours after Kali's lunch with Gio. Konrad and Theo arrived at the mansion.

"How is that child?" Konrad removed his cloak and handed it to Hoston.

"The Young Masters just shared a meal during Lunch."

"Lunch?" Konrad wondered why Hoston thought that it was important to report.

"Master Kali has been asking since you left if Master Gio has gone out of his room everyday after her morning training. I think she wanted to eat lunch together."

'That child?' Konrad thought it didn't make sense for that child to seek company.

Konrad dismissed the servants and Gio appeared behind one of the pillars at their mansion.

"Father, Brother" He greeted them respectfully.

"How is lunch?" Konrad asked directly.

". . ."

Konrad tilted his head slightly and looked at the troubled expression of his son.

"What is wrong?"

"It's nothing. She just asked when her next venture was. She wants to participate."

"How is her training going?"

"It is better to ask Sir Yurik and Vico about it or you can just watch her. She trains diligently everyday at the training grounds."

" I see. "

At the training grounds Kali was frowning when she saw Konrad and his sons sitting at the audience area. She briefly greeted them last night and nobody told her they will be watching today.

"Master Kali, His Grace said, '' You will be evaluated today for your qualification for venture out."

Her eyes twitch at a sudden announcement. She looks at them with distaste clearly written all over her face.

"She doesn't look happy." Theo said.

"We can see." Gio agrees with a straight face.

". . ." Konrad remained silent.

She walks to the weapon section and grabs her usual sparring spear while mumbling. " 'you've proven yourself' my ass. " she mockingly repeated Konrad's words.

Yurik and Kali are on standby in the sparring area. Everybody stopped their training and came to watch. Some knights start to cheer and their numbers continue to pour in the training grounds.

"Why are they here?" Konrad asked, referring to the vast number of audience.

"They came to watch the sparring," Vico said from behind.

". . ."

At the start of the fight the usual Kali's first to attack remained still watching Yurik intensely. Yurik smiled slightly.

'Evaluation. Can't. be. reckless.' She keeps repeating it in her mind.

Yurik charged at her and instead of countering she dodge to side and swing her spear from the ground to his side which he countered easily. She turned and attacked again to the other side of his leg and got countered again. Yurik pushes her spear away with strength and slides his sword to her spear making a screeching sound. She frowned at the high pitch sound and jumped a few steps back.

"Wooooooooooh!!" The crowd cheered. Kali is clicking her tongue internally.

Yurik charges again at her but instead of sword he swings his fist and hits her in the arm while she reflexibily guards her head.

'Fuck!' She cursed in her thoughts as she could feel the slight shake in her arm. She was careless about using her right arm seconds after the fight started.

Yurik didn't give her a chance to recover and rained her down fist and sword swing. She dodge and counter most but some made land on her.

'Did he get faster?'

She had no choice but retreat as far as possible from him then Yurik started to release a murderous aura. It's not as strong as the first time she felt it. It is a carefully controlled release. When his green eyes met hers he vanished and reappeared on her side punching her across the training ground.

Few minutes ago. . .

"I am going to evaluate her today." Konrad said

"Why all of sudden?" Yurik asked as he looked at the calm Konrad.

"Do not go easy on her." Konrad ignored his question and walked towards the audience seats.

'Sorry kid, your father told me not to get easy on you.' Yurik apologizes internally as he watches Kali fly across the field.

Kali coughed some saliva on the ground as she hugged her side. It caught her unguarded.

'Dammit. Why is everyone so strong?' She punches the floor and gets up. She spit some blood from her cut mouth and walked towards Yurik like it wasn't that painful.

She felt weak in the presence of the Count, Theo, Gio and now Yurik. The inferior feeling is getting in her head. She can get crushed any moment they like, She hates it. She hated it and hated it more. She kept cursing.

'Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. I need stronger power then I'll beat the hell out of every one of you.'

Her whole body is shaking from anger and frustration. Her killing intent is pouring out her body making the bystanders step back. She stole the air in their lungs. The knights begin to grind their teeth at the battle of aura.

*Ting*

~ □●. ○• For-■□ activ~

The appearance of the system's floating screen is hazy. There are several symbols in between letters and unusual blank spaces are displayed .

*Ting *Ting * Ting * Ting

~F■¤○■•¿ S■□○○~

The system screen keeps popping out with unreadable messages like it is restarting the message over and over again.

