The Cat O' Nine Tails

"Have no fear of atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the time."

-Bob Marley

The final test is consisted of three test, a test of control, detection and combat. The results will determined the subject of the next semester. The venue of the final test is an underground chamber know as "The Vault." In there the finals test of every students will be held. This is my class first arrangement to use the venue for our first final semester test. The slave is being assess to give an annual development of the slave animals in training, as all nanoweap will be monitored for development or misuses. Since Fang never get an assessment, this would be very interesting, because i have wondering a while about Fang and his ancient mutation.

The Vault has ten individual chambers and five team chambers. Right now all of us going to use the individual chambers. For the first batch Dean, Grey and Shawn was called in the first ten student's list. They enter the vault, after ten minutes, the door open one by one, six students come out from the room Dean, Grey and Shawn within the six people, they are all in wretched condition. Four of the students was brought out carried by a four stretcher, they are worse than the six people that just barely can walked. The six students held by hand the medics team work instantaneously, my name is called and Jean. Then i enter the room, as i enter all neural link was cut off, up above a giant glass screen showing my name an details. From the screen i can tell that the test will be indicated within the screens.

"Please willed you round nites!" A man instructed me from a speakers. I willed a sword from my round nites a drone drops down from a shaft on the ceiling, after scanning the sword the drone came back up and the shaft closed. "Mr.Reed are you ready for the test?" I nodded "please be aware that the points of your test is how long you could hold and control your weapon and your body, not how long you could withstand the distractions! Please confirmed!" I answer it "i confirmed!".

The circle around my feet lit up in blue, "Mr.Reed try to fend off the orbs we sent! Six orbs will be given, the test will be over if the six orbs is taken down!" The man said. An orb come out of the ceiling and charge at me, i fended it off. A tingling sensation on my feet coming from my feet. It was an electric shocked, every time my sword banged the orb the electric shocked zapped me, trying to stall i wait and dodge the orb, the circle begins to beeped as i dodge the beep became louder and after a pitching tone i was zapped by a strong electric shocked which almost render me unconscious and lost my controls. I get it now, i have to attacked the orb to avoid the big zaps! I just have to hit the orb as hard as i can. BANG! i take another zap, BANG!! harder the zap is constantly, its better than the big cumulative zaps after the tone. I take down the orb, holding my sword, i gaze to the board. Two orbs came down and attacked me, BANG! BANG! BANG! Three successive hits the orbs, but only one zaps occurs. This two orbs actually easier than the first orb.

BANG! BANG! BANG!!! I took down one orb and begin to attacked the last one, the difficulty level is back like the first sessions of the test. I take down the orb, catching my breath looking at the screen, the time reset, three orbs comes down to attacked me. My feet are shaking from all the zapping, i can feels my nanites trying to compensate the numbness. BANG! BANG!!! I hit as hard as i can, it took down one of the orbs. Fending more i dodge three times, took down another one, BANG!!!! The last orb is pretty agile or maybe i was getting slower, that's when i felt something with the nanites. I feel another force at my palms surging to the tip of my sword. Slashing to unleashed the orb, BANG!! This time ia different the orb instantly falls on the ground, it was frozen! Covered in ice, i looked up to the screen. It reads "successive elemental invoking" a blinking screen. "You has passed the test Mr.Reed, you now can leave the venue" a door open right behind me, and i was as wretched as the six people that came out before my turn.

After the first test we were given three hours to rest. I found out that, Dean is an Earth elementalist, Grey is a Wind elementalist, Shawn is a Lightning elementalist, which is rare. Lightning is a higher level elementalist derived from the Wind element. And Jean is a Fire elementalist, i was an Ice elementalist. Ice too a high level element derived from the Water element.

Element and Feats:

Earth - Defense

Wind - Agility

Water - Flexibility and Faster Healing

Fire - a blast charged effect on attacks

Steel higher Earth - Armor will be tripled

Lightning higher Wind - Fast Stunned

Ice higher Water - Froze and absorbed

Flame higher fire - blast and combustion

This element effect was induced with nanites control over lesser nanites. And will be developed over class upgrades.

