Raw Power

"The Trial of Strength begins!"

Vivienne's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. Ten minutes had passed, and though the students wanted to protest, they had no choice but to comply.

Nathan, oblivious to the tension, jabbed the air in front of him as if swiping at something invisible.

Merlin sighed at the idiot's antics.

'He's probably messing around with his system again… I have to beat him, whatever it takes.'

Clenching his fists, he steeled his resolve—until Vivienne's voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp blade.

"Firstly, we will just assess your raw strength. No affinities allowed—just one punch or kick. Anyone caught using an affinity will receive an automatic zero, and will be disqualified from the rest of the tests as well."

'Just like in the novel'

As she finished, a simple training dummy materialized beside her. It was made out if simple wood, but beneath that wooden mask was a complete system of some kind.

"When you strike it, my tablet will display a number, measuring the force of your hit."

She briefly turned the screen toward the students before returning her gaze to the dummy.

"We'll go in order based on the previous test—those who were eliminated first will go first, and those who lasted the longest will go last."

'I can at least rest a bit.'

A murmur swept through the crowd.

"This isn't fair."

"They have more time to recover."

'Life isn't fair kids. You get what you earned here.'

Vivienne caught the whispers and cleared her throat loudly, silencing them at once without a care in the world.

"They performed well, so they have that right. If anyone has a complaint, feel free to take it up with the Headmaster. I'm sure she will be happy!"

A wicked smile curled her lips as she scanned the students.

'No one will complain… they wouldn't dare go against the headmaster..'

"The record for last year's first-years was 956. That's the score all of you should aim to surpass. Now, let's begin. Nicholas Ravensmith, come forth."

One by one, the students stepped forward to strike.

Nicholas managed only to get 359 points even though he tried his best.

'Just another extra, no need to expect anything from them.'

Merlin shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts.

'Nathan will break the record. If I want to take first place, I have to as well.'

He flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders as the line moved forward slowly but surely.

Then, suddenly—a sharp chime echoed in his mind. A panel appeared before his eyes.

'Haa…finally. I've been waiting for a while.'

He sighed at the familiar sight.

——[New Quest]——

[I'm Better!]

Objective: Match or surpass Nathaniel Varen's strength.

Rewards:

• Unlock an additional affinity.

• Choose a new skill.

• Gain access to a special training option.

• +2 Strength.

• +2 Free Stat Points.

Penalty for Failure: None.

[Do you accept? Y/N]

————————-

Merlin's eyes gleamed at the rewards.

'Another affinity… and a skill. Such good rewards so early..'

It took everything in him not to grin like an idiot as the test continued.

'This was already my plan anyway, I want to surpass that fucker. Yes, I accept the quest System.'

[Quest Started! Good luck Host!]

'This will be good.'

Murmuring to himself, he focused as Adrian stepped forward.

Planting his feet, Adrian twisted his waist and drove a clean right straight into the dummy.

"910 points. Congratulations, Adrian, you're in first place so far," Vivienne announced, her gaze approving.

'He's good, but he should have the most raw strength anyways in the protagonist's group. Except for Nathan himself of course.'

Adrian gave a curt nod and returned to his spot.

Merlin barely held back a laugh at the way Adrian walked back so stiffly.

'Pff…how silly.'

Time passed quickly.

One by one, the supposed "heroic" students fell short of Adrian's score, which wasn't surprising—he was the group's muscle outside of Nathan.

Now, only the top three remained.

All eyes locked onto Nathan as he stepped forward towards the doll.

'I don't remember his exact score, but it was definitely well over a thousand.'

With an embarrassed smirk, Nathan squared up before the dummy. He wasted no time—he just wanted to get it over with.

A moment later—boom.

Vivienne's eyes widened in shock before a delighted smile spread across her lips.

"Nathaniel Varen—1160 points! Congratulations, you've set a new record!"

Applause rippled through the crowd, though not everyone clapped. Most of the students simply studied Nathan with wary eyes without even bothering to clap.

'Poor guy…'

Nathan tried to slip back into obscurity, but Vivienne's praise had done the opposite, keeping him in the center of attention like a fool.

A few more students applauded, but the majority only measured Nathan with calculating expressions.

Nathan let out a sigh, wearing that familiar strained smile as he returned to his spot.

'It's my turn I guess'

Then—

"The next challenger… Merlin Everhart, step forward."