*Ting*

~Commencing Forced Activation of Hidden Skill~

*Ting*

[Player can use "BLOOD LUST Lvl 1"]

Kali half consciously activated her new skill Blood Lust. Yurik didn't know what happened but something sucked him trapped inside an endless dark space. Nothing to see, hear, or feel. He can't move but his legs are shaking, his skin crawled and he is sweating. He doesn't know what it is but something is coming and it is very fast.

'Thi--this feeling. . . it feels.' He thought with his eyes open as wide as he could stretch. He calmed himself and collected his scattered thoughts.

His vision successfully returned. He is back at the training ground with a spear tip a few cm away from his eye. The intimidating aura made his legs give out but he used his sword to support himself.

'wh, what happened?' He looked ahead and saw 10meter high of transparent blue and white mana wall and the spear tip was trapped in the middle. At the side of mana wall, Yurik saw Gio with his hands opened upwards as his coat fluttered from behind him showing both his arms full of tattoos. Cold air is circulating around the vast training ground.

At the other side of the wall. Kali has been knocked down by Konrad by hitting her neck and catching her in his arms. Theo crushed the spear's body from their side. It was crushed to dust in seconds.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Konrad carried Kali in his arms and walked towards the exit followed by his sons while everyone was still suffering from overwhelming shock.

*Clap* Clap*

Vico claps his hand to get everyone's attention.

"Those in duty return to your post and everyone else takes a good rest."

One by one the knights begin to disperse. Some are still out of it and some are muttering something.

Vico looked at his friend who is kneeling while his sword is pierce at the ground for support. Yurik who can't seem to control his breathing and sweating was brought to his senses when Vico put his arm around his shoulder and supported him to stand up.

"Let's go to infirmary." Vico said.

Yurik remains silent until Vico helps him lay at the bed.

"What happened?" Yurik asked weakly while staring at the white ceiling.

"His grace and the young masters stopped the attack."

". . ." He put his arms in his eyes to cover it.

"Why did you just stay still?" Vico can't help but ask. He saw the unmoving Yurik when Kali charged at him with clear intention to end him.

Yurik bit his lips. He remembers it clearly. The dark cold space. There is nothing there. It's suffocating.

"----" Yurik mumbled.

"What? What did you say?"

****

"Do you have to hit her that hard?" Theo asked without looking at Konrad who calmly drinks his tea.

". . ."

"Most likely she will wake up in 3days." Theo continued as they all stared at sleeping Kali.

They fell into silence.

"What is it?" Konrad gives a side glance at Gio. That expression is the same as yesterday. He looked troubled.

"Father, what was that?" Gio referring to the incident earlier. Konrad, who had thought about it, remembered Kali's smiling face as she sliced off flesh from the monsters. Her way of killing is brutal and quick. What she showed earlier is undeniably dangerous. To others she looked dangerous but only few felt the severity of her bloodlust. It was mad and hungry. Yurik as the recipient must have had it hard.

She is overflowing with desire to tear him apart, an immense craving.

Nobody answered Gio's question because the reason why they are in this room is to make sure she doesn't come out here with that kind of desire.

Kali opened her eyes and pulled herself up. She touches her throbbing head and groans. Her eyes returned to black in color.

Nobody didn't make any sound as they watched her groan in pain.

'Did she just wake up?'

'Did father hold back earlier?'

'. . .'

"Ah. huh? Why are you all here?" Kali asked when she saw them sitting at her room's receiving area. They are staring at her.

"How are you feeling?" Konrad put down his tea.

"Ughh. My neck hurts. Ah. Aww." She tried cracking it but she cringed in pain.

"Do you remember what happened?" Gio asked.

"What happened? . . . hmm. . . Training, Ohh. . . Did I pass?"

'She didn't remember?'

'Did father make her forget?'

'. . .'

"Is Sir Yurik Dead?" She asked straightly, undisturbed , of her actions.

"You remember trying to kill Yurik?" Konrad looks scaringly cold to Kali. She swallowed her saliva. She knows the best way to deal with this kind of situation is honesty.

"Yes."

"Why?"

". . ."

"Let me repeat it again. Why ? Why did you try to kill Yurik?"

She felt numb but she forced herself to answer. "Need to stay alive. "

Konrad stopped his aura. He remembered the ordeal this child had to endure. The punctured marks and her burn marks might be the results of her past sufferings she had to go through. The moment Yurik directed his malice to her, He became someone dangerous to her.

Konrad and Theo understand the meaning behind Kali's answer but Gio is not convinced in her answer.

'What about the Knights yesterday?' he thought.