After three hours, all students that passed are eleven people, 2 combatant and 2 engineer less. They have to repeat the semester, this was very shameful. Ten students was called into the room, and i was alone in the waiting room. Ms.Rose came to me, "Mr.Reed, only 1 out of 10 people can have a higher element. And only 1 out 20 people can have a water element as their source." She grinned at me "so you are rare indeed Mr.Reed, please do not failed the test!" She turn around and walked out the room. The doors of the vault open one by one, this time nine people walkout the room barely walking. One combatant is on a stretcher, before i can asked i was asked to enter the vault. After checking that the combatant is not Dean, Grey or Shawn. I entered the room, it was another zaps circle. "This test is a derivatives from the first one, please use the nanites to senses your surroundings! Are you ready Mr.Reed?" Gritting my teeth i answered "Ready!" Three orbs came down of the ceiling, the light is out! It was a total darkness. One of the orbs zaps me on the shoulders, "Argh!" One more zaps my waist "Arghhh!" I swings my swords blindly. My mind is brainstorming, calming down under the beeping circle that accumulating a charges to zaps me even worsen. I control my breath utilize my nanites, heat, cold, frequencies, movements and vibrations. It was suddenly a fade graphic image appearing in my monocle. I dodge one of the orb coming my way, the response is quite slow. I hit the next attacking orb BANG! A zaps hit my feet, this is three times harder than the last test, since i can't make a successive attack other than one orb at a time. BANG! I continue to hit it, after a couple of zaps, i have got an idea! "I was an idiots!!" I remembered the frozen orb the last one from my previous test. I invoked my ice element, a tingling sensation begins to erupt from inside into the very tip of my sword. "Element detected, enhancing shield effectiveness by 50%" the system rang on me. "SHIT!" i shouted, an adjustment to my skills! I attacked the orb that attacked me, BANG! It was a bit frozen but still operating wobbly. The wobbly orb attack only if the two was diverting me. Zapping me all over, the circle makes me out focus my element attacked. After a couple of times i manage to take down the wobbly orb, and then the second orb. After the second orb falls down, "activating light wave!" The third orb begins shooting a rays of waves. I cursed the system for it, the orb now has an ability to do a range attacks. On my senses i can see that every time after a zaps on my front it will try to flank me from the side with a psychical attack. So i bid my time, i calmed my breath. The orb wave came! I dodge! Turning my grip i hack from below as half jumping in the air releasing my ice elemental attacked! The orb falls down. The lights went up three broken orb frozen. The last one i just hacked down is splits in halves, frozen in both cuts. I looked up the screen just blinking "nanites detection successfully invoked" and the door just opened behind me, entering the waiting room, four people is clapping. It was my team mates, Dean and Grey picks me up i barely have the strengths to walked. I grinned my face and looked them "that circle is a bitch!" They laughs as holding my shoulders. "We know!" Dean said. "Really right!" Grey agrees with me. They give us three more hours to rest and recuperate.

For the last test, we were given a choice to work as a team or take the exam as solos.

The two test was the passing test, the third test was an access test. Access test divided on two subject, team test and individual test. Since the individual test could be taken anytime within the next semester, the team test is recommended to be taken right away. Consulting via neural link with Rio Gomez, my engineering mentor, he advised me to take the team test first. After discussing the matter, we agree this team test is a priority above the individual test. I am glad, since the solo test will takes a lot of me. I haven't regain a full body restoration, to be honest.

In an hour we were ready at the vault waiting room, two teams has been formed. The Betta team and the gamma is combined since both of the team missing a couple of team members. Now the Betta team is consisted of 1 combatant 2 engineer and 2 supporter. Two door open in front of us, my eyes meet with my team mates and nod. We enter the room unison, holding our weapon and activating our armor. It was a full combat training sessions, the attacks will be harmful to the skin. When we enter the room a big circle was on the floor. I curse looking at Dean and Grey, who now was shaking their head looking at the circle we got into. Jean jerking her foot like she gonna step on something, it takes us by surprise and laughing. Suddenly a door on the other side opens, a man in full armor and three orbs coming down to the man's sides. The screen above the room, displayed the man details.