Silence, absolute silence.

Dozens of eyes snapped to him, brows furrowed, expressions skeptical.

Merlin took a deep breath.

'Calm down. No pressure at all. I will win this test.'

With steady steps, he approached the dummy.

'I can't rely on raw strength alone, I'm way too weak for that…I need to use an actual technique.'

A slow inhale. His muscles coiled—tensed like a bowstring. His posture remained deceptively relaxed, but beneath the surface, power surged through his body like a storm waiting to break.

His gaze sharpened.

'This will work, at least I hope it does.'

A single step forward.

His weight shifted—hips twisting, core tightening. Power surged from his feet, through his waist, up his spine, flowing into his arm.

Then—explosion.

His elbow drove forward like a war hammer, striking with the precision of an executioner's blade.

The air shrieked. The dummy shuddered.

And then—silence.

'Well? Did it work?'

"…."

Vivienne stared at the screen, eyes wide with her eyebrows twitching.

Then, her voice, slightly unsteady—

"Merlin Everhart—1160 points! A tie for first place with Nathaniel!"

For a brief second, she smiled.

Merlin exhaled.

'So I barely matched him even with proper form and technique… I'm still too weak.'

His fists clenched at the realization, teeth gritted together.

A few people clapped, but just like with Nathan, most simply observed him with a quiet intensity.

'Who is this kid…I have never even heard of him before'

Even Vivienne's thoughts stirred uneasily.

Merlin returned to his spot and dropped onto the ground expressionlessly.

"Merlin, right? Good job bro!"

Nathan offered him a genuine smile.

'Why are you pretending so badly? I didn't beat you.'

"Thanks," Merlin muttered, looking away.

Nathan just chuckled, unfazed by Merlin's coldness.

"And next—Elara Vaelith."

The beautiful elf stepped forward with measured grace.

Turning her torso, she uncoiled like a whip, delivering a flawless kick to the dummy's midsection.

Vivienne checked the score—then, for the third time that day, her expression froze.

"Elara Vaelith—1059 points!"

She clapped, and this time, nearly everyone joined in—including Nathan.

Merlin, however, remained silent.

Elara merely clicked her tongue, returning to her spot without fanfare.

'She's not happy with second place at all…'

Merlin shook his head.

"Alright, students, the next trial is Affinity Control. Line up according to your current placement—this time, those who ranked highest will go first."

Merlin and Nathan locked eyes.

'He's gonna go first'

Merlin's stare was cold.

Nathan's was uncertain, yet warm.

Merlin turned away.

Murmurs spread as the students took their places.

"In this test, we won't measure raw strength," Vivienne explained.

"Only your ability to control your affinity's usefulness."

'Of course…since they want to weed out the weak early.'

Merlin's thoughts remained sharp.

Then, he clapped a hand on Nathan's shoulder, his voice low and icy. Like a phantom.

"You should go first."

Nathan blinked.

"Alright…"

Vivienne nodded whilst locking eyes with Nathan.

"Begin, Nathaniel Varen!"

Nathan approached the training dummy with what seemed like quiet confidence.

'In reality he's nervous as hell.'

His every step was deliberate. He looked at the doll as if it were a real opponent, not just an inert object.

'Let's see it in action… that famous technique of yours.'

Suddenly, tendrils of black mist coiled around his body, writhing like living shadows.

Then, like a whisper of a dying breath, he vanished.

A hush fell over the students as Nathan reappeared behind the dummy, stepping forth from its very shadow as though the darkness had birthed him. 

His hands, wreathed in black energy, struck the dummy's back with precision. The force sent it tipping forward.

'The infamous Backstep.'

Merlin covered his mouth, masking his amused smirk.

'Not exactly how I imagined it, but not bad.'

Vivienne nodded, her sharp gaze assessing every detail.

"Nathaniel, 8 out of 10. Your technique is effective, but you need to compensate for the distance you must cover to execute it. Against a skilled swordsman, closing that gap could be fatal. Work on refining your range."

Her tone was even, but the implication was clear—his technique had promise, but it wasn't flawless.

A few students clapped, though the applause was sparse. Many eyed Nathan with thinly veiled disdain. Darkness affinity users had never been particularly well-liked.

Nathan gave a brief nod and stepped aside, his gaze locking onto Merlin's.

"Merlin Everhart, you're up next."

Vivienne's voice rang with authority, slicing through the murmurs like a blade.