Counselor Jeff Gardner.

Combatant, Semi Master Mid Grade.

Fire element attacks, Orbiting skills.

Sword and Blade users.

5 VS 1, Training ends when all participant on the opposite sides have no Health Points left. In the big screen there are five 100% health points against a single bar 100% health points. "The fights will be started in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, cautions training in sessions!" Three orbs launch to attack us. Our opponents is very fast, a sword graze Grey on the left shoulder. Dean fend off an orb that got us zaps "argh!" No just me my team mates also growling after the zaps. "Blasted circle!" Jean grumbling. "Grey you hold off the counselor, Shawn backed him up, Dean watch the orbs cover for Jean, i will take down the Orbs. One at a time the Orbs was taken down by me, now only the counselor is left. Suddenly three more orbs come down from the ceiling, "Shit! I have not paying attentions! The objectives was to depleted the opponents Health points!" That is way the orbs were replaced after they all brought down by me. We change the tactical, while i keeping the orb busy. Dean fends off the orbs for Jean, that is now blasting away the light wave towards the counselor, while Grey and Shawn trying to hacks away the counselor. At my signal after taking down two orbs, a cracked of the defenses was enough to make a lethal blow .

BANG! The opponent get hit, but not without a cost, after we took out 20% of his HP he directly hit Shawn which cost him 50% of HP. After that whenever an attacker occurs our team mates would be ready to take the counter, taking another 15% of the opponent, but no team mates got hit. When Grey got careless an orbs got me blind sided, went rogue to attacked Grey at the flank, the counselor strikes a lethal hit taking 45% of Grey's HP. In successive to the attacked trying to push the aggro to Jean, i blocked the Counselor sword. A shocked to my hands, the counselor is attacking with fire elements, luckily i also infused my Ice element to my sword. The counselor loss 10% more HP, and i suffer 15%. Burying the chance to attacked Jean wave barraging the counselor. She is pissed! After that the counselor takes a very preventive moves after every attacked, since Jean is really pissed. An opportunity occurred after a wrong landing by the counselor, when Dean changes his Defense strategy into an aggressive attacked. Hacking the counselor feet, Jean Blast the counselor, i hacked with the element and hit a lethal blow to the left shoulder BANG!!! It took 35% point out of the 55% left. With 20% in his HP a very lethal blow will shut him up. The orb is now start blasting wave attacked, every wave that blasted our armor will chipped 2% of out HP. Three simultaneously wave rays targeted Dean, manage to make him panicked, the counselor sword lunges into Dean, Jean blasting two orbs, i hacked into one orbs. Shawn falls down because of the parrying of the counselor. Grey is jumping towards Dean to cover the lunge, i went zigzagging and slashing the counselor shield from below. BANG! It creates an opening on the center of the abdominal part of the counselor. Shawn crouching taking a stance then blast off lunging to the abdominal point exposed, a bolt of lightning streaking from the handle to the point of Shawn's sword. When the tip of the counselor's sword touched Dean flanking his side, a huge blast of lightning erupted. BAM!! Sending the counselor to hit the wall. When everybody finally drops on the floor, the light lite up. And in the big screen, blinking the results of our team as the winner. "Ouch! That's hurts!" The counselor screamed, after that he got up limping. And shake our hands, "good fights kids!, we will expected great things from now on!", as we walked out the room, the Betta team next door has been wiped out, and has been given a week to get their acts together. We were sorry to hear that, we were gonna celebrate the test passing. But hearing the news we decided to postpone the celebration for a week, at least to wait until the other team pass the test in which will decided the schedule for the next semester. Because our team successively passing at first try, we will be given a break, it was a week off, which we were given a chance to go home to visits our family. On the next day i take a bus home to Rogan, and come home for a week.